We drove Taraz down to Vancouver, stopping in Olympia for a stroll through some of his favorite haunts, one of which is this alleyway. 
It has been painted with murals. The abundant snowfall has melted and there are warnings about flooding and unstable mountainsides. The ground is soggy and unpredictable.
I've been shut in for over two weeks, reluctant to drive in the crusted snow. Here in Tacoma the main thoroughfares are plowed, but none of the side-streets. Parking lots were horrendous, with cars getting stuck. Unfortunately, people still had Christmas shopping to do so they ventured out.
A few days ago I finally drove to Metropolitan Market, to get a few specialty items for my pantry.
Since we don't really celebrate Christmas, I gave myself a little gift of taste thrills: A fresh pineapple, a tiny box of raspberries for crepes, salmon bisque, Droste cocoa powder, Israeli couscous, some spicy tamarind dipping sauce, and Mexican mole.While I was there I bumped into two people that I know (always a delight), doing some last minute shopping. The market was packed with shoppers as it was Christmas eve, yet we lingered over conversation, enjoying the festive energies, the wonderful aromas of the deli, the bakery, and the table displaying holiday cheeses and fruit.
I bought a few items for our Christmas meals and planned my menus:
A Moroccan tagine with couscous and fried Greek bread. 
Orange-Poppy-seed Salad with Pine-Nuts, Currants and kumquats. 
Miniature Raspberry-Huckleberry Crepes. 
Millet pancakes, bacon, eggs, and chorizo-onions.
Chickpeas and Rice, Rye Bread and Mozzarella. 
Focaccia, my first attempt, using dried tomato and Italian herbs. Borders had a 40% off sale a few days before Christmas. I went over. The place was just packed. I enjoyed seeing all the customers (being shut-in for over a week) and spent $9.00 on "The Shipping News", which is so wonderfully written with all the local idioms and colloquial language.
While I was there I saw several books I'd love to have, but they were costly: Poopa Dweck's "Aromas of Aleppo ~ The Legendary Cuisine of Syrian Jews". Another was "Turquoise ~ A Chef's Travels in Turkey" by Gary and Lucy Malouf. Both these books are written the way I like, with abundant photos of the country, the markets, the people and the food. Recipes are almost an after-thought, as the writers feature old ancestral photos and the fascinating cultural details that define the particulars of the cuisine.
I was so hungry for this type of experience that I taped the reruns of Andrew Zimmern's travels through India, Ethiopia, and Morocco and played them while I did my cooking! It was almost like I was transported there, with flavors coming from my own kitchen to enhance the programs ~ The Market in Marrakesh, with its mounds of turmeric, cumin, and red pepper; the goats and camels slaughtered for market; the souk with its shops and eateries.
I would have loved to roast a bit of lamb for Christmas, but most of the wrapped meat at our local market was around $23.00 for the choicest cuts, and with just the three of us I settled on one pound of ground turkey and another pound of chorizo.
Seasoned with fresh ground spices, they enhanced my tagine, shown here before I simmered everything for several hours. Only one day of left-overs, unfortunately.With Taraz gone, we'll get ready for a visit from Ruhiyyih, who arrives from Washington D.C. on Wednesday. She'll be here only through the weekend, spending most of her time with Matt and his family, but I've got to clean the guest-room and check my pantry.
I've got a couple of good books to read: "In a Hundred Graves ~ A Basque Portrait" by Robert Laxalt. It has a lyrical writing style, featuring the sheep-herders in the Pyrenees and the local paysans. And, "A Place to Live" by Natalia Ginzburg. It's about her life in Turin, Italy. Both, exactly the kind of writing I enjoy and beautifully done.
