Is Winter Over Yet?

Suffering from a full-blown case of the winter blahs, Khalil eagerly anticipates the fresh flavors of spring.

By Khalil Hymore

Oy vey! I am suffering from a terrible case of the winter doldrums! I am SO ready for spring and summer to arrive. I am starving for fresh in season greens and stone fruits--peaches, nectarines, and cherries. I am also over this recession...or whatever you want to call it. It's all so depressing: home foreclosures, bank collapses, and Wall Street ponzi schemes. It's just too much! It also means long hours at work--most days I leave my house at 8 AM and don't get home until almost 9 PM. This of course leads to extremely poor eating habits--lot's of junk food from the vending machines at work and cheap slices of pizza for lunch.

The truth is, since the move I haven't really had a chance to acclimate to my new kitchen. Lately I feel like I have been doing the work of three people, so I really haven't found the time to become comfortable in my new kitchen yet. In fact, I feel much more at home cooking in the test kitchens for the magazines I work for. At home I still haven't even memorized where everything is the kitchen either! Cooking in it always seems to take twice as long since I have to hunt for everything.

Even though I spent most of the weekend on the couch in a funk, I was able to catch up on some of my favorite shows--Top Chef, Ugly Betty, and the complete second season of The Tudors, on Showtime on demand, which is basically Melrose Place meets Henry the VIII (sexy AND historical)...oh, and, of course, the Oscars, which Scott and I watched over at my sister, Ashley's house. I threw together a quick and simple mac and cheese (I promise, it's no harder to whip up than that powdered boxed mac and cheese, and it's delicious!), and Ashley whipped up a delicious chocolate teacake from Country Living Magazine.

Top Chef has gotten so good--I love it! First of all, I must apologize to Carla. A couple of weeks ago, I said that she probably wasn't Top Chef material, even though I love her. She just isn't the typical chef-type that usually wins these things. She's, well, she's nice. How wrong was I? Now that she is in the finals, I am thinking that girlfriend could easily walk away with the "Top" prize--I mean she's already won a car. Her oyster stew from last week's episode looked divine. I can't wait to get my hands on some fresh oysters so I can make it myself. Tom proclaimed it to be perfect! Go Carla, I mean, "Hooty-Hoo!"

Anyway, I suppose the weekend wasn't a total bust--we also celebrated a good friend's birthday with much cheer (and by cheer I mean alcohol, hence the need for the mac and cheese the very next day), and I was able to relax a bit before another long and treacherous workweek. So, as I wait for spring and long days filled with fresh, flavorful fruits and vegetables, I'll continue to perfect my kitchen, hope for an economic turnaround, and stay far away from CNN. I'm already dreaming of rhubarb!