Stop Kissing Me, I Just Want to Blog.

My friend Peter has a really fabulous idea for a blog. He has drafted
several posts. He has even secured a few guest columnists who are
excited to be a part of his new project. When Peter finally
starts this blog, I will link to it on the right hand side of this
page, so you can see how awesome it is, too.

Why hasn't Peter actually started his blog?

"Well," Peter explains, avoiding my piercing stare, "I'm just so busy
this quarter, I've got a lot of homework, I have to read all this
Zizek..."

"And," he adds, "Now I have this relationship that takes up all my time..."

Which is totally the most awesome excuse for not blogging ever. I'm
sure every day Peter's new girlfriend wants to hang while Peter
protests, "But I was just about to start my blog! Stop kissing me! I
just want to blog! Stop being so pretty and fun!!" I'm sure all the times she's not distracting him from blogging, she's keeping him from doing his homework. Sounds like this new girlfriend is a one-way trip to Flunking Out of Graduate School-ville, if you ask me. Or at least a one-way trip to Never Starting My Awesome Blog Town.

I have a much less awesome excuse for my lack of blog (traveling around the country for work), although my excuse does involve driving home from Urbana-Champaign singing along to AniDifranco with my boss, who is one of the busiest people I know.

And he still manages to blog, Peter.

Shaved Pear, Fennel and Mushroom Salad with Preserved Lemons



I got a mandoline! I got an amazing deal on it (originally $150 - I payed $5!)! I forgot about my mandoline until Fancy Toast wrote about her mandoline! I'm glad I remembered my mandoline! Also, Megan took this picture - thank you Megan!

3 very small pears, preferably three different varieties
about 12 cremini mushrooms, washed and thoroughly dried
1 fennel bulb, cored and cut in half
1 lemon
olive oil
pepper and salt
1/4 cup or so italian parsley leaves
1/4 of a preserved lemon rind, julienned

Using a mandoline or a very sharp knife, thinly slice the pears, mushrooms and fennel (my slices were about 1/16 inch thick - thank you, mandoline!). If your cutting is as slow as Peter's blog-starting, you could have a bowl of water with a drop or two of lemon juice to put your pears in so they do not brown.

On four plates, arrange delicate layers of the first pear. Drizzle a fresh squeeze of lemon juice, olive oil, salt and pepper, then add a layer of mushrooms and a layer of fennel. Continue: pear 2, dressing, mushrooms, fennel; pear 3, dressing mushrooms fennel. Top each salad with parsley and preserved lemon, and a last dash of olive oil if you think you need it. This salad is perfect as is, but could be nice with a shaving or two of gruyere.