In the kitchen with Jamie

Today turned into "one of those days." From beginning to end what could have gone wrong did and what should have been good, wasn't. Sitting on the couch with a cup of tea in my hand, I sulked till even doing that made me feel miserable. I looked out the window at the darkening sky, saw the naked tree swaying in the wind, grabbed a sweater from the closet and reached into a newly opened box with the label "Chapters" prominently displayed on  top. I flipped through a couple of books that I was tempted to read before giving away as Christmas gifts but put them down and lifted out the biggest and heaviest book of them all. I have always been a sucker for a beautifully illustrated cookbooks, but when they go for a fraction of their original price I simply can not resist. I looked down at the smiling face of Jamie Oliver and could feel the tension seeping out of every pore. Careful not to crease the pages or crack the spine, I poked around the different chapters looking to see what would catch my eye. It didn't take long before THE recipe appeared before me. Baked Ricotta and Marscapone Tart with Chocolate and Orange, announced the title. Before I really knew was was happening, I had taken out the flour, butter and sugar and was reaching into the cupboard for my tart pan. It wasn't till I read the entire list of ingredients, that I realized I did not have what I needed to follow the recipe exactly. I scrounged around for a ready made pie crust and decided to substitute that for the made from scratch version. Everything else went according to plan. It was the first task that I attempted today that did not end in disaster, well, almost. The ready made pie shell proved to be smaller than the tart pan the recipe called for and some of the filling spilled over onto the pan I had placed underneath. By this time, enjoying the citrusy, chocolatey smell in the warm, bright kitchen, the slight misstep did not bother me in the least. This, after all , was not a dessert made for anyone but me, and the family, of course.
So there you go, I happened on another thing that I look forward to when the winter arrives, without having to wrack my brain. Baking, it seems, is medicine for what ever ails me. When the temperature falls out side and the house is in need of that certain coziness that only the smell of vanilla can provide, I am ready to oblige.
Here is Jamie Oliver whipping up something sweet. It may not be THE recipe that spoke to me today, but it is one I'll have to try in the next few months while I'm waiting for the tulips to bloom again.