I Have a Confession...

So I was just at the local Y, wonder of wonders. The gym was nearly empty. It seems I am one of the few in my town still clinging idealistically to their post-New Year's workout fantasies. But perhaps there's a reason for the attrition: the TV in the gym was tuned to the Food Network, which, if you ask me, is downright sadistic.

To make matters worse, Giada de Lauretis was on. So much for my "low impact" workout.

So here's my confession: one of the recipes looked marvelous. It was for a panzanella— which is fun to make in the summer, and deeply satisfying (as mushy, oily, salty bread would naturally be)— but with artichoke hearts added to the mix. She used the frozen variety, thawed to room temperature. The masterstroke involved toasting the bread cubes and artichoke hearts on a grill-pan with a little olive oil.

If I can find some good off-season tomatoes tomorrow, I'll make this salad tomorrow night. Tonight, see, we are driving to the recently-opened Elk Creek Café in Millheim, PA, for some "Nouveau Dutchie" cuisine. I'm very excited. And we will, I hope, have time to buy some of the excellent Millheim bacon while we're there.

Ooh-- now, bacon in the panzanella would be fun. Take that, Giada! Take that, YMCA!