In the Air

 

Spring is definitely in the air. All you had to do yesterday was to breathe deeply and to feel the pollen threatening to choke you. Still, the sun was out and the temperatures, for a change, were actually beginning to edge up into the category of what I would call true spring. Nice! Even the birds seemed to be loving it as they appeared almost everywhere, singing and chirping--Mockingbirds, Towhees, Bluebirds, Nuthatches, Chickadees, to name only a few of them that I saw.

Tempranillo

 The first time I can remember drinking a glass of Tempranillo was while hiking in northern Spain. Ever since then, I've made a place for it at my table. According to Wikipedia, "the dominant flavors include cherry, dried fig, cedar, tobacco, and dill. Age impacts the flavors of Tempranillo significantly, with Roble and Crianza examples imparting juicy fruit flavors and heat." Frankly, I would be hard pressed to describe the flavor, but I have detected, I think, just a little of that "heat" that's described. Maybe. Just a little. :-)

Apricot & Lentil Soup

 

Apricot and Red Lentil Soup adapted from "Samarkand: Recipes & Stories from Central Asia & the Caucasus" by Caroline Eden and Eleanor Ford (Kyle Books, 2016). According to G. Daniela Galarza, in this morning's Washington Post, "Red lentils give this soup its porridge-like texture, while tomatoes and carrots enhance its orange hue. Onions, garlic, cumin and thyme ground it in savory flavors. And dried apricots, rather than turning the soup sweet, add brightness, like a glimmer of spring sunshine."