Cooler weather

Today was cool, in the 60s (the mid teens, Centigrade). I'll admit that this is not exactly winter weather for most of the world, but I was able to wear a jacket. We also turned off the air-conditioner, a rare occurrence since moving to Miami in May.

My landlord had built a tiny fire in a makeshift fire bowl. It was lovely to sit by the fire with my wine and a book, and also reassuring. I've been wondering if I can survive in a place that doesn't have winter. Now I know that if I can have a few chilly days (and luckily, I'm easily chilled), I won't feel like I live in perpetual summer.

I'll also get the chance to experience some winter weather next week, when I spend a few days in Chicago. I haven't had Veteran's Day off since high school, but my university designates it an official holiday. So I'm making it a long weekend and flying up to Chicago, where Andrew will be attending a conference. Chicago is one of my favorite cities. I've visited many times, so there aren't lots of "must-sees" that I haven't seen. This frees me up to do other things. I'm going to take a river tour of the city run by the architectural society, and I'm going to do some vintage shopping. I also hope to find some Ethiopian food, one of the few cuisines that South Florida doesn't offer.

Speaking of cuisine, the latest attempts on Indian food had mixed results. Palak paneer (spinach and cheese) is definitely a keeper, because it's so easy. You puree the onions, garlic, and spices in the food processor, then fry it. Add the pureed spinach and cook, then add the paneer before serving. On the other hand, the pudding I made was odd and too heavy. I'm used to American puddings, in which milk is thickened with flour and maybe eggs. The Indian pudding was made by boiling down the milk until it was one-fourth the volume, with a handful of rice to thicken. I had to stand and stir the milk for a half an hour while it boiled down, and then at the end I had basically made evaporated milk. Next time I'll just buy a can of sweetened condensed milk and call it dessert. Or better yet, I'll make cake.