Now that fruit is starting to get good again ( I got a tasty early watermelon this weekend), I pulled out the aged balsamic form the cabinet. Sweet fruit and tangy sweet balsamic are awesome together. Watermelon and strawberries are my favorite. Another good tip for fruit – if you keep it in the fridge, let it rest for 20 minutes on the counter before you eat it. Fruit is too cold directly out of the fridge it hides so much of its flavor. This is especially true with strawberries – they need to be at room temperature to taste their best!

So after a few weeks of arguments and meltdowns, then some actually really impressive conversation, my wife and I have decided to seek counseling. We’ve been through eight years together, married almost 5, with nothing we couldn’t handle ourselves. Thankfully we’re both smart enough to realize when we need help.

I’m not going to go into details, but I think every relationship goes through its ups and downs, and admittedly somewhere in the last year I put our marriage on “cruise control” so to speak. Honestly, I’ve never dated (I’m 25 and have been with my wife for 8 years, you do the math), and I think I missed the class on “those little things that make her happy.” I’m definitely not good that – I can do the “big romantic things that make her happy” just fine, but the day to day is not my strong suit. This is not the whole problem, and fixing these things definitely won’t fix everything, but it sure feels good admitting to it in this somewhat public forum.

I’ve been sad, angry, hurt, in denial, and just about everything else. Now I’m just proud that we’re taking the right steps here. Now the real question is why does it take 3 weeks to get an appointment – don’t these people know that first time ‘patients’ are probably quite anxious?!?!?

I bought the following books and they arrived this week.

http://www.amazon.com/Complete-Keller-Laundry-Cookbook-Bouchon/dp/157965293X/ref=sr_1_1/002-7150174-1947252?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1176389076&sr=8-1

http://www.amazon.com/Amuse-Bouche-Little-Delight-Before-Begins/dp/0375507604/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/002-7150174-1947252?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1176389125&sr=1-1

I got soo excited reading through them the first time that I literally had trouble falling asleep that night. I have a problem, I know.

But now the second time going through them trying to pick out things to try on this weekends upcoming saturday-of-experimentation day, I am overwhelmed with the feeling that I could never actually cook like that! Aggghghg!

Summer Black Truffle. It’s about time I bought one. I don’t know what I will do with it yet, but it’s mine, the very one in the picture, shipping from Italy this week. Everywhere I look, people want about $200 for one of these (mine is about 2 oz). I got this one for $60 including shipping.

Ideas?!??!!?!??!?