Sunday Roast

In England the neighborhood pubs do a Sunday roast. Families can go and hang out, along with their kids and dogs, eat a good meal, have a beer or a cup of tea, and just relax. I'm obsessed with this idea and perhaps it's because I especially love the social pub nature of England - that everyone's got a spot near their home to go to.

This is kind of a rambling post that has nothing to do with flowers or decor...but I'm going to start my own Sunday roast program in my apartment. Just for my fiance and myself, maybe some friends. Just for fun. You see, I've been very slowly learning to cook over the past couple of years - and believe me, it's been a painful process with many mishaps along the way.

But I have a fiance who is a super creative and healthy cook, and the way he approaches food is inspiring to me. While I used to think I didn't have the patience to cook well, I've crossed a line and can now relax into the food and enjoy the process - if I have time for it. I've learned to trust my intuition a bit more too, in the sense that I am not focused on following any one recipe when I make a dish. I tend to look at several and think about what will be most delicious together, for us.

On Easter, I made a prime rib with shallot sauce. This Sunday, I'm planning on roasting a chicken. If you've got any ideas, please send them my way! Part of my learning process has been that the more I invest in cooking - in terms of researching ideas and recipes, shopping at the farmer's market every Saturday, etc. - the more I tend to do it! So, pick your favorite and throw it into the comments, please!

P.S. Photos above from my favorite gastropub in London, The Engineer! Special shout out to Mara and Pat for taking me there the first time :-)