Hello Friends.

First, I want to thank you, very sincerely, for all the comments, emails, phone calls about my accident.  Graham seems to be fine, I am healing, and our car, well, our car will be fixed in a couple of weeks.  My right thumb went from looking like a sausage to just having a big bruise.  I am almost able to bend it without pain.  Physical injuries hurt but I think my soul was crushed more than my body.  After Randy came home early from his high school reunion, I sort of crashed emotionally.  I was very melancholy and all I wanted to do was sleep.  Guilt and fear can do that to you.  Thankfully, after a day and a half of that, I am spiritually on the mend as well as physically.  It helped, very much, to continue getting lovely notes from you all during that rough patch.

Moving on – Who Won the Cook’s Illustrated Cookbook??  I have to say, this was a fascinating exercise.  Reading about the recipes you all are trying to find made me want to sit down and email each of you to say, “Well, have you tried this one??”  Some of you I couldn’t help (I’m talking to the pork people and those on a meat sauce quest) but some of you I could.  If you are searching for a chocolate chip cookie, have you tried this one?

Perfect Chocolate Chip Cookies

If you are looking for a brownie, have you tried this one?

The Baked Brownie

If you are looking for gnocchi, have you tried this one?

Ethan Stowell’s Method for Perfect Gnocchi

If you are looking for Macaroni and Cheese, have you tried this one?

Martha Stewart’s Gratinéed Macaroni and Cheese with Tomatoes

If you are looking for a scone, have you tried this one?

Classic Currant Scones

And If you are looking for pizza crust, please do yourself a favor and try Mark Bittman’s recipe.

I’m not saying these recipes are perfect, but I like them very much.  Your comments gave me some wonderful new ideas to try for this blog.  And I also realized that my all-time favorite butternut squash soup is not here.  That will be remedied next week.  More vegetable soups will follow as will gingerbread, biscuits, and a perfect marinara.  Please know that I am on my own quest too.  Thanks for all the ideas.

And without further ado, based on my random generator, the cookbook winner is:

87

Random numbers generated Oct 26 2011 at 10:11:50 by www.psychicscience.org  
Free educational resources for parapsychology, psychical research & mind magic.

Jane!  Jane said she wanted a perfect chocolate cake recipe, but seeing as I posted one, she is now looking for a vanilla cake.  Jane, send me an email so I can get your address.

Thanks again for playing everyone.  I have another great giveaway coming up tomorrow!