Random Friday

Random item the first: When I interviewed Val McDermid earlier this week, I had asked her about whether she plots everything out ahead of time or wings it because the books of hers that I've read, including the new one, which was awesome, keep a lot of plates in the air. They move around between the recent past and the present and incorporate a lot of points of view and do it all while maintaining a coherent narrative and it was hard for me to wrap my head around that happening without some D-Day-level planning. But she told me that she practices what E.L. Doctorow called "driving at night writing" where you know where you started and where you want to end up, but the rest of the time you just see the little bit of the road right in front of you. I hadn't heard that before and really loved it.

Random item the second: I love this poster of Joan Holloway paper dolls very, very much.

Random item the third: At the moment I have a big bunch of kale, some beet greens and half a bag of baby spinach in my fridge. I want to use them all up this weekend, but am not sure how to do it. I'm considering a beans and greens sort of soup, maybe with some sweet potato and barley and plenty of paprika. I have bacon in the freezer and cannellini beans in the cupboard, so would just need to get the sweet potato and some more broth.

Random item the fourth: I can't find quinces anywhere. I really wanted to make these and possibly this to use up the fruit this weekend, but am being FOILED. Yesterday, I checked the greenmarket, my favorite Korean greengrocer, the fancy produce place near the office AND the natural foods supermarket in my neighborhood. The only place left is Whole Foods, which would probably have them, but then I'd have to get some exotic ice cream and fancy salt and vinegar chips too and THEN where would we be?

Random item the fifth: I just found quinces at another greengrocer near the office when I went out to run some errands so it is ON for quince caramels this weekend. I only have a super-crappy thermometer (one of the ones with the pointed end that you stick into a chicken) so it'll be interesting to see if how it goes.