Outstanding carbs needed to enable our limp across the line

We have fortified ourselves with extremely satisfying dishes of pasta and grits and bread throughout the past few days as we've limped towards the finish line that I feel we just crossed by closing two tired boys' bedroom doors.

The time has come, the bags are packed and T and I are wiping the sweat from our brows.

Amen, friends. We are back to school!

A few nights back, we had pappardelle with corn, fresh herbs and ricotta. Then came my springtime shrimp and grits, and last night the grand prize: my pasta with caramelized shallots, Brussels sprouts and speck.

Of.the.gods. Tonight, carb-fest continued as we grilled pizzas and called it a day. I am going to throw myself in my bed right now and read away my sadness at having finished All the Light We Cannot See by jumping into The Girl in the Spider's Web, the fourth installment of Stieg Larsson's Millennium trilogy (The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo et al) though, naturally since Larsson is now dead, written by someone else.

In the Spider's Web, David Lagercrantz, also a Swedish journalist and writer, takes the helm of leading us back into the labyrinthine world of Lisbeth Salander and Mikael Blomkvist. Nervous but hopeful that this one is a honorable follow-up to the original, thrilling, enticing series.

Shrimp, grits, jam

I was so pleased to see that my Springtime Shrimp and Grits was chosen as a Community Pick on Food52 this week in the Your Best Scallions contest; the review is very flattering, and if Sam Sifton ever tried and liked one of my recipes, I'd be over the moon. Whilst reveling in that bit of praise, I made some rhubarb-ginger jam. I'll be teaching this recipe on May 17 in Fairfax so wanted to do a trial run and also replenish my personal stores which have long been gone. It is such a lovely jam, in both color and flavor, and I feel ever so excited about the advent of summer, in part because it's such a mad season for canning!