le poêle est mort...

A successor has not yet been named.

On May 7, two days before I posted my first real post here, our gas stove died. There’s a longer story that I’ll tell at some point—once we finally have a replacement—but the short version is that, when I went to light a burner, the space inside the stove caught fire, torching the wiring and igniters and whatever else is inside. It was a small fire, quickly put out (with baking soda rather than water, as Lorna had the presence of mind to remind me), but it was enough to kill the stove.

The (separate) ovens still work, and we have an electric skillet, so we got through the dinner party we had planned for Sunday—leg of lamb and a pot of beans in the oven, braised celery in the skillet, with guests bringing sides and appetizers. My brother-in-law has loaned us a portable induction burner, so we’re continuing to muddle along. And then Lorna and I drove to St Louis for a long weekend to visit friends—about ten hours each way—and just got back yesterday.

All of which is to say: I had intended to write about braised celery this weekend, but had no time and not much mental energy. It’s in the works, but will be a few more days.

We’re also trying to decide what to replace the stove with: whether to stick with gas or switch to induction. If you have thoughts either way, I’d love to hear them in the comments.