No self-respecting blog should go eight days without an update. That being said, Saltines and Jell-O, washed down with ginger ale, don't make for the most exciting menu. To all those devoted fans who struggled through the update-less days, I apologize to you both.

Now then. Nausea at bay, I decided to mark my return to the range with my comfort food: pasta. Whole wheat gnocchi, pan-roasted brussels sprouts straight from the farmers' market, a small mountain of cracked black pepper, and the Pasta Triumvirate: pasta water, butter, and cheese. A pinch of parsley and lemon zest to wake it all up, and welcome back appetite.