I spent Sunday making cassoulet. It was weirdly easy. I had worked myself up into a nervous frenzy but it's a wonderful, comfortable dish. Part of the production is browning the meat. I had Toulouse sausages and smoked ham from the Fatted Calf and some chicken drumsticks. After I had finished, the beautiful pan beckoned me with its flavor. I deglazed it with a wee bit of stock, some butter and some white wine. A few bits of cubed bacon were added as well. Not much of any one ingredient. I tossed some Baia Pasta with it and sacrificed a portion of the cassoulet beans that were going into the cassoulet. It was a perfect lunch. It's Monday as I write this and I do feel some guilt for such an indulgent weekend. Remember, cassoulet followed! But I wouldn't change a thing.