I didn't castigate, I said How sad. And it is sad that you insist [which by now you are] that I not find joy in my cooking. I *personally* find no joy in attempting to grow live plants, which I have tried, and having them all die, which they all have.

I would *never* try to tell people who grow fresh herbs and have fruit arbors and vegetable gardens that there is no joy in their cooking just because *I* am not fulfilled by what they do. I cook with as much farmer's market produce as I can, including the fresh herbs available, and I also cook extensively with dried herbs and spices, and fill myself, and the folks I feed, with joy in so doing. So there.

And how condescending of you to say I need to know cooking with shortcuts is hardly shortcuts at all. Do you grow your own black pepper, make your own ricotta for lasagna, harvest your own salt from the ocean? If not maybe you need to learn not to tell others what they need to learn. And if so, bully for you, but I still think you ought not tell others there is no joy in their way of cooking with purchased salt and pepper.

And separately from you being on my case, what is wrong with shortcuts? If it makes cooks happy and creates deliciousness, why *judge* how?

Ok back to me: fresh herbs in stores, since mine won't grow so I prefer not to grow them myself, are limited to dill, oregano, parsley, mint, and thyme, here. No fresh savory or marjoram or any of the other herbs I like to cook with. I do buy fresh parsley, mint, and dill, but prefer dried thyme and oregano. These bring me joy. If they don't bring *you* joy that does not make me *wrong* -just different. And vivent all the differences.

Ok back to recipes: Made a large batch of my now-famous crab and asparagus soup, alas with frozen corn as fresh corn is no longer available at my farmers' markets [but frozen allows me the joy of corn in my soup, ok, laying off Steve Shaw now {grin}] so as to be able to reheat the rest instead of making another single helping. Still delish but with a slightly different flavor and texture. An interesting experiment. And I am now out of red chili flakes.

Also I am discovering that hummous is yummy when plopped into all kinds of things, like a spoonful in a bowl of soup.