I'm not dead

If you've been following this blog over the few months of its lifespan so far, you may have noticed the uncomfortable pause of the last several weeks.

Rest assured, I haven't abandoned the project, and will be resuming regular publication shortly. The unplanned break is the combined result of a couple of things I wasn't expecting: First, there's that major irritation called "Real Life," which has a way of getting underfoot at inopportune moments; and second, I'm experiencing a significant degree of writer's block as I consider how to attack my next entry.

That would be the final installment of the Chicago Restaurant Adventure, which is proving remarkably resistant to cogent analysis. I've been thinking about how to approach the subject, and have started different versions of the essay half a dozen times, only to run out of steam and delete the effort with frustrated resignation.

I'm still feeling a little stymied, but I'm not going to surrender. I will crack this mental coconut, and get myself back on track, pursuing the blog's central objective. I've continued cooking in the interim, so I have several dishes I'll be able to knock out in quick succession.

That is, of course, after I conquer the conceptual mountain on which I'm currently bivouacked.

Thanks for your patience.