Notes — Opening the... kitchen

To all readers, both invited and not: this is a first opening note and, first of all, an open invitation to read!
The blog will proceed on the basis of the email requests received from readers of my books — past, present, and future readers, and books, and blog posts about them, and readers thereof...
It is not an academic setting or endeavour. Indeed, it is much closer to a kitchen than a conference. You just have to be sufficiently peckish. And like playing. *

*Those who can't play or dislike the game of humour should simply abstain from it.

Immagine: Bernardo Strozzi, La cuoca (c.1635). Olio su tela. Scottish National Gallery. Fotografata da Antonia Reeve, via Wikimedia Commons.