Taylor Swift

Spent the day hiking and came home to find Kevin cooking a gourmet camping dinner in preparation for an upcoming biking trip with the guys.  Wanted to nail it before serving it.  To which I said..."Yeah, hon, I find Bear Grylls very sexy.  Followed closely by Adam Levine."  His response...."Yeah, I tend to like tall, thin, cute, smart, rich blondes....Taylor Swift"....

Damn, hon, I thought you married me for my cooking!  Ha!!!!

Tomato tarts again....!

OMG I can never get enough of these wonderful Italian pies.  Fresh tomatoes and basil from the garden.  I feel like I've died and gone to Italy!  Bon appetit!!!

A Taste of Thai

Roya scores again with a wonderful medley of Thai cuisine.  Not a type of food I cook a lot, but as one of my favorites I wanted to give Thai cooking a try.  The thing I love most is the fact that everything is so fresh and the  herbs (cilantro, mint, ginger....) all culminate in a delicious side note that really compliments the fresh veges.  Also, I love the kick that the Thai chili peppers, curry, red pepper flakes, etc. give to the dish without complicating the favors too much....just a nice mix of crunch, seasonings, a bit of spice, and the unexpected hint of peanuts and coconut milk to soften it all and make the mouth a happy playground of flavor explosions.  Thai food seems to be one of the few foods where the flavors and textures all work so well together, yet they still maintain a great degree of autonomy and you can taste everything all at once and not be too overwhelmed....just overjoyed!!!  Thanks again, Roya, for a wonderful evening!  Enjoyed our new foodie friends, Robert and Samantha.  Can't wait to make all these dishes myself!  I see a dinner party very soon!  Bon appetit!

Thai Lettuce Wrap

Sticky Rice with Mangoes

Pad Thai Noodles

Parang Curry with Chicken

Pan Seared Flank Steak

So I usually grill flank steak on the grill - quick and easy, but this recipe in this month's Cook's Illustrated intriqued me.  It takes flank steak, discusses how to cook it in the oven at 225 degrees, cut it into smaller steaks and then pan sear it to seal in the juices.  Delicious is all I can say.  Soooo very tender.  The chive butter with the lemon zest added a delightful zing.  I will definitely be making this again.  Served with good wine, roasted potatoes and a fresh salad from the garden with a white wine grapefruit vinagrette.  Bon appetit!

Sunday night and the living is so easy

Great night with Matthew, Ruth and Teague.  Just a simple dinner of smashed cauliflower under citrus marinated salmon, tomato tart with fresh tomatoes and basil from the garden, and fattoush.  Yum!  Super easy!  All good stuff from the garden.  Summer nights and the living is easy.....


Smashed Cauliflower:
Steam two heads of cauliflower.  Remove from steam.  Mash in 1/2 stick of softened cream cheese with a potato masher, a little salt and pepper.  Leave some lumps in it.

Fattoush recipe from Cooks Illustrated, Sept/Oct 2015.  Middle Eastern salad with crispy pitas. tomatoes from the garden with mint, cilantro, cucumbers and arugula. Yum!!!!

Friday night slow down

Rolling with my usual Friday night cocktail at Luckys...tried their sangria tonight which was made with lots of peaches.  Yummy!  Lucy and Layce came to eat with us.  Sweèt little chefs...!

Garden goodies

Quick dinner of spaghetti squash cubed with onions, tomatoes, fresh herbs and fresh grated Parmesan....all from the garden.  Nice wines, bread, etc.  Easy rolling....