January 29, 2010
Cuban Black Beans and Rice
About one night a week I have the place to myself while the Mister is off partaking in some extracurriculars. If you agree to keep a secret then I’ll divulge that I look forward to my date with an empty house once a week. Because, let’s face it, sometimes I don’t want him crashing my aerobic dance party, mocking my turbo jam session, or throwing off my Wii Fit ultimate hoola hoop groove. Sometimes I want to watch back to back episodes of Propery Virgins or House Hunters, even if I’ve already seen them, while flipping back and forth to Real Housewives or Project Runway. Sometimes I just want peace and quiet. No TV. No talking. Just staring at walls. (Ok, I agree, that last point is a little weird, but after a long day don’t you sometimes want nothing more than to stare at walls?) And sometimes, I just want beans and rice for dinner without the pouting.
Read more…
January 27, 2010
Crisp Thyme Flatbread
Here are some ways you can impress your friends at your next dinner party:
1) Prepare a 6-course dinner Iron Chef style alongside your very own local Iron Chef (ahem, Michael Symon).
2) Invite Julia Roberts (a la Notting Hill). Clive Owen would be just as smashing. Yes, actually, I highly recommend inviting the latter.
3) Serve beluga caviar as an appetizer and top the entree with shaved white truffles.
4) Perform that tablecloth trick with your great-great-great-grandmother’s antique china dishes.
5) Carve an ice sculpture fountain in the shape of the Rockies from which some fancy beverage flows freely (no, not Coors Light).
What? I’m just getting started! These are all too impossible, you say? Hmm. Ok, yes, I see what you mean.
Read more…
January 25, 2010
Chocolate Chip Toffee Bars
Someone I know happens to be turning a year older today. I can’t tell you who he is or how old he’s turning. But what I can tell you is he’s a pretty darn special guy. I’ll spare you the sappy details, but not before mentioning that it takes a pretty darn special guy to put up with this here blogger. Because this here blogger sweats the small stuff, insists he eats vegetables daily, pouts when she’s cold and gets a bit lot pissy when she’s hot, dons not-so-sexy flannel to bed too often, is driven by guilt, wakes him up in the middle of the night when she hears scary noises, makes them late on occasion when she forces him to turn around because she thinks she forgot to turn off the iron…
Read more…
January 22, 2010
Chicken Sausage with White Beans and Sage
I agree that at first glance the looks of this dish are nothing to write home about. It’s so…so…blah looking. Blah looking and brown. Blah looking and beige. Couldn’t I have stuck a sprig of sage leaves in there somewhere? I admit I considered it. I also admit I considered doing away with this whole post. But then I came to my senses because this was good and I wanted to share it with you. It’s one of those recipes that surprises you after you’ve read the ingredient list and feared it lacked some wow or zing or oh la la la. But then it emerges from the oven smelling of sage and toasted breadcrumbs and tasting of home and you are grateful for have given it a chance.
Read more…
January 19, 2010
Sunday Morning Frittata
I believe every weekend is cause for celebration. Surviving the weekly grind, regardless of your profession or life’s calling, is deserving of at least a few minutes of relaxation and reward. Perhaps for you this is splurging on a nice bottle of wine on Friday night, a scoop or two of good vanilla ice cream with real hot fudge sauce, a movie with friends or a stroll through your favorite park. Our weekend routines often include playing catch-up from the week before and preparation for the week ahead. Yet regardless of the weekends’ tasks, we take time to enjoy breakfast together on Sunday whenever possible. This is our weekly reward and we cherish it. And while the company ain’t bad, it’s the food that keeps us coming back. Sunday morning calls for frittata.
Read more…
