Posts from — August 2013

Four Years!

• 1461 days
• 208 weeks
• 1312 posts
• 6.3 posts per week

As a testament to how much this blog has grown these past four years, I shall share with you this extreme stat:

• On Day 1, August 16, 2009, this site had 20 visitors with 119 hits.
• Yesterday, on Day 1460, there were 1,347 visitors with 36,913 hits.

I know, it’s insane! And it is all thanks to YOU!

I want to thank each and every one of you who read what I write and cook what I create. Whether you are a treasured loyal follower who checks in every day… or you just stop by now and then… I appreciate you more than you know!

I thank you from the bottom of my heart. xoxo

How about we take a little stroll down memory lane and revisit the four most popular posts for each of the past four years.

Year 1

August 16, 2009 – August 15, 2010

#4 “300 and Counting”

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This is the fourth and final tapas recipe from Peggy’s dinner party. But before I share it with you, I nearly forgot to mention that I brought a Stone Fruit Crumble for dessert.

This time around, I used plumcots in place of the apricots and plums. Have you tried plumcots before?

If not, be sure to search them out and give them a go. They are not only tasty … but so very pretty too.

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We had a surprise addition to the Tapas Dinner Party when Peggy’s 17-year-old son, Stevo, came home a day earlier than she expected from a week-long camping trip in Yosemite National Park.

While Peggy busy was cooking for us, I was able to snap this cute photo of the two of them.

Thank you, Peggy, for such a fun and relaxing night.

This recipe is super easy and superbly delicious. It will disappear before your very eyes!

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The tasty little ricotta stuffed pepper on the plate above is the recipe we’re going to make today from Peggy’s Tapas Dinner party.

The mini sweet peppers are readily available in most grocery stores, at Trader Joe’s and at Costco.

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Have I ever told you how much I completely and totally L–O–V–E it when someone cooks for me? Actually, they don’t even have to cook for me.

What I meant to say is “how much I love it when someone feeds me.” It can be a peanut butter and jelly sandwich or an elaborate 5-course meal. Honestly, either one is a huge treat!

Just about the worst thing you can say to any cooking professional is, “I could never cook for you, I’d be so intimidated.”

What!?!?

We, of all people, know the love and work that goes into preparing food for another. Don’t leave us out – we need love too!

One of my friends who understands this is Peggy. She never hesitates to cook for me. As a matter of fact, Peggy invited her sister Terrie, Anne, and me over for dinner the weekend before last. Well, we thought it would be dinner, instead, it turned out to be tapas – even better!

As always, we had fun catching up, laughing up a storm, and just being together. And the food? Fantastic, of course!

Peggy made all four of the dishes from one cookbook: Tapas – Tantalizing Small Plates from the Mediterranean by Pamela Clark. Funny thing is, she thinks she may have gotten the book from me when I had THIS party.

I’ll share the recipe for each dish over the coming week. Today, I’m sharing my favorite of the four.

Oh yes, all the recipes are altered slightly from the original version. For instance, I doubled the relish and more flour as needed for a better consistency fritter batter. Plus, salt was added, the fritters really needed SALT! There wasn’t any in the original recipe.

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My mentor, boss, and sweet friend of nearly 25 years, Barbara Fenzl, celebrated her birthday last Saturday. She was traveling at the time, so I celebrated with her yesterday.

We didn’t take a photo together, so I’m posting this vintage picture of Barb, Jacques Pepin, and me… one of my all-time favorites. And it is the perfect picture to post since I bought her a vintage item as her gift.

Do you know what it is?

Does “les fromages de la ferme” or “Aux bons Fromages” give you a clue?

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Yeah, you read that right. There is too much testosterone surrounding me right now.

And nowhere near enough estrogen!

All I see, talk, and listen to from dawn to dusk is men, men, and more men! It’s not just “raining men” over here, it’s a virtual flood of men!

That might sound like heaven to some, but trust me, it’s too much. Not another female in sight.

It begins at 6 AM with the general contractor and his son. They are in charge of building our new patio addition out back.

Now, if “he” was a “she” – I could go out and greet her in my jammies and begin my day leisurely. But no… I have to get fully dressed and be somewhat presentable before I leave my bathroom each and every morning. That sucks!

Heck, if I’m not leaving the house on a normal day, I may not get dressed at all. For the last 8 weeks, it has been anything but normal around here.

Besides those two men, there is the plumber, the electrician and his son, the mason, the roofers, and the Cantera stone guy.

Plus, the stucco fellow, the drywall dude, the painters, and the pickup and delivery guy who re-strapped some of our existing patio furniture.

Not to mention, the poor guy who comes and switches out the port-a-potty, and the city inspectors… you get the idea. They are all lovely guys, but … they are MEN.

Then there are the UPS and FedEx male drivers, delivering all the furniture, lighting, speakers, decor, etc. that I’ve purchased for the addition.

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It was 10 weeks ago, today, that we returned home from our glorious trip to Hawaii. I can’t help thinking about just how beautiful … and delicious it was.

So much so, that the memory inspired this sandwich.

I used a purchased bag of coleslaw and zipped it up with the addition of red cabbage and cilantro. Then I made a quick dressing with mayo, sugar, pimento, and spices. Use your own favorite slaw recipe, or just purchase it ready-made from the deli.

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I suppose the heading says it all, but I still can’t say enough good things about these easy to make chicken thighs!

They. Are. So. Good!

Just be sure to take the time and the end to slowly reduce the cooking liquid until it is a syrupy glaze.

Please let me know if you make these and if you agree that they are The Best!

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This is the fifth and final post of “Stone Fruit” Week.

How cute are those cookie letters!?! I found them at Trader Joe’s and could not resist.

This is the perfect recipe to finish the week on. It is colorful, fruity, a little decadent, and so wonderfully summery!

I strolled through Trader Joe’s for inspiration. I had the fruit and prosciutto at home and knew those would be part of whatever dish I came up with. Then I spotted the burrata and the rest of it quickly fell into place.

Burrata is a fresh Italian cheese, made from mozzarella and fresh cream. The outer shell is solid mozzarella while the inside contains both mozzarella and cream, giving it a luscious glorious creamy texture. The name “burrata” means “buttered” in Italian.

One component that is not essential, but really puts this salad over the top is Vanilla Bean Olive Oil from the Queen Creek Olive Mill. The Mill is having a summer special right now, buy 2 – get 1 free. I don’t know how long it lasts, so if you’re interested – act quickly. If not, high-quality fruity olive oil will work just fine for this recipe.

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