How about a slice of Fresh Lemon-Coconut Cake? Oh yeah! Sooo good, baked by Susie Homemaker herself, apron and all, yesterday for last evening's Feminine Hijinx get-together. (Recipe posted in comments, below.) And how about Fresh Lemon-Coconut Cake on the patio? Even better! Because yes, it's finally warm enough for al fresco dining, woo hoo! I do love to eat outside and today - stunning, a perfect day.

Even for swimming! We're one of the few Minnesota families who bother to open their pool in April, but hey, we have Nathan's birthday party to shoot for, so we go for it. Today was his Boy-Soup Party and it went off without a hitch. Swimming, pizza, and Oreo pie - fun and easy, just how a birthday party is supposed to be.

Time for a Cooper-Doo update, don't you think? We had a visit this week from my busy nephew, on Wednesday, and he was on-the-move. He's an expert button-pusher and knob-twister. Anything that even sort of resembles a button or knob and out shoots his darling little hand, with his little carrot-shaped finger, and push, push, twist, twist, there he goes. He's spending lots of time at the park now that the weather is - finally! - warmer. And he's thisclose to walking around, which will quickly become running around, and THEN Stace and Bowen will have their hands full. Oh my. A little red-haired streak of lightening, zooooom!

Our friend Bartley was in town for business last night, from NYC, so we got to steal him for dinner. I made a simple frittata with potatoes, peppers, tomatoes, and onion (recipe in comments, below) and a salad with lots of shaved Parm. We split the bottle of Silver Oak my friend Michelle gave to me in Palm Springs - thanks Mich, we toasted you. AND Happy Birthday, girlfriend, belatedly!

Today I had a lovely, lovely breakfast with my dear friend Mary, at the Edina Grill. It was so good to see her, made my whole week. I ordered their yummy buckwheat pancakes, the kill. Lots of (decaf) coffee, LOTS of chatting, and we had to be on our way. Boo! I could talk to Mary all day (and in fact I used to, when we shared an office at Park Nicollet...)

From there I met up with jeweler Todd Crabtree, maker of my beloved engagement ring. He's currently making a gift for my stepdaughter (shhh!) as well as a ring and a necklace for me, from scattered diamonds I own from various other pieces of jewelry. In fact, I got the necklace today, made from my Grandma Meyer's engagement-ring diamond and oh, I got tears in my eyes when I put it on. I love wearing her diamond, because I loved her so much. I'm thrilled to be able to wear it.

For now? I'm outta here, man, it's gorgeous outside! Time to move my Napa-Butt on a nice, long walk. Tomorrow, Nathan's Boy-Soup Birthday Swimming Party - this year, it's looking to be a nice day, yay! Stay tuned...

And oh, ps, I just read this on Suz's blog...if you need a day brightener - and really, who doesn't? - this'll do ya, most definitely.

"You're supposed to take a nap-a, not move to Napa!" Carrie Bradshaw to Mr. Big, Sex and the City

Well, I'd move to Napa, any day. So long Minnesota! Oh, right, I have a life here. Dang. Sigh. Well I'll just have to go back (this was my third trip, it really is my favorite spot) again SOON, right Honey?

So, our last day, boo. We opened with a big, BIG lunch at Bouchon, Thomas Keller's (of The French Laundry) bistro in Yountville. It's everyone's favorite spot, absolutely delightful. I arrived with Stu and Debbie, only to find no tables available! Nooooo! BUT, there were three seats at the bar, so forgoing our commitment to find seating for Rudy, Ana, and John as well, the three of us bellied up to the nickel bar and ordered...why champagne, of course, and a few oysters as well. Welcome to Bouchon! Eventually Rudy and Ana and then John popped in, and found seats at the bar as well, so we started passing them food. Salt cod fritters on roasted tomatoes. Tuna salad with butter lettuce. Salmon rillettes with toast points (a combination of fresh and smoked salmon, to die for). Mussels and pommes frites. More fabulous wine, including a dry Gewurtztriminer Stu had tracked down and brought with him. Now that's lunch, my friends. Damn.

We rolled on out of Bouchon and made our way to Cain, a homecoming of sorts for Stu and Debbie as it was the site of their wedding. It's a gorgeous winery, exactly opposite Howell Moutain and up just as high as the Turley's home. We had another terrific tasting, then snaked back home for a quick change and then back out the door - and down Howell Mountain, yet again - to Bistro Jeanty, also in Yountville. Somehow, some way I found room in my stomach for some of the most incredible French bistro fare I have ever sampled. I opened with lentils braised with pork fat and foie gras. Good Lord, what was I thinking, but my god it was good. Beyond good. For my entree, which I needed like a hole in my head by that point, I had crispy sole, which was lovely, but which I barely touched because I was waaay too busy digging my fork into Stu's cassoulet. Yes, I actually ate more legumes cooked with insanely rich meats (this time sausage and duck confit). It. Was. Fabulous. And I. Was. Stuffed. Like, beyond stuffed. Like, I didn't even sleep well that night. Like, that was one of the more immoderate days of eating I have ever had. Like, in my life. Yeah. I haven't been hungry since - I think I put my digestive system in shock. Whew.

So, back home now. Back to salads and soups and lots of veggies. Get this - I did not gain one single pound on that trip. How can that be? I have no idea but damn, I'll take it. Decadence without consequence? Right up my alley, heh, heh, heh...

OK, more Napa... Day 2, Stu and Debbie arrived, so all six of us met up at Harlan Estate winery. We had an amazing tour, given by Sheila and Katherine, thanks to Stu. It's not just anyone who gets a tour and tasting at Harlan; luckily, Stu has been on their mailing list for many years. Woo hoo for Stu! We sampled and chatted about both Harlan Estate and The Maiden - what a treat, my friends. I'm quite sure I'll never drink either of those wines again - a bottle of Harlan Estate was on the menu at our dinner later that evening for $895 - so it was truly a once-in-a-lifetime experience. I loved it.

After our Harlan tour, we headed back "home" for a bit, and then made our way to a festive, casual dinner at Redd in Yountville. After our absolute feast the night before, I decided to play things a bit lighter with a lovely skate filet. I slept like a rock that night, whew.

Day 3 opened bright and sunny on Howell Mountain, so we decided to spend some time with a bottle of Turley Zin on Turley's deck overlooking Turley's vineyards and the Napa Valley. NICE! Fortified with cheeses and sausages from Dean & Deluca, Stu, Debbie, John, and I had one of those spontaneously amazing vacation days, where everything falls into place - food, wine, sunshine, a beautiful setting - and could hardly motivate ourselves to get our butts on down the road to Ladera to meet Rudy and Ana (who'd enjoyed their own lovely morning at Meadowood swimming and lounging). But motivate we did, and thoroughly enjoyed our tour, chat, and tasting with Pat and Anne Stotesbury, formerly of Minnesota.

From Ladera we made our way down the road to Littorai, for another Stu-arranged tasting with assistant winemaker Neal (who the guys dubbed Cute Neal because 1) he is, and 2) all the ladies got a little twittery around him). In fact, after our tasting, Neal dropped by the house for - what else? - a glass of wine and some snacks on the deck. After he hit the road, we six dove in to cooking our dinner - over the fire, no less, thanks to grillmaster Rudy (and the Turley's cool fireplace/grill set-up). Steaks and veal chops, oh yeah, with more D&D salads, crusty bread, and cookies and cheeses for dessert. Ohhhh, sitting in front of that roaring fire, all stuffed and toasty warm, full of great wine, laughing and talking, what a night! Unforgettable.

And then...our last day...stay tuned...

Hellooo! Back from Napa! And oh, what a trip. Trip of a lifetime. John, Stu the Wine Genius, his wife Debbie, and I all stayed in the gorgeous Howell Mountain-top home of winemaker Larry Turley (long story, we had rented a different house, but happily ended up in theirs). Rudy and Ana stayed at the bottom of the mountain at the famed and lovely Meadowood Resort. John, Rudy, Ana, and I actually flew in last Wednesday, a day ahead of Stu and Deb, so the four of us opened with lunch at Greens at the Marina in San Francisco. All-vegetarian, all-fabulous, it was a festive lunch as we were so very excited to head up to Napa. After pasta with fava beans, gorgeous salads, and coconut cake, we wiped our mouths and scooted out the door.

We eventually found our twisty-turny-backassward-wrong-way up to the Turley's, quickly changed for dinner, and were off for another twisty-turny-backassward-wrong-way to an unforgettable meal at Cyrus in Healdsburg. Wow. And I mean, wow. We arrived so lost, and so late, and so stressed out, that we were ready for some pampering and a serious meal and Cyrus delivered in spades.

As it was John's 47th birthday - nice birthday, in Napa, yeah, baby! - we indulged in a sampling of caviars, served with smoking-hot polenta fritters topped with smears of creme fraiche, sieved egg yolk, and minced chives. Damn but my stress melted away like caviar on my tongue and with a few sips of champagne, I was ready to roll, roll, roll.

I chose the four-course option (you can choose as many as you would like) but sampled many, many tasties. The several amuses bouches the chef sent out were mind-blowing - little marble-sized potato and chick-pea fritters with asparagus tartare...seared hamachi with white-soy-sauce consomme (one of the best things I've ever had, ever)...yeah, pretty kill. Then, oh yes, my actual meal, ha. I "opened" (half full already) with artichokes "a la barigoule," a mini-tower of artichokes both tender and crispy. Next up was a silky pureed cauliflower soup with a sweet-crunchy raisin, caper, and white pepper emulsion and toasted almonds. Now that I think of it, that soup was John's, but I thankfully scored several creamy bites of it. My true "second" course was foie gras mousse served with - get this - baby, buttery lemon scones. Lord, foie gras melting into warm scones, that is not light fare but the bites were so small, I snapped them right up. Divine. And last, a darling little piece of perfectly roasted tender-crispy chicken, served alongside a poached egg (which came first? Hahaha, sorry...) and lovely little vegetables. Again I snagged several bites of John's uber-truffly truffled red wine risotto with Parmesan foam. Beyond decadent - and I loved every bite. Of course!

For dessert? Ohhhh, a few half-hearted bites of three gorgeous cheeses. I was beyond stuffed, whew. But nice opening, eh? Yeah. Napa loves me, and I love it right back. More later...

Inspired by all my talk of tapas (see below for Jaleo, Jose Andres, The Sample Room, and cocktails with Kim & Suz), I've been flipping through Chef Andres' Tapas A Taste of Spain in America for a nice Sunday evening menu. The book is chock-full of tempting tasties (I've posted several in the past, including Catalan Pork Sausage with White Beans, Tomato Toast with Manchego, and Artichokes Sauteed with Ham), but these four Spring-ed out at me as appropriate for this finally-sunny, almost-warm day. Don't balk at the chocolate-salt combination, it's a classic, and it's delicious. For proof, lick a small piece of dark chocolate, dip it in a flake or two of sea salt, then pop it in your mouth and let it melt. Sloooowwwwly. Yeeeeaaaah, they're gorgeous together.

Sunday Evening Tapas Menu
(each serves 4)
Potatoes Rioja-Style with Chorizo (I posted this recipe a couple of days ago)
Green Beans with Tomatoes and Pearl Onions
Apple and Murcia Cheese Salad with Walnuts
Rustic Bread with Dark Chocolate, Olive Oil, and Salt

Recipes posted in comments, below, and at right, under Recipes, Baby!

Yawn! Stretch! Errrrr, good morning, my friends. A late night last night, hanging with my minxes Kim & Suz, here at the hacienda. We curled up in front of a roaring fire with plates of tuna and egg bruschettas, crispy roasted asparagus (we ate it with our fingers, just like fries, yum), olives, almonds, red grapes, and decadent chocolate macaroons (deadly little mothers, picked them up at Byerly's), while sipping an amazing bottle of red - my birthday present from Stu The Wine Genius and his wife Debbie, thanks guys, we loved it! - and talked and laughed and talked some more until there was naught but embers on the grate, wine stains in the glasses, crumbs on the platters, and yawns on our lips. Ohhhhh, it was so damn FUN, it was just what the doctor ordered, on so many levels. I've been away so much I've MISSED MY FRIENDS! (Wouldn't you miss them too?) Man, it's damn good to be home. Thanks for a blast of a night, girlfriends!

So today, in the name of moderation (yeah, moderation, I haven't forgotten my quest, it just seems like I have, ha), I'm out the door for a long, long walk in the finally-warming, sort-of-spring air. What a Seriously Sucky Spring we've had, I'm gunning for a Seriously Savory Summer instead. Bring. It. On. Already.

Ah, I'm back, and so quickly! Ha. Now, dinner with Rudy & Ana and Stu & Debbie at The Sample Room this past Monday night. What a BLAST! I'd not been to The Sample Room before, it's absolutely worth a trip over to NE. Great place for a group, casual, funky, with a very friendly and knowledgeable staff. They're having fun and it's apparent. The "sample" concept makes up half the menu - a tapas-style, small-plate listing of various meat, fish, cheese, and vegetable dishes. The options for putting together large platters for a group or small platters for individual meals are very clever. I opted for the small platter option - choose any four tapas. Fried walleye, broiled shrimp, steamed green beans with spicy almond butter, and baked camembert cheese. Yum! We shared a couple of roasted vegetable salads for the table. And could have ordered entrees off the other half of the menu - but the sampling concept was too tempting. We also sampled plenty of fabulous wine, thanks to Stu and Rudy, oh my. Did I write any of it down? Hell no, I was too busy talking and eating, as usual! The six of us are heading to Napa Valley together soon so we had plenty of chatting to do about the various sights and tastes we're planning to experience. Suffice it to say, it's going to be a beautiful, unforgettable trip; I can't wait. I'm having a bit of an affair with California this spring, eh? It's been heavenly, I love Cali and so far it loves me right back. Rarrr...

Happy April! Ack, I know it's been terribly long since I've posted. Craziness, what can I say? I've not been much in town, in fact, Nathan and I just returned from a spring-break trip to Washington, DC, just the two of us. Such fun! We arrived Thursday, checked into our hotel, and immediately set out for the White House. After a bit of walking around, we made our way back to the hotel, changed for dinner, and walked over to Bistrot D'Oc for a lovely French dinner. Nathan's first taste of escargot was not a disaster - he didn't much appreciate the snail, but he seriously dug the herb-y, garlicky butter soaked up with lots of baguette slices. Yeah, baby!

We set out Friday morning for the memorial/west end of The Mall. After touring the Washington, World War II, Lincoln, Korean War, and Vietnam War memorials, we made our way to a quick and tasty turkey-sandwich lunch at The Corner Deli. As we continued on to the National Portrait Gallery, we spontaneously popped into Risorante Tosca to score a dinner res for later that night. And what a dinner, wow, Nathan had a veal and prosciutto-stuffed ravioli in sage butter, delicious. I had a whole broiled Dover sole, served alongside braised lentils and fennel. Nathan downed a serious tiramisu trifle for dessert, then we toddled off to our hotel for a good night's sleep.

On Saturday we veered toward the east end of The Mall, opening with a very crowded walk through the National Air and Space Museum. Afterward we met up with my aunt Mary and uncle Bruce, in DC visiting their son, my cousin Craig. Mary, Bruce, Craig, Nathan, and I lunched at Union Station before making our way back to our hotels via the Capitol and Supreme Court. We all met up again a couple of hours later, with my cousin Kelly, who also lives in DC, hoping to score dinner at Jaleo. Uh, no dice, a two-hour wait at best at 7 pm on a Saturday night. Darn! Really wanted to sample their famously fabulous tapas but it wasn't meant to be (Chef Jose Andres' book, Tapas A Taste of Spain in America, is one of my very favorites; in honor of the Jaleo meal I didn't have, I've posted a Chef Andres' recipe for Potatoes Rioja-Style with Chorizo in comments, below). Instead, we stumbled into a lucky table at Zola, where I dug into a lovely papardelle topped with perfectly crispy duck confit and wild cherries. Decadent, delicious.

And then Sunday, back home. Spring break over, right back in the action, whew, I've hardly caught my breath. Up next, dinner Monday night with Rudy Maxa & Ana Scofield and Stu & Debbie Williams at The Sample Room, which RAWKED! Stay tuned...