Beauty is in the contrast, as we all well know. But sometimes, we need a little reminder, especially at this rather dullest time of year. Sensory under-load is the name of the game in February-March in Minnesota. How to add a little zip? Beef up the contrast, baby! Steal some time to work out hard, outside, and make yourself good and tired and cold. Then come inside, take a warm, fragrant shower, bundle up in soft clothes and settle down to read a book (to yourself or to your kids) in front of the fireplace while sipping a glass of red wine or cup of hot tea. Ahhh...

I trick myself like that all the time. It's one thing to sneak in an unexpectedly lovely Saturday lunch (perhaps an over-easy egg alongside arugula salad?). But it's even better after cleaning up the kitchen, or a good (cold) workout, or running your kids all over town, or paying bills, or catching up on work, or some other productive-sacrifice that earns an appetite. Hey, if hunger is the best sauce (Miguel de Cervantes), winter is the best spice (the moderate epicurean)?

Heck, it's worth a try!

Oooh, we're heading into March, which marks the beginning of the holiday season. Huh? Well, spring and Christmas- Hanukkah require pretty much the same amount of planning 'round these parts, what with Cooper, Mom, Sasha, John, Tom, Marge, Mary, Stacey, and Nathan all celebrating birthdays within mere weeks of each other. Throw in a few friends, as well as Easter, Passover, and Mother's Day to boot, and hooeey - time to dust off the ol' pans and get cooking! (Or at the very least hit the greeting card stand and get signing!)

Until then, more simple, every-day fare. Like dinner tonight - sausage with white beans (one of my faves, I make it for myself often). Quick, filling, delicious. Add a salad, call it dinner - in less than 20 minutes.

Even though in this photo it appears that I just happened to whip up a little roasted chicken over risotto for lunch (ha), it's in fact (tasty!) leftovers from last night's...

...lovely Date Night meal at Cave Vin. No frites this time (no!), instead I had a delicious salad, lightly dressed greens (I very much appreciate that they know not to soak their salads in dressing, if only every restaurant would take their cue), plated with toasted hazelnuts and roasted grapes and topped with a bit of melty goat cheese. I've always liked - but not loved - goat cheese; but lately, I can't get enough of the stuff. That crisp-white, chalky, goaty-clean taste, especially warmed, especially against dark greens, is just heavenly to me. Crave-worthy. I crave goat cheese. What next? Good Lord.

Anyhow, for an entree, I sank my claws into chicken again, which sounds dullsville, but I couldn't help myself - the way they stuff herbs under the skin and roast it to crispy perfection just has me, it's ridiculously, simply good.

And oh, half-priced bottles of (seriously nice) wines on Mondays and Tuesdays do not suck either...

Snowman! (He's been named "Louis" by the kids, in honor of our dear Siggy Roo, whose middle name was Louis, sniff. We sure do miss him, although it was nice to not worry about rolling up dog doo in our snowballs...) Prrrrfect sticky-snow day for a snowman, thank you sun! And a vegetarian snowdude to boot - broccoli eyes, along with the ubiquitous carrot nose, rad. And so fun, in fact exhilarating (!), to finally be outside.

And nice inside too. I'm braising a pot roast today for...pot roast's sake. To have around for sandwiches, to turn into A Good Hash (if we're lucky), to add a few bites of protein to tonight's main course - and most requested both-kid favorite - Spicy Spaghetti. Not a saucy spaghetti, at all, really just a hint of tomato with lots of olive oil, garlic and enough red pepper flakes to add a kick. So simple, so good. Add broccoli, add shrimp, add anything that your kids (or you!) will like. I try to reduce the ratio of pasta to veg - in this case roasted broccoli - although no one around here uh, embraces the concept as enthusiastically as I...but that's OK, I'll keep trying... (Recipe posted in comments, below.)

Fresh air! Fresh vegetables! Fresh fruit! No combo makes me feel better, and I scored plenty of all three today, so I pronounce it a good day indeed: Lovely walk. Tasty pan of chicken hash (diced chicken, tomatoes, potatoes, green pepper, onion, and mushrooms) alongside an over-easy egg. And the most delicious Texas red grapefruit, tart-sweet and juicy-juicy. Hey, I realize it's not quite as sublime as a lunch of ripe garden tomatoes followed by a long walk and a swim...but for the end of February, it's not so bad. The days are noticeably longer, the sun's packing a bit of a punch - spring she is a'coming, my friends, slowly but surely.

And I am glad.

Friday night, the deepfreeze has abated, I had polenta for dinner, and life is goooood. Although, I hardly needed dinner, given I was full all day from our raclette dinner at the Shubert's last night. Oh, John and I went wild, broiling cheese over ham and potatoes, eating the melty goodness alongside sauteed veggies, coarse mustard, and cornichon pickles. After stuffing ourselves like French pigs rooting acorns, we still found room for chocolate fondue, merrily dipping grapes, bananas, pound cake, and strawberries into melted hazelnut Toblerone chocolate. Oy. So delicious. So full. So happy. Thanks Shuberts!

Yet despite my fullness...I still found room for the polenta, which I ate simply alongside mushrooms sauteed with a little garlic and a squeeze of fresh lemon juice. All on my own for din - therefore the polenta! - forget about it, beyond good. I guess my shopping trip to the Mall of America today did spark a bit of an appetite. Me, at The Mall? Those of you who know me well know that I really don't do malls. Especially MOA, Lord help me, I carefully avoid the place. Insta-headache. Insta-mallness. Ya know? But for Suz...I did it. And had a great time, of course - it was with Suz! And maaaybe I picked up a few little rewards for myself. (Woo hoo!)

And oh! I also received a case of extra-incredible olive oil, directly from Italy. I had ordered it from a woman named Ludovica, who my aunts and stepmom met on a recent stay in Umbria. This is serious olive oil, lovingly made from the carefully picked fruit of hundred-year-old trees. Smooth, fruity-peppery taste (with quite an after-kick!), bright golden green color, fresh as fresh can be. I'll save it for bread and salads, when its delicious purity can be best savored. A delivery of Umbrian warmth, right to my wintry, grey doorstoop. Amazing. Grazie Ludovica!

So yep, Friday. Time to snuggle up in bed and watch a movie. Fall asleep early. Nothing exciting, which is damn fine by me. I'm over 40 you know. But it's all good.

An even better treat than going to a restaurant for dinner is heading to someone's home for dinner. Granted, I'm shockingly blessed with friends and family who are not just good cooks, but great cooks. (Thank you, Food Gods!) Seriously - some of the best tastes I've ever savored have been courtesy of none other than my parents, grandma, and aunts, not to mention in-laws and friends. Veal scallops a la danoise (my father-in-law), roasted goose with cabbage, lardons, and whipped potatoes (Dad & Susanna), fresh lemon-coconut cake (Suz), grilled tuna on Georgica Beach (Bartley), guacamole on Georgica Beach (Maud), grilled leg of lamb (Carol), Christmas prime rib roast (aunt Mary), apple pie (aunt Marge), crispy homemade pizzas (Kathie), Greek salad (Mary P), spanikopita (Mary P's mother-in-law), almond puff pastry (Mom), braised lamb (Stu & Debbie), heirloom tomato salad (Rudy & Ana), oyster stew (Andrew), fried fresh walleye with garden green beans (Grandma & Grandpa Meyer), Schaum torte (Polly), oven-roasted potatoes (Harry)... Oh my goodness, I could go on and on and on. It's unbelievable, really. From the simplest to the most involved, all completely memorable. So there you go, proof that I remember fondly damn near everything I've ever eaten. (Curse or blessing? Not sure...) Hey, if I am what I eat, I'm so jamming! As well as French, Greek, Mexican, Italian, Danish, German, British... NICE!

Also nice? In fact, where I'm going with all of this? (Sorry, I tend to get a little carried away with my reminiscing...) We're going to Suz & Cory's for dinner tonight - yays! For raclette - melted cheese served with all sorts of tasty Frenchy/Swissy accoutrements: potatoes, ham, pickles, vegetables. Little wine, little chat, little checking out Planet Earth in high def (The Coreman, like The Batman, has all the best toys). Aaaaahhh, Total Tasty Relaxation. Thank you in advance Shuberts! Wheee!

I'll hope for you that you're lucky enough to be heading to someone's home for dinner tonight too. If not, whip up a little somethin' somethin' for yourself (perhaps a simple pasta with broccolini with a nice glass of red) and...well...pretend? (Actually, it works, I do it all the time!)

Alrighty then. (Deep sigh.) Another night for soup, my friends, it's that special-kind-of-hell cold again. I'm doing my best to plumb the depths of warm, cozy, rib-stickin' recipes, what with the recent heat of chicken gumbo and shrimp curry (both quick, weeknight, healthy dishes), and the long-baked (kitchen warming!) Gallic drama of cheese souffle and pissaladiere (savory French tart) to lift my spirits.

But tonight, I'm going back to the basics, my friends, plain ol' (steaming hot!) soup. Simple, comforting avgolemono (Greek egg-lemon soup), in fact, on the table in thirty and just so unbelievably yummy. Warming and filling, yet light. Delicious with grilled pita, perhaps a Greek salad. Basically, that perfect winter food that takes your mind away to a warmer spot while warming one's oh-so-stuck-here body. I don't know about you, but that's exactly what I need. Practical Fantasizing. Soooo Minnesotan, yah. And, as such, rather moderate to boot! You betcha, baby!

(And before you leave, pause to bask in the sunshine Maud drew in Facebook and kindly shone around a few days ago - thanks Maud! It's so cheerful it almost makes me forgive her for kicking my butt up, down, and all around in Facebook Scrabulous!)

Uuuuuugh, huge computer headaches, my head hurts from thinking through all of the problems that keep cropping up. We're basically functioning - obv - but all the things that make online life pleasant (music, email, photos) are giving me fits. I'm so bummed about what a huge step down I've had to take with my email... One good thing - Moderate Epicurean emails (moderateepicurean@hotmail.com) will now be forwarded right into my regular account, so for those of you who've emailed me through the blog and waited, and waited, and waited some more for a response (sorry!) that will no longer happen. But in terms of making my life easier...that's about it. Blah.

But I still made dinner! I had to send my boys off to the Timberwolves' game with food in their tummies - if only to prevent the purchase of massive amounts of junk food at the game. We'll see if I succeeded, ha. As full as I am from quick Shrimp Curry (the recipe is technically for Chicken Curry, but I substituted 1/2 pound of uncooked shrimp, stirred in for a quick simmer a few minutes before serving) - a lovely, warm coconut curry chock full of veggies and shrimp, ladled over fragrant jasmine rice - I can't even bear the thought of adding a hot dog or popcorn or worse (egads) on top, blech! But, boys will be boys, with stomachs of lead, so who knows? It's outta my hands at this point...

Must. Get. Off. Computer. If only to preserve my sanity. I'd go for a quick walk, to burn off some stress and move my desk-butt after sitting here struggling all day, but you know... Yep, the same old, same old, cold as a witch's you know what, blah, blah, blah. Blah!

I'll be in a better mood tomorrow, I promise - Wild Wednesdays always cheer me up. Cooper Cuteness! What's not to love? G'night!

Happy President's Day!? Actually, very happy because Nathan is home from school, always fun. We celebrated more yesterday than today, first with brunch at Stacey's with my mom. We pulled it together pretty quickly (our original plan was to go out, which we bagged when we realized how much more fun little Cooper Cuteness would have at his own house). And as often occurs under those rushed circumstances, something rather delicious happened. Stace set out for Isles Buns for the most killerest cinnamon rolls on the planet - huge, soft and dangerously yeasty, studded with soft pockets of cinnamon and dripping with gooey, creamy icing. And that was brunch, all good. Oh wait! Nope, that was the end of brunch, right, although those lovely buns would have sufficed as the entire meal, quite handily. But heck no, this is me - and the family that made me who I am - we're talking about here, so there was plenty more, plenty!

Including a pissaladiere - basically a savory French tart, but not a quiche, since it doesn't contain eggs. How did I settle on a pissaladiere? Well, I started thinking quiche, and flipped through Mastering the Art of French Cooking for inspiration and a good short pastry recipe. Then I started thinking that Nathan does not enjoy eggs (to put it mildly), and that I had some delicious sausage that could make an interesting tart filling on its own, and so into pissaladiere the concept evolved. And what a treat! Buttery crust filled in this case with browned sausage, caramelized onions, and tomatoes. No cheese, no eggs. Really rather fabulous if I do say so myself (and apparently, I do)! The crust is quite rich, so needs a good chill before quickly rolling it out. But it's worth the wait. We had it alongside a simple salad, which kind of hilariously served as a palate cleanser before... Those damn buns! My goodness we were full, not very moderate (despite my silly Valentine's Day pledge), uff. (Recipe posted in comments, below.)

Then we rushed home to greet the Shubert family! Yay! As many of you already know, wherever the Shuberts go, fun follows... In this case, they were here as a huge favor to me - the Coreman sweetly agreed to help me set up my new Mac system. Yes, I have made The Leap, this is my first official post on a Mac, not a PC. (Pause and listen to the singing angels...) I have a bit of a learning curve ahead of me, since of course we have made things as complicated as possible with our music and photo libraries, network, incompatible email, and printing with a printer that doesn't much like Macs, but we're pretty well on our way. Hey, at least I'm posting this! Much faster, much prettier (gorgeous, in fact), much more fun. And blogging was already fun! So woo hoo for additional fun! (Now I just need a kickin' new camera to take better food pics with...but don't hold your breath on that one, awww shucks.)

Suz and the kids tagged along to make for a very fun afternoon! A little beer, a little buttery popcorn, some major video-game playing for the kids, some major Mac Magic for us adults, not our typical Sunday by a long shot - as in, very productive! Hopefully today will yield the same progress, and tasties (of course), stay tuned...

Thank you. One of my New Year's resolutions was to write more thank you notes, and since this is where I most often write, here's a quick thank you note for reading my blog and passing it along to others. I owe John and Stu the Wine Genius promoter's fees, truly. Stu's forwarded my blog to half the serious Bordeaux wine drinkers in the Twin Cities and beyond - way better than I deserve! He also sent it to Philip Dorwart, which garnered the surprise mention on Cities 97 last Thursday, too cool for school. And you may have noticed comments from "Whatsername" in a few of my posts, which if you follow her linked name, you'll discover she's the anonymous author of a Twin Cities Business magazine blog called Company Time. Why anonymous? Because she writes the nitty gritty - and sometimes girlie! - details about life in corporate Minneapolis. It's a riot, insightful and gossipy and smart. And she loves to eat and cook! Wish I knew who the heck she is, I'd like her in a flash, I can tell! But for now, we'll just know each other online, and that's pretty sweet too. Who knew the internet would be this fun? Crazow.

And for everyone else, thanks for reading, man. Keep cooking, and eating, and telling me about it, and I'll do the same. Cheers!

Ah, the post-Valentine's Day aura still surrounds me, and in it, I bask. Nice Friday, NICE! Dinner at Lurcat last night was as romantic as we could have hoped for - sparkly-dim chandeliers, tables scattered with rose petals, raspberries afloat in festive flutes of champagne, ridiculously young couples sprinkled prettily hither and thither, live jazz, and a cozy window seat for Johnny and moi, private and snug. Rather ridic in its perfection, in fact, but we ate it all up - the dreamy setting and especially the hot, crispy pommes frites dipped in creamy Bearnaise (oh dear me, we way overate them and somewhat ruined our appetites...John stressed on it, I rejoiced; therein lies the difference between us, ha). But also silky mushroom soup alongside itty bitty crispy grilled cheese sandwiches. And then slices of rich, tender pot roast in a deep ruby wine sauce, with a side of roasted cauliflower to make us feel as if we'd eaten "a vegetable." And to finish, a dessert we couldn't even eat (shame!), profiteroles filled with cherry ice cream and doused in warm chocolate sauce. The only thing that really traveled well home was the pot roast...

...which made a small portion of The Kill Hash for my lunch today, dang it was good.

Dinner tonight, nothing but warm, salty tortilla chips, guacamole, and cold beer when I met Baseball Mom Beth (she of yesterday's lucky listen to Chef Philip on Cities 97) for a Happy Hour brewskie at McCoy's. It was packed - St. Louis Park is hoppin', who knew? Thank goodness Beer Is Food and guacamole is loaded with monounsaturated fats! (Those chips? Call 'em whole grain and forget about 'em! Hey, moderation is in the eye of the beholder, didn't you realize?)

Have a great weekend!

Happy Valentine's Day!

Nothin' like a little love on VD, we all need some love, right? If you're cooking up love for your honey, which I most often do (although not tonight; more on that, below), it's hard to beat the, uh, aphrodisiac perfume of truffles, even in something as simple as Chicken Soup with Bacon, Asparagus & Truffle Oil (add warm, crusty bread for a fully sensual experience, crunch). Or, it never hurts to bring on a little heat, baby, perhaps in the form of Pasta with Tuna Sauce. And for dessert, chocolate but of course, even something as basic as Killer Chocolate Sauce served warm and melty over really good ice cream. Lick the bowl. Rarrr!

My love already arrived, and not in the form of chocolate (perhaps later), jewelry (not later, I'm quite sure, oh well), a card (certainly later) or flowers (hopefully later?), but in...an email from Baseball Mom Beth.

Huh?

Well, Beth just happened to be listening to Cities 97 this morning, and just happened to catch a segment with "Chef Philip," and Chef Philip just happens to be none other than Philip Dorwart of Create Catering, where we just happened to have our amazing dinner last Friday night... So? Well, after I wrote about our dinner, Stu the Wine Genius sent Philip the link to my blog (thanks man!), and Philip scoped it out (eek! nice!), and in turn gave Ye Old Moderate Epicurean some sweet raves this morning as he chatted about food and dining blogs - and naked sushi! - with hosts Lee Valsvik and and BT. You can listen here, if you're so inclined (the "2/14 Chef Philip" segment).

So gosh, thanks to My Super Surprise Valentines - Beth, Stu, and Philip!

How do I top that VD thrill? Well, I probably don't (sorry John!), although I'm gonna give it the old college try when we whisk off for love=food in the bar at Cafe Lurcat. It's abso-friggin-lutely (to paraphrase Mr. Big from Sex and the City) a pommes frites and vino night for me, my friends. Chocolate to finish (just like you)! Hopefully completely immoderate. (Back with moderation over the weekend, don't worry...) Oh. Yeah.

Cooper! Stacey! Both kids! All my favorite things about Wild Wednesdays (you too Johnny!), love 'em. Add in some sunshine and we're jamming, woo hoo!

Good walk-before-the-snow this a.m., keeping food simple and relatively light for the day. Steak fajitas for dinner, as light or decadent as you want to make them, garnished with jack cheese, sour cream, guacamole, tomatoes, and lots and lots of grilled peppers and onions. Think I'll spice up some black beans to go with our ubiquitous Wednesday rice (oh how everyone in this house loves rice, the white version, they've refused my attempts at passing off less-processed brown, sigh) and call it a meal. Easy. Spicy. Nutritious. Tasty! Done.

Little exercise, plenty of veggies. Make sure to take good care of yourself today!

Well, we indeed did a big salad last night...right before I pulled a luscious, unctuous Gruyere souffle, studded with paper-thin slices of mushrooms and leeks, from the oven. Sooo good with a glass of Littorai Pinot Noir it was damn near illegal. Why souffle? Well, it's easier than it seems, gorgeous to behold, a lovely dinner for two (no timing pressure), The Kill to eat, and just plain fun to make and devour! I mean savor. Savor! Party in a pan, a souffle, party in a pan. (Recipe posted in comments, below.)

Tonight, party on the palate, bringing on the heat with Quick Chicken Gumbo. Not as hot tonight as the first time I made gumbo, oh so many years ago - with 1/4 cup (!) of cayenne pepper (major inexperienced misread of that recipe, ouch) - but hot enough to tingle, just right. I sauteed a little pan of okra separately as well, to keep it crisp, and used it as a garnish. Nathan looked at the okra very skeptically, but gave it a try, decided it was delicious, and dug in. YESSS when kids try new foods! Especially vegetables!

I have to confess I wasn't uber-hungry for dinner, after catching a late lunch with my aunt Mary. She was 'round these parts for a visit with our joint hair guru, Nisa at Spalon Montage. We met at Beaujo's Wine Bar in Edina, with lots of craziness to gossip and cackle about while digging into yummy lentil soup and chopped salads chock full o' roasted beets, blue cheese, pine nuts, and red onion. Beaujo's always delivers delicious, simple food, and a tasty wine list... Perfect fare for a cozy post-movie nosh, or much-needed sustenance in the midst of some pretty killer shopping.

And of course for a post-hairdo luncheon! Yay for my aunts getting their hair prettified here in the Minneapple!

Cooling the food jets today, power-down... It was a big, BIG food weekend, whew. And great fun, what with our Create Catering dinner on Friday, It's Greek to Me feast on Saturday, and last night, wine and coffeecake with my minxes at Susie's. Incredible coffeecake. Super-secret-recipe coffeecake, unforch, or I'd slap it up here in a flash. Streuselly, but not too heavy or rich, with a perfectly soft crumb... Rarrr. Hit the podcasting-shenanigans spot! Wish I had some right now!

But no. In fact, I declare today salad day. No matter what we end up with for dinner, it's going to include a giant, restorative salad. Chopped romaine and spinach, scallions, perhaps some crunchy prosciutto (bake paper thin slices of prosciutto in a hot oven until browned; cool and crumble), chopped fresh parsley or dill, perhaps chopped green pepper or radishes, few small pieces of soft goat cheese, sprinkle of coarse salt, and lots of freshly ground black pepper. All it needs is the most basic vinaigrette - 2/3 c. best olive oil, 1/3 c. red wine vinegar, 2 smashed garlic cloves, generous 1 tsp. salt, several grinds of pepper, 1/2 tsp. of dried thyme. Or tarragon. Whatever you like. Shake in a jar, dress the greens lightly, toss and toss and toss some more, store the rest in the fridge for up to 2 weeks. Happy Salad!

Well, no empanadas after all. In fact, I experienced temporary Food Disorientation as our plans shifted from mmm Latin/Caribbean (El Meson - too busy), to mmm Japanese (Fuji-Ya - too busy), finally settling upon mmm Greek (It's Greek to Me - where were just able to slide in). Despite the cold and bluster, Lake & Lyndale was hoppin'!

And so were we - in fact, we were flat out running - as John, Stacey, Nathan, and I dashed from the crowded, warm (!) Flanders Gallery, over ice and through evil, bitterly cold wind, and tumbled into the marvelously crowded, warm (!) It's Greek to Me. Whew. As we slowly thawed - gingerly peeling off layer after layer of wool, fur, and fleece - we ordered a veritable feast of plates to share... Melitzanosalata (eggplant spread), kopanisti (spicy feta cheese spread), spanikopita (spinach pie), moussaka (beef and eggplant pie), gyro with tsitsiki, mountains of warm pita bread, and heavenly galaktoboureko (custard in phyllo drizzled with honey) to finish. Opa. Uff. Major, garlicky, warm (!) fullness. Delicious meal, excellent service, It's Greek to Me is a jewel - and on a cold Minnesota night, as warm as Greece itself! (OK, maybe not quite, but we take what we can get this time of year and cherish the heck out of it...)

John kindly retrieved the car so that Stacey, Nathan, and I could just slide right on in, ahhh. Nice husband, thanks honey! After safely delivering Stace to her snug home, we made our way here to ours, rolled our ridiculously full selves in piles of thick blankets, and called 'er a night.

And so today? Sunny, crisp (-12 F), and breezy (windchill -25 F). Ah, Minnesota. What can I say? I could pretend that I'm heading out for a walk today, but in reality - no friggin' way! Definitely more of an eek-out-some-exercise-downstairs-then-read-by-the-fire kind of day. Followed by a feast of Greek leftovers! (In fact, Nathan and I already hit the pita, eggplant spread, and gyro pretty hard for a late, savory breakfast. Nice!) I may even whip up a late-afternoon batch of easy, delicious Greek Egg Lemon soup to add some warmth to the offerings. It is most definitely a Soup Sunday.

And tonight, some hijinxing with my minxes, Always Warm, Always Fresh! I'm quite sure we can convince The Coreman to throw a coupla logs on the fire for us chicas. Sip some red, giggle with my girls, I can handle that. The only downside is that I have to leave my house! Thank goodness for heated car seats, one of the best inventions evar, evar, evar. Warm Buns, Happy Heart!

Wow, uh, wow! That about sums up dinner last night, just... Wow. Stu the Wine Genius arranged a Chateauneuf du Pape wine tasting and dinner at Create Catering, owned by Philip Dorwart and his lovely wife Desiree. What. A. Blast. Create owns a cool-as-hell space in NE Minneapolis, perfect for our table of 12 (Rudy Maxa & Ana Scofield; Stu & Debbie Williams; Joe & Genie Dixon; Karl & Annamarie Rigelman; Louis & Susan Ainsworth), but great for larger parties as well. The space has a spotless, wide-open kitchen so you can chat with and watch Philip and Desiree do their beautiful thing, turning out course after course of perfectly-plated tasties.

As we stood around chatting and sipping bubbly, we scarfed down bite-sized wedges of crispy, paper-thin flatbread topped lightly with sausage, fennel, and just a smidge of salty cheese. I actually heard everyone crunching into them before I realized what deliciousness was going down behind me (too busy talking, shocker, yep). John went wild on the clever little one-bite smoked salmon BLT skewers - ah, my Johnny and appetizers. He always forgets how much goodness is yet to come...

Like our first course of butter-tender duck confit, plated with a fluff of microgreens, alongside a few pieces of creamy blue cheese and fresh fig. Tender/crisp, salty/sweet, all the good stuff, mmm. Few slices of crusty bread and tangy butter sprinkled with coarse salt (right up my alley - salty, tangy butter, woo hoo!). And then on to course two, a warm caramelized onion and bacon tartlet, drizzled with a syrupy wine reduction and just a splash of white truffle oil for perfume, lovely. More crusty bread, more salty, tangy butter. Certainly more Chateauneuf du Pape!

Then our main course, grilled lamb chops alongside soft pillows of homemade gnocchi, garnished with pretty little cubes of fresh-mint jellee, fun touch, so pretty on the plate. And oh yeah, a deliciously cool foil for the sizzling chops.

And then the end (aw shucks, I always hate the end) - a cherry clafoutis, served warm and eggy and tart-sweet, topped with a scoop of melty, spicy ice cream. Desiree commented to Annamarie - one of the top pastry chefs in Minnesota or anywhere, for that matter - that it was mighty intimidating to be making dessert for her. But it was lovely, a perfect finish.

Man, what a dinner! We all dug it hugely - the funky, pretty space, the fantastic wines, chatting with Philip and Desiree and watching them do their thing, and of course, the festive meal itself.

So guys, when are we doing it again????

Not tonight, ha, but that's OK. More tasties - of a much lower key sort - in order this evening when we and Stacey head to our friend Kathleen Day-Coen's exhibit at the Flanders Gallery. I'm thinking a little swoop into El Meson for quick empanadas, either on our way in or out of the exhibit. Yeah, a spicy meat-pie should do me, on this once-again (sigh) insanely cold, blustery day!

Enjoy yours!

I'll confess, there were some pretty big whoops around the TV last night when the New York Giants pulled off their upset Super Bowl victory. John's from NYC, so you know, a no-brainer for him... My stepdaughter and I were just a teensy bit swayed by the Tom Brady Cuteness factor, but I was glad for such an exciting game and to see John and Nathan so jazzed. Homemade pizza and a win, sheesh, the Super Bowl was actually fun this year, I can't remember the last time I thought that! (As in, never?)

Tonight, it's all quiet again; in fact I dined solo, so (naturally) took the opportunity to whip up a few of my favorite tasties - particularly those that no one else in the fam particularly enjoys...

I've been flipping through a gorgeous new cookbook, The Gift of Southern Cooking, by Edna Lewis and Scott Peacock, so was inspired to whip up some grits (I often make grits/polenta when I'm cooking just for myself) to enjoy alongside a simple saute of okra, tomatoes, onion, and a bit of bacon (recipe posted in comments, below). Deeeelicious. Keep this dish in mind this summer, when there are both just-picked okra and perfectly ripe tomatoes at the farmer's market. Fresh sweet corn would be a delicious addition. Or perhaps that's gilding the lily - you decide. The dish is completely successful in the winter as well - just choose grape cherry tomatoes (sweet even in the winter), and unblemished, plump okra (skip if they're shriveled).

This Yankee lurves me some okra. And grits. And cracklins, biscuits, fried chicken, braised greens, pork in every iteration, black-eyed peas, sweet iced tea, and most likely crayfish, too, if I had access. Yeeeeehaw!

Yep, we're watching the Super Bowl, but nope, we didn't order pizza. I made it! Customized pizzas, from a basic bread dough recipe, one for each of the four of us. The boys go heavier on protein (pepperoni and cheese), pretty light on the veg. My stepdaughter is a cheese purist. I love lots of mushrooms, onions, and green pepper, with just a smidge of cheese. I haven't had pizza for awhile, forgot how filling it is! Even with a thin crust, a rib-sticker, fo sho.

Man, what happened to the days of snacking through the whole Super Bowl? Con queso, anyone? Meatballs, bean dip, chili, chips of every flavor, smoked nuts, and lots & lots o' beer? I'd say ahh, the good ol' days, but I don't really miss them much, I have to say. It makes me feel bloated just reading that list!

Go (insert Giants or Patriots, depending on for whom you're cheering; I'm no dummy)!!!

And oh! As a sweet reminder that yes indeed, summer will again come to this frozen, gray land, I just got the sign up for my '08 LaFinca veggie share. Woo hoo! Check out their website if you're interested in a weekly supply of locally grown, organic vegetables!

How to lift the gloom off of life in a black-n-white photograph? Well, for starters, be very, very grateful that it's above 25 degrees outside. Big smiles there. I took advantage and went for a walk/run this morning, including some serious hills, which just a few weeks ago was a nice, invigorating workout but today, after weeks in the deep freeze, had me sucking wind like a 3-pack-a-day smoker (which I'm very much not), man, what a total bummer. I know I'll be back to normal in no time, but it is a bit humbling to know how quickly the ol' wind disappears now that I'm in my 40s. Nice little reminder, just in case the various sags, lines, and other disheartening signs of 'a life well-lived' didn't pack enough punch. Uff.

Well. A pretty Saturday Luncheon Salad lifts the gloom as well! When the only color out the window is the occasional red car (I'm unfortunately totally serious, blah), chop up some pale green lettuces, deep green spinach, a few ruby-cherry tomatoes, and set it all off with chalky-white goat cheese, cracked black pepper, rosy bacon, and crackling, roasted asparagus. A nice combo of warm/cool, soft/crunchy, salty/sweet. A little spring-y tasting. And filling but not filling. In other words, all good. A spot of hot green tea to finish, as well as a warm shower (I'm thinking a splash of Naturopathica lime shower gel/Thai herbal body lotion could lift the spirits by stirring fragrant memories of the heavenly Miraval Spa, sigh...) should have me cheered up a bit as well.

And if not, I'll be sure to complain about it. Wouldn't want to disappoint anyone by writing out of character, you know.