Hey, I forgot to say Happy St. Patrick's Day yesterday! Mostly because I hardly thought about it, until I decided to rummage through the cooler to see what I could scare up for dinner. What I discovered was quite green - green beans and arugula - hey, a subconscious St. Patty's Day dinner! I created a soup with the arugula, basically following the delicious watercress soup recipe I posted awhile back - a simple broth, pureed with fresh greens and a bit of cream. We also had a few shrimps, which I chopped and sauteed with minced garlic and included as a garnish. All nice. Green beans, boiled until just-tender, finished with a bit of butter and a sprinkle of salt. The way my Grandma Meyer always made them. As in, simply perfectly.

(That might look like Irish soda bread in the background, but I wasn't that motivated - just a whole-grain Toast to Bread baguette that I pulled from the freezer. Sorry!)

I'm trying my best to stabilize on the food front these days - Mexico threw me way off my game, and my body reacted so badly (puffpoof!), I'm really looking forward to getting back to normal. Since my return I've consumed many pots of magically depuffing green tea, a variety of fresh fruit and veggies, and attempted to steer away from processed grains. (Easier said than done while entertaining!) The efforts have paid off, although I leave for San Francisco tomorrow - one of the most amazing food cities in the world. Aaaagh! But since I'm traveling with Nathan (not John), the focus won't be on fine dining/wine, plus we'll be walking a lot, so hopefully moderation will rule the day, even while on vaca. (No surprise here, I am, er, particularly moderation-challenged while on vaca...) Stay tuned...