Ah, the parties are over. In the last week, we've entertained almost 100 people (30 on Tuesday, 70 on Saturday), and I have to say, it all went off without a hitch. Whew! And both were really...FUN, which is the point of course. Reconnected with old friends, met a lot of new ones, ate good food, drank good wine, and in preparation, really got our house in order. Feeling good. Next big one: Thanksgiving, woo hoo!

I luckily didn't have to prepare food for 70, since Saturday's party format - parent party - had folks bring either an appetizer or dessert. You know what that means - WAY more food than everyone can eat, but lots of fun tasties to try! I did make a few things, to get the party rolling, including gougere (cheese pastry puffs), a platter of cold sliced beef tenderloin surrounded by couscous, and a plate of toasts topped with ricotta and roasted tomatoes (I'm into them lately, what can I say?). I was even able to take leftover ricotta and tomatoes, puree them together, and make a quick-n-lovely pasta for dinner last night. That's about as far I was willing to go with 1) prep, or 2) clean-up, no surprise there.

Today, back to reality. Few things to put away, but not much (thank you John and Nathan, my official clean-up crew; thank you also to my extremely polite guests, who tossed almost every plate and napkin and deposited every bit of glassware in the kitchen - if that's Minnesota Nice, I'll take it). The pool gets put to winter-sleep this week, so it's time to think about putting away patio and porch furniture. The lights and lanterns have come down. Flower and herb pots will soon be emptied (I've still got a few tomatoes coming in, although they are the obviously the very, very last). Yes, the parties are really over. Sniff.

Guess I'll just have to cheer myself by...going out for dinner with Kim & Suz! To celebrate Kim's birthday - Happy Birthday Maven of Mischief! Look out, True Thai, here we come!

Moderate it: there's nothing like hosting a huge party to get a good workout. I'm not kidding! I hauled around four cases of wine, 100 bottles of water, 80 lbs. of ice (up and downstairs a couple of times), furniture, trays of glassware (I rented wine glasses), not to mention all the groceries and trash. I felt it in my lower back, for sure!

Hey man (my favorite Cooper greeting). Craziness out there these days, I won't pretend I'm not glued to the web (radio, TV) like everyone else. It's a wild ride, and more than a bit unsettling - perfect times for making a little dinner (waaaay cheaper than eating out, for one, and healthier and more comforting to boot). As I've mentioned, I've been in entertaining overdrive, what with Tuesday's party and another (big one) this coming Saturday. But since Thursday is CSA veggie share day, and I've been running on empty for the last several days, I decided ahead of time an uber-nutritious, vegeful dinner would hit the spot.

I didn't pick up my veggies until 4:30 or so, but since it was just John & me for din, I knew I could improvise. I opened up the box and found - a pint of cherry tomatoes. Yay! I just happened to have a spot of crusty bread as well (leftover from Tuesday night), and Parm in the fridge, so garlicky cherry tomato & bread gratin they became. Oooh, that dish is sick it's so good - and it's crazy-easy as well. It's all about good tomatoes, so make it when you can source the real deal (garden, farmer's market, CSA share - whatever works).

While I could eat just tomato gratin for din, I knew John would be left wanting, so I also roasted the broccoli, included as well in my box of veggie treasures, and made - don't die of shock - another frittata, this time with veggie-share spinach and leeks. Easy. Nutritious. Cheap. Delicious. All good.

(Unlike last night, when I made french onion soup for dinner. Oh it tasted yummy - to John and me. The kids? They didn't hate it, but one ate only the broth and bread - no cheese, no onions - the other ate only the cheese. If we had a third who ate only onions, they could all have shared a bowl. Right.)

To come full circle, here's a cheer-up pic of the lovely, creamy bouquet of roses I bought at Whole Foods on Monday. So pretty, roses, even the virtual kind. G'night!

Moderate it: it's nice to have a meatless dinner a couple of times a week. Cheap too. Give 'er a go, I'll bet you won't miss it one bit.

Had to snap a pic today of one of my favorite appetizers. Crusty bread, topped with a smear of hand-dipped ricotta cheese from Whole Foods (the stuff should be illegal, it's that good) and roasted tomatoes (which I didn't make myself, although they're easy enough; these I also picked up at Whole Foods, in the produce section, and they are particularly delicious, roasted in olive oil with garlic and herbs). I might have had some for breakfast this morning. Maybe. (Or, try this gorgeous recipe from our friends Kris & Harry, they of the beautifully Foodie dinner a few weeks back - tomatoes roasted with a bit of honey, atop scrumptious home-made ricotta cheese, finished with a drizzle of honey-balsamic. Beyond good. Recipe posted in comments, below.)

I don't usually have all these goodies on hand, but had purchased a round of tasties in prep for tonight's Susie Silpada Sales party, here at the hacienda. Girls, girls, girls, with snacks and wine and jewelry to boot. I put together a big platter of said tomatoes, as well as roasted peppers, carrots, and onions; salami; cornichon pickles; black olives; and rouille. Also set out a frittata cut into small squares, as well as chips and guacamole. With Kim as my Bar Beyotch (she is the fiercest bartender I've ever seen), Kathie and her sis Lisa doing party prep, and Suz jeweling her thing, we were all good. Even in pouring sheets of rain! Thanks ladies, for turning out and making it a great night!

Moderate it: a frittata is a terrific light, simple dinner, filling and tasty to boot. Without the crust and cream of quiche, but definitely with the perks of delicious fillings, nothing makes a better short-on-time dinner. And, good party food as well.

Wow, what a gorgeous week, huh? Lurve this time of year, despite every sunny, warm day depressingly feeling like the last. Ugh. Well, there will be plenty of days to suffer actual melancholy of the chill - a day as hot, in fact sticky, as today is not one of them.

Nathan and I opened the day by cheering Stacey's kickass finish of the "Iron Girl" duathlon (run-bike-run) at Normandale Lake in Bloomington. Go Stacey go! Cooper was there too, to cheer on his mommy, as well as eat crackers, quack like an Aflac (race sponsor) duck, and run wild like the two-year old he is. Coop!

Stacey earned herself whatever the heck she wanted for dinner, and she chose...Wagner's Drive-Inn in St. Louis Park. A fine choice, in fact a classic, heartily seconded by myself and Nathan (even though we ran in exactly zero races today). She, we, and Cooper tucked into juicy homemade burgers, skin-on skinny fries, crispy onions rings, and creamy-thick chocolate malts, uff. I feel like I have lead in my stomach. I do have lead in my stomach. Tasty lead. Burger lead. Deeelicious.

This week, holy moly, party week my friends. A Susie Silpada Sales party on Tuesday night and the 7th grade parent party on Saturday. Hey, nothing like a party (or two) to kick one's butt into gear and wrap up numerous nagging house projects. It's always been my strategy (pure self-motivation runs thin in my veins). Works like a charm...

Moderate it: I watched someone else workout and then ate a burger. I got nothin', I'm sorry.

Ahhhh, it's good to be home, as usual. We had a great time yesterday, hanging with Jon & Amy Brown, showing them all around the Hamptons, sitting on Georgica Beach, wrapping up with a romantic dinner (for their anniversary!) at The American Hotel in Sag Harbor. Man did I laugh yesterday, seriously, my stomach was aching. Hard to beat hanging out with hilarious people in a gorgeous spot. And oh, throw in some killer eats to boot. Right on!

Today, smooth trip home, minimal head-bobbing as I slept on the plane (thanks to a window seat), no wait for our bags because suddenly no one checks luggage (per-bag fees, ouch), home before rush hour. All good.

Except what to do for dinner? Obviously no groceries, and truly no motivation to shop, I dug in the freezer and discovered...Trader Joe's puff pastry. I glanced at the still-lovely tomatoes on my counter and thought...must use. I poked around in the fridge and found...fresh goat cheese. OK, with some herbs from the deck, and a drizzle of olive oil, we had the ingredients for a pretty sa-weet tomato tart, so...that's what we had. Twenty minutes later, voila, good stuff, especially alongside some softly scrambled eggs.

And now, we are goners. I'm not even half unpacked and I just don't care. As long as I can wash my face and brush my teeth, climb into some clean pajamas and find my bed, I'm all set. Good sleeping weather here in Minnesota, cool and dry - crank those windows open and have yourselves a good night. Baby.

Moderate it: man, we had an interesting - and perfectly gross - lunch at LaGuardia airport today. We arrived hungry, opted for the Burger King just past security in the Northwest terminal, scoped out the calorie counts posted next to each item (welcome to NY!), and sat down at a dirty table to eat bad food. Instant moderation, thank you very much. Blech.

Despite persistent clouds and rain (boo), we've been able to spend a nice amount of time outside. On Friday, John and I fit in a stroll through lovely Sag Harbor, stopping for focaccia sandwiches at one of our favorite little cafes, Espresso. You only order one of these babies for two or more people - they're huge, half a loaf of their famous focaccia, split wide and stuffed with all manner of homemade, scrumptious fillings. We kept it simple with turkey, fresh mozzarella, arugula, and onions, topped with their signature vinaigrette, and it was delicious.

My in-laws John & Dot arrived later Friday afternoon and treated us to dinner at the Old Stove Pub. Set way back from the road, the Pub is in an old farmhouse, cozy, very casual, and perfectly candlelit for a rainy September's eve. Steaks are their specialty, so steaks we had - The Broadway, baby, a sizzling slab of ribeye, dabbed with herb butter and served steakhouse-style with platters of sides to share. Their version of spinach is sauteed with lots of garlic (I actually could have had just that for din, so yummy) and the potatoes are cut skin-on, fried, and showered with fresh herbs and coarse salt. The Johns somehow finished with "cold fudge" sundaes for dessert; I couldn't do it, totally ran out of steam. But for them, steak and ice cream, NICE!

Yesterday John and I took a quiet bike ride through the village of East Hampton - leafy and serene despite the overcast sky. We did some serious house-gawking, I mean damn; major bonus to be up on bikes, you know, the better to spy over those pesky fences and hedges.

We spent the afternoon with John's bro Tom (and pup Spice!), checking out his new digs in Bridgehampton and putting together a lunch of tasty leftovers. Despite the sunless sky, we hit the beach for naps, chat, and reading. After showers, and cocktails here at the house, we five had an amazing dinner at 1770 House in East Hampton. Tucked into another charming old house-turned-inn (not so uncommon in a town first settled in 1648), we settled into a corner table for some serious eats. I opened with a chilled puree of sweet corn soup, geniusly garnished with a hot, crispy piece of pork belly, and just about swooned. Oink friggin oink, yum. Pretty much full at that point, I dug anyhow into my second course, a crispy-rosy duck breast, sliced and fanned prettily over a pile of pillowy, homemade spaetzle, drizzled with a rich duck-wine-fig sauce to pull it all together. I finished with a piece of cheese and a glass of muscat. Uff. Dah. My bed felt goooood after that meal.

Today, we're awaiting the arrival of our Minnesota-friends Jon & Amy Brown, out 'round these parts to celebrate their anniversary. Our original plan was to arrange some sort of dinner on the beach, as the sun set, but that's looking highly unlikely given the weather. Backup plan - The American Hotel in Sag Harbor, uber-romantic and anniversary worthy. It's not the beach, but is much easier on the hair, and as you know, that's OK by me.

Moderate it: alright, we're eating out every night, which is never a formula for moderation. The best I can do is really focus on when I feel even slightly full...and then push what's left of my food off on the men at the table. Seriously, nothing gets unnecessary food out of the way faster. Thank goodness for men.

The Hamptons, at least from my (very limited) perspective, is not about parties, people, or palaces. It's about the landscape - so lush, so stunning, so not-Minnesota, it takes one's breath away. I don't know if it's the pretty girls or the fancy cars that the trees get off on, but whatever it is, they grow here like no other place I've seen. Huge, tiny, wild, manicured, airy, dense, flowering, spare, grand, sweet, sweeping, charming...the variety and contrast keep you looking and looking, trying to take it all in. Even the downtown retail areas are lush and leafy. Butt all that verdancy up against wide stretches of white sand and crashing ocean, bathe it all in the famously super-natural golden hue (the light here is as unique and lovely as the trees, but that's another breathy rave...), and you start to understand the appeal of the place, traffic and ostentation and all. It's just plain gorgeous.

Something about those pretty girls and fancy cars makes for lovely vegetation of the edible sort as well. Of course there's the corn that I've already nattered on about, incredible stuff. And hopefully it's not too late to score peaches, oooh, especially the squashed little donut version, sweet and cute to boot. I'll drag John to a stand later today and report on the bounty.

Although I don't think I'm doing any cooking out here - a shame on one hand (given the produce and fish options), but kinda cool on the other because we're usually out here with the kids, and John's brother's kids, and big groups of friends, so we only cook and eat in. (No complaints! The eating in around here is amazing, especially when John's dad is cooking...veal a la danoise and Viennese shrimp toast? Pahlease - The. Kill.) This time it's just us, and John's parents Dot & John, and it's past peak season craziness, so we're going to hit a few restaurants...can't wait.

In fact, last night it was just John and me, so we slipped into famed Della Famina, in "downtown" East Hampton, for a lovely din. We both scarfed down a salad that I'm going to crave for days, I can tell - hot, crispy shrimps atop a mound of shredded lettuce and vegetables, tossed in a fiery dressing. You know me, any dish that gets that hot, cool, creamy, spicy, salty, sweet thing going just slays me. Delicious.

It's cool and cloudy here, not pool weather, but no matter. Good for walking, and driving around (no traffic in September, yay!), and reading good books. And blogging a bit, too, so stay tuned...

Moderate it: I blew it last night, skipped one of the easiest rules of moderation - when ordering a salad in a restaurant, ask them to either put the dressing on the side or to dress the salad very lightly. The salad last night was delicious, but not one bit light, and would have been just as tasty with less dressing.

I had quite the soup day yesterday, two delicious versions. First was tomato soup at Yum! Bakery, where I met my mom for a sunny lunch. Very homemade, with a hint of cream, and a garlicky kick to finish, it made for a lovely lunch. (No charming, retro Yum! confections to tell of, sorry, just a delicious glass of lightly sweetened iced tea.)

John showed up at home unexpectedly early so we jumped at the chance for another dinner-and-a-movie gig. Twice in one week, NICE! This time we saw Tell No One, a fun French-romantic-thriller playing at the Edina Theater. Afterward, we strutted out the door, around the corner, and into Salut Bar Americain (j'aime matching up din to a movie's setting, it just flows...). Salut is always a fun spot, perfect for a light-ish, late-ish snack. After a glass of the house red, a bowl of French onion soup (second delicious soup of the day), and a split of salad Lyonnaise (frisee, poached egg, lardons, more yum), we got home in time for me to mess around with my new camera (yays!) and get to bed not too terribly late.

Not bad for a Monday, not bad at all...

Good start to Tuesday as well, a walk around sparkling Lake of the Isles and a cuppa joe with Suz. Later this evening, with a spot of leftover tenderloin steak, I'm making Jacques Pepin's Instant Beef Tenderloin Stew. Clever dish, a sort of deconstructed - lighter - version of stew, easy to put together, and delicious to boot.

Moderate it: real-deal, slow-cooked beef stew is one of my favorite mid-winter dishes. This "instant" version is delicious in a different way - lighter, faster to pull together, appropriate for all seasons.

The Minneapolis Farmer's Market is a fun place. It's not as fabulous as say, San Francisco's - what is? - but I still get a rush walking around, especially on Saturdays when it's crowded, buying beautiful veggies and thinking about all the ways I can use them. Today I picked up heirloom cherry tomatoes, for the garlicky tomato & bread gratin I made for dinner tonight (we had our neighbors the Hatzungs over for a chilly swim and warm din). I also bought (more) green beans, as well as raspberries and fingerling potatoes. We ate the green beans tonight, and the raspberries (atop a lemon picnic cake), but the potatoes I'll save for tomorrow or Monday.

Although, hmmmm, I'm not going to be making din tomorrow night since Kim, Suz, and I are heading to True Thai for our every-few-weeks dinner out. Well, luckily potatoes taste good even several days after being picked... Especially these little gems, I bought them once before from the same vendor and was pretty blown away by how delicious they were. I'm thinking a little lemon-butter and salt will do them nicely. Can't wait.

Hey, look at that, I've been on Facebook for one full year! Thank you, Maud, for introducing another (very fun!) timesuck into my life! I think I've most enjoyed seeing everyone's pics, especially of their kids, especially of friends from high school and college that I don't get to physically see often enough. It's like an everyday reunion/Christmas card - nice! If (realistically, when) you join up, I suggest you become a fan of moderate epicurean (and painters staceyemeyer and maudbryt) to boot.

Sleep tight!

Moderate it: baking half of a cake is a nice way to not have a bunch of sweet leftovers hanging around - Whole Foods cake mixes make just one 9-inch layer. Works nicely with the lemon picnic cake recipe.

Since last week was way too crazy, I made Susie a birthday lunch today, one week late, but better than never. I love cooking for my girls - they'll eat anything so I can make all the things I love that others in the fam are too picky to eat. Like scallops. And polenta. Yep, polenta - with the weather taking a big turn for the cooler, comfort-y type foods are suddenly hitting the spot. And because fresh sweet corn is still tasty, I stirred in a cup or so right as the polenta finished cooking. Sweet and crisp, a nice addition.

Since polenta just begs for something a bit saucy, I served it up to Suz. Ha! Actually, I simmered CSA veggie share green beans and tossed them with a fresh tomato-garlic sauce (chopped fresh tomato, garlic, and olive oil sauteed/simmered together for a few minutes). Alongside scallops saltimbocca (I used Nueske's bacon instead of pancetta because, well, that's what I had; yes, I realize I'm beating the saltimbocca theme to death lately but what can I say? When it rocks, it rocks...), the polenta was in good company and we took our plates - and perhaps a glass of wine - out onto the deck for a nice summer-into-fall, girly-birthday luncheon. All good.

Until...I pulled a warm lemon souffle from the oven, and then it was all great. Sheesh. Topped with dollops of softly whipped cream, washed down with sips of strong, hot coffee...oh yeah. I don't know, I can't think of a chocolate dessert I love more than a warm fruit souffle. (Recipe for lemon souffle posted in comments, below.)

As Suz said, "Like I really want to go home and make dinner now," I'm thinking that John and I might end up wandering out later for sustenance. After checking out Vicky Cristina Barcelona, that is, which I've been looking forward to seeing.

Hope you're starting off your weekend in a nice way too! Happy Birthday Saucy Suz!

Later: three quick raves - one, for Vicky Cristina Barcelona, which is sexy/funny/fabulous, I recommend it completely. Two, for Restaurant Alma, where we went afterward for a lovely dinner - no shock there. Sweet corn flan and rigatoni with fennel sausage for me, yum. Three, a quick bop into the Cedar Cultural Center, to catch the end of the Punch Brothers' performance. I admit, I went grudgingly (John's taste in music does not er, match mine, that's what seven years' difference in age will do to a couple), but I was pretty blown away by... I'm not sure... Classical alternative bluegrass? The mandolin/lead singer's voice was angelic, kind of scary perfect. The technical talent of the violin, guitar, mandolin, banjo, and string bass players was incredible. So...a damn good day, all in all. Def a keeper. G'night!

Moderate it: I've said this before about savory souffles and the same holds true for the sweet versions - they're actually quite simple to make, and not overly rich/caloric, but they impress and are, not surprisingly, absolutely delicious. I declare, the world needs more souffles.

Happy Labor Day! Flew by, of course, as all holiday weekends do, but this one was particularly fun because my brother David was here. That meant extra hang time with Stacey and Cooper too, and as a group we had a grand old time. We pretty much just chatted, cooked, ate, and hung by the pool. Yeah, that pretty much covers it.

The foodie highlights:

• I made a tomato-goat cheese tart for a late din Friday night. Nothing more than a short-pastry crust, smeared with minced garlic, filled with tomato slices, a drizzle of olive oil, a sprinkle of salt, and dabs of soft goat cheese. I baked until golden brown and soft, served alongside a salad, in the dark on the deck, with a glass of crisp white, and it was nice.
• Scrambling for a brunch idea Saturday morning, I innovated crepes filled with softly scrambled eggs and a "sauce" of cherry tomatoes sauteed with onions and fresh herbs. With a few slices of Nueske's Canadian bacon on the side, we were well-fortified for a day of...lying around in the sun, listening to music, reading books, and chatting. Hey, what can I say?
• Saturday night we dined deliciously at 20.21. As usual, the star was the lobster risotto with crispy spinach, I'd say one of Minneapolis' top five restaurant dishes. It hits all the notes, baby - creamy, spicy, sweet, salty, chewy, crunchy. And it's gorgeous. And delicious. Oh yeah, I already said that.
• Last night I made not just shrimp saltimbocca, but scallops saltimbocca as well, due to a bit of a screw up in purchasing frozen shrimp at Whole Foods. A tasty mistake, turns out, since Stacey, David, and I all love scallops (while John and the kids opted for shrimp). With grilled bread, topped with ricotta cheese and grilled tomatoes, we had ourselves a summer feast.
• And the wrap up today, more tomato goodness, this time in the form of post-exercise BLTs at Stacey's. Garden-ripe tomatoes and Nueske's bacon. 'Nough said.

David (pictured at right with Etta, a couple of weeks ago in Wyoming) left around 5 pm this evening, unforch totally missing the chicken I roasted tonight, whole on the grill (with my Weber poultry roaster), this time with a Mexican spin - garlic, lime, and ancho chili powder. We ate the crispity slices in warm corn tortillas alongside potatoes roasted with jalapenos, onions, and green pepper.

The End to a lovely Labor Day weekend.

Moderate it: yeah, a pretty big food weekend. I biked in the wind, walked in the heat, and most surely didn't come close to working off that lobster risotto. Good thing the weekend is done and we're back to "normal" tomorrow. Uff.