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.