Hey friends, how's it going? I've actually had a couple of kind inquiries about my health due to my two-week bloggy absence - rest assured, everything's fine here, in fact great. My excuse? Um...total and complete obsession with the presidential election. I confess, I got bit hard by the political bug this cycle. I just love absorbing it, the strategies, the moves, the ins and outs, ups and downs. I have a limited amount of time each day I can allocate to being online and well, er, the election won over my blog. So not moderate, I know. But I'm back now, my guy won and since he seems to be moving on pretty well without my strategic advice, I'll let it go now. (In my next life I'll have to be a political operative, though, yeah...)

I wasn't all politics, all the time, however - I did actually feed my family. Even my extended family, when my cousin Peter, his wife Kristin, and their adorable twin daughters Erin and Emily came for a visit from Sheboygan, Wisconsin. My aunts Mary and Marge drove in too, and my cousin Kim, and we had a grand time last Saturday night catching up. Erin and Emily are two - yes, twin two-year olds, busy and clever and everywhere all at once, just as you might imagine. They both love to sing, especially Erin, and the stereo effect of twin toddler song is beyond cute. They regaled us with song and chat for more than a couple of hours at the dinner table, an impressive feat for two busy two-year olds. It was a complete blast.

I made beef burgundy, inspired by a lovely coq qu vin that John and I split at Salut Bar Americain last week (I believe it's their Monday night chicken special - I recommend it very highly). Great do-ahead dish, beef burgundy, although lengthy to prepare - split it into two days of prep and you'll be sitting pretty for your next dinner party. We opened with a simple salad, with parsleyed potatoes alongside the beef, and my aunt Marge's apple crisp for dessert. Uff da that was a meal. (Recipe posted in comments, below.)

John and I in fact hit Salut twice in three days, no lie. Somewhere between Politico and Pollster, we fit in a lovely lunch at Salut's bar - steak frites with a glass of burgundy. Romantic, delicious, just lovely all 'round. I've had a French thing ever since - beef burgundy on Saturday, followed by a simple cheese souffle on Monday night. So airy and pretty, souffle, and so easy too. Tres bien.

Moderate it: if I'm serving potatoes, I don't also serve bread, although I did bend that rule a bit and put croutons in the salad I served as a first course.

Happy Bunny to You! Ahh, home. Nathan and I got off the plane from San Francisco this afternoon and went straight to my Dad & Susanna's for Easter dinner with my aunt Mary & uncle Bruce, as well as Stacey & Cooper. Couldn't ask for a sweeter way to ease back in to winter, you know? Garlicky, crusty leg of lamb with cucumber-yogurt sauce; creamy, deadly pommes dauphinoise (a Meyer-family favorite, I believe originating with my aunt Jean, recipe posted in comments below); fresh, warm bread; salad with pears and pecans; and lemon pie with whipped cream. Yeah, the food in San Fran was incredible, but home does not suck when Susanna and Mary are cooking! Even after four consecutive 70-degree sunny days, in one of the most beautiful cities in the world, it is (mostly) good to be home - no small task, thank you Susanna & Dad!

So, back to San Francisco for a moment...Nathan and I opened our Food Adventure with a Chinese dim sum feast at Tian Sing, near our hotel and very tasty. Shatteringly crisp spring rolls, delicate steamed shrimp dumplings, pillowy-soft steamed barbecue pork baos, and garlicky, crunchy Chinese broccoli... Happy start indeed, woo hoo!

Thursday we hopped on a cable car to always-hoppin' Fisherman's Wharf. It just happened to be lunchtime, so we ducked into In-N-Out Burger before the madness hit (and oh did it hit, about three minutes after we ordered), a major highlight for Nathan. Easy enough to order at this California fast-food superstar - the menu consists of burgers and fries, baby, burgers and fries. Fresh beef + fresh-cut potatoes = deliciousness. We walked off the burger-y excess (ack) along the waterfront, cruising various piers, parks, and shops for the entire, sunny afternoon.

Friday we boarded a ferry for a tour of Angel Island and Alcatraz. The appropriately named Angel Island - as in, heavenly - is the largest island in the bay and pretty much one of the most stunning places I've ever seen. (Nathan and I ate a picnic lunch alongside this charming little cove, with a hill of fragrant eucalyptus trees behind us.) Alcatraz is stunning too, while at the same time entirely creepy and depressing. The audio walking tour is a must-do, lively and fascinating, narrated by gravelly-voiced former guards and inmates and punctuated with (very, sometimes overly!) realistic sound effects.

We made it back to the hotel just in time to be picked up for dinner by my cousin Blake, who lives in San Franciso proper with his wife Tegan, daughter Gracyn (5), and son Knox (3). Blake and Knox (only the boys were able to join us for dinner) whisked us off to Sausalito (over the Golden Gate Bridge, woo hoo!) for bay-side deliciousness at Fish. Nathan had his first fish-n-chips dinner ever (thumbs up), while Knox enjoyed "chicken"-n-chips (wink), and I downed yummy grilled-fish tacos.

Saturday, sweet Saturday, we toyed with the idea of renting a convertible to drive up the coast, through wine country hills, and back to the city to catch all the breath-taking sights and scents of rural NoCal. (We decided we needed two more days - one to drive north of the city, one to drive south, to visit my aunt Jean and uncle Del - Blake's parents - in Carmel. Next time...) But we settled on an even better idea, thanks to Blake's suggestion to head first thing for the famous Ferry Plaza Farmer's Market. Oh Lord, if only we all had access to such glory! A beautiful bounty of fresh, locally grown produce and meat, available year-round (!), along the waterfront to make it, you know, ridiculously (painfully) gorgeous. Man, it was just insane. OK, I was just insane, walking around completely jealous of the locals casually buying fresh flowers, crusty bread, fresh pastries, organic meats, fresh fish and shellfish, artisanal cheeses, Napa Valley wines, local beers, fresh vegetables (including a whole stand of wild mushrooms!) and fruits. Picture our Minneapolis Farmers' Market (which I love) about twenty times more sophisticated and lovely. Foodie. Heaven.

And then...Mexican tasties (yes, here I go again), giddily ordered at Mijita Cocina Mexicana, a permanent cafe in the Ferry Building. Fresh, authentic, a little Mexican cafe like this would clean up in Minneapolis, don't you think? I mean, I know there are lots of yummy little taquerias around, which I've admittedly totally under-explored, but this place was so accessible, and so real, I couldn't help but sigh a bit knowing there wasn't quite an equal 'round these parts. Which is probably a good thing, in the name of moderation and such... (After chowing down on carnitas with tomatillo salsa; a fresh masa quesadilla filled with cheese, epazote, and roasted chiles; guac (of course); and chilaquiles drizzled with crema and served alongside creamy beans, we were a bit, uh, full. Good thing there's such a huge, cool Chinatown in which to walk off a Mexican feast!)

Soooo...as I said, we're back in the black-n-white photo we call home, and it's...good? Lovely Easter dinner definitely smoothed the transition. A good night's sleep never hurts. It's a little sad that Spring Break '08 will soon be but a happy memory, but hopefully a spring of our own is coming to distract us - soon?!

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!

Merry Christmas Day! We spent the occasion at my Aunt Mary and Uncle Bruce's lovely farm outside Kerkhoven, Minnesota, as we have for the last several years, lucky us. As always, it was picture perfect - twinkly-sparkly festive and the definition of Christmas-y as we all sat around the gorgeous, gigantic table they set up for the holiday each year. Truly a sight to behold. We shared a toast with a delicious red prosecco, then tucked into prime rib, mashed potatoes, beets with sour cream, buttery green beans with morel mushrooms, and roasted carrots and cipollini onions. Tender challah and crusty no-knead bread (my meager contribution). And my Aunt Marge's killer creamy cheese cake with strawberries. Oh yes, quite a meal!

And then, we just sat enjoying the candlelit table, in that charming old farmhouse in the country, chatting and telling stories and reading letters and verses and half-laughing, half-crying through it all. I am so very lucky to have an incredibly cool and fun extended family, my dad's sisters Marge and Mary and their families. So thanks to them, and their fabulous husbands Jim and Bruce, as well as Kim, Kelly, Jomo, Michael, Amanda, and Craig for such a great day. And to Stacey & Cooper for driving John, Nathan, and me out and back (long drive!). And to Dad, Susanna, David, and Etta for making the day complete and completely perfect.

And oh! We feasted the night before as well, of course, Christmas Eve. Stacey, Cooper, Bowen, and my mom were here for gifts and a big fire and a quiet, simple dinner. The crab cakes and Julia Child's chocolate mousse were big hits (recipe for mousse posted in comments, below).

So. I can't decided if it's going to be a great relief or incredibly disappointing to return to Normal Eating. Probably a little of both. I'll let you know when I get there, cuz it sure ain't yet!

And oh again! Because it's adorable, and I'm perfectly unashamed to spice up my food-obsessed blog with a bit of Cooper Cuteness, here's a little video clip, below... Merry Christmas Auntie Etta!

Happy Thanksgiving!

I hope you all had/are having a great day! I certainly did, I had a blast, but uff, I ate too much. The Very Immoderate Epicurean! Man, we had an enormous amount of fantastic food, a real group effort. My mom cooked all day. Stacey's house looked gorgeous. And now her kitchen has officially, comfortably cranked out a big Meyer holiday dinner for 12 - I declare it christened!

Our menu:
Herb-Roasted Turkey and Gravy (me)
Simple Savory Stuffing with Mushrooms & Parmesan (me)
Do-Ahead Sour Cream Mashed Potatoes (me)
Spiced Cranberry Relish Mold (Mom)
Spinach-Artichoke Casserole (Stacey)
Candied Yams (Mom)
Asparagus Casserole (Mom)
Rolls (Mary)
Pumpkin Cheesecake with Caramel Sauce (Marge)
Pecan Pie with Whipped Cream (Marge)
Wine, Coffee

You see? UFF! I had some of every damn one of those delicious things...and loved every bite! I'm happy to report that the turkey turned out juicy and flavorful, with deeply browned, crispy/crunchy skin, pretty killer if I do say so myself.

Cooper was a Superstar, running around, playing, talking, and getting re-familiarized with my cousins Kim, Craig, Michael & his wife Amanda; and my aunts and uncles Mary & Bruce and Marge & Jim. He announced "Gahmma!" when my mom walked in the house, ca-yute to the max. He was busy as a "bum-bee," run, run, run.

Mary & Bruce and Michael & Amanda actually arrived last night. We had a late, tasty dinner of grilled lamb chops, roasted broccoli, sauteed wild mushrooms, warm bread (with Hope Creamery butter, yay!), and apple spice cake with whipped cream. Boy oh boy, when we wrapped up dinner at oh, around midnight, we were one tired group. Zzzz...

Speaking of tired...yep, 'tis bedtime. Soooo time to put this full tummy down for the night. Safe travels! Sleep well! And Happy Digesting, y'all.

Recap: Spider-Man III = Fun. Walleye = Good. Good night's sleep = Yummy. Rainy weekend = Sucks. My dad's fried quail for Sunday lunch = going to be Mighty Fine (not happening until later today). Coop hanging with my dad = Adorable.

I'd like to go for a long Sunday's walk, but...I don't want to get rained on. Like, at all. I hate getting rained on. It's a curly-haired-girl thing; me and humidity, we're not friends. Sensing humidity in the air while I sleep can cause me to wake up cranky - I'm totally serious. I'll sleepily think, gee, what am I dreading today? Do I have some nightmare meeting? A dentist appointment? An over-scheduled crazy day? And then I'll realize - it's friggin' humid outside, I can feel it in my bones, on my skin, and in my hair. Bad Hair Day. Blah. So walking in the rain - not fun, not romantic, not refreshing. Hmmm, guess it's a kettlebells day. Gotta do something to prep my body for the pending infusion of fried food, mmmm, I do love me some fried food.

Then later, supposedly another baseball game, but I don't know. Lookin' pretty wet out there. We may end up with a bowl of soup here at the hacienda instead. Oooh, Greek Egg-Lemon Soup might be in order this evening, with a big Greek salad. Yeah, baby, that sounds lovely. (Unless we're all too full from fried quail to even think about it, and in that case, perhaps a bowl of cereal will suffice!)

Happy Birthday to my aunt Mary!

Recap of the recap: My dad's fried quail for lunch = Fantastic. OMG, goooooood stuff. With Susanna's pan gravy, green beans, pommes frites (with a little cheater's Bearnaise I made out of mayo, lots of fresh lemon juice, and tarragon), fresh bread with butter, and fresh mango and blackberries with lots of black coffee for dessert. Yeah, The Kill. Nice Cote du Rhone to wash it all down. And now we DO indeed have baseball, so I'll try to stay awake in the stands with that lunch packed into my tummy. Ohhh yeeeeahhh, that's the way to spend Sunday afternoon. NICE! (BTW, the soup is going The Way of Friday Night's Walleye, as in, it ain't happening. Perhaps tomorrow, stay tuned...)

Friday Morning Coffee with Suz! It had been a few weeks again so I was very, very glad to pull it off today. Not our usual light-hearted fare, which made it even more important to get together. (Wo)manning one's way through the intracacies of life without the ear and support of good friends would be a very lonely endeavor indeed. My friends keep me energized, balanced, and grateful for the many blessings in my life. Sheesh, I just realized, my friends are like CHURCH! HA! (Isn't Suz looking every bit the Jewthran minister she never knew she was? Amen!)

After coffee, I whipped by Byerly's (shocker, huh?) and picked up some walleye for dinner tonight. Total whim, didn't have a plan as I walked in, other than thinking "fish," hmmmm... Not even sure how I'm going to prepare it. Of course nothing is better than walleye dredged in flour and fried in butter 'til crispy - damn, that's good stuff, and a Meyer Family tradition, so near and dear to my heart as well as tasty. However, trying to keep things on the lighter side, I think I'll just brush it with a bit of butter and run it under the broiler until lightly browned. That's pretty darn good too. With roasted asparagus, and a big salad, we'll be in good shape.

These culinary adventures are for after happy hour, however - yes, Baseball Moms tonight, it's been awhile, and the ladies are ready to get together for some beer and chat! (Anyone want to place bets on whether I really cook that walleye tonight? I can see some pizza with that beer and my cooking ambition going right out the window...stay tuned...)

Oh, some Happy Birthdays are in order! Happy Birthday John (4/18), my aunt Marge (4/19), and John's bro Tom (4/20) - all took place while we were in Napa. I know John's birthday RAWKED (our first night in Napa, dinner at Cyrus), hope Marge's and Tom's did too! And Happy Birthday today to my cousin Kelly! And a pre-Happy Birthday to my aunt Mary, on Sunday, and to Stacey Pooh, mommy of Cooper Doo (and my lovely sister!) on Tuesday the 8th. (Can you tell that Spring is as expensive as Christmas in this family?!) If I were with y'all right now I'd serve you (and me!) a big ol' piece of Suz's Fresh Lemon-Coconut cake!!

On a less upbeat note, if you love Fugaise as much as I do, check out Andrew Zimmern's blog today. We were introduced to Fugaise by Stu & Debbie (here getting their Fugaise on!) and have enjoyed several knockout meals there. I hate seeing my favorite restaurants (Auriga, I miss thee, sniff) go down - hopefully Fugaise can rally. Go Don Saunders, go!

"I don't feel tardy!" That's a line from the Van Halen classic, Hot for Teacher, which I confess I listened to three (!) times in a row this morning on my walk, cracking up the entire time. Totally bawdy and ridiculous, and yet so infectious, I think I laughed for the entire 10 minutes. (Clearly that laughing did not put color in my cheeks, my goodness what a pallor...get that girl some blush!)

Actually, I do feel tardy, I know I'm way late in posting. I was away over the weekend, Nathan and I drove out to just north of Kerkhoven, MN, to visit my aunt Mary and uncle Bruce (aka Brucyn, Brucie, Bruce B Broccoli) on their lovely farm. Nathan had a blast taking pics and riding in the combine with my cousin Michael, who is helping his dad harvest corn and soybeans. And of course Nathan played and played with dogs Shep and Cody - Nathan and dogs, yet again. He was in heaven. (Plus, he took all of these amazing pics!)

I also had a blast, getting lots of time to hang and chat with Mary and Bruce in their cozy kitchen, as well as eat delicious food - lovely wine, beef stroganoff, tortellini soup, lots of coffee, pancakes with warm apples... YUM! My uncle Jim and aunt Marge came over for dinner Saturday night, it was great to see them too. Sunday morning Mary and I got a brisk walk - I love walking out there, no one else around, golden sunshine, rolling fields. I really feel away from the city, sleeping in their completely charming 100+ year old house, in my favorite yellow bedroom, in a bed loaded with soft pillows and warm quilts. I love the creaky stairs, and all the pictures of my grandma and grandpa, and Mary's incredible antique furniture and dishes, some of which belonged to Bruce's grandparents. They have lovingly and beautifullly restored - and added on to - the house that Bruce grew up in, it's very cool to be in a home with history.

By Sunday night Nathan and I were back home, back to homework and laundry and all the real stuff. Which is good too!

Tonight I'm making chicken paillards for dinner, with a big pan of sauteed mushrooms, and roasted acorn squash. (And rice for everyone else, ha!)

I've been having lots of fun cooking different grains, as I wrote about last week. The quinoa and rolled rye, and also millet and buckwheat. All delicious. I tend to make them for breakfast, with a bit of honey and chopped nuts stirred in. Mmmm... I also bought a fabulous pumpkin butter at Whole Foods - at 25 cals per tablespoon, it totally relieves the little craving I've been having for pumpkin pie (one of my absolute, all-time favorite desserts - in a good crust, preferably prepared by my aunt Marge, heavenly). I've been spreading it on Honeycrisp apple slices for a sweet - and healthy! - treat.