“I’m not your bitch, bitch !"

If you’ve seen the show you know what I’m talkin’ about.

I’m so glad Harold won the “Top Chef” in the Vegas Finale! Tiffani was a bitch just like Dave said. I was pleased to see Lorraine Bracco of "The Sopranos" guest starring, helping to judge the final dishes.

Check out the T-Shirt.

Check out how Harold man handles those critters!!

Well Used Cookbook

This cookbook is one I use over and over again. I bought it when it first came out.
I used the Flank Steak recipe that I brought to the last Sunday Night Supper Club.

Marinade
2T. Soy sauce
1T minced fresh ginger
1T slivered lemon zest
2t.Asian sesame oil
1clove garlic, minced (I use about 3 cloves)
1t pepper
1t brown sugar

1 flank steak (about 11/2 lbs.)

I use a Ziploc bag and marinate about 8 hrs.

Grill over High heat about 4-5 min. per side depending how you like your steak (I like mine rare)

Dinner Dogs

These little pups were ready for dinner, apparently one got into the
Merlot when I wasn’t looking.

Happy Hour

Last Friday-happy hour drinks with my work mates. We chose Twigs on Regal. I left work a bit early to score a seat outside, but a downpour and some thunder and lightning nixed that. The bar was already full (for a table of five anyway) so I had to take a table in the dining area. No bar tables = no happy hour prices. Oh well. I was seated up stairs where you can see the bar below, however it felt more like a banquet room. I did take a peek at the patio; it looked like it could be fun when the weather changes back to summer. Service was so-so; drinks were o.k. I’ll probably be back as we all live on that side of town.

Johnny Cakes

I love the Soprano’s!!
Vito loves the Johnny cakes at Jim’s Diner.
Jim loves Vito.
Vito loves Jim-problem is ,Vito's married and a member of the mob!!!
I love my Johnny cakes with butter and real syrup!

Lucy

This is our little Lucy. We picked her out at the shelter almost 4 years ago. She was just a puppy then.
I think she may be part Wheaten Terrier or perhaps Airedale Terrier. Once I had her cut in an Airedale style-let me just say she is no purebred
Airedale –not even close! She is Mike’s best friend.

We fixed the BBQ!! So…we grilled Black Bean Cakes with Cilantro Yogurt Sauce from 28 Cooks.

I whipped up a quick salsa to go along side.


Quick Salsa (adapted from Cooking Light)

3/4 cup chopped red onion 1/2 cup minced fresh cilantro 1 (10-ounce) can diced tomatoes and green chiles, undrained (such as Rotel) 1 (10-ounce) can diced tomatoes with lime juice and cilantro, undrained (such as Rotel) 1 garlic clove. Place all the ingredients in a blender, and process until smooth. Serve the salsa with low-fat tortilla chips.

Jimmy'z

My daughter and I had dinner this last week at Jimmy’z.

We started with the pan-seared calamari. It was a refreshing change from the usual breaded kind with just the right taste of lemon and pepperocinis.

Next Caesar salad (included with the entrees). It was a hit with my little Caesar salad critic ; I liked it too.

My daughter chose the grilled to order Jimmy’z New York Steak--Medium rare of course. She proclaimed it a hit.

I choose the Halibut Picatta, the sauce was great and did not overpower, but accented the fresh taste of the halibut.

Wow, we were just to full to eat desert, even though Emily’s blueberry cake looked wonderful—Next time I will get it to go.

The service was great and we think Andrew rocks in the kitchen.

Mothers Day BBQ

What a great afternoon for a Mothers Day BBQ!

We did a honey, lime and chili marinade for chicken thighs, French style potato salad with bacon, and a simple green salad.

The gas grill pooped out on us, so we finished the chicken in the oven and it all turned out fine!

Latah Bistro

I dined last evening at one of my favorite restaurants—The Latah Bistro.

I had the Pablano Prawns over pappardelle pasta with poblano pepper cream sauce. It was scrumptious.
My dinner companion chose his favorite, the Pepperoni Pizza. It was baked to perfection.

The thing I really like about the Bistro (besides the food) is the staff, they are so pleasant and accommodating. They always seem genuinely happy to see us.

I’m glad they are “closer to home”.

A Favorite Fast Food

One of my favorite fast dinners to make after work is a pizza using frozen Vicolo pizza crust available in Huckleberry’s frozen section. Tonight I brushed the frozen shell with extra virgin olive oil , topped with some left over fontina cheese, added a sliced tomato and fresh chives from my garden. Finally, top that with some grated Parmesan cheese and a sprinkle of olive oil. Bake at 400 for about 10-15 min. Mike likes it too!

Trillium

I spotted these Trillium Flowers
at Newman Lake last weekend.

Trillium is one of many plants whose seeds are spread by ant and mice. Trillium seeds have a fleshy organ called an elaiosome that attracts ants. The ants take the seeds to their nest, where they eat the elaiosomes and put the seeds in their garbage, where they can are protected until they germinate. They also get the added bonus of growing in a medium made richer by the ant garbage.



"Indian women [in North America] claimed that boiled trillium root could arouse a man's love."
—Text from "Wildflowers Across America," April 1988, National Geographic magazine

Pablo Neruda -one of my favorite poets...

Ode To Wine Day-colored wine, night-colored wine with purple feet or wine with topaz blood, wine , starry child of earth, wine, smooth as a golden sword, soft as lascivious velvet, wine, spiral-seashelled and full of wonder ,amorous, marine; never has one goblet contained you, one song, one man, you are choral, gregarious, at the least, you must be shared .At times you feed on mortal memories; your wave carries us from tomb to tomb ,stone cutter of icy sepulchers, and we weep transitory tears; your glorious spring dress is different, blood rises through the shoots, wind incites the day nothing is left of your immutable soul. Wine stirs the spring, happiness bursts through the earth like a plant, walls crumble, and rocky cliffs , chasms close, as song is born. A jug of wine, and thou beside me in the wilderness, sang the ancient poet. Let the wine pitcher add to the kiss of love its own. My darling, suddenly he line of your hip becomes the brimming curve f the wine goblet, your breast is the grape cluster, your nipples are the grapes, the gleam of spirits lights your hair, and your navel is a chaste seal stamped on the vessel of your belly, your love an inexhaustible cascade of wine light that illuminates my senses, the earthly splendor of life. But you are more than love, the fiery kiss, the heat of fire, more than the wine of life; you are the community of man, translucency, chorus of discipline, abundance of flowers. I like on the table, when we're speaking, the light of a bottle of intelligent wine. Drink it, and remember in every drop of gold, in every topaz glass ,in every purple ladle, that autumn labored to fill the vessel with wine; and in the ritual of his office ,let the simple man remember to think of the soil and of his duty, to propagate the canticle of the wine. Pablo Neruda