Elope with a Bakery

Today I want to runaway to Bath and bake bread; dig my hands into freshly (and specifically) milled flour from the 1000 year old Shipton Mill, then bake creations using fresh creams and locally grown and loved fruits, vegetables and herbs. If I could hang out and bake with Richard Bertinet, well that would just really make my day!

Everyday Salad Dressing

This is the easiest, but tastiest, dressing... we make it nearly every evening. It can be prepared in either the bottom of a salad bowl (then add the salad on top and toss) or in a small jar, which makes it convenient to store for lunch the next day. I never measure anything when I make this, so don't follow these measurements too literally; they are merely a guesstimation for communication's sake!

Combine the following:

1/2 garlic clove, finely chopped

2 tbls good quality balsamic vinegar

1/2 tsp dijon mustard (I am fanatic for Mailie Dijon Originale)

1/2 tsp honey

4 tbls extra virgin olive oil

pinch of s+p

Mix together and voilà!

Beautiful Beets

It was a few weeks back that I purchased my first bundle of fresh beets. I was standing at a favorite Farmers Market booth buying lovely lettuce, when the rows of beets caught my eye. I walked over to take a peek and the gal assisting me pointed out her favorite and shared with me her personal preferred way to enjoy them. Between her passion and the amazing color I was sold. I had never tried to cook beets, and was previously prone to pulling the round, cookie-cutter pieces from a restaurant's house salad. Ashamed of my former beet-plucking self, I decided to give this little jewel of a vegetable a whirl.

I tried the suggested method of halving and steaming, then peeling once cool. I sliced into chucks then topped with a little S+P and parmesan cheese (my Market friend recommended goat's cheese, but I did not have that on hand, and was so excited to try the beets, I just couldn't wait for all the ingredients to fall into place). Was it a success? Well, for my palate, not exactly. The taste was very earthy and I think that with a lack of accompanying flavors, I was a little overloaded with the beetiness. The color, though! Wow! Such an amazing deep reddish-purple hue. I truly want to enjoy beets, figuring that something so aesthetically pleasurable must be equally as tasty given the right preparation. Thus, I am not deterred! The search is on for some great beet recipes. A good friend told me she loves beets and developed a good beet risotto... need to give that a try! Below I have compiled a few more recipes that I would like to attempt as well. If you try any of these or have a favorite of your own, please share!

Roasted Beet and Blood Orange Salad with Spicy Greens

Crunchy Raw Beetroot Salad with Feta and Pear

Beet Chocolate Cupcakes

Beet Cake

Roasted Beet-Tofu Burgers

ABC Juice (Apple, Beetroot, Carrot)

Sweet Potato and Beet Chips with Garlic Rosemary Salt (I couldn't help myself)

"And how do you take your coffee?"

"Whole bean, shade grown, organic, fair trade. Course ground, then a long 4 minute soak followed by a firm, steady press separating the grounds from the lovely full flavored brew complete with oils and the delicate grit." This is of course the meditative process of brewing in a French Press, the only way to enjoy a sensational cup of joe.

I started out life as a non-coffee drinker, repulsed by its upfront bitterness and offended by its lingering affect on one's breath. I even made it through 4 years of college and 5 years as a Starbucks employee without touching the stuff (fo-fo frappuccino's and sugar-induced-coma mocha's topped with whipping cream don't count). It wasn't until after I was married and began the daily routine of life that I found this once unappealing morning "habit" and absolute treat and pleasurable escape. But it was not simply the allure of coffee, it was the masterfully crafted cup of perfect harmony between bean, brew, water, and timing that really highlighted coffee's true potential. When the elements align, magic happens and it is the perfect welcome to a new day.

My ideal cup of coffee would be a lazy Saturday morning in a French café with my sweetheart enjoying the perfect cappuccino and savoring a fresh, buttery, flaky croissant.

What is your ideal cup of coffee?

Gaga for GOOP

I have been following Gwyneth Paltrow's blog for awhile now, and I adore it! It covers all things awesome with a category list of make, go, get, do, be and see (my favorite being MAKE, with the fashionable GET a close second). It is such a treat to see "It's Goop" in my inbox. GP's (an endearing term used by Mario Batali on their Spain adventure... more to come on that!) latest share was a feature on Erin McKenna, whose personal struggle to eliminate wheat, dairy, soy, caffeine and refined sugar from her diet led to the creation of Babycakes Bakery, allowing her to reinterpret the average cupcake and donut. Go take a stroll over to GOOP and check out the recipes that Erin shared... I can't wait to try the Lemon Poppy Teacake. Oh, and the Chocolate Cupcakes with garbanzo and fava bean flour!!

I Heart Risotto

There is just something wonderful about a big bowl of warm, oozing, cheesy risotto that makes me want to curl up on the couch, maybe with a cozy blanket (weather permitting), and savor every last bite. Lately I have been making my new found favorite recipe that I got from Simply Blythe. Her onion risotto is so incredible that I made it twice in one week, and craved it every day in between. I do opt to add the broth slowly, though, allowing each precious pearl to soak in goodness, while releasing the starch that creates a creamy harmony of flavor and texture. Heaven! While it is not a speedy meal, it is worth every careful turn of the spoon, which is why I tend to make it on the nights that Brian has a late class or is studying. I may be a gluten for punishment, but I enjoy leaning up to the counter with a glass of wine, listening to music and getting lost in my thoughts... all the while knowing that I have a wonderful meal to look forward to.

Tonight as I made this dish I sipped on a rosato from Wine Shop At Home and listened to the intoxicating sounds of Putumayo's Greece: A Musical Odyssey . I also decided to change things up a bit and mixed in a bit of anchovy paste with the onions, then topped it off with the a hint of lemon zest. Bon Appetit!

p.s. We are in-between camera's at the moment so I decided to share a picture I took one evening while arriving at my parent's house. The sunset was so beautiful that I jumped out of the car and started to take pictures before even saying hi to the family...sorry dad! I love you!

In the Tomb of Tut

Well, close enough anyway. Yesterday, as a surprise for Brian’s birthday, we visited the King Tutankhamun Exhibit at the de Young Museum. It was so amazing, surreal really, to be so physically near artifacts that are thousands of years old. You see these items in books or on TV and understand the level of skill that this ancient culture had, but when viewed up close, I was awe-struck by the detail and beauty of each hand-made item. I encourage you to make a visit to the exhibit while it is in San Francisco through March 2010. Know before you go, though, that the actual King Tut mummy and Funerary Mask are not on display since they were declared national treasures by the Egyptian government in the 1980's. No worries... all the more reason to take a trip to Egypt... anyone?

Side Note: When you attend the exhibit, you receive a Pharaoh's Gold Card whose perks I’m pleased to report, entitled us to 2 delicious, FREE (1 with each pair of cards) appetizers from Pacific Grill where we went for lunch after the museum. I am a sucker for “free”, “complimentary”, “on the house”, or any of the sort…mmmmmm!