Fresh Tart

I'm really enjoying the concepts and recipes in my new cookbook, Seven Fires: Grilling the Argentine Way, by Francis Mallman.  In particular, I'm a bit obsessed with cooking vegetables on a chapa - (from the book) a flat piece of cast iron or a cast-iron skillet set over a fire.  I'm using my big Le Creuset cast-iron skillet, set on my Weber gas grill.  I preheat the grill until it's very hot (600+ degrees F), then lay the pan on the grate and preheat it until it's hot too.  Most of the recipes in Seven Fires are cooked on a chapa, which quickly sears and caramelizes food - perfect for vegetables.  I mean prrrrrfect. I've created two insanely simple and delicious dishes so far - one Friday night for my friend Michelle (alongside salmon), the other tonight for just John and me.  Tomorrow?  Yep, but more on that in a second.

Let me back up a bit and explain the two dishes I've already made.  The first was Burnt Fennel and Zucchini with Parmesan, Lemon, and Basil (recipe here).  The technique is to thinly slice the vegetables, separately toss them with a bit of olive oil and a sprinkle of salt and pepper, then cook them separately (fennel first, pictured above, then the zucchini) on the hot (unoiled) chapa until tender and blackened in spots.  The warm vegetables are tossed together and finished with a squeeze of fresh lemon juice, chopped fresh herbs, and crumble of Parmesan cheese.  I plated the vegetables over a slice of grilled whole-grain bread, and served alongside salmon fillets that I also cooked on the chapa (Arthur, if you're still looking for a way to achieve crisp salmon skin, this may be the answer, since the pan is so much hotter than you can achieve indoors).

Tonight, armed with my new technique/experience, I rustled around in the cooler and unearthed wild mushrooms, cherry tomatoes, zucchini, English peas, and spinach.  I grilled each vegetable one at a time, scraping into a serving bowl as I went along, finishing with a handful of quickly-toasted nuts, minced fresh herbs from my pots on the deck (basil, mint, oregano), a crumble of Parm, and a drizzle of balsamic vinegar.  Frankly, that was dinner - whole-meal-worthy and truly yummy.

I was needing a just-vegetables dinner after Saturday's not-moderate feast, uff.  Stacey, Debbie and Stu The Wine Genius Williams, and Michelle (here for the weekend) joined us for a pool-n-grill Saturday, sunny and hot and perfect for a barbecue.   I slow-braised two spice-rubbed pork shoulders pretty much all afternoon in the oven, then finished them on the grill, crisping up the exterior and slathering them in barbecue sauce.  We ate the pork pulled apart on rolls, with a side of blue-cheese coleslaw, fresh farmer's market snap peas, and apple pie a la mode for dessert.  The wine - thanks to Stu, so delicious.  Blast!

So tomorrow, more chapa vegetables, this time to toss with pasta.  I'm thinking more swiss chard, garlic, and sweet onion, as well as the one little slice of pancetta I have left from last week's Springtime Fava Bean Salad with Poached Egg (like I said, I'm seriously digging this book).  Stay tuned...

Man, when it rains, it pours...literally and figuratively. Certainly with yesterday's storms, there was plenty of the literal wet stuff - much needed and quite welcome, actually. But the figurative type, not so much, at least not in the form of the fallen tree that crushed part of our fence (thankfully nowhere near the house) and a couple of plant beds. With hail damage from a few weeks ago (to both house and John's car), not to mention my own car breaking down, and a new, fun discovery today - chipmunks in our garage, trying to get into our trash and raising all sorts of chipmunk hell - I'm so ready for the storm to be o-ver. (So is our insurance adjuster!)

Luckily I had Michelle here last night to cheer me up. Michwheat! I love it when business brings friends and family to town - Bartley, Niko, Tom, Matthew, and now Michelle, yes! Nice to have an excuse to make dinner, open some wine, and have a good, long chat. The grilled salmon with couscous and grilled tomatoes/red onion worked quite nicely, especially with peach-blackberry pie - from Turtle Bread - for dessert. For an appetizer I sauteed wild mushrooms and finished them with lemon, fresh herbs, and creme fraiche. On top of slices of grilled bread, washed down with sips of prosecco, pretty damn tasty.

For the weekend, very low key. My LaFinca veggie share included bok choy, kale (yay!), scallions, lettuces, broccoli. And oh, how could I forget, perfect strawberries! So pretty, I'll save them for later this afternoon when I'm hungry for something sweet. Gosh, real strawberries, what a treat.

Moderate it: buying just a few slices of dessert is a nice way to enjoy a treat without leaving tempting leftovers lying around the house. No pie calling my name, just grilled salmon and whole-grain couscous - no problemo!

So, I mentioned below that on the 4th, Stu The Wine Genius made the most delicious shrimp appetizer - a saltimbocca of sorts, shrimps and fresh sage wrapped in pancetta and grilled. We devoured them. Enter a craving... When my car died on Monday, it cut out a grocery run that would have included a stop by Whole Foods for some wild-caught Key West shrimp. No! Luckily, John was able to stop on his way home, although I forgot to specify what size shrimp to pick up... Turns out he grabbed the smaller version, too small to individually wrap and grill, so I innovated last night and sauteed the pancetta and sage until crisp, sauteed the shrimp with lots of garlic and fresh lemon juice, and served the shrimp topped with the crispy pancetta and sage. Damn tasty if I do say so myself. (Recipe posted in comments, below.)

As I also mentioned below, My Minxes and their girls came over on Tuesday to swim with Nathan and me. Man did we luck out with a stunning day, perhaps the best so far this summer. We had a super-simple lunch - grilledhot dogs, chips, and strawberries - but I also made a batch of gazpacho for us ladies. I adore cold, crunchy, spicy, salty gazpacho, it really hit the spot on a hot, sunny day. I dare say that Kim & Suz agreed. Thanks for a perfect day, girlfriends! (Recipe posted in comments, below.)

Tonight, my friend Michelle (she of Cancun in March and UW-Madison in 1987) will be here in the Minneapple on business from the Big Apple. Yay! I'm thinking grilled salmon over couscous with dill vinaigretteand pine nuts, inspired by the to-die-for version (pictured here) at The Post Ranch in Big Sur which I ordered for lunch two days in a row. (As I write this, I send up a little prayer for the town of Big Sur to escape the fires raging at its door, sigh.)

Moderate it: gazpacho is a delicious way to eat your veggies, and it's quick to make too (no cooking, just some chopping). Make it crunchy, or puree and sip from cups - either way (or a combo of both, that's how I make it), it's a delicious way to use up the abundance of tomatoes and cukes that are about to hit us at a garden, farmstand, or CSA veggie share near you. Can't wait!

Didn't even come close to posting again yesterday, ah well. Even an exhibitionist like me has to hole up for a bit! Not to mention, it's been a mite crazy around here these days, what with being away and having house guests and such. And Nathan and I are outta here again on Wednesday, this time to San Francisco, just the two of us. Way to over-schedule?! But what the heck, it's been a long winter, spring is coming, and we can't wait to fly the coop - yet again!

Speaking of Coop...my nephew Cooper's 2nd birthday party yesterday was hilarious. Cooperstar, in his bow-tie, preppy J. Crew pants, and red Chuck Taylors, completely stole the show. He was the calmest, chillest kid in a group of, well, utter wildness. Screaming, jumping, laughing, crying kids, all under the age of 5, having the time of their lives...as my sister Etta said, Teenage Birth Control, oh yeah. Great to watch Cooper Coolness handle it all with aplomb, have my family all in one spot, eat killer chocolate birthday cake with buttercream icing, and watch Coop's face while everyone sang Happy Birthday. Awwww, Cooper...priceless! And great job Mommy Stace and Daddy Bowen!

Speaking of cute, beyond-hip kids - check out this YouTube video of my friend Maud's nephews getting their first skateboards. (Their dad is having a pretty sweet time too...) Beautifully shot, it's the essence of "kid" and will leave you smiling. And wishing you lived in California, sigh.

So...Mexico! Playa del Carmen, at the Fairmont Mayakoba, absolutely spectacular. Michelle and I had smooth-like-buttah flights (she from NYC), arriving at the same time. Since this was a work award trip for her, we had cocktail parties to attend most nights, but they were lovely and fun. Beyond that, we were totally on our own. Of course we hit the guacamole and margaritasimmediamente - every bit as fabulous as I had anticipated, if not better, especially while over-looking white sand and the turquoise-blue Caribbean, ahhh. As we kept saying, This Does Not Suck!

Our first full day, Thursday, we actually motivated for an activity - riding ATVs! What a dorky BLAST. We rode through the jungle, and alongside the beach, with stops to explore a cave, dip our toes into a crystal clear, freshwater oasis-pond, and splash in the ocean a bit. It was a pretty physical experience - we bumped and jerked over rocks and roots, and through twisty-turny brush. I've never been on an ATV before and I've concluded it's not something I need to do every day, ha - they are hot, very loud, and scarily powerful. But for a one-day adventure, I loved it.

After that, we were all spa and beach, baby. Lunches beachside every day - to me, my very favorite part of the trip. We couldn't get enough of the tomatillo gazpacho, spicy shrimp cocktail, or crab tostadas, rarrr... In fact, the food and scenery on the resort were so excellent and varied that we hardly needed to leave! But we did venture into Playa del Carmen for dinner Friday night. Strolling the festive cobblestone downtown and enjoying an incredible Maya-cuisine meal at Yaxche were definitely highlights, lovely. We shared several plates including shrimp, turkey, vegetable, and black bean dishes, seasoned with achiote, epazote, banana leaves, and bitter orange, among other Mexican/Caribbean flavors. Beyond delicious (and filling)! Definitely check out the restaurant's website, they post simple, lovely recipes.

Saturday night, our last night, we had dinner on the resort, at the seaside Las Brisas. We opted for the tasting menu, paired with Mexican wines, and it was truly spectacular. Michelle and I giggled like school girls through pillowy goat cheese gnocchi in a pool of English pea cream, as well as bites of butter-tender braised short rib, served with adobo sauce, baby vegetables, and a teeny-tiny plantain gratin. With such beautiful food and gracious service, we felt like HRHs Michelle and Stephanie, Princesses of the Caribbean.

Just in time to head back to winter, sigh. Although I have to say, as usual, I'm really glad to be home. The heat + humidity + salty food + margaritas = Swollen Stephanie, seriously, I swelled up like a balloon. I've never experienced anything like it, even while pregnant! Ugh, it felt awful, awful. In my first two days home, I shed more than 10 pounds of water weight, despite entertaining and eating far afield of my usual diet. Turns out I'm not very well cut out for the Caribbean - I can't take the sun, heat, or humidity. But I had an amazing time anyhow, seeing color, smelling flowers and salty air, feeling warmth. It was just what I needed to cure my winter blues and take the edge off my inner-bitch. (Although, like Michelle, it's never too far away - we raised many toasts to the pleasures and benefits of being Occasional Bitches - cheers!) Ah, thank you so very, very much, my dear Mich!

And oh! Speaking of travel, one more YouTube video to check out, our friend Rudy Maxa waxing eloquent on his years of travel adventures and his recent work filming his new TV series, Rudy Maxa's World. (And check out how gorgeous and chic Ana is looking in St. Petersburg!)

And oh again! Speaking of friends and their TV series (I'm starting to feel like everyone we know has a TV series! Who's next, Suz?), John and I will be appearing on Andrew Zimmern'sBizarre Foods - Minnesota episode next Tuesday, March 25, 10 pm ET (9 pm CST). Filmed this past September, in part at Chef Lenny Russo's Heartland Restaurant in St. Paul, we're pretty excited to see how it all turned out! Did John and I make nothing but the cutting room floor? You (and we!) will have to tune in to find out... If nothing else, it will be hilarious to see Zim hold court at the State Fair (with his adorable three-year-old son, Noah?!) and sample lutefisk "up north" (check out some preview photos, here).

Holy, heavenly guacamole, I can't wait to fly out of here tomorrow. And eat guacamole (preferably with warm tortilla chips, to die) upon arrival! I don't even care if it's in the sun (since my bod can't take much sun anyhow), as long as it's above, let's say, 65 degrees. That's 66 degrees warmer than it was here when I woke up this morning, and since I figure guac tastes mighty fine anywhere (while sitting outside) between 65-85 degrees, it should be all good. Guac Good. Yeah.

So, I'm almost all packed. Ridiculous number of things I'm bringing, but since this is a semi-business trip for my friend Michelle (Mich), it requires spiffing up a bit in the evenings. Aw, shucks, that means digging out Bling. Heels (gotta stand my ground against Mich, who at 6'0" is one inch taller than me, beyotch). Skirts. Evening bags. Fragrance. (Yes!) This time I won't get a hideous, itchy sunrash (Puerto Rico '95), or fall and skin my knee (Puerto Vallarta '00), or have half my fake tan eerily scrubbed off (Miraval '05), or go on a blustery, filthy horseback ride (Palm Springs '07). Nope, this time it'll be sun, surf, chat, tasties, yoga, and...guacamole! Ole!

Have yourselves a great week y'all!

I declare tonight Fish Night. It's been awhile, and with a bikini calling my name starting Sunday (I'm so outta here, to Mexico with my long-time, KK-friend Michelle - thank you Michwheat, thank you Caribbean!), I'm definitely thinking dinner on the uh, lighter side. I tried on a pile o' summer clothes to figure out what on Earth I'm going to pack, and well, it was the annual Post-Winter Bummer. Let's just say that afterward I hit the self-tanner pretty hard, and rushed out for a pedicure, both of which helped a bit. And of course, I keep in mind that 'tis the season; I mean, it's more than a bit shocking for any of us Minnesotans to go from wearing turtlenecks and sweaters and thick socks and jeans and boots and hats and scarves and gloves to...(gasp) almost nothing! Which is what a tank and skirt feel like right about now! I know that by the end of the trip, I'll be sporting a pareo and flip-flops like it's no big damn deal. (Just in time to come back to turtlenecks and sweaters and thick socks...sigh...) Not to mention, I'll be hitting the poolside tortilla chips, guaaaaahcamole, and beer (one of my uber-favorite, vaca-indulgence combos) without much prompting. Ole, baby! So until then, I'll just close my eyes, strip down (sort of), and dive in... (Eeeek!)

Of course it helps that Spring Break these days is a mellow, relaxing, luxurious affair. You know, clean, comfortable, healthy. Basically nothing in common with my first Spring Break vaca, Daytona 1987. First of all, no tanning beds before I leave (oh how I wish I had never done that)! Cami Sue, where are you? (Just kidding, I know where you are, mourning the loss of Brent Favre, sorry man...) But Jenny, Elizabeth, and Sigma Chis, where are you? (Yes, that is me with the uber-tacky blonde hair, what can I say - it was the '80s and I loved it that horrific, ridiculous way.) Hopefully wearing more sunblock (as in some?) and drinking a lot less beer (Budweiser sponsored our trip, ew), than on that raunchy trip. I've never been that sickeningly tan, or lived off worse food (Burger King and donuts, yuck), or slept in closer quarters (three-to-a-bed, yuck again) in my life. (I'd bet the smell of Panama Jack tanning oil would take me right back, or something...) If nothing else, it was mos def a Very Memorable Experience!

Soooo, anyhoo, back to Fish Night (got a little off-track there, reminiscing again, sorry). A take on the roasted halibut with aromatic broth I posted a while back. Cod tonight (looked fresher than the halibut), plus I'm adding artichoke and capers to the broth since, well, they sound good to me. I picked up a nice-looking, whole-grain baguette at Whole Foods, and that should do us. Hey, no matter what, it sure beats Burger King, donuts, and beer...

Not moderate, Stephanie, not moderate at all! Oy. Just back from an amazing - indulgent! - trip to the sunny desert beauty of Palm Springs, all expenses paid, as my Badger girlfriend Michelle's guest. Thank you, Mich! (Yes, she is taller than me; sorry for the bad pic, it's the only one we bothered to take - too busy!) I've been on some pretty amazing trips with her over the years - award trips, thanks to all the hard work she does for her company. Puerto Rico, Puerto Vallarta, Arizona, and now Palm Springs, ahhhhh, it's more than NICE.

We both arrived at La Quinta Resort and Spa in Palm Springs by mid-afternoon this past Sunday. Immediately helped ourselves to turkey sandwiches smeared with freshly-madeguacamole and washed down with icy cold Coronas. Welcome to California, yeah baby! After a quick unpack, we were by the pool, one of 42 (!) on the La Quinta property. What a place - it's a small city, truly. Several restaurants, all those pools, golf, shopping, fitness, hiking - you name it, they've got it. The landscaping is breath-taking - a riot of flowers in the desert. After spiffing up a bit we joined the group for cocktails and dinner on the lawn. Oooh, particularly yummy cocktails in fact, their signature drink called an Orange Blossom - gin, freshly squeezed OJ, splash of 7-Up. Heavenly.

Monday morning we were up and at 'em. Well, not exactly. I woke up relatively early because of the time change, had a lovely patio breakfast on my own, explored the enormous grounds and got in a nice walk, then hooked up with Michelle for...more pool. Yeah, pretty rough. Then, we busted our butts...shopping. Also rough. Back to the hacienda for more spiffing (I love these trips, I get to really put my wardrobe through its paces), then off for more cocktails and a lovely dinner, this time in Palm Desert at LG's Prime Steakhouse. After one of the more decadent steaks I've ever had - a sizzling, buttery Porterhouse - plus all the naughty fixin's, we rolled back to the resort and slept like stuffed little piggies in blankets.

Tuesday morning, where did the sun go? Yes, we experienced rain - sort of - in the desert. And wind, holy hell, the wind gusted up to 50-60 mph. Did we hunker down indoors for the day, head to the spa, or watch a movie? Oh no, we went horseback riding. Michelle's idea! Good one, Mich, I'll never let you forget it! I've done many, many, many trail rides in my day, in all sorts of weather, and this was hands down one of the most miserable experiences I have ever had. The dirt, it was beyond dirt. It blew at us constantly, and was sort of super-cemented to our beings by a combination of driving sleet and rain. I rode a jerk of a horse named Freeman, who bucked and kicked at the horse behind me for the entire ride. The wranglers helpfully pointed out that Freeman is "an asshole," and I could feel free to "ride his ass." (I am so over horses and all their interpersonal problems, I have zero patience for them.) Well, after two fun-filled hours of kicking horse butt, I was completely exhausted, cold, hungry, filthy, pissed off, and did I say filthy? As in, my mouth felt kinda gritty so I checked my teeth in the rear-view window of the bus that had brought us out to the Hell-Hole Corral and discovered dirt in between my teeth. Michelle and I eventually - very eventually - started to laugh. You know, that freakish, almost-hysterical kind of laugh that often pops out after a major adrenaline rush? Damn if we didn't each look 80 years old, with suddenly-gray, very matted hair, and every crevice (not wrinkle, not us!) in our faces highlighted with desert dust. NOT my kind of exfoliation. We stumbled off the bus, into one of the resort's lovely restaurants, and immediately ordered bowls of steaming hot bean soup (ahhh) and more ice-cold Coronas (double-ahhh).

Somewhat restored, we showered (long, long showers!), dozed, rallied for another spiff up, made our way to a quiet dinner at Azur restaurant on the resort, and had ourselves a heck of a fabulous meal. I had one of the more amazing salads I have ever had - it was serious. Arugula, perfectly ripe tomato, crispy lardons, and two tiny grilled goat cheese sandwiches, served gorgeously deconstructed but happily reassembled in my mouth, mmm. For a main course, I splurged on the seared foie gras appetizer, topped with a sweet and crispy fresh corn relish. And for dessert, we split one of the BEST chocolate souffles I've ever had - the real deal, not a chocolate-butter gut-bomb, but a light, lovely, eggy souffle, into which they ladled a bit of creme Anglaise. Lordy. Again, a stuffed good night's sleep...

...And a thankfully lovely day Wednesday, as in no more wind, a return of the blessed sun, and spaaaaaa, baby. An 80-minute (!) massage followed by a 60-minute facial. Little relaxing and the requisite cucumber-water sipping in the sunny garden, then off to a serious Mexican feast at Adobe Grill for lunch. More of that killer guacamole (I could kill myself eating guacamole, I'm serious), little crispy chicken taquitos, fish tacos, and more Coronas. After more pool action, and spiffing up for the last time, we were off to the Monroe Mansion for dinner. Yes, Monroe as in Marilyn (that's her lifting weights, how cool is that?), the home was hers and Joe Dimaggio's for three years, and it's a lovely place. A family owns and lives in it now - and has decorated it beautifully - yet luckily rents it out for events. We dined on the lawn, had cocktails by the pool, were serenaded by truly talented Rat Pack impersonators, and basically had a blast. Yeah, life was very, very good on Wednesday, especially in comparison to Tuesday. The beauty is in the contrast, yes indeed. Boop, boop-ee doop!

And now, home to rainy, cold, dreary Minnesota. To homework projects and not a speck of food in the house and lots of demands. Sigh. But also Friday Morning Coffee with Suz! That helps, fo sho! I AM glad to be home, as always. My goal is to cook up something fun over the weekend - fun and HEALTHY that is, after my NOT moderate vaca. I do fine at home, but I get some little party bug up my ass on vaca and it's all over. Damn me. So, yes, it is really good to be home, just ask my ass.

G'night!