FreshTartSteph — Tue, 27 May 2008 09:34:00 PDT

Wellll...I did end up scoring a bratwurst after all! We had dinner at my sister Stacey's last night, and she grilled up some brats and burgers, so when in Rome... It was fantastic, by the way, crusty and spicy, summer in a bun. In a nod to moderation, I actually had half of one, on half a bun, with raw onions and mustard. Alongside a delicious green salad tossed with fresh strawberries, a few bites of my mom's potato salad (her trick - she purchases it at the grocery store, then oomphs it up with lots of minced celery, hard-cooked egg, and onion, as well as a healthy shot of mustard, yum), and strawberry shortcake for dessert, it was a hell of meal and the perfect ending to a long, lovely weekend. And the perfect launch for what promises to be a long, lovely summer, right? Yeah, baby!

Today the sun shines, typical. But back to work and school and chores anyhow, snap, snap! Tonight, for a quick healthy din, I'm planning to grill chicken breasts with a honey-mustard glaze (half honey, half mustard, all easy). Alongside green beans drizzled with toasted walnut oil (good stuff, packed with flavor, a little goes a long way) and crunchy toasted walnuts, maybe a few skewers of grilled cherry tomatoes as well, it should be a colorful, tasty meal. Easy too. I'll check back in later with the details.

Have a good (short!) week, everyone.

OK, back for a moment, this has nothing to do with food (or does it? Hmmm...), but it made me laugh out loud, so I'm pasting it here. It's from The Onion, although I caught it on planetdan. In case you're dragging after the three-day weekend and could use a little laugh - well here you go. The models are perfectly smug, the design mocks the NYTimes Magazine exactly, and the title is fabulously nasty. In case you could use more than one laugh, I highly recommend a quick glance at both planetdan and The Onion. Much better for you than a cup of coffee and way more fun anyhow. Cheers!

Moderate it: it's not traditional (gasp), but it works quite nicely to halve brats lengthwise before grilling them. It cuts cooking time dramatically, plus makes it easy and satisfying to eat half a brat - it lies nicely flat on a bun; top with pickles, onions, sauerkraut, mustard...whatever sounds great. (Please don't tell anyone in Wisconsin that I suggest this, I'll get pummeled.)

FreshTartSteph — Sun, 25 May 2008 11:02:00 PDT

Grillin' & chillin', that's the goal for Memorial Day weekend, right? Our lovely sunshine disappeared, but that's OK. The grill still works in the rain! (Although the griller will be tucking her hair into a hat - no steak is worth frizzy hair, even if it is tenderloin, sniff.)

As much as I lurve a grilled bratwurst, covered with raw onions, sauerkraut, and mustard, washed down with an ice cold beer (the Wisconsin t-shirt I'm wearing today does not help that craving and in fact probably put it in my head, ack), I had this plan to keep things on the lighter side this weekend...right. Not that we'll feel deprived, heck no. As I hinted above, Nathan and I picked up a beef tenderloin for tonight - smeared with a little olive oil and lots of minced garlic, herbs, and coarse salt, it should come off the grill with a good crust. A couple of slices over a big spinach salad, simple and delicious.

For dessert? Peaches! They're in the store and tasting great, my fave fruit. Hey, sticking with the theme, I could even grill one - mighty nice with a drizzle of best balsamic and a little honey. Yeah, that sounds like a tasty, lovely plan.

PS If you happen to be grilling brats, enjoy one for me!

Moderate it: beef tenderloin is very special (expensive!) and delicious yet quite lean. It's easy to prepare - perfect on the grill. You can get away with buying smaller portions because there is literally no waste - no gristle, fat, or bone to trim away.

Fresh Tart