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Posted By FreshTartSteph on Nov 30, 2007 at 10:42PM
Oh, Happy Friday! You know, one of those Fabulous Friday nights, when you go out with a completely cool couple, previously unknown, and just have an enormously great time? This was one of those Fridays, thanks to Sheri & Darin Lynch (Darin is a basketball/client friend of John's). Yeah, good times, and good food to boot. Dinner and lots - LOTS - of yummy Foris '06 Pinot Noir, at Campiello in Eden Prairie. D'Amico, baby, they always know how to do you up, oh yeah. As an appy, we split uber-crispy/spicy calamari, as well as a rich (!), truffly-creamy linguine, mmm. I had a delicious homemade ravioli with roasted chickenand mushrooms, although my true main course was merrily chatting with lovely Sheri, ha. Other dishes 'round the table included gnocchi with slow-roasted pork and taglietelle with bolognese, both of which I was mighty tempted to order myself. All in all, such a fun night, thank you Lynch's for a lovely dinner! (No, I didn't bring my camera, and yes, I wish that I had...)

Other than that? I'm thinking John and I need a very serious run to the grocery store tomorrow to stock up for the supposedly-coming snow storm. Soup, soup, soup, to counter the six-to-ten inches of snow...? We'll see. Nothing will ever compare to the Halloween Blizzard of '91 (yes, I know how old that makes me sound), when I was young and foolish. Was I lovin' my curly hair? Unlined face? Unplucked brows? That was literally Halloween Blizzard Weekend, my friends... Hunkered down at my boyfriend's house, lucky to have arrived in one piece. My car ended up buried outside - looked out the window, it was just...gone - so we went exactly nowhere for the whole weekend. I baked several frozen pizzas and drank quarts of hot chocolate (healthy, ha). Wow, sixteenyears ago, what a difference, ahem, the face she is a-changing (sigh)... Well, anyhow, if it's going to snow, bring it on. It'll be the weekend, we just got a pile of wood delivered today, andhey, I even have a Christmas tree! I'm ready.

So, if you're looking for things to do this snowbound weekend (that don't include frozen pizzas!)...how 'bout baking Foccacia Bread (pictured above) or Rockin' Challah ? Or...a batch of Lindsay's Dipped Gingersnaps? Or... if you're feeling carnivorous, a buttery, roasted chicken (with or without a Chicko, it's all good...)? Or...if after a snowy hike, you're massively craving carbs, Spaghetti All-Amatriciana? Oh, such cozy options, there's nothing like cooking/baking on a cold, snowy weekend (except perhaps grilling/chilling on a fabulously warm, sunny one, but you know, we Minnesotans take what we can get...). Enjoy!
Posted By FreshTartSteph on Mar 2, 2007 at 9:48AM
Snow Day! Woo hoo! No school, so Nathan's home with his dad (playing outside, I'm quite sure) and John's working here at home. My plan is to snowshoe - of course! - then head out with John for a La La Lucia's Lunch. How fabulous!

It feels like a baking day, although I admit I won't achieve it. But what a nice day to bake foccacia or challah, huh? I love the idea of sitting in front of the fire with a book while waiting for the dough to rise. And to smell baking bread mingled with woodsmoke? Heavenly! Freshly-baked bread with a steaming bowl of garlicky cabbage soup, sprinkled generously with melty gruyere, yeeeaah. Or even a quick version of simple tomato-garlic soup or black bean soup. Wow, any of those sound damn good. (Bonus: toasted challah, or French-toasted challah, The Kill, for breakfast tomorrow... Or warm foccacia sandwiches for lunch...) Have a cozy day!

Hey, me again, just have to report on our romantic Lucia's luncheon feast, groan. We each opened with plenty of fresh, warm bread and perfectFrench salads. Then tucked in to hearty walleye gratins - pieces of tender walleye and diced potatoes napped in a decadent sauce and run under the broiler until crispy and browned. To finish? The best damned piece of truly evil devil's food cake I've had in years - check out the guilty resignation on John's face as he's forced to dig in, ha. And then...yes, there's more...we stepped next door to grab some items from Lucia's To-Go. Uh, yeah, that should do us for the day. Enjoy yours!

Fresh. Tart. Fresh Tart!

stephanie meyer fresh tart

 

I’m Stephanie Meyer. If you're looking for fresh, delicious food to share with those you love - welcome! In addition to the recipes you'll find here, I post Tuesday recipes at TC Taste/Minnesota Monthly magazine with a focus on local, seasonal ingredients. I also cook and take photos for Andrew Zimmern's Kitchen Adventures/Food & Wine magazine, and organize Fortify: A Food Community (formerly Minnesota Food Bloggers). Let’s eat!

 

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