fresh tart

Pretty laid back holiday eating 'round these parts.  I haven't busted out any of my favorite Kosher for Passover recipes for my stepdaughter yet this year, maybe I will on Wednesday (popovers, brownies, matzo ball soup, or latkes?).  Saturday night we just had K for P pasta, with marinara, and a pan full of sauteed vegetables.  Easy.  Nice.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Yesterday Stacey and Cooper joined us to celebrate Easter with a relatively new tradition - breaking my son's third-annual Lenten pizza fast.  The last couple of years we were in a hotel on Easter Sunday, scoring room-service pizza-for-breakfast before heading for the airport.  It was nice to be home this year and make something homemade (and more wholesome!).

 

 

 

 

 

 

I made a simple and delicious whole wheat crust (pulled the recipe from here; recommend it highly - it makes three baking-sheet-sized very thin crust pizzas, just the way we like 'em).  Pizzas are a nice do-ahead meal - I made the dough and par-baked the crusts earlier in the day, as well as simmered a simple tomato sauce (garlic, red pepper flakes, oregano), caramelized onions (thyme), and sauteed mushrooms (sage).  Nathan and Cooper take their pizza with pepperoni and green olives, but I made a veggier/lighter version for us grown ups (fontina, onion, mushroom, pine nuts).

 

 

 

 

 

 

To keep things on the lighter side, we just had veggies for appetizers - guacamole with jicama and red bell pepper, and a steamed artichoke with a simple dip (mayo whisked with a bit of Dijon mustard and fresh lemon juice).  With a big salad (topped with a little crispy prosciutto and Parm), and berries for dessert, a tasty if unconventional Easter dinner.

Had to snap a pic today of one of my favorite appetizers. Crusty bread, topped with a smear of hand-dipped ricotta cheese from Whole Foods (the stuff should be illegal, it's that good) and roasted tomatoes (which I didn't make myself, although they're easy enough; these I also picked up at Whole Foods, in the produce section, and they are particularly delicious, roasted in olive oil with garlic and herbs). I might have had some for breakfast this morning. Maybe. (Or, try this gorgeous recipe from our friends Kris & Harry, they of the beautifully Foodie dinner a few weeks back - tomatoes roasted with a bit of honey, atop scrumptious home-made ricotta cheese, finished with a drizzle of honey-balsamic. Beyond good. Recipe posted in comments, below.)

I don't usually have all these goodies on hand, but had purchased a round of tasties in prep for tonight's Susie Silpada Sales party, here at the hacienda. Girls, girls, girls, with snacks and wine and jewelry to boot. I put together a big platter of said tomatoes, as well as roasted peppers, carrots, and onions; salami; cornichon pickles; black olives; and rouille. Also set out a frittata cut into small squares, as well as chips and guacamole. With Kim as my Bar Beyotch (she is the fiercest bartender I've ever seen), Kathie and her sis Lisa doing party prep, and Suz jeweling her thing, we were all good. Even in pouring sheets of rain! Thanks ladies, for turning out and making it a great night!

Moderate it: a frittata is a terrific light, simple dinner, filling and tasty to boot. Without the crust and cream of quiche, but definitely with the perks of delicious fillings, nothing makes a better short-on-time dinner. And, good party food as well.

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!

Hola! I'm gearing up for a Mexican-themed Cocktail Jewelry Party this evening, starring Suz's Silpada bling and lots of my spicy treats. Yay for parties! Yay for a reason to invite the girls over! I'm making carnitas to eat rolled in soft corn tortillas and garnished with chopped radishes, pickled onions, and a drizzle of crema. A spicy, creamy shrimp salad. A pinto bean salad with peppers and tomatoes. Bowls of guaaahcamole and salsa with tortilla chips and roasted vegetables for dipping. And a very easy and fun-to-make tres leches cake. After washing it all down with cold beer, snappy wines, and hot coffee, we should be properly fortified for chatting and jewel-browsing, I think. As if I need fortification for jewel-shopping, ha. (Mary P. or Kathie R., if you read this, you are invited, my dears, but Park Nicollet will no longer let my emails through - I've tried several times. So frustrating! I'm junk to Park Nicollet now, I guess. Junk! Sheesh.)

Well, back-to-school continues to chug along pretty smoothly. Although I am most certainly not a morning person, being up-and-at-em by 6:30 a.m. does have its benefits. (I used to voluntarily get up at 5:30 a.m. every day to walk before work with my former neighbor Beth - I'm too old for such craziness now.) I am walked, showered, and a good way into my daily chores and desk work by 9:00 a.m. Just like the good ol' days at Park Nicollet - you know, when they used to accept my emails... As a result, I'm checking several items off the ever-nightmare checklist I keep on my desk. Like clean my nightmare desk. Done! Sooooo done! Yeah!

So, back to the party, depending on how I think the food tastes at the party, I'll post recipes, so stay tuned...

Um, why am I up at 12:00 a.m. posting to my blog? Well...blame it on my neighbors. Tonight was the last "neighborhood women's association meeting" (code for "wine and chat") of the season (we'll reassemble in September), always a very fun time (thank you to hostess Lisa, who put on a gorgeous party, even without electricity! Talk about a good sport!). And a good time to taste a variety of homemade treats! I tried my best - I did! - to indulge in just wine (you gotta pick and choose your vices when you're a, er, moderate epicurean or whatever), but I couldn't help sneaking a few tastes of guaaahcamole, which was damn near calling my name. My neighbor Katie brought it, in all its smooth, spicy-creamy, green glory, and divulged a little secret - Frontera Guacamole Mix (which I've seen at Byerly's in the Mexican food section). It's damn goooooood, A+, go for it.

And after chatting with my neighbor Lindsay about all things food (including her recent trip to Napa and a recipe for black bean burgers that I hope to snag from her), I had to dig in to the amazing chewy, salty chocolate cookies that she brought - The. Kill. Chocolate + Salt = Perfection, which Lindsay knows - she had improved on a chocolate cookie recipe, by adding salt, to make them so killer. I'll try to get that recipe too. Yeah, baby!

In summary... Yesterday = Cooper Cuteness + my stepdaughter's middle school graduation (gorgeous) + baking Ranger Cookies for Nathan and Coop (yum). Today = ungodly, hot wind + more work on my screened porch + a decadent little swim, all to myself. Tomorrow = Friday Morning Coffee with Suz + Hijinxing with my Minxes!!! Holy Hell, what a nice end to the week, huh?

Well, we ended up with an absolutely lovely Memorial Day. I hope you did too! It threatened to be rainy/stormy this morning, but then cleared up nicely. Humid bugger out there, but that's OK, that's what the pool is for, and we opened with a big swim. In fact, we opened with late morning swimming with Dan and Ethan Hatzung from across the street. Ethan, age 3, so adorable in the pool, the little kicks are the sweetest. Then Stace, Coop, Dad, Susanna, and their dog Jake (check out his amazing leaps into the pool, below) arrived and Coop changed into his birthday-present (from us!) rash guard and shark trunks, ready for action. He LOVES swimming, and just like Nathan - and Jake! - once he was in he wasn't much for getting out. But eventually everyone had to climb out...for food.

Oh, hey, I just realized we forgot to make s'mores! Ah, well, we had plenty of other treats. I'm sorry, but nothing beats tortilla chips with guacamole and a cold beer on a hot, sunny day. Damn, friends, that is good stuff. The rest is all just background noise as far as I'm concerned. Tasty background noise, granted. Shrimp tacos with grilled tomatoes, onions, and peppers + guacamole + crumbled feta + chopped cabbage + spicy salsa-mayo alongside spicy roasted potatoes + sour cream = I'll admit, tasty background noise. Black coffee, coconut macaroons (from Byerly's, deadly little mothers), chocolate rugelach (from Crossroads Deli, ditto the deadly little mothers' rave), and fresh strawberries made for a nice ending. To the eating...

After lunch it was time for a digestif game of croquet. Who won? Let's just say her (my) name starts with an S and ends with an E...hmmm... Then back in the pool for Nathan and Cooper, and finally, an end to all the fun, darn. You get tired pretty quickly when you're 1 (or 40), and as the sun sets, it's time to mosey on home for a warm bath, clean jammies, and a good, long dark nap.

Have a good night!