Pizza Night

Well, we were tired after the birthday party, but we did manage to make a pizza.John likes sausage and I like plain cheese..so we split it. I always wonder how much of that sausage grease runs onto my side, but I never say anything. But it was good. And it makes us happy to make it.

Two More Of My Beloved

I'm spending the weekend with Jamie....I Know....Lucky me ! (the book version..I can only wish of the real life version)

Any Excuse

As you will soon see...we use any excuse we can around here to make pizza. I have been making pizza dough for 30+ years..I started making it in high school. And I have never stopped. I sometimes wonder to myself..is this the one millionth time and I don't even know it. ( I think about that when I buy cat food too..is it the 10 millionth can and I don't even know it) ! Pizza is my favorite food, my "last meal" "the ship is sinking", "stranded on a desert island and can only have one food" food. So tonight, in honor of the last quarter of the August moon..we will be having pizza. Last night at the party my sister-in-law brought a basil plant for my brother, and as they are gone camping for a while, I am "babysitting". Which means..lucky for me...fresh basil on the pizza..with some of the leftover fresh mozzarella(bought too much..Oh, darn) and some fontina I got at a fancy cheese shop that I have been sandbagging until the moment was right. And tonight...the moment is right.

Birthday Night

Well, we had the 4oth birthday party...and we had a lot of fun.

We sat outside under the arbor..it was 90 degrees here yesterday..but by 5:30 it was just perfect. We drank cold beer and had almonds, olives, gouda and crackers.

The days are getting shorter, so as it started to get dark we moved indoors and started with a mozzarella and tomato salad..the tomtoes were from our garden and they are so good. After the salad I had John start the bbq and for dinner we had bbqed wild Alaskan salmon. I served the fish on top of mashed potatoes that were finished off with olive oil then topped the fish with an herb sauce that I got out of Alfred Portale. And for dessert, birthday cake . Devil's food with a seven minute frosting. It was a fun family evening...just wish we did it more often.

Party Planning

Just in case you were wondering where we went...is anybody out there? we are in heavy party planning mode around here..Have a 40th birthday coming up..so we are up to our ears in cookbooks and recipes. I'll let ya know what we come up with..it's tomorrow......

Channeling Julia Child

Channeling Julia Child

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BLUE

What a way to spend a Sunday afternoon. I had a dental emergency and I was feeling blue. After I got home, I needed some serious comfort for an August afternoon. I had picked up some blueberries at the farmers market just cause they looked so well, summer. I had no idea what I was going to do with them..probably just eat 'em fresh. But after the dentist situation, I wanted something cozy. The fog was rolling in and I felt like building our first fire, but being our neighbors were bbqing..and we were going to be too....the fire just didn't seem right. But what did seem right was a fruit dessert bubbling away in my baby cast iron skillet. My friend, Julie and I took a trip to New England a couple of years ago and on our last night we were in Portland, Maine...the beloved Portland, Maine I might add.
Our last dinner after a 14 day long trip was at "Fore Street" in Portland. And it was the best we had the whole time..and we had some pretty good food on that trip.But when the waiter came out and sat down on our table tiny individual cast iron skillets with a warm jumbleberry crisp...we nearly cried. It was beautiful and it was delicious. And I have never forgotten it. And neither has Julie.