i don't know if david or david have as many things stockpiled to write about as i do, but it's getting to the point where i don't know how to organize my hard drive!
i've done this before and i really don't like to do it as any amount of words are more appropriate than just an onslaught of visual media. however, i've been too lazy to go beyond snapping a picture of a lot of the meals marcela and i have shared.
tonight i am going to post a bunch of pictures of previous meals, with either captions of what they are or summations of how they came about. i apologize right now for the lack of character they represent.
without any further ado...
this was an asian shrimp salad that i saw in either the may issue of food&wine or the may issue of bon apetit. i'd give you the recipe, but i'm gonna make you use your local library (or internet) and figure it out yourself! it was a really crisp, zesty salad. normally salad just kind of massages the palate with familiar tastes, this one definitely spiked it up, not spiced it up though...just really set your tastebuds a bliss...cilantro, shrimp, terryaki...
the salad was an appetizer which was part of a 3-course dinner i wanted to cook for mami and marcela. this was the main course (2nd). while researching flavors or something, i came across a roasted walnut sauce for fish. i friggin' HATE walnuts, but for whatever reason, this sounded amazing. the creaminess of a roasted/pureed nut with a white fish just seemed brilliant. i have eaten nuts on fish before, but not as a sauce and not as a walnut sauce (note to those reading, if you think you have to have some brilliant reason to do anything, you're never gonna cook...)anyway, i roasted some veggies as a compliment to this dish. it's pretty obvious i was concerned about color. i don't think my veggies complimented this dish, but i never claimed to be a professional!
this is our dessert (3rd course). i got lucky on this one. i was searching and searching for something fun to make for dessert at the store and i came across peaches. it must be their season as they had barrels full for 49cents a pound! i didn't forget one thing!! how can you not grab a dozen! plus, peaches are just a great fruit. i'm not a fruit fan, but i remember always eating peaches in the summer. they're a perfect combo of sweet and tangy, depending on their ripeness. so, i got a pint of vanilla bean frozen yogurt and then sliced/grilled/diced some of these fresh peaches. if you wanna know what addiction feels like, and you A) don't have an addiction already and B) have a sweet tooth...grill a few slices of peaches for a minute or two and then dice up and serve over a highend vanilla ice cream or frozen yogurt!
the next post is in response to marcela and i hosting our nephews for the first time overnight. as nervous as i was about this adventure, i was equally as excited. in the larger picture, what kind of impact will i have on manny and joaquin? how can i make a real difference in their lives, not to deter from what they've got going for them, but how, as a somewhat "outsider" can i allow them to share their lives with me. it'll be a lot tougher when airplane rides and stomach farts aren't cool...anyway, my mom always made these for us growing up. i never realized how amazing they are for kids. i just chopped up a bunch of different ingredients and let them choose their own. joaquin ended up sleeping so manny got to make both of theirs. he chose black olives and pepperoni only...man, we actually DO have a lot in common!
for dessert, more of the same. what kid doesn't love jell-o!!! i, unfortunately, didn't read the directions and instead just made the regular recipe in a short pan! WRONG! but, it ended up working out okay and if it weren't for BEE MOVIE playing in the dvd player, i think our jiggler's would have been the hit of the night!
