January, 2008

Veggies

veggies.jpgToday I ate vegetables for lunch for what may have been the first time in my life.  Instead of looking at the new diet as “what I can’t eat”  I’m trying it out from the point of view, ” look at all the great things I can eat!”  I made the Cannelini bean and balsamic vinegar puree in this month’s Bon Appetit (it’s pretty easy folks, blend 1 can of cannelini beans, 1 big spoonful of balsamic vinegar and 1-2 big spoonfuls of olive oil (from a jar of sundried tomatoes if you’ve got them) in a blender.  Season with salt and pepper and Voilà!).  The dip was surprisingly tasty and delicious for basically being blended beans.  I cut up some cruditès (really good with red bell peppers and cherry tomatoes) and brought that to work with a couple whole grain rice cakes (not so tasty) and a little yogurt.  Tasty treat!  And “Vai!” (go!) the lifestyle changes begin…

More Party Planning

heart_icon.jpgI haven’t even finished getting down my thoughts about Halloween and am already getting excited for Valentine’s Day!  Luca reminded me that Valentine’s Day is usually a day not to spend with friends but rather with one significant other person.  Well, I can remember only three or four February fourteenths that I celebrated with just one other person.  And though I’m sure they were lovely, I remember having tons of fun at group Valentine’s Day parties.

 So, I’m gathering ideas for VDay 2008.  If you’ve got some good ones–leave a comment!!  I’m still deciding whether to go the romantic or erotic route, so all ideas welcome!

Surprise Birthday Party

Last night Luca organized a surprise birthday party for me!  How exciting.  I don’t think I’ve ever had a surprise birthday party before.  It was a low key event, but highly enjoyable nonetheless.  I thought we had plans to go eat pizza with Luca’s parents, but when we went to pick them up, Luca’s mom had prepared an elaborate birthday dinner and two of our friends were there waiting for me!  They gave me a beautiful Guess leather handbag.  (It’s kind of like this one, but beige leather instead of gold). 

The dinner menu included: 

Chicken Aspic (slices of chicken rolled with carrots and peas under a chicken stock gelatin)

Roasted red and yellow bell peppers with bagna cauda (olive oil, anchovies, lots of garlic, all slow cooked together into a flavorful sauce)

Crepes filled with Porcini Mushrooms, Ricotta and Bechamel & Crepes with a Spinach Ricotta filling

Roasted Goat and Lamb with a Mixed Green Salad

Assorted Artisan Cheeses

Two Birthday Cakes!! 

And of course, lots of wine and digestives afterwards.

Yummers!!!

Peanut Sauce

Tonight we tried peanut sauce for the first time.  Nastiness!!  It was about the grossest thing I’ve ever tasted in my whole life.  Thank God I tasted it before slathering it all over my chicken!!  Eww.  Definitely added to the list of things I don’t like.  Perhaps there is a tastier version out there somewhere.  I imagine it must be better if you make it yourself–this was a store bought version, so maybe that was the problem…

New Year’s 2007-2008

This was definitely one of the less eventful new year’s of all time, at least, for me anyways.  No fireworks or ball gowns this year.

Dad did however make a scrumpscious lasagna which he served with a green salad (red peppers, bleu cheese, nicoise olives) and really garlicky garlic bread.  Timewarping back to NYE 2005 I’m reminded of the dinner menu at Bouchon Las Vegas:

Seared foie gras with crepe Suzette and cranberry confit

 Escargot with Bouchon bakery puff pastry

Smoked salmon terrine, Osetra caviar and champagne vinaigrette

Sweet butter poached Maine lobster, French lentils, chestnuts, chanterelle mushrooms and black truffles

Salt baked fish for two, wilted spinach, potato ragout and bearnaise sauce

Whole-roasted pork rack, mushroom fricassee, baby leeks and onion ‘jus’

Red wine-braised short ribs, Brussels sprouts, bacon and pomme puree (fancy mashed potatoes)

Banana split” – banana financier, vanilla and chocolate ice creams, strawberry sorbet, creme chantilly, chocolate sauce and brandy cherry

Baked Alaska

Trio of souffles – chocolate, grand marnier and hazelnut souffle glace with sauces and garnish

Dinner this year was followed by a valiant attempt to watch Gone With the Wind (old-school VHS version).  Attempt because the second tape was slightly smashed and even after an hour of taking the tape apart and trying to insert the insides into another VHS, we were unable to rescue the movie.  *sob* So we watched the first half of GWTW and then watched Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (another classic).

In the afternoon, Mom and I went to see The Kite Runner, which was great!  For once a movie that follows the book–it was very well done.

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