Dublin, Day 1

I'd say that dinner in Dublin at Dunne and Creszenci agrees with me:

Day One of my European vacation has been a smashing success.

Eat, drink, and fall in love with Ireland.

Homecoming

You didn't think I forgot, did you?

I won't bore you with details or any "I've been so busy!" type talk...that sort of thing is so boring.  In fact, I recently read "The Busy Trap" by Tim Kreider (New York Times), and it completely spoke to me; I vow to resist blabbing anymore about how oh-so-busy I am, particularly when most of it is indeed self-created (or self-inflicted?).

Besides, nothing like that happened anyway.  I haven't blogged for two simple reasons: 1) I've been feeling uninspired, and 2) I feel like I've lost my center a bit.  So I've just been focusing on really getting my house, my life, myself back in order again.  Which, believe me, is nowhere near as dramatic as I just made it sound.  All is well, actually.

So I don't have a recipe to share with you today but, given that I do share so much of my life here with you, I thought I'd show you what I've been up to.  It's been a lovely summer so far.   We've actually been without Bug for a solid month (a month!); she's coming home tomorrow and I'm beside myself with excitement.  And that's why I can't share any recipes with you, actually: Adam and I have been going out nearly every damn night!  I have done a shockingly tiny amount of cooking in the last couple months.  Which is okay and fine.  Sure, I miss cooking...but you do what you gotta do sometimes, right?

 My late spring started with a riverside NYC picnic to celebrate Adam's birthday:

I've eaten lots of ice cream in the past couple months, including Shake Shack's incredibly smooth and rich olive oil ice cream:

This was a highlight: another riverside picnic, this time to watch E.T. in Brooklyn Bridge Park with Adam and the Soul Twin.  Naturally, I ugly-cried...E.T. is just as lovely and heartbreaking to me now as it was to my 7-year-old self.  Luckily, the downtown NYC view I enjoyed this time was much better than my young heart could have imagined:

Bug graduated from elementary school.  Yowza.  Middle school, here we come (seriously, is that the face of a kid old enough for middle school?!):

Adam and I enjoyed a much-needed day at the beach:

We had our annual Ginger Man summer celebration (this was our 4th year), which wouldn't be complete without pretzels and beer (along with lots of laughter and our urban adopted family and friends):

Adam and I just returned from a four-day, Bug-free vacation to Tucson, which including many, many margaritas pool-side...

...and blue skies and sunshine...

Our next stop?  As if our summer hasn't been full enough, we leave this Sunday for a 3-week trip to Europe: Dublin, Zurich, and Hamburg.  I had grand visions of learning elementary German before leaving...but that didn't quite go as I planned.  So I'll just have to get by being able to count to ten to any German or Swiss citizen who asks. 

Thanks, everyone, for sticking with me - I do hope as the fall arrives, Bug starts school, and I'm in more of a routine, that I'll be here much more.  I've missed it very much.

Eat, drink, and stay centered.

  

NYC weather...

Good lord, guys.  I'll be back as soon as my Seasonal Affective Disorder has been addressed.

Eat, drink, and consider moving back to Arizona...

California was great...

...but something in my DNA prevents me from enjoying it too much, now that it's over.  I'm all about Looking Ahead.  For better or for worse and, occasionally, to my detriment...

We are planning a European Vacation this August ("Holiday Road" playing in your head yet?  If so, we could be best friends), and I am in full-blown Planning Mode.  It'll be Dublin...then Zurich...then Hamburg.  Why those cities?  Well, they all have Goog offices there so Adam's going to put in a day of work in each city so that he can 1) check out their cool offices, 2) network, and 3) take a little less vacation time.  Meanwhile, Bug and I will get to goof around these cities like loons on loon tablets (again, if you get the reference, I love you).  My basic French ain't going to do me a damn bit of good so I'm learning some German (I can count to ten!  God, I have a long way to go...) and I'm talking more often to our doorman, Tommy, whose Irish accent is so thick that we spent the first six months in our building privately referring to him as "Mumbler."  Guys, this is going to be a good time.  And if you have any recs for any of these cities, pass 'em my way!

In the meantime, California...

As you'll recall, I wanted this trip BAD.  And minus the three days of rain, it didn't disappoint.  There was awesome food:

I felt nostalgic about Bug playing with the toys I owned as a kid:

Wine tasting at Boeger Winery (I bought a case of their 2009 Tempranillo):

Brilliant photos taken by Bug...but I'm biased... (all of which were taken on the gorgeous grounds of Boeger Winery):

Picnics:

Quality time spent with my mom (no disrespect to your moms, but this woman is the coolest):

And because I love this series so much, here's a Convertible Photo of my darling niece (here's the one of Bug):

There was even baking...which naturally wasn't done by me...this was all my sister's doing:

Add a shopping spree at a quiet, neat-as-a-pin Target and 11 a.m. Vinho Verde drinking in the hot tub with my mom...and you have an amazing trip!

The best part, though?  Coming home to New York City.  For the last couple months I've just been feeling a bit beat-up by the city, and living here was feeling increasingly claustrophobic.  This trip reminded me why I love California so much...and it also reminded me that NYC is my home.  I came back refreshed and renewed.  It's always hard to be away from family and friends on the other side of the country: always, always.  But I love it here in New York.  It did me a world of good to be reminded that it's not a choice of one over the other; I exist in both worlds, and I am from the West Coast as much as I am from the East Coast.  I love them both equally for different reasons, and I feel so lucky that I've had the opportunity to experience them both.

Eat, drink, and embrace where you are and where you've been.

California Love

After my botched trip to California back in February, Bug and I finally made it to my native West Coast last week.  And it was fabulous...

There was wine tasting at Boeger Winery...

...and kids riding in the back of convertibles...

...and Lillet in plastic cups because I like to keep it classy.

We had such a wonderful time - even the three days of rain couldn't dampen our spirits!

I can't wait to tell you more about it - stay tuned!

XO,
Laura

Tagliatelle with Prosciutto and Orange

I'll just cut to the chase and let you know that this might be my absolute favorite pasta recipe.  Ever.  Ever.

I think I'd eat damn-near anything that had prosciutto in it so I was already hooked when I first read this recipe...but pairing it with orange just makes it sublime.  The orange adds sweetness to counterbalance the saltiness of the prosciutto, and it also adds a brightness that you really need when making pasta.  The combination is just so, so perfect.

Gush, gush, gush...

So just promise me you'll try this one, okay?  It's really that amazing.

TAGLIATELLE WITH PROSCIUTTO AND ORANGE
Recipe from The Bitten Word (who got it from Bon Appétit)
Serves 4

12 oz. egg tagliatelle or fettuccine (preferably fresh)
2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) unsalted butter
2 oz. thinly sliced prosciutto, torn into 1" pieces
Zest and juice of 1 orange
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
1/4 cup finely grated Parmesan
Kosher salt
Freshly ground pepper

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil.  Season with salt; add pasta and cook, stirring occasionally, until 1 minute before al dente, about 2 minutes for fresh pasta, longer for dried.  Drain, reserving 1/4 cup pasta water.
2. Meanwhile, melt butter in a large heavy nonstick skillet over medium-high heat.  Add prosciutto; sauté until browned, about 3 minutes.
3. Add reserved pasta water, orange juice, half of zest, and cream to the skillet; bring to a boil.  Add pasta; cook, stirring, until sauce coats pasta and pasta is al dente, about 1 minute.  Season with salt and pepper.  Stir in cheese and divide among warm bowls.  Garnish with remaining zest.

NOTE ON KID-FRIENDLINESS: Bug LOVED this, every bit of it.  I did omit the zest garnish and the ground pepper on top but, other than that, I didn't need to alter it for her at all.

NOTE ON WINE PAIRING: There was so much going on here so I consulted my handy-dandy WHAT TO DRINK WITH WHAT YOU EAT.  Riesling is the way to go with this dish; specifically, I went with the Pierre Sparr that I picked up for a steal at Trader Joe's.  Delicious.

Eat, drink, and try this recipe!

Spring!

Hi everyone!

Thanks so much for sticking with me while I was taking a short break!  Everything's fine with me - don't worry!  Now I'm back and better than ever.

New York has been experiencing record high temperatures lately, and the California Girl in me is just swooning with delight and heart-bursting joy.

Last night was "Girls' Night", which meant that Adam had a work thing to go to so it was just me and Bug for dinner.  Naturally, with temps in the high 70s, we decided that dinner on the rooftop deck was de rigueur.

I put together our favorites on a cutting board: smoky almonds, Manchego, salame, grapes, pears, apples, bread, and crackers.  I drank a glass of Cotes du Rhone; Bug drank ginger beer.  And as per usual, there wasn't another single person on the deck with us.  On the one hand, I can't believe that in our HUGE building there is no one - no one - who thought it would be a good idea to sit outside.  But on the other hand, I adore having the deck to ourselves.

It's been a crazy, maddening, wonderful, challenging, refreshing couple of weeks...but I'm slowly feeling like the universe is coming into balance again.  I'm not doing much in the way of menu planning or complicated cooking as of late.  But with a meal like this, who needs it?  You don't have to turn cartwheels and set things on fire to put a good meal on the table.  Bug and I sat together, sharing details about our day, debating who the murderer could be in The Westing Game, and giggling about a boy that has a crush on her in class.  That was the best part.  Gathering together to eat is just what made it possible.

Again, you have all been really supportive and wonderful - I love being here and I love sharing with you. Thanks for being a part of it.

More soon...I really do want to get back to cooking in the kitchen!

Eat, drink, and enjoy the change in season!

Simplifying

Hi all,

Well, this past weekend I received some very difficult news, and my world has been turned upside down a bit.  I'm actually going to take a week or two off from blogging; I really need to focus on myself and my family for the time being.  But I am hoping that inspiration still strikes during that time period; in which case, I might stop by here for a quick picture or two.

In spite of everything going on in our lives, Adam, Bug, and I rallied together and had a lovely day yesterday.  After six years of living in New York City, we finally - finally! - went on the Staten Island Ferry.  And we decided to take the trip for no particular reason...we had never done it before and the weather is incredible...what better reason is that?

Then I came home and made a very simple dinner: sauteed Chanterelle mushrooms, a salad, and some cheese and bread.  It took me all of 15 minutes to make and it was incredibly satisfying and grounding.

The cheese is incredible.  It's called Rush Creek Reserve Farmstead Cheese from Wisconsin's Uplands Cheese.  I got it at Murray's Cheese - it was recommended by the staff person there as a better alternative, both in cost and flavor, to Vacherin.  Even then, the wheel above cost a whopping, painful $30!  BUT we've been eating it for more than a week.  It's so rich and creamy that we really are eating it in extreme moderation.  And worth the splurge - it tastes incredible.  

For the salad, I tossed together spinach, toasted walnuts (sorry, Marjorie!  But I think it would taste just as good with pecans, if that's a possibility for you), dried cranberries, and blue cheese.  I made a light dressing of olive oil, lemon juice, kosher salt, and pepper.

The Chanterelles were so good; these mushrooms are so delicately flavorful that the simplest preparation will do: splash of olive oil, tablespoon or so of butter, kosher salt, and pepper.  Saute until just cooked through but not completely soft.

I poured a glass of Prosecco and the whole thing was just heartwarming and refreshing.

I'll be back soon, I promise.  You know I can't stay away long.

Love, Laura