No, I am not going anywhere but it seems that many others are. Right now my sister is in Prague and my oldest (not in age) friend is in Paris. And.... one of my favorite people, Ellyn, is headed off to France, to teach for a school year. My son Zack, the pilot, recently went to Japan for a couple of days (yes, literally) and Argentina to ski.
I often think of myself as deprived in this area but really I am not. In the last 10 years I have been to Turkey twice, Italy, London, Jamaica, Mexico and on a cruise to the Panama Canal. I have traveled in the US to Maine, the Hamptons, Boston, New York, Santa Fe, Colorado, Iowa, Chicago, and various lovely spots in beautiful Wisconsin. Each experience is so enriching and fills my heart and spirit with joy. I have memories of friends, romance, historical sights and funny experiences that happened along the way. I have been so fortunate to have these opportunities.
My travels are marked by the foods I have eaten during my journeys. In fact, I often cannot remember where I have been until I attach a food to the memory.... "Oh yeah, the place we ate the fried clam bellies." Seafood in Savannah, lobster in Maine, pizza in New York, clam chowder in Boston, fish enchiladas in Mexico, Imam Bayildi (the Imam Fainted) in Turkey, elk in Colorado and steak in Omaha. Yum is all I can say. I am a better cook as a result of my wanderings and yearn to learn more. I am dying to head to Southeast Asia but am not sure my budget is up to the the task. We shall see.
Last night, Ellyn and I cooked dinner together before she headed off to France. We cooked for her parents (my close friends Fay and David) and my guy Tariq. I had recently acquired the cookbook "Plenty" by Yotam Ottolenghi. Ellyn and I chose two fabulous dishes, Caramelized Garlic Tart and Crusted Pumpkin Wedges with Sour Cream. We used butternut squash instead of pumpkin and passed on the sour cream sauce. As for the tart, I accidentally bought phyllo leaves instead of puff pastry. Time to punt! The phyllo crust was light and crisp so all worked out well. I have read reviews of the book where frustrated users complain of poor editing. Ottolenghi is Israeli and has two extremely popular restaurants in London. His book contains some errors in measurements which I assume occurred when he had the book readied for publishing in the US.. You just have to use common sense. Really it is no big deal. I have now eaten 6 dishes from this book and I loved them all. The garlic tart took the prize however. The garlic was sweet, creamy and mellow. This was a standout dish.
Before we stepped into the kitchen, Ellyn and I shopped at the Sunday Northside Farmers market. It is just the right size, with many of the great products you would find around the square on a Saturday. No jostling with the crowds, just a leisurely stroll among the many tents. I found the most tender, sweet pea shoots and tendrils which formed the foundation of a light side salad made with thinly sliced fennel and red onion. It was the perfect accompaniment to the hearty meal. Fay and David brought a bread from Batch which is always the perfect gift. We finished that off along with everything else on the table.
Lest I forget, before Ellyn arrived I made an apple tart for dessert. There is one piece left over which will not make it til sunset. In fact, I am headed to my kitchen right now.
I am thrilled when I get a chance to cook with Ellyn. I met her when she came into this world at
2.2 lbs. At that time there were so many worries. Now I see a beautiful, bright vibrant young woman before me wielding a knife and sharing her culinary expertise. I helped to develop her interest in cooking and love seeing how she has used her interest to make friends, bridge differences and make money. She holds a special place in my heart.
Because the dinner looked so inviting and my home smelled divine we all dove into the food before I could snap a photo. Too bad. It was beautiful, as well as tasty.
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