I've Been Slacking.

Today is the last day of NaBloPoMo. And I was doing so well...... But i missed a couple days. Things have been busy, and strangely, food has not been a priority (WHAT??)

For example, while fending off a nasty cold with Airboune and Cold-Eeze, I just couldn't even think of something to make for dinner last night. The only thing I was craving was ice cream. I called Husband for ideas, and he reminded me I'm an adult and can eat ice cream for dinner. Oh, yeah, Wanna pick some up? And he did. But he also recommend I pick up a take and bake pizza at Papa Murphy's on the way home.

Good idea. So I chose to do a large pizza. On Husband's half I did Gourmet Italian and on my half the Gourmet Vegetarian. I was worried about the crust because it look really thin, but it baked up really nicely. The crust was far from soggy and was even crisp in the middle. that's a priority in my pizzas. Its all about the crust. And the vegetables on mind were endless, with peppers, onions, mushrooms, zucchini and even artichoke hearts.

It was good, and we were happy, and I didn't have to cook!

An Impromptu Stir-fry

For Sunday's dinner, we both wanted anything but turkey, and nothing to do with mashed potatoes. We chose, then, to make a stir-fry. I ran through the new Super Target and picked up as many fresh, organic vegetables as I could find, including green and red peppers, carrots, zucchini, onions and mushrooms. A bit of chicken and a packet of sauce (is that really cheating) and we had dinner.

I love stir-fry's and I'm not sure why we don't make them more often. They're so versatile. I've used pork and beef and have skipped the meat all together. I've used water chestnuts, or bamboo shoots, or just peppers. I guess anything could go. This would be a great dish to whip together after a trip to the farmers market. Which I terribly miss, by the way.

By Special Request, The Good Earth.

A good friend, who moved away years ago and just refuses to move back, has a favorite restaurant in town and requested I post about it. Well, this past Saturday, Husband and I were in the neighborhood early in the morning and stopped in for breakfast. It was his first time there, and it didn't disappoint. I rarely get there for breakfast, and was happily surprised when our server offered a "complmentary caramel bun." Well, that's a no brainer. We split it and then I picked up the plate and licked it. Not really, but I could have eaten another dozen of the little guys. But then, the main dish:

I chose a breakfast quesadilla, because really, you can never go wrong with a quesadilla. This one was full of eggs, black beans, tomatoes and other goodies, served with guacamole, sour cream and salsa. It was huge, and I only could down half of it. But no worries, the rest of it was gulped down a few hours later.

The Good Earth is not a vegetarian restaurant. Many people think it is, but really, its more about fresh ingredients, hormone-free meats and tasty grub. Oh, and it is vegetarian friendly, which at times can be hard to find. Its a favorite, had been for a long time. And its not fancy, but its consistent, friendly and yummers.

Thanksgiving, Part 2.

On to the main course.

On paper, as in a recipe in a magazine, cooking a turkey sounds really easy. Start it in a hot oven, turn it down and when the dark meat is 165 degrees, pull the bird out the often, and let it rest. But what happens when the carver announces that the bird is still bleeding? I guess put a cover on the potatoes, put some foil on the yams and pour another glass of wine.

After a slight delay and a quick debate on if its safe to eat undercooked poultry, we sat down at the table. I listed the menu the other day, so I won't bore you with it again. But the photo above shoes the Yams with Orange-Chipotle Glaze. They were good, but could have used more bit, at least they weren't too sweet. Also in the photo are the Wasabi and Green Onion mashed potatoes. They were excellent. Potatoes, cream and butter, what could go wrong?


On the other end of the table were the roasted green beans (in a hot oven until toasty), the cranberry sauce and a cornbread stuffing with root vegetables. I really liked the stuffing because of the surprises. There were all kinds of vegetables, including carrots and parsnips and even some mushrooms. But all the flavors melded together really well.

So even after a turkey fiasco dinner was great. While cooking we were fortunate to spot a family of deer as well as a few wild turkeys. They were happy to be outside, and not in the oven.

Thanksgiving, Part 1.

Lets start with appetizers...

It has become a bit of a tradition to make Husbands favorite, Tuna Tataki, on Thanksgiving. Its fairly simple, some ginger and sesame seeds, soy sauce, lime.. sear the tuna for just a minute and serve. I just adore raw or seared Tuna, look forward to this fabulous treat every time.

And then, of course, cheese. We had a garlic cheese, a brie, cheddar and some great smoked gouda. It always reminds my of my crazy days waiting tables at the Pannekoeken Huis. Smoked gouda and metwurst omelette? And this wine was darn good as well. Slightly fruity and very refreshing.

Happy Turkey Day!!

I wish everyone a very, merry thanksgiving. I'll be cooking and sipping wine and cuddling with the dog. So enjoy your day off and always have fun in the kitchen!

I finally tried it. Bewiched.

There's a new deli in the neighborhood, and while I've stopped by there many a late afternoon for one of their butter-laden oatmeal or peanut butter cookies, I haven't truly attempted a meal. the main reason is the price. These guys have gotten a lot of press. The paper covered them last week and gave them a great review (3 of 4 stars). There are a couple of dialogues on Chow.com.

Most sandwiches fall between $9.50 and $11.50. That's fine for dinner or on the weekend, but for an everyday lunch, it just can't happen.

So, today I went down for soup. Co-worker has raved about the soup since the place opened, so I decided to give it a shot. There were four soup offerings today, and they all sounded good. They had their Ministrone, Tomato and Bread with Basil, Beer Cheese (that brought back memories) and Shrimp Bisque. Knowing the cheese or bisque would send me to the couch for a nap, I chose the tomato. And I was pleased.

The soup was served piping hot and was loaded with tomatoes, fresh basil, chunks of great bread and I even saw a few roasted garlic slices. And it tasted like everything I just listed. Very fresh, perfect for a quick lunch on a cold November day. And it was served with dense, crunchy bread. And I got a cookie. Peanut Butter this time.

So, yes, I recommend it. But maybe bring a friend, share one of their huge sandwiches. or go for the soup and a cookie, plenty of food and a little change in your pocket as well.

Spelt Bread

I've been experimenting with alternative foods, and discovered a tasty treasure with Spelt Bread. It is really very low in wheat and gluten, so easier to digest. And the best part, is that it actually tastes like bread! I have to have peanut butter on something for breakfast almost everyday. And this spelt bread stuff is ready to tackle my Real Chunky Peanut Butter.

Here are a couple links for more information. But try it, I think you'll be surprised.

http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=143

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spelt

Note: Regarding a photo of the peanut butter toast.... I ate it too fast. So, no photo. But you all know what peanut butter toast looks like, right?

Yams!!

Such a fun word to say. Yam, yam, yam. I'm making them for one Thanksgiving dinner and got this response when I offered to bring them to the second Thanksgiving.

"No, Sam-I-Am, I do not like yams. I do not like them on a tram, I do not like them served with jam - I do not like them Sam-I-Am!! Sorry I couldn’t resist."

I don't like them served with jam either, just a bit of butter and they're perfect. Since there are so many misconceptions about these fabulous, and ugle, vegetables, I thought I'd look up some details.

Wikipedia says,
Yams are high in Vitamin C, dietary fiber, Vitamin B6, potassium, and manganese; while being low in saturated fat, sodium, and cholesterol. Vitamin C, dietary fiber and Vitamin B6 may all promote good health^[3]. Furthermore, a product that is high in potassium and low in sodium is likely to produce a good potassium-sodium balance in the human body, and so protect against osteoporosis and heart disease^[4]. Having a low level of saturated fat is also helpful for protection against heart disease

I work with a woman who will just pop a yam into the microwave and eat it as is. They're sweet, and hearty and make a fabulous meal on the go. I'm not sure why I don't bring them home more often, except that Husband doesn't like them. Sweet Potato's are grown in the U.S. and are often called Yams.

I'm also a fan of Cooking Light, so here are a few recipes with yams. If you try one, let me know how it is!

Praline Banana-Yam Pudding

Sweet Potato-Pecan Pancakes Yam Nuea Yang (Spicy Beef Salad)

Thanksgiving Menu

There's not much eating going on since I've been under the weather for the last couple days, but we did plan our thanksgiving menu, so I'll share that since it sounds fabulous.

For an appetizer, Husbands favorite Tuna Tataki (we like Wolfgang Pucks recipe on foodnetwork.com), and my favorite, a cheese platter.

Roast Turkey with Truffle Gravy (Nov. 07 Cooking Light, page 136)

Wasabi and Green Onion Mashed Potatoes (Nov. 07 Bon Appetit, page 155)

Cornbread Stuffing with Roasted Fall Vegetables (Nov. 07 Bon Appetit, page 144)

Roasted Green Beans

Spiced Cranberry-Orange Sauce (Lund's Real Food, Winter 2006)

Yams with Orange Chipotle Glaze (Lund's Real Food, Winter 2007)

Good Bread with Herbed Butter

For dessert, a apple-lingonberry pie from a local bakery.

And wine, plenty of wine.

AwesomeIngredients: Truffles

A teammate and I were driving to Duluth this weekend and we got to talking about Truffles. Not the tasty bites of chocolate, but the ugly, earthy fungus that make savory dishes taste orgasmic. I've tasted truffle oil at various restaurants over the years, but last fall at the now closed Willi's wine bar, we were introduced to the ethereal combination of green apple, spanish mahon and truffle oil. Wow. We recreated it at Thankgsiving and a often as we could after that. In honor of this Thanksgiving, and the fact that the little bottle will probably appear again, I did some research on truffles.

Truffles are highly prized as food. Wikipedia says they have the smell of sunflower seeds or walnuts, but all I can really smell is earth. Kinda like a very intense mushroom smell. The two most common kinds of truffles are Black and White. The black sell for about $400 per pound, while the white can go for as much as $2,000 per pound. Most are found in France and Italy. There is also truffle oil available (way cheaper). And now that I've done research, really, really disappointing. This is what I found:

Contrary to popular belief, and even the belief of most restaurant chefs, the New York Times recently reported that most truffle oil does not, in fact, contain any truffles. The reality is that the vast majority of truffle oil is actually olive oil containing a synthetic flavoring agent, called "2,4-dithiapentane." Indeed, Daniel Patterson reported in the New York Times on May 16, 2007 that "[e]ven now, you will find chefs who are surprised to hear that truffle oil does not actually come from real truffles." Nevertheless, many chefs continue to use synthetic truffle oil, which is inexpensive, because they consider it to be "a reasonable substitute."

But I'm not ready to believe it. We read the ingredients on our bottle of Urbani Truffle oil, and it didn't say anything about a synthetic additive, just "truffle aroma."

I've seen truffle oil and truffle salt at my favorite local deli, Surdyks. As for the real thing, I've only seen them online. Here are a few links to check prices or splurge.

At GourmetFoodStore.com.
http://www.gourmetfoodstore.com/truffles/french-truffles.asp

Dean and Deluca:
http://www.deandeluca.com/caviar-foie-gras-charcuterie/truffles-and-mushrooms.aspx

SurLaTable:
http://www.surlatable.com/product/o+%26+co.+black+truffle+oil.do?search=basic&keyword=truffle&sortby=gsa&asc=true&page=1

Chicken with Cherry Tomato Sauce from Cooking Light.

Husband made dinner last night! Yeah! It was a recipe we've made before and I planned to make it, but he beat me home and I was very happy to see dinner was started when I got home. The recipe is called Parmesan Chicken Paillards with Cherry Tomato Sauce. The chicken is coated in parmesan cheese and them pan seared. Overall we found the dish salty (me) and bland (husband). The tomato sauce would have been perked up with the addition of good green olives. At least the chicken was nice and tender because he pounded it. (That would be the Paillard technique.)

We probably won't make the recipe again, but the technique of pounding the chicken and coated it with parmesan is a keeper.

Quail Eggs at Spoonriver. Or not.

I met a couple friends for lunch at one of my favorite restaurants the other day, Spoonriver.
This gem of a restaurant is owned by Brenda Langton, of my other favorite restaurant, Cafe Brenda. Before we got there, JD called and said she would not eat Quail Eggs. Try as I might, she absolutely refused. I didn't even realize they were on the menu, but then I remembered that JD is a self-proclaimed "picky-eater" and I shouldn't have been surprised. She also said there were plenty of other things on the menu she would enjoy.

And enjoy we did. The service at Spoonriver is just really amazing. Our server was laid-back, friendly, new his food, had a sense of humor and really made it a lovely experience. I think he's waited on me before, and he's definitely good at what he does.

The friends ordered the Ceaser salad with Free Range Chicken. I ordered the vegetarian special, which was a Zuni Stew served with a Spicy Cheese Quesadilla. The Stew was loaded with Beans and tomatoes and squash and all kinds of good things, including toasted pumpkin seeds on top. The Quesadilla has some sort of mellow spice along with the cheese and crunchy tortillas. The Salads were a hit with the girls, as was the beautiful space of the restaurant.

But we did decided next time we meet its for happy hour so wine can be poured. What were we thinking?

Something Pretty to Clean that Kitchen With

I saw these cool dish towels on Chow.com the other day and thought they looked really fun. Why not add some lively linens to your kitchen.

And then, I remembered a woman I met this summer, who makes her own and sells them locally. Sarah Kusa makes beautiful pieces, including placemats, table runners, dish clothes and napkins. Its holiday season, someone on your list would appreciate these, right?

Nothing Like a Bowl of Chili on a Chilly November Day.

Except when its 63 degrees outside, and we've just come in from playing tennis in shorts. But still, a spicy bowl of chili sounded good, so we made a big pot. I used a pound of the ground beef from my meat package from Otis Family Farm, and for the first time in my life, the groundness didn't freak me out.

So a sizzling pan with onions, green peppers, carrots (my addition) and the beef. The adding beef (or chicken) stock, tomatoes, black beans, garlic and handful of spices and let it simmer. Fifteen minutes later, we had a pot of hot, steamy chili. Looked like there was enough for a few days, but after a hearty dinner and the next day's lunch it was gone.

Husband asked if it was hard to make, and the answer is simply, No. there's some dicing and some waiting, but overall Chili is one of the easiest things to make. He thinks we should make it every week so its always around. Not a bad idea. It would go even faster if two people were dicing :)

Yes, I had Cheese for Dinner.

So, the other night was Husband was out with the guys, I had what every foodie really wants to have for dinner. Yep, wine, cheese and bread. Yum. I ran over to Lund's and asked the cheesemonger what she would recommend. The bottom one in the photo was a double cream brie. It was oozy, even right out of the cooler. Spread on warm bread, it melted. And even better straight off the knife. The top cheese in the photo was Beecher's Flagship Handmade Cheese. It had a hard, but flaky texture, and again was almost better alone than with the bread. But a dinner of just cheese is silly, so I threw in some bread.

Burgers, Beets and Birthday Cheesecake?

Part 2 of my great-aunts birthday celebration at W.A. Frost included a whole lot of burgers. My beautiful niece devoured a lovely cheeseburger and I had a plate of beautiful beet risotto with mushroom sauce and broccolli.

The burger looked great. H got the portebello burger, which she absolutely loved. My biggest fear about a portebello burger is that the mushroom would be too much to handle. But this one looked great. There was avocado and pepperjack cheese as well, and I definitely know what I'm ordering next time. Oh, the the fries I kept stealing off plates had to be hand-cut. Maybe a plate of those next time, too.

But the beet risotto was darn good as well. The broccoli was a nice contrast to the rich risotto, and makes for a very pretty plate as well. The risotto had a great beet flavor, without knocking me over the head with the earthiness. The mushroom sauce was all mushroom, and I would love to know how they made it. I think it would be great on just some short pasta and a lot of parmesan cheese. Yum...

For dessert I ordered my aunt the caramel apple cheesecake. I wanted something that could hold a candle and the banana fritters didn't sound like the thing. And it was beautiful. I can't remember Frost putting so much effort into their plating on past visits, but I have to say it really was a nice surprise. Although not a cheesecake fan, the star-shaped cookie that came with the cake had a beautiful clove/cinnamon/ginger flavor. Yum.

Birthday Pumpkin Scones

It was my great-aunts 94th birthday last week and its been our tradition (since her 90th) that all the ladies in the family take her out to tea. This year the tea house was booked, so we took her to lunch at another favorite historial site, W.A. Frost.

Frost has a beautiful patio out back and its a favorite of mine for a mid-summer cocktail. Or brunch, or lunch like we did today.

To begin with, my aunt loves her sweets, and she deserves them because she's one of the most amazing, inspiring women I've ever met in my life. At 94 she's sharp as a tack and her sense of humor keeps all of us rolling. For her birthday, I borrowed a recipe from Morning Coffee & Afternoon Tea, and baked her pumpkin scones. She's a fan of Pumpkin Pie and her building does not provide breakfast, so it was a no-brainer.

When I opened the tin at the restaurant, the warm, autumn scent of pumpkin filled the room. I hope she enjoys them.

More on lunch tomorrow.

A Cute Holiday Idea

If you're like me and like to give homemade gifts for holidays, these paper pans are perfect. I spotted them in the local newspaper yesterday, and I can't stop thinking about them. There are many shapes and sizes out there. There are even really great wood pans.... the ideas for homebaked goodness are flowing in!!

Cozy, warm stew.

We whipped up a tasty seafood stew (Southwest Cilantro Fish Stew from November 2007 CL) last night from the current issue of Cooking Light. A bit of chopping and 20 minutes of waiting, and dinner is served. I would make a couple changes next time, though. More spice to begin with. The recipe calls for one sliced jalapeno, but next time I'll add two. It also called for 1/2 pound shrimp and 1 pound halibut. I would double the shrimp and go with smaller ones. Then the final five minutes of cooking time would probably be shorter as well. And maybe skip the celery. JT from my office would require it as she hates celery. As for Southwest, I didn't catch much of that flavor. It needed more spice, more southwest. Maybe some chipotle or crushed red pepper.

Enjoy!

(Almost Great) Dinner and (Not So Great) Drinks

A group of us went to the new restaurant Temple the other night. It was S's 31st birthday and we joined up after she and J went to dinner at nearby Capital Grille. Husband, Jen and I also wanted to eat, so we made an earlier reservation at Temple since we had to be there anyway.

We should have ended the experience after we put our forks down.

Dinner was nice. Our server was friendly, knowledgeable, non-intrusive. The food was great and good, depending on the dish. The Tuna Tataki appetizer was great, thin slices of seared tuna served with a spicy sauce and slivers of roasted beets. The Beef Bulgogi wasn't as successful. the beef was chewy and the noodles were slippery. The Kim Chee that came with it was a treat, and actually made the beef taste better.

Entrees were about as even. Husband had a steak with wasabi mashed potatoes.He said the steak was good, the sauce was really amazing, and the potatoes had no hint of wasabi. What a disappointment, that was the reason he ordered the dish. Jen and I both had the Pine-Nut Crusted Sea Bass with Squash Dumplings and Long Beans, and I haven't been able to think of much else since. The Sea Bass took on a light, but dense texture, the dumplings were properly squashy and garlicky, and the long beans were just fun to look at and cut apart. The plating was also beautiful, but didn't keep me from digging in. So dinner was good, the wine was good, the company great, and then we moved into the Bar, or Shinto Lounge as they call it.

Our friends were sitting in a corner with a couch and ottomans and a coffee table, next to a plasma television. The bar was full, but not crowded, and the service seemed to be good enough, until our server walked out. Without filling our drink order. There were only seven of us, and two of us weren't really drinking, so I don't think we were a tough or confusing crowd.

A second server came by, took the drink order again and brought the drinks. After all the glasses were bone dry, she came over again and as soon as we said, "We'd like our..." She was gone. Literally ran away. I waited about 10 minutes (I was getting impatient) and went to find her. Missing, totally, completely missing. Finally, I grabbed the only employee (besides the Koi) I could find and begged for our tab. This guy was nice, and actually looked me in the eye. A few minutes later, a tiny little man came running by with our tab, set it on the table, and while running away, mentioned it included a 20% gratuity because we had more than six people. But, but, but....

We never had service? Hello?

A phone call to Temple a couple days later did nothing to make me feel better about the situation. But I loved the Sea Bass, and will hopefully find something similar, somewhere else.

A Request for the Pork Tenderloin Recipe

Mom called last night, I guess, and requested the Pork recipe from the dinner party. I didn't get the message until this morning when I actually picked up my cell phone. Huh. But before I post it, I have to give credit where credit is due. The recipe is from Chef Philip Dorwart, and I had it at Grazefest. And I'll say it again, because I want to support local farms, but the pork was from Otis Family Farm. He's at the St. Paul Farmers Market every Saturday, and I can just picture his happy pigs greeting him when he gets home. Here goes:


Cumin Rubbed Pork Tenderloin
with Sweet Corn Sauce and Goat Cheese

For sweet corn sauce (about 6 servings)

2 ears sweet corn - cooked, kernels cut off the cob

1 cup chicken stock

1/2 cup cream

1 Tbl butter

salt and pepper to tase

2 oz goat cheese for garnish
chives for garnish

In a sauce pot, simmer cooked corn and chicken stock for 10 minutes. Add cream, salt and pepper and then puree. (The recipe says strain, but I prefered a thicker sauce with more corn flavor), return to heat and "mount" with butter and serve.

For Pork

Rub the pork (a tenderloin, we can assume) with olive oil, salt , pepper and ground cumin. Grill on medium grill until pork is cooked to medium, about 10-12 minutes, turning every 2 or 3 minutes. Let rest, slice, sauce and garnish with goat cheese and chives.

Enjoy, pass it on, and be sure you use local, happy pork. You'll thank me when you taste it.

Yes, the Holidays are Coming.

And I can no longer deny it. Halloween is barely over, in fact there are still pumpkin guts in the middle of my street, but the wreaths and decorations were a the mall yesterday. And then today, my weekly email from New York Magazine, really brought it to my attention. At least their article had to do with cooking for the holidays, which truly does get me excited. And its full of fun gadgets. Santa? How about that paper turkey? I'll spend my weekends making cookies and my weekdays planning menus. It all happens too quickly, but then I try to recover, find my way back to the gym and plan a mellow January.

Salad Dressing Request...

J has requested the name of the super-kick-a$$ salad dressing that T brought over the other night...

(drum roll please)

It's called "brianna's homestyle.... the new american, creamy balsamic vinagrette...."

and its gooooooddddddd......

Dinner Party, Reviewed (with Buttah)

We had some good friends over for dinner last night and had a marvelous time. We ate a bit (or a lot, I guess) and then moved into the TV room to play the Wii. Its a great way to burn off all those calories! K&C brought some really amazing spicy cauliflower bits to start with. Just small pieces of the stuff coated in cayenne and panko and lots of butter. They were just spicy enough that the camambert I had on had was required to soothe the burning sensation.

T&B brought a beautiful salad of mixed greens, spiced walnuts, blue cheese and big, big blackberries. The dressing was a creamy balsamic and I can't wait to pick up a bottle. (It tasted better than homemade.)

The main dish was a cumin-coated pork tenderloin. The pork was from my favorite farm, Otis Family Farm, and the recipe was from Grazefest back in July. This time we read the instructions and pureed and strained the corn/cream mixture only to be disappointed. Next time we'll just puree it and leave it a little chunky. I think by straining it, we lost a lot of the corn taste. But the pork, again, was really tender.

I served two side dishes. The first was a platter of Roasted Root Vegetables. It included baby red potatoes, turnips, carrots, rutabaga and parsnips. Now, I'm not sure how I made it 30-some years without trying rutabaga or turnips, but I'm sad that I've been missing it for years. They are such simple, humble vegetables and cook up just as tender and sweet as can be. It's a fabulous combination, and healthy to boot. (just a little bit of buttah).

The second side dish, Rice and Noodle Pilaf, was a last minute addition because I felt we needed a carb/starch. I found this on epicurious and thought the cinnamon stick in the rice would complement the apple in the vegetables and the cumin on the pork. And this rice/orzo mixture was a hit. I believe it will become a staple around here. And I'm sure it will be fabulous leftover or for lunch.

And then, on to dessert. I posted a photo of it yesterday and while it looked good, it didnt have the food-stylist-professionalism that the cover of Cooking Light had. But it tasted damn good. My husband, who readily admits he's not a dessert fan, was ooing and ahing all over this thing. Nobody believed it was from Cooking Light. But, I have to admit, I may have doubled the chocolate drizzle, and the bourbon whipped cream was certainly not "light".

Bourbon Pecan Tart with Chocolate Drizzle from Cooking Light.

We're having a dinner party tonight (more on that tomorrow) and I'm so excited about the dessert I just had to post about it a day early. And to get something up to continue National Blog Posting Month.

If you subscribe to CL, you'll recognize this recipe. It is featured on the cover of the November Issue and is irrestible. My chocolate was a little clumpier than the photo. Not sure because I used dark chocolate instead of bittersweet, or because I am just not a good drizzler. I havent tasted it yet (try explaining that to my guests), but tomorrow there will be a full review. Until then, just know that it smells and looks delicious.

Alrighty then...

I just heard about the National Blog Posting Month from Jen. The challenge is to post every day for the month of November. It's related to the National Novel Writing Month, which I'm also hoping to meet. But this (really) seems more manageable. Not sure if this post is cheating, but I plan to write something actually about food tomorrow. In the meantime, here's a link to a site I check everyday. Chow.com.

Wish me luck!