Sweet Sweet Friday

I hope you have a sweet & relaxing weekend planned!



Ours will be not only be sweet, but tasty too, since we will be enjoying this (store-bought but fantastic) red velvet cake!

Strawberry Hearts

Ever notice how strawberry slices closely resemble hearts? All you need to do is cut a wedge in the middle & round off the corners.



They look a little lonely all by themselves on the plate though don't they?



How about some Chocolate Ganache to keep them company?

Summer Blues in Winter

It's chilly today, & they are calling for snow.



All the more reason to pick up some blueberries & remember what Summer tastes like.

Like Butta

Did you notice how those seemingly benign roasted potatoes that accompanied our salmon were pretty darn tasty? A little thing called Chive Butter is the secret.



One of our foodie friends introduced us to Chive Butter (AKA Crack Butter- for it's addictive qualities) & we've been hooked ever since. I would give you a little to take home with you, but I'm afraid as usual, there's none left. I will send you off with the recipe though - now you can make it anytime & eat way more than you should in the privacy of your own home.

Entre Vous, Entree

Have you worked up an appetite after chatting about Palm Springs, & downing 3 glasses of wine? Good, because it's time for our main dish!



Our salmon is very simply prepared, but is rich & layered with goodness thanks to our sweet & savory Blackberry Balsamic Reduction. We'll be serving another glass of white with this course, usually we'd pop open a red, but we are on a roll, so let's go with it. Now who'd like to sample wine #4? It's Oriana, a Rhone style blend from Brian Carter Cellars.



Please don't let your salmon get cold while we pour the wine, dig in!

Laying the Groundwork

Now that we've enjoyed our appetizers, salad, & uhm.. dessert, it's time to bring out the big guns & lay the foundation for our main course.

This recipe is from the true Chef of the house (R), & don't let the simple ingredients fool you, because your taste buds are about to fall head-over-heels goo-goo in love. Be aware that once this happens, you can never go back, & it's possible that you will pine for it, pen sappy love songs, & leave blubbering messages for it when you have had too much to drink.

Dessert First

Didn't I tell you? This is a madcap devil-may-care sort of dinner party where dessert will be served before the entree.

Now enjoy your Honey Roasted Pears in Ginger Caramel Sauce, & then we'll see if we still have room for the main course.

We'll be sweetening up our vino too, how about an Inniskillin Vidal 2007 Icewine?

The Salad: Super Fresh!

Since those dates with chevre can be pretty rich, I thought you might be ready for a brisk palate cleanser. This is a frequent flyer for us on hot Summer days, the lemon & mint are wonderfully bright & refreshing. Did you finish your glass of Viognier? R's pairing suggestion is a Lemelson Pinot Gris.

First Course

Deceptively Easy Appetizers



Here are my first shots & recipes for the Food & Foto Challenge. Shooting food is a whole different ball game but, I'm pleasantly surprised at my results. Give these sweet & savory morsels a try - they are quite decadent. For the winos out there ( I kid) R's wine pairing recommendation is a Viognier like this one from Alexandria Nicole.

Shooting My Food

Lunch was tardy today, since I felt it had to be photographed before being eaten.

I'm getting in a little practice for the new Souvenir Foto Food & Foto Challenge. I'm not the Chef of the house, but hopefully with good light & flattering angles, I can make the very simple dishes I plan to shoot look dinner-guest worthy. I'll be posting my food shot & recipe here every week for the next 6 weeks if you'd like to follow along!