Childhood tv...

On Youtube?  No, really.  Rachelle and I got talking about all the PBS shows we watched when we were kids (even though she swore she didn't watch PBS- how is that possible????) while we were at a hippy-type bar (hey, it's 2 minutes from my apartment) on St. Patrick's day, with no green beer.  Because who could forget the Voyage of the Mimi or Ghostwriter?  And now my childhood, including Square One and 3-2-1 Contact! is available on Youtube, making reminiscing that much easier. I'm not going to pretend that I didn't sing along, because you know I did...

This one is worth it for the music alone

kitten...

Ninja is a textin' fool!

Still being sick is...

...hard when you're supposed to be working

...rather annoying in general

...wanting to stay in bed all the time

...wishing I didn't have lessons to give tomorrow morning.

Gina to Gege, at office..

"Yeah, sometimes I like to pretend I'm Alice in Wonderland when I'm sitting here..."

I do have a very big chair.

It also rolls very easily, so if I sit down in it with too much force, I roll into things, like my desk, or the always-ready-to-tip-over bookcase behind me.  I also think the office floor is slanted. 

Side note...

The granier cheese, from the Chartreuse, was worth the walk across town in the snow.  Ok, so the walk across town was 5 minutes, but still...

Fake spring

And then it was winter again...

brioche blunder?

It is not unknown that I'm not a fan of brioche.  I try and try, but something about it just keeps me away (except saucission brioche, but that is an entire different game).  So is it wrong that I like the sliced brioche sold in packs at the grocery store? (like sliced bread...)  

Don't worry, I haven't fallen of the baguette train.  It's just this brioche problem...

Little bunny foo foo...

would probably not have eaten lamb.  But it's Easter, and it's France, so it's practically a law here. I used this recipe, Bon Appetit sourced through Epicurious.com.

There's really nothing special about the way you cook the lamb, but the sauce is incredible.  I feel like I want to eat it on everything now. Maybe even ice cream. Or not.

I halved the sauce recipe and it still was more than enough for one.  I also had no cardamom, and forgot to buy parsley, so that went out, and didn't pour the drippings out of the pan before making the sauce...  I swear, I tried to follow the recipe to the letter, it just didn't work out that way...

this is what Epicurious says to do to make Lamb chops with dried cherries and port

Go to the store and buy...

2 teaspoons olive oil

4 4-5 ounce lamb chops

1/3 cup chopped shallots

3/4 cup ruby Port (yum!)

1/2 cup low salt chicken broth

1/2 cup dried tart cherries (mine were from a Mejer trip in Indiana last year!)

3 tablespoons cherry jam

1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar (finished the bottle, need to remember to buy more...)

1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom (if, you know, you remember it...)

chopped fresh mint or parsley (again with the remembering...)

*Heat oil over medium-high heat.

*Season the lamb with salt and pepper and cook to desired doneness.

*Take the lamb out of the pan, add the shallots and saute for about a minute.

*Add the rest of the ingredients, except the mint or parsley, and simmer until the cherries plump and the liquid is syrupy (mmmm, syrupy...).

*Spoon sauce over lamb and sprinkle with mint or parsley (actually, spoon the sauce over everything and then take a bath in it)

If you're still hungry...

...try these

Tomato and onion salad with almond emulsion, Jose Maria, Segovia

Roast suckling pig, cut with a plate, Jose Maria, Segovia

Cafe con leche, Segovia

If you wanted to eat in Spain...

...these would be some ideas


morcilla at Casa Alberto


Roasted eggplant baked with a ham and shrimp cream sauce, Domine Cabra


Confit de canard, Domine Cabra


Chocolate con churros, San Gines


Vermouth on tap, Jose Maria, Segovia

If you're having an apero...

...some ideas (mostly for mom)

*pesto and mozzarella tartelettes (if you don't have tartelette pans you can use a cupcake tin!)- par-bake the crust till it's golden (which you can do ahead), then cover the bottom with pesto and a slice or two of fresh mozzarella. Put them back in the oven to melt the cheese.

*pain d'epices toasts with chevre and honey. Cut your pain d'epices into triangles, put a slice of chevre on each, and toast for a few minutes in the oven. Drizzle with honey.

*And from one of my most favorite cookbooks, Concentre de delices, toast slices of baguette, then rub them with a clove of garlic when they come out of the oven. Sprinkle chopped shallots over them, then drizzle with olive oil, sea salt and basil (fresh if you have it, dried if you don't). Top each off with a slice of sausisson sec.

There are no pictures, we ate too quickly!