Barcelona 2012

Everything was delicious!

*Please note this is my first post that includes photos taken from a real camera.*

late night snack

Jamon Iberico (ham) with Radish, Pickle, Honey and Sesame Seeds on Toast
If you get hungry late at night, and I tend to be hungry most hours of the day and night.  Located where the Ravel and Poble Sec areas in Barcelona meet, is Johnny Aldana.  We needed a little snack to continue our walk on our first night in town --  it was just where we needed to be.
(And by the way ... we are eating ham everyday now!)

January Lemon Harvest

I finally picked the last of the lemons off my tree today. Some of the fruit was as big as a softball.  I mixed up a pitcher of lemonade for this balmy January day and froze the rest of the juice for future recipes. Making lemonade reminded me being a little girl in Mississippi and of my dear friend who was working in town this week. What fun I had talking, visiting and catching up with her like no time had passed since we had seen each other. Thank you Rachel for being my friend. I hope you come back soon! Cheers!

Cochon

On a busy Saturday night, M and I were headed to La Boca and we ended up at Cochon.  

Two seats at the Chef's Bar?  

Yes, please!  

We snacked on house made hog head cheese, marinated cucumbers .  But the ham hock with quinoa, pickled butternut squash and barely cooked greens just blew us away!  What a treat.

Macaroni and Cheese & Spinach with bacon

Sliders, Slaw & Corn

Asian Sliders

grated ginger - an inch 

garlic - 2 big cloves

the zest of a lemon

salt & pepper

1 - 1.25 LB ground beef

Top sliders with Slaw

shredded cabbage

olive oil

the juice of a lemon

pinch of brown sugar

splash of ponzu sauce

Corn on the grill too!

Bite Size Stuffed Sweet Peppers

Brisket or crabmeat topped with a Pimento Cheese-like variation.

Stuff and bake or grill about 20 minutes.

Spaghetti Egg

How do I mage my spaghetti with red gravy a different supper from the night before?  Poach an egg in the sauce.  So simple and quick.

Blueberry Pie for My Sweetie!

He said he likes my Pie!

9" Pie Crust - you gotta make one, or not! 
I used a crust top, but a crumble would have been delicious too

Blueberries - 5 or 6 cups

sugar -  1 cup

cornstarch 1/4 cup

lemon juice

lemon zest - a little

ginger root - fresh grated - as much as you like

Get your Lent ON!

$8.00 Fish Plate

Although we did not win the 50/50 (congratulations Laverne) we were delighted with our supper just off Bayou St. John and Esplanade at Our Lady of the Holy Rosary.  Catfish, potato salad, hush puppies and fries.  It's the beginning of Lent and the man in line behind us was envious of our beer (another vice we did not give up).  Here's a list of other Lenten Suppers during the season

Cooking Class with My Momma

We enlisted in a cooking class while on vacation in Todos Santos.
Iker from Cafe Brown was our teacher.  

Chile Rellenos -- stuffed with smoked Tuna was on the menu.
Super easy and relatively quick.

roasting the poblanos

the filling:  smoked tuna, tomatoes, onion, cilantro, dried oregano, olive oil

Iker showing my Momma how to make the filling

The Stuffed Chile

Supper:
The Margaritas have a splash of Damiana Liquor -- a new favorite for me!

Pasta Supper for One

I used this recipe and did make a few substitutions, but what an easy, rich treat!

Really hearty for a cold night.

tacos, tacos, tacos!

Visiting the Baja in Mexico means lots of roadside tacos for my husband and myself.  Todos Santos always seems to have a new taco stand each year we have visited and since it is the closest town to the house where we stay, we try a new one every chance we get.  Everyone is so friendly here and the food is incredibly reasonable and delicious!!

Wish you were here & Happy New Year to You!

Refried Beans and Ricely Yours,

cookietreat

Homemade Oreos

Homemade Oreos

The Recipe is from Smitten Kitten -- I just love her!
Merry Christmas!

Lemon Trifle Parfaits

Lemon Trifle Parfaits

layer the following:

lemon cake -- a really wet ugly one if you have it

sprinkle cake with grand marnier

sprinkle of almonds

dollop of lemon curd

dab of whipped cream

Repeat until your glass is full.

Top with a dollop of whipped cream and a cherry

so festive!

Lemon Goodies

lemon zest

lemon wreath cookies with thin glaze & sprinkles

lemon "cake" with hand whipped cream

I have a new appreciation for the Meyer Lemon.
So happy to have it in my yard and bearing fruit.
The wreath cookies are fabulously light, lemony, and sweet.  My lemon cake didn't fare so well, and I am 100% responsible -- baking is a science and I was going on feeling -- not so wise.
The cake's taste, however, is spot on --- thinking of morphing it into trifle parfaits for Christmas Eve.
We'll see!

Sliced & Baked

I got the recipe for these cookies in the Times Picayune, but here it is online from the Washington Post.  I made some around Thanksgiving and then another batch this week after freezing the dough.  The flavor seemed more believable in round two.  Super cute, small, crunchy, cookie.

Root Beer Pinwheels

Sucre

A must see on Magazine street.

Really! -- just melt-in-your-mouth candy.'

Holiday Lunch at Rio Mar

Steamed Mussels with Chorizo

Hanger Steak with Chimichurri

Pressed Sandwiches -- one with Jamon with Manchego & another with Eggplant and Peppers

We ate and ate until they rolled us out the door -- delicious!

Here's the all tapas lunch menu.

Lemon Harvest

I get a little nervous when my TV weather-gal says it's going to freeze.  My precious Meyer Lemons are important to me.  I harvested about a dozen last night "just in case".  The lemons that remain on the tree are fine and the high is expected to be 67 degrees tomorrow.  

Sugerman's Bagels

Think you can't find a good bagel made right here in New Orleans?  

I beg to differ!

Just shoot Laura of Sugerman's Bagels an email to place an order.

laurasugerman@gmail.com  

$14 a dozen for REAL Everything Bagels.  I picked up my order, but delivery is also available.

She is using the same bakery space as Pizza Delicious in the Bywater.  

Sugerman's Bagels - 1 dozen Everything

Po-Boy Fest 2010 Recap

You really just had to be there.  Check out my photos here!  Here are the same photos in slideshow view.

It is ironic that this Festival is still such a tight squeeze! By the end of the day I have to wonder; is this Festival so crowded because of the numbers of Festival goers, or because as the sun sets on Oak Street we are all a little larger in the waistline due our Po-Boy over-indulgence?


 Is that irony or just odd?

Po-Boy Fest --> Tomorrow!!

Get yourself ready!

Sunday, 11/14/10, 11AM - 7PM

check out their cute website here

Shrimp Po-boy