Some food-related (mostly) things we enjoyed this past week:

Last weekend we went to a concert at a venue about 30 miles from our house in an area we don’t frequent very often.  When trying to decide where to eat dinner on the way to the concert, we realized we would be driving right by our old neighborhood and couldn’t resist the opportunity to see how things have changed since we moved away 6 years ago.  We drove by our old house and were happy to see it looking very well-kept and seemingly loved (little white lights strung through the trees along the big hill in the back make us think the current owners enjoy their time out there), then headed over to the dining and shopping area called Bishop Arts District for dinner.  Back when we lived near there, Bishop Arts had just a handful of restaurants and shops, so we were blown away to see how much the area has grown.  We tried a great new (to us) sushi place and spent a good bit of our delicious meal lamenting the fact that we ever moved away.  We’ll just have to go back and visit more often.

The awesome thing about music is that there is something for everyone, no matter your particular taste or preference.  We’re all free to listen (or not listen) to whatever we want.  Dan and I both happen to like Mat Kearney’s music a lot, and this was our second time to see him play live.  We enjoyed it very much.  We also enjoyed the opening act, Andy Grammer.  We had heard a few of his songs before, but didn’t realize it until he played them at the concert, which was a fun way to recognize his music.  We called it a night after Mat Kearney’s set and didn’t stay for the headlining band.  We have nothing against the group Train (gotta respect musicians who can make the cheap rhyme work as well as they do), but never intended to stay for their show.  Seeing Mat Kearney, getting a bonus set from Andy Grammer and beating the traffic on the drive home was more than worth the price of admission.

We tried a new recipe this week for “scallops gratin.”  Our execution needs a little work (although they tasted great, somehow the finished gratins had too much liquid in them), but our favorite part was using our new gratin dishes.  It’s amazing how cooking something in its own little serving dish makes it seem so much more fancy.

We successfully grew and harvested an eggplant!  We only have one plant that (so far) only yielded one vegetable (the cut eggplant above is ours), so we had to supplement with a couple of baby eggplants from the store.  Unfortunately, the stir fry recipe we tried with the eggplant was not so successful (we blame the miso.)  Oh well — win some, lose some.

When I cleaned out my purse the other day, I found an old fortune-cookie fortune I had saved that reads:  “Don’t be afraid to take that big step.”  For someone like me — shy, devoted to  routine and prone to getting stuck in a rut — the key aspect of this advice is not necessarily taking big steps, it’s mustering courage to step outside my comfort zone in ways both big and small.  I taped the fortune to my laptop, where it can provide inspiration and motivation, instead of languishing in my bag gathering lint and lip gloss residue.

Some food-related (mostly) things we enjoyed this past week:

Thanks to a cool front last weekend, we enjoyed a lovely lunch on the pretty patio at Patrizio.  Fall is on its way and we are so happy to be able to spend time outside, after being cooped up in the (blessed, beautiful) air conditioning all summer.

This is what half of the kitchen often looks like when I cook, especially when it’s a new and complicated (for me) recipe.  Not pictured — the sink/island half of the kitchen, covered with mixing bowls, cutting boards and just about all our kitchen utensils.  While the actual cooking (and dishes!) part is not my favorite, the sense of accomplishment when the meal turns out to be delicious makes it all worthwhile.

Speaking of accomplishments, for the first time all summer, we finally had enough okra ready to harvest from our garden at around the same time, such that we could use it in a side dish, without having to supplement with store-bought okra.  Perhaps next year we should plant more than 3 okra plants . . .

Dan had a quick overnight business trip this week and forgot to bring his iPad (the horror!)  He stopped in the bookstore at the airport for something to read on the plane, and was delighted to find the latest work by Spanish novelist, Carlos Ruiz Zafon.  Turns out that it’s a sequel to one of Dan’s all-time favorite books, The Shadow of the Wind.  He loved the sequel and finished it on the plane ride home — within 24 hours of having bought it.  Forgetting his iPad turned out to be a happy accident after all.

Some food-related (mostly) (and baseball!) things we enjoyed this past week:

We had a wonderful trip to Houston last weekend, for our annual baseball “extravaganza” with my parents (we call it that because the weekend involves a lot of baseball — as does this post — attending 2 games, staying at a baseball-themed hotel, etc.)  The Astros even won a game, amidst one of their worst seasons ever.  The weekend was a tad bittersweet, however, since the hotel, the Inn at the Ballpark, is going to be rebranded as a Westin.  So next year’s extravaganza will be a bit different, with changes occurring at the hotel throughout the off-season.  My people dislike change, but we love that hotel and the people who work there who treat us so well every time we visit (and who we hear will be staying — thank goodness!), so we look forward to checking out the new digs next year.  But the big clock in the lobby will be sorely missed.

No baseball game is complete without a hot dog.  Or three.  Ketchup, onion, tomato and cucumber on mine, and a duo of chili-cheese and mustard-sauerkraut dogs for Dan.

There is an amazing chef at the Inn at the Ballpark who often treats my parents and their friends to special creations when they’re in town for games.  We’re not sure if he created the “Coach’s Favorite” breakfast or which coach loves it, but it’s one of our all-time favorite breakfasts as well.  Toasted English muffin with cream cheese, topped with tomato slices and crispy bacon.  The breakfast version of a BLT — without the L.  We make it at home all the time.

Can you spot the baseball element in the above photo?  It was a gift from our friend Chris, Food and Beverage Director extraordinaire at the Inn, and is one of the coolest foodie novelty items ever.  We are now the proud owners of a pepper grinder shaped like a baseball bat, prominently displayed (and used!) next to our stove.  Thanks again, Chris!

Finally, on a non-baseball related note, we have a baby eggplant growing in our garden!  This is the first time we’ve ever tried to grow eggplant and weren’t sure what to expect.  It’s very little right now (about the size of a thumb) but hopefully it will continue to grow and we’ll be able to use it in a batch of Pasta alla Norma.  Cooking with home-grown veggies is the best.

Some food-related (mostly) things we enjoyed this past week:

We put leftover stir-fried glass noodles from one of our favorite Thai restaurants to good use by re-heating them, slapping a fried egg on top and calling it breakfast.  We were inspired by a kimchi fried rice dish (also topped with an egg) that Dan has perfected and we’ll be posting here soon.

It’s Hatch green chile season, and Chuy’s celebrates from now through September 9 with special menu items (and a new mascot, apparently) featuring this (spicy!) gem from New Mexico.

It’s also almost football season, which means Fantasy Football season, which means losing Dan to the TV and computer every Sunday from now until the Super Bowl (but I’m not bitter.)  His first Fantasy Football draft (yep, he’s in 2 fantasy leagues) seemed to go pretty well and he’s hopeful for a good season.  Yay.

Dan was lucky enough to spend a few days in Palo Alto this week (we love that place!) and got to have his favorite stromboli at a lovely little Italian place called Cafe Renzo.

Although I didn’t get to go to California this week, I was lucky enough to spot a double rainbow!  I didn’t get quite as excited about it as this guy, but it was pretty cool to see.

Some food-related (mostly) things we enjoyed this past week:

We were traveling for most of Restaurant Week 2012 so we didn’t go all out like we did last year, but last Friday night we enjoyed the Restaurant Week offering at Nosh Euro Bistro.  The duck confit was amazing.  Dan had the espresso-braised short ribs for his main course, which was also delicious, but it’s pretty hard to compete with crispy duck skin and richly tender and juicy duck meat.  For our starter courses, we had salt & pepper calamari and kobe beef meatballs, both of which were quite good.  Overall, we liked Nosh a lot and would go back.

We also plan to return to a new “gastropub” we found called Park Tavern.  Often.  It’s a really cool place with a huge outdoor bar and patio.  And as much as we loved the atmosphere, the food was even better.  We highly recommend the smoked chicken wings (BBQ style) and the shrimp banh mi, but there are at least 10 other items on the menu that we also want to try.

Rain is always a much-needed favorite thing during the summer here, and Dan doesn’t let it stop him from grilling.  Lest you think the umbrella was to keep his hair from getting wet, its purpose was actually to keep our shrimp skewers dry when he flipped them. On a side note, check out our monster tomato and basil plants beside the grill.  That’s no trick of the camera — they are as tall as a person and nearly as wide, and the tomato plants are still producing fruit!

Dan has been raving about the grilled cheese sandwiches from Ruthie’s food truck for months, and I finally got to try one for myself.  The “turkey trot” (turkey, bacon and cheddar on sourdough) more than lived up to his hype and may be the best grilled cheese sandwich I’ve ever had.  No wonder he ditches the lunches I so lovingly prepare and pack for him if the Ruthie’s truck is around.

Not to get all crazy-cat-lady on you, but our most favorite thing this week is having our little Bella back home.  She had to spend most of the week in quarantine at the vet after getting a radioactive iodine treatment for hyperthyroidism.  This is the same cat who has heart disease, so it was especially important to get her hyperthyroidism treated early to prevent any further damage to her heart.  So we did and she’s fine, even if still slightly radioactive (and really, really pissed at having been in a cage all week).  The world’s most expensive cat lives on.

Some food-related (mostly) things we enjoyed this past week:

Dan went on a quick little fishing trip in Pennsylvania last weekend with his college roommates.  Even more than catching fish, they had a great time catching up with each other and hope to make the trip an annual event.

Since Dan was already in PA, we decided to extend his trip, and I flew up to join him on a visit to see his mom in Altoona.  One of the best things about a summer trip to Altoona is the farm-fresh (as in picked-the-day-you-buy-it) corn.  Tender and sweet, it is unlike anything we can get here in Dallas.

Another treat we enjoy during summer visits to Altoona is spending time outside (without sweating.)  A sunny day lunch on the patio at Jethro’s, overlooking a golf course and rolling hills in the distance, is a particular favorite.

If you ever find yourself in the Pittsburgh airport, check out celebrity chef Michael Symon’s new restaurant, Bar Symon.  Unfortunately, we missed the grand opening (which Chef Symon is going to attend!) by just a few days, but we’ll be back — not just traveling through on our way to see Dan’s mom, but also for the pulled pork sandwich.

Back at home, we noticed the most beautiful bloom on one of our okra plants.  Not all the plants bloom, they don’t bloom all the time, and the blooms don’t last very long, but they are so pretty when you can spot one — with the palest, creamy yellow petals and deep burgandy centers.

We unwittingly happened to cook bouillabaisse on what would have been Julia Child’s 100th birthday.  It was chicken bouillabaisse rather than the traditional fish version and the recipe needs some tweaking, but we figured it was a fitting (if unintentional) tribute to a master of the art of French cooking.

Some food-related (mostly) things we enjoyed this past week:

The chilaquiles at Cafe Brazil are one of our favorite weekend breakfasts.  There are many different variations and recipes for chilaquiles (we should know, we’ve researched recipes to attempt to make them at home), but Cafe Brazil makes theirs with scrambled eggs, tomatillo sauce, onions, jack cheese, tortilla chips and your choice of freshly pulled chicken, chorizo or sliced smoked turkey (we usually get chicken.)  Simple, savory Mexican comfort food.

We tried out a new steak salad recipe:  pan-seared strip steaks with sauteed portobello mushrooms and red onion, gorgonzola and arugula.  The recipe didn’t call for it, but we added some tomatoes from our garden.  All the flavors came together really well, and with the saute and steak juices, no dressing was necessary for the arugula.

Some days call for a special bottle of wine.  We raided our wine fridge one night this week and enjoyed a nice bottle of pinot noir from the Frank Family Vineyard, which we visited last year during our trip to Napa.

The pan-seared strip steak made a second appearance, dressed up a little differently:  combined with fresh red onion slivers, sliced shiitake mushrooms, spinach and arugula and tossed with a variation of the Asian-style dressing from this spinach and shrimp salad recipe.

Speaking of spinach, we’ve been adding a handful of spinach leaves to our smoothies lately.  Although it turns the smoothie green and makes it look like it would taste vegetable-y, you can’t taste the spinach at all.  I know, I didn’t believe it either, until I tasted it.  Seriously — if the smoothie wasn’t green, you would have no idea there was any spinach in there.  Our current favorite smoothie is made with almond milk, banana, peaches (or nectarines), pineapple (and/or mango if we have it), chia seeds and spinach.

We debated whether to post any favorites today, in light of a very sad occurrence this week — our friend’s dad passed away unexpectedly.  It seemed insensitive to post our silly little photos of food and other stuff we like when our friend and his family are hurting through such a difficult time.  But the experience is a reminder that life is so very short, and we take the photos throughout our week as a way to remind ourselves to stop and appreciate the good things in our lives.  So we share the photos and the hope that others will also take a little time to be grateful for their own favorites.

Roasting a chicken is easy, makes your kitchen smell amazing, and provides great leftovers.

Seeing a comedian at a comedy club is a fun date night.  Even the waiters were funny — the guy who sat us (right beside the stage) said “if you guys were sitting any closer, you’d have to tell some jokes.”

Eating the grilled hamachi kama (yellowtail collar) at Sushi Sake is almost a religious experience for Dan, he loves it so much.

Remembering how good the lamb is at Ziziki’s when we were craving a gyro, but found out the place where we originally wanted to go was closed, saved our Sunday lunch.

Finding and executing an amazing recipe for kimchi fried rice resulted in the best meal of the week.

Some food-related (mostly) things we enjoyed this past week:

H Mart is a giant Asian grocery store that defies description.  The produce section alone is overwhelming, with bins and bins of exotic fruits and vegetables.  There are rows and rows of all different types of kimchi (one of Dan’s favorite things) and pickled stuff.  Aisles and aisles of noodles and rices.  Tons and tons of fresh seafood and various kinds and cuts of meats.  Cases and cases of frozen food items.  Shopping at H Mart is an experience, even if you don’t end up buying anything.

We made our own (healthier) version of a favorite fast-food breakfast:  toasted whole wheat muffin with browned slices of Canadian bacon, melted cheddar cheese and a fried egg with slightly runny yolk.  Ronald McDonald’s got nothing on us.

We always love finding excellent, new (to us) restaurants, especially Tex-Mex places.  After just one visit, Lazaranda Mexican Seafood Grill has officially been added to our restaurant rotation.  The menu is extensive and everything we tried was delicious.  Most importantly, Lazaranda exceeded our Tex-Mex expectations of the perfect margarita and awesome guacamole.

We enjoyed a post-dinner evening swim last week and wondered why we’ve never done so before.  Floating around the pool and watching the moon come up was a great way to end the day.

Best jambalaya ever, with smoked turkey and andouille sausage.  We both had seconds and might have had thirds if we didn’t want to save some for lunches later in the week (when it was even better than the first night!)

Some food-related (mostly) things we enjoyed this past week:

Our local Central Market offers the “Sip and Shop” feature where shoppers can purchase a glass of wine or a beer to sip while — you guessed it — shopping.  We don’t always sip and shop, but when we do, it turns the sometimes tedious chore of grocery shopping into an enjoyable afternoon outing.

With so many yummy fruits currently in season (see also, cheap), we were inspired to try grilling some of the bounty and making a salad out of it.  We grilled pineapple, apricots, peaches and grapes, then tossed the grilled fruit with crumbled goat cheese and a finely chopped jalapeno and drizzled all of it with a white balsamic vinegar reduction.  Summer on a plate.  We’ll post about it soon, but a couple of tips we learned are to use barely-ripe fruit (over-ripe fruit may get mushy) and if you grill grapes longer than a couple of minutes, their skins disappear.

Back when we participated in the Charcutepalooza “Year of Meat,” we discovered the perfection that is duck confit.  Knowing we still had some duck legs in our freezer, Dan had a craving but decided to prepare the confit a little differently this time.  He dusted off his sous vide machine, filled it with water, set it to 178 degrees, then cooked the cured duck legs in a vacuum-sealed bag in the machine for 10 hours.  Then all we had to do was pop the duck in the oven for about 15-20 minutes and pair it with a salad and a poached egg for an amazing weeknight meal.

Because we don’t already have enough kitchen gadgets and we enjoy a sparkling beverage on occasion, we recently purchased a Sodastream.  We’re pretty happy with it — it doesn’t take up much space and you can create your own club soda with varying levels of bubbly-ness.

Our cucumber plant is not quite done yet!  We thought it was a goner once the temps started regularly reaching high 90s and 100s, but it has hung in there and even has multiple flowers, some of which will hopefully turn into little cucumbers for pickling.