Friday Funnies.

This might be a little contro, but you should read it: Stuff White People Like.

Flavorful and Healthy Dinner

Well hello there. Time for a cooking post. We've been traveling alot lately and as a result I haven't been cooking as much as usual. Tonight however, I got my derriere back in the kitch and it felt good. I had some salmon to use this evening and I saw Robin Miller whipping up this beaut the other day on Food Network, so I decided to give 'er a whirl. Very tasty and flavorful.... and high in Omega-3's and other healthy fats. This was a different take on salmon that was well worth the effort. The saltiness of the capers and olives really added to the depth of the dish. Linguine With Roasted Salmon and Lemon Recipe Courtesy Robin Miller 1 pound linguine, dried or fresh (I used whole wheat dried) 1 tablespoon olive oil 1/4 cup chopped red onion 3 cloves garlic, minced 1 teaspoon dried thyme 1/2 cup vermouth or dry white wine (I used wine) 1/2 cup reduced-sodium chicken or vegetable broth (not 100% necessary, I omitted because I didn't have and everything turned out fine.) 1/2 cup sliced pitted green olives 2 tablespoons lemon juice 2 tablespoons drained capers 1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest Roasted salmon, about 8 ounces, broken up into 2-inch pieces Salt and freshly ground black pepper 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil leaves Place salmon in roasting dish and season with salt and pepper. Top with a few small pats of butter if desired. Roast in a 400 degree oven for about 15 minutes or until fish is opaque and flakes with a fork. Meanwhile, cook linguine according to package directions.

While the linguine is cooking, heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and garlic and cook 3 minutes, until soft. Add thyme and cook 1 minute, until fragrant. Add vermouth and cook 1 minute. Add broth, olives, lemon juice, capers, and lemon zest and bring to a simmer, for 5 minutes.

When the linguine is cooked, drain and add, along with the salmon, to the pan with the olive-caper mixture. Toss to combine using tongs and cook 1 minute to heat through. Season, to taste, with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Remove from heat and stir in basil. Serve immediately.

Indestructable Black Heels.

Black heels and I are foes. We used to be friends, but now we foes. I swear to all that is holy, yours truly can chew through a pair of black heels faster than you can say Punky Brewster. Usually I wear down that rubber thing on the tip of the heel first. Then the shoe starts to make that annoying metal-on-concrete scraping sound. I wish I could buy stock in my shoe repair guy, because seriously I would make a ton of money. So what kind of black heels do you wear? Every woman has a pair.... or three or four or five if you are me. Any tips as to how I could more efficiently preserve my shoes? Obviously I am fed up. In other news, my tights do not want to stop rolling down at the waist today. Fun!

Sunday Musings.

Hi. My apologies that it's been so long since we last spoke! Apparently it has been two weeks since my last confession. So, here's what's been cookin' on the stove of Blog Soup: 1. In the beginning of the month, we went on a Caribbean cruise with our very best friends in the world from Kansas City. Not only was this a great excuse to see all of our friends from home, but two of these friends also got married while we were in port in Jamaica. We had an awesome time... and by the time we got back in ATL, I was definitely ready for some detox. 2. I lurrrrrrve this bakery in my neighborhood, Alon's: I've only driven by it a million times; in fact it's only about a 10-15 minute walk from our house. However, it took me 8 months in Atlanta before I actually went in to the place. That's probably good...because in effect I've probably saved myself some money in the long run! Not only is it a bakery with fabulous breads and pastries, but they also have a wonderful cheese counter, chock full of choices from Europe and the Americas. I could spend a good chunk of my monthly take home on cheese alone. Not to mention a great selection of soups, sandwiches and prepared foods such as roasted garlic feta dip, marinated artichokes and risotto cakes. Last Saturday night, our dinner consisted of three types of cheeses, water crackers, olives, baguette, sliced apples and garlic feta dip. I could eat like that for ages and never get tired of it. They've also just opened up their second location in Dunwoody, right across from Perimeter Mall. 3. We got a Wii. So far I've only spent an hour or so with our new little toy...however I'm seeing the obsession develop as I sit here and blog at 8:36 am on a Sunday morning. I'm waiting for the hubs to wake up so we can play. Sad? No! I'm looking at it as a way to save money on entertainment and pack a little extra physical activity into my sked. 4. Restaurant updates: I have been to Bluefin a few more times now, once for drinks & apps and a few more times for lunch. The food has remained consistently good, however the timing out of the kitchen is extremely lacking. Most of the time I go for lunch with my co-workers, and there have been several occasions where half of the lunches come out a good 15-20 minutes before the rest of the table is served. This makes for an awkward lunch to say the least, sitting there with your rolls or nigiri in front of you while everyone else waits... or vice versa. They do make everything fresh which is great... but having run into this timing problem several times, I'm kind of over it. I should mention that this problem is not limited to large parties... it's also happened with tables of 2-3. Hubs and I enjoyed a tasty meal at La Tavola Trattoria on Valentine's Day. This is a super cute neighborhood spot that we'd been anxious to try for quite some time. The bread came out crusty and warm, and went perfectly with my mixed green salad with gorgonzola. For dinner I had the risotto with black trumpet mushrooms and seared scallops, and Mason enjoyed the baked manicotti with beef, veal, pancetta, spinach and mozzarella. We had a table on the (heated) patio, and it was quite nice...definitely quieter out back than inside the restaurant itself. I would like to go back and try something off of their permanent menu, as my risotto was a special for the night. We also continued our Valentine's Day tradition with a box of Christopher Elbow Chocolates. The chocolate with strawberry balsamic caramel is my favorite.

Schoolhouse Rock

If you have yet to experience the joys of Liberty School Cabernet, I highly recommend you pick up a bottle at your earliest convenience. Ce magnifique!