After the Rain

As most you weather-channel addicted folks know, the Midwest has been slammed with thunderstorms and flooding. Thankfully, Fort Wayne has not suffered any flooding nor any devastating damage as a result. Instead, we have seen beautiful rainbows and sunset colored skylines like the pictures I posted above. This is one thing I love about living in Indiana, so enjoy the pics. Tonight Paul and I are going to his sister's for dinner and I'm finishing up a batch of Chocolate-Toffee Smores Cookies. Will post a picture of the cookies next week. Happy Friday!

fathers.

Yesterday was Father's Day and while I wasn't able to spend time with my dad on such occasion, I did the next best thing, baked. Actually I made blueberry muffins for Paul for Father's Day, but would've done the same for my dad! Most who know me can positively affirm that I am not a morning person, it takes alot for me to get up in the morning, especially when I don't have to do so. But yesterday, I got up an hour early and made homemade blueberry muffins for my man since he is a daddy of four, yes, count them four children (i.e. rugrats, munchkins, etc.). They were especially good accompanied by melted salted butter and a cool glass of milk. In Paul's case, accompanied by a nice hot cup of Old Crown Roaster's, Panama Red coffee. Bliss in a cup and in your mouth.

the onset of summer

The rains continue to pour the thunder roars, but in between the outcrys of Mother Nature, we are blessed with the fruit of local farmers labor. This past Saturday I made my local rounds at Cedar Creek Produce in Leo, Indiana to purchase my eggs and behold! the variety is bountiful. The picture above depicts my purchases for the day - farm fresh brown eggs, a pint of rather larger than life cherry tomatoes and thick lucious asparagus stalks. Red potatoes, green bell peppers, strawberries and watermelons were also available for purchase. I made a lovely dish of angel hair pasta with these tomatoes and a few asparagus stalks chopped up. Let the veggies simmer in mounds of garlic, extra virgin olive oil, sea salt and red chili pepper flakes. I'm looking forward to more summer goodness in the form of food. It's the simple things in life.

a tribute to bobby flay.

this past sunday, paul and i invited michelle from brew daily's over for a sunday supper. for christmas, my dad bought me bobby flay's latest book, mesa grill, devoted to his new york and las vegas restaurants. a couple of labor day weekends ago, dad and i made the trek to vegas to eat there, so i was totally stoked when this book came out at the end of last year. i used this opportunity to create dishes from this new book and test them out on paul and michelle. the menu included cumin crusted chicken with a mango garlic sauce, creamy green chile rice and a roasted asparagus and wild mushroom salad with bleu cheese, toasted pecans and a red chile mustard viniagrette. overall, i think it turned out splendidly. for dessert (not pictured because i completely forgot to take one) lime vanilla creme brulee. eat your hearts out.

memorial day.

Last Monday was Memorial Day and while I should've been enjoying the "cook-out" and socializing with Paul's family, I was lying on his mother's couch sick as a dog a majority of the time. This was my dessert contribution to the festivities however. Paul loves cheesecake (and I learned so does his sister) and he's been asking me to make a traditional New York cheesecake. The above depicts the results thereof. I have made cheesecake two other times in my life and neither of those recipes were traditional. So I took on the challenge and decorated the cheesecake with half a pint of raspberries from a local farm. I was surprised to find that the recipe not only included softened cream cheese, but sour cream as well as heavy cream. I believe the sour cream is what gives it that smooth and light texture. Everyone seemed to enjoy it as only a quarter of the cheesecake was left. Always a good sign.