Mojitos, my new favorite herbal remedy

With the deck right outside our kitchen door, it's both easy and convenient to grow our own herbs.  This year, we've planted basil, mint, rosemary, parsley and cilantro.  In addition to providing some fresh flavors to add to our meals, they actually provide a lovely green backdrop when we're outside, enjoying the outside space that we were so sorely lacking in our old place.

Our exploding mint plant (left) along with some very tall basil (right)

Parsley (upper left), cilantro (upper right), rosemary (lower center)

As the caption states, within days of planting it our mint plant exploded.  Huge, green and EVERYWHERE.  The parsley has a tendency to do the same thing.  However, parsley lends itself to drying very easily.  So when it gets too large, I just cut down what I want to dry and bring it in.  Mint in any form but fresh just doesn't do it for me.  As a result, B and I needed to find a way to use our mint and fast.  Right about the same time the temperatures in DC were starting to spike considerably, in fact we were well on our way to what a good friend of mine called, "sweaty pits 2011."  B solved both problems (if not somewhat temporarily) in one delicious go - MOJITOS! Crisp, refreshing and mint-filled.  Here's the recipe he used, hopefully you'll find it as tasty and heat-beating as we did!

Ingredients (per glass)

4 mint leaves
Juice of 1 lime
1 teaspoon powdered sugar
2 ounces white rum
2 ounces club soda
crushed ice

Place the mint leaves in the bottom of your highball glass and squeeze the lime juice over them. Add the powdered sugar. Muddle the mint, lime juice and sugar together. Add crushed ice. Stir in the rum and top off with the club soda.

Magic chicken

This one's for you DS.

We stumbled onto this combination just playing with chicken breasts, the grill and spices.  We've fed it to many people and one of them dubbed it "Magic Chicken." Why magic?  Because you would never think that by taking chicken and adding just two spices could make it so unbelievably delicious.  But somehow you can - it's like magic!

To make this super easy and extremely versatile chicken favorite simply buy boneless, skinless chicken breast.  We prefer the air chilled chicken breasts from Whole Foods, but that's just personal preference.  Preheat your grill to very hot (we let ours get up to about 550 - 600 degrees). Lay the chicken breasts out on a plate.  Brush each breast with a thin layer of olive oil to help the spices stick to the chicken and to keep it from sticking to the grill.  Sprinkle liberally with Kosher salt.  Add fresh cracked pepper, also in a liberal amount.  Cover the entire breast with chili powder (the whole thing should be more or less red when you're done).  Finally sprinkle a couple of teaspoons of cumin over each breast.  Pat the chicken to adhere the spices. Flip with tongs and repeat on the opposite side.  When you're done it should look something like this.

Mmm...magic chicken

To get really juicy flavorful chicken, the trick to grilling it is fast and hot.  Preheated to its highest temperatures, the chicken goes down on the grill for about five minutes per side, just until its firm to the touch and cooked through.  Allow it to sit for a few minutes to let the juices redistribute.

 B's pretty grill lines and tasty spice crust

Once you've allowed it to rest you can use it for any number of delicious meal creations.  Our two favorites are fajitas (add oven roasted butternut and yellow squash and zucchini, Trader Joe's handmade tortillas and carcaramelized Vidalia onions) and Southwest chicken sandwiches (whole wheat hamburger buns, sliced extra sharp English cheddar, sliced avocado and caramelized Vidalia onions).

Roadtripping with Junior

Saturday morning dawned later than usual thanks to a fair amount of wine the night before.  After packing up and checking out of our hotel we grabbed a cab and headed for Jamaica Plain to meet JH and PY for breakfast before borrowing JH's little red Cavelier, "Junior", for our trip up to New Hampshire.

After finally getting to see JH and PY's apartment (they've lived there two years, we're awful!), we piled into Junior and headed up the street to the Sugar Baking Company, a really cute spot in Roslindale.  With nice weather they had their front windows completely removed so the little place opened right onto the street.  We enjoyed pretty traditional breakfast fare, with a couple of perfectly poached eggs with crispy home fries and toast for me; an arugula, bacon and cheddar omelet for B; a Company omelet with apples and farmhouse Cheddar for JH; and yogurt, granola and fruit for PY.  Everyone's breakfast was delicious, but the spot was the best.  With the whole place open onto the street it had a great neighborhood feel.  Combine this with interesting food choices (stuffed french toast with figs and brie!) and lots of vegetarian friendly options for JH and PY and I'm certain that will try this place again on our next Boston visit.

Unfortunately for our visit with JH and PY, after breakfast we had to pack up and drive out of Boston, escorted by JH's lovely and talented Junior, for Lake Winnipesaukee in New Hampshire to attend B's friend's wedding.

We arrived just in time to get ready and be one time to the ceremony, held lakeside under a tent.  It had been raining on and off all day and it was a bit blustery.  I spent our first few minutes poaching B's body heat.  But that was all forgotten when the Bride walked down the aisle, gorgeous and beaming.  While the ceremony was very quick, there was no doubt about how thrilled both Bride and Groom were to be saying their "I dos."

Every one rose during the recessional for the Resort staff to do the fastest change of the tent from ceremony to cocktail hour I've ever seen.  It was light speed and impressive.  And I doubt any of the guests, including me, even realized it was going on at the time. We were all too awed by the fact that as the Bride and Groom had left the tent the sky had opened into dazzling afternoon sun which stayed with us right until it was time to take our seats inside for dinner and dancing.

We enjoyed the reception as much as we'd enjoyed the ceremony and cocktail hour.  While we knew only a few of the people seated with us, everyone was friendly and outgoing and we enjoyed great dinner conversation.  Our dinner was followed by...wait for it...dancing.  As in, we danced.  Those of you who know B know that unless the music is really good (in his opinion), he's not partaking.  Well, this wedding gets two thumbs up on the DJ because we danced over and over again.  Sadly, I don't have any pics from the evening, but we had a great time and were glad we were able to share in the Bride and Groom's special day.

Somehow we got moving early on Sunday, heading back to Boston from New Hampshire.  A quick two hour drive and one breakfast stop later, we were back in Boston to spend the late morning and early afternoon with JH and PY before we had to return to DC.   We had a great, casual day.  We walked around JP, grabbed coffee and took a leisurely stroll through the Arboretum on what turned out to be Lilac Sunday.  This is a special occassion heralded every year in Boston as a tribute to the lilac.  As a result, the Arb (it's the Ann Arbor in me, I can't help but call it that) was pretty crowded.  But we still managed to enjoy the flowering trees and more of the excellent conversation that we are always thankful for with these amazing friends.  Unfortunately, our trip was drawing to a close and we only had time for a quick sushi lunch before we had to hit the airport.  But like always, we made the most of the time we had together.  JH and PY, we're so lucky to have you guys as friends! Thanks for a wonderful visit!

Channeling tourism in dulcet tones

The weekend after B's 30th, we headed up to Boston for a short visit with our fantastic friends JH and PY and to attend a wedding of a good friend of B's from work in New Hampshire.  As just a short weekend trip, it wasn't long enough to soak up all the JH and PY time we wanted, but we're still glad we got to visit.  

We arrived Friday night around the close of the business day, settled into our hotel in the Back Bay and headed over to the Parish Cafe on Boylston Street to meet PY for drinks while JH was finishing up at the office.  While it was a windy day, the temperature was nice and we were able to sit outside and enjoy our drinks and the first of a weekend filled with good company.  We didn't have too much time to linger over our happy hour though, as we'd been able to snag a reservation to celebrate both B's birthday (5/3) and PY's birthday (5/7) at an excellent Italian restaurant, also in the Back Bay neighborhood.  After drinks, we met up with JH in front of Sorellina.

We were seated at 6PM and enjoyed a leisurely three hour dinner complete with wine, first course, mains and dessert. We began our meal with two primi (aka the appetizer course) to share.  PY and JH ordered the Verdure, a plate of french beans, sunchokes, artichokes and carrots drizzled with a citrus vinaigrette.  B and I settled on the Tuna, which was served sashimi style with a spicy mostarda aioli and chili vinegar.  Both plates were excellent and were nice, light ways to start the meal.

For our mains, JH ordered the Cappellacci, a red beet farcito, served with toasted Marcona almonds and creme fraiche.  Sadly for this blog, PY ordered a special that I recall was quite delicious, but without being able to jog my memory looking at the online menu, I fail to remember what it was.  Sorry PY, but at least I remember it was good!  They shared eggplant rolatini filled with sheep's milk ricotta that was also exceptional.  B and I were true to our carniverous ways, ordering the Maccheroncelli and the veal respectively.  The Maccheroncelli, which I had to refer back to the menu three times to spell properly, was a combination of homemade pasta, barollo sauce and American Kobe beef meatballs that were amazing!  My veal was also great, served saltimbocca style (translation: jump in my mouth) with sage, prosciutto and mushrooms.  With such delicious food and great conversation with good friends we lingered over our mains for quite a while. 

When we finally moved on to dessert, we found ourselves all on the same page - the Sformato - a chocolate mousse confection served with warm salted caramel and hazelnut brittle (on the side in our case to accommodate my ultra-annoying food allergies).  Two dishes of Sformato, two coffees, an espresso and a cappuccino later three hours had passed. We were full and ready to move.

We decided the best way to facilite the digestion of our dinner and allow B and JH to smoke the cigars B had brought from DC was just to walk around Boston.  The weather was still nice even with the sun down so we made our way from the Back Bay, through the Boston Common to downtown where we ultimately ended up in a bar at the Omni Parker House.  We probably spent about an hour walking over there though, just enjoying the weather, the company and in B and JH's case, their cigars.

We rounded out our night with more wine at Parker's bar in the Omni.  Since JH, PY and I had all ordered different reds (B opted for a Plymouth gin martini, his favorite), we entertained ourselves playing the tasting game.  Testing our palates to see if we could decide which glass was which. Ultimately, we failed to properly identify the three glasses during our game, but all showed a preference for our own orders.  At least we know our own tastes.

About midnight, we were all yawning having had long days of working and/or traveling and decided it was time for bed.  We caught a cab back to the hotel in time to get a good night's sleep and prepare for the day ahead.

B turns 30!

It's official, he's crossed over into another decade.  Several friends tell me that in the three months in which I will still be in my twenties, I need to make the most of it, reminding him frequently of his cradle-robbing ways.  Perhaps I will even start referring to him as my "sugar daddy."  Maybe not.  More on this birthday business in my Boston post.

Spiced Lamb Kebabs with Cucumber Salad

Since neither B nor I are big Easter celebrators, we didn't do anything on Easter Sunday.  But we decided we couldn't be denied some of the tasty lamb that many of our friends and family would be partaking in that day.  This little recipe was a perfect solution.

Ingredients

1 1/4 cups plain fat-free Greek yogurt
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon hot paprika
1 garlic clove, minced
1 pound boneless leg of lamb, trimmed

Combine yogurt, cumin, paprika, and garlic in a bowl. Cut lamb into 24 (1-inch) cubes; sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper. Combine lamb and 1/2 cup yogurt mixture in a zip-top plastic bag (refrigerate the remaining yogurt mixture); seal and marinate in refrigerator at least 1 hour. Remove lamb, and discard marinade. Thread 3 lamb pieces onto each of 8 (10-inch) skewers. Heat the grill to medium-high heat; coat with cooking spray. Arrange 4 skewers on the grill; cook for 4 minutes or until desired degree of doneness, turning frequently. Remove from the pan. Repeat with remaining skewers. Serve with remaining yogurt mixture.

 Prepped lamb kebabs, awaiting the grill

Getting grilled

We served our grilled lamb kebabs with a cucumber salad, made with cucumber, scallions and feta.  The proportions are discretionary, although I suggest a ratio of two cucumbers to one scallion to one ounce of feta.

Dress the mix with this lemon vinaigrette recipe.

Ingredients

The juice of 1 lemon
2 Tbsp red wine vinegar
Pinch of salt
Fresh cracked pepper
1/2 cup Olive oil

Place first four ingredients in a bowl.  As you whisk these ingredients together, slowly drizzle in the olive oil.  Whisk until emulsified. Dress the salad.

Blog buster

You've heard the expression "Vegas or Bust!", well, Vegas posts seem to be busting my ability to blog.  I don't know what the blockage is, it was a great trip, but I can't seem to discipline myself to sit down and write both posts for Days 3 and 4.  In the interest of the 6 other recipe posts I have in the queue and a Boston/New Hampshire post that needs writing, I'm going to button up Vegas with this one final post and just hit the highlights.  And those higlights would be...food of course.  Two meals to be exact.

The first tasty delight was Todd English's Olives.  B and I had ventured here during our last trip, but arrived during the time between lunch and dinner when the Mediterranean inspired spot serves only a limited menu.  We had a great lunch on that occassion, but were eager see what the full menu had to offer.  We were not disappointed!

The four of us sat down to a lunch that began with three different types of olive tapenade, flat bread and focaccia.  Since my father is and will always be a bread man (to the point of embarrassing me as a child with his incessant requests for more and more and more bread), he was happy from the start.  B and I decided to split an appetizer and ordered the Carpaccio.  This wasn't your average plate of raw meat.  Topping the perfectly pounded beef was shaved parmesan, sweet balsamic, roasted Cipollini onions, scallion cream and arugula.  It was MASSIVE! And absolutely mouth-wateringly delicious.  The next time I go, this will be my entree, there will be no need for other food. 

But since we didn't know just how enormous and amazing the Carpaccio would be going in, we had each ordered an entree.  B chose sea scallops, seared to a perfect golden color while still moist and meaty inside.  In addition to two GIANT scallops, the plate also included whipped potatoes and a cold "slaw" made with jicama and cilantro.  Sadly, food allergies on this dish kept me at bay, but B assures me it was delicious.  My dad chose the free-range chicken, roasted in a brick oven and served with potato cake, green beans and a madiera reduction.  While he tends to stay with "safer" foods when we go out, I'll give him this, he always seems to choose well. The chicken was juicy and the reduction was boldly flavored.  My mom selected a grilled flank steak served with tempura onions rings.  Flank steak isn't my favorite, it's long fibers make it tough sometimes.  But again, we were eating in a restaurant worthy of praise.  The flank steak was tender and the onion rings were fabulous.  Light and flaky but still quite rich.  Lastly, I chose a house stand-by, the ricotta ravioli with sweet italian sausage and tomato basil sauce.  I try to stay away from the "safe" options and push myself to try new things. But I'd watched this dish go by several times and it looked too good not to try.  It was great.  In the end, I found myself wishing the sausage had a little more heat (since as a good friend of mine once said, "It's not a meal unless your nose is running when it's over!").  But to be fair to restaurant, it was always billed as sweet and not spicy sausage.  Overall, we were extremely pleased with Olive's and would go back again.

And now on to the culinary highlight of the trip, Strip Steak (which I occassionally get befuddled by and call Skirt Steak, much to the superior cut of meat's shagrin I'm sure).  We made a reservation her for our last night in town, a nice way to close out the trip and an opportunity for B and I to treat my parents to a nice meal.  Every meal at Strip Steak in the Mandalay Bay begins with a trio of thin cut fries compliments of the house, each one fried up sinfully in duck fat.  This makes them crispier and so, so tasty!  They are served with three dipping sauces, each doctored up to put a little umph in what would otherwise be traditional ketchup, mayo and mustard based sauces.  Personally, I'm partial to the Old Bay seasoned sauce.  It tastes like summer in the mid-Atlantic, where the best food to be found is Maryland blue crab, steamed and steeped in Old Bay.  Mmmm. 

While munching on our fries, we selected our meals.  B chose an American Kobe Rib-Eye while both my parents and I chose Filet Mignon.  While I know that Filet, as steak cuts go, is the most tender it's often also the least flavorful.  Unfortunately for me though, it's the only steak that comes in a size that is even reasonable for me to consider eating.  At 10 ounces, I still didn't finish it. I just can't eat that much steak. 

We also chose a few sides to share among the table.  Our sides included steamed asparagus, truffled mac and cheese and scalloped potatoes.  The first and last in that list seem like old stand bys, but SS added their own touches to even these sides that made them as memorable as the meat.  The asparagus was steamed perfectly and coated in a horseradish buerre blanc that both made the otherwise healthy side a touch more decadent as well as added a nice kick to an otherwise tame vegetable flavor.  The scallop potatoes - where to begin.  I should probably state that I have a love affair with potatoes. I am drawn to them like a moth to a flame.  Bad for my waist line but still irresistable.  I love them as a perfect food. I even like them raw (insert your gagging noises here).  My obvious subjectivity aside, this scalloped potato recipe, layered with sweet onions and queso fresco was phenomenal.  I could have forgotten my expertly prepared and wonderfully delicious steak and ran away with the potatoes.  It's Vegas, I'm sure someone would have married us if I'd asked. And how could I forget the truffled mac and cheese?  Fabulous.  But you knew it would be just from the name.  Wrap all of this up with cocktails to begin the meal (a Plymouth gin Martini for B and a glass of Champagne for me), and a bottle of Joseph Phelps 2006 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon and you have a meal to remember.