Bánh Mì Salad with Marinated Tofu and Japanese Ginger-Carrot-Miso Dressing

BANH MI SALAD w/ MARINATED TOFU & JAPANESE GINGER-CARROT-MISO DRESSING  

This is a really fun salad for this springtime weather we've been getting in Chicago (finally).  It began as a quest to satisfy my craving for that delicious ginger-carrot-miso dressing that used to be typically served in Japanese restaurants (but less so now, no?).   But, then, as I built the salad up with accoutrements, it evolved into sort of a bánh mì-inspired salad with many Southeast Asian flavors like pickled cucumbers, cilantro, and peanuts.  It certainly makes for a colorful presentation, so I brought it along for Mother's Day brunch.  

There are a bunch of individual components to the salad that are good recipes to have in-and-of themselves, such as the marinated tofu.  The same marinade could easily be applied to chicken if you wanted a meatier substitution.  The pickled cucumbers make for a very healthy snack to have around the house on hot summer days, and the dressing is ideal if you're being careful about your diet.  I don't think I've ever made a healthier salad dressing recipe that was packed so full of flavor.  Now that I think about it, if I had realized sooner that this was evolving into a bánh mì salad I would have added just a little bit of lime juice to the dressing recipe (now that limes are back in stock!).

If you happen to have any leftovers when all is said and done, it does actually make for a great sandwich for lunch the next day.  Just buy a baguette and pile on the tofu, dressing, and veggies (and maybe some sliced jalapeno) and... bánh mì!

Vegan Ethiopian Trio with Quick Injera

VEGAN ETHIOPIAN TRIO w/ QUICK INJERA

Ethiopian has been on the kitchen to do list for a really long time now, and I committed to attempting it early last week.  I researched multiple variations of dishes, vegetarian and non-vegetarian, and compared dozens of different recipes for injera, trying to balance out authenticity and time efficiency.  Naturally, the first semi-conscious thought I had this morning in the waking minutes between denial and reality was "this is not the day to make Ethiopian."  I dozed for another few minutes settled on the thought that it would be much wiser to put this off until June, when time would cease to matter.  It would be crazy to commit to a cooking adventure that was really four recipes to tackle in a narrow window of time between the day's more pressing activities.

But since I only allow a window between 10am and noon for blogging, and by 9:30 no better ideas had occurred to me, off I went to the store to scrounge together a few ingredients I needed to pull off and Ethiopian feast.  Of course, there was no sign of teff flour (the traditional stuff for injera), and as I expected, no fenugreek or yellow split peas, so I had to make due with a few substitutions.    At this point Garrett wisely decided to head down the street to a coffee shop to get work done, and out of the way of any potential kitchen meltdowns. 

As it turns out, this whole process was so much easier than I anticipated.  The three separate dishes pretty much come together in the exact same process of layering flavors on top of an onion base, so as long as you have a food processor that can quickly mince onions and a stove top with four burners, you're set.  I expected that my first attempt at injera would surely end with a pile of burnt, ripped crepes that were impossible to remove from the pan.  But no, they cooked up quickly and slid right off the pan and on to the plate.  I even did the dishes while I cooked so the kitchen wasn't a complete disaster when all was said and done.  It was the zen of kitchen.

So, how did this compare to going out to an Ethiopian restaurant?  First, Garrett and I agreed that the end result was much better than either of us expected.  We assumed it would be tasty, but not all that reminiscent of the real deal.  We were wrong about that, too.  If anything, these versions are a bit less rich because they're vegan,  specifically because they swap the Ethiopian spiced butter (niter kebbeh) for oil as a flavor base.  As a positive trade-off, we didn't feel like total worthless crap the rest of the day after eating a large portion.  The slightly bigger difference was the taste and texture of the injera.  Despite the addition of vinegar and lemon juice, the crepe didn't have as much of the characteristic sourdough flavor of authentic injera (or as many bubbles).  Given that the real deal would have taken a whole day to ferment with yeast, I think this quick version is a completely acceptable compromise.  The final assessment was a resounding "exceeded expectations," if you're going for a healthier, faster Ethiopian meal.

West African "Peanut" Soup (with Tahini)

WEST AFRICAN "PEANUT" SOUP 

(W/ TAHINI)

It's been a few weeks since I've been able to tinker around in the kitchen thanks to a busy February that is just flying by.  Even though Chicago temperatures are supposed to be in the teens tomorrow, last week's rain followed by this weekend's abundant sunshine are surely signs that we'll all come crawling out of the woodwork soon enough.  

So tinker I have.  I decided to formalize a somewhat bizarre flavor mixture that I've been concocting the last few months by adding tahini to spicy udon noodles coated in chili paste.  I really like the richness of the tahini with the chili, kind of a more intense version of pad thai.  I know, it sounds like something only pregnant women would eat in the middle of the night.

When I came across a recipe for West African Peanut Soup, I immediately went for an adaptation of my new guilty pleasure by first replacing the peanut butter with tahini, and serving it with rice noodles.  The result is sort of a fusion between the West African and Thai dishes, but with a sesame rather than peanut base.  I had a little bit of trouble emulsifying the tahini paste with the broth of the soup, and I'm not sure if this was a unique problem for tahini versus peanut butter.  I didn't find it to affect the texture of taste at all, so ignore the "graininess" of the images.  Feel free to try a more traditional recipe for West African Peanut Soup that uses unsalted peanut butter.  It can be served with rice, or no starchy side at all.  I did serve up a bowl over rice, but found I much preferred the more substantive noodle texture with the creaminess of the soup.

Garlic Linguine with Fresh Tomato and Basil

GARLIC LINGUINE W/ FRESH TOMATO & BASIL

I'm mentally marching full steam ahead into spring, regardless of what the weather app says.  The year is being measured out in airfare miles and adventures, the first of which is a trip to Dallas in mid-February for a friend's baby shower, followed by spring break in Rome with Garrett.  We have tickets and a 50 square meter apartment off the Plaza Navona (twice as big as Paris!), and Garrett has also gotten hooked on Duolingo learning Italian.  That seems like all we need.

I've had the great joy of visiting Rome on two previous occasions with students, which means I don't feel I have anything really to plan as far as an agenda goes.  I'll just exist in Rome for a week, and eat a bunch of pasta, pizza, and gelato along the way.  Garrett, on the other hand, has never been to Italy so I'm sure that will take us around to the standard sites.  While the parallel experience of going to Paris made me most excited to show Garrett the physical beauty of the city, in Rome my anticipation lies in watching him eat his first bowl of fresh Italian pasta.  I know it seems difficult to imagine that the pasta is much better there, but it is.

This weekend we did start to think about places we might want to go for a day trip or two, which built up a craving for pasta.  Here was my attempt to embrace the texture and simplicity that marks a solid Italian bowl of pasta, as opposed to the mushy noodles we drown in oily red sauce in the States.  The dish is fresh, flavorful, light, and easy (taking only about 15 minutes from start to end).  As far as pasta goes, it's pretty guilt-free (just a hair above the 500-calorie mark) as long as you don't overdo it on portion size.  It takes just a few basic ingredients, and you can taste every single one of them in each bite.  Buon appetito.

Brussels Sprout Salad with Lemon and Mint Dressing

BRUSSELS SPROUT 
SALAD W/ LEMON-MINT DRESSING 

Happy new year, everybody.  I know a lot of you have probably made resolutions to clean up your diet in 2014, just like me, so here's a recipe that satisfies any bizarre parameters you might have concocted.  Be it paleo, gluten-free, or vegan, its a great way to start achieving your health goals.  There's a little cooking involved, but it is optional if you've decided to go raw.  Good luck to you.

In the last few years I've become increasingly into resolutions, probably as a result of being in a profession where everything has to be measured and goals are constantly modified so that they are essentially unobtainable.  So, in addition to shedding the pounds I've put on since August due to my physical activity haitus, in 2014 I also pledge to:

1. Travel more, and travel different.  To continue to travel globally, and on a low-budget, but also to say yes to travel I should be doing - vising friends around the country.  This also might be the year of a solo trip, something I know I should do.
2. Become fluent - or maybe just highly conversational - in a language.  I've already become addicted to the app Duolingo, which has helped me brush up on all the French I ever learned in 24 hours.  You should try it.  Then, to do something with my life that makes the language useful.
3. To speak and act on my professional principles.  Education needs a revolutionary change, and I'm lucky to work at a school that can potentially make that happen.  Given the opportunity, I shouldn't silence myself.

And, despite a desire to always be taking up new hobbies at the expense of the old, I'd like to keep up the blog in 2014.  Happy first anniversary to the blog!

Sweet Potato and Avocado Yaki Onigiri

SWEET POTATO & AVOCADO 
YAKI ONIGIRI

Garrett and I are getting up early tomorrow to drive out to Flint, MI for Christmas, so we're going to need some good car trip snacks for the five-hour haul.  Perhaps Japanese finger foods don't immediately come to mind on this occasion (road trips or Christmas), but based on my experience they should.

Onigiri are the perfect to-go food: balls of sticky rice with a tasty filling that comes with a built in seaweed handle.  They are a staple at Japanese convenient stores and food kiosks especially for that reason.  I trained across Japan a few years ago, and always embarked with onigiri of a mysterious flavor.  Since I don't read Japanese, I experienced a wide range of fillings - from just a little teriyaki, to red bean paste, smoked salmon, and once in a while, some offensive fermented root vegetable.  But really, the star of the show with onigiri is the slightly sweet and slightly vingary sticky rice.  Most onigiri from an average market wouldn't be grilled, but yaki ("grilled") onigiri has the extra pleasure of crunchy bite leading to the warm, sticky filling.

Besides road trips or picnics, onigiri makes a great party finger food.  If you've ever been tempted to make sushi but found all the chopping and rolling a hassle, onigiri make an excellent alternative.  The onigiri pictured here would be a little big as party hors d'ouevre, but could be scaled down to your liking.  Try out different fillings (like variations of your favorite sushi rolls) for your New Year's Eve party.

Roasted Garlic and Shallot Olive Tapenade

I knew telling myself that this weekend would be a good time to kick start a pre-winter health reformation would wind up a huge joke.  Who even tells them that before Thanksgiving?  Idiots do.  I'm an idiot.

So, while I stood in front of a rack of vegetables for a long while in the grocery store today hoping I'd be inclined to roast some leeks or do something new with cauliflower, none of it looked good.  I resorted to flipping through numbers of cooking magazines looking for something inspirational, but came up with nothing.  It didn't help that I wasn't hungry in the least.  I ate half a large pizza for dinner last night.

I mustered up enough motivation to act on the idea that I could make something out of the usual stash of olives I keep around for snacking.  Tapenade would definitely help wean me off bready, rich holiday food (and pizza).  It was also a very low-maintenance option, which is key for finding enough time to break away from the hundreds of pages of Thucydides I'm trying to speed through to catch up in grad school.

This tapenade is going to be much smoother and richer than other recipes thanks to the addition of a heavy dose of roasted garlic and shallots.  It would be great on a sandwich which some of your leftover turkey, or on pizza... I went the simple route with some crusty bread smeared with fresh tomato and topped with arugula. 

Vegan and Gluten Free Sweet Potato Pie

I went to a little dinner gathering with some of my favorite friends/colleagues last weekend, and it was another opportunity to test some twists on classic comfort foods for fall.  Our host is a new momma that has gone dairy-free because the little one was having bad reactions to that component of her diet, so this is challenging for desserts.  That being said, I just decided to go all out and combine a few clever vegan and gluten free pie components.  I would happily substitute a standard pie crust for this nut crust any day.

There were some logistical challenges to removing both gluten from the crust and dairy/eggs from the custard filling of a sweet potato pie.  While neither challenge compromised flavor at all, it does require some patience to remove the pies from the baking pan (the crust really needs to cool and set to be durable, and the filling will remain soft after baking).  Those challenges could certainly be eliminated by making one whole pie in a standard pie dish, but the individual portions made in a cupcake pan were pretty adorable.

If you are not bound to keeping the pies vegan, they were also very tasty with a homemade marshmallow topping browned under the broiler (great recipe that I halved found here; and by the way, baking soda will work to substitute for cream of tartar).  

I very rarely make a recipe twice, just because I'm always more excited to try something new, but in this case my family will definitely be getting some sweet potato pies for Thanksgivvukah.  They were that good.

Three Squash Soup

 

This is officially the easiest recipe I have ever posted on the blog.  It's so easy, that it shouldn't really taste this good, but it does.  It's so easy that I feel a little guilty taking blogger credit for it...like I should be working harder for you, or something.

As you know from last weekend's post, I turned my kitchen into a squash laboratory.  Making careful charts, graphs, and figures that evaluated squash variables like texture and sweetness, I concluded that your standard acorn squash is best for mid-range sweetness and texture integrity (it will hold up well tossed in a salad).  The other three squash under the microscope were gold acorn, white acorn, and butternut.  The remaining three were roasted and put into this soup.  The butternut was by far the sweetest, and the white acorn by far the "breadiest," so those two went in to combine a sweet flavor with a rich and creamy texture.  The gold acorn was pretty bland, but yielded valuable meat to add bulk to the soup.

Combined, the three squashes were really tasty.  Of course, you could work with one squash (and I suppose I'd go with the tried-and-true butternut).  Just that, some stock, and coconut milk will get you some delicious fall soup.  If you want a recipe for spicing and toasting the seeds for garnish, check out the last post for Roasted Acorn Squash and Pomegranate Farro Salad. 

Roasted Squash and Pomegranate Farro Salad

When it comes to squash I'm a real idiot.  It's not an ingredient that I was familiar with growing up, so I just know nothing about them.  Sure, I've eaten squash prepared for me before, but they were more or less Halloween decorations until now (they are real pretty).

I was impressed by the variety and extremely low cost of the squash on display at the grocery store across the street, so I bought four types and went about conducting a taste test.  I sliced and roasted a standard green acorn squash, a white acorn squash, a gold acorn squash, and a butternut squash.  What I was going to do with all this roasted squash was a complete mystery, but I figured it would transform into some sort of soup and some sort of salad.  Mostly, I was curious about how different they would actually taste from one another.

Turns out, they all taste (and smell) like squash.  I know that seems silly, but I don't know how else to put it.  However, they did vary in sweetness.  By far the most important distinction was texture.  The green acorn definitely held its firmness much better than the others, so it's perfect for salads.  The others, in their creaminess or pastiness, made their way into a three-squash soup (coming later this week to the blog).  The green acorn was the mid-range of sweetness, which I also found preferable for a salad with other sweet ingredients (like pomegranate seeds). 

So, despite the lack of alarming or remarkable results, all the squash was quite tasty.  I was particularly pleased that the seeds were easy to flavor, toast, and incorporate into this salad.  It's a very balanced dish when the spices of the squash seeds and sweetness of the pomegranate seeds make their way into the same bite.  The seeds are also a nice textural contrast to the soft farro and squash.  The balance of flavors meant that I didn't have to season the final dish at all, so it stayed low-sodium and low-fat.  It's a rather perfect fall salad, so go grab some squash.

Chai Spiced Pumpkin Barley Pudding (vegan)

I trust the creative process is different for many people, but for me it's a pretty haphazard and frenzied ordeal.  While I might come off as very Type A because I work very very hard, and because - let's be honest - it's more socially acceptable, my mind is hardly organized or linear in any capacity (and the disorganization of my private environment mirrors this).  People often ask me what I have planned for future posts, and with some exceptions the answer is usually "absolutely nothing."  Once in a while this concerns me, and I wonder what might happen if another idea doesn't come along.  Then, I remember that the whole point is just to post what I actually cook, so as long as I'm eating we're all good.  While for brief moments I might lose faith in the fact that ideas will come, they always do.

In this case, to some extent, everyone is having the same idea - pumpkin.  I'm sure on some subliminal level I choose to feature pumpkin now because it's really been out there in the food blogosphere.  I've also been meaning to make one my absolute favorite desserts, kheer, or a Indian-spiced rice pudding.  So maybe all that was wafting around in my brain and it all clicked on Sunday when I was writing up the last post for coconut curry barley risotto.  Surely the sweet notes of the coconut curry activated some memory of kheer and expressed itself in fall flavors of pumpkin and chai.  Whatever, it happened, and it's good.

No doubt this recipe can be modified for more traditional palates (because this one is a pretty strong dose of Eastern spice).  You can certainly play with the spice combination to go with a more "pumpkin pie" result, or just tone down the chai to something more similar to a pumpkin chai latte by eliminating the garam masala (since it has curry).  If you aren't vegan, using cream instead of coconut milk would definitely get a more chai latte effect.  Or, leave out the pumpkin and just go for a straight up chai pudding.  If rice suits you more than barley, so be it.  Experiment and see what happens.

Coconut Curry Barley Risotto

Prior to this instance, I've never once re-made a recipe for the blog because I didn't think it came out well enough the first time.  In most cases, I'll note how to make the recipe better for the next time (although I hardly make anything twice anymore) and post whatever results from the first attempt.

Risotto is tricky; so even though my first attempt with this idea last Wednesday was delicious tasting, I knew I could achieve a better risotto consistency after learning a few lessons.  And, mostly, it didn't look like risotto in the photographs.  While in real life the barley was still thick and creamy, it read in the images as more of a barley pilaf.  I've seen enough food programming on reality TV to know that when you call something a risotto, it better look and feel like risotto.  

Like I said, in most cases I would either just post what I got the first time or discard the idea for the post all together, but the flavor of this dish was so good that I had to give it another go.  If you like Thai curry soup, or Southeast Asian flavors in general, then this is right up your alley.  If you love creamy risotto as well, then I think this is your jackpot.  If you've become a vegan and miss creamy, cheesy things, I hope you can add this to your recipe box.

Like a true risotto, the dish is very rich.  As a savory meal, the edamame and shitake mushrooms are obviously a Southeast Asian play on the traditional Italian peas and crimini mushrooms, but I most definitely plan on making a sweet version with honey, raisins, and almonds for a future dessert (especially if it was pumpkin & chai spiced!).

Spicy Soba Noodles

Teachers have mastered the art of foreshadowing seasonal cold epidemics at the sound of the first sniffle vibrating softly from some poor kid's boogery nostrils in the back of the room.  Over time, we build up immunities to these outbreaks and earn the right to laugh at the first-years who seem perpetually plagued with disease.  I swear a freshman could sneeze down my throat and I'd be fine.  No, stronger. 

So why am I sick?  Why the hell am I sick before even making it to mid-September?  I'm obviously weakening, and so is the rest of the suburban Chicago race of teenagers who cough in unison before me.  I've accused every last one of those little snifflers of being the vector of it all. 

What stinks about being sick when its still ninety degrees is that 1) no one wants to be on the couch rather than enjoying the outdoors, and 2) traditional remedies of hot soups and teas just won't do.  So, I needed something chilled to room temperature, but still packed with every source of capsaicin I could think of.  I decided on a cold (but hot) soba.

If you've never had buckwheat soba, it's a really great noodle for chilled salads (especially if you're going with Asian flavors).  It holds its firmness really well, and noodles do a good job of taking on the perfect coating of sauce without feeling slippery.  Perhaps it would also be a timely way to celebrate Tokyo's winning bid for the 2020 Olympics.

As a warning, this recipe is hot hot hot.  If you don't need the sinus-clearing effect I was going for, then you can leave out the jalapeno and/or cut back on the sambal.  

Random good new side note: Jenessa's Dinners made it into a Buzzfeed post! 

Roasted Cauliflower Quinoa and Spiced Chickpeas

I recently read a piece on Food Republic's site called "10 Things You Didn't Know About Quinoa."  Well, most of the list I already knew because I've recently done lots of research on the plant.  Particularly #10: "Rinse and Repeat," which briefly and nonchalantly reports about the natural saponins coating unrinsed Quinoa which protects it from predators.  Strange how they fail to mention that the saponins also cause quinoa allergies in human beings, unless, of course, you rinse them off first.  Just some water will do.

RINSE OFF THE SAPONINS, PEOPLE!  

I'm going to completely spare you the details, but I have sadly developed the quinoa allergy after eating an unwashed batch over a year ago.  I made this recipe (and it was delicious) because I thought perhaps I had gotten over my aversion since I ate the Cranberry Quinoa Chicken Salad and was just fine.  It must just be that small amounts are OK.

Sadly, this will probably be my last quinoa post ever.  All I can tell you is that I'm glad my last quinoa dish was a good one.  I mean, I ate so much of this recipe that - let's put it this way - I really understood the extent of my allergy.  No need to fear, just rinse your quinoa and you'll be just fine. 

preserved lemons

MOROCCAN 
PRESERVED LEMONS
 

Let me start by saying that I've never pickled or preserved anything in my life.  Really, I can't even tell you if this recipe works, since it's still in my cabinet doing its preserving business.  In theory, it should work barring any human error in the process.  So this is my first theoretical post.

If it does, in fact, work (and it will), then in thirty days you will end up with the perfect accessory to chicken tagine.  That being my primary motivator in this experiment.  Of course, I'll have to try them out in other recipes since I'll have quite a bit of preserved lemon when all is said and done.  The good news is that when they are ready, they'll last up to a year in the fridge (in theory).

I'm trying to think of how to describe a preserved lemon to someone who has never tasted one, if that happens to be you.  Well, the first thing you should know is that the desired product is the peel, which becomes pickled and looses any bitterness, while remaining tart.  It takes on a concentrated citrus flavor and a brininess that explains why its often paired with olives in North African cuisine to flavor more bland meats, like poultry.  They would be amazing in any recipe that calls for lots of citrus to dress a mellow flavor, so fish and pasta.  By the way, you can choose how much spice you want to add, or add none at all.  Anyways, see you back here for chicken tagine in a month (in theory)!

Gazpacho

GAZPACHO 
W/ GINGER-CILANTRO 
GRILLED SHRIMP
 

After months of anticipation and teasingly warm weather that seemed to come and go throughout May, summer is finally here.  Its finals week at school, and as academics wind down preparing for travel winds up.  Perhaps best of all, anticipating the change of pace has helped me find the motivation to get my mind and body back in shape.  With a new pair of running shoes, I'm back to running about 16 miles a week.  Since the relationship between my consistency working out and consistency eating healthy is basically a direct correlation, I'm also back to doing really healthy things in the kitchen.  I don't think it could get much more clean and raw as this gazpacho.  Unless you just ate a pile of vegetables.

This was my first time making gazpacho and I was sort of shocked by how easy it is to make.  For something so delicious to be so healthy and speedy, its a wonder we don't eat it more often.  I found lots of fancy recipes for strawberry or mango gazpacho, and I suppose you could really do a twist on gazpacho with any of the salsa fads going on these days.  You could also roast your vegetables first or strain the soup for a more refined taste, but I think that's really unnecessary.  Plus, this would be perfect to make in large batches and ahead of time for summer entertaining.  All in all, its basically a perfect food.  

Oh, and the grilled shrimp!  That was a nice, complimentary addition to the summer latin flavor spectrum.  Sorry vegetarians/vegans, you can just ignore that part and stick to the gazpacho.

Middle Eastern Stuffed Onions

In the last few months I've watched two impressive documentaries focused on the passing on of an acclaimed restaurant from father to son.  Side-by-side the documentaries are a perfect cultural Venn Diagram around the craft of food in the East and/or West.  The first was Jiro Dreams of Sushi, which documents the career and retirement of famous chef Jiro Ono as he prepares to hand his understated, but globally recognized Tokyo sushi bar over to his oldest son, Yoshikazu.  The second was the French documentary Step Up to the Plate (Entre les Bras), which tells a nearly identical story line about Michel Bras and his oldest son, Sébastien (except that Bras' restaurant is a lot less understated). 

While I saw the second film about three months after the first, I highly recommend watching them one after another.  In fact, I'd like to watch Jiro again just to do a closer cultural comparison.  Obviously, both films honor the incredible careers of Ono and Bras, but what I found most interesting were the comparison between Yoshikazu and Séba...both middle-aged men who diligently worked to become equally talented enough to open their own successful restaurants, if they had chosen a more independent path.  In Japan it is traditional for the eldest son to inherit his father's business, and Séba seems inspired by that despite a very contrasting Western worldview that glorifies the self-made man.  But despite Japanese tradition, or simply Séba's sense of duty, both documentaries acutely depict the intense amount of pressure both sons feel as they follow in their fathers' footsteps.  Each son must walk the extremely fine line that allows them to develop their own culinary identities while adhering to the culinary traditions of their family and culture.  The outcome for both is artistic mastery, I think.

If the cultural context of each film doesn't interest you so much, they're both very good food documentaries in their own right.  The amount of care and craftsmanship taken with the ingredients and cooking process is really well filmed.  Step Up to the Plate, in particular, highlights contemporary French cuisine as an intensive design process from the market to the plate.  

One dish Sébastien Bras creates, in particular, inspired this post...very loosely.  He roasted a whole onion, carefully removed the outer layers, and stuffed it with some sort of creamy, cheesy, Frenchy filling.  I was mostly impressed with how beautiful the roasted onion looked.  However, lacking the hours it would have taken to roast a whole onion, I opted for a faster method of cooking it whole.  And, lacking the desire to consume such a rich dish, I made a Middle Eastern filling of barley, chickpeas, and vegetables instead.  So, yes, quite a loose inspiration.  Inspiration, nonetheless.

Roasted Rosemary Tomatoes & Zucchini Pasta

What a fabulous weekend I had out in D.C. for Bree's wedding shower.  Well, actually, it was to Maryland for a stay with the Rodgers - Bree's adopted D.C. family, relatives of her maid-of-honor, Lizzie, and hosts of the shower.  Before I get much more into the lovely company, let me just give Maryland a big "wowza!"  My travels within the U.S. are relatively poor, but Maryland's natural beauty was a rare moment of encouragement to see more of my own country.  Check out the gorgeous Potomac River that runs through Great Falls Park, separating Maryland and Virginia.

Now that I've misled you to believe that I spent a weekend outdoors checking out the Chesapeake, let me outline exactly how many completely-worth-it calories inspired this week's blog post.  The shower was a totally homemade affair from the drinks all the way down to the table decorations.  Ten small dishes were served, followed by a completely homemade decorated cake with edible flowers and white chocolate dipped Oreos that easily could have sold for $4 each in some fancy confectionery.  These dishes were my favs: roasted rosemary tomato bruschetta (inspiration for this post), baked goat cheese stuffed crimini mushrooms with rosemary breadcrumbs, crab cakes, and zucchini tots.

Judy Rodgers and her best friend, Connie, (with some help from the rest of the gang) pulled off an incredible feat: cooking and preparing for this party without completely losing it or turning into she-devils (like me, whenever I host).  In fact, it was totally the opposite.  Apparently, planning and preparing an elaborate meal of small dishes can actually be an occasion for friends and family to laugh at their blunders and collaborate lovingly!  This was a foreign concept to me, as holidays and hosting growing up were pretty anxiety-ridden affairs.  I woke up each morning to laughter and delicious smells wafting from the kitchen.  Perhaps the only thing better than the food this weekend was the great company - I haven't laughed (or eaten) that much in a long time.

So here is Judy's delicious recipe for a bruschetta topping that I knew would be great tossed with zucchini pasta.  But, trust me, it was awesome on top of toasted bread.  The oven will fill your house with the scent of rosemary, and that will last much longer than the food itself.