Dinner out on the balcony tonight, but not without taking some photos first.I have great admiration for Steven for being able to pull things out of the fridge and cobble together a meal. I can do it, too, but I sometimes resent having to. Around our vacation time and the conference I was trying to use up everything in the fridge and in the cupboards. Getting down into the staples and frozen goods, I found myself craving real greens and things. A week in Sweden - not a bastion of good vegetable preparation - and New Orleans - surprisingly poor on vegetables as well - left me craving fruit and veg. I loaded up on them last night and stocked the freezer with cuts of chicken and fish.
AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh....
It was a late workday today, but I took comfort in knowing a had a pound of nice pink shrimp in the fridge to play with. Originally I thought I would try something vaguely Mexican/fajita like. Indeed, I looked at a Rick Bayless recipe for a garlic and chipotle shrimp, but I didn't have the time to slowly produce a sauce. Swim practice meant some easy prep and some quick cooking afterwards. Well, one out of two accomplished.
I ended up going with a recipe idea out of John Bishop's book. I still want to try his restaurant in Kitsilano one day, but for now I modified his recipe for overn-roasted shrimp. He makes a clarified butter with fresh thyme and garlic to brush ont he shrimp. Lacking thyme, I went with fresh rosemary and added chili flakes. When I brushed on the butter I added more rosemary and some coarse sea salt. The effect was entirely delicious.
Conrad and I dined outside, sipping a French rose (I'm enamoured of pink wine these days - scorn me as you will, but to go with the slight heat, saltiness, and sweetness of shrimp dish, it was a good match). It all was so good that we killed the entire bottle as we talked of things. Another thing I love: a summer evening on the balcony with a bit of good food (I should use that clarified butter to make a wicked garlic loaf!) and the man I love. Some chocolate tablets given to me by my treasured colleague Carol completed the evening.
Must I really get up in the morning?
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10 comments:
I recognise that plate.. I love the combination of rosemary, garlic and chile flakes. I'm not crazy about rose, but I'm open minded about it.
Sunflower and persimmon tonight. Persimmon gets used a lot in our home, I admit.
I have a great book called Oldman's Guide to Outsmarting Wine. In that book, he refers to white zinfandel as the Bee Gees of wine. I LOVE that remark. And it's true. A bad pink wine is horrible, but a there's plenty of decent ones that fit a summer balcony dinner smashingly!
Thanks for the kind words by the way, making a dinner out of scraps can be fun, but it's a skill I learned when money was tight and it was either pull something together and eat like a human or stand in front of the fridge and eat out of tupperware containers.
In my life it's far too often been the stand in front of the fridge option. I'd be mortified serving crap to friends, but I'll scarf it down alone if it's convenient!
Okay, I must get to bed!
I cook too much too, but I do it on purpose since I don't mind eating leftovers for lunch the next day.
I would however me miffed if Peter served me anything less than 5 spears of asparagus. Skimp on the shrimp, but pile on the veggies.
Conrad and I both struglle with weight. Yes, you're right Steven: pile on the veggies rather than the shimp (cooked with a bunch of butter, I should add). But overall small portions is best for us. Remember, we just had a big vacation of eating, and I spent a handful of days in the Big Greasy.
The funny thing is, I used to pile on lots of food, especially for guests. They couldn't finish it, and I'd take it as a personal slight. Conrad would joke about my Italian/Jewish grandmother secret identity. So if you were to be in town, I would have fed you well in the past. You can always have seconds (as we did with the lovely, buttery shrimp!).
Jeph, I keep hounding you for your produce, so don't tempt me evilly! Meanie!
Peter
Remember Point One of my Four Point Plan? Normal portions! I hate getting a thirteen inch dinner plate with thirteen inches of food.
It seems that for our Ohioan friends, we may have to make an exception.
Or I could break out the really big plates....
It's not just Ohio.....
I'd like to get Conrad eating smaller portions and exercising more, but that's something he has to do for himself. Shrimp dish aside, I generally try to serve things in moderation, I swear!
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