I'm struggling to stay awake just so I can post these photos because I know if I don't do these now, I will never be able to do anytime soon.
Louiie has been trying to convince me to start a food blog. She says she wants to capitalize on my culinary streak, whatever that means. She says I cook more than she does (not counting the hundreds of meals she busts out everyday at The Wynn of course). Although she's right. I HAVE been cooking quite a lot lately. I just haven't been taking photos of any of my recent exploits and I'm sorry about that. I've been getting a lot of feedback from people who seem to enjoy consuming all the stuff I keep producing. They keep saying I should go to culinary school. I'm flattered but I think I may be too old to get into that business now. I have Louiie to guide me anytime I need help in the kitchen anyway. Maybe one day when Louiie finally decides to put up her own restaurant, then I will consider applying to be her sous chef :)
I now only go to Starbucks when I'm running late for work and don't have time to make my own coffee. I make them better. Hehe. Now only if I can get my hands on those toffee nut syrups...hmmm...
Well today was one of kitchen days. I woke up and made my usual espresso + caramel cappuccino. I made blueberry pancakes again with fresh strawberries and blueberries for breakfast.
Mica was on the phone with one of her friends when she suddenly mentioned something about inviting them over for dinner. I immediately got excited and we began planning the night's menu. We made:
Soup Starter:
Corn, Cheese and Potato Chowder with turkey bacon
Salad:
Mixed greens with bell peppers, grape tomatoes, slivered almonds and french artichoke dressing
Pasta:
Pea and Tomato Pasta (a recipe we got from Giada de Laurentiis)
Entree:
Chicken Roulade with garlic herb roasted potatoes
The night's beverage of choice were several bottles of California Riesling.
Dessert:
Blueberry Cheesecake (extra whole leftover pie from the batch I made for Mica's party last Saturday. The cheesecake was a smashing hit, btw) No photo for this one, it was mutilated before I could
We were out within an hour and I bought kitchen items I would need to prepare dinner. The roulade was a suggestion from Louiie, who I called for help for menu ideas. She dictated the ingredients and procedure over the phone and I tried to re-create everything tonight.
We got home later than planned and started cooking only minutes before guests came in. We fed them the usual cheese platter with dried fruits and nuts, kalamata olives, baguettes, biscuits plus an added bonus of prosciutto that I picked up from Murray's cheese shop this afternoon. We had the usual brie and goat cheese plus, by suggestion of Louiie, I bought a quarter block of Brillat Savarin. She has kept talking about this cheese for weeks and keeps insisting that I get them. When I finally went out to get them, I find out that she has failed to mention how ridiculously expensive it was. How much? They were $28/lb!!!! So my measly little quarter block cost me a little over $10. But were they good? Oh fuck yes they were good. Our usually popular choice of double cream brie was ignored.
We played Cranium after dinner but I noticed the Cranium games that followed after that game night with Louiie, Angel and Kelly was never quite as fun.
Tomorrow shall be less exciting since I have to do laundry and really have to sit down and finish Ifang's pre-natal photos. I shall need to attend a district meeting at my friend Rie's house tomorrow night so I need to finish all my tasks early. I've been unable to attend a lot of SGI's meetings due to conflicting work schedules but I'm glad I can make it tomorrow specially since Rie (pronounced REE-YEH) is leaving to head back home to Japan by the end of the month and I will surely miss her. I haven't told you anything much about her but she's become one of my really funny friends here in NY. She even treated me to a lavish Japanese sushi dinner on my birthday. It was the best (and most expensive) sushi dinner of my life. I was wobbling home from all the raw seafood plus amazing sake.
So...
Off to bed for me...It's 3:30am already and I have laundry tomorrow.
I now only go to Starbucks when I'm running late for work and don't have time to make my own coffee. I make them better. Hehe. Now only if I can get my hands on those toffee nut syrups...hmmm...Well today was one of kitchen days. I woke up and made my usual espresso + caramel cappuccino. I made blueberry pancakes again with fresh strawberries and blueberries for breakfast.
Mica was on the phone with one of her friends when she suddenly mentioned something about inviting them over for dinner. I immediately got excited and we began planning the night's menu. We made:
Soup Starter:
Corn, Cheese and Potato Chowder with turkey baconSalad:
Mixed greens with bell peppers, grape tomatoes, slivered almonds and french artichoke dressing
Pasta:
Pea and Tomato Pasta (a recipe we got from Giada de Laurentiis)
Entree:
Chicken Roulade with garlic herb roasted potatoes
The night's beverage of choice were several bottles of California Riesling.
Dessert:
Blueberry Cheesecake (extra whole leftover pie from the batch I made for Mica's party last Saturday. The cheesecake was a smashing hit, btw) We were out within an hour and I bought kitchen items I would need to prepare dinner. The roulade was a suggestion from Louiie, who I called for help for menu ideas. She dictated the ingredients and procedure over the phone and I tried to re-create everything tonight.
We got home later than planned and started cooking only minutes before guests came in. We fed them the usual cheese platter with dried fruits and nuts, kalamata olives, baguettes, biscuits plus an added bonus of prosciutto that I picked up from Murray's cheese shop this afternoon. We had the usual brie and goat cheese plus, by suggestion of Louiie, I bought a quarter block of Brillat Savarin. She has kept talking about this cheese for weeks and keeps insisting that I get them. When I finally went out to get them, I find out that she has failed to mention how ridiculously expensive it was. How much? They were $28/lb!!!! So my measly little quarter block cost me a little over $10. But were they good? Oh fuck yes they were good. Our usually popular choice of double cream brie was ignored.
We played Cranium after dinner but I noticed the Cranium games that followed after that game night with Louiie, Angel and Kelly was never quite as fun.
Tomorrow shall be less exciting since I have to do laundry and really have to sit down and finish Ifang's pre-natal photos. I shall need to attend a district meeting at my friend Rie's house tomorrow night so I need to finish all my tasks early. I've been unable to attend a lot of SGI's meetings due to conflicting work schedules but I'm glad I can make it tomorrow specially since Rie (pronounced REE-YEH) is leaving to head back home to Japan by the end of the month and I will surely miss her. I haven't told you anything much about her but she's become one of my really funny friends here in NY. She even treated me to a lavish Japanese sushi dinner on my birthday. It was the best (and most expensive) sushi dinner of my life. I was wobbling home from all the raw seafood plus amazing sake.
So...
Off to bed for me...It's 3:30am already and I have laundry tomorrow.
