This year, I almost gave up ice cream for Lent, then it occurred to me that what I’d really be giving up is my favorite coconut-milk-non-dairy-frozen-desert. I gave up ice cream - the real thing - about 5 years ago. I decided that giving up the thing I gave up the real thing for was WAY too redundant, and that I should give up something genuinely important to me instead, like self-denial itself, or self-berating, or ungrounded personal insecurities. This year, I’m denying myself the worry that I don’t work hard enough, try hard enough, exercise enough, or love well enough. I’m stripping myself of my own harsh judgment, at least through this holy season of Lent. I’m committed to making it all the way until Easter, and then I plan to celebrate with some self-love (in the form of a scoop of the real thing - chocolate almond in a sugar cone - on my way home from the gym of course).

I just finished teaching a series of cooking classes with Spanish Tapas on the menu.  Entertaining with Tapas is always a lot of fun because you get to sample small size dishes with full size flavor.  You can put together an eclectic mix of flavors, and may be as simple or as complicated as you like. The combinations are limitless, and may range from a tray of olives and cheese, to  Mediterranean Grilled Chicken Bites with Romesco Sauce.

It’s understandable why this casual style of eating is so popular today.

My Grilled Cremini Mushroom and Fennel Salad turned out to be pretty popular with cooking class, so I thought I would share the recipe with you too.

What I love about this salad is that it has a nice balance of warmth and freshness. Cremini mushrooms have a meaty texture to begin with, and when grilled, their warm woodsy flavor really takes off.  Fennel, with its  curiously sweet taste and smell, similar to licorice, is thinly sliced and tossed with fresh Italian parsley. The dressing is quite lively, like a bright sunny day,  full of lemon zest and basil.

A few days ago, I shared my recipe for Porchetta with you.

Today I have a delicious stew recipe for you, which uses some of the leftover pork you may have. The Porchetta is packed with flavor, giving your stew a head start right off the bat. With just a little bit of chopping and simmering, you will have a whole new dish to enjoy. If you are looking for other leftover ideas, try making a Panini sandwich with Porchetta, roasted red peppers, and cheddar cheese; a fantastic combination.

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When Jaden Hair of Steamy Kitchen contacted me regarding a favorite recipe she could feature on TLC, I instantly thought of my Crispy Halibut with Zucchini Ribbons. This dish  represents  my point of view in the kitchen on a lot of different levels.

As a lover of seafood, I like to let  fish take center stage, adding a few fresh elements to enhance  what’s already going on in the dish without pulling away the spotlight.

I have a hidden talent that you may not know about me.

If a football game is on TV, I can actually APPEAR to be looking at the screen, but can be THINKING about something totally different in my head; completely detached from what is happening in the game. Some  refer to this as the “football glaze over effect”, but I like to think of it as a gift; “productive thought management”, a little like meditation, where I get to plan and organize my thoughts. I use this time for things like figuring out what my menus for upcoming cooking classes will be, where I want to go on vacation next, and contemplating whether I should join a CSA or just continue to shop the farmer’s market and pick out what I like.

Beets: Are you a  lover? Or a hater?

If you are not a fan, I have to ask: When is the last time you tried them? Have you ever tried them roasted?

I happen to love them…very much.

So much, that I wil now do my part with  a little public relations for them…

Not only are beets a great boost to your physical well being and a wonderful source of iron, it has been shown that beets are a great immunity booster and guard against cancer. Additionally just as one learns to appreciate and discover and acquire tastes for various wines or cheeses, beets are one of those overlooked vegetables that once you realize all it beholds, you will cultivate a new appreciation and yes, maybe even love for them!

Anne, and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Year. That was the title I’d created for the whole of 2009. I’ve spent months taking sheer delight in seeing 2009 fade in the bright light of 2010 possibilities, and then I started my thoughtful reconciliation: my 2009 truths. I was startled by the contradictions.

The early part of 2009 was truly the toughest of times for our soon-to-be five-year-old little business - the closest we’ve ever come to total financial ruin. The second half however, saw the fruits of long-nurtured partnerships, and we closed our books on the most successful year we’ve ever had.

2009 was brutal for one of my closest personal relationships, and while my heart will forever mourn the (finally acknowledged) loss of that friendship, I am completely delighted with, and honored by, the new relationships that wound their way way to me during this turbulent time.

My hair, butchered into oblivion on Election Day, 2008, is now back to my happy length, and some of it even goes back into the world’s tiniest pony-tail so I can work out without that dorky headband. Arguably a minor detail in the grand scheme of things, but when we’re whining...

 I took a little break after the Twelve Days of Cocktails and Hors D’oeuvres series…

Once, when I was still a single lady, I dated a biz school guy.  Nice looking guy, good dancer, decent kisser.  High self esteem.  Really.  Really.  High self esteem.  Which meant that every time he opened his mouth to tell me how interesting he was, I lost more and more interest in him.  One day a mutual friend asked him how things were going between us, and his response was, enh.  When asked why, he responded, "She's not giving out the good stuff."

Well.

He was right, I wasn't.  But it wasn't because I'm a prude (although I am).  But I was saving the good stuff for a better opportunity.

I've always saved the good stuff.  I was raised a good Korean girl, where delayed gratification and saving the good stuff for Special Occasions or when you Deserved it were the rule.  Do the work first, then reap the reward.  Save the beautiful living room for special occasions.  And this paradigm carried over to adulthood.   Husband and I have a gorgeous set of dishes we received when we got married.  We pull it out twice a year, act all nervous about the kids coming close to it, then carefully hand wash it and store it away safely for the next biannual Special Occasion.

 Sometimes, the temptation to snark overcomes me.

Well, given that my comic 'chops' are fleeting, transient, and ephemeral (and mostly imagined), my writing gaffes are often just poor attempts at humor gone bad.

Recently, one of my favorite personal finance blogs, Get Rich Slowly, featured a post about renting designer handbags.  I was a bit appalled that people would spend good money to rent multi-thousand dollar bags.  In an attempt to demonstrate my own clever snarkiness, I commented that I thought the site was about Getting Rich Slowly and not 'frittering your money on fripperies.'  Or something like that.

Well, my little comment managed to offend at least one reader, who called my comment 'ridiculous.'

 
In my personal blog I suggest setting goals that delight you.  Something whose accomplishment or even whose attempt would make you smile, sing, or dance.  So today’s post is just a little reinforcement of that idea, from a slightly different perspective.
Don’t set goals that suck.
Sounds silly doesn’t it?  Sounds ridiculous, obvious, self-explanatory.  But every year, people set themselves some big, sucky goals.  And then in December (or maybe even by the end of January), they wonder why they made so little progress on their goals.

 Asian Beef Short Rib Sliders / Zen Cocktail

Thai Spiced Shrimp with Coconut Dipping Sauce / Terrace Tonic

Crab Wontons with Plum Sauce / The Spicy Lemon

Cucumber Cups with Wasabi Spiked Guacamole and Smoked Salmon / Classic Martini Bar

Wild Mushroom Pate with Parmesan Crisps / Pomegranate Spiked Champagne

Blue Cheese and Spiced Walnut Crostini / Rosemary and Apple Cocktail

Endive Spears with Artichoke Pesto, Crispy Prosciutto, and Arugula /Shibuya Punch

Spanish Chorizo, Boursin, and Frisee Crostini / Big Red

 Every year when entertaining around the holidays, I add a few new items to the line up, and then there are the “old  Stand bys”, like this one, which I have to include, no matter what. For a lot of reasons, really, but mainly because the flavors are uncomplicated, yet incredibly delicious together, and the preparation involved is minimal….they are always popular, and I always seem to make them. They work.

You will like the fact that the sundried tomato pesto may be made ahead, and that the bruschetta may be assembled (ready to pop in the oven) well ahead of time.  Did I mention melted brie? Enough said.

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 I spent most of today helping my friend get ready for her holiday party, which is  tomorrow evening. The party is an open house, so people will drop in and out throughout the evening. My friend is expecting 30 people, and will be serving…you guessed it, heavy hors d’oeuvres!

When I arrived to help this morning, I found my friend sitting at her kitchen table, sipping coffee.  Cookbooks were earmarked,  printed recipes were lined up, and a task  sheet full of “to dos” lay in front of her on the table. Taking my advice, my friend had begun the party prep weeks ago, deciding on a menu,  writing a list of things she would need to purchase from the grocery store, and then developed a timeline. She started her shopping for the party 2 weeks ago, purchasing wine, napkins, and as many non-perishable items as possible. Yesterday she shopped for vegetables, herbs, flowers, and other last minute items, and organized them for today’s prep.