Ebay and Inspiration On A Hot Day

I collect cookie jars ... the campier, the tackier, the more kitschy, the better ! Periodically, I go on an Ebay spree and spend a few days  weeks looking at the auction offerings for vintage cookie jars. I have given neat cookie jars to my kids for Christmas, to friends as birthday gifts and housewarming presents, and I still keep going back to look for just one more. The only other item that snags my attention as much is a good vintage bean pot.

Venison Kefta with Harissa and Yogurt

They look like little cigars on a skewer. They're full of coriander, cumin, caraway, cilantro, parsley, onion, red pepper flakes and cayenne pepper, and very lean venison. Incredibly spicy, grilled medium, piping hot! Wrap them in a whole wheat pita, layer on some yogurt and hot spicy Harissa and you have a Moroccan hotdog!

Straight from the Sea - Virtual Supper Club

Coconut Crab and Shrimp Salad coming right up! 

Berry Cobbler ...

We're on the cusp of blueberry season here in the Northeast and coming to the tail end of strawberry season, which means I am tempted by all the berry desserts, smoothies, kabobs, shortcakes, and cobblers making the rounds of the blogsphere.

Miso Salmon and Soba Noodles

You know how sometimes you just need to make yourself a plate of something that will stick to your ribs? You know how often times that something turns out to be a pasta dish that not only sticks to your ribs, but goes directly to the pit of your stomach and then, miraculously to your hips and thighs? Yeah ... me too. I know alllll about it ... but wait! There has to be a way to have your pasta and not feel guilty.

Peperonata

So, summertime is here. Sometimes, I hate cooking when the heat is intense and the humidity builds. On those evenings, it's always good to have an easy out. In our case, this week's first real hot spell inspired me to make a batch of peperonata to have with semolina toasts. An easy salad of greens from the garden added enough bulk to the evening meal to make us happy.

A New Quick Bread ... and Discovery

Pistachio and Prune Bread

I spend a lot of time cruising the food sites and blogs, poking here and there on links that others share in their articles and blog posts. You come across some incredibly interesting sites that way ... you're on someone else's tour of interests, food passions, and discoveries. Follow a few links, research a few references that someone has written of, check out a few names that someone has dropped, and soon you have wound up on a website or in a blog that is an unexpected surprise! It can be so enlightening.

Curried Chicken Salad ... and a Hike

This is a healthy and lightened up version of chicken salad with a hot curry kick. It is a recipe found in a magazine called Delight- Gluten Free. I've had my eye on it for a while and was waiting for a day when I knew I'd be hungry for a substantial lunch-time sandwich. Today was the day! I started my day early, as it's really hot out. SB and I wanted to hike a piece of land over near Richmond, New Hampshire where the mountain laurel is in full bloom. We spent the morning exploring the forest trail along a small brook that feeds into Tully Brook and driving the back roads in the vicinity. By the time we got home, we were hot and hungry.