The weekend, briefly

{casey's}

{third annual LA brew crawl}

{las perlas}

{seven grand}

{cana rum bar}

{crafting}

{rose}

:: notes :: 

It was one of my favorite summer weekends - the third annual LA brew crawl (we went to years one and two as well). I love the little bars tucked in random buildings and parking structures downtown as much as I enjoy tasting new beers. Drake's seasonal Aroma Coma was my new favorite, everyone else agreed on Sir Walter's Scottish Ale from Craft Brewing Company.

The rest of the weekend was quiet. We grilled with friends, made multiple meals of nachos with the leftovers, saw a movie at 10 am on Sunday morning and it felt really luxurious. We have so few unscheduled days with no obligations that it makes them that much sweeter.

I've been loving this $4.99 Espiral Vinho rose from Trader Joe's, by the way. It's sweeter than I would normally like but it has a little bit of sparkle and it's completely appealing in the heat. I have to admit that I preferentially look for a screwcap on wine, because D is not a fan and I need the bottle to last several days in the fridge.

For your Friday ...

To everyone who has ever cried in frustration over a cake recipe and wondered why it only happens to you ...

{cake disaster}

It just happens. Oh, maybe the other side is better, say you?

{cake disaster}

Nope. That was the side that avalanched right off in the fridge and I just ended up packing it back into place.  Tears were shed.

I've been making this cake annually for over a decade. I have no idea what I did wrong this time. Luckily it was still delicious, if extremely humbling to my baking ego. On a brighter note, the frosting, which is usually the issue, cooperated beautifully even though I made a triple batch in one go.

I'm just going to pretend it looked like the 2009 version instead. That was a good year.

{the cake}

This time last year we were deep in wedding preparations and I had to get a storebought cake and almost dropped it. I think my mom's birthday might be cake-cursed.

The summer, briefly

{afternoon tomato}

{circe evidence}

{olives, cheese}

{tomatoes!}

{birthday cake, rescued}

{garden oregano}

{evening wine}

{circe staring}

:: notes :: 

There hasn't been a lot of cooking around here, but there's been plenty of eating. We're doing lots of simple meals and more than our usual allotment of eating out. Gifted tomatoes will always get me in the kitchen, though, as will family birthdays (cake!).

Circe came and stayed with us for a week and because we are besotted, we let her have the classiest dog dishes ever (my 2010 Heath summer collection pieces). Note that they did not convince her to actually eat, and I was a wreck the whole week. I ended up hand feeding her rotisserie chicken and sweet potatoes, which she deigned to nibble on. She was homesick for her pal Snowy, I think, although she did enjoy the view off our balcony.

The balcony has been getting a lot of play these last few weeks, and not just from Circe. It's the best place to be when the weather warms up. I would sit there all day and night if I didn't have actual things to do.

I've missed you guys. It feels good to be back here.

I've been seriously absent here lately, but I'm still around. Part of it is that we've had a bit of an overwhelming last couple of months with family stuff and I'm worn down, part of it is that when I do have some spare time the last thing I feel like doing is sitting down at the computer and editing photos.

I will do it, soon. I miss it and I want to catch up.*

In the meantime, I have a little interview up on Jacquelyn's lovely blog where I'm sharing a few of my favorite things. Go check it out, and I'll be back, hopefully this week.



* Mostly about summer TV. There are burning questions here. Are you watching Episodes already? Because the second season is killing it. Are you as bummed out about True Blood as I am right now? Does the fact that I haven't managed to watch a single episode of the new season of Project Runway mean that I'm over it forever or should I catch up?

Basil-mint mojitos for a crowd

Well, technically these are for a small crowd, but you can easily make a double batch.

It drives me a little crazy that when I search for drink recipes they are almost always for a single serving. I get it, I do. I'm sure lots of people classily mix themselves a single fancy drink each evening. It's just that I rarely make cocktails unless they're for a party, in which case I have no intention of mixing them individually.

We heard a brief blip about basil-mint mojitos on Good Food a couple weekends ago and our garden happens to be producing both and we were going to a party. Serendipity. I found several recipes online (all for single servings), started scaling up and adjusting the proportions and we ended up with something pretty amazing. It's a little more herbaceous than the standard mint-only mojito and I added more rum and took the sugar down several notches. You can adjust for your own taste, of course, but I think this is a good start.

{basil-mint mojitos}

Basil-mint mojitos (makes just under 7 cups, serves 8 tipsily)

about 3 cups basil + mint, loosely packed
1/2 cup superfine sugar (or regular, but superfine dissolves well)
3.5 cups light rum
2 cups fresh lime juice
sparkling water (about 1 cup, possibly a bit more)

Muddle* sugar and herbs with a small amount of rum.
Add remaining rum and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or up to several hours.
Strain the herbs out, stir in the lime juice.
Add sparkling water to taste and serve over ice.

We've made them twice already and I've severely depleted our basil. I think that means I didn't plant enough.

{muddling}

* Muddling is just crushing the herbs to release the flavor. I have a really ugly muddler that I got free with a handle of rum years ago and it works perfectly fine. If you don't have one, I'd try using a wooden spoon instead (and then maybe go buy yourself a muddler). The point is to crush, rather than cut. 

Beyond vinaigrette

I spent years only eating oil + vinegar based dressings, and I still love them. But lately I find myself making creamy salad dressings almost all the time. I think it started with that amazing broccoli slaw from Jeanette and just hasn't stopped. It's a phase, I guess.

{creamy herb salad dressing}

I don't have a strict recipe for the dressing and it varies depending on what I have on hand. It's loosely inspired by the classic Caesar, but flavored with herbs and sans raw egg. You end up with this creamy, tangy dressing that's really fresh tasting because of the greenery.

{layered}

My current favorite creamy salad dressing 
(aka vaguely Mexican style Caesar salad dressing) 

3 - 4 big spoonfuls of 2% greek yogurt
1 big spoonful of mayo
Small handful (maybe 1/4 cup?) of sunflower seeds
Handful of cilantro, stems removed
1 small can of chopped green ortega or hatch chilies
Dash of Tapatio
Salt to taste (maybe 1/2 tsp? I like my food salty) 

Blend* thoroughly. Makes enough for a couple salads, depending on how heavily you dress them. Stores just fine in the fridge for a couple days, just shake it up before using. 

To change the flavor, you swap out the herbs and omit the chilies (you'll need a little bit of extra liquid if you don't have the chilies, a few teaspoons of water is fine) and Tapatio and add in some other flavors. A little bit of lemon or lime juice can be a great addition. Basil pairs nicely with walnuts and sundried tomatoes packed in oil. I'd like to see if there's a way to make it work with more delicate flavors like thyme. I'll be playing around with it all summer, for sure.


* I've always hated our full size blender and now I'm obsessed with this tiny one we got as a wedding gift. You blend directly in the container and then put a lid on it to store or take with you (really handy for smoothies). Fewer dishes, less waste and it takes up much less space in the cupboard. Love.

Guys! While I was searching for the one I have so I could show you, I just realized the same company makes one really similar but fitted so you can blend directly in mason jars and avoid the BPA in plastics (not a huge issue of mine, but I do feel more comfortable with glass in general). I might switch over at some point.

Lately

{tomatillos}

{drinks to share}

{party lights}

{clearing out}

{afternoon drinks}

:: notes ::

Spending some time in the kitchen together - making my favorite salsa and trying out fancy drinks for a party.

Quality time with friends - I love how summer means lots of low key get togethers.

Attacking some of our accumulated stuff - I have a terrible fear of suddenly waking up and realizing I'm a hoarder (not totally unfounded, because I do tend to save things and I have a lot of craft supplies) so I want to periodically go through everything and re-evaluate. The process tends to bring out the worst in me, so I set a time limit of 3 hours per session and then we reward ourselves with drinks and some time on the couch.