Rewind to Friday and I had a gala for work. Yes, that’s right, my new job entails galas. Well, maybe just the one. I had a blast and did to a lot of schmoozing and networking (and a little dancing!). Plus we raised money for a great organization. Win, win.

Tonight we went out to dinner at Applebees with a gift card my co-workers gave me when I left the Y.

Date night!

I had sizzlin’ fajitas, which were standard restaurant quality. It was the white peach sangria that was the highlight of my meal. Yum!

As we were driving home we passed UAlbany’s campus and caught sight of a fireworks show.

Fireworks from the car.

The Boyfriend did a superb job arranging fireworks for the finale of our date.

We came home and made brownies for sundaes. With butterscotch and hot fudge. And sprinkles. Because they make everything better.

More fun tomorrow!

With the Boyfriend, of course.

Here is my advice for men who are looking to plan a great date and score some major bonus points with the little lady: plan a date around her interests. It’s incredibly flattering to know that you’re paying attention and it guarantees she will have a good time. And unless you’re dating, I don’t know, Lady Gaga or some other wackadoo, chances are she likes some pretty cool stuff and you’ll both end up enjoying yourselves.

Personally, my interests include wine and old movies. The Boyfriend planned accordingly.

We started the evening at the Palace theater in Albany to see a screening of To Kill A Mockingbird. I love watching old movies at the Palace. It’s this grand old theater and I imagine this is what it was like to go to the movie theater when the movies first started. It’s just such a fun, classy atmosphere. I also have to give major props to the ticket people. Upon arriving we discovered the “cash only” rule and could only scrounge eight bucks between the two of us, which left us each a dollar short for a ticket. The ticket people took pity on us and charged us the senior ticket price of four dollars each, thus scoring some major karma for themselves.

I read the book in high school but never got around to seeing the movie. However, I loved the story, wanted to be Scout, and I have a secret crush on Gregory Peck, so the film was on my must-see list. The movie was incredible. The Boyfriend seemed to enjoy it, too, and I always give props to people who are open to watching old black and white movies. I was raised on Bringing Up Baby and Notorious, but I realize this is unusual. There was no Quentin Tarrantino or Michael Bay in the 40s or 50s.

When we were in college a friend of mine had the idea to re-read all the books they forced him to read in high school. While you’ll never get me near Lord of the Flies again and though I’ll be good without re-reading Ellen Foster, generally this turned out to be a good idea. To Kill A Mockingbird was one of the books he read for a second time and he quite enjoyed it. In truth high schoolers are way too busy freaking out about EVERYTHING to bother with understanding books anyway. Not that I blame them; I was the same way. But nowadays, rather than bemoaning the fact that I’m a nerd, I accept it. Nerds read books. Point me to the nearest copy of Harper Lee’s classic.

As we were walking out of the theater, The Boyfriend turned to me and said, “I imagine you exactly like Scout when you were little.” Scrappy and opinionated? I’d say he might be onto something…

The second half of the date centered around another interest of mine: booze. We went to the Wine Bar and Bistro on Lark, which I have been dying to get to. Without knowing it, we picked the perfect date spot! The Wine Bar is located in a warm and romantic brick-covered basement, accented with fireplaces, candles, and local artwork.

They also have a little something called Wine After Work (yes, please).

“You Know You Need It!!”

Since we went on a Monday night, we enjoyed $5 glasses of wine. I tried a Vouvray which is now a new favorite of mine.

A little sweet, but quite crisp and incredibly fresh. The Boyfriend ordered a glass of Chardonnay, but we both agreed that my wine choice was the winner of the evening. We weren’t planning on eating, but before I knew it I found myself ordering butternut squash ravioli with pancetta. I mean, come on.

The Boyfriend got a stew with chicken confit, bacon, sausage, and white beans, all with a side of garlic crostini. This was absolutely incredible.

As soon as the server set down the bowl he said, “Baby, you better take a picture FAST because this isn’t gonna last long!”

They also brought us a carafe of water right away, which is awesome since I drink water like a beast when I go out to eat. I definitely judge a restaurant by how much water they give you.

My blurry Valentine

With its intimate layout, the Wine Bar is decidedly ideal for couples, but I foresee a girls night out with my lady friends there soon. You can’t beat the $20 bottle Wine After Work deal, and the food is good, too. The glasses of wine are plentiful and the hassle of the workweek seem far away.

It was heavenly to slurp soup, sip wine, and chat with my love. I spied a little on the only other couple in the dining room who were clearly on a second date. They knew each other, but they were asking basic questions: Where are you from, What’s your family like, What do you do for a living? I was suddenly very thankful to be sitting across from someone who has known me for years, someone who has seen me cry and makes me laugh, someone who cheered me on at my college graduation and knows my friends. Someone my mother likes. Someone with whom I have a song and a dog and a common obsession with Criminal Minds.

First dates are nice. Anniversaries are pleasant. But a random Monday night out with your sweetheart is something to cherish.

Of Eastern New York, Albany got the least amount of snow in terms of accumulation, but from Tuesday to Friday it was cloudy and snowing or raining every minute of every day. Talk about needing some motivation and Vitamin D.

I tried to brighten the days with some color in the form of fruits and vegetables. It’s amazing how thankful I am for an orange when the ground, sky, and everything in between is gray.

That particular lunch also featured leftover pizza topped with hot sauce and pesto for a little excitement (I’m not even kidding, sometimes pesto is the most exciting part of my day.)

Here is my confession: I found this slice of homemade pizza in the back of the fridge and I admit that I cannot remember the exact date of its birth. But it looked fresh and (more importantly!) SMELLED fine, so it was added to the lunch menu. You can ask The Boyfriend: I am extremely sensitive to smelly things. If something smells off (pizza, produce, milk, your feet) you had best get it away from me pronto.

The random bit of pesto was from a Real Simple meal The Boyfriend had made the night before: Cod with Beans, Corn, and Pesto.

As you may have heard, The Boyfriend has been making fish lately.

The recipe is meant to have green beans, but when the boy came home from the store he announced that green beans were nowhere to be found, so he bought peppers instead. I was nervous about how the peppers would pair with the fish. Peppers are so flavorful and full of zing, whereas green beans are much milder. I said nothing though, which is unusual for me, but I am wary to criticize the hand that feeds me.

Let me tell you: The Boyfriend is 2 for 2. First the tilapia, now the cod. Success, my friends, delicious and fishy success! I was surprisingly full, without even eating a single noodle or slice of pizza.

Dinner was accompanied by a bottle of wine from our nice neighbors downstairs.

Dessert was accompanied by an episode of Criminal Minds (you can sneak a peek at Gideon and Hotchner in the background).

Following in The Boyfriend’s footsteps, I made a comforting Real Simple recipe for dinner the next night. (*I accidentally just typed “foodsteps” instead of “footsteps” — it still works, right??) I found this recipe in the magazine a couple of issues back and it just spoke to me. Seriously, how good does Creamy Barley with Tomatoes and Greens sound? The recipe makes a big ol’ pot, too.

I hate to say it, but this was honestly a little bland for me at first. I ended up adding some smoked Cheddar to the pot, and I think I would recommend skipping the Brie all together in favor of a smoked cheese. I also added some red pepper flakes for a little zing. I will say that I am completely in love with barley though. It’s so comforting and has such a good flavor. Barley stew has the same qualities as risotto: warm, filling, and good for you. I do recommend this recipe, but just add that you should be open to added your own favorite flavors.

The two apartment couples spent a night in on Saturday. We watched Spanglish and ate copious amounts of cheese. The Roommie and I decided early on that we wanted cheese, wine, and crusty French Bread for dinner.

Counterclockwise from the orange cheese: smoked Cheddar (if you have not tried it, you MUST!), Brie, herbed goat cheese, and smoked Gouda.

In addition to olives and bread we had grapes and an apple.

Sometimes I think it might be nice to lose five pounds, but with so much cheese in the world, is it worth it?

NO.

With our cheese we shared a bottle of Malbec.

I don’t know anything about wine, but I like Malbecs as far as red wine goes. Later we popped a bottle of Mondoro, which is sweet sparkling wine.

Jack and Lola were happy to chill with us in the living room (and wait for pieces of cheese to hit the floor). We wore the younger pup out — Jack fell asleep on my shoulder halfway through the evening.

But Lola was ready to hang out!

Lo-lo-lo-lo-lo-lola. (Do you know that song by the Kinks? I’ve been singing it all week.)

I ate more cheese last night than I’d care to admit. Despite the large block of dairy digesting in my stomach currently, I’m thinking sometime in the future this apartment needs to have a wine and cheese party. Ever hosted/been to one??

The Boyfriend and I decided to spend Valentine’s Day in instead of going out to dinner. We’re a low-key couple, what can I say. I’d much prefer catching up with my love over a glass of wine while I cook dinner instead of throwing on a dress and heels and spending money at a restaurant. I much prefer restaurants on random nights, not busy holidays.

We took care of a cat and its house over the weekend and we decided to cook dinner there, since it would be free from roommates and pets (no offense to either). It was kind of hard to leave these two guys:

For our Valentine’s Day dinner I decided to cook us something I have never made before:

I found a recipe in the Bon Appetit cookbook that turned out to be delicious. And fast!

1. Over medium heat, cook the zest from one lemon in 1 cup dry white wine. Add scallops and cook until opaque, 1-2 minutes on each side.

2. Remove scallops and set aside in a bowl. Turn up the heat on the wine and cook down the liquid, about 6 minutes.

3. Return heat to medium and add 1 tablespoon of mustard and 1 tablespoon of butter. Add 3 more tablespoons of butter, one at a time, whisking until the sauce comes together.

4. Add the scallops and their juices back into the pan and cook them until hot, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. While the scallops cook, boil a large handful of angel hair pasta.

5. Toss the pasta with a tablespoon of butter once cooked. Put a serving on each plate and top with the scallops and sauce.

While I cooked we sipped wine, nibbled edamame, and listened to some tunes, including our song.

By the way, cookbooks are a great way to keep laptops safe from spills on the counter.

Dinner was simple and small, but it packed a delicious punch.

It was a good day.

Fun.

I hate the cold. It makes me feel hopeless. How do I cure these chilly and depressing feelings? With a hot dinner that sticks to your ribs, of course.

I cooked up a hearty risotto for my rumbling tummy and the roommates (who are currently on break from school and can therefore spend their weekdays sitting on the couch watching South Park while I brave the cold to go to work all day. I only mention this because I am jealous and bitter, not because it has any relevancy to risotto). Risotto is indescribable. I could eat buckets of it every day for the rest of my life. I’ve decided it’s my desert island food.

I started off with a little olive oil and a lot of butter melting together in a pan. Don’t they look happy?

Then I added half a chopped onion and let it soften.

Next one head of chopped radicchio and about a cup of sliced mushrooms made their way into the pan.

These cooked all together until the veggies were soft. A cup and a half of Arborio rice was next.

The original recipe called for 1/2 cup of white wine, but we drank it all didn’t have any so I added a splash of rice wine vinegar for a little zing.

If you read my risotto recipes from before or if you’ve made risotto yourself, you know the drill: add 1-2 ladles of broth to the rice and stir so that it does not stick to the pan.

When the liquid is absorbed, add another ladle. Continue this until the rice is fully cooked, which should not take more than 10-15 minutes.

Add salt, pepper, and a sprinkle (or five) of freshly grated Parmesan cheese. Do not expect any leftovers for lunch tomorrow.

For some veggie power, we threw together a couple of salads. Mine had romaine, cucumbers, mushrooms, and olives.

I topped it off with homemade vinaigrette. I didn’t measure the ingredients, but it had juice from one clementine, olive oil, a little dry mustard, pepper, and balsamic vinegar. I keep my dressings in an old agave nectar bottle which makes it easy to pour. Clever, huh?

Want to see this post in simple recipe form? Check out the link for Radicchio Mushroom Risotto on my Recipe page. You can also find tomato basil risotto and pumpkin risotto.

After presents Christmas morning, my mother got to work on Christmas dinner.  The main course was Cornish game hens:

Jack gave her some cooking pointers.

As soon as the family arrived, appetizers went out.

Pita crisps, gorgonzola toasts with pine nuts, and smoked trout with dill dip on cucumbers.  Yum!

We opened presents while we ate:

Look at this pillow my sister made for my cousin’s family.

It’s so cute! She needs to open up a store ASAP.

Once every present was tore into, we moved into the dining room for dinner.

We started with arugula, pear, and parmesan salads topped with my mother’s vinaigrette.

This was incredible.  Next we had the hens with roasted potatoes.  There were Brussels sprouts, too, but apparently I snapped the photo before they made it onto the plate.

Dinner was superb, but everyone knows the highlight of Christmas dinner is the dessert.  There were several plates of Christmas cookies…

But the main event was this chocolate tart with macadamia nut crust and caramel drizzle that my mother concocted.  Hello dessert coma!

After chowing down on all this sweet and savory food, we were ready to take a cue from Jack and take a nap on the floor.

I’m ready for a break, yes, but it is no secret that Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday.  You eat, you catch up with family, you watch football (or just peek at the commercials in between bites), you walk around in sock feet with the top button on your jeans undone.  Incredible.  Dream day for this gal.

It’s seems that the thanks giving is starting on Monday this year, because today has been a glorious day that ended with a hearty home-cooked meal.  I worked alllll daaaay as per usual, but it was the last day of my night temping job! We were supposed to end on Wednesday but as a holiday treat to ourselves we finished two days early.  Also I found out that my sister is coming into town tomorrow night and spending the night with the roommates, the pets, and myself.

And I came home to an incredible meal.  The Roommate and The Boyfriend completely took over the kitchen tonight and turned out honey-glazed pork chops, grilled Granny Smith apples, and fluffy white mashed potatoes.

This picture is shmeh and I apologize because there were miraculous things on my plate. The R and The B truly outdid themselves and my tummy is thankful.  For dessert we put on sweatpants.

This Monday I am ever so thankful for my lovable, funny, and hungry roommates.

I came across the Washington Apple Commission’s site which has tons of interesting apple recipes. I took the following recipe and modified it slightly for tonight’s dinner.

Apple Turkey Burgers with Apple-Cranberry Chutney

For the chutney (this makes way more chutney than you need for the burgers, so feel free to halve the recipe):

• 3 apples, chopped
• 1 c. whole cranberry sauce
• Juice from 1 lemon
• 2 T rice vinegar
• 2 T sugar
• 1 onion, chopped

Recipe all-stars:

In a small saucepan heat lemon juice, sugar, and vinegar.  Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and add half the apples.  Simmer the apples until they are soft enough to mash with a potato masher (or the back of a spatula, if you are like me and do not have a masher.  The Roommate and I actually considered buying a potato masher at the store tonight and then, inexplicably, did not.  Ironic, isn’t it? Go sing a song about that, Alanis Morrissette.)  Add the onions and cook a little while longer until the onions soften.  Remove from the heat and add the cranberries and the rest of the apples.

Eat directly from the bowl with a large spoon Put a spoonful or two onto your turkey burger.

For the burgers:

• 1 lb. ground turkey meat
• 1 apple, grated
• Salt and pepper
• Cinnamon

In a bowl, mix the meat and apples; sprinkle a few shakes of the salt, pepper, and cinnamon and mix thoroughly.

Apparently I just use gigantor bowls — there really is a pound of meat in there, I promise.  Cook on a skillet, on the grill, or on a George Foreman.  (I used my GF to grill these just to save time, but in retrospect I recommend a real grill if you live in Florida or the stove top if you live in New York.  The GF sorta dried out the patties and for this recipe you want real juicy burgers.)  The recipe makes 4-5 burgers, depending on how big you like ‘em.

In keeping with the apple theme we enjoyed our burgers with some wine from yesterday’s trip.

The apple taste is really surprising.  The tartness takes a second to get used to — you ARE expecting grape, after all — but I really liked the flavor.

Dinner:

You can do some amazing things with an apple.

Today is National Sandwich Day (I hear) so we ate our fancy-pants sandwiches the best way we now how: pajama-clad on the couch while watching Fatal Attraction (hellooooo intense movie).  Lucky for me the only fatal attraction I have is to food.  And that is a violence-free situation.