Happy Birthday!

Happy birthday, kaustin.

Day Off

I took today off for the drive back from my sister's cabin on Middle Cormorant Lake. Since my cousin couldn't come for the weekend, that visit vanished. I still kept the day off.

Yesterday I spent most of the day eating. It was pretty fantastic.

I spent the morning at the farmer's market buying the last few bits for the gazpacho I'd planned on making.

I got back from the farmer's market around elven, and started making the soup. I peeled and seeded a small mountain of heirloom tomatoes. I seeded red bell peppers, red and green jalapeños peppers, and peeled and seeded about four cucumbers -- all from the farmer's market. I ran everything through the food processor, threw in some vodka, adjusted the seasoning, and then dashed out the door. I did forget the cherry tomato garnish when I served it. Sigh. It and everything else was really, really good. I got back home around nine or ten.

1. Bacon infused burbon old-fashioneds with chestnut liquor (I kept wanting some nutmeg or mace for no obvious reason)


2. Tomato Caprese


3. Reconstituted fruit, with chestnut tea and chestnut liquor lightly whipped cream


4. Gazpacho with shrimp, cucumber, scallion, cilantro, and garlic chive garnish


5. Risotto -- squash, chestnut and crisp pork belly


6. Duck breast with Brussels sprouts in brown butter, wild rice with chestnuts and apples, sauteed multi-colored peppers


7. Purslane, tomato, parsley, mint salad (I snuck my cherry tomatoes in as a garnish to use 'em up)


8. Chestnuts three-ways: puree and candied, with chestnut liquor whipped cream and chestnut liquor

Food pr0n