The Best Company You'll Ever Have

"Light the candles and pour the red wine into your glass. Before you begin to eat, raise your glass in honor of yourself. The company is the best you'll ever have."  - Daniel Halpern, poet

Blasphemy!

Blasphemy, I say!

'Twas the Night Before Christmas

'Twas the night before Christmas
When I boarded a plane.
My luggage stuffed with warm sweaters,
boxed presents and candy canes.

The hostesses all sang
over the intercom with cheer,
As the children squirmed in their seats
And we flew over the Pier.

The flight was not long
And the ride not too bumpy.
And a few hours later,
We landed quite safely.

Through the terminal I rushed,
To be greeted by family.
And we whisked up my suitcase
And hopped in the Jimmy.

As we left the City,
the snow started to fall
Dusting the farm fields
Like powdered sugar over it all.

And the lights on the houses
Twinkled like sprinkles on cake
Or perhaps more like tinsel
reflecting the light of a fireplace.

And farther and farther
Into the country we drove.
Until finally now
Up to my aunt's house we pulled.

As my brother unloaded,
Into the new foyer I walked
And my mother she greeted me
And we kissed and we talked.

And she gave me a tour
And show'd where I'd be staying
And we smiled
As we saw the new baby sleeping.

But as we rounded the corner,
What to my wandering eye should appear?
But the most beautiful kitchen
I have seen all year.

I stopped in mid-sentence.
My breath taken away.
Absorbing the scene before me
I had nothing to say.

Granite countertops, wood floors
A gas stove with four burners.
An island, a dishwasher
An oven I've yearned for.

A full fridge, a freezer
Cabinets and barstools.
A pantry, high ceilings,
This kitchen was magical.

I ran my fingers over the counters.
I played with a dial.
I imagined warm pie in the oven
And  to myself, I smiled.

Yes, what I could cook
in a kitchen like this.
What utter joy,
What culinary bliss.

The pies and the roasts
The cookies, the batter
The soup and the mash
A roasted vegetable platter.

Hors d'oeuvres and omelets
Salad and dinner plates
The chocolates, the cocktails
Puffed pastry bakes

We'd eat until we were full
Then we'd eat again
And we would throw parties
Every now and again.

That night, as I was tucked
warmly in bed,
And Santa and his reindeer
flew overhead,

I dreamt of a kitchen
As big as my whole place
And I danced around on wood floors
in heels and lace.

And I mixed flour and sugar
and butter and egg
And visions of sugar cookies
danced in my head

And I wished upon Santa
That some day I would
Have a kitchen like this
To make such food.

Salmon Enchiladas

Intimate homes may only host intimate gatherings ... Here's a great recipe for dinner for 2.

Ingredients:
1 pound salmon
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup tomato paste
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1/4 t chili powder
1 t cayenne
2 t diced green chilis
1 t minced garlic
1/8 t cumin
2 T minced white onions
4 tortillas
shredded mexican cheese
sour cream

Supplies:
Hot Plate + Large Pot + Small Pot
Toaster Oven + 9" Square Baking Dish

Directions:
Begin by preparing the salmon - you can boil, grill, barbeque, etc.  With the Spice Studio Setup, boiling seemed most practical.  When salmon is cooked, remove from heat and drain water.  Set aside to cool.

HOT PLATE TIP:  I like to heat the water up in the electrical kettle first before putting it in the pot, because the hot plate takes a while to get water boiling on its own.

In the meantime, mix the water, tomato paste, oil, seasonings and onions in a small pot.  Place on hot plate and cook on medium heat for several minutes until onions begin to soften.  Remove from heat.

Preheat the toaster oven to 350 degrees.

Place several spoonfuls of sauce in the bottom of the baking dish and spread across the bottom.  Take a tortilla, spread the inside with a spoonful of enchilada sauce.  Fill with salmon and cheese.  Fold tortilla over and place in pan.  Repeat with remaining tortillas.

Top enchiladas with remaining sauce and desired amount of cheese.  Bake for 10 - 15 minutes until cheese is melted and edges of tortilla are slightly crisp.

Remove from oven.  Top with sour cream and serve.

RECIPE NOTE:  These enchiladas are fairly spicy.  Use less cayenne if you don't like them so spicy.  And for more spice, add additional cayenne or serve with pico pica hot sauce.

Best Served With:  Corona w/ Lime, Corn on the Cob, and/or Chips w/Salsa and Guacamole.

Special thanks to my beautiful dinner company who joined me for libations, satiation and good conversation last night.

A Few Of My Favorite Things ...

Working in a kitchenette, the best gadgets come in small packages.  They are multi-purpose, easy-to-clean and compact.  Today's favorite thing:  my collapsible step stool.

Step

And Store

And now for a little Julie Andrews inspiration ...

Stemless wine glasses and heirloom tomatoes

Candlelit dinners and mashed potatoes

The aroma of freshly ground coffee beans

These are a few of my favorite things

Stainless steel blades and herbs from the garden

A bouquet on the table and fresh bread in the oven

Curry so spicy that it makes your mouth sing

These are a few of my favorite things

When the milk spills

When the trash stinks

When I"m feeling sad

I simply remember my favorite things

And then I don't feel so bad