Grapefruit Cake

Early in the pandemic I went on a baking spree because we needed all the comforting things. I also instituted 3pm dessert as a way for us to get out of our respective funks, gather in the kitchen and have something sweet. 

This grapefruit cake came about because Katie insisted that Steve buy a grapefruit on their last shopping trip together before the lockdown. She didn't want to eat it plain, so I Googled dessert recipes and came across this one. It was so, so, so good. Nice and flavorful from the grapefruit with a perfect sweetness thanks to the glaze.

Grapefruit Greek Yogurt Cake
As seen on Sally's Baking Addiction

1 1/2 cups flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 large eggs
3/4 cup plain, vanilla or citrus Greek yogurt
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup vegetable or canola oil
1/4 cup freshly squeezed grapefruit juice, strained
1 1/2 tablespoons grapefruit zest
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
seeds scraped from 1/2 of a vanilla bean (optional)

Grapefruit Glaze
1 cup confectioners’ sugar, sifted
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed grapefruit juice, strained
1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 350 and grease a 9×5 inch loaf pan.

Whisk the flour, baking powder, and salt together in a large bowl. In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs. Once combined, whisk in the yogurt, brown sugar, oil, grapefruit juice, zest, vanilla extract, and (optional) seeds. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix with a large wooden spoon or rubber spatula until combined.  Spread batter into the prepared loaf pan. 

Bake for 45-50 minutes. Baking times vary, so keep an eye on it. The cake is done when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. If you find the top of the cake is browning too quickly in the oven, loosely cover it with aluminum foil.

Remove the cake from the oven and set on a wire rack. Allow to cool before drizzling with glaze.
For the glaze, whisk the ingredients together and drizzle over cake. Slice and serve. 

Cover and store leftover cake at room temperature for up to 5 days or store it in the refrigerator.

Crazy (but delicious) Pasta Salad

I'll warn you now - the ingredients in this pasta salad are WEIRD.



I'm always up for trying new things, but when I ran this one by Steve he looked at me like I had three heads. I suggested we try it out for Sunday dinner with my parents (they're such troopers, always being my tasters for new recipes). And then I remembered I had an appointment early Sunday morning so he'd be the one actually making it. I figured it was easy - the only cooking you have to do is boiling the pasta - and it would be a chance for Katie to help out in the kitchen. They were just getting started mixing up the sauce when I left and by the time I got home the salad was done and chilling in the fridge. And Steve admitted it was delicious.



Later, when we served it to my parents, we all kept going back for another spoonful. I won't pretend to know why but trust me, it works. And it couldn't be simpler. This is definitely one of those side dishes I'm going to make again and again.

Allison's Best Pasta Salad
As seen on Taste and Tell

2 cups dry farfalle (bowtie) pasta
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup sour cream or plain Greek yogurt
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
1 1/2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon dried dill
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 cups diced, cooked ham
1 1/2 cups red grapes, halved
6 oz sharp cheddar cheese, cubed
1/2 cup sliced green onions

Cook the pasta according to package directions. Drain and reserve.

While the pasta is cooking, stir together the mayonnaise, sour cream/Greek yogurt, cider vinegar, mustard, sugar, pepper, dill and salt in a small bowl.

Once the pasta is finished cooking, combine the drained pasta, ham, grapes, cheese and green onions. Pour the dressing over the top and stir to coat. Cover and chill for at least 6 hours, preferably overnight.

Spinach Salad with Strawberries and Bacon

A few weeks ago I was looking for a light, fresh salad to bring to a friend's house for one of our semi-regular cooking extravaganzas. I knew my friend, Jaida, would have something delicious on her blog and I was right. As soon as I saw this Spinach Salad with Strawberries and Bacon I knew I had a winner.



I left out the toasted almonds due to Katie's nut allergy and decreased the amount of sugar in the dressing because we prefer things tangy, but otherwise I didn't change a thing. I've made this twice now and both times it was a sleeper hit. People don't seem to expect much from such a simple salad, but the flavors are so light and delicious. I know I'll be making this one often this spring and summer.

Pro tip: I like to cut bacon with kitchen shears. Simply remove however many slices you need from the package, keeping them stuck together, and cut them in half. Hold the chunk o' bacon over the skillet and snip pieces off directly into the pan. Repeat with the other half. No muss, no fuss.

Spinach Salad with Strawberries and Bacon
As seen on Sweet Beginnings, originally from Lauren's Latest

8 slices bacon, chopped
1 6oz bag baby spinach
2 cups sliced fresh strawberries
1/4 cup toasted almonds, chopped (I left these out due to Katie's allergy)
1/2 cup Greek yogurt
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup white vinegar
2 tablespoons sugar
salt & pepper, to taste
1 teaspoon poppy seeds

In a large skillet, cook the bacon pieces over medium heat, until just crisp. Remove to a paper towel-lined plate to drain.

Place the spinach in a large bowl and top with the strawberry slices, almonds and bacon.

Combine the yogurt, mayonnaise, vinegar, sugar, salt and pepper, and poppy seeds in a small bowl and whisk until smooth. Drizzle the dressing over the salad just before serving.

All the components can be prepped a few days ahead of time and stored separately in the fridge.

Blueberry Lemon Bread

Baby Girl's camp went blueberry picking last month and she brought home a huge container of blueberries. I had already planned to make this Blueberry Lemon Bread that Melissa has been raving about for years.

I'm not sure what happened but my bread was very, very moist. When I turned it out onto the cooling rack it cracked and almost fell apart. It was inverted on the rack for only a few seconds, but it was enough time for the wire to leave deep grooves in the top. But, all that aside, this was still a delicious dessert and a great way to use up the blueberries.

Blueberry Lemon Bread
As seen on Alosha's Kitchen

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon Kosher salt
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
1 cup + 1/3 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons lemon zest (zest of one medium lemon)
1/2 cup whole milk
1 1/2 cups fresh blueberries
3 tablespoons lemon juice

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

Butter and sugar a 9- or 10-inch loaf pan; set aside. Whisk together flour, baking powder and salt in a small bowl; set aside.

Using an electric mixer, cream the butter and 1 cup of the sugar together until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the lemon zest. Slowly mix in the flour mixture, alternating with the milk, beginning and ending with the flour mixture.

Lightly coat blueberries with a small amount of flour. Gently fold in blueberries into the batter. Spoon batter into loaf pan.

Bake for about one hour, or until golden brown and a wooden toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

When the bread has about 5 minutes cooking time left, bring remaining 1/3 cup of sugar and lemon juice to boil in a small saucepan, stirring until sugar dissolves. Once removed from the oven, pierce the top of the hot loaf several time with a cooking chopstick (or knife) without touching the bottom of the loaf in pan. Pour the hot sugar mixture over the loaf.

Cool for 30 minutes in pan on a wire rack, then turn bread out of pan and cool completely on rack.

Recipe Swap - Blueberry and Lemon Muffins

When I received Jessica's blog for the Blogger's Choice swap I knew I was in trouble. There are just way too many delicious recipes to make. How was I going to choose? We are going on vacation soon and after last year we realized the area where we're staying isn't exactly good in the breakfast department. This year I thought I'd make some breakfast foods at home (muffins and breakfast burritos) and freeze them so we could eat breakfast at the condo instead. I decided to pick one of her many delicious-looking muffin recipes to make and freeze and after much deliberation I settled on Blackberry and Lemon Muffins, subbing blueberries for blackberries simply because we like them better and they're easier to find.


These were incredibly easy to make - mix dry ingredients in one bowl, wet ingredients in another then combine. Easy peasy. I ate one before freezing the rest and it was yummy. I wished it was a tad bit sweeter (UPDATE - after eating more than my fair share of muffins while on vacation I've decided the mild sweetness is perfect) but otherwise they were delicious. I'm planning to toast them for breakfast a few times while we're away and serve with plenty of butter (what, we'll be on vacation).

Blueberry and Lemon Muffins
Slightly adapted from Sunny Side Up in San Diego

2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
Grated zest of 1 small lemon, about a heaping tablespoon
2 large eggs
1 cup sour cream
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
1 cup sugar
8 tablespoons warm melted butter (1 stick)
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/2 cups (about 6 oz) chopped fresh or frozen blueberries, if frozen defrost and drain liquid

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Prepare 2 muffin tins with 18 liners.

In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and lemon zest. Set aside

In a large glass measuring cup, whisk together the eggs, sour cream, sugar, lemon juice, butter and vanilla.

Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and, using a wooden spoon or rubber spatula, mix together just until evenly combined. Add the blueberries and gently fold into the batter. Careful not to over mix, that can cause tough muffins.

Divide the batter into the muffin cups, filling each about 2/3 full. Bake for 18-20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Cool in pan for just a few minutes, until the muffins are cool enough to handle and transfer to a wire rack.

To freeze - Cool muffins completely. Wrap each muffin in a piece of plastic wrap. Place in a freezer bag and freeze for up to 1 month.

Cantaloupe and Mozzarella with Prosciutto and Basil

I love proscuitto and cantaloupe. Such a great flavor combination with the sweetness from the melon and the saltiness of the ham. While looking through my recipes for another side dish for July 4 I found this one for Cantaloupe and Mozzarella with Prosciutto and Basil.


It's a gorgeous platter of food and another side dish that requires minimal effort to put together. No cooking required, which was great since the temps were topping out in the high 90s that day. I cut up the melon the night before (Baby Girl loved watching me and helped by holding the container I was using to store the pieces until the next morning), so the day of all I had to do was assemble the platter. Easy peasy.

Cantaloupe and Mozzarella with Prosciutto and Basil
As seen in Everyday Food

1 cantaloupe, halved and seeded
3/4 pound bocconcini (bite-size fresh mozzarella balls)
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 teaspoon red-pepper flakes (l omitted because we had kids eating this)
Coarse salt and ground pepper
1/3 pound thinly sliced prosciutto
1/4 cup fresh basil leaves, torn

With a large melon baller, scoop melon flesh into a large bowl (or cut into bite-size pieces). Add bocconcini, oil, and red-pepper flakes (optional); season with salt and pepper and stir to combine. Arrange prosciutto along edges of a large serving platter. Stir basil into melon mixture, transfer to center of platter, and serve.

Blueberry Muffins with Strudel Topping

Lately we've been buying a big container of blueberries at the supermarket. They pair beautifully with strawberries and bananas in smoothies and SP likes to take them to work as a snack. He was out of town for three days this past week and the blueberries were getting old fast. I needed something to make with them and then it hit - a craving for muffins. The first recipe I tried was a bust but then I was pointed in the direction of this recipe for Blueberry Muffins with Strudel Topping . Thankfully I had plenty of blueberries to try again.


Excuse the holiday muffin liners. I didn't realize they were Christmas liners until I was looking at the photos. Gingerbread men and Christmas trees in June? Eh, what can you do? Regardless of the wrappers, these were divine. The topping provides a great crunch and the muffin itself is cakey, sweet and bursting with blueberry goodness.

Blueberry Muffins with Strudel Topping
As Seen on Fried Ice and Donut Holes, originally from Annie’s Eats

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 egg
1/3-1/2 cup milk
1 cup blueberries

Topping:
1/4 cup sugar
2 tablespoons + 2 teaspoons all purpose flour
2 tablespoons butter, softened
3/4 teaspoon cinnamon

Preheat oven to 400. Line 8 muffin cups with paper liners (I got 9 muffins and I still think they were a little big, so I'd go for 10 and have more, slightly smaller muffins).

Whisk together flour, sugar salt, and baking powder. Pour vegetable oil in a 1-cup glass measuring cup. Add the egg and enough milk to make 1 cup of liquid. Whisk together, then slowly whisk into flour mixture. Fold in blueberries. Scoop into lined muffin cups.

Combine topping ingredients, mixing with a fork until crumbly and combined. Sprinkle over tops of muffin batter.

Bake for 20-25 minutes. Let cool in muffin tin for 10 minutes, then remove to wire rack and allow to cool completely.

Goat Cheese and Strawberry Grilled Cheese

I'll admit, I wouldn't have thought to pair strawberries and goat cheese. I think of strawberries as a sweet ingredient and goat cheese as a savory. I'd seen this recipe for Goat Cheese and Strawberry Grilled Cheese floating around some of my favorite blogs about a year ago, but couldn't imagine how it would come together. Then Branny posted this recipe for Strawberry Bacon Pizza with Goat Cheese, which came through my Google Reader and Facebook page bright and early Monday morning, and it got me thinking about the grilled cheese again. See, Baby Girl loves strawberries and once they're in season I buy them weekly to send with her to daycare. SP had bought a log of goat cheese to make a beet salad for Mother's Day and picked me up a basil plant for my herb garden as well, so I had everything I needed to make this sandwich for lunch.


Ah, the benefit of working from home. I made this for lunch on Monday and holy cannoli was this an excellent sandwich. SP happened to be working from home as well and as soon as I told him what I was making he grabbed the leftover steak from Mother's Day. He did admit the sandwich smelled great while it was cooking, but this is definitely going to be a sandwich I make for weekday lunches throughout the summer instead of for dinner.

I modified Josie's recipe to leave out the pepper jelly since I didn't have any on hand (plus it's spicy and we all know how I feel about spice these days). I loved the combination of the tangy goat cheese, the sweet strawberries and the freshness of the basil. I hope Baby Girl doesn't mind me stealing a few of her strawberries to make this sandwich again (and again, and again and again).

Goat Cheese and Strawberry Grilled Cheese
Modified from Pink Parsley
Makes 2 sandwiches

2 oz. goat cheese, softened
Butter
4 slices bread
1/2 cup sliced fresh strawberries
4 large basil leaves, sliced thin
Salt and pepper to taste

Heat a large skillet or griddle over medium heat.

Spread one side of each slice of bread lightly with butter. Flip the bread over and top with half the goat cheese. Lay the strawberry slices in a single layer, sprinke with basil, salt, and pepper, then spread goat cheese on the remaining slices of bread. Top the strawberry side with the reamining bread.

Cook sandwiches 2-3 minutes per side, or until golden-brown. Cut in half and serve warm.

Recipe Swap Roundup - Fruit

With spring in full swing I'm starting to see fresh, local fruit in my supermarket. This makes me very happy. I love fruit but in the winter it's tough to get excited about the few things that are available. Unlike Baby Girl, who eats banana and applesauce daily and never seems to tire of either, I need more variety. I picked fruit as a theme for the swap back in the cold, dark winter so when it finally came time to receive the submissions I was excited. And man, are there some awesome recipes in this swap. If you love fruit, or if you want to add more fruit to your diet, take a gander at these beauties!

Jey's son is nicknamed the Fruitaholic, so her recipe for Chicken with Pineapple Strawberry Salsa was a definite winner:



Coleen doesn't usually bake with fruit, but her Strawberry Yogurt Scones were a great treat:



Jenna had to make some substitutions in her recipe for Baked Oatmeal with Apples and Mixed Fruit, but it still turned out to be a delicious breakfast:



Kate had never heard of a buckle before getting her recipe for Blueberry Buckle, but quickly realized it's basically a coffee cake with fresh fruit:



Melissa loved the mild sweetness of her Strawberry Cream Cheese Muffins, which had a great creaminess as well:



Nichole thinks of grapes as a forgotten fruit, so she was happy to revisit them with her recipe for Grape Salad:



Heather had to make a few modifications to her Mixed Green and Apple Salad with Warm Honey Dressing, but ended up with a great, easy salad:



I made Jey's Lemon-Basil Blueberry Muffin Top Cookies, which were a fun twist on a traditional muffin/cookie:



Katie had my recipe for Thai Pineapple Rice, which she served in a gorgeous pineapple half for an awesome presentation:



Dawn loved the elegant aspect of her Cinnamon Vanilla Poached Pears, a simple, light dessert:



Cathy loves handheld desserts like these Cheese Danish:



Lishie's oven died while she was making her Glazed Apple Cream Pie, but thankfully she was still able to make and enjoy this delicious dessert:



Allison enjoyed her Strawberry Sour Cream Pie, especially with the addition of whipped cream:



Jaida brought her Mini Fruit Tarts for a coworker's baby shower (although the coworker ended up having the baby before the party):



Paige isn't normally a fan of fennel but she still enjoyed her Citrus Fennel Salad:



Kristina loved her Strawberry Muffins so much she's already got plans for making them with different fruit:



Ashley enjoyed her Rustic Applesauce as a special treat:



Nicole loved the ease of her Fruit Trifle, which she brought to work so she wouldn't be tempted to eat the whole thing herself:

Recipe Swap - Lemon-Basil Blueberry Muffin Top Cookies

Want to see what other Fruit recipes were made during the swap? Here is the link to the Fruit Recipe Swap Roundup

Now that spring is here and we're starting to see more fruit in the supermarket I thought fruit would be a great theme for the recipe swap. I submitted a savory recipe (my favorite Thai Pineapple Rice) but many of the participants chose sweet recipes, like this one for Lemon-Basil Blueberry Muffin Top Cookies from my friend Jessica over at The Jey of Cooking.


Jey couldn't stop raving about these cookies when she sent me the link for the swap and when I read her blog post I got even more excited about making them. I loved the idea of the basil mixed with the lemon and blueberry. And muffin tops are my favorite part of the muffin so I knew these would be a hit. I had some basil leftover from my Weeknight Spaghetti and Meatballs, so I decided to make these immediately.


I let Baby Girl have half a cookie as she watched me take these photos and she absolutely loved them. She rarely has cookies (this kid does NOT handle sugar well), but I was impressed that she enjoyed all the complex flavors. These are certainly not your traditional cookies. I also brought about half the batch to church on Sunday since we had signed up to bring food for fellowship after the service. They were a big hit and someone even asked me for the recipe. Yay!


I'll definitely be making these again over the summer when my basil plant gets out of control. Jey's original recipe listed 3 large basil leaves but that alone only yielded 1 tablespoon when chopped, so I used the rest of the plant (about 1/4 cup total) and that was perfect.

Make these soon and you won't be sorry!

Lemon-Basil Blueberry Muffin Top Cookies
The Jey of Cooking

1 1/2 cups flour
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup sugar
Zest of 2 lemons, 1 1/2 tablespoons reserved
1/4 cup fresh basil, finely chopped, 1 tablespoon reserved
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/3 cup buttermilk*
1 cup blueberries
Confectioner’s sugar (powdered sugar)
Juice from about 1/2 lemon

Preheat oven to 350. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.

Combine flour, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl. Add sugar, lemon zest and basil to a small food processor and pulse to combine.

Beat the butter, in a stand mixer or a regular bowl using a hand mixer, until creamy. Add the sugar mixture and beat again until fluffy. Add the egg and vanilla, then turn the mixer down to low. Slowly add in the flour mixture and buttermilk, alternating in batches beginning with 1/3 of the flour, then 1/2 of the buttermilk, 1/3 of the flour, the other half of the buttermilk, then the rest of the flour. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed. Fold in blueberries.

Using a cookie scoop or a leveled tablespoon, drop dough onto the baking sheet, leaving about 1 1/2 inches between cookies.

Bake each sheet for 12 minutes. Cool for 2 minutes, then transfer to a cookie rack.

Whisk together confectioner’s sugar (about 1/2 cup), lemon juice and reserved lemon zest and basil until you reach your desired consistency and flavor. Drizzle on top of the cookies. Allow to cool completely and the glaze to harden before serving.

* To make you own buttermilk, put 1 tablespoon of white vinegar or lemon juice into a glass measuring cup. Add enough milk to equal 1 cup. Stir and allow to sit for about 5 minutes, until the milk begins to curdle. Stir before using in a recipe. For this recipe I did 1 tablespoon of white vinegar and enough milk to make 1/3 of a cup.

Strawberry Cashew Chicken Salad

I love chicken salad. Last summer I made it at least once a week for dinner. So when I saw that Cassie had posted a recipe for Strawberry Cashew Chicken Salad I had to try it.


I halved the recipe, using only one chicken breast, since SP only likes mayo, salt and pepper in his chicken salad. I also mixed the cooked bacon into the chicken salad because I was bringing it to work to have for lunch. While it wasn't my absolute favorite chicken salad of all time, it was a great variation and one I'll definitely make again.

Strawberry Cashew Chicken Salad
Very slightly modified from Cassie Craves

1 1/2 cups mayonnaise
1 tablespoon cider vinegar
1 teaspoon sugar
Salt and pepper to taste
2 cups cooked shredded chicken (from 2 chicken breasts)
1/2 cup cashews, chopped
1 cup strawberries
1/4 cup green onions, thinly sliced
4 slices of bacon, cooked and crumbled

Whisk together the mayonnaise, vinegar, sugar, and salt and pepper in a large bowl. Taste for seasonings and adjust as needed.

Add chicken, cashews, strawberries, green onions and bacon. Serve on bread or over lettuce.

Peaches with Vanilla Ice Cream

I bought a basket of peaches at the farmer's market just so we could have peaches with vanilla ice cream:


I peeled and diced a few peaches before cooking them with butter, brown sugar and OJ. Once the sauce got nice and thick I poured it over scoops of creamy ice cream. Delicious and so summery.

French Toast

For Sunday breakfast we wanted something hearty so I made French toast:


... with sliced banana and the rest of the strawberries from the fruit I used in the salad for the girls lunch. We used some real maple syrup my parents bought us for Christmas and I dusted the bread with powdered sugar.

Peaches and Ice Cream

I bought peaches at the farmers market a few weeks ago with the intention of eating them with ice cream, but we kept putting it off. They ended up overripe and some were a little tart, but they were still good. We had them with vanilla ice cream:


I cooked the peaches like my mom and I have done in the past, with a little OJ and brown sugar:


... until they made a syrup.

Sunday Dinner

On Sunday, after a full day of canning tomatoes, my mom, stepdad and I whipped up a nice dinner. SP and my stepgrandmother came over as well and we all feasted on mozzarella, tomato and basil:


... a quick corn salad I threw together using the leftover corn from Saturday and whatever my mom had on hand:


... a few half-sour pickles SP brought from our stash at home (the ones I got at the farmer's market near my office):


We also had lobster rolls:


... made with rich, lucious lobster meat and a little mayo to hold it together. They were served in buttered and grilled split-top rolls. We also had fresh pork roll and summer sausages, along with more sliders. Over dinner the night before my stepdad mentioned enjoying the cooked onion they serve on White Castle burgers, so we decided to make our own version:


I finely minced some onion and cooked it low and slow, then once the mini burgers came off the grill I topped each with a little of the onion:


They were really tasty! My family is really loving the mini burger these days. My plate, with two sliders, a lobster roll, pickle, corn salad and mozzarella, tomato and basil:


After all that yummy food I didn't think I'd have room for dessert, but my parents had a ton of beautifully ripe, fresh peaches just begging to be eaten. My mom mixed the cut peaches with a little orange juice and brown sugar, then I cooked them in a pan with a little butter so the sugar and juice formed a thick syrup. We served the hot peaches with vanilla ice cream:


... for a semi-healthy, absolutely delicious summer dessert.

Strawberries and Bananas

Our neighbors went to Canada recently and brought us back the Canadian version of Nutella (Finetti). I had some Saturday night with cut up strawberries and bananas:


The Finetti wasn't quite the same as Nutella (less chocolate flavor) but it still hit the spot.

Dinner with the Parents

My parents invited us over for dinner and I actually remembered to bring my camera along! My stepgrandmother was there, along with some old family friends. We noshed on some nicoise olives on the deck while we nursed gin and tonics:


My stepfather wanted the meal to be a bunch of little dishes (like tapas) so we had a corn, avocado and tomato salad he came up with after enjoying the one I make:


My contribution was my Thai pineapple rice:


... made with basmati, chunks of pineapple, jalapeno, soy sauce, onion and cilantro. Our friends brought a cast iron skillet full of crispy roasted potatoes:


We also had delectable crab cakes:


... a nice piece of flaky grilled salmon served with a dill mayonnaise:


... chunks of rare tuna in a soy marinade:


... and shrimp in anchovy butter, an homage to a restaurant my family enjoys:


My plate, clockwise from the top - a piece of crab cake, roasted potatoes, a chunk of tuna, shrimp, salmon, Thai pineapple rice and corn salad:


My stepgrandmother brought a huge fruit salad to finish off the meal: