Leonardo's

So, it was tough to get a decent reservation at our favorite restaurant, so we went to our second favorite restaurant to celebrate my wife's um... twenty ninth ... birthday.

The rolled eggplant at Leonardo's is unbelievable. What do they put in that filling? It is not just Ricotta, no matter what the server tells you. Creme Fraiche? Cream Cheese? Crema? Who knows, it is just plain awesome...

Detail

Detail on my wife's birthday cake. A nice touch, I thought. Well done Edgars!

Putting the Mixer to Good Use

For Christmas, my Mother made the gift of a gently used KitchenAid, which was a HUGE upgrade over the old stand mixer. We've been putting it to good use.

Mushrooms

In a classic twist of irony, you can now find "Baby Portabello" mushrooms in mainstream American supermarkets. Of course, these are really Cremini Mushrooms, but most Americans would never have heard of them if not for the portabello marketing machine and the ensuing food trend that has caused portabellos to trickle down to even the most meager restaurants (a la sun-dried tomatoes, chipotle peppers, etc...)

Anyhow, even though I have to swallow my foodie pride, I am delighted to have such free access to fresh criminis.



They make a darned good mushroom ragout to put over polenta...