You may have noticed that we missed Sushi Yasuda last week. We tried to make reservations and it was too late. Our Chef Mitsuru was all boooked. We learned our lesson and made reservations for next week before leaving the restaurant today. I apologize for terrible pictures. I only brought the point-and-shoot because there was a thunderstorm forecast. We loved the Sanma (Saury), lightly pickled, reminding me just a bit of pickled Herring. The flesh of this fish is so unbelievably tender and... Read Full Story

Bacon Wrapped Asparagus is a real quick and easy crowd pleaser. I've made it for several parties and it's always one of the hits. The key is to use thin asparagus. It will cook more evenly and 3 to 4 thin stalks looks better then 1 or 2 fat ones. After you break the asparagus at it's natural point, wash and dry. I use half a length of bacon for each asparagus bundle. (Here that means 1 slice of bacon makes 2 bundles, which for me is 8 thin stalks of asparagus.) You just wrap it around... Read Full Story

The Vinagre de Jerez, a sherry vinegar included in our Despana Basket, is awesome. This is a definite step up in taste and smell over your local supermarket brand. In order not to mask the wonderful vinegar, I made a very simple dressing. Sherry Vinaigrette for Two 1 tablespoon Sherry Vinegar1 teaspoon whole grain mustard1/2 teaspoon dark honey1 tablespoon very good olive oilsalt and pepper to taste Just whisk all the ingredients together and toss with salad. Season with salt and pepper... Read Full Story

Lon's co-workers got us a gift certificate for Zabar's Zabar's, one of my favorite stores. They have an awesome cheese selection, the best smoked fish counter, and knowledgeable staff in the second floor housewares section. I miss living nearby so much!! Last night, we went to Zabar's like a kid at the candy store, going ga-ga over everything. We had to exercise restraint and just get a couple of things we actually needed. Ok, so we don't actually need anymore stuff in our kitchen but let's... Read Full Story

Last night, we opened a jar of Mojo Verde Suave from our Despana Basket. Also known as Canary Sauce (originating in the Canary Islands), this combination of ingredients is impressive, being somewhat creamy without any dairy, only green pepper, olive oil, garlic, parsley, wine vinegar, cumin, pepper, and salt. Lon came up with a great dinner using the Mojo Verde along with other Despana goodies, a Chistorra and Manchego Stuffed Chicken with Green Sauce. We didn't write a recipe but it's... Read Full Story

We had Sarah and Tim over for brunch and the sweethearts brought us some sweets. The cupcakes from Batch Bakery Batch Bakery were enticing. I couldn't wait to dig in. Tim and I favored the Yuzu Lemon, strongly exhibiting both flavors in a refreshing and perky way. The soft frosting and moist cake were in just the right proportions. I usually have to wipe half of the frosting off. Lon's favorite was the Strawberry Coconut, with the pretty sparkles. While I agree that the flavor was... Read Full Story

I had assumed that Chistorra would be just like all the different shapes of Chorizo in our Despana basket. It looked similar except longer and narrower in shape, and I didn't pay attention to the name on the package till writing this post. It's funny because I was thinking how it was very much a chorizo but just a bit spicier and a bit smokier. I loved it and it seemed to go perfectly in our brunch. I just looked it up and it turns out Chistorra is a Chorizo breakfast sausage. Hooray! We... Read Full Story

We were heading to Sara's for dinner and the plan was to bring dessert, but we ended up really short on time. I searched for a quick cake recipe and saw this interesting recipe for a Chocolate Zucchini Cake. It wasn't the best cake ever but had several strong points: It's made with 3 cups of grated zucchini making it a bit healthier. It wasn't too sweet. The inside is really moist, reminiscent of cake mix chocolate cake, and it's an easy cake to transport. The sides/edges are a little bit... Read Full Story

I was excited that 16 Handles was opening near us since I like the pay-by-weight concept for frozen yogurt. We first saw that at Yogurtland (wonder if it's still 39 cents per ounce there) and the advantage is being able to get a small amount if you want to and/or mix as many flavors/toppings you want for 46 cents per ounce at 16 Handles. I stopped in today, in sweltering hot weather, perfect for sampling frozen yogurts, and left a little less than satisfied. The Plain Yogurt flavor was... Read Full Story

Jessie, Lon, and I arrived at Lan Japanese Restaurant Lan Japanese Restaurant first, all very hungry, so we had an appetizer while waiting for Olivia. None of us cared for the Home-made Prawn Dumplings. We didn't know they would have water chestnuts in them, and it so happens, all three of us hate water chestnuts. Aside, the shrimp were a bit over-cooked, the wrapper had dry spots, but luckily this was the only dish, we really didn't like. Olivia arrived just in time for the Crab Salad... Read Full Story