Let Them Eat Cake!

I have been doing tea parties with my girls since they were babies. I used to own a business called Tea Chic for children's tea parties which ended up being way more work than fun so now I only do it for my daughters and family. Our Valentine Tea Party theme was Marie Antoinnette. We love the Sofia Coppola movie version to inspire our whimsical fantasies.

Muy Caliente Valentines!

No cooking on Valentines is my present. We had a romantic dinner at Ruth Chris: Rockefeller oysters, filet, steamed broccoli, sauteed mushrooms and flambe strawberries Grand Marnier with chocolate and molten lava cake. 

Happy Valentines!

The Strawberry Rosemary Scones are delicious.  (keep). The dough is pretty sticky and  difficult to cut out into hearts so make sure you have a dry floured surface to work on and plenty of time afterwards to clean up the powdery mess. I was hesitant to add the rosemary but it added amazing flavor and contrast to the jam.  We used our home made grandmother's recipe frozen strawberry jam which in the oven created a runny bleeding heart effect.  Viva L'amour!

Grilled Tuscan steak with fried egg and goat cheese, bib basil and mint salad with Parmesan crostini, poached pears in honey, ginger and cinnamon syrup

"Oddly Good" was the response to the steak with egg. I grew up in Venezuela and we love to put fried eggs on everything from spaghetti to arepas so I don't see it quite as "Odd" as my American born SM.  I used grass-fed organic rib eye (2 pounds $35) and ass I opened the parchment wrapping a stream of blood splattered on my white dress and unto the floor (I know I have no business wearing white while cooking). I won't forget to wear an apron after the kitchen and I looked like a CSI crime scene. After being a vegetarian for so long, it still freaks me out to see the blood flowing from the package of food we are supposed to eat. Tofu does not bleed. I cleaned up the mess, prepped the meat with salt, pepper and the Herbs de Provence which seemed to have lavender in it. I have actually been to Provence to see the beautiful lavender fields which only bloom once a year in July. The french bees attacking us while trying to take our splendorous pictures were an unwelcomed surprise.

 I then grilled the meat  for 8 minutes on each side. They were still too rare and had to be grilled a few more minutes. The kids thought they were too chewy and preferred the baked tenderloin (toss).  I am realizing that is is all about the prep. My process of cooking usually goes like this: Pick recipe, buy ingredients, get home, place all ingredients on counter, read first recipe step one and quickly realize I should have washed, squeezed, cut, chopped ingredients ahead of time before getting to the required step. It holds up traffic and makes it very stressful (It's my own version of  Food Network's Chopped where they get they ingredients and have 10 minutes to make a gourmet meal). My 8 year old daughter helped me and I think I would still be cooking if it were not for her help. I also need to get organized and read the steps ahead of time. I am a very, VERY linear thinker and like to go step by step. This cooking thing might be of help in multitasking and planning ahead.  The Bib salad had a lot of different flavors that really worked together (Mint, basil, and fennel which I had never bought before and was not even sure if you used the white bulb or the greens). The dressing was healthy simple olive oil, lemon, salt and pepper and everyone enjoyed it (keep). The Parmesan butter crostini were delicious but a bit too crunchy and next time I would bake for 10 or less minutes (I was worried someone was loosing a tooth that night).  I had never cored a pear or split a vanilla bean to extract the seeds so that was fun as well as the delicious smell of cinnamon sticks and ginger. The pears needed more than 20 minutes to soften but it was time for bed (school night) and the liquid never thickened to syrup but remained a watery mess. The taste of alcohol was too strong for the kids and not strong enough for the adults (school night). I used regular white wine and maybe the Moscato would have worked better but we will never know because it is a "toss".

Nonna Luna's Rice & Roasted Beef Tenderloin with Basil-Curry Mayonnaise

Giada was not kidding when she said the Tenderloin would be pricey. The recipe called for 3-4 pounds but because I believe in only eating grass fed organic meat after being a vegetarian for 24 years, I maxed out at 2 pounds (four pieces) for $40. I also use organic chicken broth and dairy to minimize consumption of hormones and antibiotics. It adds up $.  I used ground coriander and cumin instead of having to crush the seeds and I did not toast them (It's a week-night for goodness sakes!).  The rub and mayo was easy to make (My eight year old made it)  and delicious.  A real winner! Applause all around. The shrimp and rice was the Seattle Seahawks of this year's Superbowl. It was the favorite going in but ended up being a disappointment. Too Spicy! Two tablespoons of Tabasco was way too much for the kids and I. The shrimp was runny and never thickened up. I don't think we will try this one again. 

The cleanup sometimes takes longer than the cooking!

Life Lesson: Don't underestimate the underdog

First Recipes

Great start with "Giada at Home" recipes for Pea Pesto Crostini and Stuffed Baby Peppers. When I bake I need to be alone to be able to fully concentrate and it becomes a mindful meditation practice for me. I thought I would do the same with cooking when both my girls asked if they could help make the recipes they picked out.  I have been a mom long enough to know that everything takes more time and ends up being more work for me when the kids "help out". But I remembered this is not about be wanting to learn how to bake because I love eating dessert. It is about them. About family. So I surrendered to the art of cooking family style. It's messy, bonding and a lot more fun. We did it together and they might actaully be better at this than I am. The Crostinis were delicious and easy to prepare. The Baby Peppers were hard to stuff (even with little 8 year old fingers).  Next time I would use regular sized peppers and bake for an hour. 

Life Lesson: Messier is sometimes better.

Last night we went to an amazing Italian restaurant called "Paisanos" and had the NY steak with sauteed veggies. It was delicious.  It reminds me that I do enjoy getting dressed up, going to a nice restaurant and having a great meal. We ate our way through Europe last year finding our favorite restaurant and place on earth at Don Alfonso's in Sorrento.  I will still pick my meal based on health and fuel but truly enjoy being cooked for and served.  

                                                    Don Alfonso, Sorrento