steamed crab with clarified butter

This post is like cheating. Hardly a recipe at all, it's basically just an excuse to post pretty pictures from Sunday's trip to Pike Place Market with Canadian Cowboy. Our mutual love of the market is such a nice thing. On one of our early dates, we met at the market at his suggestion. He purchased Copper River salmon (the best!), scallops, and fresh asparagus. Much to my delight, he let me pick out two bouquets of flowers -- one for his apartment, and one for me to take home. I selected these gorgeous irises for myself and a bright (but masculine) seasonal bouquet for him. Market fare in hand, we went back to his place, where he proceeded to grill up an outstanding meal. He even grilled the salad and wrapped the scallops in bacon -- very impressive!

sicilian pasta with shrimp & almond cream

I made this recipe before the Olympics and I'm just now posting it. Isn't that terrible? But what was it about the Olympics that was so captivating this year? Despite my relative lack of interest in watching sports on TV -- except Notre Dame football, of course (*cough*GoIrishBeatMichigan*cough*) -- I found myself glued to the television every night for two weeks while the athletes were competing. Track cycling quarter finals? I'm on it! Badminton at 3am? Count me in! Sometimes I even found myself staying up late to watch athletes from countries that I'm not entirely sure I could locate on a map. Seriously -- Burkina Faso? Djibouti? (Don't lie -- you know you wouldn't do any better.) Apparently I wasn't alone, though, since two-thirds of the American population tuned in. I think for me, this was the first Olympics where I was really able to understand -- and even relate to -- the kind of effort it takes to be successful at that level. With so many make-or-break, almost-doesn't-count moments, I could barely tear myself away. What kept you watching this year?

tuscan tuna salad

Just a simple tuna salad recipe for you today. It's the first thing I've cooked since I returned from my quick trip home for Memorial Day. I suppose this begs the question, "What did I eat all week?", and when I stop to think about it, I can't quite recall. Some jumble of Special K, Progresso soup, and South Beach Diet snack bars, I think. (Thumbs up to the South Beach chocolate mint bars, which only have 100 calories and taste just like thin mint Girl Scout cookies. Mmm...cookies.) I knew it was time to get back in the kitchen, but since I didn't really feel like cooking I had to pick something that was more or less effortless. Of all the effortless recipes out there, I'm not quite sure why I chose this one. I'm not particularly wild about fennel or tarragon, so if I were to make this again I would omit them entirely. Again, nothing particularly wrong with this recipe, but it didn't wow me and I can't say that I'm eagerly anticipating seeing it again as leftovers. Oh well -- back to the soup then, right?

swordfish with braised endive

I have apparently reached another milestone in life where something I once found mundane now holds a great deal of interest for me. Yes, once upon a time, things like bed linens, kitchen equipment, and -- gasp! -- antiques bored me to tears. Now, however, I take delight in coordinating my sheets with my duvet cover, in the usefulness of my kitchenware, and in discovering a well-preserved Shiny Brite ornament in an out-of-the-way antique store. Signs of adulthood? Yes, probably. And now I can add one more thing to that list: vehicle maintenance, or, more specifically, vehicle beautification. On Saturday I had my car detailed from top to bottom. I tend to be a bit of a penny-pincher when it comes to things like this, but much to my surprise, I found myself looking forward to the appointment with a great deal of anticipation. And I would be lying if I said I was anything but gleeful when DANA ND2* was returned to me on Saturday afternoon, all shiny and clean and just for me! I can even pretend that the whole package was free...until I get next month's credit card bill, of course.

poached halibut with chickpeas & smoked paprika

Good morning, sunshine! It seems that spring is already springing out here in Washington. For the first time in months, I woke up to a beautiful, sunny day. Though the frequent Seattle sprinkles don't particularly bother me, I'm quite glad to know the worst of the rainy season is behind us. As I got dressed this morning and planned my day, I was reminded of one of my favorite poems. Emily Dickinson's "Hope is the Thing With Feathers" is a poem that I tend to think of on stormy days, but I find it just as inspiring on bright, sunny ones:

crab chowder

This post comes to you courtesy of a blogging event called Taste & Create, where participating bloggers are paired up and given the task of creating one dish from his or her partner's blog. Sometimes I feel a little overwhelmed by all the cooking possibilities. Cupcakes? Crumbles? Quiche? How can I choose? So I decided to take advantage of this opportunity to have my options narrowed to the recipes on just one person's blog.

linguine with clams & mussels

I'm acutely aware that there are certain luxuries I can only enjoy at this point in my life. Take today, for example: I got up, took a shower, and then took a nap. I'm pretty sure that's not the morning routine of a woman who is married with children. However, it was fabulously relaxing, so I'll continue to enjoy Saturday mornings like this while I can.

cioppino

I love special occasions. Real ones, made-up ones -- you name it, and I like to celebrate it. I've only lived in the Pacific Northwest for three months, but I've already celebrated a number of things. Like the night I got all four of my green dining chairs for only $40. That called for a trip to Cupcake Royale. And the day I picked up my table for only $60 -- "Hello, Cupcake" in Tacoma. This weekend I'll be celebrating the end of my membership in Indiana's illustrious Infraction Deferral Program by making my own cupcakes.