the arugula files

Mushrooms for your Tapas Party, from the Canal House Ladies

Having an 9-month old daughter is wonderful, no doubt, but there's a down side to everything.  A limited social life is one of them.  In my mind, some day, when they release me from nap prison and early bed time purgatory, I will throw a great dinner party.  I will serve Spanish tapas and these mushrooms will be on the menu.  So will this dish.  We will listen to Ojos de Brujo and drunkenly try a go at flamenco dancing. Until then, I'll enjoy these buttons of garlicky goodness for lunch (like escargot without the snails!)

Time to Make the Strawberry and Rhubarb Jelly Doughnuts

 

This year, instead of making my husband a rhubarb pie for his birthday we made him jelly doughnuts. Rhubarb and strawberry jelly doughnuts.  Ok, the truth is, they made the doughnuts.  I watched while holding this one. First, they made a quick strawberry and rhubarb freezer jam.  Next, they followed this recipe for the doughnut.   

Apron Anxiety, Plus Herb Crusted Chicken (For Hungry, Important People)

At the beach a few weeks ago I finished, Apron Anxiety: My Messy Affairs In and Out of the Kitchen.  If you read the author's blog, then you know this "tell-all memoir" (<air quotes) describes Alyssa Shelasky and Good Stuff Eatery's Spike Mendelsohn's rocky relationship, with food tales tossed in (including a few tasty sounding recipes).

Yes, it's a bit trashy, and that's exactly why I liked it.   

Ms. Shelasky is a good writer. She has a voice and a style all her own. I'm fond of her Carrie-like gift for asking pop candy questions ("When did tweeting become the new chain smoking?")  and for zippy lines ( "Zagat is my Zoloft").  Apron Anxiety's pages kept me busy for a few hours, as I relaxed in my beach chair at the water's edge.  

Peach and Blackberry Salad with Poppy Seed Dressing (Plus Tips on How to Make a Gorgeous Summer Salad)

You know what impresses me?  When someone creates a delicious, Natalie-Cole-style salad.  As in: unforgettable.  Yes, that unforgettable.  Unforgettable, in every way.  The lettuce.  The dressing.  The little gems of fruit and beads of salt.

An extrodinary salad is not something one throws together at the last minute.  It takes great care and attention to detail.  It also costs a few bucks.   If you have a garden, then you are on your way.  Otherwise, make your way to the local farmers market.  It's summer.  Get.  Out.  Side. (Or, as my favorite writer would say to me:  Mary, leave your natural habitat-- the couch--behind).

Peanut Butter and Bananas Dipped in Chocolate

Did I mention I'm on vacation?  Last week we rented a house in Hatteras, NC.  The same one we rented last year.  So far, no sharks.  Just some boogie boarding, lighthouse tripping, and pounds of peel-and-eat shrimp. Oh, and a little tropical storm named Beryl.  No biggie.  

Here are some treats we made at our cottage. And what I mean by we, is that I watched and others made them.

They couldn't be easier to pull together, though, which is good because I don't have a recipe.  Instead, here are some guidelines.  I promise, you can't mess this up.

Goodbye Spring, Hello Summer Pasta with Fresh Peas

It feels like Spring has long passed.  I find hints of her here and there, hiding behind the summer heat.  There she is: a cool breeze at night, Sunday rain showers, tulips at the market, and these North Carolina peas.  I bought them on the last day of May, an appropriate way to say goodbye to Spring and hello to Summer, I thought.  Making a Spring pasta isn't difficult.  Fresh herbs are a must, but beyond that you can throw anything into your pot.  

Taco Party with Homemade Corn Tortillas, Plus All the Fixins

I'm vacationing on the Outer Banks this week.  It's wonderful.  I get to do things I never have time for, like read books and cook without the pressure of a clock weighing on me.  So far there have been lots of delicious dinners.    I ordered a tortilla press one year ago.  A year passed and no handmade tortillas.  Then I saw this article in the June issue of Bon Appettit for tacos and thought there is no better place for a taco party then on vacation, at the beach, so I packed my tortilla press.  One of the first nights we were on vacation, we made homemade corn tortillas.