Happy Independence Day, I guess.

Here's the thing. I am not so into July 4. I understand it's our nation's birthday and blah blee bloo. I just find the whole day... sad, kind of. I've spent several July 4ths (Julys 4th?) recovering from horrible breakups and a recent one fighting with an airline about losing my luggage.

And I don't really dig fireworks and the pre-fireworks festivities always seem to start at odd times. So you're waiting around all day, then you have to schlep somewhere to sit on a blanket and crane your neck for 45 mnutes. And I can't really stand the "1812 Overture." So, in a nutshell, July 4? Not my favorite.

But. I don't want to be Debbie Downer; A lot of people love the holiday. It's in the middle of the summer, so it's kind of a nice opportunity to have a party, and there's usually grilling and sometimes even swimming and I am a fan of both of those things.

So recently I've tried to rethink my attitude towards July 4, focusing on the part I DO like, which is the food part. I'm not going to make a flag cake or even flag cupcakes (baby steps, people), but I can bring something to the party that is refreshing, a little less sweet than many desserts, and sooooper easy. Seriously, these things take like no work.

I used fresh key limes to make 3/4 cups of juice, and i can tell you that I squeezed approximately 12,000 limes. So save yourself the hassle and use bottled juice.

Key Lime Bars

Brown Sugar Shortbread Base
1 1/2 sticks (3/4 cup) unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt

Key Lime Topping
4 large eggs
1 1/2 cups sugar
3/4 cup key lime juice (fresh or from a bottle)
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
Confectioners' sugar

Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a 13 x 9 x 2-inch baking pan with parchment.

In a medium bowl, combine all of the ingredients and mix with your hands until the mixture looks like damp sand (the good kind to build sandcastles out of). Sprinkle the mixture evenly over the bottom of the prepared baking pan. Press with your hands or a spatula to make
the layer even. Bake until golden, about 20 minutes. While the shortbread is baking, prepare the topping.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs and sugar until combined. Stir in lime juice and flour. Slowly pour the mixture evenly over the hot shortbread. Bake until set, about 25 minutes. Let cool completely in the pan before cutting into bars. Sprinkle with confectioners' sugar before serving.

leftover MELON! sorbet

it's my first summer back in texas! i'd be lying if i said i hadn't forgotten just how very, very, VERY HOT it can get. but what i'm gaining in thermometer numbers is being made up in other ways: no sticky (stinky!) subway ride; no window units (central air, baby!) and (slightly) less humidity (my makeup actually stays where it's supposed to). so it works out, kind of. (and the a/c in my little car gets COLD.)

the one good thing about summer starting in, oh, MAY, is that the season for summer vegetables and fruits starts much earlier. the corn is amaaaaazing right now, like candy. and we've had beautiful tomatoes for several weeks. and the FRUIT! ohhhhh, the fruit. i'm overwhelmed when i go to the grocery store by the sheer volume of peaches and berries and plums and MELONS! (cue joann worley)

while i'm a huge fan of all things berry (i kind of have to be) and stone fruits rock my world... good lord i love MELONS! i can't get enough of them, for REALS. That sweet, heady, almost floral aroma of a perfectly ripe MELON! gives me such a thrill every time!

but if you're like me, you can't finish a whole MELON! in the time it takes for it to go from perfect to grody mush. throwing away food makes me sad for many reasons, but throwing away something like a once-perfect MELON! ... i can't even think about it.

so to avoid drama, i like to make my leftover MELON! into sorbet... it keeps for a couple of weeks (or i guess it does; it's never lasted that long in my house) and the flavor is NEARLY as awesome as a freshly sliced one.

Choose your favorite kind of MELON!; I've been nuts about Galias this year, but i've also made this with honeydew and cantaloupe. Watermelon would be great too, just strain the puree to made sure all of the seeds are gone. I also use white wine or leftover champagne in my sorbets (keeps them from freezing too solid); you certainly don't have to. Brewed mint tea would be a perfect substitute, or just use water.

Leftover MELON! Sorbet

Makes about 1 quart

6 cups MELON! (in 1-inch cubes)

1/4 cup white wine

2 tablespoons lime juice

Combine all the ingredients in a blender (you may have to work in batches). Blend to a mostly smooth liquid. Refrigerate until cold (about 2 hours), then freeze in an ice cream maker according to the directions for your particular machine (mine took about 15 minutes). Have some right away, then cover and store the rest in the freezer.

quick(ish) vietnamese(ish) meatball soup

listen. this looks like a lot of work. but it isn't, i promise. really. get someone to hep you roll the meatballs and that step will literally take 5 minutes.

you could also make the broth from scratch to begin with and infuse it with the lemongrass and stuff, then have it on hand to make this soup...

(and yes, i know it's summer. but sometimes you still want soup.)

for the broth:
2 quarts chicken broth
1 stalk lemongrass
1 (2-inch) piece of ginger, peeled and roughly chopped
1/3 of a bunch of cilantro (about 1/3 cup)
3 cloves garlic
3 scallions, roughly chopped
Sriracha, to taste

for the meatballs
1 pound ground pork
1 egg
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
1 teaspoon 5-spice powder
2 teaspoons minced ginger
2 teaspoons minced garlic
2 scallions, thinly sliced
2 teaspoons soy sauce
1teaspoon shaoxing vinegar (or rice wine vinegar)
1 teaspoon Sriracha, or to taste

garnish:
sriracha
sliced scallions
chopped cilantro
bean thread noodles (about a bundle per person)
sesame oil and soy sauce

Combine the broth, lemongrass, ginger, and garlic, in a medium saucepan or pot over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low and add the scallions and cilantro. Cover partially and let simmer while you make the meatballs.

Mix all of the ingredients until blended. Grab a little (about half a meatball), press it together, and drop it into the simmering broth. Let it cook and taste the mix for seasoning. Adjust the seasoning if necessary and taste it again. When it's seasoned to your liking, form the pork into 1-inch meatballs.

Remove the lemongrass, ginger and cilantro from the broth. Working in small batches, use a mesh strainer to lower the meatballs into the broth, swirling the strainer to keep the meatballs from sticking to it (this also helps make the meatballs less shaggy). Cook just until kind of set. (You're not cooking these through, you're just getting them started so they won't disintegrate when you add them to the soup.) Add the meatballs to the soup and simmer while you cook the bean threads.

Place the bean thread noodles into a large bowl, crunching them a little with your hands. Bring a pot of water to a boil and our it over the noodles, just to cover. Let them soak for about 3 minutes, then strain them and toss them with about 1/2 teaspoon sesame oil and a little soy sauce.

NOW YOU GET TO EAT.

Bring the whole pot of soup to the table, along with the bowl of noodles and the garnishes. Add noodles to each bowl and ladle the soup over. Sprinkle with garnishes and add sriracha to taste.

MAY 1 MENU!!!

cocktails and hors d'oeuvres


chilled honeydew soup with tarragon


shaved asparagus salad with morels


bourbon glazed pork belly, sweet corn grits, wilted mizuna


trio of mini ice cream sandwiches


seats available here

(leave a comment and i will email you the password!)

green chile chicken chilaquiles

I made these just today (!) for brunch. It's deeeelish and can be made the night before and reheated. You can also use other kinds of meat or protein in place of the chicken or leave it out altogether and use vegetables instead (see below for suggestions). I used mild chiles and salsa, but feel free to adjust the heat to your liking.

12 corn tortillas

2 (4-ounce) cans hatch green chiles

2 cups chunky green salsa

2 cups shredded monterey jack cheese

8 ounces queso fresco, crumbled

2 cups shredded cooked chicken (about 2 breasts and 2 thighs)

4 eggs

2 cups buttermilk

Salt and pepper

Heat the oven to 375°F. Grease a 9x13-inch baking pan or dish.

Cut 6 of the tortillas into quarters. Mix the chiles and salsa together. Lay a single layer of tortilla pieces in the pan and cover evenly with half of the chile mixture, then half of the cheese. Top evenly with chicken (or whatever you're using).

Cut the rest of the tortillas into quarters and make a layer on top of the cheese. Spoon over the rest of the chile mixture, then the rest of the cheese.

Whisk the eggs to blend slightly, then whisk in the buttermilk until blended. Season lightly with salt and pepper. Pour the liquid slowly over the layers in the pan, being sure to cover the whole thing evenly. Gently shake the pan to distribute the liquid.

Bake until the cheese is melted and golden, about 25 minutes. let stand 10 minutes and serve, or let cool, then cover and refrigerate up to 24 hours. To reheat, heat the oven to 250°F and heat for about 45 minutes.

subsititution suggestions (you can also add any of these to the chicken, but adjust quantities to end up with about 2 cups of filling):

2 cups cooked black beans

2 cups diced sauteed zucchini or yellow squash

2 cups shredded turkey

2 cups shredded brisket

2 cups shredded pork shoulder

Miso-Marinated Salmon

I try to eat fish at least once a week, for the omega-3s and stuff. And also because I love it! This is one of my favorite ways to cook salmon. It takes about 5 minutes to prep, and about 15 minutes to cook. Add some brown rice and sauteed greens and I feel healthier on the spot!

Miso, mirin, and sriracha are pretty easy to find. Try Central Market or Whole Foods. Or visit an Asian grocery--they usually have cool stuff for not a lot of money!

1/4 cup white miso

1/4 cup mirin (sweet Japanese rice wine)

2 tablespoons unseasoned rice vinegar

2 tablespoons minced green onions, plus more for garnish

1 1/2 tablespoons minced fresh ginger

2 teaspoons sesame oil

1 teaspoon sriracha (Asian hot sauce), or to taste

4 (6-ounce) salmon fillets

Sesame seeds, toasted, for garnish

In a medium bowl, whisk together all the ingredients except the salmon until blended. Lay te salmon fillets in a single layer in a baking pan or dish. Pour the marinade over and turn the salmon fillets to coat them. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.

Heat the broiler. Line a baking sheet with foil. Spray the foil with nonstick spray. Remove the salmon from the marinade, using a rubber spatula to scrape off the excess marinade. Arrange the salmon skin side up on the baking sheet. Broil until the skin is crisp, about 6 minutes, then carefully flip the fillets and broil until the salmon is cooked through but still slightly darker pink in the center, about 7 minutes more. (Cook the greens--I like baby bok choy or Chinese water spinach--now.)

To plate, spoon a bed of rice just slightly "north" of the center of the plate. Top with greens, then lay the salmon at angle pointing down towards the bottom right of the plate.

Lightbulb Oven: Winter cocktail edition!

I love winter beverages! Here's a few that I wanted to share before New Year's. Believe me when I say I will be having all three of these before we exit 2009.

Caramel Hot Chocolate

For a grown ups-only version of this yummy drink, add about 2 ounces of Godiva or Starbucks liqueur, Kahlua, or dark rum to this dessert-worthy drink.

Per serving

1 cup milk
3 caramels (or 2 tablespoons caramel sauce)
2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa

Combine the milk and caramels or caramel sauce in a small saucepan
over low heat. Whisk to melt caramel. When caramels are blended in,
whisk in cocoa. Continue whisking to blend and froth slightly. Serve
with whipped cream or marshmallows.

Bourbon Milk Punch

I am kind of in love with this Southern drink! Even though it's cold, it's kind of rich so I think better suited for winter than warm weather. I also like to add seltzer and a little vanilla sometimes for a grown-up egg cream.

For each cocktail

2 ounces bourbon or dark rum
1 teaspoon superfine sugar
8 ounces milk
freshly grated nutmeg (optional)
Cracked ice

In a cocktail shaker, combine the bourbon, sugar, and milk. Add ice to
fill and shake to mix. Strain into a tall glass and top with a
sprinkle of nutmeg, if desired.

Homemade Eggnog

If you've only had eggnog from a carton, you really need to try a homemade one. It's much less cloyingly sweet and so much more satisyfing! It can also be made without bourbon if you prefer.

4 eggs, separated
1/2 cup sugar
2 cups milk
1/2 cup bourbon
2/3 cup heavy cream
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
pinch cloves

Combine the egg yolks and half the sugar in a heatproof bowl. Heat
inch water in a saucepan until simmering and place the bowl on top.
Whisk until the yolks have thickened and are pale yellow. Whisk in
the milk and bourbon and remove from the heat. In the bowl of a mixer,
whip the egg whites and the remaining sugar until soft peaks form.
Fold a third of the whites into the yolk mixture, then gently fold
that mixture back into the rest of the whites.

Beat the cream, nutmeg, and cloves until the cream is thickened but
not stiff. Fold into the egg mixture and chill until ready to serve.