“Home” being our NYC apartment, that is. Tonight I decided that it was time I tried out our little kitchen here in NYC. Those of you who know Joe must also know that he is an excellent cook. Joe’s the type of cook who whips things together based on what’s in the pantry or what he’s thought up on his own. It’s always delicious. His cooking prowess is something anyone would envy, but it has not been good for a) my waistline and b) my cooking skills.
I used to cook before I met Joe. I can’t quite recall specifics about what I made back then, but I am capable of putting a meal on the table. It often takes longer than necessary, the kitchen looks like a hurricane has hit afterwards, and I have to follow recipes quite closely rather than thinking things up on my own. Then I met Joe and never had to cook. I sous chef here and there, but Joe does it so well, with such flair and genuine enjoyment, so I leave it to him, more of than not. I bake, mostly because I love sweets. And so we have a good partnership going on: Joe cooks, I bake. Joe is also very good at baking and making desserts, but he’s tried to keep that skill under wraps so as not to discourage me completely in the kitchen.
Since I’m currently enjoying the life of a lady of leisure, however, I’ve decided I need to contribute more to our nourishment. This evening I ventured over to the Whole Foods Market on the Upper West Side. It’s a FANTASTIC place and only a few blocks away - hooray!
I picked up some basic ingredients to build upon the pantry warming started by Miriam.
And yeah, that’s a can of delicious “Whipped Topping” you spy there. Don’t judge. We were reminded of its existence, brilliance and deliciousness the other night at our friends Erica and Ben’s (and our favorite dog Bodhi’s, of course) place. Strawberries? Fruit. Strawberries + Whipped Topping? Dessert. What’s not to love?
Dinner was a simple meal of salmon with a teriyaki glaze, accompanied by a simple Chinese (aka Napa) cabbage and shiitake mushroom stir fry.
The veggies look a tad wilty here. (I’m no food photographer. My friend Julian, however, is. If you want to marvel at his (food & general photography) skills and drool a whole lot on your keyboard, visit his blog DJjewelz.com You’ll learn about some fantastic restaurants in LA!) The teriyaki sauce was a bit too salty for my liking, but all in all, it was edible. The recipe came from my new favorite cookbook, Cooking for Two. No fault of theirs for anything tasting less than delicious - I’ll blame my rusty culinary skills. I briefly review the cookbook separately here.
We opened up a bottle of Rose from our favorite California winery Breggo to celebrate the milestone meal.
Cheers!
