Just got home from a fun pre-birthday dinner at Zengo in downtown DC. We shared a fun meal of Asian and Latin American-insired tapas. The meal ended on a sweet note, with churros and Mexican hot chocolate. It was delicious! I love birthdays, especially when they're stretched out for a whole week.
These shrimp tacos are my new go-to dinner. They're so easy that I didn't even follow a recipe! I simply seasoned up some diced raw shrimp with Old Bay, garlic, and cumin, sauteed them in olive oil and a pureed chipotle, and piled the mixture in a blistered tortilla. If you want to get fancy, mix some of the pureed chipotles with sour cream and use that as a dressing for broccoli slaw, which makes a great crunchy filler. The tacos are topped with lots of fresh cilantro, scallions, and a squeeze of lime juice. So easy and less than 15 minutes from start to finish. I promise!
You know, from the book Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day. Good thing the neighborhood pizza joint knows how to make up for it. Our waitress arrived at the table with two pitchers full of ice to keep the drinks cold (and flowing)! I love having a go-to local spot to enjoy dinner and a glass of wine after an exceptionally long and trying day.
On one of my last nights at home, we had a big crab feast at my house, complete with grilled pizzas, blueberry cobbler, key lime pie, and, of course, Chesapeake Bay blue crabs. It was a fun way to catch up with David & Tiane and Lauren & Ryan (and their adorable baby, Jackson). I hope this becomes an annual tradition! For more pictures check out Tiane's blog.
I made this quick creamy avocado pasta for dinner tonight. The sauce was the perfect complement to whole wheat linguine and the addition of grilled lemon-pepper shrimp took it to the next level. Just another reason why Pinterest is so handy!
One thing I constantly miss about living in the DC area are the Maryland blue crabs that I grew up eating. My mom and I ventured down to Main Avenue this afternoon to pick out several dozen crabs and have them freshly steamed for dinner. It was great to get together with my sisters and our friends and enjoy eating crabs, grilled pizza, and homemade key lime pie and blueberry cobbler. It's nights like these that make me love summer so much!
Luckily, everyone in my family's neighborhood survived Irene without too much trouble. There were some power outages and fallen trees, but the worst part of the storm definitely missed the DC area. I feel so lucky that our power stayed on the whole time. Tonight, we went out for a fun family dinner and I can't remember the last time we got together, reminisced, and laughed so hard. It was so much fun! It makes me wish that I lived closer to home!
Tonight was spent out at a fun, local dive in Providence called the Red Fez. They're in the process of renovating and the downstairs restaurant has a cozy cabin feel to it. I had a delicious watermelon and feta salad with peppery arugula which paired well with their crisp vino verde. They always surprise me with their inventive dishes and individually crafted cocktails. I can't wait to go back and try more of the menu!
Tonight was the definition of a perfect summer evening. M and I took my cousin Leslie down to Narragansett for the sunset and a walk on the beach, followed by dinner out on the deck of a great seafood spot. We feasted on steamed clams, chowder, and clamcakes, all while listening to some great live music. It doesn't get much better than that.
I just got back from a lovely date night downtown. M and I visited Tazza and sampled their restaurant week menu. Highlights for me included a seared tuna dish served on top of crispy rice and wilted greens and a homemade linguine with clams and pesto. Everything was delicious and we had fun catching up with one of our favorite bartenders in the city. I think sparkling cava is my new favorite summer drink: crisp and refreshing, but not overly sweet. I'm also enamored by their stemless champagne flutes.
What have you been up to this weekend?
When it's 75 degrees with zero humidity in the middle of July, dining al fresco is pretty much the only way to go. That's exactly how I spent tonight out on Hope Street. It was the perfect temperature for sitting outside, enjoying a glass of wine and a Greek salad, and of course chatting up my company. I hope the weather holds like this through the weekend. I'm really enjoying summertime!
There's nothing better than ending a fun, relaxing weekend with sushi takeout and movies on the couch!
How do you like to end your weekend?
It was chilly and dreary all day today. It's really starting to feel like summer will never come to New England. I've decided that the show must go on! I fought the rainy day blues by grilling up some turkey burgers for dinner. Maybe if we act like it's spring the sun will finally shine for a few consecutive days.
Here's to hoping!
Stacks of bracelets worn out to dinner with the fam. I almost forgot how much I love visiting home.
Apparently I really don't want Cinco de Mayo celebrations to end! I was planning on posting this cute little guy as my photo of the day, but I got a sudden craving for the Mexican roll from one of my favorite sushi spots. It's yellowtail and sliced jalapeno rolled in soy paper with fresh cilantro leaves layered on the outside. The flavor is spicy and fresh and I could eat one every day. Well, practically every day. And wouldn't you know, it goes perfectly with a margarita!
Have a fabulous weekend!
I love Cinco de Mayo. It's basically just a fun excuse to drink margaritas and have some tasty Mexican food (but do you really need an excuse to do that?!). This year, instead of fighting for a seat at the bar of one of my favorite tacquerias, I opted to throw a little at-home fiesta. It was low-key but delicious and a nice way to kick back after a long week. I made these grapefruit margaritas, which were really refreshing and not at all syrupy sweet, and tried this fajita recipe for the first time (amazing). The pairing was spot-on, especially when some homemade guacamole was added to the mix.
Let's just say we'll be celebrating Cinco de Mayo all summer long at my house!
I love breakfast, so it's no surprise that I like to cram breakfast foods into other parts of my day as often as possible. Tonight for dinner, I whipped up a frittata with spinach, feta, caramelized onions, red peppers, and sausage. It was so flavorful and incredibly easy to make, plus it's a great way to incorporate a ton of veggies into one dish.
Today's dreary weather made it the perfect day for a hot cup of chowder and a side of clamcakes. M and I took a ride down to the beach and ate at one of Rhode Island's famous seafood shacks. It was nice to see the beach and hear the waves, despite all of the rain and thick fog. Here's to hoping that next time we eat at Iggy's it'll be in the sunshine after a long day spent on the beach!
P.S. I'm so excited to wake up and have a cup of coffee tomorrow! I can't believe it's already been 40 days.
