June has proved itself to be a serious test of my tolerance for both drinking and socializing. It started with our 10-year high school reunion, progressed into a work offsite, and is culminating in a trip to Iceland with my girlfriends. After more beers than I’ve had since college, my body hates me and so does my wedding dress. It’s been good for my soul, though, full of enriching conversations and laughter and long nights enjoying the perfect June weather.

Reunion in particular was a whirlwind. Trevor and I both went to Andover, and our reunions are a weekend-long marathon. Friday night was a bit awkward – lots of “hey! So what do you do now?” conversations and liquid courage courtesy of Sam’s car bar. But by Saturday, everyone had slipped right back into their old friendships. We spent the day playing flip-cup and slosh-ball and hanging out in an old soccer field on the edge of campus. This morphed into dinner and dancing and 3-am lawn hangouts before we stumbled home. With very little recent practice for this sort of all day event, I’m amazed at the stamina we brought to the table – 28 and going strong.

On Sunday morning, after we groggily hugged our friends (and my amazing parents who let us take over the house all weekend) and slowly drove ourselves back home, we needed grease. Grease and HBO. There are only 3 or 4 restaurants within walking distance of us that are any good, but thankfully one of them is Tenoch. Tenoch is a small fast-food style restaurant that makes the most incredible tortas, griddled Mexican sandwiches. A torta usually consists of a big squishy bun called a telera, slow-cooked meat, a spicy sauce, refried beans, avocado, something bright and pickle-y like pico de gallo or pickled onions, and melted queso fresco. Basically it has all the elements of a taco but with a larger volume of filling and more carbs.

As per usual, I got a torta de carnitas, piled high with shredded pulled pork, and promptly demolished it. I then collapsed into a state of complete sloth and binge watched Silicon Valley. It was kind of glorious. While in this lethargic state, in a rare moment of perfect foresight, I decided this sandwich was something I needed to make at home.

The next weekend I made a giant pot of carnitas, baked homemade telera buns, and whipped up a quick guacamole and pico de gallo. The resulting tortas de carnitas were just as good as the Tenoch version. Plus, we had tons of leftovers. This proved to be an incredible boon as I went into drinking week, round two, at my offsite. The carnitas recipe I used comes from a great little book called Tacos, Tortas, and Tamales. It has tons of flavor and is quite easy. Give it a try whether or not you’re going all in on the tortas!

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Torta de Carnitas

The inspiration for this comes from our local torta shop, Tenoch (amazing sandwiches!) and the carnitas recipe is adapted from Tacos, Tortas, and Tamales, which is a great little book on Mexican street cooking.

• Author: Katie at the Kitchen Door
• Yield: 5
• Cuisine: Mexican

Ingredients

For the carnitas:

• 8 cloves garlic, peeled
• 1/2 medium white onion, peeled and chopped into quarters
• 1 TBS fresh thyme leaves
• 2 tsp dried oregano
• 3 tsp kosher salt
• 3 lbs. boneless pork-shoulder, cut into 2-inch chunks
• 2 dried bay leaves
• 3/4 cup coke

For the tortas:

• 5 telera rolls, store-bought or homemade
• 2 TBS room-temperature butter
• 3 lbs. prepared carnitas
• 1 15-oz. can of refried black beans
• 1 c. spicy pico de gallo
• 2 c. prepared guacamole

Instructions

For the carnitas:

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Place the garlic cloves, onion, thyme, oregano, salt, and half a cup of water in a blender and blend until smooth. Place the pork and the bay leaves in a large dutch oven or oven-safe pot with a lid, and pour the garlic and onion mixture on top of the pork. Add the coke and use tongs to toss the mixture a few times to make sure everything is well coated.
2. Cover the pot and place in the oven. Cook until the pork is so tender that it falls apart when you press it with a fork, about 2 to 2 1/2 hours. When it is very tender, remove the lid. Use tongs to stir the pork and make sure a few pieces are above the liquid line. Return to the oven for 15 minutes, browning the exposed pork. Repeat the process once more, bringing new pieces of pork above the liquid and browning those for 15 minutes.
3. Once you have browned the pork, use tongs to transfer the pieces of pork to a glass bowl or storage container. Let the remaining fat and juices left in the pan cool and solidify, then discard. Coarsely shred the pork meat with a fork. Refrigerate the pork overnight, allowing the flavors to intensify.

For the tortas:

1. Cut the telera rolls in half as you would a hamburger bun. Spread the cut side of each half lightly with butter. Heat a large frying pan over medium heat and toast the telera halves in the pan, butter side down, until golden brown. Do this in batches to prevent overcrowding the pan.
2. Once the buns are toasted, add the shredded carnitas to the frying pan in a single layer (you will likely need to do this in batches). Cook the pork, stirring frequently, until it is browned and crispy all over. This should take 5-10 minutes, depending on how much pork you are doing at once.
3. Spread the bottom half of each toasted bun with a few spoonfuls of refried beans. Top this with a spoonful of guacamole, spread out evenly. Spoon some of the browned pork on top of the guacamole, then add pico de gallo to top off the sandwich. Put the top half of the bun on the torta and serve immediately.

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I have recently rediscovered the taco as a homemade dinner option. Jury’s still out on how this discovery will affect my overall health, but on all other fronts – flavor, ease, cost, deliciousness – I’m pretty happy with it. It’s no wonder tacos were a staple of our childhood dinners. They’re so easy! While even your basic taco-kit Tex-Mex taco can be delicious, gourmet tacos are next level. You know, the kind that successful food trucks all over the US are dedicated to – with soft flour tortillas wrapped around spicy barbacoa and pickled onions and freshly made salsa. The kind that makes you feel like you’re standing on a street corner in Mexico, watching life go by and soaking up the sun.

These tacos are more of the grown-up, gourmet variety (although with a couple throwbacks to the childhood Tex-Mex version). Instead of ground beef and “taco spice” I make them with fresh Mexican-style chorizo sausage. The mixture of the mildly-spiced chorizo, sweet onion, and corn makes up the bulk of the filling. They come together in no-time, maybe 20 minutes from “I want tacos!” to biting into your first one. So if you’re going for a 30-minute dinner, you’ll still have 10 minutes left to shake up a margarita.

What takes these chorizo tacos over the top for me is griddling the tortillas in the leftover chorizo fat. They turn golden brown and a little crispy, and if you melt a bit of cheddar cheese in the center at the same time you are ready for taco heaven. Quality toppings also up the ante here. A generous amount of sliced avocado, fancy salsa, and sour cream all come together to give you the perfect amount of savory-spicy-rich-sweetness in each bite. I’ve been making these with the chorizo that comes in our Walden Local Meat Company subscription, and I’m pretty sure they’ll be on our table at least once a month. From now until… forever.

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Corn and Chorizo Tacos

Easy and delicious Corn and Chorizo Tacos, on your table in 30 minutes. Fry the corn tortillas until crispy and golden brown for an extra decadent meal.

• Author: Katie at the Kitchen Door
• Yield: 4

Ingredients

• 1 TBS olive oil
• 1 medium onion, peeled and roughly chopped
• 1 lb. fresh, Mexican-style chorizo sausage
• 1 1/2 cup frozen corn
• 8 small corn tortillas
• 6 oz. cheddar cheese, thinly sliced
• 1 or 2 ripe avocados, peeled and thinly sliced, for topping
• salsa, for topping
• sour cream, for topping

Instructions

1. In a large frying pan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the chopped onion and saute until translucent, about 3-4 minutes. Remove the sausage from its casing and crumble into the pan. Use the back of a wooden spoon to chop it into small pieces. Saute, stirring frequently, until fully cooked and crispy on the outside, about 8-10 minutes. Add the frozen corn and cook for another 2-3 minutes, then transfer the stuffing mixture to a bowl, leaving most of the oil/drippings in the pan.
2. Working with one or two tortillas at a time, add the tortillas to the hot grease and cook until golden brown on the first side, about 60-90 seconds, then flip the tortilla over to cook the second side. While the second side is cooking, place a few pieces of cheddar cheese on top of the tortilla so that it melts into the tortilla. Remove from the heat when cheese is melted and both sides of tortilla are golden brown. Repeat with the remaining tortillas.
3. Fill the cheesy tortillas with the chorizo and corn mixture, then top each taco with sliced avocado, salsa, and sour cream. Serve immediately.

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This March, only three weeks after coming home from Japan, we took a quick trip down to Costa Rica to join my family for their spring break vacation. Hard life, I know. It feels a bit presumptive to call this a travelogue, as the majority of what we did was sit in the pool and watch the wildlife in the trees, but I did want to share some pictures and thoughts (and a recipe for fish tacos with mango salsa) all the same.

We spent a full day traveling from Boston to the Dominical area – two flights, one layover, an hour at the rental car agency, then a three hour drive as the sun slipped over the mountains in a fiery blaze and we descended into a thick, tropical darkness. When we pulled up to the house we were staying in – which was at the end of a steep, unpaved driveway with trees closing in on either edge – we were all a bit frayed. Opening the car door the heat hit us like a smack in the face – even at night the temperatures were in the 90s – as did the incredible noise of the jungle after dark. Buzzing, whirring, hooting – an incredible cacophony of new sounds, amazing to listen to when you’re calm and comfortable, but enough to put you more than a little on edge when you’re in an unfamiliar place with the only light coming from two yellow headlights guiding you forward. That first night we slept a bit restlessly.

But the next morning was an entirely different story. We woke to find ourselves in a beautiful house with an expansive view sweeping down toward the ocean. Between us and the water were only tropical trees, giant red hibiscus flowers, toucans swooping back and forth from tree to tree, and puffy clouds still tinged with pink from the sunrise. I think that the view alone made the trip worthwhile.

We spent the majority of our short trip lounging in the plunge pool, looking out at the view and watching the birds (and occasional monkey!). I read an entire book, one that I bought in the airport in an atypically touristy move. But we also ventured out a few times – to watch the surfers at Dominical Beach at sunset, to hike the trails and beaches of Manuel Antonio National Park, and to a local waterfall and swimming hole with a smoothie bar at the top.

Dominical is a hippie surf town with lots of deeply tanned, dreadlocked gringos living in tents and small cabins along the coast, there to surf, eat vegan food, and embody “pura vida.” The beach is long, a little rocky, and has an intense riptide – dangerous for swimmers but perfect for surfers. Although we were definitely not Dominical’s standard crowd, we went just to hang out and watch the sunset (and stock up on groceries at the little market). On the way home, we stopped for drinks and perfect fish tacos on the patio at Por Que No?, where we sipped our margaritas and watched the last hint of purple sunset lingering over the darkening ocean.

Manuel Antonio, a teeny National Park on the coast, was a highlight of the trip. Despite the fact that it is extremely crowded, we managed to carve out our own space. We saw SO many monkeys – I think I counted 21, if I’m remembering my monkey-sighting competition with my brothers correctly. I actually enjoyed the park most on our walk back in the early afternoon, when many of the crowds seemed to have cleared out but the monkeys were still active (and sloths, if you can ever actually consider them active). In the more densely forested peninsula trail to Punta Cathedral, we were almost alone and saw a dozen Capuchin monkeys and five big, loud, Howlers. At one point the forest got so thick and the animals so close that it made us a little nervous – where in the rest of the park, we were in the majority seeking out the animals, we suddenly felt surrounded. It was cool. The boys absolutely fried themselves playing in the surf for an hour at midday, but according to them it was worth it. On the way out of the park everyone got a chilled coconut (locally, “Pipa Fria”) which was 100% the most refreshing post-hike drink. Beer, ceviche, and Cuban sandwiches at Claro Que Si, a nearby (and very good) restaurant with a gorgeous view from the patio, were next.

Close to where we were staying, just a few minutes away from the town of Uvita, there is a small waterfall and swimming hole that is absolutely worth a visit. The sun and heat are no joke in Costa Rica, and slipping into the shaded, ice cold water at the swimming hole was the most refreshed I felt the whole trip. We watched a group slide one by one down a 20 foot rock slide into the pool at the bottom, but none of us had the guts to try it. After sufficiently chilling ourselves, we walked back up the steep path to the open-air smoothie restaurant at the top, and slurped down ice cold fruit and ice cream smoothies.

The food in Costa Rica was unexpectedly delicious. I think I was expecting mediocre resorty food and what I got was the rich, flavorful Latin food I enjoy so much when I’m in Colombia and Ecuador, but with a more coastal flavor profile. I ate mostly fresh fish, mango, black beans and rice, and margaritas. Our most memorable meal was the one at Por Que No?, where we all ordered blackened fish tacos with rice and beans and mango salsa and they were absolutely perfect. And so that’s what I’ve recreated for you here. My homemade version was also delicious, although frying the fish proved to be a little tricky at first. My tips: make sure your oil is hot, as the fish cooks very quickly and too-cool oil will results in greasy, falling apart fish; only fry one piece of fish at a time; be very gentle when transferring the fish too and from the oil, especially after it is cooked – a metal skimmer may be the best tool to keep it from falling apart. Once you’ve got the hang of it though, the results will be well worth it.

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Fried Fish Tacos with Mango Salsa

It takes a little bit of practice to get the fish fry just right without your fish falling to pieces or drenched in oil, but once you’ve got it done, the result will be tender, flaky, golden brown fried fish. Serve wtih avocado, mango salsa, crema, black beans and rice.

Recipe adapted from Serious Eats. 

• Author: Katie at the Kitchen Door
• Yield: 4
• Cuisine: Costa Rican

Ingredients

• 1 c. cake flour
• 1 tsp black pepper
• 1 tsp sea salt
• 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
• 1/2 c. light-flavored beer (or seltzer)
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• 2 c. canola or peanut oil
• 1 pound fresh cod, deboned and cut into eight, 2-oz. fingers
• 8 small corn tortillas
• Mango salsa, recipe below
• Mexican crema, for serving
• 1 avocado, peeled and sliced, for serving
• 1 lime, quartered, for serving

Instructions

1. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, black pepper, sea salt, and smoked paprika. Transfer half of the mixture to a smaller bowl and set aside. Add the beer (or seltzer) and beaten egg to one of the bowls, and whisk until you have a thick but drippy batter. If necessary, add more beer or flour until it reaches the right consistency.
2. Heat oil in a medium, high-sided saucepan (or deep fryer if you have one) until temperature reaches 350°F. Working one piece at a time, gently dip a piece of fish into the batter, let extra batter drip off, then roll the fish in the dry flour mixture. Remove the fish for ~30 seconds to let the mixture become tacky, then roll in the flour again (the double-dipping method helps the tacos become extra crunchy). Use tongs or a slotted spoon/skimmer to gently transfer the fish to the hot oil. Fry for about 1 minute, then gently flip in the oil to fry the other side (unless the fish is fully submerged, in which case don’t worry about flipping it). When the fish is golden brown all over, use tongs or a slotted spoon to transfer the fish to a paper-towel lined plate (be careful! The fish is super delicate here and it’s easy for it to fall apart if you go too fast). Season lightly with sea salt while still warm. Repeat until you have used all the fish.
3. To serve, place one piece of fish in each tortilla. Top with mango salsa, crema, avocado, and serve with a piece of lime. Serve immediately.

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It was nice to take August off from holding myself to, well, much of anything. I needed the break. Of course, I was still working, and work was actually quite hectic – the main reason for needing to let everything else slide a little. But things have slowed down, and I’m finally feeling caught up on all the other aspects of my life. A part of that, of course, is getting back into a healthy daily routine, and that means the monthly fitness goals are back on.

I’ve known that speed would be the focus of my September goal since July, really. Since I started running again in January (after the longest hiatus I’ve probably ever taken last fall), I’ve been pretty diligent about getting out there. Starting back up again is the worst part of running, so once I’ve got a little endurance I like to hang on to it. So far this year I’ve run over 300 miles, and from January through June I was getting faster every month, moving from an average pace of 9’22” in January all the way down to an 8’04” in June. But July and August were full of hot, slow slogs, so I promised myself that once the weather cooled down, I’d focus on getting my pace back up. I set a goal of getting down under an average pace of 8’10” again, and although the first few runs of the month were a struggle, my last three were all sub 8′, and my current average is exactly 8’10”. But that doesn’t mean I’m done! I’ve run 20 miles this month and I’d like to get in at least 20 miles more, maybe even getting down to my stretch goal of 7’59”. We’ll see. For now I’m just glad to feel a little faster and lighter (not to mention cooler!) out on the road.

On a different note, let’s talk about these enchiladas. On our way home from Maine after Labor Day we stopped in at a little restaurant in Belfast called Chase’s Daily. It’s an airy space, and in the back they sell the most gorgeous local vegetables and flowers. Belfast is a small town, but the line to buy fresh produce snaked all the way down the counter. We sat down for a late breakfast, and although Trevor looked somewhat crestfallen when I told him it was a vegetarian restaurant, we both very much enjoyed our meals. I ordered the potato and roasted poblano enchiladas, which were smothered in the tangiest salsa verde, and liked them so much I knew I wanted to recreate them at home ASAP. Since they use lots of vegetables and we’re moving into that time of year where we all need to figure out how to make warm, comforting food be good for you, I thought they would do nicely for this month’s healthy recipe.

As I researched salsa verde recipes I saw two basic variations, one using raw tomatillos and the other using roasted tomatillos. Beyond that, and perhaps the ratio of chiles to tomatillos to cilantro, most of the recipes were nearly identical. As I thought about how to make this recipe my own, I decided that with equal numbers of recipes for raw salsa verde and roasted salsa verde, they must both be good – why not build in an extra layer of flavor and make a raw and roasted version? That was a good starting point, and yielded a salsa verde that was both tangy and a little sweet. For the enchilada filling, I grabbed a few potatoes out of the large bag we harvested last week and boiled them, then cooked them briefly with garlic, swiss chard, and diced roasted poblano. The potato-poblano filling gets rolled up in tortillas, smothered with salsa verde, and sprinkled with grated pepper jack, before a brief stint in the oven that yields crispy tortilla edges, golden-brown cheese, and steaming hot filling. I ate way too much of this in one sitting, but managed to save a little bit of leftovers (that I’m very much looking forward to for lunch tomorrow). It’s perfect on a chilly night – warm and filling but full of veggies!

I hope all of your Septembers are off to an equally healthy and productive start. It’s a good time of year to take stock, get organized and energized and charge into a new season.

Past Fitness Challenges

January: 10 Visits to the YMCA; Recipe: Gluten-Free Olive-and-Feta Corn Muffins
February: One vegan meal every day; Recipe: Pakistani Chickpea Pulao with Sweet-Hot Date-Onion Chutney
March: Run 40  miles in 20 days; Recipe: Chocolate-Dipped Almond Butter Cookie Bites
April: Walk 8,000 steps a day; Recipe: Herb-Flecked Spring Couscous
May: 180 minutes of Nike Training Club; Recipe: Warm Arugula Salad with Maple Mustard Dressing
June: Fresh fruit/veggies at every meal; Recipe: Chickpea Crepes with Grilled Curried Chicken and Mango Salsa
July: 8 different types of exercise; Recipe: Homemade Spinach Wraps with Chopped Greek Salad Filling
August: Relax; Recipe: Green Tea and Zucchini Noodles with Honey Ginger Sauce

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Potato, Poblano, and Chard Enchiladas with Salsa Verde

Inspired by breakfast at Chase’s Daily in Belfast, ME. Serves 4-5.

• 2 poblano peppers
• 1 1/2 lb. Yukon gold potatoes, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
• sea salt
• 2 TBS olive oil
• 1/4 c. diced onion
• 6 cloves garlic, peeled and thinly sliced
• 1/4 tsp smoked paprika
• 1/2 bunch of swiss chard (about 15-20 medium-sized leaves)
• Eight 8-inch tortillas
• 1 1/2 c. raw and roasted salsa verde, recipe below
• 1 c. shredded pepper jack cheese
• 1 c. shredded mozzarella cheese

1. Preheat the broiler and line a baking sheet with foil. Place the poblano peppers on the baking sheet and broil for 10-15 minutes, turning with tongs every 5 minutes, until blistered and blackened all over. If you are making the salsa verde at the same time, do this while broiling the tomatillos. When the peppers are done, remove them from the oven and place in a bowl, then cover with plastic wrap and let steam for 20 minutes. After they have steamed, you will be able to easily peel and discard their skins. Do this, then cut into slices, discarding the stem and seeds. Chop roughly and taste for heat to get an idea of how much you should use in your filling.
2. Add the diced potatoes to a large pot and fill with cold water. Add salt to water and bring to a boil. Boil the potatoes until just tender when poked with a fork, about 5 minutes once the water has reached a boil. Drain and set aside.
3. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion, sliced garlic, and smoked paprika and saute, stirring frequently, for 5 minutes. Roughly chop the stems of the swiss chard and add to the saute pan, then chop the leaves add add to the pan as well. Saute until wilted, about 3 minutes, then add the potatoes and chopped poblanos (start with one, add the second after tasting the mixture for heat). Saute for 2-3 minutes, then remove from the heat.
4. Preheat the oven to 375°F. Spread half a cup of salsa verde on the bottom of an 11×13 inch roasting pan. Mix the two cheeses together in a bowl. Fill each of the tortillas with a few spoonfuls of the potato filling, and 2-3 TBS of cheese, then roll up and place seam-side down in the pan. Repeat with all tortillas, filling pan completely, then spoon another half cup of salsa verde over the top of the enchiladas. Sprinkle the remaining cheese over the top, then bake until cheese is bubbly and golden and edges of tortillas are crispy, about 25-30 minutes. Remove from oven and serve with leftover salsa verde.

Raw and Roasted Salsa Verde

Makes about 1 1/2 cups.

• 1 lb. tomatillos
• 1-2 serrano chiles
• 1/2 c. chopped onion
• 1 garlic clove, roughly chopped
• 1/4 c. fresh cilantro leaves
• 1/4 c. water
• 1 TBS fresh lime juice
• 1/2 tsp sea salt

1. Preheat the broiler and line a baking sheet with foil. Remove the husks and stem from the tomatillos and wash the sticky residue off the fruit. Cut the tomatillos in half. Place half of the tomatillos cut side down on the baking sheet. Set the other half aside. If using two chiles, place one of the serranos on the baking sheet as well. Broil the tomatillos and chile for 8-10 minutes, flipping over with tongs once about halfway through. Remove from the oven.
2. Add the roasted tomatillos and their juices to a blender, then add the raw tomatillos, onion, garlic, cilantro, water, lime juice, and salt. If you like your food spicy, remove the stem from the roasted serrano and add to the blender, then remove the stem from the raw serrano, roughly chop and add to the blender with the seeds. If you prefer a milder salsa, remove the seeds from the raw serrano, chop, and add to the blender. After blending, taste and decide whether to add the roasted serrano. Blend the tomatillos on high until a smooth puree forms. Taste, and add additional chile, lime, or salt if desired. Set aside.

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“All changes, even the most longed for, have their melancholy; for what we leave behind is a part of ourselves; we must die to one life before we can enter another”

-Anatole France

That quote has been running through my head all week. I actually heard it at a change management workshop at my real job, but it resonated so strongly with the mental state I’ve been in for the past few weeks, that I’ve been repeating it to remind myself that everything I’m feeling is normal. Although more than half the work of moving into our new place – washing, sanding, painting, packing, unpacking – is done, I’m still feeling a little overwhelmed and, honestly, sad whenever I think about leaving my house. So I think it’s important to take a moment to reflect, to have my melancholy, but then start to focus on the positive, on all the changes that I really have longed for.

Things I’ll miss:

• My roommates. I have three great roommates, and it’s nice to have people to chat with at the end of the day. We mostly sit and talk in the kitchen, or crash on the couch at the same time to watch trashy TV. Having someone to watch trashy TV with is not to be taken for granted. I hope that I’ll still be friends with them, but friendships are never the same as when you share day to day concerns and experiences. I’ve been lucky to have such a happy living experience with them!
• My house. It felt like home the very first night I slept here, and it’s breaking my heart a little bit to leave it behind. It’s a beautifully maintained single-family home, full of light and interesting architectural details. It was such a great find – I think it would be a miracle to find something that was so great with so little work again.

• Morning runs on the bikepath. I’m less than a quarter mile from the start of the Minuteman Bikepath, a flat, 11-mile path that goes through some beautiful parts of Greater Boston. It’s super convenient for running, and now that I’ve finally been converted to morning running, I’ll miss how quiet and peaceful it is at that time of day.
• Davis Square restaurants. Dave’s Fresh Pasta. Five Horses Tavern. Boston Burger. The Painted Burro. Mr. Crepe. Of course, I can still go to these places – I’m only moving two miles away! – but they won’t be as readily accessible. And the Davis neighborhood in general is just a fun, lively place to be, with more great restaurants opening all the time.
• My backyard. While it’s not huge, it has a fence that makes it feel private, and a lovely shady patio with a table for eating out on nice days. I use it to garden, to work-out, and just to look out at from the kitchen as I wash dishes or eat my breakfast. Our new place also has a small yard, but it needs a lot of work before it will look like this one.

Things I’m looking forward to:

• Seeing Trevor every single day. Of course, this is the whole reason for moving. After 3 years of long-distance dating, and 2 years of living separately in the same city, I think we’re both excited about being even closer to one another. It may mean less independence, but it will mean more sharing, in a good way. I’m sure there will be challenges, but I’m hopeful that the whole experience will make our relationship stronger and even happier than it already is.
• Having my own fridge and freezer. If there’s one thing that’s not great about living with three roommates, it’s the amount of fridge space you get allocated. After spending a good hour cleaning in and around our new fridge, it is pristine, and awaiting much delicious produce. Hopefully from our garden.
• New restaurants. This one is pretty much an even trade – well-loved Davis restaurants will be replaced by new well-loved restaurants. The Biscuit, for coffee and savory croissants. Thai Hut, for late night takeout. Dali, for lively dinners of delicious tapas and lots of wine. And maybe even the restaurant my new landlords are opening next year.
• Living less than half a mile from a brand new Wholefoods. I’m so looking forward to being able to run out and get pretty much any ingredient I want (especially since I’m also a stone’s throw from Savenor’s).
• Trevor making me dinner. Like he was doing as I wrote this. Seriously, the boy can cook.

And now goodbye to you guys too, but only for a few days – I’ll be on a business trip to Russia for the rest of the week! Don’t worry, I’m leaving you with a treat, the last thing I’ll make in my old kitchen. These little tartines are from Le Pain Quotidien, which I reviewed the other day, and they are so good! The spicy corn cream is super tasty – I love how rich it is and the heat is just strong enough to make your lips tingle. Together with the fresh tomato salsa and the goat cheese, these tartines make an excellent celebration of summer flavors. Just be warned – these should be eaten with a knife and fork. You’ll make a total mess if you try to pick them up whole.

And when I get back, I’ll make you a little something from my new kitchen.

Corn, Jalapeno, and Goat Cheese Tartine

Adapted slightly from Le Pain Quotidien. Serves 2.

• 1 large tomato, diced
• 1/2 onion, finely chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, divided
• 2 TBS + 2 tsp finely chopped cilantro leaves, divided
• juice from 2 limes, zest from 1/2 a lime
• 1 slice cooked bacon, crumbled
• 4 TBS creme fraiche
• 1 tsp finely chopped jalapeno pepper (seeds removed)
• 1 ear fresh corn, kernels removed
• 2 big slices sourdough bread
• 2 oz. soft goat cheese

1. Make the tomato salsa: combine the diced tomato, chopped onion, 1 of the garlic cloves, finely minced, 2 TBS of the cilantro, and the lime juice in a bowl. Stir together, cover, and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
2. Add the crumbled bacon, creme fraiche, lime zest, and jalapeno to a small saucepan, along with 1 TBS of water. Crush the remaining clove of garlic and add to the pan. Stir, and bring to a simmer over low heat. Simmer for 1 minute, then add the corn kernels and simmer for 1 minute longer. Remove from heat.
3. Place the bread slices on a baking sheet. Divide the corn cream between the two slices – the liquid will soak through the bread. Dot the top of each slice with goat cheese. Broil on high for 3-4 minutes, or until the goat cheese is melty and beginning to brown. Sprinkle with the remaining 2 tsp of cilantro leaves. Serve immediately – with a knife and fork!

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My dad told me that since my birthday week is over, I can’t write any more posts about it.  So this post will have to be not about  the event for which I threw this party, but rather about the party itself, which could’ve been for any old reason, really.  It could’ve been an early Cinco de Mayo party, or a Mother’s Day party to which I didn’t invite my mother.  Or even a “just because it’s grilling season” party.

Anyway, last Saturday I threw a party at my house, and we ate and drank and it was very fun, and the food was very good, so I thought I’d share some recipes and pictures.  The culinary theme was Mexican, so we had tequila-marinated steak tacos with pickled red onions and queso fresco, spicy chipotle cream dip, fried avocados, sangria, and margaritas.  It was a beautiful Saturday night, so we sat outside in the garden, and my roommate hung up the outdoor lights that signify summer is coming, and Trevor grilled, and it was a great way to spend a night.  Even though it did require most of Sunday to recover from the events that took place after the party, which included stops at a few more party locations, more than a few more drinks, a little dancing, and waking up at my friend’s Newbury St apartment on Sunday morning surrounded by marathoners.  And let me tell you, waking up in last night’s clothes and stumbling out into a street filled with people gearing up to run 26 miles the next day does not make you feel like a successful person.  But it was pretty funny.  All in all, the evening was well worth the recovery.

The steak tacos were definitely the gastronomic highlight of the evening (well, besides the tequila shots, but I can’t very well share a recipe for tequila shots).  It’s a very simple recipe from Antojitos, which is one of my all-time favorite cookbooks (full review and more recipes here).  You just briefly marinate skirt steak in tequila, olive oil, lime juice, and onion, then grill until medium, rest, slice, and serve with your favorite taco fixings.  The marinade and grilling results in a very tender and flavorful steak for such an inexpensive cut of beef.  We served them with guacamole, queso fresco, chipotle crema, and pickled red onions, and they were delish.

Grilling season!  Summertime!  Get excited for it.

Tequila-and-Lime-Marinated Skirt Steak Tacos

Recipe from Antojitos.  Serves 6.

• 2 lbs skirt steak, fat trimmed
• 1 c. olive oil
• 1/2 onion, sliced
• 1/2 c. tequila
• 1/4 c. fresh lime juice (2-3 limes)
• 1 TBS sugar
• 1 TBS kosher salt
• 1 tsp black pepper
• 12 small tortillas
• 1 recipe pickled red onions (recipe below)
• 1 recipe chipotle crema
• 2 avocados, diced
• 1 c. crumbled queso fresco

Quick Pickled Red Onions

Recipe adapted from Antojitos.  Serves 6.

• 1 red onion, very thinly sliced
• 1 c. fresh lime juice
• 2 jalapeno chilies, seeded and diced
• 1 tsp kosher salt

1. Stir together onion, lime juice, chilies, and salt.  Cover the bowl and refrigerate for 3-5 hours, stirring once or twice, until onions have begun to turn bright pink and have softened somewhat.  Store in a glass jar in the fridge for up to 1 week.  (Flavor will continue to develop over the course of the week).

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On the Fourth of July, I celebrated Cinco de Mayo.  So I’m a bit behind – that just means I’ll get to go to the fireworks on the Third of September, right?  My excuse: for the past month I’ve been mulling over the recipes in Antojitos: Festive and Flavorful Mexican Appetizers, a cookbook I received last year in a giveaway, but hadn’t given any serious perusal time.  Once I started looking, I couldn’t stop bookmarking recipes.  Soon I had a plan for a whole dinner party – I just needed someone to eat it.  That’s where the Fourth of July came in: everyone around and in the mood to celebrate, a whole day to cook in Maine (not that I’m particularly pressed for time on all the other days of the summer…), and permission to open up the tequila.

So while the rest of the country had hamburgers, potato salad, and red white and blue angel food cake, we had a fiesta.  The menu consisted of hibiscus margaritas; jicama, melon, and pineapple salad; grilled corn on the cob dipped in lime juice and chile-laced parmesan cheese; corn masa chalupas filled with guajillo spiced chorizo; and three dips to top everything off – charred serrano salsa, tomatillo guacasalsa, and chipotle crema.  Everything.  Was.  Delicious.  Seriously, this cookbook has recipes for some of the most flavorful and original food I’ve ever eaten.  My favorite was the corn – juicy sweet with a burst of hot from the chipotle and tangy saltiness from the lime and cheese, I couldn’t stop eating it.  The cooling jicama fruit salad was a close second, and both of these recipes may appear on this site sometime soon, but for now, the only thing I had time to take pictures of before everything was gobbled up were the salsas, which really tied all the food together.  The charred serrano salsa was both vinegary and hot with a beautiful color, the tomatillo and avocado guacasalsa was tangy and creamy with just a hint of heat, and the chipotle crema was just straight up delicious.  Since, in my opinion, the chipotle crema was the easiest, the tastiest, and the most versatile, I’ve chosen to include that recipe.  If you like it, or are intrigued by any of the other recipes mentioned here, I’d definitely recommend checking out Antojitos – it’s one of the best cookbooks I’ve used in a long time.

Chipotle Crema

Recipe adapted slightly from Antojitos: Festive and Flavorful Mexican Appetizers.  Makes about 2 cups.

• 1 c. sour cream
• 1/2 c. heavy cream
• 3 chipotles in adobo
• 1 tsp lime juice
• 1/4 tsp cumin
• 1/4 c. chopped fresh cilantro, optional
• kosher salt

1. In a blender or food processor, pulse chipotles and lime juice until a smooth puree.  In a medium, non-reactive bowl, whisk together sour cream and heavy cream until smooth.  Add in the chipotle paste, using a spatula to scrape the sides of the processor.  Whisk until smooth and uniform in color.  Whisk in cumin and cilantro, if using.  Season to taste with the kosher salt.  Refrigerate for several hours before serving to allow flavors to blend.

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