Being Green with Orange Stuff

In an effort to reduce our carbon footprint - I tried to use up the pumpkins that both kids brought home instead of chucking them into the garbage --> landfill like I did in previous years. Incidentally, both kids' schools provided recipes in their newsletters so I adapted those to make these:


Omitting at least one cup of sugar from each recipe still gave the muffins and bread just the right amount of sweetness as the farm gave us sugar-pie pumpkins (a sweeter variety). I also added some ground flax and walnuts to the pumpkin bread to up the nutrition and the kids loved both creations. Don't forget to toast the seeds to make pumpkins seeds for a nutritious snack !

靚菜

When I got this beautiful head of Radicchio di Treviso from our biweekly farm box - I couldn't resist taking a picture. Most folks will grill this to mellow its slightly bitter flavor but I'm one of the weird ones who'll eat 苦瓜 raw (pickled with garlic/lemon/soy/sesame), so I actually enjoyed this with a simple vinaigrette - I was very surprised that our kids actually happily gobbled these as-is also and even asked for seconds !

By the way, if you're interested in trying out having just-picked 100% organic local fruits and veggies delivered to your door, let me know and I'll email you a coupon. By referring you - they'll give me a free box that I'll share with you if you live locally.

Anniversary Dinner

We rarely get to go out, so a special occasion is a great excuse go all out to a two Michelin star restaurant in the city. Aqua was a logical choice 'cause we both love seafood. Two glasses of complimentary champagne and well wishes were brought soon after we were seated. It was fun to try some exotic fish - Hawaiian Walu (a bit too tender and buttery) and John Dory (delicious and not to be confused with Nemo's friend, the regal tang). Food was wonderful, presentation beautiful, and service impeccable - a very nice night out indeed.