Tiramisu

Prep

Finished, and ready to go to the party

making bread pudding on Christmas

Random

Here are some random things I've made, and tried lately. Clockwise from top left: 
Roasted chicken with thai sweet chili sauce, chimichurri sauce, rice, beans and roasted potato salad with dijon vinaigrette. Chicken is often average and can be really boring. But when it's good-- it's really good. My goal is to perfect chicken, and have a handful of different sauces to jazz it up to keep my taste buds alert and excited. This attempt was extremely successful! 
Minty grasshopper pie - a See's candy recipe I found on their web site, which needs to be revamped with more specific instructions. (this image is what it was supposed to look like). What kind of whipped topping, See's? Clearly I used the wrong kind, hence no image of the actual, not-so-pretty results
Split pea soup with roasted potato/arugula salad again. I was inspired by the ham bone I nabbed before it got tossed after a luncheon at work. It helped make a really great soup!
Tapatio tray at a local taco joint (not because I made it, just because I like tapatio). Future post idea: document just what is right about SD Mexican food, and how everything else I try in LA County is just... not right. The tapatio was just about the only right thing I had that night

Listening to Otis Redding, frying bacon and drinking Zinfandel

Listening and cooking

Listening to the Blues, making soup and minty grasshopper Pie

Is roasting vegetables, listening to the Shins

Sent from my iPhone

Brining a chicken, listening to the Hold Steady

Otis at Big Bear Cabin

 not exactly a food related post.. but this shot was taken on the deck of the cabin we rented in Big Bear over Thanksgiving weekend. Food holiday weekend.