Well, I can't even contain my excitement over my birthday this year. I had the best birthday since I can remember. Kris, sweetie that he is, remembered how important having a plain as butter, white cake is to me, and therefore searched all over the city to find the best (at least in my opinion.) On the eve of my b-day (July 3rd), he brought home a pink cake from Amy's (enough to feed 20 people!) and a beautiful vase of flowers.
That night I was inspired (don't ask me why - but I found turning 31 far less traumatic than any age in my 20's) to make a serious feast to kick off my birthday. All throughout work that day, I had day dreamed about fillet mignon with a lemon shallot mascarpone sauce, roasted asparagus, and little pizzettes topped with roasted figs, grapes, and pecorino. (If I told you how often I day dream about cooking while sitting in meetings, you would question how I've managed to stay employed over the years... I think it's perfectly normal. Some people get through the day by sneaking peaks at online porn; I myself surf Epicurious and AllRecipes.com with the stealthness of an experienced voyeur...)
The only problem was I had never made the steak sauce I was dreaming of, nor the pizzettes. But again, what draws me to cooking is the rebellious, shoot from the hip nature of it, and I forged ahead...
Figs, which are in season RIGHT NOW, proved to be the darlings when roasted in the oven, dotted over a toasted pita and topped with grated pecorino romano. (As did everyday grapes, which normally I can take or leave. After a leisurely scorching in the oven, they became sweet and carmelized and richer than anything you can imagine.)
Anyway - above are pics of how my birthday kick off meal turned out... The lemon shallot mascarpone sauce was delectable but I think the little pizzettes stole the show. Unfortunately, I didn't write anything down this time, but I'll add the recipes to this post next time I make them.
(Consequently, the rest of the pics are of my actual birthday. We got up in the morning and met friends for brunch at Freeman's then headed on to B Bar, Doc Holliday's, and finally PTD where, to my horror, I recall nearly downing a small tub of processed cheese with some tater tots... Ah well, to be a foodie is nothing more than to love food. And so it is.)
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