Photos from the baby shower

Shaved Asparagus with Hazelnuts, Mint and Parmesan (it did take a long time to shave all that asparagus!)

Quinoa with Pistachios, Apricots and a Lime-Mirin Vinaigrette (a great salad!)

Tea Sandwiches : Cucumber and Watercress; Chicken with Apple Chile Chutney and Sharp Cheddar

Julia Child's Reina de Saba (chocolate-almond cake with a rum ganache icing)

These were part of a beautiful menu. I really loved this job!

Off to class, mujadarra on the horizon for anniversary

Y'all, I could not be more thrilled. The reviews of the food from yesterday's baby shower were superlative, and I feel incredibly happy, proud and fulfilled. I've got another large luncheon coming up next week, and some neat opportunities with local businesses in the works. Happy Monday to me. :) I'm off to my photography class soon, thank god. Homework was to focus on motion while setting your aperture, ISO and shutter speed manually. A fun challenge but it's hard to keep it all straight while trying to freeze your subject in a great shot. Oliver was a very willing participant, and although some of the pics are blurry, they are dear. Nonetheless, I'm looking forward to some rigorous feedback and a review of all we learned last week.

Tomorrow is my and T's 8 year anniversary, a decade since we met. I am also feeling incredibly proud in the old marriage department because not only is marriage tough, but marriage + kids is a massive challenge, and I think we've done an excellent job, by and large. I do wish he weren't leaving town tomorrow, but I am excited that some girlfriends are coming over to drink champagne with me. I'm going to make a big pot of mujadarra, that beyond yummy caramelized onion, lentil and rice dish served with a spiced yogurt. Oh nelly, I can taste it now.

Off to class but first I must snarf some dinner. My least favorite way to eat. AAAh!

Radish fritters with pistachio yogurt sauce

Do y'all remember several months ago when T was out of town and I decided to try the radish fritter recipe I'd found? How it was so disappointing and completely unmemorable? I was sad about that because I love radishes but, like celery, often wish for a greater variety of ways to serve them. In salads, lovely. Seared with anchovy butter on crostini, a la Melissa Clark? Beyond! With butter and salt a la Le Français? Oui, oui. But still. There must be another way. I have found it.

This week's food52 contest is "your best radishes or turnips" and I'm still grooving on that pistachio-yogurt that accompanied my fava shoots at Ripple on Saturday night. What about a fritter of my design served alongside my interpretation of Ripple's yogurt sauce? Oh my lord, y'all. This is fabulous and has surely made for a decadent lunch for me today. Mamma mia!