Cod, cantaloupe, quinoa, coconut

Somewhere between saying goodbye to my mom and getting the kids to bed, I lost my sense of humor. I opened a bottle of Chablis in hopes of finding some bit of it, but so far, no dice. Nonetheless, I did turn out a good dinner, and the alliterative aspect of it, per the post title above, is charming. Quinoa with lemon zest, fennel and sultanas, cod roasted with shaved fennel, olives, more lemon, garlic, salt and fennel fronds, and the best cantaloupe we've enjoyed this summer.

I love quinoa, love that each grain looks like a tiny Saturn, love that it's so good for you and is so versatile. And while I don't often buy cod because the poor fish is being fished to death, literally, I saw some rated yellow at Whole Foods today and decided to splurge a bit. I love cod, and this did it justice, although it's unfortunate that the one time I over-salt anything happened to such a delicate meal.

The cantaloupe was ridiculous, and T and I ate a whole half. We're now trying to finagle some room for the magnificent coconut cream pie that's waiting for us in the fridge.

Did y'all hear about the John Sununu-Soledad O'Brien confrontation over Medicaire? She won, and when did he become such a wing-nut? Is NH considering disowning him? When did facts become opinions?

Bill and Real Time return on Friday! Two days hence! Yay!!

Coconut Cream Pie

I woke up with a major hankering for some coconut cream pie so one is in the works. The crust is baked and cooling, and I've made and set aside the sweetened coconut. We have to bring Mom to the airport soon, unfortunately, and will then head by the market to get the rest of the items I need for the pastry cream. Mmm... Last night, I felt my first twinge of excitement about fall's pending arrival. I've grown mighty tired of squash and eggplant and, by and large, have been fairly disappointed in this summer's tomatoes and watermelons. Boo. A hearty stew sounds marvelous, and I love the idea of my big Staub bubbling away on the stove with something savory and big. It has really been gruesomely hot the past few months, and I'll eagerly welcome days and nights in the 70s.

The watermelon carving winners are being announced soon, so I'll keep you posted!

Beasts of the Southern Wild

Mom and I went out to drinks and a movie tonight, and it was really nice. She'd really been wanting to see Beasts of the Southern Wild but it probably won't go to Lake Charles, so I suggested a DC date. We started our evening at Mon Ami Gabi and were delighted to find a three piece band playing Dixieland and jazz. It just doesn't get much better than the bass guitar and a cold glass of rosé. Then we headed to the movie, and I really must say that despite the rave reviews, we left underwhelmed. The actor who plays the father was incredible, but parts of the story just felt off, and we didn't feel connected to most of the characters. In any case, lovely to get out and let T have some time with the boys. They LOVE the playhouse, and we all spent a great deal of time in there today. Fun!