Month: April 2013

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A trip to remember, and a refreshing welcome home.

Refreshingly juicy bite with a nice zing.

Recently, the hubs and I went on a last minute getaway, and explored a part of the country neither one of us knows too well: The American Southwest. We had two concrete places on our itinerary, and decided that we would take the leisurely and scenic routes, stopping if anything catches our eye.

The first stop on the itinerary was The Grand Canyon National Park. Kenny had been to the Grand Canyon previously with his dad, and swore to return with me in tow. Far be it from me to deny him this pleasure, but the truth is the pleasure was all mine. We hit the ground running at the wee hours of the morning. After a brief jaunt in Barstow, CA (to caffeinate) and Laughlin, NV (to refuel. read: eat lunch), we arrived at our first destination just in time to watch the sunset.

The Grand Canyon and Kenny.
The Grand Canyon and Kenny.

There are simply no words nor photographs that can aptly depict the awe-inspiring vista that is the Grand Canyon.  The sheer depth and scope took my breathe away. Literally. To be completely honest, I never had a huge hankering to visit the Grand Canyon, but let this act as a warning to any of you stateside readers: Get ye to the Canyon!

Once the sun set and the temperature dropped, we ventured into town in search for a bite to eat. We found what can best be described as Podunk Dinner Theater. Little did we know that Big E Steakhouse and Saloon was home to “singers,” “dancers,” “illusionists,” and more (no, the quotation marks are not there by accident). With our bellies full and our brains thoroughly stimulated, we decided to call it a night, and returned to the Yavapai lodge for some much earned shut eye.

Hiking along the Grand Canyon National Park.
Hiking along the Grand Canyon National Park.

The following morning, we got an early start, and hiked along the rim of the Grand Canyon. I thought the canyon was beautiful at sunset, but this hike proved to be even more spectacular. With each bend of the trail, we were greeted with better and bolder views, showcasing the different shades of rusty red, the deepest crevices and even the brilliant color of the Colorado River, whose raging rapids crashed through the canyon floor.

Despite the spectacular sites and refreshing breeze, the arid climate and high altitude were starting to take their toll on us, and we decided it was time to head towards our second point of interest on the itinerary, Sedona, AZ. Plus, Kenny had booked us a ride on one of the Pink Jeep tours, and we had a reservation to catch.

Fast forward through a beautifully lush and forested drive, and we arrive in Sedona with enough time to drop off our bags, and head in the direction of the pink jeep tours meeting place. Since we planned this trip with such haste, I didn’t do my research about the tour, and trusted Kenny, as this was something he really wanted to do. It’s probably a good thing, because had I known what I was getting myself into, I probably wouldn’t have done it (and I’m REALLY glad I did).

Sedona Pink Jeep
View from the Pink Jeep tour.

A group of 6 of us, plus the tour guide, loaded into a customized jeep painted Barbie pink, and headed for areas in the Sedona landscape that you would never reach via foot. The guide lead the jeep up rocks and down 45-degree angles, assuring us that the vehicle was built for these types of “bumpy” trails. I was definitely scared, but by taking this daredevil tour, we came up close and personal with the true beauty that Sedona has to offer (and I’m not talking about the Reiki leader at the corner store…there’s a lot of that, too). The jeep made a couple stops, and we were able to take advantage of the scenery with kodak moments. Two hours later, the tour ended as the sun was setting once again.

Happy to be on solid ground. Sedona, AZ
Happy to be on solid ground. Sedona, AZ

If there’s one thing to note about my dear husband, it’s that he appreciates a good sunset. And so…we found an inviting bench, and plopped ourselves down for the panoramic view of the passing of time.

Watching the sunset in Sedona, AZ.
Watching the sunset in Sedona, AZ.

The next morning, we visited a few of Arizona’s most artistic towns, Jerome and Prescott. It was in Jerome that we found our souvenir from the trip at a local art gallery called, “Pura Vida.” Pura Vida literally translates to “pure life” in Spanish, but references the Costa Rican saying that life is good. I can’t think of a better motto for this roadtrip. Life certainly is good, and it was exceptionally so on this mini-getaway.

That being said, when we returned home thoroughly dried out from the desert, I craved something refreshing and hydrating. Neither Kenny nor I were happy about heading back home after such a short trip, but I managed to whip up a little something to soften the blow back to reality. I leave you with my “welcome home” dish: chunks of juicy ruby red watermelon mixed with crumbled salty feta, coated with a dressing of mint, lime, and honey.

Enjoy!

 

Watermelon and Feta Salad
 
Author:
Recipe type: Main
Serves: 4
Prep time:
Total time:
Print
 
A refreshing bite for a warm day.
Ingredients
  • 1 small seedless watermelon, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks
  • 1 oz feta cheese, crumbled
  • 2 limes, zested and juiced
  • 1 tsp honey
  • 2 tbs mint leaves, minced
  • salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
  1. In a large bowl, combine the watermelon and feta. Set aside.
  2. In a container with a cover (a mason jar would be perfect for this), add the zest and juice of the limes, honey, mint leaves, and salt and pepper. Cover, then shake to combine.
  3. Pour the dressing over the watermelon and feta mixture, and toss to coat.
  4. Serve immediately, or refrigerate until serving time.
Notes
This makes a lot of dressing. You may use the whole amount, or reserve some for later use.

 

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Russian Roulette

Traditional Russian meal and photo courtesy of Nat G.
Traditional Russian meal and photo by Nat G.

Since the very first cooking class I ever taught, my absolute favorite part about teaching them is hearing from my students when they try their hand at the recipes they learn in class. It always makes my day to hear that they stepped out of their culinary comfort zone, and tried something new. I love getting the phone calls and facebook posts where they boast about successfully preparing a dish, or the ones where it didn’t go exactly as planned, but they think they know why.

Yesterday, it was my turn to step out of my culinary comfort zone and  experience a special first. One of my talented cooking class all-star students invited me and a mutual friend to her home for a traditional Russian feast. What a treat this was! First of all, I’m not particularly familiar with Russian cuisine, so it was certainly an educational experience. I’m always up for trying new things, and was excited that my entree to Russian food would come directly from an expert. Nat’s family is Russian, and as she says, she grew up eating caviar on crepes with her grandfather, so I knew I’d be in good hands. Secondly, despite the fact that I stress that I too was once a beginner, most of my students (and friends, for that matter) are too nervous or intimidated to ever invite me over for dinner.

Blini with red caviar. Photo by Nat G.
Blini with red caviar.
Photo by Nat G.

I’m thrilled that Nat took a chance, because what she made far exceeded any expectations I had. A brief backstory: Nat is one of those students in my class that is actually quite good at cooking, but takes the class as a hobby. On our first session, I quickly saw that she was well-versed in the kitchen, and wondered what she was doing there. It turns out, the class provided a fun, social environment to connect with people who share her passion. She’s also incredibly funny, and when she sent me the invitation for the meal, she titled it, “Russian Roulette,” because she is dead…”dead serious about inviting you to a dinner party at my house.”

Vinaigrette - a cold beet and potato salad. Photo by Nat G.
Vinaigrette – a cold beet and potato salad.
Photo by Nat G.

Yesterday’s meal featured a cold crimson borsch topped with a dollop of sour cream (which, I was informed, would be an interesting study on how quickly my digestive system works), followed by blinis and sweet crepes which acted as a vehicle for decadent pearls of carrot-colored caviar. Next came vinaigrette, which is a beet and potato salad that would put your old picnic standby to shame. Then came a dish that looked familiar but offered an interesting surprise, blinchinki. These savory blintzes filled with finely minced turkey, onion and egg were a highlight for me. Ikra followed, which was a smokey eggplant and roasted pepper dip that was spread on espresso-colored “Russian” bread, and reminded me a lot of babaganoush or caponata. Finally, Nat served a clean tomato and cucumber salad (which she noted was not Russian), in case we didn’t like the other offerings. We washed down this feast with vodka-spiked pink lemonade, and after a nice visit, dessert was served. Alongside our cups of coffee sweetened with condensed milk, Nat presented us with a traditional cookie, priyaniki. Alone, the hard-glazed priyaniki tasted great, but were a little dry, and as Nat explained, are specifically served with coffee or tea, to encourage dunking. I love dunking cookies. There’s simply no better way to eat a cookie than dunked. Second, she served a poppy seed loaf cake that reminded me of a chocolate babka, but instead of chocolate, there was sweet poppy seeds. As if that wasn’t enough, perfectly halved strawberries rounded out the meal. Nat paid a lot of attention to detail, as most of the savory dishes were garnished with sprigs of dill or fine stalks of chives, and it was very evident that she put in a lot of time and energy into making this meal really stand out.

Binchinki, a savory blintz stuffed with seasoned ground turkey. Photo by Nat G.
Binchinki, a savory blintz stuffed with seasoned ground turkey.
Photo by Nat G.

I left Nat’s house with not just a full stomach, but a full heart, too. She completely outdid herself, and made me very proud. She certainly set the bar high!

*Silly me, I forgot to bring my camera along, so Nat’s iphone had to suffice. Trust me when I tell you that the spread looked colorfully enticing and simply delectable.

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