Kitchen progress update, weekend eating

Ok, my kitchen is not yet in tip top shape. Life, work, and - best of all - books got in the way this week. However, I'll have you know that I'm writing this post while taking a break from scrubbing the kitchen floor on my hands and knees. Honest to god. As the floor has only been Swiffered occasionally since I moved in over three years ago, this is a very gratifying exercise. So I'm giving myself a week extension (for good behavior) to finish this project.

Yesterday's trip to the farmer's market was a little disappointing. Some of the vendors I'd hoped to see weren't there so I didn't get any meat, but I did stock up on onions, eggplant, jalapenos, and cherry tomatoes. Add this to my realfoodwilliamsburg order and I have plenty of stuff for a week's worth of great fresh meals. Good thing I'm working at home tomorrow and can be cooking while editing essays, etc. I also got a couple of pots of herbs to start my balcony herb garden earnest. You can see them (and Samuel) here.

In the afternoon I met my friend Laurie for lunch at Emerald Thai, still my favorite Thai restaurant in Williamsburg (264 Mclaws Cir, Williamsburg, VA 23185,757-645-2511). Yes, we only have two and I do like Thaipot, but Emerald still holds the top spot. Laurie got some tofu dish that I refused to take a photo of (one of these days I'll conquer my very visceral dislike of that stuff) and I got a seafood soup I hadn't had before (forget the name, I'll look it up and post later). The broth was like that of Tom Yum but with more of a fish sauce tang. My bowl had scallop, shrimp, mussel, and squid, one large piece of each. It was delicious and I'd definitely get it again.


For the main I got the soft shell crab special with panang sauce. The first couple of bites were truly excellent, the crab was lightly battered and fried crisp and the panang flavors complimented it perfectly. After that, I must have been talking too much and the crab got a little soggy. Simple solution: eat first, talk later!


For breakfast this morning I ate the last of the peaches soaked in white wine that I made the other night, with some plain yogurt, sliced almonds, and a little demarara sugar sprinkled over. Although they weren't very pretty (thus no photo), they were delicious, and since peach season is just starting I'm looking forward to a lot more of these. The wine I used was the one I had open for sipping, a crisp and light Vernaccia di San Gimignano, Tenuta Mormorala.

Here is one of my very favorite summer indulgences: the cotton candy Blizzard from DQ.


This pic does not do justice to the creamy, crunchy, tooth-achingly sweet dessert. It's only available in the summer so a couple each year won't kill me, right? Right.