sbandati student, cooks

I finally got to try my newly learned cooking skills on our friends. We had them over last night for a 'before the concert' (and oh what a concert... more about that later) wine and appetizer event. I enjoyed the cooking very much, was really stressed though, it's harder without Juri there leading me step by step (I actually called Ellina to ask for help!) I enjoyed it much though and learned by all the mistakes I made.

This looked so pretty, I had to try and get a shot of it. I made the herb salt you see. It is pretty darn tasty. Sadly in the end I threw the Asparagus out. I have learned from Top Chef, you do not serve something you are not proud of. It was way to salty and slimy, uck! Pretty here though!




Cooking is so messy...



I admit, these were the best Roasted Potatoes I have ever made (thank you Juri) I served them with an amazing Mustard Sauce that Brad and Kirsten gave us for Christmas, it is delicious. They were all gobbled up, every last morsel!



This is a Baguette, stuffed with a Pork Loin rubbed with my Herb Salt, Wrapped in Bacon. I then sliced it and served it with a Port Reduction. It was really quite good.



So it mostly turned out pretty well. It was a bit to salty but I am learning.... Yuri uses more salt and oil than I am used to and I think I over did it. It was really tasty regardless. We were just all really thirsty at the concert!

The concert.......... Somehow I convinced Bill we should go to this "Sisters Folk Festival' Concert. I love our friends and I wanted to be with them. Oh my, all I can say Bill was right.... I am not a fan of Folk Music at all.... I must say, It was well executed but almost creepy. The songs were just so stupid. I think I asked Bill if we could leave at least ten times. Out of respect for our friends (who I now found out no one liked the concert at all) we stayed. Well as long as I could, we did sneak out early, ugghhh. It was... so folky....

Regardless, here is a shot of our wonderful friends, saving our seats while we clean up at home.



What about Bob? We can not leave him out so he and Scott give me a nice pose.



It was a fun night because... I love to cook, our great friends and a glass of wine or two.

Thanks to my Professor/Instructor Juri Sbandati. I am learning and enjoying it so very much!

images of mexico

a peaceful morning float



afternoon cuervesa.



there is color everywhere in mexico, it is so alive.



i think this is a 'paper elephant'.



he bought a rose from her every time he saw her.



this is the most delicious and beautiful mexican restaurant i have ever experienced, it is a must for anyone going to puerto vallarta. it is called, si senor.



missing mexico.... the place, the people, the food,the drinks, the life. it is so amazing.

again, snow...

I know I always post about snow. Sorry it is just my life lately.

Laura wanted to know how much snow. It has continued all day long. The flower pots give the best perspective.
It is deep it is up to the step on the front porch.



Snow on sage.



snowy, snowy, snowy,

It's o.k. the home page on my computer is set to weather in Puerto Vallarta. It is a bit warmer and sunnier there.
Do planes take off in snow?

quickly

Just a quick hello before we leave to look at the sunset over the ocean for the weekend. An escape to warm our bodies, spirits and relationship.

I admit it is weird packing for sunshine and warmth when it is snowing out, again.... Yeesh, I can not even get a pedicure. How do you walk around in flip flops with 6 inches of snow everywhere?!?! )o:

I never remember the pond just disappearing before. I suppose it's the extreme freezes we have had and the constant snow day after day after day. You can actually still here it running under all of this! Those are not 'fairies'. It's the glow of the flash off of the falling flakes. Kinda cool.



Sophey came home from Grandma's last night. This is a fluff snuggle. She is missing Rufus I think a bit depressed. It is a rare occasion she gets to get on this sofa and snuggle with the Bill man.



No more bad bed. (o:



All white as promised!



Well next time I should have a tan and have cool photos to share from the South.

Count your blessings today.
- Leila
xoxo

pdx

Bill & I got to head over to Portland this weekend to see 'Riverdance'. We enjoy the theater very much and were so excited to see this show was coming to Portland this season. It was quite fun! The drive over was not too bad (it's winter here you know) so we got in pretty early and got a little fun 'city' shopping in before we got ready for the theater.

We both enjoy getting dressed up and going out so much. It was a fun change. I do admit though, at times I look and him and think, "I am married to Tim Gunn..." Cute!


I very strongly believe in dressing up for the theater. Even though it is old fashioned and in Portland it is not so much the norm.


We had a great dinner at 'South Park' an old favorite that we have not visited in ages. It was close to our Hotel and we knew we would enjoy the food.

We had a lot of fun at dinner. Talked very much, especially me! It was fun and yummy. It also felt very 'big city' getting the cab to the show afterward. Not something we get to do very often.



Riverdance was everything we expected. A fantastic story along with phenomenal dancing. At the of intermission we looked at one another and each said, "wow." It was simply fantastic.
My favrorite line was, "My mother taught me, we dance tall and straight, my father taught me, we dance tall and straight." The scene ended with the awareness of the black dancing culture of America coming together with Irish dancing culture. So similar yet so different. The show is a history of Ireland yet showing other cultures along the way. Very beautiful.
Taking photos was 'prohibited by law' so I did not, none to show.


We had a lovely late night city walk back to our hotel in the rain. Bill, and I love the city, the culture and the walking. It was splendid!


We got up and went to a favorite bakery 'Pearl Bakery' for breakfast (yummy as always) then headed over the river to IKEA. It was fun to do some shopping! New bedding for Michael & Laura's beds (I promise all white Laura) and to get a couple of cool art pieces. We like IKEA, such good prices!

We then headed home for a very long drive. Oh so much snow... It took about 5 hours (normally a 2 1/2 hour drive). It was fine though, safe and slow. I took many very snowy pictures along the way.I thought this was the most haunting.


It was so good to get away. We had a great time and are thankful we can do things like this!

Until the next adventure....

Leila
xoxo

p.s. Laura's Voyager got stolen Friday night! Such a bummer. I am dealing with that tomorrow....

My handsome husband. He is a good date! (o:


We can not wait till our next play. Although we do hope it is not raining....

just cool

I heard from a very cool friend of ours last night with simply great news.
He is super creative and I thought this was cool enough to share here.

We met George and Stephanie on their honeymoon in Mexico. We became fast friends and visited them in New York a couple of years back. They are an amazingly talented couple and I think it's pretty neat that this dream of theirs' has come true.

Click on 'just cool' at title to view.

His 'Last Ten Minutes' is a sort of blog that is intelligent and thoughtful. You may enjoy it, if you are bored at your computer take the time to look. It only works with Firefox right now though.

- lgc

Italian Cooking School

Well I have had my second Italian Cooking lesson today even though I forget my camera, again.... I want to say how great it has been. I have learned so much in the last two weeks that I am thrilled! I am also quite amazed at the delicious courses I have prepared.

Chef and historian Dr. Juri Sbandati is my instructor. It is a semi private lesson with one other student, Eleina, who I did not know before, but because of our love of cooking, love for wine, time in the kitchen together and we both live here in Sisters we are developing a friendship. Which is nice! Anyway... So Juri instructs us and we each cook our own meal. They have been fabulous. I know because we feast together after each lesson.

Juri is smart, really smart. At times I think it is more of a philosophy/cooking class and I enjoy it tremendously. He is happy to answer every single question we have about cooking while guiding us through Italian history along the way. It is such a great way to spend a cold Thursday morning.

Last week we prepared a (o.k. on my spelling, please remember I am sounding out italian words that come out of an italians' mouth) a Porketta, which was a pork loin that we made our own salt rub for, wrapped in a baguette, wrapped that in bacon and baked. Mouthwatering! Also we made Risotto, made with a beef stock that we made, white wine and porcini mushrooms. I have had Risotto maybe once, did not understand it. Well I loved it, the flavor was very intense the consistency perfect. A yummy, yummy meal.

Today we prepared a Brassato. We seared beef ribs that came right off our location. (We use the kitchen at Deschutes River Ranch, which is not only a breathtaking setting, they raise truly Free Range Cattle. I know because they are right out there in the valley below grazing in front of us, when sit down to feast. They truly have a wonderful life, well until.... you know....) Then we simmered them in a sauce we made with olive oil, carrots, celery, onion, garlic, more of our beef broth and sangiovese. Then off to the oven for hours of cooking. Our first course, which we prepared second, was a favorite of mine, a wonderful sauce of leeks, sausage, italian tomatoes, more wine, parmesan served with penne. It was so good. Then we learned, which we were both pretty excited about, how to roast potatoes so they turn out perfect! Bill will be happy, he loves roasted potatoes.

Again the dishes were spot on perfect and food that just melts in your mouth. Eleina and I both just sit there saying, "I can not believe I made this". They are pretty simple dishes from the Tuscan region but oh so good! 

I have learned why you do not braise a tenderloin, that I will never buy Italian Sausage again (there is a great secret that I now know) why certain types of pans are best from size to shape to materials... and so much more. I just love my Thursdays and wish I could have you all over so I could cook this great food for you and we could 'feast' together!

Debra, the office manager at DRR was nice enough to snap a couple of pics for us and e-mailed them to me. The aroma of our cooking tends to bring every one there into our kitchen at one time or another over the coarse of the morning. We always invite them to join us! We have learned, do not worry if they like the food or not, they are our guests! If they no like, they problemo! Luckily, they have more than like! (o:

Ciao

- Leila