busy week

i admit, i have had such a busy week. i have had no time to blog at all. i don't even have the time now....

so this is a bit of a test, how well you know me. i did spend the week doing a couple of things i am pretty passionate about. can you answer these questions? how well do you know me?

you'll just have to comment... people rarely comment and it is just so great when they do. you actually realize someone reads this garble.

where is this sign?

who are these two fantastic guys that i spent my wednesday with?


this is actually an important thing in CA history. do you know what it is? where it is, exactly?


do you know where this water feature is?

where are you now?

do you have any idea why i made these two to ride dumbo together so i could get a pic? really the answer on this one is pathetic.


do you know what this is? why i think it's important?


yummy... thursday has come! can you guess what this is, that the two sous chefs of dr. sbandatti cooked this day? it was again, delicious!


do you know who these three people are? i do adore each one of them, so much.


i will just tell you... this is the end of my day on thursday. this was end of my cooking school )o; yet this is the view we dined to each thursday. it was at least 60 degrees out! i threw the doors open desiring to dine al fresco! we just relished in our six weeks together. what a place to cook, what a great chef and what great new friends..... really it has been bliss, i am grateful.


okay.. now try and answer the questions.
really? can you believe that view? wow!

xo

-leila

make it work.....

designers......

either your in, or you out.....

our oscar night was so fun.
can you guess who we are?....

more to come later

xo
alvidersaint

another thursday

if you have not figured out by now, thursdays are a very nice day of the week for this couple. i spend my day cooking, dining, enjoying good wine and chatting with good friends. my husband will tell you.... when his wife is happy everyone (that's just him now) is happy.

cooking is my favorite thing to do. there are other things i love to do with other people but for just me alone, my choice would be cooking. today, the two sous chefs in the making, at the exceptional cooking school of dr. juri sbandatti prepared a wonderful ribolitta. a very rustic tuscan vegetable, bean and bread soup, that is not really soup at all. you cook it like soup though and at the end of the first time it seems like soup but since ribolitta means to boil again (reboil, get it... ) after you add the bread and cook it again it comes out thick and hearty. it is a rich and tasty vegetarian dish that is only better the next day. although, i enjoyed it very much today!

the beginning


the middle, sorry no picture of the end. i was busy eating it!


then while our ribolitta was cooking away we prepared a beautiful lamb shoulder that we stuffed with artichokes. we peeled and cooked them in a wonderful mixture of olive oil, garlic and parsley before we rolled them up in our little lamby shoulder. wrapped it all up in caul fat (my new secret ingredient that is quite amazing) and garnished with rosemary. it looks quite tempting even before baking.


and is even more yummy looking after. the presentation was beautiful in the end and the taste, ohhhh, how can i keep saying every week, it's just the best. the food juri teaches us to prepare is really good. he is a master chef.


speaking of masters.... i had the honor to accompany my husband to an event here in sisters this evening. the sisters movie house does a series of talkies (showing thought provoking films then having a panel of experts to answer questions). my very handsome and very knowledgeable husband was on the panel for the film 'helvetica.' yes it is a movie about a type face. i admit, i thought it was very good and really interesting. i think anyone who loves design would enjoy it.

bill did an amazing job on the panel and was obviously the most interesting and entertaining 'expert'. the line to speak with him after was the longest and it was an honor to say, "i know him."

i think the sweetest part was him beginning, as he does so often, telling about his initial inspiration into the world of design and giving credit where credit is due. a mom who encouraged him, loved him and believed in him, no matter what he drew. i always wish she was sitting there with me to hear him share this. it would bless her so.... some day.... maybe...

xo
- L

rustic valentines

i have to admit the last few days have been just fabulous. it's not only the 50 plus degree weather that has had sunshine with it everyday. valentines day was so wonderful, my adoring husband went so far out of his way to let me know he loves me!

the day began with me stepping out of the shower to a trail of rose petals, that lead me to more roses, see's chocolates (my favorite) and directions for the evening.

then it was off to a full day of cooking with my phenomenal instructor dr, juri sbandatti and my new, very fun friend ellina. (o.k. so ellina... she actually has a Harley, she really is quite cool) we cooked our hearts out. it was a very full day and the results were outstanding as always.

we began the morning making the pasta for our lasagna that we would put together later in the day. it was a lot of work, ellina & i chose to try and do it by hand without the use of a mixer. i admit juri did most of my kneading it was quite difficult but in the end the pasta was so perfect, so thin yet strong. we made it into a true tuscan rustic lasagna using only the meat sauce we had made the week before, roux and parmesan. it was about nine layers of the most amazing flavor. we were all pretty proud and delighted when juir's wife kinley joined us to feast at lunch and have a glass of wine or two....

after our pasta course we served the many fried foods we had prepared (fried the italian way, light and crisp) i can not decide if i liked the fried artichokes or the fried chicken more, they were both amazing. the frying process was very difficult and juri did most of it but it was fun to learn and try.

here it is warmed up as leftovers for dinner last night. bill loved it, i was so glad because i really did think it was incredible!


i flew home after cooking (we stayed very late into the day eating, drinking red wine, talking about our trip this spring and laughing a lot. it is just such a wonderful experience each thursday) to get ready to meet bill at the beautiful fivepine lodge for valentines. my husband, so sweet.... he met me in the lobby with a glass of wine (oh my another....) a rose and we just sat in front of the lodge fire a caught up on our day. then we had the pleasant surprise of our dear friends gary & lynette showing up so they joined us and we just had such a fun time gabbing and catching up with one another. they were off to brand 33 for dinner, which they said was delicious and we went to our beautiful cottage (we were in the classic, it is so nice! if you ever have a chance to stay here, do it! it is so affordable too!) where bill had prepared a lovely picnic dinner with a yummy bottle of champagne.

then we played a super fun game that was 'couple questions' that bill gave me for valentines. it was a blast, the questions were intelligent and sparked really thoughtful conversation. thank you bill, you are... the best!

the label was so pretty we saved the bottle and placed it with some of our favorite things here at home to take a pic. silly i know, but we rarely drink champagne and it we wanted to have a memory of it.



it is another lovely day on the high desert today, we got out for a nice long walk this morning. of course ruby had to stop us to say hello... sophey actually likes ruby.


we later got the cruisers out and rode into town to do a few errands, it was a tiny bit chilly but fun. we may even walk in to dinner tonight if the temp holds.

we are thankful for this teaser of spring, we know that is all it is but we are going to enjoy it while it's here.

enjoy the love you have.

xo
- leila

morning

I love the setting on the side of the house in the a.m.
The sun shines so bright there and the sound of the breeze through the trees, it can be so calming.
I just want to sit there and listen and soak in the sunshine.

What I hate about Sisters (being in the middle of nowhere with so little going on) I also love about Sisters (ditto).....

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.