Triscuits and Stinky Cheese

I like blues, gorgonzolas, that kind of thing. I really like Saga Blue (Saga Bleu!) and Cambezola and those spreadable, high fat spreadable veined cheeses.

This is a domestic smoked blue, very nice, with triscuits, one of my favorite substrates for cheese. Yes, I said 'substrate'.

Tapenade

And I think this is the real deal... technically, tapenade should have capers, 'cause the nice folks at wikipedia say it's from the Provencal word for capers, tapenas.

Olives, anchovies, olive oil, capers, chopped fine but not too fine. Crusty bread, glass of wine (really, I'd probably have it with diet coke, shame), maybe a salad, and I'd be fine.

Roti Toti

Roti from an Indian grocery store, and applied roti theory: Roti first heated and softened directly on the flame of the gas burner, turn it just when you smell burn. Breakfast sandwich of an egg cooked to roti size, sharp chedder cheese (Cabot's Private Stock Extra Sharp, thank you, it comes in *black plastic*), a generous squirt of sri racha (yeah, baby) and another scorched roti on top. Flipped once or twice in the cooling cast iron to melt the cheese and seal the deal.

Plierbread

My homemade pita, cooked at the top of the oven between the broiler and hot cast iron. Called plierbread because I use the pliers of my Leatherman, claws, to move the hot pans around.

Puffed like a blimp, odd shapes, and steam in the morning sunlight.

Pizza Fixin's

Whipping up a pan o' stuff to add some drama to a plain cheese pizza. This is all pantry and fridge, mind, but just the thing.

This is green olives, rehydrated abalone mushrooms, onions, fried shallots, chives and oregano from the garden, kosher salt, and a little bit of anchovy. Gotta have those glutamates. Spread in a layer as thick as the slice itself (a good formula, I think).

Mojito

Yes, dear. Of course I'll make you a Mojito. How could I not? Food is love. Recipes all over the net... I don't even remember how I made this one now, but I worked backward from a pretty clear mental picture of 'mint limeade for grownups'. I could create that now without a recipe.

I was more curious about the derivation of the name. A quick internet search gives theories including sex and magic, where a quick trip to Uncle Cecil at the Straight Dope acknowledges those two but says 'mojar' is to celebrate by drinking, so a little celebration in a glass. Enjoy, dear.

His and Hers Rice Bowls

A sort of Far East meets Southwest: Rice and beans with Thai basil and a sprig of lime. Hers: Smaller. More Dainty. His: bigger portion, and a heap of thai chilis. I cannot abide beans and rice without heat. I'd rather eat shoe leather with chilis than beans and rice without.