Truth be told, these are my favorite types of meal Truth be told, these are my favorite types of meals… platters where you can just pick at them while sipping wine and catching up with a friend. Chances are, if you come over for a meal, you’re getting an assortment of things to nosh on, maybe a mix of homemade appetizers… but just an array of deliciousness you can snack on whilst enjoying the evening. 

I’ve been wanting to make a lox platter for awhile now, so here we are. I sprinkled some Everything But the Bagel seasoning onto smoked lox and then added sliced cucumbers and radishes to the platter along with sliced bialys and crackers. Dipping items are a must so I included hummus and tzatziki. A fun platter just to nibble from, but a bialys sandwich with everything stuffed in it was pretty perfect too. Hope that gave you a little bit of inspo for something you can easily whip up too!
I had planned another type of post tonight, but in I had planned another type of post tonight, but in light of today’s news, it just doesn’t feel right. Some days it can be hard to find the sunshine, especially a day like today. I can’t make sense as to why things like today continue to happen while people spend copious amounts of energy worrying about banning books and drag shows. Make it make sense. Just make it fucking make sense. It doesn’t. You can’t. Until it does, use your voice. Show up to meetings. Sign the petitions. Text ACT to 644-33 to get involved (I did). Be so loud that you can’t be ignored, until things change. Thirteen school shootings this year. When is enough, enough?
Weekend photos in review, old school edition. Cont Weekend photos in review, old school edition.
Context: 1) Lola has zero chill in the car, 2) fulfilling request for Chicken Parm Penne with Vodka Sauce, 3) Sunday vibes 4) my favorite porchetta sandwich 5) from @butlerandtheboard 6) affirmations, 7) the sun was out today
Just like the moon, you’re whole no matter what Just like the moon, you’re whole no matter what phase you’re in. ✨ Got this one back in September and it’s one of my favorites. I sometimes forget it’s there until I get a random flash of it.
Happy #NationalPuppyDay to these two. I used to ca Happy #NationalPuppyDay to these two. I used to call Clifford an asshat, because he basically was. But there’s a new asshat in town… 🙄 Clifford is now a freaking rockstar. His tumor and age have slowed him down a LOT and he virtually never misbehaves, and we are seriously so proud of him. Lola, on the other hand, is still full blown PUPPY. Tonight I’m assembling a gate to replace the wooden one she ate through. 😂 Berners love wood and she is OBSESSED with being in the kitchen. So one new metal gate coming right up as soon as I can figure out how to put it together.
Last week when I met the owners of the new French Last week when I met the owners of the new French bakery in town, I told them how happy I was that they were opening … because now I had an endless source for gifts for my mom’s future birthdays and Christmases. She was born in Paris and we’ve grown up with a healthy appreciation for French things … starting with their pastries and baguettes, but so much more. My daughter took her first trip to Paris last year and thoroughly enjoyed the croissants there and she deemed the ones at @chocolatinenj just as perfect. No surprise there since the owner is a French pastry chef! If you’re local and haven’t been, do make a point to stop in and visit. They’re open Wednesday through Sunday and have a wide selection of sweet and savory items and a few French retail selections as well. We’ve tried the macarons, the Croque Monsieur, the croissants, the tomato tarts, the baguette … basically we’re working our way through their display case in due time. Don’t miss this one - enjoy!
People complain about how much time is spent on ph People complain about how much time is spent on phones sometimes, but if it wasn’t for phones. I wouldn’t have these awesome little snippets of them growing up. I only wish I had more. Appreciate and document the little mundane things, for they are the very fabric of your life.
happy Spring, friends! Y’all know how long I’v happy Spring, friends! Y’all know how long I’ve been waiting for the seasons to change and I’m so excited that Mother Nature was on board today! ☀️ There is nothing like the energy from the sun and it makes me happy. Hope you got some today!
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Sweetnicks

Food and Life

New (to Me) Blogger on the Block Thursday

April 6, 2006 · Narrative

I had a plan for tonight, and it was simple. Make use of 6 ounces of smoked salmon, 2 tomatoes and a Boboli thin pizza crust, all stuff I had on hand. Success! And better yet, it was healthy and on the table (or the porch as the case may be) in under 30 minutes.

This just in … Nicholas LOVES Smoked Salmon! For tonight’s dinner, I made a tried-and-true, Smoked Salmon Pizza, as our main course. As Nicholas carefully watched me putting it together, he spied the Smoked Salmon and asked what it was. I told him it was fish and I was making pizza with it.

I asked if he wanted to try the fish, fully expecting him to say “no.” Surprisingly enough, he not only said “yes,” but actually liked it! Before putting it into his mouth, he very cautiously asked me if the fish was going to be swimming around his belly. Too cute. His tastebuds never cease to amaze me — he devours Feta cheese, Kalamata olives and many other strong-flavored items that most kids would quickly shun. As I finished making the pizza, he asked for more fish, and ended up taking the rest of the package in the backyard and sharing a feast with The Husband and Eli while I finished making dinner.

As a side dish, and for my weekly Rediscovering My Library segment, I made a Tomato and Onion Salad from Rachael Ray’s cookbook, Get-Togethers. The salad really lets the fresh, juicy tomatoes shine, as only a few simple ingredients are included. I’ve made salads similar to this, but I usually slice the tomatoes and layer it with the other ingredients. In this recipe (see below), Rachael calls for the tomatoes and onions to be chopped, which makes it a completely different animal. Besides using it as a salad, it would make a wonderful topping for some grilled chicken or fish.

A perfect Spring meal, everything was light and delicious and the flavors really came through full-force in both recipes. We love the pizza as much as ever … the cool creaminess of the sour cream, dill and lemon juice combination, the saltiness of the capers and the smokiness of the salmon – delicious. And with tonight’s features of fresh dill and parsley, this meal makes a wonderful addition to Kalyn’s Weekend Herb Blogging event coming up.

Tonight’s nod for New (to Me) Blogger on the Block Thursday goes to Sweet Napa. A baking student at the CIA, the blog follows her trials and tribulations along the path of her journey. Her recent posts on Thomas Keller’s Roquefort and Leek Quiche, her Bouchon – Yountville Meal and her Angel Food cake variations have me hooked – now it’s your turn!

A year ago today … the Top 10 Kitchen Tools You Can’t Live Without.

Tomato and Onion Salad
Courtesy of Rachael Ray
4 ripe tomatoes, seeded and chopped
1/2 white onion, chopped
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

Mix all ingredients together and serve.

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Posted In: Narrative

Comments

  1. Kalyn says

    April 7, 2006 at 2:23 am

    I have a friend from Iran who makes a tomato salad very similar to that, only he adds mint and lemon juice. Your version looks great.

    Reply
  2. Nina says

    April 7, 2006 at 3:06 am

    Cate – Thank you so much for the recognition! I’m glad that you like my site. :) And it’s such a pleasure to part of this food blogging community–it’s amazing how people are brought together around the world by food online!

    Tomorrow is my Pastry Techniques practical, so there should be a nice tale of drama about eclairs, pies,and genoise up this weekend. :)

    And that pizza looks wonderful!

    (Also thanks to you, I finally added my contact info to my “About” page…)

    Reply
  3. sher says

    April 7, 2006 at 10:17 pm

    Great looking pizza, I must say! And that’s so cute about the fish swiming in Nicholas’s tummy. Hey–it’s pretty logical actually.

    Reply
  4. spicehut says

    April 8, 2006 at 12:02 am

    Nicholas’s remark made me smile :)

    The pizza with fish must be healthy & tasty. Sounds good.

    We make the tomato onion salad too…its called ‘Koshimbir’ in my language. Its usually tomato-onion & salt & chopped coriander. Sometimes we also add cucumber. There are a lot of variations to this.

    Reply
  5. Cate says

    April 8, 2006 at 2:42 am

    Kalyn – I’ll have to try that. The lemon juice sounds like a great addition.

    Nina – No problem at all. It is definitely amazing what a tight-knit group food bloggers are!

    Sher – the pizza was delicious. And yeah, that Nicholas. He’s pretty literal.

    Spicehut – thanks for the history on your version of the salad. Seems to be pretty popular with little variations here and there…

    Reply
  6. Nina says

    April 18, 2006 at 1:08 am

    Hi Cate, I made a version of this pizza the other night (and wrote a little post about it). It was delicious, and I can’t wait to have it again!

    Reply

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Truth be told, these are my favorite types of meal Truth be told, these are my favorite types of meals… platters where you can just pick at them while sipping wine and catching up with a friend. Chances are, if you come over for a meal, you’re getting an assortment of things to nosh on, maybe a mix of homemade appetizers… but just an array of deliciousness you can snack on whilst enjoying the evening. 

I’ve been wanting to make a lox platter for awhile now, so here we are. I sprinkled some Everything But the Bagel seasoning onto smoked lox and then added sliced cucumbers and radishes to the platter along with sliced bialys and crackers. Dipping items are a must so I included hummus and tzatziki. A fun platter just to nibble from, but a bialys sandwich with everything stuffed in it was pretty perfect too. Hope that gave you a little bit of inspo for something you can easily whip up too!
I had planned another type of post tonight, but in I had planned another type of post tonight, but in light of today’s news, it just doesn’t feel right. Some days it can be hard to find the sunshine, especially a day like today. I can’t make sense as to why things like today continue to happen while people spend copious amounts of energy worrying about banning books and drag shows. Make it make sense. Just make it fucking make sense. It doesn’t. You can’t. Until it does, use your voice. Show up to meetings. Sign the petitions. Text ACT to 644-33 to get involved (I did). Be so loud that you can’t be ignored, until things change. Thirteen school shootings this year. When is enough, enough?
Weekend photos in review, old school edition. Cont Weekend photos in review, old school edition.
Context: 1) Lola has zero chill in the car, 2) fulfilling request for Chicken Parm Penne with Vodka Sauce, 3) Sunday vibes 4) my favorite porchetta sandwich 5) from @butlerandtheboard 6) affirmations, 7) the sun was out today
Just like the moon, you’re whole no matter what Just like the moon, you’re whole no matter what phase you’re in. ✨ Got this one back in September and it’s one of my favorites. I sometimes forget it’s there until I get a random flash of it.

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Truth be told, these are my favorite types of meal Truth be told, these are my favorite types of meals… platters where you can just pick at them while sipping wine and catching up with a friend. Chances are, if you come over for a meal, you’re getting an assortment of things to nosh on, maybe a mix of homemade appetizers… but just an array of deliciousness you can snack on whilst enjoying the evening. 

I’ve been wanting to make a lox platter for awhile now, so here we are. I sprinkled some Everything But the Bagel seasoning onto smoked lox and then added sliced cucumbers and radishes to the platter along with sliced bialys and crackers. Dipping items are a must so I included hummus and tzatziki. A fun platter just to nibble from, but a bialys sandwich with everything stuffed in it was pretty perfect too. Hope that gave you a little bit of inspo for something you can easily whip up too!
I had planned another type of post tonight, but in I had planned another type of post tonight, but in light of today’s news, it just doesn’t feel right. Some days it can be hard to find the sunshine, especially a day like today. I can’t make sense as to why things like today continue to happen while people spend copious amounts of energy worrying about banning books and drag shows. Make it make sense. Just make it fucking make sense. It doesn’t. You can’t. Until it does, use your voice. Show up to meetings. Sign the petitions. Text ACT to 644-33 to get involved (I did). Be so loud that you can’t be ignored, until things change. Thirteen school shootings this year. When is enough, enough?
Weekend photos in review, old school edition. Cont Weekend photos in review, old school edition.
Context: 1) Lola has zero chill in the car, 2) fulfilling request for Chicken Parm Penne with Vodka Sauce, 3) Sunday vibes 4) my favorite porchetta sandwich 5) from @butlerandtheboard 6) affirmations, 7) the sun was out today
Just like the moon, you’re whole no matter what Just like the moon, you’re whole no matter what phase you’re in. ✨ Got this one back in September and it’s one of my favorites. I sometimes forget it’s there until I get a random flash of it.
Happy #NationalPuppyDay to these two. I used to ca Happy #NationalPuppyDay to these two. I used to call Clifford an asshat, because he basically was. But there’s a new asshat in town… 🙄 Clifford is now a freaking rockstar. His tumor and age have slowed him down a LOT and he virtually never misbehaves, and we are seriously so proud of him. Lola, on the other hand, is still full blown PUPPY. Tonight I’m assembling a gate to replace the wooden one she ate through. 😂 Berners love wood and she is OBSESSED with being in the kitchen. So one new metal gate coming right up as soon as I can figure out how to put it together.
Last week when I met the owners of the new French Last week when I met the owners of the new French bakery in town, I told them how happy I was that they were opening … because now I had an endless source for gifts for my mom’s future birthdays and Christmases. She was born in Paris and we’ve grown up with a healthy appreciation for French things … starting with their pastries and baguettes, but so much more. My daughter took her first trip to Paris last year and thoroughly enjoyed the croissants there and she deemed the ones at @chocolatinenj just as perfect. No surprise there since the owner is a French pastry chef! If you’re local and haven’t been, do make a point to stop in and visit. They’re open Wednesday through Sunday and have a wide selection of sweet and savory items and a few French retail selections as well. We’ve tried the macarons, the Croque Monsieur, the croissants, the tomato tarts, the baguette … basically we’re working our way through their display case in due time. Don’t miss this one - enjoy!
People complain about how much time is spent on ph People complain about how much time is spent on phones sometimes, but if it wasn’t for phones. I wouldn’t have these awesome little snippets of them growing up. I only wish I had more. Appreciate and document the little mundane things, for they are the very fabric of your life.
happy Spring, friends! Y’all know how long I’v happy Spring, friends! Y’all know how long I’ve been waiting for the seasons to change and I’m so excited that Mother Nature was on board today! ☀️ There is nothing like the energy from the sun and it makes me happy. Hope you got some today!

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