gulfporter

Blackened salmon over arugula and fresh corn/black bean salad.

Shrimp and Grits.

2nd banana plant in bloom. Just noticed it today, may be edible by late August?? The other plant has a much larger bunch and we **think** they may be edible in early July.

We live in Jalisco and I've never seen this brand.

Room temperature garbanzo salad topped with grilled shrimp. Room temperature here is about 85 😎

Reminds me of my childhood in NE PA. I looked for them in SW FL when we lived there in the mid 2000's; no one had them even in the Jewish delis with bakeries.

Hotter than it should be here, so salad makes sense for dinner. Salmon over arugula with a fewleftover roasted new potatoes, Kalamatas and hard-boiled egg. Not quite a Nicoise since the green bean sellers were not out and about. Dressing: lemon, Dijon, garlic. Not the prettiest salad, but nice and light for this weather.

No...never knew that was a thing. We let ripen, eat a few days, make one banana dessert, then give the rest to gardener's family and neighbors.

After a one year hiatus, Yes! We Have Some Bananas! Noticed them the other day; my gardener Jose' says 100 dais, mas o menos. Looks like a bumper crop.

My no-bake peanut butter/cream cheese pie is in fridge setting up. After firm and chilled I will schmear it with melted chocolate. Once years ago I tried to 'upscale' the standard recipe by substituting real whipped cream for the Cool Whip. That experiment resulted in a weeping pie almost immediately. And it really didn't improve the flavor profile. I never made this pie in Mexico before because there is no Cool Whip. I mentioned this First World problem to a friend who pointed me to what she said is an acceptable Cool Whip sub. Oddly, not sold frozen, but in the refrigerated section. Less sweet (a good thing IMO) but the same hydrogenated oil. Oh...discovered I didn't have any powdered sugar after I started making it. Honestly you cannot tell it's missing. Simple recipe...1 small jar peanut butter, 1 8 oz (more or less) cream cheese, 1 container Chantilly (Cool Whip substitute). I bought a pre-made cookie crust for base. It won't win any baking titles but mi esposo will love it!

Friends in northern CA told me that one local pizza shop on Pi Day will sell small pizzas for $3.14 with unlimited toppings.

Our last home in the US was near St. Petersburg, FL. Their regional airport carries the airport code of PIE. On Pi Day the local Chamber of Commerce handed out mini-pies to arriving passengers.

Grilled salmon over arugula and (leftover) corn/black bean salad. Dressing: Dijon, lemon juice and olive oil. Surrounded by a few roasted potatoes.

Heads up---- 3.14 is Monday. It's warm here, so I'm looking at no-bake pie recipes.

Glazed Udon noodles with leftover rotisserie chicken, diced zucchini, onion and red bell pepper. Sauce is mix of orange and lime juices and zests, hoisin and chicken broth. Topped with cilantro and peanuts. High heat level as I add a serrano pepper to the sauce and serve with a hefty squirt of siracha.

Re: coleslaw. Decades ago at a potluck I asked the (mayo based) coleslaw maker what made hers so good. Horseradish. Since then I can't eat coleslaw without it. If I get take-away as soon as I get it in the house I add a dollop of prepared horseradish. Makes all the difference in the world.

Mediterranean penne. Shrimp, Kalamata olives, oregano, shallots, garlic, lemon, in a reduction of white wine, a heaping tablespoon of jarred chimichurri sauce, chicken stock and white wine. Topped with Panko (pan toasted in olive oil and garlic) and parmesan. We really liked it but it took longer than I thought it would to get it together. Maybe it's just old age!

EZ omelet....leftover French fries (re-fried in duck fat till ultra crispy), onions, peppers, poblanos, cheese, cilantro.

Shiitakes are a rare find where we live. I sautéed and simmered in bacon fat with some onion and garlic. Served with grilled pork tenderloin marinated with lemon and rosemary. The shiitakes were the star of this meal, spooned over a creamy polenta.

EZ Valentine's meal. Bought a bottle of Patricia Quintana's Adobo de Ciruela (plum sauce, spiked with ancho chile, etc.). Used half the bottle to marinate boneless thighs for a few hours; reduced the rest of it to make a slurry for the plate. Grilled the chicken and got a good char thanks to the marinade. DH made corn and black bean salad...he has returned as my sous chef, just 1 week after his total hip replacement!

Taco Tuesday. Seared sesame crusted tuna, pickled red onion, avocado, cilantro and schmear of wasabi-mayo.

Was eating it by hand, pulling it apart as I went. It was in the very last bite and I felt it between my fingers. As a friend wrote after she saw the picture....that's almost as good as getting a 13th pierogi in a box of Mrs. T's.