Quick Meals Upon Landing: Egg Sandwich Two Ways

I have traveled for the past three weekends on top of regular weekday travel, so when I got home last Thursday night, the fridge was a sad and scary place.  Wilted vegetables, old potatoes, beans I made and forgot about...  In the midst of all that, I located a few slices of nice seven grain bread and some eggs.  Time for an open-faced hard boiled egg sandwich two ways.

Delicious Drinks: Cilantro-Jalapeño Margarita

The unofficial theme of my sister's recent visit here was margaritas and guacamole.  We worked our way through the summer section of Rick Bayless' Frontera: Margaritas, Guacamoles, and Snacks cookbook.  Yes, I own a cookbook dedicated to margaritas and guacamoles.  I actually kept it on my nightstand for a while, and read it before bed, trying to set myself up for sweet dreams.  Anyway, we kicked off the weekend with the Cilantro-Jalapeño Margarita, which turned out to be my most favorite of them all.

Delicious Destination: Austin, TX

The aforementioned perfect michelada was handcrafted for me during a weekend roadtrip to Austin. And we did Austin right.  The weight I gained was worth it in gold, because we ate like kings and queens.  The group was made up of a few longtime Austin residents, a few frequent visitors, and a couple of Austin novices, and we balanced BBQ, Tex-Mex, and home cooking for a completely delicious weekend. (Photo credit: my sister Erin)

Delicious Drinks: Michelada From Scratch

Micheladas and I have been on and off for a while.  Here is the thing about miches.  I have to make them at home.  If I order them out, I am almost always disappointed.  I like them so spicy they burn, so salty they satisfy, so citrusy they pucker, and so cold they quench.  I want them in a big glass (or better yet, Tervis tumbler) over ice, garnished with extra lime just in case.  And a couple of weeks ago in Austin, I got the perfect one.  My friend Denise made me the perfect michelada with her homemade mix, and I have been chasing that taste ever since.

Delicious Drinks: Good Old Fashioned Homemade Lemonade

It's best if I don't drink sangria all day.  Better plan to start with lemonade.  There is really no better way to quench a summer thirst than with a pitcher of good old fashioned homemade lemonade. No mixes please. Only four ingredients necessary.  And two are water and ice.  So you've got them.  You just need to take the time.

Delicious Drinks: Sunny Day Summer Sangria

Summer is a thirsty time.  And I have been on a summer drinks kick.  I didn't drink a lot of sangria when I lived in Spain, but I certainly have made up for that since I've been home.  I actually think the Houston climate is much better suited for sangria than Barcelona for most of the year.  Perhaps I'll start a campaign.  First step, share the perfect recipe.

Quick Meals Upon Landing: Avocado Toast

I guess toast is a thing now.  I was unsure when I heard the artisanal toast piece on This American Life, chagrined when I fell for The Kitchn's April Fools toast joke, and decidedly curious when I saw that The Queen and Beaver in Toronto had an entire menu section devoted to toast.  We selected the Aged Cheddar and Smoked Tomatoes toast, just FYI.

Home Detox: Tropical Fish Tacos

This hot weather makes me want to eat lighter.  And riding my bike in it makes me want to eat now. Like right now.  I am so hungry I need to eat now.  Fish tacos accomplish both goals - light and urgent. From idea to table, these take less than thirty minutes.

Home Detox: Summer Garden Gazpacho

Two signs that summer is here in Houston: my hair expands to twice its normal volume when I take Luna out for a walk in the morning, and the lines at the airport are twice as long.  And summer time means summer vegetables.  Finally, tomatoes that taste like tomatoes!  My current favorite detox after a week of eating out on the road is a spicy gazpacho.  I adapted the Barefoot Contessa's recipe to better suit my tastes (carrots yes, red peppers no thanks) and spice preferences (burn me, please).

Cooking Therapy: Pasta, Pasta!

In undergrad at UT, my favorite weekday lunch spot was called Pasta, Pasta!  Patrons lined up, selected their style of pasta, chose a sauce, pointed at any add-ins they wanted included, and then the custom mixture was heated in a skillet with olive oil and served piping hot.  The whole process took less than three minutes if there was no line.  And it was delicious!