Thursday Thirteen

I discovered this Thursday 13 thing through the Holidailies Portal and I thought I'd try it out this week. Who knows, it may end up being a regular weekly feature...

You can learn a lot about a person from what they eat. So my introductory contribution to Thursday Thirteen centers around thirteen things I tasted this week. Gourmet things. Homemade things. Extravagant things. Simple things. Good things.

1. I picked up a couple of gorgeous salmon fillets at Trader Joes, and we still have a ton of leftover puff pastry in the freezer from November's open house. Gotta love Google. We had a romantic dinner at home Friday night: Salmon Fillet in Puff Pastry with Citrus Beurre Blanc and a salad of butter lettuce and avocado. The salmon dish is a *whole* lot less fussy if you dispense with the fishy shapes and just cut the pastry in squares.
2. Saturday's dinner was tasty, if not quite as successful. We were set to make steamed mussels with Belgian frites. We braved the mandoline to slice the potatoes. We broke out the new deep fryer that Santa gave me. Read the instructions carefully. Plunged the potatoes into the oil as instructed and --- spent the next hour cleaning oil off the counters, the cabinets, the floor, the ceiling. And being very thankful that neither of us were hurt in the process. So I head to the closest fast food joint for takeout fries while John steams the mussels. We settle down with our makeshift meal and a bottle of Belgian brew -- and John breaks out in hives. Which return periodically over the course of the weekend -- as near as we can tell, some odd allergic reaction to the mussels.
3. Nothing says "lazy Sunday afternoon" like French toast with preserves and powdered sugar and a marathon of Top Chef episodes queued in the Tivo. The perfect way to say goodbye to 2006.

4. New Year's Eve. Farewell 2006, hello 2007. What better way to celebrate than with good food in the company of good friends? We closed the year with our friends at Nibblers. I selected the Champagne tasting menu: five courses of celebratory cuisine paired with sparkling wines from around the globe. John stayed closer to home culinarily -- going with a taste of Napa. Because we believe the joy of food is largely in sharing it, we ended up experiencing a ten-course tasting menu.
   
5. Regular readers are already aware of Monday's adventures with ravioli, detailed here.
   
6. While we assembled the aforementioned ravioli we snacked on mushroom & goat cheese tarltettes hot from the oven and a selection of cheeses and crackers.
   
7. St Benoit yogurt can be rather difficult to find in my part of the bay area. So when I saw it last week at Whole Foods I eagerly stocked up. And I've been enjoying a crock of honey flavored yogurt for breakfast all week.
   
8. Sometimes a simple seasonal Satsuma Mandarin orange or two IS the perfect ending to an evening meal.
   
9. I'm indulging in an obsession with broccoli this winter. Steamed. Roasted with lemon. Sauteed. Stir fried. Creamed in soup. I can't get enough of it.
   
10. Panera's new Turkey Caprese sandwich is a great antidote to lunch-on-the-go, and even at over 600 calories, it *feels* more virtuous than the drive-thru.
    
11. After a morning full of mind-numbing meetings, a little sashimi salad is just the ticket to decompression. Buttery hamachi. Firm, flavorful tuna. Soft unctuous salmon. Shredded lettuce & sweet rice. A splash of soy sauce and a small dollop of wasabi. Better than Calgon. Less risky than a liquid lunch...
    
12. Christmas Eve with John's family several of us were still medicating that stubborn winter cold and weren't sure we wanted to indulge in champagne. Enter Trader Joes' Blood Orange Soda. Which now has a permanent home in my refrigerator. The perfect foil to everything from a four course Mexican holiday menu to a sandwich and kettle chips.
    
13. And lucky thirteen - Reed's Ginger-flavored ice cream -- Sweet but not sickly-so -- this is a great grown-up ice cream.
    

And now for the Links to other Thursday Thirteens!

Take the time to follow the links below... you might discover some great new blogs!

1. Lisa shares 13 ideas for tackling insomnia on her Scenic Road to Joy.
2. Laura expands our reading list: 13 titles to add you your Amazon wish list.
3. Taking "obsession" to a new level, Nathalie agonizes over 13 frustrations planning a vacation.
4. Sanni's recently remodeled her blog, and shares the 13 add-ons she enjoys the most in her new space.
5. Janie (who shares my obsession with Top Chef) introduces us to 13 famous people she's met. Sadly, none of them is Harold Dieterle. :)
6. For those of you who need to catch a nap in your cubicle, Raggedy provides 13 ready-made excuses if you get busted.
7. Get an iPod for Christmas? Looking for upbeat music as you trudge back to the gym in January? Samantha's got 13 songs guaranteed to get your heart pumping.
8. Thomma Lyn shares 13 stupid words and phrases that drive her nuts. A neat list. I'm not sure I could stop at 13. :)
9. Caylynn offers her 13 favorite leisure activities. What resonates with me about her list is the balance she achieves through a variety of hobbies that fuel her mind, her body and her spirit.
10. Aimee offers 13 more ecclectic musical selections for new iPod owners.
11. In a fascinating psychological study, Christie ponders 13 of the oddest Google searches that have led readers to her blog.
12. Michelle explores the magical world of strange baby names.
13. Suburban Mum seeks balance through her insightful resolutions for a happy & fulfilling 2007.
14. Pam posts an ecclectic list of online reading material sure to keep you busy as you web surf through the lunch hour.
15. Crystal shares her goals for 2007.
    
16. In an ode to my favorite pastime -- procrastination, teachergirl ponders the things she should have gotten done.
17. My maternal ancestry is Pennsylvania Dutch, so I read Gem's list of superstitions with great interest.
18. Moma's World's list defies verbal explanation -- you'll just have to go see for yourself.
    
19. You could be here. If you're participating in the January 4 Thursday 13, leave your link in comments, I'll add you here!

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The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others comments. ItÂ’s easy, and fun! Be sure to update your Thirteen with links that are left for you, as well! I will link to everyone who participates and leaves a link to their 13 things. Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted!

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