StephanieL

N got into a mood for strudel after our trip, so she used our homegrown apples and marionberries, plus frozen filo dough, to make some on Friday. For some reason, the strudel recipe on the filo box calls for a lot of breadcrumbs, more than I expected, so to me it's a little disappointing. She also used our blueberries (and homemade applesauce--the woman was really busy) to make Maida Heatter's blueberry-applesauce tea cake for a potluck/house party yesterday. The recipe makes 2 loaves, so we got to keep one for ourselves. Next up: I get to do some baking--a sour cherry chocolate torte for N's upcoming birthday.

N made fish broth a couple of days ago, but not all of the jars sealed properly so she used the broth in those jars to make fish soup tonight with cod filet, canned clams (plus the clam juice), Yukon gold potatoes, carrots, and red pepper. Sourdough baguette on the side.

This one was pretty good too: https://www.montafon.at/en/my-montafon/special-features/sura-kees

Found the most gorgeously runny Reblochon at a cheese shop in Salzburg, one evening, which became our dinner when spread on some locally made seeded rolls. It was seriously liquid.

Pan-seared salmon, risotto (with homemade fish stock), and sauteed homegrown lambs' quarters and ball squash.

Got ripped off big time by a taxi driver in Vienna, just going from the main train station to our hotel (which was not all that far from the station). Not thinking clearly or I would have seen the scam right away. (N didn't spot it either.)

It went up to 92 in Vienna a couple of days ago. I'd packed some short-sleeved shirts, but no shorts. It made walking around the town a bit of a slog. Landed in SF yesterday evening and needed a long-sleeved shirt and a jacket. Just 54 degrees at 6 AM today.

Pete Townsend & Roger Daltrey.

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Bucatini with shrimp and homegrown summer squash in a light cream sauce with dill, parsley, and feta.

The Berkeley location on San Pablo Avenue is called Everetta & Jones, funny enough. No indoor seating, unfortunately. I work near the Wharf, so I'm very excited to have E&J as a lunch option. A Dominican restaurant is also coming into one of the vacant spaces. As for Alioto's, I'm a little sorry that I never got to eat there, but Scoma's fills the bill as does another place on Jefferson, Cioppino's (looks touristy but is actually decent).

N has now set up an elaborate water timing system for while we're on vacation, since it's not going to rain again until October. Hopefully, we won't lose too much.

It's less gloomy in my part of the East Bay. The plants could use some clouds, frankly.

RG's Chile Sin Carne, made with Vaqueros. Cornbread on the side.

No, I haven't read her. I'd never even heard of her until now.

Mona of the Manor, the (definitely) last installment of Armistead Maupin's Tales of the City series. This looks back to 1993 and focuses on Mona, whom Maupin relocated to England in the 1980s and then forgot about, only to mention that she'd died of ovarian cancer sometime between Sure of You and Michael Tolliver Lives. A pleasant story, with a few 2024 sensibilities grafted onto the early 90s.

Ah, cold borscht on a hot day!

Years ago, I went on a food walking tour of East Williamsburg, and one of their stops was Tedone Latticini, where Georgie Tedone DiPalma, the "Mozzarella Lady", had been making mozzarella at her family's store for literally decades. She made some right in front of us, and she advised/warned us that we'd have to eat it that day or it wouldn't be good anymore. She's long since passed away.

If it's the one in South Africa I'm thinking of, it's definitely real.

The HBO documentary Pee-wee As Himself. I've never actually watched any of the Pee-wee Herman movies or TV show episodes, so it's been interesting to learn about the history and to see all of the avant-garde arty stuff Paul Reubens was up to in the 70s.

Dad made 5 cheesecakes for the synagogue. I think he's sick of cheesecake now.

I was pleasantly surprised by the lightness of this yeast-based blueberry streusel cake, even though it didn't rise as high as I thought it would. All the blueberries (2 cups!) came from our garden.

In that vein: Albuquerque, Santa Fe, Tucson.

My mother had (and may still have) the Lee Su Jan cookbook! I think she got it after taking a cooking class.

Tricolor gnocchi with fava beans, ricotta, arugula, and fresh herbs. A trip to a local ice cream shop for dessert.