Following the footsteps of Celia (Fig Jam and Lime Cordial) who started this party now hosted by our friend Maureen (The Orgasmic Chef), I invite you for a small virtual tour of our kitchen.
Starting with gifts, this month I have some pretty special ones….
…from our friend Dr. SL, fantastic selected goodies he got in a recent trip to Paris: truffles galore! Truffle mayo, truffle mustard, and truffled salt. What have I done to deserve such great friends?
…from my beloved husband, a surprise gift for Mother’s Day…
When I opened the package.. here’s what I found: a huge platter, heavy-duty, very very beautiful… it makes any salad into a stunning meal!
He keeps showering me with gifts from this artist, Mary Rose Young… How about this for cuteness in coffee cup format?
Or these adorable salad plates? Each a little different from the other… Irresistible!
Our dear friends Karl and Virginia left a package in my mailbox at work… Inside I found such a thoughtful gift for our home! It’s in our kitchen, where it definitely belongs…
But, I can give gifts too! This one I gave to Phil just because… He loves to have a black and tan after playing golf, and this tool makes a perfect one.
In our kitchen…
A very delicious apple cake made for one of the receptions we hosted last month. The recipe, already in the blog, is the most popular in the site! And for good reason, it is wonderful and so simple to make…
In our kitchen…
A rolling-pin I ordered all the way from Poland, after reading this post from Mimi… could not resist it. Stay tuned for a post on my first attempt at Polish Sugar Cookies.
In our kitchen…
A nice heart on my morning cappuccino, made by the resident barista… I married the right man, obviously…
In our kitchen…
My new addiction: Go-Chu-Jang sauce, the Korean darling of the food world these days. I resisted as much as I could, but when I saw the product for sale in our very own grocery store, I said what the heck, and brought it home. I love the paste so much I also bought the sauce which is like catchup on steroids. I used the paste on sautéed ground beef for a flavorful lunch. If you are like me and resist all sorts of trends, do yourself a favor and cave to this one.
In our kitchen…
Canned tomatillos and canned yellow tomatoes, both products bought with specific recipes in mind. As soon as they went into my pantry I lost track of the recipes. The one using canned tomatillos I suspect was in a cookbook from America’s Test Kitchen, but the yellow tomatoes? I am clueless. Clue-less. If anyone suffers from the same type of culinary amnesia, let’s have a virtual hug…
This time our dogs are silent.
It is with a very heavy heart that I share the sad news that Chief was put to sleep on May 26th, a decision that crushed us, but had to be made. We will always remember him at the top of his game, rarely sitting still for a photo. In this shot (Summer 2001), his personality shines. He had just spotted a squirrel on the corner of the backyard, and one nanosecond after the picture was taken he was gone so fast our eyes could barely follow him.
In my mind, the two inseparable buddies are finally together again…
Chief
February 05th, 1999 – May 26th, 2016
ONE YEAR AGO: Chocolate Toffee Banana Bread
TWO YEARS AGO: In My Kitchen, June 2014
THREE YEARS AGO: Strawberry Frozen Yogurt
FOUR YEARS AGO: Baked Coconut and “The Brazilian Kitchen”
FIVE YEARS AGO: Honey-Glazed Chicken Legs
SIX YEARS AGO: French-Style Rolls
Bewitching Kitchen 
Deeply sorry about Chief . . . . hope that your current trip away will make some of the pain lessen . . .
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It was hard to drop the other two dogs in the kennel, when I am so used to leaving three pups there… but leaving on a trip definitely helps clear the horizon.
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So sorry about poor Chief.
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Thank you so much….
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So sorry for the loss of your precious boy, Chief. The pictures tell of a life filled with love. He was a very lucky boy. Virtual hugs to you, Phil, and Chief’s brothers.
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I know he had a fantastic life… so many Chief stories came to our mind this past week… from his days as a puppy, when I got him he was just 12 weeks old…
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I’m so sorry for your loss Sally & Phil. What an amazing life Chief lived in your loving home; full of adventure, spontaneity and fun – everything a doggie could ask for. Your beautiful photo montage captures a glimpse of his spirit and energy. As a reader, Chief will be deeply missed and remembered with a huge smile. I am thinking of you and sending love your way. I wish we could sit in the sunshine and sip a coffee together in one of your pretty mugs. Tender hugs dear friend, x.
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A coffee would be great, wouldn’t it? Sitting somewhere and breathing the beauty of the universe in and out. Thank you for your words, I know you understand well what we’ve been through…
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For some reason I had a sense about Chief when I checked your blog today. We made the same very painful but loving decision for Prada last evening, May 31. As their guardians we give them a good life, protect them and keep them safe. You did that for Chief from beginning to end.
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I am so so very sorry! Just a few days apart from us, you’ve lived the exact same ordeal… I know we did the right thing, so did you. It doesn’t make it any easier, but maybe now Prada and Chief are best buddies in the doggie Nirvana….
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It is so hard to assist our best friends on their way to the other side. My heart breaks for you both. Chief has become like one of the family to all of your readers.
The gifts are so beautiful. Not only can that man of yours make a wicked coffee, he’s got pretty good taste too, Well, he chose you, didn’t he? 🙂
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You are always the sweetest! And of course, you should not be writing comments in blogs, but I appreciate that you made the effort to be here with a warm virtual hug…
take care of yourself!
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I’m sorry to hear about Chief.
That apple cake looks sensational and I must follow it up. Always handy to have a reliable and easy recipe in apple season.
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Thank you, Francesca… as to the cake, I do hope you make it. It is one of the best!
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So very sorry to read about Chief. I feel like I knew him from your many stories. Such a painful yet 100% loving decision to make.
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So many years! I’ve been talking about Chief long long before the blog, and you of course has been my buddy in the Cook’s Talk for ages (literally) – it was the toughest thing to carry on, but… we could not prolong his life much longer. His last evening was tough and I did not want to go through another version of it.
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Chief had a terrific long run through life as your beloved pet. His family and he were all very fortunate. condolences…
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Thank you, Kath… Chief was a spectacular dog in many ways. For many years. The last two years he was just a shadow of himself, and his life wasn’t happy anymore.
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Oh no! I am so sorry to hear about Chief! At least in a few days you will have our wonderful, gorgeous and smart grand daughter to make new memories with!! Enjoy and give her lots of hugs and kisses from Grammy in Oklahoma!!
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Thank you, Vicky – we saw cute Greenlee last night and today during Alex’s graduation… she is simply adorable and such an easy baby! We intend to spoil her next week… 😉
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Sorry to hear about your baby boy Chief, RIP. I think I’m going to have to bite the bullet and get some of that Korean chilli paste and sauce – I love my Asian food & can’t believe I don’t have those in my kitchen. Lovely seeing you for #IMK x
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Yes, definitely grab some Korean chili paste – you won’t regret it!
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I am very sorry to hear about Chief. It is so hard to lose a beloved dog. He was very lucky to have had such a long and happy life with you.
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Thank you, Ann… as you know, it’s the horrible aspect of having a pet – they live short lives, and depart way too early… But yes, Chief had a wonderful, long life…
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OMG! You got one of those wonderful rolling pins?! They look gorgeous. And I love your gifts, especially your Mother’s Day plate 🙂
You already know how sorry I am about the loss of your lovely Chief 😦 thank you for sharing such lovely photos of your gorgeous boy xx
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Yes, the rolling pin beauty! Isn’t that gorgeous???? I need more practice. Once I get back home I intend to make another batch of cookies, maybe using a chocolate shortbread type dough
Glad you enjoyed the pictures… I wanted to find one particular photo to include, but could not. If I find it in the future, I will make sure to share here…
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I’d like one of the rolling pins just because they’re gorgeous, not because I make biscuits! X
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Oh my… what a gorgeous rolling pin and looking forward to seeing those cookies. And the beautiful coffee cup, how adorable. So sorry about the loss of Chief, I know how hard it is to put to sleep a much beloved pet.
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Thank you, Moya! Yes, it is one of the toughest experiences, knowing what will happen and aware that the pup trusts you completely to do what is best for him. Always.
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I am so sorry to hear about Chief. Losing a beloved pet leaves such a hole in our hearts and homes. Congratulations on your new granddaughter and have a wonderful trip.
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Thank you! We are enjoying our first full day of vacations here in Hawaii, and the weather is perfect… Granddaughter had her first real fun time with the sea, until now she was super scared! 😉
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Catchup on steroids?! Loved your description of Go_Chu_Jang sauce, Sallybr — and everything else In Your Kitchen, including truffle-anything gifts and that gorgeous emerald green & cobalt coffee cup. But… so sad to learn of Chief’s passing. Four-footed friends (FAMILY!) leave a lasting impression on our hearts. Hugs…
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so sorry to hear about Chief. they are such a huge part of the family aren’t they? all the best to you. yes i know what you mean about forgetting things. I bought some coffee extract once for a recipe and it took me 2 years to find the recipe again!
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