Rainy day food

With all this rain lately, I'm trying not to jinx myself by thinking about *cringe* last summer (I remember in June & July there were only 7 dry days... total! I can't remember specifics about August, but I know I didn't get a tan...). I'm trying to focus instead on the positive... comfort food!

When its cold and rainy outside, all I want to do is curl up inside with a blanket, a bowl of warm comfort food, and a good book (or a movie). In thinking about my favorite comfort foods, I came across these lasagna photos from a few months back. I made a big dish of lasagna bolognese...

I started with a rich bolognese sauce, sweet with carrots and onions. I layered the sauce with a mixture of ricotta, egg, and mozzarella cheese, no-boil lasagna noodles (we didn't have a pan big enough in our townhouse to boil lasagna noodles), and freshly grated parmesan cheese. I served the lasagna with a house favorite -- no-knead rolls. Delicious!

Veal Saltimboca @ Three Tomatoes Trattoria

Post-grad dinner at Three Tomatoes Trattoria in Williston, VT. Delicious!

sweet sushi :: sushi que hice completamente de dulces

I made this for my roomie, who also graduated last week from college.

Lo hice para mi compañera de casa quien acabó su carera al mismo tiempo que yo (la semana pasada).

Grad party!

We had a party with friends and family at our house yesterday to celebrate my graduation from college. It's unbelievable how fast the past four years have flown by. As usual, it was my goal to fill everyone's tummy with good food. Here's what was on the menu:

On the Spanish app table:

• Tortilla (Spanish potato omelette)
• Manchego (traditional sheep cheese from La Mancha)
• Membrillo (quince paste -- traditionally paired with manchego)
• Spicy Catalan olives
• Bread, of course
  
• Pastelitos de gambas (shrimp egg-roll style bites -- learned how to make these in Madrid) *
  

On the veg app table:

• Fresh fruit
• Veggies & dip (we found the cutest little yellow baby carrots!)

On the un-named app table:

• Chips & 2 salsas
• Cinnamon chips & fruit salsa (by Jane)
• Boucher Blue Cheese (by Green Mountain Blue Cheese @ Boucher Family Farm)
  
• Vermont Butter & Cheese Chevre
• Bread & crispy bagel chips
• More fresh fruit

On the kitchen island:

• Maple Whiskey Pulled Chicken from Picante Dulce *
  
• Zesty coleslaw
• Cabot Hunter's Cheddar & rolls for making chicken sandwiches
• Dakin Farm maple glazed ham
  
• Grape tomato, fresh mozzarella, and basil salad
• Spinach, red cabbage, and cilantro salad (thanks to an SMC Spanish prof for that idea!)
• Southwest black bean, corn, and red pepper salad
• Potato salad (by my great aunt)
• Roasted veggie, orzo, and feta salad

For dessert:

• Strawberry trifle!
• Oatmeal & cinnamon chip cookies

* MMcC -- I saved you some in the freezy!

tomatoes & mozz :: tomates y queso mozzarella