Smacked with a Spatula

Back from vakay last week and reality smacked me in the face with a spatula. Arrived home at 2:00 am Wednesday with a larger than normal cook day due to begin just a few hours later. After said cook day I went to a client's home where I agreed to do the party ~ without even seeing the home, kitchen or meeting them! OK blame it on a blog~full of French Sunrise Martinis. But, still, shouldn't the day after vakay be a day of vakay? But no, Yummy~issimo! must feed the hungry!

Back to vakay and beyond ~ the good and the face smacking:

Good

Dessert
Originally uploaded by yummyissimo

I was invited to tour the Pastry/Dessert Kitchen from Chef Kaushik Chowdury. He finished 3rd place in one of those FN Sugar Competitions but gotta tell you, based upon the thousands of pastry creations I saw coming out of his small 15x15 creative area, he's a friggin genius! 13 pastry creators working in this small area, all creating masterpieces like the ones I saw every night in The Cloud Club.

Had dinner at Roy's while at the J.W. Dessert Ridge Resort and Spa and I had the surf and turf for dinner. Surf was hibiscus~glazed jumbo prawns. Loved, loved, loved the hibiscus glaze so I asked for the recipe:

Hibiscus Glaze
1/4c dried hibiscus flowers
2c water
1c super~fine sugar
Boil all together until sugar has dissolved and glaze has turned a deep ruby red. Strain well. Store tightly covered in refrigerator. Reheat when ready to use.
This glaze would be amazing on salmon, pork or as the sweet component of a sweet and spicy sauce.

Really Good

Found a new favorite martini ~ The Mangolicious Martini from The Yard House, a wonderful beer hall with great food and fabulous martinis.

Mangolicious Martini
1 1/2 oz Finlandia Mango Vodka
1 1/2 oz Malibu Mango Rum
Mango puree
Sweet and sour mix
Combine all in shaker with crushed ice. Shake well and strain into chilled martini glass.

The Face Smackers:

I could write a long and boring dissertation about shopping, cooking, packing and unpacking the Yummy~mobile, two big parties in five days and all that jazz, but take it from me, the spatula hit the fan and then smacked my face.

I need a vakay. Oh, wait. That's what caused this in the first place.