Wish Upon A Chef

Alot of you faithful friends and readers already know that a few months ago I ended a nine year chapter of my life with Captain Sturm and have set about to start a new and exciting novel of my own. And as much as I'd like to think that I was irreplaceable in that life, the truth of the matter - as painful as it may be - is that it was only a matter of about 2 days before my replacement was brought into the limelight. I think it's great that Captain Sturm has the ability to put the past behind him and speed right along on the path of life, but it has taken a bit longer for me to want to dip my toe into the dating pool again.

But have no fear, dear readers! I am finally able to put my commitment phobias behind me and make the profound announcement.....I AM IN LOVE!!

After careful consideration of how to approach my new single life, I decided it might be best to "shop around" a bit...you know, explore a variety of new people and things before making a final, permanent selection. Alot of things have changed since I was last in the dating world, so I want to be sure I learn the rules of the game and possibly bend them just a bit :) and get the broad picture of what's going on these days. At the ripe old age of 37, I'm not getting any younger, so this next round of decisions I make in life will most likely be very important ones and will need to be carefully thought out.

So, without further a dieu, I'd like to introduce the love(s) of my life at the moment.......





This is my friend Blood Orange Mimosa. I met him at one of my favorite hangouts, Harris Teeter. I was perusing the wine section when I laid eyes on this handsome specimen at a sampling table set up by a wine vendor. I was awe struck by his flashy color, his cool exterior, and with one taste I was hooked. Mr. Blood Orange Mimosa was going home with me that night! Seriously, folks. This was some good stuff. I bought 2 bottles - one for my own personal enjoyment and one for a gift. If you plan on attending or hosting any brunches this holiday season, this is a definite must for the menu or as a hostess gift.



And just when I had decided Blood Orange Mimosa was "Mr. Right", along comes someone new into the picture.

I was first introduced to Trader Joe's Cranberry Walnut Tart while visiting family in San Francisco last month. He was nice enough, for sure, but you know how those vacation romances can be - fun while they last but soon become just a fleeting thought. But not in this case...I couldn't stop thinking about Mr. Cranberry Tart's delicate, flaky, buttery crust. How he had just the right amount of sweet and tart. He just seemed to be the perfect pre-made dessert delight. So when I ran into him again at my Trader Joe's here in Charlotte, I knew it was destiny! I hope we will never be apart again but, alas, I have come to realize that he will soon have to leave because he's a seasonal item. So hurry up folks and pick up your own "Mr.-Right-While-He-Lasts" Cranberry Tart!

After Mr. Trader Joe's Cranberry Tart leaves town, I'm sure I'll be heart broken but not for long. Everyone knows that right after a break up, the next "Mr. Right" is always a rebound. We try to find someone similar to fit the bill and ease the pain of being alone again.

And while I'd never admit it to my friend Cranberry Walnut Bread's face, a rebound is exactly what he is. I wouldn't want to hurt his feelings. He's similar in alot of ways, what with the cranberries and walnuts and all, but just not as sweet. I think of him as my "Bad Boy" of dating. Good in his own right for the makings of a turkey sandwich or as an accompaniment to a cheese platter, but oh, so bad for me with all his carbs and calories. I picked him up at Harris Teeter as well. He normally hangs out in the La Brea bread bakery if your store is lucky enough to have one.

Even with the love I feel for these "Mr. Right Now" friends, I'm still not ready to crown one of them as THE "Mr. Right" just yet so I suppose I'll continue to fish around in the dating pool and see what other great catches I can come up with!

Welcome back to the kitchen fellow readers! And let me just start by saying that I'm so, so, so happy to be back - I feel refreshed, revitalized, and anxious to begin this new chapter of my life. I'm quite sure that this blog will also start to take on a new life of its own as I start exploring and rediscovering all the things that I once loved about the Queen City. I'm hoping that there are still a few of you loyal Someone's In The Kitchen readers out there who are willing to stick around for just awhile longer while the dust continues to settle on my move.

I rolled into town early Monday and had a few hours to kill before my appointment with the staffing/recruiting agency that my lovely friend A. owns so I decided to have brunch in my old neighborhood. I'm not a stranger to dining out alone but it is one of those things that I don't think anyone particularly enjoys doing. I always try to keep a magazine in the car for such an occasion but I couldn't seem to dig one out of the heap of cra...er, stuff that I was hauling in the back of my car so as I went into the restaurant I picked up some literature to thumb through. You know what I'm talking about - the freebie, mindless publications that serve the purpose of giving you something to look through while trying not to look like the lonely table-for-one-please person that you really are. One of them, called Skirt, was actually worth reading and I brought it home with me to look at again later. It's published in various cities and is geared specifically toward women. I ran across a quote in one of the articles that pretty much sums up how I feel at this point in my life and I think I will adopt as my new mantra:

Nice, eh?

After a 2 hour round of interviews and testing with the recruiter, I finally get settled into the awesome condo that I'm renting from my friend C. It's fully furnished and move-in ready but only has very basic items in the kitchen. That wouldn't be a problem for most people but I'm finding it to be a bit of a challenge because I'm so used to having any and every kind of kitchen gadget, appliance and ingredient readily available. I'm having to go back to the basics and be creative with my menus. I'm trying to avoid, too, having to purchase alot of ingredients and pantry staples because very soon my personal effects will arrive from Arkansas and I don't want to have alot of duplicate stuff. So, I leave you today with a simple and delicious recipe that can be prepared using basic ingredients and basic kitchen tools. I served this over angel hair pasta with a side of sauteed green beans.

* Exported from MasterCook *

Shrimp Scampi

Serving Size : 4
Categories : Seafood

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
2 pounds large shrimp -- peeled and deveined
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 teaspoons butter
6 cloves garlic -- minced
3 tablespoons white wine
2 tablespoons parsley -- minced

In a large skillet over medium high heat, heat oil & butter. Add garlic and saute about 30 seconds. Add white wine and raise heat to high. Add shrimp and saute for 3 minutes until shrimp turns pink. Add parsley. Serve immediately.