Oops!

Rachel here: So, my mom and S are off on a college visit and though she was supposed to be tending to the blog this week, she sent me a text message at 4 o'clock this morning saying that she'd forgotten to finish and set live the post she prepared for today. It's on tuna casserole and, since she only got through the ingredients segment of the post, tune in next week for her whole approach (since I've never made tuna casserole).

I've been largely missing from the blog this week and I've found myself, in turn, missing the blog. It's such a nice outlet for engagement with my mom and all of you and it's a good balancer to all of my school work. While there hasn't been a whole lot of cooking done in my kitchen this week, John and I did venture out last evening for a birthday dinner with our dear, dear friend Carl. We went to Venus where we had a delicious dinner and a fabulous time. Back when John and I lived in Berkeley, we were in walking distance from Venus and we found ourselves there pretty regularly. Since moving to Oakland, we haven't gotten back with the same consistency. We were both promptly reminded, though, of why it had been such a staple in our going-out repertoire when it was just up the street. John and Carl both had the lamb, our friend Mikee had the steak and I had the polenta. Each of the dishes were packed with flavor (my polenta sat on a hearty drizzle of balsamic reduction...yummy), as were the flatbread and ricotta appetizers and the desserts we all dutifully shared. The staff was wonderfully friendly and it was a great evening of conversation and celebration. I would definitely recommend stopping in (they serve food all day and, yes, it's all delicious) if you haven't or if you find yourself in Berkeley, though for dinner reservations would be wise (unless you go early).

Anyway, sorry for straying from our regular broadcast today. Tune in next week when we feature quiche, tuna casserole, John (our illustrator and my man) on Food for Thought Thursdays and other food adventures. Until then, stay well, eat well, and have a good weekend.