

Min always encourages me to try new recipes and has been requesting Moroccan for awhile. I kept putting it off, thinking it would take too much time, but the other night, I went for it, and it was easy and delicious. Beef tagine with dates and chickpeas over pearl couscous. Min whipped up a Moroccan coffee to go with it that involved fresh grated nutmeg, lots of ginger, and a healthy dose of cinnamon and sugar. I used a Jamie Oliver recipe that Min deemed “inauthentic,” according to the YouTube cognescenti. But for my first try, I was happy with it. Maybe a tad on the sweet side. Next time I’d reduce the amount of dates and tomatoes and up the spices.
A coffee date with Dr. B at Factory Coffee on a beautiful sunny Saturday afternoon!
Great bourbon list at a new spot in Kalamazoo, Brick and Brine! Unbeknownst to us, it was restaurant week, so we got to try their fried chicken sandwich for a mere $10 and it was sublime. Hope it stays on the menu! Great bartender there who really knows her stuff and collected a fun, diverse assortment of bottles to try. We didn’t get any of the cocktails on this first go-round, but watching them go out, they looked right up my alley: complex flavors with a bitter/tart edge and not overly sweet. Looking forward to future visits!
Been on a chicken schwarma kick lately. This spice blend, that included freshly ground coriander, cardamom, cumin, and cayenne, had a delicious fragrant kick!
I love eating salads but hate making them. But on this sunny afternoon, there were enough ingredients already in the hopper that I felt like I was composing the salad rather than having to make it. Semantics, but it worked!