The last time my friend came for dinner.. she said : "I bet you are always organized..tidy.. when you prepare a meal..like my husband is.."~ sort of.. those words..
Well of course when someone is in your kitchen. and they have been invited for dinner..and you have puttered all day.. and then made sure all was gleaming..(because they are gleaming my friends..:) )..You have left no stone unturned..and everything looks ..well pretty darn gleaming:)..
It can I guess appear that way~
I am not..I often just read the recipe.. mostly SCAN it.. start and go about getting the ingredients as I go along..
Sometimes thinking..:"That can't be right..?"..and sure enough I scanned too quickly..the recipe did in fact say let sit overnight......
And get every dish I own dirty while preparing..and then wash everything.
So I don't prepare prettily except when a day is gorgeous,the sun is streaming in the kitchen.. and I am in the mood to garden..cook ..bake..take pics and paint.~
The first pic was one of those days..and I made Ricardo's Honey Sesame shrimps served over basmati rice..
You can find the honey sesame shrimp recipe right here~I dare not retype..
It is one of our faves..I even make it while we are away..Shrimp are readily available almost everywhere~
C'est tout simplement délicieux ce plat..
I like walking on the sweet side in this type of dish~
I try and make more sauce..
I always add a touch of sesame oil to my rice also.
Out of all places we were in a William's Sonoma in Fl. one year and a chef was doing a demonstration..I told him his rice was fantastic with the fish.. he said he added sesame oil..
Done.. Since then.It's carved in stone. w/ anyting I think it will go well with.
I also add szechuan peppercorns to the shrimp because I just love them..
In the garden..the last roses are reblooming.. the Pink Diamonds are turning pink.. and I know all to well what that means.
Dug a new little garden by the potting shed today..and added late bloomers..
Brought my first outdoor plant in..Lemon Geranium.. refreshed the earth to others that will come in soon..
I would dearly love to be able to grow my cherished Olive..rosemary..and lavender ..topiary..bushes..outdoors all year long~
But unless my family moves somewhere..that I could do that..
It will be In and Out Of The Garden for them..~
Watched 3 good movies this week..since it is getting darker so early..
Les Misérables..AH deserved her awards..
The Late Quartet..I love CK
Silver Linings Playbook..
In all three.. I had tears.
haha Monique! I can really fool the guests too! They think my home is quite tidy but if they accidentally came an hour early, oh man would they be shocked! I'm tidying up till the last second. That shrimp looks fabulous, I am going to have to try it, yum!
ReplyDeleteSo we have a few things in common:)
ReplyDeleteTrouble.. and Tidy while cooking:)
Hope you like it Chris~
Monique, you always make everything gleaming! Your mise en place puts mine to shame. Yours is as artful as a beautiful still life painting. Oh, my those hydrangeas make my heart smile. What gorgeous blooms! The shrimp, too, is gorgeous. '-)
ReplyDeleteSesame oil in rice. Of course!!!!
ReplyDeleteI agree with Sarah, you always make everything gleaming. Your hydrangeas are still so pretty. Mine have faded into their fall patina with dusty blues & faded greens.
ReplyDeleteShrimp are always on our menu - so easy to prepare in many ways - they never fail to make us happy and provide a quick and easy dinner.
Sam
My hydrangeas didn't bloom this year. We moved them to a different location to make room for the kitchen addition. Yours are gorgeous!
ReplyDeleteHaving a gleaming house is wonderful for guests. I try to clean as I go, while cooking.
There is always next year..the addition must be lovely:-)
DeleteI cook like you Monique ha! and sometimes I dont remember where I saw the récipe I wanna make lol
ReplyDeleteyou know cooking bboks, some old copy books (times ago we make our own books) a lot of magazines and the computer woth all these amazing récipes, oh dear! but all you make look beautiful and this look really beauty!
Very artistic and sophisticated!
ReplyDeleteI really like Ricardo and never tried this recipe. I should because we eat shrimps a lot in my home. Your flowers are beautiful.
ReplyDeleteOn l'aime notre Ricardo:-)
DeleteHabituellement on me manque pas son coup..Essaie..:-)
Sam I know you two love shrimp..I have gleaned from you..:-)
ReplyDeleteI am happy to know I am not the only one that can make a mess:-)
It's funny though..I always clean up :-) I like tidy:-) Even when it's just us.
My first scanning mistake was preparing sauerbraten. I planned it for company and started it that Saturday morning. I prepared the marinade, placed the beef in it and read the rest of the recipe which said: "marinate, turning twice a day for four days"!!!!! Needless to say, we had something else for dinner that night. Your waning garden is lovely.
ReplyDeleteBest,
Bonnie
Oh that is a classic:-) !
ReplyDeleteMeaning yes that would be one of my classic scanning errors:-)
I find the more confident I have become..the more scanning I do..thus more errors..
Monique, that is the longest rice I have ever seen. That dish looks scrumptious. I love love sesame oil.
ReplyDeleteIt is longer and finer basmati..I know we should be eating brown rice more.. but I like eating things I enjoy a lot..instead of less.
DeleteMe too re the sesame oil..for sure.
Beautiful as always. I love those little extras that take a dish to the next level.
ReplyDeleteI have a good friend - her husband says she is so tidy if he gets up in the middle of the night to go to the bathroom she makes the bed while he is gone. He is teasing her, but she is very, very tidy.
You always have Mise En Place madonna:) You are tidy!
DeleteLove, Love, LOVE Les Mis. You are right Anne Hathaway did truly deserve her award. You take such beautiful photographs. You are a true artist in this way. I have learned that I need to really read recipes before I get started. I have ruined more things by flying by the seat of my pants. I am so impatient though and I love to cook so much I often can't wait to get started! xxoo
ReplyDeleteI have missed reading you blog and looking at your beautiful photo's, I am so looking forwards to having a good catch up xxx
ReplyDeleteI cook like you do, Monique! The kitchen is a mess and I make a little clear spot for taking pictures. I like the sesame oil trick. I'll have to try it. Yes, the plants are looking a little shaggy now.
ReplyDeleteThe shrimp looks really good but what I really love are those flowers such soft beautiful colors!
ReplyDeleteOoh, I must have missed this honey shrimp recipe if you have shared it before, it will be on the menu soon (and I will use the pepper corns your tip about sesame oil in the rice!) I'm impatient too when it comes to reading recipes, and usually end up 'winging' it if I get off track.
ReplyDeletePretty, pretty roses ~ the 'Fall Flush' is not so spectacular here this year.
I love that Sara Midda book, and it always reminds me of you. xoxo
Ah, avoir des invités, c'est l'occasion de faire transformer le maison en quelques heures!
ReplyDeleteSuperbes photos de jardin <3
The shrimp looks delish!
ReplyDeleteThe shrimp looks mouthwatering...I keep meaning to make it one night, soon...i will soon!
ReplyDeleteThe roses and the hydrangea look amazing...I love the shape of the pink hydrangeas, they are lovely, simply lovely...
Your posts are always so beautiful...put joy in my heart!
Bisous xo
I was just whining (to myself) about my waning gardens ;o) But then this honey shrimp recipe put a smile on my face...I remember when you first introduced Ricardo to me. It will be on the menu soon. Like using sesame oil and will remember to use it in the rice. Pretty roses! xo
ReplyDeleteIt is a weird year for my herb pots. They are still luxurious because of all the rain. They look more spring than Autumn.
ReplyDeleteLove your shrimp and you garden still looks perfect. I made an ancient recipe for honey shrimp and love it... this is on my list.
I hope you try it..
ReplyDeleteI think many of you will think it's a keeper recipe also..
It's a shame but when the gradens start to wane my primping interest wanes too..
And then when we cut them all down.. it looks so bare.. but so clean and full of hope for the next year.:)
That shrimp dish belongs on a magazine cover, seriously! And I adore hydrangea!
ReplyDeleteYour photography is SO gorgeous! That shrimp is making me drool!
ReplyDeleteMary x
I was just thinking today that one of these times I need to photograph the kitchen as I am photographing some food just so people can see as we say, "the backside of Disneyland"!
ReplyDeleteOh you made me laugh.. So glad I am not the only one..at least your piping is worth the mess..
DeleteMy piping doesn't warrant the mess:)
These honey shrimps looks great. My kids love shrimps and I can't wait to try it. hehe...I know when you mean by getting all the dishes dirty when preparing a recipe. My kitchen is kinda in chaos mode when I cook! hahaha....
ReplyDeleteYour flowers are magnificent! I am in awe in front of your garden photos. And this dish looks might good! Fabulous food.
ReplyDeleteCheers,
Rosa
I am in awe of all your photos Rosa:)
DeleteGreat tip with the sesame oil, Monique. Will be trying that. Lovely photo of the shrimp AND the fall flowers. Peonies are a favorite.
ReplyDeleteI am in awe of you:-)
ReplyDeleteEverything is just perfect!
Blessings this weekend..
Shel
x You too have a lovely weekend~
DeleteBeautiful shrimp! I am the same way about being tidy - people better not come to my house without advance notice or they will be sorely disappointed in how untidy my house can look. :) Yes, your garde is waning, it's not Summer anymore. But the roses and lilacs are still so pretty.
ReplyDeleteSilver Linings Playbook...loved that movie!
ReplyDeleteSo good:)
DeleteWho wouldn't enjoy a delicious summer dish in such a lovely setting?
ReplyDeleteMonique, I'm one of those weird people who can't walk past a store display without 'fixing it.' I'm also the same person who'll clean up our mess at a restaurant, or hotel room, before leaving. However, I don't know who/what takes over me when I'm in the kitchen, but it frightens everyone, even me.
I am the same way..:) I tidy ..up the hotel room.. a vacation rental..etc:)
Delete