This week was filled with extraordinarily tasty things, much of which I didn’t get a chance to phtograph. Our neighbors (and good friends) Charlotte and Aaron invited us over for dinner one night. It was an evening filled with caviar, champagne, wine, and tenderloin steaks with shaved truffles and truffle butter–we were celebrating their purchase of their new abode in Provence, after all! Here is the French summer truffle we used for the steaks. The truffle was very large, about the size of my palm, so our neighbors gave us the remainder and I made us dinner a few days later. I shaved the truffle and inserted the slices under the skin of cornish game hens, and roasted the hens over a bed of caramelized onions and kabocha squash. My husband whipped up some buttery asparagus and morels. We had peach-blueberry pie and ice-cream for dessert.

Today, my friend Yoshiko gave me a stunning box of wagashi (traditional Japanese sweets) she bought in Japan when she was visiting her parents. There were lots of beautiful treats in the box. Here is one of my favorites: mochi dusted in roasted soybean powder.

assorted meats and cheeses from 106 Pine, a cute little wine shop right by the Pike Place market here in Seattle

I’ve been enjoying some really great cured meats lately. Pictured above are a few products from Creminelli Fine Meats. My friends also bought me some really excellent cured meats from Olympic Provisions in Portland last week. My husband and I both especially enjoy their hazelnut-finished saucisson sec, though the spicy chorizo was delicious, too.

I have a really busy weekend ahead of me, which I’m sure I’ll show you glimpses of in the next week. I am driving up to Richmond B.C. to attend my 10th high school reunion–how quickly the time has flown! Also, a group of food bloggers here in Seattle are cooking out of The Newlywed Kitchen and were kind enough to invite me. So of course, I’m really excited to see which recipes they decided to cook up on Sunday. Hope you all have a wonderful weekend!     xo Lorna