June 2010

Pork is not in circulation at our house right now (part of an elimination diet we're trying), and although there are plenty of other things to eat, bacon is pretty hard to replace. So I was intrigued when I spotted beef bacon at Dickson's the other week. Turns out it has a nice smoky flavor and, though not fatty enough to become truly crispy, it's got a meaty chew that is rather pleasant. Because eating meats raises the level of acidity in the body, it's good to accompany them with plenty of alkalinizing fresh and cooked vegetables. One of my favorite ways to cook greens is with a piece of smoky meat, whether it's pork, beef, poultry or even dried bonito. It's an easy way to adds a lot of flavor.
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I know I just posted some pictures of flowers from my garden, but I couldn't resist sharing this profusion of peonies. A couple of weeks earlier than usual, they all blossomed at the same time, weighing their branches down to the ground and reminding me of that old song June is busting out all over! I brought them inside by the armful and it's truly an embarrassment of riches. You can just make out the one single-petal variety, like a shy young girl next to all the bosomy, full-blown ladies in white, pink and fuchsia.

Memorial Day weekend always marks the start of summer for me. I think back to halcyon days spent at The Shack on the North Fork, an era that has retained its halo for more than a decade now. I love that I'm still celebrating the new season with some of the same friends, but now we're doing it with a view of the woods instead of the water. Sunday's gathering at Stephanie's in Stone Ridge (our first visit there since New Year's Eve) featured an elaborate Mexican-themed buffet with the fixings for fish, beef or pork tacos. We sipped watermelon margaritas and thirst-quenching tamarind coolers, and afterward I trotted out this light, lime-glazed angel food cake with two drizzling sauces: Mexican chocolate (with the same chocolate I used for this ice cream) and fresh raspberry.
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