Some of you might be thinking, fish skin, eww gross. No no no, that is incorrect! Fish skin of select persuasions, when cooked to crispy perfection is delicious. The combination with Miso adds a sweet caramelized flavor that cannot be denied.

Add skin-on sea bass filets so both sides are covered with miso and refrigerate. After 1 hour, heat up a nonstick pan to high, add about 2tb veggie oil and place filets skin side down. You should hear a big sizzle. Let them cook uncovered for for 10 or so mins. This crisps up quickly so pay attention to checking on it. Once it’s brown and crispy, flip it over for just a few minutes and serve it straight away to your adoring fans.

{tags sea bass miso crispy skin recipe}

Santa heard me calling and brought me an immersion blender for christmas, thank you Santer. You can, of course, use that old stand blender like we ladies have been doing for ages. Do what you must, mash it with your angry little fists if you have too, but make this soup. Besides being easy, the taste is so fresh and healthy – you won’t be disappointed.

In a pan, add the carrots, some salt, and broth so it comes up over the carrots about one inch. Grate the ginger with a microplane into the mixture. It’s easiest if ginger is frozen. Cover and simmer untill carrots are soft. Now take your shiny new immersion mixer and work some puree magic. Spoon some yogurt upon the smoothy goodness, maybe a little more salt, and eat it up.

{tags carrot ginger soup recipe}

After eight hours travel time one is entitled to a cocktail or three. This is yet another thirst quenching creation by my dashing husband. Head on over to your minibar and kick back a few, good and proper!

Pour the whole thing into the blender and buzz it untill silky smooth.

{tags pear cocktail recipe}

Jamison keller Bell on Rachel Ray:

“I’d like to just smack her so hard on the booty.”

{tags booty spankin rachel ray overheard}

{tags weekend cat blogging cute kitty}

I used to go this tiny Vietnamese place that had the most delicious spring rolls. They used fresh basil, shrimp, I think pork, bean sprouts, and noodles. The flavors were so fresh and crisp, the stuff dreams are made of. Ever since, I’ve been trying to replicate this goodness at home.

This whole process looks complex, but don’t run away, it’s not at all. The hardest part is mastering the heating of rice paper without tearing it. This is more a method than a recipe, because once you have the rice paper, noodles, and basil – you can add anything you like inside. My favorite way to make these are with crabstick, avocado, bean sprouts, cream cheese, noodles, and basil. Yum! I wanted to try tofu and wasabe mayo this time, and yes, it’s still seriously delicious. As a side note – you can put a piece of green leaf lettuce inside for an extra fresh crunch.

In a medium bowl, mix together, then into the fridge it goes:

Get your ingredients ready:

Boil about 3″ water in a large shallow pan then reduce to a simmer. Take a clean cloth napkin, run it under hot water, wring it out. Lay the damp cloth down onto your workspace. Submerge one rice paper at a time, resisting the urge to do multiple, in the simmering water for 15-30 seconds. I use a large chopstick to lift the softenned rice paper out of the water and then spread it out onto the damp cloth.

Towards the bottom center of the wrapping, add a handfull of noodles, carrots, tofu, avocado, drizzle with wasabe mayo, and a basil leaf. Fold the bottom up over the filling, fold the sides in over that, and roll it up the rest of the way. And not only are you done but you’ll be a rockstar! They don’t stand a chance in a crowd. One last note, while your making them and after, keep them cold, covered airtight in plastic wrap so they don’t dry out. Cold and damp. okay?

{tags tofu cellophane noodles spring roll recipe rice paper}

Endearingly, he callede me buttercup. Awwww, miaow.

{tags buttercups miaow}

“My brain is stuck in Norrath.”

{tags everquest II mmorpg evercrack}

Lately, my standard operating procedure concerning veggies is this: I buy whatever looks freshest and then apply the SesameSoy method as outlined below.

Viola, you have a winning combination. Its so simple and delicious, the salty soy with toasty flavor of sesame taste like they were meant to be together forever. Grean beans, snap peas, zucchinni, yellow squash, carrots, edmame, and broccolli is especially good. The possibilities are endless, be fearless.

{tags sesame oil soy sesame seeds recipe}

While Christmas shopping, Cat Attack with Chaos Wand Technology and the Purrfect Mood Detector was presented to me by the always elusive yet supercool Japanese company Takara. I’ve been silently stalking them for years since they released Meow Lingual in Japan only. Watch the Quicktime movies and you’ll see how irresistable they are and probably have to buy them too.

Later, with their collars ablink and chasing the chaos mouse around – it was like a kitty rave in here. Afterwords, both cats melted into the carpet with ecstasy and the mood went from rave, to straight up cuddle party. Which I think is the natural progression of those two events anyway.

{tags weekend cat blogging cute kitty cat attack with chaos wand purrfect mood detector}