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Day 30: Weekend

Weekend brunch is one of my joys.  Whether we go out (how I miss our neighborhood favorite, Montmartre), or cobble together something delicious from the fridge, taking the time to have something slow is such a nice ritual.

Shakshuka
There are so many variants of this dish, but one of my favorites is in Cleveland Park, at Sababa.  And we have many nice memories of brunch there with my mentor and dear friend, Toni.  Toni was my first boss in the The Real World, and taught me so much.  She retired to Madrid, but the past year has brought her to DC far more frequently than usual, and I've been grateful for the time with her.  She always brings delightful gifts, and knows how much we like to cook, so we often get beautiful Spanish spices.  Today, in honor of her, we made Shakshuka, with extra hot smoked and sweet smoked Spanish Paprika.

In a few big glugs of olive oil, saute thinly sliced onion, red pepper, and garlic.  Once they are wilty and fragrant, add cumin, coriander, sweet & hot smoked paprika, caraway, salt and pepper.  Stir in a can of diced tomatoes and cook until reduced.  Adjust seasoning.  Throw in kale until wilted, and cook until tomato is reduced and no longer watery.  Add cubed feta.  While we were doing our morning exercise, I made sous vide eggs for today's and tomorrow's brunch, but normally this is when you would crack the eggs in and put on the lid until they are steamed.  Delicious!

And better?  We used up a lot of little bits left in the fridge.  Onions and peppers that Jeff sliced for the japchae.  A few big handfuls of kale, left from earlier in the week.  The last couple of pieces of sourdough.


Shrimp Primavera
This is one that we ate on special occasions in my house as a kid.  Shrimp, asparagus, carrots, green onion, in a sauce with tons of garlic, oregano, white wine, and chicken broth.  Serve over pasta with plenty of parmesan and fresh parsley.  My dad would julienne the carrots with a knife, but I used my favorite kitchen unitasker, a julienne peeler.

We watched a concert while having dinner, and it was highly enjoyable.  Hope your Saturday was, as well!


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