recipe not so much for disaster

So as part of my "resolutions" this year I wanted to cook more at home. Specifically cook more from recipes out of a cook book. In doing so I hoped to expand my knowledge base on ingredients, spices, combinations, techniques, and foods I had yet to work with. The following are my 3rd and 4th attempts.

The first was a salmon with a sesame seed crust and red pepper mayo. It all sounded like it was going to be amazing. I paired it with some sauteed mushrooms and zucchini as well as some sesame ginger rice (from a box, which is really good).


The real problem was that the sauce was lackluster, and the salmon just needed some more life to it. Coated in flour, salt, pepper, and sesame seeds the salmon hid underneath the light batter, so the sauce/mayo needed to be amazing.

Nothing was bad though, just not up to my standards. Is it narcissistic to critique your own cooking? Oh well, I enjoy talking about it, ha! A couple nights later I attempted some fish tacos with a black bean & mango salsa.These were actually pretty darn tasty. My problem: I don't know how to pick a ripe mango. HA, so the mango I got was piney/crunchy. Not the right texture or flavor. Once picked through this was however a quick and satisfying meal.

I'm not going to post the recipes on these guys since I didn't "create" them. If, however, you must try them I can pass along the recipe's along with what I would change/do different.

Anyways enough about food, on to wine. Claire and I are going on a Wine tour this weekend! Woo Hoo. It will be our first time to get away from Austin where we aren't visiting family and are just relaxing. Just the two of us, sorta. Claire's cousin and girlfriend are acting as semi-professional tour guides and are gonna hang out with us all weekend. Howie is a proffesional at this wine stuff and knows quite a few of the winos (ehh..or..guys that make the wine at the vineyards). So it should be pretty exciting. We get to stay the night on Saturday in Fredricksburg (I know your jealous Mom) at a bed and breakfast. We are also gonna test out Nest on Saturday night for Dinner. Really I am just excited about spending some time away from home and work.

Off to cook dinner.