August 3, 2025 Breakfast - A chocolate croissant with a latte macchiato Lunch - 1/2 of a Caprese Sandwich. Dinner - Chicken, Zucchini, and Onion Pancakes with a Caprese salad

August 3, 2025 Breakfast - A chocolate croissant with a latte macchiato Lunch  - 1/2 of a Caprese Sandwich. Dinner - Chicken, Zucchini, and Onion Pancakes with a Caprese salad

It was a very Caprese day. I worked from 6:00 to 8:00, then ate a chocolate croissant with a latte macchiato as I watched Zareed Zacharia.

Suzette drove to Costco to shop for a few items including a large loaf of Sourdough bread.

When she returned around11:00 she prepared the new sandwich she developed for the Bistro for August, a Caprese Sandwich that combines layers of thinly sliced mozzarella, tomatoes, and chicken between slices of bread smeared with basil mayonnaise on the inside and butter on the outside.

The sandwich is toasted on both sides in a skillet until golden brown which melts the mozzarella.

 I stopped working at 11:30 and went to the kitchen and filmed Suzette making the sandwich.

Then we each ate 1/2 of the sandwich.

After lunch I tried to work but got burned out by 4:30.

I worked until 5:45, when we prepared dinner.

Dinner - Chicken, Zucchini, and Onion Pancakes with a Caprese salad.

I minced about 1 1/2 cups of chicken breast and 1 cup of onion while Suzette minced 1 cup of zucchini.

Suzette then mixed those ingredients with a whisked egg, oregano, salt, and pepper.

I sliced the remaining 1/3 tomato from the sandwich and garnished it with basil leaves, slices of mozzarella, and a dollop of basil Mayo redolent with fresh garlic from the garden.

We drank water, the lowest cal drink.

I lay down from 7:00 to 7:30 when I dressed and we went to visit Amy who just arrived in the Lovelace Heart Hospital for heart surgery. She expressed her usual feisty demeanor, especially since they had an alarm on her bed that went off if she got out of bed. She asked ithe nurse if they could turn off the alarm and the nurse said, “No, we have lots of falls from patients thinking they can get up without assistance.”

Suzette took Amy a small vile of Chimayo dirt and a pineapple plant.

At 8:30 we returned home and I executed a number of sell orders in my portfolios and at 9:00 watched the last episode of Atlantic Crossing and went to bed at 10:00 to blog.

Bon Appetit 

August 2, 2025 Breakfast - Leftover Chicken Curry and rice with an egg Lunch - Mary and Tito’s. Dinner - Chicken with Roasted vegetables

 August 2, 2025 Breakfast - Leftover Chicken Curry and rice with an egg Lunch - Mary and Tito’s. Dinner - Chicken with Roasted vegetables 

I spoke to Willy about repositioning my portfolio for Trump’s tariffs from 4:00 to 6:00 and then slept until 7:30. I worked a bit and then around 8:30 heated the curry from lunch at Bobcat Bites in Santa Fe with some leftover rice from our steak and broccoli stir fry.

Then at 9:30 I walked to the cleaners and picked up my clean khakis.

When I returned I picked up the ramekin filled with chocolate dessert and creme anglais and drove to the library and picked up Twist By McMann.

Then i drove to the post office  where there were no cars and picked up a certified letter and then to Peter’s to drop off the chocolate dessert.

Peter lives Mary and Tito’s so I drove to Mary and Tito’s for lunch. I ordered my usual, blue corn enchiladas with ground beef and an egg with red sauce and double refried beans and extra onions.

The enchiladas were wonderful as always and I ate only 1/2 and took the other half home. Is this a sign that the diet is altering my dining habits?

When I returned home I worked on my pleading until 6:00 when Suzette made a quick dinner by heating leftover Roasted Vegetables with slices of the roasted chicken she brought from the Bistro.

At 6:30 we drove to fusion and listened to a blues and rhythm and blues quintet with a harmonica and lead singer, two guitarists, a bass player, and a drummer.

We left at 8:30 after the first set and watched Death in Paradise when we returned home and went to bed at 10:00.

Bon Appetit

August 1, 2025 Lunch - Salmon Salad Dinner - Wedding Celebration for Joy and Mike at Annette and Chris’ house August 1, 2025 Lunch - Salmon Salad Dinner - Wedding Celebration for Joy and Mike at Annette and Chris’ house

August 1, 2025 Lunch - Salmon Salad Dinner - Wedding Celebration for Joy and Mike at Annette and Chris’ house August 1, 2025 Lunch - Salmon Salad Dinner - Wedding Celebration for Joy and Mike at Annette and Chris’ house

It turned out to be a day dominated by salmon, but it started at 4:00 a.m. when I made the creme anglais for my chocolate dessert.

 I whisked six egg yolks with 1/3 cup of sugar until they obtained a light yellow color and a smooth consistency, while I  scalded 1/2 cup of heavy cream band 2 cups of milk with a handful of dark roast Coffee beans. After the scalded milk cooled I poured it slowly through a sieve into the egg and sugar mixture p. Then I transferred the entire mixture to a pn enameled sauce pan and stirred the mixture at low heat until it thickened, about 30 minutes. I turned off the heat and stirred it another five to ten minutes to prevent the custard from curdling. Then I poured it into a pitcher and put into the fridge to chill.

Here are. The recipes for the cake and the

At 5:45 I went back to sleep and slept until 7:30.

At 8:30 I ate a bowl of granola with orange juice and cantaloupe cubes, a vey good combination.

Then I worked at my desk until noon and watched the market tank from imposition of Trump’s tariffs.

At 12:30 we made composed salmon salads with cucumber and lettuce from our garden, 1/2 of a hard boiled egg sliced, a radish sliced, red onion minced, croutons, and 1/2 of a leftover cold sautéed salmon filet.

We poured glasses of Vireton Pinot Gris and ate lunch at the table in the garden under the gazebo.

I worked and then rested for 45 minutes at 4:00.

We dressed and packed the chocolate baked pudding and creme anglais and drove to Annette and Chis’ house at the top of city 1/2 block from the Sandia open space for the party. There was a pretty large crowd of about 15. I enjoyed talking to several couples and of course Joy and Mike. The food was excellent besides appetizers, including a fresh baked loaf of brown break and apricot, honey butter by Kurt. Chris prepared the main dinner of risotto, grilled salmon filets and asparagus plus shrimp tortellini. Janet also brought a case of Kirkland Rose Prosecco that was surprisingly good at $7.99 per bottle.

Josh served a bottle of Kirkland French champagne with dinner and there were bottles of Amarone and a very dry French Chablis.

We put our chocolate cake that Suzette had decorated with sprigs of Oriental Basil and mint on the island in the kitchen beside the two layer wedding cake that Annette had Whole Foods make, White cake with white ganache studded with blueberries and strawberries. Mike and then everyone started calling our chocolate cake the Groom’s cake, so I guess it was.

After the meal Joy and Mike drank a champagne toast and then cut the wedding cake with entwined arms that was lovely and kissed and fed each other a piece of cake to celebrate their marriage.

As slices of wedding cake were served I cut slices of chocolate cake a drizzled a puddle of creme anglais on each. Joy commented, “It is the best chocolate thing I have ever tasted.”

When I asked Annette what knife I should use to cut the chocolate cake, she directed me to Chris’ knives on the wall in the kitchen. I chose an 8 inch chef’s knife that was incredibly thin, light, and sharp with a wooden hexagonal handle.

When I complimented Chris on the knife he told me it was made by a Japanese master knife maker and then showed me and Suzette his collection of over a dozen handmade Japanese knives and got us excited to buy a knife when we travel to Japan. It was a wonderful bonding experience.

We decided instantly that we wanted to become friends with Chris and Annette.

After a long discussion of Japanese Knife making and makers, we took our empty platter and pitcher and drove home at 10:00.

Bon Appetit

July 31, 2025 Lunch - Bobcat Bites with book club. Dinner - Bistro Roasted Chicken with Oaxacan bean salad with corn, crumbled cojita cheese, green bell pepper, creme fraiche, lime juice, green onion and cilantro and grilled asparagus

July 31, 2025 Lunch - Bobcat Bites with book club. Dinner - Bistro Roasted Chicken with Oaxacan bean salad with corn, crumbled cojita cheese, green bell pepper, creme fraiche, lime juice, green onion and cilantro and grilled asparagus

I worked from 4:00 to 6:00 and then lay down for an hour. I watched the market open while I ate a bowl of granola with orange juice, yogurt, and cantaloupe.

Then I took my pants to Allstar cleaners and said hello to Rozie. The walk to 8th and back was not bad at all.

When I returned home at 9:00 I made a copy of Peter’s review of War on the Newts and talked to Julia Breaux to get a resolution to her to sign.

At 9:00 Charlie and Keith appeared at my door and we drove to Jambo Bobcat Bites on Old Pecos Trail.

Paul and Pradip told us that the owner of Jambo, Ahmed OBO, was cooking in the kitchen, which was intriguing And encouraged me to order 

COCONUT CHICKEN CURRY $20.95 All natural boneless chicken cooked in a mix of spices and tomatoes in coconut milk, served with coconut basmati rice and topped with garlic spinach.(GF)

When Pradip did, especially when the waiter said, “It is made to order in the kitchen.”

Charlie ordered a green chili cheeseburger, Paul ordered fish and Chips, Karl ordered chicken quesadillas, and Keith ordered a lovely salad with extra crumbled feta.

Although a little too spicy for me, the coconut curry was a thick medium brown sauce containing a mass of sautéed strips of carrot, onion, yellow squash, zucchini, and chicken with a dollop of steamed spinach.  The basmati rice was really lovely, flaky, yet soft and infused with cocktail nut milk flavor. I really liked the dish , but could not finish it, perhaps due to the diet regimen I have recently adopted.

We then drove to Pradip’s house and met in his study for our book review. After a stimulating intellectual discussion of War on the Newts by Capek we ate peach pie with vanilla ice cream in the living room.

At around 3:45 I asked Charlie to drive us back to Albuquerque so I could nap and we arrived home around 5:00.

Suzette was home watching TV with her usual cocktail so I went into the bedroom to rest.

At 6:00 Suzette came t tell me she was ready to start dinner, which was exceedingly easy to prepare because she had brought home a roasted chicken and a cold bean salad from the Bistro.

I suggested we cook a green vegetable such as some of the asparagus we had bought at Costco.

I went to the basement and fetched two bottles of Archer’s Summit Vireton Pinot Gris and put one in the freezer to chill for dinner.

Here is some info on Vireton.  Archery Summit Vireton Pinot Gris: Archery Summit Vireton Pinot Gris is made in Oregon, where the grape thrives in the state's cool climate. This wine features lively citrus and green apple notes, often with a vibrant acidity. Oregon's diverse terroir, with volcanic soils and a maritime influence, contributes to the wine's freshness and balance, making it an excellent choice for seafood, salads, or as a refreshing aperitif.

When we looked at the almost two lb. of asparagus it was starting to dry out, so Suzette decided to grill all of it.

We snapped the weakened ends off and Suzette tossed the remaining stalks with olive oil, salt, and pepper and grilled them while I removed the two leg quarters and wings from the chicken to a plate that Suzette microwaved when she brought in the grilled asparagus wrapped in the aluminum she grilled them on.

She then placed the hot chicken on plates with spoonfuls of the bean salad and spoonfuls of the Oaxacan bean salad with corn, crumbled cojita cheese, green bell pepper, creme fraiche, lime juice, green onion and cilantro garnished with diced tomato.

We put the asparagus on a serving platter from which we took stalks with a tongs.

I opened the bottle of Vireton and poured 4 oz. for each of us and we enjoyed a delicious dinner. The acidity of the wine balanced the fattines of the chicken and olive oil glaze on the asparagus.

When we watched the news and started to watch a repeat episode of Midsomer Murders until even I remembered the plot p, so having gotten only four hours sleep the night before, we went to bed at 8:45.

Bon Appetit