Mundanely interesting … today
[25 July, 2026]
On the last weekend of July, I hosted a summer BBQ party at home with some friends/previous co-workers. They brought appetizers, side dishes, desserts, and drinks, and I provided the mains. Starting the midnight before, I smoked a whole brisket, Texas-style, on the Big Green Egg, and on the day of, I prepared everyone’s favorite ‘paella mixta’ (with Spanish chorizo, chicken, and shrimp). We all had a great time catching up with everyone and enjoying the good food.
Been trying to re-live my recent Spain visit, one Mediterranean dish (cod en papillote) and drink (tinto de verano) at a time.
My next-door neighbor likes to occasionally pop over for a leisurely chat over a bottle of red wine every once and again. This time around (last Sunday), we both apparently had the same idea to make it more interesting by also putting together some tasty dishes in the Spanish and Italian styles.
He had smoked a rack of beef short ribs earlier in the day and brought over some cubed portions along with a plate of goat cheese and sliced tomatoes from his garden, drizzled with balsamic vinegar. Oh, and of course, an excellent bottle of Italian red.
For my part, I prepared small portions of fresh bruschetta, ventresca tuna in olive oil dressed with relish aioli, roasted piquillo peppers, and some prosciutto with shards of Parmigiana Reggiano. I also made some gambas al ajillo (shrimp and garlic simmered in olive oil).
All eaten tapas-style over toasted crusty slices of baguettes from Dan the Baker.
