What I Ate for Lunch :: various dishes with herbs

[lavender cupcakes]

I'm in one of the cooking groups for my women's club and this month's theme was cooking with herbs. Besides these adorable mini lavender cupcakes, we also made rosemary & spice-roasted cashews, herb and ricotta crostini, salad with herb vinaigrette, and herb-infused salmon en papillote (you can even cook it in the microwave!).

What I Ate for Dinner :: Roasted Duck and Shrimp Dumplings with Noodles in Soup

[Roasted Duck and Noodles in Soup with extra Shrimp Dumplings $11.45]

Hint: Don't order the Shrimp Dumplings and Noodles in Soup with extra Duck because you'll end up paying an extra dollar for it!

Full Key Restaurant

2227 University Boulevard, W.

Wheaton, Maryland 20902

What I Ate for Lunch :: Obento

[clam soup, pork belly, chawanmushi, Obento box with teriyaki chicken, salmon, lotus root, edamame salad, and rice with pickles]

The women's club I'm in plans a special luncheon twice a year: in the fall, the American members host the Japanese members, and, in the spring, the Japanese members host the American members. Today, I was invited to the home of a member in Potomac where we were treated to a delicious -- and beautiful -- lunch presented in a Makunouchi-style bento box.

What I Ate for Lunch :: Jaleo

[flauta with Jamón serrano and Manchego cheese, Tortilla de patatas, bean salad (I forgot what it was called)]

My mom and I took advantage of the pretty decent lunch deal for Bethesda Row Restaurant Week and ate at Jaleo. My mom also had the gazpacho and garlic shrimp, and I started off lunch with the cod and potato fritters.

What I Read for Fun :: We Dig Worms!

[with the author/illustrator Kevin McCloskey at Politics and Prose]

We Dig Worms!

by Kevin McCloskey

TOON Books, 36 pages

early reader, picture book, graphic novel, science

What I Baked for Dessert :: Banana-Oat Snack Cake

Banana-Oat Snack Cake
from Bon Appétit magazine

What I Read for Fun :: American Ghost

American Ghost: A Family's Haunted Past in the Desert Southwest 
by Hannah Nordhaus
HarperCollins, 336 pages
nonfiction, biography, history

What I Made for Dinner :: Passover Dinner

[leg of lamb with garlic and rosemary, potato kugel, salad, gefilte fish, sauteed mushrooms and carrots, roasted asparagus]

What I Baked for Dessert :: Lemon Tart with Basil Nut Crust

Lemon Tart with Basil Nut Crust

from the Kosher Baker

What We Ate for Dinner :: Food Wine & Co

[Maya and I enjoyed the grilled calamari appetizer and the flat iron steak. My father-in-law's red snapper (that day's fish special) and my husband's duck breast were also excellent. The mixed berry cobbler and mango mousse for dessert were delectable and perfect to share for our group of six.]

Food Wine & Co
7272 Wisconsin Avenue
Bethesda, MD 20814

What I Read for Fun :: East of West, volumes two and three

East of West
by Jonathan Hickman, illustrated by Nick Dragotta
Image Comics,144 pages
graphic novel (with mature content), series, apocalypse in an alternate future

What I Ate for Lunch :: Crepe

[Old Towner savory crêpe: ham, sautéed spinach, and caramelized onions]

Fontaine Caffe & Crêperie
119 South Royal Street
Alexandria, VA 22314

[Afterwards, we enjoyed Japanese tea and yokan at our friend's house.]