Food and Wine (not the magazine)

In the middle of this domestic binge is a lot of good food!

I'm testing recipes for a friends cookbook, and this chapter is "Big Batches." So yesterday I made a sweet potato-hominy chili, and vegetarian tamale pie, both in big freezable batches. While not exactly gourmet, they are both good dishes that I am pretty happy with.

Then tonight I made a batch of lilac cocktail syrup, basically simple syrup infused with fresh lilac blooms. It's part of my quest for the perfect summer cocktail, and I hope it tastes as good as it looks!

If not though, I've found the perfect summer cocktail: lemonade, vodka, and elderflower liquer. It's a drink invented at my friend Rebecca's on Saturday night, at a cheese tasting, tres leches cake eating, fire gazing cocktail party that was a truly wonderful evening. The best? A coffee-lavender hard cheese. Mmmmmm.

Last night, we had dinner at Heidi/Chank/Max's place. The reason Heidi is the most boss caterer ever is because she creates these simple but perfect meals; I still remember years ago when she soothed my broken heart with make your own tostadas and some kind of mojito drink with fresh sugar cane. last night was a bunch of great couples, a houseful of kids, and make-you-own-pizza on premade crusts from Holy Land. There's probably a medically-approved law against pizza with both bacon and brie (ok, mine didn't have bacon), but OMG they were good.

Nothing makes me feel more comfortable at home and with friends than good food.

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