What a long week, friends. Really.

My first cooking class at the Cook’s Warehouse went real well! 20 students, 5 assistants and my good friend Leon video taped the whole thing. I burned my middle finger while removing the flan pan from the stove! What an idiot. Thank God the class didn’t see that.

Though after spending 6 hours in the salon earlier that day, all to leave with 2 shades darker than what I walked in there with and 5 shades darker than I what I requested, teaching a fresh group of people the food I so love, kept my mind off a continued cry of utter disappointment and throwing a temper tantrum. Did my hair dresser not understand how important it was to me to look like ME for the Emeril show taping!? Hello!?! You speak Spanish. I spoke to you in Spanish! You’ll see what I mean soon enough.

We’ve reconciled. I called her last night after taking 4 days to think about my reaction. She’s given me credit, but I have to wait 6 weeks before she touches my hair again. Sigh.

So, after taking a day and a half to recover from non-stop movement in 48 hours, I am back to normal. Only in part though. I found myself not really wanting to cook yesterday. I still have 40 recipes to cook and test for my book, but something about having to cook isn’t so appealing right now. I have Dave on hold for a food photo shoot. I can’t even think of styling right now.

So a phone call from my cousin on my way home from visiting my sis in Winchester, was great. She was cooking out and we were invited!

All American (for us anyway) with a splash of Latin was the perfect combination for a Friday night dinner. Succulent grilled steak marinated in spices and herbs, baked sweet potato, boiled plantain, grilled corn with sweet butter and fresh black pepper, and a fresh salad was enough for me. There was coconut battered shrimp, but I always forgo on shellfish…no, not an allergy issue. My contribution was a bbq sauce I always make which is simply a mixture of bbq sauce, honey, A-1 sauce and some cumin!! I love that stuff. It makes for a great steak topper. Nothing fancy, just damn good! And of course I sprinkled nutmeg and cinnamon on my sweet potato.

A Cuban meal is never complete without un poco de cafe con leche and maybe some good ol’ pound cake on the side. Or finger ladies! Remember those!? Hmm with some hot chocolate. Oh wait, it is 80 degrees here in DC.

(Oh yeah, this wasn’t my salad. What you see is watercress, which I really don’t care for!)

Dinner was pleasing. Not too heavy on the stomach but filling enough not to kill the need to ingest a few chocolate bourbon truffles my mom has at home.

Something about our simple dinner was refreshing. No science, little art, effortless, no creativity and very fast. This is exactly what I need for like two days. Only today is Saturday, a big deal in family dinner at my parents house. Lo and behold, they’ve asked me to cook tonight. Why, of course. They wouldn’t have it any other way, right. After having cooked oxtail for the production crew on Tuesday, I’m thinking I could do orange ginger chicken with an avocado salad. Not very Cuban or Latin for that matter, but a much needed deviation from red meat.

I’ll cook tonight and be content my family has been fed, and more importantly that my mother has a break. I’m sweating her to make me a pretty ring to wear for the shoot on Wed. Shameless plug, I know, but since it’s national TV, I might as well take advantage and exhibit her jewelry in front of thousands!

Okay friends, so while there’s no recipe here to share, allow this picture to help you relish in moments of simplicity and delight. I’m happy to be an American. Cubans would never go for this!! LOL!

At least not the ones in Miami.

WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE ALL AMERICAN DINNER!?!?

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