use real butter

Our wedding was a tad fancier than a courthouse nuptial. We were married in the judge’s house (which is also my advisor’s house – because they are married). I didn’t have flowers and I was actually adamant about that. But today I realized that if I could go back in time, I might have changed one thing…

i might have held a bouquet of beautiful broccolini

…and we could have dipped them in some nice herb vinaigrette after our vows and passed them around as snacks!

**Jump for more butter**

Who says leftovers are boring? Hogwash. I was feeling lazy this evening and figured we could just eat some of our leftover pot roast, or chicken, or… OR I could play at plating which is always fun. I grabbed a baked russet and mashed it up with some butter, plain yogurt, chives, and seasonings to taste. I sautéed the ever-reliable standby: spinach with garlic. Next I heated some of the pot roast and made a gravy from the juices.

first i built it this way

then i tried a more free form style

They tasted the same since all of the components were the same. A nice twist on a traditional meal. Oh, and it was good the way all comfort food is on a cold and windy day.

avocado trick
Here’s how to remove an avocado pit without mushing it all to hell. I learned this from our friend and sushi chef, Fumito. First cut the avocado in half.

with a firm and careful stroke, lodge the heel of your knife into the pit

while heel is stuck in the pit, twist the knife until the pit comes loose