Storm, hot, lucky, luncheon, movie

How I slept through last night's storm is beyond me. This morning, however, I saw the deleterious effects of its torrential rain and gale-force winds. We are SO lucky to have power right now- hundreds of thousands of folks in DC/Northern VA/MD are without, and it is nearly 100°. Yesterday's temp of 104° -not including the heat index- set a record. I feel very grateful and concurrently, extremely concerned for all people and animals who are without adequate shelter, lost power, are stuck in any way. I also feel fortunate that we didn't lose power because I had 7+ pounds of poached salmon in my fridge, and the aftermath of that not staying chilled would have been totally revolting. All was and is well, and the bridal shower turned out beautifully. A tip of my hat to that crew because they were without power and running water but remained festive and zen. And, as I heard later, they ate all the food. You go girls (and the few men who were there)! Awesome work!

The poaching liquid for this salmon was gorgeous- Chardonnay, juniper berries, fennel, basil, peppercorns, bay leaves, lemons and a few other treats. It was served with a dill-dijon cream which was lovely, light and full of flavor.

Aren't my little fleur butters cute? I knew that silicone mold would be good for something! And I really wanted to eat this (horribly photographed) grapefruit tart so might have to make myself one soon. Great recipe!

T and I just saw Moonrise Kingdom- SUCH a hoot. If you get a chance, hit a matinee. What fun!

It is SO hot, article, misc

Wow, peeps. I like to be hot, but this 100+ weather is excessive, even my my standards. Dios! Have been in the kitchen all day in preparation for a bridal shower tomorrow. The menu is absolutely beautiful: Chardonnay-poached salmon; arugula salad with roasted peaches, mozzarella and pistachios; MB's potato salad; an array of breads; grapefruit tart; milk chocolate-caramel-hazelnut tart; watermelon-mint lassi. Aah! The salmon is poached and both desserts are made, the peaches are bundled together just ripening away, the watermelon is chopped and awaiting a trip through the blender tomorrow. Unfortunately it's supposed to be even hotter tomorrow, but it makes me all the more glad that this is such a light and lovely amalgam of dishes! ``````

I'm not sure if any of you follow Mark Bittman on twitter, but I do and found this article he tweeted recently to be interesting and sad. What a state we're in regarding food production, eating, obesity and health in this country. We are NOT healthy, we are NOT eating well, and it shows. Literally. Why change to our food policies -the Ag Bill and such- are so dreadfully slow/non-existent is beyond me. It is so short-sighted and irresponsible.

Along these lines, if you'd like to further encourage the FDA to ban unnecessary use of antibiotics in food-producing animals -a serious problem- you can sign this petition that's being circulated by the Center for Food Safety.

And, I've just signed on to a national movement in support of fair and humane treatment, pay and rights for the workers, many of whom are migrants, who enable Florida's enormous tomato industry: "From November to May, 90% of tomatoes sourced domestically and consumed in the United States are picked by farmworkers in and around Immokalee, Florida." The Coalition of Immokalee Workers, a community-based organization of migrant workers, has partnered with the Fair Food Standards Council to implement the Fair Food Program. Tuesday, July 24 will be Slave-Free Tomato Day: before, on and after that Tuesday, consider purchasing your tomatoes from farmers markets and/or supermarkets and restaurants who've signed on to the Fair Food Program (such as Trader Joe's and Whole Foods). On the 24th, I and a number of other food bloggers will be dedicating a post to a recipe utilizing slave-free tomatoes and offering ways for you to take action and encourage responsible purchasing. Visit The Giving Table for more information or to sign on.