Unfortunately photos from dinner at the Wine House did not turn out well, but our evening was delightful in this convivial spot with an excellent selection of wines and cheeses...a perfect place to get lost in great conversation!
Jamison's beautiful capture of our backyard dogwood tree in bloom...
Easter morning, stopped in to visit with Cheryl, our dear friend and frequent supplier of yummy baked items in my bentos! She was setting a festive Easter table for a family gathering...and I fell instantly in love with her spring-flower embroidered tablecloth:
Later, at Yetka for Easter lunch we were seated directly under the Easter-egg splendid chandelier...
Could any appetizer be more encouraging of spring appetites than fresh bright herbs with tangy cheese, radish and fresh bread?
We were excited that a wonderful eggplant dish was available this visit called Kashk-e Badenjan: Persian eggplants blended with "Kashk" (a creamy cheese sauce made from sun dried whey) garnished with hot mint sauce...amazing. (Thank you, Sahel!)
Cornish hen kabob, perfectly cooked and paired with sunshine yellow saffron rice:
A lovely sampler of three Persian stews and crispy rice
Afterwards, very happy with the delicious meal and elegant warmth of Yetka's welcome, we all walked down to European Gourmet, an emporium of exciting flavors: tasty Russian/Eastern European prepared foods, seasonings, sweets and more...
Layered salads and really prepared salads of all kinds are a huge temptation here. I had to try the mushroom salad with mayonnaise and the beet salad...they both appear in today's bento.
They go so beautifully with this shop's abundance of smoked fish, a flavor marriage made in heaven...
Today's bento is an amalgam of Yetka and European Gourmet treats, lent sparkle by gifts from a special bento pal:
Half of a spiced chicken piroshki sits close to a savory piece of Yetka Cornish hen; the little green bowl holds rich "mushroom salad": dried and fresh mushrooms blended with sour cream and mayo--yum! In the little sakura container, beet salad from the European Gourmet is blended with zippy chrain, beet-colored horseradish sauce.
Mint, dill, green grapes and a frisky green apple puppy also inside...
I had hoped to include these very cute and folkloric Russian cookies in this bento...next time!
Some sweets left by the Easter Bunny...what do you suppose these fancy-dress fellows are grinning about?
Have a super week and happy cooking, friends!
I am always in awe of your beautiful garden...! Somehow reminds me of The Secret Garden :). I am glad you had a fun Easter and again, what a beautiful bento meal :)!
ReplyDeleteHi there CG! Thank you, it is small but I really enjoy it...lovely to share with you. You've made such incredible spring bentos and confections of late, they take my breath away!
ReplyDeletegorgeous and exotic bento, with wild colors and unusual flavors... love your use of "zippy" in the description, and that's a perfect word for the bento overall, with the pops of bright fuschia and vivid green. i just love how your bentos always tell the stories of your explorations!
ReplyDeletehi megan! super sweet comments, thanks so much! this one was very fun to put together, excited as I was with cool new bento stuffs ;D looking forward to your next beautiful bento production...
ReplyDeleteLooks so gorgeous! You have your special style for bento that is only you can pull out such a beautiful arrangement :)
ReplyDeleteHi Lia! *blushing* glad you liked this one my dear! How have you been?
ReplyDeleteHello my new friend (sorry I could not find your name on your blog).
ReplyDeleteIt's so good to have you visiting on my blog. Thank you dear.
I always love your vividly photos .
Hi there cafenoHut! I'm Jenn, lovely to have you visit here! So many beautiful ideas in your latest post, really inspiring :D
ReplyDeleteIt's always so nice to see the beautiful pictures you have to share! Yummy food and good shopping to see. :)
ReplyDeleteHi B-bird! I hope you had a wonderful Easter - judging by the contents of this beautiful Spring bento I'd guess you did. Hope the Bunny was generous - the big Bilby had some delicious chocolatey treats for us. (-:
ReplyDeleteBlorgie x
Happy Easter :) This bento looks delicious, as does that Persian food - yum yum!
ReplyDeleteHi there Kuusou, thanks so much ^^!
ReplyDeletehello there Blorgie1! a treat to have you visit...eeeks, Bilbys are so cute! your comment cued me to read about them...now I want one of my own :D
ReplyDeletehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bilby
looking forward to your next art-bento, my friend!
hi Lexi! Hope your Easter was bright and happy... thanks for your sweet comments ^^!
ReplyDeleteUK foods and flavors are on my mind with Friday's wedding upcoming :D
Dear Jenn,
ReplyDeleteI am delighting in your glorious Easter posting. The creamy blossoms of the dogwoods to the easter egglike painted ceiling, and the exotic savory foods that embolden the senses. What a perfect holiday weekend hitting all the high notes with friends and loved ones.
I have a jar of Devon English Double Cream and thinking scones and tea on Friday. Tipping my cup your way.
Hope you are having a great week. - R
Dear Robin, you are such a talented writer! Your comments are delightful, warm and poetic--wow!
ReplyDeleteHope your Easter was lovely--must fly over to your blog to find out all about it. It's been a hectic week and I need to catch up :D
Oh, your tea plans sounds so nice--I've never tried Devon English Double Cream! Had fun with British tea sammies today, will be posting about them soon. Enjoy the scones, tea and a glorious upcoming weekend, dear!
Aw Jenn, I am behind in my posting. Hoping to catch up this weekend. Cheers!
ReplyDelete