And further speaking of balsamic, we grilled flank steak, marinated in garlic, balsamic, soy and olive oil yesterday.

Today I made my variant of chicken piccata (dredge chicken breasts in flour and saute with garlic, shallots. Then remove chicken and deglaze pan with lemon juice and white wine.

I also made sauteed kale and tomatoes with garlic.

And more of the aforementioned white wine (a gruner veltliner).

Easiest soft shell crabs
 

Made soft shell crabs last night.

lightly flour crabs & add touch of pepper & salt.

Sauté in olive oil with a bit of butter. This is not a long sauté, maybe 3-5 mins per side tops !

Deglaze pan with juice of 1 lemon (maybe 2 if 1st doesn't produce enough juice). Pour browned butter/oil/lemon juice over crabs.

So easy & good.

Soft shells I've had this year are either "hotel" size for ~$3 apiece or $5 for jumbos & the jumbos are HUGE.

I'm a big fan of sautéed swiss chard from our garden, this year we added some kale & have been making mostly Asian preps but will try your method soon, thanks for mentioning.

The real way to do it is to saute the kale with bacon (and a little garlic), but I didn't do the bacon last night.

If you want to try it, make the bacon first and set aside. Pour out all but a tablespoon or two of the bacon grease and saute the kale and garlic in the bacon grease. When the kale is almost done, crumble up the bacon you set aside earlier and toss it in the kale to warm back up.

thanks for the kale idea gfunk!

Last night had stir fry of Chinese eggplant w/a sauce of honey, hot chilies, ginger & touch of shaoxing (Chinese cooking wine). Had never tried this sauce before but it came out fantastic.

For lunch today had grilled burgers w/homemade cherry-lemonade w/slices of basil in it, sooooooooo refreshing.

Nashville BBQ. Amazeballs.

Let me know how it works out for you. I like the kale almost a little overdone - crispy. Tastes kinda like brussels sprouts.

will dowhat kind of meat? Did you make yourself or dine out? (& if latter, where?)

Around this time each year I eat almost exclusively salads, mainly iceberg and rocket in an olive oil,balsamic vinegar and garlic dressing.

I know summer has arrived when Mrs Showbizguru makes her annual joke " with all this lettuce you're eating it's shame you don't f**k like a rabbit as well. "

Lunch@hampshire

The perfect burger ...

I used a couple of panini buns - they really are dryer ciabatta - and sliced and thermo baked them so they were grilled but still soft and made the burgers oblong to fit. The burgers were bbq grilled with lots of smoke.
Sauce made from hot horseradish, English mustard and salad cream and some red onion added. Salad plus crisps (chips)......

Eaten outside in a newly created bit of privacy out pf overgrowth and under a rectangular umbrella. Lots of Paulaner followed by cheap Pecheur wine.

Singapore

Breakfast: sakura green tea Kit-Kat; pistachios

Not quite lunch: hopefully, I'll find something Indian in this 'hood...

I'm running around London for multple meetings today and have just eaten a very disappointing panini with mozzarella, tomatodand basil. :(

I've no idea what I'm making for dinner either so I think today is not going to be a culinary success.

I hope to make up for it tomorrow.

lunch@hampshire

A jerk chicken with a lovely rice (roasted peppers and roasted onions and peanuts and sultanas ec) with a few bottles of Paulaner. A really great day to be healthy and alive .....

Cassie, has your bread risen yet?

Bento. Save a curry for me, less than 4 weeks to our next extended stay. Satay Street awaits....

Rome: pizza at La Rioni. Pretty good, and supposed to be authentic. I still prefer a NY slice though.

But La Rioni does authentic "thin"! :D

It is as authentic as Rome gets for pizza ...:)