Bon Appétit!

Looking back over the past few days I'd have to say this week's postings have all been fairly philosophical and somewhat on the "deep" side. So today the timing is good for the latest report on my ongoing "2010 Gourmet Initiative."

It's the end of January and I'm still - just - keeping up. Four new recipes in four weeks; pork-loin, tuna steak, turkey cutlets and - it was about time - steak. The official name - from p 107 of "Cooking New American" - was "Sliced Sirloin Steak with Rosemary, Lemon & Arugula".

I was tempted to substitute fillet, add some garlic, saute onions etc., but I was good - I behaved myself! I held off the free-style and kept up my commitment to cook 100% from the recipe, exactly as directed.

My one mistake was cooking the steak a little closer to medium than rare, because it happens so quickly when the meat is sliced like that. I seared the two steaks in the grill pan, then sliced them, placed the meat in the saute pan with olive oil and fresh rosemary (the fresh rosemary was awesome!) and finally tossed in the arugula with squeezed lemon just a minute before serving.

Meanwhile I prepared yellow rice and black beans. It made a very tasty combination and a great accompaniment for the excellent Chianti Andrew helped me pick out when he was home over Christmas.

So that's today's news from Maul hall. You can see how pleased Rebekah seems to be with the "gift that keeps on giving". I'm enjoying every minute of it, and I believe I'm already a better cook than I was before.

But isn't that the opportunity of life, and in every area? Learn, grow, improve, live out loud! It's not like we're here for ever, so why not invest time and creativity - and make the commitment to gourmet living across the board?

Bon Appétit!