squeezing the huevos

The Cotton Boys went international last night.

We come from a family who enjoys its food.  And Darrel and I are top of that heap.

It is always a joy to spend time with him.  But, one of the best parts of his visit is sharing my kitchen.

There is no reason that I could not cook more often than I do.  Well, there is.  Two reasons.  Cooking for one is always a challenge.  And when I am done cooking, I am still by myself.  For me, eating is a time to socialize.

I have a large stack of cooking ideas that I simply have not got around to turning into steaming plates on the table.  Darrel and I have been working our way through a few of them.  With my no-carbohydrate restriction for the next week, we have had to be choosy.  But last night we found a home-run combination.

Eight months ago I started looking for arugula to make a watermelon-goat cheese salad.  My favorite grocer, Alex, came to the rescue on Sunday.  Then Darrel and I lucked out by finding an edible watermelon.  (Our first melon is now resting in the compost heap.)

It is simple and elegant.  Arugula.  Watermelon.  Feta (even though a fresh goat cheese would have added a different flavor and texture).  With a simple lemon juice-based dressing.  And topped with an Israeli spice blend that we mortared into pure bliss.

Leslie, over at La Cocina de Leslie, provided the idea for our main course.  Almost two months ago, she published her version of Huevos Ahogados
-- eggs cooked in a tomato salsa with roasted poblano strips.

It is a rather puttery dish.  If I alone, anything that includes roasting a pepper usually goes on the "try later" pile.  This one did.  But I am glad I tried it out with Darrel.  While he roasted, I started boiling the tomatoes and preparing he onion and garlic.

Cooking it up was a hoot.  We may try it again -- along with a bit of experimentation -- like roasting the onions.

Together, they were an odd match that worked perfectly together.  The rather sophisticated arugula salad with its snooty cheese, and the down-home flavor of eggs in a tomato salsa.  Pretty to the eye.  And pleasant on the tongue.

Best of all, we kept within my restrictions.  And had a great time doing it.

Eating good food is far better than hunting for a house any day.