Love: Astrud Gilberto. Yes, she sang "The Girl from Ipanema," but she has a lot of other wonderful (better) songs. The Astrud Gilberto Album is a really nice background for a summer afternoon on the patio.
Like: Campari is a perennial favorite, but a couple of years ago we got turned onto Aperol, its slightly mellower cousin. A lovely summer cocktail (courtesy of GQ) is an Aperol-Orange Fizz: Mix equal parts Aperol and orange juice. Throw some ice in a glass and fill halfway with the Aperol-OJ mix, then top it off with Proseco.
Discovery: Foolproof Grilled Chicken. It's brined, then easily and perfectly grilled (if you follow the recipe's instructions), then tossed when it's hot off the grill with an Asian or Mediterranean vinaigrette.
http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Foolproof-Grilled-Chicken-108166
Obsession: Crostini. Acme bread plus toppings are hard to beat. When it's hot, an assortment of crostini and a simple arugula salad can be a great pretty much no-cook meal. My current favorites are one with a slice of fresh mozzerella, proscuitto and a dollop of tapenade and one with goat cheese and a spoonful of some kind of pepper-fruit jam.
Complaint: The Bay Area summer weather, naturally. We can see the fog roll right through the Golden Gate and head straight for us in the Berkeley Hills. For that reason, I think the long, decadent Sunday lunch is the way to go this time of year. (Plus entertaining for lunch rather than dinner means you can be sobered up and cleaned up in time for Mad Men and True Blood.)
Aperol is SO delish. i love a good Aperol spritz because 1) it's my other favorite color (orange) and 2) it's so beautiful with a slice of orange in it. (three fingers of crisp white wine or prosecco, one finger of Aperol and a splash of soda water with orange as garnish). i love your blog! keep writing! i'll stop commenting now!!!!
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