January: A sunny week in Playa Chacala, Mexico • February: A sad farewell to sweet Zoë • March: A relaxing respite in Arizona • April: Jazz in New Orleans; Blues & Photography in Mississippi; Blues & Ducks in Memphis; Country Music in Nashville • May: A drive into Eastern Oregon • June: A visit to Red Lodge • July: Hiking, camping & fishing at Mount Hood • August: An equestrian retreat in McCall and a quick trip to see the little Goodmans in Arizona • September: McCall to Telluride for Blues & Brews and a visit to the Sawpit Food Club • October: A getaway to the Coast •November: Drive to California • December: Cooking extravaganza and a trip back to Arizona for the holidays!

I’m so far behind on the current project I’m working on it’s getting ridiculous…I’m putting the images together hoping for some divine inspiration…now, I wait.

Corn & Crab Bisque

Ingredients
1 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup minced onions
1 cup uncooked sweet corn from the cob
2 tablespoons minced shallots
1 tablespoons minced garlic
2 tablespoons minced celery
“Essence” (I’m sure you can buy this already mixed at the store as “Emeril’s Bayou Blast”, or you can mix it up yourself with the recipe below)
1 cup crab stock or fish stock
3 bay leaves
Salt and pepper
2 cup milk
2 cup heavy cream
1 teaspoons liquid crab boil
3 tablespoons blond roux (equal parts of melted butter & flour mixed to form a soft paste)
1/2 lump crab meat, picked over for shells and cartilage (I didn’t, and still don’t, know what “1/2 lump” meant. I also didn’t want to spend the money on fresh crab, so I bought the “best” canned lump crab and just added the drained crab meat from a 6 oz. can into the soup – it seemed to be the right amount.)
1/4 cup chopped green onions
1/2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
Chives for garnish

Directions
In a large sauce pot, heat the olive oil. When the oil is smoking hot, add the onions, corn, shallots, garlic, celery and saute for 1 minute. Season with Essence. Add the stock, and bay leaves. Season with salt and pepper. Bring the mixture to a boil. Whisk in the milk, cream, and crab boil.Bring back to a boil, reduce to a simmer. Simmer for 5-7 minutes. Whisk in the roux, 1 tablespoon at a time. Reduce the heat to low and continue to cook, whisking until the mixture thickens. Stir in the crab meat, green onions, and Worcestershire and simmer for 6-8 minutes. Reseason if needed. Ladle into a shallow bowl and garnish with chives.

ESSENCE Creole Seasoning (also referred to as Bayou Blast):
2 1/2 tablespoons paprika
2 tablespoons salt
2 tablespoons garlic powder
1 tablespoon black pepper
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon dried thyme
Combine all ingredients thoroughly.

Addendum 12/9/11

Since I had all of the ingredients for the corn & crab bisque, I decided to make it again last night. It seemed so incredibly easy the second time around, making the process of putting it all together much more enjoyable, and it turned out even better than the time before. (I did improvise a bit this time around – always more fun when you’re comfortable enough to improvise.) I also tried this recipe for biscuits below. Turned out to be a perfect compliment to the bisque. Not the path to healthy cooking and eating, but a wonderful winter’s night treat!

Peppery White Cheddar Biscuits

Ingredients
4 cups all-purpose flour
2 tbsps baking powder
1/2 cup shortening
1/4 cup butter
1 1/2 cups cheddar cheese (shredded sharp white cheddar cheese 6 ounces)
2 1/2 tsps black pepper (fresh coarse ground)
1 1/2 cups milk
1 egg (beaten)

Directions

Lightly grease a large baking sheet; set aside. Combine flour, baking powder, and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Cut in shortening and butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add cheese and pepper; mix well. Make a well in center of the dry mixture. Add milk all at once; stir until just moistened.

Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Quickly knead dough 10 to 12 strokes until almost smooth. Divide dough in half. Roll or pat each half into a 6-inch square, about 1 inch thick. Using a sharp knife, cut dough into 2-inch squares. Combine egg and 1 teaspoon water; brush tops of biscuits. Place on prepared baking sheet.

Bake in a 400 degree F oven 13 to 15 minutes or until golden on top. Transfer to a wire rack. Serve warm.

Planning my next adventure…looking forward to:

• Family & friends
• Relaxing by the pool
• Exploring the French Quarter
• Great music & delicious food
• Taking pictures alongside David Alan Harvey
• Sitting on the porch at the Shack up Inn
• The Juke Joint Festival
• Train to Memphis

Promises for the new year:
Love, be strong, commit, create.

A few highlights from 2010:

Decadent days in Cancun followed by a couple of wonderful weeks in Cuba, Kronos Quartet, guitar lessons and too much time at the vet.

Relaxing in Arizona, long scenic drive home, horseshows, Zoo Concerts, Star Trek in the Park, Sunday Parkways and lots of time and tomatoes in the garden.

Barack Obama back in Portland, turned 40 in Seattle, a ghost tour and a zombie walk in Victoria, rough waters, new friends, Seahawks, jazz, roses and caramel popcorn.