Sooooo, I've been a little remiss with my dear ol' blog. No posts since May! But as usual I have excellent excuses.

End of May I got really sick. Really really sick. And I NEVER get sick. And if I do get sick, I get better in 24 hours. No joke. But this time, I got so sick that after two days my family and friends were like, WTF? No worries though, I've recovered from most of it, and I've been getting better and better the farther from May I get!

In June, Trevor and I went to Japan for the first two weeks. We had a great time seeing friends, ate lots of yummy food, I bought a shit-ton of records, and Trevor got a bunch of training in.












Yep, that pretty much sums it up!

Then in the last two weeks of June, Trevor and I moved from our beloved studio in our beloved Oakland Temescal to a sweet two bedroom place with room to BBQ and garden in Albany. And so July, besides being about celebrating my birthday and picking mad blackberries and BBQ-ing and gardening and biking and baking pie and generally enjoying summer, has been filled with getting settled in our new home.

But be forewarned: I'm back baby!

Last weekend, Trevor and I were invited to a BBQ at our friends Rachel and Alvaro's house. They were grilling up plenty of delicious meats, Argentinian-style -- pork ribs, pork shoulder, whole chickens. I wanted to bring a side dish that would complement such yummy, comforting, homestyle cooking.

I settled on macaroni and cheese. What better comfort food is there? But I wanted to feature some flavors of Autumn, so I put a little spin on it. After perusing the internets for a bit of inspiration, I came up with...

Creamy Baked Macaroni and Cheese with Apples and Cinnamon

Disturbingly addictive, and quite like a teenage favorite of mine -- apple pie with melted cheese. I was very pleased, as the baking dish was clean when I left the party!

8 ounces uncooked elbow macaroni
2 tbsp unsalted butter
2 tbsp flour
2 cups whole milk
1/4 tsp fine grain sea salt
1/2 tsp pepper
2 1/2 cups sharp cheddar cheese (preferably yellow), grated and divided
1 large apple (preferably Fuji), diced
1/4 to 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 to 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper, or to taste

Note: I find that the cayenne is a very important element, as its heat balances the sweetness of the apple/cinnamon combination. If you must omit it, I recommend adding a little less cinnamon.

Preheat oven to 350°.

Lightly butter a 2-quart shallow baking dish.

Boil enough water to boil macaroni. Add sea salt to taste and macaroni. Cook to al dente. Drain pasta, but do not rinse, and set aside.

Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in flour, one tablespoon at a time. Immediately add milk, whisking constantly to break up lumps, and bring just to a boil. Reduce heat to low. Sauce should begin to thicken at this point, but if not simmer a bit longer, whisking often, until sauce thickens. Add sea salt, pepper, and 2 cups of grated cheese. Stir until cheese is melted. Remove from heat and mix in macaroni, apples, cinnamon, and cayenne. Pour mixture into baking dish, pat down evenly with spoon, and sprinkle remaining cheese evenly on top.

Bake 15-20 minutes, uncovered, or until bubbly and top begins to brown. Let sit 5-10 minutes before serving.

I just made this again tonight for my honey because he couldn't get enough of it at the BBQ, but I healthed it up with whole wheat penne and the addition of a side of beautiful red chard from the farmer's market, sauteed simply in olive oil with freshly ground black pepper. Perfect!

Weekend wrap-up...

Trevor's reading Friday at Pegasus for Rarer and More Wonderful was fantastic! Many thanks to the friends and other folks who came out to support his first book, and for extending the celebrations later on at Jupiter.


















For folks who couldn't make it, you can pick up Trevor's book at Scrambler Books. And there will be more reading dates to come!

Saturday was Adrienne and Tobin's wedding at Hakone Gardens in Saratoga. Bride was stunning in a strapless corseted wedding gown with a lacy dress train. With pearls in her hair, she was reminiscent of a mermaid. Groom walked in to the Imperial March, cello-style. Nerds! The wedding was gorgeous and brilliant, just like the bride and groom.














Sunday was to be a day of rest, but lo, Chris' siren's call of BBQ and beer in the afternoon was too much to resist -- as was the requisite game night, now with pad thai.

Good friends, good times, good living, here in the Bay.

Home now. Going to bed.

Boozy birthday BBQ's bouncy house aftermath: