Weekend Update

This photo has nothing to do with food and nothing to do with my weekend ... but it does contain a chipmunk. Mrs. Chipmunk, I believe, she and her husband live here in the drain pipe at the back of Mama and Papa Diva's house. Isn't she sweet? Papa Diva takes very good care of them too, he feeds them cracked corn. Life is good in the burbs.

And life was very good here in the city this weekend too ... though, oddly enough, that life didn't include any cooking on my part. We hit the beach on Friday - Lido Beach on Long Island, to be exact. It was spectacular, though I did burn the hell out of my shins. Don't ask me why or how. I guess I was too busy frolicking to carefully apply sunscreen. Ouch!

After a day of fun in the sun, we hit The Buoy Bar in Point Lookout and sipped on some delicious margaritas while watching the sun set from their deck. It was so lovely I never wanted to leave ... and we may, in fact, return this weekend if the weather looks good.

On Saturday night, we popped into the recently opened Gus & Gabriel, for a truly delicious meal. Owned and operated by Chef Michale Psilakis of Kefi fame, Gus & Gabriel is an American-style gastropub featuring foods designed to appeal to the kid in all of us. What does that mean? It means you're going to want to order every single thing on the menu. I'll be writing a full review at some point, but suffice it to say the meal was extraordinary. You can view most of the menu here, though, sadly, that link does not include the dessert offerings ... and they were spectacular.

The husband chose the peanut butter and jelly cupcake, which was a very grown-up cupcake indeed. A rich, peanut butter cake, filled with homemade strawberry jam and topped with the most outrageously decadent peanut butter frosting. Wow! As if that weren't enough, my friend and I split the "Chipwhich and Shake" combo ... and, honestly, it left me breathless. The "chipwich" in question boasted a deeply flavored caramel ice cream pressed between two decadently rich, dark chocolate cookies. ~swoon~ Its partner in crime was a luscious vanilla shake that had been spiked with a shot of Jim Beam. Are you kidding me?! Why didn't *I* think of that first?! Honestly, it was amazing.

I have a lot more to say about Gus & Gabriel, but it will have to wait for another visit ... a visit wherein I remember to tote along my camera, for instance. :)

After that lovely feast, we repaired to Chez Diva, mixed up a batch of spiked blueberry lemonade, then hit the roof of my building to watch the fireworks. They were wonderful as always, and made so much better this time for the lack of crowds and the private party.

We capped off the weekend on Sunday with a trip to the stadium to watch the Yankees beat the Jays. Needless to say, its time to get back on track. I hit the pool this morning ... hard ... and now I'm off to the kitchen to create some culinary magic of the dietetic sort. Expect a healthy recipe tomorrow ... heaven knows I need it, I've got to fit back into that bathing suit come Saturday!

So, how did you spend the holiday weekend? Curious Diva wants to know.

Bon appetit!

Pics from the 2008 All-Star Game

In lieu of a recipe today, I will post some pics from last night's game. I must say that it was magnificent and I feel so lucky to have been there. The stadium atmosphere was electric and seeing all of the Hall of Fame players assembled on one field was touching to say the least.

Those of you who watched know that the game went on forever ... 15 innings, yikes! Normally we would have stayed, but the husband had to be at work very early today so we left at midnight, after the bottom of the 10th inning. I couldn't believe it was still going on when we got home. I was asleep before it finished, but I hear the AL won.

The above pic was taken prior to the game and is of the AL players assembling for a group photo. Our seats were diagonally behind 3rd base and they were wonderful!

This is a shot of the giant flag that was unfurled prior to the National Anthem:
















Mariano Rivera on the diamond-vision after he was introduced:















The Hall of Fame players entering the field to thundering applause:















Weird pic of the streamers released after the National Anthem:















Enter Sandman: Mo taking the field in the bottom of the 9th ... accompanied by a truly deafening roar of the crowd:















I have more, but that will do for now. Suffice it to say that it was an amazing night and I'm so glad I was able to be a part of it.

Cooking-wise, there's not much going on in Divaworld this week. Some friends of mine are in town and I'll be dining out and about with them the next few days. Will hope to post normally tomorrow or Friday and until then enjoy my pics and have a great day!

The Mid-Summer Classic

There'll be no cooking for me tonight ... because ... I'm going to the All-Star Game! And I am ridiculously excited about it! Its a gorgeous day here and supposed to be a beautiful night, a perfect night for a perfect storm of baseball. My first All-Star Game, the last All-Star Game to be played in Yankee Stadium ... and the first time I'll be able to watch the game in peace without the relentlessly inane chatter of the Fox announcers. I'd be excited about going regardless but the fact that its my beloved home stadium makes it that much better. Couple that with the fact that my evening will be delightfully McCarver and Buck free and you can color me ecstatic!

If there's a more pompous ass in sports announcing than Tim McCarver, I'm sure I don't know who it is. (Though surely Joe Morgan might give him a run for the money at times.) I'll never forget the 2003 All-Star Game and McCarver and Buck's absurd, over-the-top praise of American League manager Mike Scioscia. They actually credited him with "reinventing the All-Star Game" that year and the husband and I have never stopped laughing about it. Whenever any announcer veers off into the overly effusive, one of us will turn to the other and say: "hey, remember when Mike Scioscia reinvented the All-Star Game?!" Ah, good times, good times. Five years running and we still think its funny.

I'm sure the lauding of Terry Francona will begin with minute one of the broadcast and the good news is I won't hear a word of it. I will, however, gladly cheer Francona on ... if only for today. He's excited about managing this year's game in Yankee Stadium and I like that. Good for him - and Go, American League!

So tonight I'm donning my Yankee cap, instead of a tiara or apron, and cheering on the boys of summer. Look for me somewhere behind 3rd base - I'll be the one wearing a Jeter shirt ... and booing Manny Ramirez! ~wink~