Laid back.

It seems all I do anymore is rant, so I figured I’d just tell y’all about my day this time instead.

A few years ago, my parents decided to institute “Fishy Fridays” in their household.  It began before they retired, but after my dad had taken over “weekend cooking” duties, something that happened well after my brother and I left home.  I’m sure it was partly motivated by years of my mother’s belief that the Catholic abstinence from meat on Fridays during Lent meant that we are supposed to suffer…I think Dad took the reigns on Fridays in general mostly thanks to his Protestantism during Lent. (For those who are curious, I lie somewhere in between – I do abstain from meat during Lent, but often feel like I’m going to hell for enjoying it too much.  Not a problem since the move, since there is not one place in my town that sells sushi.)

In my household, I think I have inadvertently developed a similar tradition…namely, “Surf-and-Turf Saturdays.”  Exhibit A (from a few weeks ago):

Surf…                  and Turf…

And this week I revisited the theme.  Except “surf” was grilled mojo shrimp with a Napa cabbage slaw, but the “turf” was still roasted bone marrow.  Mmmm…meat butter.  I can get used to this.  I’m not sure “turf” is ever going to branch out – the parsley salad really makes for an amazing dish, and marrow bones are one of the few ingredients I can always be guaranteed of getting here that is truly amazingly delicious.  Even if my one reliable source sells them in a bag labeled “dog bones.”

There is something so deliciously primal about scooping out all of the good stuff inside a bone that is about 5 inches long. <drool>

If I’m being completely honest, I only made the shrimp to avoid making an entire dinner out of meat butter.  (The speed with which the drippings from inside a bone solidify is somewhat terrifying, but I’m told it’s Good Fat.)  Well, that, and the fact that my grill emerged from the snowbank on my deck earlier this week and I’m trying to get as much use out of it as I can before it disappears again tomorrow.  The only sure sign of warmer weather I can cling to is the cocktail of the evening…a slightly more sophisticated version of gin & juice or a greyhound. 

Therefore, I shall call it a Snoop Dogg:

1.5 oz freshly-squeezed grapefruit juice over ice

1.5 oz gin (or vodka if you’re like that)

splash of grapefruit bitters

top off with club soda

Simple.  Refreshing.  Delicious.  I can see myself drinking a LOT of these come summertime.  In fact, I can see myself doing ALL of this come summertime.  Surf and turf on my deck is mighty appealing…

Hmm…can you grill marrow bones?