last night, vika made pollo en samfaina which is chicken with onions, garlic, tomatoes, eggplant, peppers cooked down to a fragrant stew.

she also made espinacas con pasas y pinones which is spinach cooked with currants and pine nuts.

we drank fine white wine and then an amazing spanish red wine that had undercurrents of vanilla.

and then!

tonight, i cooked green beans sauteed with garlic and leeks and red flake pepper(vika's impromptu recipe).

and also!

gumbas al ajillo which is garlic shrimp.

we had this with some lovely viognier and also spanish red wine.

i want niki to come up so i can cook this for her. i will definitely be cooking when my brother gets here. i will have to have vika help me because vika is the kitchen goddess.

but still, i will cook for him.

and if we're lucky, we'll be able to listen to a mariner's game while i do.

in the meantime, you should be streaming hbr.com, the ambient channel.