A Bird in the Hand

My friend Julie, one of my oldest friends who now lives in Santa Barbara, arrived yesterday evening with this lush bouquet that she designed and that the florist put together. It is really beautiful and fragrant, and the photo cannot do it justice.

Then we went for dinner at Terroni, which we seem to do everytime she's here. We ordered three dishes and shared them: calamari salad, sliced filet mignon with caramelized red cabbage and potatoes, barley risotto with shrimp. They were heavenly, a gastronomic triumph. We finished with a panna cotta (one of our rituals), but I left most of it for her because I couldn't eat another morsel. Julie and I first met as young editorial people on the late Epicure magazine, so when we get together, food always has an important part to play!