captivating canapé

So as you've probably deduced from this blog, Stefan and I absolutely adore an aperitif.  When we first started dating, our go-to night out was wine and cheese on one of our unreal roofs (which we discovered shortly after our first date, were only blocks away from one another).  We'd often have so much fun chatting and munching and drinking and chatting, we'd skip dinner altogether.

The view from the roof at Stefan's old apartment.

But after a holiday break filled with a whole lot of cookies and not so many carrots, and with a fruit bowl that has looked like this since we got back:

Yep - that's right.  A whole lot of Swiss-military-issued

chocolate courtesy of Stefan's stint in the Swiss armed forces last month.

...we decided to revamp our evening tradition with an eye towards our waistlines.  So when we invited our wonderfully fun and fabulously French neighbor over for a drink, I made a few slight revisions.

First, in addition to our traditional classic French baguette, I bought a crunchy and delicious multi grain loaf cut extra thin - perfect for some smoked salmon and sliced onions.

Second, I concocted my own healthy version of a creamy curry dip - inspired by the beyond heavenly (and likely not low-cal) rendition at Larry's Market in Milwaukee.  It's always one of my favorite treats to revisit when I head home.

2 cups plain yogurt, 2 tablespoons curry,

a few good dashes of Worcestershire,

and pinch of sugar and salt

While we still had a tad bit of cheese, smoked salmon with fruit and veggies (paired with my curry dip) were the event's centerpiece.

While we hadn't warned our French friend about our new health-conscience culinary commitment, she seemed to be on completely the same page.  Along with the bottle of bubbly she brought, she came armed with a beautiful bowl of the creamiest, most luxurious mint pea soup I've ever sipped.

Just saute onions in a frying pan,

add chicken stock and bring to a boil,

add frozen split peas and cook for 3-5 minutes,

add mint and salt & pepper (and a bit of cream) to taste,

puree until smooth.

Enjoy!

The whole evening was positively lovely; I hardly missed the hearty helping of cheese at all.  

But it wasn't the multi-grain bread or the melon or the curry dip that was mouth-watering (while I hate to admit it, my spread didn't hold a candle to Larry's fine concoction), it was the company that was delicious, the conversation that was scrumptious, the bubbly banter of our friend's new job and our new engagement and the San Francisco sunshine that made the evening delectable. 

xoxo

KK