Last month, we bought a grill and entered a whole new world of outdoor cooking.  While searching our chest freezer for grillable items, I came across lamb hot dogs and lamb kielbasa from a family friend with a farm.  It seemed a shame to top lamb sausage with the usual ball-game ketchup and yellow mustard combo, so I sorted through the jars in our fridge and threw together a condiment with a little class.  It went with the sausage so well, I’ve already made it a few times.

Mediterranean Relish

• Black dry-cured olives
• Red onion
• Capers
• Roasted red peppers – I  used jalapenos, but a less spicy alternative might be better
• Squeeze of lemon juice (optional)

Dice the olives, onion, and red peppers into approximately 1/4 inch pieces.  Mix with the capers and add lemon juice to taste if desired.  Let sit at room temperature while you prepare the sausage.

I think mint or basil would make a tasty addition – what would you add?

I have a confession: I have a type A personality when it comes to vacation planning.  Luckily, once I’m at my destination, I relax, have fun, and am open to spontaneity.  But from the time I book a vacation until I’m on the plane, I take great pleasure in obsessively researching my destination and collecting places to go.

My favorite tool for vacation planning is the “My Maps” feature in Google Maps.  Here’s how I use it:

• I create a map for each vacation.
• Every time I read about a place I’d like to visit, I add it to the map.
• I choose appropriate icons for each location (like a bed for the hotel, cutlery for restaurants) so they’re easy to spot on the map.
• If I have additional information about a location, like hours, I add it to the description.
• I share it with J in case he wants to add to it or view it on the road.

If you’ve never created a map in My Maps, these instructions will get you started.  But you may not need instructions – it’s pretty easy: if you ever find somewhere you’d like to go on Google Maps, you can simply click the place marker and choose Save To Map.  To find your maps, click the My Maps link under the Google Maps logo.

Here’s the map I created for last weekend’s DC trip:

View Washington DC in a larger map

Before I joined the smartphone world, I’d simply print the maps. I even survived a few days of driving around Memphis, mostly alone, based on a 1-page printout.

Now that I have an Android phone it’s even easier, because I can view my map on my phone’s Maps app, which means it integrates with the GPS features.  This is done in the Layers section of Google Mobile Maps (the default Maps app for Android, but also available on other phones).

How do you keep track of must-visit vacation spots?

Thanks to Katy for telling me about the Mitsitam Cafe, a cafeteria-style dining spot in the National Museum of the American Indian. I’m glad I previewed the menu on their website – the food service area, which is divided by region, can be overwhelming to the indecisive.  The regions represented are Northern Woodlands, South America, the Northwest Coast, Meso America and the Great Plains.

The star of our meal was the Native Woodlands Mixed Grill, which consisted of two delectable appetizers:

• Cast Iron Seared Breast of Pheasant, Dried Cherry Pemmican
• Grilled Hardwood Smoked Venison, Wild Rice Pudding, Red Wine Cherry Reduction

This was up my alley – game is always tempting, I love the idea of wild rice pudding and I’m a fan of dried cherries. Both dishes had a good balance of flavors, and the meats were perfectly cooked.   This would be an inspirational addition to a game dinner menu.

Next, we shared a 5 Region Sampler Platter with two extra sides.

• Grilled buffalo strip loin
• Cedar planked salmon
• Hearts of palm salad
• Wild rice and watercress salad
• Black beans
• Side of seaweed and musrooms
• Three sisters salad (not pictured – giant beans, corn, squash)

Even though we were ravenous after a 5+ mile morning walk, this was a lot of food – maybe we should have just gotten the buffalo with a couple of sides.  The variety of dishes was irresistible, though.    I’ll be inspired to recreate some of these at home – I didn’t pick up a copy of the Mitsitam Cafe Cookbook during my visit because I was traveling light, but it’ll surely be a part of my next Amazon order.

• Mitsitam Cafe Website
• Link to Map

We took a whirlwind weekend trip to DC.  The timing was perfect – leave at 6am on Friday, return late Sunday night.  The price was also perfect at $98 round trip!  It’s such a short flight from Providence, just a little over an hour.

Fairy Duster flower at the Botanical Gardens, lights at Birch & Barley (fantastic brunch)
Chinatown gate, The Silk Rainforest by Sheila Hicks at the Renwick Gallery

We walked at least 12-15 miles a day, visited every museum we could find, and ate some memorable meals (I promise you’ll see another post or two about those…)