Friends and family are so important to Dave and I and while we make every effort to be there for the big events that take place back home, one of hardest things about living so far away away is missing the events that we would love to be there for, but are more difficult to justify, like a weekend in Vegas for example.

So when Ashleigh got engaged, I immediately felt guilty that I wouldn't be there for all the wedding-planning that happens naturally over lunch or a drink. Luckily Ashleigh solved that rather easily, by moving the wedding to Europe! Seems to fit into the plans just perfectly and I have to say, I never thought Dave and I would be able to drive to a wedding while living abroad. So a trip to see where I live and to catch up, quickly turned into much more of an adventure.

It felt almost surreal to have Ash in my house, walking around my town and even going grocery shopping at Co-op with me. As there never seems to be enough holiday days, I worked most of the time she visited, but luckily she brought a friend, who was a great addition and so reminded me of my great friend Stacey. After hearing about their yacht-escapes in Croatia and pro navigation in Italy, I met up with them a week later in Lake Como and the wedding planning officially began.

No spoilers here -- that's for Ashleigh to disclose, but the weather was great, the roads were narrow, the Prosecco was cold and the villas unreal. We lucked out as most of the people we met with spoke English, a far cry from what I experienced when planning my wedding in Provence last year, although Ashleigh, I can't wait to hear you on your next visit after all the Rosetta Stone ;)

We had some good meals and some average when in Como, and while something like a simple caprese salad can often be so disappointing, a really good one quickly turns into one of my favorite meals.


Another twisty road, and another recommendation from a wedding planner landed us as a great restaurants far up in the hills overlooking the lake. After sharing fresh mozzarella, I enjoyed delicious fresh pasta with a wild boar Tuscan sauce. Despite the warm weather, I couldn't resist.


Ashleigh went with a risotto with leeks and zucchini flowers, also divine.


Although the girls claimed they wouldn't need to eat for the rest of the day, I told them not to speak too soon...

We had more adventures back in Switzerland which included a typical Friday night trip to the grocery store, late night frozen pizzas and vodka-Shirley Temples, rather disappointing quiche, Alpine Mac and Cheese and definitely disappointing Soupe du Chalet (including an English quote of 'more than a soup, a meal in a bowl') that I could have had for an appetizer alone, in Gruyere, and miraculously we even figured out wine tasting in a small village where everyone else just stared at us. The girls ventured to Geneva, Lausanne and Evian when the work week rolled around again, though I got to prepare some previously blogged recipes, including my favorite salmon with braised lentils.

It was fun to cook for more than just Dave and I and both Morgan and Ashleigh are so enthusiastic that it felt like more of a reunion than any work at all. I had so much fun with other girls around, and hopefully we can have a Don't Be Tardy For the Party reunion Stateside soon enough.

The recipe I chose to add here is actually not one I made for the girls, however we did have salmon and I know that's one of Ashleigh's favorites. The polenta is specifically inspired from Ticino, the Italian part of Switzerland and about 30 minutes from Lake Como so I thought it was a great fit. Oh and I believe this cookbook (Cooking Light Cook Smart Eat Well) is now on Ashleigh's Costco list.

Salmon with Leeks in Parchment
1 1/4 tsp whole fennel seeds
6 whole black peppercorns
2 whole cloves
1 piece of cinnamon stick
2 skinless salmon fillets
salt
1 leek, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced

instant polenta, prepared per the box

Preheat oven to 425 F. Combine first 5 ingredients in a skillet over medium heat and cook one minute until the spices are fragrant. Transfer spices to a grinder or mortar and pestle; grind until fine.

Cut 2 large squares of parchment paper. Place 2 fillet in the center, sprinkle evenly with salt and the spice mixture, then top with leeks.


Fold the paper and seal the edges into narrow folds. Place the packages on a baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes until puffy and lightly browned. You can serve the whole package on a plate, or if you have side, remove the fish and top your side, reserving the leeks to top the fish.


Results: This was the first time I tried a preparation like this and it was actually this recipe that made me buy the cookbook. I love 5-spice seasoning and leeks are one of my recent favorites. Dave and I have been eating a lot more fish lately so this combo seemed perfect. It was very tasty and flavorful. One complaint is that the leeks did not stay moist. I think I would drizzle with olive oil or maybe add a dish of water to the oven to keep the moisture in next time.

From Cooking Light Cook Smart Eat Well cookbook.