On the Lanai...

I have this nonsensical love of the Golden Girls, to the extent that I kind of want to be them when I grow up.  Not any one of them in particular (although Blanche certainly had lots of fun), but more of an amalgamation of them.  

Dorothy's intelligence and dry wit, Rose's willingness to always see the good in people, Sophia's crass humor and we've already covered Blanche's obvious contribution to the mix.

I can fully appreciate sitting around the kitchen table with an entire (yes, an ENTIRE) cheesecake to work out life's woes with your best pals, but my fascination is the lanai...  Just the word makes you relax a bit , doesn't it?  (go ahead, say it aloud...  I'll wait)

I remember hearing that word as a fourteen year old kid watching this show and not even knowing what it was, but liking sound of it. 
Eventually, when I pieced together what a "lanai" actually was, I thought to myself  "oh yeah, that's for me"...

As the afternoon sun starts to set, turning the sky a beautiful blush pink, the palm trees sway in the warm coastal breeze and I am sitting out on the lanai with a crisp white wine and a few friends.

Nothing could be further from my current reality, but this is what I envision as my "someday".    When the crowded streets, honking car horns, screeching brakes of city buses and  shrieking sirens get to me,  I close my eyes and go here.

In my "someday", I set out trays of little nibbles for my friends and I to pick upon while we sip our wine and solve the world's problems...  before we head back inside to give that cheesecake a proper send off.


Tartine
A tartine is an open faced sandwich.  A single slice of bread, toasted and topped with whatever suits you.  It can be sweet or savory, eaten for breakfast, lunch, dinner or a snack.  It is great for when friends pop over, because you can top it with anything you have in the house.
Cheese, meat, thinly sliced vegetables & eggs are all common toppings and most of us generally have these hanging around the kitchen which makes this a snap to put together.

• Country or Sourdough bread, sliced (nothing too porous)
• 2 Bosc pears, peeled & cored
• 1/2 bottle (750 ml) red wine
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 piece cinnamon stick
• 1 star anise
• 1/2 tsp black peppercorns
• 1 inch piece ginger, peeled & thinly sliced
• 3 oz. gorgonzola dolce
• 3 tbsp. honey
• 1 oz. sliced almonds, toasted
• sprinkling of thyme leaves

1. Combine wine, cinnamon stick, star anise, peppercorn, ginger, sugar & pears in a medium saucepot.

2. Bring to a simmer and cook pears for about 15 - 20 minutes.   Let cool completely in liquid.
    (the longer they sit, the darker they will get)
3. Once pears are cooled completely, remove from poaching liquid.  Strain and put liquid back on heat to reduce down until thick and syrupy. 

4. Thinly slice pears and set aside.
5. Toast bread, top with gorgonzola, pears, honey, reduced poaching liquid and sliced almonds.

• prosciutto (about 3 slices per piece of bread)
• parmesan
• fig jam
• baby arugula

1. Toast bread, top with fig jam (homemade or store bought).

2. Arrange prosciutto on top of jam, add a sprinkling of baby arugula leaves and top with a smattering Parmesan curls.