On missing mom, and some fennel tzatziki..

So alas, no trip to Scotland for me today. And I was so excited to check out the recommendations that Melissa from The Traveler's Lunchbox has given on Edinburgh. Again, the blame goes to my boyfriend, who is far too successful in his career to allow us the luxury of pre-planning anything. Tickets to a concert are not even safe. He's a man in high demand!

Nonetheless, it is Mother's day and with my travel plans thwarted I have lots of time to ponder the sweetness and light that is my mother. She of the endless giggling in inappropriate places. Like the waiting room in a doctor's office or in an elevator full of people. And generally, there is nothing all that funny to laugh at. Just a mother and daughter who soon are just laughing at each other because they realize they are laughing the same. A few perfectly synchronized snorts and the game begins all over again. It's a vicious cycle as you can see.

So mother, even though I know you are having a wonderful day celebrating not only mother's day, but also grandma's 85th birthday, with a family reunion at my cousin's new house in Toronto, I will be here, by my lonesome, thinking about you. And G also sends his love from his lonely hotel room in England.

If you were here in Heidelberg, and not otherwise occupied with fun family events that I wish I could attend, I would take you to the movies. Yes, even if you wanted to see Miss Congeniality 2. Then we'd stop for coffee, somewhere with big comfy chairs, because I know you like those big comfy chairs, and we'd giggle the afternoon away. Then, of course, I'd cook you dinner, and over a bottle of wine, we'd talk about all the things we miss about living so far away from each other.

Well mom, you're not here, but the bottle of wine is. And I did make a nice fennel tzatziki last night that you would have liked. It went really nice with my grilled salmon.

This recipe is adapted from one I found on Epicurious.com, which I can't actually seem to find on there anymore to provide you the link. But here's how I made it, having remembered the ingredients. Though I'm pretty sure they added raw fennel, which I don't much like. I sauteed it first and I really enjoyed the end result.

Happy Mother's Day mom!

Fennel Tzatziki

1 cup plain yogurt
1 cup sliced fennel bulb (remove tough core)
1 teaspoon olive oil
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 garlic clove, minced
pinch or two of salt
2 or 3 teaspoons of fronds from the fennel bulb, finely chopped

Set the yogurt in cheesecloth over a bowl so the extra water drains. Leave out at room temp for a couple of hours. The longer it sits, the thicker it will get. If it gets too thick for you you can always add a touch more of the regular yogurt.
Saute the fennel in olive oil until softened. Then chop it up well on a cutting board. You don't want large slices in there. Add the fennel, garlic, lemon, salt and fennel fronds to the yogurt. Mix well.
Note: you may not want to use all the fennel, depending on how thick your yogurt is. So add to taste.
If you make it ahead, it will give the flavours time to blend together.