My favorite meal, with an Albanian twist.

A walk around the open air market in Gramsh, the small town where Kevin lives, is a feast for the eyes and senses.  Really.  Lines of homemade cheese and a serious woman, that you would never mess with, hacking at a huge piece of meat.  With a machete.  Really.  And piles of garlic and cipollini onions.  And a man behind them yelling about Americans wanting to take pictures of everything.  (Which, I only had a camera in my hand, no pictures were taken.  I asked before every picture.)  And olives.  Oh, olives.  Barrels of them.  But, I settled on one thing in particular:  homemade paprika.  The woman scooping the beautiful brightly colored paprika with the daintiest old ceramic cup into plastic baggies.  It was great. 

As the days went by on my adventure in Albania, I knew I’d be ready for a real satisfying meal after the 18 hour journey home and reuniting with my very missed partner.  So, I sent a grocery list to Schaeffer so I could just come home and cook that evening.  I knew I wanted a steak.  And, when Kimmi wants a steak it means one thing.  Filet mignon.  Peppery filet mignon. 

Menu:
Paprika and pepper encrusted filet mignon (#66) with shallot au poivre
Paprika mashed potatoes (#67)
String beans almondine

Filets getting prepared with salt, pepper & paprika.

Potatoes getting the butter, salt, milk & paprika mash-up.

 Lookin' stylish on salad duty.

Pretty plate and drink.

One word: yum.  And deliciously satisfying after traveling for nearly a day and eating airport and airplane food.  The paprika added the nicest little kick and burst of flavor. Great addition to mashed potatoes.  Then, I crashed.  I hadn’t slept in days.  Literally.  I had been up for a few days spinning with ideas and inspiration from my two trips, and I really needed slumber.  So that is just what I did after my belly was full.

233 to go...