I've been craving steak tartare for weeks, and last night I was finally able to get me some. The only disappointment was that the restaurant where I ate it doesn't offer an entrée-sized portion, so I had to make do with an appetizer. A little steak tartare is still better than no steak tartare.

It was quite good, and convinced me that I need to make it myself. Today I asked our butcher which cuts he recommends, and I've already sourced quail eggs in our neighborhood. Oh man, I am really looking forward to this little experiment! Just thinking about it is making my mouth water. The restaurant served their tartare with a bright and crunchy pea shoot salad, and an artistic schmear of horseradish cream.

I'm not sure TA is as entranced with my new obsession as I am, but he'll learn. His great uncle once commanded me to "Educate him!" and I'd feel terrible not honoring Emmett's memory. He was an irascible old man with a sly sense of humor.

I guess I'm all about raw meats these days? Last weekend, we went to a party that was 75% Mexican, so it was super fun AND the food was insanely delicious. The bowl of ceviche was bigger than my head, and was devoured in minutes. And the guacamole lasted 10 minutes. I could be a raw foodist if raw meat and fish were allowed.

Anyway, at this Mexican party, I learned a clever way to make a chile relleno on the bbq that I cannot wait to replicate:

1. Take a poblano, char it on the bbq until it blisters and blackens and starts to smell yummy. The chile can be on the hottest part of the grill.

2. Remove it from the grill, make an incision that begins just below the stem and continues almost to the end of the chile. Take care not to cut through to the other side. You're making an opening for the filling.

3. As best as you can, remove the seeds and the central spine. A sharp knife is key.

4. Fill chile with slices of cheese like Havarti, or some other salty/creamy cheese. You can also fill the chile with ground beef or rice or whatever you want.

5. Put chile back on the grill with the incision pointing up. Cook until cheese is melty, then inhale. If there's a cool/less hot spot on the grill, that's the ideal place to get the cheese to melt.