it's finally here. the world cup. it's been 4 years since the last one and this house is very excited about it. the first two games to start off this month long tournament are south africa vs. mexico and uruguay vs. france. we are taping the games and watching them this evening. when there is a special event, i like to cook for it. themes, if you will. you know, st. patrick's day - corn beef and cabbage, birthdays - a cupcake, july 4th - ribs. you get the point. well tonight, i am making a special meal for my husband and myself. starting the evening off with a black bean and corn salsa that we can nibble on during the mexico/south africa, and a french meal for the second game we watch, called souris aux aulx. what a fancy name, wish i new how to pronounce it - good thing blogging only consists of writing. it's a lamb shank with garlic and vermouth. along with it, mashed potatoes and hericot vert (green beans). i can't wait. i thought long and hard about this dish, it's perfect because i made it this afternoon, so i won't be stuck cooking during the games. the shanks are braised, which means they cook in my oven for a good 4 hours. the house smells amazing right now. for the next month i think i am going to try (on the weekends, that is) to create a meal in honor of the countries that are playing that day. it will open my eyes to so many different recipes and foods that i have never eaten or made, so stay tuned, it should be a fun ride. i'm sure i am in store for some incredible meals and maybe even a few disasters!