You're so vain, you probably think this post is about you

...and you'd be right, if you are JA, that is.

For the uninitiated, JA is my BF.  He is also my bodyguard and personal chef.

If someone asked me, what can't JA cook, I'd have to think for a while before I answer.  He proved this very thing to me the other night when he whipped up a little Japanese feast, at around 11 pm, no less: tempura, spicy tuna rolls and gyoza.  Ok, so the gyoza was from Trader Joe's, but it went with the theme.  Here's a pic:

Midnight snack.

For the sushi rolls, the only special sushi thing JA bought was the nori.  Everything else was hanging out in our cupboard already.  He made white basmati rice, and for the tuna, he took a can of the Spanish white tuna in olive oil that I bought, added onion (I admire his fine chopping talents), whatever other spices and what I believe is  roasted red pepper, and no mayo.  He also sliced up some avocado, and voila!  I thought that in order to make a sushi roll that is tight and won't fall apart, you needed one of those bamboo mat thingies.  Not so.  I don't know exactly how JA did it, but the rolls did not fall apart at all, which is more than I can say for some sushi professionals.  A little rice fell out here and there, but hey, it was basmati and not the usual sticky sushi rice.

JA can also make a few Asian sauces, whether for dipping your dumplings or pouring all over chicken and rice.  Though he doesn't like Thai food - I still don't get that one.....

And while we're here, I want to make special mention of his shrimp and grits, which he has only made for me once, but I keep asking for....

By now, you know that JA and I, with my friend JR, get a weekly CSA share of fruits and veggies.  We've been getting a lot of peaches and plums lately, and JA has been furiously baking away.  What does he bake?  Cakes, pies, cupcakes, and lately, lots of cobbler.  Oh, and by the way, he makes his own buttercream frosting.  Here's a pic of his blueberry cobbler:

Gone in sixty seconds......

This week we got peaches and pears.  I cannot wait for the weekend, and it's not just so I can sleep late.  Weekends are cobbler time!

JA is also constantly making smoothies, teas and juices.  Frozen fruits and almond milk are ALWAYS on our grocery list.  Yesterday, he made juice with some blackberries we got from the CSA two weeks ago.  I had left them for dead.  All that unused, fruity tea that was languishing in my cupboard has gone to fantastic use, too.  Case in point:

Acai green tea limeade

One of my favorite dishes of JA's is turkey meatballs:

Balls.

Every day, JA asks me what I want for dinner.  The answer is always a coy little "Iiii don't knooow..."  The truth is, I will gladly eat whatever he puts in front of me.  Some nights, I hope for meatballs, others, I hope for tuna or salmon patties.  I used to get nervous about what he was making, afraid that I wouldn't like it.  But it always turned out delicious, I've stopped questioning his considerable talents.  One of the things I always find amazing about him is that he takes whatever we have in the freezer or cupboard, leftovers and/or things that I have long since given up on, and whips up something great.  Like chicken salad - the BEST chicken salad I have ever had - just because we had leftover chicken and a lot of veggies in the fridge.  There were radishes and carrots and celery in there, and I think either spinach or kale or something to that effect.  Put it on pretzel bread slathered in garlic butter (which he also makes) and taste heaven:

Lunch!

When I whine that we might not have enough food to hold us until payday, he says "Pffffft!!!  Of course we do!"  

I also want to highlight his shrimp roll, as well as the various spinach and vegetable pies that he has made.  In phyllo pastry, in which each sheet must be lightly brushed with butter.  Oh!  One time, he had leftover phyllo dough, so he filled it with some melted Ikea chocolate and made strawberry sauce on the side.  Homemade chocolate pastries late on a Sunday night!!!

We won't talk about the weight I've gained.