Best Of

Gave my "go to" celebration restaurant a 2nd chance today. Last week the "wedge" salad was dressed with vinegar & oil & some kind of red sauce. Well - wedge pretty much means blue cheese dresssing…. It was inedible. The steak was only the size of a silver dollar. They brought & charged for a "call" drink when I ordered bar gin. The one cup of coffee was $5.50 - and was cold. Lunch was $75.00. Ummmm - nope.

Today I ordered lobster bisque. It was cold and there was less than 1 tsp of lobster. The restaurant ran out of bread by noon. Then my selection of mushroom caps with crab stuffing tasted like "stove top stuffing". No crab taste and covered with an obnoxious red sauce.

Too bad really since this has been a "go to" for special occasions since the 1980s. I will write the owner since I've had a long time relationship with the family. But I will also plan on a different venue for holiday dinner this year with my ex & his wife and my nephew's family.

Dinner tonight was leftover beef stew for DH and clam chowder for me.

Maggie, the catfish is farm raised, not wild. We each enjoyed a fillet last night, pan seared/blackened. I oil the fish and heat the dry pan. Side was sauteed zucchini and yellow squash mixture sprinkled with romano cheese.

Tonight will be salmon.

Today will be sunny and warm, up to 80 degrees. Tonight colder and windy weather arrives.

Carole, The catfish down south are much bigger and meatier than those up north which are hardly worth eating.

My sister who lives in San Francisco is in Boston visiting friends. I have scans tomorrow so I met her for a takeout dinner from the Parish Cafe. The restaurant has gourmet sandwiches created by 16 different local chefs on their menu. I had the Zuni, smoked turkey on a toasted tortilla with bacon, scallions, dill havarti cheese, cranberry chipotle sauce and sour cream. DS had the eggplant Milanesa. Both were excellent. It’s an interesting concept for a restaurant.

Chicken fried steak, the ultimate comfort food.

The chicken and sausage gumbo turned out really, really good. DH and I each ate two bowls for dinner. As always, served with rice.

Tonight will be fish. Catfish, I'm thinking.

Intolight, I had heard of dishwasher replacement problems so we made sure the floor went down before the dishwasher was installed. Congrats to your DD on her new certification and job. I hope you enjoy your meal out.

Carole, I use an Aldi brand jarred Alfredo sauce which is good and much cheaper than Rao's. The difference in the tomato sauce makes the price of Rao's worth it. Their pizza sauce is about the same price as the store brand but much better. The Irish put whiskey in the bread pudding itself and serve it with custard. My hands are not up to the amount of stirring that requires.

Wally, I cook rice pudding like you do. I'm glad you don't have to worry about the power going out.

Nance, I still like cream of rice cereal for breakfast even though my family thinks it is strange.

Eric, A sourdough baking day means you’ll eat well all week.

Illimae, Your dinner is the definition of comfort food. I hope your taste buds behave tomorrow.

Dinner tonight was garlic shrimp on farfalle with sautéed spinach.

Another sourdough baking day….

Tonight was chicken fried steak and mashed potatoes with cream gravy and squash, it was really good. Tomorrow will be soft tacos, unless chemo taste buds say otherwise.

Our new dishwasher will be delivered on Friday. I have no idea what they will find although it looks like the flooring goes back at least a bit. Rice pudding is not a regular on our menu but you all have intrigued me to cook it. It will have to be a day I have energy. We're going out tonight to celebrate my DDs new job (ER Nurse) and her new certificate. Don't know where yet…

I'm glad we installed a new dishwasher before we moved in here. At least we know what's under it.

I love rice pudding. I never make it. I don't know why except that Dh doesn't share my love of rice. When I was a child my great grandmother would make me rice porridge for breakfast. It was sweet and comforting and I loved it. I haven't had that since.

Tonight is a roasted Cornish hen with boxed stuffing and sautéed spinach.