So...whats for dinner?
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Boneless pork ribs, veggie and a side
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Finally have my fridge down to about 10 radishes & 10 carrots, a dozen eggs, a carton of cottage cheese, some swiss cheese and 1/2 a package of English muffins. Hmmmm. Lunch will be cottage cheese & canned peaches. Time to start dragging things out of the freezer.
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Had a SpecialK brand crustless quiche this morning (peppers, turkey sausage & Quinoa). Very low-carb, despite the quinoa. Wasn't too bad. Dinner tonight will likely be leftover chicken wings & ribs (too lazy to drive the 8 miles to Buffalo Wild Wings for half-price traditional wings—have a mani tomorrow so I don't mind turning my cuticles orange tonight), plus Jerusalem salad & sugar-snap peas.
On an impulse, we’re flying to Boston Friday for a getaway weekend (our first choice was Toronto, but got sticker shock from the fares, even on Porter). Got some good suggestions from Pennsygal for restaurants. Susan, do you have any favorite ethnic spots we might not have here in Chicago?
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Sandy, "ethnic" is a funny word.... what cuisine do you wish you had access to in Chicago? And what part of the area will you be staying in? That might make a difference as well. And I can't remember if there are Jewish food traditions that you still follow, such as shellfish? I mean, I know which restaurants I would want to eat at, but I doubt you could get a reservation at this point at any of them. Give me some more information, and I will be happy to make suggestions. Boston's food scene is quite robust these days.
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Susan, I don’t keep kosher, never have. Pork, shellfish, mixing meat & dairy are all okay with me. We have almost all ethnic cuisines here in Chicago (especially Mexican—including sub-regions, Ethiopian, Indian & Pakistani, in our neighborhood) but I recall that most East & SE Asian cuisines in Northern VA (especially Korean & real Szechuan) far outstripped the ones here. I get the sense that Boston is also “ahead of the curve” when it comes to food trends. Sadly, the Hungarian place (Cafe Budapest?) near the Copley Plaza is no more, I hear. Bob had his heart set on that.
We will sit down tonight with OpenTable and see what we can get. (IIRC, Union Oyster House is always walk-right-in, at least at the oyster bar). Anything new & trendy in the Faneuil Hall area (where we’re staying)? I hear Durgin Park has gone downhill from its glory days as a must-do tourist trap. And though we don’t have Legal here in Chicago, we go to the Roosevelt Field (L.I.), Tysons (VA) and Boca branches, so it’s lost its novelty for us.
We won’t be renting a car (if we can’t get somewhere by T, cab or foot we’re not going), so the far ‘burbs are out of the question. I’ve gotten some good suggestions in the Back Bay. If we can’t get “the hottest” table in town, that’s okay. We’ve never been to many of those (Alinea, Ruxbin, etc.) here either.
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Okay.... for that part of Boston, do not eat at the Union Oyster House or Durgin Park. They really suck! North End– Neptune Oyster. No reservations. Stand in line. Spectacular lobster roll and great lobster-pasta dishes. Mama Maria for excellent Italian and they take reservations. Oysters, head to Island Creek Oyster House in Kenmore or next door at Eastern Standard for oysters in a French brassiere. For a great Turkish-inspired meal, go to Cambridge and enjoy Oleana, or its sister restaurant in Somerville, Sarma. Sarma keeps 20 seats for the "neighborhood" so you can walk in. Any of the Barbara Lynch restaurants will be good, though a bit pricey. I like Babbo in the Seaport for a well-priced meal. This is a Mario Batali restaurant at a great price point. For lobster, consider counter service at the Yankee Lobster House or Hook's. Nothing fancy. It is all about the lobster.
Pass on the Mexican. Chicago is better overall at that. Well, we have three that are excellent, but not convenient from where you are staying.
Places I would go if I had a better cash flow: any Barbara Lynch restaurant. Craige on Main. Espalier has moved into one of the hotels and is true French with the service and prices to match. There is no place in the Back Bay that makes me swoon, unless you want a French restaurant– La Voile.
New place that I am planning to try is SRV in the South End. $45 for a great tasting menu. In fact, I think we will go there for our 35th anniversary dinner. Also in the South End, Cafe Madeline for great French pastries.
If you want to enjoy some delicious Chinese, Peach Farm or Winsor Dim Sum Cafe. If you are in this neighborhood you can find Bahn Mi sandwiches for about $3.50 a piece. The Parish cafe is another option for a great lunch sandwich.
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Thanks, Susan. I'd heard some mixed reviews of Union Oyster House that indicated the “old gray mare..ain't what (she) used to be," but you confirmed my suspicions. (Bob has a hard time giving up on sentimental memories, but I'm going to gently pull him into reality). We can still get an early table Friday night at Le Voile, so we're thinking about that. I seem to remember lunch at Mama Maria as we walked through the N. End (with Gordy still in a stroller) towards Charlestown. (I also remember the half-jocular T-shirt displayed in a North End shop window: “Die, Yuppie Scum!" Ah, those wacky late 1980s). Sarma sounds interesting. We've heard some good things about Sonsie, but it looks like a typical upscale-casual eclectic bistro not unlike our neighborhood joint, Cellars (albeit a tad more ambitious). Also got a recommendation of Summer House. And the raging carnivore that is Bob (and I his willing enabler) might be interested in MOOO.
As for Babbo, we might give it a try. Our experiences with Batali's places have been mixed. Carnevino at the Palazzo in Vegas was awesome (two years later, I can still taste the saffron fettucine and the best steak I've ever eaten—and we will make a beeline for it this Oct.); B&B next door in the Venetian was very good but I can't remember a single dish. Baffo, in the basement of the Chicago branch of Eataly, was excellent the first time but a year later extremely inconsistent (overcooked beef, pasta that was past al dente—more like “per edentate," flat rose sparkler by the glass—made them open a fresh bottle). And it closed—as did three of the walk-in specialty restaurants upstairs (Verdure, Le Pesce and Il Carne—the latter was pretty good). There's still a decent pasticceria, gelateria, trattoria, pizzeria and raw bar. I guess there are just so many pies into which to stick one's fingers before one runs out of fingers, and even Mario is human. But the fact that you like Babbo in the Seaport is a good sign. I'm not as familiar with Barbara Lynch as I should be, but I remember Lydia Shire's restaurant—maybe it was one at which Todd English started? It was so long ago
Neptune sounds like my kind of place, but Bob's not big on waiting in line. (Maybe he can sit and I can feed him oyster crackers and a Sam Adams until we can get seated). And any way we can get our hands on a great lobster roll—counter service, whatever—is great. You would not believe the culinary crimes committed in the name of “lobster rolls" here in Chicago. (Brioche buns? Challah? Oy).
If you like Mexican and you ever come to Chicago, we should take you to Frontera Grill (or a new Oaxacan place that just opened—still below the radar—around the corner from the Argyle St. “Chinatown North" neighborhood). Or for straight-ahead non-innovative good non-regional Mexican, Mas Alla Del Sol. As for Indian, we are lucky to live only a mile SW of Devon Ave., where Indian families come from all over the Midwest to shop & eat.
BTW, speaking of Somerville, years ago (1994, I think) I took the T out to a little business park that was converted to artists' studios and artisans' ateliers. I'm a long-time fountain pen collector, and one of the editors (and artists) for Pen World Magazine worked there. His name was Pier Gustafson, and he repaired and sold both fountain pens and bicycles (all vintage). Strangely, that seemed like a perfectly normal juxtaposition at the time. Apparently, he’s still at the Fitchburg St. studio but has switched to exclusively calligraphy. (Why am I not surprised)?
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We got La Voile for Friday night—the rest of the time Bob wants to see where our feet take us. (I know I seem deferential, but he works so long & hard, and I get to travel so much more often). But he’s definitely up for Neptune if we find ourselves in the North End. He wants to do the whole Freedom Trail. It’s been so long since we walked it!
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Sandy, one of the best burger joints I have been to in Boston is Mr. Bartley's Burger Cottage in Harvard Square. It's always been packed when I went there and you have to stand in line to get in but the food is worth it. They have some really inventive names on the menu for the food. I'll PM you the link.
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Neptune. They will take your phone number... while you wait, you go across the street to have a cocktail. This is not a warm/fuzzy kind of place, but people put up with the gruffness because the food is so darn good.
Island Creek Oyster House is a great place to have oysters and most things from the sea. The owners have large oyster farms in Welfleet so the product couldn't be much fresher.
Lacey used to write about LaVoile which is where her French friends wanted to go while they were here. We liked it enough that Mr. SMT and I hosted our daughter's wedding dinner there. The fish soup though not a full bouillabaisse, is delicious. Originally, this restaurant was located in Nice, so their preparations of Mediterranean fare is spot on.
For something a bit more "exotic", Oleana in Cambridge is marvelous. Order heavily from the Meze portion of the menu. The entrees are less adventuresome. Ana Sortun's mastery of vegetable cookery is astonishing and she is married to the man that owns one of the most revered local farms. She gets those veggies right out of the ground.
Finally, search the bostonglobe.com for a recent article of where to eat in the North End. There are many mediocre restaurants that cost as much as the really good ones.
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Waiting, waiting, waiting for two of my favorite things. Hatch Chili festival probably not until mid August. Olathe corn not due until August.
Dinner tonight is a half a California Roll with Rothschild Lemon-Wasabi sauce.
Special - check in when you can.
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I was at the farmers market in my daughter's town (Parker, Colorado) on Sunday and we bought some corn marked Olathe. I was really looking forward to it as I haven't had any corn on the cob this summer (my DH can't eat it). But my SIL decided the chicken, potatoes and salad were enough and didn't want to cook it. I hope they enjoy the corn I bought! I'll have to buy myself an ear or two soon.
MJ
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The swordfish are running in New England waters! The most delicious swordfish I have ever eaten, to be honest. We grilled a swordfish steak and I served it with a knock-off Rösti, a bastardization of Ad Hoc at Home's version which is a bastardization of this dish to begin with. I made the Rösti with spiraled farmer's market zucchini and Yukon potatoes of unknown provenance. Spiralizing isn't the perfect way to prepare the veggies and Yukons aren't the perfect potato, and yet it was really good. Instead of cornstarch, I used potato flour and added chives, parsley, and thyme from the garden. Half that mixture goes into the pan, then I did a layer of grated parmesan cheese and then the rest of the zucchini and potato mixture. I used my great-grandmother's cast iron frying pan, but should have chosen the next size down.
Swordfish:
And the experimental Rösti:
I also made a salad, but I am tired of salad photos!
Way too early for corn, well, good corn. I am patient.
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chisandy - I was confused for a minute by your SpecialK reference of crustless quiche - I make it all the time - developed a recipe when I catered a reception for someone whose mom was gluten intolerant. Then I realized you meant the brand Special K...lol!
minus - I'm here, doing ok! Surgery went well, only snafu is that they steri-stripped me because the incision (about 4") is in a tight area - not much laxity on my shoulder, although there seems to be a lot EVERYWHERE else on my body, haha! I have a pretty intense adhesive allergy so the steri-strips have to come off when the bulky bandage is changed tomorrow morning. I am going to try to convince my LE PT to remove them at my appointment, linking the allergic reaction to potential cellulitis or an arm flare. I am a bit peeved as we reviewed the adhesive allergy when I arrived, but a different nurse was there for the close of the wound, and somehow that word was lost. Like a trusting patient I assumed I didn't need to reiterate as they have seen what happens when they steri-strip me - but, no. I didn't watch them stitch or dress, and found out about the steri-strips as I was going out the door. Eeesh! Hoping my shoulder skin is less sensitive than my torso skin where previous hideous rashes have occurred...
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On no Special. I can appreciate the 'steri-strip' allergy. I too hope your shoulder is less sensitive. Will it be too late to add some 'glue' to keep the wound closed?
I've gotten to the point where I always carry my own tape for bandages (Medipore or Hypafix), but I don't know an answer to steri-strips.
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minus - the rest of the dressing is medipore - which sort of defies logic. The wound itself is totally under-stitched, and my plan is to be a princess (already confirmed with DH) and do nothing for several days in hopes that the skin will fuse. I think this was a communication error - nurse #1, to nurse #2, then me to everyone, lol! Moral of the story - never assume. My previous steri-strip reaction - from a MOHS on my upper back - was pretty ugly. They steri-stripped the length of the wound, which was similar to this one, at about 4", and I had a perfectly shaped 4" by 2" rectangle of raised welt. It took weeks to calm down, had to do Domeboro soaks, topicals, etc. I will go straight to the Atarax if this looks bad tomorrow.
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Had dinner with friends last night. They sent us home with the rest of the pulled pork we had for dinner, so it looks like pulled pork sandwiches and a side since it's going to be day 3 of a 5 day heat wave.
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The experimental rosti looks delicious! And Olivia is a gem - so adorable!
Today is my birthday so we are headed to Costco in search of birthday cake and a new toaster to replace the one that just died. (We are very hard on toasters.) The cake is a delicious white cake (my favorite) with mousse filling and fresh fruit on top. I'm hoping they have some cold water lobster tails for dinner (steak for DH of course) to be eaten along with some fresh corn and sliced tomatoes from the garden. For me, this is a feast.
Normally we might see a movie for my birthday, but we have our grand-dog Olivia while the kids are in Boston doing the same things Sandy is talking about and I hate for her to be crated all day.
Dad is not doing well. He is very depressed and is not eating or getting out of bed. They have put him on an antidepressant, which I'm not sure is a good idea. I feel very helpless about it all and somewhat guilty about wanting him to hang on when his quality of life is so poor. Ugh. Old age is not wimps.
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auntienance
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Nancy,
Happy Birthday! So sorry that your Dad is having such a rough time. Not sure why everyone is descending on Boston during a heat wave! Miserably hot today and will be through the weekend.
*susan*
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Happy Birthday, Nance! The cake sounds good even though I would have chosen dark chocolate.
Ouch, SpecialK. Hard to understand how such errors can occur when you were careful to explain your allergy. Unforgiveable.
The swordfish looks delicious.
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Massive flooding in the NW, W and far N suburbs; 2000 mi., away, wildfires in the Sierras. Mother Nature is being a bee-yotch.
Haven’t owned a toaster, ever (though my parents did). We got a Toast-R-Oven as a wedding present in ’71 and have been “multitasking” ever since. The closest thing we have to one-trick-pony appliances are the coffee grinder, deep fryer (I’m scared of open pots of boiling oil), coffee makers, and panini press. But we use the Keurig and big espresso machine as hot water dispensers and the panini press as a grill. We kept an old blade grinder for spices, but I’m a lazy cook and use preground spices for the most part. Our Krups toaster-oven-broiler looks like hell but has been cranking away for 9 years w/o fail. (Since I stopped baking after my FIL died, I barely use my regular oven for anything other than roasting turkeys and preheating cast iron skillets).
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It is hot here. Really hot. I fried up some falafel for lunch, but there was no way I was turning on any source of heat tonight. So, I washed the last of the market lettuce, and sliced up the carrots before adding the swordfish salad. Of course the leftover fish was spectacular. Added some cornichon, capers, lemon juice, olive oil, salt, pepper and just a bit of homemade mayo. On the side, a loaf of ciabatta pulled from the freezer.
Now that I have switched hospitals, I am getting a ridiculous number of solicitation letters and emails. Drives me nuts! No options to opt out at all. Anyone else get these? Does it bother you as well?
*susan*
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DH grilled chicken breast and I made a big salad, very good 🙂
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Good looking salad Illimae
Thanks for the birthday wishes fellow diners. It's been a good day in spite of my stomach not cooperating and the blast furnace heat. Oh Eric, how do you do it. You too Minus. It takes it out of me.
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auntie - happy B-day! Hope your cake was fab
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Nance - belated Happy B-day. Your cake sounded delicious. Sorry about your Dad. Been there. "Everyone" insisted I make my dad eat vegetables & fruit. At 95, all he wanted was candy bars & cokes & doughnuts. So what? He never had an illness in his life except gout - and even if he had, I respected his choices at that point. He just wanted to sit in his recliner & watch TV or sit out in the sun in the afternoon & doze. I think he earned that.
Susan - the swordfish salad looks delicious. I get a few solicitations, but usually only 3 or 4 companies/clinics/hospitals. I just keep their free gift cards, or labels or whatever and shred the rest.
lllimae - your salad looks cool. I find our daily rain storms reminiscent of the 1970s. I was down by Rice today and there wasn't a drop, but by the time I got home to the NW of the City, my rain gauge showed 1-1/2" & streets were flooded. Nance - the 100 degree temps are only aggravated by the rain. Turns the city into a sauna. But the air conditioning is soooooo cold anywhere you go, you have to take a jacket.
Special - how is your skin doing with the steri strips?
Hope Eric's vacation is going well.
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Minus, I'm NW too,near the Copperfield area, had some big rumbles but not much rain. I enjoy a variety of lettuces as a base for my salad but I forgot the red onion this time.
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At Wildfire (Oakbrook) tonight, courtesy of our broker: macadamia-crusted halibut over grilled asparagus and butter sauce, with a baked sweet potato. Half the entree and most of the sweet potato went home with me for Gordy.
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Happy Belated, Nance!
Still working on gettingy blood sugar levels down. Im now on a once daily insulin to try to help my kidney. Getting an ultrasound on them on Monday. Anyone tell me why my salad with hard boiled egg and vinegar and oil dressing with shrimp, raised my bloodsugar? Argh. But it seems not to matter what I eat. Went out with my 2 sisters last night, we went chinese. LOL! I ate Gang chicken, chicken in coconut milk with bamboo shoots with a bit of heat. I added onions though! I only ate 1 tablespoon of rice, and my sugar was still 220 this am. And that's WITH the baseline insuline. BTW, the dinner was delicious. I have leftovers today, it heats up well, because the sauce is thin anyway, almost like soup. Arggghhh. Kidney ultrasound Monday.
WHEE!!! Ain't life fun? LOL
Much love.
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