So...whats for dinner?
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Yesterday was a I don't feel like cooking day. DH was agreeable to having dinner at nearby Clancy's. We had our martinis at 5 pm over on Mary's deck with the regulars. Then we went to Clancy's and had water with our meal. I had walleye sliders and house salad with extra blue cheese dressing. DH had a California burger which comes with lettuce and tomato. At home we call that "dressed." He also had a house salad and an order of fries, which I shared.
Mary had baked a June berry pie and gave us two huge slices for dessert and a little dish of vanilla ice cream. We were too full for dessert but did taste the pie. June berries grow wild in this area and Hugh, who lives in one of the two condos, always picks them. He works at the Itasca State Park about ten miles away where the headwaters of the Mississippi River is located.
Tonight will be a cook whether you feel like it or not situation. I'm thinking pork steak out of the freezer. And golden beets in vinegar as a side and a tossed salad.
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I always heard "dressed" referred to as a po'boy with L, T & mayo. I got a weird look last time I asked for remoulade instead of mayo, but they obliged nonetheless.
I never ate the lunch in my grade school cafeteria: it was free, and only provided to kids on welfare. I either walked to my grandma's house a block away, went to the luncheonette when they had the 50-cent chow mein special, or brought a bag lunch from home on rainy days. In jr. high, the cook was from down South and made perfect yellow rice, fried shrimp, baby peas and spice cake for dessert. It was >1/2 mi. from my house, so there was not enough time to go home. (Sometimes I went to the luncheonette on the corner for a burger). My high school was 2 blocks from my house—sometimes I'd go home and broil a frozen mini-pizza, but most times I'd buy lunch in the cafeteria. I knew the food well: my summer day camp (which I attended since age 8 ) used that cafeteria, and their meat loaf and tuna-on-kaiser (plus great potato salad) were excellent.
The air quality in Chicago was so bad (officially today, the world's worst) that we wore KN95s outdoors and took them off when we entered the restaurant. (Welcome to "Opposite World").
WARNING: DROOL ALERT AHEAD
Tonight we went to Ever (Curtis Duffy, 2 Michelin stars) for our 52d anniversary. (Obelix is closed Tues., and I couldn't score a table at Alinea or Oriole). Every special occasion gets more special year-by-year, so we do take advantage of it—especially because Bob's schedule makes foreign travel impractical if not impossible. (My trips abroad tend to be solo, for continuing legal ed. with the Bar Assn.). We did the 10-course "Ever Experience" tasting menu (which is the only menu they offer) with wine pairings. Lots of "molecular gastronomy." Reading from the souvenir menu (sorry, forgot to photograph the food):
Started, as we entered, with a mocktail of rooibos iced tea with grapefruit "pearls" (like boba). First course was Oscetra Grand Reserve white sturgeon caviar (Uruguay) with hazelnut, honeydew and lemon-balm foam, paired with NV Charles Le Bel "Inspiration 1818" brut Champagne. Next was a frozen ribbon of Japanese hamachi, with finger lime, ginger and blue basil, paired with a white 2022 Selvagrossa "Albanella" (only 4 producers make that varietal) from a tiny winery in the Marche, only 10km from the Adriatic. Next came ribbons of white asparagus, smoked trout mousse, salmon roe, mandarin (both plain and candied) and dill sauce paired with a 2022 Can Sumoi Xarel-lo (same varietal used for cava) from Catalonia (a dry white). Next course began with bread service: housemade pretzel roll with regular and basil butter from a farm in MO; rabbit loin with carrot, rhubarb and an herb called "hoja santa" (sort of like holy basil), paired with another Spanish white, a Listan Bianco (Palomino, the traditional Sherry grape) from the Tenerife (Canary Islands)—2021 Suertes de Marques, slightly (deliberately) oxidized. Next savory course was a seared scallop with squash, coconut and nasturtium petals with a curried "milk bread" roll, paired with 2018 Melsheimer Reiler (Mosel) Riesling Spätlese. Next came a delicate fennel-pollen mini-biscuit with braised pork cheek, artichoke, flash-dried speck (unsmoked prosciutto-like ham) and chive, paired with a red: 2021 Malahierba from Castilla Y Leon in remote rural central Spain. Only 4 restaurants in the world get it, and Ever is the only one in the US. (Only 160 people have had a chance to taste it—and we were among them). Final savory course was an A5 Wagyu beef from Miyazaki Prefecture in Japan, with date, pickle and black mint, paired with a 2019 Valpolicella Ripasso Superiore (Veneto), which was fermented on lees & skins (for grappa) to give it more body. Then the desserts: a "mosaic" rice pudding of banana with gelees of hibiscus, fennel and passionfruit with a clear sugar glaze, paired with a sweet rich fortified red Pablo Fallabrino Alcyone Tannat (a varietal originally from SW France) from Uruguay. Then a frozen "globe" of jasmine tea, inside which were chocolate bits, a strawberry & a brownieFinished with a "lollipop" of a mini-Belgian waffle glazed with maple syrup infused with Australian black truffle. They sent us home with their own dark chocolate from Uruguay.
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I marvel how well some remember their meals from their younger years. We were not on welfare but income so low that we qualified for the "free ticket" for lunch. All the kids got tickets for lunch, so it was done "behind the scenes" so no child felt outcast. The only thing I remember was being served a pork chop suey of sorts and the obligatory milk. It was so foreign. We lived in Israel when I was 1-1/2 to 4-1/2 and needless to say, no pork; and also no meat and dairy. I felt like I would be struck down eating that lunch. In jr. high and high school we only occasionally ate at the cafeteria; mostly brown-bagged it since my sister has horrible IBS and was quite fussy about what to eat. I ate what she requested by default.
Last night I used up the last of the rice/mushroom dish and added a fried egg with the broccoli. Delicious rice with the chicken fat rendered in there.
Tonight I am making Greek-ish gigante beans, spinach and huge shrimp bathed in garlic and olive oil.
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Hi all - have been reading, but have been too insanely busy to post much and really haven't been making dinner, lol! We are readying the downtown house to sell so we can start on the CO house. Lots of stuff, which included moving DD and beau out - along with 8 chickens and their coop, three cats - one of which is a tiny rescue being fostered that had surgery for a degloved lower jaw and then separately, a spay in the middle of all this - plus two huge fish tanks - which was a fiasco - the "expert" hired by DD to move these tanks (a 60 gal and a 125 gal) spilled water and sand in the room, and then his container carrying the live rock broke and broke the rock, then his bucket failed while being carried full of fish - who briefly pan-fried on the driveway…, and the bird. I have been busy getting a new vanity, sink and sourcing a quartz top to fit for the en suite bath, also procuring the right size shower door - which disappeared into the ether but has been found and will be delivered tomorrow. Yesterday we had sod put in the backyard - which has to be watered twice daily (no irrigation back there…) so I ned it to rain daily, and I have been bringing stuff from my house to stage, we have painted, cleaned, etc. It is a lot. This week I have the plumber coming to hook up the new vanity and sink, the termite inspection so I can provide that to the real estate agent, and I am waiting for the new blinds. Sheesh. Still having to do all the regular stuff at the house I actually live in. I am feeling my age, because I am fleepin' TIRED. I am physically exhausted but am experiencing some anxiety because of all that needs to be done, or is in the process of being done, and trying to handle it all. DH drops his retirement paperwork this month, then the countdown to his end of work at the end of December. He can't wait! The good news is that we have some trips planned this summer and we will regenerate and relax! I hope. When we bought this house we took a trip to Hawaii in the middle of closing and all I did was make phone calls for the first 3-4 days, so I hope this doesn't happen again now that we are on the selling end, lol!
Tonight I am actually cooking - a pork tenderloin that I thawed and need to cook, probably sweet potatoes, and green beans with butter and dill.
divine - this is going back a few pages, but you mentioned the cake - it is called One Step Chocolate Cake and I got the recipe from my BFF - it uses a boxed cake mix. This is the basic recipe, I use a Devil's Food mix, but I omit the chips and use chocolate instant pudding mix. I have used prepared frosting that I nuke gently in the microwave so that is pours, or drizzled melted choc chips, or just dusted with powdered sugar.
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Special - GREAT to see you, but sorry you are so swamped. Do you think you can start on the CO house before the winter snows? Maybe at least get the framing done & place enclosed. I forgot - where is your property? Thanks for the Kahlua Cake recipe.
Reader - I love the mish-mash idea. That's what I've been doing all week. A little salad, some cheese & crackers, some salmon spread, English Muffins with peanut butter, etc. It's certainly too hot to cook, but really too hot to even eat.
I am not and never have been a morning person, but I'm walking 2 hours every morning and it's already 92 by 7am. If I hope to finish before 10am, I have to jump on it. Also doing water aerobics 3x a week at the neighborhood pool. The water definitely feels like bathwater. Hope this heat dome will break enough to take the highs down to 95. Every day of 102 & 103 is too much. And lets not even talk about lawns & gardens….
My niece-in-law's B-day is Friday. She's Chinese but I was surprised she picked dinner in Chinatown instead of steak. Her parents will be there so the dinner will definitely be authentic. Then nephew, wife & 8 year old will come up Sunday morning to swim in my neighborhood pool. Even at 11am it's too hot to eat. I'll make a 3 bean salad and a cold veggie tray. He's a vegan, but maybe I'll make deviled eggs for the rest of us. Lemonade & lots of water to drink.
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Had planned to grill a bison ribeye tonight, but our AQI is still >200, in the "very unhealthy" category—so was not about to spend one moment longer than necessary outdoors. So I decided to do a surf & turf instead, with the sea scallops I picked up today from Hooked on Fish. Wore my mask until I got home. Pan-seared the scallops in grapeseed oil & Joe's Stuff seasoning (finished with butter), and very carefully seared the steak in cast iron with the exhaust fan running at top speed to avoid either opening a window or setting off the smoke alarm (Used Montreal Steak Seasoning on the steak, and put it in the pan sans any oil).. Both came out great. Started with gazpacho garnished with pico de gallo. Accompanied with a tomato-basil salad (first garden harvest for both) which had to be carefully washed to eliminate all traces of smoke schmutz—however invisible. Nuked a sweet potato (S&P and cinnamon); while the steak rested foil-tented on its carving board, I sauteed mushrooms in the skillet (cremini, shiitake, oyster) in a little butter, madeira, and the juices from the steak. Though the outdoor air smelled like wood smoke, we've been advised that it also contained microplastics, chemicals & metal nanoparticles. Hence, indoor-only cooking. The AQI is so bad that my nose stings as if I'd gotten a whiff of a freshly-lit cigarette, even indoors. We have only window ACs, and my old HEPA purifier hasn't been used in years, (This too shall pass…at least long enough to be able to buy a new HEPA unit or at least find the old one in the basement and change its filters).
Tomorrow will be the other half of the scallops (I'd bought a lb.), with a cream-and-butter sauce using soaked saffron threads (and the soaking water) and a softened & scraped vanilla bean (a recipe I saw demoed decades ago by Mary Beth Liccioni from Le Français and later Les Nomades). Will steam or pan-sear asparagus. Starter will be the seafood "mulligatawny" soup I bought, frozen, along with the scallops. (Should be defrosted by dinner time). Might make a rice or quinoa for Bob, though lately he doesn't mind not having a starch,
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Last night was leftover stroganoff, sliced golden beets in vinegar and a delicious tossed salad made with little salad greens from Mary's garden. I supplied the seeds and have helped with the watering.
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Tonight will be the Greek style gigante beans/spinach and huge shrimp.
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SpecialK, thanks for the Kahlua cake recipe! Yum-oh! I’ve bookmarked it and hope to make it soon!
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Velveted pork strips with cabbage and udon noodles.
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Walking to Brasserie C&C soon. Will report back. For brunch, I made a Benedict on a CarbSmart muffin with slices of beefsteak tomato.
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Thunderstorms today so eating in was desirable. Heated ham from the freezer, "doctored" some baked beans and had a side salad. Sometimes simple works just fine.
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Dinner at Brasserie was a shared mesclun salad and a ceviche appetizer. I'd planned to have their cassoulet as my entree, but it's not cassoulet weather—way too hot. So I had an app as my main: a single piece of hamachi atop a cube of crisped rice (like seared sushi rice), with microgreens and wasabi cream…and a dollop of Osetra caviar. (Bob had salmon & succotash). Desserts didn't float our boat—and Lickety Split custard parlor on the corner had "cake batter" as its flavor of the week. Meh. So at home I mixed together Greek yogurt, strawberries, keto granola and a little allulose instead. Might also have a square of Alter Eco 90% dark chocolate, which tastes sweeter to me than Lindt 85% or Ghirardelli 86%. I really have to avoid late-night snacking, which has gotten way out of hand.
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Last night was hot dogs and leftover pasta salad. We don't like hot dog buns and substitute toasted whole grain bread.
Tonight may be ribs. Again. I have been wanting potato salad so that may be on the menu.
The campground is over run with people this holiday weekend but they spend a lot of time on their boats out on the lake in the scorching sun. My sun worshipping days are long gone and shade is my friend. We have permission to use the owners' pontoon boat but they are such neat niks that we probably won't take advantage of the opportunity. We might leave foot prints. I do enjoy our deck under the awning with a nice cooling breeze.
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One of Sharon's cousins has a cabin about an hour drive from our home and we went over there for an "early 4th" BBQ. Hot dogs, hamburgers, beans, potato salad, soda. We came home before that town's fireworks started.
Normally, fireworks don't bother our dog, but this "case" is different. The town sets their fireworks in a natural depression and the noise is greatly magnified, which is enough to turn Frankie (dog) into a "puddle of jelly".
When we got home, flags were everywhere, but it was completely quiet. The area currently has stage 1 fire restrictions (no outside fires, no fireworks, etc.) and everyone was good with that. Most everyone up here remembers the Rodeo-Chediski and Wallow fires so there is no patience with those that ignore the fire restrictions. Where we live is where folks evacuating ahead of fires come to, so we are as safe as reasonably possible, but still…no one wants to tempt fate.
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Nuked Buffalo wings, with assorted crudites & blue cheese dressing. Pretty rainy, so didn't go out to pick basil or another tomato (to proactively rescue from squirrels, as I did this morning). Held out till very late last night, when Heidi emerged from her lair under the daybed and demanded a nibble and nuzzling—so, dejected over her beginning to "sunset" (she's 18-1/2, deaf, going blind, arthritic and getting demented), I consoled myself with chips & cookies. She still enjoys her pleasures (eating, drinking, cuddling), self-grooms and uses her litterboxes neatly , so we will keep her alive as long as she wants us to.
Today at 2pm I made a cheeseburger (stovetop, as it was pouring out) with cheddar, red onion, romaine and a slice of our last store-bought tomato on a keto bun. Not sure about dinner, as the flood warning is still in effect and the downtown road race finally started (it's about 1/3 through). Don't want to go walking in the rain, and I'm bored with anything in walking distance. May sear some fish—my HK won't have to smell it because she won't be in till Wed., as her basement flooded overnight and she needs to be home for the insurance adjuster tomorrow; and Tues. is the 4th. And it's forecast to storm Wed.
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Eric - my cousin in Taylor has sent me pictures of their "over the top" 4th of July parties. One time I know they were shooting an anvil into the air. We always had sparklers growing up. Unfortunately in Texas everyone likes to shoot their guns up into the air. Needless to say, you can't predict where the bullet will come down. I'll be staying in my house Tuesday night.
My nephew, wife & 8 year old came over to join me in our neighborhood community pool. They got here at 11am when the pool opens and we had the entire pool just to ourselves until 2pm. I made 3 bean salad, prepared a veggie tray of cauliflower, cucumber, radishes, carrots, olives, pickles, celery stuffed with pimento cheese - along with deviled eggs. For those of us who aren't vegan, I stirred up a sour cream Hidden Valley Ranch Dip. Also cut up a watermelon and had cold lemonade. Dessert was a sour cream angel food cake. Needless to say, everyone was stuffed.
Fingers crossed - we may be out of the 'heat dome'. After more than two weeks of temperatures at 100-103, today topped out at 97 and we actually had 1/2" of rain around 4pm.
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Hello and Happy 4th to all. Just dropping in to say hello!
Just the mention of hot dogs, to me, 🤢. I don't think I've had one in over a year and half. If I did, it was when my DH was still alive, he LOVED hot dogs. On mine, I liked home grown tomatoes, chili, cheese, onions and maybe some mustard, he would have all that plus ketchup and relish.
Eric, I lived up here during both of those fires, HORRIFIC and so so sad!
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Tonight it looks like pan-seared cod with chimichurri sauce; sauteed broccolini; tomato-basil salad; and seafood Mulligatawney soup to start. Might see if Bob wants to walk to the corner afterward and get some vanilla frozen custard for mixed-berries (farmers' mkt blueberries, blackberries, red raspberries; and some of our backyard black raspberries I picked yesterday). I might have mine over Greek yogurt with allulose & vanilla extract. Meanwhile, waiting for the race to be over (it's in overtime right now, after 75 laps).
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Last night was leftover udon noodles.
Tonight will be refried bean nachos.
We are finally getting into the 70s. 😝 Minus, glad to hear that heat dome is leaving. Those temps make me wilt just reading them.
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Goldie - always good to see you here. Now we need a check in from Mae and Nance.
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Bob had a light work day today. We went out to Jaleo (Jose Andres' restaurant) for tapas & paella (50% off paella on Mondays). Anchovies over pan tomate cristal; potato salad with tuna & white asparagus; pisto manchego (kind of like warm ratatouille) topped with a fried egg; and paella "mixto" with chicken wings, sausage, head-on shrimp, and vegetables. Too full to even contemplate dessert.
Went to farmers' mkt. this aft. Got some lettuces, a multigrain sourdough, onion, asparagus, cremini mushrooms, some more Guatemalan coffee and the first Michigan tart cherries of the season. Gonna figure out what to make with the latter, other than the usual pie. To me, they're the only kind of cherry that actually tastes like the "wild cherry" candies & soda pop I had as a kid. Sweet cherries (Bing & Rainier) are delicious, but the flavor just doesn't register with me as "cherry."
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Dinner last night was delicious. Chicken thighs, skin on bone in, roasted in a pan on the outdoor grill/oven and small new potatoes boiled on the gas burner on the grill. Butter and sour cream on the potatoes. Simple food but so good. The chicken skin was crisp and darkened.
Tonight will probably be pasta.
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Yesterday was an "eat lunch leftovers for dinner". We ended up in Show Low to get a car tire replaced and get some keys copied at a locksmith shop (the regular hardware stores didn't have the proper stuff to do this key).
Wow. The tire store had 35 people in line and the traffic was extremely heavy. I guess everyone is escaping the Phoenix heat.
We ate spaghetti-marinara sauce-mushrooms at a place a few doors down from the locksmith shop and brought the leftovers home for dinner.
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Eric, where did you get your sketti? Have you been to the Red Devil? The House is good too, nice good juicy burgers (if you like that), they have good cole slaw too, it has a bite to it tho, therefore I don't like it. Lotus Garden, you either like or you don't! My DH and I liked it. I have not been, but I've heard Streets on Main in Snowflake is good. I don't eat out anymore, haven't in years and I'm not a Mexican fan, but lots of them around!
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Frozen burgers (costco) with baked beans and a green veg TBD.
Thawing a copper river sockeye for tomorrow.
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Red Devil was where we ate the spaghetti. We've eaten at Lotus Garden and at Streets on Main as well, and like them both. The Pasta House is also good.
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Happy Independence Day Americans!
I haven't posted much because I'm still suffering from sciatic pain in spite of four weeks of physical therapy. The pain often makes me feel ill as does the pain meds. MRI scheduled for Wednesday. Don't know what happens after that.
Days are better than nights so today I fixed baked beans, fresh local corn off the cob and coleslaw. DH will grill brats a little later. Meals have been hit and miss with a fair amount of take out. We did go out to dinner Saturday to celebrate a friend's birthday, to a local steakhouse that has the best fried chicken around, which is what I had with a grilled sweet potato. Outstanding. One night's dinner was two ears of corn and cucumber, onion and tomato in vinegar and oil. A good summer dinner that suited my on again off again appetite. I always seem to have an appetite for dessert though. Hmmm.
We had several days of smoke filled air. The past few days have been better but I'm sure tonight's fireworks extravaganzas won't help, although we are expecting some rain which might. We're getting your heat dome Minus, with temps in the 90s. Hope that doesn't last long.
I always ate in the cafeteria until I was in high school. The only things I remember with any clarity are "chili burgers" which I think were just sloppy joes, and fish sticks. At thanksgiving time, they served chopped up turkey in gravy over mashed potatoes. I loved it and still make it with turkey day leftovers. Pizza was unheard of. I think my lunches cost 35 cents.
Good to see you back Sandy. Your meals are drool-worthy as usual.
Carole - did you all get smoke from the wildfires? Golden beets are my very favorite and in fact, I have some right now in the refrigerator. I hope to get the wherewithal to roast them soon.
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Friends coming over to grill (or reheat) potluck: slab of ribs, sausages. They're bringing potato salad, I will make tomato-basil salad (this time with our first ripe homegrown 'mater). We have plenty of berries, an angel-food cake, anf whipped cream, so dessert is covered. Hope it doesn't rain here tonight, but it's gonna storm again tomorrow (sigh—Bob's days off all seem to have lousy weather).
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Checking in. In Houston for a follow up brain MRI tomorrow. I had a spot in February that looked like a blood vessel but in May, it looked like a new met on top of a blood vessel, hoping for a determination tomorrow. Tonight was shrimp fried rice. Tomorrow will be Vietnamese at Hughies, then heading back early on Thursday. BFF flys in from Wisconsin on Tuesday, so planning on easy stuff next week.
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