So...whats for dinner?

I grew up on bakery and Dunkin' donuts. When we moved to Seattle, all we had were the Winchell's chain and a couple of Spudnut shops. (Spudnuts were yeast-raised but made with potato flour--tastier than it sounds). Every time we'd go back to NYC for the holidays, I'd load up on the "soul food" of my youth: street-vendor potato knishes, chopped liver, grilled hot dogs with sauerkraut and w/o ketchup, real bagels (not rolls with holes). good pizza, chocolate egg creams, tuna salad (that wasn't sweet) on kaiser rolls, and Dunkin' Donuts. When I learned that Chicago had at least good pizza, good tuna, bagels, Dunkin' everywhere, and a "ketchup-on-a-hot-dog-is-a-felony" common law, it eased the sting of having to move here instead of staying in Seattle or going back to NYC.

Not sure about dinner--had a cup of lobster bisque from WF about an hr. ago. Torn between pan-searing a small grass-fed bison skirt steak with broccolini & tostones, or Lean Cuisine mac & cheese with a side tomato salad. (Most of my herbs are doing okay, but the mint & basil got leggy and sparse--so I've had to start buying basil again. Still have a windowsill full of homegrown 'maters--small though they may be). Looking at a couple of very ripe "baby bananas" for dessert--unadorned, uncooked. (Sweet enough that they don't have that raw-banana smell that makes me gag).

Hubby and I went to Olive Garden last night. I had Fettuccine Alfredo which to my surprise was a Neverending Pasta Bowl along with salad and breadsticks. I only ate one plate and brought home the second for lunch today.

Eric - I keep you in my thoughts today. One year seems so far away, but only yesterday. What a freak accident. Glad your MIL is OK.

I forgot an L..30mL honey.....

At least that teen wasn't texting. Here in Chicago, it's illegal to even hold your phone while driving (drivers must go either hands-free or incommunicado), but the biggest problem now is distracted pedestrians. They're either looking at their phones while they text and talk, have earbuds on (often at high volume) or both. Worse yet, they do this while crossing streets. I can't tell you how many times lately I've had to brake suddenly when legally turning, for some idiot walking down the sidewalk texting, not stopping at the curb, not looking at the signal nor traffic. Honking to get their attention is futile--they're wearing earbuds and can't hear me. 27 pedestrians have been killed this year crossing streets in Chicago. So two aldermen introduced a proposed ordinance yesterday, outlawing texting while crossing a street, with fines ranging from $25-500, depending on the results of their conduct (e.g., whether it caused an accident that injured anyone). Honolulu passed a similar ordinance, but with a $30 fine.

So what's the reaction? Almost everyone interviewed along the Mag Mile yesterday howled indignantly: "We're taxed and fined enough as it is--stop wasteful spending instead;" "Where's the harm--we're only endangering ourselves?" "Why bother us? Take care of the gang shootings instead;" and "Pedestrians shouldn't have to be careful--drivers should." (Oh yeah? I once represented a driver sued by a jaywalker he hit when she darted out from between parked cars in the middle of the block. Her lawyer argued that she wasn't ticketed for jaywalking, and pedestrians always have the right of way, just like small boats do at sea. But he hadn't counted on the necessity to yield that right of way, nor the effect of illegal conduct as contributory negligence. My client won).

This is all part of a disturbing trend towards selfish, bratty entitlement--that people should have the right to do anything they want with their money, property and selves, regardless of who or what gets harmed. Ironic that many of these folks screaming "Personal responsibility!" when consumers are harmed by defective products, or when "other people" (i.e., people who don't look like them) trying to "suckle on the public teat" when they lose their jobs or suffer a medical or natural-disaster crisis, don't believe that they themselves should bear responsibility for their own acts & omissions.

I got the dinner schedule perfect tonight. Within about 5 minutes of Sharon getting home, I had dinner ready and on the table. Beef Stroganoff, a salad and sauteed kale and chard. I could tell Sharon was grateful that she didn't have to wait very long for dinner. She was feeling poorly due to a cold and wanted to lay down as soon as she could.

The kale and chard were sauteed with a couple of cloves of minced garlic, a bit of red pepper flakes and some salt. I've never done this before and I was amazed that such a large pile of greens shrunk so much as it cooked. I have enough to do another "batch" and I think that next time I'll reduce the amount of red pepper flakes...the stuff had quite a "bite" to it.

A couple of DD's sorority sisters live on the east coast and can't get home for Thanksgiving, so DD invited them to our house. We will have Thanksgiving day company for the first time in a very long time.

I'm working on getting the house cleaned up a bit and I'm hoping I can avoid Sharon's cold. Otherwise I'll be preparing the house while feeling bad. And the house needs cleaning. I was sweeping under the furniture this morning and the "dust bunnies" were so big that I thought there were a couple of cats hiding under there. :-)

The other thing I did today was to help "the other half of my brain" gather some parts for his truck at a self-serve auto wrecking yard. When we were done, we wandered through the place a bit and I lucked out. I have been looking for horn buttons to replace the broken ones in mom's 1994 Buick Century.and I found an intact set today. The buttons have not been made new since 2004 and are of a rather poor design. Every car that uses them that I've found in the junk yards has had broken horn buttons, so I was "excited" to find a good set.

The car is over at MIL's house and she's driving it until the other insurance company (USAA) arranges for a rental car. Sharon and I have USAA and have always had good experiences with them, so I'm confident that they will treat MIL well. I'll probably go over there tomorrow and replace the horn buttons--it's a 10 minute job. If anyone knows of someone in Phoenix that is looking for a 1994 car with about 60,000 miles on it, it's available *CHEAP*. It would make a great first car for a teenager. Selling that one will get me down to 7 (!) cars...did I mention I'd sell it *CHEAP*??? :-)

The texting and driving activity is not specifically illegal under Arizona's state laws. Instead it's covered under the distracted driving laws. This applies to anything which distracts the driver's attention from driving. What happens is police officer will see a car moving in an erratic fashion or see the driver with their attention obviously distracted from driving (reading a newspaper, looking down at a cell phone, or even their head turned around while the driver is yelling at their children) and they will pull the car over to "have a chat".

KFC started in Corbin, Kentucky...a small town just up the road from the tiny town where my dad grew up. When I was visiting my aunts and uncles, I ate at *the first one*.

Eric, being Native Russian I usually cook Beef Stroganoff to a non-Russian guests, I am known for it, it is my parade dish so to speak. When people mention Beef Stroganoff I turn a bit into a nazi and want to know what their recipe is. Here in Sweden there is this beloved dish, my kids can eat it any time, I never cook it, they probably got it in school once w week. It is called Sausage Stroganoff, contains thick type of sausage, tomato paste, cream, onions if you are lycky and served with rice. When someone tries to talk to me about this dish being of Russian origin, I am telling them that it has nothing to do with the original one. Those who tasted mine, they always bring it up. My maternal grandmom cooked it often and so did my mom.

Lunch was fried chicken liver, I just fry it in the pan with the onions, to it I had beet root salad with garlic. I will eat the same for dinner. The family will have breaded fish with mashed potato and green salad. No carbs today and no sugar. I went to my counselor appointment in the morning before I had breakfast, I bought a coffee and a cinnamon bun, I brought the bun home. I had two apples and a pair instead, but telling myself that I have to do something about the weight, something's gotta give.

I am stocking up for Boston Cream Pie, if everything goes my way tomorrow I will be ready to post the picture.

Eric, at least you are using beef and not sausages. You are missing one major ingredient that being sour cream. Here is my mom’s and grandmom’s recipe, the latter was bor 1915 and from here I inherited a cook book from 50-es. I heard about adding mushrooms but since we had no can button mushrooms in the store until mid-90-es, during Soviet time the beef stroganoff was always prepared wihout the mushrooms.

Since I am often cooking it to impress people I will take entrecote part, the fat tastes good and the meet will be fried quickly, remains juicy etc. But the rostbiff is good too, or any other for that matter that does not take extensive cooking. I cut it in larger slices and beat it with tenderizer and then cut in stripes. Then I sautee the onions and remove it from the skillet. Then I fry the meat, it has to be fried quickly but still got color, so the temperature must be high and sometimes I fry in portions. Then I put the meat, onions, s&p, laurel leaf into a pot or Danish oven and add meet broth, not too much, with tomato paste (this is up to you how much, but the stroganov has to be pink in color), then I let it cook until the meat is cooked, not for long if you use entrecote, then I turn it off and mix in sour cream, cannot tell how much, but you cannot spoil it if you put too much. If you use creme fraiche you can cook it but sour cream will ... trying to find the word in English ... curdle? says Google. You can add sherry or madeira or any other vermouth but remember we did not have it back there but it sure can only contribute to the taste and I will try to add some sherry to it next time. And it always is served with fried potatoes, pomme frites or those cubes you described the other day. My mom and grandmom always served it with mashed potatoes. No rice, no pasta, sorry. I know, but this is the only recipe I am ready to defend but only because the original beats any other variation. Cherry

Eric, then your beef stroganoff is legitimate) Now I feel like cooking one, good idea for the next week

and me) I only saw sour and cream

Have not really been cooking since I'm home alone this past week, eating a lot of salads. I have been reading though!

Fair warning - my phone autocorrects prosciutto to prostitute - no idea why, so if you are texting about yummy Italian food andprosciutto, be careful, lol!

Interesting that the Swedish version of beef stroganoff is served on potatoes. It is always served on noodles (flat pasta) here.

Our dinner last night was a one-pot pasta dish based on WW recipe for Lemony Orecchiette and Broccolini. I used the bowtie pasta instead and frozen peas and canned artichoke hearts. The recipe ingredients include diced onions, garlic, lemon zest and lemon juice and chicken broth. Also grated parmesan cheese. I added sliced fresh mushrooms. I had cooked this dish before and it is tasty.

Side was the usual romaine, blue cheese, over-ripe avocado and Greek olives.

There's enough left of the pasta dish for dinner tonight.

Oh, my.... does that cake look good. I could eat a big slice of it. Or a quarter of it!

The aroma of pork roast is filling the house. I stuffed a Boston butt with a mixture of green onions, garlic, and cayenne pepper and set the oven at 325 degrees. The side will be a cauliflower/potato mash and either salad or carrots. Or maybe the lima beans that I mentioned as a menu item recently but didn't cook.

My Boston Cream Pie tasted really good, the dough got quite dense, I wonder if it would taste better with sponge cake. I checked several recipies though, apparently it has to be this way, the dough I mean.

Dinner today was Persian dish called gourmeh sabzi, I really recommend this stew, it is served in all Iranian restaurants and smell of it has filled our house for a couple of days. The eldest girl who just loves it is still chez her boyfriend so I will freeze a portion for her.I also baked two different chilies in the oven and then soaked them in olive oil with sliced garlic and s&p.

Had coho salmon, snap peas and a handful of air-fried potatoes for dinner last night. Breakfast was half a bagel/cream cheese/lox before I noticed Bob was missing (he usually sleeps in on Sundays). Called his cell: he’d driven himself to the ER with abdominal pain and had a CT scan. Took a Lyft up there (so I can drive his car home) just in time to find out he has a small bowel obstruction, likely adhesions from prior surgeries, a twisted intestine or both. He’s on nasogastric suction to rest his bowels—along with frequent trips up & down the corridor with his IV pole as dance partner. If that hasn’t worked by tomorrow, then it’s surgery for him. I didn’t want to eat anything good in front of him so I had an Atkins bar from my tote bag. Not sure I’m gonna want dinner. Gordy came by so we may leave for home soon—Bob is watching football and sleeping (courtesy of morphine) in between trips down the hall and nurse visits, so we wouldn’t be much help tonight.

Eric, all the line cooks in Chicago are Mexican or at least Latino. Even the sushi chefs (their Japanese masters did a good job of training them). I too get frustrated with Asian cuisine made from American ingredients especially since there are so many great Asian markets with imported veggies near us. I don’t know how even basic Chinese restaurants can survive down in the boonies (how can they make egg foo yung without bean sprouts, using cauliflower crumbles instead?) except perhaps because most of their patrons have never had the real thing.