So...whats for dinner?
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Would it surprise you to hear that recent surveys revealed most Chicagoans (even North Siders) prefer thin-crust pizza (whether Neapolitan or that "party-cut" tavern-style cracker-y stuff which is merely a beer-accompaniment device)? I could never muster any enthusiasm for deep-dish, even during its (and its evil twin "stuffed"s) heyday in the late '70s-mid-'80s. Used to be that thin crust vs. deep-dish was as reliable an indicator of South Side vs. North Side rivalry as White Sox vs. Cubs fandom). But finally this meat-and-potatoes Big Shoulders city has woken up to the fact that there's more to food than the size of the portions. The crust is utterly flavorless, the sauce one-dimensional, the cheese excessive, with gooeyness being the ultimate objective. It's like lasagna, but with thick flavorless bread telling the pasta to go take a hike. Sorry, but if I want lasagna, I'll order lasagna. It's subtler and tastes better. The kinds of people who prefer deep-dish also praise diner-style "family" restaurants offering badly-executed comfort food (much of which comes from cans & mixes) for serving huge portions. (BTW, don't confuse deep-dish with NYC-style Sicilian, which has a pillowy foccaccia-like crust with more flavor and proportionally appropriate toppings).
(Yeah, I'm a food snob. Ya got a problem with that)?
So last night we ordered in from Jimmy's NY Pizza Cafe. Plain, with basil chiffonade. Nice foldable slices. Tonight, I made pan-seared wild Resurrection Bay sockeye salmon (more pronounced flavor than the insanely-priced Copper River variety). Served it atop a bed of last week's leftover freekeh, with a side of Thai-style stir-fried veggies and seasonal pea (English, sugar snap, snow peas & pea shoots) salad--both from Whole Foods' hot & salad bars, respectively. BTW, our Whole Foods used to be Dominick's. When that chain went out of business, its stores became either Whole Foods, Mariano's or ShopSmart (about a half step more upscale than Food4Less).
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Minus, the 3 envelopes are a packet or brown gravy, a packet of hidden valley ranch and a packet of italian dressing mixed with some water or beef broth with a chuck roast in the crockpot. You can search google for the full recipe. It is so tender.
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Thanks Phoenix.
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Sandy, the place that hubby and I go to for thin crust pizza is Pepe's. It's very well known in Connecticut. Never been to the original location in New Haven, but we have one in the town we live in and it is very good. We always end up taking part of the pizza home!
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We used to have a New Haven-style pizzeria called Great Lakes Pizza Co. in Andersonville (one neighborhood to the south of us--in fact, on my old block). It went under because of its owner's idiosyncratic policies (only two tables, so eating-in was discouraged; no phone orders; and no waiting inside for your order--you had to give a cell phone #, leave the premises, and return for pickup when called...within 10 minutes, or your pie would be forfeited unless you paid in advance. No optional toppings, take each pizza exactly as described). But it was great pizza. (BTW, I have an irrational aversion to pepperoni--it's so spicy it masks the flavor of the other toppings, but generically spicy, not unique like chorizo, "sweet" Italian, or andouille. But equally weirdly, I love anchovies. Go figure--maybe because in the Brooklyn pizzerias of my youth, nobody ordered pepperoni, but anchovies were not unusual).
Was going to have leftover pizza for brunch, but decided to make a veggie-and-Swiss omelet (2 whole lg. eggs and a leftover jumbo white) instead, with a mini-croissant on the side. Only wanted a snack later, but I felt pizza would do too much carb damage so I noshed on olives & skin-on roasted almonds instead. And my grill is working again, so will make a grass-fed ribeye later and have it with half a garnet yam and that seasonal WF pea salad. Or maybe saute fiddleheads in olive oil & balsamic. Last night's dessert was cannoli--don't judge. I promise to be good tonight.
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Tonight was salsa chicken and it was delicious. Two chicken breasts topped with a can of rinsed black beans and a liberal amount of salsa. Covered with aluminum foil and cooked for about two hours in the grill/oven at about 400 degrees. I shredded the chicken and got out a package of shredded "Mexican" cheese and a carton of sour cream.
Side was a tossed salad with lots of good veggies and other additions.
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Tonight was homemade Mac ‘n Cheese with large elbows, cheddar and chipotle gouda, and chicken andouille sausage all together, and also made broccoli salad with almonds, bacon, dried cranberries and seeet and sour dressing
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Yesterday we had a lovely afternoon on our Duckboat ride with perfect spring Boston weather. It really is fun playing tourist in one’s own city to appreciate the many changes it has undergone over the last fifty years since I arrived here. I wish it were a bit less crowded these days, but I can just keep wishing that given all the biotech growth in the eastern MA area. Guess I am feeling my old age to want the city to be a bit more like it was when I chose it.
After our duckboat tour we stopped up at the Top of the Hub (52 floor) and relaxed with a surprisingly nice mezze plate and some sparkling wine, while enjoying the view of Back Bay, Seaport, and the Harbor. It has been many decades since I visited the top of the Prudential Building, so it was more tourist fun!
After cruising around Eataly for a bit, we settled on dinner at Il Pesce which was mixed quality in my opinion. I was also probably a bit critical since I wasn’t super hungry after our mezze plate. But trudge on we did....since we really like to eat! LOL Their calamari was delightfully delicate and needed no sauce....good thing, since it came with none! For an entree I had a piece of hake (cod cousin) in a puttanesca sauce, which was disappointingly salty. Since I make this with cod frequently at home with a doctored up version of Rao’s puttanesca sauce, I expected it to be much better. The good news is that my version is clearly guest worthy.
After eating, we shopped there for some food gifts and some unusual pastas, crusty bread loaves, and Italian chocolates. Then we happily headed home....my birthday celebration accomplished....where we enjoyed some grocery store bought carrot birthday cake. A very food-filled birthday!
I decided not to wear my cardiac monitor during that excursion, especially since I’ve re-developed lower back spasms since wearing it. I think having that sensor hanging around my neck has contributed to my poor posture, and gradually the back problem. So today I got up with the birds to make an 8AM appt with this nurse who does fascia work.....total magic every time I have seen her! Already, the spasms are abating. Tomorrow, I’ll have completed three weeks on this monitor and I think I may call it quits, be kinder to my back, and pay better attention to my posture.
Tonight we had leftover teriyaki grilled chicken, some Eataly crusty Italian bread, and I made a large caprese salad, adding sliced avocado to it.
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Carole, I came across the (Laurie’s) Salsa Chicken recipe recently (looking at early thread pages), and printed it out so I don’t have to keep asking Minus for it! I like the idea of being able to do it on the grill, too.
And I never found out.....did you leave your air fryer home? You seemed to make good use of it
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Happy birthday, Lacey! The Duckboat tour I took last month was fun--I took it only once before, in 1994 (IIRC). I didn't have the nerve to volunteer to drive the boat once we were in the river. Our guide was both knowledgeable and funny (albeit more than a little corny).
When I was at the Pru's Eataly, I bought some amazing artisanal halvah (pistachio, cocoa nibs, chocolate sea salt). I ate at the counter at the pasta bar--a ginormous portion of spaghetti cacio e pepe (made for a bizarro breakfast the next day--I don't recommend it cold). Didn't make sense to buy anything else to take home, as we have a much bigger Eataly here (and a gift card we need to use). Only wish ours had a restaurant like La Veranda (I think that was its name), casual atmosphere with upscale food and relaxed but expert service.
I very nearly had to wear a Holter monitor last year, but my arrhythmia episode didn't recur. But if it does, I think I will buy a Kardia sensor band for my Apple Watch (or the cheaper Kardia two-finger sensor that syncs to my iPhone and lets me send data to my FP via a $9/mo. or $99/yr. app). Some of Bob's a-fib patients use the finger-sensor, and he has to rely much less often on faxed EKGs. Meanwhile, the current built-in heart rate monitor in the watch buzzes a warning when it senses tachycardia. Apple is working on a sensor integrated into the frame of its next-gen watches (use your other hand to squeeze the sides of the case).
Despite family history & obesity, my Framingham score (with my BP and lipids "pharmacologically normalized") is only 6--that means I have a 10-yr. cardiovascular event risk of 6%. USPHS just came out with a recommendation that for those w/o CVD who have a score <10, EKG during physicals or even before surgery may not be necessary.
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Lacey, I left the air fryer at home. My main cooking methods in MN are skillet and grill. My 2nd hand gas grill has three burners. I ignite the one on the left (main) and use the grill as an oven. Your birthday eating excursion sounds like great fun.
We're meeting another couple tonight at nearby Clancy's restaurant for dinner tonight. It's probably a mile from Pine Hollow. This couple rented a site in Pine Hollow the first four summers we came here. We see them once a year when they come to this area with a large group of family members for a week's vacation.
My favorite food choice at Clancy's is the broasted chicken but I will be perusing the menu for a WW friendly selection tonight. My weight was up on Monday at the WW weigh in and I want to reverse that trend before it becomes a trend.
SpecialK, I don't dare tell dh about your mac and cheese. He might pack up and head for your place!
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Lacey, did not realize it was your birthday, so Happy Birthday and many more! Sounds like a fun one. Good choice to leave the monitor at home.
Last night was fresh walleye caught at Costco with oven baked chips and a fruit salad. Not sure what tonight is but it will involve the first cucumber from the garden. We will have haricots verts within the week. Things are slow due to lack of rain but promising - lots of little tiny things on the plants just waiting for liquid encouragement.
Saw the red fox pair yesterday evening chasing each other around the yard
We are being invaded by gremlins. Had to replace both car batteries yesterday and now today the dryer is making an unholy screeching noise. Hello you tube diy repair videos.
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Happy Birthday Lacey.
Nance - I expect you have to use a unique bait at Costco.
A friend came back from the country & brought me 8 large home grown tomatoes and a mess of Cherry tomatoes for $4.00. YUM
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Lucky you, Minus! Home-grown tomatoes!
I just finished up the salsa chicken for lunch.
Nance, we can buy Canadian walleye here in MN, but not domestic walleye, which isn't a commercial fish. You live in a wild life haven.
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Dinner at Clancy's last night was a disappointment. I ordered the 8 oz flat iron steak, medium rare. It was too rare and tough. The baked potato was good and the salad was their usual, mainly iceberg lettuce. Their blue cheese dressing is tasty.
DH had one of their two specials, chicken fried steak with mashed potatoes. The other special was broasted pork chop.
Not sure about dinner tonight. Good veggies in the refrigerator. Meat may be pork tenderloin.
We were awakened at 3:30 am by the sound of rocks hitting the top of the 5th wheel camper over our heads. No, it was large hail! My flowers on the deck look very bedraggled this morning.
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Thanks for the birthday wishes, folks! I always feel in good company having a June birthday since I know tons of friends, co-workers, neighbors, etc., who share it, even many on the same date! And here I always think of Debbie from Oregon who passed away over a year ago, and I think possibly Seaside Memories (?) who no longer posts. We shared that June 12th birthdate. I bet some of you long timers on this thread remember who that third Gemini was in case it wasn't Seaside Memories.
Sandy, I did drive a duckboat a few years ago in Pittsburgh, so this time I restrained myself from pushing past the kids who were volunteering to drive.
The Charles was unusually rough with white caps due to brisk winds, but the kids who drove did fine.....with Captain Mark's assistance. And, yes, the narrators are corny in their delivery...part of the shtick!Interesting that you mentioned the Kardia sensor device on the IPhone. When we were in the Apple store last week, our associate guy showed us his (he was our age unlike the rest of the staff there), and then his EKG! Fortunately he stopped there.
Carole, Clancy's sounds like a real challenge for healthful meal seekers. Reminds me of many of the NH diners where one sees folks chowing down on shepherds' pie and white rolls. I don't think I have ever seen chicken fried steak in this region tho.
And as I am writing this, The Chew chefs are hosting their last show and they revealed how they gained at least 20 lbs each over the seven years they were on this show. They look fine to me. The Chew always reminds me of our dearly missed Michelle ("LuvRVing") who introduced me to watching it. A favorite show I will miss. Michelle had good taste!
Nance you do have quite the nature preserve out your window! I have been getting a kick out of our singleton (assumed) mother rabbit who is still clearing our back lawn of clover. Lately, there is a very tiny chipmunk that regularly eats near her. Wondering if he/she lost the mother and is imprinting? Anyway, I keep expecting to see a "fluffle" of rabbit babies....hope so. I have absolutely no plants in the ground this year, (since we will be away most of the summer) so they can help themselves to anything in our yard!
Yikes! Breakdown gremlins and hail rocks! I hope things calm down on this thread!
Lastly, is walleye, pike?
Adding a pic of my fave new caprese and avocado salad for when I splurge and buy burrata. Envious of your homegrown tomato score, Minus!
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Sooo - I've been thinking a LOT about our founder - Laurie - who set the direction of this thread. Seems like all of us contributed what we were cooking and it was pretty basic stuff. The fantastic 'salsa chicken' required opening two cans & dumping. Most of us are on some kind of budget and probably don't eat out more than once or twice a week. I miss a lot of you who don't post as much anymore. It doesn't matter if you can't all keep up with fancy dinners out and gourmet foods & wines. That's not how we started. What are you cooking to go camping? What are you making for your neighbors get-togethers? What are you serving your family at home at the end of a busy week when you haven't had time to wash your hair, let alone go to the grocery store.
I eat what pleases me, but I also watch my pennies - so I often eat what's on sale. This week that happened to be asparagus. As you all have heard, I still like iceberg lettuce with blue cheese dressing. I also like deep dish pizza. And there are a number of wines with screw tops that I think are quite decent. I don't eat at 'fat food family restaurants' and I don't think my food choices are ignorant. But for large families, maybe that's all they can afford to treat their kids to going out once in awhile?? I try not to judge.
That said - lunch today was two Oscar Meyer Wieners on soft, cheap, hot dog buns with original French's yellow mustard. Memories of my childhood. My Mother thought that if we were eating at a roadside diner we didn't know, a hot dog was a safer choice than a hamburger. Maybe she'd read "The Jungle"?
Dinner will be fresh tomatoes & cottage cheese.
Tomorrow I'm meeting my SIL to see Mercury Baroque playThe Four Seasons downtown at 2:30pm. We do have a reservation for a restaurant that serves gluten free pasta for her, but we'll have to walk because most of the downtown underground garages are still closed since Hurricane Harvey. There's a tropical depression on the way. 60% chance of rain and could be over 5 inches. If that happens, as an alternative I'm taking a cooler with strawberries, grapes, cantaloupe, cheese, & drinks and we've agreed to eat in the parking garage that is above ground & attached to this particular concert venue.
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DH made a bucket of his special (everything is better with bacon!) potato salad for a friends pool party tomorrow. Just tested it, it passed inspection 😋
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Thanks for the reminder minus. Tonight was a joint effort, DH pan fried pork chops and made the Brussels sprouts, while I prepared the mashed cauliflower.
Whether it’s lobster or grilled cheese, it will almost certainly be eaten on a paper plate because I like cooking but hate doing dishes.
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Illi - Looks delicious. Is the green - green pepper or green onions?
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Lacey - loved your long newsy post. I hadn't thought about Debbie from OR in awhile. She was fun. Hmmm, I'll have to put my thinking cap on about the third Gemini.
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Gemini B-days from the past.
>>>went back to page 450 (spring 2013) and skimmed forward to find out about the Gemini triplets - Lacey, Seaside Memories and Debbie6122. So happy b-day to you three. Laurie's B-day was 5/27.
Maybe we have some new Gemini's now?
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Just used the search function - SeasideMemories was the other Gemini! Happy Birthday Lacey
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The green is Brussels sprouts, halfed and sautéed with a little garlic and cream. So yummy!
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Oh - I meant the green in the potato salad. Is that Brussels sprouts? I'd actually like that.
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Oh, got it, the green in the potato salad is celery and green onions. DH adds red onion and bacon too and seasons it with konriko, it always ends up being everyone’s favorite.
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I appreciate Minus’ words reminding us of our wonderful, humble founder, Laurie, with whom I actually keep in touch via Facebook. She and her family are doing well. She did a lot of substitute teaching in her boys’ school this year, and is looking forward to their summer camping trips to Lake Winnipesaukee with family and friends.
Thanks for confirming my guess aboutwho my other Gemini twin was, Minus and Special!
Tonight we had sea scallops sautéed with mushrooms, onions, asparagus and garlic, topped with feta cheese and served with farro and a romaine garden salad with my homemade vinaigrette.
Tomorrow we will meet DS2 and DDIL2 at their in-town home and head to Seaport with them for a walking tour of the newest developed areas there, then dinner at Tuscan Kitchen Seaport (newish addition to the area) to celebrate my BD and FaDay. It will be great to catch up with them.
Happy Fathers’ Day to dads out there! Tho it seems sadly ironic for us to be celebrating parental nurturance while so many kids are being separated from theirs.
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Last night's wine dinner started with asparagus involtini (goat cheese & prosciutto) with field greens on the side; pan-roasted halibut with pesto over Tuscan beans & spinach; ravioli filled with housemade sausage & fontina, napped with spicy vodka sauce, peas, & housemade pancetta cracklings; porchetta over farro with porcini & Chianti-based brown sauce; and crespelle (crepes) filled with Nutella and napped with caramel.
Breakfast was the last slice of leftover pizza. Dinner was 100% leftovers: Thai stir-fry veggies, half a small grilled garnet yam, half my ribeye from Tues. night, half Bob's fries from his leftover Reuben, and a leftover ravioli from last night. Three-night-old cannoli (soggy but still delish). Probably just have a couple of eggs & low-carb toast for breakfast. Maybe nosh on nuts in the car on the way down to Lafayette. (Won't try the booths at Taste of Tippecanoe till we're done playing, since I can't sing well on a full stomach).
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Think I am going to be grilling out a lot or making stuff ahead so all I have to do is nuke it in the microwave when hubby gets home. We have a mini heat wave coming early this week. Ugh
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We are missing a lot of people who used to post. I just thought about Carrie, who lived in the Finger Lakes area of NY. She and her dh had a boat that they used to cruise the lakes. They bought a second home in North Carolina, I believe. I hope she's doing well.
Lacey, thanks for reporting on Laurie. I miss her but understand how busy she must be. I was impressed with her ability to plan a whole week's menus and do the shopping in advance. That's such a smart thing to do but somehow I've never been one to plan ahead more than a day. Or maybe two.
We're having fish for dinner. A neighbor gave us some fillets. I think they are walleye but there could be some crappie fillets in the zip lock bag, too. DH likes his fish breaded with fish fry breading and cooked crisp. I like that, too, but may skip the breading on my portion. A good possibility for a veggie side is zucchini sauteed with onion cut large enough to pick out.
To incorporate more veggies into my diet, I have been steaming cauliflower, broccoli and carrots until they're just cooked beyond raw and then dressing the medley with some white balsamic and EVOO. I keep a big container in the refrigerator. I add the veggies to egg salad for lunch. Also add them to tossed salads for dinner. It's convenient to have them ready to eat. I got this idea at my last WW meeting.
Also at that meeting, I picked up an unlikely pancake recipe. Mash a whole banana. Beat in an egg. That's your pancake batter! Honest. It's good. I tried it. The pancakes are very light and are good with sugar-free syrup or berries and a squirt of whipped cream from a can.
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