Last week I made a very yummy dinner (if I do say so myself). Homemade turkey chili, cornbread and Brussels sprouts:
Turkey chili was: sauteed onion and garlic, dark meat ground turkey, small red beans (as opposed to larger kidney beans) drained and rinsed (can't stand that yucky thick juice stuff), can of stewed tomatoes, splash of Rao's marinara sauce, and two heaping tablespoons of my homemade dry adobo.
Cornbread was: Michael Chiarello's recipe, yet altered. I used chopped jalapenos instead of his damn hot peppers, grated parmigiano instead of asiago and regular corn meal instead of very fine.
Brussels sprouts were: rinsed, halved, tossed with chopped Trader Joe's bacon ends, tossed with olive oil, salt and pepper and roasted in the oven.
I made a big pot of sauce (gravy) yesterday. I browned boneless country pork ribs (cut into smaller pieces), added chopped onion and garlic with two cans of crushed tomato, red wine, salt, black pepper, fresh snipped oregano from my garden and fresh snipped basil from Steve Shapiro's garden. It simmered all day.
Chicken cutlets, roasted chicken, rice, broccoli and salad have also been staples this summer.
I am going to see Michelle Shapiro in her summer showcase (musical arts) tomorrow, then we'll have dinner with them.
Saturday is a party at the Gandiello's for Joe's 50th and Diana's high school graduation!
Sunday is a BBQ at the Brennan's!
Maybe I'll cook some more next week :)
Tuesday, July 24, 2012
Wednesday, July 18, 2012
23rd Anniversary
Our 23rd wedding anniversary was Monday :)
We spent the day at the beach with Jill, Judy & Isa and Lenny. There was fishing, netting, kite flying, boogie boarding, shell collecting, swimming, sun and surf (the surf was what I call salad water-it was full of seaweed). But we spent most of the day on the bay side, where there was no seaweed. Isa is 11, she is Judy's daughter. She is great! I don't know who had a better day, Isa or Michael?
After the beach Michael and I went home, showered, changed and drove into the city to El Quijote for dinner. We had our usual: 1/2 carafe of red sangria, garlic soup, salad with blue cheese and vinaigrette, arroz con pollo (white meat only) with garlic sauce on the side and a 1 1/4 pound lobster. Cafe con leche, iced espresso and flan and we were happy and stuffed. It was a great day!
Last night I met my friend Joy from camp and her husband Jay at a restaurant called Bianca at 5 Bleeker Street (http://biancanyc.com/). It's a very cute place with wood floors and Grandma's kitchen decorations, along with wine bottles and dish towels for napkins. The bathroom is WAY TOO HOT. And the restaurant is WAY TOO LOUD, however, it was all good.
We had: Carciofini-thin artichoke slices with parmigiano in a lemon dressing; Pomodori-tomatoes with red onions and anchovies and a salad of endive, radicchio, frisee. Dinner was: Lasagnette di Verdure-eggplant, tomato and zucchini tart with grated parmigiano; Spaghettini al Pomodoro-with tomato and basil and Tagliolini ai frutti di mare-clams, mussels, calamari, shrimp in garlic and light tomato sauce. Two glasses of wine, a bottle of Pellegrino and the check was $75. Wow. They have great prices and good food and good service. I will go back with Michael and friends!
Afterwards, and the reason we were in the city, was to go to Von Bar next door for a Towanda get-together. It was great fun to see my camp friends again (away from camp). The bar, hoever, has huge prices. A glass of cabernet and a gin and tonic was $24! Holy crap. The downstairs bartender was nice, the upstairs bartender not so much. One review on Yelp called her a "c". Other than that, it was another great night.
I seem to be having a bunch of those lately :)
I am waiting for the shoe to drop...or maybe not :)
We spent the day at the beach with Jill, Judy & Isa and Lenny. There was fishing, netting, kite flying, boogie boarding, shell collecting, swimming, sun and surf (the surf was what I call salad water-it was full of seaweed). But we spent most of the day on the bay side, where there was no seaweed. Isa is 11, she is Judy's daughter. She is great! I don't know who had a better day, Isa or Michael?
After the beach Michael and I went home, showered, changed and drove into the city to El Quijote for dinner. We had our usual: 1/2 carafe of red sangria, garlic soup, salad with blue cheese and vinaigrette, arroz con pollo (white meat only) with garlic sauce on the side and a 1 1/4 pound lobster. Cafe con leche, iced espresso and flan and we were happy and stuffed. It was a great day!
Last night I met my friend Joy from camp and her husband Jay at a restaurant called Bianca at 5 Bleeker Street (http://biancanyc.com/). It's a very cute place with wood floors and Grandma's kitchen decorations, along with wine bottles and dish towels for napkins. The bathroom is WAY TOO HOT. And the restaurant is WAY TOO LOUD, however, it was all good.
We had: Carciofini-thin artichoke slices with parmigiano in a lemon dressing; Pomodori-tomatoes with red onions and anchovies and a salad of endive, radicchio, frisee. Dinner was: Lasagnette di Verdure-eggplant, tomato and zucchini tart with grated parmigiano; Spaghettini al Pomodoro-with tomato and basil and Tagliolini ai frutti di mare-clams, mussels, calamari, shrimp in garlic and light tomato sauce. Two glasses of wine, a bottle of Pellegrino and the check was $75. Wow. They have great prices and good food and good service. I will go back with Michael and friends!
Afterwards, and the reason we were in the city, was to go to Von Bar next door for a Towanda get-together. It was great fun to see my camp friends again (away from camp). The bar, hoever, has huge prices. A glass of cabernet and a gin and tonic was $24! Holy crap. The downstairs bartender was nice, the upstairs bartender not so much. One review on Yelp called her a "c". Other than that, it was another great night.
I seem to be having a bunch of those lately :)
I am waiting for the shoe to drop...or maybe not :)
Friday, July 13, 2012
Cedar Creek
Last night we went to Cedar Creek in Glen Cove with Joe and Denise. We had been here once before with Glenn, Eileen and Bruce (B1).
The service was just as good, the food was good too. This time it was quieter, though it was a Thursday and not a Saturday.
We had: Loaded Iceberg Wedge salad with bleu cheese, bacon, tomatoes and red onions; salt and pepper calamari with pineapple and peppers and tuna tartare. We also had scotch, cabernet and a saki-tini that tasted a bit like floor cleaner, but they added some lychee juice and it was better. Dinner was: Spinach linguine; fish and chips; chicken paillard and turkey (TV) dinner. Dessert was apple crisp and decaf cappucino. Yum! Nothing to complain about, yet nothing to rush back for either. Joe commented that the bathrooms were clean (I guess that's a plus).
Tomorrow we are going to see Futhur (a Dead band) in Coney Island with Jill and Lenny. That may mean an obligatory stop at the original Nathan's (or not), it may mean pot will be smoked (or not). It's all up in the air...
Monday is our 23rd wedding anniversary, although we have been together for 29 years. We have no plans, dinner is involved I am sure, otherwise we are just happy to be together and happy to have our family and friends!
The service was just as good, the food was good too. This time it was quieter, though it was a Thursday and not a Saturday.
We had: Loaded Iceberg Wedge salad with bleu cheese, bacon, tomatoes and red onions; salt and pepper calamari with pineapple and peppers and tuna tartare. We also had scotch, cabernet and a saki-tini that tasted a bit like floor cleaner, but they added some lychee juice and it was better. Dinner was: Spinach linguine; fish and chips; chicken paillard and turkey (TV) dinner. Dessert was apple crisp and decaf cappucino. Yum! Nothing to complain about, yet nothing to rush back for either. Joe commented that the bathrooms were clean (I guess that's a plus).
Tomorrow we are going to see Futhur (a Dead band) in Coney Island with Jill and Lenny. That may mean an obligatory stop at the original Nathan's (or not), it may mean pot will be smoked (or not). It's all up in the air...
Monday is our 23rd wedding anniversary, although we have been together for 29 years. We have no plans, dinner is involved I am sure, otherwise we are just happy to be together and happy to have our family and friends!
Tuesday, July 3, 2012
Bahia Social Club
Saturday after the beach, Michael I went to Bahia Social Club on West Beech Street in Long Beach (http://www.bahiasocialclub.com/eat.html). We sat outside and had drinks: a CAIPIRINHA which is
brazilian cachaca, muddled lime+sugar and a MOJITO which has rum, muddled lime, sugar and fresh mint. Their food is served tapas style, so small plates: fried fish soft flour taco with slaw; fried calamari; arepas with black beans, avocado and jerk chicken. The waitress never showed up-odd-so the hostess took our order and served us. Other than that, the food was good and sitting outside on a summer night is heaven! We walked across the street for frozen yogurt and ice cream afterwards. Yum!
brazilian cachaca, muddled lime+sugar and a MOJITO which has rum, muddled lime, sugar and fresh mint. Their food is served tapas style, so small plates: fried fish soft flour taco with slaw; fried calamari; arepas with black beans, avocado and jerk chicken. The waitress never showed up-odd-so the hostess took our order and served us. Other than that, the food was good and sitting outside on a summer night is heaven! We walked across the street for frozen yogurt and ice cream afterwards. Yum!
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