Pulled Pork...

While we were out at Target today, the crock pot was going with a pork roast soaking in Jack Daniels Old No. 7 barbecue sauce for 7 hours! I even made tater tots on the side along with string beans (must have our greens).



Christmas Eve was not only a success, but we enjoyed our company very much!





Christmas Day at Denise and Joe's was great as usual. Good food and good friends!


New Year's Eve we are going out with Denise and Joe (our usual foursome) however, Chuck is joining us this year and we are going to Aegean Cove in Astoria. We have requested the table in front of the fireplace. Let's hope that happens!

New Year's Day is always a sleep in. But this year, we will be venturing out in the evening to see Katie Uva perform on her guitar and sing her wonderful songs at National Underground at 9pm.

What a perfect start to a great New Year!

Approaching Holidays

Jesse is home! Holidays are coming! Busy, busy, busy...

Can't say much about cooking lately. Made rosemary lamb chops, papardelle with mushrooms and Greek salad when my mother-in-law came for dinner the other night. Ordered pizza last night :) Tonight's plan (ha ha) is chicken sausage, rice and green beans.

Friday night, however, is a different story. Christmas Eve with the Figliolias and Wisners!!

Our menu is: (If you'd like to be surprised, skip the next paragraphs). Antipasti will include: Cheese board with Manchego, Ciao Angelo and Parmigiano-Reggiano with fig spread, honey, mustard and cornichons. Also, roasted tomatoes, marinated artichokes, olives and baguette and raisin-pumpernickel breads. Along with sauteed shrimp and chorizo.

Dinner is: Turkey lasagna (so all can eat it), Caesar salad, Linguine with white clam sauce, chicken cutlets, foccacia bread and a small baked ziti with no ricotta for Ian. Desert is: Apple and blueberry cobbler with caramel ice cream on the side, along with chocolate chip cookies.

I hope I didn't leave anything out...I am sure Michael will take photos for my next post.

I am making Michael's mom's recipe of sweet and sour meatballs for Christmas Day to take to Denise and Joe's along with a tray of Old Bay chicken wings.

Can't wait to celebrate! Merry Christmas to everyone!

Christmas is Coming!

We were able to spend another great few days with our family after Thanksgiving. Margo, Mike and Chrysalis came down from Ithaca last weekend so we could all go see Ryan perform in the Purchase Dance Company's Nutcracker. It was wonderful to see Ryan dance on a big stage. He is dancing again in February and also in April, so we will have more chances to see him and be proud!

Friday I went to see the tree at Rockefeller Center, the Christmas shops at Bryant Park, the Christmas shops at Grand Central and watched the skaters. Ate at Two Boots Pizza (not bad, first time there). Got into the Christmas spirit. The city always looks so beautiful when it's dressed up for the holidays!

Saturday afternoon we saw Ryan's performance. In the evening we went to Katz' Deli for way yummy pastrami, corned beef, hot dogs, pickles...and to The Mercury Lounge to see Sim Redmond. The band is great and Margo and Mike dancing are fun to watch too.

Family left Sunday after Michael and I made challah French toast. Last night we had a big salad with grilled chicken (shared with Jill too). Tomorrow I am making chicken marsala. Friday is up in the air. I am thinking about going to Barosa. We also need to get our Christmas tree from Joe and Denise's basement sometime this weekend.

Saturday night is Glenn and Eileen's annual Christmas ornament party. I am making Old Bay wings. It will be a fun night! Friends, food, wine, ornament exchange and laughter.

Next week I will officially go Christmas shopping (began on line already) in the stores. And Friday, December 17 our baby boy comes home from college for winter break for five weeks. I get all the hugs I want :)

Then we will continue the pleasure of our closest friends for dinners, conversation and holiday cheer!

Long Time

So it's been a while. Sorry!

Not much on the food horizon to report. After Thanksgiving, food is overrated and over eaten.

This weekend we are going to see our nephew Ryan dance in the SUNY Purchase Dance Conservatory's Nutcracker. Then we are going to see a band from Ithaca, Sim Redmond, at the Mercury Lounge. They are a great band but we've only heard them on CD so this will be fun. Mike, Margo and Chrysalis will be joining us for the weekend adventure. It's great to see them again!!

We have a Christmas party at Glenn and Eileen's and one at Leslie's coming up which we are very happy to be a part of. Then Christmas Eve dinner here with the usual suspects :), Christmas Day at Joe and Denise's and New Year's Eve with Joe and Denise also. We also get to see the Figliolia boys and Brett for Christmas dinner. An added special visit because we have not seen most of the boys since they left for college. (Brett will be going in the Fall of 2012).

This is what Michael calls a "routine six." I think that's from the Bowery Boys. It means business as usual. I'd like to add that this is one of our favorite times of the year, when we spend time with the people we love the most! I wouldn't change our "routine six" for anything! (And no Joe, that's not bullshit).

After The Feast

Today is the day after the feast. It went very well, even if we missed one important guest (you know who you are).

Turkey was beautiful. Table was beautiful. Grandma was beautiful. Really!

We were all happy and eating and drinking.

Lots of laundry today-sheets, towels, Jesse's clothes...

Now we are having Taco King (Jesse's request). I guess leftovers will remain in the fridge after he is gone on Sunday.

Thanksgiving Menu

Our Thanksgiving Dinner menu will include a 15 pound all natural fresh turkey roasted with herbs, lemon and butter. A mixture of finely chopped herbs along with softened butter will be distributed on the entire bird between the skin and the meat (Chrysalis and I do this together, gagging all the way, on Thursday morning).

Accompanying the obligatory bird will be: Baked whipped sweet potatoes with cinnamon, nutmeg, brown sugar, butter and orange juice topped with mini marshmallows. Also, creamed fresh spinach with onions and butter. Along with homemade whole berry cranberry sauce (and a sliced can of Ocean Spray jellied sauce too), herbed stuffing with celery, carrots, onions, turkey broth and butter, fresh gravy made from turkey broth, carrots, celery, onions and butter.

We begin dinner with corn chowder made with creamed corn, bacon, onions, potatoes, peppers and heavy cream.

Antipasti will include: Mixed olives, pepperdew peppers, mozzarella, parmigiano-reggiano, aged Gouda, french bread, raisin pumpernickel bread and center cut, thinly sliced salmon marinated in olive oil, fennel and celery.

Dessert is carrot cake and chocolate chip cookies. (We have ice cream too-Ben & Jerry's).

All homemade, baked and prepped on Wednesday, cooked on Thursday and eaten for a week.

With our family down from Ithaca and our boy home from college this will be a very special Thanksgiving.

We are thankful for our friends and loved ones everyday of the year! Have a great holiday!

Since Thursday

Friday night we went to Applebee's (why you ask?) with the Wisners and Danny BECAUSE if you ate there on Friday night and you gave in a flyer to the waiter, Forest Hills High School sports programs receive 10% of your food bill. That's why!

Saturday night, we went to Joe and Denise's. It is THE best place to eat in Forest Hills. Denise made: roasted peppers, salmon marinated in Olive oil and fennel, Greek salad, broccoli rabe and paella valenciana. She also served mixed olives, mozzerella, bread, crackers and 3 cheeses: Ciao Angelo (our favorite-an aged Gouda), a Rembrandt-type aged Gouda and provolone. I hope I didn't leave anything out. Monica brought apple cobbler (WAY yummy) and chocolate chip cookies. She is a great baker! We all had a lot of fun!

Today, Michael and I moved the million pound TV back into the living room so he could watch the Jet game. We had lunch (D'Angelo's pizza, salad and wings) and I fell asleep. But the Jets won, so that's good :)

Tomorrow Euro Floors is coming back for what was SUPPOSED to be the end of the ordeal. But NO. They miscalculated the amount of wood we needed and had to order more on Friday. BUT, it won't come in until Wednesday. SO...hopefully, they will come back and finish on Thursday. Yes, it's one week extra of sleeping on the mattress on the living room floor. Tomorrow, the entire apartment and about 3/4 of our bedroom will be done, just not complete enough to move everything back in it's proper place. Just enough out of whack to make me crazy (er).

And, as my friend Marc used to say: So it goes!

One Week Ago

It has been one week since I posted. As you know our apartment is in complete disarray due to construction of all of our new floors. Should be complete by Monday. Then a week's worth of moving back in again...

Last Friday night we went out with Dina and Dmitry to Aegean Cove. I think the secret of eating there is to order a bunch of appetizers and salad. Their main dishes are not always up to par, and their specials are usually not good. Which is odd, because we like the place very much.

We all shared: Traditional Greek Salad (beefsteak tomatoes, onions, cucumbers, feta cheese, green peppers, olive oil and red wine vinegar). Grilled octopus with capers, red peppers and Bermuda onions in red wine vinaigrette. Red beets marinated in garlic, olive oil and red wine vinegar served with skordalia (they make theirs with bread, not potatoes). Fried zucchini and eggplant with tzatziki sauce. Shrimp with tomato sauce, white beans and melted feta cheese. The men had the lamb special and we also shared a bottle of red Greek Wine. For dessert we shared Greek yogurt with walnuts and cherry sauce (sooo good) and Dina and I had Greek Coffee. The appetizers were great, the wine was fine and the company was terrific!

Saturday night Michael and I ate at Dee's (Michael had salad with grilled chicken and I had an olive delight pizza (with leftovers to take home). Then we went to see "The Town" with Ben Affleck. Jesse said it was one of the best movies he's ever seen. We liked it. No complaints :)

Sunday, I met Gaby and her son Teddy for brunch at Austin's Ale House. We had Eggs Benedict, Country Eggs and chicken parm (Teddy). Brunch comes with either one Mimosa, Bloody Mary or Screwdriver OR you can pay a few dollars more and get unlimited cocktails. We had one each :) Food was okay. I'd go back to watch football and eat again. They have a room where each table has it's own flat screen TV. The games are also projected on large screens. We sat in the quieter room. It was wonderful to see both of them!!

Monday and Tuesday we had Tower Diner and Angelo's pizza for takeout. Last night I went to Jennie's for dinner. She made stir fry shrimp with brown rice (it was in a really good sauce) and we shared a bottle of Geyser Peak Merlot 2005. We chatted and laughed. What could be better?

Today is back to the grind of being locked in my bedroom all day. Yesterday, to break it up, I did laundry. How exciting! I've read all my books and even gone back to one I started a few years ago. Watched TV (when the noise from the insisde AND outside construction allowed), and even managed a nap one day. Maybe we'll check out Ikea later (Michael has the day off for Veteran's Day). We need new shelves for Jesse's room. The old ones were ruined in the flood.

No plans for Friday night, but Saturday night we have been invited to Joe and Denise's for dinner with Joe and Penny and Tom and Monica. I know it will be a really nice evening with great food!! Denise is amazing in the kitchen :)

That's all folks...thanks for listening!

Feels like Moving...

Looks like moving, acts like moving...but it isn't. It's wrapping up and packing up everything that's not in a closet into moving boxes. Why, you might ask? Good question...we're finally having our floors replaced from the flood that happened way back on April 9.

The wood is being delivered Friday and the demolition starts Monday. No, we are not moving out with our boxes. We are shuttling ourselves and boxes and furniture and cats between rooms.

We decided on Brazilian Cherry. It's beautiful. And I will be happy again on or about November 18. Until then...

Tonight is my last time to cook dinner for sometime, so I am making Feta Turkey burgers and a great, big salad with every vegetable in the fridge. Last night was chicken breasts with sundried tomatoes and spinach on the side. Monday was BBQ'd chicken ravioli (I made the raviolis from scratch), the chicken came from a tub of Lloyd's. Michael liked it and the Wisners received the leftovers.

Tomorrow night, deservedly so, we are going out to dinner with Dina and Dmitry to Aegean Cove for a relaxing evening of good friends, good food, good wine and no more packing!

I hope to see my friend Gaby for brunch on Sunday. It's been a while since we sat down together and I am looking forward to it.

You may or may not hear about all the take out food next week. Depends on my mood :) and where Michael sets up the computer in all this mess...

I Just Remembered

I just remembered the best thing about Pasta Del Giorno: Without asking, when my coffee arrived after dinner, it came in a small pot with enough coffee for two cups plus a small pot of WARM milk!!! That is one of life's greatest pleasures (for me anyway). It was a great treat!

Busy, Busy, Busy

But Fun!

Friday night Jennie and I took Barbara out for her birthday dinner (even though her birthday was 10/21). We went to Pasta Del Giorno on Austin Street since we hadn't been there in forever. Before you all say "Yuck!" Let me tell you how pleasantly surprised we all were.

First of all the service was pretty decent. No rushing at all, poured our wine-several times-cleared the table when necessary (almost too much actually), gave the specials, refilled water glasses. No real complaints there.

Secondly, our appetizers were good. Jennie and I shared tri-color salad (not something that can be fucked up anyway) and Barb had a zucchini stuffed with chicken, veggies and cheese surrounded by giant white beans (yum) in a really good sauce.

We all chose a past for dinner: I stuck to my usual-Taglialini Toscana-linguine with white beans, spinach and garlic. It was wonderful. Jennie had Pappardelle Valtellina-with sundried tomatoes and porcini mushrooms. Also great. And Barb had Rigatoni Ponte Vecchio-with pancetta, onions and peas in a light pink sauce. My fork was in her plate almost as much as it was in my own :)

Dessert was fresh strawberries in zabaglione (a bit too much of an anisette flavor) but otherwise, yummy!

We sat and chatted and no one sang happy birthday (which Barbara appreciated). It was fun and warm and we will go back. Who knew?

Saturday, Michael and I drove out to Martha Clara Vineyards for a 40th birthday celebration for Lori. That was really fun. The wine was even decent (and that was another surprise for Long Island). I liked the 5-0 red better than the Cab-Franc. Steve provided tons of appetizers and food for lunch and we had a really good time :)

Same evening we had the 3rd Annual Forest Hills Youth Activities Association Dinner, Dance and Benefit Auction at Bruno's on the Boulevard (ridiculous name for a place). I arrived in the clown car: Judy drove and out piled-Judy, Ross, Lenny, Jill, Lisa, Evan, Lisa B. and myself. All in costume looking goofy-but laughing at ourselves.

Michael had gone over early to set up the equipment for the amazing slide show he prepares every year! Everyone was really appreciative and the show was great!

The food is edible, the wine is crappy, the music got funky, but I have to say we had fun anyway! Michael and I won 4 prizes from the raffle table. We won: a HUGE bottle of Patron, a bottle of Vodka, 3 bottles of wine with really nice wood cases, 2 handbags and a digital camera. Yippee! Of course, we had to buy the raffle tickets first...

Sunday we spent the afternoon and evening at Glenn and Eileen's handing out candy to trick-or-treaters (all said thank you-very polite children in Commack). We had a roaring fire, turkey chili, tons of appetizers and good wine. Best of all...the company!

Today I was awakened to INTENSELY LOUD drilling outside my windows. The building is pointing bricks and removing our old terraces to make way for new. I am sure it will all be lovely, but now, just REALLY LOUD!

That's all for now...I cannot hear my self type :)

Since Friday

Saturday we went to Glenn and Eileen's for dinner. Wonderful friends, food and wine, as usual :)

Sunday we shopped a bit and then had dinner at home: Penne Salt (remember the green olives, black olives and capers). I added the capers to my dish only, Michael is not a fan.

Monday night was turkey burgers and Greek salad, Tuesday night was ribs with rice and peas and tonight will be chef salad with grilled chicken. Tomorrow will probably be leftover night and Friday Jennie and I are taking Barbara out for her birthday.

Saturday is a FULL day. From 12-4 we will be at Martha Clara Vineyards on the North Fork for Lori's 40th birthday bash, then we have to RUN home for the 3rd Annual Forest Hills Little League Dinner and Benefit Auction IN COSTUME for god's sake! Then Sunday, back out to Glenn and Eileen's for a bit of Halloween spirit (no costumes required).

Sounds busy, but a life full of friends is a great thing!

Lunch with Denise

Yesterday I had lunch with Denise at Cabana on 70th Road off Austin Street. We have certainly been there many times before, and the food is never disappointing. The service, not so great, but nothing to write home about :) We each had a glass of Cabernet, then Denise had Picadillo (ground beef and potatoes sauteed with garlic, plum tomatoes, onion, bell peppers, olives and capers) over rice and beans and I had the Cabana salad (field greens topped with hearts of palm, queso blanco, plum tomatoes, red onions and olives served with a black bean vinaigrette).We shared flan for dessert! We talked about our kids (as usual) and myriad other things and had a really nice afternoon.

Three Days

Tuesday night I made chicken andouille sausage with mixed greens (collard, mustard, spinach). So good (even though I push the sausage out of the way). Last night was pork tenderloin with carrots and rosemary and salad. Tonight we may eat out, and the weekend is always up for grabs.

We did find a place we'd like to try though. Nothing fancy, not a chain (even though it is in a "chain" location). Scotto's http://www.scottosrestaurant.com/ near Chili's and CozyMel's in Westbury. Scotto Brothers are Long Island restaurateurs who own catering houses and restaurants. Michael and I used to go to Scotto's when it was located in Great Neck, many, many moons ago...They had really good Italian food and a wonderful waitress who always remembered us.

This weekend looks open and casual and filled with no plans :)

Next weekend, however, is booked solid. Feast or famine!

Counting/BBQ

Saturday night we went to The Counting Room on Berry Street with Dina and Dmitry. It's a very cool space with neat lighting and seating arrangements. We sat downstairs, where it was much quieter. There's a nice bar and additional seating too. We shared two bottles of Montepulciano d'Abruzzo, a cheese and meat board (with really good mustard and dried figs). Dina and I shared a veggie sandwich and French onion soup without the soup (toasted bread, onions, cheese on a skillet-with a small glass of soup to pour over the top). Michael and Dmitry each had the Latin pork sandwich.

Afterwards we walked over to Brooklyn Bowl to show them what it's like, but the Tom Tom Club was playing and tickets were needed, so we didn't go in, however, we ran into Joe and Danny right outside. What a nice coincidence!

Later we drove to Aegean Cove on Steinway Street for Greek coffee and Greek yogurt and some other Greek dessert similar to zeppoles but with honey and cherry sauce. Yum!

Sunday night we went uptown to Dinosaur BBQ to meet Jill, Lenny, Brett, Karen, Patty and Vince (Jill's family). Jill had just walked 39 miles over the weekend for the Avon Breast Cancer Walk. She was tired but really happy and we were all hungry :) Wings are great. Beer is good. Service is marginal. New location, same deal.

Tonight is roasted chicken with garlic and green onion teriyaki with veggies on the side.

Can't decide on the rest of the week yet...

Since Monday

Monday night, Jesse ate with us again. We had steak, cous cous and Greek salad. He left Tuesday afternoon after an hour or so of Target shopping for odds and ends that he wanted to take back to school. I miss him and will be very happy to have him home (and the rest of our family) for Thanksgiving!

Tuesday night Michael and I went to Joe's Shanghai in Flushing with Jill, Lenny and Brett. Of course we shared everything: 2 orders of pork and crab soup dumplings, moo shu chicken, shrimp and scallops in garlic sauce, shrimp fried rice and scallion pancakes.

Wednesday night I made chicken cacciatore with broccoli rabe on the side. After dinner we went out to Syms near Roosevelt Field to pick up Michael's suits that were altered so he would have them in time for Sarah's sweet sixteen party Friday night. After Syms, we went to Chili's for Presidente Margaritas (the only margaritas I like). Fun! A mini date night!

Tonight we are eating all the leftovers in the fridge (plus salad).

Friday is Sarah's party, Saturday is The Counting Room in Williamsburg with Dina and Dmitry and Sunday is the new location of Dinosaur BBQ uptown with the Wisners.

Woo Who...

Homemade Ravioli

Michael photographed a step-by-step animation of the two of us making homemade mushroom and onion ravioli with cream sauce from scratch...enjoy watching...

Our Boy is Home!

Jesse came home yesterday! It was so good to see him and hug him. The 3 of us ate dinner together for the first time in 6 weeks. Chicken cutlets, chicken parm, spinach with garlic and oil and ziti with Rao's sauce.

More dinners planned for while Jesse is home, but we'll see how many come to fruition :)

As for last week (sorry I haven't updated, I kept forgetting to ask Michael to add the focaccia photo-so I didn't post it till late)...Saturday Michael rode his bike to Steve and Lori's and we had cheese and olives and bread and baked garlic and wine, then dinner was pork chops and salmon on the grill with a side of salad and cauliflower puree. Everything was Great!! Steve let me pick some hot peppers from his garden which he told me to wash, de-seed, cut up and freeze for future use. So I did.

Sunday was the Austin Street Fair which Michael and I walked and we bought pickles from The Pickle People (yum). Michael picked up Dani's later and we ate with the Wisners.

Monday night I made ginger shrimp: saute shrimp in olive oil, add ginger preserves and lime juice, top with fresh parsley.

Tuesday was supposed to be turkey meatloaf, but we went over to Denise's so Michael could fix a computer problem and we ate Dee's pizza and salad that Denise picked up for us :) thanks!

So Wednesday night was turkey meatloaf (I had pizza again) after Michael and I went suit shopping-unsuccessfully. But he will try again.

The weekend is open, I may cook, I may not. We'll see what unfolds now that the boys are back in town...

Focaccia

Well, after three tries, I think I finally got it right, or nearly right. I made focaccia on Friday afternoon. Michael, Jill, Lenny and Brett were the usual guinea pigs/testers. They all approved!

Next time, I'll experiment by adding more onions and garlic, or also trying the focaccia as a pizza crust.

Friday night we went to Barosa with Jill and Lenny and Steve and Sue Boyle. We had our usuals: Calamari Barosa, chopped salad, stuffed artichoke. Michael had chicken scarpariello, Lenny had veal francese, Steve had veal Marsala and Sue, Jill and I shared seafood fra diavlo over linguine (I ate half a lobster tail). After all the appetizers, I cannot eat a meal. We all shared wine, dessert and coffee too. It was a very nice evening, made even nicer by Jill and I walking home. There is nothing like a good walk after a big meal.

Today, Michael is riding his bike to Wantagh (to Steve and Lori's) and I am driving there.

Have a nice weekend, before it rains again...

The Week

Monday I made sausage and peppers, Tuesday I made arroz con pollo, Tonight is turkey burgers and tomorrow will be balsamic chicken.

No plans for the weekend. Been thinking of Fall lately...trees, apples, country roads, soup...Maybe a trip to Connecticut soon?

THE Worst Lunch

Today Denise and I had the worst lunch we've had yet. We meet every so often to have lunch together, which is really nice, however, today we went to Mardi Gras on Austin Street. We hadn't been there in forever and have no plans to ever go back.

We shared a fried shrimp sandwich and a fried catfish sandwich. The shrimp and fish were gross tasting and the side of sweet potato fries and onion rings were tasteless and greasy. What a waste of good lunch time.

Next time, Cabana...

Chrysalis and Ryan

The best niece and nephew in the world visited us this weekend! Michael calls them "my friends", because we hang out so well together and have a really good time, every time!

They arrived very late Friday night (or very early Saturday morning, depending upon your interpretation of the time) @ 1:30am...

We spent all day Saturday with the angels. First we went to Yumiko (http://www.yumiko-online.com/en/about2.php) a dance store on the upper west side that produces hand made dance leotards, etc. Ryan needed to visit a dance store for his class. So he modeled a few items, then bought what he needed.

Afterwards, we were all very hungry...all that dance activity...so we went to Carmine's (http://www.carminesnyc.com/) for lunch for the BEST baked clams and linguine with white clam sauce-we also shared 2 stuffed artichokes.

Following lunch, we went down to Soho to walk and explore and shop! Then we got hungry again :) so we came back to Forest Hills and went to Barosa (http://www.barosas.com/) for dinner. No, too much Italian food is not a bad thing (not in NYC anyway). We shared Barosa Calamari (yum) and chopped salad (yum). Chrysalis and I shared Chilean sea bass oreganata (yum), Michael had chicken scarpariello and Ryan had a personal pizza with mozzarella, ricotta and onions (yum). Can't complain about anything!

We all came home and fell asleep :)

They are gone and I've been doing laundry. Michael went for a bike ride with Jill this morning (so good for them!!!). And then I decided to make spaghetti all'amatriciana: tomato sauce with pancetta and onions and red pepper flake (thanks Steve). Michael helped roll out the dough.

Jesse is happy at school and with his roommates and friends. We are happy at home. Hope I didn't speak too soon...

xo

After the Visit

Sunday night, after we visited my brother's new house (which is great), we ate dinner with Glenn, Eileen, Emily and Sarah. Eileen and Glenn made London broil on the grill, with baked potatoes and a really good cauliflower and tomato casserole. I ate Emilio's pizza. It is my absolute favorite (http://emiliosonlinemenu.com/).

Monday night I made a roasted chicken with Leslie's gravy (way yummy) and spinach on the side.

Tuesday night I made shrimp and chorizo with escarole on the side.

Michael has a baseball meeting on Wednesday night, so I am not cooking.

For Thursday I plan (plan being the operative word) to make a slow-cooked barbecued pork.

Friday night, last week, was my 47th birthday :) We went to My Moon with Joe and Denise and Barbara, Paul and Jackie. We had every spread, calamari, tuna tartare, doner kebab, chicken kebab, pan seared tuna and ribeye with peppercorns. Two bottles of Turkish wine, coffee, tea and truffle cake and Turkish flan. A really great evening with some of my favorite people!

The weekend is open...Enjoy the warmth, while it lasts :)

Spanakopita

Chicken Marsala on Monday was good.

Spanakopita on Tuesday was better.

First I sauteed onions in olive oil.

Then I mixed the onions with spinach, eggs, feta cheese, salt and pepper.








Then I layered and buttered and layered and buttered 8 sheets of phyllo (or filo, if you prefer) dough in the bottom of a lasagna pan, added the spinach mixture, then layered and buttered and layered and buttered 8 more sheets of phyllo on top.

Then baked and ate and shared with Jill too :)

Last night we went to Dee's with Denise and shared an Aphrodite pizza (mozzarella, feta, tomato sauce, spinach and calamata olives).

Tonight Barbara and Jennie are taking me to Sato for my birthday!

Friday night we are eating at My Moon with Joe and Denise!

Saturday we'll be at Glenn and Eileen's for a birthday dinner for me and Leslie!

Sunday we are visiting my brother at his new house.

So busy, so nice!

Rest is for the weary...which I will be next week :)

Friday Night

Friday night we went to Dumont (http://www.dumontrestaurant.com/) with Joe and Denise and Tom and Monica.

Service is friendly, wine list a bit pricey but we found a Cal Siscon 2004 Monstant -Cabernet Sauvignon, Garnacha, Cariñenanice cabernet-for $44 and had 2 bottles.

We had: Marinated beet salad with Greek yogurt, roasted red pepper, feta, arugula and a sherry vinaigrette; Crispy baby artichokes with preserved lemon, herbs, Parmesan, arugula and garlic dressing; DuMont salad with Danish blue, radish, haricots vert, pecans and balsamic vinaigrette; Peekytoe crab cake with tomatillo, avocado salad and cilantro; Smoked barbecued spare ribs St. Louis-style with ginger molasses; Dayboat cod with sweet corn, fava bean, cherry tomato and pancetta; Rock shrimp & cavatelli with stewed heirloom cherry tomato, arugula and aioli; DuMac & cheese made with cheddar, Gruyere, Parmesan, bacon and radiatore pasta; The Dumont burger; and a side of sauteed spinach. Dessert was: Blueberry Crumble made with blueberry compote, streusel topping and mascarpone ice cream and Vanilla Panna Cotta made with rhubarb & strawberry compote and candied pistachios.

The big hits were the Mac & Cheese and the Blueberry Crumble (in my opinion). Every thing was good. There was only one problem and it was very telling (in my opinion): Michael asked for sauteed onions on his Dumont burger and the chef said NO. What the fuck is that about?

Anywho...Saturday was our last beautiful day at the beach :( Later we went to Barosa for one of our favorite meals: First, their bread basket is out of this world, then we shared a chopped salad, a stuffed artichoke and a Barosa calamari. Michael finished with chicken scarpariello. If the 2 women sitting next to us at the bar and (because there's a conspiracy) also sitting behind us at dinner could have shut up for at least five seconds, it would have been a better meal!

Sunday we cleaned out the cabana with Roy and Laurie and came home for all of our leftovers in the fridge for dinner.

Last night I made Michael Chicken Marsala. Photo to come :)

Tonight is Spanakopita, tomorrow Arroz con Pollo. Then cooking is finished until next Monday...

Chicken Riggies

Yes, the recipe is from Rachel Ray, originally, but I adulterate everything I cook. Just can't leave it the way I found it :)

Brown chicken pieces, breast, boneless thigh, whatever, in olive oil and remove. Add onions chopped, cubanelle peppers chopped and garlic-lots. Soften. Add chopped roasted peppers and chopped hot cherry peppers-yum! Soften. Put chicken back,add can of crushed tomatoes and cook. Add heavy cream 'till pink. Salt and Pepper. Serve over rigatoni (hence "riggies") or not. Serve with side of escarole and garlic.

That's what we will be eating later tonight. I pick out the chicken and Michael doesn't eat the rigatoni (that's why he loses weight and I ...).

Just saw Jesse on Skype (video chat), but he was too busy for me, was going to chat with Ian. So glad he's independent, yet hard not to be needed. Better this way, just not easier...

xo

Kinda Slow

It's quiet, that's for sure! No job yet, but I will send out another batch of resumes this week. I am branching out from 11374 and 11375 schools. We'll see what happens.

Kinda slow in the food department. Last night I made Michael chicken sausage over spinach and I ate vegetable soup.

I may go food shopping later so I'll see what I can get for tonight's dinner.

I have planned a few dinners: Chicken Riggies (from Rachel Ray), Chicken Marsala, Shrimp and Chorizo, Spanakopita, Leslie's Roasted Chicken, Balsamic Chicken and Arroz con Pollo. You know how those plans go :) Eventually they will all come to fruition, but who knows when...

Friday night we are going to Dumont in Brooklyn with Joe and Denise and Tom and Monica. We are hoping to be able to sit outside, depends upon the weather.

This weekend is the last beach club weekend. They turn off the electricity on Sunday. So that means we will clean out and be gone Sunday afternoon until next May 1 :(

Have a nice day!

We Saw Ryan!

Wednesday night Michael and I drove to Purchase to see our nephew Ryan!

He looked great, sounded great. We were so happy that he'd adjusted to campus life so quickly. His dance schedule is rigorous, but he seems to enjoy it. His room is crowded, it's a converted triple: one loft bed with a desk underneath, and a bunk bed. But he's not complaining - I am :) -

We went to dinner on Anderson Hill Road at The Cobble Stone, a pub-like place. Everything was good. Veggie stack (spinach, zucchini, portobello, roasted peppers, tomato, covered with mozzarella and drizzled with balsamic), fried bocconcini with marinara, onion soup, turkey burger with carmelized onions, sweet potato fries and penne with shrimp in vodka sauce. HOLY SHIT! Sounds like we ordered the entire menu!! Ryan took home the leftovers.

Thursday night I made Michael meatloaf. Since Jesse is not here and he has an unreal aversion to meatloaf, I thought it would be a treat. It didn't turn out so well however. To the veal, pork, beef mixture I added the leftover bolognese sauce. It had too much moisture so the meatloaf was mushy. Probably tasted good, but looked funky. Michael is so sweet he ate it anyway!

Last night we went out to Glenn and Eileen's for dinner and conversation and great friends (not necessarily in that order). We ordered in Chinese, then played a game of Clue (I was clueless...). A little wine, a little So You Think You Can Dance recaps, a cup of coffee and we went home. A very nice evening. Emily and Sarah are totally enjoyable teenagers (I know, that sounds like an oxymoron, but it's true).

It should be a windy day at the beach today, who knows what's in store for dinner.

Tomorrow we are going to Leslie's...friends...pool...wine...food...what more is there?

Sunday, back to the beach, hopefully less windy by then. Our beach club closes next Sunday (9/12) when we will clean out and then close the cabana until May 1, 2011 :(

Lately

Sunday night we ordered in Tex-Mex. We had our usual: I had a cheese and guacamole quesadilla and a black bean soft taco. Michael had a chicken fajita salad with no shell and 2 chicken fajita soft tacos.

Monday night I made Michael jalapeno chicken (chicken breasts marinated in chopped jalapenos-sans seeds-white wine, garlic and balsamic vinegar) with salad on the side.

Last night I met Michael at the fields after his game and we went to Dani's and had our usual: I had eggplant casserole and Michael had chicken with peppers, onions and broccoli with marinara sauce and we shared a salad.

This sounds really boring :) sorry!

Tonight we are going up to Purchase to visit our nephew Ryan and take him out to dinner at The Cobble Stone. I will let you know how it goes...

Enjoy the heat!

Saturday Night at the Beach

Jill, Lenny, Michael and I went to Sun and Surf last night to meet the Trotti family for dinner. Sun and Surf is their beach club, it's right next to ours.

We ate outside: Spicy shrimp, turkey club, burgers, salad, chicken sandwiches and lots of drinks. We walked along the beach to get there and went back the same way, of course, the latter walk was in the DARK. Thank god Michael knows where he's going!

The food was good and the conversation was lively. We had a really good time and decided that we should do this more often. It was very nice of the Trotti family to invite us!

We are going back to the beach today and dinner has not been discussed yet...

Tonight, Tonight...

Tonight I made Frenched lamb chops with rosemary on the grill. Everyone loved them! Also made creamed spinach...likewise...a hit. And with the water that I blanched the spinach in, I made soup.

Now I am doing all of the laundry on Ryan's floor so Margo can function with him tomorrow and finish packing.

PS: Jesse came over for dinner and it was great to see him smile and laugh and eat. He even mentioned that his overly long math class was only on Thursdays and he could deal with it!

Beach this weekend...

One More Day in Ithaca

I am leaving Ithaca tomorrow. But today, I have one more day in Ithaca.

I love spending time with our family up here...with their friends...with the environment...with Wegmans (god I love that supermarket). I have been there every day since I've gotten here :)

Yesterday, Ryan and I shopped for his bbq, then he went to court to fight a parking ticket and Chrysalis and I prepared his food. We made: Greek pasta salad, pesto pasta salad, veggies on skewers, turkey burgers and marinated tofu.

Later I cooked it all on the grill along with veggie burgers (from the package) and all went well. My first experience grilling. Lots of firsts for me up here :)

His party was fun and all his friends are sweet and cute and they laugh a lot. I left about 9 with Chrysalis to go to Uriah's birthday party at his parents home. That was fun too. His family is great. His grandpa was in construction and built the Fairfax Bridge and Washington Bridge, among many other things. Very interesting man. His grandma is funny and witty and great to talk to. His mom and dad are welcoming and warm. It was very nice to be included.

After they played canasta (I watched, what do I know about card games?), we went downtown to Madeline's for bourbon night (Leslie's dad would have loved it). I had cabernet (party pooper). They have a wide selection of single malt scotch too.

Today Ryan and I are shopping for his last minute items (toiletries, backpack, etc.). Tonight maybe we'll go see Sim Redmond on the Commons. And tomorrow is home :)

Marinara

First attempt at fresh tomato sauce went pretty well.

Set a pot of water to boil, collected tomatoes, basil (also from Margo's garden), garlic, salt, olive oil. Blanched each tomato for about 20 seconds and the skins were really easy to peel off. Then scooped out the seeds, cut up the meat of the tomato and added them to the pan of chopped garlic sauteing in olive oil. Cooked it down, added salt and pepper and some more olive oil.

Served over rigatoni, it was good, flavorful but a bit sweet for me. I left it to cook down more and when Margo came home it was a better thickness.

Tonight Ryan is having a going away bbq and he has asked me to help. So whatever he needs I will do for him :)

Tomorrow Chrysalis wants Frenched Lamb chops with rosemary. I will try to make them on the grill which I have never done, but I think they'll be really good that way. And I will probably make Ryan his creamed spinach too (from fresh spinach with heavy cream etc).

Hoping Jesse is having a good day :)

In Ithaca

We are here! With our family! Brought Jesse to school yesterday. Moved in, unpacked, shopped.

Went to dinner last night at The Ale House in downtown Ithaca. Great Food! Chrysalis and I ordered the same thing (of course) grilled cheese with tomato soup (Jill would have ordered the same as well). Mike had a blackened haddock po-boy, my Michael had grilled chicken caesar and really good onion soup (made with 5 kinds of onion and topped with a fried onion ring), Ryan ordered Greek flatbread pizza (my second choice)and Uriah had a giant, overloaded burger. Varied selection of beers (Joe would have appreciated those).

Tonight I will attempt fresh marinara sauce with tomatoes from Margo's garden.

Michael left this morning and I am coming home Friday.

So far, so good :)

The Last Supper

Our last night together before Jesse goes to college...

Jesse requested dinner at 6pm...steak (skirt steak teriyaki), cous cous (garlic) and spinach (sauteed with garlic-my choice, not his, but he ate it).

My boys are now at the gas station, filling up, checking oil, air pressure, etc...

Michael spent today running around buying Jesse emergency supplies for the car, and things like windex, washer fluid, anti-freeze, etc...Then he came home and packed all of Jesse's stuff into 2 enormous duffles (soft trunks). Plus there's more stuff that can't/won't fit. Good thing we're taking two cars.

Leaving tomorrow...sad and exciting.

PS: Dinner last night at Joe and Denise's was all I thought it would be...salmon, chicken sliders, pin wheel steak, antipasto salad, potato salad, guacamole, olives, cheese, broccoli rabe with white beans, shrimp salad and wine and great company :)

Tonight

Tonight Michael's mom came for dinner. I made chicken cutlet, risotto bianco and Greek salad. Staples in our house, and she liked everything!

I had plans today to do at least one million things, but ended up on the computer for hours, which I have never done before. I was hoping from one site to the next, looking for the best prices and ways to buy Jesse's college textbooks. Quite involved. But finally done. Most sent directly to his dorm and some he can pick up in his school bookstore.

Tomorrow, I have a million and one things to do...

Too Busy

This week we will be too busy for words, mentally and physically.

We are taking Jesse up to school on Sunday so during this week we will be getting ready for the trip (pun intended...).

Last week we went to Dani's. Great as usual. Eggplant casserole, straciatella soup, chicken...

Today I was making meatballs and sauce, but the meatballs kept sticking to the pan, so i stirred them up and Voila, bolognese sauce instead :)

Thursday we are going to Sato with the Wisners as a send-off dinner for Jesse. It was Lenny's idea and we appreciate the sentiment a lot!

Friday we are having dinner at Joe and Denise's with Joe and Penny. It will be great, because it couldn't be anything else!!

Saturday is packing and stressing and feeling every feeling under the sun.

Sunday is the drive up, Monday is moving in day.

Oh boy...here we go.

18!

Yesterday our baby boy turned 18!

We went to dinner at The Waterfront Crab House in Long Island City. Nothing special. Not much to say except they do not have a large selection of lobsters, in fact, they do not have any selection at all. Just one size (pound and a quarter). So Jesse had two! I had lobster tails stuffed with crabmeat and Michael had a pork chop with peppers.

The most important thing was that we were together :)

Quickly

Friday night Michael played softball and they had a BBQ. I made and brought Caesar salad and Greek pasta salad and ate a turkey burger (surprise).

Saturday was Michael's birthday. He went for an early bike ride with Jill, then we went to the beach and later had dinner with Lenny at Barosa. I had the appetizers: stuffed artichoke, chopped salad and calamari. Michael had that and chicken scarpariello and Lenny had veal milanese. No dessert, no coffee. Too stuffed. Good food!

Sunday we were at the beach for a short time, then went to Monica and Tom's for a BBQ with Joe, Denise and all our boys! Good food, good company. Nice little going away dinner for the boys!

Tonight I am making mushrooms and onions in cream sauce over pappardelle with grilled chicken and tomato and mozzarella salad. That's if anyone comes home for dinner. Otherwise I'll eat soup :)

A few Days

Last Friday night we met a bunch of Forest Hills friends (and saw some old friends)at Manor Oktoberfest of Forest Hills on Yellowstone Boulevard. We actually weren't there for the food, Todd Wolfe and his band were playing!

Music was AMAZING! Friends were GREAT! Food was mediocre! I had a turkey burger, which in no way compared to Tower Diner's turkey burger. Michael had Caesar salad with grilled chicken and Tom had pierogies.

Beer was fine :) Michael finished a boot of Spaten in 18 minutes and boy did he have fun afterwards. He was the life of the party, happy and relaxed!

Sunday night, the Wisners came for dinner and I made roast turkey breast, rice and Greek salad.

Last night I went out to Moca Bistro on 70th Road (www.mocaus.com). We had spicy tuna and avocado salad, mini spring rolls, bbq pork and sea bass yakitori (especially good). Everything was good and we'd go back again.

Tonight I am probably going to make dinner. Haven't decided on what yet. Thursday Michael has a game and Saturday is Michael's 49th birthday, so it's all up to him:)

xo

Corfu

Michael and I ate at Corfu Grill on Austin Street recently and Denise and I went there for lunch today.

Both times I had a small Greek salad with gyro meat. Denise had the same today and previously Michael had the salad with chicken kebab meat.

#1: The service was much better at night than it was today.
#2: The lettuce is hard to eat because it is cut into long thin strips.
#3: Not enough feta cheese.
#4: The tzatziki is weak.
#5: The wine was off.

Otherwise :) it's okay.

My First Break

Brian Karp, owner of Press 195, posted a comment on my blog. Woo Who! It was very exciting to know that someone other than my friends and family read my blog :)

Jesse said "Isn't that a milestone for you?"

Last night I made dinner...for myself. I cannot remember doing that in recorded history. I made what I call Rigatoni Salt. It's rigatoni with a light marinara sauce that I add sauteed, thinly sliced pitted calamata and manzanilla olives as well as non-pareille capers (no salt is actually added, because you don't need any) :) Michael was at a golf outing and Jesse was just out.

Tonight I am making dinner for us and the Wisners. They have had their apartment floors replaced with gorgeous wood flooring, but the effort they put into moving their furniture, packing, unpacking, etc...was heroic. So they are getting help with putting stuff back and dinner.

Dinner is: Chicken cutlets, Risotto Bianco (from Michael Chiarello's Casual Cooking)and Peas with butter. Red wine and Pellegrino to drink and no dessert. The only ones who can safely eat dessert are Brett and Jesse (because they are so thin). So we are going to avoid it if we can.

Press 195

Saturday night we met Jill and Lenny at Press 195 (http://www.press195.com/) in Bayside.

We've been here several times, but not lately. The food is great! Small inside dining area with a bar and sometimes a wait, but there's an outside seating area as well (not for 97 degrees as it was Saturday night though) and bring your bug spray.

They have a wonderful selection of panini sandwiches all on ciabatta bread. We shared the hummus appetizer of black bean hummus, portobello mushrooms and roasted peppers. For dinner, I had the feta, spinach and black olive spread panini. We brought home a prosciutto and mozzarella for Jesse. Jill had chicken and black bean hummus. Lenny had roast beef (I think)and Michael had a salad with spicy chicken. The pitcher of red sangria was really good.

Definitely a place to remember for a good, casual meal.

Danny Brown's

Friday night we went to dinner with Joe and Denise and Tom and Monica. We went to Danny Brown's on Metropolitan Avenue (http://www.dannybrownwinekitchen.com/).

As always, the food is terrific. We had tuna tartare (x2), grilled calamari over white beans (x2), a 3-cheese cheese board and gnocchi to start with. Michael and Tom had burgers, Joe had spaghetti and Denise, Monica and I had scallops. May sound average, but nothing was. The scallops were some of the best I've ever had. Joe's spaghetti was anything but boring, very flavorful-no meat-always a good thing :)

Wine was good, 2 bottles of red, 1 of white. Dessert was yucky. Can you believe I said that? Denise ordered the lemon tart. I felt (not necessarily the opinion of anyone else) that the crust was made with too much lard and it had a "meaty" taste to it. In any case, the company is always good, so there's nothing to complain about (about dinner that is).

We are also looking for a used car for Jesse (now that's to complain about)!!!

Is all this supposed to make us stronger or is that a crock of shit?

xo

Lunch with the Ladies

Today I had a great time at lunch. Along with my very good friend Barbara, I met Roz, Pearl, Karen and Susan for lunch at the Palace Diner (westbound LIE at Main Street).

The food was unremarkable (and in NYC, diner food should be excellent-so skip this one, there are sooooo many other diners to choose from), however, the company was terrific. Roz was Jesse's 5th grade teacher, Karen and Susan were teachers at 175 when Jesse was there and Pearl was Principal. They are exceptional women with great talent for caring and educating children. I miss seeing them as frequently as I used to.

Before I forget: The service at the diner...how can I say this in public?..SUCKED! (And I don't often use that word). Susan and I had a bit of fun with it though.10% tip hopefully expressed our dissatisfaction :)

Happy Anniversary to US!

Friday July 16 was our 21st wedding anniversary.

We went into the city via subway...sooooo convenient. (Since I haven't worked in the city for over 20 years, I often forget).

We walked around the theatre district for a bit, had a beer at the bar at Maison (http://www.maisonnyc.com/index.php). Then walked over to Nocello (http://www.nocello.net) for dinner. We shared Caesar salad and clams oreganata then I had calamari puttanesca (sauteed in tomato sauce with olives and capers) and Michael had pollo romano with artichoke hearts and sun dried tomatoes. Everything was good. We were pleasantly surprised.

Then we went to the Neil Simon Theatre to see Harry Connick Jr. who put on a great show. Only flaw is that there is no dance floor. It's hard to hear his music and not want to move...It was a really great evening with my honey!

Saturday night, we went to the Centerport Yacht Club for a graduation party for Leslie's son Louis. Jesse looked GREAT in his new dress clothes. We had a ton of fun with great friends!

We spent yesterday lying by the waves at the beach. The breeze was perfect and the water was warm. Dinner was take out Chinese (I had eggplant and tofu in garlic sauce and Michael had steamed triple jade with chicken) Woo Who!

May make dinner a few times this week, not sure yet. Michael has Little League games and I am having dinner with my brother and his new girlfriend Tuesday night at TR's Great American in Williston Park.

xo

The Official Annual Polikoff Family Beach Day 2010

Monday was our annual beach fling. It was a great day weather-wise, friend-wise, food-wise, drink-wise, all ways! We missed Vin and Wendy and Emily and Abby this year.

And only one thing would have made it better: If the Wisners and Figliolias were there too. Then our circle of BFF's would have been complete :)

Sunday we spent another wonderful day at the Creutz' for Emily's 17th birthday.

Friday night is our 21st Wedding Anniversary and we are going to dinner and to see Harry Connick Jr. I can't wait!

Saturday night is Louis' graduation party at the Centerport Yacht Club. More fun!

And soon, August will be rolling in and we will be swept up in getting Jesse ready for school. Very bittersweet!

Have a good week.

Unbelieveable

Saturday Night night we went out with Jill and Lenny to the city for dinner. Our original destination was Daisy May's, a BBQ joint on 46th and 11th. Michael called ahead to make sure they had seating inside (they didn't used to) and we were told, yes they did and they get busy at about 8pm. So we got there before 8 and couldn't get ONE seat because they were having a private party. They must have forgotten to mention that when we called....

SO we crossed the street to the Landmark Tavern. Jill decided to have a beer at the bar (and we all joined her-of course) as we discussed where to go for dinner now. BBQ was on our minds. After ten minutes or so, we decided to stay put. There were 2 tables for two in the front window and the bartender said he would put them together for us to be able to seat 4. Not a minute later, a party of 3 guys comes in, asks for the tables to be put together in the window and they sit down. What the hell???

SO we went back to Daisy May's to see if they party was over and it was! There was an entire table open. So we sat down...but no...MORE of the original private party showed up and they told us we couldn't sit.

SO we left again...and drove to 23rd Street to RUB. Where we got to sit, no problem, but, hold onto your pantyhose...they were out of ribs. What was going on?

Meanwhile, all through this adventure, Lenny kept suggesting a Mexican place instead, so Michael kept calling and making and canceling and making and canceling and making and canceling a reservation for us (we never got there).

How was your Saturday night?

Summertime and the Living is Slow

So is the cooking.

Beach has been amazing so far. Can't wait for Family Beach Day on July 12. The Official Annual Polikoff Family Beach Day is early this year. Hope the weather cooperates!!! We order dinner in from Mother Kelly's in Cedarhurst. Their balsamic chicken is the best (so everyone says), the linguine with white clam sauce is good too. I love their salad and the bean stuff they send on the side.

We eat and drink and play and sit and talk and swim and sun and relax from noon until after dinner. It's a great day. This year we have 25 people all together. It will be a great day!

Tower Diner re-opened yesterday after there was a fire on their block about a month ago. So of course, we had to order in. I had a turkey burger (theirs are pretty good). Michael had a turkey burger also, but his was bigger than mine :) and came with no bun and sauteed mushrooms and broccoli on the side. We ordered a bacon, egg and cheese on a roll for Jesse (one of his favorite foods). All was yummy! Glad they are back in business.

Last Saturday we went to Aegean Cove with Joe and Denise and sat outside. All was outstanding!

Sunday was the 4th of July at the Shapiros. A great evening and great fireworks all around their neighborhood.

Tomorrow, Costco opens right in our neighborhood. Could be a good thing. We'll see.

No plans yet for Friday or Saturday nights. Sunday at Glenn and Eileen's for a pool party for Emily's 17th birthday. Great friends, food and wine!!! And Monday is Family Beach Day.

See you on the flip side...

I Know, I Know!

I am slacking off again. Not my usual style I admit, but it seems to be the wave of the summer season.

I am not cooking as much, or hardly ever, I should say. We don't sit down for dinner as a family at 7pm every week night anymore. Things in the kitchen are different.

This week I made chicken cacciatore, chicken sausage with broccoli rabe and turkey burgers with Greek salad. But we ate them at our own pace and not necessarily together. I guess I felt there needed to be food available for my boys.

I even went food shopping last, after we ate Tex-Mex takeout, at 8pm. It's nice when there are very few people in the store! Stop and Shop (or as Jill and I call it: Stop and Steal - because they are so expensive, it feels as if you've been stolen from) is open until midnight. Trader Joe's until 10pm. Who knew?

Last week we went to the Furthur concert at Coney Island with Jill and Lenny. Joe, the B-Man and Jerry showed up too. We even saw Andy Dymond and friends. But the show itself was not the music, it was the parking lot. What a scene! Straight out of a movie. The sixties are alive and well and still following the Dead. Of course, I had to have a Nathan's hot dog (with mustard and sauerkraut). It was just as I remembered from the last time I had one (maybe 2-3 years ago). Crunchy, yummy, greasy...didn't much like it later...but every 3 years it ain't so bad :)

This weekend is beach...beach...beach. It will be hot and maybe we'll stay one night to BBQ. July 4 at the Shapiros!!!! Yummy food, best friends, can't wait!

Slacking Off!!!

Yes, I am! And I am sorry. We have been so busy with wakes and funeral, and graduations and birthdays and regular life-stuff that I haven't spent time at the desk typing.

Wednesday June 16 was the 2nd Annual Memorial Dinner for Lou Carbone at Verona Restaurant in Melville. Food is good, company is better, donations to cancer patients-the best!

Friday June 18 we went to Baci Abbracci in Williamsburg with Joe and Denise and Tom and Monica. Food was good, outdoor seating was better, company was the best!

Saturday June 19 we left the beach and spent the evening under the stars at Vin and Wendy's with Steve and Lori and had good food and good company!

Sunday, we spent Father's Day with Joe and Denise (and our boys were actually there for a few minutes)!!!

Monday, I wandered Chinatown looking for a knock-off Louis Vuitton belt for Jesse (no luck) and also discovered that Chatham Restaurant with THE BEST pork buns has lost their lease and are now closed. Total Bummer!

Last night we met the Wisners at La Bella Cucina (near Juniper Park) for Jill's birthday!! Food was okay, service sucked but the company was great!!

Tomorrow, Jesse is Graduating High School!!!! We are having lunch at Vincent's on Old Country Road afterwards. Then I am coming home to COLLAPSE!

Party at Dee's

Yesterday I was honored to be included in the graduation celebrations of Jackie, Joey and Katie. Barbara and Paul were wonderful hosts, as usual!

We had wine and cocktails, veggie pizza, meat pizza and plain pizza (Dee's makes GREAT brick oven pizza), then came the salad, then came the pasta: Primavera, shrimp with broccoli and I am drawing a blank (sorry). Dessert was this big, beautiful chocolate graduation cake and coffee.

I sat with Jennie, Jeffrey, Miriam and Carlos. I danced with Katie and Jennie (just once, a personal request from Katie). We had great conversation with great friends.

I walked to Dee's after Jill and I walked the Austin Street Street Fair. It was a really good day!

Saturday Afternoon

Since I last wrote, I made chicken cacciatore for dinner one night and breakfast of eggs, bacon and toast this morning.

Last night we went to dinner with Joe and Denise at El Quijote on 23rd Street. Yummy! garlic soup, clams quijote, manchego cheese with olives, salad, arroz con pollo, lobster paella, cafe con leche and yucky apple pie :(

Company was totally worthwhile!

Today was a wash out of sorts, weather wise. Later this afternoon we are going to Leslie's for a BBQ and bringing wine (what else?). That will be fun!

Tomorrow Barbara and Paul are having a graduation party for Jackie, Joey and Katie at Dee's. I am looking forward to good food, good wine and mostly good friends! Congratulations to all the graduates!

Today, Tuesday

On Saturday, Michael and I went to Ethan's Bar Mitzvah. The party was at Burton and Doyle Steakhouse. The food was really good. During cocktails JUMBO shrimp, baby lamb chops, tuna tartare, crab cakes and chicken on skewers were passed on trays. Sushi was presented in giant boats set on the bar. Todd Wolfe (and his band) played. They were great as always. Dinner was your choice of filet mignon, grilled salmon (I had mine nearly raw-yummy), chicken (I can't remember how it was prepared, and I don't think anyone ordered it-steakhouse-remember) and grilled marinated skirt steak (Michael thought it was great). All accompanied by potatoes (didn't eat them) and creamed spinach (could have eaten a gallon-but didn't). Dessert was fresh berries with real whipped cream and red velvet cupcakes. Coffee was excellent. Bloody Mary's really good too. Cabernet (my 3 glasses) was really good. DJ played, people danced, got henna tattoos, played blackjack (1 table set up with Lizzie as dealer), had photos taken and put on your choice of backgrounds, key chains, etc.

I came home and collapsed. Slept until 9:30pm. Woke up, ordered pizza and salad from D'Angelo's on 108th Street.

Sunday, I did laundry. I kept expecting it to rain, as I have for the past 7 days, since that's what the weather forecast has predicted. But they have been wrong most days, and it poured for a minute, then the sun came out. Michael was at the fields.

Dinner was marinated, grilled chicken cutlets and escarole with garlic and tomatoes (which became escarole, garlic, tomatoes and white beans for me).

Monday was rigatoni with broccoli, garlic and oil.

Today, Tuesday I am not cooking. It is the night of my last SLT and PA meetings (EVER). Not quite sure how to feel...happy, relieved, sad, nostalgic...all of the above. Jesse is graduating and I guess so am I.

Jesse's senior prom is Wednesday night at Chateau Briand On Old Country Road, then overnight at the "after-prom" house in the Hamptons. No school on Thursday for Brooklyn-Queens Day and senior barbecue on Friday. Monday 6/14 is the last full day of classes. Then Regents, then graduation, then GET A JOB for god's sake :)

Saturday will be our 27th anniversary of dating. Seems like yesterday at Charlotte Beach on Lake Ontario 6/12/83 when Michael and I first met. Maybe we'll be at the beach here.

No Pizza Last Night

I didn't order pizza last night. We didn't eat before the Senior Awards Ceremony.

Jesse received the Marketing Lab Certificate for outstanding work in the school store!

I read a list of twenty names of the recipients of the Parents Association Scholarship Essay awards and checks!

Jesse went out with his friends. Michael and I went to Dani's: Salad, Eggplant Parm casserole, and chicken with peppers and onions. One beer, One wine and home.

Who knows what is in store for tonight, however, tomorrow is Kim and Andy's son Ethan's Bar Mitzvah. Party/Lunch at Burton & Doyle. Then Sunday is up in the air too.

Enjoy the sunshine!

Better Late Than Never

The blueberry buttermilk pancakes are from yesterday. Holy Shit, Amazing! Make them now!!! (link to recipe)

The shrimp saganaki is from tonight. Holy Shit, Amazing, Make it now!!! (link to recipe)

The following are past due:
Lamb chops and risotto:

Pork chops with peppers and onions:

Tomorrow night I am ordering pizza. Why, you may ask? It is senior awards night at Forest Hills High School and my boy is receiving an award. Really!!! I am also distributing the Parents Association awards for senior scholarship essays.

Good stuff!

Oak and Oar

Busy and not so busy weekend.

Friday night there was a barbeque at the Little League fields. Turkey burgers, hamburgers, hot dogs, chips, devil dogs, etc...:)

Saturday, I wasn't ever sure what the weather was doing, so I napped most of the day (yippee! really!). In the evening, we went to Oak, Wine Bar and Cafe (www.oakwinebar.com) in Williamsburg with Jill and Lenny. We sat outside (fantastic) and had: Polenta with goat cheese and wild mushroom truffles, garlic shrimp, salad and butternut squash soup. Then we had: Gnocchi with gorgonzola and walnut cream sauce, seared scallops with orzo, oranges, grapefruit and arugula salad, drunken baby ribs with mashed potatoes. Ohara's Irish Red beer was really good, and so was the bottle of Chianti. For dessert we had: Tiramisu and I can't remember, but it was all GREAT and the service was great too. It was our second time there, first time with Joe and Denise.

Sunday we went to the beach for a few hours, quickly showered, sat in traffic and finally arrived in Patchogue for Sarah's dance recital, which was surprisingly really good (of course, Sarah was great, but I was referring to the other dances). Then we had dinner with Glenn and Eileen at The Oar (www.theoar.com) on the water in Patchogue. We had: Fried calamari and tuna tartare. There was schmutz floating in my wine glass, so they brought me another. For dinner we had: An Oar Burger, Swordfish, Tuna and Penne ala Vodka. Dessert was a hot brownie with vanilla ice cream and again, I can't remember the other one. I must be getting old....

Monday was a full day at the beach. Finally...relaxing with my toes in the sand...Dinner was egglant parm hero, veal parm hero and a pizza pie from Dani's. What could be better?

The best part of the weekend was sharing it with friends!

Today is a busy "Polikoff Home" day or should I say "Jan Day": Dry cleaners, post office, food shopping, laundry, make dinner (possibly, and this is a first for us, breakfast for dinner-blueberry buttermilk pancakes and Nodine's smokehouse bacon-I have been planning that for breakfast for so long, that I think I may just have to do it tonight).

Today is also Joe and Denise's baby boys 18th birthdays! All our love to Bobby, Ian and JoJo.

Till next time...

Today

Today I met Denise for lunch at Dee's. She had the turkey burger and I had the spanakopita appetizer with a mini Greek salad. I saw Jesse's English teacher, who was there with her family celebrating her Master's Degree. All very nice.

Denise and I walked to Dee's and then home. Good exercise. Warm weather always makes me want to get out and walk. Cold weather...stay in bed under the covers.

Tonight I am making spicy chicken sausage and chorizo jambalaya.

We will be eating out on Friday, Saturday, Sunday and Monday for the Memorial Day weekend.

Yippee!

SORRY

I apologize for my tardiness in writing. Reticence abounds.

I am not cooking as much these days. Not sure why, but I should...less expensive than going out or ordering in.

Of course, we can't order from Tower Diner (because it's closed since the fire on the same block). Instead we had Tex-Mex last night, but I was at a meeting until 7:15 pm so we can excuse that one.

I did make turkey breast on Monday. I used the "convection roast" setting on my oven and it turned out very well. Crust from spices on the outside and moist on the inside.

Last week I made lasagna (all from scratch, dough/pasta included).

We've been down to the beach two times since May 1. First to open the cabana and then to bring supplies. Hopefully Memorial Day Weekend weather will be cooperative and we can spend Saturday and Monday there. Sunday we have Sarah's dance recital and then dinner with Glenn and Eileen :)

Tonight is steak, sauteed mushrooms, Greek salad and biscuits.

Tomorrow I am having lunch with Denise :)

Still waiting for results from school secretary test...

Looking forward to Jesse's graduation and CONGRATULATIONS to Chrysalis on her Master's Degree from Tufts!!!!!

Up For Grabs

Friday night Michael and I tried a place we've never been, La Bella Cucina on Juniper Valley South. We sat outside. We had a stuffed artichoke, fried calamari, brick oven pizza with cherry peppers and garlic, fresh fruit and espresso. Everything was averagely good. The sky turned a beautiful blue and some stars came out. That was the best part (aside from being with Michael).

Saturday, after we looked at wood flooring samples (entire apt. flooded in April), I went into the city, wandered around a bit, had a pretzel, looked in all the store windows (Prada, LV, etc), walked through Central Park, came home. For dinner, Michael and I went to Dani's. Had our favorite soup-stracciatella-and eggplant parm, chicken with peppers and onions and spinach on the side. Terrific!

Sunday we went to our friend Leslie's house. It was her daughter's birthday. They have a really nice house with a beautiful, park-like yard. Always good food, good wine and good friends :)

Tonight was boring. I made chicken cutlets with string beans and garlic on the side. I ate salad, then a handful of Milk Duds. Diet of champions...

Tomorrow night, I am meeting my brother for dinner along with our most longtime family friend, Sue. We are going to Circa Enoteca in Mineola.

The rest of the week is up for grabs.

Yesterday

Last night one of my most favorite family members appeared on our doorstep :) Our niece Chrysalis came for a visit!

Before she came, however, I made dinner. I had planned on my mother-in-law joining us, but she wasn't feeling well, so we went on without her.

I made French onion soup. The crouton/bread was very good. Baguette sliced thickly, spread with boiled garlic (always keep some in the fridge) a bit of olive oil and toasted in the oven 'til crispy brown.

Greek salad and turkey burgers with more garlic, Tillamook cheddar, horseradish sauce (mayo, horseradish, lemon juice and pepper) on brioche rolls (only Jesse eats the bread) and crispy shoestring onions that I fried in canola oil 'til golden brown, then spread on paper towel. The natural sugar in the onions caramelizes as they cool and the onions become super crunchy and sweet. Sorry no photos.

Tonight may be pasta with spinach, maybe white beans and tomatoes too. Just what Chrysalis and I like.

Have a sunny day! Warm days may be coming soon...

Busy Week

Yesterday afternoon, while I was home waiting for the handymen to change our a/c filters, I decided to try my hand at foccacia. Didn't work out so well for me. I made one batch of dough, tried changing the second one (since the first portion was a failure) but that didn't work either. So they both went in the garbage. I will try again in the future. I am trying to make a lighter, more airy crust for Grandma pizza. The experiment will continue.

For dinner I made mushroom and truffle ravioli (purchased at Fairway) with mushrooms and onions in cream sauce and escarole on the side. No photos :(

Tonight I have two meetings back to back, so no cooking for me.

Wednesday my mom-in-law may come for dinner and I was planning French onion soup, salad and burgers with crispy onions and horseradish sauce. We'll see what happens.

Thursday is up in the air, but I have string beans I must use or they will die.

Friday is a no cooking day, as you know.

Saturday I should be in the city at the Gallery Walk (Madison Avenue from 57th to 86th) and Sunday we will be at Leslie's for Isabelle's 13th birthday party. Always good food, good friends and good wine there!!!

Spring, Please!

WHERE is the warm weather? This is black turtleneck weather and it's freakin' May! I'm a little tired of it.

On other topics...yesterday was Mother's Day. Can't say it's the best day of the year for me. Expectations on all sides, doesn't really work for anyone. However, we spent the early evening with our very good friends Joe and Denise and their friends Chuck and Dominick. Michael and Joe ordered from Barosa, then went to pick it up: Calamari Barosa, chopped salad, pizza and foccacia sticks. All very yummy along with good red wine and conversation and friends.

Saturday night, Michael picked up from Fontana Gyros: Greek salad with chicken souvlaki and gyro and avgolemeno soup. Always good.

Friday night Jill and I went to Sato and drank tons of sake :) and ate yummy sushi!!!

Thursday night, Jesse and I were in Ithaca and we had Thai food with our family. They are very accommodating and generous whenever we appear on their doorstep and we love them for it and for myriad other reasons as well!!!

Felice Cinco de Mayo

Yesterday I bought Corona beer and ordered in Tex-Mex. I was feeling the Mexican Independence Day thing. Fun to celebrate anything!

No cooking for a few days. Ithaca tonight, home on Friday (an official no-cooking-day anyway), no plans for Saturday (another of those official days) and certainly no cooking on Sunday for Mother's Day when we will spend late afternoon and early evening with Joe, Denise, their boys, us and Chris (my mom-in-law) for take-out (I guess it's a no-cooking-for-anyone-day).

Have a nice weekend!

A Few Days Late...

I have no idea where I've been. Please excuse the slacking off :)

Last week there was Risotto Bianco and rosemary lamb chops. Michael has photos he will place here later, but I can't remember the rest of the week. I was busy and stressed.

Yes, me stressed. I took the Department of Education Secretary Test. I drove to Edward R. Murrow High School in Brooklyn, actually found a spot on the street. From arrival to conclusion, I was there about 2 hours. I had practiced my steno (actually my very own scribbled version) for 2 weeks prior.

Who dictates letters anymore? It's completely outdated (sounds just like the DOE). Anyway, it's not so easy to listen to someone speak at 70 words per minute, write it all down (no you cannot type it while they speak-would be MUCH easier), then type it back perfectly in business letter format using WordPad (a minor and limited version of Word).

Additionally, I had to copy a Teacher Observation Report (not difficult) and re-type a hand written letter with all corrections made (not difficult either).

Hopefully after the stress (certainly gone now), and the driving to Brooklyn, I can peacefully wait EIGHT weeks to find out if I passed. Then I only need to find a school with openings.

Friday night we went with the Wisners, Spilkes and Judy to Dirty Pierre's. They have very good mussels, and their fries were right on the money. Judy and I had Black Bean Soup and Goat Cheese Salad (Jill too). Lisa had portobello mushrooms with mozzarella, Lenny a burger and Michael had the Jerk Chicken. No idea what Evan had, sorry. My glass of Cabernet was GROSS and they won't make pitchers of Margaritas. But otherwise it was good and fun!

Saturday we opened our cabana at Silverpoint, came home and ordered pizza and salad from D'Angelo's on 108th Street. Yum!

Last night I made Rigatoni with sopressatta, calamata olives and basil in a milled tomato sauce. Michael and I liked it, Jesse did not. Can't win all the time....

Tonight will be pork chops with charred peppers and salad with Green Goddess dressing (who remembers that one)? It was my mom's favorite when we lived in California.

Don't know about Tuesday and Wednesday yet. But Thursday, Jesse and I are driving back to Ithaca so he can make his college advisor appointment on Friday morning. Then we'll drive back afterwards.

And Mother's Day with the Figliolias!

xo

Citi Field

Okay, here we go:

• Shake Shack-Burgers, Hot Dogs, Fries, Shakes!!!
• Blue Smoke-Ribs, Pulled Pork, Wings!!!
• Box Frites-Fries in innumerable ways!!!
• El Verano Taqueria-Tacos, etc. (I understand that they are a bit small).
• Catch of the Day-Clam and Corn Chowder, Shrimp Po Boys, Fish Sandwiches!!!
• Nonna Delia's-Pizza, Pasta, Italian Sandwiches!!!
• Big Apple Brews-All kinds of beer, imported and domestic!!!
• Daruma of Tokyo-Sushi, Edamame (for $8-can you believe that?).
• Mama's of Corona-Mozzarella and Tomato, Antipasto, Cannolis!!!
• Gluten Free Burgers, Dogs, etc.
• Rums of Puerto Rico-Daiquiris, etc. with various rums and Island Oasis mixes ($12).
• Nathan's-NEED I SAY MORE!!!
• Cascarino's of Whitestone-Local Pizza, Pasta and more!!!
• Dunkin Donuts-Coffee, Donuts, etc.

We went to Citi Field last night for the Mets/Braves game. The new stadium is bright and easy to access. It is really pretty and well maintained.

I want to say I'd love to go back, but the prices are SO HIGH that the Great American Pastime is not accessible to the Great American Masses. And that is the biggest shame of all.

Food was really good, company was really good. Free tickets-Priceless :)

Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday

All week cooking. Well almost. Monday night Michael and I went suit shopping and to Vincent's!!

Tuesday night I made chicken sausage with broccoli rabe. Usually I take the sausage out of it's casing, but this time I did not. I browned them, added the veggies, garlic, olive oil and red pepper (from Steve Shapiro's garden), then covered the pan and let it steam.

Wednesday night I tried my hand at homemade pizza dough (flour, oil, salt, yeast, water) and made pizza (with fresh mozzarella) and pizza knots.

Tonight I made rosemary-garlic turkey burgers with Greek salad and Greek lemon potatoes.
All very yummy and Michael takes great photos of our dinners!!

Tomorrow night we're going to Citi Field (the new Shea Stadium). I've never been, but heard they have great new food options! I am obviously not going for the game (Let's Go Mets, anyway).

Saturday we will be at our friend Leslie's in Huntington for her son Louis' 18th birthday. Fun with friends! Always a great time!