Since Friday

Friday night was Italian night with the Wisners. We had Sunday gravy with braciole, meatballs and sausage; garlic bread; salad; broccoli rabe with garlic and oil; wine; homemade iced tea; and cheesecake for dessert. Yum!

Sunday was eggplant parm. Monday was stir fry chicken with vegetables (baby bok choy, red pepper, broccoli florets, snow peas, baby corn, water chestnuts, onions, garlic) in a marinade of soy sauce, oyster sauce, rice vinegar, ginger and garlic. Today I made pasta fagioli. Tonight is turkey burgers and salad and tomorrow is penne vodka and spinach with garlic and oil.

Friday night is Ham night with the Wisners; Baked quarter ham; mashed potatoes; mixed greens, cranberry sauce and something for dessert I have not yet decided upon.

Saturday I am visiting my brother and Sunday we will be at the Shapiros for (you guessed it) the Jet game. J E T S Jets, Jets, Jets!!!

Brennan and Carr

Michael has been watching Man vs. Food on TV lately and...of course...we have to go check out his newest discovery :)

We went to Brennan and Carr (http://brennanandcarr.kpsearch.com/df/default.asp) last night. I drove into Brooklyn to pick up Michael from work and he drove us to Brennan and Carr. They are famous for their roast beef sandwiches (me eat roast beef?) well, yes I did! Not so happy later, but not so bad either. We each had a double dip, which is a roast beef sandwich on a hard roll. First the beef is dipped in the au jus, then put on the roll. The the whole thing is dipped again in the au jus. We even had juice on the side, along with onion rings. I had 2 Bud lights on draught ($2.50 each-wow) and Michael had a Corona and a diet coke! We brought sandwiches home for Jesse and he was happy!! No ambiance to speak of, a bit pub-ish but cool nevertheless.

Next on our list is L & B Spumoni Gardens, also in Brooklyn, but Lenny says they have an outside so summer seems better. They are famous for their Grandma pizza, and I CANNOT wait.

This past week I have made shrimp saganaki with Greek salad and Reuben roll-ups. The roll-ups are made thusly: Take egg roll skins and lay Swiss cheese, corned beef and sauerkraut in the center. Roll them up, closing the sides as you go along so nothing drips out, and lightly fry in canola oil. Dip in mustard or Russian dressing. Jesse was very happy! I liked them too :)

Tonight I made chicken cutlets, veggies with garlic and oil and also borscht with meat bones (no actual meat).

Tomorrow is a snow day, so they say...I am making a big, fat Italian dinner with meatballs, sausage and braciole in a pot of sauce with broccoli rabe and salad and rigatoni. Red wine (Chianti) and garlic bread too. Dessert is caramel cheesecake I made this afternoon. Hope the Wisners will be happy :)

Have a nice weekend!

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...

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!

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!

The Week Beginning March 21

Sunday night our very good friends: Jill, Lenny and Brett shared dinner with us. We had "Sunday sauce": Homemade gravy with meatballs and chicken sausage, spaghetti, mozzarella and tomato salad, warm Italian bread and broccoli rabe with garlic and oil. Red wine and gasatta (seltzer) to drink and brownies for dessert (ok, the brownies were Dunkin Hines-I apologize). But the company is always good :)

Last night I made chicken breast sauteed with olive oil, garlic and cherry peppers with corn and salad on the side.

Tonight is Rigatoni Arrabiata with spinach, Wednesday will be Arroz con Pollo with broccoli on the side and Thursday should be Chili night, if all goes according to plan....

The best laid plans of mice and men.......

Men plan and God laughs....

Oh My God!

I have to stop! Tonight's dinner was great (if I do say so myself).

Risotto Bianco with onion, garlic, white wine, butter and parm-regg. Near Heaven!

Then, chicken sausage with broccoli rabe. A family favorite.

We finished off with apple tart. The crust was very similar to shortbread, and I simmered the apple slices before baking with butter, sugar and raisins soaked in amaretto.

We almost never have dessert and I rarely bake (only at Thanksgiving, when Chrysalis and I go crazy).

Friday night, Barbara and I are taking Jennie out to dinner for her birthday. Jennie is choosing the restaurant, Tapas in Astoria I believe. I will let you know.

Saturday night is Brooklyn Bowl. I have no idea where we're eating, but rest assured, you will find out!

Have a nice weekend!