highlights

This is a compilation of the most notable dinners occuring in the gap of time between this post and the last. It seems like the more I get one thing together, the more another falls apart. Can't I just get everything together all the time? Recently blogging hasn't been the priority. But the winds are a-changing, methinks. Poor laundry, it might not make the next season...(it's my main weakness as far as housekeeping goes)

My Birthday Dinner. I made paella with shrimp, mussels and chorizo. I screwed up and bought ground chorizo (hey! it was wrapped to look like a regular sausage) so instead of bites of spicy sausage, the spiciness invaded the whole dish. Great for me, not so great for the kids and select guests. It was good but since I've never had paella before (one reason I wanted to try it) I can't say how good.

I was also going to make a coconut cream pie but my friend offered to make me a cake so I took her up on it. I asked her to make her famous Peanut Butter Truffle Cake. Oh so good and rich!

New Regular Meal Addition. You know that book I made the awesomely rich macaroni and cheese from? Well it had this other recipe called Thai Wraps in it. We tried it and it was soooo good and so incredibly simple. A pound of ground beef plus whatever veggies you want to saute up with it (bell pepper, carrot, celery, etc) then season with a couple tablespoons of fish sauce and soy sauce. Wrap it up in a romaine leaf and chomp away. The kids eat lettuce like crazy with these babies. I love it so much we eat it probably twice a month. (which, if you know me, is quite often) Edit: Add a cup or so of cooked rice, as well.

Really lovely beef, spinach and sweet potato stuff over rice.

Hubby outdid himself. Every Saturday my man makes us all waffles. This weekend set himself apart as a supreme waffle master. He made these delicious oatmeal waffles and then created an orange honey butter to go with it. He took a cup and a half of fresh-squeezed orange juice and then reduced it to TWO TABLESPOONS!  He added a teaspoon or so of this concentrated orange essence to a half cup of softened butter and then threw in enough honey until it "tasted right". It paired perfectly with the maple syrup. When I took a bite, all at once I completely understood what all those people on the Food Network mean by the "acid cutting through the fat and sending a burst of flavor right to my tongue." Bravo, hubby!

Pretty meals make you feel special. Although this recipe is super simple, look at the results. I made a double batch of my pizza dough, rolled it into a rectangle and put this sausage-cream cheese filling inside. After cutting little fringes and gently folding them over each other, dabbing on a good egg wash and sprinkling with poppy seeds, I baked it for a bit and voila! Look at that gorgeous thing! (It tasted really good too!) ps-I got the recipe from that Family Feasts book.

mac & cheese, the good stuff

Macaroni and cheese. Really good, homemade with 2 c sharp cheddar, 1/2 c romano and 4 oz cream cheese macaroni and cheese from this book. No picture. Sorry. But just imagine a pale yellow, very creamy dish made with cavatappi (my favorite pasta shape) that is sinfully delicious.

Oh, and carrot sticks.

german apple pancake

We were supposed to have this bean-y, rice-y, cheesy casserole but my son turned off the beans mid-afternoon and didn't tell me. Come dinner time, I had a pot of hard little pintos. My alternative: German apple pancake! It was the recipe from ATK's Family Cookbook and it was perfect. You saute the apples with brown sugar and butter then throw it in the oven with the batter poured on top. Oh my gosh, it was so good. Our one complaint was that it was entirely too small. Considering the butter and sugar content, though, that may not have been all bad. When it was all said and done, I thanked my son. Dinner was so much better than what I had planned.

pants-less french food

In Midtown (Manhattan) we tried this cute little french restaurant, Les Sans Culottes, which means "without pants," referring to the common people of the French Revolution, according to their menu. (That sentence was rather run-on wasn't it? Well, I'm too tired to edit. Sorry.)

The meal started out with what I'd like to call the TOWER OF SAUSAGES! You think I'm exaggerating, but just look at the picture. There was a hard salami and a garlic one and one that was mild. I'm not a huge fan of sausage, but they were tasty. These were joined by the BASKET OF VEGETABLES! (Their words.) Once more, as you can see, this is not an exaggeration. I'm not sure how they expected me to eat whole red peppers and half cucumbers and entire stalks of celery, but there it was. I tried to do them proud. The pate was delicious, despite the fact that I had no idea what was in it. And the little tiny pickles (cornichons, right?) and the mustard sauce...I had to remind myself that I still had an entree coming.

I went classic, with thoughts of Julia Child, and ordered the Boeuf Bourguignon. It was very good and considering the non lady-like amount I ate, I was rather relieved we had a bit of a walk back to the hotel. 

Bon Appetit! (I know, I couldn't help myself.)

sandwich in the park

Now technically this was my lunch. But since I forgot to take pictures of many of my dinners during my Manhattan trip I figure I should take advantage of any meal photos.

Unfortunately I have no idea where I bought this absolutely lovely sandwich. It was in within a two block radius of the NY Public Library. I know that doesn't narrow it down much, but I walked around trying to find a place that didn't sell pre-made sandwiches or some place (like Qdoba) that I could get any ol' place.

By the time I setttled on this little hole in the wall (which accurately describes almost every eating place in Manhattan) I was so hungry that upon leaving I instantly forgot what and where it was.  The sandwich was a California something or other on a bagel. Chicken, avocado and some pickled red peppers with ranch dressing, which I normally would omit but in this case it was fantastic. Paired with a Nantucket Nectars Half & Half I was quite perfectly satisfied.

On top of that I got to eat watching all the passers-by in the lovely Bryant Park. Quietly eating alone is not a common occurrence with me and I enjoyed it immensely.

reuben + knish + pickles

Do you remember that scene in When Harry Met Sally? You know...that scene. Well, I got to eat where that unforgettable scene was filmed: Katz's Delicatessen. I had the Reuben. Or maybe they should call it The Delicious. We also had a potato knish and I think an entire jar of pickles and washed it down with Dr. Brown's Black Cherry and Cream Sodas.

If you can't tell, this was entirely too much food. We would have been stuffed with just one sandwich and the knish. All in all, loved the crazy NY atmosphere and the food was seriously tasty.

we'll see

So I'm heading to Manhattan in the morning. You have no idea how excited I am. I'm expecting some delicious dining. I'll try to keep you updated, but you'll forgive me if it doesn't happen every day, right?