Monday, October 29, 2012

Hurricane Sandy Day 1

This one was really scary. The wind was so strong. Fortunately our house did not sustain any damage. But of course we lost power at 1:20pm. Ah bring on the disposable utensils and blue solo cups.
Now I knew we would loss power. The utility company was spot on in their prediction.

So for dinner after the obligatory hurricane cocktail we sat down to sandwiches of Boar's Head London Broil, on sale this week with American Cheese. The side dish was Lay's Potato Chips.

But now onto the wine. Chris picked up a bottle of Dogajola Toscano 2010. The description said it would be good with cold cuts! Perfect. It was a nice wine and even tasted good in the blue solo cups!

Sunday, October 28, 2012

Short Ribs with Caramelized Onions

When we were at the Four Seasons we tried their Short Rib Fondue one night with some drinks. This is a photo of what we had. It was taste of heaven.

When we got home I wrote and asked for that recipe along with the Eggplant Parmesan recipe. They sent me both of them!
This was my version. I did not add the cheese but we did have it with toasted Italian bread. Not the same as theirs but pretty darn good!
With the upcoming storm I decided to use a small dish of Baked Macaroni from the freezer as a side dish. Really hoping we do not lose power!

Hope everyone is safe during Hurricane Sandy.



What did we have for dinner a year ago?
No Post  : (

What did we have for dinner 2 years ago?
This and That

What did we have for dinner 3 years ago?
Pasta with Meat Sauce...

Saturday, October 27, 2012

Easy Pork Chop Saute with Cranberries & Zucchini Chips

Yeah so this thing called Sandy has become a potential problem.  For me, I usually do my cooking for the week on Sunday. Today as I left the deli counter at Stop and Shop I thanked the girl behind the counter for doing my cooking this week. I see no point in cooking for this upcoming week when we will most likely lose power. Sigh...
But there is still tonight and the storm is at least 2 days away.

Tonight's recipe is from Eating Well. It was not bad. The meat was nice and moist and the cranberries were good but it was not an over the moon dish.
Now the zucchini chips were another story. They were in the oven less than 5 minutes when Chris walked in and said something smelled delicious. I expected them to be more chip like, more crunchy perhaps. I think I should have kept them in the oven longer. Must remember that the next time.



What did we eat a year ago?
Thursday, October 27, 2011
No Post  : (




What did we eat 2 years ago?
Wednesday, October 27, 2010
Roasted Vegetables and Chicken Sausage

What did we eat 3 years ago?
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
Shepards Pie

Friday, October 26, 2012

Flounder Piccata with Fresh Spinach and Sandy?

I can not believe I have not posted all week. This week has been a blur. This name keeps popping up - Sandy. When I hear it I think of that Springsteen song. Other than that I have been crocheting up a storm, no pun intended.
Let's stay focused and move on to dinner. Flounder Piccata with Fresh Spinach is a recipe I picked up at the fish counter at Robert's Food Center when I was trying to decide what to make for dinner. Perfect for a quick meal.

Ingredients
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
4 (6-ounce) flounder fillets
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons olive oil
1/3 cup dry white wine
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon drained capers, chopped
2 tablespoons butter
4 cups fresh baby spinach

Preparation
Sprinkle fish with 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon pepper. Dredge fish in flour.
Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add fish to pan; cook 1 1/2 minutes on each side or until fish flakes easily when tested with a fork or until desired degree of doneness.
Add wine, juice, and capers to pan; cook 1 minute. Add butter to pan, stirring until butter melts. Remove fish and sauce from pan; keep warm. Wipe pan clean with a paper towel. Add spinach to pan; saute 1 minute or until wilted. Top each serving with about 1 tablespoon sauce.

I made Red Quinoa as a side dish, I thought the color would look nice on the plate. I also picked up a couple of the store-made jumbo crab cakes. Not bad but I like the ones I make for Christmas Eve better!

What did we eat a year ago?
Friends and Company and Jacques Pepin

Wednesday, October 26, 2011
Friends and Company and Jacques Pepin

What did we eat 2 years ago?
Tuesday, October 26, 2010
Rigatoni with Meat Sauce and Meatballs


What did we eat 3 years ago?
Monday, October 26, 2009
Southwestern Turkey Chili

Monday, October 22, 2012

Chicken Bacon Ranch Bakes

Tonight's dinner is from the Frieda Loves Bread blog. These were very good but we had one request. That the next time they be made with a phyllo dough. Yeah I am married to a foodie! The dough came out quite good, very good actually but it was a little too much bread. Wait did I just type that something had too much bread! Phew I think I need to check my temperature. The filling was good. I would add more cheese next time.

Of course if there is a next time I will make a homemade ranch dressing. When I was picking up the bottle of dressing at the store I just heard a voice saying, "no make your own." And then I had the guilt of serving Chris a meal with a processed food in it. Love being Catholic!

Want to try this recipe... Click here.


So what did we have for dinner 1 year ago?
Pork Chops With Roasted Beets and Oranges

So what did we have for dinner 2 years ago?
Venetian "Mac and Cheese"

So what did we have for dinner 3 years ago?
No Post

Sunday, October 21, 2012

Pancetta Wrapped Polpettone In Red Wine Tomato Sauce

Other possible blog titles - "I have had dreams like this."
Or "Winner!"
Yeah this is a meatball wrapped in bacon. What's not to like about that. I found this on Italian Food Forever. With a pound of meat you make 4 giant meatballs. You wrap them in Pancetta or bacon, I did them both ways because I ran out of Pancetta! You brown the meatballs in olive oil then you make the sauce and put the meatballs in the sauce and let them cook. So darn easy and so amazingly delicious. The only part I had trouble with was turning the giant meatballs to brown on all sides.
Click Here for the recipe and plan on spending a lot of time on this site, lots of good recipes there.


So what did we have for dinner 1 year ago?
Friday, October 21, 2011
Risotto With Chicken and Arugula

So what did we have for dinner 2 years ago?
October 21, 2010
No Post

So what did we have for dinner 3 years ago?
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
Squash and White Bean Soup

Saturday, October 20, 2012

The Best Annivesary Dinner...

Still catching up on vacation posts! 
These photos are from Renato's in West Palm Beach website. 
A fantastic choice for our anniversary dinner.
Why did I not take any photos? 
Well first of all the lighting was set up for fine dining not close up food photos. 
And the setting was just not appropriate to take photos. 
There were people around us that may have been distracted 
by some crazed blogger snapping away while her food got cold. 
And this food was too good to keep waiting.


 We sat outside, it was a perfect night.

What did we have for dinner?

Drinks and Appetizers
Granchio Soffice Fritto
Crispy Soft Shell Crab, Red Onion, Tomato, Avocado Salsa & Mustard Aioli. 
This was so over the top delicious.

Dinner
Pappardelle con Vitello e Funghi 
Fresh Ribbon Pasta With Veal &
Wild Mushroom Ragu, Truffle Oil & Shaved Parmigiano.
 I do not usually eat veal but damn this was sooooo good! And of course the pasta was perfect!

Ossobucco Milanese
Braised Veal Shank in Vegetable Sauce Over Saffron Risotto. 
Chris let me have the marrow... now that is true love!

Dessert
I picked what was my mom's favorite, Tiramus. Loved it. 

Before we went to the restaurant we walked around the Worth Avenue area.
  It was like walking through a Vogue magazine.
 If we ever get back to West Palm Beach we will return to Renato's.

Thursday, October 18, 2012

Grilled Cheese Academy

This is where I should have gone to college. Have you been to this site yet? The Grilled Cheese Academy lets you pick your cheese and then gives you grilled sandwich suggestions. Brilliant idea. I did not know which to make first. Somehow I ended up with the Somerset, probably because I had the zucchini and yellow squash in the fridge. I actually prepared the zucchini and yellow squash this morning before work. Loved this sandwich. The veggies sauteed and finished in wine was a nice touch. Great flavor. And for a side dish... french fries!


So what did we have for dinner 1 years ago?
Tuesday, October 18, 2011
Lentil Soup

So what did we have for dinner 2 years ago?
Monday, October 18, 2010
Chunky Bean and Chicken Chili

So what did we have for dinner 3 years ago?
Sunday, October 18, 2009
What do you eat when you are under the weather?

Wednesday, October 17, 2012

National Pasta Day

Before we get to dinner today is my sister's birthday! Happy Birthday Lenore! 


Now about dinner....
 
To celebrate National Pasta Day we had Pasta with Meat Sauce. It was my usual recipe but this time I added pork ribs. One of the best decisions I have made in a while!



So what did we have for dinner a year ago?
Sweet Cherry Tomato and Sausage Bake

So what did we have for dinner 2 years ago?
Well the bread was good!

So what did we have for dinner 3 years ago?
No Post...  : (

Tuesday, October 16, 2012

Escarole and Bean Soup

Another comfort food. I even used dried beans this time. I soaked them over night and cooked them until tender. I added a rind of Parmesan cheese that my brother-in-law gave me (Score!) and added the chopped escarole. After the escarole was tender I seasoned the soup with salt, pepper and crushed red pepper. Oh and don't forget the Italian bread!

Monday, October 15, 2012

Chicken Parmesan

Comfort food. My mom's recipe for Chicken Cutlets. Separate eggs. Beat the egg whites then add and beat in the yolks. Coat chicken in egg then dredge in bread crumbs (you could mix in some fresh chopped parsley). Heat canola or vegetable oil, about 1/2 inch deep. Put cutlet in oil. Do not move the cutlet too soon. Flip and fry the other side. Drain on paper towels. Place in baking pan and top with sauce, Parmesan cheese and grated mozzarella. Bake for 20 minutes.
We had some homemade pasta in the freezer which made the perfect side dish. Also felt like a salad so I picked up some baby arugula mix, feta cheese, fresh mozzarella and olives. I made a quick Lemon Olive Oil Dressing. Yes this is comfort food!

Sunday, October 14, 2012

I stepped away for a moment or two...

Chris and I went to the Four Seasons Resort in West Palm Beach Florida for a few days to celebrate our 21st Wedding Anniversary. It was the best vacation I have ever had.

We arrived at the hotel and were greeted by a fruit and cheese tray and some white chocolate strawberries decorated to to look like baseballs, yeah we are Yankee fans. There was an amazing bottle of wine. They sent these up to thank us for following the resort on facebook and to wish us a Happy Anniversary!

After enjoying that treat, OMG the strawberries were so sweet, we went down to the bar and then moved on to the dining room, actually sat outside. Before going to the resort I had found out online that the chef at the Four Seasons had been known for his Eggplant Parmesan. Let me tell you that this was the most amazing Eggplant Parmesan I have ever had. My sister loves Eggplant Parmesan. I wanted her to be able to taste the dish. I was trying to figure out how I could bring a serving home on the plane...

Day 2 started with breakfast, Steel Cut Oatmeal - Manzano Banana Compote, better than my usual microwaved oatmeal! Chris had Two Eggs, Breakfast Potatoes, Pork Sausage, Citrus Brioche, Fresh Squeezed Orange Juice. The two of those breakfasts were actually breakfast and lunch for both of us!


Now about dinner that night... we went to Havana Hideaway. We had seen it featured on Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives. This was honestly the worst meal I have ever had. We ordered the Get What Guy Got and there is no way this is what they served him. It was just awful. And I will not mention the possum!

Day 3. Our anniversary!!!! Went for a mani-pedi and then met Chris poolside. Had lunch at Atlantic Bar and Grill. I had the Bresaola Panini - Radishes, Gouda, Arugula and Lemon Oil on Sourdough and Chris had the 2800 Burger. Fantastic!

 
When we got back to our chairs by the pool we were greeted with this!

To be continued.....



Friday, October 12, 2012

Happy Anniversary!


Happy Anniversary to my best friend!




So what did we have for dinner a year ago?
It was 20 years ago today...

So what did we have for dinner 2 years ago?
Happy Anniversary

So what did we have for dinner 3 years ago?
Meatloaf and Potatoes Dominoes

Wednesday, October 10, 2012

A Vacation Post...


Lucia will be away from her computer for a few days. Hope you enjoy the song.




So what did we have for dinner a year ago?
Chicken with Bacon and Leeks

So what did we have for dinner 2 years ago?
Steak with Dijon Sauce and Scones

So what did we have for dinner 3 years ago?
Do You Want 2 Glasses With That Bottle of Wine!

Monday, October 1, 2012

Roasted Sausage, Peppers, Onions and Potatoes

Another winner! Roasted Sausage, Peppers, Onions and Potatoes. Seasoned with salt, pepper, oregano, thyme, crushed red pepper and olive oil. That's it. Does not get easier than this one!
Happy Monday!

So what did we have for dinner a year ago?
Michael Symon's Pork and Beans

So what did we have for dinner 2 years ago?
Ravioli with Vodka Sauce

So what did we have for dinner 3 years ago?
No Post  : (