So...whats for dinner?

Valstim52

Enjoy !

MinusTwo

Breakfast was an hour of water aerobics. Lunch was 1/2 a rye bagel with cream cheese & smoked salmon spread. Dinner was 1/3 an English cuke, 1 piece leftover pizza - pepperoni & mushroom, 1 Comice Pear which was really disappointing for $1.65 (eeek) - very little taste. (glad I only bought one).

Going to one of our local theaters tomorrow afternoon to see "Always Patsy Cline". I know it's been around for awhile, but I've never seen it. The neighbor I'm going with has been on a serious diet and wants to eat at Sweet Tomatoes after the play so I'll get my salad for the week.

ChiSandy

Dinner was a NY strip, cooked in a cast iron skillet preheated on the grill; pan-seared Brussels sprouts with olive oil, balsamic and truffle salt; and tomato-basil salad. Waiting for the skillet to cool before I clean it. I like to cook steak in cast iron, but I don’t like having to preheat the pan in the oven to 500F in warm weather. The downside to the skillet-on-the-grill method is you don’t get the grill marks, but you also don’t dirty the grill, or get flare-ups.

susan_02143

Minus, how was the show?

The ribs that we smoked two weeks ago and were not eaten were stashed into what I fondly call the "Magic Freezer." Tonight, one bag of those ribs, six ribs to be exact, were thawed. I also grabbed a bag of corn that we processed at the end of last summer. Add some green beans and cucumbers from today's Farmer's market, and we have dinner!

I baked the corn. Normally, I add some butter and chives, but today, we had culled the basil, so I added that instead.

*susan*

susan_02143

My stomach hasn't been happy for the past few days. I am forcing myself to eat bigger meals, and it appears that the results are the BigD. Net result? I am eating more food and loosing even more weight. Ugh. No pancakes for "brunch" today. Stomach had no interest, so I had some yogurt with my strawberry-rhubarb compote and a bit of granola and a scrambled egg. Dinner ended up being at the Greek Corner. Ordered the sample plate to share with Mr. SMT and a bowl of their lemon-chicken soup. This restaurant used to be a study in lemon and garlic. Been a while since we have been, and the garlic and lemon were not to be found. The hummus? None. The eggplant dip? Bland. The spanakopita? if there was any feta cheese in there, I sure didn't find it. However, my stomach isn't in pain so maybe the blandness is a good thing.. The soup was fresher and lighter than I remember. Of course, my potassium numbers would have enjoyed some potatoes, but the rice was delicious.

Going forward, I am going to give up on eating a "full" meal, and go back to forcing a small breakfast with a snack in the afternoon. Team on Tuesday will NOT be happy with my weight, but the flip side is, I can wear those dresses I bought back before my thyroid disease was found! And they are nice dresses indeed. Heck, they are a bit too big even. [Is it bad that I am happy not to be carrying that extra 15-20 lbs?]

*susan*

MinusTwo

Susan - woohoo for the dresses. Now you just need the energy to go out & show them off. Dancing??? But sorry your tummy has been revolting. I have better luck with small meals more frequently. Hope it will work for you.

Always Patsy Cline was just great. Funny & sad. Bold & saucy. Neither my friend nor I listened to Country music at the time, but even I knew many of the songs. The show premiered in 1988 & has been produced around the country ever since. Apparently just started a second tour of Australia.

ChiSandy

Dinner last night was a big green salad with lettuce, baby arugula, grape tomatoes, English cukes and vinaigrette, followed by the last 1/4 c. of tuna salad on a half piece of bran matzo. That’s because I had a donut for breakfast (no time to cook), before we left for the White Sox game (they lost). Had my first real beer in a year and first one with both alcohol & full carbs in >2 yrs. Bob said all week he wanted a Cuban sandwich, so I was going to buy two until I saw the calorie count (city law requires it be posted): 875! So we split one. I had CrackerJack (hadn’t had that in years either). Then Bob decided he needed a “Taco Helmet” (taco salad with guac, cheese & sour cream on chips served in a plastic batting helmet, which he had earlier this year when he & Gordy went to a game. (“Sundae Helmets” were half-price because it was National Ice Cream Day. Uhhhh, no thanks). On our way out of the stadium we noticed the calorie count: 3200. Whereupon Bob vowed to fast (except for wine) for the next 24 hrs., but he gave in at about 3 am by killing off half a box of graham crackers.

Tonight I will pick up a rotisserie chicken after working out. And I will have the Asian cuke salad I made last night to “pickle” itself in the fridge: dressing was a little ponzu, rice vinegar, sesame oil, garlic, ginger, and a tiny dollop of Korean gojuchong paste. Maybe it’ll make up for the fact that what I really want are crispy, crunchy, sticky, sweet-hot floured-and-deep-fried Korean wings.

susan_02143

Mr. SMT brought home a lovely head of cauliflower from the farmer's market this weekend. This was paired with some potatoes [always thinking about potassium] for a simple Indian dish. The rest of the meal came from our Indian spot... tandoor chicken wings and some chana masala. Sometimes I just need an assist. Today was one of those days. Though I had planned to make my own chana masala, but even though I had them soaking, it felt like too much. Today was so hot and sticky.

We had a great day with Olivia. Most of this day was spent outside. She learned how to pick bright red raspberries and pop them into her mouth. She learned that the green tomatoes are not to be picked since they aren't yet ready. Here she is sitting on the newly rebuilt stairs from the porch in a romper that I made.

*susan*

illimae

DH cooked a mix of things he wanted and whatever was easy. Small portion of grilled sirloin steak, 3 sautéed gulf shrimp, corn on the cob and leftover homemade Mac n cheese. And about 2/3 cup of no sugar added ice cream for dessert

MinusTwo

Susan - if I lived closer I'd have to borrow her. What a doll.

susan_02143

Minus, she is an amazing child! She would love to be borrowed.

SpecialK

susan - can't tell you how much I enjoy seeing pics of Olivia - makes me smile every time! She is a gem!

carolehalston

What a cute picture! I'm in love with Olivia!

I will be buying lunch for my mother at Olive Garden. Shrimp and pasta alfredo. I will eat a little pasta to please her and will eat the large salad, which is just so-so. I will take my computer and do some shopping with her for one or two new house dresses, categorized as "patio dresses." Her aides have influenced her to wear dresses rather than slacks and blouses because tending to bathroom needs is easier.

Last night's dinner was a Smart something frozen dinner, Mexican rice and beans. It was edible and easy. And the evil scale is kind this morning! I am sending a couple of pounds to Susan.

It was raining when I arrived last Tuesday and has rained every day. But what is happening outside is irrelevant (as long as the weather doesn't feature a hurricane or tornado) because life takes place indoors in a/c cooled environment. The heat has reached northern MN, my husband tells me. He cleaned the carpet in the rv yesterday and had the a/c going out of necessity for comfort as well as drying the carpet. At least there is hope of the weather changing in MN. Not in LA until late October or early November.

M0mmyof3

Boneless pork ribs, veggie and a side

MinusTwo

Finally have my fridge down to about 10 radishes & 10 carrots, a dozen eggs, a carton of cottage cheese, some swiss cheese and 1/2 a package of English muffins. Hmmmm. Lunch will be cottage cheese & canned peaches. Time to start dragging things out of the freezer.

ChiSandy

Had a SpecialK brand crustless quiche this morning (peppers, turkey sausage & Quinoa). Very low-carb, despite the quinoa. Wasn't too bad. Dinner tonight will likely be leftover chicken wings & ribs (too lazy to drive the 8 miles to Buffalo Wild Wings for half-price traditional wings—have a mani tomorrow so I don't mind turning my cuticles orange tonight), plus Jerusalem salad & sugar-snap peas.

On an impulse, we’re flying to Boston Friday for a getaway weekend (our first choice was Toronto, but got sticker shock from the fares, even on Porter). Got some good suggestions from Pennsygal for restaurants. Susan, do you have any favorite ethnic spots we might not have here in Chicago?

susan_02143

Sandy, "ethnic" is a funny word.... what cuisine do you wish you had access to in Chicago? And what part of the area will you be staying in? That might make a difference as well. And I can't remember if there are Jewish food traditions that you still follow, such as shellfish? I mean, I know which restaurants I would want to eat at, but I doubt you could get a reservation at this point at any of them. Give me some more information, and I will be happy to make suggestions. Boston's food scene is quite robust these days.

ChiSandy

Susan, I don’t keep kosher, never have. Pork, shellfish, mixing meat & dairy are all okay with me. We have almost all ethnic cuisines here in Chicago (especially Mexican—including sub-regions, Ethiopian, Indian & Pakistani, in our neighborhood) but I recall that most East & SE Asian cuisines in Northern VA (especially Korean & real Szechuan) far outstripped the ones here. I get the sense that Boston is also “ahead of the curve” when it comes to food trends. Sadly, the Hungarian place (Cafe Budapest?) near the Copley Plaza is no more, I hear. Bob had his heart set on that.

We will sit down tonight with OpenTable and see what we can get. (IIRC, Union Oyster House is always walk-right-in, at least at the oyster bar). Anything new & trendy in the Faneuil Hall area (where we’re staying)? I hear Durgin Park has gone downhill from its glory days as a must-do tourist trap. And though we don’t have Legal here in Chicago, we go to the Roosevelt Field (L.I.), Tysons (VA) and Boca branches, so it’s lost its novelty for us.

We won’t be renting a car (if we can’t get somewhere by T, cab or foot we’re not going), so the far ‘burbs are out of the question. I’ve gotten some good suggestions in the Back Bay. If we can’t get “the hottest” table in town, that’s okay. We’ve never been to many of those (Alinea, Ruxbin, etc.) here either.

susan_02143

Okay.... for that part of Boston, do not eat at the Union Oyster House or Durgin Park. They really suck! North End– Neptune Oyster. No reservations. Stand in line. Spectacular lobster roll and great lobster-pasta dishes. Mama Maria for excellent Italian and they take reservations. Oysters, head to Island Creek Oyster House in Kenmore or next door at Eastern Standard for oysters in a French brassiere. For a great Turkish-inspired meal, go to Cambridge and enjoy Oleana, or its sister restaurant in Somerville, Sarma. Sarma keeps 20 seats for the "neighborhood" so you can walk in. Any of the Barbara Lynch restaurants will be good, though a bit pricey. I like Babbo in the Seaport for a well-priced meal. This is a Mario Batali restaurant at a great price point. For lobster, consider counter service at the Yankee Lobster House or Hook's. Nothing fancy. It is all about the lobster.

Pass on the Mexican. Chicago is better overall at that. Well, we have three that are excellent, but not convenient from where you are staying.

Places I would go if I had a better cash flow: any Barbara Lynch restaurant. Craige on Main. Espalier has moved into one of the hotels and is true French with the service and prices to match. There is no place in the Back Bay that makes me swoon, unless you want a French restaurant– La Voile.

New place that I am planning to try is SRV in the South End. $45 for a great tasting menu. In fact, I think we will go there for our 35th anniversary dinner. Also in the South End, Cafe Madeline for great French pastries.

If you want to enjoy some delicious Chinese, Peach Farm or Winsor Dim Sum Cafe. If you are in this neighborhood you can find Bahn Mi sandwiches for about $3.50 a piece. The Parish cafe is another option for a great lunch sandwich.

ChiSandy

Thanks, Susan. I'd heard some mixed reviews of Union Oyster House that indicated the “old gray mare..ain't what (she) used to be," but you confirmed my suspicions. (Bob has a hard time giving up on sentimental memories, but I'm going to gently pull him into reality). We can still get an early table Friday night at Le Voile, so we're thinking about that. I seem to remember lunch at Mama Maria as we walked through the N. End (with Gordy still in a stroller) towards Charlestown. (I also remember the half-jocular T-shirt displayed in a North End shop window: “Die, Yuppie Scum!" Ah, those wacky late 1980s). Sarma sounds interesting. We've heard some good things about Sonsie, but it looks like a typical upscale-casual eclectic bistro not unlike our neighborhood joint, Cellars (albeit a tad more ambitious). Also got a recommendation of Summer House. And the raging carnivore that is Bob (and I his willing enabler) might be interested in MOOO.

As for Babbo, we might give it a try. Our experiences with Batali's places have been mixed. Carnevino at the Palazzo in Vegas was awesome (two years later, I can still taste the saffron fettucine and the best steak I've ever eaten—and we will make a beeline for it this Oct.); B&B next door in the Venetian was very good but I can't remember a single dish. Baffo, in the basement of the Chicago branch of Eataly, was excellent the first time but a year later extremely inconsistent (overcooked beef, pasta that was past al dente—more like “per edentate," flat rose sparkler by the glass—made them open a fresh bottle). And it closed—as did three of the walk-in specialty restaurants upstairs (Verdure, Le Pesce and Il Carne—the latter was pretty good). There's still a decent pasticceria, gelateria, trattoria, pizzeria and raw bar. I guess there are just so many pies into which to stick one's fingers before one runs out of fingers, and even Mario is human. But the fact that you like Babbo in the Seaport is a good sign. I'm not as familiar with Barbara Lynch as I should be, but I remember Lydia Shire's restaurant—maybe it was one at which Todd English started? It was so long ago

Neptune sounds like my kind of place, but Bob's not big on waiting in line. (Maybe he can sit and I can feed him oyster crackers and a Sam Adams until we can get seated). And any way we can get our hands on a great lobster roll—counter service, whatever—is great. You would not believe the culinary crimes committed in the name of “lobster rolls" here in Chicago. (Brioche buns? Challah? Oy).

If you like Mexican and you ever come to Chicago, we should take you to Frontera Grill (or a new Oaxacan place that just opened—still below the radar—around the corner from the Argyle St. “Chinatown North" neighborhood). Or for straight-ahead non-innovative good non-regional Mexican, Mas Alla Del Sol. As for Indian, we are lucky to live only a mile SW of Devon Ave., where Indian families come from all over the Midwest to shop & eat.

BTW, speaking of Somerville, years ago (1994, I think) I took the T out to a little business park that was converted to artists' studios and artisans' ateliers. I'm a long-time fountain pen collector, and one of the editors (and artists) for Pen World Magazine worked there. His name was Pier Gustafson, and he repaired and sold both fountain pens and bicycles (all vintage). Strangely, that seemed like a perfectly normal juxtaposition at the time. Apparently, he’s still at the Fitchburg St. studio but has switched to exclusively calligraphy. (Why am I not surprised)?

ChiSandy

We got La Voile for Friday night—the rest of the time Bob wants to see where our feet take us. (I know I seem deferential, but he works so long & hard, and I get to travel so much more often). But he’s definitely up for Neptune if we find ourselves in the North End. He wants to do the whole Freedom Trail. It’s been so long since we walked it!

M0mmyof3

Sandy, one of the best burger joints I have been to in Boston is Mr. Bartley's Burger Cottage in Harvard Square. It's always been packed when I went there and you have to stand in line to get in but the food is worth it. They have some really inventive names on the menu for the food. I'll PM you the link.

susan_02143

Neptune. They will take your phone number... while you wait, you go across the street to have a cocktail. This is not a warm/fuzzy kind of place, but people put up with the gruffness because the food is so darn good.

Island Creek Oyster House is a great place to have oysters and most things from the sea. The owners have large oyster farms in Welfleet so the product couldn't be much fresher.

Lacey used to write about LaVoile which is where her French friends wanted to go while they were here. We liked it enough that Mr. SMT and I hosted our daughter's wedding dinner there. The fish soup though not a full bouillabaisse, is delicious. Originally, this restaurant was located in Nice, so their preparations of Mediterranean fare is spot on.

For something a bit more "exotic", Oleana in Cambridge is marvelous. Order heavily from the Meze portion of the menu. The entrees are less adventuresome. Ana Sortun's mastery of vegetable cookery is astonishing and she is married to the man that owns one of the most revered local farms. She gets those veggies right out of the ground.

Finally, search the bostonglobe.com for a recent article of where to eat in the North End. There are many mediocre restaurants that cost as much as the really good ones.

MinusTwo

Waiting, waiting, waiting for two of my favorite things. Hatch Chili festival probably not until mid August. Olathe corn not due until August.

Dinner tonight is a half a California Roll with Rothschild Lemon-Wasabi sauce.

Special - check in when you can.

Tappermom383

I was at the farmers market in my daughter's town (Parker, Colorado) on Sunday and we bought some corn marked Olathe. I was really looking forward to it as I haven't had any corn on the cob this summer (my DH can't eat it). But my SIL decided the chicken, potatoes and salad were enough and didn't want to cook it. I hope they enjoy the corn I bought! I'll have to buy myself an ear or two soon.

MJ

susan_02143

The swordfish are running in New England waters! The most delicious swordfish I have ever eaten, to be honest. We grilled a swordfish steak and I served it with a knock-off Rösti, a bastardization of Ad Hoc at Home's version which is a bastardization of this dish to begin with. I made the Rösti with spiraled farmer's market zucchini and Yukon potatoes of unknown provenance. Spiralizing isn't the perfect way to prepare the veggies and Yukons aren't the perfect potato, and yet it was really good. Instead of cornstarch, I used potato flour and added chives, parsley, and thyme from the garden. Half that mixture goes into the pan, then I did a layer of grated parmesan cheese and then the rest of the zucchini and potato mixture. I used my great-grandmother's cast iron frying pan, but should have chosen the next size down.

Swordfish:

And the experimental Rösti:

I also made a salad, but I am tired of salad photos!

Way too early for corn, well, good corn. I am patient.

*susan*

SpecialK

chisandy - I was confused for a minute by your SpecialK reference of crustless quiche - I make it all the time - developed a recipe when I catered a reception for someone whose mom was gluten intolerant. Then I realized you meant the brand Special K...lol!

minus - I'm here, doing ok! Surgery went well, only snafu is that they steri-stripped me because the incision (about 4") is in a tight area - not much laxity on my shoulder, although there seems to be a lot EVERYWHERE else on my body, haha! I have a pretty intense adhesive allergy so the steri-strips have to come off when the bulky bandage is changed tomorrow morning. I am going to try to convince my LE PT to remove them at my appointment, linking the allergic reaction to potential cellulitis or an arm flare. I am a bit peeved as we reviewed the adhesive allergy when I arrived, but a different nurse was there for the close of the wound, and somehow that word was lost. Like a trusting patient I assumed I didn't need to reiterate as they have seen what happens when they steri-strip me - but, no. I didn't watch them stitch or dress, and found out about the steri-strips as I was going out the door. Eeesh! Hoping my shoulder skin is less sensitive than my torso skin where previous hideous rashes have occurred...

MinusTwo

On no Special. I can appreciate the 'steri-strip' allergy. I too hope your shoulder is less sensitive. Will it be too late to add some 'glue' to keep the wound closed?

I've gotten to the point where I always carry my own tape for bandages (Medipore or Hypafix), but I don't know an answer to steri-strips.

SpecialK

minus - the rest of the dressing is medipore - which sort of defies logic. The wound itself is totally under-stitched, and my plan is to be a princess (already confirmed with DH) and do nothing for several days in hopes that the skin will fuse. I think this was a communication error - nurse #1, to nurse #2, then me to everyone, lol! Moral of the story - never assume. My previous steri-strip reaction - from a MOHS on my upper back - was pretty ugly. They steri-stripped the length of the wound, which was similar to this one, at about 4", and I had a perfectly shaped 4" by 2" rectangle of raised welt. It took weeks to calm down, had to do Domeboro soaks, topicals, etc. I will go straight to the Atarax if this looks bad tomorrow.

M0mmyof3

Had dinner with friends last night. They sent us home with the rest of the pulled pork we had for dinner, so it looks like pulled pork sandwiches and a side since it's going to be day 3 of a 5 day heat wave.