Sharing: Plates, Thoughts and Tequila

A week night out with two great gal friends begins with a Cosmorita - a Cosmopolitan (my favorite) brightened with tequila.  The tequila also makes the drink a bit more edgy and I hope it doesn't impair me for work the next day.  It is wonderful.

Some nights, ordering food is simple and others you can scan a menu of hundreds of items, dozens of times and still not have any idea what sounds appealing.

Some nights, it is far easier to let someone else make the decisions.

Tonight, one friend and I talk it out and agree we want soup and to share a dish.  The soup special is chicken orzo but the broth has a bit of tomato as well.

What goes best with soup?  A bit of girl talk comfort and of course a sandwich, so we order the crispy chicken wrap to share with french fries.  Have I ever mentioned my love affair with french fries?  I am quite obsessed and possessive of crispy, golden, salty, deep fried strips of potatoes. 

The food, the friends, the warming effect of the drink and I am comforted, satiated, content and soothed.  It has been a bumpy journey recently, but with an unshakable support team, I have been able to remain Fed Well.

McDonald's Big Mac Monday

The desire for a fast food fix is fairly rare, but when it flares up it must be obeyed.

And, if one must have golden delicious deep fried potatoes in the iconic cardboard container,

they certainly must be paired with the classic heart attack on a bun, the Big Mac.

Yes, I sometimes sing the song in my head.  Especially if I have to wait for fast food.  2 all beef patties, special sauce, lettuce, cheese, pickles, onions on a sesame seed bun. Oh yeah.

A customer spills soda, a child leans on the booth behind my friend and I, same child whines and walks along the window sill as the parents eat mindlessly.  Yes, McDonald's is the place to be.

How could we possibly follow up our lunch date?  You guessed it, with a lunchtime trip through Wal-Mart. 

How can I begin to compose or post about a lunch at McDonald's on a blog titled, "Fed Well?"  Life is about balance and moderation and making good choices.  For food and diet it may also include giving in to an occasional craving without a boatload of guilt or falling completely out of the boat into a sea of unhealthy eating.  Family members have made fun of me for my ability to only eat a handful of M & M's and put the individual snack size bag away. 

I came, I saw, I ate the Big Mac, now I can move on and continue to be Fed Well.

Solo Breakfast Burger

Wanna know a secret?  Sometimes, I eat alone.  Yeah, with nobody else.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lpzqQst-Sg8

(Sorry George Thorogood fans)

But seriously, when my friends aren't at work who take the "breakfast train" with me, it is a little bit lonelier.  I love though when my biggest decision is what to order.

I have a few favorites like a hard boiled egg on whole wheat toast, but it was time for what I have nicknamed, "The Breakfast Burger."

Sausage on a grilled hard roll (no butter) and cold tomato slices.

For the past few years I have discovered I have a real thing for having tomatoes in the morning. 

No topics of conversation when I eat solo... but I confess, that is when I like to surf the internet for a few minutes and check a few fellow bloggers or a bit of celebrity gossip. 

What's your go-to breakfast?

How do you pass the time when you are eating alone?

Customized Eggs Benedict with a Side of Personal Life

http://www.cupandsaucerdiner.com/

Turning a corner.  A powerful phrase.  Strong emotions are attached when one turns a corner in life, whether by choice or force, the turns are far more difficult than the straight lines.

Faced with the latest in a series of events that combine to create one of only a handful events that change a person's entire life, I reach out to friends and family.  We share stories, theories and feelings over meals.  On a fine Sunday morning, I meet a friend that I have known for all but about 8 years of my life.

I don't need a menu.  I know what I like and am not feeling adventurous and so Eggs Benedict but with the substitution of tomato slices for the English Muffins and a cup of tea with milk. 

I am thankful for being accommodated in my request but did not think to ask for the tomato slices to be left cold rather than grilled.  Unfortunately, a large portion of the tomato is left on the plate but the poached egg, the Hollandaise and Canadian bacon more than satisfy.  The eggs are pillowy, yielding a creamy yolk and topped with a rich, luscious sauce. 

My friend orders French Toast but offers me quiet understanding and let's me empty out all of the latest chain of events.  I have learned that I make new discoveries in the telling and it is quite therapeutic.  She offers a point of view, advice and thoughts. 

When I am able, I switch roles and want to know about her world, her family and her life.  It is the give and take, the back and forth, with a serving of sincere caring that makes a relationship.  Any relationship.  I need to feel what it is like to be on both sides again, to come out of my selfish retreat of healing and feel my first steps back into the world may have appeared wobbly but felt strong and sturdy.

It is common for people to say things like, "we grew up together," and yet, are we ever really done growing?  I'm definitely in the middle of a growth spurt.

Our food finished, our dishes cleared and it is time to return to the business we go about on a weekend morning.  We are at our beginning, in the town we grew up in and I know we will always be in each other's lives.  With each of the circular chapters I move through, she has been there at various distances but sharing this experience with her leaves me feeling Fed Well.

A Cocktail and Dinner at Cosimo's

http://www.cosimosmiddletown.com/

I was meeting a special friend for dinner on a Friday and picked the restaurant based on geography.  I've been to Cosimo's several times in the past, once for a Hudson Valley Restaurant review and a number of private parties so I felt good about my choice.

I arrived early after a particularly difficult day and though I was tempted to meet my companion at the bar, I refrained.  We asked to be seated outside and after reviewing the cocktail list, selected a variation on adult lemonade with vodka and Chambord.  A smile in a glass.

I never even opened a menu.  I quickly glanced through the specials and decided on a soup and left the main course to my partner.  We were brought bread and seasoned dipping oil fairly quickly.

Plain bread could be found underneath this layer of a cross between focaccia and pizza.  Delicious, but for some reason I always expect bread to be served warm.

The soup is sausage, butternut squash and potato - no fancy name.  My expectation was that it would be creamy but in hindsight I do remember the description including the phrase "tomato broth."  It was quite flavorful but not as full bodied or creamy as I may have imagined.

Our main course to share, a whole wheat pizza crust with veggies and cheese.  I am now able to listen and enjoy the food.  The crust is quite crisp, the vegetables are al dente and though the first bite or 2 may require a fork, the slice can be picked up and eaten "New York" style if preferred.

I feel compelled to look at the dessert menu but refrain from indulging.  Though the al fresco dining area is not far from a fairly busy thoroughfare, we shared our stories and food and left feeling Fed Well.

Friday Fun Lunch Before...

We never know in life when our next huge hurdle will be thrown in front of us.  We can never really prepare for the jump, the motion of tucking our leg up and vaulting ourselves over the hurdle which is why we so often crash right into it, tuck and roll.

It is fairly typical and reliable for me to have lunch on a Friday with coworkers and we routinely go to either a Mexican or Chinese restaurant.  This week it was just two of us in the Chinese restaurant surrounded by tables of other coworkers.  This keeps our conversation quiet and we have a heightened awareness to not discuss business.

I am going through one of the most stressful times of my life.  I am facing life changing circumstances and trying to grow from the experience, not wallow in self-pity, not become depressed or bitter and angry.  It's not easy and sometimes require a deeper effort than others.  When I know I am feeling low, I am not afraid to lean on others a little for encouragement, support and even a bit of humor to lighten the load.

Wonton Soup - how traditional and comforting...



The next course has become one of my favorites - the Scallion Pancake.  The light, tender, crispy, flaky appetizer that just melts on the tongue.  Ah, a moment of silence to pay respects to the Scallion Pancake.

We whisper and laugh, conspirators and comrades, seated among potential spies...

We share war stories of the past, broken hearts, dreams that have turned to dust and we are not sad, but smarter.  My friend jokes about a statement made to me recently by someone who wants a fresh start, a clean slate.  "How far back does that person want to go?  The womb?"

I can't breathe with a mouth full of shrimp and rice noodles as the laughter bubbles up forcing an escape.

It is later in the afternoon that I face the hurdle.  Yes, I did crash and burn on the track.  Yes, I kicked at and confronted the obstacle.  Yes, I both yelled and cried. 

Quite sometime afterward, I thought about lunch and the moments of laughter and compared to the trauma, I'd rather remember the day as one in which I was Fed Well.

Leftovers+Chicken Voila = September Stew

My sons and I are in a constant state of coming and going from our home.  2 of us rise at approximately the same time while 1 of us is a night owl.  They are working and attending college while balancing a social life.  I am newly discovering the ups and downs of being alone and creating my own calendar.  However, I love to cook and especially for my family.  The problem, I never really know who or how many will be here for dinner or what time it will be.  The answer, make dinners that can be transformed into something else later.

This past Sunday night family dinner was fresh corn on the cob, roast chicken with potatoes. 

A day later, some of the chicken was magically changed into chicken salad with diced celery and Craisins.

The next night, I went through the refrigerator and gathered more celery, carrots, green onions, the roasted chicken and potatoes along with the corn, and made a big pot of stew in my favorite red pot.  It seemed odd at first to make a stew in 80 plus degree weather, but the reward came when my older son said, "You made chicken stew?  That's my favorite comfort food that you make," before eating 2 large bowls.

We each happily ate the stew for more than one meal and it is easily heated.  Using fresh vegetables, cooked just enough so that they still snap, and serving the stew to the ones you love will surely make chicken stew a classic dish that knows no seasonal boundary, never creates a mystery dish left to die in the refrigerator and ensures everyone feels Fed Well.