Lobster Pier

http://www.lobsterpierchester.com/

A birthday dinner with my estranged husband, his mother and our sons.  Of course seafood is the answer for us.  

We have been spending time together but are in a kind of relationship-no-mans-land.  We are unsure of what our comfort zone is but we seem to want to be together.  How do you celebrate something as simple as a birthday?  Well, I put together a goody bag gift including his fav cookies, coffee, candies, a magazine, and a few small items found in the local grocery store.  Personal without being overwhelming.

At the restaurant we know the salad bar will have something for everyone from peel your own shrimp to traditional salad components.  Unfortunately we found the iceberg lettuce to be quite brown. The bruschetta was zesty and full of flavor.  Additionally, two family members were not at all disappointed by the Manhattan Clam Chowder.

The Mr. enjoys crab and since it is not soft shell season, he switches over to my side and we each have the New England Shore Dinner special which includes a split lobster, clams, mussels, corn on the cob and potato.

Funny enough, when it came time for our plates to be cleared, the Mr. and I both left our boiled potatoes untouched but had pretty much cleaned our plates of everything else.  It was sweet, succulent, fresh, and simply fabulous.

One son ordered the Sea Food Possillippo and while the phone on my camera really does not offer a great representation, I can assure you it was enough food for a hungry 19 year old to have 2 meals, weighed a ton and the discarded shells quickly filled a bowl on the table.

Our sons left before dessert, but when the birthday celebrant order the deep fried cheesecake, his mother and I sang a quick and hushed version of "Happy Birthday to You."  The dessert was unlike any I'd ever had and though it was a generous portion, I only had maybe 2 forkfuls because I was absolutely stuffed to the gills.

3 dates in a row.  What does it mean?

One thing I know for sure, I have been literally Fed Well for the last 3 days and am quite spoiled by not having to prepare my own food.  On the other hand, I miss my kitchen, cooking and sharing meals with the ones I care about...all of them.

Villa Borghese Wedding Dinner

http://www.thevillaborghese.com/

The perfect cocktail hour, for me, is really a blend of elements from buffet foods, plated foods, tables with chairs, a selection of drinks, space and loved ones.  A family wedding at Villa Borghese offered all of the above.  I sat near or with some of the most important people in my life and we talked about the foods we selected and ate.  Loved the Italian sliced meats, cheeses, and a number of the passed hot hoers deouvres from cocktail wienies to one of my favorites, a plate of jumbo shrimp cocktail for those of us at the table to share.  To drink - a crisp, clean, vodka with 7 up.

Many hugs and kisses.  Families reuniting and those who thought my husband and I had called it quits were celebrating our prospective reunion.  We are quiet and reserved as we continue our journey.

The cocktail hour ends and we move to one of the ball rooms.  The bridal party makes a stunning and entertaining entrance with Tebow poses, the switching of attire by a bridesmaid and usher, and other hilarious wedding day tricks.  The first dance, the maid of honor toast and the light hearted toast from the best man.  Grace was given by a dear Aunt and the next round of eating and celebrating begins.

I thoroughly enjoyed the penne's sauce, but thought perhaps the pasta was a bit too firm for my taste.

A salad came and went as we hugged in a slow moving circle on the dance floor.  Yes, our wedding song was played and we danced.

Dancing, dancing, and a bit more drink.  One of my favorite champagnes, Verdi Spumante, was served for the toast and I enjoy a second glass :)

The main course arrives and I wish for a steak knife...

My husband ordered the chicken...

We love the family wedding.  The joy of the newlyweds, the well wishers, the dancers, the families and friends, but the evening comes to an end with a bit of tension.  Perhaps like over eating, we have pushed our time together to the waist band breaking point.  We may have done too much too soon and can not enjoy whether or not we have been Fed Well....

to be continued

La Vera Cucina Rehearsal Dinner

La Vera Cucina

The night before a family wedding the family and the bridal party gather for a meal at La Vera Cucina in Monroe.  The large group is broken into segments and even the future bride and groom are separated so they may sit with their prospective "sides" one last time.

A favorite starter for this large family is an anti-pasta platter with a blend of salty meats, peppers, olives and creamy cheeses drizzled with balsamic.  Please pass the platter again and again.

A second starter included perfectly golden fried calamari followed by a hearty bowl of chicken tortellini soup.

We are offered dinner choices of Veal Parmigiana, Chicken Francaise or salmon.

Is it odd to be served mashed potatoes with veal parmigiana?  Is it odd to be at a wedding rehearsal dinner with your estranged spouse?  We were recently heading for a divorce and have since put that plan on hold as we see if that is the right decision or if staying together and working things out makes more sense.

Generally, I don't eat veal for a number of reasons so I enjoyed the moist, succulent and flavorful chicken. 

At one point during the meal I noticed a man at the bar.  He is the owner of the catering hall we recently held our 25th wedding anniversary vow renewal.  We exchanged pleasantries and I thought about how mysterious the universe really is and the signals we receive.  

The main course was followed by a choice of either Tiramisu or Strawberry Shortcake.  I enjoyed the cake with fresh strawberries and a cup of tea.  I especially enjoyed spending time with the side of the family I have received as a result of my marriage.  It was loud, crowded, fun and full of laughter and stories.  

Later in the evening my husband and I saw the owner of the catering hall a  second time and he said, "It's good to see you two."  Indeed.  We are still deciding if we will be Fed Well together.

Perkins for Girl Talk

A few years ago, I decided with a few "ladyfriends" the best time to get together and talk it over may very well be Sunday breakfast/brunch.  No men, no kids, nothing but us and our conversation.  We rotate through a cycle of locations including local diners and Perkins.  I love the breakfast potatoes at Perkins, but sometimes the crowd forces us to end our time together a bit sooner than we may be ready. 

This visit was timed perfectly and we were left alone for quite some time in a booth out of the way of traffic.

I look forward to these times and whether it is my hyper-type A personality or simply an organized mind that needs to clear away the clutter and chaos of small decision, I have already decided what I will order.

Perhaps I will leave the reveal until the end.  For readers who know me fairly well, it should be easy to see which order is mine.  

Is it the eggy, yet crisp French Toast...

 

 with a side of sausages,

 

or the tomato and mozzarella omelet (which is not on the menu, but an attentive server checked with the kitchen and though the mozzarella is designated for sandwiches, they can certainly cook it on the eggs) with breakfast potatoes and a side of fruit?

We talk the way women do, about life, love, family, vacations, work, the Steelers and the Jets.  I know, you are probably very surprised to hear we discuss work, but sometimes women simply have to share and get it off their chests, woman to woman.

A coffee refill, an order of orange juice, a few laughs and surprises, we really talk it all over. 

Yes, it was I who ordered the custom cheese omelet.  I have this thing for tomatoes & mozzarella as well as eggs and potatoes - so to enjoy 2 of my favorite pairings is a treat for the mind and palette.  Sharing this time with a pair of wonderful ladies keeps me feeling Fed Well.

Chicken Soup for the Reconciliation Soul at Goshen Diner

All relationships have their ups and downs.  Some have higher highs, some have lower lows and we are faced with decisions about staying or going.  Can pain and hurt be forgotten, forgiven, worked through?  Should they be or is sometimes walking away the most gentle, humane and kindest answer?

After about 3 months apart, a reconciliation is being considered and with it are thousands of feelings in various degrees.  How do you take baby steps with someone you have had a relationship with for oh, thirty years or so?

Well, you start at a diner.

First step, tea and coffee at the Quickway Diner for a talk that lasts about 2 hours.

Second step, tea, coffee and chicken soup at the Goshen Diner and a walk on the Heritage Trail.  You talk, you listen, you think and then you go home alone to think some more.

You think some more.  You feel a lot.

Chicken soup really does have magical powers for the mind and soul. 

You decide if you will remember being hungry or being Fed Well.  You wonder if you will both choose to be Fed Well together.

Ken's Superior Apple Crisp

Cooking, birthdays, cake and pie - all of these things came to mind when my older son decided after a trip to an orchard with his girlfriend that he would be baking his first apple crisp.  I have to really resist all temptation to join them in the kitchen as they laugh and prepare their treat.

I remember baking a customize apple pie for his birthday a few years ago - you can read more about the adventure here:

Tradition yes - cake -no

The couple begin their baking journey by prepping the apples.  For some reason I think it is funny that my son uses my Pampered Chef Apple Corer/Slicer.

They found the recipe in her mom's Pillsbury Cookbook and the funny thing is, I have the same one but have never attempted an apple crisp.  I love to cook, hesitate to bake other than apple pie and holiday cookies.

Bottom line, my son and his firlfriend baked a superior apple crisp which we topped with vanilla bean ice cream - dessert heaven.

The experience was so positive, I thought I could surely duplicate it with all of the remaining apples from their orchard trip.  Well, I followed the same recipe, but sadly mine was in no way as wonderful as theirs and I am confident enough to admit it. In fact, they have made a second crisp and I am proud to say the other was not simply beginner's luck.

 Recognizing wonderful food prepared by others is a first step in knowing when one is Fed Well.

Chocolate Drizzled Strawberries

A million years ago, when I was a teenage baby sitter, I was hired to watch over twin boys.  I had never met the family before but was recommended by a dear friend and so I was hired over the phone.  (Can you even imagine this practice today, being asked to watch someones children when they have never even met you?)

The boys were fine and once they went to sleep in their bunk beds I was quickly bored and wanted a snack to fill the time.  I had no idea I was in a "healthy house."

NO SNACK FOODS.

How could this be?  I felt I was on a quest.  Opening kitchen cabinets.  Moving things around on the pantry shelves.  Rechecking the refrigerator.  No chips.  No sugar.  No cookies.  Nothing.

Ah, but wait...an unopened bag of chocolate chips.  Of course they were destined for a wholesome batch of home baked cookies, but would they miss a few chips in a desperate situation?  I paced.  I worried.  I tried to wait it out.

Exactly 30 minutes later I cut the bag open and poured out a handful.  I was a fiend.  I had ruined the ratio of chocolate chips to cookie dough but I was calmer.  I confessed my crime when the parents arrived, right after I explained how their one son bumped his head on the wooden bunk bed but seemed fine.  I was paid and brought home - I was never invited back.  I wonder, was it the injury or the snacking?

I was reminded of this experience when I was recently hit by a tsunami size chocolate craving.  It doesn't happen often, but when it does, chocolate is the only thing that will help.  I rummaged through my stock and couldn't find a single morsel until I thought a bit more creatively.

I did have strawberries....

I did have Hershey's chocolate syrup...

and so a substitution was made for chocolate covered to chocolate drizzled strawberries. 

The insane and desperate feelings dissipated as I swirled the sliced red fruit around in the pool of chocolate.  I felt like a lady in control instead of a maniac needing a fix.

Chocolate can be a powerful drug and to feel Fed Well one must sometimes be a bit creative to satisfy the inner junkie.