Koto Japanese Lunch and the Killer Cone

One of my best coworker buddies and I were in a bit of a lunch rut and our workplace cafeteria was offering something that neither of us were interested in so we decided on the Koto Japanese restaurant.  We don't typically eat here often because upper management tends to lunch in this small space, thus restricting our conversation to non-work related issues.

On this day, we took a chance and though we were seated right next to a department Director and manager, we stayed in our listening space (imagine the scene in Dirty Dancing where Jennifer Grey's character is taught by Patrick Swayze the definition of her dance space) and they stayed in their listening space.

The tea is wonderfully fragrant and piping hot!

Many of the regulars seem to arrive, seat themselves and I don't think I see or hear many of them order.  Their food seems to simply magically appear in front of them.

We are a bit restless and up to try something new to us so the shrimp skewers are a perfect appetizer choice.  The outside of the shrimp are crisp with a soft and sweet center.  They are bathed in a terikyaki glaze and alternated with scallion/green onion on the skewer.

With a fairly long list of lunch choices including sushi, sashimi, Bento boxes and other items, we decide on rolls.

 

I enjoy the simple and traditional California roll.

The ingredients are obviously fresh, the avocado is especially creamy and sweet.  I watched while they were prepared and smiled at the special silver box which contained the seaweed wrappers.  Food as art and ceremony can never be a bad thing.

We walk back to work and this is what we noticed in our employee parking lot:

Not sure why, but I found this hilarious.  How long had the driver had the orange cone wedged under the vehicle?  Turns out the driver had asked security if someone could help remove it.  My coworker and I find this hysterical as we see a member of the Facility Team go out to see if he can remove the offending orange cone.

A simple day at work and a lunch adventure, a good laugh and I am feeling Fed Well.

Meeting a Friend at Marcellos and Confirming I need a New Cell Phone

Marcello's Ristorante - Suffern, NY

We make friends in settings such as school and work and then when life shifts and we are no longer in the same circumstances we sometimes lose touch but mostly the feelings of friendship remain.  *Luckily, we now live in an age that may allow a simple Google search to put us back in touch or in this case Facebook.

*In this case the ability to find and be found via social media has a happy ending.  Unfortunately, this is not always the case.

I have reconnected with a friend from high school and though we were never "BFFs" I think we always enjoyed each other's company - ok and truth be known, smokers in high school had some kind of inexplicable bond.  I gave up the stinky smoking years ago, but I am happy to have found a long lost friend.

The two of us live far enough away from each other that meeting in a restaurant after work made the most sense since I work a mere 10 - 15 minutes from her job and so Marcello's is our restaurant of reunion.

After listening to the enticing specials, meeting and talking with Marcello himself, our orders are placed.  For me, the roast vegetable soup which was pureed veggies including squash with a toast round floating in the center with melted cheese.  My friend started with an appetizer of ricotta cheese wrapped in mozzarella (Burrata) over a bed of arugula and mushrooms.

Stories are shared, the plates are cleared and our entrees arrive.  No rushed feeling and no feelings of being ignored - the pace is enjoyable and suits our social agenda.

For me, the braised short rib stuffed ravioli with "hand picked mushrooms from the Catskills."  I smiled inside as I live in the Catskill area and find it funny when my area is a selling point for a meal that is prepared about one hour away.

My friend's meal was dark meat chicken with a small side of greens, perhaps spinach, and what looked to be lovely and crispy shoestring fries.

I took photos with my phone of my soup as well as both of our entrees and the results were a disaster.  I knew I needed a new phone and though I had been to the cell phone "store", I had been given so much information I hesitate to decide.  Today, I am fairly sure I will be reviewing the iphone once more as it has jumped to the top of the list.  In fact, it was among the topics of discussion over dinner.

Another unexpected treat during our meal was the annual parade complete with Santa Claus.  The lights and sirens from firetrucks filled the dining room and though a small percentage of the diners were interested in Santa, everyone loves a parade, right?

The plates are again cleared and we return to our life sharing.  My companion chooses the chocolate flourless cake.

I select the lemon tart.

It was a lovely meal indeed.  We feel Fed Well and caught up, a hug and the promise of another meal soon with maybe a few more guests at the table.  I am looking forward to it.

Holidays at the Office and a Fabulous Handmade Chocolate Gift Box

Office holiday traditions can be tricky to see the least.  At my current day job we have decided that if someone wants to celebrate their birthday, they are responsible for bringing a snack to share with the group. Some one's feelings were horribly hurt in the past when no one brought her a cake so this may seem strange, but at least no one's special day is forgotten.  As an added bonus, since it is your birthday, you get to pick the treat.  Some bring in bagels or even fruit instead of cake.

So for the December holidays, many choose to bring a special food item to share.  The first to arrive was this beautiful box of handmade goodies.

These yummy chocolate works of art are created by the giver's niece and are also available to buy/order.

It was such a feast for the eyes, I scooped the box away and put it on my desk to photograph before it could be disturbed.  Problem was, the giver had no idea what happened and thought someone ran off with her group gift.  :) 

Luckily once she figured out it was me, she understood my need to photograph it for Fed Well.

With all the time co-workers spend together it is comforting to know we are able to not only work together, but enjoy a few bites of culinary joy as well and feel Fed Well in the workplace.

Unusual or New Kitchen Gadget Gift Ideas

I must be a lazy gift giver.  Please don't tell my family.  For the past million years of gift giving I have been simply either directly asking what the person would like for their Birthday or Christmas or I need not so subtle hints thrown at me, circled in catalogs or sent to me as an email link.  To them, I apologize.  I am going to learn to spend a little more time and effort to find things that seem to scream your name to me.  For now, I am going to share a few links to things that screamed my name.



Unusual and High Tech Kitchen Gadgets



Good Housekeeping Kitchen Gadget Gift Ideas





MORE Kitchen Gadgets*

*Please note: It seems the Halo Heating Spoon pictured is a concept only and not yet available for purchase.

Do I need many of these "uni-taskers" as Alton Brown refers to them with disdain?  Probably not.  But honestly, I'd love to give the heated spoon a test ride. Who wouldn't love some of the other fabulous kitchen gadgets seen in just these three links?  They won't make me feel any more Fed Well since that comes from the soul, but that doesn't mean they wouldn't give a sense of joy and happiness to the user.  Take a breath, have a snack and dream a little dream of a happy holiday.

5 Holiday Gift Ideas (under $20) for Those Who Love to be Fed Well

As a tea lover, I love my electric kettle!  It boils water quickly and I've also used it to give pasta water a jump start before dumping in the pot on the stove or to heat water for the base of a double boiler or warmer for use with aluminum sterno pans for holiday buffets.


An Electric Kettle

Anyone in the kitchen can always use pot holders - square or mitt style!


Pot Holders - Square or Mitt

For the grill master or the carver - heat resistant gloves to handle hot meat.  These gloves will allow the wearer to pull pork or securely hold a turkey breast for slicing.





Heat Resistant Gloves for Grilling or Handling Hot Meat

Everyone is challenged by someone who is "difficult" to buy for and personalized gifts offer a solution.   This branding iron is unique in itself but to be able to spell out whatever is appropriate - what a nice touch!





Custom Branding Iron for the Griller who has Everything

And while we are personalizing...


Personalized Kitchen Towels

Happy Holidays to all and to all a season of being Fed Well!

A Holiday Treat on a Plain Old Saturday

My older son's girlfriend made a tasty breakfast treat this past Saturday morning.  These popular cinnamon buns with frosting are typically only prepared one morning a year in this house - Christmas morning.  Why?   I'm not really sure, but it is one of the few traditions my husband started.  Grocery shopping for the holidays one year he put the popular cardboard tube in the cart and simply pronounced them to be Christmas breakfast and so, a tradition was born.

I have seen and heard others share more involved breakfasts and traditions but this has become ours.  Also, when I prepare them, I cram them all in a circular pan so they are touching when they bake.  I prefer this "new" method of separating them on a large pan so all edges can crisp a bit.

What are your families own holiday food traditions?  How did they start?  Have they evolved?  Culinary traditions always leave me feeling Fed Well and are an important part of holiday memories.

Venison: It's What's for Dinner and Paleo Friendly

Before reading this post, please know it is about venison.  Specifically, this meat was taken from deer that my husband did indeed hunt, kill and have butchered.  While I understand vegetarian's turning away from this topic, I do not share the feelings of meat eaters who simply do not like the idea of harvesting deer for food.  Cows, pigs, sheep and BABY anything are all cute, yet people eat burgers, ribs, chops and VEAL cutlets without a second thought.  It is not the intention of this post to be preachy or defensive, just stating up front where I stand on the venison argument.

The most enjoyable, tender, and flavorful cut is the backstrap and rather than save it for a special occasion, we decide to indulge.  The meat is simply seasoned with just kosher salt and pepper than rests on the counter while the grill heats up, onions and mushrooms are sauteed and quinoa is prepared.  The venison is then placed on a fairly hot grill for about 7 minutes per side then allowed to rest before slicing.  It is a true thing of culinary beauty.

The meat is slightly sweet which may be attributed to a hormone/injection free diet of simple corn from the cob and beans. It is soft, delicate and simply fabulous.

We offer a serving to a guest who has never sampled venison and she is quite surprised to learn she likes it.

My older son avoids the quinoa arguing it is simply not part of his Paleo diet.  He tries to very strictly limit ALL carbohydrates while living more simply on meats, vegetables and fruits.  While his preferences cannot always be accommodated, this particular meal is more than acceptable and quite satisfying.

Future plans for the rest of the venison include mixing the ground meat with beef for meatballs, meatloaf, chili, and tacos.  The steaks will be grilled and the roasts prepared low and slow in the crock pot.  The ground sausage is likely going to be found in soup or tomato sauce for pasta.  Venison may seem like a non-traditional protein source but leaves us feeling Fed Well.  

And by the way, I prefer to avoid eating any veal because I cannot get past the image of slaughtering baby cows - calves that are staked to the ground so they may be killed fat and tender for human consumption.  Not all points of view may make sense, but these are my feelings on the subject.