Garnishing Plates

Mondays can be difficult.  To help ease the pain of a stressful Monday morning, two of us decide to go out to lunch and talk it over.  We decide Chinese food will help take the edge off.  Normally we are greeted by a trio of friendly, smiling female faces, but today everything is different.  All of the staff are male wearing neckties and some of the art work is different.  What happened in a week?  Or is it because we save going out for an end of the week treat?  We are a bit suspicious.

The tables are set with chop sticks.  The menu is now a hard bound book instead of the laminated two sided list of specials.  I've had a morning that needs to shared, discussed and dissected.  Do I have time to choose a meal?  The old faithfuls are still available and so minimal concentration on food is required.

The General's Tofu arrives for my friend and yes, it is different in appearance.  The plate is beautiful and we immediately notice the fancy and colorful flower.  Jewelry for the dish.  Is it necessary?  I also don't understand the sprig of parsley.  I want to ask for a baggie to take it home and use it in a dish - not really, but why is it there? 

Though my minimalist plate is not wearing any jewels, it is quite colorful, the vegetables are crisp and bright with a deep, rich sauce I know will be a perfect coating for the brown rice.

We begin to talk about temper tantrums in the work place when the other employees from our work place arrive.  Though Journey is performing one of their greatest power ballads in the background, we worry it is not enough to mask our conversation and so instead we talk about our families.

We skipped the scallion pancake so I feel quite entitled to have some pistachio ice cream.  The sweet treat is creamy and perfect for taming my own childish reaction to workplace stressors and my friend points out I can use the memory during the day if I need to calm down.  I can sit at my desk, close my eyes, inhale, exhale deeply and chant, "pistachio, pistachio, pistachio." 

Fed Well, calmed and laughing we return to work.  I still think about the flower and parsley.  What are your thoughts about garnishes?

Big Box Stores and Lunch

Changes are coming this year.  A definite domino effect will be happening in our lives and in our home.  The one aspect I can share right now is a bathroom (or two or three) remodel is going to occur.  Our main floor 1/2 bath is due for an upgrade and since this is such a small space, every detail will matter 10x more.  We begin by looking at tile in the big box home store.  This one is pretty high on the list for the bottom half of the wall and then a border.

But, what do you do on the floor if you use this tile?

We are considering something like the top center.  We are also going to keep looking.  Maybe a chocolate Pergo?

In the meantime, a rare occasion - the entire family is together for lunch and so we continue with convenience and go to a chain restaurant. Two of five order unsweetened iced tea and we are all happy to see the server brought the glasses filled and this cute little pitcher of more unsweetened iced tea.  So smart!  So thoughtful!  If we ordered soda, what would Mayor Bloomberg of NYC say?  Would it have been illegal?  Well, since we aren't in the big city it doesn't matter.

We all order or are entitled to the salad bar with our meals.  I love the apple salad.

As always, I avoid dressing on my regular salad.  We all comment and laugh about the extreme firmness and crunch of the croutons.

I can overhear a little girl (I think she was less than five years old by the squeak in her voice) was saying, "Nana, did I make a healthy choice for lunch?  Is it healthier than (name withheld to protect the innocent)?"  How funny - no matter what, children are born to be at least mildly competitive with their sibling and I think I simply fell in love with the idea this little Princess was concerned if she made a healthier lunch choice than her sister.  

I was later able to see her and she was a walking doll in a dress filled with sequins, long shiny blonde hair and bright blue eyes.  Adorable!

When our lunch plates arrived, I spontaneously created a new family blog procedure I hope becomes tradition.  I photographed my meal and the Mr. but then passed my phone to the rest of the family at the table and asked them to shoot their own plates.  I thought it would be interesting to see their perspective.

My fish tacos.  I was surprised at the amount of spice and was grateful I had asked for the sauce on the side.  I thought the little taco stand was simply the cutest.

The Mr. does sometimes read the blog and he was also aware I would be cooking chicken for dinner.  Not sure which bit of information influenced him more, but he switched things up and ordered a New Orleans Gumbo.  It looks a bit familiar - I make a dish in the same family, but not really a gumbo just in the style of gumbo.  I like to create dishes with no names but based on recipes.

It was warm, but in a way, I don't think it was as seasoned as the fish.  

Our younger son opted for a shrimp pasta dish and here is his photo after I cropped the image.

His portion was large enough that he split it in half to ensure he could bring the left-overs to work for lunch the next day.

Next up, my older son's girlfriend.  The two of them had a recent date and she had a bad burger experience and so she tried to wipe out the memory with this one.  The first photo is untouched and the second is after a bit of editing.  Does the cropping and tweeking matter?

I just like the cleaner, uncluttered look of just the plate.  What do you think?

Older son's quesadilla.  I worried it wasn't enough food, but after the salad bar he seemed fine.  Again, the first photo is his and the second had a bit of electronic assistance.

We spent three meals together that day.  A breakfast of french toast, some of them made with raisin bread, our big chain lunch and then I closed with chicken cutlets, rice, string beans, bruschetta with toasted Italian bread, and a tossed salad.  A close knit day of being Fed Well together.

Date Night

I have been cultivating a closer friendship with a woman I have known for years by sending and receiving cryptic text messages and having dinner together.  We laugh and laugh, share from the gut and I think she thinks my choices in food are questionable.  In support of her point of view, I have had fried frogs legs and now a mussels in garlic cream sauce appetizer as my entree.  Although she does give me a few points for introducing her to Cosmopolitan's.

I know, seafood of all varieties are not for everyone.  I hate to admit to her that I have even had escargot (and liked it).  To keep things balanced, I also ordered a side of french fries.

My friend, almost predictable, ordered the Eggplant Tower appetizer.  I have had this myself on more than one occasion and I have to say, it's a winner and tastes even better than it looks. However, that melty, gooey, cheesyness is fairly well represented.

We laugh and laugh through dinner, about her recent life experiences and I have to admit, it was great to see her light up.  This is a woman who says what is on her mind and appropriateness be damned.  I love it!

I really do not have room for dessert, but to keep our table and the conversation going, we share a slice of cheesecake.

We have agreed our next dinner will be at my house and I can't help but wonder if she has had a second date since I saw her last.  Girlfriends, no matter what our age, always keep a woman Fed Well.

Lunch on the Edge

Each of our paths has smooth and bumpy road with stretches of both magnificent and wondrous views as well as darkness and scary storms.  Part of the positive outlook is in noticing we are not all in the same position at the same time and so we can listen to one another during the hard parts and talk each other through to the other side.  Even if we are feeling surrounded by gray and storm clouds, sometimes someone simply has a tougher journey.  Sharing a meal and either listening to them or chatting about other things to take their mind off of the serious bits can help everyone feel Fed Well.

A group of us went out for a Mexican lunch.  

A sizzling platter of what may have been a vegetable fajita (I'm not quite sure since it was ordered in Spanish and I wasn't really paying attention)...

One in the group has two children who were both recently in separate car accidents.  A fairly serious one involving a hospital stay and a less serious one that has its own set of complications.  And so just when a person thinks it really can't get any worse, it begins to rain and the family dog is sick and generating hundreds of dollars worth of medical bills on top of the medical and legal bills resulting from the accidents.  

Deep breath.  Smile.  Talk of movies, conspiracy theories, turning left overs into an omelette and a little venting about work related situations along with more chips for the guacamole and we start to feel a few rays of sunshine on our faces.  I hope the one of us who needs it the most can feel the positive energy we try to send and that it is felt until they come back to the next smooth stretch of the journey.

To Go Orders - A Mixed Review

After a long day at work and mostly through the work week, sometimes a family opts for take out.  Ordering from the specialized take out menu from a local restaurant is a nice substitute for pizza and we really do try to limit fast food from the burger places whether double arch or royalty (even though you will see burgers and fries here)

For my older son, the Cowboy Burger above was ordered without bacon.  I thought it strange at first, but he explained he loves bacon, just not on burgers.  Fair enough.  For him the key is preparing the burger a fairly red medium-rare.  Mission accomplished.

Ah, sweet potato fries. Where were you for the first half of my life?  I am so happy to have found you.  I like them in all versions; thin, fat, wavy, doesn't matter.  Lovely.

My regular/standard burger was fabulous as well.  I prefer steaks medium-rare, but burgers, I like more on the well side.  A toasted bun was a nice touch.

Younger son decided on the crispy chicken Cesar salad.  Greens were fresh and clean and he was quite happy with his choice.

Here is the less than stellar aspect for the Mr.  A mixed Italian combo hero.  The ingredients in and of themselves were tasty, the disappointing aspect for him was the amount of bread to meat ratio.  It appeared to be a substantial amount of bread but the thickness was more like a chain made deli sandwich.  

Wasn't sure about naming the restaurant.  Would you?  Overly critical review of the sandwich?

Sunday Dinner

Piggybacking on the post Sunday are for Low and Slow, I seem to be establishing a winter weekend trend. I prepared another huge lump of beef in my magical red dutch oven and served it on a platter with garlic asparagus.  The meat was fall apart soft, the onions were also tender and sweet.  What is on the menu for this Sunday?  Maybe it is time to switch things up?  Or, perhaps don't mess with a good thing?

Hoping you are Fed Well this weekend and always.

Barnaby's Steak House in New Paltz, NY

Barnaby's Steak House - New Paltz, NY

Hudson Valley Restaurant Week

Going out to dinner may not be considered a hobby, but honestly, it is one of my favorite things to do.  I am not a fan of clothes shopping, I am not really familiar with designers, I do have other hobbies like reading, writing and photography, but the best part about going out to dinner is I can combine many loves.  I am with someone I care about, I bring my cell phone which of course has a built in camera, I enjoy the food, the atmosphere and later blog about the experience.  Restaurant week is the cherry on top!  I am doubly motivated to try a new restaurant while my wallet appreciates the price.

First on the list this season was Barnaby's Steak House.

Honestly, we don't visit steak houses often since my husband's favorite foods are a short list of chicken dishes with marsala his favorite.  I previewed the special event menu and was happy to see a chicken option so thought Barnaby's would be safe.

I am not a wine lover. I am not a wine hater, but honestly, I have had some pretty fantastic headaches while drinking reds, I prefer sweet whites or actually prosecco or sparking wines/champagne.  I do love Cosmopolitans and many martinis.  I ask our server if the restaurant offers any specialty cocktails and I am brought a separate menu from which I select the Pear Martini.

Happy.  A warm hug can be sipped from a martini glass.

To start, my husband surprises me and orders the lobster bisque.  I would have lost a bet if I predicted his entire order for the evening and this is just the beginning.  My choice for him would have been the bruschetta, but perhaps even he tires of his favorites.

The soup portion is generous and though we did not discuss it, I think he is happy to see his favorite oyster crackers on the side.  Though he hesitated about the corn and tarragon relish, when I asked, he said it was "good."  For the Mr., the translation is something like this, "I am really enjoying this but why expand when a short answer is all you need."

I sample a few spoonfuls and love the balances between sweet, savory and the textures of creamy with the bites of relish.  The tongue has no opportunity to become bored either in flavor or mouth feel.

Not just any fried goat cheese salad will do for Hudson Valley Restaurant Week, but one featuring Sprout Creek Farm fried goat cheese.  The salad is dressed with what was described on the menu as a honey lemon herb vinaigrette, but I know I tasted maple.  Our server confirms I am not culinarily challenged and yes, it is maple.

The cheese has a perfect amount of tang and creaminess.  A challenge I often give myself is to create a perfect bite on each forkful by trying to have each of the elements at once.  The fresh, tart apple, the crisp green, the smooth and hot cheese...

The flow of the meal has a fairly quick rhythm without feeling rushed.  Plates are cleared and it feels like just a few moments until the main course arrives.

For the Mr., another surprise, a Petite Fillet Mignon for the poultry man. The beef is prepared medium-rare as he requested, topped with Gorgonzola and horse radish.  Writer or not, I sometimes struggle to find just the right word to describe something and hate myself when I pick "amazing" or "wonderful" but this steak was soft (not mush, but easy, yielding/plush) with a pure beef taste.  It simply had a perfect flavor and texture.  Amazing.

Though it is not the custom to accompany a topped steak with both Bearnaise or Au Poire sauces, we were offered a sample of both.  I am a dipper and so when the Mr. surrendered a forkful, I would take it and dip in one of either sauces.  If it were my dish, I also would  have dipped my mashed potatoes.  By the way, the beef was served with silky mashed potatoes and velvety creamed spinach.

My dish...ah, my dish.  I love when I hesitate to pronounce full names of dishes and instead rename them to my server.  In this case, I asked for, "The pasta with mushrooms please?"  Actual name, "Tre Funghi Ragu."  Orrechiete pasta with mushrooms, asparagus, and creamy garlic sauce...what doesn't sound perfect about this meal?  The scene stealing star though was the crispy, salty bites of pancetta in between the mouthfuls of toothy pasta.  The basil's perfume rose from the steamy bowl and I simply tore it into bits so I could enjoy the fresh herb as part of the experience.

With experience, I have learned the only way for my stomach's space and desire to eat well can both live peacefully is to sample each course and take home portion's for the next day.  Otherwise I would be full after the appetizer, barely able to sample my main course and not able to even try my dessert.  My strategy has been fairly successful and it is quite satisfying for me to be able to relive the experience the next day though I will admit the reheating process is not quite the same as when it is brought to me from the chef.

The Mr.'s Hudson Valley Apple Strudel:

For me, the Chocolate Lava Cake:

Both were quite delicious and the vanilla ice cream was decadent and creamy.  The Mr. is an apple pie purist but the strudel was satisfying.  Our warm and accommodating server, Alex, did ask Chef Anton to come out front and we thanked him for an "amazing and wonderful" meal.  We have added a new to us restaurant that left us feeling Fed Well during Hudson Valley Restaurant Week.