Susan in FL

Bob, just saw on the home page that it's your birthday... Hope it's happy! Keeping this on topic, are you drinking (or brewing) anything special for the celebration? Best wishes to you. Cheers!

Rachel, it's all good. After a streak of vacation eating like we've had, I will be craving completely different food. In fact, already from reading eG posts, I'm ready for spaghetti and meatballs, liverwurst sandwiches, and chicken. Tuesday I go back to work, and as much as I've enjoyed these indulgences, I will enjoy whatever it is we are hungry for then just as much. Well almost. But tonight, we're still splurging. Actually, this dinner isn't such a big splurge because live Maine lobsters were on sale today, cheap. Tonight we're enjoying lobster three ways. We just finished corn and lobster soup and Chardonnay. Next are whole lobsters just plain ol' dipped in melted butter, with Champagne. My husband is boiling them even as we speak. Finally, we're having risotto with lobster and black truffles, using the last morsels and juice of the summer truffles I bought, and Pinot Noir. None of this food is photogenic, so no photos tonight.

Great topic!! I love it, and a sandwich of liverwurst, onion, and Dijon on rye is one of my favorite things to eat. And, a must to drink with it is a good IPA.

Wow, I was in a panic for a moment. I was looking for the anchovy lovers thread, to report back about our current anchovy kick, and couldn't find it. It has been merged. Glad I found it, and now back to the ways to eat the little treasures... Hathor, thanks a bunch for that suggestion of a splash of fresh OJ when making the pasta sauces. I did that and it made for some added enjoyment. We ordered an assortment of anchovies to try, including some really good whole salt-packed ones. You guys were right... they really are worth the extra money and the time to debone (easy to do) and rinse. Some we even soaked for a bit. By the way, the best we got from the online ordering madness were from Marky's in Miami. We do quite a bit of ordering from them, and everything is real good, including their cheese. This was the first time to get anchovies there, and now they will be our primary source. Their salt-packed anchovies were so good, and nice and firm. Some we ordered from other sources were a bit mushy, making it more difficult to take the bone out. Soon after I started the thread, we tried some of the suggestions posted and tried some new recipes. I think my overall favorite -- well one of my favorite, or maybe my current favorite -- ways to eat them is with roasted red peppers. Then that got me on a kick of roasting red peppers and I've done four or five batches since. The peppers and anchovies on good bread... yum. One night when an anchovy order had just arrived, we had an appetizer dinner of three different kinds, along with bread, toasts, roasted peppers, prosciutto, parm-reg, sliced tomatoes, basil, olives, EVOO, etc. That was a delicious feast. My least favorite has been those packed in vinegar. Too sour for me. One of the new recipes was Mediterranean Steaks Mirabeaux with Anchovies, Olives, and Couscous. A very intense dish, wonderful! Keep us posted on your excellent anchovy adventures.

And so it continues. The flavored rums are still not gone. Though pretty, most of the drinks using flavored rums haven't been anything to write home about (aka post on eG about). Last night before dinner I made a Marina Rita. Obviously this was a recipe from the Cruzan web site, although I'm not sure if these miniatures were Cruzan. It was one of the best tasting... not overly sweet, and it was cold and refreshing. Nice with the Pico de Gallo I made, and chips! 1 oz. Cruzan Citrus Rum "Junkanu" 1 oz. Orange Cruzan Rum Lime Juice Sour mix Combine ingredients with ice and blend until smooth and creamy. Serve in a salt-rimmed glass [i didn't use salt and I couldn't find a Margarita glass] with a lime wedge.

Just discovered this thread... great ideas. This past week when dining out my drink before dinner was a Primodonna (I was at Primo restaurant in Orlando ). It was simply Prosecco and passion fruit juice. However they did it, they did it just right. I'll have to do lots of experimentation at home for just the right proportions and just the right Prosecco.

Wow! Hazed & Infused, Rockies Brewing Company, Boulder, Colorado ...A beer new to me, which I actually found here in Florida. When I saw this with its catchy name in a Whole Foods Market in Winter Park, I had to try it. I'll definitely get more, even if I can find it no closer to us than Winter Park, which is about an hour away. According to the label, it is the first release in the Looking Glass Series of specialty beers by this company, and is an unfiltered dry-hopped ale which is "hazed" and "infused" with Crystal and Centennial hops. I must say the first adjective that came to mind as I tasted this was orgasmic. But for some more traditional descriptions... This nice hoppy beer is so flavorful, dry -- not even hinting of being too bitter, citrusy and piney, and aromatic. It is all about hops, and I am all about hops, so I love this. It ranks up there with Hop Devil, Tuppers Hop Pocket, 60 Minute IPA, etc. for me. I'm wondering if this beer has been around for a while, and I just lost touch with what's new since I moved to Florida three years ago. I will go visit the Rockies Brewing Company web site, but please do comment if you know of other good beers by them to recommend.

Being on vacation has been such fun, even if we did have Hurricane Charley. During this time off, while we were both home, we did some shopping in stores and online, so that we could indulge in some special vacation meals. Foie gras, summer truffles, an assortment of anchovies, cheeses, and some American paddlefish caviar were among the treats. It's been like a three week long weekend! I can't remember the details of what went with what, nor the wines with these meals or those above, but it sure has been good. Making Tournedos Rossini... The finished product... This dish of angel hair pasta and shrimp garnished with caviar might have been the first course before the Tournedos Rossini dinner, but I'm not sure. Somewhere in there was this seared foie gras with carmelized onions and apples. Same for this Carpaccio... That might have been the night we had an appetizer dinner, to taste-test the anchovies we ordered, plus some other goodies. You know, it's great having this forum, to share the excitement of what we cook with people who have knowledge and appreciation. Some of my friends don't even know what some of these foods are. Just wanted to say thanks, eG! Before I left for Orlando, we had not used all of the whole duck foie gras we bought, so we put the little bit left into the freezer... Has anybody had any experience with freezing it? I'll report back, after we thaw and cook it.

It's catch-up time... Tonight before dinner with drinks we had Pico de Gallo and tortilla chips. For dinner we had these yummy Porcini-Gorgonzola Burgers with Veal Demi-Glace, using some demi-glace I made a few days ago, potatoes fried in duck fat, and corn and sweet onion salad ...Best "gourmet burger" we've ever had. Last night: Pizza with Prosciutto, Arugula, & Parm-Reg Mediterranean Steaks Mirabeaux Baby Artichoke and Fava Bean Nage Wednesday night, my first night to cook at home after being in Orlando for a few days and getting inspired by dining out, I made a pasta with anchovies first course; then grilled whole snapper and vegetables; and a salad of heirloom tomatoes, some sprouts, and grated black radishes atop a homemade crouton with a little wedge of St. Marcellin on the side.

Hathor, that looks, well actually... sensuously good! I have been on vacation, and out of town twice during this time off, and haven't kept up with postings. I have to read Laksa's Blog! I'm so out of touch, I didn't even know who was blogging now. I also have some wonderful dinners to describe on this thread... but it has to be later; we're in between courses even as we speak. I have been pretending it's a weekend for about three weeks now, in the way we've been eating.

Post Charley Dinners... Sunday night when I got home after flying in from Philly, my husband had dinner for us on the porch at 1 AM! He greeted me with a vodka and tonic when I walked in, and for dinner it was a shrimp risotto, salad, and Chardonnay while he told me all about the hurricane coming through at 85 miles an hour two nights earlier. It was the next morning, yesterday, that I got to see it all... downed trees and power lines, only minor structural damages to homes in our neighborhood, and lots and lots of debris... I'll be working off dinners for weeks by the exercise of the clean-up that is needed. We were lucky, compared to the west coast. I got to cook for us last night night and made a Provencal-Style Dinner, a menu from the July 1987 Bon Appetit which has been a favorite of ours all these years since: Grilled Steak with Provencal Herbs; Fusilli With Garlic, Herb and Caper Sauce; Tomato, Avocado and Red Onion Salad with Roquefort Cheese; and an added item of grilled corn on the cob in the husks for "dessert." The wine, 2002 Concha Y Toro Marques Casa Concha Cabernet Sauvignon was deeeeelicious. Tonight I had a working dinner and instead of going out for our meeting over dinner, I cooked for my clients and made Pasta with Mascarpone and Roasted Grape Tomatoes; skinny green beans just blanched and then dressed with EVOO, garlic, and mint; a chopped salad, and Chianti. The pasta was luscious, a definite make-again dish. It was also a make-ahead dish... prepared in advance up to the point of baking it in the oven for 20 minutes, very convenient for an occasion such as this.

I am here to say that Friday the Firkinteenths certainly are all they're cracked up to be! It was my long-awaited first and I hope not the last. Hopefully next time I can drag my husband with me. Scoats has a wonderful thing going, and not just these events, but all the time... I would recommend that anybody who hasn't been to the Grey Lodge, go if you have the opportunity. The beer selections can't be beat, and the place is looking good, including the ladies restroom which was redecorated since I was there last (an important thing, you know). I understand that there are even more beer-home improvement plans in the future. It was a pleasure to meet the new, and see the old beer friends like Lew, Mike, and of course my good friend and personal Philly tour guide for the weekend, RP. It had been four years since RP and I drank beer together in "real time," and even longer since seeing the others. Chris and RP summed up what were my favorite beers at the event as well. It was fun. I would have enjoyed it even more if my thoughts were not so much back in Florida... As you can see from my forlorn expressions in RP's pictures, I was worried sick. Actually I was worried, but thankfully cheered up by fellow beer lovers. I did wimp out early and went back to my hotel after we took a dinner break. It was pretty scary watching the coverage on TV. So anyway, we had only minor damage at our home, mostly trees down. Thanks for the notes asking if we were OK from Charley, and thanks to everybody in Philly for a great time!

Sadness is upon my heart... will miss seeing you.

Welcome, Jane. That sounds really good. I've been on the go when around home, and I've been out of town, so I haven't been able to post about some good food we've had recently. Tonight was Raspberry Grilled Cornish Hens, potatoes, corn on the cob, our standby salad, and our first 2003 Beaujolais-Villages. My husband is not as fond of Cornish Hens as I am, but this he loves. They are marinated in raspberry vinegar, fresh squeezed OJ, vegetable oil, fresh raspberries, garlic, S&P: blended. I had the best of the raspberries saved out and set aside to garnish the dish, and forgot about them. I hate it when that happens, and that happens pretty often with me. Still, they were nice looking and tasted great. The vanilla raspberry martinis before dinner were yummy, too. Some other meals recently were Emeril's Chicken Cacciatore, stuffed last-of-our-garden peppers, and some good pasta dishes. Last night was a Home Alone night for me, and I was craving a sandwich, and that's what I had... one of the Boar's Head meats--pesto and parmesan ham or something like that, sharp provolone, lettuce, tomato and mayo. I had a little bowl full of pistachio nuts with it, and I drank sparkling wine. Last weekend we ate some fine meals in Pensacola, visiting my son, and I'm looking forward to eating (and drinking good beer!!!) in Philadelphia this weekend.

This is just too exciting! How can one be expected to go to work and focus after reading this...

Thanks for including pictures from your show! I just returned from our trip out of town for the weekend, and caught up on your blog. The food photos have me drooling, and now I'm wishing I could sample your music as well as your cooking. Wonderful... congratulations!

Definitely more than guacamole. Besides all the salad, salsa, etc. ideas given already, I love them with just lemon, salt and pepper. Sometimes I half them lengthwise, take the seed out, and eat it like that from the shell with a spoon. Yum!

Dejah, I'm pleased to meet you, and I'm looking forward to your blog. It's a busy week here too, so I might not be able to post many comments, but I will be following it with great interest. I am interested in reading about the Chinese influence on your food. When I moved to Florida three years ago, I bought this house from a Chinese woman who has a restaurant in the area, and it expanded my interest in both the food and the life philosophy. Many thanks for sharing your busy week with us!

Did you read the article? I was wondering if your problem was with the cover or the content of the article. I haven't read it yet, but my husband did and he liked it.

I LOVE Swiss steak cooked in a pressure cooker, and mashed potatoes. That sounds so good... I haven't cooked that since I moved to FL. I used to have corn with it, but when eating Swiss steak, I also like green beans cooked as you did. I don't have a pressure cooker anymore... Is there any other way to get Swiss steak to turn out like it's been cooked in one?

I think the heat and humidity did get to me, and that craving was the first sign of it. I'm home sick today! Nothing serious... But yesterday I spent almost the entire day outside, including pulling weeds and I think it kicked up some allergies. So anyway, brunch today is oatmeal with toast dope, and green tea. Oh, and yeah, I did enjoy the salad! Just checked out that bizarre picture in Saveur... Fifi, I don't think she's going to be able to tell you it's not true.

This is the first time I looked at this thread, so I just read the first few and last few posts. It got my attention because I thought tonight was pretty strange... I was craving Olive Garden salad. I think that's pretty weird. Even weirder, I abandoned my plans for dinner and went to Olive Garden and ate salad, by myself. It surely didn't sound good to my husband, so he stayed home and ate by himself. Another thing struck me funny... several other people were at the bar by themselves, eating salad.

Thank you!

Thanks for the reminder about bagna cauda, as well as all the ideas. I forgot about that when I was thinking about my favorite ways to eat anchovies. We eat it year-round, using whatever the prettiest fresh seasonal vegetables are. In addition to steamed potatoes... always have to have the potatoes... Sometimes we steam shrimp, too, and dip them also, making a big bagna cauda meal. This weekend I roasted red peppers. They turned out to be an especially good batch, and wow, did we enjoy the anchovies on them. Another suggestion I was happy to get and didn't know why I never thought of it was on top of bread and butter and raw onion. I love raw onion with bread and butter... the addition of anchovies was heavenly! Hathor, next time I make a red sauce with anchovies, a splash of fresh FL OJ is going in there! Do any of you have a definite preference for a brand (either jarred or canned, in salt, or in oil)? Part of our trouble when buying the 2 ounce tins is that we often forget which brand it was when they were extra good ones.

I would love to have the Lebanese rice and beans recipe, too.