weinoo

(Pre) Yahrtzeit. Someone actually bought those old IKEA cabinets, as well as the range and dishwasher...felt good not having them become landfill. I think Cossacks bathed in that sink. It's starting.

I tasted through 5 or 6 stands at the Union Square greenmarket the other day, before finding tomatoes I felt were worthy.

The BAT. Bacon, avocado (smushed onto the toast in lieu of mayonnaise), and beautiful tomato on whole wheat sourdough toast.

Super fresh Alaskan king salmon steaks, simply salted for an hour or two and pan cooked. Served with a red potato salad, corn, and a tomato/avocado salad.

You think that's weird??!! Last week, I brought my own ice to a cocktail party! (along with my own PB & J canapes).

I would just roast it.

What if you just call it polenta?

Pasta duo. Pesto with green beans and potatoes. Red sauce with sausage and basil. Same pasta for both because I'm lazy!

I wonder if 350 - 375 would give you even better results?

Spaghetti with swordfish, tomatoes, olives, capers, onion, and garlic.

Open-faced breakfast sandwiches on whole grain toast, with Duke's mayo. And a bit of that potato/cucumber salad. Need to be more careful transferring the thinly sliced egg to the bread!

Good farmer's market haul... Black sea bass (1.3 lbs.) with dill, onions, lemon, and olive oil. Steam roasted at 400°F for 15 minutes. Delicious. Served with corn off the cob, sauteéd with red onions and cherry tomatoes. And house-made giardiniera. And potato/cucumber salad (sour cream dressing),

After 30 years or so of using mismatched this and that (from Ikea, to Crate and Barrel, to Fishs Edd)y, I took the plunge and put together service for 8 from this brand at BBB: Nevaeh White® by Fitz and Floyd® Didn't do mugs, as I've got a nice collection of mugs, and they're only used for the 2 of us. I got 8 (9 of everything, actually) dinner plates, salad plates, shallow soup bowls, luncheon plates, appetizer plates, little dessert/app bowls. For the stuff that I know I'd never use at a dinner party, I took 5 of those; for example, cereal bowls, and I got zero coffee cups and saucers. One of the reasons I wasn't looking at sets is simply because they all seem to come with something I don't think I'd use. Coffee cups, weird bowls, whatever. Of course, if you're serving high tea or brunches, your needs are certainly different.

I was ahead of my time.

I tip 20% on the total bill (after tax) at restaurants; but if I'm comped a drink or a dish, that tip goes up proportionately. At my regular places (i.e. the places we go weekly), the tip tends to be 25%. At fancier bars, $3 a drink; at my local bars, it's hard to figure, but they get tipped handsomely. I don't get groceries delivered. Food delivery guys get $4 or $5; I'm not usually ordering food for delivery that costs more than $25 or $30.

I think you might want to do a little research into porcelain, bone porcelain, etc. Some stuff is made to last, without getting scratched or chipped; some stuff, not so much.

Stay hydrated. Say hello to Don and John.

At this point, my biggest concern is that @rotuts has not participated in this damn thread!

Hmmmm...very cheffy. Yes - the PB acting the same as butter on a tartine, and keeping the bread from getting soggy.

We're not in Kansas anymore, Dorothy!

I can see I've touched a nerve. In any event, I didn't have any squirting out of the middle of my sandwich today; but I was frugal with the jam. Or was it jelly? And no one goes for cashew or almond butter, it appears.

Nope, not joking; it's what I made for lunch, but with peanut butter (Wf's organic, freshly ground peanuts) on both slices of (Breads Bakery's 7-grain) bread and then Favorit Swiss Preserves of red cherry in the middle. I'm a heathen! And I forgot that when I was a kid, peanut butter was allowed, gluten-free didn't exist, and we all managed to reach our youthful middle age. Then again, I was often told to go play outside - in the streets of Forest Hills.

So - I'm making myself a peanut butter and jelly sandwich for lunch today. And I'm stymied by a few things. Peanut butter on both sides and then jelly in the middle? Peanut butter on one side and jelly on the other? Favorite nut butter? Cause peanut isn't really a nut, is it? But - it's what I like. Favorite jelly? Jam? Preserves? HELP!

I find that soap and water does the trick.

I keep a pair of these at the ready, next to my sink, at all times. Makes it quick and painless to do a quick wash up of a big, dirty bowl, blender jar, etc.