Our first time at Splendido… a pretty big meal and a very big deal!

A bit of background: S and I have birthdays two days apart, and every year, my parents take us for a really nice dinner to celebrate. After reading many positive things on Chowhound, we decided to try Splendido. As a disclaimer, much though we’d like to get used to that kind of meal, it was a completely new experience, and probably our most significant encounter with “fine dining” to date.

The day we went to dinner was a hectic one – the last official day of classes, so I spent the morning finishing and editing a term paper for a seminar class, then dashed (late) to my last class of the year. In between all of that, I had to make a call to the restaurant about the location of our table. No, I’m not one of those people, the picky ones who seem to encounter drafts everywhere they sit. As chance would have it, my mother had recently broken a bone in her foot, and this was her first public dining adventure on crutches. In order to keep the night from becoming a difficult ordeal, I wanted to be sure we could have an accessible table with wall space for the crutches.

They accommodated us beautifully. When the person on the other end of the phone actually thanked me for (probably) juggling their seating plan around, I wasn’t sure if it was good service or sarcasm. But when our server asked about dietary requirements and actually started jotting down a list of my sensitive foods, it became clear that we were in for the best service we’ve ever enjoyed. They really were wonderful. I’m afraid to say too much in case it sounds like gushing, so I’ll end with this: friendly, capable, and genuine service makes a huge difference. We’ve had so much bad service in Toronto, it was nice to experience the opposite extreme.

The food was as good as the service. We started by sharing oysters 3 ways. They were large and fresh and tasty. Not the best ever, but better than most, and it was nice to try a variety of oysters.

Appetizers: my mother had the Yukon Gold potato soup, which she greatly enjoyed, and my father had the bangers and mash, which he found surprising (I don’t think he was expecting blood sausage, but he liked it). S passed on the foie gras parfait, because he’s being careful about what he eats, and instead stuck with salad. Positive reviews from him. Personally, I think I got the best thing on offer: that night’s special pasta, a very simply done, small portion strewn with black truffle shavings. If I keep going with this blog, I’m going to have to get better at finding words for such delicious meals. What can I say about this one… every mouthful was different, depending on how much truffle and pasta went into it. Delicate and strong flavours playing against each other, really showcasing the truffle. It was just wonderful, mes amis.

Mains were a bit simpler. My mother and S split the free range chicken for 2; my dad and I split the black angus rib steak à deux (is it more obnoxious to repeat myself or inject the French? Tough call). The chicken was juicy and flavourful, the steak was fine. I was disappointed by the amount of fat on it, and the lack of flavour. I’ve had nicer meat from the grocery store (i.e. its own flavour was better) and better seasoning. I know that sounds a bit silly, since this steak was surely a high quality one, but I just didn’t feel as satisfied as I had hoped. (Also, I’m not supposed to eat much red meat with my various digestive ailments, so I try to make every taste count.)

All of this was followed with a lovely sticky toffee pudding. I’d say more about that, but the port we had with it has put a very slight damper on my memory… and I’m a sticky toffee fan, so I’m worried about mixing up this review with one I tried days after this!

So, friends, I apologize for rambling, but here’s the moral of the story: Splendido was great. The service is unmatched in all my experiences worldwide; make sure you jump at any truffle dish they offer; and let me know if you’ve had a different (or similar) experience with the steak.

Ciao, à plus…

L

Mike made a wonderful meal of duck and sautéed veggies paired with a bottle of 2006 Migration Pinot Noir from the Anderson Valley.  The wine was on the dry side, light and airy as well as subtle in texture and flavor.

Mike made the duck by lightly seasoning it with salt and pepper and pan searing it.  He smothered the duck in a roux made from pomegranate, cognac and duck drippings.  The side was made of fresh okra and red onion sautéed in unsalted butter. This was very clean and rather simple but the flavors were allowed to make themselves the star of the meal.  It was a wonderful side that enhanced the meal, not take away from it.

The duck was well cooked and the sauce was tart and sweet (which I would say is thanks to the pomegranate) on the salty water fowl.  A wonderful Birthday dinner made by Mike.

Winter restlessness. Cupcakes. Carpool. BJ. Big truck. Diane. Bloomin’ Onion.Leonhardt’s. Family. Love. Happy. Support. Decision.

I GOT THE JOB!  woohoo!  I start on November 30th – exactly 11 months from when I got laid off.  Talk about long & winding roads…I am much more humble, stronger and live a simpler life than I did 11 months ago.  I am damn happy though!

Mom’s birthday was November 17th…I’ve pretty much said everything before.  I will add, however, that we have a birthday dinner in her honor.  It’s nothing formal, it’s much more about being together for a good reason.  This year we had it at Michelle’s and it was delish, nice and fun.

So on FB, about mid-November, I saw a friend post an idea: post something you’re thankful for each day until Thanksgiving.  So I have, and I have to say, I was surprised at how it caught on so quickly.  I’m glad and it’s fun and heartwarming to see who has posted what they’re thankful for…things big and small (because it’s the small things that also add so much to our lives).

Move it, move it, move it…we are moving!  I found a house (well, Shelby did) that gives us more room, a big yard (Chance will be so happy) and only costs about half of what I’m paying now.  No way I could turn that down; it’s farther from work (work! heehee), but worth it and not far enough to be a big deal.  Moving in through December and hope to be completely out no later than about Jan. 5th or so….yay!

All done; more postings later.  Am thinking of a cooking blog or web site; probably blog, it’s faster, but web site can have pictures easier…ponder, ponder…..

Hola friends!  Happy Sunday night ??

Since last visit here’s how our day went down:

After a short noon-time nap on the couch I ate a quick leftover lunch then woke Sleeping Beauty from his slumber, 1pm friends, yes 1pm haha

We got showered up an headed down to BW3’s to watch the Packers game & to get his royal highness some buffalo wings – win win on all accounts!  Great way to spend a few hours this afternoon…

After some more Wii Mario Bros (we have problems haha) we headed over to my parents house for The Man’s birthday dinner!

DINNER WAS AWESOME  

When we arrived at the parental’s abode the cooking action had already started!

The big to-do remaining was the mac n’ cheese since Mom had made the bbq ahead of time (she’s a planner, apple doesn’t fall far from the tree eh? )…. so Mom enlisted yours truly to lend a hand.

The sauce was made using a roux of butter & flour, adding some herb & garlic infused milk until thick before finishing with the cheese

Then mixed with some elbow macaroni & into the oven to bake for a while

In the meantime we cooked some delicious peppered bacon on the stovetop

Along with some chopped onion & garlic… these were going to be the toppings!

Once the mac was done in the oven, we topped with the chopped bacon and onions

Holy cow I couldn’t think of a better dish for The Man for his birthday dinner, this was amazing  

Mom had also made some pork tenderloin bbq in the slow cooker earlier in the day, so a quick reheat was all it took

Plus a superfab Caesar salad to go alongside, complete with fresh Parm & croutons!

Of course while us ladies were hard at work, the men were making sure the TV “stayed safe” haha

I decided to serve my bbq open-faced style, on a fresh roll with some hot sauce + coleslaw… yes please!

After dinner & perusing through some old school’ pic albums it was time for some dessert!  Mom & lil’ sis were in charge of this venture and let me just say that they out-did themselves this time!!!!

Chocolate Fondue, ummmm pot o’ gold?!

Served with poundcake, bananas, strawberries & apples for dunking… plus some candles for the birthday of course 

Served by the most beautiful sister in the world!

OMG was this ever good!!!

Let’s just say I was s-t-u-f-f-e-d after this meal… but so freaking worth it.  And there may or may not be a picture on my camera of a certain someone licking the chocolate off their plate (haha DEF not me )

It was a wonderful way to end our fantastic weekend — thanks again Fam for being so wonderful and having us over for this incredible meal!!

Alright friends, it’s late and I need to get myself together and ready for this 2 day week whoop whoop!  See ya”ll tomorrow for BSI winner and Monday funday!

If I have one claim to fame, it’s that I love birthdays!  Just to clarify, I don’t exactly love my birthday (just try not to forget it), but I love making other’s birthdays special.  My husband’s birthday was yesterday.  As mundane as celebrating your birthday on a Monday can feel, there is nothing like walking in the door to three highly excited kids who can’t wait to begin the birthday festivities!  As the matriarch of the family, I felt it incumbent upon me years ago (quite willingly I might add!)  to make sure that I make each person’s birthday feel special, and my husband’s is no exception.  It starts with the homemade cards and is nicely topped off with a tribute of writing down all of the favorite things we love about that person played in a guessing game fashion.  It’s amazing the things that are shared.

Another favorite tradition is the dinner selection process.  Of course if it’s your birthday, you get to pick out the menu!  Let’s be truthful though, it’s really the dessert that is the highlight in our house.  The dessert of choice every year for my husband is French Silk Pie.   We have tried French Silk pies from all walks…store bought, homemade, local restaurants but hands down the favorite pie is from Keys Cafe.  Lucky for me all I had to do this year was add it to my grocery cart from the local favorites section of Coborns Delivers and Keys Cafe was delivered to my door.  It doesn’t get any easier than that.

yesterday I had the giddy irritable feeling of drunkenness

without a drop

I passed out a little on the toilet

forgot where I was

strangely, for a moment I was convinced I was in Canberra

this grey, low-ceilinged room

with the sink over the toilet

the smells and sounds of the restaurant below

waving up at me.

I stared at myself in the mirror

washed out even in the dim lights

(what must I look like when it is bright?)

then returned below

to remain distracted by this feeling that somehow

I’m not meant to be there

my skin prickles a little

the food keeps coming past

but it’s not mine

I’m hungry

and angry

annoyed the way only a child or a drunk could be

but I’m not drunk

so what does that make me?

I want to go home,

I say

as soon as I’m done watching the others eat.

I’m tired.

If you, or anyone you know, has taste buds, you must try a recipe from the Ree Drumond, aka the Pioneer Woman.  I don’t know how she does it, but her recipes are nothing short of amazing.

Brandon’s parents are visiting, and his mother just celebrated a fairly significant birthday last week.  Unfortunately we are not the rich kind who can afford extravagant gifts, but I can give the gift of cooking, and with Ree’s help, my meal was borderline extravagant (but not for the wallet). (I should mention here that Brandon’s mom did help me cook since we never get to cook together, so I can’t take ALL the credit for making the meal!)   For dinner I made Spaghetti and Artichoke Hearts with Tomatoes, Chicken from the Chicken Parmigiana recipe, and Rosemary Acorn Squash.

The spaghetti was the real winner.  When I first mentioned I was making spaghetti, I think she may not have believed me.  Who makes spaghetti for their mother in law’s birthday dinner?  I do.  When it tastes as good as this spaghetti does, you could make it for Christmas dinner and get very few complaints.

The Acorn Squash was the surprise hit because none of us have had acorn squash in the past, and who would have thought to pair rosemary and brown sugar?  I’m sure you culinary masters would, but I would not.

The chicken was a perfect compliment to both because it was simply seasoned with salt and pepper to allow the rest of the meal to speak for itself.  The meat is usually such a super star in big dinners, but not this time!  If you don’t eat meat, you could skip on the chicken and your meal would not suffer.

Of course, dessert is just as important as dinner if it’s a birthday dinner.  I made the Pumpkin Cheesecake from the book, The Joy of Cooking (a must-have for any kitchen).

I don’t know what the protocol is for posting other people’s recipes or pictures, and since I failed miserably in taking pictures of our meal, I’ll just tell you to scroll your little mouse back up a little and check out Ree’s recipes.  Each one has a hundred pictures that are almost as delicious as the food (well, not a hundred, but a lot, and they are delicious if you can use that word to describe a photo).

Well I successfully made two pumpkin pies for Mordechai’s birthday!! Our hips and thighs will remember them for a while to come.

So I had some leftover pumpkin, and since I dont like to waste what the good Lord has blessed us with I decided that I needed to make pancakes or fritters or something in that family out of them. I mixed in pretty much the same ingredients into the leftover pumpkin and knew that at the very least it would taste good. Looking back I realise that I should not have added milk and should have waited for the pan to get scorching hot. I proceeded to try and cook this bowl of pumpkin goop for the next 45 mins. Cooking batches and then recooking it till it was almost burnt to a fine crisp.

Eventually I had had enough and said enough is enough. Tada! I presented my darling husband for his birthday dinner “Scortched Pumpkin Goop on a Plate”

Today I made Naan, which is Indian Tandoori Flatbread. Lacking a Tandoori, which is a large clay cooking vessel with fire and coals in the bottom, I used a turned over cast-iron skillet and my oven set on broil.

The bread turned out so well, but is only really good fresh and hot. I think also I needed to let the cast iron skillet heat up more so the bottom would get crispier. I would make this again anytime, so tasty. Click on the link to get this recipe for Naan Flatbread.

The garden is still bountiful.

I’m getting excited about planning my birthday dinner on monday night. Even though my birthday isn’t until wednesday my brother and his girlfriend are in town this weekend so we’re celebrating early. So far the menu consists of  Autumn squash soup, roasted chicken and roasted vegetables, and then my favorite- Cream Cheese and Pecan pound cake. Exciting!

So, when my husband asked what I wanted for my 30th birthday this year, I of course, like I do every year, said “Oh, nothing dear”. But, I had given it some thought and decided it would be pretty jaw dropping if he made me dinner for my birthday. Nice concept, right? Now, keep in mind the hubby DOES NOT COOK. Doesn’t like to. Doesn’t want to. And, that’s A-OK in my book. I don’t want him in my kitchen anyway. So, I thought I’d give him a challenge. My only stipulation was NO Hamburger Helper or any other sort of “quickly meal”, but more so something that actually took some thought, skill, and careful attentive nurturing! He, like the great husband he is said, “Ok”.

HOOKED!

He had a little over 3 weeks to decide what he wanted to cook for my birthday. This past week it hit him that he was actually going to have to go to start thinking what it was that he was going to cook. He pondered it over, on his own mind you, and voila! He had it. He told me of course, because I begged and pleaded. *hehe* He called me at work yesterday afternoon to inform me that he was going to the *gasp* grocery store to buy what he needed. I asked him to wait until I got home so that I could go with him, but he wouldn’t have it! I was really just trying to help him, knowing damn well that he was NOT going to know how to navigate through the store on his own… but said “Go for it”. He did. Well, me being me, on the way home I thought it would be so funny if I could find him in the store and scare the *bleep* out of him… so I kept straight on the local roads to the store instead of our home. I just couldn’t resist! I get to the store to find his car in the parking lot, exactly where I knew it would be and ventured into the store. I immediately see him in the produce section, but he doesn’t see me… yet! I crept up behind him and… well, let’s just say, to let him know I was there. He said, “What, you didn’t trust I’d be OK on my own!?” (with a laugh) Of course I did hunny! *hehe* Well, wouldn’t you know he couldn’t find the breading he wanted for the meal! Told ya! So, I helped him finish up and we left. (he didn’t let me peek into the hand cart though)

He woke up this morning knowing he had a task in front of him, and started “prepping” the meal early. I told him I’d be home around 5:30PM. Man, was I getting excited! All day long at work I couldn’t help but think he was going to either make a HUGE mess or worse, ugh.. burn the kitchen down?

This adequately demonstrates the thoughts in my head today!

Well, besides a little mess with the Hollandaise sauce he made out OK, so he said. (the kitchen was clean when I got home from work. Phew!

The MENU:

• Chicken Cordon Bleu w/ Homemade Hollandaise Sauce
• Herb Roasted New Potatoes
• Cranberry & Pear Salad w/ Greek dressing
• Pinot Grigio for my personal alchi needs

Now, can Real Men Cook?

When I got home and saw that A. the kitchen was still fully intact and B. the kitchen was really not that messy, I was somewhat relieved and proceeded with watching my husband from a safe distance finish the final preparations to his masterpiece. (In awe)

My “Sous Chef” in the making checking out his handiwork:

I really had no doubts! *bwahhahahaha*

Look at how PROUD he looks! You go, baby!

And, VOILA!

The Hubby has done well, phenomenal in fact!

The meal was SO GOOD in fact, our Munchkin Cat, Nugget wanted some!

Just when I thought the dinner celebration couldn’t get ANY better, the Hubby does the dishes! Yes, ladies and gentlemen.. the man is doing dishes. Call the press! I just HAD to get a picture for proof later!

What a night! My Hubby must have thought the same thing… because about 15 minutes after dinner, this is where I found him!

Let’s just say I let him be. I didn’t have the heart to wake him. He even said, “I’ve been cooking ALL day, I’m pooped!”

Now Hubby knows what women everywhere do EVERY day! But, I love you dearly and could NOT have asked for a better birthday or a better meal! You are truly my purpose in life and I admire you so much for everything you do and stand for!

“Life’s not measured by the breaths you take, but the moments that take your breath away”  ~ THIS took my breath away.

Thank you Hubby.

I. LOVE. YOU.

Pork chops

Food photography is no easy thing, and we’ll have to keep that in mind as we go along. This (one of many birthday meals–Happy Happy Carol!) was well underway before we remembered to take a picture. Once we bit into these crunchy breaded pork chops (Cooks Illustrated Feb 2008) adjusting lights for a good shot of the plate was not a priority. The recipe is labor intensive but worth it. We started with 1/2 inch, grass-fed, bone-in chops from the local farmers market. The price was reasonable and the little pigs had me dancing around the kitchen when we finally breaded them. Fresh baked bread crumbs with parsley, thyme and parm clung to the chops coated with egg white and dijon mustard. Baked for 20 minutes, they came out tender in the center and with a crunchy herbaceous but not overpowering exterior. A tasty pile of garlic mashed potatoes finished with a few tablespoons of Schlafly APA and simply roasted patty pan squash added to the warm delicious fall-feel of the plate. The chunky chilled cinnamon apples were delicious (we’re making them again and again until we’re sick of apples!). Easy and familiar as  mom’s apples, we peeled and chopped them (better than sliced), browned butter, tossed in the fruit until tender then added brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, orange peel and honey, refrigerated and devoured.

Oh the salad was delicious too—mixed greens with a subtle arugula, so sweet we were afraid to wash them but did so delicately. We added thinly sliced shallot, toasted pine nuts, dried cherries, goat cheese and tossed it in a citrus vinaigrette. Yum.

Dessert and drinks, oy. The toffee cheesecake was decadent. The men were sampling APAs and a chocolate stout of some kind. Prosecco, GSM, pre-sup Bellini’s … Maybe one of the others wants to weigh in? I am stuffed.

I was off in Hong Kong and China the past couple weeks and I am just getting back in the swing of things on my blog.  The weather was fantastic while I was away, hot hot hot and lots of time for exploration around Hong Kong, Beijing and a couple cities in Yunnan province.  Now that I am back I have over 1000 pictures to sort through and I am trying to get my new HK + China finds researched so I can tout some new companies.

For today, a post about a quick birthday dinner party that I caught my attention on the Rock Paper Scissor blog.  Lauren’s story about the meal she whipped up in one hour was touching.  She had a very short time line to work with to organize a birthday party for her friend who was recovering from a cold.  The end result, she did a great job using resources she had at her disposal from her store (fabulous paper store) as well as some outside help from her hubby.  It was a very thoughtful meal and i’m sure any friend would appreciate a special birthday meal like the one that was put together below.

One Hour Dinner from Rock Paper Scissor Blog

Hi, welcome. Please find a seat, we will begin once everyone is here.  My Mom has all of her children at home seeing as I brought my brother home from town on Sunday.  She also has her own siblings in attendance so it was great to have my Uncles and Aunties there as well.

Since it my son’s First Birthday, we also have a surprise for my wife in her parents showing up which is why we started at 6:30PM instead of the usual 6PM.  I was so happy that they showed up because it made it so much more for my wife and I to share with our families the first birthday of our Baby Boy who won’t stop growing up.  He brought so much joy to everyone tonight, it was awesome to hear and see the laughter filling my Mom’s house.

Okay everyone is here now and yes I do mean you my internet friends.  =)  We shall begin.  We usually open our gatherings with a word of prayer, something that my Grandfather passed on to my Father and something I am carrying on.  My son AE then blesses the food and we can begin our smorg.  Everyone that showed up brought with them a dish and man what a great dinner it was.  My Inlaws surprised us by bringing a cake and I am glad they did because there is more than enough cake for everyone (in attendance that is).  LOL  We had two cakes!  One for my mom and one for G3.

One of the cakes was from my cousin who just finished her third year of culinary arts and to show our support for her, we ordered a cake from her and it was delicious.  But before we can have cake we have a smorg to dive into.  =)  Baked spaghetti, fresh fried coho are two highlights of the smorg and the food was delicious, everyone said so but I will get to that in a sec.

Now that everyone has eaten it was time for cake.  =)  We brought out G3’s cake first and man you should have seen his surprise and his little dance as he listened to us all standing around him singing his first birthday song and then he tore into the cake with a handful.  =D  His Grandpa and Grandma were on both sides of him and it was just so heartwarming to see that.  Him with his grandparents on both sides and a house full of relatives singing for him.

Then we brought out my Mom’s birthday cake that also came with a lot of jokes about too many candles and fire departments saying no to all those candles.  =)  We used those number candles and I actually found myself at a loss for words my heart was so filled with joy.  Knowing my inlaws still had to drive home, we got into another one of our family traditions that my father and Grandfather have passed on to us.  It is something that I feel has kept our family strong and it is something that I have found myself taking the helm on.

Speeches.  I started by thanking everyone for honoring our invitation and thanking all those who had a hand in preparing the food for what turned out to be a great dinner.  My Uncles then followed suit as well as my father In Law who nearly brought a lump to my throat as he talked about how he liked to see us honor our Mom.  It is something he and his family believe in and it was touching because he in the same speech without having to say it, was also thinking and remembering our family members who were no longer with us.  Parents in particular.  I believe he thought of his Mom tonight and that is just awesome as well.

The speeches continued as the Aunties also made speeches followed by my brothers and my son AE also made one.  =)

Once everyone had a chance to make a speech, wishing my Mom and G3 a happy birthday, it was encouragements and further laughter as we all sat around and enjoyed the rest of the evening.

There is something about our birthday dinners and by ‘our’, I mean my Family and it was awesome to have both of mine and my wife’s family in attendance, it was great to see Uncles and Aunties that we don’t always see.  Not everyone in our community does this, it is something that I have noticed and am honored that my family still comes together when my Mom, Wife or Sister calls for a dinner.

Seeing as we opened with a word of prayer, it was only fitting that we close with a word of prayer.  Feel free to bow your heads if you wish…

Father, we thank you for this day, we thank you for the traveling mercies that have brought so many people together tonight.  We thank you for the hands that have prepared our food and ask that you be with those who need you, those who are sick and or are in the hospital.  We pray for our Elders and ask that you be with them and with all who may need you.  We ask that you see our family members home safe and sound and we thank you once again for a great day.  This we ask in your name.  Amen.

Now you all don’t have to go home but it was only right that we close properly.  My inlaws made their way home and my Mom got to sit around with her brothers and sisters for a while longer.

It was a great birthday dinner and I still have a very large piece of cake yet.  I was too full to finish it over there.  I already had one piece of cake over there and at quarter after eleven in the evening, I am still stuffed.  My stomach and my heart are full.  I am a very happy guy tonight and I am happy to share this with my friends.  It would be great to have any of you here for one of our dinners.  =)

Thank you for coming, make sure you take home some food.

Happy First Birthday George.  You had such a beautiful birthday dinner and I look forward to the day that you get to read this for yourself.  I am also hoping that the pictures that my sister took will also show up in my picture blog.

It was a great evening filled with family, laughter and most important of all, great words and speeches shared with all.

Today is my daughter Mel’s birthday. It’s SO hard to believe that she is 20 today. The same age I was when she was born. I have raised her, watched her grow and now….she’s not a teen anymore, she’s a grown woman and my heart does kind of ache. I miss our “dates” when she was little. Every Saturday night, I would turn off my pager and cellphone, no work, no distractions, nothing but me and my Mel. She would pick a place to eat and we would go out on our “date”. I remember holding her tiny hand in mine…oh man I am going to cry. I wouldn’t change anything in our life together. Sure it was hard raising her alone from birth…but I KNOW I did a damn good job. She is loving, kind, intelligent, empathetic, proud, outspoken about things she believes in. I am SO proud of her. She’s a beautiful young woman now *le sigh*.

I love you baby. From the day you were born I was IN love with you. I have watched you grow, go through trying times and come out the strong and beautiful woman you are today. You will always be Daddy’s girl……*SIGH* Happy Birthday honey!

I will post pictures later.

went to Lawry’s for Kana-chan’s birthday dinner pretty packed Friday night.

カナちゃんの誕生日ディナーでローリーズへ。結構混んでた金曜日。

cocktail shrimp and the salad. i loooove the dressing here. yums

カクテルシュリンプとサラダ。ここのドレッシングがまた超好きで。美味ッ

hooo homie cut my meat!!

おぉぉぉお兄さん俺の肉切ってくれえぇ！！

Kana-chan’s Lawry Cut. mine is the beef bowl or what ever it was called.

カナちゃんのはローリーズカット。俺はビーフボウルだかなんだかってヤツ。草履かｗ

we ordered some lobster as well.

ロブスターもオーダー。

my dessert.

俺のデザート。

and Kana-chan’s dessert. happy birthday babe

そしてカナちゃんのデザート。オメデトウはにー

Wendy is a member of a  group of us that get’s together every Wednesday to play Dominoes.  It just so happened that her birthday fell on our Domino night and I wanted to make a special dinner.  (Wendy is also the author of Henri and Friends.)

-The Menu-

Crab Cake topped on a bed of Season Greens

Black Bean Succotash

Garlic Shrimp

Fresh Tomato Focaccia Bread

Warm Rice Pudding – Requested by Birthday Girl

Black Bean Succotash

1 16oz can of Black Beans (drained & rinsed)

1/4 cup chopped sweet red pepper

1/2 small chopped sweet onion

1 cup fresh or frozen corn

2 cups fresh or frozen sliced okra (optional)

2 Romana tomatoes diced

1 Tablespoon of chopped cilantro or parsley

1 Tablespoon of olive oil

Juice from one lime.

Salt and pepper to taste.

Lightly saute onions, okra, sweet peppers and corn in olive oil and season add black beans and with salt and pepper.  Let cool add juice from one lime. Best made a day ahead.

Garlic Shrimp

An easy recipe for shrimp scampi, made with shrimp, garlic, butter, and a little white wine and lemon juice.

• 1 1/2 pounds large shrimp (about 16 to 24)
• 1/4 cup  butter
• 4 tablespoons minced garlic
• 6 green onions, thinly sliced
• 1/4 cup dry white wine
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice, fresh if possible
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
• salt and pepper, to taste

Peel and devein shrimp and set aside.   Heat butter in large skillet over medium heat. Cook garlic 1 or 2 minutes or until softened but not browned. Add shrimp, green onions, wine and lemon juice; cook until shrimp are pink and firm, about 1 to 2 minutes on each side. Do not overcook. Add chopped parsley and salt and pepper before serving.

]]> http://winewithmatt.wordpress.com/2009/07/27/salt-air-and-hot-coals/ Mon, 27 Jul 2009 04:28:46 +0000 winewithmatt http://winewithmatt.wordpress.com/2009/07/27/salt-air-and-hot-coals/

Pier at Cayucos

Day three of the family vacation and everyone is still alive.  We have all vacationed together before, but the previous times have all included international travel and a lot more sightseeing.  This vacation is a lot more “chill”, which translates to us spending a heck of a lot more time together than on our previous vacations.  With less to see, we are just hanging out at the house or beach with an occasional adventure taken to another local seaside town.  All the cousins are enjoying the extended time together and the parents and grandparents are holding up just fine.

Yesterday, we celebrated my mom’s birthday.  Nothing too extravagant, but we did manage to have a good dinner.  In total, we ended up bbq’ing 6 racks of ribs.  I prepared 3 racks my usual way, which includes about one and half hours to two hours of smoking, with bbq sauce only being applied during the last 20 minutes or so.  My brother opted to bake his ribs for a couple hours and then finish them on the grill.  Both styles had something going for them. Of course, I preferred my ribs as they had significantly more smoke flavor.  In my book, smoke flavor = delicious.  We also served cornbread and a green salad.  It was not a white table cloth type of dinner,  but it was one of the best meals I have had in a long time given with whom I was breaking bread.

While my family isn’t big on wine, I still managed to open up a 2006 Juvenile Zinfandel from Turley Wine Cellars.   I really enjoyed the zinfandel with the ribs and their slight char.  The wine also worked well with the birthday cake, chocolate on chocolate. 

Tomorrow, I will head back up to Paso Robles and/or Templeton for some more tasting.  I have scheduled one appointment in the afternoon and will probably drop in on one or two other wineries.  As mentioned in a previous blog, I enjoy tasting wines at wineries and getting to know the staff.  These tasting aren’t too clinical, but they do give me a good sense of the quality of what is being offered.  I look forward to what I will uncover tomorrow.  More to come …

In the meantime, I hope you are enjoying your weekend as I am.  I have squeezed in a bit of work this weekend as my business partner in Uncorked Ventures and I are beginning to discuss our next trip to Napa in few weeks.  Our plan is to have three or four meetings set up with wineries we would like to partner with regarding our wine clubs and export services.  If you have any particular wineries you would like to see us partner with, just drop us a note.

Take care.

Today is my birthday, in some ways, a quiet, calm one when compared to the party my children threw me last year at Balboa Park–the finest party I have ever attended, surprise cellists a major part. Though quite different, today was equally wonderful, for I did a lot of thinking…thinking about how blessed I am, and how wonderful is my life. (You’ll see lots of pictures of last year’s party when you click on that link.)

Today’s activities started fairly early with children calling–a couple of them even singing a birthday song, then after Jerry and I lingered over coffee, I continued with my deep cleaning of the motor home by tackling the living area. I straightened the drawers and the cupboards, cleaned and polished all the wood and the windows, then on my hands and knees scrubbed the carpet.

After a shower and a change of clothes, Jerry and I drove to Needles, the closest California town to us here in Lake Havasu. Why? My drivers license expired today; tried to renew it on line and through the mail, but could not. Off to Needles, only about a 40 miles trip, I believe. Would you believe when I walked to the door of the office, there was a big sign saying they are closed now three Fridays out of the month. (Economy in the tank.) This was one of the closed Fridays. Rats!

We had eaten no breakfast, now we found there were few places to choose from in Needles, so we wound up in Denny’s for lunch, which really turned out to be quite good. Back in Lake Havasu, Jerry stayed in the motor home while I drove to the church where I had to do a little work, and to the computer shop down the street, where my little white Apple had spent the night. Last week as I attempted to copy pictures for Chloe, my Apple decided to swallow the disc into her deep inward parts. Could not get that disc ejected. Called a friend, read on line, followed instruction manual exactly, took out the battery, put it back in, turned the computer off, turned it on, ignored the Apple, glared at the Apple, patted the Apple, pled with the Apple, threatened the Apple–nothing. I had spoken by phone to the computer tech while we were in Needles, and he thought he would have to order a part. But voila, when I reached the shop, he smiled and said the disc had finally dislodged. Turned out that the disc, even though new, was physically damaged and had jammed, I suppose. Anyway, I was happy again.

Jerry took me to Shugrue’s, my favorite place in town for dinner, and it was wonderful. My pictures are not, for they are hand-held with no flash–a bit less than sharp, but you get the idea. I ordered a small steak, a salad with blue cheese dressing, and creamed spinach which was exceptionally yummy. Jerry chose blackened salmon with a lemon/butter sauce. It also was outstanding. When we had finished eating and were just sitting looking at that striking bridge, our waitress came with a brownie, topped with a scoop of ice cream and a flaming candle. We both dug in.

Yep! Another one has come…and is nearly gone. I’m thankful for another birthday. I’ve had a wonderful life–much better than I deserve.

July 7th was my mum’s birthday; she turned 52. Really hard to believe because she has consistently refused to age.

My brothers and I were out all day. We came back much later in the evening and found her in the kitchen trying to prepare dinner. We didn’t think the ‘birthday girl’ should be making her own birthday dinner so we all shooed her out of the kitchen and took over. We prepared ‘jollof spaghetti’ (I think it’s probably a Nigerian thing), peppered  chicken and cole slaw. While I took over the bulk of the cooking, my baby brother and my cousin handled the salad. For dessert, the  boys had bought a chocolate cake and a fruit cake. It was wonderful because everyone pitched in.

My mum was so happy she said she wished her birthday was every week. Very funny.

It’s nice to have these family times every now and then. Time flies so fast; if we don’t spend some time making memories we’ll end up with bankrupt years…

coleslaw, jollof spaghetti & peppered chicken

And this would be the last year I’m going to be in my TEENS. Quoting from Kak Nik, next year, I’ll be ticking a completely different box. LOL. I’m OLD!!!! But at least I had fun. HAH! So this was what happened, on Thursday, I had a good presentation, with credits to all my group members, and we did impressed our lecturer, so its a great thing! Then that night, Tanveer took me out for dinner as an early birthday gift at Manhattan Fish Market. My fish was huge (I forgot what the fish is called) and well, unfortunately, it’s not a very meaty fish. But, no matter, it was a good dinner, and I had a good conversation with Tanveer. Also managed to talk to Ernest, who called from KL and he forgotten that it was my birthday and it was funny, cause he told Tanveer to not say a word and pretend that he, Ernest, didn’t forget. HAH! Then he got me on the phone, and tried to pretend he didn’t forget but it didn’t work, because it wasn’t really my birthday yet, as it was only the next day. LOL! But poor guy, Physics 2 took his mind off my birthday and me, being the angel, perfectly understood. Hahahah! I’m so full of myself.

Then it was my birthday the next day! ! We had a little class celebration because one of my classmates, Janelle also has the same birthday as I do, and this celebration is for all the May babies. ! Four of us, me, Janelle, Thandar, and Carina. And we got cake!! But these people are evil!!! I was smeared with cream from the cake!!! Adam smeared them on my nose, and Sharul smeared me on my cheeks, and Ain smeared me on the other cheek!

TRAITORS!!! Rawr!!

They even took a photo of my smeared nose and me crying out of frustration! I shall post it up when I have the picture, I thought it was pretty amusing. LOL.

And I’m going to be very full of myself now and start boasting about my latest achievements. (PLEASE FOR THE LOVE OF GOD, FORGIVE ME) I got 48/50 for my Bio Science E-Assessment! Wheeee! So happy!!! But since I’ve broadcast this on public, that would mean I have to keep it up, and failure in doing so would only embarrass me. –.- Shucks.

But you know what’s the best part of the day? I was to fly home to KL that evening!!! Oh you cannot imagine how excited I was! ! And thank you so much to dearest Priya and Ain for their willingness to follow me all the way to Changi Airport. It seems that being alone, and having to depend on myself would allow me to be more…observant and ‘clever’ in a way. Which I think is a good thing, cause I managed to clear the airport with no problems!

I have to say, this would be the first time I’ve gone on an airplane all alone!!! *gasp*! Am pretty proud of that too! hee. When I got to LCCT, Kak Nik was waiting for meeeee!!! OOOO! I was so happy to see her!!! The both of us were literally bouncing away from the airport. Hahaha! And we talked and talked and talked til I reached home. And my mom came out looking surprised and started going, “YOU!!!” to Kak Nik. And stuff like… “WHAT HAVE YOU DONE???” Lol! It was hilarious!! Kak Nik was ready to drive off to the safety of her home! But I missed my family sooooo much!! It was so good to see them again!!! Dad was particularly surprised and elated! ^^ Then we went out for Nandos! Cause we all haven’t had dinner, so Nandos it was! It was good to have Nandos again. LOL. And we talked and talked and talked til sometime after midnight. Then I called Ernest, and he didn’t pick up at first. But he called back and the first thing he said was ‘What the hell??!’. LOL! He was darn surprised alright. We talked and talked and talked for about 40 minutes?? So long. At the end of the conversation, he was like, ‘hey man, good surprise’. I smirked and went, ‘I know.’ *wink* Hahaha.

It was so so good to be home. I couldn’t wake up the next day!! My bed was so deliciously tempting me to stay in all day but I had to buy me some clothes, cause I’m running out of clothes here!! So the whole family went off to KLCC. I had to consider the space that I am allowed to bring back to Singapore, so yes, that means, less shopping for me. No pretty shoes this time. But I got about 5 tops from Padini. They’re made of cotton and I’m pretty convinced they will get me through the HOT CRAZY WEATHER in Singapore. *shines*

That night, I went out for dinner with Kak Nik and Kak Lye Ching at Tony Roma’s at Sunway. And there was a “special guest appearance”! Lol! Yes, he was there! ^^ I finally got to meet him! *hops around like a happy little child* So we ate ate ate, and we talked, talked, talked, and I had Chocolate Avalanche, and it was so good, that I literally started floating on clouds, and I was feeling all light, like I could fly, and I was (as quoted) almost drunk, and Kak Nik and Kak Lye Ching started making me laugh, and God, I thought I was gonna turn blue!!! I couldn’t breathe! I have some air, but it wasn’t enough for my brain, or my heart, or my other organs, and I was laughing and I couldn’t take in enough oxygen. It was torture. When I could actually breathe again, I had to tell myself to just stop laughing for the time being, or risk the same situation repeating itself. Man, it was difficult. Especially when Kak Nik and Kak Lye Ching were just staring at me like I might pop any minute! Lol! After the Chocolate Avalanche, I had to finish the cheese cake which they didn’t finish!!! Hmph! For some ungodly reasons, I actually finished desserts! both of them! I think it’s the fact that I know when I get back to Singapore, there would be no such time and thing such as desserts. LOL. I was a very happy child that night.

When I got home, I fell asleep the minute my head touched the pillow. I didn’t know I was that exhausted. I was dreading the next day, but it had to come and I couldn’t stop the sun from rising, can I? I spent the better part of the day at home, packing, and such, and after that, I went out for a little while with my mom to get a bag. Heee. When I got back home, had lunch, packed some more, I bathed, got ready, and soon, it was time for me to leave home again. I left quite quickly because I didn’t know if I could take anymore goodbyes. I failed of course, sheesh. I’m HOPELESS. To cut the farewell short, Kak Nik sent me to the airport, and off I flew. Pathetic. I missed home the minute I left it. Hmph. Now I miss home even more!

Priya was very nice, she bought me hot fudge chocolate cake with ice cream yesterday after French! As a post-birthday treat! It reminded me greatly of the Chocolate Avalanche. *sigh* How sweet of Priya. Remind me to remember her birthday. LOL! This girl is too adorable to miss her birthday.

Well, here I am, in the comfort of my room, trying to do E-Learning, but really, when am I not distracted. –.- It was raining since this morning, and I’m getting so comfy at home, that I’m so ever reluctant to go to school later this evening for dance practice. Sigh. Shucks. I should really get back to E-Learning, make use of all the time I have now. Because assessments are coming again!!!! Next week, I have 2 assessments on the same day!!! One presentation, one clinical. Oh my god! I’m going to die! *gasp*! I can’t fail!!! Hu hu hu.

Yes it’s a sign, that I have to log off for now. Its been a very long post, and I doubt most of you would read to the end. I wouldn’t blame you but I have been missing so many days that I lost track about what I should write and what new happenings that I was supposed to tell you all. Nevertheless, I am thankful that I blog. LOL.

I’m starting to talk crap now. Alright, time to go now!

Toodles.

P.S.: I have a feeling I’ll start blogging again tonight.

Despite this rushing undercurrent of animosity from Reema toward Angela, the dinner went very smoothly from my perspective.  The restaurant wasn’t too dimly lit nor was it noisy.  Katie sat to my left, Reema to my right, and Angela across from me.  When I spoke with Reema, Katie spoke easily with Angela. When I spoke with Angela, Katie spoke to Reema or they watched and commented on our seeming choreography while Angela’s and my hands danced about as if guided by the same spirit, conducting an invisible orchestra.  And when I spoke with Katie, Angela spoke with Reema, though Reema often kept her own responses very brief–but I was too tired of her crusades to care about her disapproval.  Suppressed venom aside, there were no embarrassing lulls in the conversation and no one person dominated the table.  The conversation possessed a beautiful symmetry that made the aesthetician in me proud.

Reema ate only a salad, but didn’t complain about the ethics of the food offered; Katie said it was the best meal she’d had since returning from France over a month ago, and Angela and I were ecstatic about almost everything we ate.  (I’d feared the food wouldn’t live up to her wealthy standards, but this proved not to be an issue at all.)

I wasn’t used to arranging dinners, so my expectations were cautiously low, but the evening was far from traumatic or boring.  It ended with me confident everyone had enjoyed themselves.

Not beautiful but it had a great staff

The cab dropped us off in front of my dorm and Katie, Angela, and I said goodbye to Reema on the street, as it was already late.  Katie, Angela and I then proceeded to the Mather high rise and Angela and I said good night to Katie when we got off on the third flloor to go to my suite and Katie continued up to the sixth.

Angela and I managed to sleep for only three hours during breakfast time.