Wednesday, March 01, 2017
Giving New Meaning To "Letting The Dishes Soak"
On one hand, it was inconvenient because, well, I had to kneel down in front of the tub, lean over, and contort myself in an uncomfortable position to complete the task.
On the other hand, it was super awesome because hello....it's a giant sink. Puts a farm sink to shame.
The reason for giving my dishes a bubble bath was because of our pre-renovation renovation. As you might remember, we decided to take the tile off the counters in our kitchen and didn't have a solid plan for what would happen once we did. We eventually decided to do an inexpensive laminate and while waiting for the countertop to be installed I had no sink. Enter the bathtub.
This week Ed put the sink back in and hooked up the water, and we started on the backsplash. After much deliberation, also known as my indecisiveness, we decided to use an inexpensive and easy to install vinyl tile in an oxidized metal color.
In this photo, you'll see Ed prepping the backsplash for the tiles. He's installing a 1/8" plywood backing to create a smooth surface for the tiles to adhere to.
We chose to make some small changes to the house just to give it a fresh look until the real work starts and didn't want to spend a lot of money on something we're eventually going to tear out. It's coming along quite nicely and I have to say, Ed has quickly mastered all the tasks he's taken on.
We'll finish it up come the weekend and I'll post a finished photo of it once it's done.
See you in a few days.
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2016: Shake And Rake
2015: Hawaiʻiloa's Favorite Son
2014: Into The Mouth Of A Lion
2013: A Barn Serving Steak Good Enough To Eat
2012: A Quick Update
2011: It Takes Nothing To Win A Contest
2010: Sorry, no post for this day.
2009: The Hags Hit The Big Time
2008: One Thing At A Time
2007: Snaking Across Broadway
2006: Psssst! Wanna Buy A Hot Dog Truck?
2005: Sorry, no post on this day. The blog didn’t start until May 2005!
Sunday, August 31, 2014
Wanted: Traveling Maid
This pile is from the last night we all dined together. Everyone left early and I was able to catch the last showing of Tyrant, my new favorite show. Even Bassam Al-Fayeed (the incredibly handsome main character) is staring at that pile with a look on his face that says, "What the hell happened here??"
Of course, as a character whose family runs an entire country, he's probably never even seen a pile of dishes.
I need an empire.
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2013: Flippin' Fantastic Finds
2012: There’s Room At This Inn – For Dancing And Gambling
2011: Later, Fishies!
2010: It’s In The Details
2009: Plenty Of Places To Roam, No Place To Park It
2008: E Vac You A She Own!!
2007: Eddie Steals A Bite Friday
2006: Steal-A-Meme
2005: The Day In Pictures
Friday, March 17, 2006
Cats And Grandchildren Make Great Indentured Servants
A fun day at Nana's is a day "helping" with cooking, washing dishes, sweeping, yardwork, etc. Hey! Wait a minute, that doesn't sound like fun.
While finishing up a quick cucumber salad (the kids love to use the slicer), this little guy wanted to go outside. My mother told him they'd have to wait until they finished up in the kitchen, to which he replied, "But Nana, outside is all my projects that I have to do."
My mother inquired as to what those projects were and he said, "I hav-a put my svette shirt on and rake with Papa." Halfway through his raking "project" he must have decided he was working too hard because he turned to my mother and said, "My project is making me svette Nana."
Isn't that the cutest? Yes, baby, slave labor DOES make you sweat. I know, I used to live there.
Tuesday, July 13, 2010
Social NOTworking
WTF??
OK, truth be told, I have been urging my mother to get on Facebook for a long time. I know everyone says they're not doing it, they hate it, they have no need (like me) but then once you're on there, it seems to open up a whole new world of connections. Or past connections, in some cases.
With my mother, it's like the same thing that happened with American Idol. I'd been telling her from the very beginning to watch American Idol, that she'd really like it and that it's super-entertaining. She refused. I don't know if she thought there wouldn't be any talent or if it was too "tween" for her, but she finally got on the boat. And now if I call when American Idol is on, she's abrupt and distracted and tells me she'll have to get back to me. She also votes like she's the one person their future career is hinging on and has even learned how to use re-dial on the phone to get through in a more speedy fashion.
But back to the Facebook thing. First, because she's a scaredy cat, she has joined with a fake name. I did that too intially but realized that no one was going to "friend" someone they didn't know and it was impossible for anyone to find me if they were looking. So I caved in and put my real name. As it is, my name seems to be all over the web. My brother called me one day to tell me he Googled me and he said, "Do you know the first five pages of Google are about you??" Yeah, I know. There's nowhere to hide now.
OK...so she's on there and she's made connections, fake name and all. And I have been inundated with questions from her, most of which I cannot seem to sufficiently answer.
"So what do I put in the "status update" box?" she asks.
"Whatever your status is. Like, "Washing dishes again - my life would be easier with paper plates!" or "Just got back from the pool. Loving water aerobics." or "Best Law & Order ever. I heart Chris Meloni."
"Why does someone need to know I love Chris Meloni?" she said.
"Well, they don't need to know. It's just what you do on Facebook." I said.
"Why?"
"I don't know. Maybe there's someone in your friend list who also loves Chris Meloni and then you can talk about it." I said.
"Why do I care if someone else likes Chris Meloni?" she asks.
"I don't know, Ma. People want to know. Sometimes, people will just "like" it...then you don't have to talk about anything. You'll see on your comment that they chose "like" with a thumbs up." I said.
"So these people talk to me? But without talking to me? They just "like" things?
"Uh, sort of. And they like to look at pictures of people." I said.
"But I don't have any pictures." she said.
"Yet. We'll get a nice one of you and set you up with a profile picture."
"OK, so what else do you do on this Facebook thing?" she asked.
"Well, some people play games..."
"I do Pogo. Why would I play games on Facebook?"
"Some people post political stuff..."
"I don't talk about politics. My father always said never to talk about politics or religion."
"Okaaay. Well, some people just like to be able to pop on and see what everyone is up to. Who just got back from the mall, who just had a baby, who is tired of their boss and wants to scream at them..." I said.
"But if I wanted to talk to all these people, wouldn't I just email them? And I don't know why people want to tell me about their day at the mall or how work was. I just don't get it."
Oh. My. God. I'm starting to think I don't get it either. I can't even explain why the hell I'M on Facebook. I have no good reasons. I'm doing a really shitty job of selling this social networking thing here.
"Just try it and then let me know what you think." I said.
"Fine. But I don't even know what I'm trying. And how is it some people have over 300 friends? You have 300 friends. You know 300 people??" she said.
"Well...yeah...kind of...no, not really...well, some of them I know-know and other people I just like, know. You know?" She does not know.
This has been going on for the past week and I've made some headway and now she's actually kinda liking it. I think. She's been found, even with the fake name (because of the real email address) and friends are adding her left and right. And each time someone does, she calls or texts, "I have another friend!" It's like she just crawled out from under a rock.
I plan on watching her very closely and monitoring her usage. I don't need her to make a Joe Bidenesque gaffe on her wall in front of everyone. She doesn't quite know all the ins and outs yet and she's not aware that the mic on her wall is always "on".
I just pray she doesn't discover Farmville.
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1 YEAR AGO: Scattegories
2 YEARS AGO: Time Isn’t The Only Thing That Flies When You’re Having Fun
3 YEARS AGO: Anything I Want
4 YEARS AGO: Burglar And Idiot Proof
5 YEARS AGO: Virginia Is For Lovers
Saturday, April 20, 2019
Hard Labor
Once they were done, I started my breading process. Flour, egg, breadcrumbs. Flour, egg, breadcrumbs. Flour, egg, breadcrumbs. You get the idea. I did that about 100 times.
While I was doing that mind-numbing task, the marinara finishes cooking. I took it out of the oven and set it aside to cool.
Look at this gorgeous sauce. It tasted fantastic. I think I'm going to use this recipe for the rest of my life. It's the best marinara I've ever made. I didn't use the anchovies (I know it adds umami, but I still think they taste fishy) but the red pepper flakes and dry white wine is not something I've ever added to a marinara and I think it made all the difference. I can't get over the flavor of this sauce!
Once I was done breading a decent amount of eggplant, I started frying. I didn't want to be there all night and this was already taking too long.
The entire process from beginning to end, which included washing dishes and cleaning up the kitchen, took more than seven hours. SEVEN HOURS.
SEVEN HOURS.
I only took two short breaks - one to eat, and one to sit because I thought I was going to die from the non-stop standing and cooking.
I love eggplant. A LOT. And eggplant parmigiana is one of my favorites. But like chicken cutlets, the work involved is insane. I think it's worth it. Especially when I'm eating it. But at that moment, and any other moment I'm craving this dish, I don't remember how much work is involved.
Like gnocchi, I think this is going to have to be one of those dishes I have to eat in a restaurant.
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2018: Heading To The Tall Pines
2017: They Nestled The Produce On Beds Of Kale
2016: Take It To Ramon
2015: California Field
2014: Happy Easter!
2013: A Tree Grows In A Truck Stop
2012: The Herb Whisperer
2011: Turning Tables With Adele
2010: A Different Kind Of Dumpster Diving
2009: Federal Glow
2008: My Mother Is An Oxymoron
2007: The Restroom Shell Game
2006: The Pressure
2005: Sorry, no post on this day. The blog didn’t start until May 2005!
Saturday, July 08, 2017
The Little French Dining Car
Ed and I have been to the Market side of this establishment, the day we walked Tumamoc with my friend Kim - the hateful hiking event that needed to be rectified by having a delicious breakfast, kind of like washing away a bad experience with a good one - but tonight we dined in the Kitchen side, which features French inspired American food. And oh, what a difference.
We began the evening by having a few of Maynards Craft Cocktails. The boys started with a Perfect Martini (Hanson of Sonoma Organic Vodka, Dolin Dry Vermouth, blue cheese olive, jalapeño and bacon olive, house onion) for MacG, and for the Texan in the house, Ed, a Texas Mule (Tito’s Handmade Vodka, fresh lemon and lime juices, ginger beer, cucumber simple syrup). Marlaina and I had The Cooler (Hendricks Gin, cucumber, cilantro, lime, agave nectar). I don't drink, and I was the designated driver anyway, so I had mine without the gin. It was extremely refreshing and oddly, I really liked the cilantro in the drink.
The next round consisted of a Maynards Manhattan (Buffalo Trace house-infused bourbon, Carpano Antica, a dash of orange bitters) for MacG, and an Easy Living (High West Rye, pineapple gomme, Giffard grapefruit liquor) for Ed. I tasted both of Ed's drink - holy crap, they were potent! - and went back to nursing my alcohol-free cooler.
We finally decided to order appetizers. The choices all sounded delicious but we eventually settled on two. Marlaina chose first, ordering the Barrio Bruschetta (Grilled local Barrio Bread baguette, peaches, prosciutto, bourbon burnt honey, boursin cheese, arugula, horseradish). The bread comes from a local bakery where they make the most delicious looking loaves of life you've ever seen. Their Instagram feed is intoxicating, I swear you can smell it baking.
My choice was the Baked Mushroom (Ragout of wild mushrooms, Arizona pecans, puff pastry, pea puree, lemon confit, goat cheese, pickled pepper). I love mushrooms, and although both were delicious, if I had to choose, I'd say the Barrio Bruschetta took this round. The flavor combination of the peaches, prosciutto, bourbon honey, and cheese were just outstanding. I could have eaten two more slices without blinking.
A little more chatting, a little more sipping of cocktails, and some talk of tartare.
Marlaina and MacG really wanted to try the Steak Tartare (Chef’s blend of hand-chopped raw strip and tenderloin, local greens, sorrel, pickled and raw vegetables, smoked espelette aioli, topped with a raw egg yolk). I used to date a guy who ate raw chop meat on a sliced onion, but I've never intentionally ordered meat uncooked. Ed and I said we were willing to try it. And we did. I can't say we loved it as much as our dining companions did.
Next, our entrees.
I'll begin with my order. When I go to a place like this, no matter how unusual or elegant or even bizarre the preparation may be, I usually don't like to order something I can make at home - pasta, chicken, steak, pork. Sometimes, it's unavoidable, but usually I try to go for something I don't make, or don't know how to make. Tonight I ordered something I haven't had in at least thirty years, and wasn't even sure I'd really like, the duck. The only reason duck doesn't appeal to me is because the entire bird is dark meat. Birds which use their chest muscles for sustained flight (such as geese and ducks) have dark meat throughout their bodies, and I'm a white meat girl. But I thought I'd give it a shot.
The Pan-Roasted Duck (Glazed duck breast, sauté of lima bean and wild mushroom, sorrel, puffed sorghum, roasted corn pudding, rhubarb vanilla gastrique), cooked medium-rare as the server suggested, turned out to be better than I expected. The duck was tender and flavorful, and the roasted corn pudding a perfect complement. The presentation was beautiful. Those little puffs at the bottom of the picture, the ones that look like tiny popcorn, are the puffed sorghum that's in the description. This is what sorghum looks like in the field.
Ed decided on one of the other dishes I was eyeing - the Buttermilk Fried Quail (Stone ground & creamed Durham semolina, braised swiss chard, watermelon, pickled okra, baby herbs). The dish was beautiful, and Ed said it was good, but I have to say, I've never seen a tinier bird in my life. We have quail in our yard that are easily more than twice the size of this bird.
Ed asked the server, "Are these Oro Valley quail?" making a joke because we live in that area and have quail in our yard, and the server replied, "I'm not sure, sir, let me find out for you." He was totes serious! He came back and said, "Actually, these quail are from Benson, Arizona." He literally had a totally straight face when he said it, too. Benson is is 60 miles from us, so when they say "locally sourced", they really mean it. I'm still trying to figure out how they breaded and fried that delicate little bird without burning its damn wings off.
And the last of the entrees belongs to Marlaina, who true to form, went for the lamb. I swear to God, she's got a secret love affair with this animal. Lamb meat comes in three types: lamb, which comes from a sheep that's less than a year old; hogget, which is the meat of a lamb older than one year; and mutton, which is the meat of an adult sheep. Lamb is the most expensive of the three. Of course it is. That's my Marlaina!
The Riesling Braised Lamb Shank (Braised lamb shank, potatoes tartiflette, bacon lardons, braised greens, green olive and Marcona almond salsa, roasted leek pan jus) looked medieval. A big 'ol hunk of meat that was literally falling off the bone. Perched atop the potatoes tartiflette, it was begging to be devoured. She loved it. The portion was so generous, she took most of it home.
The food was really outstanding, but there was still dessert to be had. I was full, but the choices were so enticing, I had to have something. The boys skipped dessert and instead each ordered a glass of 10-year-old port.
I ordered what Marlaina called the "most boring dessert" on the menu, the Vanilla Crème Brûlée (caramelized sugar, orange shortbread, fresh berries). I know, I know, plain jane, but it's one of my favorite desserts. I have never made it, and don't even know if I'd attempt it because of the whole burning-of-the-sugar-to-create-the-caramelized-hard-cracked-top-surface part. The custard is just so creamy and delicious that I'm always drawn to it when I see it on a menu. I can't resist.
I'm glad I ordered it. First of all, it was the largest portion of crème brûlée I've ever had in my life. Usually, it comes in a tiny ramekin like this, with about an inch of custard. But this dessert - which I didn't take a photo of - came in a freakin' cereal bowl! On one hand, it was too much because I was pretty full from everything else we ate, but on the other hand, there was enough to share with Ed. And it was deeeelicious.
Marlaina gave me the evil eye when I placed my desert order because after reading the menu online, we kinda agreed that I'd order the cheesecake. But when it came time to order, "crème brûlée" just popped out of my mouth before I could stop it.
Upon further discussion, and with input from the server, we eventually decided to order a second dessert for the table to share - the Meyer Lemon Goat Cheese Cheesecake (strawberry and pink peppercorn gastrique, fresh strawberries). And boy, am I glad we did, because I was really intrigued by both the "Meyer Lemon" part, and the "Goat Cheese" part of this dessert. It turned out the goat cheese was amazing. I'm totally going to make a cheesecake in the future using goat cheese. It was so insanely light. Whipped, really. Fluffy.
The restaurant, located in downtown Tucson's beautifully restored historic train depot, was a very enjoyable experience. Seated by the window we could see the "edible garden" where they grow a lot of the vegetables used in their dishes, and beyond that, the tracks where freight trains stacked with shipping containers, steadily chugged by.
I love to cook for my family and friends. As much work as it is at times, it's a real pleasure when I hear that what I've cooked has made a person happy. And I'll never get tired of hearing the compliments.
But, I also love to eat out. And it was really wonderful to be treated to such a nice place (even The New York Times loved it!) and to be accompanied by friends who are interesting to be with. Thanks, M & M for a great night!
This restaurant has been on our radar for a few years but in past visits, it just didn't work into our plans. I'm glad we finally fit it in. It was definitely worth the wait.
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2016: Shiny Happy People
2015: The Oedipus Driving Complex
2014: Summer At Percy Priest
2013: Heat And Humidity Abundant, Wind Nowhere To Be Found
2012: Delicious Eats And Healthy Treats
2011: Special Seasoning
2010: Two Truck Drivers, A Writer And A Photographer Walk Into A Bar
2009: Taking The Express To The Heartland
2008: TIT-illating Sights On The Road
2007: I’ve Been Everywhere Sunday
2006: Embracing Your Inner Bike Riding Hussy
2005: It Takes A Village To Wake A Child