I'm not very good at this WWT stuff, but here goes :>
Last week was exceptional, food-wise. Tuesday: I fired up the Cuisinart Pasta maker with the
spaghetti die and made whole wheat spaghetti carbonara. Mmmm!
Wednesday: Went to a unique Egyptian restaurant in Astoria for a late lunch. Only 4 tables in the
place and no other customers. We had the undivided attention of the chef/owner, who prepared an
appetizer sampler dish, stuffed breast of lamb, a rice dish, a whole tilapia, and a lot of
conversation and description of the dishes. Then a dessert sampler. It was wonderful and I didn't
eat until lunch the next day.
Thursday: Lunch at La Cote Basque in Manhattan, with our own dear Margaret. I had sausage en croute
for an appetizer, roast chicken and vegetables, and molten chocolate cake with white chocolate ice
cream in a chocolate tuille for dessert- awesome! (Margaret had cassoulet, Marcel had the chicken).
Margaret gave me her dessert to take home- a berry [censored] that was spectacular (even when cracked and
crumbled in transit) as well as a bag of goodies. :>
Friday: Made chicken waldorf salad- granny smith apple, celery, bit of onion, craisins, walnuts,
diced chicken, mayo. Love it.
Saturday, I visited my friend Barbara in Pennsylvania for the weekend. Friday night dinner started
with a selection of cheeses we had picked up at Buon Italia (in Chelsea market), wine, and Barbara's
homemade caponata. Then we moved on to bacala stewed with tomatoes, onions, olives, capers, and
raisins served with cornbread and green beans. Dessert was banana bread pudding.
Sunday: When Barbara visited me in early January she bought a tagine. So during my visit, we put it
to use making a lamb tagine (excellent) with Israeli couscous, and dessert was sampling two cakes we
bought at BJs (a Mississipi mud pie and tiramisu cake). Of course we started out with wine, cheese,
and crusty bread (Ecce Panis semolina). Just roll me home!
We also did a lot of shopping and I picked up a serious mandoline ($58 marked down from $168!), a
mezzaluna, and three thermometers I was lacking (candy, digital instant read, and a digital refrigerator-
freezer thermometer that also gives a 7-day average for each compartment, $15 marked down from $30).
I also bought a few cookbooks I didn't need but couldn't resist.
I've been tapering off food since Monday, I feel like a blimp, but weeks like that don't come
along often :>
Good news- an electrician is coming this weekend to install an "off" switch on my kitchen exhaust
fan so I can use it without worrying that it will run forever one day. This means I can resume
cooking fragrant foods without smelling it for a week- bring on the garlic and broccoli.
Over and out!
Sue(tm) Lead me not into temptation... I can find it myself!