Dinner On My Own

When Dale is out of town I usually indulge in my favorite simple meal. Rotisserie chicken and a pretzel bun, both from Kowalskis, and a salad. This salad is hearts of romaine with Annie's Goddess dressing. Sophie looks intrigued. Dessert was a slice of truffle roulade from Kowalskis (of course!).

Eating Out - Lizz Wright at the Dakota

I had the most incredibly cruddy day today. I'm so glad I had plans to see Lizz Wright tonight at the Dakota Jazz Club with my good friend Noel. Noel ordered some wine and I had a Bombay Sapphire Martini. We both had the house burger. The food is always fantastic there. Lizz Wright has one of the most beautiful voices I've ever heard and I'm not exaggerating. I'd listen to her sing the phone book. Anyway, great food, great music, great venue with a great friend. After a terrible day I feel renewed.

A Mini High School Reunion

The world keeps getting smaller and now because of Facebook it's smaller still. A couple of years ago I joined FB and reconnected with a number of high school friends and acquaintances just before my high school reunion. Some continue to pop up. Recently one of these people, Mike, approached Dale at the gym because he recognized him from a picture posted on my FB account. Dale told me of the meeting and, long story short, Mike and his wife Charisse came over to our place for dinner tonight. It was wonderful to reconnect. We had both forgotten in what class we met but determined that we had at least been in Spanish together in 8th grade and also a government class as seniors in high school. There was a lot to reminisce about including teachers, classmates, classes, et cetera. I observed how I find it interesting that in high school one spends so much time trying to define how one is unique and different. Yet years later you realize that you really had a lot in common with everybody, namely your age, school, neighborhood, city, era; things we never would have considered unifying at the time.

Mike and I had martinis before dinner. Mike's was vodka and mine gin. Dale and Charisse had wine. For dinner we had lasagna which I've made for years and is based on my mom's recipe. I remember Mom making it for the first time when I was about 12 years old. I absolutely loved it and now consider it one of my favorite comfort foods. Here's how I make it now:

1 - 1&1/2 pound Italian sausage (or ground beef/turkey)

1&1/2 jars a spaghetti sauce

lasagna noodles (I use about 11 or 12)

15 oz. ricotta cheese

1 egg

chives

4 cups mozzarella

Fry off meat and add spaghetti sauce to the pan. Prepare noodles but only cook them for about half the recommended time as they will bake in the oven. In medium bowl combine ricotta and cheese and set aside. Begin layering items in greased pan. Spread some of the meat mixture on the bottom of the pan and cover that with about four lasagna noodles. Spread some of the ricotta mixture on top of the noodles and then cover this with some of the mozzarella. Repeat until ingredients are used up. Cover with a sprinkling of parmesan cheese, oregano, and nutmeg. Oven should be heated to 350 degrees. Bake for 50-60 minutes. Cover and let cool for about 10 minutes.

[Note: for a healthier option we use ground turkey, "light" dairy products, and egg whites. For high octane we go with fattier ingredients.]

Dale made green beans and garlic bread.

I find lasagna to be great for entertaining because it can be made ahead of time and you can have cocktails with guests while it cooks.

Coffee

I love morning coffee. I usually have two mugs a day which probably translates to about 4 cups. Dale got me addicted to the stuff but not until about 12 years into our relationship. I think its funny I'm more the coffee junkie now as he used to drink about 6 cups a day and has now cut back to 1. It probably wouldn't hurt for me to cut back a bit although I've heard that 4 cups is about the limit to what the daily intake should be so for the time being I'll hold steady. I take mine with cream and sugar while Dale usually takes his black. I will say it does make me look forward to getting up in the morning.

Top: Illustration by Nouar

Bottom: Coffee Mug from our collection. Quote by Eleanor Roosevelt says "Yesterday is history, Tomorrow is a mystery, Today is a gift"

Valentine's Day 2011

The kids were cookoo at school today. They weren't bad but they sure were geared up for Valentine's Day. I can't say I blame them. I remember what a big day it was for me - addressing the Valentines, making a Valentine's box, passing out the Valentines. It was all very exciting. My class was feeling that same excitement and I'm just glad they had a great time!

Dale dug out the grill from the snow and put on a new tank of propane. He grilled steak, made oven baked brussels sprouts, garlic bread and a salad.

One of my students came in with her mom this morning and they brought me a HUGE apple pie from Lund's. Dale and I ate it tonight and it was delicious.

My cocktail of choice tonight was a Hendrick's gin martini. Dale had some red wine.

Bank Restaurant Minneapolis - More Pictures

Early Valentine's Day Dinner - Bank Restaurant Minneapolis

Dale and I had an early Valentine's Day dinner tonight at Bank Restaurant in downtown Minneapolis. The restaurant is located in what was formerly the grand lobby of the old Farmers and Mechanics Bank.

The building is so stately and the inside so beautiful I feel compelled to provide a little background information. The following is information regarding the bank from Wikipedia:

"The 1942 Farmers and Mechanics Savings Bank building in downtown Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States, is a former bank building that is now the home of a Westin Hotel The building is an example of the Streamline Moderne phase of the Art Deco movement and is notable for its bold relief sculptures of a farmer and a mechanic framing the main entrance. The sculptures were designed by Warren T. Mosman, who headed the sculpture department at the Minneapolis Institute of Arts. The structure was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2006."

"The walnut-paneled main banking hall of the building is now the lobby of the hotel. The taller wings of the building once held offices, but now house 214 hotel rooms. The hotel conversion preserved several historic features of the bank building. The main banking lobby with a 34 foot high ceiling, marble staircase, and carved wood emblems have been retained. The original bank vault on the lower level is a conference room, while the former safety deposit vault is now a wine vault and the entire bank has been made in to a restaurant, called B.A.N.K. The restaurant kept as much of the original woodworking from the actual bank as possible. Former offices now serve as private dining rooms and the teller counter now serves as a bar."

We arrived a little early and got drinks at the bar. I had a Bombay Sapphire martini and Dale had white wine. For dinner I had the Five Onion Soup and Dale had the ceasar salad. We both had the pan roastedpork tenderloin as entrees. For dessert I had a chocolate waffle with maple ice cream. Dale had the cookies and milk.

This amazingly grand space evokes a bygone era and easy to get lost in while dining.

The bar at left is the former teller counter of the old Farmers and Mechanics Bank.

Silver Hour - Wednesday February 9, 2011

When the days are bitter cold and the nights still long, it's nice to have something to look forward to during the day. The kids at school have been inside for recess for nearly the last two weeks and are starting to go buggy. This in turn is making ME go buggy. I love looking forward to dinner and cocktails. Tonight's dinner is a mostly homemade chicken pot pie. When I say 'mostly' I mean that we're not getting a frozen Swanson pot pie. We use a pre-made Pillsbury pie crust, a store bought jar of chicken gravy, a couple cups of grozen mixed vegetables, a couple cups chopped up chicken breasts, and a little thyme. Bake at 400 degrees for 25 minutes and your comfort food is ready.

Pickled Herring

Saturday evening Golden Hour tonight. Dale made steak and brussels sprouts. For an appetizer he picked up some pickled herring. I grew up with pickled herring. We mostly had it around the holidays and I absolutely loved it. So did my Dad.

The following is from The Deluxe Food Lover's Companion:

herring: This huge family of saltwater fish has over a hundred varieties. The popular herring swims in gigantic schools and can be found in the cold waters of the North Atlantic and Pacific oceans. In the United States, two of the most popular members of this family are the American shad, and the alewife, both of which are anadromous, meaning that they migrate from their saltwater habitat to spawn in fresh water. Herring are generally small (ranging between 1/4 and 1 pound) and silvery. The major exception to that rule is the American shad, which averages 3 to 6 pounds and is prized for its eggs - the delicacy known as shad roe. Young herring are frequently labeled and sold as sardines.... Pickled herring have been marinated in vinegar and spices before being bottle in either a sour-cream sauce or a wine sauce. The term can also refer to herring that have been dry-salted before being cured in brine.

Silver Hour - Wednesday January 26, 2011

The Silver Hour is a dressed down version of the Golden Hour. Usually held mid-week. Tonight the menu was tuna steaks, steamed green beans, rice pilaf, and salad.

Dinner and a Movie - 1

Last night Dale and I went to visit our friends Julie and Regina for dinner and a movie. Julie made some very scrumptious burritos. Dale and I brought the leftover tres leche cake from the other night. It was all very delicious. The movie was High Anxiety with Mel Brooks, Madeline Kahn, Cloris Leachman, and Harvey Korman. It was all very funny.

Good food, good fun, good movie, good friends.

Oh, yeah, and the werewolf scene gets me every time.

Dinner Party - Saturday January 22, 2011

Last night Dale and I hosted a dinner for some friends Dale knows from a spin class he takes on Saturdays at the gym. Michelle, Dale's spin instructor, and her husband Steve along with his classmate Fred and Fred's wife Linda all came over at about 6:00 pm. This dinner was rescheduled from a December date during which the city experienced 18 inches of snow and caused us to cancel. Appetizers and drinks came first. Dinner included lasagna (made by me using Mom's recipe), steamed green beans with olive oil and salt, and garlic bread (both made by Dale). Dessert was a tres leche cake from Cafe Latte in St. Paul which was brought over by Fred and Linda. It was all amazing and tasted fantastic.

W.S. Gilbert said "When planning a dinner party, what's more important than what's on the table is what's on the chairs." This get-together was a nice combination of wonderfully warm people. Dinner was lovely and the conversations were engaging. We talked of Christmas, our families, religion, and politics. I know the latter two are usually to be avoided but everyone was pretty much on the same page and respectful of everyone's opinions. Everyone was surprised when we discovered it was already midnight. This is again proof to me that some of the best times in life revolve around shared good food and good people.

Christmas Traditions: The Christmas Pickle

It's a sham! Well, at least I think it is...

About a year ago I was shopping with a friend and I came across a glass pickle ornament. I mentioned that I thought it was a funny object for a Christmas tree ornament. She informed me that it was some German tradition and that because I have partial German heritage I should know all about it.

Well.

According to "tradition" the pickle is supposed to be the last ornament hung on the tree on Christmas Eve. The first child to find the pickle on Christmas morning gets an extra gift from Saint Nicholas. This doesn't hold up as the German St. Nick doesn't arrive on Christmas Eve but on the 5th or 6th of December. Also, German children don't open their presents the morning of Christmas but on Christmas Eve.

One story says that a Bavarian-born man who fought in the American Civil War was captured and began to die while being held prisoner. He begged a guard for a pickle before he died. The guard granted his wish and the pickle gave the man his strength and health back.

In another story, originating in Berrien Springs, Michigan, two medieval-era Spanish boys are traveling home from school for the Christmas holidays. They stop at an inn for the night but the innkeeper is a rotten fellow who stuffs the boys in a barrel of pickles. Saint Nicholas soon stops by and taps the pickle barrel with his staff and the boys are freed. Berrien Springs is the self-proclaimed Christmas Pickle Capital of the World. A parade which is part of its December Christmas Pickle Festival is led by a Grand Dillmeister who gives out real pickles along the parade route. You my then purchase German glass pickle ornaments at the town's museum.

Oddly, few in Germany ever have heard of the Christmas Pickle.

Scam or not, it looks like the 'legend' of the Christmas pickle is here to stay. I bought the one pictured above just for fun this past season. I even found smaller pickle ornaments packaged in a pickle jar at the Sur la Table kitchen store.

From The Deluxe Food Lover's Companion:

"pickle n. Food that has been preserved in a seasoned brine or vinegar mixture. Among the more popular foods used for pickling are cucumbers, pearl onions, cauliflower, baby corn, watermelon rind, pig's feet and herring. Pickles can be sour, sweet, hot or variously flavored, such as with DILL for the popular dill pickle. pickle v. Top preserve food in a vinegar mixture or brine."

New Year's Day 2011

Woke up late this morning thinking about what a glorious time I had during the progressive dinner we participated in last night. What a great way to end 2010. Dale and I have spent the day lounging around reading and napping.

Over the past holiday season I've had a chance to share meals with a lot of people who are important to me. I am spending time thinking about how the meals we share enhance our lives and our relationships with one another.

One of my favorite books is Life Is Meals by James and Kay Salter. Here is the January 1st entry from the book:

"The meal is the essential act of life. It is the habitual ceremony, the long record of marriage, the school for behavior, the prelude to love. Among all peoples and in all times, every significant event in life - be it wedding, triumph, or birth - is marked by a meal or the sharing of food or drink. The meal is the emblem of civilization. What would one know of life as it should be lived or nights as they should be spent apart from meals?"

Dale and I ate canned chicken noodle soup from a can along with leftover brioche and tapanade. We then watched Christmas in Connecticut and then Shop Around the Corner. Steve stopped by to pick up the lens cover from Mary's camera that she forgot last night. He told us that they woke up this morning talking about what a wonderful time they had last night. We told him that we had done the same thing!

New Year's Eve 2010

This year we were invited to a progressive dinner for New Year's Eve by our neighbor from across the alley, Mary. Dale and I took the appetizer course and served crackers and brioche with the options of brie with fig jam, basil pesto, or a sun-dried tomato tapanade as spreads. We also served red grapes, honey crisp apple slices, wasabe peas, and cashews. For drinks we offered a 2009 Beaujolais nouveau, champagne, beer, and mixed drinks. I was surprised how many people wanted martinis. Our neighbor Gary wanted his usual vodka martini. I used Shaker's vodka which is made here in Minnesota. Gary likes his with a healthy portion of vermouth. Mary also wanted a vodka martini but with no vermouth. I just passed the bottle of vermouth over the drink a couple times. She said she didn't even need that much! Our neighbor Kevin decided he'd like to try a gin martini. I used Tanquerey and I think he was surprised by how strong it was. He said he liked gin but, sensing his inexperience in regard to martinis, I made him a smaller one than I usually do. He wasn't able to finish it and took it to the next course which was salads at his and Jenny's house. I thought this was funny and have to say I really admire his commitment to finishing it. I put a glass pickle ornament on the tree just for Gary to find. He found it almost immediately and got a special present for his effort which was a small Christmas troll pin. The troll was dressed up like Santa Claus.

Like I said, the next course was salads at Kevin and Jenny's home. The salad was delicious and I think Jenny said it was from the Nordstrom department store menu. I'll have to ask her for the recipe or google it.

Next we went to Warren and Gary's for the main course. Warren made an Indian dish called tiki masala, I think. It was also fantastic and I need to get the recipe. I think he said it was from Cooks Illustrated magazine. They have a fireplace and Gary had a lovely fire going when we got there. Their cat Big Boy laid himself out in front of the fire and seemed to have a fine time lounging there as we ate dinner.

The final course was dessert at Steve and Mary's house. Mary made a delicious goat cheese cheese cake with a pineapple compote and also pot de creme. Merriment ensued with dancing (I particularly remember moving to Hot Sauce by Thomas Dolby) and watching the countdown on ABC with Dick Clark who I think was looking particularly good for his age. Jenny brought out her medicine cards and everyone got a reading for the new year. We stayed until one a.m. It has been quite a while since Dale and I have stayed up until (or past) midnight on New Year's Eve.

What a delightful evening.

Christmas Traditions: Orange Pomanders

Ever since Mom told me about getting oranges in her stocking as a girl in the 1940's, I've tried to incorporate oranges into Christmas decorating. I've read that in the 19th century, the well-off would use orange pomanders as part of their Christmas decorations because oranges were considered a rare treat and something of an extravagance. The citrus scent combined with the smell of cloves smelled heavenly and probably helped to alleviate basic household odors. How to make them? I used a pin to help start the holes for the cloves and then simply added the cloves. Nothing could be easier and they look great.

Christmas Traditions: Fondue

I've written a couple of times about my family's tradition of fondue on Christmas Eve. I decided to do a little research on this thing I've eaten for 45 years on December 24. Here's what I found out...

According to James and Kay Salter in their book Life is Meals, the town of "Gruyeres is about seventy miles northeast of Geneva as you head into the heart of Switzerland. It produces one of the two cheeses - the other being Emmenthaler - that are the basis for fondue, which comes from the French verb fondre, 'to melt.' "(p. 391) Also, "Fondue likely originated in remote mountain villages during winters when food was scarce and people softened their old, hardened cheeses over a fire, scooping from the pot with pieces of bread." (p. 391)

I know that my mom uses Gruyere cheese, but I'm not sure about the Emmenthaler. I guess more research is in order.

Holiday Brunch 2010

On December 23, Dale and I hosted a holiday brunch. We invited our friends Chris and Alyn who brought along with their very mobile and delightful toddler son Ellis. We also invited our friend Eric who brought along his delightful boyfriend Erich. The menu included champagne, mimosas, an egg bake, sausages, hash browns, mixed fresh fruit, and a maple pecan bundt cake. Everything turned out quite well but I was particularly excited about the bundt cake as it was the first one I ever made.

The recipe for the bundt cake is from Nigella Lawson's book Nigella Kitchen and can be found on page 239. Use of the fleur de lis bundt pan that I bought a few months ago made this particularly fun.

The recipe for the egg bake is from one of those Pillsbury Classic Cookbooks (you know, the kind you get at the grocery store check-out lane) and is dated from May of 1993. The recipe is found on page 21 of that publication and is as follows:

Confetti Egg Bake

Ingredients:

Half cup shredded Cheddar cheese

1 (9 oz.) pakage of frozen spinach, thawed and squeezed to drain

Half pound bulk turkey Italian sausage, cooked

1 cup sliced fresh mushrooms

Half cup chopped green onion

1 (2 oz. jar sliced pimiento, drained [I used a 4 ounce jar]

6 eggs

1 cup half-and-half

Half cup shredded Swiss cheese

Half teaspoon paprika [I forgot to add this]

Directions:

Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray 8-inch square (1 1/2 quart) baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. Layer Cheddar cheese, spinach, Italian sausage, mushrooms, green onions, and pimiento in spray coated dish. In medium bowl, combine eggs and half-and-half; blend well. Pour egg mixture evenly over layered mixture. Sprinkle with Cheddar cheese and paprika.*

Bake at 350 degrees F. for 30 to 40 minutes or until knife inserted in center comes out clean.

Let stand 5 minutes before serving. 6 servings.

*Note: This can be assembled a day in advance. Cover and refridgerate. Bake at 350 F. but increase the cooking time to 40-50 minutes.

Christmas Day 2010

Dale and I had a lovely and quiet Christmas morning. We spent time relaxing and enjoying each other's company and looking at our beautiful Christmas tree. We also spent some time getting ready for having Mom over for Christmas dinner. The plan was to eat at about four o'clock so I began getting the beef stroganoff ready shortly after eight o'clock am. Last year we prepared Julia Child's recipe for beef bourguignon and, while incredibly delicious, it took a huge chunk of time to prepare on Christmas Eve. This year we decided to go the easier route and use the crock pot beef stroganoff recipe that we've been using for years. I'm pretty sure that this is the first year we've made it for Christmas dinner. It's one of our favorite winter recipes and this is the first time we've made it this season. It's also extremely easy to make.

Mom came over at 3 p.m. and we had drinks and appetizers (crackers and hummus). We watched the ending of Ben-Hur on Turner Classic Movies while Dale got the egg noodles for the stroganoff and the broccoli ready. We were eating by about 4:30. It was all very delicious. Dessert was a Buche de Noel from Kowalski's (at 54th and Lyndale Ave. So. and also my favorite grocery store) and coffee.

We then spent some time reminiscing about how Mom celebrated Christmas as a child. I've recently been doing a lot of geneology research into the French Canadian branch of my family tree. My great-grandmother Cora (Alma) Driscoll (Fugere) was from French Canada and I was curious to know if she had passed any French Canadian Christmas traditions down to my grandmother Jean Wagner (Driscoll). Mom said she didn't think so. She told me that my Great-Grandma Cora had never taught any of her children French and that Grandma Jean (hereafter referred to as Baba) resented that. Mom said she didn't think my great-grandma passed down any specific Christmas customs to Baba.

Mom talked a little bit about how her own Christmases played out as a child. She said they never did anything on Christmas Eve but that she and her siblings opened their stockings on Christmas morning. She said she always got an orange in her stocking. They would go to church and then come home and open presents. Each child got only one present because money was very tight when she was younger. She said that one year she got a slip as her Christmas present.

I remember quite clearly my own Christmas traditions while growing up. Christmas Eve day was usually pretty relaxed (for us kids at least). Mom I'm sure was getting ready for Christmas Eve's fondue dinner and doing last minute preparations for Christmas Day. Dad always did his Christmas shopping on Christmas Eve day. I remember going with him to the Southdale shopping mall one year when I was probably 12 or 13. I was surprised how dead it was as the mall that day. I had supposed more people would be doing last minute shopping but that was not the case. I don't know if that was an anomaly for the time or not. It sure isn't that way today. We'd start the fondue dinner at about 5:00 pm with the cheese fondue. I remember helping to stir the cheese on the stovetop while Mom slowly added more cheese the pot. It would then be added to the fondue pot on the dining room table. We'd then dip chunks of stale French bread into the cheese. It was delectable!! We'd move on to the meat in oil fondue after the bread in cheese. Mom always had beef stew meat for the oil fondue. She'd mix together a special ketchup-like mixture for dipping the fried meat in. In maybe the late seventies or early eighties she added scallops to the oil fondue. She made a special herbed butter to dip the scallops in after they were done in the fondue pot. After the meat fondue she would get the chocolate fondue ready. I remember dipping strawberries and bananas in the chocolate. It was divine! I remember being amazed at how much I could eat when we'd do fondue. It was easy to pack it all in due to taking breaks between the courses to get the next course ready and because we had to eat slowly during each course. That's just the nature of fondue. It takes time to prepare each little morsel!

Christmas morning began with opening stockings once everyone was awake. Stockings were always chock full of good stuff. One year Mom put an orange in each of our stockings and I was very perplexed. Not disappointed, just perplexed. Why would I have an orange in my stocking when I could walk to the kitchen and grab one from the fruit basket? Mom explained how she always got an orange in her stocking as a child and what a rare treat it was to have citrus fruit in the winter. It made sense as far as I was concerned and I appreciated the mini-history lesson. Due to this story I try to incorporate oranges with cloves stuck in them into my Christmas decorating as an adult.

We'd go to mass at Annunciation Catholic church after opening stockings and eating a light breakfast. After mass we'd open the presents from underneath the Christmas tree. At about 2 p.m. we'd have a Christmas feast. The meal was usually a repeat of Thanksgiving dinner but some years we had ham instead of turkey. After dinner I'd call whoever my best friend was at the time to wish them a Merry Christmas. We'd then talk about everything we got as a Christmas present. The evening of Christmas day was usually spent recovering from the food and excitingment by watching Christmas programming on T.V. Once the VCR came along we'd spend the evening watching Christmas movies.

Christmas Eve 2010

Dale and I sang together at the 4 p.m. Christmas Eve service yesterday. Mom and her friend Lynne attended. Before the service began I had a small glass of champagne. After the service we went to Mom's where we started dinner with cheese fondue. My family has been doing fondue on Christmas Eve for as long as I can remember. We also used to fondue meats in oil for many years but for about the last 10 years we have not been doing that as our tastes have changed and the oil now tends to be a gut bomb on our digestive systems. When Sam was home for Christmas a couple of years ago his wife Becky prepared the whole fondue shebang starting with cheese (bread being the dipping item), then meats (mostly beef and scallops) in oil, and finally chocolate fondue with fruits. Again, we've been doing it as long as I can remember so it was quite a trip down memory lane.

Back to the present. Following the fondue we had spinach salads with Mandarin oranges and walnuts. Dale and I brought the dressings namely Annie's brand raspberry vinaigrette and Annie's papaya poppy seed. Dale and I chose to use the papaya poppy seed while Mom and Lynne had the raspberry vinaigrette. Both went very well with the Mandarin oranges. Mom broiled steaks after we finished the cheese fondue. Mine was rare and very delicious. Dessert was Baba dessert which I named for my baba, Jean (Driscoll) Wagner, because I could never remember the name of the dessert itself. It was a very lovely dinner and evening and nice to continue with our traditional Christmas Eve foods!