We've been on a roll lately of having pancakes as Saturday lunch. Nothing goes better with sweet pancakes than something salty and savory. Since we hardly have bacon or sausage in the house, the coveted cans of Broadcast Corned Beef Hash have been pulled from the pantry to accompany the cakes of pan.
Today, the last can has been consumed. Waaaaah. The cans we had were so generously brought to us by our friend Bob (not to be confused with Bawb), on one of his first forays to his new home here in Florida. Broadcast is a brand found in the northeast, and I have yet to to find a brand that measures up. Every other brand I have tried has discovered the flavor is all wrong and the hash, soupy.
It is a common refrain from transplants. We've got brands of food that we grew up and preferred. Once we venture forth to other areas of the country, we beg friends to bring the foods when visiting. My laundry list contains:
Broadcast Corned Beef Hash (immortalized in Dad's "Navy Breakfast")
Pindar blush wines (we can get the reds now, yay)
Utz Crab Chips
Utz Carolina Barbeque Chips
Quahog Clams
Fresh Apple Cider
Drake's Funny Bones (I ate the last one last month)
Zweigle's or Wegmans White Hots
Rainbow Cookies (down from Black and Whites and Black Forest Cherry Cake on the list)
Hard Rolls (preferably with poppies on top)
Each transplant has a list is as unique as they are.
For many years, my list was much longer, and the distance to acquire them much shorter. It was a mere five hours back to Long Island for some Wise Potato Chips and Entenmann's Banana Crunch Loaf. There was always room in the trunk for some hash and other favored consumables.
Nowadays, many favorites have sprouted up in our local Publix. Wise Potato Chips, Drake's Cakes and the incomparable Boar's Head deli meats. We are fortunate that the bakery department produces some fine Black and White Cookies and cakes. Wal-Mart carries the beloved Seltzer's Lebanon Sweet Bologna, which Gameboy will consume by the pound. Here and there, we'll discover another favorite and snatch up some for the pantry. I think a Fox's U Bet made it home once.
Ask any transplant if they miss where they grew up and you'll probably hear what we say. "Yeah, I miss it, but I miss the food the most."
Thanks Bob, the hash was yummy.
Saturday, September 29, 2007
Monday, September 17, 2007
Prosecco
For a while now, Ed and I have been enjoying all different varieties of wine. Over time, we've developed a preference for the red wines that have crossed our path.
However, I kept hearing about the italian sparking wine, Prosecco. It had been reported to give a headier buzz than most wines, due to the 'frizzante' that was more pronounced than its cousin, champagne.
I picked up a bottle for our anniversary, but due to work schedules, we didn't get to it until tonight. A coworker suggested a particular brand, but the ABC didn't have it. A note about the ABC stores here: depending on the knowledge of the staff, you can get a very good selection, or a passable one. The local one is blessed with a staffer with a passion and excellent knowledge of the wines. Alas, they only had four different Prosecco's for purchase.
I picked up a bottle, and once home, realized it was based on the Chardonnay grape. This didn't bode well: we do NOT like the dry white wines. Ed's comment was that now he understand the italian trait of putting a sugar cube in their glasses of bubbly.
We popped the botttle and poured. Smells good. Taste was very dry. We got the bright idea to make a bellini alternative and pulled out the peach schnapps. (though maybe the Mango syrup would have worked better). The schnapps made it much more palatable, and it wasn't long before we both felt quite giddy. They are not joking on this one-it packs a different buzz than wine and even champagne. It was a lot of fun to drink that bottle!
The scary part is that of course, we had to have more when the bottle was gone, so we opened a bottle of wine. Could get pricey when you consider the wine in our house averages about 20 bucks a bottle! :)
I think we'll give the prosecco another try, but the brand recommended. I'll be prepared and get two bottles.
However, I kept hearing about the italian sparking wine, Prosecco. It had been reported to give a headier buzz than most wines, due to the 'frizzante' that was more pronounced than its cousin, champagne.
I picked up a bottle for our anniversary, but due to work schedules, we didn't get to it until tonight. A coworker suggested a particular brand, but the ABC didn't have it. A note about the ABC stores here: depending on the knowledge of the staff, you can get a very good selection, or a passable one. The local one is blessed with a staffer with a passion and excellent knowledge of the wines. Alas, they only had four different Prosecco's for purchase.
I picked up a bottle, and once home, realized it was based on the Chardonnay grape. This didn't bode well: we do NOT like the dry white wines. Ed's comment was that now he understand the italian trait of putting a sugar cube in their glasses of bubbly.
We popped the botttle and poured. Smells good. Taste was very dry. We got the bright idea to make a bellini alternative and pulled out the peach schnapps. (though maybe the Mango syrup would have worked better). The schnapps made it much more palatable, and it wasn't long before we both felt quite giddy. They are not joking on this one-it packs a different buzz than wine and even champagne. It was a lot of fun to drink that bottle!
The scary part is that of course, we had to have more when the bottle was gone, so we opened a bottle of wine. Could get pricey when you consider the wine in our house averages about 20 bucks a bottle! :)
I think we'll give the prosecco another try, but the brand recommended. I'll be prepared and get two bottles.
Monday, August 13, 2007
Sunday, August 5, 2007
Le Cellier
Recently, I had a meal at Le Cellier at Epcot with a friend and wanted to recap a most excellent meal.
Le Cellier is Canada's restaurant on the world showcase. They showcase meats and fish from our great northern neighbors. Once upon a time, the restaurant was a cafeteria, a la Rustler steakhouse. You'd order your meal, select your sides and a fine CM would bring your meals to you.
Now it is a sit down restaurant and a very good one at that. I'm not a fish eater (crustaceans only), so I've only dined on the meat selections. This time, the friend and I both ordered a kid's meal. I know, that sounds nuts. However, the restaurants at WDW allow anyone to order the children's meal. This works out great for those of us with smaller appetites. Fortunately, each of the countries of the world showcase has a 'featured' selection that is inspired by their country. In this case, it is a steak.
We started off with a ramekin of their Beer Cheese soup. The soup is great (though Barley and Hops back up in Maryland makes a better one) and is just the right size for the smaller appetite. It is a creamy soup with a sprinkle of bacon on top.
Then, the steak. It was about a 4 oz strip that had been butterflied to be about 1/4" thick, but it was grilled to the medium rare I requested. Seasoning was perfect: not too salty, not too peppery and full of flavor. Mine was served with harcort verts (green beans) and julienned carrots. Those just had a hint of butter on them. We both looked at the plates in amazement, as it's definitely enough for an adult. I didn't finish all of my vegetables, as there were plenty on my plate.
The dessert was either a build your own sunday or a fruit cup. I originally requested the fruit cup, then changed my mind. However, it was ignored in favor of the incredible chocolate mousse that we were given in honor of our birthdays. Creamy dark chocolate moussed in a dark chocolate cup. At one time, this *had* been on the children's menu, but so many adults requested it that it'd been switched to the regular menu.
Dessert was enjoyed with a glass of Inniskillin Ice Wine. Our server was unfamiliar with the ice wine and poured as if it was a regular glass of white wine. Yep, we got easily double what we should have. It was delicious, very sweet with a dry finish. This is a wine that is to be savored, with the dessert. The mousse was great, in that it accentuated the flavors of the wine without making it seem sweeter.
All in all, a great meal at a great place. Just wish I didn't have to pay a park admission to go there.
Le Cellier is Canada's restaurant on the world showcase. They showcase meats and fish from our great northern neighbors. Once upon a time, the restaurant was a cafeteria, a la Rustler steakhouse. You'd order your meal, select your sides and a fine CM would bring your meals to you.
Now it is a sit down restaurant and a very good one at that. I'm not a fish eater (crustaceans only), so I've only dined on the meat selections. This time, the friend and I both ordered a kid's meal. I know, that sounds nuts. However, the restaurants at WDW allow anyone to order the children's meal. This works out great for those of us with smaller appetites. Fortunately, each of the countries of the world showcase has a 'featured' selection that is inspired by their country. In this case, it is a steak.
We started off with a ramekin of their Beer Cheese soup. The soup is great (though Barley and Hops back up in Maryland makes a better one) and is just the right size for the smaller appetite. It is a creamy soup with a sprinkle of bacon on top.
Then, the steak. It was about a 4 oz strip that had been butterflied to be about 1/4" thick, but it was grilled to the medium rare I requested. Seasoning was perfect: not too salty, not too peppery and full of flavor. Mine was served with harcort verts (green beans) and julienned carrots. Those just had a hint of butter on them. We both looked at the plates in amazement, as it's definitely enough for an adult. I didn't finish all of my vegetables, as there were plenty on my plate.
The dessert was either a build your own sunday or a fruit cup. I originally requested the fruit cup, then changed my mind. However, it was ignored in favor of the incredible chocolate mousse that we were given in honor of our birthdays. Creamy dark chocolate moussed in a dark chocolate cup. At one time, this *had* been on the children's menu, but so many adults requested it that it'd been switched to the regular menu.
Dessert was enjoyed with a glass of Inniskillin Ice Wine. Our server was unfamiliar with the ice wine and poured as if it was a regular glass of white wine. Yep, we got easily double what we should have. It was delicious, very sweet with a dry finish. This is a wine that is to be savored, with the dessert. The mousse was great, in that it accentuated the flavors of the wine without making it seem sweeter.
All in all, a great meal at a great place. Just wish I didn't have to pay a park admission to go there.
Monday, July 23, 2007
Cody's Roadhouse
We have a family tradition, our family of four. For each birthday, the celebrant gets to choose where we go for dinner for a nice meal out.
Youngest son's birthday was this past Friday. When first asked what he would like for dinner, he mentioned that he wanted chicken with honey mustard sauce. Upon further questioning, he really wanted the version of Outback's Alice Springs Chicken we make at home. Yep, the kid loves good stuff. However, we asked him if he was SURE he didn't want to go out. So he changed his mind and chose a restaurant.
With some surprise on our part, he chose Cody's Roadhouse. The child we affectionately call "The Crustacean Kid" did NOT pick a seafood meal. He chose a family favorite, though, so off we go to dinner of his choosing. This place has a lot going for it. Good food, great prices and they butcher on premises daily. Neither Ed nor I have had a bad choice in our many times there. In the two years they've been in town, I think between the two of us, we've had everything except the fish entrees.
In the past year, we've begun to skip the kid's meals for him, as he has grown up tastes and sometimes, the appetite to match. He sees the great selections on the menu and looks back at the kid's offerings and will ask for the adult selections. To us, we'd rather pay full price for something he'll like and might get two servings from, rather than cheap out on the nuggets, burger or macs and cheese.
Frequently, I'll ask if he wants to split an entree, and thus begins the bargaining session. "What do YOU want?", "I dunno mom, you pick" is the norm. I think it's his recognition of the many years of seeing something that peaks his interest on my plate and the many times he has taken over my dinner! Yes, you see correctly. He bogarts my dinner (or he did) with stunning frequency. He did this at a local family run mexican place after I'd suggested he get some enchiladas. I got the corn cake and the rice-he ate two of my three enchiladas.
Back to Friday night, we were at Cody's. I asked what he wanted and if he'd want to share with me. He decided he wanted to share and that I could choose. The special was 'Giant Ribs', and the child loves ribs. It was a win win as far as I was concerned. I chose the mashed potatoes, knowing that I'd probably be full from the salad and half the ribs. He is like his aunt in that he could probably eat a plate of them alone and call that dinner.
Giant ribs turned out to be something we hadn't had since living in Maryland: Country Ribs. They're fatty, and have tons more meat on them than baby backs. In the wrong hands, they can be like eating a slab of fatback. If done well, they're tender and delicious. Of course, this being Cody's, they turn out great. The one portion looks like Fred Flintstone's Bronto Burger, and son knaws on two ribs, while I eat the other two. It was plenty for each of us, with a little room left over for dessert.
The birthday boy chose the chocolatehouse Slide for his dessert. Huge enough for all four of us to have some, and this child is ever the sharing type, so it was a natural that he'd pick this dessert. It's a brownie, topped with plenty of ice cream, hot fudge, loads of whipped cream and chocolate syrup. They attempted to put a candle in it, but it wouldn't stay.
I think he chose wisely.
I opened my emails today and they sent me one for my birthday for 10 dollars off two entrees. Between that and the Sam Seltzer's free bottle of wine for your birthday, I'm going to have a hard time deciding! :)
Youngest son's birthday was this past Friday. When first asked what he would like for dinner, he mentioned that he wanted chicken with honey mustard sauce. Upon further questioning, he really wanted the version of Outback's Alice Springs Chicken we make at home. Yep, the kid loves good stuff. However, we asked him if he was SURE he didn't want to go out. So he changed his mind and chose a restaurant.
With some surprise on our part, he chose Cody's Roadhouse. The child we affectionately call "The Crustacean Kid" did NOT pick a seafood meal. He chose a family favorite, though, so off we go to dinner of his choosing. This place has a lot going for it. Good food, great prices and they butcher on premises daily. Neither Ed nor I have had a bad choice in our many times there. In the two years they've been in town, I think between the two of us, we've had everything except the fish entrees.
In the past year, we've begun to skip the kid's meals for him, as he has grown up tastes and sometimes, the appetite to match. He sees the great selections on the menu and looks back at the kid's offerings and will ask for the adult selections. To us, we'd rather pay full price for something he'll like and might get two servings from, rather than cheap out on the nuggets, burger or macs and cheese.
Frequently, I'll ask if he wants to split an entree, and thus begins the bargaining session. "What do YOU want?", "I dunno mom, you pick" is the norm. I think it's his recognition of the many years of seeing something that peaks his interest on my plate and the many times he has taken over my dinner! Yes, you see correctly. He bogarts my dinner (or he did) with stunning frequency. He did this at a local family run mexican place after I'd suggested he get some enchiladas. I got the corn cake and the rice-he ate two of my three enchiladas.
Back to Friday night, we were at Cody's. I asked what he wanted and if he'd want to share with me. He decided he wanted to share and that I could choose. The special was 'Giant Ribs', and the child loves ribs. It was a win win as far as I was concerned. I chose the mashed potatoes, knowing that I'd probably be full from the salad and half the ribs. He is like his aunt in that he could probably eat a plate of them alone and call that dinner.
Giant ribs turned out to be something we hadn't had since living in Maryland: Country Ribs. They're fatty, and have tons more meat on them than baby backs. In the wrong hands, they can be like eating a slab of fatback. If done well, they're tender and delicious. Of course, this being Cody's, they turn out great. The one portion looks like Fred Flintstone's Bronto Burger, and son knaws on two ribs, while I eat the other two. It was plenty for each of us, with a little room left over for dessert.
The birthday boy chose the chocolatehouse Slide for his dessert. Huge enough for all four of us to have some, and this child is ever the sharing type, so it was a natural that he'd pick this dessert. It's a brownie, topped with plenty of ice cream, hot fudge, loads of whipped cream and chocolate syrup. They attempted to put a candle in it, but it wouldn't stay.
I think he chose wisely.
I opened my emails today and they sent me one for my birthday for 10 dollars off two entrees. Between that and the Sam Seltzer's free bottle of wine for your birthday, I'm going to have a hard time deciding! :)
Sunday, July 8, 2007
Wine
This is supposed to be a blog about food AND wine. Alas, we haven't had any since creating the blog, but I surely have a hankering for it right about now.
Ed and I have settled into a comfortable routine with our wines. We'll share the bottle and take our time consuming it over the course of an evening. Neither one of us likes to open a bottle and drink it alone. A good portion of the enjoyment of wine comes from having companionship. As a result, you'll probably see both of us post about a wine.
One of my laments about the wines, and you'll find this from most wine lovers, is that you can't order it and have it shipped. Some states have reciprocity on alcohol shipments, most do not. This creates an unfortunate situation if you like smaller wineries out of state.
To an extent, we're lucky. Tampa has Total Wine and More, which is like a Toys R Us for wine lovers. Seriously. The place is bad for people who don't know what they like, because there are too many choices. If you know what you like, it's great for browsing a growing region, a grape or for a particular grower. For me, they earn hearty praise for carrying a Long Island brand, Pindar.
I recently blogged that I was excited about Pindar's Sweet Scarlett being a great red at a great price carried in this wine superstore. I truly am excited that our palates have changed since our first tasting of the wine. Now, I'm selfish. I want more. I want to try more of Pindar's offerings, since I have yet to sample one that I didn't like.
See, if life were easy, I could call and order from them-they have a website. Nope, can't ship out of NY state. Plan B means I send some money to people traveling this way and hope that they've got room in the minivan to bring more for tasting.
Off to make a phone call in the am, so watch this space for further discussions of Pindar...
Ed and I have settled into a comfortable routine with our wines. We'll share the bottle and take our time consuming it over the course of an evening. Neither one of us likes to open a bottle and drink it alone. A good portion of the enjoyment of wine comes from having companionship. As a result, you'll probably see both of us post about a wine.
One of my laments about the wines, and you'll find this from most wine lovers, is that you can't order it and have it shipped. Some states have reciprocity on alcohol shipments, most do not. This creates an unfortunate situation if you like smaller wineries out of state.
To an extent, we're lucky. Tampa has Total Wine and More, which is like a Toys R Us for wine lovers. Seriously. The place is bad for people who don't know what they like, because there are too many choices. If you know what you like, it's great for browsing a growing region, a grape or for a particular grower. For me, they earn hearty praise for carrying a Long Island brand, Pindar.
I recently blogged that I was excited about Pindar's Sweet Scarlett being a great red at a great price carried in this wine superstore. I truly am excited that our palates have changed since our first tasting of the wine. Now, I'm selfish. I want more. I want to try more of Pindar's offerings, since I have yet to sample one that I didn't like.
See, if life were easy, I could call and order from them-they have a website. Nope, can't ship out of NY state. Plan B means I send some money to people traveling this way and hope that they've got room in the minivan to bring more for tasting.
Off to make a phone call in the am, so watch this space for further discussions of Pindar...
Friday, July 6, 2007
Pizza
So, I wrote that bad pizza is still okay? Well, I lied.
Last night, I had an eye appointment that didn't finish until 7:30. The family hadn't eaten yet (I had Ed meet me with the boys) and we were all hungry. We decided to eat at the Cici's pizza adjacent to the vision place, as younger son said it was good (and older son agreed)
In a word, Yuck! If you have never enjoyed NY style or Chicago deep dish, it probably is decent pizza. However, the NYers at the table (the adults) were not impressed. The crust was too bland, thick and soft to be NY style, too thin to be sicilian OR chicago style. Folks, the crust has to be as good as the toppings. The slices I had had a cheese sauce under the mozzarella and toppings. Interesting take, but weird. Honestly, I didn't have high hopes since it was all you can eat.
The most flavor I got from what I ate was the red pepper flakes. My pupils had been dialated, so I couldn't see small stuff. I put on a lot more than I usually do, because I couldn't tell the difference. In this case, it was a good thing. The crust and sauce were so bland that they needed help.
We all agreed on the best part of the meal. The desserts included cinnamon rolls. They were soft, gooey and very tasty. Heck, I'd happily spend 4.99 to eat just a plate of those-but I don't want to put on all the weight I've lost.
Now I want some good pizza and I suspect we'll have some from the place up the block tomorrow. The guy learned how to make pizza from a guy who worked in a pizza place in Lynbrook NY. I have to find out for sure if it was DeCandia's, the place my dad worked in when I was small.
Last night, I had an eye appointment that didn't finish until 7:30. The family hadn't eaten yet (I had Ed meet me with the boys) and we were all hungry. We decided to eat at the Cici's pizza adjacent to the vision place, as younger son said it was good (and older son agreed)
In a word, Yuck! If you have never enjoyed NY style or Chicago deep dish, it probably is decent pizza. However, the NYers at the table (the adults) were not impressed. The crust was too bland, thick and soft to be NY style, too thin to be sicilian OR chicago style. Folks, the crust has to be as good as the toppings. The slices I had had a cheese sauce under the mozzarella and toppings. Interesting take, but weird. Honestly, I didn't have high hopes since it was all you can eat.
The most flavor I got from what I ate was the red pepper flakes. My pupils had been dialated, so I couldn't see small stuff. I put on a lot more than I usually do, because I couldn't tell the difference. In this case, it was a good thing. The crust and sauce were so bland that they needed help.
We all agreed on the best part of the meal. The desserts included cinnamon rolls. They were soft, gooey and very tasty. Heck, I'd happily spend 4.99 to eat just a plate of those-but I don't want to put on all the weight I've lost.
Now I want some good pizza and I suspect we'll have some from the place up the block tomorrow. The guy learned how to make pizza from a guy who worked in a pizza place in Lynbrook NY. I have to find out for sure if it was DeCandia's, the place my dad worked in when I was small.
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