dcandohio

Last night I made a riff on Italian wedding soup. I had leftover London broil, which I diced up; and I used a very large chicken breast, diced up. The base was onions, garlic, canned crushed tomatoes and chicken stock with the remains of a jar of hot salsa. I added cabbage, chickpeas, and zucchini. Seasoned with smoked paprika, oregano, parsley, thyme, and Rosemary. Light and tasty. I have enough for several meals and a few freezer portions.

Alexsandra's in Lauderdale-by-the-Sea. Jamaican food. Soooo yummy. I had jerk chicken just to try the place out, and a generous lunch portion was $7.95. The chicken was spicy but not overly so, with a beautiful grilled, smoky flavor and tender flesh. The jerk seasoning was a riot of flavors. The chicken came on top of a bland looking, but surprisingly spicy rice with beans and some stewed cabbage. I added their habanero sauce on the side. It's a tiny storefront in a strip center in Lauderdale by the Sea, a few blocks from the beach. It's plain in the extreme, with a very few tables inside, and a couple outside, designed largely for takeout. Can't wait to try the rest of their brief menu which includes brown stew chicken, curry chicken, curry goat and ox tail stew. The large sizes of the meals are only 11 or $12. Great for takeout if you are anywhere near Lauderdale-by-the-Sea. What a great little gem. http://alexsandrascafe.com/

I don't live in DC anymore, but this makes me so sad. RFD was always a reliable stop for me, with friendly bartenders who were happy to make recommendations. It was one of the first places in DC where I felt absolutely comfortable as a solo patron. It was a fun place to watch a college football game. And it was certainly on the leading edge of the craft beer trend.

I had ground turkey breast in the freezer, which I turned into "taco meat" with lots of onion, garlic, cumin, chili powder from Penzey's, chicken stock and a bit of tomato paste. Last night it went on a salad of mixed lettuces, topped with salsa, cheese, and sour cream. Today it will probably go in a pita with some homemade inner beauty sauce and cabbage salad.

Pan roasted pork chop with white line, Dijon mustard, garlic, tarragon. Roasted carrots. Jasmine rice with the pan juices.

I did visit the Hemingway house, as it was right across the street from our inn. I don't mind paying admission to maintain a historical site, but the entire visit probably took no more than 15 minutes.

Next time!

Just returned from four nights in Key West. Louie's backyard is a prime location with a stunning view, but I was not blown away by the meal. Their conch chowder was fantastic, but after that, everything was just "fair." Favorite meal was at Santiago's bodega. Great service. Excellent, bold flavors. The daily special of ropa vieja on a chick pea purée was outstanding. The dining room with the bar is more warm and intimate than the front dining room. http://www.santiagosbodega.com/ For a very casual meal we liked Charlie Mac's. Their daily special of half-price smoked wings attracted us in, and the wings were killer. Decent selection of local beer on tap, too. http://www.charliemacs404.com/mobile/ Breakfast at banana Café is fun… Lots of French inspired options. It's easy to get a mediocre meal in Key West. The cruise ships belch out waves of tourists who flock to places like sloppy Joe's and Hard Rock Cafe. Quality doesn't have to be very high to draw crowds. When I return, I would like to check out some of the smaller places off the beaten path. And by the way, the two hour sunset catamaran cruise offered by Sebago is a really good deal. $40 on-line price includes all you can drink beer, wine, sodas and margaritas.

Laziness = egg salad and bread sticks for dinner. Never disappoints.

Parmesan crisps. Simply little mounds of Parmesean baked on parchment in a 350° oven until they brown and became little crackers. Chilled soup of avocado and cucumber and Greek yogurt with lime, cilantro, ginger, mint, hot sauce. Antipasto salad of Romaine, sliced tomatoes, grilled red peppers, artichoke hearts, olives, sliced matchsticks of smoked provolone, and crisped salami. I fried the salami in a dry plan until it got dark and crispy and then I drained it on paper. It lent a lovely bacony quality to the salad. Store bought one – bite brownies. Lots of cheap Sauvignon Blanc.

I am living here full-time now, and finally getting to explore the scene more carefully. A wonderful find in Wilton manors is Le Patio, A tiny restaurant on a side street. True to its name, most of the seating, probably eight tables, is on a shady, romantic patio. The menu is largely French inspired for appetizers, and Italian inspired for mains. Two women turn out some very tasty food from a closet-sized kitchen. Prices are quite reasonable for Fort Lauderdale, and portions are generous, including wine pours. It's not a tourist spot, and it's quiet, and great for relaxing conversation. Highly recommended if you are searching for an intimate kind of experience in the Wilton Manors area. Reservations essential, especially during the busy winter season. http://lepatiowiltonmanors.com/

Curious. I was not aware that egg salad would keep more than a day or two. In your experience, how many days after you make the egg salad do you feel comfortable still eating it? I would like to try this.

Memorial day picnic on the balcony: Traditional deviled eggs Baguette sandwiches: ham and Swiss with marinated cucumbers, and roast pork and smoked provolone with marinated fennel. Avocado salad with a Dijon vinaigrette. Chocolate cake, provided by the guests.

Before I packed up everything in the kitchen I cooked some chicken breasts on the grill that I had brined in a mixture of the juice from a pickle jar and a jar of jalapeño peppers plus brown sugar and garlic. So yesterday I used a can of black beans from the pantry and made black bean and grilled chicken tacos with chopped spinach and salsa and grated cheddar cheese.

The only thing I buy from McDonald's anymore is that $1 vanilla cone. I don't know if it's real ice cream, but on some days, it is the perfect treat. The last time I slipped up and got a burger, it made me sick.

Tonight maybe one of the last meals in my kitchen here in Columbus. Taking advantage of the beautiful warm weather, I am going to grill chicken tenders that have been marinating in yogurt and Tandori spices. I am also making a vegetable curry with the addition of kidney beans, because that's what I have!

Asparagus risotto. Chopped salad.

A small lamb shoulder steak smeared with olive oil, garlic and zatha'ar and grilled. Served with a large wedge of cabbage, core in, that I steamed a bit, and then also threw on the grill.

If you are going to sauté them, dry them as much as you can before. And if you boil, microwave or steam them, try to get some of the water out of them by putting them in a tea towel or paper towel before you add sauce.

Crabmeat salad (sort of a crab remoulade) over romaine and avocado. Grilled asparagus Banana chocolate chip bread pudding. Right as we sat down to dinner we had a tornado warning, so it made things a little weird, but nevertheless, everyone enjoyed the food. Luckily, The bad weather passed us without incident.

Because I am moving soon, I am assiduously eating frozen leftovers. Yesterday was eggplant and chicken curry over brown rice. The day before was black eye pea soup.

So I'm here in Fort Lauderdale, but I had been in New Orleans, and I got Italian sausage from the Terranova grocery store on Esplanade near city park. So delicious. But traveling with it is a hassle: Freeze sausage, pack with cold packs, check luggage, pray for on-time arrival. All good. Thank goddesses. Sausages frozen solid when I got home. I grilled it tonight along with thick slices of red onion and red and yellow bell peppers. I made a salad of baby arugula, radicchio, and fennel, with a garlicky vinaigrette that included honey. Served with French bread and Parmesan Reggiano. Everyone consumed heroic portions. If you are ever in New Orleans, near city park, and you have a chance to go to the little Terranova grocery store, you should. These places may not exist forever, and their sausage rocks my world!

I had a friend over tonight who has a weird work schedule and wanted to eat at 5 PM. I boiled large shell pasta, and stuffed them with a salad of chickpeas, artichoke hearts, black olives, and red pepper with a lemon and olive oil vinaigrette. I also rolled asparagus in prosciutto and roasted them till the prosciutto was crispy. I had homemade cheese shortbread in the freezer, which I put out along with chips and salsa. An easy coffee table meal to facilitate a long-overdue conversation between friends.

So sorry. I very much enjoyed your grandma reports on restaurants… Both of my parents have severe mobility problems and it affects more people than we realize. Make sure you take care of yourself.

They freeze well. Halve lengthwise, remove stems and seeds. Wrap tightly in plastic and freeze in a plastic bag. Use a bit at a time.