Tuesday, May 28, 2024

Want You to Know You Shaped This Heart of Mine

Diner BBLT - Burger Bacon, Lettuce & Tomato
Having essentially a bacon burger on toast gives happy old school diner vibes to an interesting time of lunch meals with music buyers and friends at the Evergreen Diner in Times Square back in my record store days.  A place for the locals instead of tourists and male waiters that never wrote anything down even for a party of 8.  A magical space where time stood still in mostly good ways.  I mean you wouldn't want to go the the bathroom or look too closely at the kitchen but they all still considered this a legitimate job.  These grown men had full lives as evident in their faraway eyes as they smoked cheap cigarettes down to the end right outside of the front entrance before squashing the butt on the sidewalk with their shoe like bad ideas.  A place to be remembered.  Nothing was great, but everything was just right.
Evergreen Coffee Shop Restaurant - Gone but not forgotten


New buddy; Lefty 'Karl' Goodman from Murray, Kentucky



This little kitty has famous lineage as he was adopted for us by S.G. Goodman herself, the highly gifted singer also from Kentucky. 

I do not own this video

Thursday, May 23, 2024

Paradise is Love to be Sure


Mediterranean Salad
Biggie Salad with Feta, cucumbers, red onion, dill, mushrooms, salami, tomatoes and lemon garlic dressing.  For a lunch box meal, I added two hard boiled eggs.  Everyone knows this but you must keep the dressing in a separate container until you are ready to eat or everything turns to mush. Keep your greens and toppings nice and dry and cool for a lunch box salad.
Walking to work through the neighborhood of Carroll Gardens, where I imagine big Catholic Italian American families grew up.  The houses are unique because they have front gardens with wrought iron fences instead of regular stoops. Many have statues of the Mother Mary integrated in the yard and there is a feeling that you are walking through sacred ground.  Some homes are gorgeous, mixed in with tackier ones but they all seem filled with love and big families. 


And a block away, the scary bridge to go across to Red Hook.  This neighborhood is just as interesting although far less cute.




The are less gardens and often the view is bleak. It is always a reminder of what this does to one's outlook on life, their idea of the world.  But its also good to remember that it's not necessarily black or white.  I know many perfectly happy people that live in the Red Hook housing and miserable people who live in and around Carroll Gardens.  Environment is only a piece of the puzzle and one can always walk to sunnier views, like me. It may give you something to strive for, rather than feeling hopelessly stuck. Alternatively, if you have every accommodation, sometimes you are ill-equipped to understand human suffering and life in general.  


My idea of a good salad is a tangy dressing, lots of herbs, crunchy bits, citrus, and surprises in every bite.

Sunday, May 19, 2024

I'm Draggin' the Line

Breakfast egg scramble with peppers, onions, mushrooms, Swiss cheese or what I call Swiss-ish cheese because whatever it is, it's not authentic but it works for eggs and sandwiches. 
Another leftover lunch; Spaghetti and Pizza, something you won't see served together for a reason called carb overload, and yes, it could use a big green salad.  Thanks for not noticing and judging.  
The truth is we live so many days that we will inevitably eat meals that are less than stellar but it's surprising how simple or familiar foods can give so much joy during the regular work week.

Friday, May 17, 2024

Hey It's Okay, You Just Had a Bad Day

Prettied Up Boxed Mac and Cheese
Sometimes life is about making a vat of food to prepare for the long loneliness.  There are weeks when you know you will be unable to perform your normal daily duties due to low energy vibes coming on.  It happens to us all.  Predictable work weeks, one, after another, can be extremely tiresome and mundane, and also drain us of hope there will be respite.  Other times, we're just busy.  Whatever the reason, making a big pot that you can pack for lunches for a week and actually be happy to eat is a necessary part of life. 
 
We make light of comfort food but it's a serious and much needed type of eats. The psychological element is real.  Something as a child that soothes you or makes you feel safe is medicinal.  Perhaps your mother made you, when you were sick.  Or it could be a big pot your family ate together.  Maybe you made it for yourself because you were alone.  No matter the memory, if it's attached and that meal gives you relief from a certain type of misery, consider this tasty therapy.
I added ground turkey, broccoli, mushrooms, onion, bell peppers and tomatoes to this boxed Mac and Cheese as well as some yogurt for extra creaminess.  


Cobblie Hill gardens

Thursday, May 16, 2024

But if Baby I'm the Bottom, You're the Top!

Dos Pizzas - Sausage, salami, mushroom and onions with Ricotta and Mozzarella. 
My tiny oven struggles to get hot enough for the best crust but I stretched the dough to make two thin pies, which helps

I bought fresh pizza dough from the deli and decided to test if it's best to put the cheese on top or layered on the bottom over the sauce.  I've had and liked pizza both ways but figure one has to be superior over the other.  In the end, visually, it's more enticing to see all the toppings and I love when the meats and onions crisp up on the edges, otherwise they end up steaming under the blanket of cheese.  My test proved, the best method is sauce, cheese, and then toppings.  However, in searching online, there is a healthy debate so perhaps preference should be the final decision maker. 

Lunch box meals - PIzza often doesn't microwave well, so I stacked two pieces on top of the other for a boxed lunch the next day. After microwaving it turned into a soft casserole type deal that I could eat with a fork,  Surprise food bonus!




Sunday, May 12, 2024

Think San Francisco, I Know You Are Stoned




Original Joe's 144 Taylor Street - now gone
I remembered an old Italian restaurant, Original Joe's on Taylor Street in San Francisco.  Fine Italian food said the sign, with a charcoal broiler.  People frequented late at night languishing in giant booths and equally old clientele mixed in with drunken hipsters partaking in the cocktail lounge.  I believe they served calves liver and steak but the bonus that impressed me most was that you could order spaghetti as a side, which at the time, I thought was revolutionary.   I know it now to be a staple of restaurant sides but culinary naivety fades slowly. 
I recreated the dish for a carnivorous biggie girl supper.
My husband's record, Kingbird is playing right next to a display of Taylor Swift air-freshener at Amoeba Records in LA.  An honor given to us by a good friend that I also coincidentally met in San Francisco and believe is revolutionary. 

Cause You're My Sweet Thing

It is shocking that I don't make pancakes and also that more than half of my maple syrup is gone despite that fact.  Could there be a recipe for making pancakes for one and would it be worth the effort?  Turns out the answer is yes and yes!  Also, if you're like me and prefer medium-sized pancakes, this recipe is actually great for two or better yet, the residual stored for the following day to have ready made batter!   I added a ton of fresh blueberries.  What a treat!  My mate is not a sweet eater but I crave treats from time to time.  In order not to have them around, recipes like these are super helpful.   
Pancakes for one recipe from One Dish Kitchen