T-Give 2016 - Wild, Wild Planet

My dearest Coraline prepared a Thanksgiving Feast of massive proportions this season as is in her wheelhouse. 

This was the first time Cristina attended a Santo's suarez and no stone was left unturned nor was a plate left un-Yammed. We had the pleasure of meeting Sharon and Joel (with whom I discussed Horror and Sci-Fi films of the golden era with much pleasure) and I finally got my Cider.

The Food was Delicious but this goes without saying.

Pictured above is something called Turkey complimented with Mashed Potatoes, Turkey Gravy, home made Cranberry Sauce, Sausage Stuffing (oh dear) and The Yams flanked by a glass of Apple Cider.

Bravo Coraline !!!

It always begins with Appetizers, at least thats the way "we roll".

Here we view (clockwise from 1) Cracker Barrel Extra Sharp white Cheddar, Vegetable Medley with dipping Sauce, Shrimp Cocktail and a remote control.

I was given the precarious honor and privilege of Carving the Turkey, something of which I have only attempted a few times in my life and to my fullfillment did what I consider a decent job of.

Our hostess (with the mostest) also had her birthday fall on the day and due to the nature of the calendar this is a slight rarity. Sharon was thoughtful to provide the birthday cake.

And of course Bartholomew Eck the Thanksgiving Rooster.

CHRISTMAS 2015

'Twas the night before Christmas and all through the house the smell of frying filled the air as MSG looked for a mouse.

The Salmon was stored by the Butter Dish with care while the Broccoli Rabe just Simmered there.

This year (2015) I decided to prepare Christmas & Christmas Eve Dinner myself (with help from Christina) and while everything wound up fine there were pitfalls.

The Pan Seared Salmon was slightly underdone and had to be finished off in the oven, at one point my burners decided they wanted to stop working and I had to relight them mid-cook, I added the Crushed Tomatoes to the Pan BEFORE Cooking the Garlic in EVOO Twice !!! and I decided to use my electric hand mixer after all since I was running late and left the skins on the Potatoes except I couldn't find the plug for said hand mixer and hand mashed after all.

Other than that which isn't actually much to worry about everything came out Great if I must say so myself ' we did have Christmas.

12/24/15 - Christmas Eve - Pan Seared Salmon with Broccoli Rabe and Garlic Mashed Potatoes.

Christina and I are both Garlic Nuts (and knots) but next time we will have to use even more.

A Bulb & a half was added to the Broccoli Rabe and a half bulb for the Garlic Mashed Potatoes which was cooked in an unsalted Butter and Milk Sauce which I had to eyeball for quantity levels and it came out just right.

Christina's Salmon with Broccoli Rabe and Baked Sweet Potato.

Even MSG got into the holiday spirit and we discovered she enjoyed Broccoli Rabe stems, yes indeed a strange cat.

After Midnight and it was Officially Christmas so the appetizers came out, wait isn't that supposed to be the other way round.

12/25/15 - Christmas Day - Chicken Parmigiana with Penne and Sauce, Yes of course I used a Ton of Grated Cheese but only after this photo was taken.

Christina's Chicken Cutlets and Penne with Sauce on the side for Dipping.

MERRY CHRISTMAS 2015

HOSPITAL FOOD - IT CURES WHAT AILS YA'

It would be easy for me to start knocking "Hospital" Food but realistically why would I, they are only trying to help nurse you back to health with three square meals a day, I find the midnight Snack sorely lacking but I suppose you could smuggle some Fruit Roll-Ups in or something.

My current theory is that the Food is sub-par for the most part so as to frighten us back into good health to escape back to the outside world where the "Good Food" is. After all we don't want people maiming themselves to be admitted to the local medical facility to get at that Scrumptious Filet Mignon in Mushroom Gravy or Delectable Pheasant under Glass on offer.

I did not take exact notes on the Foods pictured but above is the "Tuna Platter". The Veggies were of decent quality and the Tuna Salad was quite good and I am picky about my Tuna Salad, the lemon kind of perplexes me as there is Mayo in the Tuna but whatever.

This is the "Burger Deluxe"

I was rather excited to check this off on the Menu as my Lunch choice the day prior as to me what makes a Burger "Deluxe" is French Fries, They must have been hiding somewhere. 

What did make this humorous was under the plastic dome which covers the main dish was this paltry little Salisbury Steak style Burger and that was that. Akin to one guppy in the entire Atlantic Ocean.

This photo must have been taken on one of my lost days as I was heavily sedated for a few and I do not recall the Crispy Rice (Rice Krispies) at all but the Gevina Yogurt is definitely a winner to me.

Typical Breakfast fare usually served at Breakfast (ingenious, huh).

Tea, Yogurt, Cereal of choice (in this case fake Raisin Bran but then this enters the realm of quantum physics), Banana, small Corn Muffin (as opposed to JUMBO) of which only a small amount (one Patty) of Butter is provided to enhance it. The cup in the back had some type of Sweetened Milk that while I appreciate the effort can only be described as appalling.

Pot Roast, Oh Yes Pot Roast. 

Unfortunately the "skin" as it were was quite fatty so I ate inside and around that, Veggies of the canned kind (I can live with that) and actually quite good (not powdered) Mashed Potatoes, all that was missing was the Gravy.

Turkey Meatballs and Pasta (Spaghetti in this case).

This was actually pretty great and I could have not done better myself. Just the right amount of Pasta (Al Dente), as a matter of fact there was some Meatball left after the Pasta was finished and I balance my plate always. It would only have been "weird" if they were not touted as Turkey Meatballs but they were, I have had better Turkey Meatballs but for hospital fare I could have had a second serving easily.

OK, Found this on one of my 4 a.m. trips to the Pantry "Nutrition Center" and it was the only one on the shelf and it espouses Nectar Consistency and it is water in one of those pokeyourstrawthroughitlittleplasticcups and it also contains Phenylalanine (whatever that is but sounds close enough to Penny Lane).

Unfortunately it was not very good but I tried.

I thank my local medical institution for keeping me alive and strangely fed for over a week, the staff was great and the food was,... well Foodish.

THANKSGIVING 2015

Caroline did a Fantastic job preparing a Thanksgiving Dinner all by herself but this has been the case for many years so she has indeed had practice so frankly I am not surprised. Pictured above is my "Plate".

Clockwise from 9. Chestnut Sausage Stuffing, Roast Turkey, Cranberry Sauce, Mashed Potatoes & Turkey Basted Carrots.

This was indeed Delicious 

Appetizers consisting of Raw Veggie Platter (with Dipping Sauce) and Cracker Barrel Extra Sharp Cheddar & Vermont White Cheddar accompanied by Triscuits & Carr's Water Crackers.

EVERYBODY KNOWS THE BIRD'S THE WORD.

And to Drink, White Sangria, Martini & Rossi Asti Spumanti, Becks Beer & Yellowtail Pinot Grigio.

Carving The Cooper.

Sean-Luc Ponty serenading the Dinner table.

"I'm Lucky, You're Lucky, We're All Lucky !!!"

One of my friends Sean trying for the first time an electric knife.
Posted by Caroline Santos on Thursday, November 26, 2015

BREAKFAST OF CHAMPIONS - CITI FIELD, Queens, New York

Citi Field graciously offers its employee's a Free Breakast or Lunch as it were before they get going to work, well they say well fueled is well working, no they don't say that I just made it up. And it is a rushed Breakfast of sorts so you can get to your work station with time to spare.

Anyways there is a little cafeteria section past the employee entrance and I have enjoyed a few Meals there, none of this was Gourmet but certainly Edible Delectables and of course I had to grab a few pics. Everything is served in a Buffet style so you compose your own Salad and then are served the main Dish by Cafeteria employees. 

There is a Fountain Soda machine and Coffee/Tea station (not pictured) around the corner at the end as well but where the heck is the Hot Chocolate and the Booze!!!

Pulled Pork over Rice flanked by a Salad which I believe contains Greens, Corn and Shredded Cheese.

Greens, Shredded Cheese, Corn and a couple of Tomatoes.

This Is before I learned that the Salad Dressing packets were at the far end of the Buffet by the Cups and Sugar and such. 

Dunkin Donuts Cups mind you as that is the brand Citi Field sponsors, or do they sponsor Citi Field ?

AHAA !!! (in a Ralph Kramden voice). Chicken Cordon Bleu, one of my favorites.

Whilst waiting in the Chow line I spied these Breaded little cuties ahead of me and either Meat or Fish I wanted one. Certainly of the Frozen fare but fine, my only complaint is that the Cheese in the center wasn't Ooey and Gooey but hey this isn't Tavern On The Green.

Flanked by Rotini Pasta and a type of Green which I cannot completely identify but the Greens were kind of too Chewy so in the end I chucked them (in the garbage that is).

Salad is Greens, Shredded Cheese, most likely Corn under the Cheese and Beets.

I am not particularly a fan of Beets but the night before I dreamt of them so when I saw them I thought "Heck better get some". Topped with "Newman's Own" Balsamic Vinaigrette Dressing post photo now that I knew where to procure the Dressing from.

Kind of a Marinated Chicken Breast but what is that green thing at the bottom of the photo ? might have come with the Chicken which was served to me but I haven't the foggiest, this in fact remains a mystery. Also some Salsa and Picco De Gallo atop the Chicken but there must have been a self serve station at the end of the line because in this fast moving and packed Cafeteria there is no time to ask for "a little spoon of this and a little spoon of that" once again this is an enigma.

BUT !!!

The Coup De Grace was the CORN SALAD.

On a personal level I love CORN SALAD ever since I played a gig at a rich persons house and during a break we were offered some Barbeque Food and I said "Gimme Sommadat".

From looking at the photo I see some Diced Tomato and maybe String Bean in the mixture but this does not matter, while I was looking down the Chowline with foresight to my choices (they always go to the right don't they) I knew I was going to say "Gimme Sommadat", actually I just said "Corn Salad Please" but I can imagine I am a Bad Ass can't I.

And here we come to the end of the 2015 Baseball season. This was taken on the morning of the first game of the Subway Series between the Mets and the Yankees (Mets Won Yay).

Roast Beast and Mashed Potatoes.

Mashed Potatoes were of the Real not powdered kind but akin to the title of this Blog Where Was The Gravy !!! but its OK I ate them all. The Roast Beef on the other hand was extremely difficult to cut with a plastic knife and not the tenderest cut so about half was finished.

Salad is a few Greens, two Cherry Tomato halves, Shredded Cheese and Corn topped also post photo by "Newman's Own" Creamy Caesar Dressing.

And of course a cup of Mountain Dew.

CHRISTMAS DINNER FOR ONE IS A LOT OF FUN

Actually, Chrismas Dinner for one is quite depressing but if you view my previous entry concerning last night that made up for it in spades.

This is a very simple Meal of (clockwise from 9) Pepper Steak, Pillsbury Croissant, Seabrook Farms Creamed Spinach and Bob Evans Mashed Potatoes with Heinz Savory Beef Gravy garnished with Parsley Flakes.

IT'S A MAN'S LIFE IN THE ARMY - FROZEN FOOD VS. THE REAL THING

Out of sheer laziness and a craving for Mashed Potatoes I went ahead for the first time and purchased refrigerated "prepared" Mashed Potatoes and as a side dish added Frozen Meatballs and Chicken Nuggets. Backwards thinking, NO.

I have been a progenitor of Always making Mashed Potatoes from "scratch" and for a short time in the 1980s had even purchased "powdered mashed potatoes" as a novelty to try and make it easier in preparation. Of course nothing can replace the real thing and the "powdered" type often fell way short in the outcome. These though are simply Mashed Potatoes (in this case Garlic Mashed Potatoes) vacuum packed for reheating.

Sean (who told me about them) informed me that these Mashed Potatoes were perfectly acceptable (which they were), Jamie informed me that I eat processed Food often enough (which I do) and Lori mentioned that they were fine in a pinch (which they are) and I cannot disagree on any fronts so why not try them.

My initial thoughts on the Meal which was prepared in a microwave oven are as follows concerning the three Major "Food Groups" (Potatoes, Meatballs and Nuggets).

* Chicken Is Terrible, Not the Chicken itself but the Batter Dip would suit being cooked in an Oven So much better. The Chicken is fine and Seasoned perfectly but not overpoweringly with anything, It is proper Chicken but as in a microwave the Batter Dip becomes soggy as opposed to Crunchy, Be Warned and Please Bake. Incidentally according to the packaging these are not Nuggets, They are Tenders. Oh Brother.

* Meatballs are NOT like homeade (DUH) but also these have been Nuked, Oddly enough there is no Oven Preparation instructions on the package, only Microwave and Pan Fried. These have just a slight kick to them which I Love, Dense and Tasty, A bit too much Bread Crumb but Hey, what do you expect.

* Potatoes are Delicious, I have no problem with these and this is without Gravy, Butter or any Seasonings to mask any Flavor. These are pretty much perfect and even after they have gone coldish they are still Delicious. I cannot detect Too much Garlic but am eating them with other things which is masking the nuances, This is a Great product by Crystal Farms.

Resistance Is Futile.

All that is missing is the Gravy.

* - Initial Tastings and First Impressions.

6/7/14 - 2nd Impression - So I bought another package of Crystal Farms Simply Potatoes (Garlic) and I loved them just as much and maybe even more. These are perfect for anyone not cooking for a family and will suit a family of 3 or 4 for a single meal so it is a time saving, dare I say Glorious product. I certainly approve.

These two are basically the same Meals as pictured above but I "pepped" things up by adding Sofrito Tomato as a Gravy on the Meats and it worked fantastically adding a bit of Spiciness to the proceedings, more importantly however was the addition of Shredded Cheddar Cheese to the Potatoes and I left a generous pool in the middle to which I added "I Can't Believe It's Not Butter" Margarine which made a world of difference.

Baked Chicken Tenders topped with Sofrito and a nice Forkful of Buttery Goodness of which the Cheese took a ride upon. This is the name of the painting.

SIMPLY POTATOES WEBSITE

MAMA LUCIA MEATBALLS WEBSITE

TYSON CHICKEN WEBSITE

GOYA SOFRITO WEBSITE