A Moment

With what has happened in New Orleans, I don’t feel inspired today to write about simple comforts when others are struggling with chaos and tragedy.
My thoughts and prayers are with everyone.

Killer Quickie Caesar

Went to the posh Pelican Club a few weeks ago when my mom and sister were down for the weekend. The place has thee best Caesar salad ever and whenever I go I order it and then crave it for days afterward. It's accompanied by fresh anchovies and an oversized crispy, crunchy crouton.
Although I could never do it justice this is a pretty good version of the fabulous original. And its pretty simple too. Grab a dollop of mayo, throw some super fresh minced garlic* in there, (NO..not the kind in the jar) and mix. Add to freshly washed and gently dried greens and toss. Add a squeeze of fresh lemon, a big handful of shredded Locatelli cheese, and a few good twists of fresh ground pepper. Goes great a with a big ol' red and a hunk of good bread.

*Make it on the weekends so you don't kill your co-workers.

Meatballs and Spaghetti

Yep. I miss the Sunday dinners of my childhood in an Italian family. They were full fledged events. From the minute I woke up to the smell of gravy to the end of the night with the tinkling of the coffee cups and cake plates, with everyone sitting around talking endlessly. So, I made meatballs tonight and they were great. You need veal, pork, and beef to start. You need good Locatelli cheese and an egg. Fresh parsley, bread crumbs and fresh garlic. A touch of salt. Take off your pinky rings and your Movado watches pretty boys and start mixing. Keep your pan medium hot with some veg oil and gently place each meatball in slightly apart from one another. Uncork your bottle of red wine, or rather, unscrew the cap off the jug of chianti and pour yourself a small glass. I’m not going to tell you how to cook the spaghetti, and whatever you do, DON’T MAKE SPAGHETTI. A bag of Anna linguine fini or even better, Colavita pappardelle. (I’m hooked on it right now!) Make sure its chewy to the tooth and don’t forget to add salt to the water. I’m also not going to tell you how to make the gravy. You can email me for a recipe. But be sure you make a salad. Whatever kind of greens you want. A bit of olive oil, a splash of vino, some oregano, salt, pepper and some crusty bread.

And no bad imitations of Rocky please. Thanks.

Fresh Tuna

Fresh tuna. Premium soy sauce. Good wasabi. Cold beer. Great night.