DelSo Wine Oh!

Here's how we do summer Sundays in the DelSo.

My never-ending love affair with Mario Batali...

Or - Check payable: Mario Batali

Roadtrip Rendezvous - Kingston

Classic self-timer shot

Over the years, the girls and I have met in many Hudson Valley towns.  Woodstock, Saugerties, Rhinebeck, New Paltz and Kingston come immediately to mind as locations which have witnessed our antics as we attempt to squeeze in all we wish to share - thoughts, experiences, illicit indulgences, a meal...whatever.  It would be fair to say that we, as a collective group of very old friends, have been around, yet, there's always something new to see or do, as our adventure this weekend readily proved.  Have you been riverside in Kingston?  Wow!

As I said, we've been to Kingston before and enjoyed it, but our explorations were in the area surrounding the original State Capital, sort of uptown I'd say.  This time though, we (ok, me, but I'm the one who is usually responsible for sussing things out) had a hankering for Mexican and Mole, Mole at 23 Broadway had some positive comments on Yelp so we decided to give it a shot.  The part of Kingston where my Google maps brought me was completely new to us, but it has obviously been developed for centuries.  The hill which lead us down to what seemed to be an inlet for the Hudson, was a broad street with brick buildings on both sides, some commercial, many residential. In addition to the restaurant where we ate, there were a number of other options for dining, including a place I had heard of for years, but had never seen - Mariner's Harbor.  Based upon the Yelp reviews, I don't imagine I'll be eating there anytime soon, but I now know where it is.  

Our destination, proved to be a winner!  We gathered at the bar, as we were 4 girls arriving in 3 cars, and got started with margaritas - all made with fresh juices and a steal at $5.  I went with the passion fruit and it was tasty with the salt rim doing a perfect job of balancing the sweetness.  Almost scary easy to drink - you've been warned.  The staff was great - welcoming, cheery and competent, and our server helped us order an appropriate number of dishes for 4 tequila swilling hungry ladies. We went with a salad and quesadilla to start, and then three entrees; pork, chicken and shrimp. 

such a bright space

beautiful bar

citrus avocado salad

pork-y deliciousness and fried plaintains

chicken mole burrito

Let me tell you, this place was perfect.  The food was fresh and nicely presented, the atmosphere was comfortable and fun and  we had a blast.  Our meal, including 5 or 6 margaritas came to an incredibly reasonable $102 and we were more than satisfied with everything.  The location is great for a post-meal walk and we loved checking out the buildings, both occupied and vacant.  At merely an hour's drive from Albany, we'll happily plan a return visit for later this summer, maybe arriving earlier to check out some of the shops which had already closed.  Very cool, very close.  Go!

Valente's

I headed to Valente's in Watervliet recently to take advantage of a gift certificate and treat myself to a dinner prepared by someone other than myself.  The place was unexpectedly busy, seemed like for the staff as well as for me.  After a couple of moments, I was greeted and seated, comfortably in a booth.  I kind of knew what I wanted when I arrived thanks to a lengthy study of the menu online: an order of steamed clams ($8.25), a Caesar salad ($8.95), and their award winning Perfect Storm Mac and Cheese ($23.95), with lobster and crab.  I saw the "table talker" promoting Cupcake wine and decided to jump in with two feet - one moscato, please!

The clams were good, maybe 14 or so on the order.  I had one or two that would have benefited from a rinse off, but basically, and in a perfectly basic way, they were exactly what I wanted. Plump, tender and accompanied by a puddle of butter.  Served simultaneously with the clams was my Caesar salad.  Although I had asked for some additional anchovies, they were forgotten.  Because they were busy and there was a decent fish flavor in the dressing, I didn't bother to request them again.  No worries. Nothing special either, but I've had worse.

I watched virtually everyone depart with a box of leftovers.  And they looked heavy.  I knew I was going to have a similar future since I had over-ordered to be able to use the restaurant.com gift certificate that required a $40 check.  Oh, don't you worry.  I can eat. The Mac and Cheese was huge, easily enough to feed 3.  It was creamy, piping hot and sharp in a really pleasing way.  While there certainly wasn't sufficient shellfish present to enjoy some in each bite, in no way did I feel denied. I only ate about a quarter of the portion and I was staying on my game plan - which was maintain room for dessert.

Despite the fact that none of the evening's dessert offerings were made in house, I went with the carrot cake.  It was a fair representation of carrot cake - moist, iced with cream cheese frosting and a size that was shareable. Except, I was dining solo so I ate the whole damn thing myself leaving the inferior whipped cream on the plate as a testament to my willpower.

Overall impression?  A pleasant dining experience that doesn't blaze any culinary trails, yet provides a comforting repast.  I'd go back - especially since I noted that Mac's Drive-In is right on the way and I've been meaning to get there for some ice cream.

Dining Out for Life

image:http://blog.timesunion.com/tablehopping

After an inexcusable length of time, I finally got to Mingle last week. The stars aligned and I was unexpectedly free and there was a seat available at All Over Albany's table - perfect! I've been inside the restaurant since it became this more recent incarnation, but hadn't seen things going full throttle. It was busy! I found the variety of patrons to be refreshing, families, couples, groups of friends...a nice mix. The volume issues have been addressed with the addition of fabrics and rugs, but it is still a noisy place. Not really a complaint, just an observation.

This visit to Mingle was the second time I had been in a restaurant on this particular day and I was hoping for a better experience than I had suffered earlier in the day. That situation was truly bizarre, even for me. Essentially, I was driving with 3 other women, one of whom was hungry. When we pulled up to Chili's I was dismayed, but prepared to order a salad or something else equally healthy and light. Well...I sat down with that laminated menu and had a complete (internal) meltdown! There was absolutely nothing on that menu that I was willing to ingest. Everything I read screamed FAT or SODIUM or NOT FRESH. I just couldn't do it. Fortunately, I had a couple of oranges, some granola bars and yogurt pretzels in my car. And that is why I don't take road trips without packing rations.

My expectations of Mingle were much higher, and generally met. I had a salad that was a beautiful array of gorgeous fresh vegetables in a generous portion. My only complaint was the scantness of the blue cheese - for $12 I guess I just expected a little more. For my second course I had a half order of the lobster mac and cheese, influenced by Steve Barnes' endorsement.

Now, don't try to order a half portion of this super rich dish because it isn't really available. I was specifically told I would never get a half order of this pasta again and that an exception was made because of the evening's fundraising event. I guess I'm a bit confused by this, I mean, it's pasta and I can't imagine it is cooked to order so how much more difficult is it to serve half as much and charge $2 more than half the price? It is a lovely dish and I can almost imagine them selling more of it if it were available in a more petite portion. We all know how much fat is in mac and cheese and not everyone wants to reheat leftover lobster, so why not make it available in two sizes? Just a thought. This was my first time eating lobster mac and cheese so I obviously don't have a reference point, but I was surprised by the strong garlic flavor which overwhelmed the delicate taste of the shellfish. I was very pleasantly surprised that the lobster didn't suffer in terms of moistness by the time in the oven. A nice entree in a perfect for one portion.

I've heard really good things about the Korean tacos and those are next on my list to try.  Do you have any Mingle favorites to share?

P.S. I LOVE that they use DelSo on their homepage!!!

May Day

image: http://s3-media4.ak.yelpcdn.com

In Germany, where my mother comes from, May 1st is a holiday.  There are flowers and Maypole dancing and tree planting ceremonies on this day which celebrates spring's midway point. It is a sweet, sweet day, reminiscent of a more simple time. My mother, the third of fifteen children, never really celebrated her own birth on this special day, nor really on any other day. For her, May Day was just another day to be disappointed by life.

My second child was due on May 1st, 1999, his soon-to-be-Oma's 61st birthday.  I was mildly distressed by this coincidence because I certainly didn't want my child to share a birthday with someone who didn't acknowledge her own life with joy. Of course, since there was little I could do to determine Baby #2's arrival day, I just hoped for an early arrival and, when my water broke on April 29th, I knew I got lucky.   Griffin Hudson arrived exactly one day early, beautifully pink with a hearty cry and a bald head. Unfortunately, his birth was a disappointment to my mother since she had fervently wished that I would have a daughter. You know, a girl as revenge for all the trouble I had caused her during my teen years, trouble I presumably still cause as an adult. At least one of us was happy.

I remember bringing Griffin home from the hospital, driving down Hackett Avenue and noticing that in the 2 short days since Griffin joined our family, everything looked different. The tulip beds in the median had popped and the blue sky was filled with white cottony fuzz from some unknown tree. Spring had arrived with this perfect baby boy.

Although I have considered Griffin to be an old soul since his infancy, today Griffin enters the rank of teenager. It's a weird thing to know that I'm heading to the Wine Bar tonight to work rather than preparing to share a special meal with my boy, but, I know his Dad has things covered. I was fully present the afternoon he arrived 13 years ago and, on his request, we'll enjoy dinner tomorrow, May Day, at Cafe Capriccio. At least there will be someone joyfully greeting the month of May. 

My Saturday night!

My latest SEEN gallery over at the TU. Check out all the smiling happy people.

Royal treatment at the Emperor's Palace

Fried squid

Yesterday was the youngest Lilly princes' birthday, and as we usually do, we went to his favorite Chinese place, Emperor's Palace, to celebrate. Now I'd say there are probably 20 Chinese restaurants that are closer to our DelSo home, but Emperor's Palace is special. It's where the boys developed their obsession with Peking Duck and Fried Squid with sea salt and peppers. It's the place where I ate the night before Quinn was born, when my labor was finally beginning to become serious instead of just teasingly annoying. And it is where we go, apparently, when we have no money. Huh?  Say what?

Roast duck wonton and noodle soup

Here's what happened... I was hungry. Really, really hungry. When I arrived home to pick up the boys following my class at the Y, I couldn't get on the road fast enough. We hauled up to Wolf Road, with an intended quick stop at Toys R Us for one last birthday gift. As Quinn and I got out of the car, I realized (with a barely restrained expletive) that I had forgotten to bring my handbag. After a fast mental inventory (how long could that take, right?), I accepted that I was going to have to go back home to get my new happy wallet, but then Liam said he had some cash. Stopping on a dime and reassessing the situation, I decided to buy the $10 gift with Liam's money and then hit another Chinese place for dinner. The Wine Bar guys had enjoyed a recent meal at Shining Rainbow and I figured we could give that a shot instead. Present purchased, we got back in the car to head home.

Peking duck

Then, I had a thought...we've been eating at Emperor's for so many years that maybe they would consider allowing us to eat and then call them with the necessary bank card info to pay for our meal. The boys and I consulted and agreed it was worth a shot. I pulled into the Emperor's parking lot and went inside where I was greeted by a big smile from the two male servers who have been there forever. I explained my dilemma, not even playing the birthday card. Without hesitation, they agreed and I went out to retrieve the elated boys. And we had a killer dinner. In a world of chain restaurants and mediocre customer service, it is such a treat to go to an authentic Chinese restaurant and feel so completely at home. 

Roast Beast

While I wouldn't consider myself to be overly impressed by beefcake, I do enjoy a good piece of meat.  Last night I treated the Lilly boys/princes to a beautiful roast beef dinner.  Or roast beast, as I said to Quinn.

I prepared the beef simply,  with salt and pepper, and placed the roast on a meat rack in my magic roasting pan.  Below the beef in the pan was a combination of red wine, beef stock and sliced onions adding some steamy richness to the oven.  Confession: I don't know what I do wrong, but I struggle to slice roast beef as thinly as I would like.  Yes, my knife is sharp.  Any hints?

After spending the day in the crockpot

Dinner was tasty and there were unsliced leftovers of the 2.5 lb roast despite Griffin's best efforts. I only had to threaten Quinn with discipline twice, both times related to the mashed yellow and sweet orange potatoes.  As if beef and mashed potatoes aren't the ultimate pairing! 

This morning I placed the beef, the au jus/onion liquid and a couple of canned chipotles in adobo, into the crock pot and let things simmer all day.  Tonight, I removed the meat and shredded/sliced it, adding my leftover mashed potatoes from the previous night to the juices in the pot.  This step worked to both thicken things up a bit and to take the edge off my enthusiasm with the chilis. Delicious.  Like a spicy beef stew that would only have been more wonderful with some sliced avocado and a cheese quesadilla.  Maybe tomorrow. 

Beef Stir-fry

Do you ever buy those really thin cuts of beef at the grocery store?  They're done in minutes and the boys love them - and there are never any leftovers when I cook with these inexpensive pieces of beef.  I think some folks may use them for steak sandwiches or something along those lines, but at my house they scream "stir-fry!"  So that's what we did...

I sliced the "steaks" into thin strips and tossed them into a mixture of kecap menis, soy sauce and freshly squeezed orange juice.  Into the wok they went with a little sesame oil and chopped scallions.  This dish lends itself to your creativity - maybe add some matchstick carrots or sugar snap peas.  How about some par-cooked sweet potato rounds or water chestnuts?  A quick minute or 3 and they're done.  On this particular evening, I served them with some sesame ginger rice, and sliced orange peppers and avocado - making an appealing, colorful meal in less than 30 minutes.  Take that, Racheal Ray!

Long and low short ribs

When I placed my order at Falvo's for my Christmas Eve ham, I decided to add another something special for the boys' dining pleasure - and my convenience, beef short ribs. I don't know much about these succulent hunks of tender beef other than I prefer them when they are on the bone and that, until recent years when they became kind of trendy, they were always a bargain cut of meat. I paid $5.19 a pound and bought "8 bones" to feed three boys and myself, with leftovers.

The natural method of cooking these beauties is braising or in the slow cooker. I began by dredging them in flour and browning on each side in a splash of olive oil.

I did this in small batches and placed them in the crockpot as they finished. When all of the meat was browned, I deglazed the pan with a combination of red wine and beef stock, allowing it to reduce slightly.

I added some baby carrots and onions to the crockpot along with fresh rosemary and some small whole garlic cloves. I turned the crockpot to low and cooked them all night, waking intermittently and thinking to myself "Oh my goodness! What is that delicious aroma?"

In the morning I removed the meat and vegetables with a slotted spoon and placed them in my Le Creuset in the fridge for the day. I wanted a chance to skim off the substantial fat the ribs had released, so the "gravy" went into the fridge as well. An hour before dinner, I poured the de-fatted gravy over the ribs, covered the Le Creuset and placed them in the oven at 325.

Dinner is served! Aren't they gorgeous? This is winter cooking at its finest - hearty, fragrant and reminiscent of simpler times. Try this and thank me later.

Pasta Prosciutto

Why don't I eat pasta more often? I mean, it comes in about a million different shapes, is inexpensive, incredibly versatile and quick.  What is the matter with me? Last night I was inspired and freezing! after a rainy run and came up with a delicious, easy dinner that (finally) used up the prosciutto left over from Thanksgiving weekend. Behold - Pasta with Prosciutto!

To begin, I sautéed a few chopped cloves of garlic and about half of a large, sweet onion in olive oil. I really took my time with this to allow the sweetness of the vegetables to come out and to give the water time to get to a rolling boil. To keep myself busy, I cut my prosciutto into small bites and rinsed my broccoli rabe. Once the water was ready to be introduced to the pasta (I went with Campanelle or "church bells" on a friend's recommendation. Good call, my Italian friend.), I added the prosciutto to the sauté pan along with some crushed red pepper flakes. I had some walnuts on hand so I gave them a light toasting (with me, it's either a light toasting or blackened) and coarse chopping.

About 2 minutes before the pasta was ready, I added the broccoli rabe to the pasta pot to soften it a bit. Then it was just a simple matter of draining the pasta/broccoli and tossing it around the pot with the yummy olive oil concoction. I finished things up with a little salt, the walnuts and some fantastic grated aged Parmesan.

Welcome home, pasta.  I've missed you and promise to give you much more attention in the future.

Turkey Pot Pie, sort of

While my appreciation for Thanksgiving is boundless, I was at the end of the line with bountiful leftovers. Inventorying my fridge, I came up with a few chunks of sweet potatoes, some mashed potatoes, a small amount of sautéed mushrooms from Saturday's strip steak meal and some gravy. I thought I had some turkey, but other than a lonely drumstick, that had all been consumed by my "good eater" friend, Peter. Since I was mentally committed to preparing some comfort food, and I am master of the creative use of leftovers, I decided to make use of a couple of chicken breasts instead. The end result of my ridiculously easy efforts may have been the best pot pie ever!

Here's my technique: Unroll a crust and place it into a deep pie dish - or be all overachieving and make your own dough for a two-crust pie. Combine an assortment of vegetables, meat and liquid (more about this in a minute) and place in pie crust. The amount of liquid varies and unfortunately, I didn't make any attempt at measuring. I generally try to balance the liquid (gravy or broth) with the mashed potatoes to create a balance between moist, yet able to retain its form when cut into. In addition to using my gravy for inside the pot pie, I made use of it as a kind of "poaching" liquid, cooking a couple of chicken breasts in it due to my lack of turkey. I can't say how long I let them simmer in the gravy...maybe 20 minutes or so? Once they cooled off a little, I cut them up into bite-sized pieces and added them to the vegetables already in the crust, along with some par cooked some baby carrots. I checked my ratio of solid to liquid, thinking that the gravy should reach about the halfway point in the pie dish to ensure a steamy deliciousness when cut into. Check.

At this point, I showed my oldest son what I was making and he immediately dubbed it "Thanksgiving Pie." Fine. If that's what you want to call it, go right ahead. I topped the gorgeousness with the second crust and rolled the edges together and did my best to make it look presentable. I've mentioned before that crust is not my thing, right? I cut a couple of slits in the top to allow some steam to release during baking, and placed my pie in the oven at 375 degrees. I again remembered to place a baking sheet on the rack below my pie to catch any errant drips - yeah, me! After about 30 minutes, I increased the temperature to 400 and gave the pie another 15 or 20 minutes to finish getting all brown and pretty. I then called my neighbors and asked if they were hungry...

While I took a quick shower, I let the pot pie cool a bit and settle. Freshly washed, I grabbed my pie, some arugula and a lemon, and headed next door for an impromptu Sunday DelSo dinner with Ken and Lori. Their wine, my pot pie and salad, and another satisfying weekend drew to a close. Life, my friends, is good. Get some!

As easy as...

Apple pie! There was a pattern to my cooking in recent days, a sort of pre-Thanksgiving emptying of the refrigerator to make room for the groceries necessary to prepare a holiday meal. I had some buttermilk I needed to use up, so fried chicken and pancakes made the weekend menu. My cheese drawer was crammed with odd bits of Gorgonzola, ricotta salada and sharp cheddar, a situation which begged for mac n cheese. And there was a collection of miscellaneous apples becoming sadder looking by the moment - perfect apple pie fodder.

I've stocked up recently on chocolate chips and pie crusts, two items that allow me to easily put together a quick dessert be it cookies, brownies, a tart or pie. I know that making pie crust (like pizza dough) is more time consuming than difficult, but I find myself much more willing to take on the task of baking with a little head start.

For Saturday's pie, I laid the bottom crust into a deep pie dish and got busy peeling and slicing a variety of apples - Empires, Macintosh, and Delicious, primarily. I was feeling kind of cocky (that's how I get after a long run. Blame it on the endorphins.) and didn't measure anything, there were about 8 apples, perhaps a 1/3 cup of brown sugar, a 1/4 cup of white sugar, a 1/4 cup of unbleached flour, and a 1 teaspoon of cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon of nutmeg and a shake or two of ginger powder. I tossed all that together and then rather unceremoniously dumped it into the crust. The top crust was added and I did my best to seal the edges and crimp in a modestly decorative manner. I sliced a coupe of slits in the top to release steam and placed my rustic, beautiful pie in a 375 degree oven, placing a baking sheet on the rack below the pie's rack. I've finally learned my lesson about things bubbling over and making an awful mess (and smoke) when the drips hit the bottom of the oven. The pie took longer to bake than I expected, maybe 65-70 minutes. Maybe next time I'll use the super cool convection feature which I know nothing about.

The pie cooled a bit while we feasted on fried chicken and mac n cheese. Topped with French vanilla ice cream it was a tasty way to get both a fruit serving and a dairy serving into dessert. Wait - I'm not the only one who considers pie to be a fruit serving, am I? If that thought process is wrong...well, I simply don't care to be right.

Buttermilk Fried Chicken

I may not look like I've got soul, but believe me, I am an appreciative fan of both the music and the cuisine. I particularly love the side dishes - okra and greens and beans, all cooked in a fryer or with a generous hunk of pork fat, naturally. Of course, eating this kind of heart challenging diet isn't something I often do, but, my boys are young and healthy and I believe in indulging children in cleanly made treats on occasion. Things like home baked cookies, Meadowbrook Farms eggnog and bacon from my favorite butcher shop, Falvo's.

Making this boy favorite meal is so easy that the most effective way to maintain its status as "special" is to make it with great infrequency. 2 or 3 times a year - tops. I cluster the occasions so I can reuse the oil and I try to coincide the festivities with an event that gets me out of the house for a day after the extended frying frenzy. I have convinced myself that the smell of fried foods nauseates me.

I initially made fried chicken when I found myself with leftover buttermilk after some baking adventure. Maybe scones? When I googled to get some ideas as to how to use the remainder of the .5 quart of buttermilk, my results leaned heavily to fried chicken. What follows is not a recipe, just what I do. Adapt to your own tastes, or like me, be a slave to your children's palates and go simple. Place chicken pieces (I like bone-in thighs) in a bowl and cover with buttermilk. Allow to soak in fridge for 12 hours to two days. Remove chicken from milk and drain on a baking rack over a baking sheet for 10 minutes or so. Heat up vegetable oil in a deep pot. Put some flour, salt, pepper and a couple of sprinkles of corn meal to add some crunch, together on a plate. White pepper and some paprika would be nice here, but the boys are still in a muted stage flavor-wise. It's ok, they're a bit of a longterm project.

Dredge the drained chicken in the flour mixture, taking your time to make sure the chicken is evenly and thoroughly coated. Test temperature of oil. I usually drip a drop or two of water in. You don't want spatter, just sizzle. Scientific, right? I cook the chicken, a few pieces at a time. Don't crowd the chicken! TUrn the chicken after about 10 minutes and cook for an additional 10 or 15 minutes. Since I'm cooking in batches, I usually place the chicken, on a baking sheet layered with a brown paper bag topped by paper towels, in a 200 degree oven to keep warm. Once that chicken comes out of the oven, beautifully brown, crunchy and glistening lips inducing, believe me, keeping it warm isn't an issue.

Sausage & Peppers

sausage

Recently I saw a brand of Italian style chicken sausage at my local Price Chopper - Lupo's from Endicott, NY.  What initially attracted my attention was the sticker on the package stating that they were msg, whey and gluten free.  Now, I've never had an issue with any of those ingredients, but, I figured in most cases with sausage, less is more.  I picked up both available varieties - hot and sweet.  

Over the weekend I was looking for some easy comfort food and remembered the sausages in my freezer.  A quick thaw and some time on the grill and I ended up with some lovely, pleasantly spicy links.

peppers

There were a couple of beautiful red peppers in my crisper so I sliced them.  They went into some olive oil, along with a jumbo sweet onion and a couple of cloves of garlic, and cooked until they were tender and ever so sweet - the perfect counterpart for the hot sausage. 

You know how sausage can sometimes be a little dry? These were not dry at all!  They had a good snap to them, the casings were firm enough to hold the juicy goodness inside yet easily yielded to a knife - and my teeth.  I placed the sausage and peppers on a soft poppy seed roll and had the perfect quick dinner.  I like to think it was fairly nutritious, as far as these things go and it was unquestionably delicious.

sausage and peppers!

Productivity

photo from gearfire.net

What does it mean to you to be productive? It seems there are stages of productivity in life. My thirties were literally about producing babies and breast milk, in retrospect. I literally opened year 30 pregnant and was still nursing the little guy on my 40th birthday. I could show you the picture to prove it - holy D cup! The beginning of my 40s was transitional for me, but in a more private way than things now present themselves. I was beginning to produce some writing and photos that brought me pleasure, but there was nothing that I was prepared to share except on the smallest, most personal level. You know, like in a Christmas card or with immediate family. Certainly not out here in the virtual world of blogging.

And now? Now I feel myself being productive in an entirely new way, both public and intensely private. It's almost like what I'm producing is love, amor, agape, liebe and it is coming out of me in so many uncontainable ways. Always, words, words, words, but there's more than that. I have plants that are positively thriving under my attentions. It's like magic or kismet or the damnedest good karma. I can barely recall the day when I forced a decision with the boys' Dad: "The plants or the kids? I can't keep them all alive. Pick." But, somehow now I've got a good touch with my plants and I'm no longer afraid to accept the responsibility of taking care of them. A really, really good touch and that mostly dead fern my friend, Lisa, gave me last year is absolutely beautiful. I've never done anything but kill ferns in the past - in record time, as a matter of fact.  My boys are doing great, physically, emotionally and academically, and I'm enjoying them immensely.  There's been a marked expansion in my capacity to nurture, and no longer is there the question as to what has to give because I feel like I have so very much to give. And wouldn't you consider nurturing a type of productivity?

Over the weekend I thoroughly cleaned my house, prepared a delicious dinner of risotto and baked cookies. Despite opportunities to socialize and share a meal with friends in the DelSo, I opted to sit on my couch in my tidy home and enjoy the satisfaction of being alone and pleasantly tired. The efforts I invested over the course of my bonafide two day weekend paid off in aces for me, and I thoroughly appreciated the results of my work in the form of a bowl of greens and risotto with a glass of wine, followed by cookies and milk. Productivity looks and tastes pretty damn good.

Q(uinn's) V(ery) C(ute) Shopping

What a delightful day! This was truly one of those days as a parent that you hold on to as evidence that it is all worthwhile. Those of you with children know what I mean. Yes, yes, children are wonderful and they allow you to see the world again with new eyes and it is amazing to truly understand that they are little sponges designed to absorb whatever we saturate them with, blah, blah, blah. We could discuss this ad nausea, but there will always be more to debate, I suppose. This posting, however, is about the joys of parenting, an occasion rare enough to demand appropriate recognition.

You know how I love to take one Lilly boy and disappear for a few hours or days? Saturday was Quinn's turn. Despite Liam's disbelief that Q could ever possibly need new clothing ("Doesn't he have hand-me-downs?"), it was time to get the little man some new duds. We headed to Crossgates, listening to the perfect pre-shopping Stones' song: "You Can't Always Get What You Want." Quinn was an awesome co-shopper, he carried bags, he worked within the parameters I had in place, he made me laugh. I have to say, he indulged me just such as I indulged him. He was patient with my wanderings and didn't balk when the line at Starbucks was ridiculously long. We left the mall happy campers, a refreshing change from past shopping expeditions.

After I got all the loot out of the car at our house, and got another load of laundry going, I surveyed the boys about dinner requests. I almost caved and did takeout, but G had a great idea - make your own pizzas. Perfect. I added pizza dough, pizza sauce, some mozzarella and pepperoni to the grocery list and headed out.

Griffin's pizza - with fresh basil!  Pre-grilling.

Dinner was a joy. Parents - how often do you get to say that and mean it? I did the dough stretching and shaping, laying the irregularly shaped crusts on an oiled baking sheet. The guys did their thing with toppings and we cooked the 'zas on the gas grill over medium heat. Griffin was an integral part of the process, manning the grill and generally providing assistance. I opened a bottle of winter house red, sighed with parental happiness, and dug in with my boys. A perfect Saturday. How was your weekend?

Acorn squash

Why, oh, why did I not eat beautiful orange vegetables (other than carrots) when I was a child?  These days not much makes me happier than a pan of sweet potatoes, butternut squash and my favorite, acorn squash, roasting together in the oven and so I say, "Welcome back squash!  I've missed you."

I'm sure there are a million ways to cook these hard shelled squashes but I usually do the a variation on the same theme: squash + something sweet + fat + spice.  My something sweet is generally either brown sugar or maple syrup, but this batch ended up with something a little different.  See that picture of the amber-colored rock candy-ish stuff?  Well that's what you may find, if you're lucky, at the bottom of your maple syrup container.  I knew there would be a use for it one day and this was its day to shine!  If you aren't fortunate enough  to have maple "glass,"  I'm positive that  maple syrup would work just as well, it just wouldn't add moisture and flavor simultaneously. 

Cut the squash through the middle and scoop out seeds and gook. (Compost!) Trim the top/bottom of your halves in necessary to allow them to "sit" without wobbling.  Add some maple syrup or brown sugar, maybe 1.5 T per side, a dab of butter and some nutmeg, clove or cinnamon - or all  of the above.  Bake at 375 degrees until the squash is soft but not caving in on itself.  Maybe 35-45 minutes depending on size - size can be a real factor sometimes.  If you're in a rush, place squash, cut side down in a shallow glass plan with about an inch of water and place in the microwave on high for about 10 minutes.  Finish in the oven for another 10 to 15 minutes.  Cut into wedges and serve, or eat the whole thing yourself. 

An aside: when Liam was a baby his nose was orange because of all of the yellow/orange vegetables he ate.  Does Mayor Jennings perhaps eat a lot of squash?!?

                                 

Obviously, this shouldn't be considered a recipe so much as a reminder that the seasons are changing and so should your meals.  Although the transition from bright red tomatoes  to orange squash and darker greens comes with some regrets (I should have eaten more blts!), it is inevitable and should be embraced. And, bonus - oven roasting also serves as the perfect delaying tactic to turning on the furnace for the season!  Delicious  + money-saving = winner.                             

I got a restaurant for my birthday!!!

Ok, so maybe I didn't actually get a restaurant for my birthday, but I (along with the rest of you lucky Capital District denizens) did get a great new dining option. The Capital City Gastropub opened for business last night and it truly felt like a gift.  This place rocks!  Yes, yes, I work for Kevin Everleth at his Lark Street restaurant, but, I assure you, there is no nepotism in my assessment.  The CCG is the perfect spot for a date, a night out with friends or an evening meal with the family - it just has so much to offer.

Although Kevin took possession of the space less than a month ago there have been some positive improvements, with more still to come, of the interior.  Were you here when it was Pasquale's?  I always loved their pizza, but found it to be a bit pricey when feeding 3 hungry boys who can each pack away 3-4 slices each, especially when the pizza has a divine thin crust.  Anyway, the configuration is similar to what it was in the past with an open kitchen and seating for 40+.  Eventually there will be an actual bar with seating, which is a good thing - they're going to need all the chairs they can find.  Last night at about 7:30 when we arrived, there were not many tables available, and that was without any real advertising.  This place is going to be busy!

Kerry and Jason

I have to say, the most challenging part of the evening was deciding what to eat.  And drink.  There are so many directions that the menu can take you - vegetarian?  Pizza?  Daily meat, fish, vegetarian or sliders options?  Oh my goodness - I haven't even mentioned the beer list or the wine selection...this place will require many visits to cover the tantalizing options offered. 

I want to get this post up right now in case you don't have dinner plans.  I will revisit it tomorrow with some more details...

Beautiful beer taps

Pork Belly Banh-mi

Fried Smelts

Angus hangar steak frites - marrow Bordelaise

Fish Tacos (!!!)