November 29, 2022 Brunch - Granola with milk, yogurt and diced apple. Snack - Salami and Jarlsberg cheese Sandwich Dinner - Mapo Dofu with Rice

November 29, 2022 Brunch - Granola with milk, yogurt and diced apple. Snack - Salami and Jarlsberg cheese Sandwich Dinner - Mapo Dofu with Rice

I watched Senegal advance over Ecuador in World Cup this morning. Then I edited the Response I worked on yesterday and filed it.

I then ate a bowl of granola with milk and yogurt and diced apples and watched the U.S. v. Iran game until 2:00 when I made a salami and Jarlsberg cheese sandwich on a slice of toasted baguette spread with basil Mayo and mustard with slices of yellow onion that I ate with a cup of chai.

We 

At 3:00 I drove to Bill Turner’s office and worked on his affidavit and filed it at 5:20.

I got locked in the building and by the time a person let me out and I walked 1 1/2 blocks to my car and drove home it was 6:00. 

Suzette was upset and so was I, but I fixed a cup of chai and sat down and with Suzette’s assistance minced 1 T. of garlic, 1 1/2 T. of ginger, a medium eggplant, 1/4 pasilla chili, and 1 onion. Suzette diced two pork steaks. I soaked three dried shiitake mushrooms and 2 T. of dried black wood ear strips in 2 cups of hot water for 1/2 hour until they were rehydrated.

We made rice with two cups of boiling water, a dash of dehydrated chicken stock, a cup of jasmine rice, and a small bunch of dried lilly buds then steamed 30 minutes.

Suzette fetched the wok and heated peanut oil and a dash of sesame oil.

She then stir fried the pork and removed it from the wok.

Then she stir fried the rest of the vegetables until they were cooked and then added back the pork plus the rehydrated wood ear and the three shiitake mushrooms cut into strips and the 2 cups of water in which the dried ingredients had soaked plus a 19 oz. block of firm tofu that had been diced into cubes.

The mixture cooked for 30 minutes to allow it to turn into a stew.  Then a seasoning and thickening sauce combining Soy and oyster sauce plus Rice vinegar and cornstarch was added to flavor and thicken the dish and cooked another 5 minutes for the cornstarch to begin to thicken and we were ready to eat.

Suzette made a lemon juice, club soda, and mint syrup drink and I made a cup of green tea and we had a very filling dinner of Mapo Dofu piled on a pile of warm rice.

We were tired and ornery and turned of the TV and ate in silence.

The only thing we could agree on was that it was a good thing that a jury found two leaders  of the Oath Keepers guilty of Seditious Conspiracy for their actions leading up to and including January 6.  I think it did not help them that their leader, Rhodes, had texted then President Trump on January 6 to tell him they were ready if he would give them the instruction to start an armed insurrection.

We went to bed at 8:30.

I awakened at 11:00 to write this blog.

Bon Appetit

November 28, 2022 Lunch - Fried bacon and eggs with toast. Dinner - Pot Roast with Root Vegetables

November 28, 2022 Lunch - Fried bacon and eggs with toast. Dinner - Pot Roast with Root Vegetables

I apologize because my phone is not synched with my IPad so I can not populate the blog with pictures taken with my phone.

I watched Ghana and Portugal win their matches.  At 12:30 I fried two slices of thick cut bacon and two eggs over easy and toasted two slices of baguette for a heady lunch.

Yesterday Suzette thawed a 2 Lb. Pot roast.

After the Portugal v. Uruguay match I worked on a pleading until 4:30, when I drove to the bank and then Sprouts where I bought a turnip, a rutabaga, and a parsnip plus a lb. of thick bacon, a gallon of milk, a head of bok Choy, and a package of firm tofu.

I hope to make Mapo Dofu tomorrow with the eggplant we have.

When I returned home at 6:30 Suzette was braising the roast that she had salted and peppered.  I peeled and diced the turnip, turnip, and rutabaga plus two carrots and a large Yukon Gold potato. Suzette roasted the pot roast in the casserole for 1 1/2 hours and then added the vegetables for the last hour.

The result was a tender roast and vegetables cooked in their own juices.

Suzette made a Delice sauce by whipping cream with horseradish.

It was a simple meal that was totally satisfying.  I licked the light broth left on the bottom of the bowl to enjoy the dish fully.

We drank a new wine I found at Costco, a 92 point Cotes du Bordeaux merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon blend.

After dinner I toasted a slice of baguette and spread slices of the Pont l’Eveque cheese on it we bought in Dallas.

Later as we neared the end of the last sips of wine, we each ate a chocolate as we watched the 1988 episode of La Brea.

We went to bed at 9:30 after a full day back on the job.

Bon Appetit

November 27, 2022. Brunch - Hawaiian Fried Rice. Dinner - Greek Style Lamb Shanks with Mashed Potatoes and Fresh Spinach

November 27, 2022. Brunch - Hawaiian Fried Rice. Dinner - Greek Style Lamb Shanks with Mashed Potatoes and Fresh Spinach

Today was a travel day.  We awakened showered and dressed and then Suzette sautéed the leftover Hawaiian food including the Spam sushi with two eggs for a delicious breakfast.  We then drove to the airport and checked in curbside and got a push to security.  Suzette wheeled me through security and to a Italian restaurant on the main concourse where a World Cup match was playing. The help found us a table near one of the TVs where I could sit in the wheel chair and we could watch the match between Croatia and Canada, which the Croatians won 4 to 1.  Looks like Croatia will advance.

Suzette drank a mimosa and I drank a Dr. Pepper.  Suzette then wheeled me to the gate literally.  They line up the wheel chair folks by the gate so they can be helped on first. When they started wheeling the two most needy first to the plane Suzette pushed us into line third, which was lucky because we were able to get two front bulkhead seats and stretch our legs out.

When we arrived in Albuquerque Suzette again pushed me to baggage claim where we were the last to pick up our baggage and ride the shuttle back to the Highlander around 2:30.

Everything was in order when we arrived.

I lay down to rest and Suzette checked the garden and watered the house plants. 

We discussed dinner and Suzette said, “I will defrost something.” I rested and read until a little later Suzette told me she was defrosting a Prepared Greek style Lamb shank and making mashed potatoes.

When I went to the kitchen Suzette was rinsing the last of the fresh spinach to lay on the bottom of pasta bowls.

When the mashed potatoes were ready we opened the bottle of Italian wine Ed and Michelle gave Suzette for her birthday and Suzette microwaved the sealed bag containing the shank and its’ sauce. Suzette spooned a pile of mashed potatoes onto the spinach and added the heated lamb and sauce and I poured glasses of wine and the quick and elegant dinner was served.

I was wonderful to be back home and sleep in our cozy bed again, so we went to bed early.

Bon Appetit 

November 26, 2022 Lunch - Turkey Sandwich Dinner - Turkey and Barley Soup with corn bread.

November 26, 2022 Lunch - Turkey Sandwich  Dinner - Turkey and Barley Soup with corn bread. 

Today was all about football for me.

We woke up around 8:00 and Suzette and I split a blueberry muffin with tea for me and coffee for Suzette.

Then we drove Willy to DFW Airport for his flight to PV.

After dropping Willy we drove to Billy and Elaine’s and arrived at 11:45 just a few minutes before the big game between Ohio State and Michigan started. I sat in the big easy chair near the TV for most of the day.

No. 3 Michigan beat No. 2. Ohio State.  No.1 undefeated Georgia won its game to stay undefeated later so we were really excited to see undefeated TCU play Iowa State at 3:00.  TCU was really hot today, scoring 27 points in the first quarter and the score was never close after that point.  The final score was 62 to 14.  If TCU wins against Kansas State that also won today in the Big 12 Championship game it should stay undefeated and no lower than No. 3 and play for the National Championship.

Around 2:00 Suzette made herself a Turkey sandwich and around 3:30 I made an open faced one also with toasted bread, Mayo, Turkey, and slices of Leyden cheese. After the sandwich I ate the last slice of chocolate pecan pie 

Elaine them baked two loaves of pumpkin bread with a can of pumpkin purée.

Billy thawed out a bag of barley soup before he went to the gym and the Public Library and when he returned he heated it and added some diced turkey. Elaine made corn bread and the four of us without kids enjoyed a bowl of soup and sliced of buttered cornbread drizzled with honey for dinner.

After dinner we watch a film titled, “The Good Liar”and said goodnight at 10:00

Bon Appetit

November 25, 2022 Breakfast - Lax and bagels with cream cheese and onions. Linch - Oysters on the half shell. Dinner - Oyster stew

November 25, 2022 Breakfast - Lax and bagels with cream cheese and onions. Linch - Oysters on the half shell. Dinner - Oyster stew

This was a day of oysters two ways and pecan pie two ways.

We drove to Billy and Elaine’s at 9:30 and stayed there all day with several excursions. 

When we arrived there was a large platter of lax on the table with a block of cream cheese. Soon Elaine was slicing the New York bagels Mickey and Rebecca brought and Elaine was kind enough to slice yellow onion for me.

We watched World Cup soccer early but the big match was U.S. v. England at 1:00.

The first excursion was Willy and Billy going to the gym.

Then Suzette and Elaine and Mickey and Rebecca went to an estate sale at a large house.  Suzette bought five ribbon pillows and Elaine bought a new Cuisinart for $40.00.

Then at 11:30 Billy and Suzette went to Whole Foods to pick up 5 dozen oysters on the half shell and a bottle of cocktail sauce for lunch and 25 shucked oysters for oyster stew for dinner.  Whole Foods sells oysters on the half shell for $1.00 on Fridays.  We have eaten them all over the country.  Today Suzette bought 1/2 WellPoint and 1/2 Gulf oysters.

Billy’s 25 shucked were Gulf.

The oysters arrived at 12:30 just before the US v. England match began,

So we ate and watched and cheered and cried as the match proceeded to a 0 to 0 tie.

After lunch I ate a slice of chocolate pecan pie and then watched some football and Elaine went swimming.

Mickey and Rebecca left for the airport at 3:30  At 4:30 we walked. Willy, Elaine, and Billy took a long walk and Suzette and I took a short walk to the end of the block, although Suzette zigzagged across the street as I walked straight, so she walked three or four the distance that I did.

When we returned Billy started making oyster stew by chopping celery and shallots and boiling cubes of potatoes.  Elaine went to the garden and picked a handful of fresh thyme at my request.

After Billy sautéed the shallot, celery, and a clove or two of minced garlic, he added half and half, the potatoes, and thyme and finally he added the oysters and their milk.

Billy opened a bottle of Espiral Vino Verde, which gave me the opportunity to tell them about our visit to that winery.

The stew was lovely.  It had a slightly creamy consistency that unified the flavors better than the stew we usually make with milk.

Also the slight effervescent of the white vino verde freshened up the flavor of the stew.

Willy drove to a new Hawaiian restaurant and bought several Hawaiian dishes and several loaves of Spam Sushi for his dinner.

After the stew I ate a piece of Elaine’s pecan pie and it was fabulous, crunchy crust and the filling was not sickeningly sweet.

We went home at 10:00

Bon Appetit

November 24, 2022 Thanksgiving Dinner at Billy and Elaine’s house

November 24, 2022 Thanksgiving Dinner at Billy and Elaine’s house 

Suzette toasted three bagel slices and we spread cream cheese on them and I sliced some thin slices of a Morbier style cheese that we garnished them with.

We dressed and watched soccer until 1:00 and then drove to Billy and Elaine’s for Thanksgiving Dinner, except when we arrived the table in the TV room was filled with charcuterie Mickey and Rebecca had bought at 840 Farm in Waxahatchie that raises pigs and makes at the farm. There were four types of salami and a spicy pork paste.  Elaine had bought Leyden and Manchego cheeses and water biscuits and crackers.

As we snacked we drank a bottle of Brillet-Salmon champagne rose and then the bottle of DePonte Blanc de Noir.  Mrs Holzeig arrived soon thereafter with the pecan pies, plain and chocolate and we nibbled cheese and charcuterie and sipped champagne and watched some of the Cowboy v. Giants game until 5:00.

Billy had made wild rice and Elaine made Ratatouille without eggplant and cranberry sauce.  Jerry brined the turkey and cooked  and Marian made the rest of the dishes, creamed turnips and potatoes, mashed potatoes, cranberry chutney sauce, sweet potatoes with apples, gluten and non-gluten dressing, mushroom gravy, a kale and butternut squash salad, and turkey gravy plus pumpkin pie.  At 5:00 the turkey and Marian and their child, Sigil, arrived bringing  all the fixin’s.  Mickey and Rebecca roasted a rib eye roast at 200 degrees to 125 degrees and then seared it to produce uniformly tender slices of steak.

Jerry carved the turkey and Marian arranged all the bowls and platters of food on the kitchen counter and we opened a bottle of Elk Cove Pinot Gris, a bottle of 2013 Calstar Sangiacomo and a bottle of Pied de Terre Cabernet Sauvignon.  

The turkey was wonderfully tender and I liked the mushroom gravy on the dressing and the turkey dressing on the medium rare steak plus cranberry sauce, turnips and sweet potatoes.  I thought the sweet potatoes with slices of apples was particularly good but everyone restrained themselves because the pies are particularly desirable and a feature of every family Thanksgiving since we began coming to Dallas for Thanksgiving 20 years ago.  One of the things I like about Thanksgiving in Dallas is the fact that our family are all so pleasant to get along with.

Elaine made tea and cut slices of pie.

We lingered at the table for a while and I drank some more wine. Finally, Miriam and the daughter left and we retired to the TV area and Mickey opened the 1988 Graham’s Vintage port and we drank port for a while and then left for the BNB.

Bon Appetit 

November 23, 2022 Lunch - Sloane’s Corner. Dinner - Selda

November 23, 2022 Lunch - Sloane’s Corner. Dinner - Selda 

This was a really interesting day of food and art.

We split a blueberry muffin and watch World Cup soccer.  Then I sliced 1 1/2 slices of whole wheat bagel and spread cream cheese on it and garnished it with slices of a domestic morbier style cheese. At noon we drove to The Meadows Art Museum to see the exhibit of three gems. The portrait of Phillip the 4th by Velasquez on loan from the Frick, the Vermeer Woman reading a note on loan from the Riksmuseum and a Salvador Dali from the Dali Museum in Figueres, Spain. 

The Dali is an homage to both Vermeer and Velasqez and a surrealist masterpiece.  I has a woman standing like the woman in the Vermeer but  on second viewing she is part of the face of a bearded Velasquez. A brilliant slight of hand.

After seeing those three masterpieces we saw a few paintings from the Meadows collection including a good El Greco of Saint Francis in the Wilderness.

After about 1 1/2 hours we drove to the Dallas Museum of Art.  It was almost 2:00 and we were hungry. The cafe at the museum did not appeal to but Suzette had googled a 4.8 point restaurant 1 1/2 blocks away on

 Ross in the Trammel Crow Building named Sloane’s Corner.

It took a while for me to walk to Sloane’s Corner and luckily we arrived after 2:00 and were able to order from the happy hour menu.

We ordered two Old Fashions, a big bowl of mussels steamed with cubes of Spanish chorizo and strips of sun dried tomato in a white wine broth and a dish called Brie Brûlée that was a 250 gram wheel of brie with sugar caramelized top served with glacéd cubes of pear and pieces of walnut.  Both dishes were served with toast points and both were delicious. 

The combination of slightly spicy Spanish Chorizo and sun or oven dried tomato slices gave the delicate plump mussels an exotic flavor.  I ate every last drop of the delicious wine infused broth.

The brie brûlée was equally creative and tasty-with its crunchy caramelized crust and the glacéd pear cubes and walnut chunks.  We loved the dish and ordered glasses of Cabernet Sauvignon to drink with the cheese.

After lunch we walked back to the Museum and saw a special exhibit of Matthew Wong’s landscapes and a Kinetic art exhibit that was not so great.

We also saw mud cloth wraps from Mail as it was approaching 5:00 when the museum closed.

We drove back to Billy and Elaine’s and found that Elaine had picked up Willy. Billy was sick with the flu, but everyone else wanted to go to dinner at Selda.  We went to Selda last year and loved it.  It serves Turkish cuisine and has a Turkish chef.  

As soon as we sat down a bit before 7:00 we ordered hummus and a spicy Ezme appetizer and two beers at happy hour discounts.  Then our waiter brought those items with large platters with huge pita breads.

We were 6 people and we decided to share, so with the help of the waiter we ordered a mixed grill that has all the kabob items, both chicken and beef.  Our waiter suggested 3 skewers of lamb shish kebab.  Willy wanted a meat pie and I wanted Tzatziki and the fabulous arugula, tomato, cucumber, and quinoa salad we ate last time.  I love this salad that is a delicious take on a Mediterranean salad.

Everyone had enough to eat, although our waiter brought extra pita bread so we could make small pita pocket sandwiches with meat salad and tzatziki.

The Tempranillo was a substitute that was a 2017 Marques de Silva Reserva, so better than the menu selection.

Everyone loved the meal and thought the price of $214.00 was excellent, as was the $254.00 total with tip.

After dinner we drove to Jeni’s ice cream parlor, but it was closed, so none of President favorite ice cream.

We returned to Elaine and Billy’s house and had an after dinner drink and talked until 10:30.

This was a fabulous day of food.   

Bon Appetit 

November 22, 2022 Breakfast - PPI Roast Pork and Vegetables and rice Egg Foo Young. Dinner - Posole, tamales, rice, and guacamole with chips

I woke up at 7:25 as the Market was opening.  It was a weird open with the Dow up almost 300 points and the NASDAQ down 35 points.

I packed and showered and dressed by 9:30.

We cooked breakfast by adding rice, chopped bok Choy, and 1/2 minced shallot to the PPI Roast Pork and Calabacitas and rice from last night’s dinner.

We then cleaned up and left for the airport at 10:30 for our 12:35 flight.

Today was the first time I have had wheelchair assistance and it is wonderful. Not only do you get wheeled to the gate.  They board you as a pre-board first.  I sat on the second row in an aisle seat. Also, they let you off first, which is not as big a deal because you simply walk the few feet and get into a wheelchair.  Our attendant at Dallas Love Field rolled me to baggage check and picked up my grip for me and then rolled us to the curbside waiting area for the car rental shuttles.  I tipped him $12.00.

The shuttle took us to the National car rental lot and we walked the few feet to the Emerald Aisle and selected a new Tucson SUV and drove to our apartment for the week.

After we unloaded our grips we drove to Central Market to buy a few items for the week, such as granola, bananas, an apple, yogurt, a bottle of Bandol rose, two cheeses, a baguette, grapes, muffins, bagels, cream cheese, and milk.

We then drove to Elaine and Billy’s house at 6:30.  Rebecca was making guacamole and Billy had made Posole and rice.  Billy was quarantined because he got the flu so until after dinner we said hello only briefly.

Billy is over 1 day past active fever, so he may not be contagious, but he wore a mask and stayed in his room until after dinner and then sat about 15 feet away from us.

Elaine’s steamed 8 store bought tamales and we drank Negra Modelos with the meal.

Billy had added some powdered Chimayo fed chili that gave the posole a bit of a kick.

After dinner we moved into the living room with a drink of out choice.  I filled a cordial glass with a fillet, the pear infused liqueur. We talked for about an hour and then drove to the apartment and to bed

Bon Appetit 

November 21, 2022 Lunch - Mushroom, onion, and cheese Omelet with Sausage Patty. Dinner - stir Fried Roast Pork, spinach, mushrooms, and Calabacitas

November 21, 2022 Lunch - Mushroom, onion, and cheese Omelet with Sausage Patty. Dinner - stir Fried Roast Pork, spinach, mushrooms, and Calabacitas

I worked almost all day today.  I started around 10:00 with Henry and we worked until 12:30.

We then made lunch. Henry helped me. He sautéed two sausage Pattie’s while I sliced three or four mushrooms and a diced a slice of red onion.

When Henry took the sausages out of the skillet he started sautéing the onion and the mushrooms in the sausage fat in the same pan. While he was sautéing the onion and mushrooms I whisked four eggs and added salt, white pepper, and chopped parsley to the eggs.  I also sliced enough slices of Manchego cheese to cover the top of the egg.  

In a few minutes when the onions and mushrooms began to take on color, I poured the egg into the skillet and covered the egg with slices of cheese.

We let the egg cook until it was brown on the bottom and the top began to congeal and I flipped one side onto the other.

While the egg was cooking I made us cups of chai and we ate a lovely lunch while we watched the World Cup match between the US and Wales.

After lunch Henry worked with his brother on a case and I started drafting a reply in another case.

After Henry left I kept drafting the Reply, which I filed at 4:45. 

Suzette came home and asked me what I wanted for dinner and I said, “What do we have?”

Suzette looked in the fridge and she decided to stir fry Some roast pork with fresh spinach, mushrooms, and PPI Calabacitas from last night’s dinner.

It was a delicious dish and went well with the Classico Chianti we opened (Trader Joe’s $6.99).

I spent the evening peeling 13 lemons and then Suzette added a 1.5 liter bottle of grain alcohol to infuse the alcohol with the lemon flavor and color as the first step in making limoncello.

 

We watched the Antiques Roadshow and sipped the rest of the Chianti. Suzette toasted several pieces of baguette and I spread them with French brie.

Suzette went to bed at 9:30 and I went to bed at 11:30 after eating the last piece chocolate cake with a cup of chai.

Bon Appetit 

November 20, 2022 Brunch - Blueberry Pancakes with Bacon. Dinner - PPI Veal Liver Ravioli with mushrooms and shallots and Calabacitas

November 20, 2022 Brunch - Blueberry Pancakes with Bacon. Dinner - PPI Veal Liver Ravioli with mushrooms and shallots and Calabacitas 

Today we only ate two meals but they were both great.

I started the day at 7:00 doing something I had never done before.  I read a case in bed and then sent it to the printer.

After 9:00 Willy came over to watch the first match of the World Cup between Qatar and Ecuador, which Ecuador won 2 to 0.

Suzette then made us breakfast of blueberry pancakes and fried bacon using Jeff and Kathy’s recipe, except Suzette used Kefir instead of milk to make the pancakes denser and more digestible.

Suzette made her Sunday Bloody Mary and Willy and I drank Earl Grey tea.

After the match at 12:00 Bill came over and we discussed the water case.

Then he left to draft his affidavit and I drafted a response to the Motion to Dismiss until 5:00.

Suzette ran errands and came home at 5:00 also.

We were hungry and decided to make an early dinner.

Suzette to use the bacon grease from breakfast to make Calabacitas and to revive the leftover Veal liver Ravioli fromFriday night’s dinner.

I diced a zucchini, and 1/3 yellow onion while Suzette cut the kernels off three ears of corn. She then sautéed those ingredients in the bacon fat for a real traditional New Mexican style Calabacitas.  After mixing the ingredients she covered the skillet to steam the Calabacitas.

I then sliced five or six mushrooms and 2/3 of a medium shallot and we sautéed those ingredients with olive oil and butter in a separate skillet.  After about ten minutes we added the leftover veal liver and liver ravioli and their mushroom sauce.  The sauce was glutinous so we added about 1/3 cup of water to loosen the sauce, which helped make the sauce velvety smooth like thick cream.

Suzette poured out the last of the Brunello di Montalcino and we ate a famous dinner.  The added mushrooms and shallots enhanced the mushroom and onion sauce and were integrated into that delicious sauce.

The Calabacitas were crisp and delicate, so a nice contrast to the thick creamy mushroom sauce.

Of course the Brunello was delicious, even if it had oxidized slightly and lost some of its smoothness.

Later I ate a slice of chocolate cake with tea as we watched Ms. Scarlett and the Duke and then the concluding episode to Magpie Murders.

Suzette went to bed at 9:00 and I blogged in bed at 9:30 after watching KC come from behind in the last 1:46 to beat LA.

By the way I watched the highlights of TCU’s 29 to 28 victory over Baylor two times because it was so thrilling and because I missed the game yesterday.

Bon Appetit