May 30, 2023 Lunch - Sandwiches. Dinner - Sautéed Bratwursts and Sweet Potato, garlic, onion, and Brussels sprouts Casserole

May 30, 2023 Lunch - Sandwiches. Dinner - Sautéed Bratwursts and Sweet Potato, garlic, onion, and Brussels sprouts Casserole 

I ate a bowl of tropical fruit salad, granola, milk, and yogurt for breakfast.

I then worked two hours to finish research and an opinion letter for a client.

At 11:00 I felt sore but forced myself to walk to the bank to make a deposit.

When I returned I made a lemonade and elevated my legs and watched News and the market.

The market lost about 1/2 of today’s earlier gain but the Dow reduced its loss by more than 1/2 and the NASDAQ reduced its gain by more than half.  It seems positive that the two indices are approaching each other because that seems to me to be a move toward stability.

At 12:30 when I returned home I made two basil Mayo and sliced tomato sandwiches on whole wheat bread and three charcuterie and slices of red onion and Gouda cheese sandwiches on toasted baguette slices spread with basil Mayo and German mustard plus green and black cracked olives and torn leaves of lettuce.

When the Market closed I checked and was pleased that my portfolio increased by 1.2% thanks in part to another $12.00 increase in Nvidia that has increased by 30% in the last week.

I was sore so I rested until 4:30 and then drank a cup of chai and ate two pecan sandies spread with peanut butter and then peeled and cubed two sweet potatoes, an onion, a pound of Brussels sprouts, and 1/2 head of garlic and put them into a baking dish.

As I finished Suzette arrived and tossed the vegetables with olive oil and salt and covered the baking dish with aluminum and baked the vegetables in a 350 degree oven for an hour.

Suzette ate some tostadas dipped into the guacamole crema I made yesterday.  We watched the news until the vegetables were baked. Suzette then sautéed three brats.  That was the basis for my menu.  We had three thawed brats that needed to be cooked and we had Brussels sprouts that are a lot like cabbage and Suzette likes sweet potatoes. So I simply created a German style dinner of brats with cabbage and sweet potatoes instead of mashed potatoes.

I opened a bottle of Pinot Grigio rose di Venezia that I had bought at Trader Joe’s for $6.99.

Suzette made a Delice sauce by whisking cream and horseradish that was a perfect complement to the brats.

So, we enjoyed another great dinner created from ingredients that needed to be used.

I still want to make Vichyssoise and make it tomorrow.

I ate a piece of chocolate halvah and two chocolate sandwich cookies with a cup of chai.

We watched the final episode of La Brea and then at 9:30 Suzette went to bed.

I stayed up to watch the news programs and blog this entry.

Bon Appetit

May 29, 2023 Lunch - Crab Cake and tomato, cucumber, avocado, and lettuce salad. Dinner - Pasta Casserole with Bok Choy, onion, Pasilla chili, garlic, chorizo sausage, and three cheeses

May 29, 2023 Lunch - Crab Cake and tomato, cucumber, avocado, and lettuce salad. Dinner - Pasta Casserole with Bok Choy, onion, Pasilla chili, garlic, chorizo sausage, and three cheeses

Another wonderful day of food and I also got three hours of billable time.

I slept until 9:00 and then ate granola, tropical fruit salad, milk, and yogurt for breakfast.

I then worked until Suzette came home at 1:00 with a bag of Bok Choy Suzette’s staff picked at the Center.

She made a wonderful lunch of a sautéed crab cake with a chopped tomato, cucumber, and avocado salad on leaves of romaine lettuce. I made a quick tartare sauce by adding a tsp. of pickle relish to the 1/2 cup of PPI of Louis sauce and poured out the rest of the bottle of Oregon King’s Estate Pinot Gris and we had a pleasant lunch outside.

After lunch I cut three Mr. Lincoln and two Tropicana roses and put them into vases in the house.

Then I talked to my client for an hour and then went to the kitchen, where I pickled a bottle of Persian cucumbers with dill seed and a clove of garlic in a mason jar with 1 1/2 cup of white vinegar, 1 1/2 cup of water, and 1/4 cup of  salt.

Then at 5:00 I made a bowl of avocado crema by chopping 2 T. of onion’ two small avocados, a clove of pressed garlic, juice of 1 lime, 1/4 tsp. of salt, about 1/4 of fresh chopped cilantro, three or four dashes of Cholula Hot Sauce and 3 T. of Mexican crema.

I ate a few tostadas dipped into the avocado crema.

Suzette took a nap from 3:00 to 5:30 and checked the garden after she awakened from her nap.

I suggested we make a pasta dish and add the bok Choy.  Suzette instead made a pasta casserole. She boiled cassarecce pasta, and I diced four cloves of garlic, a medium onion, four tomatoes, and a chorizo sausage.

I also sliced a pile of Swiss Gruyere and grated a pile of Parmesan.

Suzette then laid layers of each ingredient, with a layer of a Swiss Gruyere mixed with a ball of burrata and a layer of bok Choy and topped the casserole with a layer of the Parmesan.

Suzette then covered the baking dish with aluminum and baked the casserole for 45 minutes and then uncovered for an additional ten minutes to brown.

I opened the bottle of Bosco Montepulcianob di Abbruzo I bought at Costco.

I was heavy and, most amazingly, had a plum aroma.

The pasta dish was fantastically delicious.  I ate two helpings and there is still lots left.

After dinner we watched three episodes of La Brea and ate the last of the cheese cake with fresh strawberries.

It was another great day of food.

Bon Appetit

May 28, 2023 Brunch - Fried Eggs, Potato wedges and Bacon and toast Dinner - Stir-Fried Vietnamese rice vermicelli with Beef, Snow Peas, Shallot, and mushrooms.

May 28, 2023  Brunch - Fried Eggs, Potato wedges and Bacon and toast  Dinner - Stir-Fried Vietnamese rice vermicelli with Beef, Snow Peas, Shallot, and mushrooms.

I started the day by drinking a glass of hot lemon water and watching the news. Then at 9:30 I split an almond and chocolate croissant with Suzette. 

I then watched Leicester beat West Ham but get relegated, so you will not be able to watch Leicester in the PL next year because Everton won its match.

When Willy arrived I blessed him with what I recall was a traditional Jewish blessing, “May God Bless you and keep you from all harm.”, while Suzette was planting the Thai basil and working with Carlos in the garden.

Then Willy and I pruned and cut several roses and refreshed the vases.

At 11:00 Suzette fried six slices of bacon and at 11:30. Willy came over and Suzette fried two white potatoes into wedges and then cooked six organic eggs Willy brought and toasted several slices of baguette.

We drank orange juice and ate eggs, bacon, potatoes, and toast.

Suzette went through Willy’s medical kit with him and then we drove Willy to the airport for the first leg of his trip to San Jose.

We then watched a Netflix movie about a travel agent lady who falls in love with a travel agency guide in Vietnam.

After the movie we decided to stir fry Vietnamese rice vermicelli with beef, snow peas, garlic, shallot, carrot, and mushrooms and garnish the noodles with chopped cilantro and green onion.

We followed the directions for stir fried vermicelli.  Suzette brought a pot of water to a boil and cooked the noodles for seven minutes and then drained them and rinsed them in cool water.  

We then stir fried the other ingredients in peanut oil and then tossed the cooked vermicelli with the ingredients and seasoned the dish with a sauce of rice vinegar, sesame oil, and mirin.

We garnished the dish with chopped cilantro and green onion.

Later we bing watched three episodes of La Brea and ate a bowl of chocolate cherry truffle ice cream, for our big Memorial Day weekend celebration.

I felt good and road 1.47 miles on the stationary bike after dinner.

It was a lovely day of food and family.

Bon Appetit

May 27, 2023 Lunch - Shrimp Pad Thai Dinner - Crab Cakes with Steamed Asparagus

 May 27, 2023 Lunch - Shrimp Pad Thai   Dinner - Crab Cakes with Steamed Asparagus 

I advance the theorem that we as well as any couple in Albuquerque has the benefit of growing old and being semi-retired with sufficient resources to enjoy fine wine and food.. Today’s meals are yet another example 

Suzette made us Breakfast burritos with Chorizo, onion, eggs, and Jarlsberg cheese on a flour tortilla. 

We then walked to the Farmers’ Market, where we bought two Thai Basil plants and three almond and chocolate croissants and walked home.

We then rested and watched the news of an agreement “in principle” to avoid the debt ceiling crisis and at 2:00 I fetched the leftover container of Pad Thai from Friday Night’s meal and Suzette added that to the skillet in which she sautéed the dozen shrimp we thawed Thursday.

The result was a wonderful blend of about equal quantities of fresh sautéed shrimp and Pad Thai rice noodles flavored with chili and sweet fish sauce.

We shared the last of the bottle of Kirkland Pinot Grigio for a lovely lunch.

A bit later Amy and Willy came by. Amy was kind enough to fetch my Texas Law baseball cap from Chomp Food Hall, where we left it yesterday and brought Willy a first aid kit and the chance to say goodbye before he left on his two month around the world trip.  Here is a photo of Amy, Suzette, and Willy.

I napped after Amy and Willy left and then at 5:00 I drove to El Super to shop for groceries.  I bought over $40.00 of groceries including: yellow onions, yellow crook neck squash, oranges, big and small avocados, broccoli, limes, lemons, white potatoes, leeks, romaine lettuce, radishes, cilantro, crema, carrots, condensed milk, asparagus, celery, cherries, strawberries, hazelnut filled wafer cookies, a 1/2 gallon of fresh squeezed orange juice, and yogurt.

I got sore but kept going by eating a strawberry, several cherries, and several sips of fresh orange juice. They sell the best fresh orange juice in Albuquerque, although not cheap at $10.00 for 1/2 gallon.

When I returned home Suzette helped me carry in and put away the groceries.

I was tired and hungry and was happy when Suzette said she had prepared the crab cakes we had planned for dinner and they were ready to sauté. I had brought in a chilled bottle of King’s Estate Oregon Pinot Gris from the garage that I thought would go well with the crab cakes, but the crab cakes with steamed asparagus drizzled with Béarnaise Sauce were a perfect combination and the wine tasted superfluous, although its added acidity and fruitiness were pleasant.

Suzette follows the Williamsburg Cookbook recipe with eggs, crushed saltine crackers or bread crumbs and not much else for her crab cakes, which allows that rich, briny crab flavor to shine.

After dinner we ate pieces of cheese cake with strawberry slices for dessert.  What a lovely and elegantly American meal.

We watched Dallas beat Las Vegas to win game five of the Western Division to bring them back to 2 games to Las Vegas’ 3 games.

If Dallas wins the next two games, it would be the first time in Stanley Cup playoff history that a team won four straight games to erase a 3 to 0 deficit to win.

Suzette went to bed at 9:30 and I stayed up to watch Death in Paradise and New Mexico loose to San Antonio in soccer.

My assessment is that New Mexico May have the skills to win but lacks proper coaching.

I went t bed at midnight and blogged this entry on Sunday afternoon.

Bon Appetit

May 26, 2023 Lunch - Steak Salad, Northern Rhone wine tasting Dinner - Hawaiian Poke Bowl and Khmer Pad Thai at Chomp Food Hall, Santa Fe

May 26, 2023 Lunch - Steak Salad, Northern Rhone wine tasting Dinner - Hawaiian Poke Bowl and Khmer Pad Thai at Chomp Food Hall, Santa Fe

I awakened at 8:00 and checked the Market.  It was up and going higher.

It ended the day with the NASDAQ rising 2.19% and the Dow up almost 1%.  My portfolio rose a very helpful 1.6%.

I ate a Pepperidge farms plain bagel with cream cheese and lives of red onion and Gravad lax garnished with capers at 9:30.

P

at noon I talked bikes with John Pompas for a while. He showed me his  beautiful Cannondale 33 speed electric bike and then I worked until 1:45 when I made a steak salad with the leftover steak kabobs, lettuce, red onion slices, cucumber slices, and a diced Roma tomato with the dressing revived with lemon juice, the new Italian olive oil, and some egg yolk.

I watched the market close and some of White House Date Line and then drafted an agreement for Rahim.

Suzette came home at 3:30 and we left for Santa Fe at 4:15.

We arrived at Chomp Food Hall a few minutes before 5:30 for Greg O’Byrne’s Northern Rhone Valley tasting.

It was fabulous, five reds and three whites from just south of Lyon to Hermitage.

Greg rode the length of the Northern Rhone Valley on a bike in 2019 and shared his experiences and numerous photos of the towns, vineyards, and geography.

Several of the wines were fabulous.

After the wine tasting we decided to eat dinner in the cool breezy outdoor dining area in the Chomp.  Suzette ordered a tuna Hawaiian poke bowl and I ordered a plate of Khmer Pad Thai.  Both were delicious.  The poke Bowl included lots of rice, sliced avocado, edamame, three types of seaweed, raw Aji tuna, and slivers of carrot, and daikon.

My Pad Thai was simpler with only a few mung bean sprouts, chopped peanuts, and slices of green onion and red cabbage although, the Pad Thai had that interesting juxtaposition of spicy and sweet.  

We shared a pint of apple cider.

After dinner we drove home and arrived a few minutes after 9:00.

Suzette went to bed and I stayed up to check the news and blog as I drank a  a White Russian, milk, rum, and Kahlua.

Bon Appetit

May 25, 2023 Lunch - Hot dogs at the book club Dinner - Ruth’s Birthday dinner party

May 25, 2023  Lunch - Hot dogs at the book club Dinner - Ruth’s Birthday dinner party 

I ate 1 1/2 slices of a sesame seed bagel for breakfast and then got dressed.

I had an appoint with a couple that was referred by Charlie and he arrived during the interview to go to book club at 10:30.

When they left we drove to pick up Peter and then drove to the War Memorial at Louisiana and Gibson.

Keith brought Costco hot dogs with chips, drinks, and cookies and led a discussion of The Meaning of it All by Feynman.

 

We finished at around 2:30 and I drove Peter and Charlie home and then I rested until Suzette came home 4:45 and then we started cooking for dinner.

Suzette cooked a cheese cake last night and this evening we decorated it and I diced six or seven strawberries that Suzette added sugar to and cooked into a compote/glaze with which she covered the cheese cake.

I then zested four limes, and squeezed them into 1/2 cup of juice, to which Suzette added 1 1/2 T. of sesame oil, 2 T. of sesame seeds, and 1/2 tsp. of salt and poured it into a gallon bag with two pounds of cubed tenderloin and 1 1/2 lb. of 21/25 count shrimp and put it into the fridge to marinate.

I chilled a  Gruet Sauvage rose and the bottle of Domaine de Tamary, Cotes De Provence rose I bought at Costco yesterday for $10.00..

Then a few minutes before 6:30 Ricardo and Cynthia arrived with a salad, a casserole of baked rice, and a bowl of cherry tomatoes sautéed in olive oil, garlic, and salt.

I poured us glasses of Gruet Sauvage rose.

Then a few minutes later Melissa and Ruth, the 85 year old birthday girl, arrived with a bottle of Gruet rose reserve they bought at the tasting at Gruet they went to yesterday and the bottle of Prosecco rose Cynthia and Ricardo gave them previously.

I chilled both bottles and poured Melissa and Ruth glasses of Gruet Sauvage rose, which they said they had tasted yesterday.

We moved to the table under the gazebo that was surrounded by mosquito netting that kept out most of the mosquitos.  

Then Suzette and I skewered the marinated shrimp and tenderloin and Suzette put the skewers on the grill to grill.

Cynthia then made a dressing and dressed her salad and Ricardo tossed his rice.

After the shrimp and beef were grilled we all went to the kitchen and served ourselves a skewer of shrimp and beef, rice, sautéed tomatoes and salad. I poured the bottle of Domaine de Tamary for dinner.  The 2021 Domaine de Tamary with a vibrant fruitiness and lots of acidity was a real winner at $10.00 per bottle at Costco.

We had a lovely conversation and finally cleared the table and brought out the strawberry glazed cheese cake and the bottle of Prosecco.

I served slices of cheese cake and Ricardo poured Prosecco. Around 9:00 everyone left, except Cynthia left her phone.

The weather cooperated cooling with no wind.

Suzette went to bed after we cleared the outdoor table.

I stayed up to watch the news until midnight.  The big news is the sentencing of Stuart Rhodes, the leader of the Oath Keepers, to 18 years in prison for the conviction of seditious Conspiracy, for organizing a coup of the US government as Trump’s Shock troopers. The judge said he was a threat to our democracy.

Can Trump’s accountability be far behind?

Bon Appetit

May 24, 2023 Lunch - Costco hot dog Snack - Potstickers and seaweed salad. Dinner - Fresh Dungeness Crab Salad

May 24, 2023 Lunch - Costco hot dog Snack - Potstickers and seaweed salad. Dinner - Fresh Dungeness Crab Salad

I awakened at 6:30 and showered and dressed and ate a bowl,of fruit salad with granola, milk, and yogurt. At 7:50 I drove to my dermatology appointment at 8:30 and finished reading the Meaning of it all waiting for my appointment.

After demo I drove to Costco and arrived at 9:25 so waited until 10:00 when it opened.

I had to buy shrimp for the party tomorrow but I we had made a list that included a number of household cleaning items such as Windex, Clorox, and Kleenex.  I went a little crazy and bought a bottle Malbec for Willy, a bottle of Montepulciano di Abbruzo, and a bottle of Tamay Rose from Cotes du Provence. Plus I bought two bottles of Dewars for Suzette and a container of Dunkin’ Donuts coffee and cream cheese for a cheese cake for the party. I also bought a bottle of liquid turmeric and a package of four fresh Dungeness crab claws and a 500 gram round of brie and two logs of goat cheese and eggs and baguettes.

I became weak so I ate a hot dog after I checked out.

I then drove to Office Depot and bought yellow legal pads and a box the blue uni-ball pens I like.

I arrived home at 12:00 and unloaded the car and at 1:00 watched Man City versus Brighton play to a 1-1 tie.  At 2:00 I was hungry again so I sautéed 11 potstickers in 1/16 inch of peanut oil. While the potstickers were sautéing, I made a dipping sauce of soy, chili oil, sesame oil, and sliced green onion.  When the potstickers were done I plated them with a pile of seaweed salad and ate a pleasant lunch.

After lunch I chilled a bottle of Kirkland Pinot Grigio.

Shortly after the Market closed after another down day, Nvidia announced strong earnings and a strong forecast and the stock jumped $80.00 in after market trading.  The last four days the market has been trending down but all that changed for my portfolio today. I regained all that loss and added significantly to my portfolio if the gain in Nvidia holds up.  I own 1200 shares.  Nvidia makes the leading chip configuration for AI.

I then meditated from 4:15 to 4:45. 

Suzette arrived shortly after 5:00 and we hung the mosquito netting around the gazebo.

At 6:30 I minced a shallot and covered it with lemon juice.

At 7:00 Willy arrived to pick up his new Credit card that converts your currency to the local currency in whatever country you are in at little cost and bearing an avocado.

Suzette made a plate of chicken cattiatore on toast for Willy with salad.

I then made a salad plate for Suzette and me with slices of avocado, cucumber, radish, lettuce, and tomato. Suzette then added a crab claw to each plate and I finished my style of Louis sauce by adding catsup, mayonnaise and horseradish to the shallot cooking in lemon juice.

We ate inside and watched the Florida Panthers eliminate the Carolina Hurricanes in four straight games.

Willy left after dinner and we picked the other two crab claws and made a stock with the crab shells by adding water and a mirepoix.

 Suzette then made a cheese cake and I diced strawberries for a sauce for the cheese cake.

We went to bed at 9:30.

Bon Appetit

May 23, 2023 Lunch - Carne Adovado Enchiladas at La Choza Dinner - PPI Chicken Cattiatore with Cassarecce pasta in Burrata cream sauce

 May 23, 2023 Lunch - Carne Adovado Enchiladas at La Choza Dinner  - PPI Chicken Cattiatore with Cassarecce pasta in Burrata cream sauce

I woke up early and showered and was in the kitchen by 8:15. I prepared and ate a bowl of tropical fruit salad, granola, milk, and yogurt.

Suzette awakened even earlier and gardened and then did aerobics in the hot tub and showered and dressed and we left fo Santa Fe at 10:00.

Suzette was looking for a pot for a Japanese Maple (acer) tree so we stopped at Restore It, then Empire Antiques and finally Raven Antiques before lunch. We then drove to La Choza for lunch after several decades of eating at the Shed and La Choza we had perfected our ordering.  We order one order of the Enchilada Plate with double Posole and a side of sour cream and two Negra Modelos and the sopapillas after we finish the enchiladas 

Today we ordered carne adovado filled enchiladas. I have been eating the cashed red chili sauce for over 50 years and I identify the shed blue corn enchiladas as the most delicious enchilada in New Mexico.

The owner and her daughter sat next to us and we spoke briefly to them about their red Chile.  I told them that I was fond of French food and liked the fact that their red sauce was actually a béchamel sauce made with Chile instead of flour and tomato juice instead of milk or stock.  They said they appreciated our comments and talked to Suzette about her restaurant and facility in Los Lunas for a few minutes.

We enjoyed a pleasant conversation with them and said goodbye when we left.

We then drove to rhe State Capitol because Suzette had an appointment to meet with the Governor’s staff about including a reimbursement rate for assisted living for Medicaid eligible persons. I took the opportunity to view the Capitol art collection.  It was very interesting with many artists’ whose works I own and many contemporary artists’ works I had never seen before.

                                  Ant People by Pablita Velarde

I finished my walk around the Round House and returned to the Highlander, just as Suzette was coming out.  We drove to Stephen’s Consignment, but found no pot and then drove to a consignment furniture store on Camino Cristo Rey, but again no pot.

Suzette drove back and I dozed. When we returned to Albuquerque she drove to her favorite used furniture store on Candelaria where she had seem a pot she liked. She bought it for $100 and they loaded it into the Highlander and Suzette drove it and us home.

It was 5:30 when we arrived at home.

Suzette lay down for a nap and I caught up on the news until 6:30.

I had removed the PPI Chicken Cacciatore from the fridge when Suzette came into the kitchen and took over dinner.  

She heated the entire container of chicken and another of the PPI Casarecce pasta in its Burrata cream sauce.

I fetched a bottle of Kirkland Chianti Classico Riserva and opened it and poured two glasses.

I plated the pasta and chicken and we ate chicken again except Suzette did not finish her plate and I finished hers for her.

When we turned on the hockey game, Las Vegas was up by 3 points to 0 in the first 7 1/2 minutes and Dallas never scored, so we watched an episode of La Brea and went to bed at 9:30. I drank a second glass of wine but was full of pasta and chicken and had no interest in eating anything more.

I did not check my portfolio, but saw that the Market went sharply lower on the news that there was no movement on debt ceiling negotiations with the NASDAQ down 165 points, which is about 1.3%.

Bon Appetit