October 31, 2023 Lunch - East Ocean Dinner - Broiled Leeks with Romesco Sauce and Halloween Candy

October 31, 2023 Lunch - East Ocean Dinner - Broiled Leeks with Romesco Sauce and Halloween Candy 

I did not eat any breakfast and met Robert for lunch at East Ocean.

We ordered the usual dish we eat, Deep Fried Tofu with Mixed Vegetables.

Today’s dish was particularly delicious with lots of fresh snow peas plus, slices of onion, bok Choy, zucchini, broccoli, mushrooms, carrots, baby corn, celery hearts, and water chestnuts and lots of brown sauce made with chicken stock and soy sauce, served with a large bowl of steamed rice. We always drink hot tea with

                                                   T Rexes kissing

                                                Jeff Koons look alike dogs 

lunch.

We were so deeply in discussion about a case he has and did not realize that Cliff Blaugrund was sitting with a friend as the next table until Cliff said hello.

We talked for a few minutes and then walked out together.

I must call Cliff for lunch soon.

I drove home and rested upon front of the TV and then worked on Robert’s case until 4:50. 

I was watching the news when Todd called around 5:10 to ask if I was going to meditate.

Since it was Halloween I begged off meditating because the younger kids come early.

Suzette steamed the six leeks I bought at El Super and then brushed them with olive oil and broiled them until tender.  She served them with some of the new batch of Romesco Sauce made at the Bistro today.

I was amazed how tender they were. Even the green leaves were tender and delicious.

At 6:30 Suzette put two bags of candy into a large basket and set up a stool for me and a pillow for her on the front porch.  It was getting cool, so I made a cup of hot chocolate with cognac and Suzette poured a sip of cognac and we gave out candy until 8:00.  I ate a few almond joys to get into the spirit of Halloween.

The question for older kids this year was, How many women are currently running for President?

Of the dozens of older kids who were asked, only one guessed “1”.

Suzette told each child who guessed wrongly, “One. Nikki Haley is running against Trump to be the Republican nominee.”

We always see creative and amazing costumes and love the celebration of Halloween when our neighbors offer candy to the Trick or Treaters.

There were lots of dinosaurs but our favorite were the two electric red dogs that were exact copies of Jeff Koons Dogs.

See above

After 8:00 we watched some news and then around 9:00 turned on the World Series and were amazed that Texas was ahead 11 to 1. By the end of the game the Diamondbacks scored 6 more runs but lost.

We toasted three slices of baguette and used a toasted slice of 9 grain bread to make two chicken sandwiches each with slices of the roasted chicken breast, avocado slices, lettuce, Gouda cheese, and slices of onion.

I drank hot tea and Suzette drank a red vermouth.

Suzette went to bed at the end of the game and I stayed up to watch the news and blog.

Bon Appetit 

October 30, 2023 Lunch - M’Tucci’s Dinner - PPI Duck and fruit stew with Potatoes Savoyard and Asparagus

October 30, 2023 Lunch - M’Tucci’s  Dinner - PPI Duck and fruit stew with Potatoes Savoyard and Asparagus 

We slept in a bit this morning; Suzette until 7:30 and I until 8:00.

After Suzette left bought another 100 shares of Enphase.

I ate two Belgium Chocolate Crepes at 10:00 with a cup of chai.

Then at 12:00 I drove to M’Tucci’s to meet Suzette and Linda for lunch.

P.J. Lucero was sitting at the next table and I said hello to her and her friend.

Suzette and Linda ordered Cassoulet which was a large bowl of cannellini beans, potatoes and two sausages.

I ordered a lunch with a. 1/2 order of rigatoni and Italian sausage with a tomato burrata sauce and Tuscan bean soup.

Suzette also ordered a white wine.

When the meal was served I found it odd that both the cassoulet and my rigatoni had a layer of mashed potatoes.  When I took a bite of the Tuscan bean soup it was so heavily seasoned with green chili and black pepper that I could not eat it.

I asked for a Cesar salad instead, but when it was brought and I asked if it had been seasoned with black pepper the waitress took it back and brought me another salad.

I ate the second salad, although it also was pungent with chili or black pepper.

A memorable dining experience.

I went home after lunch and Willy was doing his laundry and helped me take delivery of a box of six Pinot Noir wines from Calstar.

I then walked to the bank and made a deposit.

When I returned home at 3:30 Suzette was at home. I lay down and rested and took a short nap from 4:15 to 4:45.

Willy came back to fetch his laundry at 6:00 and ate Suzette’s leftover Cassoulet from lunch for his dinner.

At 6:15 we started watching game three of the World Series and Monday Night Football between the Las Vegas Raiders and the Detroit Lions.

At 7:00 Suzette heated the PPI Duck and fruit (apple, plum, and quince) stew with the PPI Potatoes Savoyard and steamed the remaining ten stalks of asparagus.

Suzette drank the last glass of Bordeaux and I drank the last glass of De Ponte 2019 Pinot Noir Reserve.

I ate a slice of Havarti with dill to finish my Pinot and later ate three squares of chocolate with almonds with a sip of Suzette’s Chevalier cognac to finish a lovely dinner.

I was pleased that the Rangers won the World Series game 3 and Detroit was very impressive and won. With this win I believe Detroit has the second best record this year in the NFL of 6 and 2.

Suzette went to bed after the Rangers won at 9:00 and I stayed up until Detroit won.

Bon Appetit

October 29, 2023 Brunch - Steak and Eggs Burrito. Snack - chocolate sot ice cream sundae at Costco. Dinner - Grilled Lamb Chops with Spinach Couscous

October 29, 2023 Brunch - Steak and Eggs Burrito. Snack - chocolate sot ice cream sundae at Costco. Dinner - Grilled Lamb Chops with Spinach Couscous 

I awakened at 7:30 and watched Everton beat West Hampton 1 to 0.

I then watched the news until 10:00 and then chopped 3 oz. of onion, two cloves of garlic and the rest of the porterhouse steak. 

I went to dress and Suzette sautéed those ingredients and when they were cooked scrambled three eggs to them with three whisked eggs.

Suzette toasted large burrito sized flour tortillas on the gas stove and divided the scramble between the two tortillas.  I ate mine open faced and Suzette rolled hers into a burrito.

I drank hot tea and Suzette drank a Bloody Mary.

We then cleaned out 2 more of my closets. Most of my suits and sports coats and slacks were destroyed by moth holes or my waist having out- grown the pants.

After we cleaned the closets we put straw on the fig bush to protect it from the expected freeze tonight.

We then drove to Total Wine where zsuzette bought two more bottles of vermouth and 18 bottles of apple hard cider to serve with the Fabada at the Spanish feast next Thursday.

We then drove to Costco, where we bought eggs, Tylenol, pork belly for the Fabada for the Spanish feast, romaine lettuce, and laundry detergent.

We then drove home and cleaned 1 1/2 lb. of anchovies and Suzette then broiled them.

At 6:00 I cleaned about 1/2 lb. of spinach and made Spinach couscous by sautéing 3 oz. of onion, two cloves of garlic in butter and then adding 1 cup of couscous and sautéing that and then adding the spinach and 1 1/2 cup of boiling water to the couscous and letting it simmer for a couple of minutes until the couscous had absorbed the water and the spinach cooked and then I fluffed the couscous and let it stand to steam and soften.

Wally arrived and had a vermouth and I opened a 2019 De Ponte reserve Pinot Noir.

Suzette fetched a jar of her home made mango chutney and I fetched a jar of her home made mint jelly and we had a great dinner as the temperature was dropping with our first freeze forecast for tonight.

Willy left and Suzette went to bed and later I drank a Calvados and watched Astrid on PBS.

Bon Appetit

October 28, 2023 Lunch - Pita pocket Sandwiches Dinner - Roasted Chicken, PPI Potatoes Savoyard, and Steamed Snow Peas

October 28, 2023 Lunch - Pita pocket Sandwiches  Dinner - Roasted Chicken, PPI Potatoes Savoyard, and Steamed Snow Peas

I awakened at 7:00 and watched Brentford beat Chelsea. I made a cup of hot chocolate with almost all milk, a bag of Swiss Miss mix and a T. of Starbucks cocoa, plus a T. of cognac for breakfast.

Roger came to discuss the bathroom remodel and then Suzette left to help cook the Spanish meal.

I watched soccer and then football.  The most exciting game of the day was Kansas beating Oklahoma. The next best game was Texas beating BYU.

I read a terrible article in The New Yorker on a scheme in Colorado for foster parents terminating birth parents’ child custody.

Then at 2:00 I toasted a pita bread and filled them with leftover steak, slices of tomato and onion and labni and ate them with pickles and dolmas and drank a glass of yogurt drink.

Suzette came home around 3:00 after a frustrating day of trying to cook.

She had stopped and bought melon ballers at Walmart.

We watched Jose Andres make the apples in red wine syrup once more and then we replicated the dish.

Suzette reduced by 1/2, 2 bottles of Rioja with two sticks of cinnamon, a bay leaf, and 1 1/2 cup of sugar until it was a syrup.

I peeled 9 apples and we then cut balls from the apples. Suzette heated a cooking pan and added the syrup and then the apples and boiled the apple ball for about five minutes and the cooled them.

Then around 4:30 I prepped the whole chicken I bought yesterday at Smith’s.

I went to the garden and picked tarragon, thyme, and rosemary.

I sliced three or four cloves of garlic into flat slices and pricked the chicken’s skin and pushed garlic and tarragon under the skin in eight or ten places.  I then filled the stomach cavity with lemon wedges and placed the chicken on a steel rack. We placed the rack in a Pyrex baking dish and added 1/4 inch of water to the bottom of the baking dish.

Suzette cooked the chicken in a 425 degree oven for twenty minutes and then turned the oven temp down to 350 and roasted the chicken for another hour.

I opened a bottle of 2018 Lamoreaux Landing Dry Riesling that I fetched and chilled this morning.  It is one of our favorite rieslings.

When the chicken was ready Suzette microwaved the PPI Potatoes Savoyard and steam a handful of snow peas I bought at Talin yesterday.

We ate roasted chicken, steamed snow peas, and Potatoes Savoyard for dinner with glasses of Lamoreaux Landing dry Riesling.

Then later Suzette made the dessert that will be served at the Spanish meal on Thursday, red wine marinated apple balls with vanilla ice cream balls garnished with sprigs of Rosemary and thyme.

We watched TV and at 9:00 Death in Paradise. 

Suzette went to bed at 10:00 and I stayed up to blog this entry and read a bit.

Bon Appetit