September 8, 2021 Lunch - 2000 Vietnam No. 30. Dinner - Eggplant Parmigiana With Spaghetti with Tomato Sauce

 September 8, 2021 Lunch - 2000 Vietnam No. 30. Dinner - Eggplant Parmigiana With Spaghetti with Tomato Sauce 

We walked this morning but I was weak and so we only did the short circle, about 1/2 mile.

When we returned I ate a part of a bowl of granola with milk and blueberries and yogurt and then got ready for my 9:00 appointment.

When the appointment was finished I ate the rest of the granola and then drove to get my mini tested for emission so I can get it registered.  I then drove to 2000 Vietnam to pick up the take out order of No. 30, my usual favorite, bun Cha Gio with grilled pork.  There were two reasons why I ordered No. 30 today.  I spoke to Luke this morning and he told me he ordered the same dish at a Vietnamese restaurant when he was in the city last week and because I saw the market tumbling and I wanted to enjoy a positive food experience for lunch and I knew there was lovely fresh cilantro in the fridge and wonderful basil in the garden with which to garnish and flavor the dish.  

After I picked up the No. 30 at 2000 Vietnam I drove to Sprouts at San Mateo and Lomas and bought a lb. of ground lamb, three fresh rock fish fillets, yogurt, sour cream, milk, a handful of green beans and three avocados.

I then drove home and went to the garden and picked a handful of basil leaves and made a glass of Vietnamese coffee with a heaping spoonful of condensed milk, leftover coffee, and ice.

I checked my portfolio before lunch and confirmed that it was a really bad day with a drop of over 1%, but I loved lunch and ate all of the dish and drank another glass of Vietnamese coffee to make sure I got enough sugar and caffeine to start feeling better and more importantly to emphasize the positive.

As the afternoon went on I felt better and better.  I lay down for a nap at 4:30 after several calls and rested until Suzette came to fetch me at 6:00 to make dinner.

Eggplant Parmigiana-

We had discussed making Eggplant Parmigiana with one of our eggplants from the garden last night. Although Suzette was tired after a long day she rallied and went with me to the garden to pick oregano and an eggplant.

Then I chopped 1/3 onion, 2 cloves of garlic, five lovely ripe small tomatoes Suzette brought from her garden at the Center, and 1 T. of oregano.  Suzette sautéed the onion and garlic and then I diced the tomatoes and in a couple of minutes added those to the sauté pan.  Then I chopped and minced 1 T. of oregano and added that to the skillet and we cooked those ingredients into a sauce, while Suzette sliced the eggplant and brushed the slices with olive oil and grilled them on the grill.  We prefer grilling the eggplant slices instead of frying them, because they are far less greasy.  

Suzette then placed the eggplant slices in a Pyrex baking dish separated by alternating slices of fresh mozzarella.

She also boiled a handful of spaghetti and after it was cooked tossed it with pesto.

Suzette then covered the eggplant and mozzarella slices with the tomato sauce we had made and baked it in the oven.

I went to the basement and fetched a bottle of 2015 Aquino Chianti Reserva ($5.99 at Trader Joe’s) and opened it and poured two glasses and added two ice cubes to each to chill the wine.

After about thirty minutes the eggplant was ready and Suzette piled some spaghetti on each plate and lay a couple of eggplant slices and sauce on the side of the pile of spaghetti and we ate a terrific dinner.

I felt even better after the meal, but Suzette was still tired and said I needed to make dinner tomorrow night.

I already have a menu plan; Aluminum foil baked Rock fish with rice and steamed green beans with a Lamoreaux 0% Riesling.

There are three fish fillets so we can ask Willy to join us.

My father was a strong believer in the power of positive thinking and I have adopted his thinking.  I think you can make yourself happy and healthy by dwelling on positive aspects of your life, even something as small and insignificant as a good meal, and the opposite if you dwell on doom and gloomy thoughts.

Bon Appetit