May 4, 2033 Brunch - El Super La Cocina Chili Relleno Burrito Lunch - Padilla’s. Dinner - Lobster salad

 May 4, 2033 Brunch - El Super La Cocina Chili Relleno Burrito Lunch - Padilla’s. Dinner - Lobster salad 

It was a busy day.  We awakened at 7:00. I had lost my wallet but thought it might be in the car.

I checked at 8:45 and it was in the car. Carlos showed up at that moment and was able to reach and retrieve the phone. 

I then went to El Super to shop for groceries for the weekend because Billy and Elaine were coming today and Rebecca and Mickey tomorrow.

I did not eat last night and although I ate a fig bar at 8:30, my muscles began to weaken at 9:30 as I started shopping. So, I walked over to the Cocina and ordered a Chili Relleno Plate with double refried beans, lettuce and tomato, two toasted flour tortillas and a bottle of Coca Cola.

I cut the Relleno in half and lay the half on one of the warm tortillas and added beans lettuce, and chopped cilantro and onion from the condiments bar.

I wrapped up the other half with the rest of the beans, lettuce, cilantro, and onion in the aluminum wrapper for the tortillas to go and then resumed my shopping.  I bought cilantro, romaine lettuce, parsley, a quart of fresh orange juice, celery, Gala apples, tomatoes, zucchini, Persian cucumbers, eggs, red onions, brown onions, green beans, broccoli, and salt.

I returned home at 10:15 just as Loyda arrived and ten minutes after I brought in the groceries Elaine rang me that their plane had landed.

I jumped into the car and drove to the airport and picked them up.

They wanted to eat New Mexican food, so I drove to Padilla’s on Girard near the corner of Indian School.

Billy and Elaine ordered Chicken Enchiladas and I ordered flat blue corn enchiladas with beef.

Having eaten two hours previously, I was not very hungry, so boxed the last half of my enchiladas, beans, and rice.

My enchiladas were delicious and I love Padilla’s whole fresh cooked beans.  But, the best item at the restaurant is not even on  the menu, the sopapillas that are served with each plate.

We loved lunches and I have a plate of enchiladas and beans and rice for another lunch.

When I spoke to Elaine and Billy, in the morning, Billy said he wanted to buy lobsters for dinner, so at lunch I called Talin and confirmed that they had live lobsters so after lunch we drove there.  Billy picked two 2 lb. lobsters and Elaine picked up a plastic container filled with dates.

I was shocked when we found out the lobsters cost $29.99 per lb., but Billy was undeterred and we drove home with two live lobsters.

When we had spoken in the morning, we had mentioned lobster salad for dinner.  That was the reason for the trip to El Super to buy salad ingredients.

So dinner was set.

When I returned I heated a pot of water to boil the lobsters and when it was ready BIlly dumped them into the pot and boiled them for 16 minutes and then let them cook for an hour.

While the lobsters were cooling Suzette and I washed off the and dried and wrapped in Saran the cured salmon that had become Gravad lax.

At 6:00 we started dinner prep. Elaine sliced some of the radishes and Persian cucumbers. Suzette cleaned some of the romaine lettuce and made croutons and sliced avocados. And we cracked and picked the lobster meat from the claws and tails that Elaine then diced.

I fetched a bottle of Gruet Brut from the garage and then we made the dressing I like the best. Elaine squeezed juice of one half lemon into a bowl and I added 1/2 minced shallot and we let it marinate/cook for twenty minutes. Then Suzette added catsup and mayonnaise to make a Louis sauce dressing. Suzette then set the table in the gazebo in the garden and composed five salads in pasta bowls 

By 7:00 everything was ready and as Willy arrived as if queued.

We each took a salad and the bottle of champagne to the gazebo.

The weather was comfortable and we enjoyed the salad that had more fresh lobster than any I have eaten in a very long time and, given the price of lobster, may be one of the last fresh lobster salads I eat for a while, which is a shame because I love it.

It was wonderful to have the family together and we look forward to having  Rebecca and Mickey join us tomorrow.

After the champagne was drunk and the salads eaten we returned to the kitchen and Billy and Elaine ate a few bites of chocolate and I turned on Midsomer Mystery that Billy and I watched until 9:30, when we went to bed.

Suzette listened to the show as she loaded the dishwasher.

This was a fabulous day of food. I used to love broiled lobster, but for summer meals I prefer lobster salad.

Bon Appetit