October 20, 2025 Breakfast - Granola. Lunch - Mary and Tito’s. Dinner - Leftover Short Ribs Neapolitan with Mashed Potatoes and sautéed sugar snap peas and shishito peppers

October 20, 2025 Breakfast - Granola. Lunch - Mary and Tito’s. Dinner - Leftover Short Ribs Neapolitan with Mashed Potatoes and sautéed sugar snap peas and shishito peppers

I woke a few minutes after 7:30 and missed the open but saw that Apple was surging on news that I Phone sales were 14% better than last year. Nividia was down so I expected a minimal gain but as the day progressed the market got better with the Dow up 515 points and the NASDAQ up 315 points and Apple up $9.95 and even with Nividia down $.58 my portfolio managed a 1.15% gain.

At 8:00 I ate granola with tropical fruit salad, yogurt, and milk.

Then at 12:00 I got hungry and decided to celebrate with a lunch at Mary and Titio’s . It was not crowded when I arrived and I was seated immediately. I saw that the Daily special for Monday was a combo plate with a chili Relleno covered with fresh green chili, rice and beans with lettuce and tomato garnish and a taco on a side plate for $8.95, so I ordered that. I had a hankering for a taco and wanted to see how their chili rellenos tasted.

I was impressed with both and will order it again if I go on a Monday.  Also the green chili seemed incredibly fresh and had a slightly sweet flavor that was vey pleasant.

After lunch I drove to Lowe’s and bought two large avocados, a gallon of milk, and a two liter bottle of tonic water.

I then drove home and worked until 5:00 when I took a walk to Laguna and back, that got me to 3700 steps today.

I returned by way of our garden and picked four or five additional shishito peppers.

When I returned to the kitchen I combined the peppers with the five shishitos in the vegetable crisper and we decided to sauté all 10 peppers with the last of the sugar snap peas to accompany the leftover Neapolitan-style short Ribs and Caramelized Onion Ragu and Mashed Potatoes from Saturday night for dinner.

Neapolitan-Style Short Rib & Caramelized Onion Ragu

• 1 c. plus ⅓ c. extra-virgin olive oil
• 8 c. very thinly sliced yellow onions (about 2 lb.)
• 4 c. very thinly sliced cipollini or Vidalia onions (about 1½ lb.)
• 3 celery ribs, very thinly sliced
• 3 tbsp. kosher salt
• 2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
• 2½ lb. trimmed boneless short rib, cut into 1-inch cubes
• 1 c. dry white wine, such as Pinot Grigio
• 8 c. chicken stock, unsalted store-bought or homemade
• 2 tbsp. white wine vinegar

To serve with pasta

• ½ c. kosher salt
• 1 lb. dried tubular pasta, such as ziti or paccheri
• ½ c. (1 stick) unsalted butter, cubed
• 1 c. finely grated pecorino cheese (preferably Pecorino Toscano)
• 3 tbsp. fresh lemon juice
• ⅓ c. roughly chopped parsley

In a large heavy-bottomed pot, heat 1 c. of the olive oil over medium-high heat until it is nearly smoking. Add both onions, the celery, 1½ tbsp. of the salt, and 1 tsp. of the pepper and stir well. Increase the heat to high and continue stirring until the vegetables begin to soften and release liquid, 2 to 3 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium and continue to cook, stirring and scraping intermittently, every 8 to 10 minutes, to avoid sticking. Continue cooking and scraping the vegetables while searing the short rib in the next step.

Season the short rib evenly with the remaining 1½ tbsp. salt and 1 tsp. pepper. In a second large heavy-bottomed pot, heat the remaining ⅓ c. olive oil over medium-high heat until it is nearly smoking. Working in batches if necessary to avoid overcrowding, add the meat in an even layer and sear until browned on all sides, about 4 minutes total.

Using a ladle, carefully remove the excess fat from the pot and discard, leaving behind about 2 tbsp. of fat. Add the wine and simmer until the volume of the liquid is reduced by half, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the chicken stock and bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce the heat to low and simmer. Cover the pot, leaving just a small crack open at the top, and simmer gently until the meat is fork-tender, 1½ to 2 hours.

The liquid should be reduced to about half of its original volume and turn dark brown in color. Meanwhile, keep watching and stirring the vegetable mixture. If the vegetables start to stick or burn, deglaze with up to ¼ c. water, adding 1 tbsp. at a time, and scraping the bottom of the pot to release any stuck or burnt bits. (You may end up repeating this deglazing process two or three times.) Cook the mixture until the vegetables are very soft, a deep golden brown, and about one-quarter of their original volume, 1½ to 2 hours.

When the vegetables are caramelized and the meat is tender, add the vegetables to the pot of meat and stir very well to combine. Stir in the vinegar. The sauce should be thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. If it’s too thin, simmer over low heat until it thickens up, which can take up to 30 minutes.

The sauce is ready to be used at this point, or it can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week, or in the freezer for up to 3 months.

To serve with pasta

In a large pot, bring 4 quarts water and the salt to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook according to the package directions. Drain and add the pasta to the sauce, increase the heat to medium-high, and mix thoroughly with a spoon to coat. Add the butter and pecorino and stir well to combine. Once the butter has melted, remove from the heat. Finish with the lemon juice and parsley, stirring well to combine. Serve immediately.

I opened a bottle of 2021 The Specialyst Zinfandel from Lodi that was starting to leak a bit. Thankfully, it tasted fine even a little syrupy, so fine for the heavy meat driven dish.

I loved the dinner just as much as the first time, if not more, as the ragu sauce infused the mashed potatoes to create a delicious creamy potato sauce for the meat.

After dinner I ate a piece of brie and a tiny piece of a French blue cheese with the last bit of my glass of wine as we watched the Antiques Roadshow.

I also had a bite or two of the wedge of soft spice cake Suzette brought from the Bistro.

We went to bed at  9:00 after the Roadshow and Detroit had built a lead over the Buccaneers in the NFL Monday Night Football matchup.

Bon Appetit