Meatballs, Revisited. Again.

Perhaps you remember my post from long ago – the one about the meatballs made into Stroganoff.  Well, I wasn’t kidding when I said I make a double batch and use them for everything.  They are so versatile.  I’ve made Stroganoff, Swedish Meatballs (I varied the spices, but I used the same meats), Spaghetti & Meatballs, BBQ [...]

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Schenectady County Restaurant Week set for January 27-31

Good news!  Schenectady County’s popular Restaurant Week returns this month, in honor of this year’s Schenectady County’s Bicentennial Celebration!
From Tuesday, January 27 through Saturday, January 31, more than 20 Schenectady County and Downtown Schenectady restaurants will be offering a special three-course menu for the low, low price of 2009 Cents (that’s $20.09, for those of [...]

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The First Tastes of Autumn

When Sarah was visiting last weekend, we traveled down to Chatham to meet friends for brunch (at a great little place called Lippera’s…I’ll get to that another time).  On the way back, we stopped at Golden Harvest Farms for some apples and, more importantly, apple cider donuts.  The place came highly recommended by our friends [...]

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CSA Delivery Inspires Impromptu Dinner!

Today marked the second delivery of my CSA share – well, it was actually the third delivery, but I missed last week’s due to my grandfather’s funeral.
Here’s what I got this week:

Salad greens
Green leaf lettuce
Swiss Chard
Thyme and Basil
Sugar Snap peas
yau choy (Chinese greens, similar to bok choy, but smaller)

I also purchased some squash, additional basil [...]

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The Magic Ingredient

Rosemary. My favorite herb.  Broken Sprigs of it tossed into a pan full of fresh vegetables, roasted to perfection – sublime. Added to a salt-sugar brine, left overnight to delicately flavor a batch of pork chops – brilliant.
How do you use it? Do you have a favorite recipe containing rosemary?
Does smelling it [...]

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But Which Fork Should I Use?

I’ve always wondered about public restroom etiquette – is it okay to talk on your cell phone while in the stall? Do you knock before trying the doorknob on a one-seater? And just what the heck is a “courtesy flush”? (Seriously – I don’t know).
In fact, I actually have a bathroom [...]

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Random Reports and Reviews #2

More culinary observations from this past week:

The Halfmoon Diner is one of Halfmoon’s best-kept secrets – they make a terrific bowl of chili, and the best coconut cream pie I’ve ever had. The service is great, the prices are terrific, and you can get in and out of there in 35 minutes on a [...]

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An Early Valentine’s Day Dinner…with Instructions!

Tonight, since I had the day off from work today, I decided to create an early Valentine’s Day Dinner for Bob, which consisted of:
French Onion Soup
Stuffed Tenderloin of Pork
Rosemary Roasted Potatoes
Green Beans
Mocha Pudding Cake
I’ve included recipes for the French Onion Soup, the Stuffed Tenderloin, and the Mocha Pudding Cake. The slideshow below shows how [...]

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Super Bowl Snacking

Hope these snack ideas are not arriving too late!
I found some great ideas over at Cooking Light – here’s the link.
Here’s what else I made:
Roasted Red Pepper Hummus
-one can white beans (or chickpeas), drained
-2 cloves garlic
-1T fresh lemon juice
-1/3 jar roasted red peppers
-salt & pepper to taste
Whiz it all up in the food processor, and [...]

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Restaurant Re-Creation #1 – Sauteed Sirloin Tips

Bob and I recently visited one of our favorite restaurants – Dakota Steakhouse in Latham Farms. We like it because it’s relatively inexpensive, has a good selection of adult beverages, and knows how to make a good steak. On our recent visit, Bob ordered his usual slab of cow (filet mignon, I believe), [...]

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