So let's see. The herbs are still alive. I found that the displacement of soil is from the large raindrops we get here so the rocks-as-soil-holders are not successful. Still, I'm keeping an eye on it. The basil seems to be doing well. It's growing, though not at at spectacular pace. The cilantro and parsley just look like they are holding their own, and the rosemary is hunkered down, probably growing roots.
We went to Floataway again, randomly for a "cheap and close meal". It wasn't cheap, I have to say. I decided to get the country terrine as a starter which was certainly enough terrine for four to six people. J got six kumamotos, one of his favorites. He likes his oysters super ice cold so these were good, but not excellent. Spoiled by the NYC GCT Oyster Bar. Well, what can I say?
I wanted to try their pizza and they have three so I was debating between the margherita and the salami topped one but when I asked our server for a recommendation, she replied "the squash pizza" without hesitation, so I got that. And it was delicious. Topped with thinly sliced yellow squash and fennel. Very tasty, even the next day when we finished the leftovers. J got the hanger steak and fries. Cooked perfectly and very good. Not better than mine, of course, but probably close.
For dessert we had the soft serve ice cream with olive oil and salt. Delicious. J said it was the best thing all night.
On a side note about margherita pizza, have you heard that a Naples commission has trademarked a Pizza Napolitana (or something like that) which calls for a specific diameter of pizza, buffalo mozz, san marzano tomatoes, etc. in an attempt to halt the random misuse of the margherita pizza? Interesting, I thought.
I made pasta again with my sauce, which, by the way, turned out very well. I do like to use the cutters but I had to use the angelhair one because, for some reason, we have a linguine and an angelhair cutter and no spaghetti, which is the real thickness I like. Oh well. I made more sauce again this week as a base for a meaty lasagne, but with J at work functions most nights, I avoided the kitchen and had culinary excellence like Spaghettios and Kraft mac and cheese. This is actually a step up from the last time J wasn't home for dinner when I had McDonald's.
I've been dying to try canning and came across a recipe for jam in the June Bon Appetit. That's right, I've been working my way through all my magazines so I'm almost through all the June mags, probably just in time for August to arrive! Anyway, the recipe is from Molly Wizenberg, whom you may know as Orangette. Her article about canning talks about how everyone (including I) think it's so very complicated. N offered to teach me sometime and have me over the next time she cans, but it hasn't happened yet. So I was excited to see this simple jam recipe which calls for 2 lbs of peaches. And I just happen to have ... 2 lbs of ripe peaches! So perhaps I will make that tonight or tomorrow.
I also went to Sur La Table (J had an errand at the mall because otherwise we avoid them like the plague but when I do go, I hit almost every store) and got a bamboo-handled deep fry strainer (excellent for capturing all those loose calamari), a creamer (for when my mother visits. She doesn't like me taking out the whole carton of half n half), and a coarse microplane grater (for soft cheese, like oaxaca). Then I got tired of looking at the stacks of piled boxes and crap in the kitchen. I moved the glass containers (dried shitakes, pasta, and chiles) to where the fruit is, away from the cooking area, and moved the KitchenAid there instead. Then I got rid of all the stacks of boxes and put them in homes in the closet. Nice and clean. Yay!
We are off to return library books and see Kung Fu Panda. And so, more tales of culinary adventure later!
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