Recently I was at a Christmas Party held by a local neighbourhood association, and it was a bit like that. The food was not bad, actually - it wasn’t vegetarian, but no pork as a nod to residents from the Maghreb and the Levant, and there was actually some spice.
Though of course, serving was a bit haphazard.
Steady business today… surprisingly so, as most students have either already left or are leaving today/tomorrow.
But I’m certainly not complaining – picked up another half hour before I was scheduled, so dinner has to be early so I’m done and ready to go at 7:30.
The grill has been lit, and soon a nice rib-eye will be thrown on there till med-rare. Sautéed baby bellas aka steakhouse shrooms on top. Side will be romaine, kumatos, radishes & blue cheese in buttermilk dressing.
Then back on the road till 11 pm. Man, I love my job.
Happy weekend, y’all!
“a nice rib-eye will be thrown on there till med-rare” 
Oh yeah, that’s the stuff baby…
Simple simple tonight. I have a flank steak bathing in soy, shaoxing wine, sriracha, sesame oil and some garlic. Will be served with either shaved and sauteed or roasted Brussels. Trying to eat “clean” at home due to the myriad temptations popping up at every turn - DH had THREE happy hour/holiday parties this week alone. I also made chocolate covered cherries, buckeyes and champagne caramels, but most of those will be given away, along with the random cookies and other crap I keep receiving as corporate gifts!
The Trini-Chinese chicken that linguafood introduced us to. I use all wings cause they cook so easily. I thought I had some arugula but it wasn’t looking too perky so we just had it with rice. No pic but here’s the recipe with one.
Made that a couple of nights ago. Always a winner.
Definitely. Something I like about it is that the heat is in the sauce so even our toddler grandkids liked it last summer.
Dinner tonight was bbq pork on a telera roll, sweet potato fries and a slaw of napa cabbage, radicchio, carrots, green onions with a creamy dressing. There were Manhattans to celebrate a sunup to sundown day without rain. Ooops, I believe that is hail pounding on the roof.
Lol but a cleared plate is evidence it was good.
Long week and had my annual performance review at work today, went well but draining nonetheless. Slumming it in comfort food, sipping on a jug’o and makung pizza.
That sounds delicious.
Carlo Rossi! Dollar for dollar the best table wine you will find. I preferred Piasano, the Burgandy is my father’s favorite.
Quick funny story, my true favorite bottle of wine is Bertani Amerone, but at $150. liquor store price, it’s hardly a daily drinker. At one of my restaurants I use to charge around $275-$300 for a bottle and I always kept a bottle in my office for friends or VIP customers who wanted to come down and say hello.
Thing was, I’m not really a big wine drinker and I wasn’t popping $275 bottles of wine, so I had one empty bottle of Bertani that I kept refilling with…Carlo Rossi Pisano!! Lol Nobody ever complained, if anyone ever figured it out they were polite enough to never confront me on my ruse.
Enjoy!
They got pretty popular on that “other site.” 
Queso fundido con chorizo. We’ve been working on this for a while, being disappointed with the “meltability” of the cheese. Finally got turned on to Menonita (maybe misspelling that) from Northern Mexico. Here’s the recipe.
And a photo.
Ridiculously good
Dinner is a pot roast pheasant (locally shot - farm shop purchase). There’s celery and potatoes in the pot, so a nice easy meal.
A Nigel Slater recipe from Kitchen Diaries.
It’s been leftovers for the entire week…until Friday evening at my Company’s Holiday Party…which I planned. So I made sure the menu was to my liking. 
We had:
Hors d’oeurves: Cheese display, Bacon-Wrapped Scallops, Brie & Raspberry in Puff Pastry, Coconut Chicken, Crostini with Goat Cheese & Balsamic Fig, Herb-Stuffed Mushroom Caps
Plated salad - Boston Lettuce, Pistachios & Dried Cranberries with Citrus Pom Vinaigrette.
Buffet choices - Butternut Squash Ravioli with Sage Cream Sauce, Carved Tenderloin with Port Wine Bordelaise, Grilled Salmon with Maple-Cider Glaze
Side dishes - Potato Gratin Gruyere, Roasted Root Vegetables
Dessert - Viennese pastries
I tried everything but the brie in puff pastry and the potatoes Gruyere (there were potatoes in the roasted veggies). The tenderloin, salmon and ravioli were all phenomenal, and everything got rave reviews from the attendees.
A good time was had by all. Either that, or everyone lied to me. Then again there was a $1,400 bar tab, so I’m pretty sure everyone enjoyed themselves. (Note to Self - make sure that expense report gets in for reimbursement!)
Tonight, I’m not sure - but probably something to do with chicken thighs.
The missus is on a girls night out so I’m taking the opportunity to have foods I love that she’s not too fond of. Rollmops to start. Main will be steak and kidney pie with mushy peas with mushy peas. I have a bottle of Fullers 1845 ale to go with this. Whilst shoppinga bottle of Old Tom ale caught my eye. Never had it but I suspect it will go well with chocolate so bought some dark chocolate with orange and almonds as afters.
You’ll enjoy the Old Tom, I’m sure.
Made just down the road in Stockport. Back in the drinking days, we did a tour of the brewery - with free beer afterwards, of course. Came away absolutely rat arsed.
Got a gig at the cute lil gay bar in town tonight. Dinner beforehand wil be simple: Wegmans’ tomato bisque & grilled cheese sammiches.
Gig should be fun!
Happy weekend, y’all.
