Tag Archives: food

But Was I Aged in Oak?

Posted on October 1, 2015 by mohawkvalleygirl

When Steven and I are in Rome, NY, we generally eat at Chez Mom and Dad.  the food is excellent and the company unparalleled.  the last time we were in town, however, Mom and Dad were not,  so we decided to check out Teddy’s on Black River Boulevard (“The Boulevard” to Romans).

When we lived in Rome for a brief period in the ’90s, I liked to go to Teddy’s for lunch.  As we walked in, the whole place looked different.

“You remodeled,” I said, admiring the improvements.  Imagine my embarrassment when the hostess told us they had remodeled at least five years ago.  You see what I miss by not living in Rome any more.

We were soon sitting in a booth and perusing menus.  Our waitress asked could she start us off with a glass of wine or a cold beer.  Pointing at the wine list, I asked in my most superior fake English accent if the Chardonnay was aged in stainless or in oak.  Regular readers may remember that is my one bit of wine-tasting knowledge.

“Or don’t you know?” I added, in my regular, not superior voice.  She thought it was oak aged, so I ordered Pinot Gris.  Steven asked for the Chardonnay.  I tasted it when it arrived and found it did have that buttery taste I don’t care for.  My Pinot Gris was quite tasty.

For dinner I ordered a Garden Burger, a veggie burger topped with roasted red peppers, cucumbers, spinach and tomato with pesto mayo.  Steven got Teddy’s Turkey Club.  Steven just loves a good turkey club.  We had a choice of cole slaw or french fries.  I got the slaw, Steve got the fries.

The food was yummy.  I haven’t had a veggie burger in a long time. I’ll have to look for them at the super market.  While we ate we enjoyed listening to some ’80s music over the loudspeaker.  I suppose I should be upset that this music is considered “oldies” now, but so am I an oldie.  Time passes, after all.

We were very happy with our meal.  I grabbed a take-out menu as we left.  Maybe some time when we’re headed to Mom and Dad’s, we’ll pick up dinner on the way.  In any case,  I don’t intend to wait as long before I got to Teddy’s again.

Teddy’s is located at852 Black River Blvd., Rome NY, phone number 315-336-7839.  Their website is http://www.teddysrestaurantny.com/ordereze/default.aspx.  You can also Like them on Facebook.

 

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Who Are You Calling a Dip?

Posted on September 18, 2015 by mohawkvalleygirl

Tonight is the first monthly dinner meeting of Ilion Little Theatre Club for the 2015-16 season.  I plan to attend.  After all, I like to believe I am a valued member of the organization.  Then again, every member is valuable.  We all make our contributions.

I intend to bring chips and dip as my contribution to the meal.  I usually bring an appetizer kind of thing, because I am usually hungry as soon as I get there (full disclosure:  I am hungry most of the time; that’s why I’m overweight).  Sometimes it is pepperoni, cheese and crackers.  I thought this time I’d mix it up a little.  I thought, “I’ll make my famous garlic dip.”  However, since I am sometimes mandated to work late, I asked Steven to pick up a package of onion soup mix, so I would have a faster option.

At work today, I pondered what I would do.  If I got home at my usual time, prior to four p.m., I would crush some garlic and get to work.  If I got home later, I had my onion soup mix back-up plan.  Everything would be great.

So I got home at the regular time and felt utterly exhausted.  I don’t know what my problem is. I came home and stayed there Monday and Tuesday.  Only on Wednesday did I have to rush back out for our pick-up rehearsal.  Could it be I am getting old?  SAY IT AIN’T SO! Let’s blame it on the extra weight.  I can lost weight (maybe) but I sure as hell can’t get any younger (and anyone who says they can is LYING!).

The first thing I saw when I came into the kitchen (after my beloved husband), was the box of onion soup mix (store brand, by the way).  I debated.  For one reason, I had planned to write my blog post about making my famous garlic dip.  Food posts are usually fun, and well received by many.  First I would sit down, have a cup of coffee, take off my work shoes, breathe a little…

You can see where this is going.  I still have not mixed up the dip, but I intend to as soon as I hit Publish (oh yeah, and share the post on Facebook).  It will be the easy kind.  I think my theatre friends will be OK with it.  I only hope my blog reading friends are OK with a post about… well, this. Then again, this is Non-Sequitur Thursday. Happy Thursday, everyone.

 

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First You Take the Blog Post…

Posted on September 17, 2015 by mohawkvalleygirl

So there I was, pressed for time, short of brain, and I wanted to make a blog post.  Would I get it done in time?

First, I thought, I will make Steven’s sandwich.  You see, I must meet him at his work at six, to go to our pick-up rehearsal at 6:30 for Roxy, the play I will apparently never stop talking about.  Steven nicely left me a recipe for the sandwich.  I will share it, with explanation and memories, for today’s post.

I had asked Steven to leave me a note, reminding me to make the sandwich. Included in the note was the sentence:  “First you take the sandwich.  Then you make it.”  Now I will explain that.

Many years ago, when Steven and I had recently moved into our first apartment together, we were discussing things we could fix for dinner.  I suggested meatloaf.  Steven did not know how to make meatloaf.

“Oh, it’s easy, ” I said.  “First you take the meat.”  Then I realized I did not feel like going through the whole process, so I just said, “Then you loaf it.”

He was not gratified by the explanation.  However, some time later we had gotten some fish, which Steven also did not know how to cook.  He was to arrive home first that day, so I undertook to leave a note explaining what to do.  My note read:

“It is very easy.  First you take the fish, then you loaf… oh wait, wrong recipe!”

I went on to explain the intricacies of cooking fish (you put it in the oven with butter and garlic, if you want to know), and we both thought it was a very funny joke.

I believe this explains why we are still so happily married after almost 25 years. We laugh at each others’ silly jokes.  Perhaps nobody else will find our jokes so amusing, but I thought for a Wuss-out Wednesday, it would do.

 

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Neither a Tall Table nor a Tall Tale

Posted on August 16, 2015 by mohawkvalleygirl

Is it going to be a Saturday thing now that I go out for dinner and drinks and then post?  It was pretty fun last Saturday and, well, here I am.

This Saturday we only went to dinner, not to a wine tasting first, and we did not have friends with us, definitely not my evil twin Phyllis, who always tempts me into bad behavior (as if I needed any encouragement) (and just to be clear, Phyllis and I are BOTH the evil twin).  But we did have a very good dinner at PK’s Pub in Herkimer, NY.

We went early to dinner, because I was hoping to sit at the tall table, which is my favorite.  When we got there, there was only one other patron in the restaurant.  Guess where he was sitting.  No matter, we sat down, got some Pinot Grigio and perused the menu.

I selected spaghetti with Alfredo sauce while Steven got mushroom stew over penne pasta.  They were out of spaghetti, but angel hair was fine with me.  We both both got tossed salad instead of soup, Italian dressing for me, Ranch for Steven.  The bread with herbed butter is always a favorite of ours.

We were feeling so comfortably full after dinner (taking home enough for at lease one more meal) that we were NOT going to get dessert.  Then, of course, we decided to.  Monkey Pie for Steven, Samoa Cheesecake for me.  Yum!

Now we are home, listening to music and chilling.  Full disclosure:  we stopped at Vintage Spirits to get a bottle of wine.  Lushy, perhaps, but it is Saturday night.  And I am having a glass of seltzer with lemon before wining further, so there.

We MIGHT have a Mohawk Valley adventure tomorrow.  If so, you’ll read about it here.  If I don’t indulge in a Wrist to Forehead Sunday.  I think a little uncertainty adds interest to the blog, don’t you agree? (And if you don’t, well raspberries to you!)  Happy Saturday, everybody.

PK’s Pub is located at 221 King St. in Herkimer, NY, phone number 315-866-3494.  You can visit their website at www.pkspub.com and you can Like them on Facebook.

 

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Not Tired, Tasty

Posted on August 12, 2015 by mohawkvalleygirl

I just remembered that last Tuesday I noticed a rarely used category of Tasty Tuesday.  That was handy since I was sitting down to write about tonight’s supper.

Steven and I have rehearsal tonight for Roxy, the play we are in at Ilion Little Theatre (being presented by the Herkimer County Historical Society, in case anybody forgot or never knew).   One must have fuel to rehearse, of course, but one does not wish to be weighted down with too heavy a meal.  Additionally, while the temperatures have not been overly high today, the humidity has made things a little oppressive.

Luckily for me, Steven had a good idea.  Sunday I had made a yummy macaroni salad.  Today he went to the grocery store and purchased some deli meat and cheese.  His idea was to have not sandwiches but roll-ups.

The salad was one of my better efforts, if I do say so.  Medium shells, tomatoes, zucchini, red onion and radishes.  I only used mayonnaise for the dressing, but to add flavor I cut up some Horseradish and Garlic Pickles purchased at The Locavore in Frankfort, NY (just to add a little local, Mohawk Valley flair).  When I chopped up the tomatoes, I scraped all the seeds, juice and innards into the salad, so the whole thing is kind of pink.

I’m feeling exactly the right amount of full.  On to worrying about rehearsal!  I hope I know my lines.

 

 

 

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Salvatore’s: The Perfect Medication

Posted on August 11, 2015 by mohawkvalleygirl

The reason people self-medicate with food is that it almost always works, at least in the short term.  I’m actually not self-medicating with food right now, but I thought I’d lead with that as a semi-profound, arguable statement (but I hope nobody argues with me; I always lose arguments).  In fact, I am merely giving another shout-out to Salvatore’s Pizzeria and Restaurant in Herkimer, NY.

We really have been pretty good about not sending out for food lately.  We must fund our money, and I must watch my caloric intake.  However, sometimes you just need to treat yourself.  It is really a practical move as well.  We are getting garlic pizza and antipasto salad, and we will certainly have leftovers.  I can eat leftover pizza for breakfast and bring leftover salad for lunch.  What could be better?

Sometimes we go out to Salvatore’s and sit in their gracious dining room.  I do like to go out to eat.  However, one cannot go out to eat barefoot and bra-less, as I currently am (I shall not apologize if that has given you an unfortunate mental image, just get over yourself).

I have given shout-outs to Salvatore’s before, because the food is delicious and the service prompt.  I guess I don’t have a whole lot new to say about them.  However, it is Monday and I am tired. I’ll just hope the opening statement about self-medication adds enough interest to call this a post.  I hope my pizza gets here soon.  Happy Monday, everybody.

Salvatore’s is located at 650 1/2 W. German St., Herkimer,  315-866-2600.  For more information you can visit their website at http://www.salvatores-herkimer.com/.

 

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Burger Bliss

Posted on July 31, 2015 by mohawkvalleygirl

Last week I got a craving for a hamburger.  Not just any hamburger, but a GOOD hamburger.   A juicy, beefy, yummy burger on a bun with stuff.  “Stuff” was not well defined in my craving.  It may have been lettuce and tomato, or maybe cheese and bacon, perhaps mushrooms, onions, or something unusual.  You know, a good burger.

I got such a burger Saturday at Jerry’s Place in Hartwick, NY.  Steven and I were in the midst of our adventures, which ranged among Richfield Springs, Cooperstown, Fly Creek, Burlington Flats, and points in between.  At one point we were very hungry, and there was Jerry’s.

“It’s the place with all the lunch boxes,” Steven said.  The walls are lined with vintage lunchboxes.  The rest of the decor is pure Americana, including models of old cars and a statue of Elvis.

Steven ordered a Bacon Cheeseburger while I got and M.O.S., which had caramelized mushrooms and onions topped with Swiss cheese.  Steven also got a chocolate shake, because he noticed that it was served in a mason jar.  I got a bottle of water, because I feared dehydration.

We made our orders at the counter and were given a plastic magnetic letter to put on our table.  It did not take long for someone to bring us our food.  It was quite yummy. We could have gotten ice cream for dessert, but the burgers were pretty filling.  We left feeling well-fueled for further adventures.

Jerry’s Place is located at 6635 St. Hwy 28, Hartwick, NY, phone number 607-547-1037.  You can visit their website at http://www.jerrysplaceny.com/ and you can Like them on Facebook.

 

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I’m a Fool for Fuel

Posted on July 9, 2015 by mohawkvalleygirl

Three days till the Boilermaker!  I went to the grocery store this morning to get nutritious food to fuel myself up for the big day.

I got some fruit, which is an excellent source of hydration, and vegetables, because salad is just always a good idea. I also got some bananas.  Oh, I know, that comes under the heading of  “fruit,” but I thought I’d just mention how I thought I’d have one with peanut butter before leaving the house Boilermaker morning.

In the meat section I found a London broil to put in the crock pot on Friday.  A fellow at The Sneaker Store in New Hartford, NY, (where I go for my running shoes and for running advice) told me to have a steak dinner on Friday, pasta on Saturday.  I don’t know how to cook steak, but roast beef in the crock pot is easy enough.

I had had the notion to get some of the frozen, pre-cooked chicken strips, you know, boneless, skinless chicken breast, but I saw some boneless, skinless chicken thighs in the meat section.  To me, this is much better.  I like the taste better, it’s easier to cook without drying out, and it costs less.  And one package is good for five meals for me and Steve.

I had meant to write a post detailing the healthy dinner I’m cooking tonight (pasta salad and chicken with pesto), but after writing the above, I’m getting the Boilermaker butterflies again! Maybe All Boilermaker All The Time isn’t such a good idea. Maybe I should take my mind off it.  I may try that tomorrow, on Non-Sequitur Thursday.  Hope to see you then.

 

 

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Don’t Tell the Cookbook Conglomerate!

Posted on July 1, 2015 by mohawkvalleygirl

So there I was, planning to do a Tired Tuesday post when I remembered I had a minor snack to put together in the kitchen.  I can’t say “cooking post,” because it is not cooked. Call it a recipe post and this can be Tasty Tuesday.  How does that sound?

I’ve had an unopened package of cream cheese in the refrigerator since my last party (didn’t make all the refreshments I had envisioned).   Rest assured, I have kept checking the “use by” date.  Then again, why should you care, unless you meant to stop by and have some.  Of course I should be delighted to have company.  Stop on by.

The recipe I wanted to use I stole from my sister Diane.   I don’t know where she got it, so I may very well be getting myself in big trouble from some cookbook conglomerate, but, hey, I need a blog post.

The recipe says to mix an envelope of Italian salad dressing mix with the cream cheese.  Come to think of it, they may even specify Good Seasons, and Diane got the recipe from the package of Good Seasons.  So there’s a little gratuitous product placement for you.  Full disclosure:  I usually buy store brand.

Only I hadn’t bought any store brand this time.  Here’s something funny:  I said to myself, “If I was really high speed, I wouldn’t use the envelope, I’d use fresh garlic and chives from the garden and make something up.  That would be a better blog post, too.  Nah, I’ll just be lazy.”  Imagine my chagrin.  On the other hand, you see how I err on the side of honesty for your entertainment (I do hope somebody is entertained by my silliness).

Trapped into being high speed,  I contemplated the chives.  It was pouring rain out, and I was wearing little canvas sneakers.  Surely fresh garlic and spices would be sufficient.  Why should I get my feet wet for the sake of a blog post?  I crushed up some garlic and set the timer for 15 minutes, so it could reach its full antioxidant effect.   Oh, what the hell.  I went out and got the chives.

It really wasn’t so bad.  For one reason, there is a patch of chives very close to the house.  I avoided stepping in the big puddle right next to them (a puddle in the yard?  Really?  Who else has one of those?) and also avoided picking too many.   Back in the house I chopped them up and put them in a bowl with the cream cheese.

I forgot to mention that the cream cheese had been sitting out for a couple of hours to soften up.  And it is actually Neufchatel, which is a third less fat and fun to say (try it).  I added horseradish and dill, then mushed it together with the potato masher.  After some consideration I added lemon pepper, oregano and basil.  Mushed some more.  When the timer buzzed, I put in the garlic, mushed some more, then used a fork to make sure the stuff was thoroughly mixed.

My mixture is now sitting so the flavors can blend.  When I get ready to, I will spread it on flat bread which I will use to make small sandwiches with sliced cucumber.  Yum!  You know, now that I think about it, it is possible that the original recipe for this calls for the sandwiches to be open-faced.  It may even have been like a cold cucumber pizza.  It was some years ago my sister first made the stuff.

So was this post better or worse than a typical Tired Tuesday?  It matters not.  This is my story and I’m sticking to it.  Hope to see you all on Wuss-out Wednesday (good God, I’ll be half-way through the week by tomorrow!  I should have known:  vacation weeks are always shorter).

 

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A Good Start for Morning Adventures

Posted on May 25, 2015 by mohawkvalleygirl

In lieu of my usual Wrist to Forehead Sunday, I offer a brief shout-out to a local business.  I don’t think this business particularly needs a shout-out, because any time we are in there the place is hopping.  However, I do like to tout good local things, so here is my post about Crazy Otto’s Empire Diner in Herkimer, NY.

 

Yesterday (Saturday) Steven did not go to work till 2:30 p.m.   Since it was my day off, I suggested we have a couple of Mohawk Valley adventures in the morning, starting with breakfast out.  After some debate over where to eat, we settled on Crazy Otto’s.  The advantages were that it was close and that we have a card that gives us 20 percent off (we got the card by signing up for E-Z Pay with the newspaper; it is good for a year and gives us the discount at several local eateries).

 

Crazy Otto’s is one of those old-fashioned trailer diners.  It is decorated with movie posters, license plates, memorabilia and more.  Our license plate from when we lived in Georgia is on the ceiling on the right-hand side.  We could not see it from where we sat on Saturday, but I’m sure it’s still there.

 

We got a booth without too much trouble, ordered coffee and perused the menu.  I got two sausages on a hoagie roll, which came with either hash browns or homemade chips.  I LOVE their homemade chips.  Steven got pancakes with poached eggs and bacon.  Our food was delicious.  My roll was grilled, so the inside was crispy but the outside was soft, just the way I like it.  The wait staff made sure our coffee stayed filled, which is a big selling point for Steven.

 

As usual, it was an enjoyable, tasty meal.  We like Crazy Otto’s for lunch and dinner too.  Crazy Otto’s is located at 100 W. Albany St., Herkimer, NY.  Phone number is 866-8801. For more information, visit their website at http://crazyottosempirediner.com/  You can also Like them on Facebook.

 

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