Mushroom and Radish Treats Along With Chili, Sunchokes, Beans and Rice

It has been a bit of time since I last saw M&A. In fact, the last time I saw them they were unmarried and now they are entirely married! In any case it was good to see them and I did enjoy the meal they made when I came up to see them a few weekends back. These mushroom tops with boursin are so unbelievably simple to make, and yet make such satisfying appetizers.

Also, buttered radishes.

I hadn't really known much about sunchokes. I've had them in the past, but I would have been incredibly hard pressed to describe them to anyone. Now I am slightly better prepared for the task. Let's see. They have the basic 'look' of a potato or turnip, and perhaps a bit of the texture of an incredibly tender turnip. But their taste also has a definite artichoke heart quality to it. A. also did much of the planning and making of chili, which was good too. And gluten-free cornbread as well, though there was some confusion as to what ingredients were needed to be added to it, which ended in a perhaps less than ideal texture.

A lovely meal that ended with a round of Catan, because of course it did.

Meeting a Reader Over Drinks and Snacks c/o The Dandelion

A few months back one of the blog's readers reached out to me about her impending arrival in the States. Huckleberry has been occasionally commenting on the blog for at least two or three years, though perhaps closer to four. And I've always gotten a kick out of the fact that she's a reader whom I never actually met in real life. It feels, on the whole, like I'm writing this blog mainly for myself and for those who already know me and like to see themselves turn up in the narrative from time to time. So to have any readers who aren't related to me or know me in some other context, is very neat. Well, Huckleberry finally made it to the States and so we determined a day and place to meet up in real life. My first suggestion was A.Bar, but when I got there a little early the space was entirely packed and I didn't really want to stand awkwardly in a crowd while trying to talk to a new person. So when Huckleberry appeared I suggested we try The Dandelion Pub instead. It, too, was certainly crowded, but not to the point where we weren't able to get a table.

I was drawn to the Nosey Parker cocktail, which included Bulliet Rye, grapefruit, Campari,
basil, and Peychaud's. Huckleberry went for the Pimm's. I liked my cocktail with its tart grapefruit notes and the slight bitterness of campari evened out by the sweet rye. Good stuff. I think Huckleberry seemed pleased with her drink as well.

I also ordered a snack of the curried crab, cod and chili cakes, which came with a little ramekin of malt vinegar mayo.

Definitely crispy on the outside and more interesting than many a fried fish ball on the inside. I think I would have appreciated having four instead of three as the serving size, but such is life. Huckleberry had the....hmmm. I think it was the pickled beet root jar? Or olive tapenade? Memory is such a fickle thing.

I joked a bit about not wanting to be murdered by a stranger because it is an odd thing. Huckleberry seems to be a non-crazy, interesting person and I'm glad of that, but one never knows. While on the whole I realize that this blog is a vanity project, it's still a vanity project that is open to the public. I'm not too personal or revealing, but Huckleberry definitely knew more about my life than I did hers. And that's par for the internet course. There are plenty of folks whom I follow on one social media channel or another that, if I were to meet them in person, would know barely anything about me but I could be a wealth of creepy knowledge on. That was a terrible sentence. What I'm trying to say is that it was nice to meet Huckleberry and to hear more about her journey and to be assured she wasn't a murderer. And that I hope if I ever meet any of the people I follow from afar, they also realize that I am interesting and not a murderer. Murder is so not 'in' right now y'all.

A big thank you to Huckleberry for reaching out and braving public transportation for a meet-up. And an even bigger one for the drinks and meal!

Smoked Salmon, Goat Brie and Other Treats (With More Catan)

Another day with more floating, sunning, reading and playing. For another outdoor game I put together a little smoked salmon plate with goat brie, cornichons, capers and red onions. A perfect accompaniment to the game and location.

Two Nights Into One: July Fourth Vacation Fun on Lake Champlain

In late winter or early, early spring K. and I connected about a potential camping adventure somewhere between Philly and Boston. After a few emails back and forth a new plan was formed, and that was to meet between Westport and Port Henry New York, at the family cottage of K.'s bf J. I hadn't seen K. or J. since visiting them in 2010 on the way to L.'s wedding, and meeting up at a cottage on Lake Champlain sounded like a really solid way of reconnecting. My drive up was slightly more eventful than I would have liked. My phone charger stopped working, my oil needed to be changed, I went through a toll and my EZPass didn't work. Just little things that stress me out and when piled on top of one another didn't leave me entirely free of worry. But I had written down the directions because I knew we were going to be in a pretty much cell and internet free zone (hallelujah) so I didn't get terribly lost until the very end of the trip, which was not surprising whatsoever. That first night we caught up, snacked on one thing or another, had some drinks and generally eased into a nice rhythm for the trip. At one point K. and I were outside and J. ended up fast asleep in this chair for quite some time.

And then the next day was upon us. K. made us all scrambled eggs with caramelized onions, cheese, and maybe scallions?

Then we drove to Port Henry to do a more thorough grocery shopping trip for the next couple of days. It was a gorgeous area. Lake to the east and Adirondack mountains to the west. Just magic stuff scenes around every bend and curve of the road.

That second day I made my artichoke jalapeno dip and we ate it while playing a game of some kind.

J.'s family has been coming up to this area for a good lot of time. His grandparents, his mother and her siblings, and now he and his sisters. For the majority of our time there it was just the three of us in the cottage itself, but the neighborhood certainly had a bustle to it. Plenty of folks with similarly long histories in the area taking advantage of the holiday week. Not that it was a week of holiday for most. The world certainly went on around us, but I enjoyed more fully unplugging than I've done in quite some time.

So I had a pretty good idea that I wanted to stop in Kingston, NY on my way north to buy some meat to contribute to our meals from Fleisher's, and it's good that I already had that inkling, because about 60 miles south of the Kingston exit my phone died, and about 30 miles south of Kingston my car began telling me it would like an oil change. This was also when the EZPass debacle took place. I just. The thing worked the whole time except going through that exit and now I know I'm going to get some sort of crazy ticket and I'll be mad about it. ANYWAY. I got off at Kingston and eventually was able to find a place to get an oil change and then another place to buy a new car-phone-extension thing. And it was only then that I finally turned my attentions to locating Fleisher's, which wasn't so hard. I arrived at the tail end of the Kingston farmer's market, which was kind of neat. Once I arrived in Fleisher's I tried to flirt with a butcher and make myself seem hardcore by suggesting that me and my three friends wanted to eat a steak that was nearly "blue." This wasn't entirely untrue we did end up with a pretty rare steak, but not blue-rare...though I mean really, how is talking about a willingness to eat nearly raw steak in any way a sign of flirtation? Pretty much it isn't. In any case. He did suggest and give us a really nice cut of steak and I truly did consider inviting him to join us (mostly joking...all joking?) in consuming it. So the second day of our vacation or was it the third? Steak was grilled, never mind the rain that was falling.

And my god. It was delicious. No joke delicious. Seriously. At K.'s suggestion I did almost exactly three minutes per side and then just left it alone to rest. LEFT IT ALONE. I need to get better at leaving my meat alone while smiling at strangers and learning how to flirt. All this meat flirt conversation is confusing, I'm sure. I believe that this was a dry aged sirloin?

K. made an arugula salad with tomatoes, roasted pine nuts and shaved parmesan.

I brought a bottle of wine my father had given me while in North Carolina, which went down easy and well with the steak and salad.

And while it certainly was pink, I don't think anyone would call it quite "blue." My butcher boyfriend might have been relieved. Or disappointed. I'm not sure. In any case, if you have the opportunity to get meat from Fleisher's, do.

And then I taught K. and J. the glory of Catan and we never turned back. I believe I won this first game (I was blue) but they were quick learners and our Catan playing from that point on was often not concluded with a victory on my part. GOOD TIMES.

Happy Hour Drinks and Eats c/o Lemon Hill

Glimpses of CPM in my life have become a rare thing as a result of her educational commute and overall busy-ness of life. I believe the last time we met up it was at the Tria Wine Room (which has since closed), and that was months ago indeed. True as that is, there is still a friendship and a fondness between us and we managed to identify a day and time for a nice get-together that would work for both of our schedules. Unsurprisingly, a good visit with her on a Thursday not so long ago was the result. When bandying about possible meet up spots, it was decided that it was finally time for her to enjoy the Lemon Hill happy hour experience. As far as happy hours go, Lemon Hill's may not be for the cheapskates. They do have a discount on a chosen cocktail as well as draft beers and house wines, but this isn't the place to go if you're looking for a couple of drinks and food to come under the $20 mark. It's likely that McCrossen's may remain my primary 'neighborhood bar' due to the dart history and familiarity I have with the spot...but Lemon Hill is coming in a very close second as far as overall pleasure in its atmosphere, clientele, draft list, food and staff. I stuck with white wine for the evening, but CPM tried the happy hour cocktail and we split a few different tasty treats. I was very keen on her trying the fried cheese curds, which didn't disappoint though they weren't quite as melty-on-the-inside as past visits. The long hot vinaigrette remained a delightful accoutrement.

I also recommended the patty melt, which I think lived up to the hype.

We also tried the gruyere pierogies with tempura fried sauerkraut and pastrami bites. Definitely an upscale version of what can be a very utilitarian dish and even more satisfying for the added class.

It's always lovely to see CPM and this evening was no exception. It was also nice to see familiar faces behind the bar and even in the clientele (one older couple wouldn't remember me but we once had wonderful conversation at Rembrandt's during a Kentucky Derby years and years ago and it was good to see that they're still out and about...and that the lady still brings her knitting to bars).

Shishito Peppers and Fish Tacos c/o McCrossen's

LW went on a little European journey a few weeks back and when she returned we met at McCrossen's to catch up. I was excited about the shishito pepper special appetizer and secured the last one of the evening. Nice and good peppers. I need to buy myself some and do my own grilling while they're still around. I also ordered the fish tacos with extra kimchi. They were very generous in their overall portions, challenging me to pick them up without dropping any of the tender morsels of fish or bright and peppy slaw/cabbage that also went into the overall dish.

It was good to see LW and to hear about her adventures. And it had been a fair amount of time since I'd been at McCrossen's, so that was nice too.

Four Course Dinner Plus Extra Treats c/o Marigold Kitchen

A good amount of time ago CPM and I made our way to west Philly to enjoy a dinner at Marigold Kitchen. It was spectacular. We oohed. We ahhhed. We altogether enjoyed ourselves. Soon thereafter LW and I discussed how we ought to go to Marigold for her birthday. And then somehow we didn't. I forget what exactly prevented us from an August visit, but it never came to be. Months later we picked up that dropped ball and traveled on over to enjoy the restaurant's new format. When CPM and I went it was an a la carte design; it was up to us whether we enjoyed proper appetizers in addition to an entree and all their delightful amuse bouches. Now, after getting a lot of good press (I imagine this was a large contributor to the menu change) visitors to Marigold Kitchen have the option of deciding between a few price points and levels of coursed meals. We went with the minimum, but perhaps maximum returns. I must admit that this post will not include a photograph for each and every dish we were given. The lighting was extremely low and while I tried my best not to use the flash and keep my hands steady, the truth is that some photos just aren't at all up to par (and some that I'm including are iffy nontheless). For example, I'm not showing you the opening popcorn we were given that had been frozen/treated in such a way that the first few bites could give you the ability to exhale and have your breath be like steam. Wasn't able to capture that moment. Nope. Similarly, the light was so low that many of the photographs that I am sharing with you aren't entirely similar in appearance. Color correction under these conditions was difficult...but I hope you can see past these issues to the wonderful meal we did indeed enjoy.

This was some kind of tuna with foam.

I've completely forgotten what this was.

Butternut squash soup with foam.

Ravioli with chocolate.

Head cheese terrine with House Pickled Local Fruits & Vegetables, Toasted Baguette, Braised Mustard Seed.  

Hamachi with Wild Mushroom “Forrest,” Puffed Sticky Rice and Mushroom Tea.

Painted Hills beef filet  with Turnip-Horseradish Puree, Seared Foie Gras, Baby Turnip, Pear, Arugula, Caramelized Onion Pudding.

This was a truly tasty plate. The beef was perfectly medium rare, the foie nice and creamy and the radishes were just heavenly.

A little mint chocolate ice cream sandwich.

Carrot almond cake with Goat’s Kefir Ice Cream, Blood Orange, Candied Carrot  

We were seated on the second floor at a small table by a window. We both thought our main server dude was a little brusque, a little less excited than some of the other servers when it came to the magic he was putting down in front of us. Probably just an off day. I can't remember if LW just wanted to high five one of the other servers or if they actually did. I'm sort of leaning towards actually did.

Pig Tails c/o McCrossens

My first meal out after my return from the Bahamas was a quick snack at McCrossens with LW. I chose to try one of the specials of the night: pig tails. They were done in a kind of wing-style, sticky with a sweet sauce reminiscent to that you'd find on a fancy version of wings that, if I recall correctly, also had a bit of savory to them through a rosemary element. It was my first pig tail experience and I had no idea what exactly to expect. Perhaps literal end of tail curlicues...though I imagine that would have been quite chewy/fatty? These were more like pig vertebrae, with clear notched spine bones in each morsel, which had a nice little tender piece of meat along with an inordinate amount of crispy/creamy fat to boot.  This makes sense given that the tail is at the tail end of the animal's back. Heh. Meh. They were rich and I didn't finish my plate, but I was glad to now have at least a basic idea of what a pig tail's meat to fat to bone ratio is.

Christmas Drinks and Snacks

Christmas morning met us with many a present under NC Catherine and J.'s tree. To gird our spirits while wading through the process of opening such bountiful array of presents, we enjoyed mimosas.

Many a present was given.

I will allow that perhaps the present that most raised my spirits was this set of fire gloves that NC Catherine gave me. They are going to be super useful on camping trips and when I need to move a particularly stubborn log in any indoor fire. Very pleased was I. So much so I felt the need to point at myself and make this face while still very much in pajama mode.

Dad, opening what I think turned out to be...a jar of cornichons!

NC C. made a lovely breakfast cake with apricot glaze if I recall correctly.

And bacon, of course. After our very thorough and lengthy present opening start to the day, I don't really know what happened. I must have done something? Napped? Read? Can't be sure at this point. Whatever it was, I am sure it was productive and interesting.

As the hours passed J. and I put together two plates of snacks for pre-dinner time social hour with NC C. and J.'s friends the N.s. This involved a cheese platter that included tallegio and delice de bourgogne, and a plate of freshly cut apples and two different kinds of cheesey crackers/straws.

All within spitting's distance to a fire.

Our morning's mimosas were of the cheap-o champers variety...but for the evening we went a classier route.