Mother's Day - A Great Day with my Honey and A Wonderful Memory of a Mother's Day Past

SBCP and I spent a great day together today for Mother’s Day. She has been working really hard studying for her classes and getting ready for her Graduation and the VA. State Exam. Which she is taking next week. SBCP spent the day taking and re-taking practice tests on-line. I made her the Mother of the Bloody Marys’ in a 27 ounce mixing glass garnished with 2 U-16 Shrimp, celery and speared olives. Over 20 years of tending bar I have made a few Bloody Mary’s in my day. Sunday afternoon at the Blackwater Inn I would burn through 2- 3 gallons of BM Mix. It was homemade of course. And it was not for the timid palette. My man Big Tom was responsible for consumption of at least a gallon every Sunday. He would “troll” the Boulevard and was usually successful. But that’s a whole other Blog Post. I may explain someday. It the interim –I offer Blackwater Inns’ Sunday Bloody Mary Mix- circa 1992. Makes enough mix for 10 – 10 ounce Bloody Marys’ or enough to get Big Tom to noon- thirty (maybe)

• 2 46 oz. cans Sacramento Tomato Juice
• 8 Tbsp. prepared horse radish
• 4 oz. fresh squeezed lemon juice
• 30 hits of Worcestershire sauce
• 30 hits of Franks Hot Sauce- Tabasco or your choice of hot sauce
• Celery salt – to taste
• S & P - to taste
• Make mix up to 24 hours prior
• 3-4 ounces of good vodka per 4-6 ounces of mix.
• Mix well- shaken or stirred.
• Serve with marinated olives, a celery stalk and a couple of shrimp- perched
• Garnish glass with lemon and lime slices

The Mother of all Bloody Marys'  -

Now todays Mothers ‘Day was awesome....

I made Shrimp Cocktail – my honey’s favorite. 2 beautiful Rib eye steaks with sautéed mushroom and onions.

 


  However I think back to a previous MD posting. SBCP was not home most likely scooping up the grand babies.



It was Mother’s Day 2010. Our neighbor Marilyn and I were both going to be alone so we planned to spend the day together. Church- Lunch-and conversation. I offer you all a flash-back to MD posting May 10 2010. A truly memorable day. Good food- great conversation – unforgettable stories and unconditional love and respect from what would normally two strangers brought together by chance and circumstance.

Reposted - FROM MAY 10 2010-

I spoke through proxy to the infamous UD yesterday and he was eagerly waiting and salivating for the next TFN entry. I explained I had no real fodder for the blog. No great meals, no blockbuster recipes, no great restaurant reviews( another mental block mis- spelling spell, Imagine a guy in the food service industry for 17 plus years that can't spell restaurant ) . UD says Blog about Marilyn's cookbook. (Which will come in a later issue. So then I sit down and begin to ponder the crux of the meal itself. Not the content, not the venue, not the cost, or the dessert but the concept of the meal itself. The conversation, the camaraderie (which I can spell), the ritual of breaking bread. The ability to be at rest with those you care about and take in nourishment. A life sustaining effort, both on a physical and emotional plane. I mention this because I had a wonderful meal with my 70+ year old neighbor, Marilyn yesterday. It was Mother's Day, and we were both home alone. My Mom has been gone for a great while and Marilyn's daughter is far away. So it was a healing and bonding surrogate experience for both of us. I was originally scheduled to take her to dinner after we went to church together on Saturday night. But a surprise visit from my man LUMPY for volunteer car repair ran into the evening hours and I had to cancel. So I get up Sunday morning and call her… she says “I have some really nice hamburger meat, how about we just eat here" Now let me explain Marilyn. She was born the oldest of 14, in Colby Wisconsin. A farm girl who could drive the tractor, or birth a calf, or bake a wonderful loaf of bread from scratch. She has described a great visual of her Dad hanging onto the side of the tractor loaded with too much hay to offset the load from spilling over her dad hangs onto one side saying " Go Blondie Go… whatever happens don' t stop." Marilyn is also a smart business woman and a true spiritual soul. We feel blessed to count Marilyn as part of our family. We realized last year that fate and divine intervention had put us across from Marilyn and Jim to nurture both families. I would be remiss to mention that Jim is no longer with us and plants a huge void in our hearts every day. However during lunch the front door closed by itself as it grew a little colder which I attributed to Jim watching over us. So Marilyn and I have a great Mother's Day Bruncheon (my word). Fresh cooked hand formed burgers on the grill - 93/7 ground beef, some potato salad, beans, and a great salad with blueberries. Now the highlight of the meal was the conversation. Marilyn told some stories about business, camping, traveling and family that took us in all different directions. I countered with comparable anecdotes. We recognized some very similar tales that made me realize we experienced some shared circumstances. Useless purchases of unused trailers and campers that although well intentioned were bad decisions.

Marilyn had a great memory of renting a camper and driving to Wisconsin to see her family. (Because Jim always had to make an entrance) They rent the RV from a guy in Gainesville, they pick it up in a field behind a house where there are other campers. They pay the guy a couple thousand dollars cash, and he says drop it off here when you are done, and I will check it out and get back to you if there are any issues. They have Marilyn's daughter, her husband and two grand kids with them. They drive the camper without incident to Wisconsin. Jim makes his entrance and they head back home. On the way back the RV develops an equipment issue. They stop at an RV dealer in Minneapolis to get the part installed and make their way home. They make it back to Virginia in one piece and launch the grandkids home. The RV gets dropped off and they recommend this RV rental guy to a friend a few months later. They get a call from the Virginia State Police and are informed the Winnebago they drove to Wisconsin was stolen. The catch is the unit was stolen from the same dealer in Minnesota that they stopped at to get the part fixed. The whole family could have landed in a Minnesota jail if the dealer ran the VIN number. A great story on all levels. Shared over an impromptu meal shared by two souls brought together by fate or luck or serendipity. (Look it up). So no major recipes or big food revelations. But just an opportunity to speak to the human nature, spirituality and bonding of the MEAL . A MEAL…. the breaking of bread, the staff of life which keeps us grounded to the importance of the little things. I spoke to Marilyn about the publishing of this blog, and asked if she was ok with it. I thanked her for the company, and the meal. Marilyn says “spending time with you was like being with the son that I never had". I tell Marilyn “you are like the Mom that I no longer have “ The MEAL ….. Sometimes - it's not about the food. I thank you all for your support. My heart is with all of you.

Thanks for the attention- please don’t lose interest. I will keep you well fed.

Marilyn has since moved to be closer to her daughter in Pasadena Ca. We miss her every day. However a great young family has moved into her home, I love to hear the kid’s laughter echoing throughout the neighborhood.

I would like to pay tribute to all of the Mothers out there. It’s a full time – underpaid – under – appreciated job. You all shape the future – please keep it up!


For Rita – I love you Mom~TFN

Osteria Nino - Staffords Loss Shirlingtons Gain

 

First I must apologize for a much too extended sabbatical from the TFN blog. Sometimes life gets in the way of life and you lose track of what you enjoy and what is truly important to you. So I will try to post at least every few weeks and keep you all abreast of my adventures and my tastings.

In spite of a lack of timely postings the blog still has more than 6000 views.

 

SBCP and I recently had the opportunity to drive to Alexandria on a Sunday. Aside from I95 it was a pleasant trip and did not take 6 hours. (Which is possible in Northern Virginia on a weekend.) We were checking the travel time and route for a state test for which she was registered. We wanted to be sure the path was familiar. I had in the back of my mind to have dinner at Osteria Da Nino Cucina Italiana & Bar. Nino’s was located in Shirlington and the work home of some good friends and wonderful people. Niño Pino was the former host and part owner of Zibibbo73 in Stafford. A location I was fortunate to have worked at for a couple of years when they first opened. In the restaurant business you say “ I helped open so and so with whosit back in the day” Which means you worked at a place when they first opened. The first few months in the restaurant business are the roughest. So that statement is like a rite of passage. Working out the kinks in a restaurant is like being reborn daily. You never know what will happen on any given day.

When Nino left Zibibbo73 he took some good friends and servers from Stafford and opened Osteria Nino. The space is modern and beautiful and the tables are spaced so generously that you experience an unmistakable intimacy in a huge space.

Nino is the consummate host. He has a way with the clientele that makes you feel welcome and at home. He greeted us with warm hugs and gratitude. He was truly happy to see us! We spent many minutes talking and checking out the layout of the property. Our good friend and favorite server Christin had not arrived for work yet and Nino sat us at the best table in the house. A four-top at the window corner. Our server was smiley and well-spoken and described the specials to a tee. While we ate a regular customer called and asked for his special table (our table) and Nino apologetically explained that there were guests already seated at that table. 


We opted for the mussels’ appetizer in white wine.  Nino approached and recommended some salumi e fromaggi. A small plate of cured sausage and cheeses. That anti pasta was delivered immediately. A wonderful mix of soppressatta, pistachio cheese, olives and fig jam. The mussels were fresh and sweet and tender. Huge thin slices of garlic were reminiscent of the final minutes of the prison scene from the movie Goodfellas. Where Pauli would slice the garlic thin with a razor so it melted in the pan with just a little oil. I offer a link to that memorable scene. -  

Garlic with a razor    

SBCP ordered the Salmone e Puntarelli - Wild harvested salmon, gigandes beans, salmoriglio, kale, & tomato comfit.

My wife stated that the salmon was perfect. The skin removed and cooked perfectly. The beans were I thought butter beans, plump and delicious. And of course the kale was kale so she was happy.  

I enjoyed the Filletto di Branzino - Fregola, orange, fennel, asparagus, castelvetrano olives, & Sicilian salmoriglio, The filet was a whole fish, which was awesome. The Fregola was a pearl pasta reminiscent of Israeli Cous Cous. Plump and buttery and with a wonderful mouth feel.  

The entrees -

         

  

The entrées were spectacular. The service was attentive but not overwhelming. Christen arrived and more hugs and warm feelings were abundant. Nino and his staff were phenomenal.

We arrived early and were thankful for that. As we finished the restaurant began to fill up with their regular Sunday business.   

We felt blessed to have an awesome meal hosted by familiar friends and to have the ability to make new friends.

 

Osteria Da Nino Cucina Italiana & Bar a true gem tucked away in Shirlington VA. Great hosting, warm hospitality and wonderful food.

A link to their website - Osteriadaninova.

    

Thank you Nino for a great evening!

 

Nino and I -

 

 

TFN  

Virginia Diner

 

 

 

 

 

 

So I just spoke about how we took a ride to Virginia Beach, Hampton Roads, Norfolk, I am not that familiar so they get kind of all mixed up for me. It was Southern Virginia near the shore, where a lot of rivers meet the ocean. We went so my honey could fly in the air. Which she accomplished, she left the earth, flew in the sky more than once and then landed back on the earth.  There is only 1 sky. Just so you know….

 We stayed at the Hilton on the river in Suffolk Va. The hotel is on the banks of the Namemethecockofcoxfoxintheboxwithmysoxonyourhotboxhotknocks  river. (maybe better to look it up!) A beautiful property on the water, adjacent to a great  marina. The restaurant was run of the mill for a Hilton Garden Inn. Two dudes cooking on a line visible to the dining room. Dinner the night of arrival  was late and fair ….  and only fair. The boys behind the line spent more time  shooting the bull than concentrating on putting out good food. Sea Salt French Fries on the menu…. the only thing missing was the Sea Salt. I told the waitress I could have went to Wendy's. The crab cake was Ok.  

Breakfast the following day….  sad omelets, frozen potatoes, and no commitment from the wait staff for refills, creamer, butter, or anything else you may anticipate from a full service establishment. As a youngster, I would do back flips to make an extra dollar tip. These kids here …. not so much.    

Saturday morning after breakfast at the airport. SBCP ( Sweet Banana Cream Pie)  kissed the heavens and got her first official flying lesson and we were considering what  to do next. What the heck could top that ??? I tell you what. Ham Biscuits at a diner doing the right thing for the right reasons for more than 80 years. The night before we watched a special on TV about Virginia Diner …. Fried Chicken, Collard Greens, Macaroni & Cheese, oh and Biscuits….  Southern Style, the same way for more than 8 decades. It was about 45 minutes away and worth the drive. We considered flying but the parking lot was full and there was no room to land. The joint was packed. It was 2:30 on a Saturday afternoon.  It was Virginia Diner.  

We registered with the hostess. This place was kind of Cracker Barrel -esque. They jam you into the gift shop  when you sign in … so you can browse and buy. Boiled peanuts and Virginian Tech shirts. They tell you it's going to be 20 to 25 minutes… so go forward and spend ! The dining room sat about 90 or so. It was about 10 minutes until we were seated. On this Saturday afternoon after 11:00 the buffet was $11.95. The buffet displayed all of the Southern Specialties plus some really pretty desserts. The Mac & Cheese on the buffet turned out to be much better that the ala-carte  portion. We were seated and watched the folks coming back from the buffet with dangling trails of strings of cheese from the Mac & Cheese. This place was legit !

This joint had it all !! Little kids… fat ladies …. grumpy bastards… tourists…. local mutants….. 400 pound people….. and 80 pound people …. dudes with sandals and black socks… Chicks with cutoff shorts so short that the pockets stuck out of the bottom … Three dudes who while waiting for a table just kept saying … " Is there a Burger King around here ? " Chicks and dudes with bad teeth… brown teeth…. missing teeth …. and summer teeth…. ( Some were there  …. some were not) There were  fast and furious waitresses and sweaty  bus boys…. They had it all !  The cheese string trails  continued to made small inroads all over the linoleum floor. It was fantastic! They cleaned and turned over the tables like it was nobody's business…. but you know what ? It was their business !

I loved it  !  

SBCP ordered the house specialty - Ham Biscuits- Collard Greens-Waldorf  Salad- and a wrap up of Peanut Pie. I ordered a Club Sandwich. We ordered two sides of Mac &  Cheese.  I was jonesing for the Fried Chicken but I knew it would have been too much. However I could taste the Fried Chicken as I visually licked the grease from the faces of the previously mentioned mutantos dejour.  

 

 

I just wanted a club sandwich… the club had the Famous Ham as one of the components so I was good !

Overall the meal was excellent. The atmosphere and hum of the restaurant was outstanding. Just good honest, wholesome food.   I fell into a small carbohydrate coma on the way back to the river. HSBCP got us back and forth…. on the earth of course . Another visit to a famous food destination !!!!  

Virginia Diner >>>>>>>>>>>> As far as I am concerned you folks are good for another 80 plus years.  

The Peace You Build in Your Soul is the Peace That Becomes Your Rock !!!

Luvya- The FoodNomad>>>> Stay Tuned for the big announcement.

   

  

Up-Up and Away !



I Will Fly Away !

A few weeks ago my wife says to me >>>> “I believe I can fly! I believe I can touch the sky.”

She was not singing Karaoke. So I figured she must be delusional, or high. I said OK and I sent her for a Reasonable Cause Drug Test. Unfortunately or fortunately she passed …. Or not really.

Vicky began to talk about learning to fly, and obtaining her pilots license. She said “I would love to fly a plane.” Vicky had been up in a bi-plane a few months previous with Lumpy’s buddy Chuck (that may be the first time those three words were ever written in that order). We were at the Bealeton Flying Circus for the launch of some hot air balloons and the timing was right. She loved that and wanted to go again.

I then found an article in the paper about an organization called Women Can Fly. This organization sponsors free flights in small planes for women to raise the awareness regarding women pilots. Only 6% of all pilots are women. Vicky registered and Friday night we drove south to Hampton Roads Virginia. We stayed in a beautiful Hilton on the banks of the Nansemond River in Suffolk Va. The airport was the Hampton Roads Executive Airport. The terminal was in a beautiful modern steel building constructed with enough glass to take in the sites on the runways. We were among the first few there and Vicky was registered for her flight. As the morning progressed dozens of women and girls arrived. There were many mothers and daughters. One woman was 71 and it was her birthday. Present also were members of the Armed Forces, the Civil Air Patrol, volunteer pilots and representatives for Women Can Fly. There were publications about how to go about getting a sport pilots license, they had a few raffles going and a drawing for some door prizes. At about 0930 the organizers took the first group into a room for a presentation and about a half hour later Vicky was climbing into Piper Archer and took off into the wild blue yonder. The terminal was filling up with more people and the pipeline of women and girls being briefed and getting on line to fly seemed to be flowing pretty well.

Vicky’s flight was short and uneventful. She was back on the ground in about 15 minutes. She did however love it, and we started to look around at some displays and vendors that were set up outside near the terminal exit. There were a few planes on display and they had a trailer from the Virginia Department of Aviation. I figured we were done here and maybe we would drive to Virginia Beach. I asked one of the organizers when they would be holding the drawings for the raffles and the door prizes. She had the container with the blue tickets in her hand and was making her way out onto the tarmac where the guys with the PA system were and she said “ Right Now ! “. She calls the number 7294329. It was Vicky’s ticket and it had won. The first drawing of the day!

The lady was very nice and we asked what did she win? The lady said come on in I will let you choose. Among the prizes was a free lunch from the onsite café, some IPod accessories, a helicopter ride for three people and other assorted stuff. There was a gift certificate from Chesapeake Aviation for an introductory flight lesson. That was the deal!
We went over to the hangar where Chesapeake Aviation was housed and met Bob and Dot the owners, and Tom a flight instructor. They were all very nice people. Bob said “Let Tom finish his Smack and he would take Vicky up.” I said was it wise to let Tom shoot up heroin and then go into a plane? “Snack” said Bob “Snack!” Oh snack!.... Ok that’s fine then.

Tom was a gentleman and quite thorough with his pre-trip and safety lesson for the plane. The plane was a Cessna. A C-152 to be exact. Vicky was back up in the air in about 20 minutes. The flight lasted about 40 minutes. Vicky took the stick and took off and landed twice. We purchased a flight log from Chesapeake and Bob logged her hours. She logged .6 hours and is now officially on the way to getting her pilots license. She was on cloud 9 (sorry I had to).

Tom explains the safety check

It’s all over Facebook and people cannot believe Vicky did it! I can however …. This is the same woman who brought home dozens of duck and chicken eggs in an incubator to hatch, raised Monarch butterflies in my dining room and cooled them off in an envelope in the refrigerator to slow them down so she could put one on Clare’s nose and take a picture. She stood in the swamp in Maryland to take part in “Bridging the Watershed” (Ask her and she will tell you about it). She brings her kids into DC to meet with park rangers and test the water in the reflection pool on the national mall. She had the “bat lady” come to her school to talk to the kids about the different flavors of guano. Vicky was recently the recipient of a Prince William County Award for excellence in Science. It all some pretty cool stuff!

Today we woke up at the Hilton and I said “Hey I don’t know if you remember or not … but yesterday you flew a plane in the sky!”

Vicky says “Yeah I did…. I told you I could fly…. I told you I could touch the sky!”

I should have went for the Drug Test !

Vicky and Tom

There is a whole other story about our trip revolving around food of course. That’s for another session.

I am back and have some great news to share… stay posted and keep following.

Respectfully yours in flight TFN

"The air is the only place free from prejudices."

— Bessie Coleman, the first African-American woman to become an airplane pilot, 1921.

Bi-Valves - They are tricky !

Oysters - Holy Cow !!!! Who exactly was the first one to say " Hey >>>> lets open that thing up. At the risk of cutting off a finger. Then slide its slippery, salty, slimy self to the back of our throat and swallow it whole." ( or some may chew a bit) Ever who done did do that the first time…. I must say…. Thank you very much ! It’s a bivalve, it’s a mollusk, it's a gift from God. Its world's filteration unit. As a bartender in many establishments where raw was right, I had the opportunity to see in person the first taste of many a bivalve virgin. The reaction varied from disgust and a quick run to the bathroom to the reflective "Hmmmm… and that was pretty good." Those who did not fight back may very well become eventual fans. Ok lets ID the perp first - a bivalve.The bivalves are marine and freshwater mollusks that have a laterally compressed body enclosed by a shell in two hinged parts. These tasty morsels includes the clams,oysters,mussels,scallopsand numerous other families. All true loves of mine… Like a Beatles song, I love them here there and everywhere. Or is that Doctor Seuss ? I will not expound upon the amazing scientific make up of these creatures. The spawning, the hermaphroditism, the excretory system, the fact that these organisms are the bottom feeding filtration system of the earth's waters. And they taste great ! I just want to talk about eating them. I pen this as I sit in a place called The Half Shell in Memphis Tn. This is the second location for the Half Shell, I have been to both and I go for the oysters. They pride themselves on serving oysters exclusively from the Gulf Coast. Normally I would usually just get a dozen raw ( on the Halfshell ) but here they Grill'Em &Stuff'Em & Bake'Em ! Grilled is simple- Parmesan Cheese & Butter They also serve Oysters Rockefeller flavored usually with an anise liquor (Pernod), Spinach and CheeseAnd Oysters Bienville -topped with shrimp sautéed in a rich reduction also topped with cheese.These fancy productions truly make the most of our calcium rich friends. I have loads more to say on this subject because I feel so obliged. But I will keep it short and sweet ( or briny ). Here is the way to sample your first oyster. Drink….. One or Two…. whatever is your usual. ( maybe 12). Try one….Plain ! if you don’t like it then drink more, and try another. Try these at home…. so if you really can't do it you are safe. Try grilled… raw….. smoked ( yuuuup !). Give the poor lowly filter of the oceans a shot. I heard a story while recently tending bar at a newly opened Raw Bar in the area. The guy says he made a couple of grand as a boat captain in the Chesapeake by relocating and then re-catching some " other than Chesapeake Oysters". He told of some businessmen who paid to have these shelleys flown in and wanted them planted in the bay for a few days. They say 4 days in any sustainable water will give the oyster the flavor and salinity on that specific region. At the time Chesapeake Oysters were the top of the food chain. Wars were fought over the farming of these marvelous little gnarly bundles of wonder. Many a diver has risked and sometimes lost their life while seeking the pearl. The Immortal Shakespeare told of the interaction of Falstaff and Pistol, in The Merry Wives of Windsor. Falstaff: I will not lend thee a penny.Pistol: Why then the world's mine oyster, Which I with sword will open.Falstaff: Not a penny. I am really not sure what is going on… but I bet one of these dudes evertually don't get to slurp some oysters with the Windsor Wives. That is what I am thinking…. I am doing some research on the myths and legend of my affliction. Months with "r's" in them and oysters only grown on the North side of trees and such. Stay posted and we will continue out dialogue. regarding this amazing freak of nature. Thanks LUVPEACE&HAIRGREASE Til' next time No Mad ........................ just happy

They have rolled away the stone.

Well 2940 page views and that’s without any fresh written action in a year. I must say somebody must like me ! I really hope it's not the same lonely dude sitting in a room somewhere with nothing better to do than hit on my blog over and over
again. ( UD is that you ? )
It’s the year 2012. I have to ask where exactly did the years go? Specifically 1987 and 1988? I seem to have
lost some of the details associated with those years. Granted I was single and working full time as a bartender in
lower Manhattan. Living with two quirky roommates a block off the beach in Rockaway. The money was great. The
fringes were better. I will not expound, my children may read this someday.
I have gone through some drastic transitions
this past year. I have grown and morphed, I have loved and learned, hurt and
healed, laughed and cried. I have again changed up on the day job. I have the best job in the world !
Better …. stronger ….. faster …. we can rebuild
him. And we have. Or we soon will.

I have quite recently put my arms around two of the most amazing people I have ever met in my life. These two people have more love to give and more things to share than anyone of us could imagine. The female is a bundle of electricity, determined, stubborn, confident, fast, furious, hungry and ready to pounce at any moment, like a small agile jungle cat.
This tiny human possesses the emotional strength and self-righteousness of Hillary Clinton combined with the studiousness of a young Charles Darwin,multiplied by the whimsy of a tiny Doctor Seuss. She examines and studies, pokes and prods and tastes things like the world depends on it.(and it does) She looks at you like she has all the answers. If God forbid you look away for a second, when you look back you become convinced that she does. (have the answers that is). She has her mother's beauty her father's patience. (sometimes).
She was named after a Saint and a State. She is heavenly and grounded at the same time.
The male is something altogether different. This one reminds me of the uncle. The tall lanky uncle. The people used to talk
about the uncle. They would say he was an "old soul". They would say he knew things innately that was not possible for his age.
This new small male also has these special powers. The power of the ages, the happiness of a thousand laughs, the curiousness of cat pawing at something just out of reach. His physical strength is also something highly unusual. For his age he clutches and grabs like someone twice his size. Left on his own he makes his
way across real estate that would normally require a passport. The eyes reflect an understanding and a recognition that you feel could not be possible from such a young person. Then you catch a sparkle of comprehension that makes you realize…. this boy is blessed.
These two have come to back home to spend some time. it is with great pleasure to have them here under my roof. I will watch them grow. I will love them. I will teach them, and they will teach me.

I Thank You Lord For These Blessings You Have Bestowed Upon Our Home. I ask only that you keep us all safe, healthy and free from harm's way.
Welcome Home to my Son - His Wife and my two beautiful grandchildren. Liam Walter and Clare Dakota.

More about food the next time around.

Thanks for following.... DS AKA TFN

GRAVY

Gravy - who could live without it ? Born of the caramelization of our meat juices and aromatics. Meat fat, juices and the "fond" found at the bottom of a roasting pan is the stuff of legend for your pan gravy. All meats are contenders. All manners of cooking are eligible ( as long as you can catch the juices). Roasting is preferred. I use a classic mirepoix for most gravies. Mirepoix is 50 % onion-25% carrot and 25 % celery. Use this classic French aromatic mix under your roasted meats at all times. However do not hesitate to try different combinations. Bell Peppers- Parsnip-Ginger-Garlic-Shallot-Scallion-Celery Root-Horseradish. I chop my aromatics and place them under the roasted meats. They shield the meat from burning on the bottom and create the base for your gravy. The drippings will help to cook the veggies and lay the foundation for your gravy.

Lets speak on the " Fond" for a minute. Deglazing is a fancy and intimidating word that means to pour some cold liquid into a very hot pan to get up all the brown bits stuck to the bottom of the pan. Those brown bits are where the flavors concentrate, and it is called “fond.” Fond is French for “bottom".

After you have browned the meat and removed it from the pan, and allow to rest. Remove the excess fat. Heat the pan over medium-high heat as you add some deglazing liquid. The heat will help loosen and dissolve the really stubborn deposits as you scrape the pan with a straight edged metal spatula. The deglazing liquid can be wine, stock, almost any liquid, even water. I suggest wine for the initial deglaze and stock for the sauce. Do the deglaze and prepare to make the roux. Scrape the Bejesus out of the pan getting up all fond. The idea is to loosen up any bits of meat and all that "burned" on stuff that is stuck on the bottom of the pan and incorporate them into the liquid because they have lots of flavor. The resulting liquid will become the flavor in your gravy. Deglaze - and reduce lower heat. Allow the aromatics to cook fully. Here you may need to adjust the amount of fat- add or take away. Now you will make the roux. Add flour to the pan and mix thoroughly. You will need a 50/50 combination for fat and flour to create a solid roux. If there is not enough fat to coddle the flour please add more. Cook the roux. This is important. The more you cook the less thickening. The less you cook the less flavor. A golden color and a -sweet smell over the pan is preferred.

Now add your stock. Homemade or canned - try to have a good quality soup base in the fridge at all times. Base is reduced stock - a commercial Demi. Many flavors are available. Bear Creek is an excellent commercial brand that is available in almost all supermarkets. A spoonful will make an ok stock or soup into an unforgettable experience. Work that gravy in the pan with a whisk. break up any clumps of flour and incorporate the liquid into the sauce. Lower the heat and reduce the sauce. Simmer - simmer- simmer. Some chefs will strain some will not. I leave that to you. Taste your gravy and season accordingly. Finish with butter, cream, sour cream, and whisk in the finishing product.
If you allow the gravy to sit the fat will form a skin on top. Reheat slightly and re-whisk.

Salt and pepper to taste.

******** Give us this day our daily taste. Restore to us soups that spoons will not sink in and sauces which are never the same twice. Raise up among us stews with more gravy than we have bread to blot it with. Give us pasta with a hundred fillings. ********** Robert Farrar Capon

Love you all - keep reading - keep eating - keep feeding TFN