Food and Recipes while under Coronavirus quarantine #5

[BetteDavisEyes]

Any special Father's Day menu/meal plans? I told DH that I would do all the prep and cooking today. I don't use the grill, so I will roast rack of lamb, Yukon gold potatoes, and Michigan asparagus in the oven even though it is a very warm day. We haven't had lamb since I made Shepherd's Pie for St. Patrick's Day because it is just ridiculously expensive, but Nino's is featuring rack of lamb this week. It's still pricy, but it's a special occasion so we splurged. I made a crust with olive oil, lemon zest and juice, Dijon mustard, garlic, rosemary, a little goat cheese, and Panko. I will toss the potatoes with olive oil, salt and pepper, chopped rosemary, and shredded Parm. Olive oil, salt and pepper on the beautiful asparagus that we've been eating almost every day while it's in season here and prices are decent. We have a nice bottle of Chianti to accompany our dinner.

I hope everyone is well and enjoying the summer season. We haven't had enough rain, and it's a challenge to keep flowers and grass looking healthy. There were some storms in the area a few days ago, but most of the activity was south of us, and we got very little rain in Oakland County. Time for a rain dance

 

[anneg]

Any special Father's Day menu/meal plans? I told DH that I would do all the prep and cooking today. I don't use the grill, so I will roast rack of lamb, Yukon gold potatoes, and Michigan asparagus in the oven even though it is a very warm day. We haven't had lamb since I made Shepherd's Pie for St. Patrick's Day because it is just ridiculously expensive, but Nino's is featuring rack of lamb this week. It's still pricy, but it's a special occasion so we splurged. I made a crust with olive oil, lemon zest and juice, Dijon mustard, garlic, rosemary, a little goat cheese, and Panko. I will toss the potatoes with olive oil, salt and pepper, chopped rosemary, and shredded Parm. Olive oil, salt and pepper on the beautiful asparagus that we've been eating almost every day while it's in season here and prices are decent. We have a nice bottle of Chianti to accompany our dinner.

I hope everyone is well and enjoying the summer season. We haven't had enough rain, and it's a challenge to keep flowers and grass looking healthy. There were some storms in the area a few days ago, but most of the activity was south of us, and we got very little rain in Oakland County. Time for a rain dance

Sounds like a wonderful meal! We haven't had local asparagus for quite a while here in central NC.

No cooking here! We went out to dinner at a seafood restaurant this evening with 5 friends. It was a pleasant, leisurely meal with lots of conversation and catching up.

I enjoyed the entree special: Butter Poached NC Shrimp with sugar snaps, tomatoes, and squash, over a roasted white corn bisque, topped with bacon.
Delicious! No room for dessert...

 

[PayrollNerd]

It is miserably hot so using the oven in the middle of day is out. [89 deg, feels like is 103 deg, humidity 69%]

Decided to make a dent in all the veggies. I diced up carrots very tiny, sautéed them in butter with garlic and a few diced pearl onions. Added zucchini and yellow squash (1 from my garden!). Sprinkled it with basil, parley, kosher salt, red pepper, black pepper. I let that sauté for a little bit. Added the tomatoes and put the lid on to let it simmer. Last step was sprinkle with Parmesan cheese, put lid on and let it melt.

Made white quinoa and used real butter instead of olive oil.

I’m going to rinse the Italian seasoning off a chicken breast and sauté it too.

 

[BetteDavisEyes]

After two days of meat (lamb) and potatoes, dinner this evening will be grilled shrimp with a spinach salad (grape tomatoes, red onion, Persian cucumbers, crumbled feta). Friday is Detroit Style Pizza Day, so we'll get a large deep-dish pizza from Jet's.

 

[Puzzles8]

I so love this thread. You have all taught me so much about cooking - most importantly using ingredients at hand (rather than going to the store). You've also taught me so much about the reinvention of leftovers. I used to just reheat the same meal until it was gone. Now, I think about how to reinvent the leftovers into a NEW meal.

DH is very happy about all of this!

Tonight, used frozen chicken, Balsamic Vinegar, lots of leftover tomatoes, garlic, Basil from my garden, Kosher salt, fresh ground Pepper and Mozzarella Cheese. I pounded out the chicken then rolled it all up with all other ingredients. Baked it in the tomato juices. What an unexpected hit it was!

Take care all!

 

[anneg]

I so love this thread. You have all taught me so much about cooking - most importantly using ingredients at hand (rather than going to the store). You've also taught me so much about the reinvention of leftovers. I used to just reheat the same meal until it was gone. Now, I think about how to reinvent the leftovers into a NEW meal.

DH is very happy about all of this!

Tonight, used frozen chicken, Balsamic Vinegar, lots of leftover tomatoes, garlic, Basil from my garden, Kosher salt, fresh ground Pepper and Mozzarella Cheese. I pounded out the chicken then rolled it all up with all other ingredients. Baked it in the tomato juices. What an unexpected hit it was!

Take care all!

That sounds great! I'll eat anything that involves tomatoes, garlic, and cheese!

 

[PayrollNerd]

I so love this thread. You have all taught me so much about cooking - most importantly using ingredients at hand (rather than going to the store). You've also taught me so much about the reinvention of leftovers. I used to just reheat the same meal until it was gone. Now, I think about how to reinvent the leftovers into a NEW meal.

DH is very happy about all of this!

Tonight, used frozen chicken, Balsamic Vinegar, lots of leftover tomatoes, garlic, Basil from my garden, Kosher salt, fresh ground Pepper and Mozzarella Cheese. I pounded out the chicken then rolled it all up with all other ingredients. Baked it in the tomato juices. What an unexpected hit it was!

Take care all!

That almost sounds like Bruchetta they serve on toasted bread! I bet that was delicious!! What did you you serve along side it? Maybe pasta?

 

[Puzzles8]

That almost sounds like Bruchetta they serve on toasted bread! I bet that was delicious!! What did you you serve along side it? Maybe pasta?

I had made a huge batch of fresh Bruchetta the day before! That is what I used for the base of the meal.

Angel hair pasta and green beans to complete the meal.

JMO

 

[BetteDavisEyes]

A taste of history: How the Detroit-style pizza came to be

A look at the history of the Detroit-style pizza on this National Detroit-Style Pizza Day.

www.clickondetroit.com

DETROIT – Detroit-style pizza is finally getting the recognition it deserves beyond Metro Detroit. And on this National Detroit-Style Pizza Day, we’re taking a look at this history of the crispy square pie.

But what you might not know is that some of the original pizza joints around Metro Detroit are all connected...

New book details The Detroit News' role in Detroit-style pizza history

'Detroit Style Pizza: A Doughtown History' by Karen Dybis is out now ahead of Detroit-Style Pizza Day, which is Friday

www.detroitnews.com

A new book is out that details the delicious and dramatic history of Detroit-style pizza.

"Detroit Style Pizza: A Doughtown History" by locally based reporter and author Karen Dybis not only unravels the intertwining stories of the food's origin and rise to worldwide fame, but also digs into some myths and legends that have been told and retold over the years...

 

[anneg]

A taste of history: How the Detroit-style pizza came to be

A look at the history of the Detroit-style pizza on this National Detroit-Style Pizza Day.

www.clickondetroit.com

DETROIT – Detroit-style pizza is finally getting the recognition it deserves beyond Metro Detroit. And on this National Detroit-Style Pizza Day, we’re taking a look at this history of the crispy square pie.

But what you might not know is that some of the original pizza joints around Metro Detroit are all connected...

New book details The Detroit News' role in Detroit-style pizza history

'Detroit Style Pizza: A Doughtown History' by Karen Dybis is out now ahead of Detroit-Style Pizza Day, which is Friday

www.detroitnews.com

A new book is out that details the delicious and dramatic history of Detroit-style pizza.

"Detroit Style Pizza: A Doughtown History" by locally based reporter and author Karen Dybis not only unravels the intertwining stories of the food's origin and rise to worldwide fame, but also digs into some myths and legends that have been told and retold over the years...

The bruschetta pizza pictured in the article looks wonderful!

 

[BetteDavisEyes]

Today is DH and my 52nd wedding anniversary. We would ordinarily have made dinner reservations at one of our "special occasion" restaurants, but we are staying home today. Last year's anniversary dinner at Joe Muer's in Bloomfield Hills cost more than $250, and prices have increased significantly over the past year. We were considering Ruth's Chris or Morton's this year, but prices at both steakhouses are outrageous! Dinner for the two of us with a nice bottle of wine would easily cost more than $300. It doesn't matter if we can afford it or not, it's a matter of principle.

High-end restaurant prices have become ridiculous, and we can't justify spending that much money on a single meal when so many people are struggling to feed their families. Instead, we celebrated with a lovely dinner at Picano's on Thursday evening. As always, food and service were wonderful, and our dinners and wine cost about half of what we would have paid at Ruth's Chris or Morton's. Tonight, we will enjoy an encore of our Mother's Day dinner of grilled beef tenderloins, baked potatoes, Michigan asparagus, and red wine. We will make a Christmas in July donation to the Capuchin Soup Kitchen in Detroit instead of spending an obscene amount of money at a high-end steakhouse. Capuchin Soup Kitchen -

 

[Catmommy]

Happy Anniversary, BetteDavisEyes! And what a FABULOUS idea to share monies with the soup kitchen rather than splurging on a high-priced dinner.

 

[Tbone144]

Today is DH and my 52nd wedding anniversary. We would ordinarily have made dinner reservations at one of our "special occasion" restaurants, but we are staying home today. Last year's anniversary dinner at Joe Muer's in Bloomfield Hills cost more than $250, and prices have increased significantly over the past year. We were considering Ruth's Chris or Morton's this year, but prices at both steakhouses are outrageous! Dinner for the two of us with a nice bottle of wine would easily cost more than $300. It doesn't matter if we can afford it or not, it's a matter of principle.

High-end restaurant prices have become ridiculous, and we can't justify spending that much money on a single meal when so many people are struggling to feed their families. Instead, we celebrated with a lovely dinner at Picano's on Thursday evening. As always, food and service were wonderful, and our dinners and wine cost about half of what we would have paid at Ruth's Chris or Morton's. Tonight, we will enjoy an encore of our Mother's Day dinner of grilled beef tenderloins, baked potatoes, Michigan asparagus, and red wine. We will make a Christmas in July donation to the Capuchin Soup Kitchen in Detroit instead of spending an obscene amount of money at a high-end steakhouse. Capuchin Soup Kitchen -

Happy Anniversary!

 

[anneg]

Today is DH and my 52nd wedding anniversary. We would ordinarily have made dinner reservations at one of our "special occasion" restaurants, but we are staying home today. Last year's anniversary dinner at Joe Muer's in Bloomfield Hills cost more than $250, and prices have increased significantly over the past year. We were considering Ruth's Chris or Morton's this year, but prices at both steakhouses are outrageous! Dinner for the two of us with a nice bottle of wine would easily cost more than $300. It doesn't matter if we can afford it or not, it's a matter of principle.

High-end restaurant prices have become ridiculous, and we can't justify spending that much money on a single meal when so many people are struggling to feed their families. Instead, we celebrated with a lovely dinner at Picano's on Thursday evening. As always, food and service were wonderful, and our dinners and wine cost about half of what we would have paid at Ruth's Chris or Morton's. Tonight, we will enjoy an encore of our Mother's Day dinner of grilled beef tenderloins, baked potatoes, Michigan asparagus, and red wine. We will make a Christmas in July donation to the Capuchin Soup Kitchen in Detroit instead of spending an obscene amount of money at a high-end steakhouse. Capuchin Soup Kitchen -

Happy anniversary to you and your DH! --and some hugs, too! My DH and I will celebrate 50 years next year.

Tonight we are having dinner with friends at a wonderful Turkish restaurant. Looking forward to finding out what their specials are.
(P.S., we donate regularly to our local food pantry.)

 

[Puzzles8]

Today is DH and my 52nd wedding anniversary. We would ordinarily have made dinner reservations at one of our "special occasion" restaurants, but we are staying home today. Last year's anniversary dinner at Joe Muer's in Bloomfield Hills cost more than $250, and prices have increased significantly over the past year. We were considering Ruth's Chris or Morton's this year, but prices at both steakhouses are outrageous! Dinner for the two of us with a nice bottle of wine would easily cost more than $300. It doesn't matter if we can afford it or not, it's a matter of principle.

High-end restaurant prices have become ridiculous, and we can't justify spending that much money on a single meal when so many people are struggling to feed their families. Instead, we celebrated with a lovely dinner at Picano's on Thursday evening. As always, food and service were wonderful, and our dinners and wine cost about half of what we would have paid at Ruth's Chris or Morton's. Tonight, we will enjoy an encore of our Mother's Day dinner of grilled beef tenderloins, baked potatoes, Michigan asparagus, and red wine. We will make a Christmas in July donation to the Capuchin Soup Kitchen in Detroit instead of spending an obscene amount of money at a high-end steakhouse. Capuchin Soup Kitchen -

Congratulations to you and your DH!

And what a beautiful thought to donate to your food pantry.

 

[BetteDavisEyes]

Thanks for your kind words. I also want to mention another thing about high-end restaurants that you may or may not have encountered. As I was perusing various "special occasion" restaurant menus, I noticed that several establishments are now charging an automatic 20% gratuity. I recall this being the case for large parties (groups of 10 or more), but now it is for all tables. I've always felt that tipping should be based on quality of service at the time it is rendered, and the amount should be determined by the recipient. JMO

We tip the drivers, we tip the staff,
we tip the comic who makes us laugh

we tip the barbers, the waiters and cooks
we tip the librarian who checks out the books.

We tip the repairman, the plumber, and crew
we tip the animals while we're at the zoo.

We tip everybody so everything's fair
We tip so much now that we don't even care.

We tip the musicians at the local blues joint,
This whole tipping thing is at the tipping point!

If the tipping continues as a source of new wealth
we will end up tipping the doctor for our good health!

and leave a percentage of what we have saved
to whomever is tasked with digging our grave.

 

[PayrollNerd]

Thanks for your kind words. I also want to mention another thing about high-end restaurants that you may or may not have encountered. As I was perusing various "special occasion" restaurant menus, I noticed that several establishments are now charging an automatic 20% gratuity. I recall this being the case for large parties (groups of 10 or more), but now it is for all tables. I've always felt that tipping should be based on quality of service at the time it is rendered, and the amount should be determined by the recipient. JMO

That’s actually illegal. They can request it, but cannot legally demand it. Nor can they make it automatic. It’s a shame restaurant owners don’t understand payroll law as well as they should.

A gratuity (tip) is a gift only meant for those having meaningful interaction with the customer. That means busboy, hostess, manager or anyone not a direct server, is not entitled to a tip.

A fee for using a credit card vs cash is legal. A delivery fee is legal.

I’m not an attorney but spent years doing payroll compliance.

 

[PayrollNerd]

Today is DH and my 52nd wedding anniversary. We would ordinarily have made dinner reservations at one of our "special occasion" restaurants, but we are staying home today. Last year's anniversary dinner at Joe Muer's in Bloomfield Hills cost more than $250, and prices have increased significantly over the past year. We were considering Ruth's Chris or Morton's this year, but prices at both steakhouses are outrageous! Dinner for the two of us with a nice bottle of wine would easily cost more than $300. It doesn't matter if we can afford it or not, it's a matter of principle.

High-end restaurant prices have become ridiculous, and we can't justify spending that much money on a single meal when so many people are struggling to feed their families. Instead, we celebrated with a lovely dinner at Picano's on Thursday evening. As always, food and service were wonderful, and our dinners and wine cost about half of what we would have paid at Ruth's Chris or Morton's. Tonight, we will enjoy an encore of our Mother's Day dinner of grilled beef tenderloins, baked potatoes, Michigan asparagus, and red wine. We will make a Christmas in July donation to the Capuchin Soup Kitchen in Detroit instead of spending an obscene amount of money at a high-end steakhouse. Capuchin Soup Kitchen -

I love reading your writings. They’re always interesting and I enjoy hearing about the food & ambiance. Happy 52nd! That is quite an accomplishment. You two are blessed to have each other.

I just went to my produce pick up this morning and am so thankful to those that help others.

 

[IceIce9]

That’s actually illegal. They can request it, but cannot legally demand it. Nor can they make it automatic. It’s a shame restaurant owners don’t understand payroll law as well as they should.

A gratuity (tip) is a gift only meant for those having meaningful interaction with the customer. That means busboy, hostess, manager or anyone not a direct server, is not entitled to a tip.

A fee for using a credit card vs cash is legal. A delivery fee is legal.

I’m not an attorney but spent years doing payroll compliance.

I know at some restaurants servers share their tips with busboys if they do a good job of clearing their tables and setting them up quickly. It benefits the server if her tables are able to be turned quickly.

Often servers have a favorite busboy, and they work together well as a team.

I agree that tipping is getting out of control. Some shops have tip buckets next to the cash register. You tip for the service of paying for your merchandise?

 

[IceIce9]

Regarding tipping: we often order pizza from a local pizza restaurant that we like. We always order for carry out, and when we pick it up and slide our credit card the screen defaults to adding a 30% tip. You can uncheck the box if you don’t want to tip 30%, but it always annoys me that it defaults to 30% tip for a pizza that you walk in and pick up at the register.