Today is my wife's birthday and she requested pasta Bolognese for dinner. I built her a piece of bathroom storage furniture for her birthday and she loves it. That I could not hide and was way ahead of schedule on it so she asked me to just finish it early and I did. It is the same size and style of a piece that we bought from Ikea about 10 years ago and that did not hold up very well. You get what you pay for and only if you are lucky. Also got her 12 yellow roses that she hasn't seen as of yet. Yellow roses are her favorite.
Peach cobbler with vanilla ice cream on top. Do you warm the cobbler first.....or leave it room temp? Asking for a friend.....
Yah - thanks, Bill. I just did a Google search and looks like that's the standard. Makes sense.....because in a perfect world you're eating that cobbler fresh outta the oven! Vanilla Bean is da bomb of all the Vanilla's!!!
Had the warmed cobbler with i/c a few minutes ago...yum! Watching "Beating Bobby Flay" right now - what a great show! Some of the techniques and methods these people use is mind blowing!
Making pork tenderloin with a sesame teriyaki glaze, rice with datil peppers, and stir fried broccoli tonight. I dragged out of the freezer a two pound block of boneless pork shoulder. Tomorrow I will braise that with a chili sauce rub (ancho and arbol chilies) and Guinness. Also garlic, onion, allspice, bay leaves, coriander, cumin and oregano. It is like a deeply flavored Mexican pulled pork for tacos. Toppings for the tacos will be pickled red onion, radish and cilantro.
Got my cheesy Italian.....Baked Ziti! Take out from Mannys. I asked my friend who works there which of their pasta dinners had the most cheese and he immediately replied the "Pasta Delight". I knew the owners of this place back in the 80's. In 1989 I moved to Naples to take a ful time groundskeeper job for the man who started Cable Vision Industries. I think I mentioned him before. Later on in life he bought the Woodstock festival property. Anyway - the owners of Mannys ended up also moving to Naples at about the same time and operated a restaurant there. So I would go in and it was like an episode of Cheers! Then we all end up back here in NSB. I did some landscaping work for them at both locations. Life can really be a trip sometimes......
Tonight I am making pho with shrimp. I was almost out of star anise and I had to go to FIVE stores to find it (Publix on Main Street was out, Ward's was out, Publix on 13th near 39th doesn't carry it, Publix near campus had no parking spots, and finally Aurora (our local Latin market) had it). Was there a big run on it for making mulled wine?
Change of plans. I will make the shrimp pho tomorrow. My wife wants either BBQ from David's (Western North Carolina style) or gyros from Gyros Plus. I can take either. Originally she mentioned Sonny's and I was deeply offended. I love Sonny's beans and their sauces, but I smoke meat so much better than them. David's pulled pork is decent and they serve the pulled pork sandwich right with a Carolina vinegar slaw on it if you ask for it. I know when you get into a discussion of BBQ it is worse than talking politics at a family holiday dinner. LOL.
Tonight we celebrated Alan’s significant other (Abbey) for walking this morning to receive her specialist degree in special education-her next goal is her Doctorate’s degree. We (12 of us) went to the Ole MuleHouse in Jasper, Ga. Food, drinks, and service were all excellent. Personally I had blackened red fish, cheese grits, sautéed Brussel sprouts, and fresh Caesar salad. I also had tumblers (2) of Woodford Reserve. Life is good in Gator Nation!
I stop by David’s for french fries and sweet tea fairly often. Every time I decide to grab some bbq, I’m left terribly disappointed. Hogtown is the only place in Gainesville I really enjoy. I don’t mind four rivers, but it isn’t my favorite. I loved sonny’s as a kid, but not so much since they sold out. Terribly inconsistent, and most stores don’t even smoke their meats in house. I loved their sliced beef, which they don’t serve anymore. Ken’s in Lake City or Aikins out in Bell come close. Diane’s in Hawthorne also still has the original sonny’s bbq and sauces. Those places are a different kinda bbq though, not texas or carolina style. I guess it’s florida style as I’ve never really had anything similar in any other states.
Agree about David’s and about Hogtown. The Pearl station in Micanopy has good brisket, and Ray’s in Waldo (weekends) has great ribs
Have not tried Ray's but Pearl has a great rep. I used to do a lot of road cycling and stopped there many times for liquid refreshment and it always smelled fantastic and was always crowded. As for David's I have only had the pulled pork sandwich and it is OK. I cannot speak to anything else on the menu. Hogtown is a bit too Texas for my taste and I have been to Austin and it isn't up to that ridiculously high standard (Franklin's especially but The Salt Lick is also really good), but I LOVE their smoked corn. And the whiskey menu. LOL. Today we made a mess of Wick Fowler's 2 Alarm Chili with beans and will have chili spaghetti. My wife is from Cincinnati and grew up eating Skyline chili so she thinks that chili has beans and spaghetti and other things. At least she didn't add cinnamon.
Speaking of Gainesville BBQ does anyone other than me remember Georgia Boys on Archer Road? Pedestrian BBQ but they made a decent Brunswick stew. Rumor has it that somehow they got Sonny Tillman's BBQ sauce recipe and made it and Sonny then opened a Sonny's on Archer Road to compete with them to drive them out of business. The original Sonny's location on Waldo Road is still there and still a Sonny's, but the second Sonny's location on south 13th Street hasn't been a Sonny's for a long time and last time I drove by it was still a failed place opened by the Reggie Shack folks. Twisted Peacock IIRC.
We will head home in the morning and with Alan and Abbey both working we have voted to leave their kitchen clean tonight and take them out to the Mexican place here for supper. So-supper for me will be something and an ice cold draft Dos Equis Lager-everyone else may choose for themselves Life is good in Gator Nation!
Safe travels, Bill! BTW, I stopped at the ABC this afternoon on the way back from picking up provisions for Mom. Main reason was to buy a bottle of Kahlua, which I did. While there I asked about Molson Gold availability. Was told the distributor was having trouble getting it but I could leave my contact info and she (the manager) would double check for me. Before leaving she checked some of the other stores and it was showing some limited inventory at a few. I told her if I could just get a couple 6 packs, I'd be good. So she's going to see what she can do. Backstory - I did the same thing earlier in the year but never heard anything back. Same store - but different person. Back when I was in corporate sales I was given a certificate of appreciation one year for being the most determined salesman in our region. Point being I never give up when I want something. I may lay back for a while - and sometimes if it's in my best interest I walk. But I just have a hard time letting go. Will keep you posted.....man that's some good beer!
And just like that. She just called and said they got some in - and a case is there with my name on it. Ask.....and ye shall receive! Col' one tonight on my new front deck, baby!
