While some had today off, I didn’t so I ended up not only working a partial day (we got two hours early approved leave) while also trying to tackle the week 2 of a training module to teach part time at a new institution.
So tonights dinner needed to be simple and a no brainer. Grilled chicken, vegatables and homemade salsa.
That would be the smoke we followed then passed after our 5:50 pm flight got cancelled due to mechanical issues after boarding. Oh yea, that and two of the flight crew going down and being removed by EMT’s with heat stroke as we were asked to disembark ..
So after hearing Alaska Airlines plan for resceduling folks, it was another car rental, then off to dinner, and a drive to LA and a few hours sleep at the Renaissance Marriott, to be able to catch rebooked Virgin America flight at 6:50 am Tues am. Either that or stay in PS another day or two. Given we could only get waitlisted on the 5pm Tues Alaska Airlines flight or confirmed on the 5pm Wed one.
Other than that snag, we had a great few “disconnect” at our favorite “home away from home” at the Triangle Inn, in Palm Springs.
Kept the trip low key with temperatures from 98 – 120+. Which meant lots of pool time
And eating at our fav spots when we could drag ourselves out of the water long enough.
Now this is a glass of Iced Tea!
A Chicken Parm sandwhich
Need I explain
More liquids
Spencer’s for brunch
Spencer’s for brunch
Sensing a theme yet?
Ok Peoples. This is how to get & stay on the “post party doggy bag” list. Return the Lock & Lock full! Even better if its chocolate chip cookies. Oh what am I saying.. if it’s baked and sweet.. it counts.
Started off the weekend by whipping up some herbed cheesy drop biscuits. 
After a killer meal the night before at Spiazzo (check out my review here) before seeing Wonder Woman
Then on Tuesday night, I had an urge for lemon-candied ginger biscotti. So adapted the recipe I usually use and added some candied lemon peel and used 2 large eggs instead of XL (For that recipe visit my post here) . Luckily I usually have all the ingredients handy. First bake done.
Now packed for sharing at meeting I had at the “cube” on wed.
So by Thursday, I was at the “what to make when you just can’t face Safeway or Tower?” stage. Which means it was forage time. The outcome ended up as leftover chicken, sweet potato & veggie hash aka the “clean out the refrigerator for garbage day tomarrow ” hash.
Who knows what the rest of the week will bring. But since it seems, according to how that silly, entitled, little man modeled his answers on Tuesday, that it’s totally “OK for federal employees to forget, not take notes, and misremember “, who knows what I’ll be remembering by next week…but as its June it’s time to remember we won’t be silenced.
Note: this was supposed to have posted last month but somehow didnt post.
So last week was a killer; my colleague and I had a all day training in New Hampshire, hosted at @SNHU on Wed. Which mean I left the house on Tuesday am around 4:30 – caught a flight to Chicago to change planes for New Hampshire. We stayed in the Radisson Hotel Manchester Downtown (Address: 700 Elm St, Manchester, NH 03101. Phone: (603) 625-1000).
While the folks couldn’t have been more friendly – there were some oddly interesting observations; Firstly- The beds; I don’t get the “bumpy” look. While the beds were comfy, this was odd and was happening with both beds. It kinda felt like I had lots of little Dino’s waiting for me under the bed.
And then there was the “alcohol preps” everywhere. I kid you not – they were placed on every surface (which I understand as a public health person – often have loads of things you simply don’t want to know about) but my first thought was “bravo, a good attempt – but they have wipes for this that work better than alcohol and where is the condoms?”. What a lost opportunity for them.
But I loved the details with the labels on the bed adjustments.. 
For Dinner that night we went to Cotton
Breakfast the next morning found me at the Buffett
Tz
This was a dinner shot during the last visit
A gathering of the tribe last night for a “salon” dinner. A night focused on food, talk and stories. For this month, my old friend Josh and his husband Brent were in town, taking advantage of “retiree” time and visiting the Bay Area. Now Josh and I have been friends, “sisters”, co-facilitators, both ran focus groups and volunteers for local programs for many years and all around were “those two are trouble together” for over 24 years.
Instead of a dinner out like in the past (the last visit we took them to Old Skool for a great meal), I suggested we eat here and invite some other friends we’ve known for years and just kick back old school style.
For the menu I wanted easy, solid and fun. Years ago Josh and I manned a mens social group called the Social Exchange Network as a way to gather men to get out of the city to camp, eat, remember, heal. This was during a time of great pain and change for us, when so many of our friends were dying or sick with AIDS. So the socials and SEN were an opportunity to “stop the madness” for a few days. We did everything from camping trips to Disney World to house parties.
Often for the weekend SEN events, I tended to do all the cooking (except for the junk food table which often held every sweet treat, salty, sugary snack that we ould pre-buy that would sit on a table for the whole weekend for those late-night munchies) while Josh would serve as the front man-cruise director for the social stuff. On those trips when an oven was available – our first night menu was frozen lasagna dinners with a green salad and garlic bread. As it was easiest meal to get prepared on the day of travel as people rolled in.
With this in mind, I thought it would be fun to recreate a home version, but that wasn’t the old school all day sauce version that I normally would make , which I know he loves. So Trisha Yearwood’s “Cowboy Lasagna” recipe came to mind. I originally tried the recipe back in a few months ago (that post is here) after seeing it on her cooking show to a great success. I recall saying that the mean-sauce was like “crack”, “one spoonful and you couldn’t stop tasting it”. To start the night I re-used another favorite starter; my adapted version of Roasted Carrot Hummus that I have mentioned back in my February post
When all was said and done – it was a win for sure. Two of our other friends Russel (Russell has know Josh almost as long) and David, brought a fresh baked apple pie (crust and all) incredibly infused with rosemary. Which paired perfectly to the lasagna meal.
Ok so last week we both too beat to decide on what to eat and go out.. Which meant it was time for our own version of #Chopped@Home and for me to come up with something to eat.
I had remembered a @LidiaBastianich (one of my fav italian professional food folks) and how she had married some of the same things and always says that its not about the recipe as much as what you have. So after a fast forage in my cabinets and refrigerator – I ended up with:
Baked Ham that I had from a few weeks back when I tried my first full baked ham myself which I had luckily frozen the leftover meat and bones seperately, fresh snap peas, cherry tomatoes, mine orange peppers, and a box of pasta, olive oil, butter and lemons.
So well – when all was said and done – I got a pretty easy and nice hearty meal out of it.
On Friday as a treat, Paul took me to a resturant neither of us had been too – but often walked by; L’Ardoise Bistro .
This would be one of those “hidden gems” that get so easily overlooked. With so many decadent options I went old school with Coq au Vin while Paul Burke splurged on the Hanger steak. Started off with little Charcuterie Plate with housemade Patés and an incredible carrot soup special was rich with “American butter” and hot. In fact, the entrees were solid sized and rare it seems of late in restaurants – actually HOT and just just warmed under a heat lamp.
From start to finish, an outstanding diner, well prepared and lick your plate good. Reasonably priced and great portions topped only by the welcoming staff. I would go once a week if my waistline would agreed. A new favorite on my list of “go to’s”.
Pardon the fuzzy shots – but the atmosphere is so nice and we had such a lovely time – that I refused to fuss with my camera.
They have a great menu online (http://www.ardoisesf.com) for those that like to review them
L’ardoise Bistro 51 Noe StPhone number(415) 437-2600. Business website: ardoisesf.com or on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LArdoiseBistro
You know it’s good when I start with the empty plates!
Read my review of L’ardoise Bistro on Yelp
So back on May 5th. I tried my hand at some new breads – and here I am at it again – the first one used the same ingredients; cherries, white & chocolate chips & almonds but different ratios and types of flour and was baked in the Dutch Oven instead of braided and has both an overnight proof and a second 2 hour one before baking. Note: this is a much older recipe and didnt account for post 1990 stoves so I could have taken it out sooner.
Then for our monthly bookclub – I redid the one from May 5th (Chocolate Chip Cherry Bread) and also tried a whole wheat bread with cranberries and walnuts. Both to some success. The whole wheat was dense -but perfect with cheese or a soup. The other was screaming for sweet butter or to be put in bread pudding or fresh toast !
But what I realized is that the process of baking isn’t easy for me – unlike cooking. I need to pay attention different and learn to not only follow the directions -but feel as it comes along. I also found that the process allows my mind to process more complex projects in my head from a different angle so when I sit back down to work, I have a different perspective to see.
Dinner last night at Mission Bowling club; over all not so bad for Friday night eats. While a little loud inside, the staff are attentive (making a reservation helps), the front open air space has a nice after work, local neighborhood vibe, almost boardering on “too hip” but not quite.
The burgers rocked, thick, hot with carmelized onions and cheese on a toasted bun. The meat quality itself was pretty good- not over worked, with that outer “crunch” bite into a perfect medium center. I did notice that eaten without the bun, you get a salt blast from the meat which was balanced nice.
The place offers a bunch of starters imcluding “break your teeth hard” fried seasoned garbonzo beans and vegatable “fritto misto”, which was flavorful but the portion was really small for the price. The classic wedge salad was a win on price, taste and size.
Mission Bowling Club
3176 17th St, San Francisco, CA 94110
