Emerald City – Part 2 – the Rest of the Story – the Happy Accidents

Posted on by RedFlair14

Sorry if I am boring you, but we are back on the Seattle trip again this week. Seriously, if you haven’t been there, you NEED to go. The food scene is wide and deep and there is so much to choose from that in a 5 day trip I gathered enough info to hopefully keep you entertained for another week.

When we travel for work, we always try to sneak in a little fun too. The bonus on this trip is that we have friends who live up there and we were able to see ALL of them on one trip. And this trip was FULL of Happy Accidents (from now on called HA).

After a fantastic night of dining and drinking with friends Byron and Christine, we headed to the docks early the next morning to catch the Victoria Clipper to go to British Columbia. John was a little worse for wear having indulged at Pike’s, Elysian, Quinn’s and Tavern Law. HA #1 – we met a retired couple on the boat who loved travel and dining as much as we do. They informed us that the Chihuly Museum and restaurant were now open, so our plan for Monday was changed (Moment of Truth – John was supposed to work on Monday, but pushed those tasks to Tuesday so he could museum hop with me!). Bloody Marys were ordered and it was suggested to me that I do a whole blog on them…hmmm. Tasty future topic with fun research on the horizon!

Victoria, British Columbia is astoundingly beautiful and we were so lucky to have ex-pat Las Vegas friends, Diane and Mary, to show us around. After 3 brewery restaurants and a quick trip to their “house in the woods” we were well lubricated and laughing and delighted we had made the journey. Don’t ask me anything about Victoria, we were there to spend time with friends, not sight see, and what I saw was lovely, but I was more interested in the time we spent with them. I will admit, however, to be very happy to live in the USA where beer and liquor are CONSIDERABLY more affordable ($26 Canadian for a 12 pack of Corona – yes, Corona!) Of course when in Canada, you must eat Poutine – it IS the national dish of Canada (at least that is what I kept telling myself). I had a great one with pulled pork.
Poutine!

Drinking with our buds, Diane and Mary!

As stated before, John skipped out on the tasks he had to do to museum hop with me, so we headed in a vaguely Space Needle direction having learned that the Chihuly Garden was directly in its slim shadow. Because it was early, breakfast was on the agenda and after passing up Top Pot Donuts, we found a quirky little bar/café called 5 Point Café – HA #2. The waiter looked like D-Day from Animal House and our food was diner perfect!

HA #3 – As we made our way to the Chihuly Museum, we found the Experience Music Project (EMP)! I knew it was in Seattle, but I didn’t realize we were literally going to trip over it! WOW! Great music, musical instrument, and artist exhibits in addition to Sci-Fi icons and horror movies. A perfectly HA!

Chihuly’s Museum was more than I could have hoped for or imagined, and the restaurant on site, Collections, was charming and entertaining as well. Each table top had a sunken shadow box of treats to look at, and all the visible areas were covered different collections of items from Dale Chihuly’s past.

Then of course there was HA #4 that I gushed about last week.

And of course the Pike Place Market! HA #5 – Finally after repeated trips to the Market I got to see the guys throw a fish! They did it just for me, they usually only toss the fish when someone is purchasing, so it was a rare treat and they even let me film it. To see the video go to my FB page Good for Spooning.
Cheese counter at Beecher’s Cheese makers!

Enjoy these pics and make time to go to Seattle! It is a food lover’s paradise and there is so much to see and do.
Curried Beef Buns at Mee Sum Pastry – another HA! Totally Cheap eats at $2.50!

Charcuterie at Elysian

Oysters at Elliott’s

My Food Memories this week are Girls Night Happy Hour and dinner with friend Lynn, junk food with my favorite kid, and testing out some new recipes in preparation for late summer visitors.

Until next week, go out and make your OWN Food Memories!

We’re Off to See The Wizard

Posted on by RedFlair14

For those of you who don’t know, Seattle is called the Emerald City. Seattle has great food, sights, shopping and lovely scenery. Recently John and I made our second trip up and it was a trip full of happy accidents. One of those happy accidents was coming in contact with Tom Douglas’ Restaurants. I am now convinced that Tom Douglas IS The Wizard!!! And he is now on the “boyfriend” list.

When I fall in love with a Chef’s food I always remember my first experience. It’s like a great kiss, I don’t want to forget it. High School Friend Neil drove into town to meet John and me for dinner, and due to John’s arriving conference colleagues, we needed to stay close to the hotel. Neil suggested Dahlia, about a block from where we were staying. Excellent choice! The food was FABULOUS!! Since Copper River Salmon was in season that was featured on the menu (all over the city) and it was beautiful. I strayed from my “no tongue” comfort zone and had lamb tongue confit and was pleasantly surprised at how tender and flavorful it was. When offered to John, he declined saying he didn’t want to kiss a sheep! As we left the restaurant, I snagged a flyer outlining Tom Douglas’s operations.

Lamb Tongue Confit

I immediately fell in love. There are 12 locations, plus a farm that provides organic produce and herbs to all the locations, taking the farm to table concept to a more personal level. They grow their own, just like farming communities have done for ages. One of the 12 locations is a bakery supplying bread (or in the case of some items, recipes) to all the others. I made it my mission to visit as many of the sites as possible, and I only had 2 days from the dinner at Dahlia to the flight on Thursday afternoon!

Seattle is a great walking town, and I walked everywhere, and thank goodness for that, otherwise I’d have gained 10 lbs instead of the 5 lbs that actually ended up in my jeans. The following morning, after having hit the web and realizing the BBQ rub shop I had seen earlier on the trip was in fact a Tom Douglas enterprise, I headed out to locate it. What I found right next door was Seatown, where I promptly ordered oysters and a Bloody Mary for breakfast. The guy down the bar from me ordered the biscuits and gravy with sausage. GK, the server/barmaid, informed him the sausage was house made and smoked. Upon hearing that, I felt cheated with my oysters, so I had that too. The sausage melted in the mouth and the biscuits were first rate as well. Then it was on to the Rub with Love Shack where 9 rubs were purchased and later shipped home.

I also made a trip to Tom Douglas’ Brave Horse Tavern. Great local beers on tap and the most delicious and beautiful pretzels I have ever seen. A burger so juicy that the juice was LITERALLY dripping off my arm completed that trip. And don’t even get me started on the fries! Crispy outside, tender inside, popping hot and the perfect amount of salt. Special thanks to Drew my bartender!

Without fail, I have to say every single server and employee at the locations mentioned above was happy to be there, helpful and very knowledgeable about the operation, products and company. What a treat! What a joy to hear employees speak glowingly of their boss and owner. Tom Douglas is doing LOTS of things right. The food and the vibe in all the places I visited are fantastic. I didn’t see everything Tom Douglas has to offer, but what I did see was heightened by happy servers and knowledgeable staff members. What I didn’t see/hear were frowns, snarky comments, back biting among the waitstaff or sloppy presentations. Wahoo!

I can’t wait to revisit The Emerald City and hit up more of Tom Douglas’ joints. I think I will need to go on a diet before liftoff…

In addition to the Food Memories listed above I had a great week – house made corned beef hash at a little divey bar/café, dinner and drinks with friends Byron and Christine, brewery visits, eating in a Chihuly inspired restaurant and multiple visits to Pike Place Market. For more info on this Seattle trip, check back next week. There was so much great stuff that I couldn’t put it in one week!

Until next week, go out and make your OWN Food Memories!

Family, Food and Friends

Posted on by RedFlair14

For me there is nothing better than eating with people who love me and whom I love. That’s what dining should be about. This past week I had the great good fortune of eating with people I truly enjoy being with, and I didn’t cook ANYTHING!

My sister in law, Bonnie, and her wife, Gretchen, came in for a few days and we had a great time. We normally stay in to eat and this time we went out. We had Brazilian BBQ for Jack’s 19th birthday and a second memorable dinner was at RM Seafood (that seems to be my happy place these days) with Friend Lynn. Because we are friends of the Moonen family we always feel like family there and the food is ALWAYS great! My sisters in law were here for the entire weekend, but I didn’t cook anything – really! We spent time enjoying each other’s company and dining out. Weird, I know! I even convinced Gretchen to go on a marathon shopping expedition with me (we had pizza and salad for lunch). Usually Gretchen and I like to cook together and this time we just sat by the pool and relaxed. Refreshing!

While Bonnie & Gretchen were here I had to leave to go to LA. High School friend Dave Trudell has a one man show that I needed to go see and this was the ONLY weekend during his original scheduled run that I could go. Of course after the tix were bought and plans made, his run was extended (good for him, bad for my house guests). The show was great and Friend Lynn traveled with me so I didn’t have to make the drive alone. The show was great, but the dining ran a close second in the race for which was the best part of the day.

Lynn and I started with a tremendously bad breakfast with good Bloody Marys. Let’s not go into it, but I will say breakfast orders shouldn’t take 45 minutes and come to the table wrong. Yes, the manager was spoken to (and without profanity believe it or not). We proceeded to the Roosevelt Hotel where a charming bartender, Graham, made us lovely gin cocktails. The conversation from Graham was as good as the cocktails (Moment of Truth – I LOVE a chatty barkeep who is a good conversationalist).

Then it was on to the show. If you are in LA and have the inkling to see a one man show I highly recommend “In Heat in Hollywood”. Brash, funny and at times poignant, Lynn and I loved it. We were welcomed into Dave’s friend group immediately and proceeded to have a great time with the guys eating our way around the theatre’s neighborhood. Snacks at a bar called Rockwell and great Chinese food at Chi Dynasty followed by pie at House of Pies. The laughs and camaraderie were as good as the food.

Isn’t that what dining with friends and/or family supposed to be? Laughter, conversation, and friendship always makes even the worst food (like our breakfast) memorable and worth doing again!

My Food Memories of this past week are outlined above. Enjoy the pics!

Until next time, go out and make your OWN Food Memories. I will be on vacation in Seattle next week, so you won’t get a missive from me. Be patient for the info from The Emerald City.

Summer in the City

Posted on by LeAnne Notabartolo

We all have summertime rituals and mine have changed over the years, depending on my age and location.

When I was young in upstate New York, my mom was the concession manager for the local lake’s food booths. It meant long days spent at the lake, swim lessons with the lifeguards (Moment of Truth – my sisters and I all had crushes on different members of the life guard squad), and all the summertime food you can imagine. If you click on the link, we used to sit up on the grassy area so Mom could see us from the concession windows. I learned to spin cotton candy, work a commercial popcorn machine, and had my hair totally bleached out to strawberry blond by the sun. Of course it was child labor, and I wasn’t paid, but I didn’t care and I only worked at closing or when it was REALLY slow. It was a treat for me. I will never figure out how Mom put up with all those teenagers!

One of the rituals we had was stopping at a farm stand and picking up huge paper bag or burlap sack of corn on the cob and that was dinner. Dripping with butter and eaten off flimsy paper plates -you know, the kind with the dimples around the edges – I didn’t think anything ever had or ever would taste so good! I still believe that. We also had treat nights when a trip to The Country Cone on 9G was in order. And let’s not forget the Friendly’s ice cream sundaes…

In Maine, where I lived for a short while, we waited with baited breath for Memorial Day Weekend when the Houlton Farms ice cream stand would open. There was very little entertainment in northern Maine, so when “The Dairy Bar” opened it was a town event! There was no parking and a line around the block. They had the BEST soft serve ice cream. These days I have to accept Dairy Queen as my only soft serve option. No Carvel. No Houlton Farms…boo hoo for me (and don’t talk to me about Luv-It – it’s too far to drive for a quick cone).

Here in Vegas summer starts early and I get to grill year round. So I can hardly call a cookout a Summertime Ritual. As stated above there is no GOOD soft serve near me, so what is my Summertime Ritual? It’s still corn on the cob! Instead of the burlap sack from a farm stand, I get a whole box from the local grocer and have at it! There is something so summery about eating corn on the cob. I don’t care if it is grilled, boiled or steamed, I just love it! In San Antonio I came to love the way the Mexican street food trucks did it, with a creamy mayo sauce, chile and sometimes queso fresco or cotija.

So here’s to corn on the cob and the official beginning of summer for me!

Food Memories this week have been slim since we spent time lounging by the pool. Snacks and drinks at RM Seafood, a wedding reception, and steaks on the grill, all with friends from LA top the list.

Until next week, go out and make your OWN Food Memories!

Even as a kid I loved that song by the Lovin’ Spoonful. As a kid growing up in the country I LONGED for summer in the city even though I didn’t understand all the lyrics in the song. I live in a city now and I don’t regret it one bit. I don’t miss the country life, except maybe for the produce.

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle

Posted on by LeAnne Notabartolo

First of all, Thank You! to everyone who shared the blog last week – there was a record number of hits. Keep sharing and Thank You again!

I have come to the realization that I am obsessed with anything that is made from reused/recycled flatware, utensils or silverware! And they keep popping up at me, everywhere I turn. It’s kinda like the shopping gods WANT me to find these things! I have no idea WHY, but I think I can remember when it started. Years ago while living in Maine, Friend Beth and I went to a craft fair and I was tickled by these wind chimes. I had to have them. At the time it was a major expense for me, but I splurged and bought them anyway. They have since tarnished and I leave them that way on purpose.

Flash forward several years. A few years ago Friend Dani and I went to an outdoor art fair and I had this keychain custom made. I had the artist (I have woefully forgotten the name) make them for my sales team members that were attending a conference with me. It was homage to “Rock On” – a phrase I use far too frequently.

For Mother’s Day John gave me a “spoon ring”. You older readers are well acquainted with these small affectations that are a throwback to the 70’s. I think everyone had at least one back then. For those of you NOT in the know, a “spoon ring” is the decorative handle of the spoon cut away from the bowl of the spoon and turned into a circle for your finger. I thought it was really cute of him to give me that considering my blog title and Twitter handle.

Now, everywhere I turn I am confronted by artwork, tools, clocks and jewelry made from flatware, utensils and silverware. Is someone trying to tell me something? My fave is the octopus necklace below. How cool is that?!
Available here

I am thinking I need this! Get it here.

John already bought me this bracelet. Purchase here

And how interesting would THIS be on your desk? Shop here

It leaves me wondering who used these tools for their original purpose? How did someone come up with the idea to make use of them in a new way? What would have happened to them if they weren’t reused/recycled? (Moment of Truth – I am not the least bit crafty, in fact I am decoratively impaired and I don’t even accessorize well, but I appreciate and admire crafters and their work.) I am now enthralled with the idea of recycled art and reuses for things. For some time now I have been reusing interesting “craft beer” bottles to hold my olive and grapeseed oil in my kitchen (I just put a re-sealable wine decanter top on them for pouring). That’s about as crafty as I get.

Think about your kitchen. What do you recycle? Do you compost? Are you cleverly reusing something in a way not originally intended? Great! Be sure to comment and share your stories. I love to hear them.

Food Memories this week include making soup for Friend Laurie in my new Blendtec blender, a lovely Ancho Chile and Cider glazed pork loin and a fantastic shrimp boil for Father’s Day with some of our dearest friends.

Changes are coming to this blog – pretty soon I will start sharing recipes I find from different sources that are fantastic, or recipes that I develop. Also, take the time to visit our sponsors if you are so moved.

Until next week, go out and make your OWN Food memories!

Public Service Announcement – Since 1988 I have been using canvas grocery sacks. I began actively recycling in 1992. I had to rinse, scrape labels off and drive the recyclables to the center and I continue to make attempts to reduce my carbon footprint. Take a stand and if you haven’t already started using your own reusable bags at the store, try it! They are stronger, last longer and you won’t have so many of the little plastic bags floating around your house. It’s a little change that can make a big difference down the line. If this isn’t your thing – try something else to reduce – reuse – or recycle!

Take Me Out the Ball Game!

Posted on by RedFlair14

For those of you who know me, you know this is AWESOME~!

I love baseball and I am a true, win or lose, Yankee fan. For the first time in my life I was able to attend a Yankee game in Yankee Stadium. And joy of joys, it was inter-league play and they were playing the Mets!

My first ever live baseball game was at Shea Stadium, back in the 80’s, box seats behind first base. A road trip with a long forgotten guy I dated briefly and the only things there were to eat then at the stadium were the things you think of when you think of baseball. Hot dogs, beer, popcorn, Cracker Jacks, peanuts and soft pretzels were the order of the day. Since then I have been to other fields and the changes in food have run the spectrum from the days of yore.

At Wrigley Field (home of the Chicago Cubs) you can get all of your Chicago faves – Italian Beef (sweet & natural if you please), dogs topped Chicago style, pizza, and just about anything else you can think of. A few years ago I was able to see baseball in the sun, the way it was meant to be played, at Wrigley with Sister Tina!

At Rangers Ballpark in Arlington, Texas there is a bar & grill where you can sit by the windows and watch batting practice. And in the park itself, you can get Shiner Bock on tap and of course BBQ – it is Texas you know! (Moment of Truth – I love Shiner on tap and I go out of my way to find bars that carry it).
Jack at Arlington in 2005.

The new Yankee Stadium is amazing! Of course there are all the usual things you would WANT to eat at the ball park, but there are also great locally brewed beers, a steak house and, believe it or not, a Yankee themed Hard Rock Café, complete with a pinstriped, oversized guitar in the entrance. We saw sliders of multiple descriptions, sausages, fried chicken, nachos, wraps and pizza in addition to the old standbys. And here is the BEST part – if you have “field level” seats (which we did, thanks to my loving hubby, we were in section 118 20 rows back from Home Plate!) there are waiters to bring you a limited menu so you don’t have to wait in line for the basics and you won’t miss any more of the game than necessary! One of the things we (and by we, I mean John) had to wait in line for was a Carvel sundae in a plastic Yankee cap.

The gate we entered to get to our seats right behind home plate.

The view from our seats.

The three of us in our Yankee gear.

All in all, despite a stomach flu that swept the whole family (no kidding), our trip to NYC was great. Not the least of which was a long awaited fab dinner at Barbuto with Friends Bobby & Chris. I can safely attest that the roasted chicken I had there is seriously the best I have ever had. They weren’t lying when they said that Jonathan Waxman was Obi-Wan Kenobi with a chicken. I am still a little pissed my dear friends wouldn’t allow me to pay even part of it – thanks again guys, but they have promised to come here to Vegas and let me spoil them. And let’s not talk about how intimate I became with the sidewalk on the way home. Don’t worry, stiletto shoes, jeans and jewelry are all fine.

Ovens at Barbuto

Salumi plate – FYI – I used those bread sticks as chop sticks to serve with.

The perfect roast chicken.

Food Memories this week are a foot long hot dog brought to me by a waiter at Yankee Stadium, Mister Softee, Barbuto chicken and a delicious rosé wine, brunch with Geoff and Sarah, and beer and conversation with Friend Tim.

At the bar with Tim.

John with his Mr. Softee – oh, BTW he is obsessed with Mr. Softee in much the same way Ray in Ghostbusters is with the The Stay-Puft Marshmallow Man.

With Chris, Bobby and Jack at Barbuto.

Until next week, go out and make your OWN Food Memories!

On a side note – changes are coming to this blog. Stay tuned for the next chapter!

Secret Agent Man?

Posted on by RedFlair14

When I was a waitron (to quote Anthony Bourdain) I had the dubious pleasure, twice, of waiting on Food Critics. In both instances they were NOT known to be food critics. I just had a feeling. With the second one, when his article came out, my words about the menu were duplicated in print, and I was grateful I had guessed rightly and gave my best possible service.

Whatever happened to the days of the anonymous food critic? Here in Vegas our food writers are HIGHLY recognizable, one and all. Their styles vary drastically; one tries to write only positive things; one complains about nearly everything; one seems to write only what the advertisers of the rag he writes for WANT him to say and yet another vacillates between styles 1 and 3. I agree with all of them from time to time, some more than others. To a one they are all visible on the food scene, and if I recognize each of them on sight, I am quite sure all the waiters and Maitre D’s know them as well.

Is it possible for them to write really honest reviews or critiques when they are so recognizable? I am certain that I, and the public at large, don’t get the same service they do. I am vaguely convinced that they get perks from the house from time to time. Do these perks influence their opinion of the dining experience? When the Chef makes a special appearance at their table to say howdy, the house buys a round of drinks or the kitchen sends out amuse bouche not on the menu, how can their dining experience be equitable to that of the anonymous diner who experiences none of this? On the writers’ side of it, do they REALLY want to write a bad review and hurt someone’s feelings? Do they really want to piss off people who may need to serve them in the future? With some people, I know they are only happy when they are complaining, but for the most part I think the writers WANT to say nice things.

I am NOT saying these folks know nothing about food – they DO! That is why, for the most part, they are so highly respected and sought after diners. Because of their popularity and visible presence on the food scene, restaurants LOVE to have them be seen eating in their dining rooms. It’s kinda like having a celeb at your party. If you invite the cast of the Avengers to your party (Moment of Truth – I am not sure if I want to be Black Widow or Pepper Potts – Black Widow has the better costume, but Pepper has the better man), you KNOW people will be excited to be there and everyone will show up and have on their best party attitude, and your NEXT party is sure to be a success as well because everyone wants to be seen with someone famous. The same is true for celebs in the food world and make no mistake about it, Food Writers have become celebs. People like me who know who’s who will always spot the writers and wonder, “Are they eating here because they LIKE it, or because they are getting ready to write about it?”

My question is, “How can a regular person trust that he is going to get that same stellar treatment when he reads a glowing food review?” You may say there are other means to determine if a restaurant is a good choice for you. And there are, but none of them are really reliable when you consider that some of the people commenting on the online sources don’t know what good food is really supposed to be. Don’t even get me started on Yelp!

I long for the days of the Gael Greene of old. Reservations made under an assumed name, no one knowing for sure who is doing the writing. Then I could be assured of getting the unvarnished truth and the writer could be assured of getting the same food and service that Average Joe gets.

Gael Greene

Secret Agent Man

This week was a stay at home, cook and be loved kinda week including gnocchi from scratch. Nothing really exciting other than being with my 2 fave guys, so the Food Memories are a little on the boring side.

Next week? Yankee Stadium and the food therein!

Until next time, go out and make your OWN Food Memories!

Memorial Day

Posted on by LeAnne Notabartolo

As a retired Military wife, it would be easy for me to do a blog on Military Service. 13 moves in 21 years; pride in my husband’s Air Force Career; the globe spanning friends I have, etc. But think about the word MEMORIAL…it’s about memories.

It would be easy for me to write about Holiday BBQ’s and long weekends. But I won’t.

I always write about Food Memories and the people who help me make them, but this weekend at an outdoor concert – English Beat FYI – during Punk Rock Bowling weekend, I realized everything old is new again. I watched this crowd of people and there was no ONE singular style, age bracket or other identifier. The things that did stand out were the Mohawks. For those of you who didn’t know, I had a modified ‘hawk back in the day, complete with bleach blond tips on my red spikes. I haven’t seen this many ‘hawks since I was in college! It astounded me.

Of course that led me to think about food trends that come and go in waves. For years restaurateurs could only use what was in season, what was locally produced or procured and they made the best of it. With advanced shipping and commercial farming procedures, restaurateurs had access to far-away ingredients and out of season ingredients. And that’s the way it was for years; putting all things on the menu at all times regardless of the appropriateness of it. We all suffered for it. Poor quality and crappy, tasteless produce, just because we COULD get it. And of course we all still fall prey to wanting those strawberries in December, and they almost always taste like cardboard.

These days there is a resurgence in shopping locally, using only in season ingredients and using everything! For ages, people would never think twice about using an entire animal and eating ANY part of any animal. Chris Cosentino from Incanto, in San Francisco, is amazing. He has really upped the ante in using the ENTIRE animal. Until a few years ago I rarely ate any offal at all – only livers – but now I am a JUNKIE for sweetbreads and I also love kidney. And I have Brian Howard to thank for my introduction to pig brain mayo – yes, really.

Check out used bookstores and thrift shops for OLD cookbooks and you will find numerous recipes for offal and little used produce. When was the last time you ate a persimmon? Brussels Sprouts? Fiddle head ferns? Whole artichokes? Dandelion greens? Try thinking of something old and making it new again. As the song goes, try revitalizing your taste buds and remember, everything old is new again.

Food Memories this week include eating with High School friend Jimmy S. at Herbs & Rye, smoking a turkey in my Big Green Egg; snacking, drinking and dancing my way down Fremont Street with hubby and friend Dani B.

Until next week, go out and make your OWN Food Memories!

I’ve Been Handed Some Lemons

Posted on by RedFlair14

And of course as the saying goes, I should make some lemonade. A friend of ours has a Meyer Lemon tree that is quite prolific and she is more than willing to share and this year has been a bumper crop! And then I got more from Bountiful Baskets. So I am a little obsessed with what to do with the lemons. There are only so many batches of the Secret Recipe Lemon Bars that one person can make. I also made limoncello and now I am looking for other things.

This is the Limoncello at “work” – it takes weeks to create, but most of it has to do with it just sitting there.

Truth be told I am NOT a lemon person. I am a chocolate person. Women who have gone to lunch with me will hear me say, “I am not wasting the calories on any dessert that is NOT chocolate.” My husband, however, is a lemon person. Any fruit based dessert in fact, but lemon is his favorite. I make a mean Lemon Meringue Pie and of course the Lemon Bars, but other than lemonade I found myself blocked with what to do. There HAD to be something that wasn’t a dessert that I could make with lemons (Moment of truth – yes, I know about Chinese Lemon Chicken, but I think it sucks). So I searched.

Here are 2 recipes I’ll be trying this week. Yes, I know they fall in the dessert category – I’ll let you know how they come out:

Michael Symon’s Lemon Pound Cake

French Yogurt Cake

Among the searches I found Preserved Lemon, aka Lemon Pickle – apparently I have been missing out! Lemon Pickle is a commonly used ingredient in Moroccan and Indian cuisines, and I enjoy both. So why haven’t I been in on this worldwide secret?

I figure if I am able to can tomatoes and peaches, I SHOULD be able to preserve some lemons. It’s nothing more than lemons, salt, lemon juice and water. I can do that! It’s the waiting for them to mature and deepen in flavor that is going to be the problem.

So, off I go to immerse myself in all things lemon. I hope it doesn’t leave me with a sour disposition (I know – that was bad…)

Food Memories this past week include birthday breakfast with friend Dani, Dim Sum with friend Evy and my boy, Taste of the Nation with friends Laurie and Lynn, and a return to cooking for 3 since my boy is home from college.

Until next week – go out and make your OWN Food Memories.