Sunday, September 13, 2009

It has been a while

It has been a week since my last post, so I have some catching up to do.
1. Can anyone tell me why my laptop keyboard is causing me so much difficulty in typing? Here's the deal. As I type the cursor jumps to other places in my text, which obviously leads to some very strange sentences. Plus it is very annoying, and makes typing very tedious. This post could take an hour to type. UGH!
2. My last CT scan identified some additional lesions. Without going into detail, I had a biopsy on Friday, and will have the results in a week, and I expect to begin a treatment program in early October.
3. Pub Grub: We have a new Irish Pub in Saint Petersburg, Paddy Burkes, which has some good pub grub, although a little non-traditional. My friend Karen and I went for lunch yesterday, and I had the "Pig Farmer" sandwich, which was ham, caramelized apples, and goat cheese on a pretzel roll. It was very tasty. Being a big sports fan, Karen opted for the Baseball Burger; Angus beef, Irish Cheddar, Irish bacon, and chutney. She said it was a winner. Obviously, there are a number of good beers to wash down the food.
4. A return to Argentina: For dinner last night, I brought out an Argentine cookbook, which my family gave to me for my birthday. It is "Seven Fires, Grilling the Argentine Way" by Francis Mallmann, a Restaurateur and TV star chef. While I do not have a grill, a cast iron skillet works great. We started dinner with an appetizer of Fresh Figs, Mozzarella, Thyme, and Olive Oil paired with a nice crisp Sauvignon Blanc. The entree was "Flipped-and-Flapped Lamb with Mustard, Oregano, and Lemon Zest" It is Mallman's take on the French classic of "Gigot a la moutarde" (Leg of Lamb with Mustard). Slices of leg of lamb are pounded to about 1/2 inch thickness, coated with mustard, oregano, and lemon zest (he uses lemon confit, which I did not bother to make), then seared a few minutes on each side. The smell from the pan as the mustard and oregano were charring was wonderful, only to be exceeded by the flavor of the finished dish. Accompanying the lamb was a side of "Caramelized Endives with Vinegar" (a combination of sweetness from the sugar used to caramelize the endive, and a tartness from the red wine vinegar). and a "Patagonian Potato Galette", a disc of thinly sliced potatoes sauteed in clarified butter. This was the only misstep of the evening, as I over cooked the too thinly sliced potatoes. Next time, I will slice the potatoes a little thicker and be more careful with my cooking time. The entree was pared with an Argentine Malbec. It was another very nice dinner from the kitchen of Bistro 523.
That is all I'm saying.

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