Overindulgence, the Birthday Dinner Part II

Every now-and-then it's a good thing to let go and indulge yourself, do something nice just for yourself. Last year I bought a pair of Uggs and a few years ago I bought a couple of things at Saks; it's important to treat yourself every now and then. Friday night I did it again, and thankfully this time I wasn't the one paying.

Dad decided to take us to Bender's in Canton for mom's birthday. I had never been there before, but they had been there last year for their anniversary. After the whole fiasco at the tire shop, see the previous post, I needed something good.

Upon entering the restaurant, the first thing I notice is the atmosphere and ambiance, with rich wood and marble it looks like a classic strak-house and pub. The staff was fantastic and the service was great, but with the prices it had better be great.

For the first course I had a lobster meat cocktail, like a shrimp cocktail but more luxurious. The lobster was great, you mostly get claw meat, but the claws on these lobsters were huge. With both claws you almost got about 8 oz. of meat. The cocktail sauce was good, but I don't know about the pairing of it with lobster, it kind of trampled all over the delicate flavor of the lobster.

The soup course consisted of the best clam chowder I've had away from the coasts.

The next course was a spinach salad. It wasn't that great. Not enough dressing, the eggs were a little slimy and the salad had bean sprouts, something I've never seen on a spinach salad and didn't really add anything.

For the main course I had their Red Alaskan King Crab special. In all my years of gorging on seafood I've never seen crab legs has big as these. The meat from just one of the "knuckles" was at least 6 oz.! They split the legs for you in the kitchen, which when the waitress told me this, I was a little skeptical about it, as the meat can get a little gummy if it's exposed for too long. Anyway, the legs really did need to be bisected, they would have been about 2.5 inches across and 4 inches around; like I said, they're huge. The meat was succulent, sweet, briny and just everything you would expect from crab; each leg was almost like a steak.

The crab legs came with what are called Bender Fries, which really aren't fries at all but like a potato cake. Right up front, they are great; potatoes fried in clarified butter can't go wrong. These potatoes are slices excruciatingly thin, then cooked in the butter. It looks like their then folded and then pressed to get dark and golden brown. They're great and something that every restaurant should have for now on.

After all that I didn't think I had any room for dessert...but it turns out I did. Weird, I know. I had what's called the Flourless Chocolate Decadence, and yes it's decadent. Trust me on this. It's like a chocolate soufflé topped with a round of fudge then dusted with cocoa powder and powdered sugar and drizzled with a raspberry sauce. Oh. My. God. It took every ounce of will power to just not pick up the plate and start licking it clean.

My first experience at Bender's was amazing. Everything about the dinner was pitch-perfect, except for the salad. But I know what not to order the next time I go there, lesson learned. The atmosphere, the service and the food were all top notch, and after having something basic I'm now more than ready to have some of the more exotic dishes. The specials for the night included lamb shanks with a raspberry and balsamic reduction over risotto, just one example of what the cooking staff can do there. If this basic meal was any indicator of the abilities of the staff, I have no trouble going back trying something more adventurous.

I certainly will be going back.

Frantic Friday

Since I was able to get to sleep at a normal time on Thursday night and wake-up on my own in the morning, which is a good thing, I knew that Friday would be an interesting day.

I went into the office for a bit, worked on some stuff and then left to get the new tires for my car. The tire store I went to starts with an F and has a mascot inspired by celtic lore, that's all I'm sayin'. The reason we chose this place was because they had the tires I wanted on sale, Yokohama AVID TRZ's; great all-season grand touring tires; the quote on the phone was $97 per tire, so with all four mounted, etc it was going to be around $430 out the door. Dad gives me his card to go get them, a late Christmas/Birthday present, so to speak.

The drama begins after I get there. I tell him what I need and he does the math, after waiting on the phone for 10 minutes from the main store or what ever he was talking to, and he says that the tires are now $148.90 a piece and it would be around $610 for all four to be mounted. Needless to say, my jaw hit the floor. Since I was using Dad's card, I called to make sure that this was what he wanted. After about six tries, I finally talk to him; he wasn't happy. So I hand him the phone, and the conversation between him and the guy at the desk was interesting, he did something even I'm afraid to do...interrupt him and talk down to him. I'm standing there, embarrassed as hell since I'm in the middle having of all this, and having my dad handle this while being 25; it made me feel like a little kid again...

So after talking for a few minutes, this tire shop agrees to knock ten bucks off the price per tire, dad says to get it done. I then go to sit down and wait, as I'm sitting there the guy at the desk starts talking shit about my dad, like I couldn't hear it. So I ignore it. During this time Dad's trying to call me to tell me to not get the tires, for some reason I didn't hear my phone ring or feel it vibrate. While I'm sitting there they call my name, so I'm thinking there's something wrong with my car, or it's doing the thing where it won't start since it doesn't register that it's in park; nope, they want me on the phone. That's when dad tells me to stop and not get the tires, so I go tell them what's going on.

During this time they have pulled my car into the bay and have the tires next to it, ready to put on. The head guy asks one of the other mechanics to back out the car, he then goes "he can do it himself." So I trudge through the shop in my designer shoes and pants, dragging them through oil, grease and who knows what else to get into my car and just go.

So in the end, I have to figure out what to do about my pants and my car still doesn't have new tires......

Here Fishy, Fishy, Fishy

I decided to embark on a new adventure during my break, owning goldfish. I haven't owned any in a really long time and I grew to miss those little guys. So I decided to go out and buy a tank and all the fixin's.

I didn't realize how expensive fish stuff had become! I went to the local fish store, which is locally owned, and bought my tank and initial start up stuff from them. So 120 dollars later, I go home to set up everything. Later on I realize I needed a couple of things, and since it was late at night I went to the "local" Walmart to get said missing pieces, an air pump and bubble stone. Lo and behold while looking around I see a 10 gallon aquarium starter kit there...for 30 bucks less than what I spent at the local place. So rather than get angry, which was extremely difficult, I chalked it up to supporting a local store.

The next day I go to get the fish, at the local store again. Even though it was going to be the same price as getting them from Walmart, I wanted to talk with people who know their fish stuff, not just going "how can I help you" rhetorically. I picked 3 fan-tail gold fish, one black with bubble-like eyes, one classic goldie and a sliver one with black and gold spots. The fish store guys recommended I get a couple of Cory catfish to keep the bottom of the tank clean and wait a couple of weeks to get an algae eater.

Well, over the next few days I end up going to Walmart more and more for fish stuff. It's amazing what can go wrong. First, the water started clouding up immediately, so I went and bought water a water declouder (?) and then some stuff to get rid of the nitrogen those little bugger make in excess quantities. That didn't work. In fact it got cloudier and cloudier.

So on Sunday I replaced six of the 10 gallons....then it kept getting even cloudier to my amazement. So that night at like 1:30 in the morning I run into Walmart to buy a new filter. I figured if I waited until I had free time on Monday they'd all be dead. Well, I get to the store and find out that the pet section is roped off to be waxed. I just started laughing uncontrollably...it probably looked scary. So a big, burly guy helped me get a filter, by that I mean me standing 20 feet away telling him what I'm looking for. After all that I get home, plug in the new filter and watch it start cleaning the water instantly.

Monday rolls around, I go to feed the fish and after doing so I see the water cloud up again immediately. I was pissed. I called the store to see what I could do, she said to only feed them once per day. But to address the cloudiness I should take out some water and replace it. So while wearing slacks and a sweater, just back from my first day at the CVB and waiting for class, I start siphoning off water and replacing it. I come back from class and see that the water is now crystal clear, so I'm happy.

Tuesday was uneventful, just feeding and watching them swim around lazily.

Wednesday I decided to do some updating. I took out the huge fake plant that was too tall and replace it with a much smaller one. I replaced the small bubble stone with an elongated one that sits on the bottom of the aquarium. Then I added a thermometer, replaced all the food that was clouding the tank with another brand. But perhaps the biggest change I wanted to make dealt with the light in the hood. I wanted to find a lower wattage, less bright one. The poor fish would run and hide when I turned it on and would literally shake; it was just too intense for them. So after buying not one, but two lights...thinking I had only bought one, I find out that they won't work with my hood.

So I went full on MacGuyver with the light. Since it's separate from the hood, and actually shines through a piece of glass, I decided to put some folded pieces of paper between the light and the hood. It worked. The fish weren't scared and they could get the light they needed.

I have no idea what the future will bring, but needless to say I'm sure I won't be bored.

The Birthday Dinner

I decided to make a special dinner for my mother's birthday; she's a special lady so I thought the dinner should reflect that. For the dinner I made a dijon crusted pork loin, dijon and rosemary potatoes and sauteed broccoli with garlic, needless to say it was great.

For the pork I decided to try a loin from Niman Ranch, I've heard many great things about them and to say that this pork loin was great would be an understatement. For those who don't know, Niman Ranch is about has great as meat gets. Their a ranch that specializes in vegetarian fed, hormone and anti-biotic free meat; you can really tell the difference. The pork was the tastiest I had ever had; it actually tasted like pork, not chicken. The dijon crust for the loin was amazingly simple and enhanced the flavor of the meat ten-fold; it consisted of dijon mustard mixed with minced garlic, chopped fresh rosemary, dried thyme, salt and pepper.

For the side dishes I decided to mirror the flavors used with the pork loin. The potatoes were plain-old red skins diced smallish, about 1/2 inch cubes, then mixed with dijon mustard, fresh rosemary, vegetable oil, salt and pepper. For the broccoli I decided to mirror the garlic flavor of the loin; all I did was sauté some frozen broccoli in oil then for the last two minutes or so add minced garlic, lots of it; broccoli is a very strongly flavored veggie so it can take a bunch of garlic without being overpowered.

The dinner was a success; mom liked it. That's all that mattered in the end. But I was happy that I was able to create another gourmet meal and share it with the people I love.

For more information about Niman Ranch, click the link.

Eureka!

After years of what could loosely be called research I think I have stumbled upon the flavor components of Ranch Dressing!!!

Here's how you can make your own and save money. Also, it's much healthier...no preservatives, high-fructose corn syrup and sketchy ingredients.

Ranch Dressing

1/4 cup sour cream

2 tbsp mayonaise

1 tsp dried dill weed

1 tsp celery salt

1 tsp dried parsley leaves

1 tsp paprika

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp onion powder

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp finely ground pepper

Mix all the ingredients, chill for at least one hour to allow everything to combine.

Red Wine Roast Beef

Roast beef is perhaps one of my favorite meals, it's so simple and satisfying. But truth be told, it can be pretty boring as well; I think this recipe changes that. My Red Wine Roast Beef is not only delicious but easy.

For this recipe you will need:

2.5 pound Bottom Round Roast

2 cups Red Wine; a merlot or semi-sweet wine works best

2 cups of water

5 beef bullion cubes

1 small, 4 oz., can of mushrooms caps and stems

2 oz, by weight, Rosemary Stems and Leaves

2 medium onions

2 tablespoons of salt

2.5 teaspoons ground pepper

pre-heat oven to 250

First, after pre-heating the oven of course, you want to cut the onions into quarters and drop into a roasting pan. Then add the mushrooms, with a little bit of the water from the can, the rosemary, bullion cubes and red wine into the roasting pan as well. Add the 1 tablespoon of salt and 1.5 tsp of pepper

Next, coat the roast with the remaining salt and pepper. In a skillet add enough oil to coat the bottom of the pan and heat until "rocket hot." (It's best to not use a non-stick pan. The coating isn't made for the heat and you won't get a good sear.) When the pan and oil are hot, sear each side of the beef until dark brown, 5 minutes for the first side, then 6 for each side there-after.

Once the beef is seared, place it in the roasting pan with the veggies and wine. With the heat still on, quickly add the water to the skillet, being careful not to get burnt, and stir to loosen up the bits on the bottom of the pan; then pour water and drippings into the pan.

Cover, then cook at 250 degrees for 3 hours.

After the roast is finished in the oven, remove from the pan and cover with aluminum foil, allowing it to rest for at least 15 minutes. While the roast rests, strain the liquid from the pan, heat in a pan and either reduce by half for an excellent Au Jus or thicken with a rux for an amazing gravy to spoon over mashed potatoes.

The One Dish Everyone Should Know

How many times has this happened to you: You're sitting at home and you find out that you have to cook a meal for someone who's sick, or you have company over and you don't know what to cook to make everyone happy? Whenever I need a simple dish that looks as good as it tastes I turn to my Chicken and Potatoes.

This dish is amazingly simple and sure to be a hit.

Chicken and Potatoes.

Pre-heat oven to 400

2 pounds of red-skin potatoes

1 whole roasting chicken

4 Tbsp (1/2 stick) butter

2 Tbsp vegetable oil

2 Tbsp Poultry seasoning (For my recipe, look below)

2 Tbsp Kosher salt

1 Tbsp garlic powder

1 Tbsp ground black pepper

First, cut potatoes into 1/2 inch cubes and place in the bottom of a roasting pan. Coat with 1 tbsp of oil, 1 tbsp of salt, 1/2 tbsp of pepper and the garlic powder. Toss to coat evenly.

Mix the poultry seasoning with the butter, then spread mixture under the skin of the breast meat. Place chicken on top of the potatoes and then coat with the remaining oil, salt and pepper. Roast at 400 for at least one hour, or until the internal temperature of the deepest part of the breast meat reaches 165 degrees; then pull out the chicken and let rest for at least 15 minutes, allowing the meat to rest and gently finish cooking. Then carve and serve.

That's it. So easy! Serve the potatoes along side the chicken. The potatoes absorb all the flavor from the chicken drippings, in my opinion, the potatoes are the best part!

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For my personal poultry seasoning:

2 Tbsp Kosher Salt

1 Tbsp Paprika

2 Tsp garlic and onion powders

2 Tsp dried parsley and thyme leaves

1 Tsp fresh cracked black pepper.

Combine thoroughly, rubbing between your fingers to make sure the oils of the herbs mix with the rest of the seasonings.