I love writing about my grandmothers. This afternoon, it felt like Mema was standing beside me, watching me make picnic sides for the bbq chicken I am grilling tonight.
When I was young, I knelt on a red kitchen stool with a back on it and two steps. I would watch Mema make her famous potato salad. I watched her make it many times; anyone having a picnic asked her to bring her potato salad.
I mainly observed, but she let me help decorate the top of the potato salad with slices of hard-boiled eggs and sliced pepper rings. I loved sprinkling to top with paprika too!
She would make 5 lbs of potato salad and serve it in a tin foil roasting pan so she wouldnāt worry about getting her pan back.Ā
When the potato salad got to where it was going, the Saran Wrap on top was smushed into the salad.
I used one of Mema’s bowls for my potato salad and pressed it down when I covered it like hers. I didn’t top my potato salad with egg slices or pepper rings this time.
Everyone loved her potato salad. I knew how she made it, so I made the potato salad myself when I got older. My mother couldnāt get over my potato salad tasted just like Memaās.Ā
Mema cut her potatoes into small cubes, and her celery and onion were diced very small. You never got a big bite of any one ingredient. She made the mayo dressing in a separate bowl and made sure it tasted right before folding it into the salad. It was all cohesively done, with every bite tasting the same. I think that’s why it was so good. This is how I teach people how to make potato, macaroni, tuna, and egg salads.
It was easy to duplicate since she loosely followed the Hellmanās Mayo recipe on the side of the jar. She had to adjust it since she was making larger quantities. She would taste it and add a little more if this or that. The secret ingredient to her potato salad was all the love she put into it.
Luckily, I had the taste in my food memory, and my palate could duplicate hers. I still look at the Hellmanās recipe to remind myself whatās what. Then I add a little bit more this and that, just like Mema did. Lots of love goes into my potato salad too.
I also watched her make deviled eggs, which are still my favorite. I duplicate hers whenever I make them. I made them for the kids at school when I was the food service director and cook. They would gobble them up within seconds and loved them.Ā
My baked beans were my creation when I was around 12 years old. Whenever my parents had a picnic or went to one they requested I make my beans.Ā
I knew even at 12 how I wanted them to taste and would adjust the ingredients until they were just right. Then I would add strips of bacon to the top and pop it into the oven. I knew the beans were done when it bubbled and the bacon was cooked.
Yum! My baked beans are studded with bits of bacon!
After four decades of making baked beans, I figured something out. Instead of leaving the bacon in strips, today, I diced it and arranged it on top of the beans.Ā
After all these years, I solved the problem with the strips of bacon on top. There were a few slices of bacon, and someone always glommed them all before anyone else got any. Another issue with the whole strips was the bacon was always soggy underneath, even if the tops looked done. The bacon glom didn’t mind, though.
Now, each bite of the baked beans had small amounts of crispy bacon. This is so brilliant. I canāt believe how long it took me!
This is Mema with Noah and me at a family party. She was always smiling when kids were around. I can still smell the powder she wore. Geez, I miss her!
These picnic sides make me feel like I am 10 years old again and taste the same! The only thing I am sad about is that Mema isnāt here to have some with me.
Yesterday, I read a quote from a friend Robert who I know from my hometown and high school, John F Kennedy, in Iselin, NJ.
His quote struck a chord so deep it hit my core. It said, āOnce conscious of lifeās end we make the best of it!ā RWB
Holy shit! It was like that quote woke me up and made me realize whatās been going on since my mother Eileen died back in October. I havenāt written anything about my motherās death and rarely speak if it.
I say died because when I walked into the comfort care room with the nurse at the care facility 30 seconds after she died I said, āOh no, sheās dead.ā
My mother didnāt pass away peacefully in her sleep like I imagined she would. The look of terror and fear in her wide open dead eyes was shocking to me. The expression on the rest of her face, that was turned facing the door I walked through has haunted me since that night.
The image I saw looked just like or worse than any Halloween corpse mask I had ever seen. When I was in her room with the staff gathering together some of her items to take home I would forget and turn around or look up and see it over and over.
Every day I have to get rid of that last image of my mother. I am sad that it is the last thing I saw but then again she always left me upset whenever I visited while she was alive; this was just the icing on the cake. I kept thinking she got me good this time. The last time.
After reading Robertās quote many things about that image make sense now. That image showed me what the end of someoneās life really looks like. Maybe thatās why it terrified me so much.
The only dead people I have ever seen have been in an open casket in a funeral parlor. The last time I saw my dad in his casket was extremely difficult and upsetting but at least he looked like he was peacefully sleeping.
Marty and Sam have seen their share of dead people over the years on the rescue squad. Marty was an assistant medical examiner for a couple of years and Sam is a nurse. When I say their share, I mean a lot.
When I told them what my mother looked like they told me thatās how dead people look. Ok, not helping fellas. I felt sheltered and stupid. I always knew I wasnāt cut out for the medical field, now I was 100% certain.
After seeing what the end of oneās life looks like I did become conscious of it without me knowing. I told myself during the pandemic I was going to make the best of the life I have right now. We donāt know when that day will be so we better make the most of it.
Since then, Iāve gone to NYC twice in one month to see my favorite play Hamilton with Marty and again with my sister Jennifer. All I could think of while I was in the city was, āWhy in fucks name did it take you so long to come back dummy?ā I am talking about the decade before the pandemic so thatās not an excuse.
Tonight, we are going to our first concert since the pandemic. Itās a hard rock concert in Glenās Falls, NY. We are seeing the bands Seether and Breaking Benjamin whom we have seen a few years back.
When Marty asked me if I wanted to go I didnāt hem and haw about it like I normally would have. I said yes right away. He asked me a few days ago if I wanted to go see another band this summer Iāve been dying to see. I bounced around the house saying, āYes!ā
Robertās quote came from the death of his own mother this time last year. In that time he decided he was going to lose weight, which he has lost 60 lbs so far and to do an activity for exercise he would enjoy.
He picked dirt bike riding as his exercise. My son Noah who dirt bikes told me a while ago that people donāt realize how physical a sport it is. Robert can dirt bike and spend time with his son while they are both getting in a fun workout. Good for them!
Now when that final image of my mother pops into my head, instead of telling it to go away, Iāll thank it for reminding me to do the things I want to do and go to the places I want to travel to. To live my life now and have fun.
āOnce you become conscious of lifeās end you make the best of it!ā
Thanks so much to my friend Robert Wilson Barnes of Greenville, SC for letting me share his quote and story. š
The weather people lied again! The decent weather with sunshine didnāt happen until later Sunday afternoon. Saturday was too windy and cold to work outside, washing the house and front porch.
The front of our house and front porch has been in dire need of a good scrubbing with a house cleaner. We get a lot of dust and dirt living on the main road, but itās all part of the charm of living in an old historic house.
We talked about our front porch when we were stuck at home with covid and decided to change things up this year.
We both agreed on no huge petunias this year. They block the view of the street and make a mess. I loved them but want a cleaner look with less upkeep.
We picked out some new pillows and outdoor area rugs, a small plant stand, and a couple of candles. I still need to buy some new flower pots and eventually flowers.
Project dirty porch lasted most of the day, but we were happy with the results. Everything is clean, including the sectional furniture that needed a good scrub.
Klausie-boy & Otto
The sun came out while we were finishing up, then we sat on the porch with a drink for the first time this year.Ā The boys, Otto & Klaus were so happy to be sitting on the porch again too. Otto looked like a young pup in this one photo.
Itās still cold and far from summer weather, but I didn’t mind wearing a hoody sipping a glass of Prosecco while watching the world whiz by. š
I am feeling much better and so is Marty; heās a day or so behind me. I feel almost completely back to normal just a little tired.
I am climbing the walls bored to death now that I am feeling better. We are still holding off on production for a couple more days, but today I worked on the chalkboards for the outdoor farmers market. I have filing that needs to be done too.
We are starting to need some basic supplies and while I am well enough to go get them, I feel like I need to isolate for a little while longer. When I finally do go out Iāll be masked up for another week.
Right now, I am sitting on our back deck getting some fresh air. The temperature is a seasonably warm 63-degrees. The deck boards are warm on my bare feet. It is a nice spring day and hard to believe we are under a winter storm watch for tonight.
Yesterday, it snowed on Easter Sunday, not only here in Vermont, but in parts of Pennsylvania as well. The little bit of snow that stuck to the ground has melted. This kind of weather is completely normal for our area.
Tonight however, we are forecasted to get up to six inches of heavy, wet snow. Ugh! Talk about rubbing salt in my wounds of already being stuck at home, but stuck inside too? This totally blows.
I donāt know how much more television I can possibly watch. Yesterday, Marty and I watched a documentary about a young guy living alone for two years in the woods while building a log cabin by hand; complete with a secret hidden underground food pantry.
The documentary only had sounds but no talking. His dog only barked once. We actually paused the show when we needed to get a drink or go to the bathroom.
Why should you care about this? You shouldnāt, but itās a description of how pathetic things are for me right now. Lol!
Have a great night guys. Iāll be keeping my fingers and toes crossed the weather forecast is wrong and we donāt clobbered with a lot of snow. š¤š¼
I am a cook. I love cooking, and even more, I love to cook for people. It gives me so much joy when I make something delicious and watch people enjoy it.
Whenever my sister Jen comes to VT, I have the menu and the shopping done. I donāt mise en place or prep anything because we like to cook together.
When I stayed at her house last week, she had the menu and the shopping done and didnāt prep anything either.
Her children were away with her ex, so she had an opportunity to make anything I told her, except fishy-fish, lol. She wanted me to try some flavors and dishes she loves.
Itās fun watching her prep and cook. Jen is a pediatric dentist which is evident in how she cooks and bakes. Everything is done precisely and methodically.
I love that she tastes her food along the way and adjusts the seasoning. She is reading the book Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat, which was a culinary game-changer for me. You can also watch the four-part series on Netflix.
Shakshuka
We had Shakshuka on Saturday night with roasted potatoes. I wrote about shakshuka in an Eggs in Purgatory blog post a few months ago, but this was my first time having it.
It was delicious and comforting. The eggs which were cooked in the flavorful tomato sauce were done perfectly. The dish was delicious, something I would make for brunch.
Lebanese omelet
Monday, she made a Lebanese omelet, another thing I had never had before. The omelet was full of veggies, parsley, and mint. The mint was the ingredient that made it different from other omelets; I was surprised I liked the mint so much. It was light and full of flavor.
Monday night, we had my favorite dish, a roasted beet salad. The beets were piled on a pool of an herb and olive oil vinaigrette topped with avocado and dill.
Roasted beet salad
The flavors all worked together, with the sweet roasted beets being the star of the show. I will be making this one when beets are in season at the farmers market.
She also made a Middle Eastern lentil soup with the beet salad. I was expecting a thick and dark soup and what we had was the complete opposite.
The lentil soup had rice in it and was topped with caramelized onions. The soup was brothy and light. The caramelized onions were the hero of this dish. The soup has so much more flavor than it looked. It was yummy.
I was the sous chef, chopping onions, garlic, and herbs. I cleaned up as she cooked. It was nice to take a backseat and let someone else cook for me.
I had no urge to take over like I usually would in the kitchen because I wasnāt familiar with any of the dishes.
I am so glad Jen shared these dishes and flavors with me; each was a pleasant surprise for my taste buds, plus the time we spent in the kitchen was priceless. š
I am on day six of having covid and I am still sick. Nothing serious, just sick. I thought I was feeling better yesterday then I started to get congested before bed.
Misery loves company so Marty joined me in the covid department yesterday. He pretty much feels like I do. We both have such major fatigue itās easy to rest all of the time.
The weird thing with having covid is I am craving foods like crazy. Normally, when I have a craving I make whatever it is. I have been craving roasted chicken since Wednesday. Luckily for me it cooks itself and I had one in the freezer.
We didnāt loose our taste or smell but mine is dampened a bit because of my stuffy nose however the smell of the chicken roasting is heavenly and is making my stomach growl.
Through this entire sickness I have been starving. I mean STARVING! The bad part is I donāt have the energy or want to cook. Weāve been living on simple things that donāt require much or any cooking.
The other thing I am craving are sweet things, something I hardly ever crave. I want ice cream and those little chocolate pudding cups with whipped cream sprayed from a can. Funny right? Of all the things to crave. Lol.
I just threw some rice, chicken broth and some seasonings into the rice cooker; another dish that cooks by itself to go with the chicken later. The best part is there will be hardly any dishes to wash.
I was thinking yesterday that this is the first Easter I am not making a big dinner. It will be as simple as it gets. It will also just be the two of us having dinner.
We did pick up a tiny ham before we came down with covid so I will bake that. I also have some asparagus on hand and will make some easy kind of potatoes.
No deviled eggs or pizzagaina like I always make. No brunch quiche, Easter desserts or little dinner rolls for leftover ham sliders.
You know what? Itās ok. I am actually too tired to care and hereās the thing, I donāt have to make those things only on Easter Day. I can make them anytime.
I wish you all a very Happy Easter, Passover or Sunday, which ever you celebrate. š
Fuck! It was only a matter time. What I thought were allergy attacks in NJ turned into a fever, coughing, fatigue and a heavy chest.
I woke up this morning feeling worse than yesterday and took my temperature which was 100.1. Then, I got out one of those free covid tests and surer than shit, it was positive. I kind of expected it.
This was the moment Iāve been fearing since the beginning. Maybe now the Psoriasis that reared its ugly head in April 2020 will finally go away along with the anxiety attacks.
They said from the very beginning everyone is going to get it, from the looks of it they were right with these two new variants.
Thankfully, Iāve had colds much worse than this. I am drinking plenty of fluids, staying in our bedroom resting, willing myself to get well, and to test negative quickly since the business is on hold at the moment.
It doesnāt matter who, what or where I got it, I have it and am dealing with it. Cāest la vie.
Our view from the bench we sat on in front of Murray’s Cheese Shop.
Last Sunday, my sister Jen and me went on a 3-hour food and history walking tour of Greenwich Village, NY. It started as a sunny spring day in NYC, then the weather rapidly changed. After the second stop on the tour, it felt like the beginning of March.
I learned so much about the Village that I divided the food and history into two parts. The food tour that we took has been in business for 21 years. They took my gluten-free business very seriously; so did the restaurants.
Our guide’s name was Bert and he had a fantastic personality. He is an actor, comedian, improviser, and tour guide for 18 years. He knows his shit. Our group had 14 of us; luckily, everyone was fun and easygoing.
We met at the famous Murrayās Cheese. Wow, was all I could say. It is a beautiful store and a cheese lover’s dream. It is not overpriced if you can believe that one. Many cheese stores here in VT are much more expensive.
The first tasting spot was Joeās Pizza. This stop I knew would be the roughest one for me. If I had to choose a last meal, NYC pizza would be on the menu.
Before Bert went inside to get the group’s pizza, he gave us the history. Joeās has been in business for over 100 years and is famous. Everyone who’s anyone has eaten there.
Bert also explained how NYC water really does matter when making pizza and bagels. Pizza and bagel makers from other parts of the country have been trying to change the scientific components of their water. For instance, raising or lowering the ph, phosphorus, magnesium, etc. Itās serious business.
That is the size of a regular cheese pizza!
Bert also discussed the sauce was San Marazano tomatoes with nothing added. No garlic, salt, or pepper. They used a high-quality cheese that didnāt contain oil resulting in a slice of pizza that didnāt leave a greasy puddle behind.
Do pizzerias use cheese that contains vegetable oil? Yup! āPizzeriaā inexpensive cheese contains oil for better melting ability. That is what they use in places that serve $1 slice pies, not at good places like Joeās. You get what you pay for.
Bert came out with a gigantic 14-cut pizza and those cheap white paper plates; pizza is always on. Before the tour, he handed me a beautiful antipasto salad; while delicious didnāt help me salivate for that pizza.
The apple and cherry blossom trees were in full bloom and were so beautiful lining the streets of the village.
Next on the tour was a sit-down stop at a taqueria named Tacombi. They are known for their authentic fish tacos, like the ones found on the beaches of Mexico, not anywhere in the US.
The weather turned nasty right after I took this photo.
The owner started selling tacos out of a VW Kombi camper in NYC and called the place Tacombi joining the two inspirations. It is a very hip and cool spot in the west village with delicious tacos.
Photo credit Tocombi.
I couldnāt have a fish taco since itās battered and fried, but I did have one spread with flavored sweet potato and blacks beans. It was delicious, and I didnāt feel left out here.
Watermelon juice is the signature drink at Tacombi which is real watermelon juice and so good.Bert made the tour so fun and exciting because his enthusiasm was contagious. Ever wonder what’s down those stairs to the basements of NYC? Bathrooms like this one. It was clean though I will give them that.
The next stop was a standing outside stop, Faccios Italian Specialties. The group was given an arancini or rice ball and a slice of thinly sliced soppressata. I was giving a marinated freshly pulled mozzarella knots. I make arancini, so I was fine with the cheese. The soppressata was delicious and one of the meats they specialize in.
Next, we had a sit-down stop at Pesce Trattoria, which is in another ancient building with a gorgeous, original tin ceiling. Bert told us restaurants were required back in the day to have tin ceilings in case a fire broke out in the kitchen.
The meatballs were identical! Photo credit of restaurant from Pesce Trattoria.
This is where I was almost leary to eat my gluten-free meatball. It looked exactly like everyone elseās. The inside of the meatball looked like everyone elseās. I trusted them and tasted a soft and delicious meatball in a simple sauce. They sprinkled on a blend of romano and pecorino cheeses.
At every “sitting stop,” Jen and I used their bathrooms since bathrooms are hard to come by in NYC if you donāt know. It was cold and super windy so sitting in a warm restaurant felt wonderful.
We walked to our next standing stop called The Donut Project, a woman-owned business with all women employees. Being gluten-free, real donuts are hard to come by; Iām this case, my gluten-free donut trumped the real thing!
Look at the depth of those donuts! I forgot to take a side view of my donut I was so excited to eat it!
The donuts at The Donut Project come in very different flavors and toppings. My donut was huge and delicious. It was fried like a donut should be, not baked in a donut pan some places try to pull off. This was the best thing on the whole tour for me.
Jen said the donuts the group got were delicious covered in a lemon glaze, but my donut was better. How do you like those apples??
We walked to our next stop, and it didnāt seem like it could get colder or windier. We were frozen to the bone. Our sit-down stop was a Rafele. Rafele opened in 2012 when the chef from Naples even had his own pizza oven sent over.
As soon as we walked into the restaurant, I was smart and got a seat at the bar near the pizza oven to warm up. The place was very nice and the kitchen was small like most restaurant kitchens.
Simplicity in its finest form describes the food at Rafele.
We stayed here the longest before our last standing stop at Roccoās bakery, another west village institution. The group had mini cannolis while I was given a cup of cannoli filling and a pignoli nut cookie.
I didnāt miss the real cannoli in the least; my cup of the filling was huge. I was happy with this substitution.
After the tour was over, Jen and I got a table in Roccoās, and each had a cappuccino. Originally, we were going to hang around for two more hours and have dinner in the village, but since we were not hungry and were freezing, we planned to head back to Jersey.
We had dinner later that night at an Indian restaurant called Nirvana. It was close to where she lived, and the food was warm and comforting after such a cold day.
The experience exceeded my expectations. The Original Food Tour Company, the tour company we used, has many other food tours in the city. I can’t wait to go on more!
I hope you got an idea of what the tour was really like. I would highly recommend taking the 3-hour tour one-day yourselves. It’s a great way to experience the history behind the real deal places and not taken to tourist traps.
When I wrote “a 3-hour tour” I automatically thought of Gilligan’s Island. LOL! š
Look for part two of the food and history walking tour very soon!
This is the building where the outdoor shots of the popular TV show Friends were taken. Everything else was filmed in Los Angeles, California.
This morning I got up early at Jenās house and was on the road at 6:05 am. I pulled into our driveway at 8:55 am. The ride went quick!
I planned all along to get out of Jersey before rush hour traffic which is one of the reasons we left NJ in the first place.
Before a trip, I am always anxious, I havenāt driven down to New Jersey in a few years. Marty usually does the driving.
I left on Saturday from The Troy Farmers Market and was at Jenās house in one hour and 45 minutes. The ride was smooth and there was hardly any traffic. Same thing this morning. Thank goodness!
Skye, my little Ford Maverick handled great. I felt safe and confident. I was able to speed up quickly if I needed to pass someone and get back over into the right lane. This was my first long drive with her and it was really awesome.
I have tons of things to write about the trip, I am trying to organize my thoughts and photos for a couple blog posts.
We had a great time together and got to do everything we wanted to including going into Greenwich Village for a walking tour, cooking together, going out to eat, drinking wine and watching Netflix.
Today, I am getting getting ready for the busy work week. Yes, I may have taken a nap too. š
Enjoy the rest of your day, the sun came out and it turned out to be a decent day. Yay!
***There may be some errors in this post which I apologize for, I did it on my phone and not the laptop.
Today while Marty and I were working in the production kitchen he snuck up on me and did a loud “doot-da-do ” in my ear. I was so focused on cleaning the big tilting kettle we used to cook the spƤtzle in to see what he was up to. I screamed, “Marty, you’re an asshole!”
Standing there behind me, he held an empty paper towel roll with a huge grin on his face. “Boy, you really jumped,” he said. “Yes, I am working, which you should be doing too.” Then, we both cracked up laughing.
If you don’t know what a doot-da-doo is, I was surprised to find the word in Urban Dictionary.
Husband- “Don’t throw away the doot-da-doo“! Wife- “What’s a doot-da-doo”? Husband- (places paper towel roll to lips) “DOOT-DA-DOO“!!! (Smiles)
Marty and I have been together since 1985 and have a lot of fun together. If either one of us finds a doot-da, do we either do what he did this morning or clunk each other over the head with it.
Klausie-boy knows exactly what a doot-da-doo is. If he sees someone with one in their hand, he will try to tackle the person. Otto knows what one is also, except he likes to dig them out of the bathroom trash cans and eat them.
Noah and Sam know all too well about doot-da-doos. Marty is a jokester and is very funny. After being with him for so long, I know when he is full of it. I tell people not to believe a word he says.
Marty likes to prank people on the phone. He used to prank his co-worker, and she was only 20 feet from him. He always used a different accent and a ridiculous story. She never knew it was him until he started laughing. Luckily for the world, it’s harder to prank people now with caller ID.
One day, he pranked our friend Martin pretending to be someone from Home Depot. Martin was waiting for carpet installers to show up to carpet his three flights of stairs and another room. Marty made up some bullshit story about why they couldn’t come and couldn’t reschedule for months. Martin started freaking out until I couldn’t stand it anymore and yelled, “Martin, it’s Marty.”
Martin thought he was the King of Pranksters until he met his match. Now the two of them try to get each other all the time. Marty’s “holy day” is April Foods Day. He’s gotten a lot of people over the years, all in good fun.
After I cleaned the kettle, I ran out of paper towels on another roll in the production side of the kitchen. I decided one doot-da-doo was enough for one day. š
Right after I hit publish on this post I have to pack for my sisters’ trip and get everything ready for the farmers market tomorrow morning. Martin saved the day by inviting us over for a roasted chicken dinner tonight, now I don’t have to cook and can get stuff done.
Happy Friday! I’ll catch up with you when I get back from Jersey. I will be taking lots of photos of our food and history tour of Greenwich Village and other sites in the city.
