Jalapeno and Egg Sandwich

Jalapeno and Egg SandwichJalapeno and Egg Sandwich

A friend gave me some jalapenos from his garden and here’s what I did with them. A very simple sandwich but a perfect combination. You can substitute a green bell pepper if jalapenos are too hot for you.

Jalapeno and Egg Sandwich

Cut the stem ends off the peppers. Cut them in half lengthwise and scrape out most of the seed and veins.

Jalapeno and Egg Sandwich

Fry them until they soften and char a little bit.

Jalapeno and Egg Sandwich

Add the beaten eggs, salt and pepper and combine.Jalapeno and Egg SandwichThat’s it. All that’s left to do is put it on bread and eat it.

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Dunking

Dunking

Everybody does it. Some out in the open and others in private. It may seem a little sloppy but I don’t think there’s anything wrong with it.


I was with a friend and his 7 year old daughter. She asked us what  our favorite things to dunk were. Her father liked Oreos and milk and my favorite was donuts and coffee. Hers was pretzel sticks and Pepsi. An interesting variety and all valid dunking combinations.

dunking

dunking

dunking

And it doesn’t end there. British people like to dunk biscuits (that’s what they call cookies) in tea.

dunking

Lots of people who wouldn’t dream of dunking anything in tea or coffee think nothing of dunking bread in soup.

dunking

And it’s considered pretty classy in some restaurants to dip (they don’t call it dunk) biscotti in Vin Santo for dessert.

dunking

There was recently an article in the Sunday Times Magazine that dealt with this issue. It featured bread in wine and cake in orange soda –

dunking

One last combination – Reginas dunked in espresso, a perfect Italian breakfast.

dunking


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Latitudes Restaurant and Tiki Bar

Latitudes Restaurant and Tiki Bar

Whenever we go to Hollywood Beach in Florida we stay at the Marriott right on the beach. It’s a very nice hotel but the best part about it is its restaurant – Latitudes Restaurant and Tiki Bar. There’s an enclosed restaurant and bar in case of bad weather but most people usually eat and drink outside. They’re open for an early breakfast and until late at night. The waiters and bartenders are top-notch and we’ve never had a bad meal there.  


Latitudes Restaurant and Tiki Bar

I’m from New York and know good pizza so I can say they have an excellent pizzaola at Latitudes.


There’s a daily buffet breakfast with something for everyone – even Froot Loops.


They’ve got these sugar-junkie birds there called Grackels. They take sugar packets from the outdoor tables – not Sweet ‘N Low or Splenda, just pure sugar.


. . . and live entertainment on weekends.


One of my favorite lunches – a burger and a beer.


Latitudes Restaurant and Tiki Bar

The bar where I had many Gin and Tonics.


Indoor seating . . .


Latitudes Restaurant and Tiki Bar  . . . and outdoor seating.


Latitudes Restaurant and Tiki Bar

Bridget having breakfast.


Latitudes Restaurant and Tiki BarLatitudes Restaurant and Tiki Bar

Latitudes Restaurant and Tiki Bar

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Napkins

Napkins

Napkins
Napkins
We take them for granted. Sometimes paper, sometimes cloth, we use them and forget about them. But like many other thing we take for granted, they have a history, and they weren’t always paper and cloth.

Napkins

Napkins
There’re lot’s of different ways to fold them. I’ll leave it to Martha Stewart.

Napkins

Napkins
I never thought that a napkin ring could be much of a problem. It was solved by Popular Mechanics.

Napkins

Talking About the Movies

(John Ford’s  STAGECOACH, staring John Wayne – 1939)

Talking About the Movies
They speak about hardware, software, LANs, WANs and USBs. These are the usual topics of conversation whenever I join my wife, Bridget at a business dinner. She’s in information technology – electronic communications to be specific. My wife is terrific, but if she’s with people in her field she becomes a strange and different person and although she normally uses English when she speaks to me, her language changes to “Hi-Tech.”

Typically these dinners are with another couple, one of whom is the techie who works with Bridget. The spouse is in the same boat I am so we usually have a separate conversation. I’ve met some interesting people this way, and as a night out it’s not too bad.
A couple Bridget had worked with in Chicago was passing through New York recently and invited us to go out. I expected the worst since this time, not just one but both of them were “computer professionals” so I would be the only one not able to communicate in the common language. To soften the blow, we picked one of my favorite restaurants, Gallagher’s Steak House on West 52nd Street, so I would at least be sure to enjoy the food if not the talk. Talking About the Movies
They seemed nice enough, and at the beginning of the meal everyone tried to include me in the conversation as we had our crab meat cocktails and little necks on the half shell appetizers.
I’m considered fairly proficient with a computer, but they were light years beyond me. Every time I tried to change the subject, it inevitably went back to their shop talk. I gave up and simply smiled and nodded while I thought of other things and ate my sirloin. Then I began to daydream and eventually just zoned out.
While I was in this state of deep boredom, some of the conversation from an adjoining table got through to me. My ears perked up because they were discussing movies and were in the midst of an argument about the name of an actor. Talking About the Movies
I heard a female voice ask, “Who played the corrupt cop that Michael Corleone shot in The Godfather?”
I couldn’t see who was talking because their table was behind me, but I heard a male voice respond, “I don’t know, but he was the same guy who played the crazy general in Doctor Strangelove.”
 A second male voice said, “That’s Robert Ryan.”
The female spoke again, “No, they just look alike, but it wasn’t him. Let’s ask the waiter.”

Talking About the Movies

The waiter didn’t know either, but as he was walking away, I called him over and told him the name they were looking for was Sterling Hayden. He went back to tell them and actually got a round of applause. At this point, I asked myself why wasn’t I having dinner with these nice people who were engaged in such civilized and amusing conversation? When the waiter told them it was I who had come up with the actor’s name they looked my way, and one of them said they had another question they’d been wondering about.
“My husband says that Mean Streets was the first time Harvey Keitel worked with Martin Scorsese. Do you think that’s right?”

Talking About the Movies

I happened to know that while Scorsese was at NYU, he did a student film called Who’s That Knocking at My Door and that was the first time he and Keitel worked together. My response got me an invitation to join them. With a wink at Bridget, I excused myself from my table, picked up my wine glass and took a seat with them.

 

Talking About the MoviesLa Dolce Vita and Stardust Memories

 

Talking About the MoviesThis Gun for Hire and Rome, Open City

We spoke about John Ford and John Wayne, Fellini and Woody Allen, Film Noir and Neo-Realism, and even listed some of Hitchcock’s blonde heroines.

Talking About the Movies

Madeline Carroll, Tippi Hedren, Janet Leigh, Grace Kelly

None of us had any professional connection with the film industry, but we all just loved the movies. The language at the first part of the evening might have been “Hi-Tech” but now I was with my kind of people, and we were speaking pure “Classic Film.”
When they left, I went back to my table. I don’t know what her friends thought of me, but I was sure Bridget understood.

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Jimbo’s Sandbar

Jimbo’s Sandbar
If you’re traveling between Miami and Fort Lauderdale and want to stop in the Hollywood/Dania Beach area for something to eat, try Jimbo’s Sandbar.

Jimbo's SandbarJimbo's Sandbar

It’s on the Intercoastal and has great food. They call it “redneck cuisine” but don’t let that throw you. They’ve got a chef who really understands Southern seafood. And if you’re there for dinner, terrific sunsets too.

Jimbo's Sandbar

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Jimbo's Sandbar
And a well-stocked bar . . .

Jimbo's Sandbar

Jimbo's Sandbar

Pasta with Sausage Meat and Ricotta

Pasta with Sausage Meat and Ricotta
This is a quick and easy meal. I remember when my mother first made it. I unexpectedly came home with a friend at lunch time. This is what she fed us, made with a few things she happened to have on hand. A delicious cream sauce with only four ingredients. You really don’t need anything more, but I suppose that if you want to complicate it you can add garlic or onions or some other spices. What I like about cooking with sausage meat is that the butcher does all the work –  grinding and spicing.Pasta with Sausage Meat and Ricotta

Pasta with Sausage Meat and Ricotta

Put up a pot of water for the pasta. Fry the sausage meat in olive oil. You don’t need any garlic, onions or salt & pepper. The spice from the sausage is enough. When it’s lightly browned add a cup of the pasta water and the ricotta and blend. Throw in a good handful of chopped basil and stir. My mother sometimes used peas instead of basil.

Pasta with Sausage Meat and Ricotta

When the pasta is almost done add it to the sauce and stir to coat it. If it’s too dry add a little more pasta water. Serve it with some freshly chopped basil. See, I told you it was quick and easy.

Pasta with Sausage Meat and Ricotta


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Puerto Rico Relief

Puerto Rico Relief
I’ve had some terrific vacations in Puerto Rico – friendly people, great food, beautiful scenery and beaches, and all that without leaving the USA.
We all know about the devastation caused by Hurricane Maria. If you’d like to help, here are some links that will send you in the right direction: