Bad Experience at Cheesecake Factory

#1 – Went to a going away lunch today at the Cheesecake Factory in Winter Park Village with our team for one of our co-workers.  Had the Kobe Cheeseburger.  When you order medium, you get it pretty much raw on the inside.  I ate it.  I didn’t feel too good an hour later.

#2 – Waited for our server to give us fill-up on our drinks (longer than usual).  She had one of the other wait persons take our ice tea glasses.  He gathered them up, took them away and then brought them back filled with the original straws.  Only the one I got back was someone else’s – but couldn’t be sure who’s.  Not a good system.  They should have filled our glasses at the table.

Lunch – Kobe cheese burger with fries $13.95, green ice tea $2.95 + 18% tip = $21.04.  I won’t be back for lunch.

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Cincinnati Chili

My daughter asked me for the Cincinnati Chili recipe that I usually make. This is supposed to be “Empress Style” i.e. Empress Chili Parlor. This was the second request in a week (my son asked for it last weekend) – so I figured I’d post it today.

This is very nice on a winter Saturday – Enjoy

Cincinnati Chili (Empress

2 lbs 93% lean ground beef (or ground sirloin)

2 large onions chopped

3 large garlic cloves chopped

1 tbsp paprika

2 tbsp Chili powder

2 tbsp Ground cumin

2 tbsp Ground allspice

2 tbsp Ground cinnamon

1 tsp black pepper

3 tbsp powdered cocoa

2 tbsp ground red pepper (use less if you want it less HOT)

2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce

2 tbsp of red wine vinegar

3 or 4 bay leaves

1 small can tomato paste

1 small can of tomato sauce

==========================

1 lb. Package of spaghetti

grated sharp cheddar cheese

One large WHITE onion chopped

Oyster crackers (optional)

In a large pot, pour in 11/2 quarts of water. Add the tomato paste and the can of tomato sauce. Stir this around until all the paste is dissolved.

Add the chopped garlic.

Add the ground sirloin my dropping small chucks of the meat into the liquid (that’s right – it goes in raw). Stir this around so that it is a loose mixture of liquid and meat (gross !!)

Add the two chopped onions, stir, and then add in all the rest of the ingredients. The entire mixture should be somewhat loose when you start and then will thicken as it cooks. If it seems to thick to begin with add more water.

Let this simmer on low or about three hours or until thicker. It smells great the entire time its cooking!! If it gets too thick and you don’t keep an eye on it, it will burn and you’ll have to throw it out! – so be careful dammit !

Cook pasta til done and drain. Place pasta on plates or pasta bowls and cover with Cincinnati Chili. Top with 1) dice white onions, sharp cheddar cheese, hot sauce (optional). Serve with oyster crackers is you want to.

Chili Pups………In a hot dog bun – – – spread a little yellow mustard into the bun, scoop in some Cincinnati Chili, top with onions, cheddar cheese, hot sauce. YUMMMMM.

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Five Guys – Uptown Altamonte

 

I heard about Five Guys in Altamonte Springs, FL from my son.  He thought they had some pretty good burgers and fries, so I decided to give it a try.

 

I got the bacon cheeseburger (all the way) with regular fries and a soft drink. 

Cost me $10.03 with tax.

 

All the meals come in a brown paper bag whether you are eating in or taking it out.  The longer you keep the fries (fried in peanut oil) in the paper bag, the paper bag gets greasier and greasier.  I saw at least three people in their eighties in this store – though I’m not sure what that means.  This relatively new store, which is large in square feet, was about half full when I left at 12:00 noon.  They had a pretty good crowd.

 

The burger was excellent.  The fries were so-so.  I’d go back, but I’d curb my spending and just go for the cheeseburger and soft drink.  Considering a five-day work week – 10 bucks is way too much to spend for lunch.

 

 

 

 

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Sicilian Meatball Cookies

These have been a favorite in our house for over forty years. They are wonderful!!

Sicilian Meatball Cookies

 

(Original recipe from Favorite Italian Recipes, 2^nd Edition St. Anthony’s Parish, Watertown, NY; recipe submitted by Annie Cumoletti – 1973.

6 cups Flour

¼ tsp salt

1 cup shortening

½ tsp baking soda

½ tsp cloves

2 cups sugar

¾ cup cocoa

2 cups milk

2 tsp baking powder

½ tsp cinnamon

Put all dry ingredients together in a large mixing bowl. Blend in the shortening and lastly the milk. You will have to use your hands to mix this as it is a sticky dough.

Put a little shortening on your hands when you roll this dough into little balls (use a teaspoon to measure). Do not make these balls large, as they rise quite a bit. Leave space between them on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.

Bake at 375 degrees for 15 minutes.

Make a thin chocolate frosting and cover the baked cookies by rolling them in a large bowl of frosting. Lay out on a large pan or rack until they are dry.

Alternatively, just before serving, you can dust these cookies with some confectioners sugar.

Note: You can divide the dough and put nuts in some, raisins in some and coconut in some.

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Meatballs

 

Meatballs

 

I made meatballs today, but this time I just kind of threw it together. Here’s what I used

 

2 lb ground chuck

4 links of sweet Italian sausage (meat pulled from the casing)

Six slices of Pepperidge Farm white bread crumbled (rubbing bread in hands to crumble)

1 cup of seasoned bread crumbs

Sprinkling of milk

3 cloves garlic chopped

1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

½ medium onion chopped

1/3 of a large green pepper chopped (fine)

2 eggs beaten

Couple of shakes of extra virgin olive oil

 

1 tsp kosher salt

1 tsp ground black pepper

1 tsp dried oregano

1 tsp dried thyme

1 tsp dried savory

¼ tsp ground red pepper

¼ tsp ground paprika

1 tbsp fennel seed

 

In a very large working bowl combine the ground chuck and the sausage and blend the two with your hands. Add the bread that has been moistened with sprinkling of milk. Add in all of the rest of the ingredients in the order listed. Add a little water to the whole mixture and a few shakes of olive oil.

 

My mother-in-law always added fennel seed to her meatballs. She thought it was great for Italian Sausage, it should be good for meatballs —- and it is… my family loves them that way. Try it.

 

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Roll the meatballs and put them in baking dishes and add a little water to the dishes before putting them into the oven. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until the meat is fully cooked. They will cook some more when you add them to your sauce pot later.

=Dad

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Somewhere Over the Rainbow

I fell in love with this version of an old favorite – this one sung by Israel Kamakawiwo’ole.  I discovered it at :  http://www.daintylambphotography.com/ 

Click on “Bishop Family”.  These are friends of mine.

You can also hear this song at :  http://youtube.com/watch?v=2A2Jt4WOxN8

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Red Beans and Rice with Sausage

I had a request for to post my recipe for Louisiana Red Beans and Rice. Here it is. Enjoy.

Louisiana Red Beans and Rice with Sausage

1 pound of dried red kidney beans
1 pound smoked link sausage halved lengthwise and cut crosswise into 1/2-inch-thick slices OR hot Italian sausage- cooked and cut into pieces,
1 large onion, chopped
2 pale-green inner celery ribs (with leaves), chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced, or to taste
6 cups water OR 2 cans of chicken broth – add more if needed
4 bay leaves
1 tablespoon dried thyme, crumbled
2 teaspoons dried oregano, crumbled
1 teaspoon Tabasco
3/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, or to taste
1/4 teaspoon cayenne, or to taste
2 teaspoons salt, or to taste

Serve over white rice

In a bowl soak beans in water to cover by 2 inches overnight. In a 6-quart heavy kettle combine all ingredients except 1/2 pound sausage. Bring mixture to a boil using 2 cans of chicken broth (or water if you don’t have broth) and simmer, covered, over moderate heat 1 ½ to 2 hours. Remove lid and cook mixture at a bare simmer 1 hour more, adding more liquid if mixture is too thick.

Remove 1 cup bean mixture and mash into a paste with a potato masher. Stir bean paste and remaining 1/2 pound sausage into bean mixture and simmer 5 minutes.

Serve with white rice.

 

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Lunch Feature – Tijuana Flats

Tijuana Flats in Longwood, FL is a great lunch spot with a new dining facility in Springs Plaza, easy access, and good food. We go here often – when we’re in the mood for some good Mexican food. Tijuana Flats is alway consistent in its food, no matter which one you go to. They are all over the Central Florida area and expanding all the time. I had the “Tijuana Chimichanga-no jalepenos with a medium softdrink – $7.75. Starbucks is in the same plaza for an after-dinner coffee.

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Lunch Feature – Christo’s Cafe

Christo’s is famous for their breakfasts – they are BIG and really, really, really good!  There are two Christo’s, the one I went to for lunch today – on Edgewater Ave in Orlando – the other is on SR 436 in Apopka, FL.  I’ve only had breakfast at the one in Apopka – a buffet – that was very good.  I usually have lunch once a week at the Edgewater Christo’s.  It’s not too far from work, and on Fridays they have Stuffed Cabbage as the special of the day –  YUMMO! 

Today I had the Chicken Gyro.  Although the name of the place assumes a Greek presence – the usual non-Greek wait-staff was there and Gustavo – the manager.  The gyro was very good – grilled chicken breast with Mediterranean seasoning-chopped romaine lettuce, red onion, and Tzatziki sauce (cucumber/yogurt sauce) all wrapped in pita bread.  I like to slather it with the tzatziki sauce – excellent! Today’s lunch was $10.05 with tip.

  

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