spicesign

spicesign

Tuesday, February 10, 2015

Restaurant Meals Are Cooking Inspiration... Also, Books Are Good...

I had originally planned to cook something to eat today, but I just wasn't in the mood when the time came.  Hubby and I never go out ON Valentine's Day, but we have a Valentine's dinner at a restaurant on another day.  On the actual day, we cook something nice at home.  But anyway, since we hadn't gone out yet, nor made plans, I decided we would go out for a late lunch and let that be our Valentine's meal at a restaurant.  We decided on Anna's, a Greek place we had never been to.  We usually do fast food type Greek places, not sit down restaurants, and thus I had only had sandwiches/pitas or soups.  After staring at the menu for a good chunk of time, wanting absolutely everything, I decided on Pastitsio.  Hubby and I had made it at home before, and loved it, so I figured I'd give the restaurant version a try.  All I can say about that is... where has Pastitsio been all my life?!?


It was incredibly delicious, far beyond any other Greek restaurant experience I've had.  {Which are, admittedly, somewhat limited.}  Even the salad that came as a side was exceptionally good.  The whole experience gets two thumbs up from me.

On the way home from the restaurant, I decided I wanted to look up a recipe to make a more authentic Pastitsio than the one I had made previously.  I went to AllRecipes to look and found this one, which looks remarkably like what I had at Anna's.  That's on the to-cook list now.

After we finished eating, we went to Dollar Tree to find something to skim cream sauces with, and came out with nothing for that... but not empty handed.  Is it ever possible to come out of there empty handed?  I don't think so.  Neither of us felt like schlepping to a bunch more stores to continue our search, so we abandoned it until our regular grocery shopping day {Thursday}.  That left one last errand... the library.  I'm not sure the library really counts as an "errand", though, since we both thoroughly enjoy going there.  I think the nature of an errand is that it has to be something you'd rather not do.  Anyway, I had this on hold for me there...


The friend I had lunch with yesterday suggested I get this and watch it.  I've never watched any of Julia Child's shows, but I'm told they are awesome... and, as you can see if you can read beneath the bar code, it is French cooking.  There are 18 episodes of the show on this 3 disc set.  Unfortunately I don't have The French Chef Cookbook, but if some of these recipes sound really good, it should be easy enough to get.

Other than that, all I've done is read.  I started A Complicated Kindness by Miriam Toews yesterday.  I'm nearing the halfway point, and am fully enjoying it.  I picked it at the library when it was wrapped up as a Blind Date book, and it seems I got VERY lucky with my Blind Date.  So far, it's fabulous.  The writing I find to be witty and clever, and as I've mentioned previously... clever wit gets me hook, line and sinker.

I'm now sitting here looking around me and realizing there is chaos.  But why clean now, when I can put it off til tomorrow?  Which is exactly what I'm going to do.  The rest of the evening is going to be dedicated to reading and relaxing.  Not that I've done anything to need to relax, but I'm giving myself permission nonetheless.

Until I write again!


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