Yesterday, the Saturday of Kwaanza, we celebrated at the Northfield Golf Club Restaurant. They have a pretty decorated tree in the front lobby, next to a nice gas fire place. Once inside you can see the tree lights from the decorated trees outside dance all along the open window walls. It’s quite magical.
The dinner was set for 5PM to 9PM and we were practically the first ones there, as I like to eat early, believing that the later you eat, the more you will retain. Then when you get up, you are not that hungry, so you skip breakfast, and that really is the most important time of day for humans to absorb and utilize vitamins and minerals and then burn calories throughout the active cycle of the 24 hour period. Ah, but I digress. Sorry.
Anyway, I ordered the Shrimp Tempura, Caesar salad, baked potato and mushrooms. D had the filet mignon and mashed potatoes and asparagas plus buffet salad bar. It was all good. When you come in early, the chefs have time to pay attention to your food and only your food. Super. I must rave about the Caesar salad though because it was one of if not the best I ever had. A bit of mustard was present and the rest was light as air. So, too, about the mushrooms. Ah, just plain ol’ button mushrooms, whole and fried up in the pan. Delicious. I didn’t want them to end, so I had every other bit a mushroom and ended with a mushroom.
Now the shrimp was good, too. It wasn’t covered with all the oil and batter one usually gets. It was so underdressed, I barely noticed it in the dim but flattering lights of the restaurant. The shrimp were firm, but not rubbery, not soft, not mushy. They were like you dream shrimp would be, but never are except for when one of your fav chefs makes them on Kwaanza.
I am not raving about the baked potato. I think it was an attempt to keep it from drying out too much.but it was slightly underdone for me, but that made me not eat all of it, and that’s a good thing. My respiratory meds make me hungry and even ravenous at times, and I really have to watch my weight even over the holidays. I am hearing a lot of heads shaking up and down right now. I know you are with me as sighs of failure drift by this page. Oh, don’t feel bad, pretty soon, you’ll be up and running off all those extra calories, when you actually take back the things you don’t want and get something you do want.
Here comes the best part, while we were waiting for dinner, we ordered a Sazarac. Some of you may know, a Sazarac is the first official cocktail of the United States, originating in New Orleans. Now, I am not a drinker, can’t do it, won’t do it, but once or twice a year, I will imbibe with a half drink of something. I get all warm and bubbly and then I get a cup of coffee before I pass out for the night from it. Haha.
The Sazara reminds me of days in New Orleans with friends on a Public Chemical Advisory Panel. We’d all go out to dinner after each meeting and swap food stories. My closest buddy, an elder named Doc usually had something to do with whiskey , maybe cuz he is from Kentucky where they make quite a bit of it well, but he told the Sazarac story and I went with it and tried it and always liked it. Any bartender worth his salt (did I just say that?) knows how to make a Sazarac, but if yours doesn’t…here you go;
http://whatscookingamerica.net/Beverage/SazeracCocktail.htm
Happy Holidays to YOU!
Oh, speaking of cars, what is the difference between your wife and your car? Give up? Your car doesn’t holler at you every time you get gas.