<?xml version='1.0' encoding='UTF-8'?><?xml-stylesheet href="http://www.blogger.com/styles/atom.css" type="text/css"?><feed xmlns='http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom' xmlns:openSearch='http://a9.com/-/spec/opensearchrss/1.0/' xmlns:georss='http://www.georss.org/georss' xmlns:gd='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005' xmlns:thr='http://purl.org/syndication/thread/1.0'><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8001942599366244484</id><updated>2011-08-03T21:44:38.196-07:00</updated><category term='upstate New York seafood restaurants'/><category term='Ten Ten Seafood Restaurant'/><category term='Macchiato'/><category term='Greenbaum and Gilhooley’s'/><category term='lobster roll'/><category term='lobster hut'/><category term='Artesia Chinese Food'/><category term='plymouth food'/><category term='Jeff Baker'/><title type='text'>Man in the Kitchen with Jeff Baker</title><subtitle type='html'>He's getting out more . . .</subtitle><link rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#feed' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://mankitchenjeffbaker.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8001942599366244484/posts/default?max-results=100'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://mankitchenjeffbaker.blogspot.com/'/><link rel='hub' href='http://pubsubhubbub.appspot.com/'/><author><name>Jeff Baker</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/17174104776959432547</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='19' height='32' src='http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_pxmC8qsNsKQ/SirA-jgGaSI/AAAAAAAAABU/bFZW_dpeTGo/S220/jeffmugBW.jpg'/></author><generator version='7.00' uri='http://www.blogger.com'>Blogger</generator><openSearch:totalResults>22</openSearch:totalResults><openSearch:startIndex>1</openSearch:startIndex><openSearch:itemsPerPage>100</openSearch:itemsPerPage><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8001942599366244484.post-4120153490771768838</id><published>2010-10-31T10:24:00.000-07:00</published><updated>2010-10-31T10:25:27.228-07:00</updated><title type='text'>Bourbon Corn Chowder</title><content type='html'>4 tbs unsalted butter&lt;br /&gt; 1 small onion, diced&lt;br /&gt; 2, 14oz cans of creamed corn &lt;br /&gt; ¼ cup bourbon&lt;br /&gt; ¼ tsp. nutmeg&lt;br /&gt; 2 - 3 drops hot red pepper sauce&lt;br /&gt; ½ cup chicken broth&lt;br /&gt; ½ cup heavy cream&lt;br /&gt; salt and pepper to taste&lt;br /&gt;Melt butter over medium heat in large heavy pan.  Sauté onions until soft.  Stir in creamed corn.  Heat bourbon in separate small sauce pan, carefully ignite and add to corn.  Stir in remaining ingredients and serve immediately.&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/8001942599366244484-4120153490771768838?l=mankitchenjeffbaker.blogspot.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://mankitchenjeffbaker.blogspot.com/feeds/4120153490771768838/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://mankitchenjeffbaker.blogspot.com/2010/10/bourbon-corn-chowder.html#comment-form' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8001942599366244484/posts/default/4120153490771768838'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8001942599366244484/posts/default/4120153490771768838'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://mankitchenjeffbaker.blogspot.com/2010/10/bourbon-corn-chowder.html' title='Bourbon Corn Chowder'/><author><name>Jeff Baker</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/17174104776959432547</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='19' height='32' src='http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_pxmC8qsNsKQ/SirA-jgGaSI/AAAAAAAAABU/bFZW_dpeTGo/S220/jeffmugBW.jpg'/></author><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8001942599366244484.post-1144748392913035259</id><published>2010-02-27T19:44:00.001-08:00</published><updated>2010-02-27T19:47:32.222-08:00</updated><title type='text'>Veggie Party Tray Leftover Stir-fry</title><content type='html'>&lt;a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_pxmC8qsNsKQ/S4nm7aA4BKI/AAAAAAAAAGs/Ywa5-hGyhhg/s1600-h/Leftover+veggie.jpg"&gt;&lt;img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 130px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 97px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5443135532923618466" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_pxmC8qsNsKQ/S4nm7aA4BKI/AAAAAAAAAGs/Ywa5-hGyhhg/s200/Leftover+veggie.jpg" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;div&gt;What do you do with that veggie party tray the next day. Certainly don't waste those good (expensive) vegetables - especially since they're already cup up! Saute everything except the cherry tomatoes in olive oil with some chopped garlic. Pour in 1/3 cup balsamic vinegar and cook down 3 to 5 minutes. Meanwhile cut those cherry tomatoes in half then stir in. Serve over pasta and top with arugula or chopped parsley.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/8001942599366244484-1144748392913035259?l=mankitchenjeffbaker.blogspot.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://mankitchenjeffbaker.blogspot.com/feeds/1144748392913035259/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://mankitchenjeffbaker.blogspot.com/2010/02/veggie-party-tray-leftover-stir-fry.html#comment-form' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8001942599366244484/posts/default/1144748392913035259'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8001942599366244484/posts/default/1144748392913035259'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://mankitchenjeffbaker.blogspot.com/2010/02/veggie-party-tray-leftover-stir-fry.html' title='Veggie Party Tray Leftover Stir-fry'/><author><name>Jeff Baker</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/17174104776959432547</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='19' height='32' src='http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_pxmC8qsNsKQ/SirA-jgGaSI/AAAAAAAAABU/bFZW_dpeTGo/S220/jeffmugBW.jpg'/></author><media:thumbnail xmlns:media='http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/' url='http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_pxmC8qsNsKQ/S4nm7aA4BKI/AAAAAAAAAGs/Ywa5-hGyhhg/s72-c/Leftover+veggie.jpg' height='72' width='72'/><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8001942599366244484.post-7396913782302191158</id><published>2010-02-17T20:29:00.001-08:00</published><updated>2010-02-17T20:32:29.598-08:00</updated><title type='text'>Rosemary Lemon Chicken</title><content type='html'>&lt;a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_pxmC8qsNsKQ/S3zCkrtMBuI/AAAAAAAAAGk/ZaS88wBhomM/s1600-h/IMG_0049.JPG"&gt;&lt;img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5439436385420052194" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_pxmC8qsNsKQ/S3zCkrtMBuI/AAAAAAAAAGk/ZaS88wBhomM/s200/IMG_0049.JPG" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;Ingredients:&lt;/div&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;div&gt;2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, flattened to 1 inch&lt;br /&gt;1/3 cup fresh lemon juice&lt;br /&gt;Zest from 2 lemons&lt;br /&gt;1 cup chicken stock&lt;br /&gt;1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, chopped fine&lt;br /&gt;2 tablespoons chopped fresh arugula or parsley&lt;br /&gt;2 tablespoons clarified butter (melt butter in a microwave and skim the gold-colored curd part off the top, leaving the clear liquid)&lt;br /&gt;1 egg&lt;br /&gt;½ cup flour&lt;br /&gt;1 tsp. salt&lt;br /&gt;1 tbs. corn starch&lt;br /&gt;3 tbs. water&lt;br /&gt;cooked spaghetti&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Instructions:&lt;/div&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;div&gt;Warm oven on lowest heat setting. Get pot boiling for pasta. Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper then press the rosemary into the chicken. Chill. Meanwhile, prepare the clarified butter. Mix flour and salt. Beat egg in small flat dish. Heat skillet to medium then add butter. Dredge chicken in egg, then cover with flour mixture, add to skillet and cook for 5 to 6 minutes, turn and cook another 5 to 6 minutes, or until juices flow and it looks done. Transfer to plate and keep warm in the oven. Add half the chicken broth to pan and deglaze (scrape the chicken particles loose with a spatula). Add rest of broth and lemon juice. Cook down for five minutes, meanwhile make a slurry by combining corn starch with water, stir well. Add to chicken-lemon broth to thicken. Place chicken atop pasta on serving plate. Top with broth, arugula, and lemon zest. Serve.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/8001942599366244484-7396913782302191158?l=mankitchenjeffbaker.blogspot.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://mankitchenjeffbaker.blogspot.com/feeds/7396913782302191158/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://mankitchenjeffbaker.blogspot.com/2010/02/rosemary-lemon-chicken.html#comment-form' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8001942599366244484/posts/default/7396913782302191158'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8001942599366244484/posts/default/7396913782302191158'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://mankitchenjeffbaker.blogspot.com/2010/02/rosemary-lemon-chicken.html' title='Rosemary Lemon Chicken'/><author><name>Jeff Baker</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/17174104776959432547</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='19' height='32' src='http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_pxmC8qsNsKQ/SirA-jgGaSI/AAAAAAAAABU/bFZW_dpeTGo/S220/jeffmugBW.jpg'/></author><media:thumbnail xmlns:media='http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/' url='http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_pxmC8qsNsKQ/S3zCkrtMBuI/AAAAAAAAAGk/ZaS88wBhomM/s72-c/IMG_0049.JPG' height='72' width='72'/><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8001942599366244484.post-533976398625666715</id><published>2010-02-17T09:11:00.000-08:00</published><updated>2010-02-17T09:15:08.640-08:00</updated><title type='text'>Alyson's Brocolli Salad</title><content type='html'>&lt;a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_pxmC8qsNsKQ/S3wjuoN8uFI/AAAAAAAAAGU/cQXbmh92qX0/s1600-h/brocolli+salad.jpg"&gt;&lt;img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 140px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 140px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5439261733933594706" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_pxmC8qsNsKQ/S3wjuoN8uFI/AAAAAAAAAGU/cQXbmh92qX0/s200/brocolli+salad.jpg" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;div&gt;Alyson's Brocolli Salad&lt;/div&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;div align="left"&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Ingredients&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;div&gt;10 slices bacon&lt;br /&gt;1 head fresh broccoli, cut into bite size pieces&lt;br /&gt;1/4 cup red onion, chopped&lt;br /&gt;1/2 cup raisins&lt;br /&gt;3 tablespoons white wine vinegar&lt;br /&gt;2 tablespoons white sugar&lt;br /&gt;1 cup mayonnaise&lt;br /&gt;1 cup sunflower seeds&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;div&gt;Directions&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;div&gt;Place bacon in a large, deep skillet. Cook over medium high heat until evenly brown. Drain, crumble and set aside. In a medium bowl, combine the broccoli, onion and raisins. In a small bowl, whisk together the vinegar, sugar and mayonnaise. Pour over broccoli mixture, and toss until well mixed. Refrigerate for at least two hours.&lt;br /&gt;Before serving, toss salad with crumbled bacon and sunflower seeds. &lt;/div&gt;&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/8001942599366244484-533976398625666715?l=mankitchenjeffbaker.blogspot.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://mankitchenjeffbaker.blogspot.com/feeds/533976398625666715/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://mankitchenjeffbaker.blogspot.com/2010/02/alysons-brocolli-salad.html#comment-form' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8001942599366244484/posts/default/533976398625666715'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8001942599366244484/posts/default/533976398625666715'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://mankitchenjeffbaker.blogspot.com/2010/02/alysons-brocolli-salad.html' title='Alyson&apos;s Brocolli Salad'/><author><name>Jeff Baker</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/17174104776959432547</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='19' height='32' src='http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_pxmC8qsNsKQ/SirA-jgGaSI/AAAAAAAAABU/bFZW_dpeTGo/S220/jeffmugBW.jpg'/></author><media:thumbnail xmlns:media='http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/' url='http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_pxmC8qsNsKQ/S3wjuoN8uFI/AAAAAAAAAGU/cQXbmh92qX0/s72-c/brocolli+salad.jpg' height='72' width='72'/><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8001942599366244484.post-4116953194945656049</id><published>2010-02-10T16:47:00.000-08:00</published><updated>2010-02-10T16:52:04.718-08:00</updated><title type='text'>For Valentines Day - Raspberry Chicken</title><content type='html'>&lt;a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_pxmC8qsNsKQ/S3NUg3GaWBI/AAAAAAAAAGM/s1TwR75YHlk/s1600-h/raspberry+chicken.jpg"&gt;&lt;img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 170px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 124px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5436782098689710098" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_pxmC8qsNsKQ/S3NUg3GaWBI/AAAAAAAAAGM/s1TwR75YHlk/s200/raspberry+chicken.jpg" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;div&gt;Donna's Favorite Raspberry Chicken&lt;/div&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;div&gt;When I offer to cook Donna a special dinner she often requests Raspberry Chicken. It’s quite indulgent. Most grocery stores carry the raspberry vinegar. &lt;/div&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;br /&gt;3 – 4 2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts&lt;br /&gt;2 tbs butter&lt;br /&gt;¼ cup yellow onion, finely chopped&lt;br /&gt;4 tbs raspberry vinegar&lt;br /&gt;¼ cup chicken broth&lt;br /&gt;¼ cup heavy cream&lt;br /&gt;1 tbs crushed tomatoes&lt;br /&gt;15 - 16 fresh raspberries&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;p&gt;Flatten each breast pressing it gently with the palm of your hand. Melt the butter in a large skillet over low heat. Raise the heat, add the chicken and cook for about 3 minutes per side, or until they are lightly colored. Remove from the skillet and reserve.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;p&gt;Add the onion to the fat in the pan and cook, covered, over low heat until tender, about 15 minutes. Add the vinegar and deglaze pan. Raise the heat and cook, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until vinegar is reduced to a syrup spoonful. Whisk in the chicken stock, heavy cream and crushed tomatoes. Simmer for one minute. Return chicken to the skillet and simmer them gently in the sauce, basting often, until they are just done and the sauce has been reduced and thickened slightly, about 5 minutes. Do not overcook.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;p&gt;Remove chicken with a slotted spoon and arrange on a heated serving platter. Add the raspberries to the sauce in the skillet and cook over low heat for 1 minute. Do not stir the berries with a spoon, merely swirl them in the sauce by shaking the skillet. Pour sauce over chicken and serve immediately.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/8001942599366244484-4116953194945656049?l=mankitchenjeffbaker.blogspot.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://mankitchenjeffbaker.blogspot.com/feeds/4116953194945656049/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://mankitchenjeffbaker.blogspot.com/2010/02/for-valentines-day-raspberry-chicken.html#comment-form' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8001942599366244484/posts/default/4116953194945656049'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8001942599366244484/posts/default/4116953194945656049'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://mankitchenjeffbaker.blogspot.com/2010/02/for-valentines-day-raspberry-chicken.html' title='For Valentines Day - Raspberry Chicken'/><author><name>Jeff Baker</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/17174104776959432547</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='19' height='32' src='http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_pxmC8qsNsKQ/SirA-jgGaSI/AAAAAAAAABU/bFZW_dpeTGo/S220/jeffmugBW.jpg'/></author><media:thumbnail xmlns:media='http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/' url='http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_pxmC8qsNsKQ/S3NUg3GaWBI/AAAAAAAAAGM/s1TwR75YHlk/s72-c/raspberry+chicken.jpg' height='72' width='72'/><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8001942599366244484.post-7093954090850416002</id><published>2009-12-21T22:36:00.000-08:00</published><updated>2009-12-21T22:39:45.141-08:00</updated><title type='text'>Addictive Cracker Spread</title><content type='html'>&lt;a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_pxmC8qsNsKQ/SzBpmM6gVII/AAAAAAAAAGE/0rO3kLlcjIk/s1600-h/IMG00699.jpg"&gt;&lt;img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5417946456749266050" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_pxmC8qsNsKQ/SzBpmM6gVII/AAAAAAAAAGE/0rO3kLlcjIk/s200/IMG00699.jpg" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;div&gt;Hacked this from our favorite "organic" restaurant in Fullerton. Came pretty close to their recipe. Served it to Donna's bunco group tonight, they loved it. &lt;/div&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;div&gt; &lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt; &lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;Holiday Cracker Spread&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;1 brick cream cheese (softened to room temperature)&lt;br /&gt;3 oz roasted, salted pecans –ground in food processor&lt;br /&gt;4 oz dried cranberries – chopped in food processor&lt;br /&gt;½ tsp. cinnamon&lt;br /&gt;Orange zest (from two large oranges)&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Mix all ingredients together. &lt;/div&gt;&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/8001942599366244484-7093954090850416002?l=mankitchenjeffbaker.blogspot.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://mankitchenjeffbaker.blogspot.com/feeds/7093954090850416002/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://mankitchenjeffbaker.blogspot.com/2009/12/addictive-cracker-spread.html#comment-form' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8001942599366244484/posts/default/7093954090850416002'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8001942599366244484/posts/default/7093954090850416002'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://mankitchenjeffbaker.blogspot.com/2009/12/addictive-cracker-spread.html' title='Addictive Cracker Spread'/><author><name>Jeff Baker</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/17174104776959432547</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='19' height='32' src='http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_pxmC8qsNsKQ/SirA-jgGaSI/AAAAAAAAABU/bFZW_dpeTGo/S220/jeffmugBW.jpg'/></author><media:thumbnail xmlns:media='http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/' url='http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_pxmC8qsNsKQ/SzBpmM6gVII/AAAAAAAAAGE/0rO3kLlcjIk/s72-c/IMG00699.jpg' height='72' width='72'/><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8001942599366244484.post-2265084746364329742</id><published>2009-12-17T21:07:00.000-08:00</published><updated>2009-12-17T21:10:43.765-08:00</updated><title type='text'>Mexi-Mac and Cheese</title><content type='html'>&lt;a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_pxmC8qsNsKQ/SysOctApoNI/AAAAAAAAAF8/fGL9YmFTJuM/s1600-h/mac+cheese+finished.jpg"&gt;&lt;img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5416438863124603090" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_pxmC8qsNsKQ/SysOctApoNI/AAAAAAAAAF8/fGL9YmFTJuM/s200/mac+cheese+finished.jpg" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_pxmC8qsNsKQ/SysOUexrRHI/AAAAAAAAAF0/g6jrSjLWOGM/s1600-h/milk+into+cheese.jpg"&gt;&lt;img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5416438721864746098" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_pxmC8qsNsKQ/SysOUexrRHI/AAAAAAAAAF0/g6jrSjLWOGM/s200/milk+into+cheese.jpg" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_pxmC8qsNsKQ/SysOPMy2--I/AAAAAAAAAFs/jcYC5sC5Fhk/s1600-h/stir+cheese+into+butter.jpg"&gt;&lt;img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5416438631138524130" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_pxmC8qsNsKQ/SysOPMy2--I/AAAAAAAAAFs/jcYC5sC5Fhk/s200/stir+cheese+into+butter.jpg" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt; &lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;(note above dish made with Penne pasta instead of macaroni)&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;2 cups uncooked macaroni&lt;br /&gt;half stick butter, cut up&lt;br /&gt;2 cups grated cheddar cheese&lt;br /&gt;3 eggs, beaten&lt;br /&gt;½ cup sour cream&lt;br /&gt;1 10 oz can condensed "fiesta" cheese soup&lt;br /&gt;1 7 oz can chopped green chilis&lt;br /&gt;1 cup milk&lt;br /&gt;Salt and pepper to taste&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Boil pasta for 6 minutes, drain. Over medium heat, melt butter then add cheese until melted. Whisk in milk until smooth. Add eggs, sour cream, soup, chilies, and salt and pepper. Stir in pasta then pour into buttered 9 x 12 baking pan. Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes, remove foil and brown another 10 minutes. Let sit at room temperature for 10 minutes before serving. &lt;/div&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/8001942599366244484-2265084746364329742?l=mankitchenjeffbaker.blogspot.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://mankitchenjeffbaker.blogspot.com/feeds/2265084746364329742/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://mankitchenjeffbaker.blogspot.com/2009/12/mexi-mac-and-cheese.html#comment-form' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8001942599366244484/posts/default/2265084746364329742'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8001942599366244484/posts/default/2265084746364329742'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://mankitchenjeffbaker.blogspot.com/2009/12/mexi-mac-and-cheese.html' title='Mexi-Mac and Cheese'/><author><name>Jeff Baker</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/17174104776959432547</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='19' height='32' src='http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_pxmC8qsNsKQ/SirA-jgGaSI/AAAAAAAAABU/bFZW_dpeTGo/S220/jeffmugBW.jpg'/></author><media:thumbnail xmlns:media='http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/' url='http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_pxmC8qsNsKQ/SysOctApoNI/AAAAAAAAAF8/fGL9YmFTJuM/s72-c/mac+cheese+finished.jpg' height='72' width='72'/><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8001942599366244484.post-8851065233309893259</id><published>2009-12-15T17:12:00.000-08:00</published><updated>2009-12-15T17:21:48.887-08:00</updated><title type='text'>Cheap, Easy, and Kinda-Healthy - Chinese Sausage and Green Beans</title><content type='html'>&lt;a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_pxmC8qsNsKQ/Syg1-Ua8etI/AAAAAAAAAFk/9Dk_A08zKnA/s1600-h/west+covina+002.jpg"&gt;&lt;img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5415637896662907602" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_pxmC8qsNsKQ/Syg1-Ua8etI/AAAAAAAAAFk/9Dk_A08zKnA/s200/west+covina+002.jpg" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_pxmC8qsNsKQ/Syg0uBuqcLI/AAAAAAAAAFc/rCmwF3tWglQ/s1600-h/west+covina+003.jpg"&gt;&lt;img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5415636517255803058" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_pxmC8qsNsKQ/Syg0uBuqcLI/AAAAAAAAAFc/rCmwF3tWglQ/s200/west+covina+003.jpg" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;Made this for lunch today. Took about 20 minutes. All four of us loved it. &lt;/div&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;div&gt;Ingredients:&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;Package of 6 to 8 cooked polish turkey sausage, sliced crosswise 1 inch &lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;1 lb fresh green beans&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;1 medium onion, sliced&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;1 or 2 cloves garlic, minced&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;1 tbs vegetable oil 2 tbs Hoisan (Chinese BBQ) sauce&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;Chicken bullion cube dissolved in ½ cup water &lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt; &lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;Heat oil in wok over medium high. Add onions and garlic, stir two minutes. Add beans and stir fry another two minutes. Push to one side of wok and turn down heat to low. Add sausages to brown (see photo). Add bullion water then cover with large lid and return to medium heat – cook another five minutes, or until beans are done. Add Hoisan sauce and stir. Serve over white steamed rice. &lt;/div&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/8001942599366244484-8851065233309893259?l=mankitchenjeffbaker.blogspot.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://mankitchenjeffbaker.blogspot.com/feeds/8851065233309893259/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://mankitchenjeffbaker.blogspot.com/2009/12/cheap-easy-and-kinda-healthy-chinese.html#comment-form' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8001942599366244484/posts/default/8851065233309893259'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8001942599366244484/posts/default/8851065233309893259'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://mankitchenjeffbaker.blogspot.com/2009/12/cheap-easy-and-kinda-healthy-chinese.html' title='Cheap, Easy, and Kinda-Healthy - Chinese Sausage and Green Beans'/><author><name>Jeff Baker</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/17174104776959432547</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='19' height='32' src='http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_pxmC8qsNsKQ/SirA-jgGaSI/AAAAAAAAABU/bFZW_dpeTGo/S220/jeffmugBW.jpg'/></author><media:thumbnail xmlns:media='http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/' url='http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_pxmC8qsNsKQ/Syg1-Ua8etI/AAAAAAAAAFk/9Dk_A08zKnA/s72-c/west+covina+002.jpg' height='72' width='72'/><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8001942599366244484.post-6504745057438310133</id><published>2009-12-13T12:54:00.000-08:00</published><updated>2009-12-13T13:06:05.739-08:00</updated><title type='text'>Up In The Air - My two cents</title><content type='html'>&lt;a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_pxmC8qsNsKQ/SyVXL4b_ceI/AAAAAAAAAFE/Kb8YnYfPJyE/s1600-h/up_in_the_air.jpg"&gt;&lt;img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 135px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 200px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5414829988622856674" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_pxmC8qsNsKQ/SyVXL4b_ceI/AAAAAAAAAFE/Kb8YnYfPJyE/s200/up_in_the_air.jpg" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;div&gt;Okay this entry is not food related, rather my attempt at a movie review. Believe me, this movie is so good, I felt writing about it was worthy of crashing my own site. It's in a limited run, so Donna and I braved the storm and drove out to Woodland Hills to see it.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Director Jason Reitman first got my attention as one of the revolving directors of TV’s “The Office” Now hes’ in the process of becoming the most important movie director of our time. He’s got a knack for shining a different light on conventional wisdom while also poking fun at Political Correctivism. He takes us into the hearts of characters. Whether a pregnant teen in &lt;em&gt;Juno&lt;/em&gt;, or tactless lobbyist in &lt;em&gt;Thank You For Smoking&lt;/em&gt; – Reitman makes us sympathize with people we’d hope to avoid in real life.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;George Clooney plays Ryan Bingham who flies around the country firing people (his agency is hired by corporate executives who hide in their ivory tower while somebody with a spine performs the dirty deed). Ryan’s home is the airports and hotels of America. He’s single and takes pride in his simple and efficient life style. Between firings, he holds seminars at whichever hotel he happens to be staying in - encouraging others to live like him and shed all unnecessary responsibilities - including people. His ruthless boss at the agency (Jason Bateman) beta tests a tele-commuting program that threatens to ground him. This is where we find Ryan, and the people and events that force him to examine his life.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Clooney is expected to win an Oscar for this role. Personally, I found his acting no better than what he’s delivered in recent movies. Don’t get me wrong – he’s a great actor. But in this movie, it’s the supporting actors that bring out the best in Clooney. There is one reason this movie is a contender for best picture - the story. It takes place right now - in the smoking aftermath of a bursted bubble. Watching this movie, one can’t help but reflect on personal values. Reitman, Clooney and the cast simply did an excellent, Oscar-worthy job of delivering the goods.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/8001942599366244484-6504745057438310133?l=mankitchenjeffbaker.blogspot.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://mankitchenjeffbaker.blogspot.com/feeds/6504745057438310133/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://mankitchenjeffbaker.blogspot.com/2009/12/okay-this-entry-is-not-food-related.html#comment-form' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8001942599366244484/posts/default/6504745057438310133'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8001942599366244484/posts/default/6504745057438310133'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://mankitchenjeffbaker.blogspot.com/2009/12/okay-this-entry-is-not-food-related.html' title='Up In The Air - My two cents'/><author><name>Jeff Baker</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/17174104776959432547</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='19' height='32' src='http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_pxmC8qsNsKQ/SirA-jgGaSI/AAAAAAAAABU/bFZW_dpeTGo/S220/jeffmugBW.jpg'/></author><media:thumbnail xmlns:media='http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/' url='http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_pxmC8qsNsKQ/SyVXL4b_ceI/AAAAAAAAAFE/Kb8YnYfPJyE/s72-c/up_in_the_air.jpg' height='72' width='72'/><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8001942599366244484.post-8463570741605681660</id><published>2009-11-03T17:00:00.000-08:00</published><updated>2009-11-03T17:03:49.471-08:00</updated><title type='text'>Another One Bites the Dust.</title><content type='html'>&lt;a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_pxmC8qsNsKQ/SvDSxa2m5fI/AAAAAAAAAE8/HtD-tZeRXCQ/s1600-h/IMG00584.jpg"&gt;&lt;img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5400047699681011186" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_pxmC8qsNsKQ/SvDSxa2m5fI/AAAAAAAAAE8/HtD-tZeRXCQ/s200/IMG00584.jpg" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;div&gt;Chinese Garden is gone. If it wasn't Chino Hills oldest Chinese restaraunt, it should have been. Don't get me wrong, it wasn't the best service in town - but the value was right. Perhaps I could have done something to save them (politely asking them to lower the volume on the TV wasn't a big enough hint). Donna wanted them to update their wallpaper, but I liked that 1980's era look - once I looked real hard and saw the stain Alex left when he threw a peice of sweet and sour shrimp from his high chair. So many of these places are going out of business these days. Going out for lunch is like playing Russian roulette. Didn't the govornment say the recession was over? &lt;/div&gt;&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/8001942599366244484-8463570741605681660?l=mankitchenjeffbaker.blogspot.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://mankitchenjeffbaker.blogspot.com/feeds/8463570741605681660/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://mankitchenjeffbaker.blogspot.com/2009/11/another-one-bites-dust.html#comment-form' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8001942599366244484/posts/default/8463570741605681660'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8001942599366244484/posts/default/8463570741605681660'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://mankitchenjeffbaker.blogspot.com/2009/11/another-one-bites-dust.html' title='Another One Bites the Dust.'/><author><name>Jeff Baker</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/17174104776959432547</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='19' height='32' src='http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_pxmC8qsNsKQ/SirA-jgGaSI/AAAAAAAAABU/bFZW_dpeTGo/S220/jeffmugBW.jpg'/></author><media:thumbnail xmlns:media='http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/' url='http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_pxmC8qsNsKQ/SvDSxa2m5fI/AAAAAAAAAE8/HtD-tZeRXCQ/s72-c/IMG00584.jpg' height='72' width='72'/><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8001942599366244484.post-4970998668660447913</id><published>2009-10-27T11:54:00.000-07:00</published><updated>2009-10-27T11:58:04.742-07:00</updated><title type='text'>Leaving Philly</title><content type='html'>&lt;a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_pxmC8qsNsKQ/SudCNGFVvII/AAAAAAAAAE0/Bskbs8cjhkw/s1600-h/Chris+gets+pizza.bmp"&gt;&lt;img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 135px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 180px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5397355471165570178" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_pxmC8qsNsKQ/SudCNGFVvII/AAAAAAAAAE0/Bskbs8cjhkw/s200/Chris+gets+pizza.bmp" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;br /&gt;I blame the traffic on South Street for my indigestion. Heading out of town on our last day, our friend Mary jumped out of the car to grab a "Larry" T-shirt from Jon's Cafe (the former stooge was born at that site).  Donna spotted a shop that sold custard-style frozen treats, so jumped out also. That left Zach (Mary's son), Chris and me in the car. I reached into my pocket and grabbed some bills, throwing them at the boys and instructing them to dart into Lorenzo's and grab as much pizza as they could. Everybody jumped back inside and I put the car in gear - we passed around the custard (chocolate, silkly and heavenly) and pizza (garlicy sauce and hearty cheese) and tried not to think of the breakfast we'd eaten earlier  (Pretzel bread and cheese). Oh well, our version of brotherly love. &lt;/div&gt;&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/8001942599366244484-4970998668660447913?l=mankitchenjeffbaker.blogspot.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://mankitchenjeffbaker.blogspot.com/feeds/4970998668660447913/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://mankitchenjeffbaker.blogspot.com/2009/10/leaving-philly.html#comment-form' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8001942599366244484/posts/default/4970998668660447913'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8001942599366244484/posts/default/4970998668660447913'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://mankitchenjeffbaker.blogspot.com/2009/10/leaving-philly.html' title='Leaving Philly'/><author><name>Jeff Baker</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/17174104776959432547</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='19' height='32' src='http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_pxmC8qsNsKQ/SirA-jgGaSI/AAAAAAAAABU/bFZW_dpeTGo/S220/jeffmugBW.jpg'/></author><media:thumbnail xmlns:media='http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/' url='http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_pxmC8qsNsKQ/SudCNGFVvII/AAAAAAAAAE0/Bskbs8cjhkw/s72-c/Chris+gets+pizza.bmp' height='72' width='72'/><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8001942599366244484.post-3379119596925150381</id><published>2009-08-19T16:04:00.000-07:00</published><updated>2009-08-19T16:10:29.366-07:00</updated><title type='text'>Hey Amish, I'm in Your Country. Now What's to Eat?</title><content type='html'>&lt;a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_pxmC8qsNsKQ/SoyFoGby45I/AAAAAAAAAEs/JsNiKOHHi7o/s1600-h/new+york+and+amish+026.jpg"&gt;&lt;img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5371815379514614674" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 150px" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_pxmC8qsNsKQ/SoyFoGby45I/AAAAAAAAAEs/JsNiKOHHi7o/s200/new+york+and+amish+026.jpg" border="0" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_pxmC8qsNsKQ/SoyFWZDkVFI/AAAAAAAAAEk/db6-V4OOLQI/s1600-h/new+york+and+amish+025.jpg"&gt;&lt;img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5371815075275625554" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 150px" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_pxmC8qsNsKQ/SoyFWZDkVFI/AAAAAAAAAEk/db6-V4OOLQI/s200/new+york+and+amish+025.jpg" border="0" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;div&gt;Food resources are not lacking out here. The Amish know how to eat (if I had access to this much comfort food, I’d give up electricity too). &lt;em&gt;Which&lt;/em&gt; food to eat - that was the question. We pulled off the scenic highway into the village of Bird in Hand, just west of Intercourse (Yes - even the Amish take advantage of the play on words – at the general store they offered t-shirts boasting such antics as &lt;em&gt;Philadelphia has Cheese Steak, but we have Intercourse&lt;/em&gt;). At the general store, nice people offered samples of shoo-fly pie, cupcakes, and fresh baked sugar cookies. Chris bought a gallon jug of home-made root beer that came with a warning to properly cool the bottle lest it explode when opened. Back outside we watched people pouring into a restaurant across the parking lot. We followed them inside – &lt;em&gt;Diener’s Family Cupboard&lt;/em&gt;. The serene yet bustling place smelled of roast chicken and baked bread, reminding me of someplace my grandparents would’ve taken us on Sundays. Waitresses wore long dresses and bonnets. Sitting near our table, two ladies with highly satisfied looks on their faces suggested we chose the buffet. One raised a heaping fork from her plate and rolled her eyes upward, assuring me: “It’s the best.” She was right. Never before have I enjoyed such flavor from lima beans or stewed tomatoes. The candy-red beets were out of this world as were the soft rolls with chicken gravy. The buttered noodles made me look around for a stool (why go back to the table every time?) It was all outstanding, triggering memories of church basement potlucks and holiday feasts. Parents: those foods you can’t get your kids to eat? Easy solution – fly them out to the Amish country. &lt;/div&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/8001942599366244484-3379119596925150381?l=mankitchenjeffbaker.blogspot.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://mankitchenjeffbaker.blogspot.com/feeds/3379119596925150381/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://mankitchenjeffbaker.blogspot.com/2009/08/hey-amish-im-in-your-country-now-whats.html#comment-form' title='1 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8001942599366244484/posts/default/3379119596925150381'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8001942599366244484/posts/default/3379119596925150381'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://mankitchenjeffbaker.blogspot.com/2009/08/hey-amish-im-in-your-country-now-whats.html' title='Hey Amish, I&apos;m in Your Country. Now What&apos;s to Eat?'/><author><name>Jeff Baker</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/17174104776959432547</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='19' height='32' src='http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_pxmC8qsNsKQ/SirA-jgGaSI/AAAAAAAAABU/bFZW_dpeTGo/S220/jeffmugBW.jpg'/></author><media:thumbnail xmlns:media='http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/' url='http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_pxmC8qsNsKQ/SoyFoGby45I/AAAAAAAAAEs/JsNiKOHHi7o/s72-c/new+york+and+amish+026.jpg' height='72' width='72'/><thr:total>1</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8001942599366244484.post-1288064512020591229</id><published>2009-08-15T11:37:00.000-07:00</published><updated>2009-08-15T11:48:52.441-07:00</updated><title type='text'>Very First Pizzeria in America</title><content type='html'>&lt;a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_pxmC8qsNsKQ/SocBw2EZjKI/AAAAAAAAAEc/OdVRNHh-4vc/s1600-h/new+york+and+amish+009.jpg"&gt;&lt;img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5370263019321920674" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 150px" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_pxmC8qsNsKQ/SocBw2EZjKI/AAAAAAAAAEc/OdVRNHh-4vc/s200/new+york+and+amish+009.jpg" border="0" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_pxmC8qsNsKQ/SocBltku7TI/AAAAAAAAAEU/_fmHIcG2LlY/s1600-h/new+york+and+amish+015.jpg"&gt;&lt;img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5370262828063059250" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 150px" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_pxmC8qsNsKQ/SocBltku7TI/AAAAAAAAAEU/_fmHIcG2LlY/s200/new+york+and+amish+015.jpg" border="0" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;div&gt;“Just walk back there, Jeff.” Beth insisted. She and husband Barry are New York natives (now our neighbors) who’d joined us on this part of our vacation and recommended we go down to Little Italy for pizza at Lombardi’s. Beth was responding to my desire to see the coal-fired oven that makes – what everybody seems to agree is - America’s best pizza. “They will be happy to show you…I’m sure of it” I bravely rose from my seat and walk toward the back of our country’s first pizzeria. At the end of the hall, a group of young ladies in white shirts stood waiting to deliver pies. I caught the eye of their boss. “May I help you?” he asked. I cleared my throat and stammered: “Uh…just wanted to see your oven?” He smiled and waved me in. The kitchen looked like everything I’d hoped for in an authentic New York pizzeria – brick, steel, tiles that looked a hundred years old. I was consumed by the pungent aroma of tomato sauce, fresh dough, and burning coal. Half a dozen young men busily, carefully, and proudly prepared lucious-looking pies. I raised my camera as one opened the heavy door to the famous oven. He stopped and posed for me after inserting his long-handled flat shovel. “He’s got a Face book, you know.” one of the waitresses giggled. “Yes, I’m quite famous.” He added, flexing his bicep for another photo. For a moment my focus of envy changed – from wishing I could spend my days making great pizza, to wishing I could work in this happy environment. Back at our table, our Margarita pizza arrived. It was perfect – the way peasant Napoleon women first prepared it – all about the crust, with simple toppings. Ours had garlic-intense tomato sauce and fresh mozzarella slices – that’s it. One bite and I appreciated its simplicity. These minimal (yet flavorful) toppings don’t compete with the crust, rather complement it. My taste buds delighted in the perfect balance of chewy-ness and crunchy-ness. Good food, good friends, and good atmosphere. This experience was truly once-in-a lifetime. &lt;/div&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/8001942599366244484-1288064512020591229?l=mankitchenjeffbaker.blogspot.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://mankitchenjeffbaker.blogspot.com/feeds/1288064512020591229/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://mankitchenjeffbaker.blogspot.com/2009/08/very-first-pizzeria-in-america.html#comment-form' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8001942599366244484/posts/default/1288064512020591229'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8001942599366244484/posts/default/1288064512020591229'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://mankitchenjeffbaker.blogspot.com/2009/08/very-first-pizzeria-in-america.html' title='Very First Pizzeria in America'/><author><name>Jeff Baker</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/17174104776959432547</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='19' height='32' src='http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_pxmC8qsNsKQ/SirA-jgGaSI/AAAAAAAAABU/bFZW_dpeTGo/S220/jeffmugBW.jpg'/></author><media:thumbnail xmlns:media='http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/' url='http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_pxmC8qsNsKQ/SocBw2EZjKI/AAAAAAAAAEc/OdVRNHh-4vc/s72-c/new+york+and+amish+009.jpg' height='72' width='72'/><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8001942599366244484.post-4890815261171868450</id><published>2009-08-14T06:58:00.000-07:00</published><updated>2009-08-14T13:50:48.842-07:00</updated><title type='text'>Times Square Street Fair</title><content type='html'>&lt;a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_pxmC8qsNsKQ/SoXN9Jj-FvI/AAAAAAAAAEM/Jcsz63ExCGQ/s1600-h/new+york+and+amish+006.jpg"&gt;&lt;img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5369924581131687666" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 150px" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_pxmC8qsNsKQ/SoXN9Jj-FvI/AAAAAAAAAEM/Jcsz63ExCGQ/s200/new+york+and+amish+006.jpg" border="0" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_pxmC8qsNsKQ/SoXNxPj0OTI/AAAAAAAAAEE/hp-kEoVMLpo/s1600-h/new+york+and+amish+007.jpg"&gt;&lt;img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5369924376583223602" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 150px" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_pxmC8qsNsKQ/SoXNxPj0OTI/AAAAAAAAAEE/hp-kEoVMLpo/s200/new+york+and+amish+007.jpg" border="0" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;div&gt;Broadway was recently blocked off to cars, leaving Times Square free for thousands of pedestrians to roam around. This is the perfect environment for a street fair. Chris and Donna followed the aroma of grilled pork to a booth where a vendor pulled a giant coiled sausage from hot coals onto his cutting board. He stuffed two into buns then buried them in golden fried onions. My eyes wandered further down the sidewalk, where several varieties of meats were piled high. The middle eastern vendor dipped his tongs into a vat of freshly roasted lamb shavings and placed them onto a thick pita. “Not so much juice” the woman in line ahead of my says. I can’t resist a reply: “That’s where all the flavor is.” The man looks at me, then her. “Yeah!” he replies, then piles my pita twice as high as hers. We meet up with the rest of our group and enjoy our food as crowds walk by. The sun drenches our faces as we look upward at towering video screens – colorful and clear at mid day. &lt;/div&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/8001942599366244484-4890815261171868450?l=mankitchenjeffbaker.blogspot.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://mankitchenjeffbaker.blogspot.com/feeds/4890815261171868450/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://mankitchenjeffbaker.blogspot.com/2009/08/times-square-street-fair.html#comment-form' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8001942599366244484/posts/default/4890815261171868450'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8001942599366244484/posts/default/4890815261171868450'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://mankitchenjeffbaker.blogspot.com/2009/08/times-square-street-fair.html' title='Times Square Street Fair'/><author><name>Jeff Baker</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/17174104776959432547</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='19' height='32' src='http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_pxmC8qsNsKQ/SirA-jgGaSI/AAAAAAAAABU/bFZW_dpeTGo/S220/jeffmugBW.jpg'/></author><media:thumbnail xmlns:media='http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/' url='http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_pxmC8qsNsKQ/SoXN9Jj-FvI/AAAAAAAAAEM/Jcsz63ExCGQ/s72-c/new+york+and+amish+006.jpg' height='72' width='72'/><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8001942599366244484.post-8354806197316712966</id><published>2009-08-07T06:50:00.000-07:00</published><updated>2009-08-07T06:54:25.066-07:00</updated><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='Greenbaum and Gilhooley’s'/><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='upstate New York seafood restaurants'/><title type='text'>Mussels and Clams in Marinara sauce and more...</title><content type='html'>&lt;a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_pxmC8qsNsKQ/Snwx3NNtacI/AAAAAAAAAD8/Wt6l0rEHSMs/s1600-h/IMG_3056.jpg"&gt;&lt;img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5367219680428517826" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 150px" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_pxmC8qsNsKQ/Snwx3NNtacI/AAAAAAAAAD8/Wt6l0rEHSMs/s200/IMG_3056.jpg" border="0" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;div&gt;How often do you get a tour of upstate New York by with a local? (Kind of local anyhow). Heidi grew up in Poughkeepsie and knows the Hudson Valley, AND she appreciates good seafood, so knows where to eat. In pouring rain, we pulled into the parking lot of Greenbaum and Gilhooley’s. The windows blazed with neon adverts for the best ales west of Dublin. Her friend Joette owns the place with chef husband Leonard. They offered the traditional Lobster Bake (a “bake” doesn’t mean the crustacean did oven time, rather you’ll get a variety of items with your lobster - clams, mussels, shrimp, or whatever happens to be fresh at the moment. They should actually call it a Lobster orgy). Since I’d had my fill of lobster, Joette suggested an off menu “sampler” of seasonal fair. Clearly her definition of “sample” varies from mine. I got a standard helping of both steamer clams and mussels (both drenched in perfectly spiced marinara sauce), a soft-shelled crab, shrimp sautéed in garlic, and broiled scallops. (Yes I ate every bite – did I mention the heavenly crab cakes I wolfed down as an appetizer?) It was a beautiful meal to accompany a beautiful state. Greenbaum and Gilhooley’s Steak and Seafood House. Route 9; Wappingers Falls, NY (845) 297-9700. &lt;/div&gt;&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/8001942599366244484-8354806197316712966?l=mankitchenjeffbaker.blogspot.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://mankitchenjeffbaker.blogspot.com/feeds/8354806197316712966/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://mankitchenjeffbaker.blogspot.com/2009/08/mussels-and-clams-in-marinara-sauce-and.html#comment-form' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8001942599366244484/posts/default/8354806197316712966'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8001942599366244484/posts/default/8354806197316712966'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://mankitchenjeffbaker.blogspot.com/2009/08/mussels-and-clams-in-marinara-sauce-and.html' title='Mussels and Clams in Marinara sauce and more...'/><author><name>Jeff Baker</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/17174104776959432547</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='19' height='32' src='http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_pxmC8qsNsKQ/SirA-jgGaSI/AAAAAAAAABU/bFZW_dpeTGo/S220/jeffmugBW.jpg'/></author><media:thumbnail xmlns:media='http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/' url='http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_pxmC8qsNsKQ/Snwx3NNtacI/AAAAAAAAAD8/Wt6l0rEHSMs/s72-c/IMG_3056.jpg' height='72' width='72'/><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8001942599366244484.post-5198299661602952780</id><published>2009-07-31T14:56:00.001-07:00</published><updated>2009-07-31T15:00:09.346-07:00</updated><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='lobster hut'/><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='plymouth food'/><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='lobster roll'/><title type='text'></title><content type='html'>&lt;a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_pxmC8qsNsKQ/SnNo8VkxyfI/AAAAAAAAAD0/_DULz5iHwiU/s1600-h/IMG_2747.jpg"&gt;&lt;img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5364746966921234930" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 150px" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_pxmC8qsNsKQ/SnNo8VkxyfI/AAAAAAAAAD0/_DULz5iHwiU/s200/IMG_2747.jpg" border="0" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;div&gt;Would have been a sin to leave Massachusetts without eating a Lobster Roll. Allen, or host at the Blue Anchor hotel, suggested a few places on the Plymouth waterfront. Lobster Hut was within a few blocks of the Rock. It was a simple place with counter service and ample seating outside near the water. The famous sandwich was actually called a “Lobster Salad” roll on their menu - lobster pieces mixed with mayo and simple spices, served on a hot buttered bun (it reminded me of a hot dog bun). The roll complimented the sweet and delicate lobster which was cooked to perfect texture. The seafood chowder didn’t skimp on morsels from the sea, every spoonful rendered shrimp or clams – no searching around here. &lt;/div&gt;&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/8001942599366244484-5198299661602952780?l=mankitchenjeffbaker.blogspot.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://mankitchenjeffbaker.blogspot.com/feeds/5198299661602952780/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://mankitchenjeffbaker.blogspot.com/2009/07/would-have-been-sin-to-leave.html#comment-form' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8001942599366244484/posts/default/5198299661602952780'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8001942599366244484/posts/default/5198299661602952780'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://mankitchenjeffbaker.blogspot.com/2009/07/would-have-been-sin-to-leave.html' title=''/><author><name>Jeff Baker</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/17174104776959432547</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='19' height='32' src='http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_pxmC8qsNsKQ/SirA-jgGaSI/AAAAAAAAABU/bFZW_dpeTGo/S220/jeffmugBW.jpg'/></author><media:thumbnail xmlns:media='http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/' url='http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_pxmC8qsNsKQ/SnNo8VkxyfI/AAAAAAAAAD0/_DULz5iHwiU/s72-c/IMG_2747.jpg' height='72' width='72'/><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8001942599366244484.post-7557123586324530985</id><published>2009-07-31T14:32:00.000-07:00</published><updated>2009-07-31T14:46:35.929-07:00</updated><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='Macchiato'/><title type='text'></title><content type='html'>&lt;a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_pxmC8qsNsKQ/SnNlFdsxaKI/AAAAAAAAADs/HsogJ4rQ5Mg/s1600-h/IMG_2595.jpg"&gt;&lt;img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5364742725674559650" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 150px" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_pxmC8qsNsKQ/SnNlFdsxaKI/AAAAAAAAADs/HsogJ4rQ5Mg/s200/IMG_2595.jpg" border="0" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_pxmC8qsNsKQ/SnNjitSyNlI/AAAAAAAAADk/_shMYSDbAvg/s1600-h/IMG_2592.jpg"&gt;&lt;img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5364741029053478482" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 150px" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_pxmC8qsNsKQ/SnNjitSyNlI/AAAAAAAAADk/_shMYSDbAvg/s200/IMG_2592.jpg" border="0" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;div&gt;Handfuls of cigarette smoking, espresso sipping Italians hung out at the tables in front of Caffe Vittoria. David served me up a macchiato - a real macchiato, not the fake ones they serve at Starbucks in oversized paper cups half full of foam. No Sir. . .this is what you get in Rome – a tiny ceramic cup with two shots of espresso – marked with foam – not douced with enough foam to extinguish a kitchen fire, but a tiny bit – not mixed in with the espresso either. A professional Italian barista knows his foam, on your first sip, your tounge should decipher the foam from the coffee. I had to shake David’s hand (and take his photo). &lt;/div&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/8001942599366244484-7557123586324530985?l=mankitchenjeffbaker.blogspot.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://mankitchenjeffbaker.blogspot.com/feeds/7557123586324530985/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://mankitchenjeffbaker.blogspot.com/2009/07/handfuls-of-cigarette-smoking-espresso.html#comment-form' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8001942599366244484/posts/default/7557123586324530985'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8001942599366244484/posts/default/7557123586324530985'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://mankitchenjeffbaker.blogspot.com/2009/07/handfuls-of-cigarette-smoking-espresso.html' title=''/><author><name>Jeff Baker</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/17174104776959432547</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='19' height='32' src='http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_pxmC8qsNsKQ/SirA-jgGaSI/AAAAAAAAABU/bFZW_dpeTGo/S220/jeffmugBW.jpg'/></author><media:thumbnail xmlns:media='http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/' url='http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_pxmC8qsNsKQ/SnNlFdsxaKI/AAAAAAAAADs/HsogJ4rQ5Mg/s72-c/IMG_2595.jpg' height='72' width='72'/><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8001942599366244484.post-8871304854263580118</id><published>2009-07-26T12:37:00.000-07:00</published><updated>2009-07-26T13:07:28.179-07:00</updated><title type='text'>Eating too much at St. Joseph street fair</title><content type='html'>&lt;a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_pxmC8qsNsKQ/Smy0723HhAI/AAAAAAAAADc/F0OgsGnfKUg/s1600-h/Boston2+005.jpg"&gt;&lt;img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_pxmC8qsNsKQ/Smy0723HhAI/AAAAAAAAADc/F0OgsGnfKUg/s200/Boston2+005.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5362860196723393538" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_pxmC8qsNsKQ/Smy01A4cowI/AAAAAAAAADU/999sSeL3e4M/s1600-h/Boston2+004.jpg"&gt;&lt;img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_pxmC8qsNsKQ/Smy01A4cowI/AAAAAAAAADU/999sSeL3e4M/s200/Boston2+004.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5362860079154242306" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_pxmC8qsNsKQ/Smy0t4lABzI/AAAAAAAAADM/1QCSscpgH2M/s1600-h/Boston2+003.jpg"&gt;&lt;img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_pxmC8qsNsKQ/Smy0t4lABzI/AAAAAAAAADM/1QCSscpgH2M/s200/Boston2+003.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5362859956666107698" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_pxmC8qsNsKQ/Smy0iYPX2mI/AAAAAAAAADE/klwQUxtOgxA/s1600-h/Boston2+001.jpg"&gt;&lt;img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_pxmC8qsNsKQ/Smy0iYPX2mI/AAAAAAAAADE/klwQUxtOgxA/s200/Boston2+001.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5362859759006898786" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Being up for over 24 hours makes your eyes red (hey, they should name a flight after that). We sat on Heidi's patio last night around eight (local time), heads heavy, assuming we'd be drinking our last glass of wine for the day. We got a sudden motivation to follow the music coming from the street  below. Just around the corner we found bright lights, crowds, and excitement. It was the annual street fair - evidently a fund raiser of some sort for the local church. We supported their effort by  stopping by every food booth. At one, a woman piped sweet ricotta cheese into the crunchy fried tubes. Best Canoli I've ever tasted. &lt;div&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;At another booth the vendor, Hector,  fried rice balls in hot oil. They were the size of softballs and were filled with either ground beef or spinach.  The friendly police officer standing near Hector's booth recommended the ground beef (good enough for Boston's finest, then good enough for me). Hector  smotheed the hot ball in tomato sauce - it was fan-freeking-tastic. The satisfying texture never let up - all the way to the last bite (shared by four of us). &lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;The youth group sold fresh made  Calzone. There were a variety of stuffings - spinach and ricotta; asparagus and provolone, meatball, sausage. I bit into one - good God, the crust was out of this world - no doubt fresh - as were the fillings. Our stomaches were full, but our taste buds said: "Go man, GO"&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;I must add this: Boston's north end is so friendly. Just like Florence or Rome, people talked to us  as if we'd been friends for years. Groups of Italian men - of all ages and generations, stand in circles, laughing with one another. People walking by on the street look you in the eye - as if to anticipate a seeing a friend. This is a special place. Only one thing I can't figure out - how they stay so thin. &lt;/div&gt;&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/8001942599366244484-8871304854263580118?l=mankitchenjeffbaker.blogspot.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://mankitchenjeffbaker.blogspot.com/feeds/8871304854263580118/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://mankitchenjeffbaker.blogspot.com/2009/07/eating-too-much-at-st-joseph-street.html#comment-form' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8001942599366244484/posts/default/8871304854263580118'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8001942599366244484/posts/default/8871304854263580118'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://mankitchenjeffbaker.blogspot.com/2009/07/eating-too-much-at-st-joseph-street.html' title='Eating too much at St. Joseph street fair'/><author><name>Jeff Baker</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/17174104776959432547</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='19' height='32' src='http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_pxmC8qsNsKQ/SirA-jgGaSI/AAAAAAAAABU/bFZW_dpeTGo/S220/jeffmugBW.jpg'/></author><media:thumbnail xmlns:media='http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/' url='http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_pxmC8qsNsKQ/Smy0723HhAI/AAAAAAAAADc/F0OgsGnfKUg/s72-c/Boston2+005.jpg' height='72' width='72'/><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8001942599366244484.post-8059096377953575559</id><published>2009-07-26T05:53:00.000-07:00</published><updated>2009-07-26T06:04:58.487-07:00</updated><title type='text'>Breakfast at Anthony's</title><content type='html'>&lt;a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_pxmC8qsNsKQ/SmxUZBAyYFI/AAAAAAAAAC8/Ak3DgLpui-c/s1600-h/Boston+Day1+001.jpg"&gt;&lt;img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5362754045036617810" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 150px" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_pxmC8qsNsKQ/SmxUZBAyYFI/AAAAAAAAAC8/Ak3DgLpui-c/s200/Boston+Day1+001.jpg" border="0" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_pxmC8qsNsKQ/SmxURCMd62I/AAAAAAAAAC0/aozCMBXw-Pk/s1600-h/Boston+Day1+002.jpg"&gt;&lt;img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5362753907915090786" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 150px" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_pxmC8qsNsKQ/SmxURCMd62I/AAAAAAAAAC0/aozCMBXw-Pk/s200/Boston+Day1+002.jpg" border="0" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_pxmC8qsNsKQ/SmxUCT4rdUI/AAAAAAAAACs/7Z2TV-ieFpw/s1600-h/Boston+Day1+003.jpg"&gt;&lt;img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5362753654965892418" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 150px" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_pxmC8qsNsKQ/SmxUCT4rdUI/AAAAAAAAACs/7Z2TV-ieFpw/s200/Boston+Day1+003.jpg" border="0" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;div&gt;Our tummies growled as we explored the narrow streets of Boston's north end. It was seven in the morning and quiet - except for the vendors unloading their trucks along a street of restaurants. We stopped one of them, a young man and asked for guidance. "Go see Tony" he said, pointing down toward the waterfront. Within steps we'd found Anthony's a small corner cafe with a handful of tables outside. The aroma of coffee and bacon lured us inside. Donna and I ordered grilled cheese egg bagels with Italian sausage. Heidi and Chris opted for a traditional eggs and hash browns. We took a seat and felt the cool morning breeze and morning sun. Tony's daughter delivered our food (and 20 oz coffees). Remarkably good, of course the ambiance made the place - locals enjoying a Saturday morning, tourists like us relishing in a good find. &lt;/div&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/8001942599366244484-8059096377953575559?l=mankitchenjeffbaker.blogspot.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://mankitchenjeffbaker.blogspot.com/feeds/8059096377953575559/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://mankitchenjeffbaker.blogspot.com/2009/07/breakfast-at-anthonys.html#comment-form' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8001942599366244484/posts/default/8059096377953575559'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8001942599366244484/posts/default/8059096377953575559'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://mankitchenjeffbaker.blogspot.com/2009/07/breakfast-at-anthonys.html' title='Breakfast at Anthony&apos;s'/><author><name>Jeff Baker</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/17174104776959432547</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='19' height='32' src='http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_pxmC8qsNsKQ/SirA-jgGaSI/AAAAAAAAABU/bFZW_dpeTGo/S220/jeffmugBW.jpg'/></author><media:thumbnail xmlns:media='http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/' url='http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_pxmC8qsNsKQ/SmxUZBAyYFI/AAAAAAAAAC8/Ak3DgLpui-c/s72-c/Boston+Day1+001.jpg' height='72' width='72'/><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8001942599366244484.post-147210251577954773</id><published>2009-07-25T16:43:00.000-07:00</published><updated>2009-07-26T05:53:16.472-07:00</updated><title type='text'>Monkfish, Marlin, and Many Sips of Harpoon Lager</title><content type='html'>&lt;a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_pxmC8qsNsKQ/SmufHse2emI/AAAAAAAAACk/Alx3uAoYDO8/s1600-h/Boston+Day1+005.jpg"&gt;&lt;img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5362554735863167586" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 150px" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_pxmC8qsNsKQ/SmufHse2emI/AAAAAAAAACk/Alx3uAoYDO8/s200/Boston+Day1+005.jpg" border="0" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_pxmC8qsNsKQ/SmueasF3ZfI/AAAAAAAAACc/Pr4ho1K1xOc/s1600-h/Boston+Day1+009.jpg"&gt;&lt;img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5362553962664257010" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 150px" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_pxmC8qsNsKQ/SmueasF3ZfI/AAAAAAAAACc/Pr4ho1K1xOc/s200/Boston+Day1+009.jpg" border="0" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_pxmC8qsNsKQ/SmuePpJfd_I/AAAAAAAAACU/O-CRm1df9-I/s1600-h/Boston+Day1+006.jpg"&gt;&lt;img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5362553772895598578" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 150px" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_pxmC8qsNsKQ/SmuePpJfd_I/AAAAAAAAACU/O-CRm1df9-I/s200/Boston+Day1+006.jpg" border="0" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_pxmC8qsNsKQ/SmuY1IaBsLI/AAAAAAAAACM/5UPHt7Xvv1I/s1600-h/Boston+Day1+008.jpg"&gt;&lt;img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5362547819871842482" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 150px" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_pxmC8qsNsKQ/SmuY1IaBsLI/AAAAAAAAACM/5UPHt7Xvv1I/s200/Boston+Day1+008.jpg" border="0" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt; &lt;div&gt;All the tourists were lined up at Legal Seafood, so we kept walking. We asked around - wanting to go where the locals go for great seafood. The name that came up the most was Barking Crab (with a Boston accent, this sounded like &lt;i&gt;Bawking&lt;/i&gt; Crab - possibly a crab shack owned by Mr. Bawking?). We crossed the old, soon to be condemned bridge which everyone assured would sustain at least a few more hours. We easily found this good 'ol crab joint. Every seat has a view of the bay or the River Charles. The place was hopping, but we got a table right away. The lighting fixtures are essentially Christmas lights entrapped in small crab pots. Other tokens from the sea adorn the place. Our freind Heidi was the first to notice the plaster mermaid handcuffed to the wall. Good music from the local classic rock station provided the right ambiance. Our freindly waitress Erin brought a pitcher of Harpoon Summer Lager for Donna, Heidi, and myself. Chris got a root beer. Since this was Boston, we were obliged to order clam chowder, which Erin proudly stated won a contest recently. I could see why. At ten bucks a pop, we ordered a bowl and split it. It was gone within minutes - ample clam morsels, and not overloaded with potatoes. The flavor was spectacular. I detected Sherry, or possibly Bourbon (which takes on a pleasant, unique, non-Bourban-like flavor when the alcohol cooks down). Erin listed the daily specials. I chose the Monkfish Po' boy because Erin promised me it was a local fresh catch from nearby Glouster. Heidi chose the grilled Marlin. Both were excellent. (The other two ordered non-seafood items) My Po' Boy dressing was light and creamy - a perfect compliment for the crispy and flavorful batter. Heidi's fish was tender and mild - served with a warm potato salad and fresh grilled asparagus. This is my kind of place. There is an outdoor patio for those that wish to enjoy their seafood with a river and skyline view. Most crab on their menu comes from the Pacific northwest, so take advantage of the region and order local lobster, clams, and fish. Reasonable prices. Fun and friendly atmosphere.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/8001942599366244484-147210251577954773?l=mankitchenjeffbaker.blogspot.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://mankitchenjeffbaker.blogspot.com/feeds/147210251577954773/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://mankitchenjeffbaker.blogspot.com/2009/07/monfish-marlin-and-many-sips-of-harpoon.html#comment-form' title='1 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8001942599366244484/posts/default/147210251577954773'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8001942599366244484/posts/default/147210251577954773'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://mankitchenjeffbaker.blogspot.com/2009/07/monfish-marlin-and-many-sips-of-harpoon.html' title='Monkfish, Marlin, and Many Sips of Harpoon Lager'/><author><name>Jeff Baker</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/17174104776959432547</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='19' height='32' src='http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_pxmC8qsNsKQ/SirA-jgGaSI/AAAAAAAAABU/bFZW_dpeTGo/S220/jeffmugBW.jpg'/></author><media:thumbnail xmlns:media='http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/' url='http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_pxmC8qsNsKQ/SmufHse2emI/AAAAAAAAACk/Alx3uAoYDO8/s72-c/Boston+Day1+005.jpg' height='72' width='72'/><thr:total>1</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8001942599366244484.post-1490062066942225764</id><published>2009-07-22T09:32:00.000-07:00</published><updated>2009-07-22T09:52:02.029-07:00</updated><title type='text'>Eating My Way Across the Eastern Seaboard</title><content type='html'>&lt;a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_pxmC8qsNsKQ/Smc_rmjVVsI/AAAAAAAAAB8/lfAVrTeLGG8/s1600-h/sandwiches.jpg"&gt;&lt;img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5361323899723536066" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 270px" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_pxmC8qsNsKQ/Smc_rmjVVsI/AAAAAAAAAB8/lfAVrTeLGG8/s320/sandwiches.jpg" border="0" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;div&gt;Eating my way around the northeast. That’s my plan. Leaving Friday July 24th for Bean Town. Donna, Chris and I will head south from there - Philly, Big Apple, Yasgur’s farm (maybe find some watermelon). Can’t wait to try crab cakes, cheese steak, chopped liver, Amish whoopie pies, and abeetz pizza. I want to share everything with you!&lt;/div&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;br /&gt;I’ll upload photos and update this blog. Complete with twitteralerts &lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;strong&gt;twitter.com/mankitchen&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/8001942599366244484-1490062066942225764?l=mankitchenjeffbaker.blogspot.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://mankitchenjeffbaker.blogspot.com/feeds/1490062066942225764/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://mankitchenjeffbaker.blogspot.com/2009/07/eating-my-way-across-eastern-seaboard.html#comment-form' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8001942599366244484/posts/default/1490062066942225764'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8001942599366244484/posts/default/1490062066942225764'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://mankitchenjeffbaker.blogspot.com/2009/07/eating-my-way-across-eastern-seaboard.html' title='Eating My Way Across the Eastern Seaboard'/><author><name>Jeff Baker</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/17174104776959432547</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='19' height='32' src='http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_pxmC8qsNsKQ/SirA-jgGaSI/AAAAAAAAABU/bFZW_dpeTGo/S220/jeffmugBW.jpg'/></author><media:thumbnail xmlns:media='http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/' url='http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_pxmC8qsNsKQ/Smc_rmjVVsI/AAAAAAAAAB8/lfAVrTeLGG8/s72-c/sandwiches.jpg' height='72' width='72'/><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8001942599366244484.post-6549951209642485511</id><published>2009-06-06T12:24:00.000-07:00</published><updated>2009-06-06T12:31:23.858-07:00</updated><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='Jeff Baker'/><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='Artesia Chinese Food'/><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='Ten Ten Seafood Restaurant'/><title type='text'>Three friends at Ten Ten</title><content type='html'>&lt;a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_pxmC8qsNsKQ/SirC3yV8hwI/AAAAAAAAAB0/LwPrDvfPylU/s1600-h/Tim+at+Ten+Ten.jpg"&gt;&lt;img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5344298171490928386" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_pxmC8qsNsKQ/SirC3yV8hwI/AAAAAAAAAB0/LwPrDvfPylU/s320/Tim+at+Ten+Ten.jpg" border="0" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;div&gt;We’d talked about it for over five years, then finally managed to schedule a lunch together. The plan called for Paul and me to meet Tim at his house in Cerritos – there we’d make the big decision – where to go. Tim named off a handful of franchise restaurants, but Paul and I wanted something more – lunch at someplace unique in his neighborhood. He suggested a Chinese place in Artesia – specifically Ten Ten Seafood Restaurant.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;As we approached the strip mall on Pioneer Boulevard, Tim assured me his parents hold this place in high regard. A bunch of fish tanks met us at the door. To the right was a cafeteria-Panda Express-style counter service option for those with little time. To our left was the grand banquet room – a huge facility, which on Friday was jammed with people. That’s where we wanted to go. Formally-dressed staff wheeled carts of Dim Sum around to linen covered tables. The din and energy of the room reminded me of another time – when your grandparents took you to a nice place and you sat quietly with your napkin in your lap. Now older, we can speak at the top of our lungs and discuss such things as the lyrics to Elton John songs and the best way to win at craps your local Indian casino (by the way, thanks Tim for picking up the bill). Tim selected a few dim sum items – served in their round steamers. My shrimp dumpling was succulent and impressive (more shrimp than dumpling), as was the pork meal dumpling – much fresher and tastier than those offered at those all-you-can-eat buffets. This place offered the most extensive lunch menu I’d ever seen – two pages with over 50 dishes – most between six and eight dollars. Tim ordered the Clay pot beef in black bean sauce which was presented in the lower half of the pot in which it was cooked. When it arrived, Tim was taking forever to start eating it – I figured he was more interested in finishing his story about how much money he’d won. He finally picked up his simulated wood-grained chop sticks which he froze in mid-air – realizing there was no rice it sight. He summoned our waiter, who recognized this error – tantamount to serving a peanut butter and jelly sandwich without bread. A bowl of hot steamed rice was immediately delivered along with a second round of egg drop soup. Tim insisted that Paul and I try his dish – especially the sauce, I spooned some onto my plate, allowing the rice to sop it up. The combination was indeed important to the complex flavor – beefy and well spiced. Paul also ordered a clay pot dish, but his featured pork, tofu, and some unidentified item. I thought it might have been a piece of crispy orange chicken that lost its way, but Paul corrected my assumption, pointing out several of these unique morsels in his pot. He stabbed one with his fork and offered me a taste. It was slightly chewy - definitely intestinal or epidermal – yet sweet and pleasant tasting. Since I didn’t keel over, Paul tried it too. To reciprocate, I offered him some of my Cod in Spicy Garlic sauce (which Tim passed on – evidently Mr. Big Shot doesn’t like fish). We both found it pretty darn good. It was fresh and ever-so-tender, the flavor only hinting that it once swam in the sea – as fish should taste. It was not spicy enough to earn the red pepper stamp, but that was okay – too spicy and it would have overpowered the cod.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;I’ll definitely return to Ten Ten. They offer cuisine from not one, but &lt;em&gt;four&lt;/em&gt; – yes four regions of China - Mandarin, Szechuan, Hunan and Cantonese. On my next visit I’ll go retro and order almond chicken – hopefully they prepare it the way I always loved it as a kid - deep fried battered chicken breast with gravy and sliced almonds served on a bed of shredded lettuce – the way post war Americans enjoyed Chinese food until the trendy 1980’s when Hunan, Szechuan, and Duran Duran took over the better of our senses.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Ten Ten Seafood Restaurant 17901-K Pioneer Blvd. Artesia CA 90701 (562)-860-9888. &lt;/div&gt;&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/8001942599366244484-6549951209642485511?l=mankitchenjeffbaker.blogspot.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://mankitchenjeffbaker.blogspot.com/feeds/6549951209642485511/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://mankitchenjeffbaker.blogspot.com/2009/06/three-friends-at-ten-ten.html#comment-form' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8001942599366244484/posts/default/6549951209642485511'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8001942599366244484/posts/default/6549951209642485511'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://mankitchenjeffbaker.blogspot.com/2009/06/three-friends-at-ten-ten.html' title='Three friends at Ten Ten'/><author><name>Jeff Baker</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/17174104776959432547</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='19' height='32' src='http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_pxmC8qsNsKQ/SirA-jgGaSI/AAAAAAAAABU/bFZW_dpeTGo/S220/jeffmugBW.jpg'/></author><media:thumbnail xmlns:media='http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/' url='http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_pxmC8qsNsKQ/SirC3yV8hwI/AAAAAAAAAB0/LwPrDvfPylU/s72-c/Tim+at+Ten+Ten.jpg' height='72' width='72'/><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry></feed>
