You are so correct. When I taught engineering students I didn't give them the answers. I made them figure it out on their own maybe with a gentle nudge. When you figure it out yourself you own it. Kind of like that "give a man a fish versus teach a man to fish" thing.
Castroville is THE artichoke capital, Gilroy is THE garlic capital. Annual Gilroy Garlic Festival is pretty wild.
Cold weather is moving back in behind a rain front so our meals are following along with it. Tonight I’ve made a pot of taco bean soup replacing the ground beef with chicken. If any of y’all that make taco bean soup have never tried it with chicken, it’s a great change and we think quite tasty too. This evening the weather will earn me a tumbler of Knob Creek 9 yr old 100*—Ms. Jan is going to stick with her chilled wine. Life is good in Gator Nation!
Not really much of a bourbon drinker myself and usually use rye instead of bourbon in most cocktails, but this is my "go to" bourbon for when I want to sip or mix it up with a bourbon Manhattan instead of one with rye. Kind of the sweet spot pricewise. Not horribly expensive and yet very good and a clear step up from the bargain brands.
Most of the time I am happy with a tumbler, bourbon and one large cube of ice. If I ever have a mixed drink (except for summer) I will have bourbon and Canada Dry ginger ale. My summer mixed drink will be vodka and whatever strikes me.
Summertime I like a Tom Collins: gin, fresh lemon juice, simple syrup and club soda in a Collins glass (LOL) and lots of ice. I actually have a few Collins glasses. Gin and tonic is also a summer favorite.
When doing something fancy I will boil water and smoothly pour it into molds so as not to entrain air to get clear ice cubes. It has to be a really special event to go to that bother.
I agree, gin is a great summertime beverage. I got on a gin and tonic a bunch of years ago—but ice cold longnecks pulled me back away from that. And cracked ice in the Tom Collin’s!
In Wisconsin they do the Old Fashioned a different way. Actually two different ways. The one I hate is the brandy based version very popular in the southern part of the state. The "sour" version is more of a far northern drink. No brandy. Usually cheap Canadian whisky like LTD or Canadian Club if going upscale. LOL. Then a sugar cube, many dashes of bitters, and a citrus soda (Squirt is best) garnished with pickled things like olives, mushrooms or green beans. Part of my legacy with family still living about an hour north of Green Bay. They no longer run the family farm but lease it out. My parents, older sister and many others on my mother's side are buried in a cemetery that my family carved out of their homestead. I try to get back there every couple of years.
Roasting a chicken with pesto and redskin potatoes. Defrosted some pesto that I made with basil from a friend's garden.
We are picking up our supper this evening-Ms. Jan wants a club sandwich on sourdough bread so Sidelines Grill it is. It warmed up some today, we had a high of 47*. It’s supposed to be back down in the single digits by Tuesday. A tumbler of Knob Creek 9yr old 100* works just fine for the evening. Ms. Jan will have her chilled wine. Life is good in Gator Nation!
White clam sauce with linguine for dinner last night. Tossed salad and some artesian bread with oil dipping sauce on the side. Nailed the portion perfectly since I was the only one eating the pasta and the wife had a full plate of salad. Tonight we’ll be having filets. Seared on the stove with a little butter, minced garlic and rosemary sprig before roasting 5-7 minutes in the oven. Baked potato, steamed broccoli and salad on the side. @GatorLurker I know you’re not a fan of filets. Usually not my go to either, but this time of year with 6 in. of snow on the ground it’s the only steak I’ll cook in the kitchen. When cooked right they can be very tasty.
Tonight we are grilling cheeseburgers and hotdogs with Alan, Abbey, and Dylan Kate. It’s pretty cool and the sun’s going down so I’m sure I will stick with a tumbler of good bourbon. Ms. Jan will enjoy her chilled wine. We are supposed to be looking at single digit weather by Tuesday. Life is good in Gator Nation!
Leftovers tonight. And of course victory margaritas after beating Vandy in hoops. Going to have to wait until postseason to have a shot at them in baseball IIRC.
How about that Kyle Tucker contract? Knew his brother back in the day, I might be the only person in Tampa who hasn't hit him up for money in the last 2 days. Unlike his brother he was only a commit here but maybe throw us a few pennies for nil please?
We have been smelling a pot of spaghetti sauce throughout the house today. Tonight we are having spaghetti topped with Sargento shredded mozzarella cheese. A freshly made Caesar salad and garlic bread sticks will be our sides. We will have a bottle of red Cav to go with the meal. Life is good in Gator Nation!
How do you do your "white" clam sauce? I use clams, olive oil, garlic, flat leaf (Italian) parsley and dry vermouth. I find filet to be OK. In fact I cooked the better part of a whole beef tenderloin for Christmas dinner and it was very good. I just prefer ribeye and NY strip steak. I like a bit more fat in the meat. Agree that linguini is the best pasta for this dish. Anyway I am making fajitas for dinner tonight. And a fresh batch of pico de gallo as a topping. Of course with green and red bell peppers, jalapenos, and portabella mushrooms in the skillet as toppings as well.
I think (besides eating good) you’re just keeping your skills sharp for when you get that Blackstone set up and ready to go!
