I was online and came across an image circa 1957. The photo was of a woman in a plexiglass domed lawnmower, with her husband relaxing nearby, laying on a lawn chair, in their yard. The black & white advertisement must have been interpreted from the actual photo.
We probably laugh like they did, 65 years ago, when they saw the photo. This led me to recall an event that happened a few years ago, when I was eating lunch at The East Village Grille in Asheville, NC. This restaurant, as you can see, is located almost on the main thoroughfare, with not even enough room for a sidewalk between the building and the road. Note the windows located next to the street. The Grille is located diagonally across the street from the VA Hospital. [ NOTE 12/13/23 ]: I just did a zoom from Google StreetView, and there is actually a sidewalk, but it is jammed between the street & the restaurant building. [ end NOTE ].
StreetView of East Village Grille across from VA Hospital
I was seated in a booth, facing out, toward Tunnel Road and I could see that someone was mowing the Hospital lawn directly across the street. I included the picture of a John Deere lawnmower above because it was this type of mower that was being used. Note the steepness of the bank on which the trees are growing.
I wasn’t the only customer in the restaurant that began to watch the mower.
At first I thought that the bank was too steep to mow using this tall mower. I thought it would be too “top heavy” and might tip over. But the person mowing didn’t hesitate. He turned the mower so that it was headed directly up the bank. He went up the hill, and then backed down. He moved over slightly and then went up & down again. He did this until he was past the trees, and then he started mowing, running parallel to the road. The mowing completed without an incident.
As I said, several customers either looked, or turned to look (when their table mates pointed it out) at the mowing event. So, although we laugh at our home lawn mower being air conditioned, it makes perfect sense for someone that has to mow a large area, especially in the summer heat.
NOTE [05/30/22]: I tried Tiger Sauce (c.2011) for the first time while eating at the East Village Grille, and during my Pastrami Reuben Tour (c.2017), this was the second restaurant where I ordered a Pastrami Reuben. The sandwich here was a little less delicious, but this would have been ranked #2.
ADDENDUM [01/02/25]: I visited Asheville back in September 2024, just about five weeks before the Hurricane came through and devastated the area. I only spent a day there, and I ate at the East Village Grille for dinner the first & only night. They had changed their menus which at one time had been quite a few pages, but now was pared down to about maybe 6 pages, two sided, and laminated. The waitress said they no longer offered a Pastrami Reuben. How sad. [end NOTE]
ADDENDUM [05/31/22]: The “Southern Highland Craft Guild, Folk Art Center” and the “East Village Grille” are about 2,500 feet (about half a mile) from each other, “as the crow flies” and with the VA Hospital Complex being directly between the two. That amazes me, because I normally would have thought of these two locations as being a great deal further apart. I normally stop at the Folk Art Center after driving down the Parkway, having come from Weaverville, and up the back way to the Parkway. For the public, except for “bus groups”, you can only get to the FAC from the Parkway. Staff have to come to the FAC a different way, and there appears to be no connecting way between public parking and staff parking.
When you come to the FAC, the area is shrouded in trees and having been there several times, I did not realize that just a few yards past the trees is a large nursing home.
It is a short distance from Tunnel Road to the entrance of the FAC, but coming from the opposite direction, via the Parkway, you are lulled into thinking you are deep in the forest.
The FAC parking area is surrounded by trees and vegetation, and this is the walk up to the FAC.
[ADDENDUM 02/14/25]: I visited Asheville last year, about 5 weeks before Hurricane Helene came through and severely devastated the area. It was a short, but extremely pleasant visit & stay at a Quality Inn near downtown. I arrived in Asheville in the late afternoon, and went immediately to the East Village Grille for dinner. Their extensive menu had been severely shortened, and they no longer offer a Pastrami Reuben. I think I had a Philly Cheese steak, which I’ve had before (Tiger Sauce intro years ago.). [end]
I bought some more of these pre-sliced Ciabatta rolls at Publix this morning. Not sure why, but the thought of making some pizza at home using one of these came to mind. I was going to several grocery stores this morning. I bought a 6 oz. can of tomato paste and some sliced pepperoni from IGA. I knew I had some grated mixed cheese (several Italian cheese blend) at home. I had used some of this cheese on the grit cakes that I had made earlier in the week. The cheese toasted with brown highlights on the polenta, and worked well.
Pizza Sauce (Basic) (Approximately 670 calories total, Makes about 1.5 cups)
12 oz tomato paste (organic if possible) (~360 calories)
½ tsp salt (negligible calories)
2 tsp oregano (~8 calories)
2 tsp thyme (~8 calories)
½ tsp garlic powder (~4 calories)
4 Tbs olive oil (~480 calories)1
2 tsp white vinegar (negligible calories)
Notes:
Calorie counts are approximate and can vary slightly depending on brands.
The majority of the calories come from the olive oil.
This is the total calorie count for the entire recipe. To determine the calories per serving, divide the total by the number of servings.
The finished product of this recipe yeilds approximately 1 and 1/2 cups of pizza sauce.
With approximately 1.5 cups of pizza sauce, and needing about 1/4 to 1/3 cup per small pizza, you could cover roughly 4 to 6 small pizzas.
I had bought a 6 oz. can of tomato paste so I just “eye-balled” the rest of the ingredients and put them in a small glass jar and mixed it up with a dinner knife. The finished product tasted like the pizza sauce that I enjoyed at Pizza Hut/Inn in years past. I used about half of the homemade tomato sauce for the two Ciabatta slices, slathering the sauce fairly thickly on the bread from edge to edge. Spreading pizza sauce on Ciabatta slices may require more sauce than if you were spreading the sauce on a smooth pizza dough because of the craggy nature of Ciabatta (like an English Muffin has a craggy surface).
I diced up a little (very little) sweet yellow bell pepper, and some onion, and put this on each slice. I then put some grated cheese blend on each slice and then finally, I put about 7 or 8 of the pepperoni slices on each slice of bread.
I used Bake at 400 degrees for a while until I thought the cheese was browning. I then used Broil on Hi for a short time until I saw the pepperoni beginning to shine (oil). *In retrospect, it might be more useful to toast these pizzas first, without the pepperoni on top. That way the cheese and other toppings could melt and then add the pepperoni which would crisp up much quicker than the other items.
After I took the pizza out of the oven, I sliced each slice in half. The pizza looked good… the pizza tasted good. This would satisfy my hunger for pizza at home.
NOTE: I used another Ciabatta roll the next day to make another pizza, like the one above. The homemade pizza sauce that I had refrigerated may have been even better. It has a real good pizza sauce flavor. Bake 425 degrees for most of the time, and then a short time on Broil on HI. The pizza was good again!
I managed to make three pizzas (3 Ciabatta rolls, pre-sliced in two, and then each half cut in two after the pizzas were done) out of the homemade pizza sauce. That sauce has really good flavor. I want to find a pizza dough, or pre-cooked pizza base to make a larger pizza. But, the above Ciabatta Pizza is very satisfying and probably is enough for a meal.
I bought a Ciabatta Loaf at Publix and had them slice it. The loaf was a little more flat, compared to the one shown above, so the slices were more elongated. *I made another batch of pizza sauce, which turned out to be good again. I used four slices of bread, slathered with pizza sauce and added some red bell pepper and onion. Then sprinkled sparingly with the 6 cheese blend. The elongated slices took four slices of pepperoni. *I decided that I didn’t like the Ciabatta Loaf better than the Rolls.
NOTE [08/28/22]: Publix has had a problem, for more than a month, with getting ingredients for their baked breads. The dark Mountain Bread has been unavailable for about a month. I just noticed that the Ciabatta Rolls weren’t available either. But, I haven’t been trying to buy them to make homemade pizza, until recently. *I went to Fresh Market and found some Ciabatta Rolls. Not quite square in shape as are the ones from Publix, and the interior side is much more craggy (more craggy than the Publix Ciabatta Loaf pictured above), even some very large depressions, which makes spreading the pizza sauce more difficult. [end NOTE]
*Not something I want to do regularly, but there are other Publix, not nearby, but I went to a Cary Publix and had no problem getting the Ciabatta Rolls. And, I bought a couple of Ciabatta rolls from Wegman’s the other day too.
Tomato Paste $1.25Homemade Pizza Sauce@ Harris TeeterYellow Bell Pepper $1.49 ea.Sweet Onion $1.29/lb.Shredded Italian Cheeses $2/8oz.Pepperoni Slices $2.48/6oz.
Ingredient Cost for 1 Ciabatta Roll (sliced with two halves & then quartered):
Ciabatta Roll [top & bottom halves/quartered] $.75
Homemade Pizza Sauce $.75
Yellow Bell Pepper $.35
Sweet Onion $.35
Shredded Italian Cheeses $.50
Sliced Pepperoni [16 slices/8 @ half] $.80
Total Cost for 4 slices of Ciabatta Roll Pizza: $3.50
Just had it again. Made some fresh pizza sauce, and the finished product doesn’t give me indigestion! I haven’t made 12 oz. of the pizza sauce yet, and I forget and add the other ingredients as if I were using 12 oz. of tomato paste, but it still has good flavor.
I think I can make about 3 Ciabatta Roll pizzas out of a 6 oz. can of tomato paste. I did have some left over pizza sauce that I did not use for a week, and I think it was starting to “go bad,” so use the sauce you make within a few days. *The note to myself about the quantity of sauce I want to make is, make only a half recipe (use only 1 6oz. can of tomato paste) of the pizza sauce. I only need enough sauce for 3 or 4 Ciabatta Roll Pizzas, and left over sauce will go bad.
This is an extremely satisfying homemade pizza. It is consistently good, and satisfies my “pizza craving.” But, I think I am locked into the basic ingredients: Ciabatta roll, homemade sauce, chopped bell pepper & sweet onion, shredded mozzarella (or an Italian cheese blend) and sliced pepperoni. *I tried a Hawaiian Pizza: chunk pineapple and sliced ham, and this wasn’t as satisfying. **Update: I’ve found a bread that is more satisfying, in a way, and that is the “Thomas Keto Bagel Mini.” It is very thin and pre-sliced (it would be extremely difficult to slice it by hand) but this makes it perfect as the mini-pizza bread.
Remember. No indigestion from this, and it is filling & satisfying.
I was looking online at the Pizza Sauce recipe and saw that they had a “books” section. The following “The Pizza Bible:…: had an excerpt on “After School Ciabatta Pizza”.
NOTE [07/05/22]: When I was in Whole Foods today, I noticed they had Ciabatta Rolls. There were four in a pack, and each roll was longer. I hope to remember to buy one of these to try out for the pizza, but didn’t today because I knew I already had some at home. The price was cheaper, for the 4 I think.
[NOTE 09/06/24]: I tried some different flavors for dinner tonight. I still had some sliced onion but I picked some fresh basil off my porch, and I opened a can of the Season Anchovies. *I put the anchovies and the chopped basil on top of the pizza sauce and then spread the shredded mixed Italian cheeses blend. I baked this for a while and set it to broil on low. After the cheese started to toast I put the pepperoni slices on top and put it back under Broil HI. It doesn’t take long to crisp up the sausage, so you have to pay attention or it definitely could burn.
I didn’t like the flavor because I had put too much anchovies on these slices. I do like anchovies on a pizza, but not on these homemade pizzas. I would put the chopped basil on again, with onion and the chopped bell pepper and pepperoni. That is satisfying.
If I could get the right fresh ham, I might like to try a Hawaiian Pizza. I like the ham and pineapple chunks. But, I would have to cut the chunks into really small pieces.
I like bacon and ground beef, and they might go well, but I would leave off the pepperoni. Still, I know that the Pepperoni, Onion & Sweet Bell Pepper pizza, with cheese is consistently satisfying. [end NOTE]
[NOTE]: I may have mentioned elsewhere that you could use this sauce for breakfast too. Maybe on English Muffin halves with melted cheese would go with a scrambled egg and bacon. *In fact, maybe coming up with a Ciabatta Roll Breakfast Pizza that includes tomatoes, bacon & egg. [end NOTE]
[NOTE 12/27/25]: The last time I made pizza at home, I used a Thomas Keto Bagel Thin instead of Ciabatta rolls. They have a hole but it is small enough to be filled with one or two slices of pepperoni. I’m wearing a Stelo CBGM and plan to test out whether the pizzas are diabetic friendly. *I don’t know how long I had the left over bagels in my fridge. I put the pizza sauce on the bagel, then a pepperoni to cover the hole, and then sweet bell pepper & diced onion, then the shredded cheese blend and finally a layer of pepperoni. Looking at the picture of it, I prefer to put the pepperoni layer on the pizza sauce layer. [end NOTE]
[NOTE 12/29/25]: I use three halves of the Thomas Keto Bagel Thins. They are very thin and are only 2 Net Carbs and 80 calories per bagel. What I did this time, and it worked very well, was to put the pizza sauce on each bagel half. I then layered pepperoni around each bagel. I had a small amount of ground beef that I browned in a small skillet along with some green bell pepper, onion & a miniscule amount of red jalapeno diced. I did add a little garlic powder and some red pepper flakes. *I normally wouldn’t use green bell pepper, but had some left over after trying to make chili last night and most of the ground beef was also used for the Wendy’s Chili.
[end NOTE]
Thomas Keto Bagel Thins BaseThomas Keto Bagel Thins Base
📊 What Stelo is telling you
From the image:
Meal time: 145 mg/dL at 6:19 PM
2 hours later: 147 mg/dL at 8:19 PM
Net change: essentially flat
Peak: modest, stayed well within the green zone
No sharp spike, no crash
That’s exactly what you want to see.
For most people with insulin resistance or diabetes:
A spike of 30–50+ points would be common with pizza-type foods
You had ~2 mg/dL difference over two hours — that’s excellent control
🍕 Why this particular meal worked
Even though it looks like “pizza,” it’s doing several things right:
✅ Protein & fat buffering
Meat + cheese slow digestion
That blunts glucose spikes
✅ Vegetables present
Tomatoes, peppers, onions add fiber
Fiber slows carb absorption
⚠️ Likely lower refined carbs
These look like mini pizzas, not big bread-heavy slices
Portion size matters, and this appears controlled
⚖️ Timing matters
Evening meals often spike more
Yours didn’t — which says a lot
🧠 The key point (this matters)
Stelo doesn’t judge food — it judges your response.
For you:
This meal = stable glucose
Stable glucose = good meal
If someone else ate this, results could be very different. But your body handled it well.
Another good Pastrami Reuben (Rachel) at home… I had bought a loaf of Arnold’s Jewish Rye bread earlier in the week (has seeds) and was thinking of fixing this again (been a while). Last night I fixed a batch of Catalina dressing that turned out really good. I had lunch at Maguro’s this afternoon.
I made a small batch of Thousand Island dressing tonight, and then fixed the Pastrami sandwich. Instead of putting the dressing on before I cut the sandwich in half, I cut it in half and then put Thousand Island on one half and the Catalina on the other. The Thousand Island dressing is better for this sandwich, although I really do like the Catalina dressing I made. *I made a Russian dressing, which made me rethink what the sweet, ruby red dressing was called, that I liked. I finally decided that Catalina was the correct dressing name. The Russian dressing had Worcestershire and dry mustard, and wasn’t bad tasting.
The key to this not being messy to fix is to butter the outside of the bread and toast it first, in the oven. Then flip it over and put on the Swiss cheese and melt that. Then you can put the sauerkraut on the cheese and then the preferred dressing. Lastly putting on the Pastrami. Keep the wet dressing from the bread so that it doesn’t make it soggy.
[NOTE 03/02/25]: Several weeks ago I had thought that I hadn’t had a Pastrami Reuben in a long time, but I hadn’t chosen to put it on the menu yet. But a few days later, I was walking down one of the many grocery isles (may have been in LIDL) I visit each week, and saw a package of Hillshire Farms Pastrami on sale. I think it was under $4, which is a good deal so I bought it.
I ordered some Seeded Rye bread from Publix, but needed to reschedule the pickup because of an incoming winter storm. I thought everything had been rescheduled, but that Saturday when I showed at Publix, “no bread for me.” I hadn’t opened the pastrami, so I hoped that it wouldn’t go bad, and it didn’t.
I got a half-loaf of sliced Seeded Rye Bread at Publix earlier this week, and have made a Pastrami Reuben sandwich for lunch the past two days. I have enough Pastrami & bread for two more sandwiches. I don’t eat Rye bread very often. In fact, about the only time I eat Seeded Rye bread is when I choose to make Pastrami Reubens at home. And, I enjoy all the flavors that come together for these. I have used the Wegman’s White American cheese instead of Baby Swiss. I make the Thousand Island dressing which is a simple 5 or 6 ingredient recipe that tastes better than store bought. I’ve also come to make a “side” of sauerkraut mixed with the Thousand Island dressing, and since those flavors work on the sandwich, they definitely work as a side dish. And that side would work with a pork chop too.
Not the bottom of the can, but the sauerkraut is under the can lid, that far down.
I don’t need a lot of sauerkraut, so I’ve bought a 15 oz. can of sauerkraut at Wegman’s but the last time, the sauerkraut wasn’t that good (darker color of the cabbage) and the can was less than half full of the shredded cabbage. I threw that sauerkraut away and bought a large glass jar of Silver Floss sauerkraut at Walmart. That was good.
I only use one slice of the rye bread, which I cut in half, so I’m really eating a half sandwich, but at my st/age, that’s all I need.
Back in 2017 when I made my first Pastrami Reuben at home, I made such a mess trying to fry up the bread & cheese on the stove top. The resulting sandwich was blackened and very greasy. But since then I have the process down to an art. Easy to prepare. Easy to heat in the oven, and easy and delicious to eat. Not a messy sandwich, even with the outside of the bread being buttered toast.
I like a large, cold, Ranch Dill Pickle spear with this sandwich. I have an unopened bag of Wavy potato chips that I bought at IGA several months ago. I’ve been good, and not eaten any so far. [end NOTE]
Looks like the ingredients for a Greek Salad, but also includes the dressing ingredients, and then they are listed separately. I realized that Romaine Lettuce was missing from the list so I’ve added it below.
Olive oil
Lemon juice
Red Wine vinegar
Mustard
Oregano
Basil
Majorham
Ground Pepper
Salt
Agave Nectar
Sweetner
Spring Greens
Vidalia Onion
Yellow Bell Pepper
Romaine Lettuce
Kalamata Olives
Cherry Tomatoes
Feta Cheese
Greek Salad Dressing
6 Tbsp olive oil
1 1/2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 Tbsp red wine vinegar
1 1/2 tsp minced garlic (1 large clove)
1 1/2 Tbsp finely minced fresh parsley
1 tsp dried oregano
3/4 tsp honey
Salt, to taste
Sherefe is no more…
A few years ago the road in front of Sherefe, is that Green Street, was torn up and being repaired. This hindered the number of customers and the owner closed this location and I think I heard he was focused at his other restaurant across town. They had a lunch special on the lamb and I tried it. I’m not sure I had ever had lamb, or cooked in this way, and when I tasted it, I was wowed. It tasted great! The Publix lamb shoulder, right below, looked good. I just cooked it in a pan on the stove top and it turned out great. I had cooked one about a week ago, and browned it on the stove top and then put it in the oven for a short time. Didn’t think I needed that the next time.
Harris Teeter $9.99 per lb. Publix $7.69 per lb.
The Publix lamb was packaged more like it was local, and it was about $1.30 per pound less.
[01/04/25]: I have no clue why I entitled the above posting “My Funny Valentine.” The posting date isn’t February 14th, and there seems to be nothing about those song lyrics in the post. The soup shown was from Sherefe. I think it was sweet potato soup and it was seasoned wonderfully. But, after quite a while they offered it again, and this time it wasn’t flavored as it had been that one time. Oh, well…
VinChef Wok Electric Wok
I’ve bought a new wok recently. Actually, I bought a new electric wok, and a new stove-top VinChef wok (not electric, but oven safe). I’ve used the oven-safe wok a couple of times to broil a couple of pork chops, and maybe a steak. It worked well. *I love the patina that’s formed on the Vinchef pan. [end]
[08/11/25]: I’ve mentioned previously how I eat in cycles. I might eat the same breakfast at the Rainbow for 200 days, and then for an unexplained reason (at least to me) I want something different. The Rainbow breakfast was probably pretty close to this each morning: “Two eggs over medium, with bacon (later patty sausage) and potatoes (later grits) and whole wheat toast (sometimes buttered, sometimes not). And, coffee with creamer and sweetener (the sweetener was after years of sugar, and then being diagnosed as a Type 2 diabetic).
*Unfortunately, over the years the Rainbow “dumbed down” their ingredients and the eggs weren’t “as good,” and the bacon “sucked” and the coffee might or might not be good. And the coffee they use is the same, day after day, and also the same as that used over at JK’s Restaurant. I don’t know if it is the person that makes the coffee that morning or not, but it can be good and it can suck. Even a metallic taste on some mornings. I think the dumbing was mainly due to being able to maintain their low prices, but even those prices crept up over the years and I seem to recall one morning coming to the realization that a cup of coffee cost about $2.65 plus tax. And then I made some sort of joke about “That and $2.65 will buy you a cup of coffee at the Rainbow.” The phrase some reference to a funny line in a movie or TV show. Probably a 1930s or 40s Black & White movie, Film Noir… but the character would have said, “That and a dime will buy you a cup of coffee.”
Well, I rarely eat at the Rainbow for breakfast any more. When I worked, and the Rainbow was just about half way between where I lived for many years, and my work at Fayetteville State University, it was a perfect “stop off” for breakfast instead of me cooking at home. Quick in, quick out.
COVID was a major game changer, and I started eating almost entirely at home, but since COVID, I have begun to eat out more. But Taco Bell, which was a once or twice a week meal has become a rarely over a year visit. *I’ve stopped Taco Bell (they had a crew at their Ramsey Street location that were excellent at their efficiency – take the order, prepare it correctly and quickly, take your money, give you the bag of food and you’re gone) because of the calories [920 total] in my favorite meal (a Beef Burrito Supreme [390], a Bean Burrito [360] and a Crunchy Taco [170]). Shortly before I stopped, I would only choose two of the items, instead of three, but then even that became a stretch when I became more committed to eating better. I couldn’t afford the calorie count in a day and still eat all the nutrition that I needed. **And that is why I’ve sworn off Smithfield’s Chicken -n- BBQ.” I just checked online, “1960” calories for a “Combo Dark” Meal. Heck, my whole daily calorie goal is only 1880 calories. I rarely hit the 1880 goal, but I’m closer than I would be if I had one meal at SCNB. And their “unsweet tea” sucks! Sweet tea delicious but I’m a Type 2 and don’t need the sugar.
Oh, and during my 24 years of work life in Fayetteville, I would go to Golden Corral for maybe one or two lunches a week, and across town to the GC across from the Mall for a Saturday or Sunday morning breakfast buffet. No telling how many calories I got from eating there. But I didn’t stop going their because of the calorie count. No, they both built and then closed the location nearest me on Ramsey Street, and finally it is now a 7-11 Convenience Store. They tore down the old Mall location and rebuilt it, but the layout was different (a negative) and the acoustics were horrible (sound bouncing off the bare walls) and the seating a little too close together. Originally they had an undulating pattern to their various food type locations. There was a little alcove for the salad bar, an alcove for the veggies and I think one for the drinks & dessert section. The new layout was one long, straight bar, and this meant that when you went to get an item, you were being confronted either from the left or right by other customers.
COVID killed Golden Corral for me and another favorite buffet, the Hibachi Grill.” When the Hibachi Grill came to town it killed a favorite small Chinese restaurant, “China II.” China II had a “Jalapeno Pork” dish on their buffet that was soooo good. But, you suffered at about 2 am after having that lunch. But the night pain always seemed to be worth the deliciousness at lunch time.
I loved a bunch of items on the Hibachi Grill, but COVID meant I stopped going there as I also stopped going to the Cracker Barrell for Sunday breakfast. For several years, I ate almost every Sunday, at the Cracker Barrell Restaurant over off of I95. Even with the “metallic or chemical” flavor of some of their breakfast items, I enjoyed that breakfast each morning. But, I did hate their coffee and got into the habit of ordering their hot tea which I enjoyed. *Ironically, and I’ve written about it elsewhere, during COVID I ran out of my favorite bagged coffee beans at home and had to scrounge, and found a bag of ground Cracker Barrell coffee in the back of one of my shelves. I’m thinking it was a present from maybe Deborah Savage, because I wouldn’t have bought coffee from CB and if I had I would have wanted the whole bean so I could grind it at home periodically.
But I made a cup of coffee from the Cracker Barrell bag. It was delicious. I didn’t think about my hatred of the CB coffee in their restaurant. The next morning I made some more and it was good again. And I didn’t think about my hatred of their coffee when ordered in the restaurant. Finally on the third day I made and drank another good cup of coffee and I then realized, “I hate Cracker Barrell coffee!” But this was good coffee. It was also during COVID and I wasn’t going out to eat anywhere. So I drank myself through the bag and just about the time that COVID restrictions were beginning to be dropped, and I had my second follow-up vaccination, I went out for a haircut and a first visit after a long time to CB.
I had breakfast at CB and then looked for a bag of their coffee. They only sell their coffee as regular or as decaffeinated ground coffee. No whole bean. The bag color had also changed from a shiny bronze theme to a light shiny blue. But, and I didn’t find this out until I got home and made my first cup from the new bag… the coffee from the new bag, sucked. They had changed the recipe and it wasn’t the coffee I had enjoyed repeatedly from that old bronzy bag. Damn.
And now to end this pain because it is almost 7 am and time for me to check my blood glucose level and weigh before fixing breakfast. I haven’t had a stir-fry meal in quite a while. I enjoy fixing stir-fry. It is quick to prepare the various ingredients, quick to cook in the electric wok, and clean-up is a breeze. But as with other food cycles this is one for the present time. I also haven’t broiled a round bone lamb chop in a long while although I do have at least one package in my freezer. They cook really well on HI in the oven Broiler (20 minutes on one side and then about 5-7 minutes on the other side. The Vinchef wok goes in the oven, and I just have to be careful when checking it and taking it out because the handle becomes quite hot.
Seems like I am forgetting one other item I haven’t fixed in a while, but it will come to me later. I hope.
I cooked some black-eyed peas with pork skin (not pork rinds) for flavoring. For years, a “mess” of black-eyed peas, with some chopped Vidalia (sweet) onion was what I considered my favorite meal.
I fixed some large white butter beans with some pork flavoring sometime in the last year and the final product became my temporary “favorite” meal. Add some pastry and this is really comforting.
But, earlier this week, I cooked some chicken gizzards and added rice. I cooked the gizzards for about 1.5 hours and by that time the meat was tender, but chewy. At this time, I added some rice to the pot and let it cook another 30 minutes. *I was planning to drive up to Southern Pines for lunch at Maguro’s. My favorite lunch special there is the “Thai Basil Chicken” with fried rice and egg roll. It costs about $7 with water. A great deal!
Well, I went to try the gizzards and rice soup, and at the first bite, I said to myself, “That is really good!” I tried another bite, and this was really, really good. It was so good that I immediately decided to not drive up to Southern Pines, but stay at home, and eat this delicious meal for lunch. And, I really, really enjoyed it!
One note, is that even when you have cooked the gizzards “long enough” there may still be a few that will have “tough” sections. You just bite them off, or pull them off and throw that small area away. A well done gizzard should be chewy (sort of like animal tongue) but not tough… and they do take a while to cook.
Fixed a multi-bean salad. Used wax, pinto & green beans, sweet onion, orange bell pepper with red wine vinegar and sweetner. I’ve done this in the past and added sweet pickles and sweet pickled peppers to this.
Made a good potato salad. I like it sweet. Yukon gold potatoes (skin on), sweet onion, Duke’s mayo, sweetener and a little pickle relish. *Could have been better with boiled egg and maybe celery.
One thing that I have got a hankering for in the last few months is doctored sliced beets. I buy a cheap can of sliced beets. I pour out the liquid from the can. I then use a small Tupper-ware container and put some red wine vinegar, some Balsamic vinegar, and some Worcestershire sauce with some sweetener in it. Then put in the sliced beets and slice the beets in half if they are too big. Put the lid on, and turn to coat the beets with the sweet vinegar. If you have time put this in the freezer so that the beets get cold.
[NOTE 09/18/22]: The last time I ate at Maguro’s, the Thai Basil Chicken lunch special, with water cost $9. The price stayed at $7 during the Pandemic, and sometime after, they raised it to $8 and it hasn’t taken too long for it to jump to $9. But, even at $9, this is a cheap meal because “most times” they give you a generous portion of fried rice and a lot of chicken & veggies. I have found I can eat half, take the rest home, and add some cooked hot peppers & onions to the leftovers, making it even more delicious. Recall that I normally take a vial (old diabetic test strip bottle) of toasted sesame oil to add to my fried rice (for a better flavor). I haven’t made or taken the Chinese Hot Mustard lately, but I do like that with their egg rolls. [end NOTE]
[NOTE 03/19/25]: It has been a long time since I went to Maguro’s for lunch. It was something I enjoyed for a very long time, and then “just got out of the habit.” No, actually I just recalled that a large part of this meal included fried rice, and that is something that I have been paring down greatly. I don’t need a lot of rice, which will turn into starch, and then sugar quickly.
I see above that I had a “hankering for” some doctored beets. Funny that I just fixed some of those beets today, but I forgot to add the Worcestershire sauce.
I see a note about good Yukon Gold potatoes. Not sure if that is what a few days ago at Pate’s Farm Market, but they were a light colored small potato that I have been thinking about making some German Potato Salad.
And I mentioned chicken gizzards listed as something I had also enjoyed. I do like the earthy flavor of chicken gizzards, but I also like the flavor of chicken livers. I have fixed chicken livers in a wok, and with some stir fry green beans. So good together. [end NOTE]
This is possibly the best Blue Cheese that I’ve ever tasted. Is is smooth, and salty, but not too salty I had some rustic bread and might have finished the whole block of cheese if I didn’t have the Capricho de Cabra and the Dolce K Olive mix to alternate through. Better than Maytag, and I’m not sure if you classify Stilton as a Blue, but Stilton might be too salty.
Capricho de Cabra (Goat Cheese)
This is a tart, crumbly white goat cheese. It goes well with crackers (Sesmark rice thins), or bread and some raspberry jam.
Dolce K Sweet Olive Mix
I don’t know what to eat this with, but it is very good by itself. It is sweet, and distinctive. I think it has almonds (which are crunchy), cranberries, and probably some citrus rind. It has some flavors (with vinegar) that are distinctive, but I’m not sure how to reproduce it at home. *I am going to see if adding regular olives to the remaining liquid “does the job.” **And it didn’t
From Whole Foods web site:
Ingredients:
Pitted Green Olives, Water, Sugar, White Wine Vinegar, Sunflower Oil, Maracona Almonds (blanched), Cranberries, Black Raisins, Honey, Orange Rind, Lemon Rind, Mustard Seeds, Turmeric, Hot Pepper Flakes (Chilli), Thyme, Ground Black Pepper, Citric Acid.
The Maracona Almonds are from Spain and are relatively expensive. They are just “blanched.”
I was successful in recreating this Mediterranean Olive & Fruit Mix at home. I wasn’t sure of how much of each ingredient to use, but guessed correctly the first time. Although successful, I then realized that I had no clue as to how much of each item I had put in the mix, so I really couldn’t repeat the process for sure.
I think you might be able to use most green types of olives (not sure about Kalamata olives) and give them at least a day in the marinade and they will take on the flavor of the marinade. I used currants instead of black raisins, and also added golden raisins. The golden raisins rehydrated to almost their original grape sizes, and at first when I saw them I said to myself, “those aren’t olives.” They were still good. I was sort of surprised that Turmeric was one of the ingredients. I like turmeric in other dishes.
So, I bought a small sample of the original Dolce “K” Mix at Whole Foods, in order to make a comparison, and what? I think I like my version better. The store bought version is a little watery. *Mary Ann and Lawrence tried my version and liked the flavor, but I’m not sure they will ever want more. I however have bought another can of green pitted olives and plan to add them to the marinade shortly.
I think it was the way filming portrayed Bosch, the City (LA), and leaving street signage crystal that made me start to visit these filming locations via Google Maps StreetView. It was fun deducing where the various scenes had been filmed. A bank, in the story, was actually a restaurant “in real life.”
So, with Season 6 of BOSCH, more fun figuring out where the story was filmed.
The Hollywood Sign and LAPD Hollywood Station become focal points. There is lag time between when the the Google StreetView “view” was filmed and when that area was filmed for the show. In fact for BOSCH, I have seen several instances where a filming location was greatly changed by a building or house being remodeled or even removed completely. *In the movie, “Pulp Fiction,” there was a sleazy motel used for filming. This motel was demolished after filming and a two story storage facility built in it’s place.
A husband is murdered while meeting with supposed kidnappers, who have tied his wife up in their home. From StreetView, you cannot visit the murder location because of a security gate. And, in reality, the murder location is just a couple of blocks from the home used for filming the kidnapping. This home was remodelled, much for the better, between the current view on StreetView and the home filmed for the Season.
I am guessing that the filmed interior was from this exterior, but the company has since moved to a larger location.
Musso & Frank Grill
CrossRoads of the World
Frolic Room
ACB Auto Repair
Crenshaw Live Bar & Grill
View Park Convalescent Centet (Murder Locqtion}
PACMUTUAL Building (Blow Me Up, Or Not)
Children’s Hospital
48th Street Market
Casey’s Tavern
LA City Hall
Thrift Store(180 degrees)
Pacific Dining Car
[ NOTE 12/23/23 ]: I was watching the first few minutes of a movie, “Saltburn” a day or so ago, and it starts with the camera following one of the main characters as he mills about a student crowd through the Oxford University (UK) campus. We see the Radcliff Camera, an iconic library building on the Oxford Campus, as he is walking by it. And, I am mentally checking off the buildings which I have become very familiar with starting with my interest in “Morse” the famous Oxford detective. I’m saying to myself, the building on the right is the Bodleian Library, and I think next to it is Trinity College, and in front of us is Brasenose College where he enters. *But, it wasn’t Trinity, which is nearby, but Exeter College. I recall some time ago, using Google Streetview to view the “front door” to Brasenose, and I seem to recall it has a distinctive “brass nose” on the door. **I stand corrected. In looking for the view of the front door, just now, the Streetview didn’t stop directly in front of the door, so I searched for images of the front door, and they had no distinctive brass knocker on them. And finally I read that the brass knocker had been removed in the 14th Century, but returned sometime later, and not re-installed on the door. You can view the brass nose knocker, but just not on the door.
I went back to Hendricks Toyota in Fayetteville last Saturday and asked to test drive a Camry and a Prius. I never got to drive the Prius, but in the feeding frenzy, bought this white 2018 Camry SE. I know it is a sporty looking car, but the two things that really sold me were: 40 mpg Highway, and the Entune 3.0 entertainment/navigation System… and payments under $350 a month.
I’ve put a bunch of miles on it already, and here is a picture of my first fill-up, which took over 11 gallons, and with the recent rise in gas prices, over $30 total.
But the car does feel good when I’m in it, and it has a bunch of bells-n-whistles that are exciting. If the car drifts over the center yellow line, there is a warning, and the car slightly turns itself back into the original lane. I let it drift first to the left and then to the right without me intervening and after the second warning there was a louder, flashier warning. I didn’t see what it said, but it was probably something like, “Are You Dead?” Not sure if it would have slowed the car to a stop, but that might be the next logical step.
I can hook my Samsung smartphone up by USB cable, and a real-time navigation map will display. If the phone loses connection, the map goes brain dead. I’ve found some dead spots in town where the map stops working for quite a few blocks and then starts back up.
I wasn’t looking at buying a Toyota, but drove a Corolla from Enterprise when the Civic died, and liked the mileage display and how easy my phone paired with the Entune System in the loaner. That got me thinking about Toyotas. I was still planning to try a new Honda Accord, and maybe even another Civic, but got sidetracked along the way.
Ford Fusion Gear Control
I did test drive a Ford Fusion and a Kia Optima. Both vehicles felt good. The Fusion felt really good and had a larger screen display and a knob for a gear shifter. *I went back home after test driving the Fusion and found it was ranked 14th in the list with a Camry being 1st and a Honda Accord being Number 2. **About a week ago, I saw something on TV that Ford was planning to phase out all but trucks and SUVs and that made it for sure that I wouldn’t buy a Fusion.
I drove up to Southern Pines Saturday morning to eat breakfast at Famous Toastery. I’ve eaten there several times, the first time with Deborah, because she had coupons.
After a few visits, it finally occurred to me to order hot tea instead of their “extremely strong” coffee. And, I bring my own tea bag and switch with whatever I ask them to bring to me.
I order a couple of eggs, over medium, with Country Ham, potatoes and an English Muffin. The waitress asked if I wanted cornbread, to which I said, “Of course;-)”
NOTE [07/11/22}: “I order ‘a couple’ of eggs,…” One quirky thing with my young waitresses was that when I said I would like “a couple of eggs” they would invariably ask me, “and how many will that be.” It was as if they equated the meaning of “a couple” with asking for “a few”. If I had said “a few” then their response would have been proper because “a few” could mean two or more, but probably not a thousand. After several incidents of this response, I made a mental note to ask for “two eggs”. *The first time this happened was when I was on a trip to Florida. I stopped in a Hardees to use their bathroom and afterward, ordered “a couple” of burgers (to pay for my bathroom use). A young, country “hick” man looked at me and asked, “and how many will that be” two or three. I looked at him oddly and I think he thought through the meaning of couple and said, “two” sir.
As part of my explanation regarding what “a couple” means, I might ask, “are you dating someone, if so are you a couple”. And, if you are a couple, how many are in this relationship, “two or three, or more”.
The cornbread is slightly sweet and they also bring apple butter to put on it.
The size of the country ham is so large that they bring the order on two dinner plates, one slightly smaller than the other. I like catchup and hot sauce on my potatoes. I used the last of the Texas Pete, as the bottle was almost empty.
Everything was delicious, and I had some blackberry preserves, and some butter with my English muffin. I had Raspberry Royal tea.
The meal is not cheap. It is $11.82 without the tip and I usually feel good at the end of the meal so at least a $2 if not $3 tip.
The odd thing is that your original waitress does not stay with you throughout the meal. She takes your order and brings back your drink, but then another waitress (maybe even the cook) brings out your food. Then, as many waitresses walk by your table, one may or may not ask if you need a refill. *What I’ve noted is that with all the waitresses walking by, few ever ask, and if all asked, that would be irritating also.
ADDENDUM [02/02/2022]: As I was turning to go to Maguro’s this afternoon, I looked back to my right at the location where the Famous Toastery used to be. It is now YellowBird. *There have been some Scandanavian TV shows, that I have watched, who have been produced by the YellowBird company. They have an animated cartoon yellow bird that picks up a gun and shoots it.
Several months ago, Deborah Savage and I went to the Famous Toastery, in Southern Pines for breakfast. She had a coupon. It was a good breakfast experience. I think I had a couple of eggs, probably over medium, bacon, hash browns and an English Muffin, with coffee.
Yesterday morning, I got up thinking that I wanted to have a special breakfast somewhere, other than the Rainbow. The trip up to Southern Pines only took about 30 minutes. *The traffic flow through Spring Lake has changed for the better.
The Famous Toastery was already busy by the time I made it there. I had forgotten that it was Mother’s Day, which a waitress, at the end of my meal, mentioned.
I ordered coffee and water… two eggs over medium, bacon, hash browns, and an English Muffin. The coffee is strong. The eggs had a little runny white. There were about 3 strips of bacon, and a couple of slices were burnt black with just a little brown, but still getting over my late Spring bout of flu, I could not tell if the burnt bacon tasted more like charcoal. The hash browns are chunky, whole skin, potatoes, with a mild seasoning. The catchup was almost out, but went well with the potatoes. I added a little Texas Pete hot sauce to my potatoes… which poured out more quickly than it does from the narrow mouthed bottle.
Before my meal arrived, a waitress brought me a mildly sweet block of cornbread, with a small plastic cup of apple butter. I tried the cornbread with my egg yolks, and later had a small spoonful of the apple butter. Both delicious. I also had some Blackberry jam with part of my English Muffin. This is the same brand of jam that Cracker Barrel uses.
There were plenty of waitresses, many very young, mostly girls or young women.
At the end of my meal, one waitress asked if I wanted her to take my bill to the register… but first she needed to take some dishes to the back. In the brief time, while she was taking the dirty dishes back, another young waitress took my bill and credit card to be paid.
The first, slightly older waitress came back and I told her that another waitress had taken my bill up to be paid. She remained and we began to converse. This is where I mentioned the large number of waitresses, and she reminded me that this was Mother’s Day. I do not recall all that we talked about, but the conversation did linger, and when the receipt, to be signed was returned to me, I gave a fairly generous tip.
I did enjoy my visit to the Famous Toastery in Southern Pines again, and hope to return again, hopefully with Deborah, and maybe Russ.
Bill Gibson, II 