Girls' Night Out

Neil was out of town for a couple of days this week, leaving us girls to our own devices Wednesday night.  So, we decided to make the most of it.  

We started with a play-date with a little girl who lives around the corner.  Vivian thoroughly inspected each of the kid's toys, banged out a few tunes on their piano, checked out the vermi-composting in the backyard, then we all headed out to the park for some good ol' fashioned playground fun.

Upon returning home, we got ready for our big night out together.  My sweet baby child is a pretty good litte eater.  While I haven't been able to get her to give sushi a try, she LOVES Japanese food.  So, we both had to get dressed up in fancy dresses, Vivian said.  She selected her entire outfit and then adorned her hair with as many bows and do-dads as possible.  She topped off this ensemble with a white faux fur cape, and we hit the road.

Fancy Schmancy

We went to one of those Japanese steakhouses, Sato in Forest Acres.  I knew going in that this particular place is my least favorite in town.  But, it's close to home and on this outing, that was most important.  First off, everyone that we encountered and passed by greatly admired Vivian's most fancy outfit.  She did look really cute, I must say.  We were seated with a family of mom, dad & their 7 year old girl and a couple down at the end.  Everyone seemed intrigued to see how a little kid would act and eat in a place like this.

This is not an actual photo from our dinner (full disclosure)

Well, this ain't Viv's first rodeo. My parents introduced her to Yamato's a couple years ago, so she knows how to handle a pair of kid chopsticks.  By the way, Yamato's blows the doors off Sato.   Vivian's meal consisted of a Shirley Temple, soup, and teriyaki chicken.  The chef showed her how to use her chopsticks to (effectively) eat rice with them.  I was so impressed; the child ate rice with sticks!  I can barely use chopsticks, so this is very exciting to this Mommy.  Anyway, she loved her meal and her big, grown-up Girls' Night Out.  We went home, got in comfy jammies and cuddled up on the couch to watch Food Network until she fell asleep.  

I just wanted you all to know.

The Mullaney Salad

As a kid, I was a little weird.  When my friend Christina got glasses, I had to have some.  I carefully began to have trouble reading the blackboard, had increasing trouble seeing my music at piano and generally began to lose my vision.  Come to find out, an optometrist can TELL if you're lying about that stuff.  Then, I saw a teenager with braces...so, I walked around for months with tin foil on my teeth.  One day, in 2nd grade, I saw her.  Coming down the hall was this most majestic creature.  I couldn't believe my eyes.  My mind started racing about all the ways I could go about achieving what this girl had.  It was 3rd grader and she had BROKEN HER LEG.  She had the whole gig going on...white plaster cast, crutches.   This is how I met Mary Beth Mullaney.

Turns out, Mary Beth was the oldest of four Mullaneys.  Steven was next, then Cathleen (same age as my sister) and sweet little Brendan.  These kids and my sister and I would turn into friends and remain so...Steven is married to our former roommate Alyssa, Cathleen and Katherine have been close friends since elementary school and Brendan thought I was the dream girl when he was in high school.  Why is everybody laughing, dammit?



So, what the hell am I trying to tell you people?  It's all about their mom, Fran. Of course, back in those days, she was "Mrs. Mullaney" but we're all mature adults now (at least that's the theory) and we can call her Fran and she'll answer. Fran is a lot of things:  good faithful Catholic, super mom, vacuumer extraordinaire (no, really), philanthropist, athlete, beautiful and she's a damn good cook.  So, to answer your question, what I'm trying to tell you people is about the "Mullaney Salad."


I don't remember how old we were when we got the recipe, but we've been making this for years.  Katherine got it first from Fran and says Fran calls it "garlic salad."  That's a good name; it has so much garlic in it that one time I was accused at work of drinking that morning because of the garlic leaching out of my skin.  That's a true story.  So, for many, many years now, Katherine and I have been making what we call "The Mullaney Salad."  We've taught it to other people as well.  Not sure if my cousin Brooks is making it right now in Hanoi, but I'm pretty darn sure Amy is serving it up in Longmont, Colorado.  


Not only am I going to share it with you, but I had the pleasure of having my sweet little Vivian make it with me the other night.  She was so proud of her Mullaney vinaigrette (I'm teachin' the kid big words, ya see) and lettuce, as you can plainly see from the pix.  So, eat, drink and stink up the joint with this most amazing garlic (Fran) Mullaney Salad!  **Full Disclosure** I don't have Fran's actual recipe anymore, so each time I make this, I have to do "what looks right".  So, these measurements I'm giving you are approximate and you can tweek at will.  

Mullaney Salad

• 1 head romaine (Fran says you wash your leaves, dry them, wrap them in a towel [like a baby] and put in the fridge.  I must admit, I often skip the lettuce swaddling because I'm impatient)
• 1-2 tsp minced garlic
• salt (the coarser, the better)
• 1/4 red wine vinegar
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1 1/2 tsp dry mustard
• 3-4 shakes of Worchestershire
• some pepper

Using the back of a spoon, mash the garlic with the salt. The idea is to use the salt as an abrasive to make the garlic into a paste of sorts.  Then, whisk in the vinegar, mustard, Worchestershire & pepper; whisk in the olive oil last.  Taste it and adjust the flavor as you wish.  Let it sit for awhile as you cook the rest of your meal.

Toss lettuce with vinaigrette, croutons, parmesan, etc.  I like to add toasted pine nuts too.  It's your salad; do what you want.  My sister Katherine thinks it's best to mix up the salad a few minutes before serving because she likes the lettuce a little on the wilty side.  But, again, it's your salad :-)

Weekend of Food

This weekend has shaped up to be a few good days of feasting.  As you know, we hit Virtu on Friday.  Last night, we hooked up with friends at SakiTumi.  And, today was the church covered dish luncheon.  

Saki Tumi (for those of you who aren't here in the fair city of Columbia) is one of many sushi restaurants in the downtown area.  Neil and I particularly like this place because of the location, the atmosphere, and the owner's a nice guy.  We met one my my old friends (I mean, from way back, not old.  Um, nevermind) and her husband to quietly celebrate her 15th 29th birthday.  I won't mention any names, but if you're on Facebook today, you'll probably figure it out.  Neil, who I lovingly refer to as my B-A-C (ball and chain) and I arrived first.  I got a glass of wine and Neil ordered a Red Bull (1) and Sprite, separately.  (Yuck-a-Ducka with a capital Duck).  Once our friends arrived, Neil got another Red Bull (2). I don't know how people can drink that stuff.


Anyway, we shared some edamame & the Drunken Shrimp.  And Neil got a Red Bull (3). I've never really been clear on why they named it Drunken Shrimp.  I love it, but I'm not gettin' the drunken part.  They are nice, big shrimp fried in a very flavorful, seasoned batter and served with what I consider like a curried remoulade-type sauce.  Lots of great flavors, but still not understanding the drunken aspect.  Laurin  I mean, my anonymous birthday friend and I both ordered the shrimp tempura roll.  If you read my post before about sushi, you'll know this is what I always order.  Birthday girl's B-A-C ordered crab cakes and Neilio had the sashimi sampler plate and a Red Bull (4).  I believe it was two types of tuna and salmon.  The USC game was on the big screen, which normally would irritate the fool out of me, but I have to give them credit, it was a big game and a big win.  So, congrats.  There, I said it.  It was a great evening of good food, good friends and good wine and Red Bull.

Why am I keeping you up to speed on the Red Bull?  As I mentioned, I think it's the foulest of funk, but God help him, Neil likes it.  BUT,  once we got home, it caught up with him.  He was a little shaky & revved up and turns out that plate of raw fish wasn't going the distance. So, he ended the evening with a good fridge raid of macaroni and cheese topped with a healthy dose of homemade chili.  Most of you guys are probably nodding your heads about now. Come to think of it I'm betting, no, I'm sure Neil isn't the first guy to have another meal after leaving the sushi joint. 



Today, the church covered dish luncheon was complete with all the required elements:  fried chicken, casseroles a-plenty, deviled eggs (not my cup of tea though), macaroni and cheese & two tables packed with desserts.  The Vivver actually sat in a chair and ATE.  That's right, I saw chicken, macaroni,  and jello go down the hatch. Not sure if any vegetables made the trip, but that's ok every now and then, right? 

**Restaurant Review**Virtu

Yesterday was Friday and Neil and I had time to go out together, thank you "Parent's Night Out" at Capital Karate.  As you know, restaurants are a high form of entertainment for me, so I was really looking forward to this.  But, I spent the better part of my day agonizing over where we should go. I even reached out via Facebook for suggestions.  Got a few good ones, but just wasn't feeling it.  I checked out countless menus online and finally came across one that interested me AND it was a place that I hadn't heard of yet.  How did this escape my attention?  My razor wit?  My eagle eye surveillance?

Virtu:  Located next to Dianne's on Devine.  Well, that would be the old Grazin' Monkey.  And, as irony would have it, Virtu is also a tapas restaurant, just like the Monkey of days gone by.  But, even though the menu looked fantastic, I left my office unsure.  Why, you ask?  

Over the  years, many places have popped up billing themselves as "Tapas Bars" and it's been disappointing.  See, true tapas is a snack and it's FREE.  That's right.  You go into a bar in Spain, order a drink and they bring you a little plate of their house tapas. Some places switch it up from time to time, some have their own signauture tapas that they serve all the time.  Keep drinking, they keep bringing you little snacks.  So, when America got a hold of this idea and Americanized it, what we got were restaurants serving micro-food with macro-prices.  This led me to my mediocre reaction to the discovery of Virtu, because cynicism crept into my brain and told me, "Don't get excited.  It's just another perversion of the tapas idea and you'll be pissed off about your bill."  Oh, cynicism, you're just so bad...

Ok, I need to speed this up...got home, mentioned a few ideas to Neil, he shot them down, then I casually mentioned this new place.  That's what he wanted.  I pulled up the menu to show him; uninterested in seeing it, we're going.  Ok, then.


Long story short (I know you're relieved), I was really impressed.  It's locally owned & operated, which is a biggie for me and the Neilix.  Our waitress, Nicole, was very professional, attentive, knew the menu and brought her *A* game.  Now, for the food.  We each had the "Three Hearts Caesar Salad" which features hearts of romaine (of course), hearts of palm and hearts of artichoke.  I tend to find that restaurants will tell you there is good stuff like heart of palm and you search and search to no avail for it on the plate.  Not so here.  The salad had a generous portion (but not too much) of palm and artichoke.  The lettuce was prepared the right way...bite size, no wilted or bruised leaves, like it's supposed to be.  The dressing was impressive too.  It contained all the classic flavors of a good Caesar dressing, but wasn't too acidic like some and the salad was properly tossed in it, not drowned in it.  The menu features this salad with tomato...I had mine without.  Success.


Then, we shared tapas.  We chose three...Cuban mojo chicken skewers, crab & artichoke fritters and langoustine ravioli in beurre blanc. The chicken was very flavorful and perfectly tender.  We received three skewers of bite-sized chicken breast and it was plenty for the two of us to share.  The sauce was delicious, the chicken tasted "grilly" and the presentation was very nice.  Success.  The fritters were a test.  So often, I find that fried dishes end up over-fried: too greasy, too hard, too damn fried.  And, again with the cynicism, so often, we get gypped on crab, even though we live in a coastal state where we can catch the little suckers all day long!  So, these fritters were going to be scrutinized.  Surprise!  They were very well cooked, nice deep gold color and the inside was soft and warm and CRABBY!  They were drizzled with a super remoulade sauce, making all the flavors work really well together.  Success.  Lastly, there were the langoustine ravioli.  I hate to sound like a broken record, but again, really outstanding.  The pasta was perfectly cooked and al dente...even fine restaurants have a tendancy to send out rubbery ravioli, in my experience.  Not the case here.  The filling was light and delicately flavored, which was complimented nicely by beautiful beurre blanc with a little bite of citrus.  Success.


I overheard Nicole tell the table behind us that the restaurant has only been open about 9 weeks.  It was a Friday, which is busier anyway, but I was pleased to see the restaurant full and people arrived, ate and more took their places consistently during the time we were there.  This, of course, is a good sign for a new restaurant.  And, if you like to support locals, like we do, this is very encouraging.  


Neil and I will definitely be going to Virtu often.  I recommend it wholeheartedly and would love to hear your comments after you try it out.  Maybe we could all hook up there!

Dark Chocolate Takes over the World

I'm fascinated by the impressive marketing turnaround the chocolate industry has pulled on dark chocolate.  I'm 42 years old and for my entire life, the "special dark" Hershey's miniatures have always remained in the bag.  And getting stuck with those in your trick of treat bag?  What a rip-off!  Who ever thought kids wanted to eat dark chocolate?  Call it "special" all day long, it doesn't change things.  Those rejects tasted about as special as when you managed to get your sister to (once again) let her guard down and fall for the classic and timeless trick of all time.  You know, it goes like this...

"Hey Katherine, would you like a 'Chunky'?  I bought some with my allowance."  She eagerly accepts and pops that big ol' hunk of unsweetened baking chocolate into her mouth.  Ahhh, the rest is history!  That pays her back for all the times she's gotten me to chug an ice cold glass of hunky milk.  Yes, she's gotten me to fall for that one mulitple times over the years, I'm sorry to say.  

Anyway, I digress.  So, here we are in the 2000's.  That little French woman declares that all you have to do is eat dark chocolate and you'll be thin, and America fell hook, line and sinker.  Dark chocolate exploded on our chocolate scene.  And, it pretty much still sucked.  But, I'll be the first to admit if I'm wrong or if I've learned something new.  So, here goes.


I noticed before Halloween that Reese's peanut butter cups had introduced a dark one. Once again, I thought,  "Who are these people who think candy lovers like this crap?"  And especially at Halloween, I thought of all those kids who'd end up with those at the bottom of the trick or treat bag.  What a rip-off!  But, I've tried one and lo and behold, they're actually good!  I can't believe I'm saying this, but I believe I actually like the dark one better than the original.  (Blasphemy!)  It's not as sweet, which is what I like I think.  


Peut-etre, si je mange du chocolats noir avec du vin rouge, je serai petits comme les femmes francaises!

Be Alarmed, be VERY Alarmed

So, this morning, I posted on FB about the Keystone Kops in my town.  The fine capital city, Columbia, has the most idiotic police force on the planet.  After dropping Viv off at school, I turned onto Harden Street.  Now, for those of you who aren't from around here, it's a major artery through our college bar & restaurant district called 5 Points.  Here are THREE cop cars stopped in the right lane with blue lights a-plenty.  As I approach, I see that (whew! much to my relief) these fine officers are gathered together on the sidewalk to stare at a dead raccoon.  Thank God that little menace has been stopped once and for all!  And, it took 3 cops to bring him down.  Alert the media, divert traffic, summon the Mayor.  We can all sleep tonight knowing that there will be NO masked bandits in our trashcans as we count our Z's.   (btw: THIS NEVER, EVER FRIGGIN' HAPPENS AROUND HERE UNLESS YOU HAVE YOUR OWN PERSONAL DUMPSTER FULL OF OLD FISH).

So, anyway, after my post, my buddy Trudie replied not only with some comments, but bless her ever-lovin' heart, actually took it upon herself to research and locate a recipe for STUFFED, BAKED RACCOON.  Don't believe me, do you?  Click here, if you dare. 

Of course the holidays are around the corner and we're in a tough economy...I'm just sayin'.