Lend Me Your Ears

Getting Ready For The Watermelon Feed

Posted on 2 July 2018

Be Prepared If watermelons are being served, you know people will be spitting seeds. At some point, usually a competition will ensue. Most of the time these are simply fun activities, but if you are asked to participate and are directed to a spitway (an outlined 75 X 15-foot area), you know you are in the company of serious watermelon spitters. You need to be ready if this happens, especially if bets will be placed. The Rules Are Simple Seeds must be selected on site. The larger seeds…

There’s Gold In Them Thar Truffles

Posted on 5 June 2018

in Lend Me Your Ears

by Bob

Pictured Above Is Risotto With Raisins And Both Black And White Truffles. My Truffle Discovery My actual introduction to a truffle occurred at The Modern in New York City. I had ordered the tasting menu, and one of the courses was risotto. For an extra $40 I could have sliced white truffle added at the table. Always keeping the words of wisdom from a Schlitz Beer commercial, “You only go around once in life,” I decided to go for it. It was one of the most fabulous foods…

Shhh! Secret Ingredients

Posted on 22 May 2018

in Lend Me Your Ears

by Bob

Vive La Différence Secret Ingredients can make a big difference in a dish. I would like to tell you about six of my favorites. I had originally planned to take them to my grave; however, I can’t in good conscience not tell you. Up until now they’ve been closely guarded. The only exceptions where I’ve shared them have been with good friends and blood relatives, and I had each of them sign documents saying they would not divulge this information. The magic six are listed in no specific order: Truffle Salt (an…

Linguine In White Clam Sauce

Posted on 19 April 2018

in Lend Me Your Ears

by Bob

Quick and Easy Linguine with a white clam sauce – sounds difficult, right? Not really. This is one of those quick meals you can prepare on the spur of the moment. If you have your act together, you can have this on the table and ready to go in about 40 minutes. There is not a long list of ingredients. Garlic, shallots, and white wine are usually part of what you will have available in your kitchen. I have added linguine, cans of whole baby clams, and parmigiano…

The Perfect Martini At A Perfect Hour

Posted on 14 April 2018

in Lend Me Your Ears

by Bob

“One martini is alright. Two are too many, and three are not enough.” – James Thurber How 1950s Is This? One of the more civilized things a person can do is to enjoy a cocktail (or two) before dinner. Five o’clock heralds the beginning of our cocktail hour. We seldom miss our appointment, and if we do miss it due to other obligations, yours truly can get a little pissy. A designated cocktail hour gives us permission to start drinking, as if we actually need an excuse. It’s something to…

Around An Italian Dinner Table

Posted on 9 April 2018

in Lend Me Your Ears

by Bob

The Right Idea When it comes to dining, I think the Italians have the right idea. If you’ve ever had the privilege of being seated around an Italian dinner table, you know exactly what I’m talking about. It’s laid back, relaxed, unhurried, and the ambiance exudes warmth and conviviality. And the dinner IS the evening – it’s not the prelude to something else. It’s seldom served before 8 p.m., and if you’re dining out, once you’re seated, the table is yours for the night. There will be no pressure for you to…

A Bone-in Country Ham With That Old-fashioned Goodness

Posted on 26 March 2018

in Lend Me Your Ears

by Bob

A Real Hankerin’ For A Bone-in Ham Every once in a while, I get a hankerin’ (it’s the way my people used to talk) for a taste of a good ol’ bone-in country ham – the kind that my grandmother used to make on Easter. If you’ve ever tasted one, the taste was absolutely unforgettable. The KISS Principle Applies Here If you’re planning to purchase a ham, my advice is to keep it simple. Something happens to many of the commercial types that are for sale. These hams are most likely…

Stress Free Hosting

Posted on 12 March 2018

in Lend Me Your Ears

by Bob

If we were Downton Abbey rich, entertaining would be a breeze. We would have our butler greet the guests at the door. They would be ushered into our posh library where one of our staff would offer each of our arrivals a highball and nibbles. After all of the guests were attended to, Dorothy and I would make our entrance. We would hobnob with the attendees until chimes were struck indicating dinner was ready to be served. All would then drift into the dining room to a large table impeccably set…

The Classic Shrimp Cocktail

Posted on 7 March 2018

in Lend Me Your Ears, Nibbles and Appetizers (The Starters)

by Bob

“Shrimp is the fruit of the sea. You can barbecue it, boil it, broil it, bake it, sauté it. There’s, um, shrimp ka-bobs, shrimp creole, shrimp gumbo, pan-fried, deep-fried, stir-fried. There’s pineapple shrimp, lemon shrimp, coconut shrimp, pepper shrimp, shrimp soup, shrimp stew, shrimp salad, shrimp and potatoes, shrimp burger, shrimp sandwich. . . That’s, that’s about it.” – Mykelti Williamson The Appetizer Of All Appetizers. When They’re Good They’re Very Very Good … Mykelti, you failed to mention the Classic Shrimp Cocktail. Of all of the ways to…

Cranberry Brie Bites – The Perfect Party Snack

Posted on 25 February 2018

in Lend Me Your Ears

by Bob

Bring A Snack To Share You’ve been invited to a party, and you’ve been asked to bring a snack to share with the others in attendance. What’s a good snack to bring as your offering? Considerations We usually stick with the following criteria for a good party snack: We think individual bites are best – something a guest can pick up and put on their plate. Our current go-to snack is Cranberry Brie Bites. Click on Cranberry Brie Bites and then scroll down past the narrative to see the recipe. We avoid taking…

Dinner Parties

Lend Me Your Ears

Getting Ready For The Watermelon Feed

There’s Gold In Them Thar Truffles

Shhh! Secret Ingredients

Linguine In White Clam Sauce

The Perfect Martini At A Perfect Hour

Around An Italian Dinner Table

A Bone-in Country Ham With That Old-fashioned Goodness

Stress Free Hosting

The Classic Shrimp Cocktail

Cranberry Brie Bites – The Perfect Party Snack

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