Daily Archives: December 27, 2009

Vacation

It’s getting a bad name in the US of A. My husband has had three days off this past year, Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve and Christmas day. We’d like to go somewhere but not where we’re patted down and not allowed to go to the bathroom on the plane or put up a laptop at 20,000 feet.

How can we go see our family that we left nearly a year ago? Because your pre-screen procedures, TSA, are inadequate, you choose to punish all air travelers and don’t leave a blanket or pillow behind. On a trans-Atlantic flight you superimpose a meal schedule and lights out that is antithetical to any of your passengers, so you can get some downtime before gearing up for landing. Everyone gets up and goes to the bathroom to freshen up and you’re going to deny that? Probably not in First Class, which is where the terrorists will go next.

99.9% of Americans don’t deserve security lines, Passports, quart bags and pat-downs to go see Grandma for the holidays. It belies the “over the river and through the woods” mind-set most of us have when we meet family to celebrate holy days and celebratory times. On transatlantic flights, it is crucial for passengers to have water because the recycled air is so dry. I normally get up for water during the night. To tell people they can’t get up and go to the bathroom and brush their teeth before they land is heinous.

We want to fly to see family, now that Jim has a few days off, but one TSA mistake should lead to their heightened presence in the airport, not keeping people from going to the bathroom on a plane at 35,000 feet. Not inspired to travel in January, Dee

A Simple Supper

Years ago my mother used to make this baked sandwich, and I couldn’t wait for it to come out of the oven with all the crispy melted cheese. I used two extra-large pita bread rounds and cut each in half, filled them with grated extra sharp cheddar (Cabot) and two slices cooked applewood sliced bacon per half and baked on sheet pans at 350 for about ten minutes. Unable to find my first NYTimes matzoh ball recipe I cheated and got the box. After cooking the matzoh balls I added them to boxed organic chicken stock with a few slices of roasted carrots from Christmas dinner. Jim loved the soup and sandwich combination.

A tiny bit of matzoh meal is all it takes to make dinner for at least four diners! Jim had seconds, I’ll have to send a box or two to his mother in TX. I had the honor of bringing her to her first deli. Folks from rural areas there don’t know about hot pastrami or latkes but they do know their brisket, except it’s smoked. Jim’s uncle crafted his own smoker and babysits his briskets for 13 hours!

As for the soup, it’s Jewish penicillin! Who am I to talk, raised Catholic with a Christian husband. I just know from being filled with smoked meat as a child, by relatives in Montreal it was a natural progression to the Jewish deli and its delicacies.

Now I need to know what to do with the rest of the lamb. I’d like to do a shepherd’s pie but Jim has had enough bad restaurant versions in the UK to turn off that one. If I can find ramekins today I’ll try a pot pie with veloute, carrots, fresh green beans, chopped lamb, perhaps a potato or two and frozen puff pastry as a crust. It’s a shame to waste four ribs of a rack of lamb. Before I do this, he may have me put on snowshoes or skis so if I do not return to this blog, I fell down a mountain and crashed.

Two days from now, call 911, Val The Vet for Zoe, cook and maid service for Jim. Given that as a possibility, we may try snowshoes or go bowling. Yes, bowling might work. The last time we went was years ago. There was an expert practicing on a lane alone right next to us. I hit a possible spare that needed a 7-10 split to make. Dumb beginners’ luck I hit it. The expert congratulated me and made my day.

Yes, let’s stick to ground-based activities. First comes taking Zoe out and making breakfast, perhaps cheese omelets and maple sausage. Hot biscuits. It looks cold out there this morning and we’re using the shades for warmth but I can feel the cold coming in through the glass wall of windows out to the nature preserve. Wishing you a happy holiday weekend! Cheers, Dee