Marvelous Mussels

Nick and I stopped at a new place on the way home from school, August Grocery on Division. A wonderful little market, with lots of fresh fish, quality ingredients, and a friendly staff. We picked up a couple of pounds of mussels, some parsley, shallots, and pasta, and I made moules mariniere for dinner. Yum. Nick has almost finished his plate. Next time, I want to try the skatewing.

Crabcakes

Crabcakes
Originally uploaded by mickeynick.

Skip and Barb recently visited from Buffalo, which occasioned the making of Skip's famous crabcakes. Originally from Maryland, Skip knows a thing or two about shellfish. His recipe features crab, a little Old Bay seasoning, crab, some fresh breadcrumbs, crab, a dollop of mayo, crab, some beaten egg, and crab.

We added a homemade remoulade sauce, some crisp cole slaw, and a green salad, and a delicious dinner was enjoyed by all.

Dessert for Breakfast

Sometimes, Foodiemom is just not in the mood to cook and you've just got to go out for breakfast. So it was the morning before Nick's karate performance test. To fortify him for two hours of punching and kicking, we went to the Bongo Room on Roosevelt for a hearty repast. He ordered the "half" portion of the S'mores Pancakes--two gigantic cakes, sprinkled with sliced bananas and slathered with chocolate sauce and creme anglais.

Retro App

On a cold winter Sunday afternoon, nothing beats a hot dip. I used to make this in the 80s, but stopped in a fit of health consciousness. Now, I've brought it back, for a limited time only.

Artichoke Dip

1 can artichoke hearts, chopped
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup sour cream
1 cup Parmesan cheese, finely grated
several dashes Tabasco

Mix ingredients together. Place in an ovenproof baking dish (I use ceramic soup bowls). Bake at 350 for 20-30 minutes until hot and bubbly. Serve with tortilla or pita chips.

Happy Breakfast

I may be the cook around here, but my dear husband is the master of presentation and food styling. Here is some pineapple and mini-muffins, dressed up for breakfast.