Usually you could tell a good diner by the number of truckers, who eat there. If it's busy, the next step is to get the meatloaf.

By the way, one of the best meatloaf meals I ever had was at the Bob Evans chain. That was ten years ago. i just don't go to Bob Evans often.

Well, tonite I did in fact find time to make rice balls, I didnt get the chop meat like i hoped to fill the center, but i did make the marinara sauce and made the rice balls slightly smaller than regular meat balls and fried them up... nice and crispy on the outside, and its a good way to recycle leftovers you might normally regret and/or throw out... tomorrow (friday) is pizza nite, i think i might just order it out from a place in town i have not tried in awhile (italianissmo, featured in the sopranos), they are the only ones in town with a brick oven, but i have to see how the day/mood/money plays out lol.

I didn't have time to eat for a 24-hour period because JRCX was bossing me around all day and making me work under pressure deadlines. So after my 11-hour-shift to save his ass (once again), I went out to the pub and got a roast beef sandwich and potato soup...

A good potato soup is worth its weight in gold. The right seasonings (and a little heavy cream), and it is truly wonderful.

On the other hand, positively the worst one I ever had was at Panico's in New Brunswick. What purported to be a puree of leeks and potatoes was, somehow, rendered absolutely tasteless by the chef. I still do not know how you can remove all the flavor from leeks and potatoes - but, somehow, they were able to do it.

Anyway - tonight's dinner. Haven't decided yet, but it will probably be something with a chicken breast or shrimp. At least, that's what was staring me in the face when I looked in the freezer a few moments ago. Noticed some frozen homemade basil pesto, too.

Methinks there are the fixin's for a decent meal here.

Signor V.

Who goes to a place like Panicos, which is known for it's Italian cuisine, and orders Potatoe Soup?

JRCX,

Rice Balls were a yearly tradition in my family. I don't know the accurate history of how this food came about, but in my family it was on St. Lucy's Day that we made them.

I had a great aunt who at a young age "almost" went blind. Don't know the specifics but St.Lucy is the patron Saint of the eyes and so I was told she prayed to St. Lucy every night and thankfully did not lose her site. Since that time, my father's whole generation would make riceballs on St. Lucy's Day (Dec. 12 or 13th I think).

If St. Lucy's Day was on a Friday, when we couldn't eat meat, they'd obviously make a meatless batch and we'd save the meat ones for the next day.

Gee, brings back memories. I wasn't even born when my Great Aunt went through this, but she was still alive when I was young, and I remember the family getting together making rice balls. It was like a mini holiday. Just like when they'd make the homemade pasta, rolling the dough, curling it. Man, an all day event.

TIS

Potatoe soup??

Who are you, Dan Quayle?

Don Quardi

TIS, I would imagine that the reason for the riceballs on St. Lucy's was because you're not supposed to eat wheat on her feast day. Supposedly, she was martyred in a wheat field (or something with a wheat field). If you notice, in every picture of her, she's carrying a stalk of wheat and her eyes on a plate. December 13th is a very big Sicilian holiday.

SB,

Thanks for the refresher. I do remember now not eating wheat and also I have seen pictures or statues of St. Lucy holding the eyes. My Aunt was from Sicily and since you say it's a very big Holiday there, I am assuming this affliction of hers occurred in Italy when she was very young and was carried over here.

My great aunt passed away in the mid 1960's but my family in Michigan still makes the riceballs to this day, and celebrates the holiday.

Thanks again

TIS

Great notes on St. Lucy, there is a statue of her in a small church on Pine Street in Montclair... It was my mother's name and she never liked the story/statue of her because it was so morbid... as the legend goes (and I am sure I will be corrected if wrong), but this man kept telling her what beautiful eyes she had but she kept telling him she was committed to God. He was relentless and kept complimenting her on her eyes day after day, so she pulled them out and put them on a plate for him and said "here you go since you think they are so beautiful" -- wow, no wonder why my mother hated the association... someone pls tell me there is a different story behind it? Thats extreme even for Sicilians LOL.

As for Geoff, well, if he wants to sleep till noon and not eat breakfast, thats not my fault, and yes, he saved my ass, not the first time, and definitely not the last lol, but what are friends for??

Lastly, Panico's, well, while the osso buco was good, no doubt, the appetizers were not just overcharged for, but of inferior quality of what should be passed off for that price in an "authentic" Italian restaurant. I was there for the company, not the food, but just because a few govenors and senators ate there, no reason to charge $18 per person for hot and cold appetizers that you can get in a local supermarket of far better quality...

Just my 3cents (-:

No wedding food tonight - I got the weekend off. Then realized I hadn't had a steak in forever, so ordered a T-Bone w/ mashed potatoes and a salad

Sounds good. You know what though? I love mashed potatos, but for some reason I always have to have baked potato with steak.


TIS

I love real mashed potatoes (I was raised on instant ), and most places seem to serve instant as well... but I never pass up the real deal so had to get it!

Me and a friend went to the Outback Steakhouse (his choice), had the babyback ribs, way better than Chilis, but not as good as Tiffany's (they are the best by far)... got the garlic mashed potatoes, and quite frankly, they sucked... tasted more like they cook it in fish stock or something lol... I SHOULD have had the sweet potato or a baked potatoe... instant mashed potatoes don't bother me, i love potatoes so much i can eat they anyway you can serve them :-) I also had a great martini, it had pomegrante juice, Skyy vodka and Absolut Pear vodka...

You poor guy...

My fiancee only makes real, I refuse to eat plastic mashed potatoes.

I'll see you in the "Vale of Paradise" tomorrow then

I really don't mind instant potatos. I prefer "real", but I have made instant and even though I can taste a definite difference, I don't think they're too bad.



TIS

Don't get me wrong -- as I said, I was raised on them, and even make them myself -- I just said I liked the real ones better

Geoff, I know exactly what you're saying. I think we'll all agree "real" is better.


TIS

I love mashed potatoes, and only make real. The secret is to whip them when they are very hot. I try to ease the fat content by making them with 1/3 butter and cream, and 2/3 margarine and skim, and it's not half bad. But I am rather obsessive (I know, big surprise) about getting all the lumps out. If they are not smooth and creamy, I don't want to eat them.

As for Panico's, I swear that I can't remember the appetizers!! My filet mignon was so tender and delicious, that I don't remember much else!

You were kind of "gone" by the time we started eating. I'm surprised you remember the filet mignon.

Well, between the watermelon martinis and the wine that DT was kind enough to send, I'm surprised I can remember New Brunswick!!!

Don't feel bad.... I don't really remember the appetizers either. I do remember, however, that I REALLY enjoyed my filet mignon, too.

I'm so used to instant, finding some lumps is always a very pleasant surprise to me!

Tonight it was pizza - white pie w/ broccoli and garlic (and of course ricotta)

For those who can order from http://calandrasbakery.com/ you should try it, not only one of the best breads in NJ but they also have a great line of pastas, ravioli but are best known for their pastries... I went to "Vince's Family Market" after church to get some italian things you cant find anywhere else normally... imported pastas, olive oil, other such stuf... and I got some baby lamb chops and eggplant for tomorrow, got to figure out how to do the eggplant on the grill since it will be one of the last warm days of the year... :-)

Save it for Thursday

Pizza rolls

I finished the pizza (at least it's a healthful pie )

Rotisserie chickens from Costco.