Author Archives: LeAnne Notabartolo

Relationship Status? Complicated. Part 2 – My Experience as a Waitress

Posted on by LeAnne Notabartolo

I hope you took the time to read Part 1 about my experience with poverty and food as a youth. Read on for the second part in the multi-part series.

In my humble opinion, I think everyone should experience work in food service at some point in their life. Whether it is waiting tables, working delivery, fast food, dishwasher, chef, or prep cook, it doesn’t matter. You come away from that experience changed. Sometimes for the good, sometimes not.

Food Service – Precision

My first experience in food service was at our family deli. Making sandWISHes*, slicing cold cuts, running the register. In college I worked the deli counter for Price Chopper. While home on summer break I worked in the meat department for the same grocer. Pal Mike worked there as well (you can read his blog here).

My first waitressing job was at The Friar Tuck Inn in Catskill, New York. For those of you who aren’t familiar, it was akin to an Italian version of the hotel in Dirty Dancing with all the angst, sex, illegal gambling, and drugs you’d expect. But without Patrick Swayze (pity). I fell even more deeply in love with food. Watching the culinary team turn out LITERALLY 1000 covers of a six-course meal every night with the precision of a Swiss watch was energizing! They were their own perfect ballet company behind the line.

Calls of “Behind” and “Watch Your Back” made me jump to the side because I didn’t know what the hell I was doing. It was amazing! My love affair with the hospitality industry was born. I made a ton of cash, I was thin, my arms were ripped, I made lazy busboys cry (for real), became more confident and stood up for myself, and learned new skills that would serve me later. And the food? I could eat any damn thing I pleased from the line. Amazing soups, good pastas, fresh salads, stuffed Clams Casino, in a quantity that was limited only to the time I had between services.

What I didn’t know at the time was I was my own garde manger. The waitstaff was responsible for making our own salads and plating our own cold appetizers. Nothing too complicated; melon with lemon, scungilli salad, “house” salad, but each and every one needed to look exactly the same so no one at the table felt slighted. This trend continued at several waitressing jobs across my career in food service, from pizzerias, to upscale dining, to buffets, to banquets. And I loved it! The funniest thing is that it wasn’t until I went to culinary school that I found out I had been part of the “ballet” all along but didn’t know it.

Growth – Experience

After my experience at The Friar Tuck, I knew I could work in virtually any restaurant on the planet. I had found a true love of food service and sought out more jobs because my Friar Tuck job was only April thru October. I worked seven days a week, simultaneously at a pizzeria (weekdays), nightclub (weekend nights – where I met my husband), country club (weekend evenings) and The Friar Tuck (weeknight evenings). The following items were in my car: uniform items, spare shoes, panty hose with support, makeup, deodorant, cigarettes, and a basic first aid kit of bandages to combat the inevitable blisters on my feet. I earned a lot of “experience points” and was as comfortable doing upscale dining as I was at slinging drinks or pizzas. It was 1987. I had a cocaine problem. I was 22.

I had no misconceptions about my abilities. Yeah, I was good, but not great, but I still had difficulty finding a job after getting married at the end of 1987 and making my first move as a military wife. Because of my work ethic, knowing I was only going to be in Denver for 6 months, I was honest about my limited time there, and no one would hire me. They didn’t want to train me, just to have me leave.

John was on mids (6 pm – midnight), so I really only wanted to work evenings. One jackass wanted me to work “splits” – come in at 10:30 am, prep and work the lunch shift until 2:30, then come back at 4 and work until 11. Fuck off. I was offered a dream job at Raffles Hotel and had to turn it down because I didn’t feel it was fair to them. They wanted to send me to school to be a sommelier. Turning down that one made me cry.

I despise lying but found myself doing just that so I could get a job. I ended up working at a Marie Callender’s, my first and only chain restaurant experience, complete with ugly polyester pinafore uniform, shitty food, and shitty tips. If I was lucky, I made $30/night in tips. But I had a job. Having worked at more upscale places, I was kinda snobby to be honest about the food there, but I do admit the pies were good. And it was a MASSIVE cut in pay too. Let me put it this way – in 1987, I paid for my wedding in cash after saving for less than one year.

Need– Adversary

Then we moved to Spain. Once again, I had to find a job. One of the most frustrating things about being a military wife is that I could never really have a career of my own. There was no internet or work from home option back then and without a college degree, there were few options open to me. None of which offered transfers when John was moved. Each time I’d get seniority, we’d move.

Even though John was in the military and was getting a steady paycheck and housing allowance, both of us were up to our asses in student debt with nothing to show for it. His check paid for the bills, and my paycheck paid for food and entertainment (basically). Thankfully there were vibrant “clubs” on the bases back then. I ended up working in the NCO and Officers’ Clubs as a banquet server and dining room waitress. The tips sucked, the food sucked, and while I was happy to have a job, my American co-workers sucked too. I learned valuable lessons here. This is where I learned about differences in people’s life experience and what constituted “good” for them. This was where I learned that I had graduated from “needy” to privileged in some ways and didn’t know it.

Disdain – Snobbery

While waiting for a banquet to start one evening the waitresses and hostesses started talking about their weddings. As the new kid on the block, I just sat there and let them talk, growing more and more scandalized by the descriptions of their weddings. You see, in my family and circle of friends, there was only one way to have a wedding. You got married in a church; posed for pictures; then you had an open bar cocktail hour with passed hors d’oeuvres, and then either a sit-down dinner or a buffet dinner where the open bar continued. There is cake and dancing, and a good time is had by all. Period. That’s it. That was the only way unless you eloped. Still, to this day if Mom or anyone else in my family goes to a wedding, the first question I ask is, “How was the food?”

Tales were proudly told about backyard BBQ’s, and receptions catered entirely by the family (who were not caterers or even in the food industry). Finger sandwiches and potato salads were a common theme. I heard retellings of 350-person church basement receptions with cake and punch, nothing else. Not even dancing! With the prices of the dresses ranging from $300 to $800 (in the 80’s – that was a LOT). Wait! What? How can you have a wedding reception without booze or dancing? You had it outdoors? Didn’t your dress get ruined? You spent that much on your dress and you didn’t serve dinner? All those people traveled to celebrate with you, and you only gave them cake and punch? WTF?!

I thought to myself, “LeAnne, just shut up. They already think you are a snob; they don’t need to hear about your wedding.” But of course, all eyes turned to me and they begged me to share. So, I told them.

“My wedding wasn’t as big as some of yours. I got my dress on sale for $85. We only had 125 people. There was a cocktail hour with passed hors d’oeuvres, a sit-down dinner, open bar, dancing, and cake.” I tried not to speak in a disdainful tone, even though my 23 year old heart held nothing but disdain for their bizarre (to my mind) celebrations. I spat it all out in one breath hoping that would be the end of it, purposefully leaving things kinda vague. Then the questions started. What kind of hors d’oeuvres? What was the dinner? What’s an open bar? When I explained what an open bar was, they were floored, “You PAID for all of those people to get drunk?” I asked, “If you invite people to dinner at your house, do you ask them to bring their own drinks?” The response was unanimously “yes”.

They labeled me a snob, and never spoke to me again. Seriously. Whenever I had to work with any of them, there was no camaraderie. No chit chat; it was work talk only. And there was no team support either. While they would help each other bussing or setting tables, or filling water glasses, I was left to do mine alone. It was working this job, that I realized people who loved food service had different expectations and feelings about celebrations and food in general. These bitches thought this food was good!

Most of these gals had never been a waitress before and they were only doing so now because, like me, it was the only job they could get. The difference was, I liked it. Here I was, acting like a snob doing the same fucking job as them…yeah…that. It was 1988. I was 23. You don’t know shit when you’re 23.

Learning – Growth – Gathering

That was when I learned to shut the fuck up. It was then that the lightbulb finally went on. The lightbulb indicating my experience with food and dining culture was incredibly limited to only what I knew. If I was going to grow up, I needed to shut up and learn.

The Spanish career waiters took me under their wing and started teaching me Spanish and inviting me to eat with them. For the record, THEIR dinner was excellent because the entire line in the kitchen was Spanish. The family meal was classic Spanish cuisine. Being invited to eat with the Spaniards further deepened the riff between me and my American co-workers because they were jealous, and I didn’t give a flying damn. At least the Spaniards befriended me, which is more than I could say about the Americans.

The Spanish staff members talked with me about the differences between American and Spanish restaurants. They wanted to know as much about American dining culture as I wanted to know about theirs. I had to chuckle when they told me they thought all American restaurants were either really fancy or like Mc D’s. They taught me to flambé. It was here I made my first Chateaubriand and almost set my bangs on fire. They gave me my own nickname – La Reina or Agrippina depending on who was addressing me. And they taught me how to eat like a European. It was here that I learned the restaurant business was a way of life in Europe, not just a gig. There was so much more to experience out there! It was 1989. I was 24.

Leaving – Change

After an abysmal year or so of working with American women who didn’t like me and I didn’t like at all, I left that job. I liked the job, I just didn’t like most of my co-workers and that makes for a miserable work environment. I went back to retail, which I hated. Considering the lack of good tips and the shitty hours, retail was the better option on base for pay and stability for someone with my limited qualifications. I had to work until 7 on the latest shifts. That meant John and I could have dinner together some nights. The hourly pay at the BX was better. I hated it and sucked it up because I didn’t have any better options.

I hoped I could get a transfer to the BX at our next assignment and keep my pay scale. That was not to be. We moved to northern Maine, the tundra. And I went back to food service, at a job that nearly destroyed my love of food permanently. That was October 1991. I was 26.

Next up? Continued adventures in Food Service and Culinary School

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*I always type sandWISHes for a decent ‘wich…

Relationship Status? It’s Complicated – Part one – Ancient History

Posted on by LeAnne Notabartolo

Currently, the area of the Hudson Valley where I grew up is the darling of the media. It has even been written up in Bon Appetit. I nearly choked on my tea when I read that. There have been James Beard award nominees across several years. My brain couldn’t compute that AT ALL the first time that happened. And it has grown exponentially in cool factor and income levels since I lived there. It’s complicated. The area is filled with farmers, lush landscapes, and beauty, but since all of that has become “cool”, the Hudson Valley has become a bougie enclave with amazing restaurants, independently owned businesses, and the artists and artistry of the area are even more recognized.

To be honest, I hated growing up there; all I ever wanted to do was get the hell out of there. And I did – in spades! And still, after more than 20 years of living elsewhere, when I visited last, I had a negative physical, visceral response to all of it. My allergies flared up, my skin crawled, and I dreaded the possibility of running into the bullies of my youth. I hate reliving my past – Hakuna Matata – and yet, here I am, doing it again to share my relationship with food. It is a complicated relationship. I both love it and loathe it.

Photo by <a href="https://unsplash.com/@claybanks?utm_source=unsplash&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=creditCopyText">Clay Banks</a> on <a href="https://unsplash.com/photos/7MVUfQLSpiA?utm_source=unsplash&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=creditCopyText">Unsplash</a>
Photo by Clay Banks on Unsplash

We moved from Long Island to the Hudson Valley in 1973. Farms and farming were and are a way of life, not a trend to be embraced. Unlike people who were born there, I don’t look back on it with any special sense of nostalgia or fondness. I have no feelings of belonging or special ties to the community. There is nothing I miss from that area other than the fall foliage (there are people that I miss). I still dislike being there, and only go back rarely to see dear friends. In fact, I think the last time I was there was 13 years ago. But to dig deeper into honesty, upstate New York is where my complicated relationship with food was born, grew into adolescence, and coalesced into something tangible.

Change – Fear

Living on Long Island, in Gram’s house, I never knew we lacked anything. I am sure that we did, but I never KNEW it. There was always food in Gram’s kitchen, I don’t remember ever going hungry. We lived in a little white house on a regular street – Sherman Avenue – with sidewalks, and with cousins nearby and friends on the block. My mom’s high school friends lived nearby, and we were friends with their kids, too. When we moved upstate, that changed. While we waited for the new mobile home to be delivered, we moved into “the cabin” on 20 acres of what is now prime real estate. We had no friends, no sidewalks, and our nearest neighbor was a quarter of a mile down the road. There was no kitchen, just a two-burner hot plate, a sink, and a fridge. For someone who remembers many meals of her past and has “food memories”, I don’t remember eating in “the cabin”; I don’t even remember Mom cooking there. I can’t tell you how long we lived like that, because I don’t know, but I DO remember my mom canning fruit and vegetables on an outdoor firepit made of cinderblocks. There was cruelty in culling poultry, ruthlessness in the tearing out of weeds, and fear of not doing it correctly, and punishment. There was true fear in not knowing what was next. This was the very first time I can remember being afraid of anything or anyone. It was 1973. I was eight.

Shame – Poverty – Need

We lived at the poverty line in upstate New York. If you grow up always in need, you never know any difference. For me it was a LOT more complicated because I DID know differently. My Long Island cousins were in a financially stable home and didn’t need food stamps, free lunch, or hand me downs (as far as I knew). They lived in a house and were never called “trailer trash”, so their life was my barometer of what life could be. KNOWING you are disadvantaged is one thing. Having people ridicule, shame, and embarrass you because of it is something completely different.

As an elementary schooler, having free lunch was no big deal, but high school was where I learned to be ashamed for needing assistance and frankly it is why I have such a hard time asking anyone for help of any kind. You see, back then, you paid for your lunch in cash if you had it. There were yellow cards for reduced price lunch, and red cards for free lunch. My card was red. At first, I was thrilled and grateful because I knew I could HAVE lunch. A lunch that wasn’t a peanut butter and homemade jelly sandwich. That changed less than 6 weeks into the first quarter of my freshman year. A group of “mean girls” who were upper classmen (and yes, I still remember who they are) were behind me in line and made snide comments about “poor kids” and the free lunch program. I knew they were talking about me; they said it loud enough for everyone in line to hear. People laughed at their comments and at me. That was the last time I ate lunch at school. Ever. I would rather be hungry than made fun of or shamed in any way. It was October 1978. I was 13.  

Pride – Skills – Farming

My life was irrevocably changed in every possible way when we moved upstate, but I will focus on food here because that is complicated enough. In the Hudson Valley, I learned how to work a garden, tend chickens, feed horses, and so many other farming tasks, including culling and cleaning poultry (a skill I used a couple of years ago to help friend Kim). I also learned how to identify trees, plants, and edibles in nature. (I am nowhere near as good as THIS GAL, but I wouldn’t starve if I had to fend for myself.)

Because my stepfather was a butcher, I learned what that looked like, learned to freezer wrap a butchered deer in 15 minutes, and I truly understood where my food came from for the first time. My Long Island cousins never had those experiences. The children of my mom’s high school friends never learned those skills. Our friends from Sherman Avenue had no concept of any of that. Even my stepfather’s children knew nothing of “country” living. I’d wager a good chunk of cash that the townies never learned any of that either. I was now “other”. I love the fact that I had those experiences and learned those skills, but I also loathe the fact that I HAD to. Complicated.

What many people don’t know about the brutality of the food chain, food processing, and farming is astonishing to me. They watch one documentary or read an article or a book and think they KNOW. You don’t know, but I do. And I kinda liked the brutality of it and that I was part of that brutality, and I was shocked that the brutality didn’t bother me. Really complicated. While studying biology with Ma Russell and covering anatomy, I thought nothing of bringing in a deer heart or kidney from an improperly “dressed” carcass to show other students what REAL organs looked like. I couldn’t understand why some of the students were stunned and shied away. I didn’t understand why some people were freaked out. To me it was just part of life, death, and food. They looked at me like I was some strange little axe murderer, bringing “trophies” in for show & tell. It was November 1979. I was 14.  Ya see? Complicated.

Desire – Longing – Happiness

Mom worked full time nearly all my life. I can’t recall her NOT working or going to school. She would call me from work after I got home from school and tell me, “Turn the oven on to 350. Do you remember how to do the Shake & Bake chicken? Great! Can you get that started for me?” and other simple tasks that put me on the path of learning to cook starting in the 5th grade. I remember making pancakes and eggs for dinner because we had laying chickens and “complete” pancake mix that only required water. In my child brain, it was ultimately cool to eat breakfast for dinner. As an adult, I know it’s because that was all we had. I still love breakfast for dinner. Complicated.

Learning early on that people love to eat, I taught myself how to cook more things so people would like me and want to spend time with me. The desire for friendship, praise, and acknowledgement was a living being inside me, clawing at my chest to be let out. The recipes were simple things at first. Pasta salad. Deviled eggs. Baked ziti. Tuna casserole. You know, all the things you can bring to a potluck. Of course, I fucked up stuff while I was learning, as we all do, but when anyone complimented me on anything I had made I was truly happy. I found happiness in the kitchen, not when I was eating, but when I was working. Then I found out about the CIA – The Culinary Institute of America. It was only 45 minutes away! I could go to school there! It’s expensive. Could I get a scholarship? I could cook every damn day…and be happy! When I broached this subject with my folks, I was told I was “too smart” to do that. Why don’t you go to regular college? Maybe med school? You are so smart; it would be a shame to waste it in a restaurant. It was 1981. I was 16.

Jealousy – Learning – Yearning

Like all good girls, I graduated High School with a smile on my face. Posed for pictures in my stupid white dress and awful white shoes, and pretended I liked it and that I was happy. I had received a partial scholarship to the state university, so that was where I went. Even though I was accepted at Princeton. Even though I had received a full ride to the community college (remember, all I wanted to do was leave). And yet, it wasn’t what I wanted to do. I was doing what was expected of me. I was jealous of my classmates who knew what they wanted. I kept learning, and yearning for more. But what does a gal who loves to cook do when she is living in the dorms? She drops out.

Next up? My recent past and more about my complicated relationship.

My Most Enjoyed Food of 2022

Posted on by LeAnne Notabartolo

If you follow me at all on social media, you know I take a lot of pics of my food. Not all dishes are created equal. Some are miserable (and I don’t post those pics), some are just ok (and most of those don’t get posted either), then there are the REALLY good and the mind blowing. That is what I am sharing here. A recap of the most interesting or surprising or delicious things I ate in 2022. Frankly, there wasn’t a ton of that going on. I stuck to tried and true places, except when I was traveling, and a lot of this food is from out of town.

I sit down at the computer every day with the best of intentions of writing you something informative or fun or thought provoking and then I get distracted…The smart person in my brain knows that those who make “to do” lists accomplish more each day than those who don’t, so yesterday I sat down and made a list that included writing this for you (and me quite frankly). Enjoy this list of fantastic food in no particular order

Birthday Surf & Turf

The Lobster en Croute and a beautiful piece of wagyu made up the surf & turf for my Birthday dinner at Carversteak. Chef Dan Ontiveros always hits it out of the park. And this picture and the cover picture of the post say it all!

Surf & Turf at Carversteak, Las Vegas
My Birthday dinner consisted of beautifully prepared dishes by Dan Ontiveros and staff, including this fabulous version of surf & turf.

Coastal Margherita

On our spring trip to Portland, we hit up a bunch of breweries and a cool tiki bar (The Alibi). While we were there The Hubs gets a text from Chris Decker at Metro Pizza telling us we HAD to go to Apizza Scholls. When Chris says you HAVE to go, you go. And we are so glad we did! This was literally a life changing pizza for the Hubs because he normally hates anchovies on his pie. He is now a convert.

Coastal Margherita at Apizza Scholls
This pie is actually half & half – Coastal Margherita and Pepperoni & Mushroom. With Owner Brian Spangler

Farmhouse Tart at Pine Dining

The Pine Dining series was fantastic all the way around. They were single weekend events with outrageous menus and fabulous food. This dish was the one I embarrassed myself over and asked Chef Nicole Brisson if there were leftovers could I take them home…and there were, and I did. Flaky pastry filled with sausage, fontina, and walnuts. In case you are wondering, it reheated beautifully.

Farmhouse Tart by Chef Nicole Brisson
Farmhouse Tart by Chef Nicole Brisson with sausage, fontina, and walnuts.

Bratislavan Food Specialty – Halusky

Whenever we travel overseas, we attempt to try as much local food as possible and “eat like the locals”. We try all the local beer we can, and while at the bars ask the folks there where we should eat. In Bratislava we were told the national dish is Halusky (hal-oosh-key). They are little potato dumplings, somewhat like a cross between gnocchi and spaetzle, covered in a decadent sour cream sauce loaded with a local sheep’s milk cheese and topped with bacon & green onion. Incredibly rich and this plate was more than enough for The Hubs & I.

Halusky
Creamy, rich, and decadent are three words I would used to describe this dish. I really need to learn how to make it!

Mortadella Agnolotti

Chef Oscar Amador at EDO and Anima is a marvel! Pal Gemini invited me to lunch at Anima and we shared these agnolotti. They were so good I was speechless for a moment. I am sure my eyes rolled back in my head and a groan escaped my lips. Gemini laughed aloud because she had never seen me speechless over a dish before.

Mortadella Agnolotti at Anima by EDO
Mortadella is my fave cold cut, and this just put it over the top!

Tony’s in San Francisco

While we do have an outpost of Tony Gemignani’s here in Vegas (Pizza Rock), when my sister-in-law Gretchen says “go to Tony’s”, you go. I have only had coccoli twice and both times they were revelatory for me. If you are unfamiliar, they are like salty beignets. The ones at Tony’s were served with thinly sliced “Italian Beef” and horseradish. I was supposed to be sharing them and had to stop myself from hogging all of them. The salad is pictured just to prove I do eat healthy-ish food now & then.

Coccoli at Tony's in San Francisco
Both the beef and the coccoli were amazing. Add horseradish and giardiniera and you have a hands down winner.

Fried Food

I love fried food and I love all the fish (except catfish), but I have a special love for anchovies. These ones were whole, coated in cornmeal, and lightly fried at the Hog Island Oyster Bar in the Ferry Building in San Francisco. The Hubs even liked them and as mentioned before, he is NOT a fan of anchovies. The aioli was the perfect accompaniment and we scarfed them down in a flash!

Fried Anchovies at Hog Island Oyster Bar
Fried Anchovies at Hog Island Oyster Bar

“The Crime Scene”

In February I went on a real vacation entirely by myself. I took a cruise with Virgin Voyages* and it was superb. We all know that the food on cruise ships is notoriously mediocre at best. That is NOT the case on The Scarlet Lady! Each meal was much better than any mass market cruise line’s meals and the Test Kitchen was the showstopper for the entire cruise. This menu changes regularly, so you may not ever see this when you travel with Virgin Voyages, but it was superb. I nicknamed it “The Crime Scene” because of the splashes of beet juice, but it was a perfectly cooked venison loin with a Vietnamese salted caramel sauce and pickled blueberries.

venison on board the Scarlet Lady
Venison loin “crime scene” on board Virgin Voyages’ Scarlet Lady.

*when you are ready to try Virgin Voyages for your next trip, give me a call and I will happily help you book it.

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HELP! I Need to Bring an Appetizer to the Party!

Posted on by LeAnne Notabartolo

Who doesn’t love a party? It’s a mad dash for the rest of the year and there are TONS of parties. Let’s face it, we all love to be included, but when the word “potluck” comes out of someone’s mouth, you are never sure what to bring. Here, let me help you with a couple of links to easy crowd-pleasing recipes and a few of “no recipe” recipes for easy appetizers and dips. When clicking on my links, scroll to the bottom of the blog post to get to the recipe. I haven’t updated them all with the “jump to recipe” button.

Three Party Favorite Dips and Some Nuts

This Buffalo Bleu Cheese Dip is one of my most requested recipes. What’s great about it? You can use leftovers. You can make it ahead. It heats up equally well in the oven or in the microwave.

Bleu Cheese Walnut Dip – this doesn’t sound like it should work, but it is truly amazing. What’s great about it? You can make it ahead of time. It heats equally well in the oven or the microwave. You can eat it with fruit instead of crackers or crostini, so you feel a little healthier.

Really pressed for time on the day of the party? Make Deez Nuts NOW and have them ready to go! What’s great about them? You can make them up to 3 weeks in advance and store at room temp. They are everything you want in a snack – sweet, spicy, crunchy, salty. Put them in little half pint Mason jars and give them out as host/hostess gifts or hog them all to yourself.

The South has it right when it comes to Pimento Cheese. What’s great about it? Making it ahead of time only improves the flavor. You can make it as mild or as spicy as your crowd will enjoy. Packed in little Mason jars it makes a fun little host/hostess gift.

“No Recipe” Options

Photo by Sheri Silver on Unsplash
Pigs in Blanket – Photo from Delish.com

I chose these because you can make them all ahead of time and reheat at the party, or serve at room temp.

  • Get the tub of Spinach Dip from Costco. Add a can of drained chopped artichoke hearts, 3 minced cloves of garlic and a healthy handful of parmesan cheese. (Yes, all of those ingredients are already in there, but it’s a little bland and lacking oomph!) Mix it all together. Take a round loaf of bread, make a hole in the middle to create a bowl. Dump the dip in (it won’t all fit – you’ll have a snack for yourself or try the simple app idea below), wrap in foil, bake at 350 until hot. Serve with Pita Chips. Can be warmed in the microwave.
  • Use the leftovers from above – roll out a sheet of puff pastry, smear the leftovers on it. Roll up starting on a long side into a “cigar”. Wrap in parchment or plastic wrap. Put in the freezer for 20 minutes until everything is firm. Slice ½” pieces, place cut side down on an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake at 400 until puffed and golden.
  • Take a wheel of brie (4-6 oz) wrap it in puff pastry from the freezer section (Phyllo also works here if you have that on hand). Using small cookie cutters, cut shapes from the scraps, put on top of the brie. Brush it all with a beaten egg. Bake at 400 until golden brown. DO NOT CUT until completely cool. Serve at room temp with crackers, crostini, sliced apples or pears.
  • There is no such thing as too much cheese at a party! Cut a wheel of brie horizontally in half. Smear 3 Tbsp of jam on the inside. Raspberry, apricot, fig all work well here. Top with some chopped walnuts. Put the top back on, cut side up, and bake at 400 for about 7 minutes just to warm everything through, but not make it ooze. Serve with same dippers as above. DO NOT microwave.
  • It’s not a party without pigs in a blanket! But don’t be boring about it. Take a sheet of puff pastry, roll it out and smear it with Dijon mustard (or your fave mustard). Cut into thin strips (1/2” x 2”) and wrap around Hillshire Farms Little Smokies. Put on an ungreased cookie sheet seam side down. Bake at 400 until golden. Make them ahead and store in an airtight container in the fridge and bake at the event or bake at home and reheat until hot. DO NOT microwave.
  • Take pitted dates and wrap them in bacon. Bake, seam side down, at 375 until bacon is crispy. Cheap, thin cut bacon works fine here because you want the crispiness of the fat. If you want to get fancy and have the time, stuff an almond and/or goat cheese in the date first.
  • Pretty much anything wrapped in bacon is a good thing! Try sautéed chicken livers (check out Rumaki recipes online) or whole water chestnuts.
  • If you find a nice cantaloupe, slice it, and wrap the slices in thinly sliced Prosciutto or Jamon de Serrano. This also works great with fresh figs when they are in season for a summer party.

Happy Holidays and You’re Welcome!

It’s Giftmas Time Again – Holiday Gift Guide 2022

Posted on by LeAnne Notabartolo

Oh, the weather outside is frightful…not really here in Vegas…but it is time to shop for the Holidays! Here are my top picks for shopping for your fave foodie, cook, or wannabe cook. All these Holiday gifts are non-denominational and perfect for any time of year, not just the Holiday Season.

My Favorite Cookbook of the Year

Dinner in One by Melissa Clark

Dinner in One by Melissa Clark is fantastic! Each recipe is intended to be made in one pan, pot, or casserole dish. To date, I have made 11 recipes from this book and not a dog in the bunch. There are so many veg-centric dishes that I actually find myself cooking more vegetarian dishes! Support your local bookstore when purchasing. The link above is to my local bookstore and they ship! $30

For the Gardener

Photo from Reel Steel website linked below

I always aspire to grow the perfect herb and/or vegetable garden and rarely do I succeed. If I had these adorable little garden gnome plant markers maybe I would! They are made of steel, so they will hold up in all kinds of weather and there is a huge variety to choose from. As I type, they are on sale and if you use the code “holidaygifts” you save an additional 40% off your second one. $8 each for the small ones (approx 12″). They MAY not arrive in time for the holiday, but they will be there in plenty of time for spring planting.

Eat Healthier for the Holiday

Image from their website

I have tried a LOT of food delivery services and so far, this one is my fave! The organic produce is insanely fresh and some of the most beautiful I have ever seen! Use this code to save when you sign up LEAN4665 *. Prices Vary depending on what you order, how large your box is, etc. What I like best about this is that there is NO COMMITMENT! You order when it is convenient for you. The “box” is totally customizable. Remove things you can’t or won’t eat and add in those that you want. It’s not available in all areas yet.

*Moment of truth – when you use my referral code, I get a bonus too.

Reduce Single Use Plastics

Image from Hydaway – linked below

I love the portability of these collapsible “sippy cups” from Hydaway. You can fold them up, jam them into your handbag or carryon and refill them at any convenient water source. A lot of airports now have fountains that are designed to refill water bottles, so you’ll never pay $5 for a single bottle of water again. Available in 17oz and 25oz in a variety of colors. Starting at $20 and grab a carrying case while you’re at it.

Stylish Storage

Image from Calamity Ware linked below

If you have seen the pics of my completed kitchen, you may have noticed these FANTASTIC canisters in the background. I have all three sizes, but get the ones that fit your needs. What makes these so cool and special is that they are covered with what looks like a damask pattern. When closely inspected you can see it is a damask design made of “witchy” things like bats, newts, frogs, etc. Check out their other offerings like dish towels, dishware, and other kitchen goodies. Medium is $36 on sale right now and linked above.

When in doubt, or if shopping for the person who has everything, think about a donation to charity in their name. Of course, my favorite charity is my local food bank – Three Square. If you aren’t sure what your recipient’s food bank is, you can look here and use their zip code to find their local Feeding America partner.

Mostly Meatless Cookbook?

Posted on by LeAnne Notabartolo

In an effort to have some sort of social life during the COVID shut down I joined a cookbook club*. Helmed by new pal Kim Foster, each month or so we all work from a new cookbook and share our findings, our faves, and what we are loving or not loving about the book. This is more than a “book club” it’s a community of food lovers and cookbook lovers. In fact, in my Gift Guide 2020 my first book with this group was in the guide along with where to buy a great wok at a great price.

A Cookbook Club Like No Other

With this cookbook club, I have made my own ramen noodles, tackled cochinita pibil from scratch, learned how to season a wok and cook correctly in it, made my own Chinese dumplings (including the pasta wrapper), and so much more. I have made friends…yes, adults can make new friends. I have explored new territories in food, both in cuisines and in ethics. Additionally, I revisited some long forgotten skills.

Omnivore goes Pescatarian…at home

Well, hold on to your hats people! If you have been following along for any length of time, you know I am a dyed in the wool omnivore. If you read my last post, you also know I have been thinking A LOT about waste and how I personally can reduce the amount I am contributing to the overall waste problem. Our book this month is Dinner in One by Melissa Clark (you can buy it here, or at your own local bookstore). Unlike using a cookbook purely for the recipes, I actually read the prose. I find it helps me get familiar with the author’s style and it helps me get a feel for their voice. So, here I am reading away and getting into the new cookbook and in the intro, the author states that nearly half the meals are meatless. WHAT?!!! I don’t DO meatless! Frankly, I began to panic just a little bit. Did I just waste money on a book that I am not going to use? Do I really want to cook from this book? Will there be enough to interest me and my tastebuds?

Mostly Meatless Mondays

Dinner in One by Melissa Clark - Please Send Noodles Cookbook Club selection
Our current cookbook club selection

For a brief moment in time, I tried to do “Mostly Meatless Mondays”, but I fell out of the habit. I am not sure why exactly, maybe it was convenience and relying on tried and true recipes and dishes that I could whip up without thinking. Maybe it is because we eat out at events, pop-ups, and just because we feel like going out in an effort to support our local culinary community, and then we are eating leftovers. Of course, I still cook most days, but now I am thinking – always dangerous – “What if I cook meatless/pescatarian at home and save my carnivore dining for when we choose to go out for dinner?” As I flipped through the pages of the book, I found there were a lot of meatless recipes that I was willing to give a try. What’s even better? Each recipe in this book is designed to be cooked in one pan, pot, or casserole dish.

Use the Cookbook Dammit!

What is the point of joining a cookbook club if you aren’t going to COOK from the book? I am diving into this book like I have the others from the club’s selections. In addition to trying something new (pescatarian at home), perhaps I will hone some vegetarian skills and be ready if a veg head ever comes to eat dinner at my home. In thinking about this, it may help me get back on track to lose my COVID weight. It may also force me to look critically at what I am consuming, wasting, and how much of it. A win – win – win? We shall see.

The first dish from the cookbook was a rousing success at a recent weekly family dinner. The Offspring weighed in on the dish as well and it was a family affair of recipe critique. So far, I am four dishes into this cookbook and there hasn’t been a dog in the bunch! All of them were meatless, but I did add shrimp to the Kimchi Fried Rice (pg 90). The Lemony Baked Rice (pg 158) made for a light meal for The Hubs and I; the leftovers served as a great side dish with baked sockeye salmon and roasted broccoli for family dinner. We shall see how this progresses.

If you don’t know where to follow me, I am Good for Spooning, find me here – Instagram – Facebook – YouTube. While you are there, like posts, share posts, follow me on the Gram and FB. Did you know you can subscribe to my YouTube channel as well as this blog? Well you can. And you should so you don’t miss anything.

*You can too – on Facebook look for Please Send Noodles!!! (with the three !!!). A lot of online content, convo, Q&A, and other food related stuff. We mostly meet online through Zoom. Now that everyone is more comfortable being in public spaces, we have begun meeting in person again.

Waste Not Want Not

Posted on by LeAnne Notabartolo

I have been thinking a lot about waste lately and I am trying to cut down on household and personal waste as much as possible. Living in the desert, we think of water waste on a regular basis, but what else are we wasting that can be put to better use?

What are we wasting and why?

The average American creates 1600 pounds of trash annually, whereas other parts of the world create about 1000 pounds per person annually. One of the most shocking statistics I found was 22% of our household waste and what is in landfills is food waste. How do we cut down on this? It’s tough. I love to cook and we are a 2 person household now. Our son moved off to college and then out on his own 11 years ago and now it’s just the hubs and I. Learning to shop small, cook smaller batches, and use what I make has been an ongoing challenge.

Reducing food waste isn’t as complicated as you think

We can also eliminate waste by composting. Composting is a great way to reduce food waste. You can compost your fruit and vegetable scraps, coffee grounds, tea bags, eggshells, paper from the paper shredder, and lawn debris. I have been composting for several years. There are several options for composting bins in a wide range of sizes, configurations, and price points. Find one that meets your needs and try it! This is the one I own; it is an investment, but you’ll be using it for years. It’s not difficult and you end up with rich compost that is fantastic for your flower beds, vegetable garden, or herb garden. When my composter is full and I am waiting for it to do its magic, or when I have cooked food that can’t go in the composter*, I take that stuff over to my pal Kim. She has chickens that are eating machines! The hens repay me with eggs and we are all happy.

Reduce & Recycle

There is so much more to household waste than just food waste. Single use plastics, like grocery sacks, sandWISH bags, take out containers, junk mail, newspapers, and so much more all add up to massive piles in landfills. I am one of those lunatics that used cloth diapers. I started recycling in 1992. Back then, I had to remove all the labels from the cans & jars, wash all containers, tie newspapers into tidy bundles, and bring everything to the recycling center myself. Now with curbside pick up, it is so much easier. If you are drinking bottled water, think about all the plastic waste. Consider a water service for household use and refillable bottles to take with you when you are on the go.

Changes to the way I shop

Personally, I have been focused on reducing the amount of “single use plastics” that enter my home. This has been a challenge, because often times these items are more convenient. I have been bringing reusable bags to the store for groceries for more than 3 decades. I also use them in Target and when I am at the mall. In addition to not using plastic, they are stronger, can hold more, and are usually more comfortable to carry. Recently I have started bringing mesh bags for my produce. These are cool because you can wash the produce right in the bag, let it drain in the sink and store it in the fridge in the bags as well. When plastic bags do come into my home though, we reuse them whenever possible. They become liners for small trashcans and “poop patrol” when picking up after the pooches, etc.

Reuse

How else can we reduce our waste? One way to reduce waste is to reuse items. During COVID lockdowns we all did takeout when we tired of our own cooking. Styrofoam containers really piss me off. Thankfully a lot of restos are switching to recyclable or compostable paper containers, or reusable plastic containers. I call them “Take out Tupperware”. They aren’t perfect, BUT, if they can be reused (and they are in my house), they are a damn fine option compared to styrofoam. Reusable water bottles or coffee mugs are also great options, but during COVID, many people fell out of this habit. Many places wouldn’t allow you to refill your reusable cups & mugs. (7-11 has ceased allowing refills and Starbucks suspended using your refillable mugs for a time.)

Glass jars are always recyclable, but you can reuse them too. BIL Walt and I always have empty jars in the house for leftovers, storage, or any other use we can think of. It’s a bit of a joke how many glass jars we have. Something else to note, if you are into canning, some jars can be reused for that purpose with the correct lids.

How do you reduce, reuse, or recycle in your everyday life? Share your tips in the comments.

Did you know you can subscribe to my blog? Just scroll to the bottom of this post and enter your email address. I do not share your info with anyone – I promise!

*I only put raw veg, paper & lawn debris in my composter. In general, household composters do NOT get hot enough to break down meat or bones and they attract vermin. I choose not to put onion, garlic or any of the allium family in my composter because they give off substances that are deadly to worms which help in the breakdown process.

My Life in Curry – Curried Chicken Waldorf Salad

Posted on by LeAnne Notabartolo
Jump to Recipe

When I was in my early 20’s I had one curry dish and hated it and was completely sure that I hated “curry”. And then real life happened. Friend Zam fed me these insanely delish Indian hand pies filled with curried beef after a drunken night out. Friend Babs from Jamaica made me her version of Curry Chicken. Of course, back then, I was not the cook that I am today and asked neither of them for the recipes. I honestly wish I could recreate those meat pies Zam fed me. They were like Jamaican Meat Pies in form and function but seasoned in a completely different way. Zam, if you are reading this, I need that recipe!

I honestly didn’t know that you could MAKE your own curry powder!

In culinary school I was taught that “curry” is nothing more than a mixture of spices and seasonings used to flavor a dish. Imagine my surprise when we were instructed to make Curried Butternut Squash Soup. After scouring the spice shelves and not finding curry powder, I was told I needed to make it. MAKE IT?! I honestly didn’t know that you could MAKE your own curry powder! I truthfully thought that it was like cinnamon. It sits there on the shelf and then you buy it. To be fair, even though I had to create curry powder in culinary school, and can do it if required, I usually just go to the Indian Market and buy it. Or I go to the Asian Market and buy the Thai Curry Paste that I like. If I was a true badass, I WOULD make my own, but alas I am not.

The flexibility of Curry is one of the best things about it

Curry is a vast, varied, and thoroughly tasty subject. One of the best things about it for me is the flexibility. It can be hot or mild. Nearly any protein can be added, or NOT if you are cooking for vegetarians. In many cases it is gluten free, so when my celiac suffering friends come to dinner, I can whip up something tasty to be served with rice. Several cultures have their own special blends and within a culture those blends can vary by region. Friend Natasha informed me that southern Indian is incredibly different from northern Indian. I am NOT an expert by any standard on curry (or anything else for that matter). I just know what I like.

Changing Minds with Gentle Introductions

Members of my family have insisted they do not like curry. A fact that I am happy to report I am correcting. Sister Nancy recently learned she loves Thai Red Curry when I sent her the shelf stable ingredients via Amazon to make her own and talked her through a simple process on the phone. My mom has said for years that she “hates curry”. I fixed that for her with my Curried Chicken Waldorf Salad. That recipe is below.

While variety may be the spice of life, curry is the queen of my spice world right now. I find myself slipping it in wherever I think a tried & true staple is boring. That’s how I came up with the recipe below. Curried Fried Rice? Sure, why the hell not? Curried Chicken Salad? Hell yes! As I type I am inspired to try a few other things that may or may not pan out. But experimentation is how all innovation starts.

Curried Waldorf Chicken Salad

Here is the low down on a true Waldorf Salad from the Waldorf Astoria Cookbook (copyright 1969 by Bramhall House Publishing). There are 4 ingredients in a TRUE Waldorf – apple, celery, walnuts, real mayo (not Miracle Whip – perish the thought), served on a piece of leaf lettuce. There are no proteins, no grapes, nothing else. Just those 4 things.

Obviously, we are deviating here. I cut my mayo with plain full fat Greek Yogurt. This does a couple of things. First it cuts the calories significantly. Second, the natural acids in the yogurt stop the apples from getting slimy and browning (something I discovered by accident when I was trying to reduce the calorie count), so you can store it for a few days in the fridge. Take note – the last 3 ingredients are to taste and desired texture. Start with the lower amounts and add more if you like a little more dressing or seasoning in your salad.

Ingredients

1 large or medium crisp red skinned apple, (Honey Crisp, Cosmic, etc.) cored, seeded, and diced in ½” pieces

1 rib of celery diced in ¼” pieces

¼ C coarsely chopped walnuts* (or more to taste)

3 oz cooked chicken breast (leftovers from a rotisserie chicken work well here), diced in ½” pieces

¼ – ½ C plain Greek yogurt

3 – 4 Tbsp real mayo (both Hellmann’s and Duke’s work well here)

¾ tsp store bought yellow curry powder – Madras curry is a good choice

A pinch of kosher salt

Method

Put everything in a mixing bowl except the walnuts and stir gently to coat. Make sure you have enough dressing to cling to all the ingredients without it being soupy. Taste it. If you want a little more curry, add it ¼ tsp at a time until you get the desired flavor. Same goes for the salt. Keep in mind, you can always add more, but you can’t take it out. Fold in the walnuts last so you don’t further break them up into fine pieces.

*I find the best way to chop walnuts for this recipe is to lay them on the cutting board and using the flat part of a large knife, gently crush them. You’ll get nice nuggets of nut meat without pulverizing the entire nut.

A New Home and 11 Years of This Blog

Posted on by LeAnne Notabartolo

As I type I am writing from the back deck of our new home. Last week marked 11 years that I have been writing this blog. 11 damn years! In that time the following has happened in my life:

  • My only child graduated from high school and college and moved into his own apartment
  • We have taken 5 cruises – 2 in Europe, one in Egypt, and 2 in the Caribbean. And one of those was my first EVER solo vacation
  • I became a travel agent – mainly to get a kickback on my own travel, but if you need help planning YOUR vacations, hit me up!
  • John got his doctorate
  • I had my left knee replaced
  • I lost a parent
  • I lost 40 lbs
  • I joined a cookbook club and made new friends
  • We downsized to a smaller home
  • And so much more

I have been absent for some time, and I apologize, but I am here now.

I haven’t had the mental bandwidth to write anything except thank you notes. I’d sit in front of my laptop and just stare at the blinking cursor feeling overwhelmed and like no one wanted to hear anything I had to say.

Not our first rodeo or our first old home

Last April, we put our suburban home on the market and moved into a vintage 1939 Tudor style home in downtown Las Vegas. We’ve been remodeling the home and LIVING in it at the same time. You can go to my Instagram and scroll through to see some of the pics.  It’s been a massive undertaking, one that we frankly were unprepared for. You see, when we put our home on the market, we didn’t realize the state of the housing market. We had no clue that we’d sell the house in less than 24 hours. We had hoped we’d live in the “old” house for at least a couple of months while renovating our “new” digs. Instead, we ended up living in a construction zone for the better part of a year while we waited on every damn thing to arrive. Cabinets took 16 weeks instead of the originally planned 8 weeks. It was a 6 week wait just to get on the calendar for the folks to come and recreate a stairwell that was not built to code. You get the idea.

Everything Old is NEW again

This is not our first old home. In Sumter, South Carolina, our home dated to the 1800’s, so we knew there would be challenges. We were wholly unprepared for all of the major things the home inspector missed (rotted floorboards, leaking hot water heater, cracked and damaged plumbing, and so on). Because we want to maintain as much of the original home as possible, in the kitchen I kept the original footprint with the lovely windows. Everything else was updated. The claustrophobic drop ceiling was raised and the kitchen was gutted from floor to ceiling and to the wall studs.

The kitchen was the lynch pin on which all other projects revolved. Nothing could be completed until the kitchen was done because everything that belonged in the kitchen was being stored in every other room of the house. The originally anticipated completion date was 1 November 2021. It was finally completed in January 2022.

I knew a new home would be stressful…but seriously?

We moved 13 times in 21 years with the Air Force. Change is always stressful. With all the military moves in my rear view, you’d think I’d have the stress of moving on lock. I learned that is NOT the case. The movers showed up more than 4 hours late. All they had to do was load and unload the truck. I had already packed everything. By the time they unloaded, it was after 1:00 am. That should have been my first clue that all was NOT going to go as planned.

This past year was the first time in our married life that we didn’t eat T-giving dinner in our home. It was bizarre to say the least, but thanks to wonderful new friends we had places to go, and people to be with who made us feel welcome. Not cooking was a serious blow to my already crumbling mental state. I had to shake my expectations of what a holiday could be and embrace something new. It was worth it!

Soon…I promise

Now that the kitchen is done, I am sure some of you are waiting on the restart of the live online cooking classes. While I am prepped and raring to go, Sister Nancy got herself a new job and she is in training right now, so we will resume once she knows what her schedule is going to be. Take note – since this was a way to teach Nancy how to cook long distance, it may not be on a weekend like before, but of course you will be able to go to YouTube and watch it there after the fact.

We have one room left to repair, but we hosted a “thank you party” for everyone who welcomed us to our new ‘hood, helped us move, or helped us complete projects. It was a smaller, more intimate get-together than we usually host, but after 2 years of not socializing in groups, and still figuring out where things fit in this space, we knew that “going big” was NOT the way to go this time. We were very excited to open our doors to guests for the first time and host our first party. And I do hope a good time was had by all who were able to attend.

I am cooking and doing recipe trials, and getting ready to write and record some simple recipes for all of you. Hopefully that will happen sooner, rather than later. The biggest obstacle is on the weekends when my “camera man” is home, we are busy doing home renovation projects to get this place finished.

In the meantime, I hope you take the time to follow, like, and share my content on other platforms and be on the lookout for cool new stuff soon!

Best Bites of 2021

Posted on by LeAnne Notabartolo

Look, I know I am late with this. But c’mon…! I have been in the middle of renovation hell. Who has time to think about excellent food when they can’t create any of their own? Please enjoy this extremely late post and make time to hit up these places if you are in the Vegas Valley.

For several years in January, I have included the “best” things I have eaten in the past year. I recently read a piece where the writer said “best of” lists were stupid, and in many cases I agree. What is best for me, might be run of the mill for you, or on your “no fly” list. To that end, am trying to come up with a better title. Most interesting? Most intriguing? Most memorable?

In years past, many of my “best bites” or most interesting things I have eaten have come by means of travel and sadly, that has been lacking the past couple of years – thanks COVID. Still, I find wonderful things to eat, but fewer surprises. And I am stretching myself in the kitchen (see below). Admittedly there was a LOT of dining out this year due to the kitchen remodel, but many choices were Thai takeout, a walk to our fave pizza joint, take out Sandos from our new fave sandWISH place, or a walk in the ‘hood for beer & a quick bite.

Without further ado, in no particular order, here are my most memorable bites of 2021

Valentine’s Day Dinner at Home

I always pull out all the stops on VDay. We labeled it Amateur Night years ago, and rather than dine out with hordes of people, I go to extreme lengths to make a dish I NEVER make. 2021 had me laminating my own puff pastry and creating a Beef Wellington.

Perfectly cooked Beef Wellington with home made puff pastry (THAT was a pain in the ass!)

Thai Curry & Chorizo Mussels at The Shores, San Diego

In August, Mom came to visit, and we took a little drive to San Diego to see relatives. While there, I had to visit Vegas transplant, Chef Mike Minor at La Jolla Shores Hotel. This dish was so good, I drove out a second time to make sure I wasn’t just overly hungry when I ate it the first time. Pro Tip – order a side of rice on the side so you can get every luscious drop of the sauce.

Mangonada at Cream Me Ice Creamery

This hits ALL the notes for me for summer. Perfect mango sorbet, Chamoy sauce, dried chile coated mango chunks. Sweet, spicy, salty, cold all in one delicious mouthful. And while you are there, check out the groovy floor!

Parisian Lobster Gnocchi with White Asparagus at Sparrow + Wolf

Parisian gnocchi are different than Italian ones in a few ways. These are shaped like pillows without the telltale lines marking Italian gnocchi. And while Italian style gnocchi are soft through and through, Parisian gnocchi have a little bit of a crispy edge. Toss in some lobster and paired with sautéed white asparagus, this was a big hit for me. The most fun thing about Sparrow + Wolf is you never know what’s going to be on the menu!

Cappellacci “Oreganata” at Brezza

Chances are, if Nicole Brisson is in the kitchen, I am going to be a happy camper. No matter what she does, it is executed with the highest level of skill and is usually perfect. This dish was so unexpectedly good. The pasta itself is a marvel, combined with cauliflower, spinach, lemon, and crispy capers? Yeah…that. Photo by Sabin Orr, courtesy of Chef Nicole.

Photo by Sabin Orr courtesy of Chef Nicole Brisson and Brezza