Guilty Pleasures #4 – Maureen Kelly

Posted on March 24, 2015 by LeAnne Notabartolo

Maureen Kelly is a brilliant friend and makes one of my high school pals, Luca, very happy – every day. More importantly she works in women’s health for Planned Parenthood in Ithaca, NY. Maureen is an avid baker, an adventurous eater and fun drinking partner. I asked her to share her Guilty Pleasures and she graciously agreed to do so. Enjoy!

So, LeAnne is one of those Forces of Nature. You know, the kind of person who you know of, before you actually meet and you hear about before you’re ever lucky enough to share a drink or a meal with them. That’s LeAnne and exactly how I got to know her and I’m so fortunate to call her a friend. I am delighted (and profoundly honored and humbled) to be invited into the Good for Spooning blog-world to share my own little riff on guilty pleasures.

So here’s the thing. I’m not one for a lot of withholding or putting off or not doing because of guilt. I’m not sure if that’s just my over-reaction to the more rigid religious upbringing my folks lived through or perhaps a core element of my being. I’m thinking it might be the latter. I’m a pretty pleasure focused gal. I see too much shame, fear, secrecy, worry and denial in the world and am pretty well acquainted with the fleeting nature of life (and careers, and relationships, and friendships) that my own brand of pseudo-Buddhism leads to a pretty here-and-now kind of life. And that approach is rather evident in my love of good food, good drink, and a deep love of cooking.

The one challenge this presents is picking but one guilty pleasure to share. So, I’m not going to. I’m going to go with two of the top guilty pleasures swirling around in my life right now.

One.

Okay. I’m rather fond of nice steak. Really, quite fond. I’ll be honest; I’m a bit of steak-seeker. And I’m pleased to report I’m taking a break from my seeking because I’m pretty set. I found something really special in Manhattan.

You may well know of it, if not, and you’re a carnivore, you really must. (Don’t be fooled by the pull of Peter Luger to Brooklyn, stick with this.) Keen’s Steakhouse at 72 West 36th Street (between Fifth Avenue and Sixth Avenue) was founded in 1885 by Albert Keen. (You’re going to want to read more bout the storied history of this this place. Click the link above).

Yes, the mutton chops are certainly a thing, but please, walk with me to the Chateaubriand Steak for Two, with Three Sauces. This piece of meat exists wholly as a Guilty Pleasure. And my, does it deliver. It’s price is steep, the mass of perfect top end meat is outrageous how it melts, you will be full, you will be more than sated, and you will need to go back. Oh, and if you’re also a drinker, be sure to try the New York Sour as well. It completes the meal.

Two.

About that New York Sour. I am a committed whisky girl. I go so far as to gift myself a Whisky Advent Calendar every Christmas from the fine folks at Master of Malt. Did you do advent calendars as a kid? They were these excellent thin cardboard calendars that you opened a door for each day leading up to Christmas and it revealed a delightfully small, waxy, tasteless, ill-formed chocolate that when you’re 8 is an utter thrill.

As a Big Girl, the whisky calendar operates on the exact same principal but the door you open reveals a dram-a-day of the finest whiskies around. This year yielded an Isle of Jura 16 Year Old (Diurschs’ Own), a Macallen Amber 1824 Series, and a fine dram of Timorous Beastie. But my newest whisky Guilty Pleasure is right out of Japan. Hibiki Suntory Whisky. Yes. A Japanese whisky that really must be tried. The company started producing whisky in 1923 and has really done something special. It’s blended with malt whisky from Yamazaki and Hakushu and grain whisky from Chita and it matures in plum liqueur barrels. Don’t know if I need to say anything more about it. It’s some smooth sipping, excellent with a stir, and a fine Guilty Pleasure I hope to keep around for a bit.

Life’s pretty short to not do it right.

Cheers.

One cannot think well, love well, sleep well, if one has not dined well.

-Virginia Woolfe

I Won a Raffle!

Posted on March 19, 2015 by LeAnne Notabartolo

The next time someone asks you, “Hey, do you want to buy a raffle ticket? You could win __________.” Just say yes and buy the ticket. John and I did exactly that and won Chef Chris Palmeri of Naked City Pizza cooking for us and 8 friends in OUR kitchen.

It took a while to coordinate because of all of our busy schedules but we finally got it done. Originally it was supposed to be Palmeri and Chef Christian Dolias, but Dolias JUST got a great job working as Sous Chef for Todd Harrington at Yardbird Southern Kitchen at the Venetian. It’s an incredible opportunity for him and many congratulations. Poor Palmeri had to do everything himself.

A couple of challenges about this dinner:

Who to invite? We have so many friends who love to eat, so it was hard to choose. It was a weeknight, so that had to be kept in mind (a few of our friends work REALLY early in the morning). I had no control over the menu, so anyone with dietary concerns (vegetarian, gluten intolerant, picky eater) had to be taken off the list. A couple we love to dine with were out of town. We decided on my closest friends Lynn and Laurie, friend Jeff, dear longtime friends John & Holly and new friends and neighbors Melvin & Virginia. (FYI – Melvin is a Chef at Della’s Kitchen at The Delano). And our only son Jack was in town for spring break, so he was able to be in on the action.
Friends Laurie and Virginia

Friend John M shows off his appetizer plate

Chef Melvin, his lovely wife Virginia and dear friend Lynn
Can I really NOT be in my kitchen? Yes, I know he’s a pro, but it’s MY kitchen. I can’t tell you how difficult it was to have someone else in my kitchen and me NOT help them or be The Chick in Charge. Friend John M had an equally hard time with it when I kicked him out of his usual viewing/helping location.

Chef Chris Palmeri in my Kitchen

Not knowing the menu was dramatic for me. I didn’t know how to set the table. I didn’t know what utensils or serving pieces would be needed. It made me nuts.

Dinner was served family style and the table settings were simple. It was like a holiday or celebratory dinner in any Italian family. Hubby John and I felt transported back to our youth in New York. The menu was as follows:

Charcuterie, cheese and relish tray with olive oil and bread
Charcuterie, Cheese and Oysters in the background
Oysters Rockefeller
Sautéed Spicy Frogs Legs
Spicy Frogs Legs
Gemelli Pasta with Braised Short Rib Bolognese
Gemelli with Short Rib Bolognese
Bay Scallops with Mixed Mushrooms and Arugula
Bay Scallops with Mushrooms
Turtle Cheesecake with Mixed Berry Compote
Turtle Cheesecake with Mixed Berries

Enjoy the pics. We enjoyed the meal, the camaraderie and the thought of knowing we helped out in a fundraiser for a fellow culinarian with health issues made everything even better.

Next up? Another in the series of Guilty Pleasures from a guest blogger. Be sure to subscribe by hitting the button on the right so you don’t miss a single issue. On Tuesday evening you will get an email with links to all the blogs from the past week. And of course you can follow along with Instagram, FB and Twitter.

Pet Peeves 2015

Posted on March 7, 2015 by LeAnne Notabartolo

Before we get into the meat of this – THANK YOU! It has been nearly 4 years since I began this blog, a passion project really, and I appreciate each and every click, like and share. If you are subscribed to this blog thank you twice! My goal this year is to double my readership, so if you love this, share it! If you hate it, share it twice <snicker>. And of course, follow along on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter for more bites.

I have been crabby and restless lately and it makes me want to write about being crabby and restless. The thing is when I am crabby my pet peeves come to the forefront and as I thought about it, I realized I hadn’t shared with all of you in a while the things that make my head explode. So here’s this year’s list. If I have shared any of them before it’s because they STILL piss me off. Be warned this post will be riddled with foul language.

Gentlemen – remove your fucking hat at the damn table unless it is a yarmulke. Few things annoy me more than seeing grown ass men wearing baseball caps, cowboy hats or the hipster trilby and fedora at the table. And while we are on the subject of hats, baseball hats are meant to keep the sun out of your eyes, if you are going to wear one, put the fucking bill in the FRONT where it belongs.
Ladies – wear shoes that are your size. No one wants to see you slip slopping out of your too high heels and busting your ass. Additionally I don’t want to see your heels and or toes hanging over the edges of your shoes. I REALLY can’t stand it when a celebrity on the red carpet has toes hanging out of her shoes. Fire your damn stylist woman because she isn’t doing her job.
I have been reading a LOT of other work online lately and all I can say is WOW! I know many bloggers write because it is their passion. A few write to placate their own egos and others because they have info of value to share. TIP: Use the spellchecker for Christ’s sake! It’s free! I have seen so many grammatical, spelling and punctuation fuck ups this week that my eyes were bleeding. I read one piece that had so many mistakes I had to stop reading and it was on a NEWS SOURCE. That asshat was PAID to write and it was a disaster. (If you find mistakes in here, post in the comments so I can fix them! I try really hard to keep my shit in line.)
While we are on the subject, use real words. I once read a blog post and the writer wrote at the completion of a recipe, and I shit you not, “Wala! It’s done!” Wala? What the actual fuck is Wala? Did they mean voila? I write “sandWISH”. I hope the capitalization is a clue to everyone reading it that it is a chuckle worthy word and one of my own making, like Rachel Ray’s “sammies”. I usually will put an asterisk with a footnote for first time readers to clue them in.
If you don’t want the truth, don’t ask for it. I have been called brutally honest and I consider that a compliment. If you ask me for my opinion and I say, “Do you want the truth, or do you want me to tell you what you want to hear?” chances are you aren’t going to be happy with me when I am done speaking.
I despise bars where I can’t smoke (don’t judge me). If I can’t light up with my beer, I am going to be irritated. THIS peeve is my biggest problem with the states of California and Washington.
And while we are on the subject, if I am allowed to smoke, empty my goddamn ash tray. AND bring it back. I recently had a cocktail waitress at a casino bar who took my ashtray when I asked for it be emptied (Moment of Truth – I should never have to ask for my water glass to be filled or my ashtray to be emptied) and then she was gone for 15 minutes. Where the hell was I s’posed to put my butts? On the carpet?
On the topic of bars, it aggravates me when there are no purse hooks under the bar. It’s almost as if they don’t want women to sit there. NO, I don’t want to hang my purse on the back of my chair where it might fall, get knocked off or get stolen (yes that happens). It’s even more aggravating when I am sitting on a true bar STOOL and there is no back to my seat.
And finally, I have a real problem with people who talk shit about others behind their backs. Be courageous. Do the right thing. Don’t say anything behind someone’s back that you wouldn’t say to their face if asked. Trust me, you’ll feel better.

Guilty Pleasures #2 – Guest Blogger Rev Kane of Ministry of Happiness

Posted on February 20, 2015 by LeAnne Notabartolo

I have known Rev. Kane for a LONG time…let’s not talk about how many years. When asked to guest blog for me, he jumped right on it, even though he is in the final stages of preparation for hiking the Appalachian Trail. What a guy! Keep up with him and his adventures by following his blog Ministry of Happiness. All of the NON-food pics were taken by Rev. Kane. He is a much better photographer than I am!

When the queen calls you answer and I’m honored to be guest blogging at Good for Spooning, a little different fare than my normal posts at the Ministry of Happiness, but not so far off the map as guilty pleasures are inherently things, that at least in the short-term, make you happy.

Given that LeAnne has decided these posts should center around Lent, I figured as a recovering Catholic that I would address my favorite part of Lent, Mardi Gras. I love New Orleans and more pointedly I love Mardis Gras. For me, it has everything to do with parades. You see I never got the whole parade thing, not even as a child. Parades in my hometown were quite frankly pretty lame, but even the Rose Bowl and Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parades bored me to tears.

So the first time I made it to Mardis Gras, I was not excited about the idea of a Mardis Gras parade but what the hell, I walked up St. Charles into the neighborhoods and got ready for the parade. Soon, as will happen during Mardis Gras, I had made a whole slew of new friends, particularly once they found out I was on my own. Drinks, snacks, hot Po Boy Sandwiches were quickly dispatched to me, hell one guy and his partner even invited me to join them on their krewe’s float the next night. Now, they pay thousands of dollars for that honor and I passed, they were sure once I was costumed no one would care, I wasn’t so sure.

Bacchus? Pan? Generic Satyr? Part of one of the Mardi Gras Floats

Then the parade started and it was gleeful madness, the floats were amazing, funny, political, ridiculous depending on the krewe running the parade. Beads, coins and much nicer gifts flew from the floats, gleeful madness transitioned to joyful chaos, it is impossible not to get thoroughly caught up in the action. Wonderful people, food, drink and madness, THIS is what I always thought Mardi Gras was always about. Unfortunately so many people think Mardi Gras is bourbon street, flashing boobs and drunken crowds, it’s not, for me it’s all about the parades.

So in many ways New Orleans is one giant guilty pleasure for me but given I have issues with my blood sugar, I’ll focus on those specific guilty pleasures my doctor might actually beat me for indulging in while I’m there. Let’s start with the worst offence, the beignet. I grew up in an Italian family and fried dough with powdered sugar was a huge treat the morning after homemade pizza. Café Du Monde, cliché, sure but the beignet’s and the people watching are just magnificent.

The original Cafe Du Monde

As someone who cuts carbs I don’t eat a lot of rice, but great news, the rice in jambalaya is carb free! Right, but now do I stop eating bowls of full of crawfish, shrimp, sausage, and chicken, sure there’s more grams of carbs in a bowl than I normally eat in a week but it’s soooo damn good! It’s ok, you can always go to the church on Jackson Square [St. Louis Cathedral] and confess your food sins.

St. Louis Cathedral – Jackson Square

The one saving grace about New Orleans guilty pleasures is that the city and especially the French Quarter is a marvelous place just to walk. As someone who does a bit of photography I love the cemeteries in the city and so you get to burn off all of those lovely carbs with really long walks, but you should always bring a box of pralines with you in case of food emergencies, or to just immerse yourself in a wave of crunchy, sweet goodness.

Now my final guilty pleasure provided by the Crescent City is a double pleasure, first it’s so delicious and secondly I usually bring it with me on the plane ride home and fill the cabin with its smell. Given how little they feed us on planes these days I’m surprised I haven’t been beaten within an inch of my life. But my leaving New Orleans tradition has become a full muffuletta from Central Grocery. For the uninitiated a muffuletta is a 10 inch diameter sandwich filled with layers of marinated olive salad, mortadella, salami, mozzarella, ham, and provolone.

From the TheThrillist.com’s article on the 5 best muffulettas in New Orleans:

You can’t reasonably discuss muffulettas (or at least discuss muffulettas with as much reason as such a discussion might allow) without paying consideration to the original. Invented here in the early 20th century to feed hungry Sicilian farmers selling their wares in the French Market, CG’s muffs can be ordered by quarter, half, or whole, but be warned: the sandwich is approximately the size of a tractor tire. And be prepared to wait in line. It’s worth it.

So, I know it’s just passed us by, but happy Mardi Gras, happy Lent, and have a happy day my friends ~ Rev Kane

Valentine’s Day is Amateur Night

Posted on February 13, 2015 by LeAnne Notabartolo

Many people call New Year’s Eve “amateur night”, but not in this house. Here Valentine’s Day is for amateurs.

I know there are lots of people out there that think a romantic dinner out on the town on VDay is the way to go, but other than last year’s trip to San Francisco and eating at RN74, we haven’t dined out on VDay in ages. There are a LOT of reasons for that, but basically it’s because I don’t want to deal with the crowds and all the OTHER people. (Moment of Truth – On most days I can’t stand OTHER people, I only like MY people, especially when OTHER people are driving…). Because this has been a trend in my house for more than 10 years, I was really happy to see that Bon Appetit jumped on my bandwagon in their February issue this year with an entire section starting on page 17 about staying home and cooking together.

Each year I have made a surprise dinner for John (and Jack when he was home). It was always something we don’t normally eat at home, or something extravagant I had never cooked before. Lobster Thermidor was the biggie. When you are used to simply steaming or grilling a lobster, this seemed to take all damn day! Now I know why it is so expensive when you order it in a restaurant. This year, because VDay falls on a Saturday, there is even MORE reason to dine at home if you live in a big tourist city like Vegas. We set a fancy table, with crazy napkin folds and one year I even MADE the table runner and napkins. We’ll be using them again this year.

Panettone French Toast with Strawberries. Don’t judge, the pic was taken with my old camera.

Because John will be home and there is little or no way to really surprise him, I enlisted his help. As you know, if you have been following along, we love craft beer here at Casa Nota and to this end, I gave John the menu items and asked him to create a beer pairing to go with each course. Here are the courses, and yes, if I remember pics will be posted to Instagram:

Braised Oxtail Tortelloni (bigger than tortellini) served en brodo and yes, I am making my own pasta
Mixed green salad with Lemon Vinaigrette (and maybe a poached egg)
THIS Oyster and Scallop Pan Roast stew from Andrew Zimmern
Cajun seasoned Duck Breast with Andouille gravy and dirty rice
Salted Caramel Budino

Yes, it’s rich. Yes, it seems a little like overkill, but this is the only day of the year when I cook to this level of extravagance. Keep in mind those recipes will be cut in half and we’ll have some leftovers.

What beers would you choose? Skip the wine suggestions – John doesn’t enjoy it and I can’t enjoy it (sulfites dammit!).

Wanna see what and where I am eating? Follow me on Instagram or Twitter. And while we’re on the subject of Valentine’s Day, I LOVE it when you share my blog and share my page on Facebook. FYI – that’s a pretty broad hint to do both! In fact, invite your friends to follow along and subscribe to this blog – you’ll get a once a week email with ALL the posts from the previous week in one digestible mailing.

Happy Valentine’s Day – may everything you eat be spectacular!

Lazy Food CAN be Good Food

Posted on February 4, 2015 by LeAnne Notabartolo

With Valentine’s Day fast approaching, I find myself visiting the grocery store for inspiration on what to eat and cook now. Like you I get bored eating the same things ALL THE TIME. (Moment of Truth – I sometimes go to the store, in off peak hours, and just look around. No, I am not kidding.)

As I wander through the produce section of the grocery stores I notice more and more precut fruits and veggies, premade salads in addition to the washed-for-you lettuces, and yogurt parfaits with granola and fruit. In Costco you can get a supersized bag of pre-sliced apples, portioned out in small bags (presumably for lunches) and pre-made fruit trays for parties. This is fresh food folks, not the canned fruit cocktail cups of my child’s youth. I thought to myself, How fucking lazy do you have to be to buy not only washed lettuce (guilty here!), but cut up fruits and veggies? So I started thinking…I know, dangerous…

I can see the logic of having products like these in truck stops and 7-11 type stores. Family road trippers and people who travel by road for work, like my Dad and friend Jim, would have healthier things to choose from when on the road. But in your local grocer’s produce section? What is the shelf life? What are they treated with? How many people handled the raw product? Again, How fucking lazy are you? (FYI – all of MY pics were taken at a local Smith’s store – but don’t tell anyone, they “usually don’t allow pictures” I was told).

Then it hit me. People are lazy. They WANT to make healthier choices, but don’t want to do the prep work.

Then I got hit again. I don’t like to eat an apple whole. Don’t ask why, I don’t know; but if you cut it up for me, I will snack on the slices all day long.

So there you have it. The lazy and the stupid are the people these are marketed toward. I am in the latter category, mainly because I don’t know why I dislike eating apples on the core.

Here is some info to think about:

Once fruit or veggies are cut, they MUST be refrigerated, but many can be stored at room temp in their whole state for a much longer time
Many are treated with citric acid, a chemical to prevent the cut fruit from browning
The salads taste pretty good and the ones from Taylor Farms come with just enough dressing to coat it and not drown it
Photo Courtesy of the Taylor Farms Website
These versions cost more than double what the whole versions cost, but if it helps you CHOOSE fruits and veggies instead of chips, GO FOR IT!

So here is my charge to you: Eat more fruit! I have been taking 10 minutes every couple of days to core and slice a bunch of apples and pop them in the fridge to snack on whenever I have a sweet tooth, which is quite often lately.

Here’s the skinny:

Squeeze a half a lemon into 6 cups of water. This is just enough to prevent browning without making the fruit taste bitter or like lemon
Use an apple wedger to core and cut the fruit into wedges if you like it chunky or slice it thin like I do
Dunk the cut pieces in the acidulated water, making sure that all the cut surfaces have been exposed to the water. I let them sit there until the bowl is full.
Take them out and pat them dry on a clean towel
Store in an airtight container in the fridge on a shelf where you can see them, not in the produce drawer, and watch how fast they disappear
This works for pears too as long as they are not ultra-ripe.

So let’s get back to Valentine’s Day. For those of you who are new readers to my blog, I call Valentine’s Day “amateur night” and absolutely refuse to go out to eat on that night. I go ALL OUT here at home and make something I have never made before that is luxurious, expensive and completely decadent. The problem is I have been doing this for so many years that I am running out of ideas. If you have a thought on what I should be cooking, share it in the comments section. And share this blog so more people can have some input. I am getting desperate here – we’re 10 days out!

The Art & Science of RSVPing

Posted on January 21, 2015 by RedFlair14

As I write I am watching and listening to the gentle waves in the Sea of Cortez in gorgeous San Jose del Cabo. It is LeAnneuary and the celebrations for my 50^th year on the planet continue. With luck, I will have much more to share with you soon about this trip. So far all I can say is that the food is mediocre, the hotel and staff fabulous and the weather is perfect. And so…

I rarely write about my JOB because I know you really like reading about food, recipes and events, but I feel with the New Year there is a need for everyone to make a resolution to RSVP. For whatever reason people these days feel it is unnecessary. Do you think you are special? Do you think the host, event planner or event coordinator can read your mind? Do you think because the invite was sent digitally you have no real requirement to respond? Yeah…um…ok- NO! YOU ALWAYS should RSVP. Here are some REAL scenarios for you to consider:

We attended a wedding in San Antonio several years ago and noticed that there were two complete tables of 10 (20 people total) that were empty. I thought to myself, “The house over set the room.” Then I went outside to have a cigarette (don’t judge) and saw more than 20 place cards that had not been picked up by “attendees”. These people RSVPed and didn’t show. Bad form! The Bride and Groom paid for those no-shows – more than $1000. How would you feel if you were the newlyweds?
I helped organize a retirement party for a military friend. It was a tight room (i.e. filled to capacity). A couple walked in that were NOT on the RSVP list and expected to be seated. There was absolutely no where to put them. How would you feel if you were me, the “guests”, restaurant staff or the host?
And then there is THIS – gone a trifle too far if you ask me.

Invited Guests, here is the low down, fast, hard and dirty – If you are invited to anything, and I do mean ANYTHING, regardless of how you get the invite (FB, Email, printed engraved invitation delivered by a courier pigeon) you RSVP. One way or the other. Your host enjoys your company enough that your presence is desired. If you can’t make it, send your polite regrets. If you can make it, show up with a smile on your face and enjoy the festivities. If you RSVP that you are attending and for some reason at the last minute can’t make it, a brief polite communique with the host is in order (emergencies – and by emergency I mean death, dismemberment, contagious illness – are of course exempt, and a quick call to the host following the event is always appreciated). Remember your host has planned for food, drinks and potentially entertainment for you. If you are one of the lovely people who ALWAYS RSVPs and shows up when invited and for some reason you don’t make it, your host may in fact be worried about you for out of character behavior.

The act of taking 3 minutes to RSVP is a GIFT to your host. Consider the host or event planner organizing a party for 100 and only 50 RSVP, should the host GUESS whether you are attending if you don’t RSVP? Should they count on your charming presence and pay for you to be a no-show? Should they NOT count on you and have you show up with no place to be seated or run out of food/drinks?

Gracious Hosts – the sad fact is that you are in an untenable position. I am sure you have friends who say, “You know I am coming, do I need to RSVP?” And I am sure there are a few in every crowd, but don’t count on anyone. For 16 years I worked in direct sales doing home cooking demos teaching recipes and selling cookware, and for each and every event I had to encourage the host of the show to call and remind each guest (up to 40 people) about the date and time because people forget they RSVPed or the simply didn’t think they had to do so.

Here is my Moment of Truth – I have a Three Strikes Policy. If you are invited and respond NO three times, respond YES three times and not show or simply NOT RSVP at all, you are not invited back (yes, there are noted exceptions).

And one final thought – if you are invited to someone’s home for an event, don’t show up empty handed unless “NO GIFTS PLEASE” is on the invitation. Wine, flowers, quirky coasters, chocolates, anything you think the host will enjoy is ALWAYS appreciated by the host. Exceptions? Your best friend’s home where you are as likely to be as your own home.

LIFE is a Special Occasion

Posted on December 31, 2014 by LeAnne Notabartolo

It started Monday with a cup of tea. I had finished the box of tea I was working on and decided to “treat myself” to more expensive tea that I normally save for “special occasions” or company. At the first sip I remembered how much I enjoy PG Tips tea. PG Tips is not terribly expensive, it is only slightly more than my usual cup. So why the hell was I saving it?

Then I started thinking about other things. Those fancy sugar cubes that aren’t really cubes at all? Why are they still hermetically sealed in the boxes in which they came? That really nice jam? How about those gorgeous olives, spreads and pates? All this fantastic shelf stable food that I store in my pantry…what the hell am I waiting for? MY LIFE is a special occasion dammit! MY FAMILY members are “company”. Each of us deserves to celebrate every fucking day. And so do you.

Why am I reflecting on this now? Is it because of the impending New Year? NOPE! Tomorrow begins my 50^th year on this planet. I celebrate the half century mark on LeAnneuary 8^th and I celebrate all month long (thanks Friend Deb for encouraging this behavior!). I have decided to take it one step further inspired by new Friend and fellow blogger McCall Humes (read her blog HERE). I have decided to celebrate the entire year by doing something I have never tried before once each month.

As I thought about this, and shared the idea with Hubby, it occurred to me that this is going to be a tall order! I have done A LOT in my 49 years. So here is the goal: visit someplace new, eat something I haven’t tried before, attempt that recipe that has confounded me, experience something for the first time and stretch my comfort zone.

I would love to have you all comment with suggestions of what I should taste, do, try, attempt! Here are some of things I have already done:

Skydiving

Snorkeling
Zip-lining
Ziplining in Mexico
Rappelling
Rappelling down a waterfall in Mexico
Lived in Europe
Culinary school
Shaved my head
Been on TV
Been on the Radio
Eaten offal and ALMOST every part of most animals
Eaten insects
Ridden a horse AND a donkey

My first new thing will be running a 5K for the first time. This will be on LeAnneuary 17^th here in Vegas as a fundraiser for Chefs for Kids. I will participate, but my goal is to run the entire thing. I won’t be fast, I won’t win and I don’t care. I simply want to be able to say “I DID IT!” Keep warm thoughts in your head for that day, I don’t do well in the cold.

Happiest of New Years to all of you! Thank you for following along with me. (Moment of Truth – I LOVE it when you SHARE my blog, SUBSCRIBE using the simple fill in the blank on the right of your screen and COMMENT on this site). You can also follow along on FB, Twitter and Instagram.

Aunt LeAnne Goes to a Tamaleada

Posted on December 24, 2014 by LeAnne Notabartolo

I wrote and THOUGHT I posted this yesterday, but apparently I never hit “publish”. Merry Christmas! Never miss an episode when you subscribe by adding your email address on the right! And follow along on FB, Twitter and Instagram – all @GoodforSpooning

Tamaleada – (ta MAL ā AH da) noun, Spanish

a Latino tradition of gathering together as a family to create tamales for Christmas. Usually done on Christmas Eve, but can be done any time during the holiday season.
a tamal making party. Typically Mexican, but also found in other Latin cultures.

Having lived in the desert southwest for more than 10 years, and being surrounded by a strong Mexican/Latino population, I have always wanted to learn the art of making tamales. Being a gringa (white girl) I was never asked because the tamaleada is a FAMILY thing. Traditionally the Abuela (grandmother) is in charge and she dictates what is done, by whom and when. Most of the hands-on work is done by the women (what else is new – hahaha, JK) and the men are only brought in as tasters. Does this need more salt? Is this texture right? Is it too spicy?

Gilbert (center) acting as Abuelo telling everyone what their tasks will be. Friend Sunshine and Gilbert’s partner David look on.

Being a military family we have had the need and pleasure of creating our own holiday traditions. Sometimes we were invited to other people’s homes, mainly because they felt sorry for us, “Oh, let’s invite that military family so they aren’t alone.” We never really felt connected to our hosts or like we were part of “The Crowd”. Living in Vegas is no different. Most of the people I know are transplants from somewhere else, so their family may not be in the area to hold or attend the annual tamelada (like Friend Gilbert). Or maybe because they lived here for so long without family they never did it (like Friend Lillian).

This is what usually happens:

Everyone gathers together to do the prep work
Everything is made from scratch – NO SHORTCUTS
Kids are encouraged to get involved and are given specific tasks suited for their age and skill level
Each person has the same job every year until someone dies (TRUTH) and they move up into the next position
It’s a typical “hen party” with conversations ranging from funny stories of past holidays, to what everyone is doing now, to how the kids are and shared traditional music, familial jokes and much laughter and smiles. (Gilbert told us a GREAT story of the older women keeping the younger women in line at his family’s event in years past – we were all howling with laughter.)

When I walked into Gilbert & David’s home on Sunday my only expectation of the day was that I would go home with a new skill and hopefully some new cultural knowledge and awareness. I knew Lillian would be there, but nothing else. I had no concept of what my role would be. I knew nothing about tamales except that they are delicious. I got so much more than I bargained for! I got LOVE! According to Gilbert, and I quote, “Tamales are love”. I knew most of the people at the table socially, except for Amber and Laura. By the time I left, after helping to make a few hundred (it seems – I didn’t count) tamales, I felt connected to each of them in a very special way. I know that a tamaleada is a FAMILY thing and I was honored to be included in the chosen family surrounding that table. I felt needed, a part of a generations old tradition, and like I belonged. Not an outlier with no roots. We started with handshakes all around and ended up hugging like long lost relatives.

The makings of tamales – and the meat isn’t even on the table yet

Efforts from the Tamaleada, and yes, they are tied with little strips of corn husk.

Just 2 of the several pans we filled

The funniest part of the day? Everyone was delighted that there was something that I couldn’t do. (Moment of Truth – that first tamal took me FOREVER. I couldn’t get the masa to spread evenly and it kept sticking to the spoon instead of the corn husk and pulling holes in the thin layer I was trying in vain to create. Once I changed tools and started using a silicone spatula it all went rather smoothly!)

Enjoy the pics – I SHOULD have had someone take my pic making a tamal so you know I actually did it, but trust me, I did!

The finished product – this one with chicken and tomatillo green chile sauce.

Shop-a-Holic – What to Get for the Foodies on Your List.

Posted on December 11, 2014 by RedFlair14

It’s that time…you know…you gotta get gifts and get them NOW so you can get them wrapped, shipped and there on time.

All too often when shopping for a foodie or a cook, you MIGHT think that the cool, new gadget is THE thing to buy…um yeah, NO! Not unless it is really useful or specifically asked for. Here’s a short list of what NOT to buy:

Any special formed baking pan – especially if it can only be used once a year. You know those muffin top pans, Xmas tree pans, whoopee pie pans? Leave them in the store for some other sucker unless the giftee has asked for them
With VERY few exceptions, never buy a woman anything with an electrical cord unless she asks for it by name
Unitaskers with few exceptions are not good ideas. If you find one that is SO friggin’ cool you have to buy it, buy it for yourself and see how often you use it before buying it for others.

So here is my list of things to buy NOW for the foodies in your life:

Cookbooks – based on subjects your Foodie enjoys. One of my fave gifts from Hubby is a signed copy of Pickles, Pigs and Whiskey. He found out where the author was doing a book signing, called the store and asked for their help and they had the author sign it and then they shipped it to me. Word of advice, you will probably get that type of service from an indie bookstore, not a big box retailer. These are my faves right now and YES, they are all signed!
Carnivore and Souvenirs were signed in person, Feeding the Dragon was sent to me by the Authors’ Mom – a dear friend.
Maldon salt tins make a fab stocking stuffer! Travel size Maldon for your purse/pocket!
Available at Sur la Table for about $2
THIS pan from The Pampered Chef® – because it is two in one. The nonstick cast aluminum base can be used stove-top or oven, with or without the glass lid. The tempered glass lid can be used on its own (oven only) as a separate baking vessel for side dishes! Bonus – the glass lid flips and stores IN the metal base.
A subscription to a great magazine – right now I love Bon Appetit and Imbibe
A fab Foodie Shirt – Go to The Chivery and get my fave pig shirt, or try these on for size
From Flavour Gallery

From True Cooks
Remember that we LOVE to eat, not just cook, so a gift of food is ALWAYS welcome. ANYTHING from Dean & DeLuca is a great choice, but also think about a gift card to a local restaurant.
Support small business when you can. I like Plymouth Artisan Cheese – their delivery is a bit on the slow side sometimes, so order this now for your New Year’s Celebrations!
My three faves from Plymouth. When you order online tell them LeAnne sent you!