Tuesday, May 3, 2011

Egg Salad Cravings

I had a craving the other day for Egg Salad. I love the stuff about as much as I love Deviled Eggs and I was torn as to which one to make. I really needed some sandwich fixings for work so the Egg Salad won out and I'm glad it did because this was a stellar mix, at least to my palate. Here's the deal:
7 Large Eggs
1 medium Shallot, finely minced
5 small Green Olives, finely chopped
1 Slice of Claussen Kosher dill pickle, finely chopped
1/4 teaspoon Garlic Powder
Pinch of Kosher Salt
1/3 cup Hellman's Real Mayonnaise (or to desired consistency)

Place the eggs in a pot of cold water and bring to a boil, then shut off the heat and cover for 12 minutes and then place in an ice bath for about 15 minutes or until cold.
Peel and chop into medium dice in a medium bowl. Mix all the remaining ingredients into the eggs until thoroughly combined and taste for correct spices.
Serve on good crusty bread  with lettuce as a sandwich or on Crostinis as an appetizer topped with a Green olive and maybe a bit of Frank's Hot Sauce.
Bon Appetit
Tim

Sunday, May 1, 2011

Some time alone

I spent some time alone this weekend as my lovely wife was at a conference for a few days. I had decided to spend the time opening up our camper on Lake Kabetogama in Northern Minnesota for the upcoming season. In preparation for the event I stopped at The Italian Village on Friday night to pick up some Hot Molinari and some Hot Capicola for a little Antipasto lunch while I was there at the lake. I had a bit of leftover Baguette and some Parmigian Reggiano and a beer to go along with it and I packed it all up and headed North.
It was sprinkling rain as I drove but it is a nice trip to one of my favorite places on the planet where there are very large walleyes, by the way, so it didn't matter about a little rain. I found the camper in very good shape after a long winter. The tarp my son and I had tied over the top to protect it was in very good shape and all the ropes were still tight. I uncovered it and folded the tarp for storage and hooked up an LP gas tank to the camper and fired up the cooktop to take the chill off the interior. After warming a bit I sat at the table and enjoyed the meats and cheeses I had brought and felt very thankful to be in a place my wife and I enjoy so much and have some great food to boot! I finished cleaning the camper up and organizing a few things and then went down to the dock to see the lake, which had just become ice-free on Friday night.
It was beautiful as usual but the water was quite low. I hope the Spring rains will bring it back up to normal fairly soon.
It started to rain fairly heavy so I packed up my stuff and began the trip(sadly) back home. I remembered as I was heading South that I would be passing one of my favorite places to eat in Eveleth, MN, the K&B Drive In. They specialize in Texas Barbeque and it is very good. I found it while remodeling the home of some friends on Pleasant Lake just a few miles away and stopped there to pick up lunch. I pulled into the drive-in (yes, it really is a drive-in) and asked the server what their specialty was. She told me about the barbeque and I decided to try it. I ordered the Brisket Sandwich and I was immediately hooked. It was great! They also have some pretty good Onion Rings and I always have those when I can. It was a nice cap to the day.
Sunday I decided to try the Brunch at another favorite place, G.B. Schneider & Co. in Duluth. They have recently started doing brunch with a menu of specific dishes and their great sandwich menu as well as a Pastry and Salad Bar to complement the entrees. I noticed Eggs Benedict on the menu and I had to try it. I always try it whenever I see it. Well, it was excellent! the Hollandaise was one of the best I have ever had, rivaling the Over Easy Cafe on Sanibel Island in Florida. It was silky smooth and just the right amount of lemon. It was also served with a near-perfect side of shredded Hash Browns. They had a beautiful crunchy golden exterior and just a bit of softer center which was perfect for my taste.
This was a very nice ending to a very nice weekend except that Teresa was not here to share it with me.
Let the adventure continue!
Tim