Rach got here on Monday and we had those big salads I was talking about last Sunday, topped with everything in the fridge, plus leftovers. Tabouli, beets, egg, leftover shrimp and steak, red wine vinegar vinaigrette made with scallions, because I had no garlic.
On Tuesday I went to a reception at a library conference and then to the Terrace to meet Rach, who was there for a Scouting with her work colleagues. She’s the co-director of the Internet Scout Project, so “scout” + “outing” = “scouting”. haha. She walked and I biked, and we got home on the late side and hungry, so I made a quick veggie stir fry with ramen noodles – kohlrabi, onion, carrots, broccoli, snap peas, green beans.
On Wednesday for dinner I made myself a beet and egg salad in honor of my mom’s 11th yahrzeit. Last year I had broccoli, and cheese and crackers, with salad on the side, and watched Shoot Me, about Elaine Stritch; the year before, a friend who’s husband had just died suddenly came for dinner, and we had chicken salad and squash casserole, and pie. Then I made a peach galette, so I could eat a little after my salad supper, and Mark could have some too, when he got back from Chicago. I froze bananas in the morning, so I could whiz them up in the food processor for the just-one-ingredient banana ice cream that’s all over the Internet – I used almond butter and a little almond extract. Mark opted for regular vanilla with his pie. And I finally made the scallion pancakes – I’d had the dough for them in the fridge since the prior weekend. I rolled them out after the pie, while it was baking, and froze them.
On Thursday we went to see Elvis Costello. They played like 2 1/2 hours straight – 31 songs, new, old, covers, acoustic and electric, a few Elvis solo, a few just Elvis & his piano player Steve Nieve. I made southern summer squash casserole, where you steam the squash and mash it with butter and sugar and then mix in diced onions and bake it until it’s a little crusty – it’s delicious. I’ve always used the recipe from a cookbook I have that’s all musician’s recipes, and looks like it’s more common for the casserole to have a cracker crumb topping and cheese – mine has none of that. I thawed the giant ham that’s been in the freezer since December and we had ham sandwiches, too, for a quick dinner before the show.
On Friday, we went to APT for Pride & Prejudice. I got a coupon for cheap tickets for volunteering at the art fair. I had a big lunch, the Southwest pizza special from Sunroom Café (and I didn’t see my old friend Julie back in the kitchen – maybe she’s finally left there) – a thin crust pizza – they were cooking them on the grill – topped with chicken and salsa and avocado and Jack cheese. I brought home half of it, and Mark had that for super. I had some of the peach galette, and finished the banana ice cream. The show was really good – but long. They figured out a way to compress the action by having actors walk across the stage reciting the gossip. Looks like the adaptation for the stage was originally done in Milwaukee, by someone named Joseph Hanreddy, who was the artistic director of the Milwaukee Rep.
