Can you believe July is almost over? Schools are going to be starting soon. And there is much debate across the country on how that should look. I won’t jump into the politics of said debate. I will just say that, for myself, I dread school starting, and I’m somewhat glad that Chicago starts a little later than some, though they are starting a week earlier this year. I personally wish it were a week or a month later given the timeline we are being told for vaccines for the 5-11 age group. But we are just going to keep doing what we can to stay safe and keep those around us safe. Now, enough on that.
Thursday (7/22) – We ordered pizza. We decided to try Rosatti’s as I recalled it being pretty decent pizza. Their thin crust is not thin. I know we are super picky pizza eaters. But this was decidedly a pan style crust and not what we were hoping. The sausage and the sauce were good. The hunt for the perfect pizza has been ongoing ever since Calo changed their sausage. We found one place that was a little pricey but delicious, and unfortunately, it closed down. So, the hunt continues. And no, I didn’t expect Rosatti’s was going to be it.
Friday (7/23) – I made pork chops. My husband had mentioned a desire for them back before I went to Spain. I sautéed them in olive oil with rosemary, which is always good. I also made mashed potatoes and yes, we had some veggies.
Saturday (7/24) – We had Mel and family over for dinner. I made beer brats, both meaty and some vegan ones. The vegan ones looked weird. I’m just gonna put that out there. They need to come up with something to simulate a casing. I even did some caramelized onions for the husband and I. No one in Mel’s household likes onions. Yes, there is something wrong with those people. We served them with a side salad, which remarkably, the kids like. We finished off dinner with some chocolates I brought back from Spain.
Sunday (7/25) – I made this lovely recipe from NYT Cooking that was a lemony chicken with couscous and feta. It was very good. I followed the recipe mostly except it was supposed to have halloumi, and I substituted feta. I haven’t actually tried halloumi because I just can’t get over how expensive it is around here. Sometime I’ll make the splurge.
Monday (7/26) – We just had taquitos. You know we have to do this periodically. And it was a Monday. And I didn’t really feel like any of the many leftovers we had in the fridge.
Tuesday (7/27) – I made a creamy zucchini pasta. It’s a one-pot meal from NYT and uses mascarpone cheese and the pasta water to create a somewhat creamy but not heavy sauce. I served it with pan con tomate, which was a big hit with everyone. My favorite part was the gremolata on the pasta, in which I used pine nuts instead of almonds. I’m not a huge almond fan, and I also was just out of them.
Wednesday (7/28) – We traded this evening with the kid away because some friends of ours were in from out of town. We had dinner on a patio at a local restaurant. It turned out to be one of the hotter evenings, so that wasn’t so pleasant. The food was okay, but not quite what I remembered the place being. We did have a very nice goat cheese and mozzarella appetizer.
So nothing crazy adventurous in this week’s meals, but we did some cooking. And I can smell fall coming. Okay, not really yet, but I’m practically ready to break out the pumpkin decorations. If you are unfamiliar, fall is my favorite time of year, and I love cooking big hearty meals when it gets cool out. Anyway, thanks for hanging on, if you have. These posts are less exciting some weeks than others, but I enjoy reflecting on my week (or two weeks ago sometimes).
Foodie's Delimma 