tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31502586605564325262011-10-17T20:21:37.849-04:00Recipes, restaurant reviews, and random thoughts on food...lar3ryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15897534661485705459noreply@blogger.comBlogger781100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3150258660556432526.post-65384610257398859662011-10-17T19:19:00.004-04:002011-10-17T20:21:37.942-04:00

I consider myself lucky that New Hampshire is fertile ground for local breweries and, of course, the festivals that celebrate the area's finest beers.We have brew pubs like...Martha's Exchange in Nashua, NHElm City Restaurant & Brewery in Keene, NH (the town where Chardonnay went to college)Flying Goose Brewpub in beautiful New London, NHMillys Tavern in Manchester, NHMoat Mountain Smoke House

lar3ryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15897534661485705459noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3150258660556432526.post-89199842142925023872011-10-06T17:20:00.002-04:002011-10-06T17:23:09.329-04:00

It's autumn in New England. In the northern areas of NH, the trees are starting to show their wonderful colors, and pretty soon those colors will be making their appearance here as well. The weather is getting cooler, and the apple orchards are open for business, selling varieties such as Cortland, Gala, McIntosh, and my family's favorite, Honey Crisp.As much as this blog is mostly about food,

lar3ryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15897534661485705459noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3150258660556432526.post-10691714497060319532011-08-28T17:54:00.003-04:002011-08-28T18:52:02.769-04:00

One of the great things about being married is marrying into the cuisine of the family of the person you are marrying. I can tell you from experience that I have learned quite a lot about Italian cooking from my wife and her family. One of the nicest surprises was when I had spaghetti and meatballs at my in-laws' house before I got married. It seems that everybody has their own take on Italian

lar3ryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15897534661485705459noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3150258660556432526.post-71610271240364437962011-08-05T10:15:00.004-04:002011-08-05T11:12:47.461-04:00

Sometimes, the simplest ideas are the greatest. From the simplest bit of inspiration can come an idea whose time has come, especially with the advent of smart phones.This past Wednesday evening, I was a LaLacheur Park, the home of the Lowell Spinners, a minor league affiliate for the Boston Red Sox. (They proudly announce that Jacoby Ellsbury, Jonathan Papelbon, Kevin Youklis, and others got

lar3ryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15897534661485705459noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3150258660556432526.post-14645223819752928002011-01-12T09:51:00.003-05:002011-01-12T10:28:55.660-05:00

Can there be anything more American than the classic Spaghetti and Meatball dinner?I know the style is actually Italian, but it seems so ubiquitous in American households that it appears that we've adopted it wholeheartedly.When I was growing up, the pasta meal at our house was actually "American Chop Suey," which was some shaped pasta (my mother like seashell pasta) to which was added some

lar3ryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15897534661485705459noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3150258660556432526.post-27751420418511241062010-10-06T20:49:00.004-04:002010-10-06T21:28:35.367-04:00

Yeah, I know. Two Beer Fest blog entries in a row, but I guess it's Oktoberfest season, and a good reason to invite people to drink beers.Last year's Beer Fest was great, although the weather was rainy. So rainy, in fact, that everybody huddled within the long beer tent to keep from getting soaked, making the place seem a hell of a lot more claustrophobic than it should have been.This year's

lar3ryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15897534661485705459noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3150258660556432526.post-90351182972700646912010-09-20T18:46:00.004-04:002010-09-20T19:42:02.195-04:00

Last Saturday, the City of Nashua held its first Beer Fest from 4pm to 8pm. The venue was Holman Stadium, the former home of the Nashua Pride and the short-lived Nashua Defenders. There was a tent erected around the pitcher's mound, and vendors included InBev, Red Hook, Long Trail, Boston Beer Company, and Smuttynose. Each attendee was given ten tickets, each good for a single 3-oz. sample.

lar3ryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15897534661485705459noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3150258660556432526.post-85956755004270690932010-08-17T12:33:00.009-04:002010-08-19T09:31:34.037-04:00

*I have always loved fast food. It was a part of my childhood, and still remains a means to a quick meal. What's not to like about it? The food is predictable, if uninspirational. You know what you are going to get, even if what you get is mediocre. After all, few fast food places actually aspire to anything more.McDonald's is a classic. To this day, I can order the same thing I ordered as

lar3ryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15897534661485705459noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3150258660556432526.post-41066604357724862252010-08-07T22:57:00.005-04:002010-08-07T23:18:19.116-04:00

I know it's corny to write "lobstah," but apparently, there is some unwritten law that says that in New Hampshire... er, I mean, New Hampsha... important words that end in -er should be respelled with a final -ah.Well, I'm not one to fully honor tradition, so I'll just use the word "lobster" from here on in, if only to soothe my poor spell checker.My family had lobster infrequently when I was

lar3ryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15897534661485705459noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3150258660556432526.post-57984876297202473962010-05-03T09:44:00.001-04:002010-05-03T10:00:01.153-04:00

I guess Mexican was the first "ethnic" food that I learned to cook. When I was living in Miami, I was at a party where a co-worker named Nancy Kowalski made a quick and easy sheet of nachos by putting tortillas on a cookie sheet, added a can of Hormel Chili (without beans), some shredded cheese, onions, scallions, and after about five minutes in the oven, she brought out some delicious nachos. I

lar3ryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15897534661485705459noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3150258660556432526.post-56528933148673726772009-12-05T07:01:00.006-05:002009-12-07T10:21:37.853-05:00

My last post on Chips and Salsa mentioned an old chain restaurant that is no longer in business, Chi Chi's. The brand lives on in supermarkets where you can purchase salsa, taco seasoning, and corn fritter mix, but when it was a restaurant chain, it was among Sandra's and my favorite places despite the fact that it was a chain.What was special about Chi Chi's? The taste. I may have fell in

lar3ryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15897534661485705459noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3150258660556432526.post-41072463605157430852009-12-01T10:08:00.003-05:002009-12-01T11:17:28.958-05:00

I believe that I've mentioned in the past that I was nearly twenty years old before I truly encountered Mexican cuisine. Before that, I had tacos, having learned to love them at the Jack in the Box fast food chain in my home town of Brentwood, NY. From that humble beginning, I slowly tested the waters, first with Taco Bell in Centereach (I went there with Sandra on a date; I was a big spender

lar3ryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15897534661485705459noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3150258660556432526.post-88014418889563719022009-11-14T09:43:00.008-05:002009-11-14T10:24:22.150-05:00

Well, for the first time since I got my iPhone last year, I decided to wipe it and restore it from a backup. Why? It appeared to me that the iPhone was getting a bit sluggish. I figured that if I reloaded the operating system afresh and then reloaded from backup, things might go a bit faster.Well, I think I did something wrong. The operating system loaded nicely (it didn't take very long).

lar3ryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15897534661485705459noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3150258660556432526.post-91955560627500047912009-11-05T11:39:00.005-05:002009-11-05T12:06:00.396-05:00

A couple of months ago, Sandra had to drive to Lebanon, NH (about an hour and a half away from where we live) to go to the Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center for some Girl Scout meeting (she's a leader of the Girl Scouts in Salem, and the council encompasses both Vermont and New Hampshire, so Lebanon at the western border of New Hampshire probably seemed to be a good "central" place to meet.

lar3ryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15897534661485705459noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3150258660556432526.post-74122242397232397292009-10-27T10:58:00.003-04:002009-10-27T11:36:16.446-04:00

I've already explained my thoughts about pizza a couple of times, but the Flatbread Company up in scenic North Conway Village has me rethinking things.I've seen the place many times during visits to the mountains. After all, it's right across the street from one of my favorite drinking holes (Houlihan's) and Sandra's and the kids' shops (The Penguin, Zeb's, Beggar's Pouch).One of our family's "

lar3ryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15897534661485705459noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3150258660556432526.post-65493707111141908562009-06-13T17:15:00.002-04:002009-06-15T09:55:11.354-04:00

When I was a youngster, there were these commercials on television that intrigued me. Boone's Farm Strawberry Hill Wine had a catchy jingle, as did (Cruz Garcia's?) Real Sangria. Alas, these commercials were on the air when I was about thirteen or fourteen year's old; much too young to actually be imbibing in alcoholic spirits.I started drinking wine when I was about twenty. At first, I liked the

lar3ryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15897534661485705459noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3150258660556432526.post-15324470379868090182009-02-25T09:31:00.002-05:002009-02-25T09:36:23.788-05:00

When I went to the butcher shop this weekend, I was a bit disappointed that there wasn't any andouille sausage; I had really wanted to make some chicken and shrimp gumbo for Mardi Gras this week.Instead, I found a nice package of four pork chops. I immediately thought about a meal I made before the kids were born. I believe I saw the recipe in James Beard's "American Cookery" cookbook, but I know

lar3ryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15897534661485705459noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3150258660556432526.post-85246348450871721582009-02-19T09:08:00.002-05:002009-02-19T10:10:07.093-05:00

For my fiftieth birthday (yeah, I'm now that old!), Sandra decided to give me one of the best birthday presents I ever received: a ten day cruise to the Caribbean, stopping at five ports of callr: St. Thomas (USVI), Antigua, Barbados, St. Martin, and Tortola (BVI).From New England, we took a ferry from New London to Orient Point, and then arrived at Sandra's father's condo. The next morning,

lar3ryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15897534661485705459noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3150258660556432526.post-33942997489221037892008-11-02T11:13:00.004-05:002008-11-03T08:45:32.594-05:00

A little over a year ago, I posted a review of one of my family's favorite Asian restaurants, Dynamite Sushi. In that review, I mentioned one of my favorite dishes, a "Hot Stone Bowl" dinner item, whose Korean name is "Bibimbap." It was at Dynamite Sushi that I first encountered this wonderful dish, although I have had it elsewhere (Shira Kiku, formerly Goong Choun on Broad Street, in Nashua).

lar3ryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15897534661485705459noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3150258660556432526.post-60160955310016313742008-09-08T11:17:00.006-04:002008-09-08T11:41:27.175-04:00

I've always liked the idea of Shepherd's Pie. In it's most basic form, it's a simple stew to make. I've had this in restaurants, and I've made it myself. Sandra likes it as well... up to a point. I'll explain that in a bit.For the life of me, I cannot remember when I first had Shepherd's Pie. I do not remember having it at home as we grew up at all, nor do I recall having it when I was living in

lar3ryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15897534661485705459noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3150258660556432526.post-78690776571755193492008-09-04T10:20:00.004-04:002008-09-04T10:37:11.157-04:00

I've always loved the idea of crêpes, ever since I heard about them on the Patty Duke television show in the early to mid 1960s. After all, the show's theme song introduces the two characters with with the following:"Where Cathy adores a minuet,the Ballet Russe,and crêpes Suzette;Our Patty loves to rock 'n' roll,a hot dog makes her lose control—What a wild duet!"I must have been four or five when

lar3ryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15897534661485705459noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3150258660556432526.post-12975033028355203812008-08-11T13:44:00.002-04:002008-08-11T13:46:34.582-04:00

Just a quick note to let you know that I'm coming off my summer hiatus.There will be more food notes and other odds and ends coming soon!Stay tuned!

lar3ryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15897534661485705459noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3150258660556432526.post-8802775007440185822008-05-12T10:08:00.005-04:002008-05-12T13:58:53.113-04:00

For Mother's Day, Chardonnay and I went with Sandra to Ordiorne Point, which used to be a gunnery emplacement (Fort Dearborn) protecting Portsmouth Harbor during World War II. Before that, it was private land and marsh and today remains the largest strip of undeveloped seacoast on the NH coastline. Ordiorne Point has a few hiking trails and most of them have negligible elevation gain (in other

lar3ryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15897534661485705459noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3150258660556432526.post-4167360723076508782008-04-14T10:27:00.005-04:002008-04-14T11:02:20.767-04:00

Not too far away from the Salem / Derry line on Rt. 111 is what I would normally call a country club. The place is called Brookstone Park, which encompasses a golf course, practice range, miniature golf, an "ice cream shoppe," and the subject of this blog entry: The Brookstone Grille. (Apparently, the owners just love those quaint silent-e endings).I knew about the Brookstone Grille for a

lar3ryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15897534661485705459noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3150258660556432526.post-48273075001855061082008-03-25T10:45:00.001-04:002008-05-12T13:56:21.276-04:00

One of my family's favorite weekday meals is tacos. Although we use the packaged taco seasonings, we don't use the taco shells that they sell in the Mexican aisle in the supermarket. Instead we have what we've come to call "Roll Your Owns."The process is simple. First, we brown some ground beef, discarding the extra fat that renders out. We use a wooden spatula to break up the beef into small

lar3ryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15897534661485705459noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3150258660556432526.post-57863017830671928892008-03-03T11:34:00.001-05:002008-03-03T11:50:23.323-05:00

I've mentioned Chip Shots Grill and Sports Pub before, and today's blog entry is about one of my favorite sandwiches, which was "invented" at that pub.I first had focaccia at a restaurant called Houlihan's, which I first visited when they had a restaurant in Quincy Market in Boston. That restaurant has closed and there is another in its place, but one of the sandwiches they had there was a "

lar3ryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15897534661485705459noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3150258660556432526.post-20329586534773642642008-02-15T10:56:00.003-05:002008-02-15T10:58:54.446-05:00

Let's face it. I love Italian food. Even if it isn't your every day red sauce meal.First, there's nothing wrong with red sauce. I love it very much. My wife loves it as well.However, you can't have tomato sauce every day, and Italian recipes offer much more than just sauce.Enter Veal Piccata. I've always loved it. I can't remember the first time I had it, but it was most likely after I got

lar3ryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15897534661485705459noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3150258660556432526.post-16822210239928596712008-02-05T09:32:00.001-05:002008-08-13T11:00:03.223-04:00

According to the Wikipedia, taquitos are small rolled-up tortillas with some sort of filling, usually beef or chicken. They are also called Rolled Tacos, and sometimes (usually when made with flour tortillas) Flautas.I first came upon these things as flautas when I was living in Miami. A few restaurant had these intriguing things in the appetizer sections called "Flautas" and I tried some. I

lar3ryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15897534661485705459noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3150258660556432526.post-59274210785972818682008-01-30T14:46:00.001-05:002008-02-05T09:40:45.178-05:00

Sandra and I have made a tradition of watching the Super Bowl and having some special snacks.This tradition goes back to (I think) 1986 when a friend of ours named Michael was temporarily living in what is now the kids' room (the lease on his apartment expired and he was still trying to find a new place).On Super Bowl Sunday morning that year, I was watching television and saw somebody preparing

lar3ryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15897534661485705459noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3150258660556432526.post-64343589368977423122008-01-14T11:52:00.000-05:002008-02-05T09:40:31.673-05:00

I am an avid blogger. While this may be the only blog that I write, I tend to read and keep up with many blogs that span the range of my interests, from computer and technical information to food and even local sports (Hooray, Red Sox!).There are a few places that I frequent to keep tabs on the food scene, and a few of them specialize in the New Hampshire region where I live. I'd like to share

lar3ryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15897534661485705459noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3150258660556432526.post-28725094142700773982008-01-02T14:50:00.000-05:002008-02-05T09:39:59.884-05:00

As I was traveling during the recent holidays, I went to a local Panera Bread to have a warm cup of tea, a few sourdough rolls, and to use their free wireless Internet (WiFi) to catch up on things happening. (By the way, their bread is always fresh, their wireless is easy to use, and their tea is delightful! Patronize them!)I have a "folder of bookmarks" that I can open all at once into

lar3ryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15897534661485705459noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3150258660556432526.post-35246394684597682232007-12-20T12:20:00.001-05:002008-02-05T09:39:29.090-05:00

There will be no more posts on this blog until after New Year's. I will be doing a lot of traveling with very little access to the Internet.The good news is that the nest isn't empty now... at least until winter break is over!Bon Appetit and Happy Holidays to everybody!

lar3ryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15897534661485705459noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3150258660556432526.post-86078664122050927842007-12-12T10:24:00.000-05:002007-12-12T10:53:38.094-05:00

In 1983, I was living in New England and unemployed for the first time since I got married. I tried my hand at contract programming for a bit of time until I was hired as a programmer/analyst by a friend.The contract programming thing went bust for a pretty obvious reason (at least looking at it in hindsight): I might be a great programmer, but I am a lousy businessperson. I'm terrible at

lar3ryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15897534661485705459noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3150258660556432526.post-6698070483241730912007-12-10T10:53:00.001-05:002007-12-10T11:22:01.322-05:00

No... this column isn't about Ponch and Baker.It's about those thinly sliced potatoes, fried and salted into glorious perfection. Those things that have that k-k-k-k-runch when you bite them.Believe it or not, I wasn't much of a chip fan as a child. Potato chips were always served with a cream cheese dip. I hated cream cheese as a child. I still do.What did intrigue me, though, were the Lays

lar3ryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15897534661485705459noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3150258660556432526.post-65004901685982525502007-12-05T11:30:00.000-05:002007-12-05T11:32:06.896-05:00

Sandra and I took a trip out to Maine yesterday. Actually, our original goal was to visit Strawbery Banke's annual Candlelight Stroll after paying a visit to the factory outlets across the Piscataqua River in Kittery, Maine, but we got sidetracked.First, the factory outlets are fun. Despite the fact that there is no sales tax in New Hampshire, people still cross the border into Maine for the nice

lar3ryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15897534661485705459noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3150258660556432526.post-67570737342948337392007-12-03T08:49:00.000-05:002007-12-03T09:03:48.363-05:00

I spent a lot of time last week wandering through Shaw's supermarket after work trying to come up with ideas for meals for Sandra and myself. Our nest is still empty, and I don't have too many items in my repertoire for two people.On Sunday, I got a great idea. Instead of going to Shaw's looking for ideas, I should go to McKinnon's Meat and Super Butcher Shop instead.McKinnon's is, as its name

lar3ryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15897534661485705459noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3150258660556432526.post-36460129975147418302007-11-28T09:32:00.000-05:002007-11-28T09:45:44.679-05:00

(Sorry for the delay in posting; holidays and everything kept me busy! —lar3ry)When the kids were very young, Sandra and I had two vastly different work schedules. She worked from about 3pm until 11pm at night (evening shift), and I worked during the day. We usually had a babysitter watch the kids between the time Sandra had to leave for work, and the time I got home, although we sometimes used

lar3ryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15897534661485705459noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3150258660556432526.post-59446704763408629542007-11-13T09:20:00.000-05:002007-11-28T09:44:00.101-05:00

My family has come to enjoy my pasta with meat sauce recipes. I use the plural here, because my sauce comes in about three varieties: traditional, without vegetables, and with ground meat.The first variety, which is most closely associated with the Italian Bolognese sauce, consists of cubes of beef simmered with onions, carrots, celery, beef stock, and crushed tomatoes. Now, according to the

lar3ryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15897534661485705459noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3150258660556432526.post-79435359560514957342007-11-06T17:02:00.000-05:002007-11-07T20:23:28.161-05:00

Here is an understatement: Baking is not my forté.I'll give you a moment to recover from your shock, but it's true. My wife and kids love to cook brownies, cakes, pies, and all sorts of great dessert dishes, and I am usually relegated to watching from a distance.Immediately after I married Sandra, she moved to Miami with me. I had been living there for about three years at that time; our

lar3ryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15897534661485705459noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3150258660556432526.post-60345066978620872022007-11-02T10:16:00.000-04:002007-11-02T11:00:09.818-04:00

Today's column will discuss Indian food.Indian food was one of the first "exotic" cuisines that I ever tried. I was in Sydney, Australia on a business trip, and a friend asked me to try it out. I was immediately hooked!While the cuisine has a reputation for being spicy, you can easily order anything you want and have it prepared mild at any restaurant.Papadums are spicy lentil wafers (I've

lar3ryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15897534661485705459noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3150258660556432526.post-7794499675459058552007-10-31T10:01:00.001-04:002007-11-28T09:44:24.903-05:00

I've been busy in real life, and haven't had time to update this blog since last week's thoughts on my new iPod Touch.Today's recipe is one that I reconstructed from one of my favorite soups at a local restaurant chain, Bertucci's. This is a nice place for a good meal, and I like their Caesar salad, Tuscan chicken wing appetizer, and their sausage soup, and it is the soup that I'm going to share

lar3ryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15897534661485705459noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3150258660556432526.post-37323786944882464942007-10-24T09:25:00.001-04:002009-11-14T10:22:55.128-05:00

Yeah... not every column is about food...!My friend, Rich Koster, purchased an iPhone when it first hit the stores, and he has been a very passionate advocate for the device. He even provided a section of the DisneyEcho which is specially-formatted for iPhone users.In early September, Apple announced the upcoming availability of their iPod Touch, and it was in stores near the end of the month.

lar3ryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15897534661485705459noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3150258660556432526.post-24807527971925255502007-10-22T09:40:00.000-04:002008-12-09T12:17:33.000-05:00

This weekend was another busy one for Sandra and me. My sister and her husband were celebrating their twenty-fifth anniversary with a party and renewal of their vows in Ludlow, VT, which is where they have their winter home.The drive to Vermont from our house normally takes around two hours, but this weekend we decided to go a longer way in order to visit our two daughters at the respective

lar3ryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15897534661485705459noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3150258660556432526.post-10500175018271118022007-10-18T21:11:00.000-04:002007-10-19T09:58:53.799-04:00

Before my two girls were born, Sandra and I had a friend, Michael, living in the room that the girls would eventually call theirs.It was late in January, and I had some food show on PBS playing. I wasn't listening very carefully, as I was making breakfast at the time. However, I heard enough that a strange steak sandwich was being made.How strange, you may ask? Well, instead of putting some meat

lar3ryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15897534661485705459noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3150258660556432526.post-80439733211462407072007-10-17T09:53:00.001-04:002007-10-19T10:01:01.286-04:00

It's been a rather hectic weekend extending all the way to today (Wednesday). We went to the new McKinnon's Super Butcher Shop here in Salem yesterday to explore and hopefully purchase some good food.I'd like to state that finding Filet Mignon for $5.99 was quite a deal. (We got some other deals as well, but this one stands out in my mind). I cooked this on the grill last night, and served it

lar3ryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15897534661485705459noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3150258660556432526.post-17589778188593019452007-10-12T08:35:00.000-04:002008-12-09T12:17:33.309-05:00

My first experience with tacos happened soon after a Jack in the Box fast food restaurant opened in my home town of Brentwood, NY in the 1960s. That was one of the first fast food restaurants in the town, and was unique because it had a drive-thru—a real novelty at the time. They also had this strange menu item called "tacos."Today, I shudder to think of the tacos served at the place. The

lar3ryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15897534661485705459noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3150258660556432526.post-30399305422330097372007-10-10T09:13:00.000-04:002007-10-19T10:01:43.811-04:00

In one of my first posts to this blog, I described the first time I attempted to re-create Shrimp New Orleans that I enjoyed at Bubba Gump's Shrimp Company, a chain of theme restaurants.In that article, I mentioned that as I was creating the dish, my brother-in-law was showing Chardonnay (and Sandra) how to make Garlic Knots. The two dishes came out about the same time, and they complimented

lar3ryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15897534661485705459noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3150258660556432526.post-14578516700172147602007-10-08T09:27:00.000-04:002007-10-08T10:20:15.958-04:00

When I was working in Nashua, I would regularly go out for lunch. A lot of times, my friend Al would come along with me. The two of us had similar tastes in food, and there was always a new place for us to explore.I saw a review of a place called "Dynamite 1" in the Nashua Telegraph. The place was on Lowell Road in Hudson, and I had never heard of the place before seeing the review. Since it

lar3ryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15897534661485705459noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3150258660556432526.post-23971795995981124882007-10-05T08:47:00.000-04:002008-12-09T12:17:33.473-05:00

I'm one of the few people I know that doesn't really like pizza. Well, I will eat it, but it is not something that I love to eat.A common image of geeks like me is that we drink a lot of caffeine (I don't like coffee either, by the way...!) and we eat pizza at midnight while we are doing a coding all-nighter. Sorry if I disappoint.I know where my dislike of pizza comes from. I had "stomach

lar3ryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15897534661485705459noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3150258660556432526.post-25444613271775388782007-10-01T12:24:00.001-04:002007-10-19T10:03:04.426-04:00

Well, I've written about the "empty nest" now that the kids are both in college. The next question is, how are we maintaining?Due to the high costs of tuition that Sandra and I are paying for the kids, we don't go out as much as we used to. We still go out, though, but we are starting to get pretty particular about our dinner destinations.We've just moved into Octbober... that wonderful month

lar3ryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15897534661485705459noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3150258660556432526.post-35271551183170880742007-09-28T10:00:00.000-04:002007-10-19T10:03:45.239-04:00

Japanese food consists of simple ingredients, simple preparation, and impeccable presentation. This column will detail two simple dishes that don't take a lot of time to prepare to make a good Japanese meal.This meal comes mostly from a recipe book that Sandra and I truly love: "Cooking With Mickey" (a collection of recipes from various restaurants at Disneyland and Walt Disney World). We have

lar3ryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15897534661485705459noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3150258660556432526.post-48321001742654549022007-09-26T12:15:00.000-04:002008-12-09T12:17:33.765-05:00

In the last few years, I've been mourning the loss of the great American "French fry." Regarding the apparent oxymoron in the previous sentence, I feel that while the fries may be French (Pommes Frites), it was America that made them great.To me, the ultimate in fry perfection is the classic McDonald's fries, which were available in small (white paper) and large (red/yellow cardboard) sizes. They

lar3ryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15897534661485705459noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3150258660556432526.post-30287706513743896432007-09-24T10:04:00.000-04:002007-09-24T10:39:53.242-04:00

I'm not normally a person that enjoys breakfast. I'm not sure why I'm not such a big fan of that meal, and intellectually I know that breakfast is supposed to be the most important meal of the day. Sandra and the kids, on the other hand, love breakfast, and I enjoy cooking eggs for them.Over the last couple of weekends, I've been making a special breakfast for Sandra (and the kids last weekend

lar3ryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15897534661485705459noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3150258660556432526.post-65833213657695103152007-09-21T11:24:00.000-04:002007-09-21T11:52:57.887-04:00

Exhausted.I crawl under the covers.My head hits the pillow.My eyes close.Sleep comes quickly.Some of my friendstell me that I snore.So I got me a bunch of new friendsthat don't tell me that.You can't do that with wives, of course.Nor can you do that with children.Bastards.Anyway, one thingthat invariably happens afterwardis the subject of this ramble.Dreams.My dream starts outinnocently

lar3ryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15897534661485705459noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3150258660556432526.post-14122017805800664372007-09-19T08:58:00.000-04:002007-09-21T11:54:46.847-04:00

When trying to describe a particular food, taste is always in the mind of the beholder. Whereas I may love spicy foods, other people may avoid them like the plaque. Some people like broccoli and cauliflower; I cannot stand them.I've heard that there are as many recipes for chili as there are people that cook it, and that would probably be close to the truth. There are many "forms" of chili as

lar3ryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15897534661485705459noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3150258660556432526.post-90368284084296217452007-09-17T10:51:00.000-04:002007-09-17T11:06:10.729-04:00

For the second time in two weeks, Sandra and I ventured to the NH seacoast on Saturday, despite that fact that the forecast was for rain all day. We took exit 1 off I-95 in New Hampshire, preferring to take the back roads. We drove through Hampton Beach (now in its official "post season" look and feel after last week's shindig). As expected, a lot of the places are now closed, and driving through

lar3ryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15897534661485705459noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3150258660556432526.post-40947459203013417912007-09-14T09:07:00.000-04:002007-09-14T09:11:08.272-04:00

I can remember the first time I enjoyed Caesar Salad.I was at a rather nice restaurant called Island Squire in Middle Island, NY (on Long Island, just east of Coram on Middle Country Road—unfortunately, it's been out of business since the mid-1990s) with Sandra. This had to be after Sandra and I got married (1981) but before 1986. We've always known the Island Squire was better than average; it

lar3ryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15897534661485705459noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3150258660556432526.post-90933432160073891622007-09-12T14:14:00.000-04:002007-10-19T10:02:31.708-04:00

Ghee RiceI mentioned in a previous blog about Ghee, which, according to the Wikipedia, is "made made by simmering unsalted butter in a large pot until all water has boiled off and protein has settled to the bottom. The clarified butter is then spooned off to avoid disturbing the milk solids on the bottom of the pan."In the past, I've used ghee purchased at our local Indian grocery stores, but

lar3ryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15897534661485705459noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3150258660556432526.post-19615542066802234932007-09-10T21:26:00.001-04:002007-09-11T08:59:10.746-04:00

I watched the weather forecast every day since Labor Day to see how the weather would be this past weekend.Why?The weekend after Labor Day is the annual Hampton Beach Seafood Festival!The forecast initially showed good weather, but later in the week, it was warning about scattered thundershowers and rain.We decided to go, anyway.Hampton Beach is more or less New Hampsha's only ocean beach town (

lar3ryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15897534661485705459noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3150258660556432526.post-4618957816775802512007-09-06T10:51:00.000-04:002007-09-07T08:08:57.685-04:00

Note: This will probably only appeal to the geek crowd... You've been forewarned!People looking at the recipes on this blog may notice that I use some special formatting that most people may not be aware the can be achieved in HTML.When I first started collecting recipes on the Internet, I used to just save a text file containing the recipe. After a while, I had a bunch of recipes that defied any

lar3ryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15897534661485705459noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3150258660556432526.post-83484351075145984882007-09-04T12:13:00.000-04:002007-09-10T13:39:42.955-04:00

On October 16th, 2002, I was driving somewhere for lunch and was listening to my car radio. On WBUR, the "Here and Now" show was on, and Kathy Gunst was discussing "Pumpkin Soup with Fried Sage Leaves."Now, I will be the first to admit that I'm not your typical pumpkin soup aficionado. In fact, the mental image that it conjures up is more akin to something so sickeningly sweet that I'd avoid it

lar3ryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15897534661485705459noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3150258660556432526.post-88143475563767631332007-08-29T10:24:00.000-04:002008-12-09T12:17:34.136-05:00

I was introduced to Indian cuisine (as well as many other exotic Asian cuisines) during my first visit to Australia when I was in my mid to late twenties. From the moment I entered that restaurant I encountered such an awesome bouquet of spices and flavors that I knew that this was going to be a fun learning experience.I was there with a fellow traveler from New Zealand, who was surprised that I

lar3ryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15897534661485705459noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3150258660556432526.post-23963286471158496972007-08-27T10:46:00.000-04:002008-12-09T12:17:34.974-05:00

With two out of two children in college this week, Sandra and I are starting to experience the empty nest syndrome. That is not to say that we're feeling any major depression or loneliness. After all, we managed the first seven years of our marriage without children, and we still have a couple of cats to feed, water, and take care of (Hmm, I remember the kids PROMISING that they'd take the cats

lar3ryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15897534661485705459noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3150258660556432526.post-33353613024033951192007-08-24T09:12:00.000-04:002008-12-09T12:17:35.493-05:00

Oh, how I love soups.That seems to be a simple statement, but the word "soup" probably conjures up a different image for me than it does for you.Why?I was brought up with the "Campbell Soup" model of soup in my life. My mother wasn't a good cook, and her idea of soup was to take a can, and some water or milk, and heat gently. If you were to ask me my favorite soup, it would almost definitely have

lar3ryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15897534661485705459noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3150258660556432526.post-51109369632706272042007-08-22T12:04:00.000-04:002007-08-27T10:53:53.776-04:00

Yesterday afternoon, my daughter Chardonnay called me up to ask what was for supper. I hadn't made any plans, and she asked if she could pick up some ground pork. I smiled at the request, knowing that she wanted "Spicy Pork." I told her to pick some up at the supermarket and she could make the dish for dinner. Later on, I called her back to make sure we had plenty of "Sticky Rice" for the dish,

lar3ryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15897534661485705459noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3150258660556432526.post-5099013825547242902007-08-20T10:20:00.001-04:002007-08-20T10:23:17.298-04:00

I've seen quite a few places with quesadillas on their menus, and a lot of them are forgoing the traditional Mexican theme. None of them ever appealed to me until I was having lunch at Chip Shots Grill and Sports Pub in Littleton, MA. On their weekly specials menu was a quesadilla with fried chicken, cheese, and broccoli. The chef called it "Cassie's Quesadilla" (after one of the waitresses that

lar3ryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15897534661485705459noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3150258660556432526.post-20493223911650793232007-08-17T08:53:00.000-04:002007-09-10T18:43:03.364-04:00

This article was inspired by Perfect Popcorn from one of the recipe sites I constantly monitor. I differ in opinion of what I consider to be "perfect," so I decided to share my own definition.It's interesting to me the way the preparation of popcorn has evolved over the years. When I was younger, we would use vegetable oil and a four quart saucepan. We laughed at those so-called "popcorn makers"

lar3ryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15897534661485705459noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3150258660556432526.post-34622943447934289442007-08-15T10:17:00.000-04:002007-08-15T10:42:31.385-04:00

Last autumn, Sandra and I travelled for the first time to Cape Cod.You'd think that the fact that we live forty minutes north of Boston would mean that we visit the cape every year, but the truth of the matter was that nearly everybody reports that the cape is crowded in the summer, and there isn't much to do the rest of the year there. Well, those reports were wrong.The two of us stayed at a

lar3ryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15897534661485705459noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3150258660556432526.post-16172964523314412842007-08-13T10:40:00.000-04:002007-08-13T11:09:30.060-04:00

Mexican in New Hampsha is more or less hit or miss, with less "hit" and more "miss." The exception to this is La Carreta, a restaurant that's been in around for about ten years.Now, I've eaten Mexican in a lot of places (including Sydney, Australia!), and northern New England isn't a place where you would expect to find good Latin food, but La Carreta seems to have broken the mold up here. I

lar3ryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15897534661485705459noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3150258660556432526.post-80507346827101482472007-08-08T09:41:00.000-04:002007-08-08T10:18:12.841-04:00

One of lar3ry's ramblesWho are the people that decidewhat is good and what is bad?When it comes to food,a burger from McDonald'sis supposed to be bad for you.A spinach salad, on the other hand,is supposed to be good for you.Who makes these rules?Oh, you may think that the rulesare handed down by peoplewith University degrees and doctorates,and endorsed by the Food and Drug Administration,but I

lar3ryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15897534661485705459noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3150258660556432526.post-27488052255025295032007-08-07T15:36:00.000-04:002007-08-07T15:42:42.205-04:00

Although it looks as if I'm on a Mexican theme this week, with this recipe following my Macho Dip recipe, the reality is that I'm just putting in some recipes for which I've been asked for as a way to jump-start this blog.I guess Mexican was the first "ethnic" food that I learned to cook. When I was living in Miami, I was at a party where a co-worker named Nancy Kowalski made a quick and easy

lar3ryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15897534661485705459noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3150258660556432526.post-18771470722066296592007-08-06T09:17:00.001-04:002007-08-06T10:19:43.130-04:00

A recipe and an informal reviewWhen Sandra and I first moved to New Hampsha in 1982, we were delighted to find a Mexican restaurant in the town. The restaurant was called "Little Mexico" and had a cute little white-plaster building on Rt. 28.The building is still there, but alas, the restaurant has gone. They opened an additional location in East Hampstead, NH which isn't that far away, but that

lar3ryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15897534661485705459noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3150258660556432526.post-98324909996935002007-08-03T08:44:00.000-04:002007-08-03T10:07:25.202-04:00

People that know me know that I have a passion for movies. Since I was a kid, I loved everything about movies. My parents would take me in the car to one of the local drive-ins, and I'd be hooked from the very start, from the dancing food beckoning me to purchase some popcorn, to the animated shorts and previews, all the way through to the end of the movie. It's one of my fondest memories of

lar3ryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15897534661485705459noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3150258660556432526.post-14750296123132275512007-08-02T08:48:00.000-04:002007-08-02T23:23:38.115-04:00

Another family favorite. This one comes from as far away as Perth, Ontario: Maximillian Dining Lounge, located at 99 Gore Street East. My family summers in Ontario, and this Czech restaurant is one of our favorites. Harmony and I like their special goulash with chopped raw onions and pickles; Chardonnay and Sandra love the Schnitzel.One outstanding recipe item that my family loves is that

lar3ryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15897534661485705459noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3150258660556432526.post-58985314217330686892007-08-01T09:54:00.000-04:002007-08-01T10:10:46.424-04:00

This recipe is one of my originals. It can be described as a "Shrimp Fra Diavolo with Sausage and Cheese" but that doesn't quite get the entire feel of the dish.Twenty or so years ago, I was reading a James Beard cookbook (American Cookery) and came across a dish that consisted of shrimp, pancetta, and tomato sauce. I didn't have pancetta, so I decided to use sweet Italian sausage instead,

lar3ryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15897534661485705459noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3150258660556432526.post-82944328052393089332007-07-31T10:19:00.000-04:002007-11-02T10:58:56.475-04:00

Yesterdays "mission" posting brings up an interesting situation with me. I like (some) chain restaurants.There. I said it.I know that some people think that a true Chow Hound would eschew the chains, but in reality, they have their place. If the chain is one that I'm familiar with, then I usually know before I set foot in the door of any new incarnation more or less what my experience will be.

lar3ryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15897534661485705459noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3150258660556432526.post-90640017104685827592007-07-30T12:39:00.000-04:002007-08-01T10:39:05.475-04:00

Last year, Sandra and I visited an interesting chain restaurant called Bubba Gump's Shrimp Co. while we were on our second honeymoon in Cancun, Mexico. At that restaurant, I had a delicious dish called Shrimp New Orleans, which is described as "an authentic spicy recipe from our staff in the French Quarter featuring lots of shrimp sautéed in butter, garlic, and spices with jasmine rice." Almost

lar3ryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15897534661485705459noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3150258660556432526.post-11240155981892782992007-07-30T12:11:00.000-04:002007-08-03T10:36:30.540-04:00

Here is what I'm planning for this blog...Recipes, along with attributions from sites when I find some good onesRestaurant reviews from places I visit (mostly Northern New England, since that's where I live, but I'll add other places as I visit them)Random thoughts on foodI'm a simple person, and while I love to cook, I also love to eat. When I don't feel like cooking, there's usually a good

lar3ryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15897534661485705459noreply@blogger.com0