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Friday, April 29, 2011

The Royal Wedding and the Royal Dog (me)



Not sure if anybody appreciates how important it is to be invited to be on the balcony of Buckingham Palace during a once in a lifetime ceremony, but in case you aren't sure, let me clarify. It was an honor to be included and I totally was not expecting it! Respecting their Royal Highnesses' I did not wear my crown (don't want to upstage the bride). But there I am, witnessing history. As I stated earlier, my job today was to be the critic of the food choices at the wedding, and that's what this post is about. So take another look at me with the
royal couple before you soak in the real "meat" of this post. Aren't I darling? Kate looks good. But me....SO CUTE.
Ok, so:
On the menu for the wedding breakfast was:
Cornish Crab Salad on Lemoni Blini
Scottish Smoked Salmon Rose on Beetroot Blini
Pressed Duck Terrine with Fruit Chutney
Miniature Watercress and Asparagus Tart
Quail Eggs with Celery Salt
Miniature Yorkshire Pudding with Roast Fillet of Beef and Horesradish
Assortment of Palmiers and Cheese Straws

Ok....yuck. The duck thing was good. I like duck. I can get the yorkshire pudding stuff at home on any given Sunday since my Uncle Jim cookes it all the time. I'm not into Blini. I might be if I knew what it was. Watercress? What is THAT? Quail eggs....ummmm, no. I do admit the cheese straws weren't bad.
Did you notice the picture of me and the royal couple on the balcony? Do you think I should have worn a more ornate collar? Perhaps a hat with a pretzel on top of it like Princess Beatrice? I think I looked pretty good. Although it's unfortunate in that shot I wasn't even looking at Kate and Wills. I was looking at one of the Queen's Corgi's who looked particularly handsome. If you must know, he and I snuck away half way through breakfast and went and had some of our own royal breakfast. And let me assure you, there was no Science Diet Light involved.

Wednesday, April 27, 2011

What? Nobody is coming home to let me out?

Did I just read that my mother is living it up on gourmet delivery service and I am home waiting for her? Eating DOG FOOD?

Where is the justice? I plan to bark loudly when she gets home and wake up the whole house. Grrrrrrrrrrrrr

Take Out Taxi



In California, we have Waiters-On-Wheels. Here in Illinois the food delivery service of choice is called "Take Out Taxi". At my office we have been pretty much living on Take Out Taxi ever since March 11, 2011 when the Tsunami hit Japan and the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant became a disaster on par with Chernobyl. Lunch today was from California Pizza Kitchen and I got my usual (lettuce wraps). They are so good....


Tonight is going to be a late night at the office and dinner is coming in 30 minutes. I chose a different place called Jimmy's Grill in downtown Naperville. So Take Out Taxi will pick up the to go order, and bring it to our office. All for a small delivery fee.


This morning when I asked my boss what he wanted from CPK he enthusiastically said FISH TACOS! and then he decided to change his mind as he didn't want the office to smell all fishy all afternoon.


Tonight, however, he is not as restrained. Jimmy's Grill also has Fish Taco's and he's going for it! I guess the longer the day wears on, the less we care if it smells fishy. If we have to stay here until all hours of the night, bring on the fish!


I'll let you know how it goes.



Saturday, April 23, 2011

The Key Wester -- gone but not forgotten

So the other day my niece called me as I was getting into my car to go home from the office. She herself was driving home from Downers Grove and she invited me to meet her for sushi on Route 59 at Nagoyo (see previous blog). I gladly accepted and detoured my route home to meet her at Nagoya. This brought me down Route 59 when I normally would have taken Eola. Much to my surprise, I noticed that the Key Wester (owned by Portillos but a sensation in it's own right) was being dismantled. At first I thought it was storm damage (looked like a tornado had struck part of the building). I googled it when I got home only to find out that a few months ago they suddenly shut their doors. After like 15 years (or more?) of a fabulous restaurant that has memories dear to my heart, they closed. It's the economy and the fact that people just don't splurge out like they used to. I have so many memories of the Key Wester. The first one that comes to mind is when my mother died. Tom and I flew to Illinois and the following night we went there with my brother and my niece (mentioned above).










I think I was still in shock when this one was taken. But even before that, my friends and I used to go there to






Naperville will not be the same. The Key Wester being demolished is just a symbol of how my old life has been demolished. I need to make new memories. I am glad I can make them with Shelley.



Sunday, April 17, 2011

An ice cream that I have no clue about


But it sounded so good when Shelley talked about it, I must run out and get some. Well, not tonight...but maybe tomorrow? It's sweet and salty and if it's good enough for Jimmy Falon, it's good enough for me.


Wednesday, April 13, 2011

Royal Dog

Guess who has been named as the official dog to comment on the food being served at Kate and Williams wedding? Yes, it's true. It's me. Betsy Lou Smego. You can call me HRH Elizabeth Louise Smego. I think it might be my german heritage (I share that with William, or "Wills" as I call him). I will be reporting from London after the royal wedding and let you know about all the food. Please don't feel you need to courtsey when you meet me. Although that would be appreciated.


I can't wait!!


No such thing as too much sushi

Nagoya. Route 59 in Naperville in the same parking lot as Walmart. Be there. If you are a sushi lover (and what really respectable human being isn't?) you owe it to yourself. Normally I would shy away from an all you can eat sushi bar that's in Chicago (i.e., not near an ocean) but these guys really bring it. At dinner, for $19.95 per person (the price of some appetizers at other sushi restaurants) you can get access to a sushi buffet that contains: hibatchi, sashimi, sushi, crab legs, oysters, chinese cuisine, salad, dessert....I could go on and on...SO GOOD AND FRESH. So worth $19.95.

Sunday, April 03, 2011

This is me, as usual....

Waiting to get a bite of prime rib. And guess what? I got one! NuWave's are even good for dogs. If they behave. Bailey didn't sit good on the carpet and wait and she might not get any. Poor Bailey. Tee hee....

NuWave Style Prime Rib!



The official definition of the NuWave oven is this: Cook quick! NuWave's ovens cook 50% faster than conventional ovens due to a 3-way patented method that uses infrared, conduction and convection heating for tender, evenly browned meals.




So you faithful blog followers (yes, I am talking to both of you) know that my brother (much older than me) turned 50 last week AND that he is a fussy, gourmet cook. My niece bravely purchased this for him and he's been experimenting with huge success all week. Tonight -- prime rib. Who's brave enough to put a 5lb prime rib in this? Jim Raine, that's who.




The photos here are of the process along the way, along with my finished plate (strawberry pattern and all):