Epiphany 2024

 

Happy Epiphany everyone! Kind of sad to see all the Christmas decorations coming down, but I know there's lot more to look forward to in 2024. So buckle up and let's go! :-)

Hail!

 

Finished Lazarus' book a couple of days ago. Some familiar stories here, namely Theismann's injury, Riggins' ground game, Art Monk's productivity, etc. But there also were some unfamiliar stories, like Dexter Manley's battle with drug addiction, Gibbs' return after retiring, and Jay Schroeder's trade to the Raiders.

Now what will the renamed Commanders do after this season's over? Will Sam Howell or Jacoby Brissett be back? Will Rivera be back? Speculation is rife.

Mendelssohn

 

Okay, so this is going to be a little bit of a stretch for Skywatch Friday. But since I am spending so much time indoors this week preparing for an upcoming performance of Mendelssohn's "There Shall a Star from Jacob", I thought it was worth it. Right? After all, the magi, whoever they were, were certainly "skywatchers". So, anyway, that's my pitch. :-)

Hoagie

 

Turns out that my "chicken hoagie" at Mellow Mushroom has a history.

"The Italian sandwich originated in several different Italian-American communities in the Northeastern United States from the late 19th to mid-20th centuries. The popularity of this Italian-American sandwich has grown from its origins in Connecticut, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, New York, New Jersey, Massachusetts, and Rhode Island to most parts of the United States and Canada, and with the advent of chain restaurants, is now available in many parts of the world. Sociologists Edwin Eames and Howard Robboy identified thirteen different terms for the submarine sandwich in the United States." -- Wikipedia

My friends shared a vegetarian pizza. All good, as people say. :-)

Mellow Mushroom

 

Ate lunch here on New Year's Eve. My first time. Great atmosphere. Good service, even on what appeared to be a rather busy afternoon.

Eggplant Parmigiana

 

So I got curious about the origin of this fabulous dish that I enjoyed at Francesco's: 

"The eggplant arrived in Italy during the 15th century – when the Arabs brought it from India. This part of the story already takes us to Sicily: According to this thesis, the city of Parma has nothing to do with it – not even the Parmigiano Reggiano cheese. This version states that the term actually derives from the Sicilian word ‘parmiciana,’ the little wooden strips that form a shutter – recalling the partially overlapping arrangment of fried eggplant used in the dish." -- La Cucina Italiana

Felice Anno Nuovo!

 

Francesco

A salad is just a salad, unless, of course, you slightly caramelize the red onion slices and add peppercorn dressing. Whew! And brace yourself for the pepper!

Felice Anno Nuovo everyone!