I love taking pictures of people eating.

Here are a couple: (above) My mom and dad eating some delicious bagels. ( In my book, there's hardly anything better for breakfast than a bagel with a generous schmear of cream cheese.) (below) Francesco eating maybe the best pizza in New York or anywhere: Grimaldi's. It's under the Brooklyn Bridge, and we had to wait in line for an hour, but it was worth it. Fresh sliced mozzarella, basil, the perfect sauce, thin tasty crust. I admit, the pepperoni was much better than the plain cheese... So it's #1 status can be challenged.

On a weird side note: I thought Grimaldi's was a one of a kind hole in the wall type place... but then I was staying with Caroline last weekend, and saw an ad for Grimaldi's "the famous Brooklyn pizzeria" in Las Vegas! I wanted to eat there, and make some kind of record for having eaten at both locations within the same week, but alas, did not get the chance. In -n- Out was calling.

Pizza Pie

We found out that our local pizzeria, Grandma's U-bake, sells large pizzas on Tuesdays and Wednesdays for five dollars even. Yesterday we picked one up and Sam loved it. Enough with the mush--give me some pizza! Welcome to the family Sam!

funeral food

These nice ladies from my great grandmother's ward at church put on a dinner for the family after her funeral. This kind of really traditional Utah food isn't normally my thing, but after not eating all day, it tasted good...especially the funeral potatoes.

It really did have all the traditional, joked about Utah mormon foods: funeral potatoes full of cheese and sour cream, ham, iceberg lettuce salad with the little carrot strips and ranch dressing, jello fruit salad, dinner rolls...When we walked up to the table, my dad cracked a joke; "Where's the green jello with carrots?". My mom's cousin, Becky, was standing there and said, "Oh, you missed it. That was the first thing to go." And she was dead serious.

p.s. the carruths enjoyed the dinner, too. oh, i forgot to mention the chocolate chip cookies.

Saffron

Last night Aaron made naan bread and we got out some saag (spinach curry) and saffron rice from the freezer (freezers rule).

Aaron said something to the effect of: Here we are, eating rice made with the most expensive spice in the world, and (2nd born)'s putting ketchup on it.

No accounting for taste, right?

Beef Pho (Vietnamese Beef Soup)

This recipe is from The Essential Rice Cookbook, which was a gift from Kirk + Eva to Aaron a while back. It has some tasty recipes in it - here's one we've made several times (and tonight!):

13 oz. Rump steak
1/2 onion (chop into wedges)
1.5 tablespoon fish sauce
1 star anise (we've skipped these, as they are pricey and we didn't already have them - it's still delicious.)
1 cinnamon stick
pinch of ground white pepper
48 oz. beef stock
10 oz thin rice noodles
3 green onions, thinly sliced
1 small red chili, thinly sliced
lemon wedges
fresh cilantro

Put the onion, fish sauce, anise, cinnamon, pepper, stock + 2 cups water in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat, cover and simmer for 20 minutes. Discard the onion, star anise and cinnamon stick.

Meanwhile (back at the ranch) in a separate pot, add the rice noodles to boiling water and turn off the heat. Cook until tender, then drain and rinse with cold water.

Slice the meat across the grain and sear or saute.

To serve, put some noodles, beef, lemon, cilantro, pepper, and green onions in a bowl. Pour hot broth over it.
(Can you see the steam?)

This stuff rocks - and Aaron made it for me when I had strep throat - it was the best.


The kids kinda like it. The noodles are entertaining, anyway. (The youngest) mostly stirred his...(2nd born) had his noodles + meat (+ ketchup!) sans broth, as all the beef broth (at Smith's anyway) has MSG in it. And we like to be extra careful with that guy. So, gotta find a new way to get broth without that nice little additive.

It would be tasty without the meat, too!