voyager

Heh! And you think YOU do? Hang in there.

I have never had that caliber meal on United, any class, domestic or international, and I’m a “million miler”.

Mississippi roast Cottage Pie. Carrots and peas added to "reserved" roast and its juices. Tasty dish, but I have the suspicion that Sneak and I have misconstrued the concept of "aged beef". This is, at least, the end of this last do.

The sample read on Amazon reads straightforward enough albeit all from the "brunch", aka most boring section of the book. What raises my hackles are chef recipes that require 25 ingredients and several hours of work to create a sauce that you're instructed to put in a squeeze bottle and make 7 dots around the plate. "Whaaaaaat?"

So do I!

An experiment: grilled prawns on curried carrot puree. This was "good", and worth the try, but is possibly a winner with proper tweaking.

Home from the country, hungry, don't feel like cooking -> sausage hash. (Have I mentioned that I love hash in all its infinite variety? Meats of all kinds, fish, shellfish, mollusks, all delicious. What's not to like about onions, potato and protein?)

Thanks! It’s nice to know “people”! It’s for my d-I-l and her bestie who’s treating. If they’re successful, and I had a clue who you are, I could be had for lunch at my place. Providing you act fast. My clock’s ticking.

Anybody have the secret phone number?

Tell us about this sorrel salad.

Tough crowd.

"Better the second time around..."? Mississippi Roast hash.

The only problem I had with my foreign adventure was keeping our weekend hotel staff from freaking out. I kept telling them "Just call the pompiers!", knowing that once they came I'd be in good hands.

From (4 dislocations) experience, I can attest that there is one singular very specific movement, the angle of which causes dislocation. A slow learner, it took me a while and not a few misadventures to get this. And sadly, it isn't specifically described in the "precaution" instruction. Much good luck! My last one was late afternoon in Paris and the ortho specialist in ER said something to the effect, "Merde! This is my 5th relocation today. My shoulders are shot. I was hoping to go home without another."

(Is this the second hip?)

Just keep listening to yourself. You're getting good advice.

Of course there us. But the pocketbook trumps it.

Yeh, kind of. We collective consumers underwrite kitchens’ and artists’ performance levels.

What is your order at Mel’s?

When Russo first opened, I was wandering around taking photos of their vast assortment when I realized I was surrounded by what appeared to be a mafia hit squad. The leader asked what I was doing and I explained that I was documenting their incredible assortment, that I was from SF and that we had nothing that compared. He considered for a moment then backed off, explaining that they didn’t allow photos in an attempt to thwart their competitors. At least he didn’t bust my phone or my arm.

Not a salami from Essex Market, but close. After the airlines started filling the middle (of three) seats, husband and I used to book "aisles across" seats. Once we stopped at Russo's Market in Reading, PA, before flying out of Philly. We had them build us a huge antepasto platter with all the usual suspects. After the meal carts had passed, we brought out our feast and passed it back and forth across the aisle. One of our best airline meals.

I have no idea who they build airline seats for. I always feel like Goldilocks but never find the “just right”. May as well go to the movies. I usually watch 4 +shorts during a 10 hour flight.

Husband has solved the problem of food and jet lag by chowing down in the (AF) lounge before a long flight (SF-Paris), and immediately going to sleep on the plane, avoiding on board food until middle of the night snacking (fruit, sandwiches, ice cream). Granted business class, but an improvement over staying up for a questionable meal service.

We found consistently that Air France business class food was orders of magnitude better flying from SF to Paris than from Paris to SF. Counterintuitive, but true. Never figured it out.

Some years back, fed up with well done, tough-as-owl beef "steaks", I wrote the president of United and suggested that instead of throwing money at these cuts that are inedible at 35000 feet, they serve braises which reheat beautifully. Never noticed that they took my advice but got a handful of freebies for my effort. Air France, our current carrier, serves these often to good effect.