there was a raging lobster sale going on @ Price Chopper this week, so the boy thought it was a good idea if we i cook up some lobster bisque for lunch. i've never bisqued before since i just started eating seafood not that all long ago, but was pleasantly surprised at how absolutely yum this turned out. (clearly i have nothing to compare it to, but after making it i would definitely not be opposed to ordering it out). i used the recipe from food.com, which was simple but still had more / better ingredients than many of the other recipes out there, as well as very well rated. solid.
ingredients list:
- 1/2 lb lobster meat, cut into chunks
- 2 tbsp minced shallots
- 2 tbsp chopped green onions
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/4 cup white wine
- 2 tsp worchestershire sauce
- 2 tsp tabasco sauce
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- 6 tbsp dry sherry
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1 cup hot water
- 1 tsp lobster base
- 4 oz tomato paste
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 cups heavy whipping cream
- 4 tbsp butter
- olive oil (i used garlic EVOO)
to make: in a saute pan, heat a little olive oil over medium-high heat and saute shallots, onions, and garlic for 1 minute. deglaze pan with the white wine. add the worcestershire, tabasco, and thyme, and saute for 1 more minute. deglaze the pan with the sherry.
add the paprika, hot water, and lobster base and mix well. stir in the tomato paste and add the bay leaves. simmer for 10 minutes. remove bay leaves, then pour mixture into a blender, blending for 1-2 minutes until all chunks are gone. return to pan.
whisk in the heavy cream and butter and bring to a boil. add the lobster and simmer until cooked through, then serve.
trying to use up the mass amount of basil in our garden... i didn't have pine nuts (and don't really care if i do or do not have them personally) but decided to whip up some pesto anyway. perfect little condiment for mini grilled chicken caprese sliders. i snagged the recipe from instructables.com, followed verbatim.
ingredients list:
- 1/3 cup parmesan
- 1 bunch basil
- 1/4 cup to 1/2 cup olive oil
- 3 cloves garlic
- 1 to 2 tsp lemon juice
- salt & fresh black pepper to taste
to make: add to blender. blend : ) allow to sit for at least an hour before serving.
this weekend we were in saratoga and ended up having din at druther's brewing co. who would have known they have one of THE best burgers i've had in a while. circus cafe was known to have the best rated burger in saratoga (had it, liked it), but this hands down has it beat. i went halvsies w/ kyle and had the "if i had my druthers burger"(blend of chuck, short rib, and smoked pork belly, local aged cheddar, pickled green tomato, lettuce, pickled shallot, and druthers sauce) and the "something spicy burger" (blend of chuck, short rib, and smoked pork belly, havarti cheese, pickled spicy and sweet peppers, baby greens, and smoked chipotle aioli). pattys were AMAZING tasty & juicy. cooked perfectly medium rare as requested. preference went to the druthers burger since the spicy drowned out the meat a little bit (although it wasn't super spicy). fries were those super skinny lil guys that have been popping up on menus lately (like half the width of a shoestring little effers), weren't mind blowing but still enjoyable. will definitely be back.
for the record, the point is still my fav albany burger joint, but this is eeking toward the top of the list for the area.
this was kyle's b-day breakfast i had made. i'm not a big fan of french toast (for no reason in particular), but it was his special request so so be it. i used the Strawberry Stuffed French Toast recipe from The Girl Who Ate Everything, modifying it slightly since i didn't have the ingredients to make the crunchy breading she adds to the outside.
ingredients list:
filling:
2 tbsp butter, melted, & a little more for cooking the toast
4 oz cream cheese, softened
1 & 1/2 tbsp strawberry jam
1 cup diced strawberries
6 thick slices bread
powdered sugar
egg batter:
4 eggs
1 tbsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
2 tbsp sugar
1 tsp vanilla
3/4 cup milk
to make: in a small boxl, add the 2 tbsp of butter, cream cheese, & strawberry jam and mix until combined. fold in the diced strawberries into the cream cheese mixture. gently spoon 1/2 of the cream cheese mixture onto 3 of the slices of bread, sandwiching together with the remaining 3 slices. refridgerate the stuffed slices while you prepare the batter.
ror the egg batter, add the eggs, cinnamon, nutmeg, sugar, vanilla, and milk to a medium shallow bowl and mix well. dip the bread slices in the egg batter making sure to let each side soak for about 20 seconds.
put a large skillet on medium-high heat and add a couple of tablespoons of butter. when the butter has melted add the stuffed sandwiches and brown on each side for 2-3 minutes.
remove from skillet and serve immediately. top with a sprinkle of powdered sugar, fresh sliced strawberries, and syrup if desired.
***
i didn't eat this myself (i made plain french toast for myself), but it got 2 thumbs up from the boy for a hearty, big-ass breakfast. if i was in the mood for something sugary, it did look quite delish.
Farmer Boy Diner had been on my list of must-visit Albany restaurants ever since the Mac & Cheese Festival - of all the many (30?) mac & cheeses, Farmer Boy was the stand out winner to me. perfect cheesey flavor and gooey texture. their menu is a little less jam-packed than a normal diner, and pride themselves on fresh-made food. MMM-MMM.
i believe at one point i had also read they had a good burger, because i was dead-set on testing it before we even got there. when it was served, it was a fairly thin patty served with lettuce, tomato, and my requested add-ons of cheddar, bacon & sauteed onions, on a plain-old bun. we suspect, though actually couldn't confirm, that it was a frozen patty. it still was very juicy (and cooked medium rare as requested, not easy for a thin burger), and had a great char-broiled/grilled flavor. it tasted very straight up- kind of like a simple backyard good burger. it makes it a bit hard to rate... i wasn't BLOWN AWAY (and wanted to knock off points for potentially frozen meat... no-no there), but i did have a good old time eating it. maybe i'll pop it a 6... yes it would lift my spirits on a bad day, but it wouldn't be my ultimate go-to.
the fries were crisp & delish, and dipped in a side of horseradish ranch dressing perfection.
