Stomach of the beholder?

Stomach of the beholder?

Merry Christmas

My sainted mother once wondered where I and my late brother – who was a grill master – had learned to cook. She said “You surely didn’t learn it from me.” She was right. When I was growing up I thought that you had to eat food or else you died. Thanksgiving and Christmas were the only meals in the house that I actually looked forward to – the rest being just something keeping you from looking like Twiggy. How times have changed. Now I actually enjoy eating (most times).

When I visit my daughter and her family in northern Virginia I really like the restaurants where they take me. There is a northern Italian restaurant with great pastas, calamari and maybe the best house salad I have eaten. I never fail to order calamari if it is on the menu, much like my Dad always ordered oysters. We had breakfast at a diner where instead of the usual fare I opted for a wonderful half roasted chicken ever with seasoned fries covered with feta cheese. Sounds weird but it was delicious. A couple of days later we went back to the same diner and I had a spinach, mushroom and feta omelette served with spring greens (also weird) and hashbrowns. The omelette disappointed. Holly’s here in Knoxville is much better. Speaking of which, on one trip to Holly’s the waiter was explaining how they cooked their collards to a vegetarian friend of mine. It sounded wonderful so I ordered an omelette with collards, onions, red peppers and goat cheese. Outstanding! 

On Thanksgiving my daughter’s family took me to a family style Thanksgiving dinner at another Italian restaurant and my only complaint was that they ran out of their triple chocolate cake and substituted tiramisu which along with flan is my least favorite dessert. Who would have thought that turkey and stuffing would go with baked ziti and rigatoni? I said why can’t Knoxville have such restaurants (even Chattanooga has a better restaurant scene).

My daughter said that her favorite cuisine was Mexican and having lived in Texas, she was disappointed at the Mexican restaurants in the DC area. She then surprised me and said that she thought our Don Gallo’s at Choto was as good or better than her local restaurants. She and her husband both said that they wished they had a Chesapeake’s and a Paula Dean’s. When they visit I can also take them to Seasons, J C Holdway, and Gavino’s for baked ziti and pizza which are up to their standards. My 80^th birthday party was catered by Bistro by the Tracks and was outstanding. My daughter having gone to UT also likes Aubrey’s – she refers to it as “standard American fare”. I know that she would also like Cazzy’s .

What I learned from all this is that you take for granted the restaurants where you live and find those away from home a bit more satisfying. My daughter’s family takes an overseas trip every year and rave about the Italian food in Italy and say that it is better than any Italian restaurant where they have eaten in the states. When I travel I always ask the cab drivers and the locals “where do you eat?” and go there. It seldom disappoints. I have found BBQ joints off the beaten path, great catfish (I miss Uncle Bud’s) and wonderful meals away from the tourist areas. New York is full of great places to eat away from the maddening crowds. My favorite food city is New Orleans away from Bourbon Street. I know this sounds a bit like “Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives” but the best cooking is often found away from the fancy sauces and haughty servers.

Still my favorite restaurant is in my own kitchen. Yes there are a few dishes that I cannot prepare as well as some restaurants but on average I can do better than most. I like Chinese but do not prepare it at home. My favorite Chinese restaurants are in DC’s China town not locally. So I don’t eat Chinese in Knoxville. I can’t duplicate Hattie B’s hot chicken and wish we had one closer than Nashville. I like my pesto pizzas and my risottos. I like my chicken dishes, my venison, my turkey meatloaf and my turkey burgers are to die for. I only go to restaurants as a social gathering with friends. I cannot remember the last time I went out to eat by myself. Restaurant food simply tastes better in the company of friends. The other day, I took some leftover grilled chicken breasts and made an elevated mac and cheese. I chopped up the chicken, added a can of mushroom soup and onions to ziti cooked al dente put in a baking dish covered with parmesan and mozzarella cheeses topped with panko and baked for 30 minutes at 350 degrees. So was it baked ziti or mac and cheese? Yes and it was delicious and will become standard holiday fare.

So this Christmas season I wish you happiness, joy and a bountiful table laden with your favorite foods, egg nog and fruit cake.

Merry Christmas and Bon Appetit!