Updatia

[ellyssian]

The follow up with the doc went pretty good yesterday. Blood pressure was excellent - 134/72, which was the lowest ever (80, being the next closest.) I wonder if the meter at home is off - that low came after the closest brush with death I've ever had while driving.

A gentleman in a Cadillac took a left turn in front of me, and I had to slam on brakes and initiate avoidance maneuvers. I barely avoided slamming into his door. If I had a bumper sticker on my front bumper, we would have had impact. Oy.

So, anyway, if it was that low under those circumstances, I imagine it's a lot lower the rest of the time. I think I might take it in for the next appointment to see.

Received a second-opinion of sorts, from the resident working with the regular doc. Keeping the medicine the same. Some minor allergy symptoms, but overall amazed that I wasn't in a lot worse shape allergy-wise (which is why I don't think it's that, or, at least, not mostly that.) Anyone around here with allergies is miserable, and I'm not. Breathing is better, although not vastly better that the doc is happy. Took a peak flow measurement, and I need to get a pulmonary test at the hospital so we can start quantifying the asthma issue.

Went to a local Italian eatery for team-lunch. Not quite as good as it was with the previous owners, but I had my suspicions. Most high-brow Italian eateries don't offer a breakfast menu (Pane e vino didn't; Pasta e vino does.)

The garlic rolls are still overloaded with garlic (which is a good thing,) but they're a bit tougher than they were of old. I had the stuffed shells, which had a nice blend of cheese and didn't get in the way with an overly obvious usage of egg. I'm pretty critical on this common additive to ricotta cheese - to me, it's usage is equivalent to watering down a cup of wine with a gallon of water. It ruins the texture along with the flavor, but, still, everyone thinks it's the hip thing to do for stuffed shells or lasagna-type dishes. It doesn't increase the overall nutritional value of the meal, so it doesn't even have that claim to fame. All it does is save pennies off the cost of the cheese. Thankfully, they sacrificed a few pennies, and, if they used any egg at all, I didn't notice it.

The sauce, on the other hand, was rather bland. It tasted a bit like off-price canned ravioli sauce, except slightly more edible. I suppose if there had been a shaker of oregano nearby I could have improved it enough to be decent, but it could have used a bit of fresh herbs during the cooking process - that always tastes so much better, and really brings out the flavor. The house dressing - Italian, of course - was also fairly bland and could have used some more herbs to help differentiate it from the oil and vinegar offering. The salad contents themselves were very fresh, and the black olives particularly flavorful.

Overall, I'd eat there again, but I wouldn't go out of my way to go there - which is unfortunate. Pane e vino warranted that kind of treatment, the current incarnation just doesn't deserve it.

Mom (patrixa) is coming down for a visit - she's on the road now, and, at this point, we expect her sometime this evening.

Comments

[jenjiyana.livejournal.com]

I'm pretty critical on this common additive to ricotta cheese - to me, it's usage is equivalent to watering down a cup of wine with a gallon of water.

ugh...my family never cuts the ricotta. That is definately sacrilege! Ive always thought that sinding good sauce in a restaurant is difficult. Maybe because my family makes it homemade im very critical about restaurant sauces. A lot of places (and people) use sugar in their sauce which I find bizarre. We just simmer our sauce a really long time to cut the bitterness out.

[ellyssian.livejournal.com]

Some consider that "overcooking," but that's the way to bring the flavor out. I start with Prego or Ragu sausage & cheese (the latter *only* for stuffed shells) and add from there. Usually, I'll heat some garlic up first, then add onion (unless my brother-in-law Jeff is going to be eating with us; I'll skip the onion as he doesn't like it) and other spices and saute for a moment or two before adding the sauce.

The reason for adding sugar is not so much to cut any bitterness, but to reduce the acid and thus the potential for heartburn - at least that's my guess. I use a teaspoonful of honey for that reason, and it seems to do the job.

[cissa.livejournal.com]

I never use egg in lasagna, though I think I did use one when I used to make stuffed shells- which I love, but they're rather a pain in the butt to fill, so I mostly don't make them.

[ellyssian.livejournal.com]

Yeah, they are a bit more work... for some reason we switched to lasagna from manicotti because of the work involved. Somehow we wound up taking a detour soon after, and wound up at stuffed shells. Who'd have thunk it? =)

[cissa.livejournal.com]

The history of stuffed shells in our house:

1. When my daughter started excessive whingeing about the meals I made, I instituted the following rule: No one who does not cook at least one meal a week is allowed to complain about the food other people are cooking on their behalf.

2. So one night i made stuffed shells- enough for several meals. The next night, my husband "cooked"- and what he did was warm up the shells I'd made. The night after that, my daughter did the same thing.

Now, believe me, there were many Talks about how warming up the results of someone else's work did NOT!!!! equal cooking. However, it kinda soured me on stuffed shells.

K's now living across the country... but if J starts to critique my cooking, we both know he's going to have to start doing more of it himself! :)

[ellyssian.livejournal.com]

I joke around that stuffed shells is a traditional meal in our family, passed down from son to father...

Justin usually helps me make it, but there were a few times where we enlisted my dad in helping out - sadly, now that he's gone, he won't be able to pass it on...

We have stuffed shells for Christmas Eve dinner, and every few months throughout the year. Actually, with my mom down for a visit we're very likely to have it sometime very soon! =)

[(Anonymous)]

This is Patrixa. too tired to log in, but I fooled them and arrived at 4:30pm. My younger son claims I have a lead foot, so I drove a sedate 70 most of the way -- unless I had to pass someone! I got here safe and sound and ready for bed now!

[nhmetalchick.livejournal.com]

I never make stuffed shells and hardly manicotti's. To much work to stuff them if you ask me. Lasagna is part of our Easter dinner. I always use eggs in mine, usually 6-8 for 4 lbs of ricotta. I also use grated parmesan and romano cheese, mozzarella and fresh parsley, all mixed with the ricotta. The eggs just tend to "hold it all together", and not meant to be a tool to skimp on the cheese. My sauce is pretty basic too, Pastene kitchen ready tomato sauce, sauted onions and garlic with olive oil only, fresh parsley, pinch of salt and pepper, and a teaspoon of sugar. Let it simmer for a good 3-4 hours. Yummy, I've yet to have a complaint and both trays of lasagna go very fast. Sauce is one of those tricky things to order out for, everyone is so picky about it, and usually only cares for the ones they are used to. Of course, everyone thinks their moms, grandmothers and themselves makes the best one!