the moderate epicurean

a quest for measured pleasure...

Wednesday, June 21, 2006

OK, I'm back, I'm here, I'm my normal self. Except I did need a 15-minute nap today (and yesterday). And now I feel extra great. Yes, it's amazing (or not) what two good nights of sleep in a row can do for a grrrl, rrrarrrr, I'm ready to go. Sheesh. Two and 1/2 days to recover? Good thing I don't travel for work. Pa-the-tic. It's not like Kim, Suz, and I were out dancing all night! Clearly we expended lots of energy in un-obvious ways - walking, sweating, talking, laughing. Oh, and eating. Right. And drinking (Kim and I, anyhow; Suz, two sips of alcohol per day is her max...). It's like we were on a big Manhattan high the whole trip and then crashed as soon as the plane took off (and luckily not after - oooh, bad joke, sorry). Because I know my girls were tired like me. And missing NYC and our "hang" a bit too. Awww. A New York State of Mind + Home in Minnesota = The New York Minxes Blues.

As a nod to my personal NYC food theme, I'm making...yes...veal scallopini tonight. Shall I do Milanese as at Elio's? Piccata as at Il Riccio? Hmmm...not sure yet. I'll let you know when I know. Stay tuned...

Here's what I did - veal with tomatoes, lemon, capers, garlic, arugula, and basil. It was...incredible. Incredible. (I'll post the recipe below, in comments.) The same concept as piccata (tangy to cut the richness of sauteed veal), but a bit more nutritious and substantial (I had nothing else with it, happily), what with greens and tomato and garlic.

Now, since it's 75 and sunny, with a nice breeze and low humidity (in other words, perfect) outside, I'm planning to head out to the deck with a cool glass of white, and my book, and take in this evening, the first official night of summer. Minnes-weet. It is indeed good to be home.

3 Comments:

At 8:43 PM, Blogger Suz said...

Glad you're back, my friend! :-) What a night, eh??

 
At 11:02 AM, Blogger Stephanie said...

Thank you! Haha! Yes, what a night. Incredible.

 
At 3:47 PM, Blogger Stephanie said...

Veal Scallopini with Herbs, Tomato, and Lemon
Serves 2

½ lb. veal (thin loin chops, with or without the bone, are often available in the meat section)
1 egg
1 Tbsp. water
1 tsp. salt
2 c. flour
olive oil
½ c. chopped tomato
juice of 1 lemon
2 c. coarsely chopped herbs (arugula and basil)
1 clove garlic, minced
2 Tbsp. capers, drained
salt and freshly ground pepper

Sprinkle salt on both sides of veal. Pound veal to 1/4-inch thick and cut into 4 equal pieces. In a shallow dish, beat egg with 1 Tbsp. water. Spread flour on a plate. Dip veal slices in egg, then flour, then set aside on a separate plate. Meanwhile, pour enough olive oil in a medium skillet for oil to be ¼ - ½ inch deep. Heat skillet over medium-high heat and when hot, fry veal, two pieces at a time, until nicely golden brown on both sides. Keep cooked veal on a plate while you quickly prepare the sauce – stir the tomato and lemon juice into the hot pan, over medium heat, scraping up browned bits, until the tomato starts to break down, about 3 minutes. Add the greens and garlic and stir a bit until the greens are thoroughly wilted, about 3 minutes. Stir in the capers and season with salt and pepper. Serve immediately, on top of the veal.

 

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