Forbidden City [again and again]

Rainy day today so was a great time to visit an old favorite for lunch.
Started with Crisp Baby Calamari [$11.00] was great as usual. What is that dipping sauce?

One entrée was Triple Delight [$11.00] full of chicken, pork, shrimp and vegetables. This looks good everytime I see it so I may have to order it sometime. The other two entrées were Amoy Grilled Salmon [$12.00] with Scallion Fried Rice. The salmon was cooked medium as requested and rubbed with some spicy spices [poetic?] and had a chili paste dipping sauce. Good but could have been hotter [temperature]. Luncheon specials include soup so I had the Hot Sour Soup. The other two orders were WonTon and they were declared a bit spicy this time.

bloginfo: Forbidden City Bistro & Art Gallery is located at 335 Main Street in Middletown, CT
Telephone: 343.8288
blognote: service was a bit slow today

Coldstone Creamery

We didn't have much luck finding dessert in either Northampton or East Hadley but ended up in Glastonbury on the way home at Coldstone Creamery. Here we each had a signature conglomeration with cute names. Mine was the Mud Pie Mojo which had coffee ice cream, peanuts, oreo cookie and peanut butter; expensive but deadly [$4.95 each with another charge for a waffle bowl].

bloginfo: Plan B is at 138 Park Road, West Hartford, CT telephone 231.1199
for ice cream info: Coldstone

Lenny & Joe's Fishtale

Today's spring break adventure took us to Lenny & Joe's Fishtale in Madison [the rustic one].

We each had a different dinner: Scallops [$12.99]. Softshell Crab [$12.99] and for me Whole Belly Clams [$14.99]. Each dinner comes with decent french fries, good coleslaw and tartar sauce. I also ordered a small order of Fried Onion Rings [$3.19].
Everything was great, as usual, and we enjoyed the meal intensely. The scallops are perhaps the signature meal at Lenny & Joe's, succulent and nutty.

bloginfo:There are two Lenny & Joe's Fishtale locations. I prefer the one at which we ate with counter service and picnic tables inside and out. Look on the website [see above] for info on both, menus, directions, etc.
blognote; I had never eated softshell crab before and found it very tasty. But I still prefer my whole belly clams.

Cheesecake Factory

What's this three hour 'waiting for a table' crap! We waltzed [actually walked] into the White Plains Cheesecake Factory. The hostess said the wait was fifteen minutes ['oh yeah, right' said I] but ten minutes later were at our table.

It was a good meal but wouldn't have been worth three hours [or even 45 minutes]. The service is great as they have a zillion waitstaff on hand. The food gets there quickly but sometimes it must have been waiting under those ubiquitous warming lights. My mashed potatoes could have been a lot warmer.

The four of us shared two appetizers: Factory Nachos [that means with chicken (from a factory?)] for $10.50 and Fried Mac & Cheese for $8.95. I had to try this one as mac & cheese is one of my favorites and anything breaded and deepfried would have to be delicious. It was very good but not delicious!

We should have stopped there but went on so each of us had their own entrée: Thai Chicken Pasta [$14.95] and not a winner; Jambalaya [$16.95] for which they are famous but I found bland. The two other entrées were Stuffed Chicken Tortillas [$13.95] which looked good and were served with black beans [now in my refrigerator] and corncakes; and my order of 'Falling off the Bone' Beef Ribs [$22.50] which were the best. This was served with French Fries for which I substituted the Mashed Potatoes [maybe that's why the potatoes sucked] and Fried Onion Rings. This serving looked like a caveperson on steroids needed a week's sustenance before hibernation [mixed metaphors there, I know].

For dessert [yes, we ordered dessert] we had two servings of cheesecake [duh, it is the Cheesecake Factory]; one Caramel Pecan Turtle [This was our server's favorite (why should I care what she liked, the anorexic twit!)] and Fresh Strawberry [see pix].

bloginfo: There are Cheesecake Factories attached to Whole Foods everywhere. If you can't find one, googleit!
blognote: We were completely stuffed and walked out carrying bags and bags of food. Also, the Iced Green Tea with Mint [$2.95] is superb.

David Glass Factory

Visited the factory yesterday for a tasting. Have done this before and always end up buying something. There were about 5 or 6 different cakes to try. The Concord [for Passover] was huge and very chocolate much too sweet for me [really!]. There was a new peach cake that would not travel very well as it was quite delicate. Anyway, I bought a Cassata* style cheesecake [which I haven't tried yet], an Apple Streusel cheesecake which we ate last night and it was delicious, and a New York style cheesecake 'second' which is always good. You can pile some good junk on top and no one will know it was a second.

bloginfo: The factory is located at 1280 Blue Hills Ave., Bloomfield, CT 06002
Open: Mon.- Thurs. 8:30 am-4:00 pm
Fridays 8:30 am-7:00 pm and Saturdays 10:00 am-2:00 pm
website: david glass
blognote: The cassata* is similar to small cake, and consists of round sponge cake moistened with fruit juices or liqueur. It is then layered with ricotta cheese, candied peel, and a chocolate or vanilla filling similar to cannoli cream. It is covered with a shell of marzipan, pink and green pastel colored icing, and decorative designs. The cassata is finally topped with candied fruit depicting cherries and slices of citrus fruit native to Sicily. [from Wikipedia]

Mofongo recipe

Recipe of the Day: Mofongo
By MARK BITTMAN
Among the highest uses of unripe plantains is in mofongo, a magnificent blend of mashed sautéed plantains, garlic and bacon or other crisp-cooked pork. I’ve borrowed and adapted a sophisticated version of mofongo from Wilo Benet, the chef at Pikayo in San Juan.












Mofongo
Yield 4 servings
Time About 1 hour

Andrew Scrivani for The New York Times
Mofongo is made with green plantains, which, unless you shop in a Latino market, is how you'll most often buy them. If you keep them in the refrigerator, ripening can be retarded for weeks with no loss of quality.

Ingredients
Salt
4 green plantains, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks
1 pinch saffron, optional
4 cups well-flavored chicken stock
Oil for deep frying
4 thick slices bacon, or salt pork, prosciutto or cracklings
1 tablespoon chopped garlic
Freshly ground black pepper
Chopped fresh cilantro leaves for garnish
Method
1. Mix handful of salt into a bowl of cold water and soak plantain chunks. Combine saffron, if using, and stock in saucepan over low heat, keep warm. Bring at least 1 inch of oil to about 350 degrees in a deep skillet.
2. Meanwhile, cook bacon until crisp; remove and drain. Remove plantain from water and drain, then deep fry the pieces (careful, they may spatter) until golden brown and tender. While still hot, add to food processor with bacon, garlic and some salt and pepper. You may have to work in batches. Process to consistency of mashed -- not whipped -- potatoes. Taste and adjust seasoning, then quickly shape into rough balls about the size of meatballs.
3. Place in soup bowls, douse with broth, garnish with cilantro and serve immediately.
Source: Adapted from Wilo Benet

bloginfo: This is taken from today's New York Times.
blognote: This is not the mofongo version I am used to in Puerto Rico but it is the food that named me Mofongoman!