Trish: Can you post the stew recipe???

Book club cookout tonight. I'm bringing an asparagus and shrimp salad (steamed asparagus & boiled medium shrimp) dressed with jalapeno vinagrette (left over from the halibut cook a few nights ago). OH... yea, some chardonnay to go with it! Gary's going to burn up the last of the monthly club minimum with his golfing buddy.

Next book is "The Piano Tuner" by Dan Mason.

Cheers, Anne

Trish, I sure wish we had "real" cheese down here in Florida for purchase...anyone who has lived in both places definitely knows what I mean. My mom sends me a package for Christmas every year of my favorite cheeses from the cheese store in this tiny little town called Alpha, Wisconsin.

Your Irish stew sounds WONDERFUL (I am 75% Irish, BTW)... and I'm with Joanna in asking you to please post the recipe!

Well, just like Oliva, our neighbor dropped off a basket of tomatoes so we are having baked stuffed tomatoes, meatloaf and oven roasted pototoes.

I am still waiting for the Irish stew recipe, too!

Tonight's menu - Shrimp marinated in Consorgio's Garlic Marinade. Grilled with Corn on Cob (shucked and put in tin foil on grill with butter in the tin foil) and other veggies. Serve with Wine of course and eaten at sunset on the patio.

We are grilling pork chops rubbed with a dry rub first, and having mashed potatoes with diced poblano chiles and cheese, and will probably either make a salad or just slice up some tomatoes, avacados and cucs and drizzle with a little olive oil (unless I think of something else in the next 3 or 4 hours). Oh yeah, I forgot and wine of course!

Excellent! :) michele

Hot tamales and a LARGE, make that VERY LARGE pitcher of something alcoholic.

JoAnn, I have been putting dry rub seasoning on everything lately, I just love it!!

Betty, you can break out the hat and dance around it tonight!

Blue cheese is a new one.. will have to try that..

something that goes with fried zuccini..
was watching food channel and the Italian gal grand daughter of Dino De laurentes ( has a show).. some of her recipes have been excellent..
saw the fried zuc and we have had it alot!
get large zuccinis, slice them in kinda fat sticks, dip in beaten eggs, then roll in a breadcrumbs mixture ( breadcrumbs, parmesean cheese,oregano, salt and pepper).. heat a pan of olive oil ( alot of it)
and fry them to a golden brown..
remove, drain on paper towel, salt and pepper and sprinkle parmesean chesse on top.. yum!
also good w/a nice marinara sauce dip..or maybe the blue cheese ( left over from the Jo Ann hot dogs.. hummm).
and ofcourse the wine!!

Rats! Costco was not having the seafood roadshow today. No Shrimp on the Barbie! Settling for Garlic Rubbed Chicken breasts instead.

Karen, I am having many visions of you rubbing it on everything & I do mean everything.
OK, yes, I am already into the "stuff." But it is after 5 CDT.

Poor Mark!! :p :banana: :mecry: :mecry:

Oh my, Betty and Joanna, you two crack me up!

We're eating gourmet tonight! Have been invited to dinner at a friend's house (male) who is a gourmet cook. I hope Alan will pay special attention!

I am hoping we'll have a cruise (together) to remember!!!!

Anne, I enjoyed reading "The Piano Tuner" hope you do too.

Joanna and Betty, you guys are having too much fun! One night we should all have a "virtual" cocktail party.

Oh yeah!! Donna.

...now that's a great idea! :) michele

Great idea!!!!

I'll make the Cosmos

I'd like to propose a toast: Here's to a great group of people - thanks for the laughs, great menus, terrific travel advice, AND helpful 'group therapy'. May all your travel dreams come true! - michele

The tamales were dry but who cares. Maybe I should have done some of Karen's rubbing!!
I am definitely on for the virtual cocktail party.

I love you guys!!! You make me laugh!!!

Karen - I use the rub on lots of stuff too.

Kathy - shake um up girl!

Betty - this board is a hoot isn't it? This topic has been fun summer therapy!

Tonight we have RESERVATIONS - going down to Richmond to see our daughters and sons in law and two of the Grandkids before we leave next week, so we are all going out for dinner!!! Yay!

We are going to my Mother in law's today. My sister in law from CA is home for a week and we are having a picnic.

Yes...that would be fun!

Here's the recipe for the Irish stew:

IRISH STEW

Ingredients:
1 ounce butter
2 pounds beef, cubed
1 large onion, coarsely chopped
2 carrots, chopped
2 stalks celery
1 Tbsp flour
1/2 pint beef stock
2 Tbsp tomato puree
1/2 Tbsp sugar
3 potatoes, cubed
1 bottle of Guinness
Dash of parsley, Dash of thyme, 1 bay leaf
Salt and pepper
Tabasco sauce


Instructions
Melt the butter in a large pan and fry the meat in it until browned on all sides. (I actually use two frying pans)Remove the meat from the pan, add the onion, carrots and celery and cook until slightly softened.

Return the meat to the pan, add the flour, then stir in the stock, tomato puree and sugar. Bring to the boil and then reduce the heat to a simmer. Add the potatoes, the Guinness, the seasonings and salt and pepper to taste.

Cook over a low heat for about 1 to 1 1/2 hours or until the meat is tender. While the stew is simmering, add 4 or 5 drops of tabasco to taste.

Yield: 4 servings

Trish

BTW, Kristin, isn't Alpha by Siren? Unless I'm thinking of someplace else. It's about 50 miles from where I live. Is that where you came from?

There is a huge difference in cheese from WI vs cheese from anywhere else. And ice cream. Dave was born and raised in Green Bay and when we are there people know if they are looking for me that I am at Hansen's Dairy eating ice cream.

State fair is in two weeks - beeline to the cheese curds!

Trish

We're having turkey legs on the grill tonight! For whatever reason, our power was out for a few hours today...we're now enjoying the freezing cold a/c!

yes, Trish! It's between Siren & Grantsburg!

Oh my, cheese curds - absolutely the best thing in LIFE!

Thanks for the Irish stew recipe, Trish, YUM! You must live in ... Rush City? I am trying to remember what towns are close by across the border! :)

Kristin, we live in Chisago City.

Trish

Trish, when we were back that way over Memorial weekend, I seem to remember one city on the way back to MSP where the main road was quite torn up, under construction...I do think it was Chisago...? And it seemed an endless row of eateries along the way with Scandinavian names. What a lovely city - and how it has grown over the years since I was back there last! (early 80s)

I am going to have to commission my chef of a husband to make that Irish stew - his motive will be buying Guinness pints!!!! mmmm!

Kristin, I think...Probably that was Lindstrom that had the Swedish eateries, Chisago had more of the road construction. As soon as you got past the construction, there was a lake on your left side. That is the lake we live on - about 1 1/2 miles down. Next trip, if you have some extra time, just send me an e-mail and we'll treat you to some of our local specialties!

Trish

Trish, you are so sweet! I think I do recall that lake - what a beautiful area to live!

I'm trying the rice pudding brulee from this month's Bon Appetit today. It's looking good so far.

Marna Lou: It sounds delicious - had an aunt that made rice pudding from scratch and we all loved it -

Marsha, anything with brulee attached to the end of it, I bet I will like!!