Upsides to the Down Economy/ Three Wishes

When my husband and I were first dating and I had him over for dinner, the wine I served usually came from the $5 bin at the local grocery store. This was fine with him, since he was a beer drinker. I slowly converted him to wine drinking (don't know if it was the fine $5 wine or my influence) so now wine is our beverage of choice to drink with weekend dinners (although he still drinks beer for watching football). I usually spend under $10 for an everyday wine, if I can find one for $5, all the better. Wine Spectator has a list of good wines under $10, but they are hard to find in the grocery store. When we were in Whole Foods the other day, I found a display of wine in three varieties- Chardonnay, Cabernet and Merlot- for only $2.99! While most people have heard of Two Buck Chuck (Trader Sam's cheap wine), I had never heard of Three Wishes and loved the dandelion on the label. We tried the chardonnay and although it didn't taste much like chardonnay to me- it was sweeter and milder, not oaky or strong- it was certainly passable. It would be perfect to use in a white wine spritzer or to make white wine sangria. While I really enjoy savoring an excellent wine, for everyday drinking Three Wishes is worth a try. Although, wouldn't a genie on the bottle be a more appropriate logo?

White Sangria Cafe Tu Tu Tango

2 bottles white wine

5 oz (10 Tablespoons) 7-up

5 oz (10 Tablespoons) apple juice

5 oz (10 tablespoons) white grape juice

2 oz (3 Tablespoons) gin

2 oz (3 Tablespoons) Triple Sec

Cubed fresh fruit: oranges, limes and apples.

Mix all liquic ingredients well in a glass carafe. Pour over ice; top with fruit. Makes 11 drinks. For stronger version, slice fruit and soak in gin (or vodka) overnight.

Upsides to the Down Economy/ Eat Like a Cow

I have a confession to make. I wasn't exactly "alone, alone, alone" in Key West. I talked hubby Zeke, into joining me Saturday night. We had planned an expensive, romantic dinner at Louie's Backyard (where Norman Van Aken got started in the 80's) but he was delayed due to a Miami to Key West running relay, so we had a late lunch. We started at Blue Heaven, a quintessential Key West place with roosters running around colorfully painted signs, jerk chicken and a waiter with a deep N'awlin's accent whose mother went to University of Alabama (roll tide). Had some Key West pinks there (with a glass of white wine) and then mosied on down to the Historic Seaport to sample conch fritters (with a pitcher of beer) at the Half Shell Raw Bar. Needless to say, by that point, the big fancy dinner was out the window. We wanted to try their conch fritters because it is where my recipe, (which has since been stolen by my brother-in-law who now claims it is his) came from. The conch fritters were good, but not as good as John's version (which have more conch). After that, we went back to our hotel to take a dip in the pool and dry out a bit. We headed back out to Mallory Square to watch the sunset show of carnie folk, but unfortunately missed the sunset. The carnie folk, however, were in full force. After walking around a while we worked up a thirst (and Zeke wanted to watch a NFL playoff game) so we ended up at The Flying Monkey on Duval. I ordered a frozen Margarita, in honor of Jimmy Buffet and because I was sick of wine and beer. The guy next to me had the most amazing hamburger- big, juicy and topped with chopped tomatoes, chopped scallions, blue cheese and bacon bits. After walking down Duval street some more, we returned to split a "Cheeseburger in Paradise". It did not disappoint. The next morning we had breakfast at Sarabeths, a writer's hangout with coffee the size of a soup bowl and amazing almond crusted french toast, with apple butter and bananas. For the amount we would have spent on one dinner, we got lunch, dinner, snacks, drinks and breakfast. So, while there is a time and place for the expensive, romantic dinner, enjoying the local color and sampling the regional favorites is actually my favorite way of eating. You can call it grazing, tapas, small plates, whatever... It's good eats. Here's the recipe for the Conch Fritters. They're good eats too. (Just not as good as John's.)

Half Shell Raw Bar Conch Fritters

1 pound conch, sinew removed, pounded with fine end of a tenderizing mallet

1/2 sweet red pepper, finely chopped

1/2 sweet Bermuda or white onion, finely chopped

1 jalapeno pepper, very finely chopped

1/2 box (16 oz) Aunt Jemimia Complete Pancake Mix

Dash of Key lime juice

16 oz peanut oil for deep frying

After conch has been pounded tender, coursely grind the meat in a food processor. Reserve juices. Place red pepper and onion in a sieve and blanch in boiling water, cooking no more than 1 minute. Add conch and its juice, pepper, onion and jalapeno and lime juice to pancake mix, adding more lime juice if necessary but keeping batter only moist enough to adhere to ingredients. Allow mixture to set for 30 minutes. Shape into the size of golf balls, no more than 1 inch in diameter. Heat oil in deep fryer to 350 degrees or higher, removing before they turn brown. Pat dry and cool. Just before serving, cook a second time in same oil until they are an amber color. Serve with cocktail and mustard sauce. (I like to dip in both.)

Upsides to the Down Economy/ Table for One

I went to the Key West Literary Seminar alone- "alone, alone, alone"- which, doesn't seem like a big deal but after six years of being married, it was a bit of a jolt to the system. It reminded me of my time as a Flight Attendant for Air Florida, when, on certain trips and in certain towns I would find myself eating or sightseeing alone. As I ducked into a Chinese restaurant on a wet, cold night on the way back to my hotel, I fell into the old pattern quite easily. Hot tea, won ton soup, a corner booth and me engrossed in my book (actually the booklet from the seminar) with a Key West sushi roll for one. Traveling alone is at times scary (the drunk guy who wanted to be friends on Duval Street) and at times exhilarating; it is rarely dull. Doing things outside of our comfort zone keeps life interesting and has been shown to help with Alzheimer's. It's so easy to get in a rut- same mystery novels, same TV shows, same restaurants, even the same meals at same restaurants. I ate last night at a Haitian restaurant for the first time in my life. Although I didn't know what to order, I got lots of advice from the patrons (all Haitian) and had the most lovely, flavorful grilled chicken, (couldn't do the goat) maybe of my life. And when you open yourself up to possibilities, you never know what might happen. As for the exhilarating part of my story, I met US Poet Laureate Billy Collins, who signed my book. Then, as fate would have it, I ended up sitting at his table for a conch chowder lunch. This couldn't have happened at home. Here's one of his poems from Ballistics which he read at the seminar.

Old Man Eating Alone in a Chinese Restaurant

I am glad I resisted the temptation,

if it was a temptation when I was young,

to write a poem about an old man

eating alone at a corner table in a Chinese restaurant.

I would have gotten it all wrong

thinking; the poor bastard, not a friend in the world

and with only a book for a companion.

He'll probably pay the bill out of a change purse.

So glad I waited all these decades

to record how hot and sour the hot and sour soup is

here at Chang's this afternoon

and how cold the Chinese beer in a frosted glass.

And my book- Jose Saramango's Blindness

as it turns out- is so absorbing that I look up

from its escalating horrors only

when I am stunned by one of his arresting sentences.

And I should mention the light

which falls through the big windows this time of day

italicizing every thing it touches-

the plates and teapots, the immaculate tablecloths,

as well as the soft brown hair of the waitress

in the white blouse and short black skirt,

the one who is smiling now as she bears a cup of rice

and shredded beef with garlic to my favorite table in the

corner.

Upsides to the Down Economy/ Memories in a Blue and Yellow Box

I just returned from Key West for "The Hungry Muse", a literary seminar about food writing. When members of one panel were asked to name the one food that reminded them of their childhood, the food they requested be brought to them when living overseas, it was that humble, processed food in a blue and yellow box- Kraft Macaroni and Cheese. Even renowned food humorist Calvin Trillin, who claimed all his mother ever made was leftovers and "the original meal has never been found" insisted on purchasing some at the grocery store for his wife, Alice to prepare. When she did, he discovered it didn't taste as it had in his memory until he ate it the next day. Turns out his mother had been serving him leftover macaroni and cheese as well. In my childhood, my father was an airline pilot and we could always tell when he was away by the dinner my Mom made. Kraft macaroni and cheese, with sauteed ham slices (from a can) and sliced beefsteak tomatoes, was a 'Dad's on a flight" meal and one that I loved. Jane and Michael Stern, authors of Square Meals and other books about American cuisine, recommend using real butter (not margarine) and doubling the cheese packets, for "stupendous" results. I don't know about that, but for a trip down memory lane, there isn't a cheaper or easier yellow brick road, than good ole Kraft Macaroni and Cheese.

Upsides to the Down Economy/ Split Pea Goodness

I love supper dishes that do double-duty. For example, a pork roast for dinner one night, creates leftovers which turn into bar-b-que pork sandwiches (with corn on the cob and coleslaw) for another night. Imagine my delight in finding a recipe for Split Pea Soup (my all time favorite soup) that uses a leftover ham bone to create a flavorful stock, plus uses up leftover ham. Another plus to this recipe is that it can be made ahead, and simply needs reheating. Made with dried split peas, a leftover ham bone and veggies, it feeds a crowd cheaply. We will be eating it tonight, along with grilled cheese sandwiches oozing with cheddar. This is comfort food to the nth degree, to be sure. Note that the ham stock needs to made the night before and this soup is chunky, not smooth. If you want a smooth split peas soup, you could puree it in the food processor. Featured in my photos is one of my favorite Christmas gifts- a Cutco chef's knife. It's great!

Night-Before Split Pea Soup

1 pd dry split peas

8 cups ham stock (see note)

1 medium onion (3/4 cup chopped)

2 large carrots (for 3/4 cup chopped)

2 large celery ribs (3/4 cups chopped)

1 tsp thyme leaves

2 tsps Worcestershire sauce

1/2 tsp pepper

1/2 tsp garlic powder

salt to taste

Pour the split peas into a colander and remove any debris. Rinse the peas and set aside. Bring the ham stock to a boil in a large soup pot over medium heat. Meanwhile, peel and chop the onions and carrots and add them to the pot. Dice the celery and add it, too. Add the split peas, thyme, Worcestershire, pepper, ham and garlic powder. Simmer 15 to 25 minutes, until the peas and celery are cooked through and tender. Season to taste with salt. Serve at once, or cover and refrigerate for up to three days. If reheating, you made need to thin with stock. Makes 10 to 12 servings.

Ham stock

Simmer 1 ham bone, 2 celery ribs (with leaves), 1 peeled and quartered onion, 1 halved carrot, 1 tsp black peppercorns and 2 bay leaves in 12 cups of water, uncovered for 45 minutes to an hour. Drain, discarding solids.

Upsides to the Down Economy/ Spread the Wealth

Last year I donated a hundred dollars to a charity in the Miami Herald- Wish Book. Each day there is a story about a person or family that needs a donation. This year I donated, but instead of $100 to one charity, I donated $10 to 10 charities. This was inspired by hearing about a politician who got elected in a grass roots effort, with mostly small donations. I decided to spread the wealth around a little bit. I collected donation envelopes from charities I wanted to give to in the last month or so. I ended up giving to FIU (alma mater), the Tropical Audubon Society, the USO, Habitat for Humanity, Fairchild Tropical Garden, as well as the Herald Wish Book again. I had given to Adopt a Classroom, Water.org and St. Jude's in earlier months. Some of the charities were local, some national. All were causes I care about. I meant to do it before Christmas, but just sent the bulk of them out today. As an added bonus, I get a tax deduction. Next year, I'm going to try and keep a running list of charities I want to donate to so I'm not scrambling around at the last minute. But whether you do one bigger check, or several smaller ones- Donate! It does a body good.

Upsides to the Down Economy/ Make a Plan for Christmas Shopping

Now that Black Friday and Cyber Monday are over, if you are like some people who didn't participate in either event (moi), it's time to get busy Christmas shopping. According to reports, the first week of December still offers some very good deals and that is NOW! I went to Micheal's today to get a few items to trim the tree (photo above) and it was a nightmare! Shoppers were cramming the aisles, pushing to get into the bargain $1 bins and there was a long line to check out. I gave up and went home. This was partly my fault as I went at 11:30 am, prime time for late risers and people on their lunch break. The ideal time to shop is between 5 and 8 PM, dinner time. Most people avoid shopping at that time. Here are some other shopping hints to make your bargain hunting a little merrier.

• Make a list (and check it twice). Write down everyone you need to buy for and possible gift ideas. If you are stumped ask them directly (or ask the parents for kids). Make sure if you are buying clothes, make sure you have written down the correct size. My secret weapon is a little notebook I keep in my purse. Besides my lists (one for ideas and one for items I end up purchasing), there is even a spot to hold coupons and receipts.


• Make a budget- of how much you want to spend total and how much on each gift. Add it up and see if it works. If it doesn't, you may need to cut back. While giving is great, having to pay for the generosity for the next year will not be.


• Go online and compare prices to find the best deals, especially on big ticket items. Sites like Shopzilla will do this.


• Cut out or print coupons for stores or items. Bed, Bath and Beyond typically offers 20% off one item and they honor expired coupons. I keep coupons in the car, just in case. And gather your recyclable bags, unless you want a bunch of plastic ones cluttering your house.


• Make a plan of where you are going to shop and hit stores in the same general area. Walking through the mall waiting for inspiration to strike is rarely a good idea, so know what you want and where to get it.


• Bring your energy. Take your vitamins, get enough rest, eat well. Shopping takes it out of me like nothing else and you need to bring your A game when you shop. Take an energy bar and a bottle (reusable of course) of water so you have something to refuel.


• Plan for the unexpected. I always buy a couple of nice, but generic items, to have on hand for people who surprise you with a gift. Candles, bath salts or soaps are good options.


• Try to enjoy it. Play holiday tunes in your car, smile, be nice to fellow shoppers. The sooner you start, the sooner you'll finish and can enjoy a nice beverage in front of the tree.