Ciutat Comtal/Ciudad Condal - Great Tapas in Barcelona

The first meal I had in Barcelona was a mouth-watering experience at Ciutat Comtal (its Catalan name) / Ciudad Condal (its Spanish name). Each bite of each dish was really tasty.

It's very popular and doesn't take reservations. I was on a waiting list for 90 minutes before I got a seat at the covered outdoor cafe. It also has indoor dining. The extensive menu is in both Spanish and English.

Part of the Menu

I started out with Bacalao Especial (salt cod) with aioli for €10.95. If you're in Spain, you have to try at least one Bacalao dish because it's a major Spanish (and Portuguese) food. I tried several, and was always pleased.

With the Bacalao and the next tapa, I had a glass of Viña Pomal Crianza Rioja for €3.35. It was very nice.

My second tapa was Mejillones del Norte al Vapor (steamed mussels) for €6.30.

Time for another glass of wine - Raimat Abadia Costers del Segre - Cabernet Sauvignon & Tempranillo for €3.10. Also very nice.

My third tapa was Huevos Estrelladas con Jabugo. Fried eggs with Jabugo ham and potatoes. Jabugo is a terrific ham from the village of Jabugo in southern Spain.

Huevos Estrellados

My total bill came to €42.40.

The restaurant is located on the corner of Rambla de Catalunya and Gran Via de les Corts Catalanes, one block north of Plaza Cataluña.

Poem to Antoni Gaudí

During my visit to Barcelona, I visited four of the great works of the architectural genius, Antoni Gaudí. The first was the Basilica de la Sagrada Familia (the Basilica of the Holy Family), an immense work which has been under construction since 1882. Two of the four were residences - Casa Battló/La Pedrera and Casa Milà. The fourth was Parc Güell, a beautiful park high above the city.

Basilica de la Sagrada Familia

Casa Battló/La Pedrera

In Parc Güell

Looking from Parc Güell over Barcelona to the Mediterranean

Frater Vester Qui Erat in Barcelona[i]

To Antoni Gaudi

October 1, 2019, Barcelona

I. Qui cherche, Trouve[ii]

Gaudi. not gawdy,

Was colorfully plaudible[iii] -

Bounded by nature,

But unbounded within,

His complexity was simple,

His simplicity complex.

He was myopically farsighted

But saw better than all.

His Barcelona creations

Are Gaudacious[iv] innovations

That generate sensations

Of astounding incarnations

Beyond adulation.

Basilica and park

Batlló and Milà -

A wholly-made family[v]

Of complimentary creatures

Featured a new DNA

That none could foresee.

I saw nothing he missed,

But missed much that he saw.

II. Heaven Scent[vi]

Perhaps he'd confess

That his constructs for life

 Built a path to his end:

A. His daily devotion

Led him faster to God.

B. He wouldn't take transport,

But transport took him.

C. His shabbiness without,

Despite elegance within,

Left him sadly bereft

Of emergency care.

[i] The title is a take-off on the name of the prayer - Pater Noster - the Our Father. The title translates to: "Your Brother Who Was in Barcelona." Appropriately, the “cel” in "Barcelona" is the Catalan word for “heaven.”

[ii] The title of this section, "Qui Cherche, Trouve," is my French motto. It means,  "He who searches, finds." Its substantive meaning is that the person who searches for solutions finds them. That was Gaudi.

[iii] "Plaudible" is a word I made up from plaudit.

[iv] "Gaudacious" is a word I made up.

[v] “Wholly made family" is a take-off on "Sagrada Familia" - Holy Family.

[vi] This section is about factors relating to his death.

Barcelona - A Great Place to Visit

Everyone I’ve met who’s been to Barcelona has told me how much they’ve enjoyed it. Now that I’ve had the chance to visit the city, I understand why. The city is interesting, lively, clean, safe, and walk-able. There is a great variety of delicious restaurants and cafes – both indoor and outdoor. There is a lot to see and do. The people are hospitable and English is widely spoken. On one level, it is a bi-cultural city mixing Catalan and Spanish people and their distinct languages. Among the Catalan people there is strong sentiment for independence from Spain. Barcelona is also a multicultural city, with large communities from of many different ethnicities. It has a superb transportation system of interconnected subways, buses, and trains. The weather when I was there in late September was perfect – with highs in the high 70s.

The only downside that I could see was that it was swarming with tourists – like me. Since it is such a terrific destination, it is visited by over 18 million tourists per year. It is the beginning or end point for many Mediterranean cruises. From Montjuic Castle overlooking the city, I could see six huge cruise ships in the port.

I loved the cuisine in Barcelona. There is a great variety of mouth-watering appetizers – Spanish tapas, montaditos (small open-faced, single slice items like crostini, or small baguette sandwiches), and Basque pintxos (also like crostini or canapes, but with a toothpick holding the topping to the bread). In addition to the small dishes, I tried a number of Spanish, Catalan, and Galician dishes. I took a tapas and pintxos walking tour, and a paella cooking class.

Prior to my trip, I did a lot of research on the cuisine and restaurants, and received great advice from friends. So I had a number of specific dishes and restaurants to try. I had reservations at a number of the restaurants.

The Spanish wines were also very enjoyable and reasonably priced. I took a winery tour to the Penedès region about an hour west of Barcelona, and another to the mountaintop Montserrat Benedictine Monsastery and the Ollmer del Mas winery, about an hour northwest of the city.

In the city, I visited four of the architectural wonders of the creative genius Antoni Gaudí – the Sagrada Familia basilica, Park Güell, Casa Milà/La Pedrera, and Casa Battló. I was so impressed, I wrote a poem to him, which I plan to post.

I also visited the incredible La Boqueria food market, the Cathedral of Barcelona, Montjuic Castle, the Gothic Quarter, and the Arc de Triomf.

I was lucky to be there during the annual La Mercè Festival in honor of the patron saint of Barcelona. I saw a fantastic parade, and great outdoor dance performances.

I walked for miles in the city, and never felt uncomfortable.

There were lots of wooden benches where one could sit and relax, or people watch.

Pickpockets are reportedly a problem, so I was very careful to protect my valuables.

As gifts for family and friends, I bought delicious Torrons, traditional Spanish nougats. I purchased them at Vicens Torrons, which has been making them for 300 years.

I also succeeded in my hunt for men’s tie clips to add to my collection. I found them at two places. The best was Militaria Barcelona, a great military antiques store. The other was a booth at the Mercat dels Encants flea market, the largest in Barcelona.

Tapas Paradise in St. Pete

Yesterday, I had a terrific tapas and Basque wine experience at Ceviche restaurant (http://ceviche.com/) in St. Petersburg, FL. Even though the temperature was in the low 90°s, I felt perfectly comfortable sitting outside on their covered porch (about one block from Tampa Bay).

Despite its name, the restaurant has four ceviche dishes on its menu compared to forty-three tapas dishes. It also has three kinds of paellas, cheese and charcuterie plates, and salads.

I had two seafood tapas and a Basque wine at the restaurant and took another two meat tapas home for dinner. They were all mouth watering.

The first seafood tapa I had was Mejillones a la Catalana (Catalann-style Mussels) - Sautéed mussels, sherry cream sauce, serrano ham, shallots, and garlic, with crispy baguette slices and lemon to squeeze. ($11)

I thought the first dish was great. Then I tried the Cangrejo Fundido (Crab Melt) - jumbo lump blue crab, manchego cheese, sherry cream, with small slices of perfect pita onto which I scooped the crab mix. That dish was out of this world. ($13)

The wine I had was a delicious white wine from Spanish Basque country - a 2017 Txakolina wine made with Hondarrabi Zuri grapes. The wine was a bit on the sweet side, and a perfect accompaniment for the two tapas. The winery that produces it is Rekalde, which is owned by the Hirutza family. The 9-oz glass was $13.

The two tapas I took home for dinner were also delicious. (They were on the edge of my modest spiciness tolerance).

The first was Albondigas - chorizo, pork, and veal meatballs in a spicy tomato sauce. ($9)

The second was Piquillos Rellenos - Roasted red peppers stuffed with veal, pork, and chorizo, in sherry cream. ($10)

The restaurant has flamenco performances three nights per week - Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday.

My server, Brittany, was terrific - customer-focused with a warm and ebullient personality.

I can't wait to go back.

Power AirFryer XL - Incredible Fries & Delicious Salmon Cooked Simultaneously

On a whim, I recently bought a Power Air Fryer XL. A customer in BJs noticed me looking at it, and she commented on what great fries and breaded cod it made. I had to give it a try. I'm really glad I did. It was extremely easy to use and produced great results;

The first time I used it, I tried breaded chicken. It turned out tasty, but not incredible. However, yesterday evening, I decided to try cooking salmon and french fries at the same time. The salmon was delicious and the fries were among the best I have ever had. They were perfectly crispy on the outside and soft on the inside.

I used unthawed Alexia frozen fries, which I lightly coated with EVOO. I prepared the 7-oz. skinned, fresh, wild Keta salmon filet by basting both sides with EVOO and lemon juice, and sprinkling it with sea salt and pepper.

Then I set the temperature at 400° and the timer at 18 minutes. I put the fries in first. When the timer reached 11 minutes remaining, I opened the basket and inserted the salmon. At the same time, I turned over the fries. When the time reached 5 minutes, I turned the salmon over and shook the fries.

It doesn't get any easier than that. One great benefit of using a hot air fryer, is that it significantly reduces the calorie count of dishes.

The fryer inner and outer baskets are non-stick and are dishwasher safe.

The cost of my 5.3 quart air fryer at BJs was $79.99.

Beirut Bakery - Incredible Arabic Food in Redford, MI

For me, the gold standard for Levantine (Lebanese, Palestinian, & Syrian) Arabic food is the incredible, mouth-watering food my mother made.  A place that comes very close to that gold standard is Beirut Bakery (https://www.beirutbakery.net/) in Redford, Michigan.

As anyone who’s been to Beirut Bakery knows, it's far more than a bakery. If offers an extensive assortment of main dishes, side dishes, and baked goods, primarily for takeout. It also has a couple of tables where one can eat at their venue.

For a number of years, my brother has brought gifts of Beirut Bakery foods when he has visited us in Florida. So I have long wanted to visit Beirut Bakery and try more of the dishes they prepare. During a recent trip to Michigan, a special friend and I joined my brother and his son to have lunch there. It was the most delicious Arabic meal I have enjoyed in many, many years. It included stuffed cabbage rolls (Malfouf), stuffed squash (Khousa), stuffed grape leaves (Warak Arish), baked stuffed Kibbeh, meat pie, Labne yogurt spread (similar to Tzatziki), Hummus, Pita bread (Khoubiz), and Baklava. Everything was superb. I could easily have eaten there every day for two weeks.

Part of My Lunch

I have had Baklava many times over the course of seven decades. Theirs is among the very best.

Catherine & Baklava

One interesting item they carry is a delicious Lebanese olive oil.

They ship many of their foods; and some are carried in Whole Foods stores in their area.

Beirut Bakery was created four decades ago by Milad and Leila Hallis. It is now a family team operation, with daughter Catherine and son Mark working with their parents.

Budapest Wine Tour - Etyek

Etyek is a small, wine-producing area just outside of Budapest, on the Buda side of the Danube. A tour of Etyek wineries, recommended by my hotel, turned out to be a very pleasant experience. The tour stopped at three wineries, and we had dinner at the third winery. The cost of the tour was 24,000 Hungarian forints ($86).

The Etyek area only produces enough wine to sell to visitors and local restaurants. The wine grapes grown there include three Hungarian types - Kiralyeanka, Irsai Oliver, and Zenit, plus Blaufränkisch, Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Grüner Veltliner, Pinot Gris, Pinot Noir, Sauvignon Blanc, and Syrah.

Peter, our tour guide, picked me up at my hotel at 3:10 - 10 minutes late. Transportation for the two or was a minibus which held 15 people. There were thirteen people on our bus.  We spent the next 25 minutes driving to several different hotels, looking for two additional people who were supposed to be on the tour. It turned out they had the wrong time. So they were invited to come on another tour of the next day. We finally left for Etyek at 3:35.

Our tour group was a delightful mix of people it included two ladies from Scotland, an American couple teaching at an international school in Jakarta, Indonesia, a South African woman, and several other Americans, including a woman who was born in an area of Michigan where I had lived for a few years. 

Along the way, Peter talked about national and local history, architecture, and Etyek wine making. The minibus ride was not particularly comfortable.

Once we reached Anonym, the first winery, the rest of the experience became very pleasant. Our guide originally worked there full time, but at the time of the tour, he was dividing his time between working at the winery and conducting wine tours.

We tasted four wines at Anonym. Réka, the young woman who presented the wines, was knowledgeable and very nice. I enjoy the first two wines, but not the next two. The wines were:
1. 2018 Egyböl kettö - 60% Zenit grapes, and 40% Pinot Gris. (Zenit is a Hungarian white grape.)
2. 2018 Frazir Sauvignon Blanc
3. 2017 Szinkopa Chardonnay. (I am not fond of oaky Chardonnays.)
4. 2016 Életjel Pinot Noir

The next winery - Nádas Szilárd (the owner - winemaker) - was a delightful surprise. I liked/loved five of the six wives we tasted, even a Chardonnay.

Szilárd has a great, engaging personality. He clearly loves wine making, and seems to be an out-of-the-box thinker. He and his wife, who is his partner, each have two Masters degrees related to wine making. He has worked at wineries in Bordeaux, Australia, and Canada.

We were only supposed to taste three wines here, but we ended up tasting eight. The wines we tasted were:
1. 2018 Kiralyeanyka. This was the first year he had made this wine – excellent.
2. 2017 Sauvignon Blanc – superb.
3. 2017 Zöld Grüner Veltliner - great!!!
4. 2016 Pinot Gris. It was orange in colour, and my least favorite.
5. 2017 Cimbi Pinot Gris - very nice.
6. 2017 Chardonnay - superb.  It was interesting that the grapes for this particular Chardonnay came from the same vineyard and the same harvest as the grapes used in the Chardonnay I had had at the previous winery, and had not cared for. There was a dramatic difference between the two Chardonnays.
7. 2015 Öston (Instinct) Pinot Noir - very nice
8. 2015 Mühely titok (Secret of the Winery) - 50% Syrah, 40% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Pinot Noir - very nice.

The third winery we went to was Buzál-Mórocza. It was both a winery and a restaurant. We had a delicious chicken dinner at a long outdoor wooden table. They served the following nice wines with dinner:
1. 2016 Grüner Veltliner
2.2016 Szurkebarat Pinot Gris

3. 2017 Blaufränkisch rosé

Hotel Residence Agnes, Prague - A New Favorite

Of the four very nice hotels where I stayed during my recent trip to Central Europe, my favorite was the Hotel Residence Agnes (https://residenceagnes.com/en/) in Prague. I chose all four on the basis of their great reviews. All were nicely situated, and had nice rooms and professional staff. What made the Hotel Residence Agnes special was its incredible staff. They were not only very professional, but they were friendly and helpful in a sincere, down-to-earth way. They welcomed guests with beer, wine, soft drinks and snacks. Guests were welcome to free drinks at any time.

The hotel also had a driver who would, at no charge, take guests to the train station, restaurants, etc. I If a guest makes a reservation directly with the hotel, rather than through an intermediary company, the hotel's driver will pick the guest up at the airport. (I wish I had known that.)

I first stayed at the hotel for five nights when I arrived in Prague at the start of my trip. At the end of the trip, I returned to Prague from Budapest for one evening before catching my flight home. The hotel driver met me at the train station. I was worried about getting to a jewelry store before it closed so I could buy a gift before returning home. The jewelry store was set to close in a few minutes. I phoned the hotel front desk and asked that they contact the store and request that it stay open. The front desk staffer went one step further and instructed the driver to take me directly to the jewelry store. She also phoned the jewelry store to tell them I would be arriving shortly.

The front desk also recommended two terrific restaurants - U Modré Kachničky (The Blue Duckling), which has incredible duck, and Hergetova Cihelna, which is situated on the river on the castle side of the city, and has not only delicious food, but great views.

The breakfasts were very nice, and the woman in charge of the breakfast was extremely helpful.

The owner, Frank, was very, very pleasant and laid back. When he asked me where I was from, I answered that I was from a place in Florida that he probably didn't know. When I mentioned it was Sarasota, he said that he had owned a house there - in Palmer Ranch. (He hadn't told me he was the hotel's owner. I guessed, and he confirmed it.)

The hotel is nicely situated in a quiet area that's only a short walk from the Old Town Square and the Jewish Quarter. There is also a large shopping center, the Palladium, nearby.

The nightly cost for my room, during the height of the tourist season, averaged $266, including breakfast. The room was comfortable, spacious, and clean. If I ever have the pleasure of returning to Prague, it is the only place I would consider staying.

The hotel is located at Haštalska 19.

Paris Bistrot, Lakewood Ranch - A Long-Time Favorite

Paris Bistrot (https://www.parisbistrotlwr.com/) on Lakewood Ranch Main St. is a long-time favorite. Not only does it offer authentic French bistro food in a pleasant atmosphere, and with excellent service, but it also provides me an opportunity to speak a few words of French. I usually eat there at least four times per year and am always very happy.

The other night, my sister, a special friend, and I shared a wonderful evening there.

The three of us chose the $28.90 "Chef's Menu" of one appetizer and one main dish. Everything we had was terrific.

The appetizer my sister and my friend chose was the Hot Brie Salad of Brie cheese on toast, with honey, lettuce, and tomatoes. I had the country paté, which I choose nearly every time I dine there.

Both ladies had the Pork Parmesan - pork tenderloin medallions in a puff pastry with a cream of parmesan cheese and shredded prosciutto.

I had Chicken Normande - diced chicken breast and mushrooms flambéed in Cognac with a cream sauce.

The Chef's Menu meals always include a vegetable plus a choice of rice or potatoes Dauphinois.

For dessert, my friend and I shared Crêpes Suzettes with orange marmelade and flambéed with Grand Marnier for $8.90.

I finished my meal with a cup of espresso.

I chose the wine I almost always have there - a St. Cosme Cotes-du-Rhone. It's always good and sells for $33 a bottle. This was a 2017.

Columbia Restaurant, St. Armands Circle - Always Nice

Columbia Restaurant on St. Armand's Circle in Sarasota (http://www.columbiarestaurant.com/Menus-By-Location/Locations/St-Armands-Circle) is a Spanish restaurant that I always enjoy. Over the years, I've had a number of meals there with family and friends, and have never been disappointed. 

I recently had a delightful lunch there with a special friend of Spanish heritage. She knows authentic Spanish food. She loved her meal, and I loved mine. 

We each started with a cup of Gazpacho Andalucia - a purée of tomatoes, green peppers, onions, cucumber, and garlic. It was topped tableside by finely chopped vegetables and croutons. It was reeeeeeeeeeeeally delicious. Each cup was $4.45.

The main dish she chose was actually a Tapa - two Empanadas de Picadillo - pastry turnovers filled with spiced ground beef, garlic, tomatoes, onions, raisins, and olives for $8. They were excellent.

My main dish was Cakes de Congrejo - two crabcakes of grilled blue crabmeat drizzled with passion fruit aioli. They were tasty and solid, unlike the mushy version I'd had at a Punta Gorda restaurant a few days earlier. They cost $15.

(Normally, I have a larger main dish like Columbia's wonderful Ropa Vieja, but this time, I went lighter to save room for a nice dinner.)

My drink was a 2015 Rioja tempranillo wine called Rusty for $11. Like all the wines I've had at Columbia, it was very nice.

Our waiter, Norbert, who was Hungarian, was exceptional. Not only was he a superb server, but he was a hilarious comedian.

The parent restaurant of the Columbia group is located in Tampa. It was established in 1905, is Florida's oldest continuously operated restaurant, and is the largest Spanish restaurant in the world. It offers Flamenco dance shows, for which there is a cover charge.

The Kehoe House - Perfect Lodging for Savannah's Historic District

During my recent delightful visit to Savannah, I found the warm and welcoming Kehoe House Bed and Breakfast Inn 
(https://www.kehoehouse.com/)  ideally situated to enjoy Savannah's gorgeous historic district.

My large and beautifully decorated room was very comfortable. The evening turn down of the bed included a couple of large, delicious cookies.

The Kehoe House offered a breakfast menu that included the choice of an egg or sweet main course with sides that included fruit, bacon or sausage, grits or potatoes, and biscuit or toast. They also served juices and coffee or tea. If the menu main-dish choices didn't appeal, they offered to prepared another dish. 

Breakfast could be enjoyed in one's room, or at a large dining room table with other guests. I enjoyed chatting with very interesting guests at the breakfast table.

From 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. in the evening, there was a free happy hour with wine and choice of several appetizers. I enjoyed the Kehoe House label Pinot Noir and their Cabernet Sauvignon. 

At one happy hour, an engaging historian gave a very interesting presentation about the Kehoe House, which was built in 1892 by William Kehoe, who had come to Savannah as a poor Irish immigrant child and eventually became a very successful foundry owner. For about 10 years, the building was owned by former New York Jets football star, Joe Namath, who purportedly intended to make it a "bunny club."

As is fitting for a mansion built for a foundry owner, all of the building's exterior stairways, window frames, columns and fences are cast iron.

There is an elevator inside.

The staff was supporting and attentive in every respect. When I left, the staff sent me on my way with a nice bag of snacks.

My cost per night, including taxes and fees, during the three midweek nights I stayed there was $298. There was an additional  charge of $20 per day for parking in the nearby uncovered Kehoe House parking lot. Just beyond that lot is a covered lot where parking is $10 per day.

I discovered that I would have received a better rate had I booked directly with the Kehoe House rather than through a booking service.

It is easy to understand why the Kehoe House has nearly 1,200 excellent Trip Advisor reviews.

Turtles Restaurant, Sarasota Bay - It Doesn't Get Any Sweeter

What a fantastic experience - sitting outside chatting with wonderful friends at a shaded table, while looking out onto Little Sarasota Bay on a sunny day with temperatures in the mid-70's, and enjoying delicious food and drinks. That was our experience at Turtles Restaurant  (http://www.turtlesrestaurant.com/) on Siesta Key.

My food and wine were delicious. I started with a cup of their signature crab bisque for $4. It was really delicious and filled with crab.

My main dish was a tasty North Atlantic salmon BLT grilled with a dill sauce for $13. 

My drink was a nice White Haven Sauvignon Blanc for $8.50 per glass.

The hostess was very accommodating, the service excellent, and the prices reasonable.

Turtles does not take reservations and can be crowded. 

It is located at 8875 Midnight Pass Road.

My only regret is that I don't live closer.

Easy, Japanese-Style Carrot, Ginger, and Onion Salad Dressing

I found this great and very easy Japanese-style dressing on The Spruce Eats (https://www.thespruceeats.com/onion-ginger-and-carrot-salad-dressing-3863338) I used all the ingredients, including the optional ones. It easily serves eight. I reworded the original directions to simplify.

Ingredients
- 1/4 cup chopped yellow onion
- 1/4 cup chopped carrot
- 1/2 tsp peeled and minced ginger
- 2 tablespoons ketchup or tomato paste
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1/2 cup canola oil
- 1/4 cup rice vinegar
- 1/2 tsp salt (to taste)
- Optional dash of black pepper
- Optional 1/2 tsp of granulated white sugar

Directions
Place all the ingredients in a food processor or blender, and purée. (I used a blender.) 

Chill for 1-2 hours before serving.

Japanese Fruit Sandwich - An Easy, Tasty Dessert

For a recent Japanese-style meal for family, the dessert I served was an approximation of a Japanese fruit sandwich. It was very tasty and easy to make.

Normally, Japanese fruit sandwiches are made with a light, fluffy, slightly sweet Japanese bread known as milk bread (shoku pan) or Hokkaido bread. Since I could not find that bread, I used a butter pound cake instead.

The ingredients are simple:
- A firm bread that will not easily get mushy from fruit and that does not have non-dessert ingredients like garlic.
- Fruit that is not too juicy - kiwis, mangos, strawberries, peaches. I used the first three.
- Homemade whipped cream. Homemade whipped cream is unbelievably easy to make. The ingredients are just whipping cream, powdered sugar (optional), vanilla extract (optional). There are plenty of instructions on line.

The preparation is simple
1. Slice the bread

2. Cut the fruit and place it on the bread. 

3. Spread the whipped cream on the fruit.

4. Assemble the two pieces.

When using the larger milk bread slices, the sandwich is sliced diagonally and the properly positioned fruit looks very nice from the sides.

Prague Restauramt, Sarasota - Czech It Out!

How do I love thee Saasota-Bradenton - Let me count the ways, er, uh, Let me count the restaurants (but not the traffic). Today, I had the very tasty experience of trying a Czech restaurant for the first time - Prague, located on Main St. in Sarasota (https://thepraguerestaurant.com/). It offers a nice variety of Central European and American dishes. 

I chose one of the Happy Hour specials - a salad and a main dish with sides for $15. 

There were two salad choices - Caesar and a Czech cucumber salad (okurkový salát). I chose the latter. It was on the sweet side and had a tiny bit of a kick. I loved it.

The main dish I had was the Czech national dish, slow-roasted pork with a homemade brown sauce and caraway seeds (vepřo knedlo zelo) accompanied by Bohemian dumplings, sweet and sour cabbage, and sauerkraut. The combination was very tasty, down-to-earth food. I particularly liked the pork and the cabbage. The dumplings (knedliky) are boiled and look like slices of bread. They were unexciting, but went nicely with the pork.

The dessert I had was terrific - two different types of Czech rolled crêpes (palačinky). One was filled with sweet cream cheese, cinnamon, and rum raisins. The other was filled with raspberry jam. They were topped with whipped cream, powdered sugar, and chocolate. The cost was $9.

I had a nice glass 2016 Lyric Pinot Noir from Santa Barbara County for $10 and a cup of espresso for $5.

The drink list includes two types of draft Czech beer.

The next time I go, I intend to try another Czech dish - the roast duck Bohemian style.

The owner and staff are Czech, and the service was efficient and friendly.

There are tables inside and out.

Prague is open 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday and for brunch on Saturday and Sunday. It is located next to C'est la Vie on Main St. For reservations, phone 941-329-2882.

Roasted Butternut Squash - Simple, Tasty Side

In looking for a way to use leftover butternut squash from a recent beef stew recipe that I made, I found this really easy, tasty recipe on allrecipes.com - https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/229733/simple-roasted-butternut-squash/. 

This recipe makes 1-2 servings. The addition of cinnamon is my idea. (The allrecipes recipe called for a whole butternut squash. Since I only had a part of a squash, I reduced the amount of olive oil and garlic by half.)

Ingredients
- 2/3 pound of peeled and seeded butternut squash cut into 1 inch chunks. The squash I had from Publix was already seeded.
- 1 clove of minced garlic
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- salt, pepper, and cinnamon to taste

Directions
- Preheat oven to 400°   
- Mix squash, garlic, and olive oil in a bowl
- Sprinkle salt, pepper, and cinnamon to taste
- Place squash in a single layer on a baking sheet
- Bake 25-30 minutes until squash is tender. (27 minutes did the trick for me.)

Pollo all Cacciatore - A Delicious Tuscan Chicken Stew

A couple of days ago, I prepared a Tuscan dinner for friends. The main course I chose was Pollo alla Cacciatore, which means hunter-style chicken. Variants of this dish are popular throughout Italy. I found two Tuscan versions and chose elements of both to create the one I cooked. It was easy to make and I love it.

The recipes I used as a starting point are at:
1. https://www.santacristina.wine/en/cookbook/ricette/chicken-cacciatore/

2. http://lifeisabowlofpasta.com/recipe-items/pollo-alla-cacciatora/

The version below serves two. I scaled it up to serve eight the other night. (I scaled it up enough that I probably could have served 12.)

The other dishes I served with the chicken were:
- Crostini with goat cheese, fig preserves, and prosciutto di Parma
- Crostini with olive paté (crushed black olives, lemon juice, olive oil, breadcrumbs)
- Carabaccia - Florentine onion soup
- Carote in Stufato - Tuscan braised carrots with pancetta
- Schiaciatta alla Fiorentina - Florentine sweet bread/cake

The wine I served with the main course was a superb 2010 Máté Brunello di Montalcino.

(I did not consider serving Chicken Florentine for this dinner because, despite the name, it's an American dish.)

Ingredients

- 1 lb boneless chicken thighs, cut up
- Half of a 28 oz can of peeled San Marzano tomatoes
- 3 oz of pitted olives, halved. I used Sicilian Castelvetrano olives.
- 2 oz red wine. I used a Tuscan Chianti.
- 1 garlic clove chopped
- 1/4 Spanish onion, diced
- 1 carrot, chopped
- 1 celery stalk, chopped
- 1 rosemary sprig
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 tsp fennel seeds
- extra virgin olive oil
- salt 
- pepper

Preparation

1. Coat the base of a large sauce pan with extra virgin olive oil Heat to medium high and add chicken. Brown the chicken on all sides, and then remove it.

2. Add onions, carrots, celery, garlic, bay leaves, fennel, and a pinch of salt. Cook until vegetables are softened - about 8 minutes.

3. Add chicken to the vegetable base and stir for two minutes to coat.

4. Add wine; stir gently again, and let wine evaporate.

5. Once the wine is almost reduced, add the tomatoes and rosemary, and adjust salt and pepper. When I added the tomatoes, I included the juice from the can. Cover and let cook on low heat for 20 minutes.

6. Stir in olives and cook for another 10 minutes.

Delicious Japanese-Style Beef Stew

In searching for a delicious Japanese-style main dish to serve my brother who was visiting from out of town, I found a terrific New York Times recipe by Mark Bittman. I figured it had to be good because it had over 1,000 five-star reviews. I've made it several times now and have been very happy with the results. I serve it with Japanese, short-grain, sticky rice. (My brother really liked this stew and asked for the recipe.)

This recipe serves four and takes me about an hour and fifteen minutes to prepare. I've also scaled it up to serve six people. I've added my comments to the original recipe, which can be found at 

https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1017398-japanese-style-beef-stew.

Ingredients

- 1 & 1/2 to 2 pounds of boneless chuck cut into 1-inch to 1 1/2 inch chunks. (I use precut chunks of stew beef from Publix.)

- 2 cups of dashi or chicken stock, or water. I use dashi, which is a Japanese cooking stock. It is easy to make with Hondashi, a powder produced by Ajinomoto. For each cup of dashi, mix 1 tsp of Hondashi into 1 cup of boiling water. I bought the hondashi at Kim's Oriental Food, a local oriental store, but it is available on Amazon.

- 1/4 cup soy sauce

- 1/4 cup mirin, honey, or sugar. I used Kikkoman mirin purchased at Kim's Oriental Food. It is available at Publix and Whole Foods.

- 10 nickel-sized slices of ginger

- black pepper to taste

- 1 lemon

- 1 & 1/2 pounds of peeled butternut, pumpkin, or other winter squash or sweet potatoes. I used butternut squash. It was great.

- salt to taste

Preparation

1. In a large, nonstick skillet over medium heat, sear meat until nicely browned on one side - about 5 minutes. Transfer chunks into a medium-size casserole pan.

2. Add stock to the skillet, and cook over high heat, stirring and scraping until all the solids are integrated into the liquid. (This took me less than a minute.) Pour this liquid into the casserole and add the soy sauce, mirin, ginger, and a couple of grindings of pepper.

3. Peel the lemon and add the peel to the casserole. (I had never used lemon peel in a recipe, but I quickly found lots of videos on different ways to easily and properly peel lemons.) Now juice the lemon, but don't add the juice to the mixture yet.

4. Cover, and cook on top of stove (or in an oven at 350 degrees), maintaining a steady simmer. Stir after 30 minutes. Then check meat for tenderness every fifteen minutes after that. I only simmered the meat 45 minutes the first time. That was not long enough. The second time, an hour of simmering worked perfectly.

5. When the meat is nearly tender, stir in the squash and continue to cook until the squash is tender, but not mushy. Add salt if necessary. Then stir in the lemon juice. Serve.

This Gumbo Is Yum-yum-yumbo

I love Louisiana gumbos. In my December trip to New Orleans, I tried six different gumbos, including the one I learned to make at the New Orleans School of Cooking. The school's recipe was for a Gumbo with chicken and andouille sausage. Since returning home, I’ve made it three times for family, friends, and moi. It’s now one of my very favorite dishes. When I made one batch recently, I made so much that I ate it four nights in a row. With that batch, it tasted progressively better the first three nights, and was still terrific the fourth.

At a dinner for family and friends, I included three other dishes - shrimp and grits, cornbread, and New Orleans bread pudding.

One aspect that took three tries to get right at home was to make the roux dark enough. At the school, we used lard and made the roux on an induction cooktop. At home, I have a natural gas cooktop. Also, at home, I used canola oil the first two times, and switched to butter the third time. I also raised the heat the third time. Even though the roux wasn’t dark enough the first two times at home, the taste was great!!!

Below is my slightly modified version of the New Orleans School of cooking recipe with my comments included. I’ve cut the school’s recipe in half to make four generous servings instead of eight.

Ingredients

Items in red font are ones that I added to the school’s. Items in green are ones I did not use.

- ¼ cup butter (for the roux)

- ¼ cup flour

- ¼ cup oil, or lard, or bacon drippings for sautéing the chicken and sausage (I used canola oil.)

- ½ lb chicken, cut up or deboned (I used cut-up, precooked roasted chicken twice, and uncooked boneless chicken thighs the third time. All were good, but the chicken thighs worked best.)

- ½ lb andouille sausage. (I used Aidall’s, which I bought at Publix.)

The next three ingredients form the Louisiana “trinity.” I cheated on these items by buying the Publix supermarket’s prechopped trinity mix of ½ cup of each and then adding a ½ cup of onions I chopped. (It also saved me from buying more celery and green pepper than I could use.)

- 1 cup onions, chopped

- ½ cup celery, chopped

- ½ cup green bell pepper, chopped

- ½ cup red bell pepper, chopped

- ½ tbsp. garlic, chopped

- ½ cup green onions, chopped

- Zatarain’s Creole seasoning – 1/2 tsp (but to taste) or Joe’s Stuff seasoning to taste. (Joe’s Stuff is a cooking school spice, I should have bought some while I was there. A friend tells me it’s terrific. I intend to buy some.)                                                                            - Crab boil to taste (I did not use this because it seems more appropriate for seafood gumbo.

- 3 cups of chicken broth, stock, or water,

- Filé powder is used for flavoring and thickening the gumbo. Add and stir in after serving –  ½ to 1 tsp per serving, (It is made from ground sassafras leaves, and is of native American origin. File is pronounced fee-lay, with the accent on the first syllable.)

- Sliced French bread if desired to sop up the soup. Yum!

- Rice if desired.

Instructions

Season and brown the chicken in ¼ cup of oil, lard, or bacon drippings in a large pot. Add sausage to pot and sauté with chicken. I used canola oil.

In a skillet, make the roux using butter and flour. Cook over medium low flame, stirring continuously until it turns the color of peanut butter. My gas cooktop has heat settings from 1 through 10. I was successful with a setting just below five. It took about 20 minutes. If you do not keep stirring, the roux can burn and become worthless.

When the roux reaches the desired color, add onions, celery, green pepper, red pepper, and garlic to the skillet, and cook over medium low heat until vegetables reach desired tenderness. Stir frequently. I cooked the vegetables for about 10 minutes.

When vegetables are ready, add them to the pot with the chicken and sausage, continuing to stir frequently. Gradually stir in the liquid (broth, stock, or water) and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to simmer and cook for an hour or more. Season with Creole seasoning or Joe’s Stuff seasoning.

Serve over rice if desired. I used two large serving spoons full of rice per serving.

If you wish to thicken the gumbo, add ½ to 1 tsp of filé per serving, and stir.