I told you the car got a good soaking, and looks like it’s a total loss (they will let me know next week).  The tow truck driver was real nice, and we struck up a conversation.  His son got shot and killed a few weeks ago, and he was trying to console me!  Very strange, as two guys were genuinely sorry for each others loss, his obviously a million times worse than mine, puts things in perspective.

Well, not quite the homecoming I was hoping for.  Never imagined water covering the street, and rowboats paddling up to my front door, but pictures prove otherwise (I will post when I get in digital format).  There’s always a bright side- Bojangles Cajun Chicken Biscuit for breakfast with Sweet Tea!!!!!!!!!!  (mydietchef.com members, do not click on the picture- these are difficult times).

What a day! I am flying in to Charlotte tomorrow to meet with insurance adjusters. My car got a good soaking, and won’t start. Celeste was a real trooper. Can you imagine waking up, looking out the window, and seeing water everywhere, right up to the window? Her mother had spent the night, and had to be evacuated by canoe. But this story has a happy ending, as the water barely got in to the house, and only for a few hours. More important is how the neighbors pitched in together to help each other out. My elderly next door neighbor also got the canoe treatment, and total strangers came in to the house to help Celeste unplug electronics, and move things to higher ground (including wading through chest-high water carrying her new mattress to safety). Neighbors whom I have never met are storing stuff in their garage, and during this whole thing, one couple made breakfast sandwiches for the neighbor volunteers, while another made homemade cookies. People are wonderful, and I am blessed. Our next door neighbor is a professional photographer and took pictures, I can’t wait to see, and will post here soon.

Here is some video footage of the flooding, less than a mile from my house.

Was it really clams, squid, and mussels that I bought the other day? I can safely say yes, but there are some “fishy” things going on in the industry. Praise to the girls in this interesting article for being curious, and caring. I want to know how someone could pass off tilapia as tuna?

I am back in N.Y. and was craving that shrimp pasta I posted, but wanted to add some other shellfish to it (mussels, clams), and squid. There’s this funky (in a good way) Greek seafood shop down the street which I love. Why do I love it? The smell, or lack of, I mean stinky fish, it smells more like the ocean. The place is immaculate, and everything is covered with Ice. That was the one thing I didn’t like about living in Charlotte, the lack of fresh seafood (whole foods is coming soon, so that should change). So, there you have it, if you walk in to a seafood shop, and it stinks like fish, turn around.

I feel like I am at an AA meeting. “My name is Jeff, I am a chef, and I love Salisbury Steak”. I can’t remember my mom making it, but I sure remember the hungry man t.v. dinners. That was back when you actually heated them up in the oven, and as a kid, you felt like it was a treat. Isaac Hayes passed away a few weeks ago, one click led to another, and before I knew it I was buying a t-shirt on ebay. I came up with this version for the end of summer grilling you will be doing, you can also pan fry if you like. I saw the beefy onion soup mix at the grocery store, and knew it would be perfect for this recipe, but any of them such as French onion, vegetable, etc. will be fine, it’s just to add flavor.

Grilled Salisbury Steak

Serves 4

1 lb. Ground Beef

1/2 package plus 1 teaspoon Beefy Onion dry soup mix

1 cup Beef Broth

3/4 cup condensed Cream of Mushroom Soup

1/2 cup sliced Mushrooms

Mix beef with 1/2 package soup mix, 1/4 cup of the beef broth, and 1/4 cup of the mushroom soup. Make in to 4 oval patties, and either grill or pan fry until cooked through. Boil the mushrooms in the remaining beef broth, and 1 teaspoon dry soup mix in a skillet until soft, add the remaining cream of mushroom soup, and boil until the sauce becomes thick. Add the salisbury steaks to the sauce to coat.

I am away from New York for awhile. Don’t worry about where I am, as far as you know I could be a secret agent and being a chef is my cover (don’t count on it, cooking is about the only thing I’m good at). Had a killer bbq pork sandwich with garlic and rosemary fries for lunch, and a great grilled salmon for dinner that gave me some good ideas for the food I will be cooking. I was leaving the supermarket and saw smoke, decided to investigate and take pictures to report. Thought I had a good scoop until I saw the “Firefighters in Training” sign. I would like to say a big GET WELL SOON to my friend D, and yes, there are a few more than 3 people following along. Also an even bigger Happy Birthday Celeste!! What a girl/lady?? Thanks for being my best friend, I love You!

What do you do when you’re craving pizza, but don’t want all that fat?  Tortilla Pizza!  Just follow the baking instructions, and go for it on the toppings.  Try it, I bet you will like it.

Tortilla Pizza 

Serves 1

1 10″ Flour or Whole Wheat Tortilla

2 Tbsp. Pizza Sauce

1/4 cup Mozzarella  Cheese

Your Favorite Pizza Toppings

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.  Place tortilla on a baking sheet in oven for a minute.  Top with sauce, cheese, and your toppings.  Bake for 10-15 minutes until bubbly, and cut in wedges.

So what were you doing this time last year? I decided to check what I was up to, and it turns out I had a day off in Rhodes, Greece, and drank some wine, took a big nap, and for some reason was upset that white ladies were getting their hair braided. O.k., now let’s all write down what we will be doing this time next year, put it in a safe place, and pull it out in a year from now to see how close we were. I am sure I won’t be close (never am), plus I have no doubt I will forget which safe place I put it in. I must be missing the Mediterranean since I came up with this recipe for the website. It is goood! (yeah, I know there’s an extra o, it’s for emphasis).

Chicken Thighs Roasted with Garbanzo Beans and Tomatoes

Serves 4

4 chicken thighs, skinless

1 can(15oz) garbanzo beans

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

2 teaspoons cumin

2 teaspoons paprika

1 teaspoon salt

2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved

1 tablespoon garlic, chopped

juice from 1 lemon

6 ounce plain yogurt

1/4 cup chopped italian parsley or cilantro

Mix oil with the spices and mix a tablespoon of the spice oil with the yogurt- set aside. Preheat oven to 425 degrees and mix the other ingredients (except fresh herbs) with the rest of the spice oil in a large bowl. Put that in a baking dish, and roast for 30 minutes or if using boneless thighs or breast, than use 450 degrees for 20 minutes. Mix in fresh herbs, and enjoy with the reserved yogurt sauce!

I came up with this recipe for the Healthy Family menu plan at mydietchef.com. I must be a big (well, still kinda little) kid, because I really enjoy them. They’re healthier than regular chicken tenders, and who doesn’t love a recipe with three ingredients?

Cheeze-It Chicken Tenders

Serves 4

1 lb. Chicken Tenders (raw chicken tenderloins)

1/4 cup Dijon Mustard

1 cup Cheeze-It Crackers (reduced-fat) , crushed

Mix the chicken and mustard in a bowl. Coat each piece of chicken with the crackers, and bake at 475 degree oven for 15 minutes or until cooked browned and coked through.

Doug sent me this great link the other day. It is too funny, this man loves his sausage. I heard a story recently about how many food products are getting smaller, and the price is remaining the same (cereals etc.). Makes me think as a business owner, how much customers really do pay attention! Warning that he really gets upset at the end of the call and starts swearing, I can’t edit the audio, so you might want to stop it at 1:35.

I read this article in the New York Times today.  Real interesting to see how our diet has changed (didn’t surprise me).  Click on the graphic to view.