This'n That

Being a random grab bag of not much at all ...

Dinner Table Critique
Richie wanted to know what starch he would be having with his fish and salad?  I told him it would be "an upscale macaroni and cheese" and he seemed satisfied, if curious. 

Midway through dinner I remembered to ask how he was enjoying Trader Joe's Gnocchi al Gorgonzola?  He made a face and said, "Not much - it tastes like plaster." 

I was shocked!  I liked it!

I've Got Leeks!
Back off, Snowden - not that kind.

 I discovered that Trader Joe is now selling 1 lb. bags of washed and sliced leeks for $1.49 a bag, frozen section.  I can't remember ever having seen leeks at the local markets (but I knew what they looked like from pictures.)  

I've substituted Vidalia onions for them in recipes.. but all readings about them suggest that they are tricky to handle.  Grown in sandy soil, you have to make sure you've gotten every single bit of sand off.  Some recipes call for the green part; others the white.  What's a body to do?  I could go to   epicurious.com  and type in "leek recipes"...I could substitute leeks for Vidalia next time I use those onions...

I am thinking vichyssoise the next time we have cooler weather - if that ever happens, that is.

Pay Back Time
Richie got me for last night's upscale macaroni and cheese... from this morning's Kiddie section - "What cheese do you use in the moat of a castle?
Answer:  MOAT-zarella! 

Well, yes, but he is a good provider; nothing is ever too much trouble for a friend (not so much me) and he is very good to animals.