You Thought That Was Bad? Try This!

Having gotten some flak about my personally-designed hamburger (bacon, grilled pineapple, red onion and jalapenos with a soy ginger dressing) I vowed to find something that would be truly disgusting to eat -- and yet millions of English love this dish! Hangover from the glorious days of the Raj, I suppose.

When Britain ruled India, they started their day with a dish called Kedgeree which is a bastardization of the Hindi "Khichri."

Kedgeree
4 T butter
2 onions, sliced
1 small green pepper, seeded and sliced
1 small zuccini, sliced
1/2 cup pineapple chunks
1 small mango, sliced
2 teas. flour
2 teas. shredded dried coconut
1 teas. mild curry
1 teas. tomato paste
2 1/2 cups chicken stock
1 1/2 cups long-grain patna rice
4 hardboiled eggs, cut into quarters
3/4 lb. finnan haddie (oak-smoked haddock) filets, gently poached

Melt the butter and saute the vegetables. Thicken it by stirring in the flour. Then stir in the coconut, curry and tomato puree. Add the chicken stock a little at a time. Simmer gently for 30 minutes.

This recipe? Oh, that's how the London Ritz Hotel makes Kedgeree.

Let's Hear It For Romania!

My AOL mail service went kablooey. I called the 800 number and was connected to Alexandru Z. in Romania! When he heard my name, he said, "Oh! Like Eddie Murphy - I love his movies!"

He was very friendly; we chatted about places - he's been to Paris and hopes to visit Greece - while we waited for my computer to respond. He said that when AOL taught them how to "go into" people's computers, he marveled, "From Romania, I can do this!"

And he fixed it! I asked him how to say "thank you" in Romanian and he said (phonetic)"motramek" and added "nasdra!" for "Good job!" Well done, Alexandru!

Touring Claremont

The old part of town is a charming enclave of short buildings (one or two stories) with wide sidewalks and tourist attractions such as bakeries, clothing stores, restaurants and an antiques shop.

We left the house at 10 a.m. and found ourselves there at 11:30 a.m. We went directly to the church and then oriented ourselves from there.

Espiau's, 109 Yale, Claremont 909-621-1818 It's been there a long time but it doesn't look beat down, but lovingly kept spotless. Deep booths and attentive service.

I was strongly tempted by the Fatty Burger, a beef patty with cheddar, onion rings, bacon and barbecue sauce ($9.95) but I succumbed to reason and ordred a small Caesar salad ($4.25) and machacas which are left-over beef roast stir fried with onions, green or red peppers or both, tomatoes and eggs.($10.25) Richie ordered machacas, too. He had a Pacifico ($4) and I iced tea ($2.25)

The salad came first, served in a deep bowl with a saucer under the bowl. I served myself half on the plate and haded the bowl to Richie. The dressing didn't have much of a Caesar flavor; not enough Parmesan. In fact, it could have been half mayo and half buttermilk. But the lettuce was possibly the freshest I've ever encountered! It tasted like summer...

It was 12:30 p.m. when we finished and now we had an hour and a half to kill. Richie brightened and said, "I know! The library! It's air conditioned and has toilets!"

On the way, we stopped at Bert & Rockie's Cream Country, a novelty candy and ice cream shop. It was 105 so we got cones. My lemongrass ginger had a chewy texture and a creamy taste with flecks of lemongrass sparking throughout. Neither flavor dominated. In fact, they seemed to sit in a corner, quietly chatting. Richie liked his spumoni. Junior cones $2.50 I wondered why country western was playing and then remember "Cream Country."

We found the library, I bougoht "Tuesdays With Morrie" in the used books store and settled down to read. Richie roamed around. At 1:40 p.m. we had one last pee and headed to the 2 p.m. funeral. We were right on time.

All Is Well -

Bob truly had a peaceful ending in that while some tempers were raised, no shots were fired.

The sad truth is that the 1st Tier (which includes me) are all too old to get agitated. The 2nd Tier has overcome upbringing (by wolves and savages) to be a civilized lot, thus no excitement there. The 3rd Tier are all kids and what do they know of ancient feuds anyhow?

Pity it was 105 degrees but that was the only glitch of which I know.

Into the Valley of Death Rode the 400 (Minus 398)

Today is the family funeral that I railed about back on August 16th. Richie and I will be setting out for Claremont at 10 a.m. Claremont is an area as unfamiliar to us as grand opera, atonal music or astro-physics.

We do know how to get there from here, but we don't know how much time it will take. Thus, we asked Bob and Pat Brodsky who used to live there for the name of a good restaurant. Pat enthused about a Mexican restaurant on Yale Street, in downtown Claremont.

Knowing now that we can avail ourselves of sustenance prior to the drama or seek refuge after the funeral, we are content. A Plan B is always a good thing to have.

Reportage will continue if I do.

Ingrates!

Re my custom-designed hamburger at The Counter yesterday:

This from East Texas: "Nina, that is the worst-sounding hamburger I have ever heard of - wow!"

Richie: "That was a disaster! They think Irene is bad..."

I would remind you, Gentle Readers, that Richie polished off the last of my hamburger with relish and glee -- after picking out the remaining pineapple and jalapeno.

Sitting At The Counter

The Counter, 719 Pier Avenue, Hermosa Beach, opened about a week ago. I looked at their menu at counterburger.com and was intrigued at the thought of building my very own hamburger.

It's a new concept to me - on being seated, you're handed a clipboard and a check-off list of all the things you want on your hamburger. There are little pencils in a cup (like Keno in Las Vegas.)

There are also non-hamburger items - turkey chili, grilled vegetables, a BLT or grilled ham and cheese. Desserts include an apple crumble, Key lime pie or a caramel and chocolate brownie.

Back to this check-off business. The steps are numbered for yur convenience.
1. The type of meat (hamburger, turkey) and portion size - 1/3 lb., 2/3rds lb., etc.
2. The cheese -- 12 to choose from
3. 21 different toppings - pick any four (grilled pineapple, red onion, things like that.)
3.5 Premium toppings (bacon, avocado, fried egg, chili) There are nine of these.
4. Sauces -- 21 including chipotle aioli, tzatziki and so on.
5. Kind of bun - hamburger, English muffin, onion roll...

I started with an order of onion strings. ($4.95) I think of these thin strands of onion, lightly dusted in flour and probably white pepper as "diet onion rngs" and I love them. A platter, sufficient to serve four, quickly appeared.

My burger had: 1/3 lb. hamburger, no cheese, red onion, jalapenos, grilled pineapple and bacon, topped with a soy ginger sauce on an onion roll. $8.95 plus $1 for the bacon. (Applewood smoked, you may be sure. What's up with this anyhow?)

Richie, unimpressed by all of the ways to concoct a hamburger, ordered 1/3 lb. hamburger with cheddar cheese on a hamburger bun. How sad is that? When it arrived, he asked for mustard.

Mine arrived, splayed out open faced, ready for me to add soy ginger sauce from the little steel cup and to slap the lid on. I managed more than half of it before throwing in the towel. Richie gladly finished it off, but I have yet to hear any words of gratitude about how inventive I was, how the flavors complimented each other, yet stood out with bold audacity on their own. You know -- restaurant gibberish.

Lunch (one iced tea, one water) came to $28.66 plus 20% tip. I'm already building new hamburgers in my head...

The Counter Burger locations include: CA, CN, FL, GA, IL, HI, NY, T, VA, WA and IRELAND. No kidding, Dubline, Ireland. Unviersity town, that's proably why.