FYI: This post originally appeared April 17, 2011. Truth: I do not go out for St. Patrick’s Day because, like all other High Drinking Days (Mardi Gras, Cinco De Mayo, New Year’s Eve, etc), that’s when the amateurs are out. Also, the last time I was out for Pittsburgh’s St. Patrick’s Day parade I watched aContinue reading St. Patrick’s Day Corned Beef & Cabbage
Category: Beverages & Cocktails
Low-Calorie Manhattan & Crab-Stuffed Zucchini
So a couple of weeks ago I came across the trailer for a 1973 horror film (according to the DVD cover: the rarely seen 1970s cult shocker!) called The Baby. I instantly sent this to my friend Valerie who said “we MUST watch this movie.” So I made a promise to host a screening onceContinue reading Low-Calorie Manhattan & Crab-Stuffed Zucchini
106. Mustard Star and Holiday Glögg
Let me apologize for going all Pulp Fiction on you with Dinner is Served! and not putting my dinners in chronological order, and writing about New Year’s before Christmas. But this is how it happened. So deal with it. Anyway, I’m going to a little bit back in time to Christmas Eve 2011. Christmas EveContinue reading 106. Mustard Star and Holiday Glögg
Beverage Bonus: Hot Toddy
The Hot Toddy. A classic winter cocktail. And one with countless variations–some with tea, some with none. Some with citrus, some with none. And the spices are all over the place. And even though the weather earlier in the week in the Mid-Atlantic was downright balmy, I wanted to get myself pumped up for theContinue reading Beverage Bonus: Hot Toddy
What’s the pumpkin-weight-guessing prize?
The PRIZE if you guess the weight of the pumpkin is a copy of Rona Jaffe’s “The Best of Everything” which is a book about 5 young women and their personal and professional struggles at a publishing agency in the late 1950s. How very Mad Men! A must-read for all Modern Retro Gals and guys.Continue reading What’s the pumpkin-weight-guessing prize?
Beverage Bonus: Bourbon Bonfire
Over the weekend Cleve and I went outside of the city and to a FARM. An actual real-life farm. We took a hayride, we got some pumpkins, and we went into the corn maze. All real autumnal-type activities, save the fact that it was 80 degrees out. I had been in a corn maze onceContinue reading Beverage Bonus: Bourbon Bonfire
108. Baked Stuffed Shrimp
In the world of Dinner is Served! #108. Baked Stuffed Shrimp is classified as a brunch. Shrimp brunch? I don’t think so. I love shellfish, but not so much before noon. Hence, I made #108 a dinner. This was a special dinner because I had guests. I played hostess to my friend Melissa, who isContinue reading 108. Baked Stuffed Shrimp
Beverage Bonus: Golden Fizz
In my collection of cookbooks I have an adorable little spiral-bound cocktail book that was my Pap Pap’s. It is from 1958 and is titled Here’s How! By Stouffer’s. Yes, that Stouffer’s. Before they were known for frozen mac n’ cheese and lasagna, Stouffer’s had its own chain of dining establishments. At the time this bookContinue reading Beverage Bonus: Golden Fizz
88. Beef Enchiladas
Hola, amigos! It’s summer and it’s time for something a little spicy, and a little saucy. Enter #88 Beef Enchiladas. I kicked-off the fiesta with some Margaritas which I made as part of a guest post I did for 1972 The Retro WW Experiment. If you want to read the recipe, hop on over to my girl Mimi’s blog.Continue reading 88. Beef Enchiladas
14. Ham Rolls with Pecans
Quickie weeknight meal! For this I used the leftover Canadian Bacon/ham from the Filled Omelet brunch a few days before. There’s no reason to waste perfectly good ham, am I right? I also liked the name of this dinner because ham rolls makes me think of Pork Roll a.k.a. Taylor Ham, which is one of the finer thingsContinue reading 14. Ham Rolls with Pecans
110. Filled Omelets
A little fact about Dinner is Served. They’re not all dinners. In the latter part of the set (from 99 on) there are salads, desserts, and appetizers. And there are also brunches! #110 Filled Omelets is my first brunch. Brunch should be shared with friends (and morning cocktails) so I thought that entertaining guests wasContinue reading 110. Filled Omelets
13. Marinated Lamb Roast. An Easter X-travaganza!
Lamb on Easter Sunday has been a family tradition for as long as I can remember. So I was very happy that Dinner is Served! was so kind as to have provided a lamb roast-centric card in its cavalcade of meals. Only one problem with #13: it is a roast. That means I have toContinue reading 13. Marinated Lamb Roast. An Easter X-travaganza!
43. New England Boiled Dinner for "The Kennedys"
All last week Cleve and I were willing hostages in our own home. We committed ourselves to The Kennedys, the much-maligned 8-part mini-series that was produced by The History Channel and then subsequently dumped because of ‘historical inaccuracy.’ A few other networks passed on it as well and it ended up on something called the Reelz Channel,Continue reading 43. New England Boiled Dinner for "The Kennedys"
Beverage Bonus: The Mason!
Are you familiar with Thunderbird wine? Are you familiar with James Mason? Well, if not, get acquainted with both in this stellar commercial: Thunderbird is categorized as a “bum wine.” My only knowledge of T-Bird was via my college buddy Pete. He would always talk about hanging out, being all badass and drinking Thunderbird outContinue reading Beverage Bonus: The Mason!
50. Lamb Curry
Let me tell you a little story about me and curry. Imagine it–Pittsburgh, 1999. I had never eaten Indian food (my parents, at this time not being the most adventurous eaters, never ate Indian, so in turn I had never tried it. In fact, I was the one who introduced my father to the wonders ofContinue reading 50. Lamb Curry
17. Beef Lindstrom (Swedish Beef Patties)
Second meal. This is the dish where I pre-made the beef patties while chilling the dough for the Medaillons. Non sequitur: I lost the Oscar ™ bet. We were tied but I picked Annette Bening over Natalie Portman. Will someone just give Mrs. Warren Beatty her goddamn Oscar ™ already? Annette was really good inContinue reading 17. Beef Lindstrom (Swedish Beef Patties)