RED

In other good news, it appears that new coronavirus cases are leveling off, in the nation and in Florida. We’re still a “red” state, with a high volume of cases however, and last Thursday, Florida had a record number of deaths for the third day in a row. I don’t know about you, but it seems to me a lot of people are dying lately, not just of COVID, but in general. Celebrities like Regis Philbin, Olivia de Havilland and Wilfrod Brimley, the guy from Cocoon. A lot of babies being born are also popping up on my Instagram feed, so I guess it’s a circle of life kind of thing. And, in what’s really the most shocking news of 2020, Ellen DeGeneres, inventor of the motto “Be Kind to One Another” and America’s Golden Girl, is apparently mean. Or, at least her producers are.

BLUE

Denim Sales have fallen sharply amid the Pandemic, as people are becoming one with their yoga and sweat pants. The Pioneer Woman, aka Ree Drummond, referred to them as “hard pants” on her cooking show. Apparently, people are realizing it’s more comfortable to wear athletic wear amid the lockdown and are rejecting their stiff blue jeans, or “dungarees” as my Dad used to call them. Levis sales have dropped 62% and True Religion and Lucky Brand stores, known for their jeans, have filed for bankruptcy. Lord and Taylor and Men’s Warehouse are two other retailers that have declared bankruptcy amid the Pandemic retail free fall.

Let’s see, came home Monday for a quick pit stop. Zeke had bought steaks at Wild Fork, but had an online meeting at 7, so after waiting till after 8, I gave up and cooked the steaks so we could eat. I was going to reverse-sear the Flat Iron steak I seasoned with Montreal Seasoning, but cooked them too long in the oven, so we ate it as is; they were still very good. Flat Iron is a flavorful and tender cut of meat we first discovered at the now-closed Ortanique. I made baked potatoes, sautéed mushrooms, a green salad and garlic bread to go with it. It was a Meatfull Monday and there was a big mess to clean up afterwards. Is it any wonder I’ve been retreating to the Keys?

WHITE

While I was home, I threw away all my Sour Dough Starters that were clogging up the outside fridge. You have to maintain them by adding flour and water at least once a week and by the inch of dark sludge on the top of them, I could tell I’d killed them through sheer neglect. It made a white, floury bloodbath in my sink and, as I dumped them down the drain, my dreams of Pandemic Baking met a watery, sludgy end. The girls, Zeke and I were talking about how in the beginning of the Pandemic lockdown in March, this all seemed like a temporary adventure, with puzzle solving, long walks, yoga by the pool, Tiger King and endless whipped coffees on rotation. Cut to five months later and it’s sort of unbelievable we’re still dealing with this and it’s gone from bad to worse.

I picked up a breakfast sandwich from Cecile’s Bakery and Cafe in South Miami, since I had to go by my bank and it’s close by. I didn’t realize my bank’s lobby was closed, so I parked, picked up my sandwich and went to the bank’s drive-through instead. It’s little things like this that are disheartening to me in the bottomless pit of the Pandemic disappointments. Going to my bank, which is normally open except for Holidays and weekends, and finding it closed made me sad. I’m not one of those people who does online banking, I actually like to do it in person, even though entering a bank with a mask on does seem the opposite of normal. I even miss the cranky old man and cranky young man tellers who used to wait on me at my bank. Sigh-

My breakfast sandwich was very good- scrambled egg with cheddar cheese, crispy bacon strips, on a croissant. It came with a little side salad, which was wilted and sad by the time I arrived back in Key Largo, but I saved the dressing. Cecile’s Bakery on Sunset Drive is a neighborhood gem, with soups, salads, sandwiches, delicious baked goods and outdoor seating.

I made easy tacos (Taco Tuesday) that night, with leftover pork marinated in lime juice and garlic. Instead of a tomato salsa, I made a mango salsa (see previous post) which went perfectly with the pork and added some sliced red cabbage for crunch and a squirt of spicy mayo. I love using leftover meat, chicken or pork to make easy tacos! These were with flour tortillas, but corn would work as well. Cilantro is always a welcome addition to add a bit of freshness.

GREAT WHITE

Thursday morning, I figured the odds were in my favor, so took my paddle board out into Buttonwood Bay for a ride. I survived, but as I paddled off, was horrified to find the water was super cloudy and murky. I don’t like to paddle board in these conditions as I cannot see WHAT LIES BENEATH. Luckily, I hadn’t read the article that came out Saturday about a Great White Shark who fatally attacked a woman off the coast of Maine. Apparently, she was wearing a black wet suit and the shark mistook her for a seal and… the article said Great Whites are making a comeback. I’m not sure if this is Good News or Bad News. I’m guessing good for the sharks, bad for us bait.

Thursday I repeated my Grilled Cheese sandwich with Muenster for lunch, but this time added Fig jelly (I liked the Guava better) and whipped up a Fresh Tomato Soup to go with it. It wasn’t the best soup in the world, a little blah, but still better than Campbell’s (no offense to Andy Warhol). I added some avocado chucks to thicken it up instead of the normal slice of bread. The next day, I ate a salad with leftover soup and little teeny grilled cheese sandwiches, that was kind of genius.

And, since I had an abundance of parsley, I decided to make Pesto. Basil is usually the main herb in pesto, but it’s an adaptable recipe and I already had garlic, olive oil and Parmesan cheese, so I attempted to make it in my blender. I don’t have a food processor in the Keys, but soon discovered, pesto cannot really be made in a blender, so I ordered a new Cuisinart and will take my old one to the Keys. I justified this purchase by the fact that my old Cuisinart is REALLY old, like from 1985! I had it serviced once, but other than that, it’s original and has lasted thirty five years.

Thursday night I made Bay Scallops with Thai Red Curry Butter and Clean Out Your Fridge Fried Rice, since I had leftover take-out rice and lots of veggies that needed to go. This can be made with almost any vegetables, although onions, peas and carrots are typical. Mine was made from corn, Brussel sprouts, carrots, onions and jalapeño pepper. I used chopped bacon to sauté the veggies in. Tip: sauté the ones that are the hardest first, like carrots and celery.

Here are some other helpful hints for Fried Rice from Gimme Some Oven.

1) Use cold, leftover rice.

2) Use butter (like Benihana) to fry the rice and veggies in.

3) Use veggies, your choice.

4) Add sesame oil and oyster sauce to the fried rice. (I skipped the oyster sauce).

5) Stir fry on high heat.

6) Add extra soy sauce, to taste, at the end.

I added some cilantro, chopped green onions and sesame seeds to finish the rice. Chopped meat, like ham, chicken or pork can also be added and this also makes an excellent breakfast, with a fried egg over the top. See my latest post on how to make a perfect fried egg.

Zeke came down to the Keys Friday and we were on different wavelengths.

I was hungry for lunch, he wasn’t. He wanted to stay in and cook and I, after staying home all week, wanted to go out. We went to Lazy Lobster and sat outside, under a huge chikee hut. We’d been to Lazy Lobster (owned by the same people as Lazy Days) many times, but had never sat outside and were surprised to discover what a large and spacious space it was. Everything seemed very sanitary, tables were socially distanced, silverware in pre-wrapped plastic, paper menus and our waitress was great. We split Oysters Rockefeller and a bottle of wine and both got (what else?) a Lobster Dish. Zeke got the Lobster Lorenzo that came with a crab cake and hollandaise. I got the Lobster Islamorada, with shrimp, scallops, mushrooms, scallions in a a Key lime Butter Sauce. Thumbs up on Lazy Lobster and we had Banana Bread to take home for the next day.

Saturday the news was all about the Hurricane Isaias, but luckily, we were spared. In the Keys, it was just very windy, with white cap seas and intermittent rain. Saturday night Zeke grilled steaks, made baked potatoes and I made a salad of tomatoes, basil and balsamic vinegar. I was worried about our house in Miami, but we had Rachel there keeping an eye out, especially on our roof to make sure it wasn’t leaking. I did have a dream that the water from the Hurricane came up to the second story of our condo and there were fish, dolphin and sharks swimming all around in an aquarium type situation, while Wyatt and I just watched.

RED SAUCE

I’d promised the girls I’d come home to make my grandmother’s pasta sauce on Sunday, so that’s what I did. Here’s the thing about making my Grandmother’s sauce. It’s not even my favorite pasta sauce, but when I form the meatballs, sauté the salt pork with onions and sausage, pour in the the pureed tomatoes from the blender, add the sugar and bay leaf and let it simmer for a couple hours, it always reminds me of my grandmother and Spaghetti Sundays at her house. The funny thing is, it’s really the smell of it, more than the taste, that gets me. When we walked into her house as children, arriving with our parents in our 70’s brown station wagon, we were greeted by the smell of that sauce and my grandmother and aunts in the kitchen. They were always happy to see us, wanted to kiss us and feed us; we felt loved. Jeff Smith, aka The Frugal Gourmet, said on his show: “Sometimes we just need to cook the dishes of our childhood to remember.” I would venture to say, this is one of those times.

The memory of what we ate as a child forms a sort of patriotism that lasts throughout our life.

Jeff Smith

Emma made an Eggplant Parmesan for our meal, which was very impressive as it is a labor of love; it turned out great. I made penne pasta, served with meatballs and sausage (spicy and sweet), salad with garbanzo beans and onions and Italian bread. For dessert, I tried out my new ice cream maker (a late-arriving Mother’s Day gift) and made Pistachio ice cream. It turned out great and I’m already dreaming up other kinds of ice creams to make. Lemon, Coffee, lavender ice cream, Mango or Cherry Sorbet? Emma said her boyfriend Guillermo said my sauce was the best he’d ever eaten and wants to know when the next Spaghetti Sunday is going to be.

On TV, I’ve been watching reruns of Frankie and Grace, with Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin and also binge-watched a show called Catastrophe on Amazon Prime. I discovered it when listening to Desert Island Discs, when they interviewed the writer/actress of the series, whose name is Sharon Horgan. It’s about an English schoolteacher who has a fling with an American ad man visiting and she ends up pregnant. He moves to England and they start a life together and the series is about their adventures, which are less catastrophic than relatable. There are 4 seasons and Carrie Fisher makes a cameo as his mother. The two lead actors co-wrote the series and I found it to be a hysterical, if somewhat raunchy show. I need a good laugh right now and this one fits the bill for me.

I finished sending my photo cards with the Emily Dickinson quote about Hope to all the Active members in my Pinecrest Garden Club; there were about 100 members. Then I had to decide if I wanted to keep going and send them to the Associate members as well. Like Forest Gump, I decided “For no particular reason, to just keep on going.” Of course, I did actually have a particular reason and that was to uplift and encourage my fellow garden club members to stay hopeful. And some of the Associate Members are actually good friends, like Tami.

BLUE WITHOUT WYATT

After waiting for months, I finally got refunded for Disney tickets I’d purchased for A.J. Wyatt and I back in February. We were supposed to go in March, but those plans got scrapped into the junkyard of broken dreams. They’ve been gone in North Carolina more than a week and I miss them! Face Time is no replacement for Face to Face, but while in the car the other day he did tell me: “Guess what? I got monkeys today. Not just monkeys, but Sea Monkeys!” Oh man, is he going to be disappointed! They have been staying at his other grandmother’s (Lela’s) house in Banner Elk and he also whispered to me: “Where we’re staying is kind of like a castle.”

We also got refunded for our American Airline flight to D.C. I’d gotten “fully refundable tickets” but according to the person I talked to at American Airlines, hardly any tickets are actually “fully refundable” and the only reason I got refunded is because they changed the departure time by more than two hours. We’re now driving instead.

RED STATE

Lauren found out last week that her Fall classes at Georgetown Law are going to be entirely remote, a real bummer. It’s hard to move to a new town to start a new school, but then to have to classes remotely where you can’t meet fellow students, very hard. I’m now planning our Road Trip to the surrounding states and had a couple of my old Book Club friends give me some traveling tips on Baltimore and Delaware, which was helpful. Thanks Beth and Mireya! Luckily, none of the states we’re visiting have restrictions on visitors coming from our bright red state of Florida, branded like like the Scarlet F. I probably just won’t mention where I’m from on our travels.

Hampton’s designer Tom Samet posted on Instagram: “August. The Sunday of summer” and I like that idea. June is frantic with end-of-the-year programs and school coming to an end (normally), July you’re in the thick of it (with vacations normally), but August is relaxing, mellow and fully into summer mode, even in these abnormal times. Instead of the Days of Wine and Roses, I think August will be my summer of ice cream making (and eating). Luckily, even if I have to wear a bathing suit, it will be in my own back yard and no one will see me. And, truth to tell, I didn’t dispose of ALL my Sour Dough Starters. There was one I’d kept alive in the Key Largo fridge that I started feeding again and now it’s back in Miami.

So I guess I haven’t given up all hope. And as Martha would say:”It’s a good thing”.

I used to rule my world from a pay phone, Ships out on the sea But now times are rough and I’ve had enough, Can’t explain the likes of me. But there’s this one particular harbor, So far and yet so near Where I see the days, As they fade away and finally disappear.

One Particular Harbor by Jimmy Buffet

Up Next: Who Knows?

It’s called Doomscrolling. While, I didn’t used to be a cell phone addict- often (unlike my American Express card) I would leave home without it- lately, I’m constantly on it, reading all sorts of Bad News. Of course, there’s the latest coronavirus stats- 62, 198 new cases on July 19th, a 35% rise in cases. 412 new deaths, a 64% rise in cases, but also the map, where Florida blows up in red (as one of the worst states for COVID-19) and the chart that show in which states the cases are rising fastest. Today, at least, Florida is not one of those states, but that’s probably because we already have so many cases.

Then, of course, I have to read articles about different politician’s reaction to the crisis, some claiming everything’s great, no problem here ( Wizard of Oz), or, conversely, the world is coming to an end, we’re all doomed to die (Wicked Witch), according to which party you’re listening to. Not content with that, I will read articles about people who’ve had coronavirus and their horrible experiences with it, like the one I just read of a woman who had a “mild case” but has had “burning lungs and exhaustion for weeks.” And, I’m addicted to articles listing the symptoms of the coronavirus, just to make sure I’m not displaying any of them. I take a whiff of lavender every morning to make sure I can still smell, right after I read the (bad) news on my phone.

There are the depressing articles about all the businesses that have closed, or are closing, due to the fall out of the Pandemic. Videos of Karens harrassing various people for various reasons, in various places that I must watch. Confrontations between owners of businesses or customers, who believe in the efficacy of masks, versus those that don’t. Once I start reading these dark and stormy articles, I can’t stop. I start reading articles about the latest grisly murder, reports on violent clashes between protestors and police and even random shark and alligator attacks on innocent victims. Why not? I’ve already gone down that dark rabbit hole, may as well hop in with both feet.

While I used to only read the news in the morning, and check my phone for new articles once or twice a day, it has now turned into an obsession. I’m checking my phone when I’m walking, doing housework, watching T.V., in the car, waiting somewhere, in the tub and (nighty night) right before I go to bed. The only time I’m not checking it is when I’m actually talking on the phone. According to an article I read in the New York Times, screen time in the Pandemic has jumped at least 50% and this gruesome addiction to Bad News can take a major toll on our mental and physical well-being.

The solution? Set aside certain times to read the news and set a timer so you don’t fall down that rabbit hole. When the buzzer goes off, stop reading. Also, they suggest setting up a schedule for your day, including things like exercising, meditating and Zoom meetings. Having a support group of friends to be able to talk about your fears and concerns (like my Book Club) and/or having Virtual Happy Hours (like my Coronavirus Go Away Group) to connect with freinds, is helpful in combating Doomscrolling. Like all addictions, we’re obviously doing it because were getting something out of it, but what? Control over a situation that seems helpless? While I do think information is power, after a while, it turns into something else that is not helpful in the least.

So what Bad News have I heard this week? K-Pauls, the famous New Orleans restaurant started by K Paul who introduced his upscale Cajun cuisine to the world, has closed. Zeke and I went there a couple years ago, when we were in town for the Jazz Fest and, while I loved the food and the atmosphere, the staff was what I really remember. We asked if we could meet the chef and they took us into the kitchen to say thanks for our dinner and take a photo. It really seemed like a family at K-Pauls and the world will miss this famous and iconic restaurant.

Ortanique, the grand dame of Cuisine of the Sun on Miracle Mile, has also announced it is closing. I loved going to Ortanique for it’s delicious Caribbean food, drinks and welcoming atmosphere. It always felt like a special occasion when you walked in the door and sat at the table with the white tablecloth and colorful, orange rimmed plates. We celebrated high school graduations, wedding anniversaries, Miami Spices and dinners before plays at Ortanique. Cindy Hutson is a South Florida culinary legend and pioneer; Ortanique will be sorely missed.

I’ve been in the Keys, basically since the end of June, save for a quick trip home to pick up some stuff. Cases in the Keys have ticked up and some local restaurants that re-opened recently, have since closed down, due to staff members contracting COVID-19. These include: the Pilot House, Ballyhoos, Alfredo’s, Lazy Lobster, Ziggy and Mad Dogs and Lorelie. The median age of coronavirus cases in Florida is now 39, making younger people (you know you’re old when 40 is young) the prime spreading suspects. Also, I got an e-mail from my condo saying Dengue fever has arrived in the Keys, with the 11 cases carried by mosquitos, all in Key Largo! Can’t a girl catch a break?

On my very short visit home at lunchtime, to grab medicine and feed my sour dough (I need to let that go) there were fruit flies congregating in our kitchen. Zeke blamed them on me, which makes no sense, since I haven’t been home in weeks. He filled glasses with apple cider vinegar and set them out around the kitchen, so there were glasses full of dead fruit flies all over. Gross! The highlight of my trip home was getting Ghee Indian Kitchen take-out, although it was a strange experience.

You have to order and pay online with a credit card, making it easy and contactless. I ordered Pork Vindaloo, which came with Basmati rice, Grain naan bread, a Taj Mahal beer and mango pickles. I left a generous tip and went to pick it up. I parked and walked to Ghee, wearing a mask. When I got to the restaurant’s locked door, a guy inside pointed to the sign out front, with an aggravated face. It said “We are currently closed for dine-in. Please feel free to order take out from our website.” I called the number on the door and said:

Hey, I ordered take-out online and I’m standing outside your door.

The same guy that pointed to the sign, came out with a paper bag, all smiles. “Gina?” “Yes.” I took my bag and left. Wouldn’t you think if someone ordered take-out and a person showed up outside your restaurant, you might think that the person waiting outside is the same person who ordered take-out? Like 2 + 2 = 4?

Anyway- I ate a slice of naan on the way back to the Keys and saved the rest of Ghee take-out for dinner. It was wrapped nicely, in paper foil and was delicious, with relatively large portions. The pork was fall-apart tender and soaked in the spicy, rich vindaloo sauce with sweet potato chunks. The rice was perfectly cooked and I loved the nut naan, but the mango pickles were definitely funky. They must be an acquired taste, as they tasted oily, salty and beer-like to me.

Most of my meals this week were simple food I prepared myself, or leftovers. I did make the Hillstone Thai Beef and Noodle Salad recipe I listed in a previous post on Monday. It was excellent. A.J. and Wyatt came down Wednesday and we went to dinner at Snooks, right near our condo. We sat at a table by the band (one guy). Wyatt said “I’ll have lemonade and shrimp” to the waitress when she arrived to take our order, and that was that. I like a man who knows what he wants, even if he’s only four.

I then had Wyatt for a mini Gigi camp, from Thursday to Saturday. Zeke came down Friday to help. We got pizza for dinner Friday night (Upper Crust) and took him to lunch (Sharkey’s) Saturday. He was “starving” and almost had a meltdown when they didn’t have pasta, but settled on the kid’s shrimp and fries. The Sharkey’s menu now is a code in a lucite frame on the table; you scan it with your phone and the menu pops up. My Jerked Pork Tacos with plantains were delicious and Zeke got a Havana Torta of roasted pork, ham, cheese, pickles, and banana pepper mustard sauce, which seems like a straight-up Cuban sandwich to me, although on different bread.

While I’ve been eating out on a semi-regular basis, it’s mostly been outside which I felt fine with, but I just read an article (see?) from Fodor’s asking servers if they think it’s safe to eat in restaurants now. Many felt they were working in an “unsafe environment”, with no temperatures being taken and precautions not as strict as they should be. So, their answer to if it was safe to eat out during this Pandemic was a resounding “no”. I do feel restaurants in the Keys seem to be stretched thin, with many servers not returning to work, leading to staff shortages. Under these conditions, safety (like spraying down tables and washing hands) may fall to the wayside, when you’re “in the weeds” and just trying to get food and drink out to tables. I’m sure it varies from restaurant to restaurant, but for now it has me re-thinking my dining out habits.

Trader Joe’s is feeling the heat for some of their product branding. Trader Jose’s (Mexican), Trader Ming’s (Chinese) and Trader Giotto’s (Italian) are under fire for promoting ethnic stereotypes. I’ve always found that these names were tongue-in-cheek, but I’m sure the creative minds at Trader Joe’s (love their flyers!) will come up with something witty and inoffensive in their place. The Pillsbury Dough Boy could be the next character to bite the dust, because of, you know- obesity. Commercials have the nerve to point out his pudginess by poking his fluffy, white belly; the poor little guy, oblivious to the ridicule, even giggles! Fat shaming is not ok, but I also feel that having a pudgy character made of dough probably isn’t the best promotion of your product.

Dream dinners for me this week: grilled sweet corn and teriyaki chicken, cold gazpacho, shrimp ceviche, chickpea salad on whole wheat bread and slick Vietnamese summer rolls, filled with veggies and served with a mint dipping sauce. All washed down with a glass of frose. I got two cards from Pinecrest Garden Club members this week that I’d sent cards to, so my small act of kindness is being payed forward. I am saving all of the cards I receive during this time to remind me of what we went through in this unprecedented time and how random acts of kindness helped us get to the other side.

I watched Mucho, Mucho Amor, a documentary about the famous astrologer Walter Mercado. I thought it was just ok, but it was neat to see one of the last scenes, where he attended the opening of History Miami’s exhibit about him. The much beloved Mercado said it was the highlight of his life and died two months later, in Puerto Rico. One movie I don’t recommend is The Adventures of Shark Boy and Lava Girl. I promised Wyatt we would make some Jiffy Pop popcorn (remember that?) and watch a movie of his choice. As we scrolled through Netflix recommendations, he stopped me at Shark Boy and said that was what he wanted to watch. “Is it good?” I asked.

Well, I like it but I don’t know if you will, Gigi.

Wyatt

Such a sweetie! I texted A.J. to ask her about it after I had started it. “Oh, it’s terrible,” she said. Despite having some pretty big stars in it- like George Lopez, Kristin Davis (SATS) and Taylor Lautner (Twilight)- it was quite terrible, but of course I didn’t let Wyatt know that. Just don’t ever make me watch it again.

Good News! I got asked to nominate myself for the Yelp Elite Squad (YES). The Yelp Miami Community Director said my “awesome reviews caught her eye” and she thinks I would be a perfect fit for YES. “As an Elite, you’ll be invited to attend exclusive parties and events that Yelp throws at local restaurants, bars, shows, gyms, galleries and boutiques all over town.” Of course, right now, none of that is happening, but I’m still excited to possibly be in this “Elite” group. And, one day, things will be back to normal, or at least some version of normality. Fingers crossed.

Since I’ve mostly been subsisting on take-out and leftovers, I will share this tidbit of how to best re-heat leftover pizza from The Kitchn. Place pizza in a heated skillet on medium low heat for 2 minutes, then add two drops of water to the skillet (not right next to slice), reduce heat to low and cook for one minute. I tried it yesterday and, while it did result in a great crunchy crust, the top of the pizza didn’t get hot enough, so I would probably put it in the microwave for about 10 seconds before proceeding with the rest of the recipe.

So stop Doomscrolling! Keep eating good food (even if you have to cook it yourself) and stay safe out there!

You know the day destroys the night

Night divides the day

Tried to run, tried to hide

Break on through to the other side.

The Doors

Up Next: An Easy Dinner and Key West Seafood Lovers Food Tour.