
Signing off for a while à la Jack Berger.
a Memphistanista's View From Downtown
I went to the law school today mainly to see if there was anything in the teeny, tiny bookstore besides law textbooks and to my surprise there was a decent sized shelf of bestsellers. Enough of a selection to run in and find yourself something to read if you didn't feel like driving to midtown. Also, it was cool being able to walk down a beautiful, light filled hallway after years of only being allowed into what had been the post office customer service area.
For Valentine's Day last year I ended up with not one but TWO Love Lobsters from Walgreens. How did I end up being so lucky? What could one hope to find this year that could top fuzzy crustaceans? After some long hours thinking that one through it occured to me that the Peabody Hotel gift shop sells Lollia products. The gorgeous packaging alone makes me want to buy all of these luxurious candles, bubble bath and lotions. Also, there are many Valentines Day dinners around downtown and you may want to make some reservations now. Here are a few:
Various brunches and dinners at the Peabody restaurants
5 course Valentine's Day dinner at Itta Bena according to their facebook page
Currents in the River Inn on Harbor Town
Grill 83 in the Madison HotelWhile waiting for the trolley, I had plenty of time to study the mural, on Madison at Autozone Park, designed and painted by Jeff Zimmermann. Why is my eye always drawn to that piece of cake?:
Well, the weather people have predicted a winter storm starting late tonight or very early tomorrow morning. Whatever happens, I have some good recipes to try when it's dreary and cold outside. Above is my latest version of Huevos Rancheros. Here's the recipe:
1 15 oz can of Original Rotel
1 15 oz can black beans, rinsed (I can't abide what I call the "thick, murky, black yucky stuff" packed in the can)
2 spring onions, chopped
4 eggs
1 tsp. olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
Mix the first three ingredients in a mixing bowl. Heat the oil in a large saute pan and add the mixture. Saute over medium high heat a few minutes. Make four wells in the mixture and gently break an egg into each well. Cover the pan with a lid for a couple of minutes -the eggs will be poached in the bean mixture's liquid. Transfer each egg carefully to a plate so as not to break the yokes and spoon some of the bean mixture around the egg. Add some sliced avocado on the side and warm corn tortillas. Very nice.
The other recipe is from the Creative Structures blog. Blogger Diana has a rustic Sausage and Lentils recipe that looks perfect for cold weather.
Enjoy!