Mister Cellophane

So I am recovering from some surgery and was already pretty much already feeling a bit sorry for myself.  I should have stayed home but...

Saturday was my 45th Class Reunion from South High School class of 1972 and I had made kind of a deal out of it to my friend and fellow classmate, Joe Calabro with whom I became acquainted with through his wife, Sue,  well after we graduated as I did not know him personally in high school.

Sue and I are nurses and she was in charge of the unit where I spent a few days after my heart attack in 1998. She and I also share a few mutual friends.

So after 45 years, I am not sure what to expect. I  was not recognized by any of the class but for one person and that's because we share a common bond in the health field also. 

Joe was popular guy and a lot of folks came over to say hello and reminisce. After a bit he started introducing me as part of the class only to be met with blank looks and cursory greetings. No clue. Was I even there? Who was I in high school? I am not sure I want to know.

The deal was, I knew them all. I knew their younger faces and recognized their aging selves. I remember incidents and conversations but apparently I did not make much of an impression, good or bad.

Part of this was my stature in high school. I was a very small fellow and did not have a growth spurt till college. I was young, one of the youngest in the class,  and I spent a lot of time silent, observing and avoiding confrontation, keeping the lowest profile possible. Full self preservation mode.  Not much of a joiner and was not part of any specific group. I had no particular memorable features or skills. Just an average guy in a class of 600 plus kids.

I was Mr. Cellophane and apparently still am...I was invisible and unrecognized and after 45 years, just no one in particular.

.

It was unsettling.

Roasted Buffalo Shrimp with Blue Cheese Mac and Cheese

Something new. New flavors but easy fix for a weeknight. Creamy blue cheese macaroni paired with  spicy roasted shrimps. Yum.

1 pound large shrimp, peeled and deveined
5 cloves garlic minced
4 bay leaves crushed
1/3 cup buffalo wing sauce
Juice of one lemon
1 t oregano
1 t celery seed
1 t paprika
1 T Worcestshire sauce
1/4 t liquid smoke
1/4 cup butter

4 oz blue cheese
2 oz cream cheese
2 slices processed Swiss
1 cup 1/2 and 1/2
8 ounces elbow macaroni

 preheat oven 425
Combine butter, hot sauce, Worcestshire, celery seed, oregano, paprika and liquid smoke in a small bowl and set aside.
Heat a large skillet with cooking spray and add garlic and crushed bay leaves. Cook till garlic gets some color then add shrimp. Toss for 2-3 minutes then add sauce and coat. Place pan in hot oven 7-10 minutes till shrimp are firm and cooked through

Cook pasta and drain. Return pan to heat and add 1/2 &1/2 and cheeses. Heat till cheeses are melted and sauce thickens.

Serve with shrimps on the side.

Eating Omaha...Charred

We have driven past this place a lot so now its time to try something in the neighborhood. Charred is a burger joint with table service and great burgers at least what we sampled.

The menu features several flavors of burgers and all the fixings using Wagyu beef. So good! And the prices are reasonable. We  started with and order of wings, Buffallo, but there were several flavors to choose from. Not the greatest wings I have had honestly. Just missing something I would have had to fuss with them to make them taste better. 

Brenda ordered a Rooster Chicken sandwich with a Bleu cheese and radish, cucumber slaw finished with a Sriacha Aioli. Tasty. I had a burger with Bleu cheese and caramelized onions. Fries were shared between the two of us and there were plenty.  Not bad prices and fast, attentive service. 2 thumbs up!

Grilling with Weber

Normally I am a gas grill guy. Never fussed with charcoal much but when Mom passed she left 2 Weber Kettles, I took the smaller one and left the other for Ellen.  I started small, some ribs, a little brined chicken and a few burgers. Lamb sliders were a hit for Nick's birthday so I expanded the repertoire. Last week I found swordfish on sale and I had a nice grill basket. I treated the fish steaks to a quick marinade of olive oil and lemon juice with a bit of garlic then out to a hot grill for about 12 minutes total. So tasty.