Pastitsio - Greek Lasagna

From here. I am not a huge cinnamon fan, so I went very light on that. You can add as much as you like. Be warned, though, there are different types of cinnamon, so you might want to also go easy the first time you make this and adjust the next time.

PASTITSIO (Adapted from Ina Garten's Greek Lasagna recipe shown on the Food Network)


Ingredients:

3 tablespoons canola oil
1 large onion, chopped
1 pound ground lamb
1 pound ground beef
1/2 cup red wine
3 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped fine
1-1/2 teaspoon strong ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
1 can crushed tomatoes in their juice (28 ounces)
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1-1/2 cup whole milk
1 cup heavy cream
4 tablespoon unsalted butter
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground white pepper
1-1/2 cups freshly grated Parmesan, divided in half
2/3 cup Greek-style yogurt
2 eggs
3/4 pound pasta (macaroni-style, not spaghetti-style)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Heat oil in large pot over medium-high heat; add onion and saute for 5 minutes; reduce heat to medium, add meat, and cook for 10 minutes; add wine, cook for 2 minutes; add garlic, cinnamon, oregano, and thyme, cooking for another 5 minutes. Add tomatoes, salt, and pepper; bring just to simmer; cook uncovered, stirring occasionally for 45 minutes; set aside.

2. Heat milk and cream over medium-low heat until just simmering.

3. In separate pan, melt butter, then whisk in flour; cook for 2 minutes, whisking constantly; add hot milk and cream; cook over medium heat for 5 minutes, whisking frequently, until smooth and thick; remove from heat and add nutmeg, salt, pepper, half the Parmesan, and 1/2 cup of meat sauce; let cool for 5-10 minutes, then whisk in yogurt and eggs

4. Meanwhile, cook pasta according to package instructions

5. Combine drained pasta with meat sauce, add to large casserole dish; pour cheese sauce evenly over top; sprinkle with remaining half of Parmesan.

6. Bake for 1 hour, then let cool for 10 minutes before serving.

Pastitsio, Ina Garten, Food Network, 2009

Poopie Doll - Please vote for my LOL at Cheezburger Network!

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Jet Blue Flight Attendant - Gimme a beer!

I heard a rumor on the radio that the person who bopped the Jet Blue flight attendant, Steven Slater on the head, is a Congresswoman from Texas. I don't know if there is any truth to this, but holy cow if is. What a PR nightmare for her.

I am still battling if I think this guy is a hero or not. I understand that everyone has a bad day (cue Daniel Powter song), and this guy was also taking care of his ailing mother, but does that warrant his actions? More specifically, that plane was out of commission for the rest of the day after he activated the emergency slide. He affected a large number of passengers, who were then going to have to wait for another plane to take them to their destination.

On the other hand, I really do think that flight attendants are not given their due. Their job isn't to get me a drink on the plane, it is to ensure the safety of the passengers. And if the alleged Congresswoman (or whomever it was) didn't listen to his warnings and then did not apologize to him for what happened, then shame on them.

I think I am going to go to the side of hero. You go, Steve Slater!

Sears - WTF?

Last weekend we went to our local Sears to buy a new grill. In the past we have always bought the same grill. It lasts about a year and then falls apart, so we get rid of it and buy the same one over again. This method worked for years, but this last time we decided that we were going to kick it up a notch and spend a little more money on a better grill. Both of us picked out the same grill from the Sears catalog, so we thought it was fate that we buy it.

We went to Sears and usually we are barraged by people trying to help us. But not this time. The woman who was selected to help us out (this was going to be the easiest sale of her day - we knew exactly what we wanted and we didn't want it put together for us) had zero personality. And I mean ZERO. We pointed out the grill we wanted to buy and she didn't say anything, just walked away towards the register. We followed, the faithful capitalists that we are. She went around to a register and we came up towards the front of the checkout desk. She then changed her mind and went to another register, never saying a word to us that we weren't going to be checking out from where we were standing. And then it happened again! We were like little puppies following this woman around. And she never said a word. Finally, she settled on a register that she liked and rang us up. Nothing was spoken. Steven asked her a question (something about where to sign the receipt). She just grunted. The only thing she did say to us was that we had to pick up our grill at Merchandise Pickup. OK, no problem.

When we got to Merchandise Pickup, we scanned our receipt into their system and waited for the grill to come out from deep within the bowels of Sears. As we were waiting, a guy came in, wearing an outfit that could only be described as club gear. And he had a giant chain around his neck. We assumed he was a customer also picking up his purchase, but he stood there and just looked at us. After a few uncomfortable seconds of us looking at each other, he finally asked us if we were being helped. We told him that we were (wondering why this guy was asking) and he said to us to let him know if "they" were treating us badly. At this point we started to think he must work at Sears, but he never introduced himself. Minutes passed and then someone came out of the back with our grill. He was friendly and we signed his paper and took our grill. The creepy Sears guy was still standing there wen we left. I hope he actually did work there and wasn't a crazy person. You never really know in Florida.

Interview Tips and Tricks

A friend of mine who recently moved is interviewing for jobs in his new town. He asked me for some tips on interviewing. I thought these are actually useful for anyone who is interviewing for a new job. What other tips would be helpful for a job-seeker?

* Look up the address online so you know where you're going. If you're not sure, take a ride over there the day before so you don't run into any surprises on the day of the interview. You don't want to be late.

* Arrive early (15 minutes early is good). This works for 2 reasons: first, it shows them that you are punctual, and also give you a few minutes and cool off if it is hot outside.

* For the shirt, it should be a button down nice shirt (if you have an iron, run it over the shirt a bit before). I only wear white or dark shirts. You don't want to have sweaty pits that show. A light blue shirt is the worst for this. I've learned the hard way. Any tie is fine.

* If they ask you if you would like something to drink, say yes. A glass of water helps.

* Bring several copies of your resume. 5 is good. Find a manila folder and put them in there. If your hands are sweaty the resumes will be wrinkled. No good, hence, the folder.

* Bring a pen. 2 is even better. You can put them in your shirt pocket if you don't want to hold them.

* Bring blank paper to take notes on, or use the back of one of the resume copies.

* If you don't know the answer to a technical question, be honest. Let them know that you don't know the answer, but you will find out and get back to them. This shows initiative. Write down the question on your paper and find out the answer when you get home.

* Smile. It goes a long way. Be yourself.

* Try not to be nervous. I know this is hard to do. Just think of this as a conversation between you and the other person (or people). We're all human.

* Ask them questions. At the end of the interview they will probably ask you if you have any questions. You always want to have a question or two. If they haven't covered it already, ask about the shift hours or what a typical day is like in the office.

* Have fun! Interviews shouldn't be a nervous experience. It's your chance to let them know a little bit about you and to find out more about the job.

* If they ask about money, be honest and tell them what you were making in your last job. You could also follow up with telling them that you are flexible. Who knows what this job pays and you don't want to scare them off if they're paying $8.50 an hour and you want to make $15 an hour. You can work on this later, if they like you.

* After the interview, send a thank you email to whoever interviews you. Tell them how nice it was to meet them and that you look forward to continuing your conversation about the position. Send that immediately when you get home from the interview.

J Alexanders Macaroni and Cheese

One of my favorite restaurant treats is the macaroni and cheese at J Alexanders. Recently we were talking about how much fun it would be to make it at home. It is such a cheesy, delicious treat. Why should we have to go out to have this delicious dish? Let's make it at home. I figured the recipe was a guarded secret, but a few minutes on Google turned up some surprisingly close matches. The one we think is the closest is below. This isn't a quick Mac and Cheese. If you're looking for that, check out Ina Garten's quick Mac & Cheese recipe.

J Alexanders Macaroni and Cheese (from Tanya)

6 cups chicken stock
2 cubes chicken base
2 cups (8 ounces) Cavatappi (also called cellentani or double elbows, is macaroni formed in a spiral tube shape with ridges)
3 tablespoons Pomace Olive Oil
1/4 tsp lemon juice
1 tsp sugar
3 tablespoons butter -- divided plus extra for greasing pan
2 tablespoons flour
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup half and half
3 slices of thick cut bacon, cooked pressed and sliced in small bite size pieces (reserve the fat)
1/2 onion -- minced and sauteed in bacon fat
2 cloves of garlic pressed and sauteed with onion
1 bay leaf
1/4 teaspoon Cholula
2 1/4 cups grated Gruyere cheese divided
Freshly ground black pepper
1/2c Panko

Bring 6 cups chicken stock and 1 1/1 cubes chicken base to rolling boil in medium saucepan. Add macaroni and cook until just tender, 8 to 10 minutes. Drain and put in large bowl, toss with Pomace Olive Oil and lemon. Melt 2 tablespoons butter in large saucepan over medium-low heat. Whisk in flour and cook, whisking constantly, 3 minutes. Gradually whisk in cream. Stir in onion, bay leaf, sugar and Tabasco. Simmer gently, stirring often, 15 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in bacon and 1 1/2 cups cheese. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Remove bay leaf. Stir in macaroni. Pour half of mixture into greased, deep 1 1/2-quart baking dish (or 3-4 ramekins) and sprinkle with half of remaining cheese. Top with remaining macaroni and remaining cheese. Melt remaining 1 tablespoon butter and 1/2 cube chicken base in small skillet over medium heat. Add panko and toss to coat. Sprinkle buttered panko and Reggiano Cheese over top of macaroni. Bake at 350: F. until panko is lightly browned, about 30 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes before serving. Makes 4 servings.

Tracy Chapman - can you release a new album, pretty please?

One of my favorite singers is Tracy Chapman. Her voice is so soulful. Her two albums are among my favorites. Steven and I were talking the other day about her. I wondered if she had any recent albums. When I checked, her last album was a long time ago. We couldn't figure out why she hasn't released an album in so long?

Tracy, if you read this (yeah right!), can you go into the studio and record some new stuff? We're jonesin' for some new tunes!

My iPhone

I bought my iPhone about a year ago. We were starting to support them at work and no one had one. It made technical support a real challenge. My boss was strictly a Blackberry guy, so I finally gave in and got one myself. Overall, I am very happy with the iPhone. It is certainly a fun device, albeit, in my advice, more a toy than a business tool. But, I digress. You could argue this either way.

Not wanting to spend a lot of money since this was not fully endorsed by my boss at the time, I opted for a refurbished iPhone from AT&T. The price was right at the time - only $99. Although I quickly learned that old saying does apply: you get what you pay for.

When my phone first arrived I had no problems. It was a blast! Soon after we went on vacation up north and I brought the phone with me. I noticed almost immediately when we arrived in Boston that my phone had no service. I thought that was a little odd, but maybe the phone needed to adjust to a new network or something (cue the old days when you had to manually connect to a new network). No luck. I didn't worry about it since we were busy with our friends. A few days later we went to the Cape to see my parents. I still had no signal. I knew something was wrong. I called AT&T, but they gave me the runaround, saying that my parents lived in an area with limited service (they don't). I explained how this had also happened in Boston, but my complaints fell on deaf ears. Irritated, I gave up.

It wasn't until we had returned to Fort Lauderdale that, on a whim, I turned off the 3G service. Immediately my phone sprang to life with a full signal. Ah ha! My phone would not work on the 3G network. At that point I really didn't care because I just needed a phone that would work. Fast data speeds be damned!

Now, a year later, the pain of having a slow phone is mounting. Recently I upgraded to the new IOS 4 to get the new features touted by Apple. Bad move. My phone has slowed to a crawl. It is hardly usable. Even the more-recent 4.01 update hasn't worked. My phone is dying a slow death. The sad part is that I still have around a year on my contract. I am going to deal with it for as long as I can. I am really banking on Verizon getting an iPhone deal. I would switch in a minute. I have never loved AT&T service and this experience has cemented my love for Verizon.