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The Midlife Second Wife ™

~ The Real and True Adventures of Remarriage at Life's Midpoint

The Midlife Second Wife ™

Monthly Archives: May 2012

Catalina Spinach Salad

31 Thursday May 2012

Posted by themidlifesecondwife in Food for Thought

≈ 3 Comments

Tags

Farm Markets, Food, recipes, Salad Dressings, Salads, Spinach

I absolutely love this time of year—late spring, when the lure of the Farmers’ Market beckons. It’s one of our favorite ways to spend a Saturday morning, poking around the richly diverse offerings at the South of the James Market in Richmond. I found a vendor selling fresh organic spinach, and knew straightaway what we’d be having for dinner that night.

This recipe has been in my files for more than three decades. (Sheesh. That makes me sound old. If I said I started making it when I was eight I doubt you’d believe me. Nor should you.) I no longer remember the recipe’s provenance, and I’ve tweaked it enough over the years that I feel comfortable claiming it as my own. Crisp, flavorful, and eminently nutritious, this is the perfect salad for those days when it’s too hot to do anything with the stove other than boil some eggs and fry up some bacon. Enjoy!

Catalina Spinach Salad

1 pound fresh spinach
4 ounce can water chestnuts (optional)
4 ounces fresh mung bean sprouts
1/2 red onion, thinly sliced
3 to 4 hard-boiled eggs, cut into eighths
5 to 6 slices cooked bacon, crumbled

For the Dressing:
1/2 cup canola oil
1/2 cup red wine vinegar
3 tablespoons ketchup
1/4 cup sugar
1 scant teaspoon kosher salt

Wash, rinse, and dry the spinach, then remove the stems and tear the leaves into bite-sized pieces. Wash and dry the bean sprouts. Toss the ingredients (except for the bacon) together about one-half hour before serving; when ready to serve, add the bacon.

Combine the dressing ingredients in a jar or container with a tight-fitting lid. Shake well. Pour over salad and toss.

Note: If I’m making this salad for just two people, I find it best to toss only what we’ll eat, keeping the remainder of the ingredients unassembled in the refrigerator, since this salad is best when served shortly after preparation. The dressing keeps well in the refrigerator for about a week.

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Marge & Sally’s Make-You-Feel-Better Meatloaf

17 Thursday May 2012

Posted by themidlifesecondwife in Food for Thought

≈ 4 Comments

Tags

Beef, Comfort Food, Cooking, Food, Meatloaf, recipes

When you’re recovering from an illness or surgery, there’s really nothing like a home-cooked meal to warm your heart and hasten your journey on the road to wellness. John, the Midlife Second Husband, made me a wonderful meal of pork chops, gravy, and egg noodles. My neighbor Marge brought over the meatloaf you see here.

Everyone has a recipe for meatloaf in their files, right? My own, which includes chunks of cheddar cheese, has been my default setting for ages. But Marge’s version of this comfort food has inspired me to vary my repertoire. It was delicious—just the right balance of sweetness and tang. I enjoyed several meatloaf sandwiches for lunches the week after my surgery, with nothing other than ketchup to adorn the bread. I’m craving it even as I type this.

Marge tells me that her daughter Sally really gets the credit for this concoction. By virtue of a happy accident, she once erred by adding sweetened condensed milk instead of simple canned milk to the mix. It was such a hit that she changed the recipe to include her mistake. (Marge tinkered further by splitting the difference to reduce the sweetness factor, as you’ll see below.)

Marge, thanks for bringing this to us during my recovery, and for allowing me to share the recipe on the blog. And Sally, thanks for misreading the recipe!

Marge & Sally’s Make-You-Feel-Better Meatloaf

1-1/2 pounds hamburger
3 tablespoons onion, minced
1/2 cup sweetened condensed milk
1/2 cup evaporated milk
3/4 cup oatmeal
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper

Mix meat mixture with hands or fork and form into a loaf pan.

Topping:
Combine a splash of cider vinegar with
1/3 cup ketchup

Pour topping over meatloaf and bake at 350-degrees for one hour. Serve with
homemade mashed potatoes or egg noodles. Delicious cold, sliced in a sandwich.

Editor’s note: Sally (of Marge & Sally) tells me that the recipe originated from the kitchen of a former First Lady of Virginia—Edwina Dalton, wife of the late Governor John N. Dalton, who served as the Commonwealth’s 63rd governor, from 1978 to 1982.

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On a Thin Gold Chain, Mementos from Sissy Spacek’s Extraordinary Life

06 Sunday May 2012

Posted by themidlifesecondwife in The Cultured Life, The Reading Life, The Writing Life, What's the Buzz?

≈ 10 Comments

Tags

Academy Award, Actors, Coal Miner's Daughter, Films, Jack Fisk, Richmond Times-Dispatch, Sissy Spacek, Sissy Spacek memoir

My Extraordinary Ordinary Life
Sissy Spacek with Maryanne Vollers
288 pages, Hyperion, $26.99

One of the reasons I took a brief sabbatical from the blog is because I was given the distinct honor of interviewing Academy Award-winning actress Sissy Spacek for the Richmond Times-Dispatch. I met her at Selba, a Richmond restaurant, for our interview. Afterwards, we were standing and chatting when I noticed a necklace she was wearing—a thin gold chain from which hung a cluster of charms. I asked her to tell me about them, and I’m awfully glad I did; her answer gave me the lede for my article. The story, “Sissy’s Way,” appears in today’s newspaper (which has a few extras that don’t appear in the online version). I’m pleased to share a link to it here so that you can read about this extraordinary artist. You might also like to check out Jay Strafford’s review of Ms. Spacek’s heartfelt new memoir, My Extraordinary, Ordinary Life.

As a bonus, Ms. Spacek shared a little secret with me. She’s been married to film production designer and art director Jack Fisk for 38 years, so of course you know I just had to ask: “What’s the secret to a happy marriage?” Here’s what she told me:

“Marryin’ the right guy!”

Enjoy the article!

Related articles
  • Sissy Spacek: The Well-Adjusted Actress (online.wsj.com)
  • Fresh Air Weekend: Sissy Spacek, Julia Louis-Dreyfus (wnyc.org)
  • SIFF announces guests: Sissy Spacek, William Friedkin (seattletimes.nwsource.com)
  • Sissy Spacek’s Extraordinary, Ordinary Life (cbsnews.com)

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Orzo with Roasted Vegetables — A ‘Barefoot Contessa’ Recipe

02 Wednesday May 2012

Posted by themidlifesecondwife in Food for Thought

≈ 7 Comments

Tags

Barefoot Contessa, Cooking, Food, Food Network, Ina Garten, Pasta, recipes

Cookbook author Ina Garten is my hero. I discovered her years ago on her Food Network program, The Barefoot Contessa, and was immediately captivated not only by the delicious-looking food she prepared, but also by her warmth and hospitality. So many cooking programs give you the impression of having been invited into the host’s kitchen to learn a cooking tip or two; with Ina, you get the sense that she’d invite you to stay after—not to help her clean up, necessarily (although I’d gladly do so), but to chat over coffee and dessert. A decadent, incredible dessert.

The first Ina Garten book I ever purchased (there are four on my shelf) was Barefoot Contessa Parties!. I’ve made my favorites from this book so often that the dog-eared, stained pages have retained their place-memory. The recipe I’m sharing here is found on page 174, and I’d like to thank the publisher, Clarkson Potter/Random House, for giving me permission to do so.

With farmers’ markets opening up for the season, this is the perfect time—and the perfect way—to enjoy the bounties of your region. This is truly one of my favorite dishes to make, and it garners raves each time it appears on my table. (The dressing is so delicious and easy to prepare that it has become my default salad dressing.) I promise you: if you’ve never tried one of Ina’s recipes, this one will get you hooked. You’ll soon start your own collection of Barefoot Contessa cookbooks.

Orzo with Roasted Vegetables
Copyright © 2001 by Ina Garten. All rights reserved. Used with permission of the publisher.
—Serves 6

1 small eggplant, peeled and 3/4-inch diced
1 red bell pepper, 1-inch diced
1 yellow bell pepper, 1-inch diced
1 red onion, peeled and 1-inch diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/3 cup good olive oil
1-1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 pound orzo

For the dressing:
1/3 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (2 lemons)
1/3 cup good olive oil
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

To assemble:
4 scallions, minced (white and green parts)
1/4 cup pignolis, toasted (see note below)
3/4 pound good feta, 1/2-inch diced (not crumbled)
15 fresh basil leaves, cut into chiffonade

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Toss the eggplant, bell peppers, onion, and garlic with the olive oil, salt, and pepper on a large baking sheet. Roast for 40 minutes, until browned, turning once with a spatula.

The vegetables, all minced and seasoned and ready to roast

Meanwhile, cook the orzo in boiling salted water for 7 to 9 minutes, until tender. Drain and transfer to a large serving bowl.

Add the roasted vegetables to the pasta, scraping all the liquid and seasonings from the roasting pan into the pasta bowl.

For the dressing, combine the lemon juice, olive oil, salt, and pepper and pour on the pasta and vegetables. Let cool to room temperature, then add the scallions, pignolis, feta, and basil. Check the seasonings, and serve at room temperature.

TO TOAST PIGNOLIS:

To toast pignolis, place them in a dry sauté pan and cook over medium heat for about 4 minutes, until evenly browned, tossing frequently.

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