So Many Dishes

This week has been a busy one, as we spent time in Orlando with our son’s family. Although Ben came twice to help out after my surgery, we hadn’t seen Annie and Emmalyn since Thanksgiving. So, while we celebrated early Christmas with Luke, Alice, and Dante, we had late Christmas with Ben’s family on Tuesday evening.

We combined our celebration with the opportunity to see Romeo and Juliet at the Orlando Shakespeare Theater. We have always enjoyed the productions in this wonderfully intimate theater. We often feel as if we are part of the play. This time was no different. We thoroughly enjoyed the Wednesday matinee.

We spent Wednesday morning at Leu Gardens, the lovely botanical garden we like to visit when we’re in Orlando. I particularly enjoy it at this time of year because the camellias are in bloom, and Leu’s collection is extensive. This visit was different, however. Because the area experienced freezing temperatures last weekend, there was considerable damage to many plants.

Fortunately, the camellias are much hardier plants. Blooms that were open when the freeze hit were obviously damaged, but those that had emerged in the days since looked as beautiful as ever. I took just a few pictures 😂

It was such a delight to walk through the garden, even with all the plant damage. The weather was cool but sunny, a perfect day to be outdoors. We worked up a good appetite for lunch. Because both the garden and the theater are near the Mills 50 neighborhood of Orlando, which is known for its many diverse restaurants, we took Ben’s recommendation and ate at Pig Floyd’s. The restaurant bills itself as “urban Barbakoa,” and combines barbecue with Latin and Asian influences. If our lunches were any indication, it’s a very successful combination. Ken and I both ordered salads. Ken had the citrus salad, with mandarin oranges, pickled onions, soba noodles, herbs and scallions, plus his protein choice, pulled pork. It was served with a ginger peanut dressing that he said was wonderful. I also chose the pulled pork, but I had it atop the Southwest salad, with tomatoes, corn, black beans, and cotija cheese. It was accompanied by seasoned tortilla strips and a tangy Southwest dressing. Everything was wonderful, but we agreed that the pork was the star. I want to go back for a pulled pork sandwich—or maybe a platter. It was that good.

I did cook the first night we were at Ben’s. I had a request for “Nana’s noodles,” better known as pasta puttanesca. Ben cooked a simple salmon fillet with lemon butter the second night. I didn’t take pictures of either dinner. We were just too busy enjoying being together with family.

It was a slow drive home yesterday through the rain, and now it’s back to cooking in my own kitchen.