So Many Dishes

We came back to reality with a jolt on Saturday. We arrived home to discover that our air conditioning wasn’t working. It had shut off at some point, and the thermostat read 84 degrees when we walked in. The company that does our AC maintenance was able to send a technician, but he didn’t get here until after 6:00, by which time it was 90 degrees inside the house. It turned out to be an easy fix, but, after sitting outdoors because it was more comfortable than inside, we weren’t hungry. I can’t think of the last time dinner consisted of very soft frozen yogurt (the freezer really struggled) and an adult beverage.

Our entire week on Sanibel was so relaxing that it really was hard to come home. We enjoyed the beach, and we also enjoyed some good food, whether we cooked or ate out.

I mentioned in my previous post about cooking on vacation that we had strayed somewhat from our standard travel recipes with the first dish I cooked. The last two, however, were dishes we always cook. Ken made his spaghetti with red clam sauce, which is one of my favorites. I thought I’d shared this recipe, but I couldn’t find the post. I’ll have to look again; if I haven’t posted it, I will the next time he makes it. The other dish is one I discussed when we traveled to Georgia last summer. The recipe, called veal strips in white wine from an old Italian cookbook I have, is one I adapted for boneless chicken breast. It’s a simple family favorite that I put together using muscle memory. I don’t measure anything. This was the first time I added capers, simply because I had some left from earlier in the week.

On our last day on the island, we had lunch at Doc Ford’s Rum Bar and Grille. Doc Ford’s which is named after a character in a series of novels by Randy Wayne Wright, has become a regular stop for us on each visit to Sanibel. The food is consistently good, with great atmosphere and service.

I knew what I was going to order before we walked through the door. I enjoyed the shrimp quinoa salad when we were here last summer, and that’s what I ate again. I enjoy quinoa but never make it; Ken doesn’t like it. There actually wasn’t as much quinoa on the salad as it appears, but it was delicious, dressed with a white balsamic-passion fruit vinaigrette. In addition to the perfectly grilled shrimp, an avocado and mango salsa surrounded the pile of baby greens.

As delicious as my salad was, Ken’s spinach and artichoke flatbread was even better. He passed me a square to taste, and he didn’t get that piece back 😂 (I gave him a shrimp and some of the avocado salsa in return). The bread itself was thick and chewy, more like a thin focaccia than the thin, crispy flatbreads I’ve tasted elsewhere. They did not skimp on the artichokes, which made Ken very happy. There were some other interesting flatbread combinations on the menu, and I suspect I’ll go with one of those next time.

Of course, we had to make a second stop at Pinocchio’s, the gelato/ice cream shop. I swore that I was going to get a different flavor, but, even though I did ask for a taste of the tiramisu gelato—they’re very accommodating about offering samples—I went with my favorite, stracciatella. It’s a creamy base that reminds me of cannoli filling with thin, crispy shreds of dark chocolate. It’s like chocolate chip, but better. I have no willpower when it comes to gelato, especially if stracciatella is available. Ken decided on one of the specialty ice cream flavors, since Pinocchio’s makes all their own products. He chose “dirty sand dollar,” which is caramel ice cream with crushed malted milk balls and chocolate chips mixed in. Sugar overload!

Now we’re home and trying to bring our A1C levels back to earth 😄 We’re back into regular cooking mode, and the next post will have a new recipe. In the meantime, one more beach photo.