Madison Children's Museum, Noodles & Co., Ella's oh my!

My sister Lisa came for a visit to Madison from Brooklyn, New York. She was here for 5 days and I was stressed. Would she like my place? Would the kids like it too? etc. She came with her husband, (and fellow foodie) Stephen and their 7 year old twins. I wanted to give them a great experience, mostly around food. And I knew the kids were going to be fussy.

Anyway, my partner and I made a list of food places we love and found it frustrating since we had more restaurants listed than days available. When they arrived on Thursday we met them at Water House Foods in Lake Mills, midway between Milwaukee and Madison. It is a cute sandwich place that makes yummy spreads for their sandwiches with names like the Juliet, Romeo, Petruchio, you get the idea. Anyway, after filling up they followed us home passing barns and cows so the children could see them close instead of an image on a milk carton. Of course, they did not like the smell, it gets some getting used to.

My brother-in-law remembered Noodles and Company on his last visit and wanted a bowl of their noodles. If the kids enjoyed Asian food';I would have taken them to Wah Kee for homemade noodles! We took the kids to the indoor park at the Dells the next day where they road the rides and played games. Since it was raining it was a good day to make the trip.

Another hit was Culver's for pretty good hot sandwiches and fries and don't forget the custard!
Remember, we had kids along and wanted kid-friendly places. The biggest hit of all was Ella's Deli, not so much for the food but for the collection of carnival like objects. They were amazed and delighted and the ice cream wasn't bad either.

We wanted to babysit the kids so my sis and husband could go to Osteria Papavero, a great Northern Italian cuisine restaurant, but they didn't want to. My nephew also informed me that babysitting was so "old school." LOL.

Do we really eat with our eyes? Is bigger always better?

Last June 2010 I took a trip to New York City, where I'm from. It is exciting because it is always an opportunity to try some great food. I do my research but being with my family plans go awry. You see my parents are from Italy and they make some great tasting food. My partner, on the other hand, told me stories of ketchup and Wonder Bread and stewed tomatoes that I can't even mention here. Anyway, we enjoyed the copius meals they prepared but when we had some breathing space we went to the local deli.

Steve loves a New York style deli. Mountains of food on display and so many varieties. How do they keep all this fresh I wondered. The display of food now looks very excessive to me and unappetizing. And I've lived here for most of my 40 some years. I found myself beginning to miss my meals in Madison. I've always enjoyed cooking and also taught cooking classes here in Madison at places like Dean Clinic and Whole Foods. Anyway, the products I get here are the freshest I've found anywhere. The famed farmer's market(s) goes from May to November - a nice long stretch. Anyway, I've made some great tasting meals, just ask Steve. Besides missing my own meals; I missed the wonderful food in restaurants we go to.

Our tastes are as simple as a burger at the North Street Pub to Osteria Papavero's menu, classic homestyle Tuscan food. I crave the variety and quality of products used in restaurants here where you don't have to go far to get a great meal.

Nemo's example - Stand up for yourself!

Nemo came into my life in January of 2003. Someone in a group I was in was passing a photo around and asking people if anyone was interested in adopting him. The person began to tell a tale that grabbed my heart. Whiskers, his name before adoption, lived with his owner who was quite ill. The man would not be able to care for his cat any longer. The storyteller had hooked me in; I immediately made an appointment to see him. Although, I wondered if Prune, my other cat, would accept him I decided to forge ahead. She would grow to like him. I hate to say she never did.

Anyway, I went to the cat clinic on Benson Avenue in Brooklyn, New York. I lived about 25 minutes away in Brooklyn. He looked kind of ragged in the photo but the photo was really better than what he looked like in person. He was an old cat and certainly not the approximate age of 11, as posted on his sign. I already knew I'd take him before going there anyway. He didn't have good balance but he could walk. I wondered why he didn't look up at me. I thought he was just shy.I was to find out much later that he was blind. I asked the clinic doctor to wrap him up because we were going home.

He was so upset and scared being inside his carrier I felt awful for putting him in there. I promised him I would take him out soon. The 25 minutes home was horrendous for me. I hate to see any animal locked up. When we finally got home I placed him in the bathroom and he immediately went behind the toilet seat where he was at least, I hope, able to relax. I placed a gate by the door because the door would not close all the way to keep the two cats separate for awhile. I lived in a tiny studio in Brooklyn, a old building with very little space for an apartment. The regular one bedrooms seemed palatial to my studio, but alas, they were all taken.

Anyway, after the third or fourth day Nemo comes out of the bathroom with an air of assuredness having finally decided that it wasn't too bad and he'd stay awhile. Prune never ceased to hiss at him and in those close quarters there was little space to hide. Nemo was not backing down though I would often find Nemo laying on my bed and Prune trying to swap him as he swapped back more fiercely than I imagined he could.

Peaceful surroundings, wine, and cheese - this is the life!

Me and Steve went to Botham Wineries a couple of weeks ago. We like their wines and we spoke to the owners' son and asked him what was his favorite job. He replied, "bottling the wines". This family operation is set in the middle of some lovely hills a few miles past Mount Horeb, WI. We were greeted by a friendly staff member who quickly set up our tastings. I like the dessert wines and Steve likes the reds. We took a glass outside to their lovely patio. The family cat rushed to greet us and hung around while we sipped and enjoyed the surroundings.

Hello from Madison

Madison has been my home for the last seven years. I hail from Brooklyn, New York. Food is my business and passion. My earliest memory is of food. I don't remember the people except for their voices loud and animated. They were seated in a circle and a pot of sauce in the kitchen. I don't remember tasting anything--just that wonderful smell. I don't know what it was and my family can't recall the event. Oh well, I must keep on cooking until I discover it again!