Dinner Out - Way too Often!

We ate out three times last week.  For us, that was a LOT.  I'll admit that I just don't understand folks who eat out all the time.  Or who get carryout regularly.  I'd rather have a grilled cheese sandwich for dinner twice a week and have it be one I made.

First, we met our friends Brenda, Janet, Roy and Nancy at the Black Swan in Plainfield.  We've eaten there many times and had great food.  Not so much this time.  They've revamped their menu so it's pretty skimpy.  And, the quality of the food wasn't as good.  Plus, both Connie and I got a peek in the kitchen on our way to the necessary room.  Let's just say it wasn't the cleanest kitchen we've ever seen.  We're hoping everything improves!  The good news is the six of us laughed and laughed and laughed!!

The next night we met our friends Don and Molly at 18 on the Square in Shelbyville.  Now, that was a dinner to write home about.  OMG! Let's see, I had the deviled crab and lobster on papperdelle.  I forgot to take a photo til I was done...  Here's what my plate looked like:

Connie had clams and prosciutto on linguine with a sauce that was amazing.  Don had the same pasta I had.  And, Molly had carrot gnocchi.  Now, I normally don't care for gnocchi.  This was actually very good.

But, the best part of the meal?  The appetizer.  Baked brie with a ginger/orange marmalade and a honey sesame seed drizzle. 

Chef Joseph Martin is one talented guy.  Yes, if you live in the Indy area it is WELL worth the trip to Shelbyville!!!

Last, but certainly not least, we met our friends Terri and Tony for sushi at Tomo.  It's an unassuming place in a strip mall.  But, they know how to make sushi. 

Spider roll, tuna tempura, spicy girl with salmon and tuna...  Then, there was the sashimi.  Tuna and salmon.  And, finally, the eel sushi- unagi.  All of it fabulous!

Saturday we were actually home.  It was finally spring.  So, we left the office at 4:00 and ran to our local hardware store and stocked up on seeds.  Off to the garden we went!  Connie started a bed for the peas.  Crockett says to dig a 4" deep and 6" wide trench and just throw the pea seeds in.  Connie did just that but mixed up the four kinds as he did it.  So, we'll have a medley of peas :-)  I started on the asparagus bed.  Trimming last years fronds.  Weeding.  And, hunting for the first tips to show.  Ah ha! Found three!  Last, but not least, we cleaned out our corner hideaway.  Now, what you may not realize is that on the other side of that fence is the main street into our neighborhood and a pretty busy east-west corridor.  It certainly doesn't feel like we're sitting in the midst of a busy intersection when we're in our corner.   

We'd spent two hours in the yard and were pretty pooped.  It was time for pizza.  Puttanesca Pizza to be exact.  I typically have a Boboli crust hanging around.  Someday I'll probably make my own pizza crust but for now, I'm content to not have to deal with any yeast...  The pizza went together so easily and looked fantastic.

What did we think?  Fabulous.  This is one we'll make again - and again.  Pretty much all of the flavors we love.  It actually reminded us of one of our early dates when we ordered an anchovy pizza - and laughed at the fact that the two anchovy nuts had found each other!

Puttanesca Pizza

Ingredients:

Boboli pizza crust
pizza sauce (we use Trader Joe's)
thinly sliced salami
roasted garlic
capers
anchovies
kalamata olives
green olives
5 cheese Italian blend

Now, you'll notice the photo is missing.  I thought I'd take a photo the next day at the office using the leftover pizza.  Ummm, that disappeared during the middle of the night when my beloved was hungry.  So, close your eyes and picture a wonderful gooey, cheese topped pizza!