For Pete's Steak!

Today was a busy day, I have what seems to be an infinite amount of laundry to do. I think we need to go through all of our clothes and get rid of some, because for serious, there are like 15 loads of laundry that need doing and I am NOT out of underwear. I think, clearly, I have too many clothes. Also I got into researching some authentic dishes for Chinese New Year tomorrow and my mind was not on planning for tonight.

I made some Salisbury Steak, mix 1 pound of ground beef with minced onion, garlic, parsley, a wee bit of oatmeal, and 1 egg. Mix together well and separate into 4-5 patties. I put mine in a pan and browned them, then put them in another pan in the oven to finish cooking. Meanwhile I deglazed the frying pan with a bit of red wine and scraped up all of the nice brown flavorful bits on the bottom. Then I whisked in some flour and got sort of a roux going, after that I added a few shakes of worcestershire sauce and then thinned the roux out with some vegetable broth. I cooked it until it started to thicken, then I poured the sauce over the steaks in the oven and let them cook at 300 while I mashed the potatoes and steamed the broccoli.

This is only the second time that I have ever made salisbury steak and my Mom only made it once in a great while. I really have fond memories of salisbury steak from my elementary school cafeteria of all places! It was always served with instant mashed potatoes, mixed veggies and a big fluffy white roll. I adored it. No idea why.

Last night I made a "fondue" called Double Berry Riesling. It involved pureeing and then straining through a sieve 1 pt. of blueberries, 12 oz. of strawberries. I mixed the strained puree with 1/2 C of Riesling and 1/2 C of sugar. Then after that was heated and mixed up you add 1 1/2 tablespoons of fresh lemon juice mixed with a teaspoon of cornstarch. I am not sure it is a true fondue but it is the BEST ice cream topping I've ever had! Lovely, sweet and fruity!