Yard House

Since I love to cook, we don’t really eat out much and when we do it’s usually not at large chains. But we happened to be at a mall and hungry and YH was just convenient. It was surprisingly good!

Spicy Tuna Stack & Cali Roll Stack

I was skeptical a non-specialty chain restaurant could do any version of sushi/sashimi well, but the fish was definitely sushi-grade tuna and the crab was real crab and not krab. The flavors were delicately balanced and delicioous! We also tried the Ahi Crunchy Tuna Salad and the lettuce was incredibly fresh and they honored our request for light dressing. So kudos all around.

Of course, YH is also famous for its number of taps. It is an impressive collection of both foreign & domestic as well as local beers.

Angry Orchard’s Crisp Apple Hard Cider & Tripping Animals’ Dark No Mames, a mexican style dark lager brewed in Miami.

Critters in the ‘hood

I often take walks in my neighborhood & although I live in the middle of a busy city, there’s a surprising amount of friendly critters who also share my ‘hood.

This Eastern Gray Squirrel was feeling particualrly photogenic!

Domestic Muscovy Duck
Peafowls

Key Largo, Florida

circa August 2017

dusk

Sunset

Legos

Lego Technic Jeep Wrangler

I loved playing with legos as a kid and now my oldest niece loves them too. But her legos are surely not the ones of my youth. My sets were simply humdreds of lego pieces in different colors, shapes, and sizes and the instruction book was my imagination. (I was delighted when they added doors that opened!) Her sets have wheels and moving pieces and come with instruction books with designs devised by NASA engineers.

I wouldn’t go so far as to say the sets stifle creativity, but I’m not sure she gets the same level of fun out of them as I remember. She’s a gifted kid, well on her way to becoming an overachiever, and when she misses a step she gets frustrated and discouraged. Some of the sets, even for younger kids, require hours of build time and can take days to complete. I’ve had to bail her out more than once. Hedwig and Yoda were memorable, to name just a couple.

When I played with them as a kid I just built whatever inspired me in the moment and played until I was dragged away. I always looked forward to when I could play with them again and feelings of frustration, disappointment, and failure were never ever associated with my beloved legos. Maybe I’m just getting old. At some point I think every generation thinks “things were so much simpler” when…(fill in the blank).

My experiences with her, however, did inspire me to build my own. I recently sold my sunny colored stick-shift Jeep Wrangler. I loved that car and I drove it for over 15 years, but driving stick in a crowded city sapped the life out of me and it had to go. But I miss it. I miss walking out of my house and seeing it sitting in the driveway, bright yellow and happy, no matter what kind of day I was having or what the weather was like…*sigh*.

But at least now I have a bright yellow reminder of all the joy it brought me for over a deacade and a half. It sits on my desk with its light kit that I turn on from time to time while I reminisce.

So my sincere thanks to the Lego Group even if I feel they might have lost a bit of the leg godt (Danish for “play well”) philosophy that insprired it all.

Frozen Pizza

I love pizza and at some point I’ll give you my tried and true quick crust recipe and favorite ingredient combos for homemade pizza, but here I just wanted to share a recent discovery. I had pretty much written off frozen pizza because every time I tried one, it just felt like a poor imitation of what I was actually craving. Then I saw this at Whole Foods a few weeks ago and decided to give it a try. What a revelation! I’m not going to say it tops homemade pizza, but this comes as close to the real thing as I’ve ever had (give it a rest DiGiornio). I place it right on the rack and 15 minutes later I have a really tasty pizza with a firm crust (but not a cracker) and perfect sauce to ingredient ratio. If you live in an area with a Whole Foods, I encourage you to give it a try.

The Galapagos Islands

Isla Santa Cruz, Ecuador

Arriving in the Galápagos Islands

We visited the Galapagos Islands after a business trip to Guayaquil, Ecuador in 2011 and I have yet to see a more splendorous locale out of all the places in the world I’ve visited. I’m always loath to revisit anywhere because there are so many places in the world to see, but I fully intend to make it back there soon.

We stayed on Santa Cruz Island, which has the largest town in the island chain even today.

The Galapagos is the only place on earth with marine iguanas, which are the only lizards who spend time in the ocean.

We frolicked with sea lions and swam with sharks!

Blue-Footed Boobies. There’s nothing more amazing than mother nature.

Grapsus Grapsus
Galapagos Penguin

The red crabs were ubiquitous and the Galapagos penguin is the only species of penguin found north of the equator and one of the smallest.

It was not an easy trek out to this spot, but it was well worth it. The “trail” is not long and it is flat, but it’s also INCREDIBLY ROCKY. You’re basically balancing on rocks that are not quite as large as your feet with rough edges.

It was incredible, how the locals dove from atop the crevasse walls. The water is a mixture of fresh and salt so there’s not much aquatic life to speak of, but it’s definitely one of the coolest swimming holes I’ve ever seen.

We were lucky enough to be able to see Lonesome George before he died in 2012. He was the last Pinta Island tortoise and was known as the rarest creature in the world in his later years. He’s now an important symbol for conservation around the world.

The people at this restaurant, the Angermeyer, were so incredibly warm & welcoming. We were only a party of 4 but they gave us a table on the water even though they were closed for a private party. Phenomenal food & stunning views!

These twin craters were not caused by impact, but rather they’re sinkholes created when  the volcanic roof of empty magma chambers collapsed from tectonic shifts and erosion over time. Still pretty cool.

I have hundreds of pictures from our trip to the Galapagos but what I remember most is the incredible warmth of the people and their collective environmental consciousness. It’s a unique place and if you only take one trip in your life, it should be there.

Fort Jefferson

Dry Tortugas nat’l park, key west, florida

We went snorkeling in the Dry Tortugas in September of 2021.

We took the ferry from Key West (the Yankee Freedom) out to Fort Jefferson and it was a comfortable ride with a friendly and professional staff. We only took a day trip (I don’t mind sweating during the day, but I want my creature comforts at night) and it was definitely worth it, although it terms of underwater sea life, John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park in Key Largo, Florida offers a better experience.

It was another gorgeous day in South Florida and the ride in was pretty smooth.

Construction of the fort began after the War of 1812 in order to defend the US southern coastline and more specifically, one of the most strategic deep-water anchorages in North America, which afforded the US an advance post for ships patrolling the Gulf of Mexico and the Straits of Florida.

The lighthouse @ Fort Jefferson was added in 1825 to provide warning to sailors about the dangers of reefs and shoals surrounding the Dry Tortugas.

I’m a bit of a history buff and the site provides informative placards in the different areas, like the gun emplacements and soldier’s barracks. It was interesting to be able to climb through the remnants and have context to the history. You can also download a self-guided tour, which I loved because I’m not really into groups or tours. Overall, worth the trip at least once if you’re interested in US history. If you’re only interested in snorkeling, there’re lots of better locations in South Florida, including right off the beach in Fort Zachary Taylor Historic State Park in Key West, where you can also get a dose of US Civil War history.

South Pointe Park Beach

Miami Beach, Florida

South Pointe Park is one of the best green spaces in the Miami area, in my opinion.

It has stunning panoramic views of the shoreline, port, and downtown skyline, as well as Fisher Island, where the economic elite live and frolic. There’s a water playground for kids, walking trails, picnic and barbecue areas, benches, a café and an off-leash dog park. There’s also a steakhouse, Smith & Wollensky, which I actually don’t recommend. It’s been steadily declining in quality and service for years, but it is conveniently situated with unparalleled views. You can always have drinks and appetizers at the bar and enjoy a sunny day, but for food I’d trek over to Joe’s Take Away a few blocks away.

I was born and raised in Miami, but only discovered the snorkeling off South Pointe Pier in 2021. The pics below are from my outing in September of that year. We set up camp right on the beach and walked into the ocean, snorkeling along the rocks that delineate the pier. The pics are from my iPhone so they’re not great but you’ll get the idea.

This next creature was pretty cool to follow:

Split Pea Soup

This is a recipe I adapted from the NYT Cooking App, Pressure Cooker Split Pea w/ Horseradish Cream by Sarah DiGregorio.

I say adapted because I do not make the recipe the way she suggests in her preparation. I tried three different times and each time the Instant Pot gave me burn warnings and shut down. I also tweak the ingredients a bit.

ingredients:

  • 3 tbsp unsalted butter
  • 1 red onion, finely chopped
  • 3 celery stalks, minced
  • 1 large carrot, chopped
  • 5 large garlic cloves, minced
  • 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
  • 1/2 tsp garlic powder
  • 1/2 tsp dried thyme
  • 2 bay leaves
  • Salt & Pepper
  • 6 cups unsalted chicken stock
  • 1/3 cup dry white wine or vermouth (if you’d prefer to omit alcohol, just use equivalent amount of stock or water)
  • 1lb split peas (green or yellow)
  • 1 smoked ham hock (smallest you can find, usually @ 1lb but less is better)

Preparation:

  1. Place unsalted chicken stock, peas, and ham hock in pressure cooker. Seal & set for 15 minutes on high pressure. Once done, manually release pressure. Discard ham hock. (You can remove the fat & shred the remaining ham, but in my experience, it’s mostly fat and very little palatable meat. You can also save it to make a stock.)
  2. In the meantime, sauté the onion, celery, carrot, garlic, smoked paprika, garlic powder, and thyme in a small skillet.
  3. When ready add sautéed ingredients to pressure cooker along with bay leaves & wine (or equivalent stock or water). Season with salt & pepper to taste. I usually add @ 1/2 tsp and several generous grinds of fresh pepper.
  4. Seal and pressure cook on low setting for 10 minutes. Once done, manually release pressure.
  5. Remove bay leaves, stir, and serve w/ horseradish cream if desired.

Horseradish Cream (optional)

  • 1/2 cup sour cream
  • 1 tbsp jarred, drained horseradish
  • 1 tsp Dijon mustard

Mix ingredients and add a dollop to your bowl!

Note: The “soup” will be very thick and more akin to a potage. If you prefer it thinner, then just add more stock, either at step 4 or after, or when you reheat leftovers. I like it thick and usually serve it with a side of toasty French baguette.

Greek-Style Chicken & Rice

This is another recipe from America’s Test Kitchen Mediterranean Instant Pot Cookbook. Find it here.

Before I discuss the recipe I do want to make a general comment about the Instant Pot. I’m using the 6 quart Instant Pot Duo. I love it, but it does have its quirks and learning curve. In my experience browning on high on the sauté function leads quickly to dried out ingredients so keep a close eye on it when using this function.

Also, VERY IMPORTANT, my bone-in chicken breasts were absolutely not cooked in 4 minutes as stated in their recipe. I have two instant pot inner bowls so when I realized the chicken was not adequately cooked (at the end of their recommended process) I took it out and placed another two cups of broth in my second bowl, used the rack that comes with the Instant Pot, nestled my still raw breasts on it, and cooked the chicken on high pressure for 20 minutes. I manually released the pressure and then proceeded with their step 4.

So, as I see it, you have a couple of options to avoid my same dilemna. (1) You could just cook everything for 20 minutes instead of the four they recommend, but I suspect this will lead to mealy/gluey rice, as opposed to the fluffy result we all like. Or (2) when you’re sautéing the chicken breasts, cook them for longer, so they’re almost completely cooked through as opposed to just browning them. You may just have to sauté them on normal heat instead of the high heat they recommend in order to avoid drying out the chicken. I’m definitely taking this route the next time around.

Otherwise you could just cook the rice separately, but I think you’ll lose out on flavor. You could also use chicken cutlets, which are generally much thinner but then you’d have to add additional oil or butter when sautéing the other ingredients to compensate for the lack of chicken fat from the skin.

Normally, when a recipe that should be a one-pot quick and easy fails at a critical point, I write it off. But it really tastes fantastic, which is why I’m determined to make it work.

It’s comforting yet light and best of all relatively healthy. I say relatively because in my house hypertension threatens on the horizon so I’m very cognizant of sodium levels, which is why I’m always on the lookout for tasty recipes that rely on spices rather than salt for flavor. For this recipe I reduced the salt to 1/2 tsp and it was perfect.

I’ve included the recipe below (with my slight modifications).

Ingredients:

  • 2 (12-ounce) bone-in split chicken breasts, trimmed
  • ½ teaspoon table salt, divided
  • ¼ teaspoon pepper
  • 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 onion, chopped fine
  • 2 celery ribs, minced
  • 4 garlic cloves, minced
  • 2 cups chicken broth
  • 1 and ½ cups long-grain white rice, rinsed
  • 3 bay leaves
  • ¾ cup frozen peas, thawed
  • 4 teaspoons capers, rinsed
  • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh oregano

Preparation

  1. Pat chicken dry with paper towels and sprinkle with ¼ tsp salt and pepper. Using highest sauté function, heat oil in Instant Pot for 5 minutes (or until just smoking). Place chicken skin side down in pot and cook until well browned on 1 side, about 5 minutes; transfer to plate.
  2. Add onion, celery, and remaining ¼ tsp salt to fat left in pot and cook, using highest sauté function, until vegetables are softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in broth, rice, and bay leaves, scraping up any browned bits. Nestle chicken skin side up into rice and add any accumulated juices. Lock lid in place and close pressure release valve. Select high pressure cook function and cook for 4 minutes. Please see my note above. This will most likely not be adequate cooking time.
  3. Turn off Instant Pot and quick-release pressure. Carefully remove lid, allowing steam to escape away from you. Transfer chicken to cutting board and discard skin, if desired. Tent with aluminum foil and let rest while finishing rice.
  4. Discard bay leaves. Add peas and capers and gently fluff rice with fork to combine. Lay clean dish towel over pot, replace lid, and let sit for 5 minutes. Gently fold in oregano. Carve chicken from bones and slice ½ inch thick.
  5. Serve with rice and Lemon-Yogurt Sauce. 

Lemon-Yogurt Sauce

  • 1 cup plain whole milk yogurt
  • 1 tsp grated lemon zest plus 2 tbsp juice
  • 1 garlic clove minced

Whisk all ingredients together in bowl and season with salt & pepper to taste. Cover & refrigerate at least 30 minutes to allow flavors to meld.