Indio, California: We are blessed to have such great friends who will travel all the way from Oregon just to spend a few days with us and get a little taste of the RV lifestyle (inside "the bubble"). After Tamra and Steve left yesterday we were a little sad. Their visit was only five days, yet we had so much fun and kept so busy... and then - poof - they are flying back to Oregon. Gone. We returned to an empty quiet casita and a pile of bath towels and bedding to launder. We felt a bit lost.
For about ten minutes.
At five o'clock we were off to Palm Springs with our neighbors (Sally, Alf, Karen and Dick) to dine in an Austrian restaurant they all loved for wienerschnitzel. Alf is from Germany, Karen and Dick once lived in Germany and I ate wienerschnitzel eight days in a row in Berlin in 2009. Our friends believe Johannes Austrian Restaurant (196 S Indian Canyon Drive, Palm Springs, CA 92262 - 760-778-0017) is as close to Germany/Austria one can get in the Coachella Valley. They also knew that if we arrived early enough, we would be able to secure a table in the bar, thus making it possible to order off the bar menu.
The draw at Johannes is the wienerschnitzel - true veal schnitzel. (Wiener=Vienna in the German language.) This place does it proper and they offer a "bar size" dinner portion meal for only $15 in the bar.
For $15 you get schnitzel (made with either organic chicken breast or veal), fingerling potatoes, cucumber salad and a bit of cranberry relish.
True aficionados also order a side of spatzle (pronounced SPETZ-ah-la) to share. These noodle-like squiggles come with arugula, tossed with cheese and topped with fried onions.O. M. G.
We had a great night. Always fun to try new restaurants - especially with Sally & Alf. They really know where to eat!
We were delighted to receive a beautiful bouquet from Tamra and Steve this afternoon!
They sent flowers as a thank you. Completely unnecessary, but completely appreciated. And they were pink! Do you know anyone around here who just loves pink? The flowers instantly became our Passover centerpiece.
Another gorgeous sunset to begin the first night of Passover. This year, it will be a very quiet holiday as the Four L's have flown off to enjoy the holiday with Lenny's family. We are so happy Lenny's folks get to have such a long visit with the cutest grandchildren in the world.Guess who cut her first tooth at her first Seder? Yup. Little Lucy has a tooth!
On our Passover menu tonight I tried something that came across my computer screen several days ago. I can't recall exactly where, so I could not use a "recipe", but it was basically heavy cream - whipped to soft peaks - with salt and pepper. I served the whipped cream over roasted asparagus spears.
Don't make a face! Cream is nothing except butter that hasn't been whipped yet.
Try it.Until my next update, I remain, your Kosher-for-Passover correspondent.
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