Neuropol

Despite being St Urho's and all that, today's lunch consisted of goodies from Neopol Savory Smokery in the Belvedere Market - 1/4 lb green tea-flavored hot-smoked salmon, 2 smoked lamb sausages, and 1/2 lb of curried smoked chicken salad. That wee bit of food (the slice of salmon was only about an inch wide) set us back $20+. But it was all good. The salmon was silky and rich, with a hint of sweetness. The lamb sausage (we ate one and saved one for another time) was akin to a Middle Eastern kielbasa - smoky and fatty with a hint of cumin. And the chicken salad was an unusual twist on a favorite. With a couple slices of hearty Irish brown bread from Atwater's, it made for a filling and unusual lunch.

Speaking of Atwater's...they are extending their hours at Belvedere Square: 8am to 8pm Monday - Saturday and 8am to 5pm on Sunday. And did you know you could find out their daily specials (for all locations) online? Just check the Web site.

Beef - It's What's for Dinner

Because we've got a lot of dining out coming up in the next few days (last night at Pazo, a belated birthday dinner for my brother; tonight and the rest of the weekend at assorted restaurants in Ocean City), Mr Minx and I decided to stay at home for our anniversary. We did stop by the Belvedere Market to pick up a sirloin from Ceriello's and both a peach tart and a flour-less chocolate cake with banana at Atwater's.

I seared the steak on both sides in a hot pan, then put the pan in a 350° oven for fifteen minutes, then I made a nice pan sauce with onions and button and oyster mushrooms. Mashed potatoes with sour cream, horseradish, and chives, and a salad with goat's cheese, Granny Smith apples, and toasted walnuts rounded out the meal. Mmm, mmm good!

We split the tart and the chocolate thingy, garnishing both with a scoop of pretty decent "Simply Enjoy" brand French vanilla gelato (from Giant; I want to try the pistachio next time), and washed it down with a bottle of Brachetto d'Acqui.

All in all, a very good meal on a very good day.