Creative in Cremona

Central Jersey, with it's shifty little buildings in tiny towns where a train stop is a big attraction, are the highlights of the community these days. October with flashy orange pumpkins on every store step are over. The red trees, the orange trees and the kids wearing the last days of flip-flops are over. Yesterday it rained, blowing the last of the yellow leaves off the oaks and the red leaves off the maples. The trees woke up bald and sad like a country song where the guitar drowns. Today woke up dreary and foggy, misty and chilly saying, "The colorful days are done." So they are autumn, so they are. My chef said it in a more sensitive way really making sure I would enjoy the winter, "Look outside the window, doesn't it remind you of a 1940's military prison? You can even see the guard sitting by our neighbors window ready to shoot us if we escape." Positive thoughts in this house. I really enjoyed autumn here and am not quite ready to accept winter. But there is always one thing about winter that I am ready to accept: Arthur's.

Imagine it is cold, very cold about 16 degree F. The ground has been frozen for weeks and you practically ice-skate to your car. Forget that, remember getting dressed for a 16 degree day? Thermal underpants (don't forget to use the bathroom first), thick wool pants over that, a thermal shirt, button down shirt, cardigan to attempt looking cute. Smear on some Blistex before putting on lipstick. Eat breakfast stiff in your winter outfit. Pull on hat, tie and tie scarf around making sure you can peak your nose in if you need to, tug on coat and say goodbye to the cats who are looking at you saying, "Ain't you the dumb one for being born a human and not a lazy cat. Quit your day job and come lounge with us." You wish, roll your eyes and go out in the cold that feels like a slap in the face with an ice block. And there you go shuttling off day after day after day.

What would you want to eat on a day like that? Let me tell you. Arthur's. There is this magical little steakhouse in the sleepy town of Morris Plains called Arthur's Steakhouse and it isn't for vegetarians. Arthur's is so good you can smell the steak blocks away. As you get close you see big guys who just parked speed walking to get in to the restaurant trying to beat the chubby guys speed walking next to them. Arthur's is usually full of big men so that says good steak. And they are right, it is good steak.

Today it was foggy, chilly and damp. After mass ended we decided to go to Arthur's and were glad to see that it was only 1 PM so in theory we should beat the big guys dashing there for lunch. As we parked we saw 3 people ahead of us, so we started huffing and puffing to get ahead of them, they saw us and started sprinting towards the door. We all crashed inside of Arthur's glaring at each other and all blurting "Table for 3!" "Table for 2!". The host looked at us smuggly and said "Aohhhhh.....weeee don't ACTUALLY open till teww." It was 1:30. So why did they have the door unlocked? So we walked around the neighborhood counting the minutes and collecting dew drops on our rain coats. At 1:56 PM we went back and were seated.

Here is what we ate, and what you would eat on a 16 degree F. day:

Hurry! They are beating us!

 We had to walk around before eating...

Robert's Garden

Someone reading in a tree :)

I like this house. It inspires me. 

This way for the food.

Downtown Morris Plains

 Finally we got in Arthur's. It is decorated like a typical east-coast pub with giant liquor bottles dangling as chandeliers.

Every table has a large bowl of pickles and peppers.

There she is! 24 oz. of juicy buttery goodness. 

Moooo

mmmm

All done!

 In other healthy news, I have been baking every Sunday since the temperature got chilly. Here is what was whipped up this week:

Butter and an egg

Bentley watching distrustfully from a safe distance. 

Gingerbread cookies

ready for lunch!

In book news, I just finished reading, "If you lived here I'd know your name: News from Small-town Alaska". It is totally worth reading. You can see it here. The author is an obituary writer in a teeny town called Haines Alaska and her descriptions of the place really bring you there face to face with bears, glaciers, salmon and the most fascinating Alaskan people. It reminded me what it means to live in a town where people depend on each other, it reminded me to be nicer to the people I see every day, to be more considerate of how I live my life and how I affect those around me. And it ended in a way I totally didn't expect: with the death of her dog....and it made me bawl. I was sitting on the couch reading along when BAM her dog dies and she describes how it happened, how it was living with him every day for 10 years, how he warmed her feet and how he died. I bawled and pet Bentley and Fatty who looked annoyed. But it is a good book worth reading if you have never gone to Alaska and want to feel what it is like without purchasing the ticket.