This Week’s Menu: Two at the Table Menu Week of May 14, 2017

We have a very abbreviated menu this week, with only one dinner and no new recipes, but for a very good reason: we’re taking a trip to Florence! We’re really looking forward to some time away, to the sites of Italy, and of course to all the great food and wine we’ll enjoy while we are there.

We had lunch with Tony’s mom on Sunday and afterwards headed to Yankee Stadium to catch a game — and the ceremony retiring Derek Jeter’s number. We had dinner at the Stadium. Since we hit Mighty Quinn’s barbecue — a new comer to Yankee Stadium this season — on both of our last two trips, we decided to try something different. We shared the Lobel’s steak and fries, which was plenty of food for two people. During our next visit to the Stadium, we’re going  to try another new comer: Bareburger.

On Monday night, we’ll have leftovers: The New York Times’ Tarragon Chicken. We were very pleased at how this dish turned out when we made it on Saturday. It was very easy to make and really tasty. We had originally planned to have the chicken with a  green salad, but forgot to actually buy salad mix. Kim improvised by using things we already had in the house — peas, pancetta, and shallots — and made Bobby Flay’s Peas with Pancetta and Shallots. It was a perfect side, as the sweetness of the peas and shallots complemented the tarragon every nicely, while the crunchy, salty pancetta paired up nicely with the crunchy, salty chicken skin.

On Tuesday night, Kim will make Epicurious’ Lemony Chicken Milanese with Arugula Salad. We made this once before and it was as simple to make as it was delicious. We’ll probably order in on Wednesday night, as we’ll have to focus on packing for our trip and wrapping up any last-minute details.

We leave for Florence Thursday afternoon and won’t be back until the Sunday after next. We’re excited for the sites, of course, but are really looking forward to the food: fresh pastas, thick steaks, real gelato, and espresso. We’re going to try to document our trip the blog, so check back for updates over the next couple of weeks.