Break from the Storm

So many people are down over all the destruction from the storm so let's do something cheerful, something we haven't done in a long time:

PIE!!!

Haven't checked my Fond du Lac restaurant for quite some time for its daily selections, but let's start with the specials of the day.

SPARE RIBS AND SAUERKRAUT
Golden Brown HADDOCK FILLETS
Flavorful SALISBURY STEAK
[Mary happened to call as I am doing this, and I asked her "What is salisbury steak? I know what it is, but what is it?" Yeah, that question makes sense. She said it's basically hamburger meat in gravy. So I said I thought it was shreddy tough meat that you cook to hell. She said that's SWISS steak. Oh yes, I said. Definitely a food of the 1950s. Both our mothers prepared Swiss steak.]

Here's Wikipedia on Salisbury steak. Mary wondered where the name came from, and I said I'd research it so here goes:

Salisbury steak is a dish made from a blend of minced beef and other ingredients, which is shaped to resemble a steak, and is usually served with gravy or brown sauce. Hamburger steak is a similar product, but differs in ingredients. Salisbury steak was invented by an American physician, Dr. J. H. Salisbury (1823–1905), an early proponent of a low-carbohydrate diet for weight loss; the term "Salisbury steak" has been in use in the United States since 1897. The dish is popular in the United States, where it is traditionally served with gravy and mashed potatoes or noodles.

And it looks like this:

And now for Swiss steak:

Swiss steak is a method of preparing meat, usually beef, by means of rolling or pounding, and then braising in a cooking pot of stewed tomatoes, either on a stove (cooker) or in an oven.

The name does not refer to Switzerland, but instead to the process of "swissing," which refers to fabric or other materials being pounded or run through rollers in order to soften it. Swiss steak is typically made from relatively tough cuts of meat, such as the round, which have been pounded with a tenderizing hammer, or run through a set of bladed rollers to produce so-called "cube steak". The meat is typically coated with flour and seasonings and cooked in a gravy made from tomato and sometimes onions and peppers.

All these years, I thought Swiss people invented Swiss steak.

And here's what it looks like:

Back to the entrees:

Grilled Center Cut HAM STEAK

Deep Fried CHICKEN

I'll do the Salisbury Steak since it comes with mashed potatoes.

DESSERT TIME!!

Pick your pie:
•CHERRY PIE
•BANANA CREME PIE with Freshly Whipped Cream
•CHOCOLATE RITZ NUT TORTE with Freshly Whipped Cream
•APPLE PIE
•MINCE PIE with Rum Sauce
•PUMPKIN PIE
•WALNUT PIE

I'll do a piece of cherry with vanilla ice cream and a banana creme to go. And you?