| |  | | Dandelion Diner | |
Hello! Come on in and grab a table. I'll be right there with a glass of water and a menu. 
I'm a bit distracted due to the presence of auditors sitting at my best table and eating all the free chips and salsa they can talk Houndstooth out of. It's all the fault of the third ex-wife, who is convinced I'm getting rich off of burgers and fries. Sheesh!
I'm also short-handed at the moment. My cook quit and ran off with a Mother Goose character in another thread. But, not to worry, I'm a mighty good cook myself. You don't have to worry about leaving hungry. 
You won't find anything fancy here, just plain old good grub  , good whiskey  , and a place to jaw. The menu isn't large, but everything is so good you don't need a lot of choices. I've opened up here on my personal page because at the moment I have a smallish group of customers and we don't need anything fancy. If the need ever arises, we can move into bigger digs.
My waiter is actually a bot named Houndstooth.   He's a might peculiar acting at times, but the company I got him from told me that he probably isn't dangerous. 
Each weekend I'll post a recipe of the week in my journal. That'll give you folks something good to cook for Sunday dinner.
My name is Wolfgang, but since another cook has made a name for himself using MY moniker, I usually go by my nickname, Dan. Folks often ask me how I got Dan out of Wolfgang. Well, it's actually Dandelion. You see, I went into business years ago growing and selling dandelion greens to fancy French restaurants. It wasn't a particularly good business, but I've been Dan ever since.
I've gotten a reputation for being a scoundrel. That is totally undeserved. I'm simply plain-spoken and call them like I see them.
 
 MENU
Disclaimer: I don't want to hear it. You want healthy, go someplace else.
Breakfast:
The Dandelion Diner Build-Your-Own Breakfast Special....Choose from ham, bacon or country sausage (made fresh with just a touch of sage), eggs, cooked however you like them, hashbrowns, hot buttermilk biscuits, cream gravy, flapjacks topped with sliced cooked apples in a cinnamon syrup, and all the orange juice and hot coffee you can drink.
Sandwiches:
All sandwiches are served with your choice of onion rings, Suzy-Q's, chili and cheese tots, or plain old chips. 
Dandelion Diner Burger....a half-pound of lean ground sirloin, grilled with onions, on a freshly-baked poppy seed roll. Cheese optional.
Dandy Dog....a 4 oz. link of smoked kielbassa, grilled with onions, on a freshly-baked poppy seed roll. Chili optional. 
Grilled Cheese....four kinds of cheese melted together between slices of freshly-made marble rye. Served with grilled onions.
(The fixings are on that table in the corner. Help yourself.)
Soups:
Ox tail Soup.....fresh vegetables (onions, carrots, celery, cabbage, potatoes, tomatoes) and barley cooked in a rich broth.
Dandelion Broth....a rich chicken broth with onions, garlic, rice and shredded kale.
Wolf it down Chili.....chopped sirloin with onions and just the right amount of seasonings.  (If you want beans in your chili, go someplace else.)
Cowboy Stew - big chunks of lean stew meat, onions, potatoes, carrots, peas and mushrooms in a rich gravy.
Special of the Day:
Monday.....fried chicken (2 pieces), mashed potatoes (made with roasted garlic, chopped grilled onions and cream cheese), gravy, string beans, a side salad and a biscuit.
Tuesday....Salisbury steak topped with grilled onions, steamed rice, gravy, California blend vegetables, wilted spinach salad, and a corn muffin.
Wednesday....carne guisada (pork chunks, onions and garlic and cumin in a rich gravy) served with flour tortillas, seasoned rice, refried beans, and freshly-made salsa.
Thursday....spaghetti and meatballs, a side salad, and warm focaccia topped with olive oil, poppy seeds, and grilled onions.
Friday....barbecued brisket topped with grilled onions, coleslaw, ranch-style beans, potato salad, the special Dandelion Diner Bar-B-Que sauce and jalapeno cornbread.
Saturday and Sunday I expect you to cook something for me. Hey. I need some time off, the same as everyone else.
Desserts:
Apple pie
Vanilla ice cream
Apple pie with vanilla ice cream.
If you enjoy your meal and decide to leave a tip.....how about the winner of the daily double at Belmont.
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Journal Entries
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| Welcome to this Researcher's Journal. If you'd like to comment on anything they have written here, just click the relevant 'Discuss this Entry' button. Waiter Wanted
Jul 20, 2005
Houndstooth has been won by my fourth ex-wife in a legal settlement. That leaves me without a waiter. Applications are now being accepted.
Dia de los Muertos Buffet
Nov 1, 2003
Hello folks. Welcome to the first (probably last) Dia de los Muertos All You Can Eat Buffet. Having spent many years in the Southwest this is a familiar event to me. But for those who have been birthed and bunked in other climes, I'll give a very brief explanation of the holiday then get to the reason for your visit - the food!
Dia de los Muertos - The Day of the Dead - is celebrated on November 1 and 2 in Mexico and the American Southwest. Its roots go back to the Aztecs. Americans often confuse it with Halloween because of the time of the year and the use of skulls and skeletons, but there is nothing spooky ot gruesome about it. The date was chosen after the Spanish conquest to blend in with All Saints Day and All Souls Day in the Catholic liturgy.
Dia de los Muertos is a gigantic family reunion that honors the spirits of ancestors and departed loved ones. The first day honors the souls of infants and small children, and the second day honors the souls of adults. Families gather at the cemeteries with offerings of food, flowers, candles, religious statues, liquor, and cigarettes. The clean the graves then have a picnic at the gravesites if the weather permits - which it usually does.
It is believed that the souls of the departed are allowed to return to earth and participate in the festivities. Another common element in the Day of the Dead celebrations is the construction in their homes of an offrenda or alter dedicated to the memory of a departed loved one. The offrenda is decorated with flowers, usually yellow marigolds because they are native to Mexico and readily available, a photo of the deceased, favorite objects that belonged to the deceased, favorite foods and drink and candy shaped like skeletons. It also contains votive candles and statues of patron saints and usually a picture of Jesus.
Food is a major part of the celebration. The most famous food associated with it is Pan de Muerto, which is an anise-flavored bread shaped into round loaves decorated with bones or skulls and into loaves shaped like skulls. Mole is usually served as well. But each family will have it's own traditions based upon the favorite foods of the deceased.
Now that that's out of the way, let's talk buffet. You'll notice that I have three buffet tables set up for you. Table one has appetizers, soups and salads. Table two has entrees. Table three has desserts. There's a grill in the corner where you can order a steak and the bar is always open. If you can't find something here to suit you, then go home and cook your own.
Table 1: 
Appetizers -
Chips with Pico de Gallo
Baked Nachos
Flautas (deep-fried rolled tacos)
Huevos Endiablados (deviled eggs)
Hongos Rellenos (stuffed mushrooms)
Guacamole (avocado dip)
Pepinos (cucumber wedges)
Albondigas en Salsa de Chile (meatballs in chili sauce)
Aguacate RElleno con Jaiba (stuffed avocado and crab)
Coctel de Camaron (shrimp cocktail)
Soups -
Sopa de Cervesa y Queso (beer and cheese soup)
Menudo (tripe stew)
Pozole (pork and hominy stew)
Sopa Xochitl (zucchini soup)
Sopa de Frijol (bean soup)
Salads -
Ensalada de Romanita (tossed Romaine salad)
Ensalada de Nopalitos (cactus salad)
Curados (hot pickled vegetables)
Ensalada de Naranja con Salsa de Nuez (orange salad with pecan dressing)
Ensalada de Coliflor (cauliflower and avocado salad)
Ejotes (green beans)
Table 2:
Entrees - 
Huachinango al Horno (baked red snapper)
Paella (rice and seafood)
Camarones a la Veracruzana (shrimp Veracruz)
Bacalao al Mojo de Ajo (cod with garlic)
Mole Poblano (chicken in mole sauce)
Pollo a la Mexicana (Mexican chicken)
Asado a la Mexicana (Mexican pot roast)
Matambre (stuffed flank steak)
Cocido de Carne de Res con Tequila (beef and tequilla stew)
Albondigon de Carne (braised meat loaf)
ASsado de Puerco (roast loin of pork)
Tamales de Puerco (shredded pork tamales)
Puerco al Comino (pork and cumin)
Calabacitas al la Mexicana (Mexican succotash)
Souffle de Elote (corn souffle)
Tomates Rellenos (baked stuffed tomatoes)
Arroz a la Mexicana (Mexican rice)
Frijoles Refritos (refried beans)
Coliflor con Quso (cauliflower cheese bake)
Table 3:
Desserts - 
Platanos Flambe (bananas flambe)
Fresas al Conac (sauteed strawberries)
Peras Rellenas (pears stuffed with dates)
Flan al Conac (cognac custard)
Capirotada (Mexican bread pudding)
Sopaipills (fried bread puffs)
Bunuelois (fried sweet puffs)
Cafe Diablo (flaming coffee)
Helado de Mango y Miel (mango and honey ice cream)
Torta de Almendra (almond torte)
That's it. Find a table, fill your plates and stay awhile. All recipes are available on request.
Wolfgang
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Last posted: Oct 14, 2009
