The Adirondack Chick

Grilled Ale Portobello Mushroom Burger

noreply@blogger.com (Michelle Maskaly) — Sat, 26 May 2012 04:42:00 +0000

Maybe I'm not a good beer drinker, because most of the time when I bring home a growler from a brewery, I never end up drinking it all in the appropriate amount of time. It gets flat and gross and undrinkable.

This is exactly what happened with the Ubu Ale I brought home from the Lake Placid Brewery a few weeks ago. I'd love to say I deliberately kept it in the fridge to use for this exact purpose, but unfortunately, I had just forgotten about until I went in there to see what I had to marinate some portobello mushrooms in.

I only marinated them for about 20 minutes while I was getting the grill ready, and they came fabulous. So tender and tasty!

If you don't have Ubu Ale, ~~head to the Adirondacks to get some immediately~~, you can use any good ale and feel free to substitute regular sea salt for the Hiwa Kai Hawaiian Sea Salt. Also, you can use regular goat cheese instead of the kalamata olive goat cheese if you don't have a Trader Joe's near you.

But if you do have access to all these specific ingredients, use them, because the combo comes out really good!

Grilled Ubu Ale Portobello Mushroom Burgers
by Michelle Maskaly, The Adirondack Chick

3 portobello mushroom caps
1 1/2 cups (or more) Ubu Ale, {or other good ale}
1 1/2 teaspoons dill
1/4 teaspoon Hiwa Kai Hawaiian Sea Salt
1/4 teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper
1 tablespoon grape seed oil
Trader Joe's Kalamata Olive Goat Cheese
1 onion grilled/pan sauteed

Put the mushrooms in a shallow dish and pour the Ubu Ale and grape seed oil over them. Sprinkle with dill, sea salt and pepper.

Coat both sides of the mushroom, and using a teaspoon fill the inside of the cap with the mixture. Marinate for a minimum of 20 minutes.

Grill the mushrooms for about 10 minutes or until tender. As the mushroom is cooking continue to baste it with any remaining marinade

Spread the goat cheese on the bottom of a toasted bun, add the mushroom and top with the grilled onions.

Serve immediately.

Enjoy!

Flip Flop Bender at Happy Jacks in Bolton Landing

noreply@blogger.com (Michelle Maskaly) — Fri, 25 May 2012 13:15:00 +0000

Hi, my name is Michelle and I'm a flip flop addict. Walking into Happy Jacks a few weeks ago in Bolton Landing didn't help my little habit -- a huge rack of flip flops on sale!

Although the sale may not still be going in, if you're looking for a place in the Lake George area to pick up stylish flip flops Happy Jacks is your place. I walked out with three pairs, plus a cute Roxy bag to carry them all in!

I mean, seriously, how could you pass these up?

Happy Jacks doesn't just have flip flops, they have cute novelty items, dresses, toys, sunglasses and more.

Behind the Scenes: The Rise and Fall of an Adirondack Chick Recipe

noreply@blogger.com (Michelle Maskaly) — Mon, 21 May 2012 15:02:00 +0000

I spent ~~all~~ much of this weekend creating a recipe for the Double H Ranch's Chuckwagon Cooking Challenge. Part of the requirement was that you had to create a 3-5 minute video, which of course had me in a panic.

To get over my fear of being on camera, I decided I would do several Touts giving people a little behind the scenes look at what it takes to make the recipes found on The Adirondack Chick. The good news, is that it was a ton of fun, they came out good and when it came to shooting the regular video today, I did pretty well.

The bad news is that after we were all done -- at 7 p.m. -- the audio didn't transfer over to my computer, and then on top of that, one whole segment, which was pretty important to the recipe didn't record. I was so upset. By the time we finally got the audio to work, it was so late that we really didn't have time to record the missing segment, because the deadline to enter the contest is today.

But, at least we had a total blast shooting, and these Touts were even more fun to create. I hope you enjoy them! Oh, and the recipe ended up coming out fabulous, so don't worry, I will be sharing it with you all very soon ... Maybe I'll even try shooting another video of it. :)

Top Chef's Ash Fulk Talks About His Love of Cooking

noreply@blogger.com (Michelle Maskaly) — Sun, 20 May 2012 16:06:00 +0000

Last week I was invited to the press reception for the Cheeses of France pop-up shop in Manhattan, where Chef Ash Fulk, a contestant on Season 6 of Bravo's "Top Chef," was cooking up a creamy, cheesy mac n' cheese.

Fulk, a California native who now works in Manhattan, was nice enough to talk with me about his love of cooking and how he ended up behind the stove.

He also gave us some tips on what every home cook, like myself, should have in their own kitchen.

If you're ever somewhere he's doing a demo, or have the opportunity to try his food, take advantage of it!

After Work Bliss at Henry's Rooftop Bar in the Roger Smith Hotel

noreply@blogger.com (Michelle Maskaly) — Fri, 18 May 2012 14:15:00 +0000

If you're looking for a chill and laid-back, but still hip place to grab an after-work drink in Manhattan, Henry's Rooftop Bar in the Roger Smith Hotel is your place. Plus, it's named after a dog, which is just adorable.

My friend Bridget and I checked it out earlier this week on a beautiful Spring night. It was absolutely gorgeous out! Although I'm usually a beer or wine person, their drink of the day, which I had seen on their Instagram account and twitter {use #drinkoftheday to find it}, just looked so refreshing that I had to try it.

It was a Blue Hawaiian -- a mixture of rum, vodka, blue curacao and pineapple juice. It wasn't too sweet, or too tart.

Nestled in the corner of the building, the space is small enough to give you an intimate feel, but large enough so that you're not shoulder to shoulder with the people at the table next to you.

The whole bar area, from the lights strung above to the backyard patio feel, make you feel right at home in a city that can sometimes seem ginormous.

The midtown hotel is known for their use of social media, and has become an example for others in the hospitality industry. We connected with them over Twitter, and true to their reputation for excellent customer service, their director of digital sales stopped by our table to chat for a while.

And, for those of you with four legged pals, the rooftop is dog friendly. Who knows, you might even be lucky enough to stop by when Henry is there.

Time for Pie at Starbucks

noreply@blogger.com (Michelle Maskaly) — Wed, 16 May 2012 21:02:00 +0000

I don't go to Starbucks that often, and ordering something other than a beverage is very unlikely. But, I couldn't pass up these adorable mini apple pies.

Plus, they said they were new, so I had to try it. They wet we're actually prett good: flaky with a buttery flavor. {They also come in cherry}

Mickey Mouse Mother's Day

noreply@blogger.com (Michelle Maskaly) — Mon, 14 May 2012 01:23:00 +0000

Happy Mother's Day!

Hope all our readers who are moms had a wonderful day. I spent the day with my mom at the nursing home where I brought her, and my dad, a dinner that I have been waiting to cook since last October when I got home from Disney World:

I've been saving this Mickeyroni and Cheese, as well as cookies in the shape of Disney characters, for Mother's Day so I could make it for her as a surprise.

To know my Mother is to know she is a total Mickey fanatic! Not a Disney fanatic, a Mickey fanatic. She clocks, charms, and more with the mouse, including a 3 foot one I got for her a few Christmases ago.

And, well who wouldn't love these cute cookies?

Just adorable!

I Need a Sunny Adirondack Fix

noreply@blogger.com (Michelle Maskaly) — Wed, 09 May 2012 14:43:00 +0000

I don't know what the weather is like where you are, but I'm in Manhattan today and it's cloudy, rainy and crummy -- which means, I need a sunny Adirondack fix.

So, in case you need one, too here it is. Shot this Sunday morning, which was a gorgeous day in Lake George.

Gluten Free, Vegan Shake That Actually Tastes Good?!

noreply@blogger.com (Michelle Maskaly) — Tue, 08 May 2012 14:55:00 +0000

For the past few weeks, this has been my go-to breakfast:

It’s kind of surprising, because I typically hate shakes and smoothies. They remind me of milkshakes, which I’m not a fan of.

But, plant-based Vega {now called Vega One and with a different label} is not your typical protein shake. It’s free of soy, gluten and dairy, can be made with water and is packed with protein, fiber, vitamins and minerals. Plus, it actually tastes good!

I had heard about Vega for a long time because I follow vegan bodybuilder Robert Cheeke, but only decided to buy a container of it in December after a blood test revealed I was a little deficient in some vitamins. I still put off opening it, and didn’t take my first sip until a few weeks ago.

Surprisingly, I liked the taste {I’ve been drinking the berry flavor} and I noticed I wasn’t craving caffeine, had more energy and just felt better overall. Just to test it out complete, I stopped drinking it for a few days and sure enough I started feeling sluggish and noticed I needed the morning caffeine.

It’s also so easy to make, I put one scoop {two scoops are recommended, but it’s a little too filling for me} in my plastic tumbler before I leave for work, then add water and shake it up when I get to work. It’s that easy. The green color has become a topic of conversation more than once in my office.

What I didn’t know was that Vega also makes other products like energy and vibrancy bars, which I’m on the hunt to find locally.

What's your breakfast routine?

Cooking Fail: Kale Chips Take 2

noreply@blogger.com (Michelle Maskaly) — Mon, 07 May 2012 11:00:00 +0000

Despite growing kale last year at both my house and my Dad's in New Jersey, I really wasn't a fan. It thought it was bitter and gross and just ick! But, the more I read about the health benefits of the vegetable, I was determined to make myself like it.

The first time I made it, I sauteed the leaves -- whole, stem and all -- in a pot with a little olive it toil and garlic. Well, I don't have to tell you that it came out tasting horrible. A few months ago, they had a large bag of the leaves on sale for $1.99. I snatched it up and started playing around in the kitchen with it. I found, that I really do like it, and what I think likely happened was that I let the kale leaves on the plant go for too long -- giving them a bitter taste.

What haven't been able to master yet, is kale chips, although I came really close last weekend.

After a lot of testing I finally found a flavor I love -- Adirondack maple and sea salt -- but I can't get them to the correct crispness without burning them. I've tried cooking them for a short amount of time on high heat and a longer amount of time on low heat, but either way they don't stay crisp or they get too crisp and burn.

Last weekend, they tasted good when they came out of the oven, but after putting them away in an air-tight container and coming back to them later that night, well, they were slimy and gross.

Any advice would be much appreciated! Especially since it looks like I'll have more kale this summer :)

A Minty Surprise

noreply@blogger.com (Michelle Maskaly) — Sun, 06 May 2012 19:32:00 +0000

I love growing my own vegetables, fruit and planting flowers around the house. In fact, if it were up to me, a majority of my yard would be covered in vegetation instead of grass -- although I guess the dog does need an area to run around and play ;-)

So, when Kim from Happy Hour in the High Peaks, asked me if I was interested in some of the extra rhubarb plants she had I eagerly said yes.

What was just as sweet of Kim was that she offer me some peppermint plants, too! And, I absolutely love peppermint -- and not just for mojitos. I'm always drinking peppermint tea for my usually grumpy tummy, so I'm really looking forward to trying to make my own tea with them.

I've never grown either of these before so any advice would be much appreciated. I'd also love for you to share a link to your favorite rhubarb and peppermint recipes!

Adirondack Inspired Mother’s Day Gifts

noreply@blogger.com (Michelle Maskaly) — Wed, 02 May 2012 16:52:00 +0000

You don’t need to live in upstate New York to share some of the best products, food and gifts you will find throughout the country. All of these, including tickets to Girlfriends Getaway in Bolton Landing, can be purchased over the internet.

Here are some hand-selected Adirondack area-inspired Mother’s Day gifts for that special Mom in your life:

Soap from Adirondack Aromatherapy

The more I learn about Gretchen and her husband, the very sweet and hard-working couple behind Adirondack Aromatherapy, the more I admire them, and their business! The soaps come in so many varieties, including Keylime Crystal, Herbmint, Creamsicle Scented Tangerine and Chai Tea.

You can order straight from their Etsy shop.

Tickets to Girlfriends Getaway in Bolton Landing

What could be better than a weekend of pampering at one of the most relaxing spots in New York? Girlfriends Getaway in Bolton Landingtakes place Mother’s Day weekend at The Sagamore Resort in Bolton Landing, N.Y., and is a perfect time for that special woman in your life to rejuvenate.

Spend three days, or just one, practicing yoga and photography, getting a makeover, hiking, learning to cook and more.

Cheese from the Adirondack Cheese Company

I just recently learned about the family-owned AdirondackCheese Company, and became a quick fan after tasting their creamy delicious cheeses. My favorites are their hickory smoked cheese, sun-dried tomato basil cheddar and port wine spread.

You can order from their website, or find local stores in your area that carry their product.

Handcrafted chocolate from Barkeater Chocolates

These chocolates are my go-to gift item. I send them as thank-you presents all the time. Barkeater Chocolate prices are reasonable, and the product is great. In theory they will also last longer than flowers, although after one bite, you might eat the whole box!

What are your go-to Mother's Day gifts?

Adirondack Cheese at the Adirondack Winery

noreply@blogger.com (Michelle Maskaly) — Wed, 02 May 2012 02:33:00 +0000

If you like cheese, and are anywhere near the Adirondack Winery in Lake George, stop in and pick up some Adirondack Cheese!

Last weekend folks from the Adirondack Cheese Company were at the winery holding a tasting of their fabulous cheese, which until then, I had never tried. They had their spreadable cheeses, as well as pieces of their brick cheeses -- both of which are available for sale at the winery.

All of their cheeses, especially their spreads, have a creamy, smooth taste, and each piece of the brick cheese bursts with flavor when you bite into it.

My friend Vikki and I both really liked their hickory smoked cheese, as well as their port wine spread. I also really enjoyed their sun-dried tomato basil cheddar.

And, an awesome for bonus for us vegetarians -- they told me they don't use animal rennet in their cheeses!

If you're not in the Adirondacks, you can also order a variety of their products online.

Hadley Maple in April Festival

noreply@blogger.com (Michelle Maskaly) — Sun, 29 Apr 2012 15:59:00 +0000

You could not have asked for a more perfect day for this year's Hadley Maple Festival. It was sunny and warm with a light breeze -- you could just feel spring in the air.

The best way to start off the day-long event is with breakfast at Wilder's Sugar Shack. It was well worth the $6 charity donation to benefit the Hadley Business Association’s Scholarship Fund: Crispy French toast, Oscar’s Smokehouse maple sausage and fresh maple syrup plus your choices of hot coffee, tea and juice.

Then we took a quick stroll over to the actual sugar shack where they make the maple syrup.

After, we took a stroll down the street checking out all the vendors, including one who had doggie treats, which Toby was more than happy to taste.

Plus, I finally got to meet Gretchen (and her husband) from Adirondack Aromatherapy! I've been talking with Gretchen over twitter for what seems like forever, but we had never met until yesterday. She is so sweet, and her soaps, lip balm and other handmade products are just beautiful.

There's also craft vendors, horse drawn carriage rides, a kid's play area, train exhibit, car show, live music and more at the event! You can see more photos from the day in our Facebook album.

Kale and Basil Pesto

noreply@blogger.com (Michelle Maskaly) — Mon, 23 Apr 2012 03:28:00 +0000

It was only last year that I made homemade pesto for the first time using the basil I grew in my garden. Can you believe it?! An Italian who never made pesto until she was in her thirties?! ;-)

As I researched pesto more, I found that you can really use a variety of greens to make it -- spinach and kale to name a few. So when some fresh kale I bought in bulk at BJ's and fresh basil I picked up at Trader Joe's a week ago were both starting to get a little old, I figured I'd try making a kale and basil pesto.

The color was amazing! Such a lush green. And, the taste was perfect. The kale cut the usually heavy basil taste. I didn't use any cheese in here, so it's not only gluten free, but it's also vegan.

Kale and Basil Pesto
by Michelle Maskaly, The Adirondack Chick

4 cups chopped kale leaves
1 cup basil leaves
1 cup {good} olive oil
1/2 cup pine nuts
4 cloves garlic
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

Chop the basil and garlic.

In a blender, add in the basil, garlic and 2 cups of kale in a blender. Turn the blender on and then slowly pour in half a cup of the olive oil. If you see it's not blending, turn off the blender and scrap the sides down making sure the oil makes it's way to the bottom and then begin blending again.

Once there are no more solid pieces left, add in the rest of the kale along with the pine nuts. Turn on the blender and slowly pour in the rest of the olive oil, scrapping down the sides and bottom, as needed. Add in the salt and blend.

Let the pesto sit for about 20 minutes and then either put over pasta, use on a sandwich or put in a container and refrigerate for later use.

Makes about 2 cups.

Enjoy!

This post was shared with the following websites: Kitchen Fun with my 3 Sons, Foodie Friday, Melt In You Mouth Mondays, Recipe Sharing Monday, Must Try Monday, My Sweet and Savory, Just Another Meatless Monday, Naptime Creations, Today's Creative, Tutorial Tuesday, 33 Shades of Green, Simply Sugar and Gluten Free, Gluten-Free Wednesday, What's Cooking Wednesday, Thrifty party, Whole Foods Wednesday, Frugally Sustainable,

Adirondack Festival of Food and Wine 2012 Preview

noreply@blogger.com (Michelle Maskaly) — Thu, 19 Apr 2012 16:45:00 +0000

The 7th annual Adirondack Festival of Food and Wine kicks off today at the Mirror Lake Inn! For the next four days, chefs, foodies, locals, wine enthusiests and those from all across the world will gather at in Lake Placid to watch cooking demos, sip speciality wines and open their pallet up to new tastes.

The best part? We'll be there on Saturday! I'm so excited, because this will be my first time attending! And believe it or not, it will be my first time at the Mirror Lake Inn!

This year's theme is "The Culinary Melting Pot": How taste influences the way we eat and drink. Guest chefs include: Chef Paul Sorgule, Chef John Barton, Chef Sarah Langan, Chef Curtiss Hemm, Chef George Higgins, Chef Louise Duhamel and Chef Kevin O'Donnell.

Plus, tons of guest presenters, including Ron Kapon, Shawn Dore, Doug McLeod, James and Anne McIlhenny and Bill and Kim Comiskey. {Hey, maybe one year I'll be on that guest presenters list ;-) }

Festival highlights include:

- An opening reception featuring: guest mixologists and theatrics with cocktails, an ice bar from Grey Goose and a wine bar.

- Guest Chef cooking demonstrations, wine seminars and tastings.

- The Ready-Set-Cook! Competition which pits the Inn's culinary team against the talents of guest chefs. {I'll be there for this on Saturday!}

- A seven-course dinner paired with wines prepared by guest chefs, the Inn's culinary team and our guest sommelier.

- A farewell brunch and tasting featuring live jazz music.

Sounds so fun, right?!

Make sure you're following The Adirondack Chick on Twitter, Facebook and Tout, because I'll be posting live from there on Saturday! Of course, I'll also be writing a post about the event afterwards, here, too.

I can't wait till Saturday!!! But, in the meantime, check out this cool video about the event:

Fresh Mozzarella, Tomato and Basil 'Sandwiches'

noreply@blogger.com (Michelle Maskaly) — Wed, 18 Apr 2012 15:53:00 +0000

The Saturday before Easter I headed to the Wegmans near my Dad's to pick up items for dinner the next day. If you have ever been to a Wegmans, you know it's hard to leave there with out coming out with at least half a dozen items you didn't go in there for.

Fourty dollars later, my shopping cart was filled with artichokes, asparagus, gluten-free breads, spinach, bananas, organic salad dressing, vine ripe tomatoes, stalks filled with basil leaves and fresh, hand-made mozzarella.

I'm typically not a sucker for those in-store tastings, usually because I don't eat what they're sampling. But, that day, they had small pieces of their fresh mozzarella. I couldn't pass it up. Plus, I had never tried their store brand before.

It was over at the first bite.

I finally used all the ingredients last night to make a fresh mozzarella, tomato and basil "sandwiches." To tell you the truth, I started out making a traditional mozzarella and tomato appetizer, got done and realized I forgot the basil. When I took the cheese and tomato off the plate to do it again, I started stacking them on the cutting board and thought, "hmm, that looks interesting. Why not arrange them that way?" So I did. :)

Fresh Mozzarella, Tomato and Basil 'Sandwiches'
by Michelle Maskaly, The Adirondack Chick

This is one of those dishes you can make a lot or a little depending on how many people/food you have to work with, so you'll see no set amounts.

Tomatoes
Fresh mozzarella
Fresh basil leaves
Fresh ground black pepper
Olive oil
Salt

Slice the tomatoes and mozzarella. Rise and dry the basil leaves.

Arrange a single player of the tomato slices on the plate. Top each of them with a basil leaf. Cover with a slice of mozzarella, followed by a slice of tomato.

Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Drizzle a little bit of olive oil over the whole plate. Use extra basil leaves to decorate the plate. If you're using a circular plate, top the center tomato 'sandwich' with a slice of mozzarella for a nice contrast.

Oh, p.s. -- I called them sandwiches, because I thought that's what they looked like! Plus, I started joking around that you eat'em like a sandwich and did it with on as a joke, and well, it kinda just stuck! :)

Enjoy!

This post was shared with the following websits: Gluten-Free Homemaker, What's Cooking Wednesday, Whatever Goes Wednesday, Penny Pinching, Real Food Wednesday, This Chick Cooks,

Quinoa Pilaf with Artichokes, Leeks and Sugar Snap Peas

noreply@blogger.com (Michelle Maskaly) — Mon, 16 Apr 2012 13:56:00 +0000

The nice folks over at Carapelli sent over this delicious recipe the other day! Leeks, quinoa, artichokes and sugar snap peas -- doesn't that just make you want to jump in the kitchen and start cooking this delicious combination?!

As long as you use the vegetable broth, it's vegetarian and gluten free. To make it vegan, just omit the cheese. It's totally my kind of recipe -- easy to modify depending on who is eating it.

I've been a can of Carapelli olive oils since they sent me a bottle of their organic olive oil last year. A week of cooking with it, and I was hooked.

If you haven't tried it, you absolutely must! And, Carapelli is current offering a printable $1 off coupon on their website. Grab a bottle and then make this tasty recipe -- that's what I did!

Quinoa Pilaf with Artichokes, Leeks and Sugar Snap Peas

Courtesy of Carapelli

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons Carapelli Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 large leek, white and light green parts thinly sliced
1-3/4 cups reduced sodium chicken or vegetable broth
1 cup quinoa, rinsed and drained (if quinoa is prewashed omit this step)
1 cup diagonally halved sugar snap peas or shelled fresh peas
1 (6.5 ounce) jar marinated artichoke hearts, drained, coarsely chopped
3 tablespoons pine nuts, toasted
2 tablespoons grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add leek; cook 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in broth and quinoa; bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low; cover and simmer 7 minutes.

Stir in sugar snap peas; cover and continue to simmer 6 to 8 minutes or until most of broth is absorbed. Stir in artichoke hearts; heat through. Top with pine nuts, cheese and pepper.

Serves 4.

Baby Kale

noreply@blogger.com (Michelle Maskaly) — Mon, 16 Apr 2012 02:36:00 +0000

Well, wasn't I surprised to see this today --

Despite thinking we took out all the plants from last year, apparently, the kale plant wasn't all gone! Very excited to see some vegetation in the garden even before I plant this year's garden. :)

My Favorite Flower

noreply@blogger.com (Michelle Maskaly) — Thu, 12 Apr 2012 23:37:00 +0000

I love sunflowers! The one in the photo at the top of my site was one I grew the first year I bought my house in the Adirondacks.

They got pretty tall, but not like those giant ones you see in photos. For my first attempt at them, it didn't come out too bad. :)

The photo below is one I saw the other day in the grocery store, and had to do everything I could not to purchase it.

Last night I posted it on our Facebook page, asking what everyone's favorite flower was. Much to my pleasure many of them were also fans of the sunflower.

What's your favorite flower?

Trying to Figure Out Technorati

noreply@blogger.com (Michelle Maskaly) — Thu, 12 Apr 2012 19:05:00 +0000

Do you use Technorati? It's been on my list of things to conquer since I started writing The Adirondack Chick, but from the moment I logged in I was confused.

Years later, I've finally figured out how to add my claim code DNJ7XN7QGPHF to my site Unfortunately, it seems you have to write a separate post.

How did I learn this? From Google of course, because their website's FAQ is not exactly the easiest. So in case you need help, too, here is the article where I found the information.

Adding Technorati tags, I'm sure, will be another disaster. If you have any experience with this, please let me know in the comments below! :)

A Very Veggie Easter {with a few cooking fails}

noreply@blogger.com (Michelle Maskaly) — Tue, 10 Apr 2012 15:07:00 +0000

Entertaining 101 will warn you to never try a new recipe, or in my case recipes, for the first time when you are hosting a large crowd. Well, I tend not to follow the rules very well, because it always seems I'm trying some new dish when people come over or I am going somewhere.

Knock on wood most of the creations turn out OK, but there have been a few, like the liquor-filled cake I tried to make for a friend's dinner, that have come out a complete disaster. Luckily, Easter in my family is a good time to try things.

While everyone else in the family is chowing down on pork loin, cabbage rolls and kielbasi, this vegetarian uses the holiday to test new recipes on my Aunt, who isn't a full vegetarian, but leans toward a plant-based diet, and will try most of what I make.

After going to Wegmans and finding beautiful portobello mushrooms, artichokes and asparagus, I decided it was time to play. The menu for my portion of the dinner included:
- red wine grilled portobello mushrooms
- blanched asparagus
- boiled and grilled artichokes
- lemon honey vinaigrette/dipping sauce
- gluten free asparagus and onion focaccia
- apple berry pie cumble

Although I've been making artichokes and asparagus for as long as I can remember, I've never prepared it this way -- and I had never tried making focaccia, nevermind a gluten-free version.

Oh boy, was this going to be interesting. I really thought there were going to be many more cooking fails {what I'm labeling things that don't come out well in this and future posts, just because I find it funny} than there were.

The biggest issue was the new artichoke recipe, and in the end, everyone seems to suggest the problem was that the artichokes weren't very mature, so there was not much meat on them. I have four more in the fridge, so I'm going to try it again.

The focaccia came decent, but I think I would use a different oil and maybe add a little more flavor to the flour. Those recipes still need some work. But, the Apple Berry Pie Crumble, the asparagus and the mushrooms came out fabulous and I'll be sharing the recipes with you soon. The lemon honey vinaigrette/dipping sauce also came out great, but because I was rushing around I never measured ingredients. I have a slight idea of how much of what I put in, so I'm going to try it again, but this time while recording amounts of each ingredient.

For now, here's a short set of Touts, 15 second videos that capture our Easter cooking adventure. I hope you enjoy them! When watched one after the other, they create a mini cooking-like show without the time-consuming editing process, so I hope you enjoy them!

Vegetarian Passover Extravaganza

noreply@blogger.com (Michelle Maskaly) — Sun, 08 Apr 2012 00:15:00 +0000

By now, you are all likely familiar with my friend Vikki, who in addition to being an awesome Disney travel agent and journalist, is also a fabulous cook. Well, yesterday she and her husband were nice enough to invite me to Passover.

Since it fell on Good Friday, and some of the guests were Catholic, she decided to do an all vegetarian Passover, and invited me to come over early Friday morning and help cook. I love cooking with Vikki because we just work really well together in the kitchen. Since we have slightly different pallets, we bring different tastes to what we're cooking.

Yesterday was no different, including the Napa Cabbage Spring Rolls we threw together on the fly by continuing to taste and retaste our mixture. We were in such a rush that we never wrote any of the measurements down, but I hope we can recreate the mixture again.

It was an all-day undertaking that started at 9 a.m. with guests arriving at 6 p.m. Vikki made an incredible spread that would make any vegetarian or vegan drool. In between cooking, I tried to take a few photos and also recorded some Touts, short 15 second videos, that will show you a little of what we cooked.

Thanks again Vikki and Les for a fabulous day and dinner. :)

Pretzels & Beer at The Ginger Man

noreply@blogger.com (Michelle Maskaly) — Thu, 05 Apr 2012 21:52:00 +0000

It just so happened a bunch of Twitter friends from the Adirondacks, including me, were all separately in New York City last weekend. Using the power of social media, we all met up in Manhattan Saturday afternoon for lunch.

We ended up at a place called The Ginger Man, where beautiful, almost floor-to-ceiling windows greet customers before they even walk in.

If you like beer, you must go here -- they have 70 taps and 160 bottles available. It's like going on a craft beer tour without ever leaving your bar stool.

Large groups can gather around weathered, picnic-like tables, or sit in their back lounge for a more sophisticated feel. If people watching is your thing, grab a seat at one of the tables when you walk in -- you will not be disappointed.

With a slight hesitation, I tried their ginger beer. My fear was that the ginger taste would be a little too strong. Not at all! It had just the right amount.

Pair it with one of the hand-made soft pretzels, which when eaten together, brings out a little more of the ginger flavor. Oh, and the pretzels are an attraction themselves. Soft on the inside with a crispy outside, they are the perfect bar food.

They have your traditional soft pretzel, cinnamon-sugar or Parmesan garlic. And, if you want to be a little non-traditional try one of the dips they offer as an alternative to mustard. I picked their pesto and wasn't disappointed.

This place quickly landed on my list of places to go back to!

Creamy Ricotta, Red Pepper & Onion Pizza

noreply@blogger.com (Michelle Maskaly) — Thu, 29 Mar 2012 04:05:00 +0000

If you're not sick of risotto recipes, I'm sure you have to be sick of pizza recipes by now. ;-)

Like the risotto, pizzas are so easy to make and are perfect for using up what you have in your fridge. I usually keep a package of Udi's Gluten Free Pizza Crusts in my freezer for nights like Tuesday when I wanted to throw a quick pizza together.

I had leftover sauce and ricotta from the lasagna I made on Saturday, plus some red peppers, onions and a chunk of mozzarella I didn't want to go bad, so I put them all together and had a great veggie pizza. This time, I did something a little different.

Usually, I put either ricotta or sauce on pizza. This time, I mixed the hot sauce in a bowl with the ricotta and then spread it on the crust before topping it with the vegetables. It came creamy, and an extra layer of flavor to the pizza. Definitely something I would try again.

I don't have exact measurements, because like I said, it was a bunch of leftovers, so this is basically what I did:

Mix hot sauce and ricotta together, and spread it on the pizza crust.

Layer onions, followed by red peppers and then topped with mozzarella.

Cook in the oven according to the time advised on the crust's package.

Enjoy!