Runs with Spatula...

Fire Roasted Tomato Soup and Smoked Mozzarella and Pesto Quesadilla

noreply@blogger.com (Amy) — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 05:01:00 +0000

When I saw this soup on foodgawker, I knew that I had to check out the recipe. Once I did, I discovered a great new blog to follow and a recipe that moved to the top of my list of bookmarks! The recipe comes from Life’s Ambrosia and it is fabulous. If you are looking for comfort food, this is the recipe for you. This will be a regular for me this winter. I adapted the recipe slightly secondary to Corky’s diet restrictions, restricted sodium and saturated fat. Given that I have at least two dozen basil pesto cubes in the freezer, I decided that a pesto garnish was in order too!

Corky loves Tomato Soup and really wanted a grilled cheese sandwich with it. I chose to make myself a quesadilla with a low carb tortilla grilled with smoked mozzarella cheese and more pesto! It was an unbelievable combination and I recommend you try it. Now.

Onions and Garlic ready to hit the pan.

Simmering on the stove.

Do not skip tempering the Half and Half…unless you really like curdled soup!

I love this tool…ha ha…she said tool.

Fire Roasted Tomato Soup

adapted from Life’s Ambrosia

1 T Olive Oil
1 T Earth Balance Stick
1/2 medium sweet onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup dry white wine
1 (28 ounce) can Low Sodium Fire Roasted Tomatoes
3/4 cup vegetable broth
1/2 t sugar
fresh cracked pepper and sea salt
1/2 cup Half and Half
Basil Pesto for Garnish

Melt Earth Balance with Olive Oil in Stock Pot. Add chopped onion and garlic and cook until onion is softened, approximately 5 minutes. Add white wine and simmer for 1 minute. Add canned Tomatoes, Vegetable Broth and sugar. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low.

Add 2 T of hot soup to the Half and Half and stir to temper. Slowly add the Half and Half to the soup pot while stirring. Allow to simmer on low for 30 minutes.

Using an immersion blender, puree soup until smooth.

Just before serving, garnish top with 1-2 t of basil pesto.

I opted to use the low sodium tomatoes so that I had control over the sodium level. I added at least a half teaspoon of sea salt when I seasoned the soup. The added salt has a much healthier sodium level than the regularly processed product. Soup is one thing that is hard to order in restaurants or buy commercially when you are on a restricted sodium diet. Making it at home with low sodium canned products allows you to add exactly how much you need for flavor and not go overboard!

As a rule, I am not a fan of margarine or spreads or “fake” butter. Earth Balance is an exception to that rule. All it takes is a loved one’s cardiac event to make you look outside your norm for healthier alternatives. Earth Balance is a natural “buttery spread” which is both organic and vegan. It is delicious. I still use butter when baking for special occasions, but other than that, Earth Balance is always in our fridge. If you or a loved one need to restrict saturated fat, you need to check it out. It is available in several varieties including original, whipped, soy and sticks.

Corky’s Sandwich with Boar’s Head White American Cheese on Honey Oat Bread, lightly brushed with Earth Balance.

Low Carb Quesadilla Prep.

I love my Calphalon Grill Pan.

Smoked Mozzarella and Pesto Quesadilla

Top one low carb tortilla with 1/3 cup grated smoked mozzarella cheese
Spread basil pesto on one tortilla with a pastry brush
Put tortillas together and brush top with melted Earth Balance or Butter
Place butter side down on a grill pan and grill until browned and crisp at edges
Brush other side while the quesadilla is grilling
Flip and cook evenly on other side
Remove from pan, slice and serve with hot soup

This was an awesome meal and one that will be repeated throughout the winter. In fact, we are already planning on making the soup again this weekend! I hope you try this recipe. It is fantastic. Thank you Des at Life’s Ambrosia for posting such a great recipe that inspired my meal!

The Prickly Pear Southwest Cafe, Ann Arbor, Michigan

noreply@blogger.com (Amy) — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 05:26:00 +0000

The Prickly Pear Southwest Cafe was one of my favorite restaurants in Ann Arbor when I lived and worked in that area. They were always good for a fast and flavorful meal and the perfect location to meet friends after work, catch dinner before a show or meet a date. When Corky and I made plans to head to Ann Arbor for the Jill Sobule concert last week with our friend Janet, we decided that we would go there for dinner. I thought it was the perfect location since it is right down the block from The Ark and they have a variety of southwestern fare for the carnivore and herbivore alike!

We started with an order of guacamole which was, as Janet put it, “unremarkable.” It was just bland, needed salt and was a little off color. I love guacamole and am usually happy whether it is a very simple guacamole with just onions, tomatoes and garlic salt or a complex mixture with chilies, cilantro pesto and pepitas. This was neither!

The menu was pretty much exactly as I remember it the last time I was there, five years ago. I ended up ordering off the special menu and was very happy with my selection. I had lamb chops served with a spicy mole sauce, sweet potato cake, creamed spinach, rice and beans. The lamb was cooked medium rare and with the side of mole sauce for dipping, was delicious. The sweet potato cake was perfect with the lamb. While the spinach was delicious, it was a little too rich for me. Beans…uninspired and plentiful. All three of us had beans with our meals and I swear there had to be 2 pounds of beans between the three plates! They like legumes here!

Corky ordered the Chicken Fajitas and thought they were “good” but “ordinary and not really special.” Chicken Fajitas are his go to menu item for a relatively healthy meal that is easily customized. The portion was generous and I swear it was served with a whole package of tortillas! Between that and the pound of beans on the side, I think we could have fed a family of four!

Janet was torn between her desire to order what she always orders at Prickly Pear, the Shrimp and Scallop Quesadillas and the desire to try something new. She decided to try something new, and while she reported that the Spinach Enchiladas were tasty, she was still left with the feeling that she should have ordered her regular. Sometimes you shouldn’t mess with a good thing.

At the risk of ticking off Janet and having her boycott all further meals with us, here is a picture of her playing carnivore for the evening. The lamb chops were tasty!

Overall, our meal was good with the exception of the gray guacamole. The portions were generous and I enjoyed my leftover lamb and sweet potato cake the next day for dinner! We will go back again and I am sure Janet will too…but I bet she orders the Shrimp and Scallop Quesadillas next time!

Roasted Cauliflower and Carrot Soup

noreply@blogger.com (Amy) — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 00:08:00 +0000

I still have a few things stocked away from my summer CSA share. I have 6 pumpkins and 2 acorn squash waiting for an afternoon project. I also have a stockpile of garlic and onions. With the unseasonably warm weather we are having right now, the farm is still producing. Titus Farms even sent an email out to the CSA participants this week to let us know that they would be at the Lansing City Market with their fall bounty. I picked up a head of cauliflower and a bunch of carrots with this soup in mind!

The basic idea for this soup was made up in my mind, but I am sure there are several recipes out there that inspired me. After all, I do read a lot of cookbooks, food magazines and food blogs!

Roasted Cauliflower and Carrot Soup

1 medium head of cauliflower

3 large carrots

1 medium onion

4 cloves of garlic

2 T Olive Oil

2 t Hot Curry Powder (or to taste)

4 cups low sodium Chicken Broth/Stock

1/2 t sea salt

Wash and cut cauliflower, carrots and onion and chop coarsely. Place in roasting pan and add whole garlic cloves. Toss with 2T Olive Oil and 1 or 2 teaspoons of Hot Curry Powder. Roast in a 400 F Oven for 25-30 minutes, shaking pan every 10 minutes. Transfer vegetables to a stock pot and add chicken stock. Season with sea salt and add additional Curry Powder if needed. Bring to a boil and turn down heat. Allow soup to simmer for an additional 20-25 minutes or until vegetables are very tender. Add 1 c water to make up for evaporation. Turn off the heat and puree soup to desired consistency with an immersion blender.

Makes 4 servings

This smells unbelievable while it is roasting!

When they come out of the oven they should be golden, caramelized and “almost” tender.

I used the Trader Joe’s Low Sodium Chicken Broth. It comes in a box and luckily, one box contains roughly 4 cups of broth. I allowed it to simmer for at least 25 minutes. I also added one cup of water to replace the liquid lost to evaporation. I ended up doubling up on the curry powder at this point, using 2 t total. I am a big fan of curry and like it a little on the hot side. This is totally a matter of personal preference!

This is one of my favorite kitchen tools. It is one of the original Braun stick blenders that came out in the mid 90s, before they started coming with all the whistle and bell attachments. It still works perfectly. If the soup is too thick, add a little water or chicken broth at this point. Taste and adjust seasoning (salt and/or curry powder) as needed. O.K., I will admit to adding “just another shake” of Curry Powder. No wonder Corky wasn’t happy that the apartment smelled like Curry (again) when he came home…oops!

This soup was excellent and it was nice to use my end of the season bounty from Titus Farms to make something nutritious and tasty! It will also make a great lunch to take to work tomorrow. It was creamy and thick without the need to add cream or half and half to it. It could also easily be made vegetarian by substituting Vegetable Broth for the Chicken Broth.

Curry Roasted Garbanzo Beans

noreply@blogger.com (Amy) — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 17:02:00 +0000

The Chick Pea is neither a chick, nor a pea…discuss.

I have always been a big fan of the legume, specifically the Garbanzo Bean or “Chick Pea.” Probably the tastiest Garbanzo Snack I have ever had was on a trip to the Finger Lakes in August, 2008 when we had Deep Fried Garbanzo Beans as an appetizer at the Red Dove Tavern in Geneva, New York. Since in home frying is not my forte and something I try to not eat on a regular basis, I prefer roasting them. You can experiment and find what works best for you. I like to roast them long enough that they dry out a bit and are a little on the crunchy side. They are quite tasty with a little chew still left to them as well. They make a great treat as a mid afternoon snack at work or thrown on a salad in place of croutons or nuts.

Curry Roasted Garbanzo Beans

1 15-ounce can Garbanzo Beans

1 T Olive Oil

1 t Hot Curry Powder (I use the Spice House blend)

Seasoned Salt to taste (I use the 4/S Special Seasoned Sea Salt from Penzey’s)

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 F. Drain canned Garbanzo Beans in a colander. Rinse with cold water until foam is gone. Shake excess water from beans and spread out on paper towels to dry. When excess water is gone, return to dry colander. Drizzle beans with Olive Oil and Curry Powder and shake to distribute oil and seasonings evenly. Spread in single layer on rimmed baking sheet or stoneware pan. Sprinkle with Seasoned Salt or plain salt to taste.

I find that I get a crunchier and more even roast on stoneware than on a metal pan, but both will work. Place in oven and roast in 10 minute increments, stirring or shaking pan after each 10 minutes. I tend to roast them for around 40 minutes to get a crunchy, but not too dry consistency. Remove from oven and cool on paper towels to absorb any excess oil. You can add additional salt at this point if needed, but it sticks better if you salt before roasting.

I have no idea how long these will keep. I store them in an airtight container or Ziploc bag on the counter. They are always gone in a day or two for me! I have made them with several different spice blends. My other favorite is Smoked Hot Paprika in place of the Curry Powder.

Maru Sushi, Okemos, Michigan

noreply@blogger.com (Amy) — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 03:44:00 +0000

Today was the kickoff for my “Mental Health Weekend.” After consultation with my significant other and professional consultants, I opted to cancel some plans this weekend and attempt to get my life in order. I have been a little stressed out in the past week. The receipt of a few too many “where is this paperwork?” emails coupled with obligations for the class I am taking online through UNC have lead me to be a “little” on edge.

I work late every Thursday and get to comp my time with a day off every other Friday. Luckily, this was my Friday comp day! Corky and I slept in this morning. Counting the couple hours I snoozed on the couch last night prior to hitting the real bed, I think I got about 10 hours of sleep. On top of the afternoon nap, I think I have more than made up for the several nights that I ran on under 5 hours of sleep this week! The first thing on my list of things that I needed to do today was “go out to lunch.” I knew that I wanted something good and wasn’t in the mood for our regular diner fare or Corky’s favorite, the taco stand.

My first idea was the Tap Room at Dusty’s Cellar. Corky immediately refused for political reasons. They are big advertisers on the The Big Show with Michael Patrick Shiels and he is not a fan. My second thought was Troppo, downtown, but he did not feel comfortable walking in there in shorts. Yes, he wears shorts year round. I don’t get it either.

Then I thought….SUSHI! I love sushi. Corky does not love sushi. He has gone to San Su with me on a few occasions, but after a bad experience when my niece ordered the Koala Roll (think tentacle “eyes” staring at you) he has not been willing to go back. He likes Bulgogi and I thought I might be able to get him to try San Su again, but then I remembered that I had not yet tried Maru, even though it has been open since Spring! Surprisingly, he was willing to give it a try. I promised him that if they didn’t have a menu of non-sushi dishes, we would leave. Against my better judgment and “cardiac diet police” mentality, I even promised him a drive-thru visit to Culver’s for a Butter Burger and Chocolate Shake on me if he didn’t find anything he liked. Luckily, they had a full menu and Corky was more than satisfied with his meal! Yeah! He has even commented several times this afternoon and evening that he enjoyed his lunch. I finally have a sushi destination with a menu that he not only “will tolerate” but truly enjoys!

We started with an order of Edamame. You can’t go wrong with the salty steamed young soybeans…yum. Both of our orders came with a salad and miso soup. I am a big fan of miso soup, but Corky likens it to dish water. To each his or her own. The salad was fresh with the typical ginger dressing of Asian Restaurant fame. Their version is good. Corky still thinks his favorite in town is at Gourmet Village in East Lansing, but I am not so convinced. The dressing at Maru is not as creamy as some, but the flavor is excellent. Having a mixture of greens, carrots AND tomato on the salad was a bonus as well.

Maru has an Express Lunch Menu with a variety of sushi rolls, salads, and Hibachi entrees. Probably the best deal on the menu is a “Pick 2” Sushi Roll special for $11.00 which includes Miso Soup and House Salad. After reading their specialty roll menu, I opted to order the Soy Joy roll and two pieces of Maguro Nigiri. The plating of my sushi was nothing short of incredible. It was so beautiful that I did not want to eat it! Luckily that passed in a minute or in the time it took to snap these pictures:

Corky was initially a little “concerned” about by his menu options. I first tried to talk him into ordering the Chicken Kasu, which is a panko crusted fried chicken breast served over rice with salad and soup. He is not a big fan of Hibachi Style Grill, such as at Ukai. Maru has a Hibachi menu on their dinner and lunch menu. He opted for the steak and chicken hibachi grill and was MORE than happy with his choice. He loved both of the meats, the veggies and the rice. This is a good day for him and for me! Like I said earlier, I found sushi and he found a REALLY good option for him, both health and taste-wise under the same roof! I am sorry to be so redundant here, but this is a BIG deal for us!

I could eat sushi every day. Unfortunately, my bank account would not allow that. Maru will now be in my regular sushi rotation though. It might even move to the top spot, but I will have to get back with you on that one. I do not want to jump too soon and have to eat my words.

Next time you are in the mood for sushi, definitely check out Maru. If you have a “mixed crowd” of sushi lovers, non-sushi folks, carnivores and vegetarians, it is the perfect place for you. They have an abundance of vegetarian roll options and not just your typical one veggie selections like a cucumber roll or daikon roll. For example, The Archer has asparagus, mango, organic tofu, roasted red pepper and avocado and is served with maru’s own green goddess dressing. Lunch for 2 was $40.00 with an appetizer, one entree and two sushi selections.

A Night at the Ark with Jill Sobule and Erin McKeown

noreply@blogger.com (Amy) — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 03:46:00 +0000

Last night I took a road trip. Corky and I hit the road with our friend Janet and headed to Ann Arbor. I love Ann Arbor. I love the restaurants. I love the shopping, especially food shopping. I love the music and events. I love the Ark. I love Jill Sobule and now I love Erin McKeown. I have several of Jill’s CDs but this is the first time I have experienced Erin’s music. They are both smart and funny women and damn good musicians. We had dinner before hand at The Prickly Pear and the blog post on that will follow.

Corky has been a big fan of Jill Sobule and dare I say has had a “bit” of a crush on her! He has been talking about seeing her in person for MONTHS and when we found out about this show, it was immediately written on our calendar. When he tried to get Janet and I to get tickets online 6+ weeks ago we had to laugh and say “I think we will be O.K.”

When Corky and I first started dating there were several CDs that we both had in common. Jill Sobule was one of them. Just in case you are interested, the others were Elvis Costello with the Brodsky Quartet and “If I Were a Carpenter.” One thing we differed on was how we pronounced Ms. Sobule’s name! He pronounced it SObel (“so-bull”) and I pronounced it soBULE (“so-byule”). He ridiculed me over “my error” until I succumbed and I have been pronouncing it “his way” for quite awhile now. Well folks, once again I was correct! On TWO occasions last night we heard her pronounce her name and “So-byule” is correct. We should have just asked our friend Carrie about it, as she knew the real Jill Sobule from her past life at Record Town.

The show was awesome. Corky got his wish…a picture with Jill. Despite a hopefully minor mishap when my camera hit the floor in the restaurant, I was able to capture these pictures:

Corky with Jill after the show.

Erin McKeown and Janet after the show.

Erin and Jill had a great show. I highly recommend seeing them if you have the opportunity. Hopefully they will have a repeat performance of the “folkified” Beyonce tune. “All the single ladies…all the single ladies…” I will never look at Beyonce the same way again!

Almond-Crusted Pork with Honey-Mustard Dipping Sauce

noreply@blogger.com (Amy) — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 05:01:00 +0000

I have a large cookbook collection and a large collection of food related magazines. Many of them have corners of pages turned down and/or post-it flags bookmarking recipes that I hope to try some day. I was thumbing through the April, 2009 issue of Eating Well magazine over the weekend and found this recipe again. As luck would have it, I had all the ingredients! Well, at least I thought I did until I started making it and had to switch around the seasonings. This recipe was labeled both “Heart Healthy” and “Healthy Weight” and I thought it would be an ideal Sunday Dinner.

Unfortunately, Corky is quite picky and claims to “not like” pork tenderloin. I swear, he must be the only person on the planet to not like pork tenderloin? Come on, what’s not to like? Other than it being way easy to overcook and dry out, it is consistently a great piece of meat to grill or roast.

Almond-Crusted Pork with Honey-Mustard Dipping Sauce (adapted from Eating Well, April, 2009)

Pork

1 cup Whole Wheat Panko Breadcrumbs
1/2 cup sliced almonds
1 1/2 t garlic pepper blend
1 large egg white, beaten
1 pound pork tenderloin, trimmed and cut diagonally into 1/2 inch thick slices

Dipping Sauce

1/4 cup honey
2 T low sodium Tamari or Soy Sauce
2 T Dijon Mustard

Preheat oven to 425 F. Set a wire rack on a baking sheet and coat it with cooking spray.
Place bread crumbs, almonds and garlic pepper blend in a food processor and pulse until the almonds are coarsely chopped. Place the mixture in a shallow dish.
Place egg white in another shallow dish . Dip both sides of each pork slice in egg white, then evenly coat with the almond mixture. Place the pork on the prepared rack and spray with cooking spray. Turn over all slices and spray opposite side.
Bake the pork until golden brown and no longer pink in the center, 16 – 18 minutes.
While pork is baking, whisk honey, soy sauce and mustard in a small bowl. Serve the pork with the honey-mustard sauce on the side.

Almond and Bread Crumb Mixture

Pork slices, ready to go into the oven.

Makes 4 servings

Per Serving: 299 calories, 7 g fat (1 g sat, 4 g mono), 74 mg chol, 30 g carb, 29 g pro, 3 g fiber, 561 mg sodium, 562 mg potassium.

Low Sugar Pumpkin Pie Snickerdoodle Bars

noreply@blogger.com (Amy) — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 05:01:00 +0000

I love pumpkin! This is my favorite time of the year and I love cooking with pumpkin. Sweet, savory, you name it, I love it! When I first saw this recipe on another blog, Megans Cookin, I knew that I had to make it! The recipe originated from another blogger, Julia of Dozen Flours. I thought this would be the perfect recipe to try out my new favorite product, Whey Low. Whew Low is an all natural sugar substitute with 75% less calories than sugar and 70-80% lower glycemic index than sugar. It is a combination of fructose, lactose and sucrose and is an ideal sugar substitute for diabetics and other sugar sensitive individuals, such as people who have had Weight Loss Surgery or choose to follow a Low Carbohydrate or Low GI Diet. I was turned on to this product by my friend Linda and her incredible blog, Eating Well…Living Thin. Linda is an excellent cook and incredible photographer! If you want to look at some amazing low carb food porn, check out her blog. She also has a very good section on understanding sugar substitutes. While the Whey Low products are awesome, some of the products, do have higher sugar levels than other substitutes, such as Splenda and you need to understand exactly what you are getting. I suggest reading her section titled “Sugar Substitutes Explained.”

One great thing about Whey Low products is that you can substitute them 1:1 for sugar in recipes. The BEST thing about them, in my humble opinion, is that the Whey Low Gold is a perfect substitute for brown sugar. I have experimented a little with Splenda Brown Sugar Blend, but since it is half real sugar, I didn’t find it to be a suitable replacement for truly low sugar recipes. I substituted Whey Low Gold for the brown sugar in the snickerdoodle layer and Whey Low Granular for the sugar in the pumpkin pie layer. I also used Whey Low granular for the cinnamon sprinkle on top. There are sugar free white chocolate products out there, but given the small amount called for in this recipe and the fact that I had white chocolate chips on hand, I used 2 ounces of White Chocolate Chips in the drizzle.

I made these low sugar blondie bars low sugar, but did not experiment with cutting the flour carbs at all. Substituting a combination of flour and almond meal for the white flour in the snickerdoodle layer would cut the carb count greatly but increase the fat and calories.

Low Sugar Pumpkin Pie Snickerdoodle Bars

adapted from Julia at Dozen Flours

Snickerdoodle Layer

3 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups packed Whey Low Gold Brown Sugar Substitute
1 cup butter, at room temperature
2 eggs, at room temperature
1 tablespoon vanilla extract

Pumpkin Pie Layer

1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup Whey Low Granular Sugar Substitute
1 stick butter, at room temperature
1 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
2 eggs, at room temperature
1 1/2 cups canned pumpkin

Sprinkle

2 tablespoons Whey Low Granular Sugar Substitute
2 teaspoons cinnamon

Drizzle

2 oz white chocolate chips
1/4 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

Preheat oven to 350F. Lightly grease a 9x13 inch pan and lay a piece of parchment paper across the pan, so that it extends the pan slightly. The parchment paper is an optional step, but it will make it easier to get the bars out later

To make snickerdoodle layer:
Sift together flour, baking powder and salt and set aside. In large bowl, beat together butter, sugar, egg and vanilla until smooth. Stir in the flour mixture until well blended. Spread evenly in prepared pan. The mixture will be thick like cookie batter.

In a mixer bowl with a paddle attachment, mix together all ingredients until well combined. Pour over the snickerdoodle layer, smoothing out the top.

Combine 2 T Whey Low Granular and 2 t Cinnamon and evenly sprinkle cinnamon sugar mixture over the top of the batter.

Bake for 33-40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the pan comes out clean. Let the bars cool completely in the pan on a cooling rack. They will deflate a bit and remain a bit pie-like on the top layer.

After the bars are completely cool, place the white chocolate into a bowl or zip-lock bag and melt on low power. When it's completely melted, add the pumpkin pie spice and mix (or knead if using a zip lock bag). Use a spoon or cut a small corner off the bag and drizzle the melted chocolate over the top of the bars and let it cool and harden.

Use the parchment paper to lift the bars out of the pan. Place on a cutting board and cut into 24 bars. Store in a covered container.

Makes 24 servings: 229 cal, 13 g fat, 24 g carb, 3 g pro

I lifted the whole bar out of the pan and onto a cutting board and trimmed the edges off prior to drizzling with the white chocolate mixture. This made very nice clean looking bars.

Up close and personal with a Pumpkin Pie Snickerdoodle Bar. I loved the layering effect on these bars.

This recipe was delicious and turned out beautifully with the Whey Low Products. I have never tried this recipe as written, so I can’t compare it to the original. If you are looking for a low sugar option for Thanksgiving, this may fit the bill for you. You can obtain Whey Low products from several online sources, including the Whey Low website. It is also carried at many Whole Foods Stores, but was not available in North Phoenix or Ann Arbor when I checked. I ordered the sampler pack and have enjoyed using the granular, gold and maple flavors. The Gold is so popular that it was out of stock for at least a month, but I am happy to report that it is back in stock. I am going to stock up on both the Granular and Gold for the holidays.

Emo’s, East Lansing, Michigan

noreply@blogger.com (Amy) — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 05:01:00 +0000

Corky and I had been big fans of Rivi’s Deli, formerly of the City Market and then on the corner of Trowbridge and Harrison in East Lansing. We ate there regularly and loved it. The owner knew our orders and exactly how we like it. We would walk in and she would say “Beef Bulgogi with medium spice and Chicken Bulgogi mild.” When the restaurant moved from the City Market to the new location, we continue to frequent them. Then one day the sign changed to “Emo’s” and we expressed our dismay that Rivi’s had “obviously closed down and is now under new ownership.” That had to be a year ago. On several occasions when driving by Emo’s we even stated how much we missed Rivi’s! About a month ago, Corky and I decided that we would walk in and find out what this Emo’s was all about. Boy, did we feel stupid when we did. We were immediately greeted by the owner’s son, Robert who remembered us as “former regulars.” Corky and I looked at each other and just shook our heads. We fessed up to Robert our ignorance and ordered. Today was our fourth visit to Emo’s, counting that first reunion visit. Today we even took friends, Regina and Nicolette and turned them onto the excellent Korean food on the corner of Trowbridge and Harrison.

I am usually a creature of habit and tend to always order the same dish there. Then I will change it up and order my “new favorite” for a time period. I had always been a beef bulgogi girl, but on this go around, I became a Stone Pot Bibimbap girl. They have a fabulous bibimbap. On this date, I chose to venture away from that and while I still had a good lunch, I missed my Stone Pot Bibimbap. I will be going back to it!

Here are the pictures from our fantastic lunch.

Corky’s Chicken Bulgogi, mild. It is served with three fried vegetable dumplings.

The array of accompaniments included mild Daikon, Spicy Daikon, Bean Sprouts and Kimchi.

Both Regina and Nicolette ordered Bulgogi of various heat levels.

I ordered the Jeyuk-Bokkem, which is stir fried Pork Belly in a Spicy Korean Sauce. The sauce was delicious, but found the pork belly to be way too fatty for a stir fry.

I am so happy that this family owned Korean restaurant is back in my life and more than a little embarrassed that we blew them off for a year! We have promised to make up for it and I think four visits this month and bringing two friends on one occasion is a good start! Emo’s has excellent lunch specials. For $5 during the week at lunch you can choose from a variety of traditional Korean lunches. It is the best deal in town!

ENSO, East Lansing, Michigan

noreply@blogger.com (Amy) — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 04:01:00 +0000

Wednesday was my birthday. It started out nicely. I slept in for a few extra minutes, planning ahead to go into work a little late that morning. I walked out the front door with a cup of coffee in hand and Hobart’s leash in the other. We were enjoying a little walk around the yard when the neighbor walked up and said “Have you seen your car yet?” My nice birthday morning plans were dashed in an instant. My front driver’s side window, as well as my neighbor, Tammy’s window were smashed out of our cars. There were files and paperwork which had been in the front seat all over the place. UUGGHHHH…this was not what I had asked for for my birthday!

I guess I need to be careful what I ask for. I had thought to myself “I would love a day off, I should have planned this off for my birthday” before getting out of bed that morning. Well, I got my day off, but didn’t get to spend it how I would have liked to! By the time the Ingham County Sheriff got there and my car was dusted for fingerprints, the police report was filed, I called my insurance agent, spent some time on hold with the 800 number that schedules glass repairs etc, it was almost noon. Then Corky took me out to run errands, including dropping off the car at the Auto Glass place, a “quick” trip to the SOS office to get my new tags, a few more errands, ending with picking my car up. It was nearly 5:00 pm before we got home. As soon as we walked through the door, I knew that I wasn’t about to leave again. We opted to cancel dinner plans for that evening, have a quiet evening at home with several episodes of Top Chef and Vietnamese Take out and officially call a DO-OVER on my birthday dinner. So, Friday, October 30th officially became Amy’s Birthday Mulligan! Corky made reservations for dinner and we were off to one of East Lansing’s newest dinner destinations, ENSO.

I had actually had the opportunity to check out ENSO at their Grand Opening Party a month ago. My friend Sheryl had been invited to the opening and took me as her “plus 1.” We had sampled many of their appetizers and had a few glasses of wine. I knew that I wanted to go back. I had wondered over the past few weeks how their business was going. In the current economy, opening a restaurant seems to be an “even riskier” proposition than it always has been. When we arrived for our 7:00 pm reservations, the couple in front of us without reservations were told that the wait would be at least 45 minutes and when they inquired about waiting at the bar, were told that there was a “wait to wait at the bar!” I thought to myself, it looks like things are going pretty well!

ENSO is spacious with a beautiful interior. Being a rainy night, I didn’t get a chance to show Corky the glass fire pit on the back patio. The patio is truly beautiful and would be an ideal location for a summer or early fall outside happy hour. We were greeted with a complimentary appetizer of fried pita/flatbread with a roasted tomato salsa and guacamole. This was the perfect opener to an awesome meal. Corky loved the chips. Being made with a pita, they were thick but crunchy and stood up well to the guacamole. Being Guacamole aficionados, we were happy to find a good guacamole on the table with more than a bit of chili bite to it. It was fabulous.

True to our form, we ordered WAY TOO MUCH FOOD! We were like kids in a candy store and couldn’t decide what to order. We ordered several things with the plan to take home leftovers. I can actually say that all of the leftovers were eaten the next day! Usually I end up cleaning out the Styrofoam containers from our fridge by the end of the weekend. None of our leftovers went to waste! Here are a few shots of the incredible meal we had:

The Vegetable Tempura was awesome. Expecting to find the typical vegetables found on a Japanese menu, I was pleasantly surprised to find a “not so typical” array of veggies here! The combination included asparagus, red pepper, zucchini, yellow squash, broccoli and cauliflower in a light tempura batter served with a side of sweet asian chili dipping sauce. This was fantastic.

Corky loves fresh mozzarella and can be quite a snob about it. We shared the Heirloom Tomato and Fresh Mozzarella Salad. It was topped with Pesto and Aged Balsamic Vinegar. The tomatoes were fresh and flavorful and the mozzarella had the perfect amount of salt. I could make a meal out of this salad any day.

Corky will order a Roasted Tomato Soup or Tomato Basil Soup anywhere he sees it. ENSO serves Roasted Tomato Soup daily and theirs is fabulous. I only had a small taste of it, but he reported that it was second only to the Tomato Bisque at The Soup Spoon Cafe. The soup was smooth and not too thick with a smoky roasted flavor. I think he is dreaming of lunch there with a bowl of this soup and a grilled cheese sandwich on a cold snowy day. I think that will be our next trip!

This is one thing that we could have gone without on this meal. They were delicious on the one small bite I took, but so totally unnecessary in the whole scheme of things! I asked Corky if he realized he had ordered a plate of carbs with a side of carbs. This was the small order of house cut fries. You can choose from several varieties, including portabella mushrooms, sweet potatoes, waffle fries or shoestring fries and choose your dipping sauces. Corky chose the Waffle Fries with an array of sauces: ranch, blue cheese and horseradish. They were delicious, but really not eaten because we ordered so many things to taste! Another time with another meal, they would be perfect!

I opted to skip ordering an entree and order a small plate instead. Honestly, I could have skipped this, as I was full before we reached this point. Then I would have missed out on this fabulous dish and that would have been sad. This is ENSO’s Pulled Pork Sushi. Yes folks, you read it right. They have a section on the menu devoted to “American Sushi” and this was the one that caught my eye along with the General Tso’s Chicken Roll. It was delicious. Pulled Pork, Sticky Rice, Hand Cut Fries, Crispy Onions wrapped in Rice Paper and served with Thai Chili Mayo. I ate two pieces of it and took the rest home. This was a delightful play on “sushi.” Next time, I am going to have to try the General Tso’s Chicken Roll with Marinated Chicken, Guacamole, Mandarin Oranges, Chow Mein Noodles, Romaine wrapped in Tapioca Paper and served with General Tso’s Dipping Sauce. Check out the menu. There is a Cajun Chicken Roll and a Slow Braised Short Rib Roll. They are intriguing to say the least!

Corky ordered the Blackened Chicken Fettuccini. It included small cuts of chicken with tender noodles, cooked perfectly. The blackening resulted in a smoky bite to the dish, which was not overpowering at all. It was not as heavy as many fettuccini dishes could be. It will not be a regular on his “Heart Healthy” Diet plan, but was an excellent choice for this special dinner.

Corky tipped off the waitress that we were celebrating my birthday and ordered dessert when he excused himself to find the restroom. This was the Crème Brulee Cheesecake and it was rich and delicious. We had read the menu at home and this had caught our eye. The topping is a burnt sugar glaze. I was hoping it would be more like the Cheesecake at Bravo. That cheesecake is sprinkled with sugar and freshly torched before it comes to the table. This had good flavor, but lacked that burnt sugar crunch that freshly torched sugar has. We ate only a few bites of this with a cup of black coffee.

Overall, our experience at ENSO was fantastic. The atmosphere was soothing with soft music and the staff was attentive and friendly. From the hostess taking my coat at the door to the waitress and assistants and the owner greeting us at the table, everyone made sure that we had a great dining experience. Our meal with one cocktail (fantastic spicy Bloody Mary…no picture, sorry!) and one glass of wine ran $77.91 excluding tip. We went a “little” overboard with our ordering and honestly went home with enough leftovers for a meal a piece the next day. We could have easily gotten out of there for $40 without dessert. I was skeptical of the location being a good spot for this type of restaurant when I attended the opening party. I am happy to report that they seem to be doing very well and we will be back again soon. ENSO’s prices are fair and their portions are generous. Next time you are looking for a nice dinner in a comfortable and relaxed atmosphere, you must check out ENSO.

NaBloPoMo

noreply@blogger.com (Amy) — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 00:55:00 +0000

It did not take much to talk me into participating in National Blog Posting Month (aka NaBloPoMo) this month. I have been looking for something to kick me in the pants and make me blog more regularly. So, when my friend Ann commented on her facebook wall about it, I jumped right in.

I was looking for more information about this concept and came across a couple blogs that referenced Fight Club in their opinions on NaBloPoMo and I found them particularly fitting. Of course, I couldn’t locate those blogs again to link here for this post! So here are my thoughts on the “rules of fight club” or the “rules of NaBloPoMo” as I participate.

The first rule: You do not talk about NaBloPoMo. The second rule: You do not talk about NaBloPoMo. My third rule: You just DO IT! I don’t mean to sound like a Nike ad, but that is the mantra I am following. You may see me venture from some of my more “typical” posts such as recipes and restaurant reviews, but that should be interesting and you should learn more about me. This might be more information than many people need to know, but it will be an adventure!

Daring Bakers October Challenge: Macarons

noreply@blogger.com (Amy) — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 04:01:00 +0000

The 2009 October Daring Bakers’ challenge was brought to us by Ami S. She chose macarons from Claudia Fleming’s The Last Course: The Desserts of Gramercy Tavern as the challenge recipe.

I GOT FEET…and on my first try! I realize fully that this was probably a total fluke, but I am so excited right now. I was looking forward to this challenge all month, but just never got the time together to actually get it done. This has been a very busy month. I have had trips, preparations for a friend’s wedding, the wedding, an illness and all kinds of various work things this month. I am also taking a class and have a paper due every two weeks. SO…I guess I am really not surprised that this challenge got put off until the night before the reveal date! What IS surprising is that the macarons had feet on my first attempt! I have been checking in on the Daring Bakers’ Forum every week or so and my anxiety level rose each time! Every time I saw a post about someone’s failed attempt, or failed third attempt, my blood pressure went up a little. On the drive home from work (after stopping to pick up pastry bags and a 1/2 inch tip) I was mentally writing my blog post on how this attempt was a colossal failure.

Reading through the forum posts on others’ experiences helped me immensely. I took the recommendations from the other Daring Bakers to heart. Before I went to bed last night, I cracked my 5 eggs and left the egg whites in a bowl covered with plastic wrap to “age” for the 24 hours recommended by many experienced macaron bakers. I decided that the blanched almond meal I had in the fridge was likely not fresh, so I stopped and picked up slivered almonds to grind myself in the food processor. I set myself up to be able to put the almond/confectioner’s sugar mixture through a fine mesh sieve and re-processed the remaining bits that didn’t go through the sieve on the first time . I added the flavoring (4 teaspoons instant espresso powder) to the dry ingredients in the food processor to make sure that everything was finely ground to the same consistency. The other thing I did for the first time ever (I am really NOT a frequent baker) was weigh all my ingredients on the gram scale on my (non-digital) kitchen scale rather than measure it in standard English measure. After this experience and to celebrate my victory, I am going to go to Williams-Sonoma this week to treat myself to a digital kitchen scale! It is also my birthday on Wednesday…so Happy Birthday to me!

Here is the recipe as posted on the Daring Bakers Website:

Actual baking time: 12 minutes total, plus a few minutes to get your oven from 200°F to 375°F.

Equipment required:
• Electric mixer, preferably a stand mixer with a whisk attachment
• Rubber spatula
• Baking sheets
• Parchment paper or nonstick liners
• Pastry bag (can be disposable)
• Plain half-inch pastry bag tip
• Sifter or sieve
• If you don’t have a pastry bag and/or tips, you can use a Ziploc bag with the corner snipped off
• Oven
• Cooling rack
• Thin-bladed spatula for removing the macaroons from the baking sheets
• Food processor or nut grinder, if grinding your own nuts (ouch!)

Ingredients
Confectioners’ (Icing) sugar: 2 ¼ cups (225 g, 8 oz.)
Almond flour: 2 cups (190 g, 6.7 oz.)
Granulated sugar: 2 tablespoons (25 g , .88 oz.)
Egg whites: 5 (Have at room temperature)

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 200°F (93°C). Combine the confectioners’ sugar and almond flour in a medium bowl. If grinding your own nuts, combine nuts and a cup of confectioners’ sugar in the bowl of a food processor and grind until nuts are very fine and powdery.
2. Beat the egg whites in the clean dry bowl of a stand mixer until they hold soft peaks. Slowly add the granulated sugar and beat until the mixture holds stiff peaks.
3. Sift a third of the almond flour mixture into the meringue and fold gently to combine. If you are planning on adding zest or other flavorings to the batter, now is the time. Sift in the remaining almond flour in two batches. Be gentle! Don’t overfold, but fully incorporate your ingredients.
4. Spoon the mixture into a pastry bag fitted with a plain half-inch tip (Ateco #806). You can also use a Ziploc bag with a corner cut off. It’s easiest to fill your bag if you stand it up in a tall glass and fold the top down before spooning in the batter.
5. Pipe one-inch-sized (2.5 cm) mounds of batter onto baking sheets lined with nonstick liners (or parchment paper).
6. Bake the macaroon for 5 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven and raise the temperature to 375°F (190°C). Once the oven is up to temperature, put the pans back in the oven and bake for an additional 7 to 8 minutes, or lightly colored.
7. Cool on a rack before filling.

Yield: 10 dozen.

Here is a picture of my macarons piped onto parchment paper and after coming out of the 200 degree oven. You will notice they are just slightly drier and a little more matte looking after the initial 5 minute baking. I tried several different combinations of drying and pan preparation in a very un-scientific manner. The pan that I ended up finding the best outcome on was not dried on the counter, was on parchment and was not on an inverted pan. The last pan was on a silpat and they came out very nice as well. The batch on the inverted cake pan was probably the least of the lot. They didn’t seem to dry out as much as the others. Of course, this was a VERY small sample size and some dried more than others etc…so I will pay more attention to this aspect next time and figure out what works best for me.

The macarons then sat on the counter waiting for the oven temperature to rise to 375 degrees. I placed them in the oven and kept my fingers crossed. I checked on them at 5 minutes and was overjoyed to find the tops rising nicely over FEET! Corky and Hobart had to think I was crazy giving out a shout in the kitchen over my so far successful challenge!

Here are my macarons out of the oven and a shot of the macarons prior to filling:

I opted to fill my macarons with a Mexican Chocolate Ganache. I love the bite of cinnamon and cayenne pepper in dark chocolate. My ganache was made by simmering 1/2 cup of heavy cream with 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon and a scant 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper. The spicy steeped cream was then poured over 3/4 cup of Ghirardelli 60% Cocoa Chocolate Chips and stirred until melted. I left this on the counter to cool during the entire baking process and it was cooled and spreadable by the time I was ready to fill the macarons!

I am considering this challenge an overall success, as my macarons had the hallmark “feet” on the first try and they tasted incredible. They browned a little too fast, so I will play around with the temperature next time. I will make these again and after becoming more experienced with the art of macaron making am going to attempt to make a sugar free macaron. If that is successful, you will definitely see another macaron post on this blog!

Daring Cooks Extra Challenge: Dessert Wontons

noreply@blogger.com (Amy) — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 05:10:00 +0000

This month’s Daring Cooks Challenge also included an extra challenge, hosted by Jaden Hair of Steamy Kitchen. The second challenge was to make a “dessert wonton” and to get creative with filling and form. The wonton recipe given as an example was for chocolate wontons. Directions were to make a creative dessert wonton in any shape or form. Three prizes will be awarded for this challenge, one for the most creative recipe, one for the best photo and one random selection from all entries.

I chose to make a fried wonton napoleon layered with a creamy “almost semi-freddo” layer made with ricotta cheese, greek yogurt and one of my newest favorite products Ficoco, a fig and cocoa spread.

The square wonton wrappers were deep fried in oil for several minutes until golden brown and crisp. The Ficoco cream layer was made with 1/3 cup of Ficoco mixed with 1/3 cup whole milk ricotta and 1/3 cup 2% Fage Greek Yogurt. I didn’t initially plan on partially freezing this mixture, but it was much thinner than I had imagined it would be and needed to go into the freezer for 15 minutes or so to thicken it up.

The dessert plate was plated with a little melted Ficoco to hold the napoleon in place. A crispy wonton was placed on the sauce and topped with a dollop of the Ficoco mixture, another wonton, more Ficoco mixture and topped with a third wonton and a dollop of Ficoco. The napoleon was then drizzled with melted dark chocolate.

This was quite tasty and I will continue to play around with this combination. I would like to try it with a thicker Ficoco Mousse next time. The greek yogurt provided a nice tangy element that was very nice with the fig and cocoa spread and the dark chocolate.

October Daring Cooks Challenge: Pho

noreply@blogger.com (Amy) — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 05:00:00 +0000

I love Vietnamese food. My favorite local Vietnamese Restaurant, Asia's Finest serves a full menu of Pho, but I have always been a little nervous to order it. Between being not quite sure how to pronounce it to being afraid of getting unidentifiable protein sources in it, I have just steered clear and stuck with the House Special Vermicelli. I was excited to see Pho for my second Daring Cooks Challenge. Always looking for an excuse to go to the Asian Market, I took off in search of Fish Sauce and Rice Noodles. Corky took a quick smell of the fish sauce and has decided that he will never eat anything containing it. SHHHHHHH…don’t tell him how many items in any Asian Restaurant contain fish sauce!

I always pronounced Pho “FO” but I was mistaken. The correct pronunciation of Pho is “FUH?” I was told to use the /u/ sound as in “up” and raise your intonation just slightly as if asking a question. Yes, you can tell I am a Speech-Language Pathologist with this description. I had to stop myself from using the word “phoneme” and stick with “sound!”

The October Daring Cooks Challenge was guest hosted by Jaden of Steamy Kitchen. Jaden Hair is an author and food blogger with a recently published cookbook. You can find the Steamy Kitchen Cookbook at bookstores nationwide or at Amazon. For this month’s challenge, participants were given the choice of making Jaden’s quick Pho from her new cookbook or the longer recipe from her website. Recipes for both Chicken and Beef Pho were offered and other variations were allowed. I chose to make Jaden’s original “longer version” Chicken Pho or Pho Ga from her website. The recipe can be found here.

Jaden outlines several “secrets” to making the Pho, including roasting the onion and ginger and toasting the spices to bring out the flavor and aroma. I have long been a fan of roasting vegetables or bones for that matter before making a stock and toasting spices is a wonderful way to add flavor and aroma to any dish. Another tip that she gave was new to me and one that I am sure I will use time and again. She recommended bringing the chicken to a boil for five minutes then rinsing the pieces, washing out the pot well and starting over with clean water. In the five minute initial boil, the white foamy “scum” (for lack of a better word) comes to the surface and is thrown out. This makes keeping the stock skimmed and clean much easier.

Here is the picture of the spices toasting in a dry pan on the stove. Two Star Anise, 4 Whole Cloves and 2 Tablespoons of Coriander Seeds were used.

The Stock simmered on the stove for several hours. Two chicken breasts were removed after the first 15 minutes and shredded for use in the soup. I made the stock one night to allow time to refrigerate it over night to aid in removing the fat from the stock.

The morning I made this soup, I woke up with a touch of a sore throat. I immediately thought to myself “I am sure my Pho with extra sriracha can take care of this!” I am happy to report that it did! The Pho Ga was served with several traditional Pho toppings, including red onion, lime, cilantro leaves, bean sprouts, slices of chili and sriracha.

This recipe was delicious. I am now the proud owner of a liter of fish sauce that cost me under $3.00 and will likely be with me for a long time! I had this soup for lunch one day before leaving town and now have several servings of the broth frozen and waiting for dinner in the next week or two! I can’t wait to thaw it out and enjoy this again!

The Daring Cooks Make Indian Dosas

noreply@blogger.com (Amy) — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 09:00:00 +0000

This is my first month participating in the Daring Kitchen. A need for new cooking challenges and a desire to bake more led me to join both the Daring Cooks and Daring Bakers. Each month I will be participating in and blogging on the monthly challenge. The September Daring Cooks’ Challenge was hosted by Debyi from Healthy Vegan Kitchen. This month’s challenge was to make a Vegan Indian Dosa. The recipe that was posted was Indian Dosas with Curried Garbanzo Filling and a Coconut Curry Sauce. It was both vegan and gluten free. Different fillings or sauces could be made, but I chose to make the exact recipe for my first month’s challenge. Proving that I find any recipe challenging to follow perfectly, I made one substitution. The original recipe called for spelt flour, but listed that any gluten free flour could be substituted. Since I had recently bought a bag of garbanzo bean flour, I decided to use it. I guess you could say that making this dish fulfilled several goals, including reducing my dependence on my overloaded pantry!

You can find the original recipe here. I started out by making the Coconut Curry Sauce and allowed it to simmer on the stove for at least an hour while I made the rest of the recipe. It called for simmering for a half hour but the recipe made a very large batch of sauce and it was quite thin, so simmering it longer did not cause any ill effects. The sauce was extremely flavorful with a nice bite to it. I used Hot Curry Powder from the Spice House and I am sure that was the reason behind the bite! You could vary the heat level easily by choosing a milder curry powder. This is the one component I forgot to take an individual picture of! You can see it on the finished product though. It would be excellent served atop basmati rice or quinoa. It made at least 5 cups of sauce so there was plenty to share with a coworker and to load up the freezer with!

The Curried Garbanzo Bean Filling was fun to make. Having just picked up this week’s CSA share from Titus Farms, I had plenty of farm fresh produce to use up! I am happy to report that three large tomatoes, two small carrots, Hungarian Hot Banana Peppers, Garlic and a Sweet Pepper from the share all went into the filling and/or sauce! Here is a picture of the fresh vegetables ready to go in the pan:

The vegetables were cooked for several minutes in a small amount of soybean oil and then seasoned with Ground Cumin, Oregano, Sea Salt and Turmeric. Two cans of drained and rinsed Garbanzo Beans were mashed slightly (leaving roughly half of them whole) and added along with tomato paste. This made a very thick and deeply colored filling. I ended up adding a splash or two of Vegetable Broth to make sure that it didn’t dry out too much while I made the Dosas.

Making the Dosas was the most challenging part of this recipe. I have never used Garbanzo Bean Flour before, so I have nothing to compare it to. The flour was mixed with salt, baking powder and curry powder then water and almond milk were whisked in. It made a thin smooth batter. My first attempt at a dosa went directly into the trash! I wanted to use my largest nonstick pan, but the found it a little hard to handle. I ended up switching to a 8 inch non stick and this worked well and made small dosas. I had to cook them for longer than I would have imagined (until the top was dry and the edges browning slightly) before attempting to flip them. Once I was on a roll they were pretty easy to make and I placed them between paper towels as I made them.

Once I was done with the Dosas, it was time to assemble! I rolled up two Dosas with the filling and topped them with a ladle of the Coconut Curry Sauce and garnished with a little unsweetened coconut. This meal was delicious and I didn’t miss meat or dairy a bit! When I first started making the dosas I really wanted to use the ghee that was on my counter rather than a quick spritz of oil, but I resisted the temptation and stayed true to the vegan challenge! It made quite a bit of food. I gave a coworker some of this to take home. I am happy to report that it got two thumbs up in her household too!

I found the Dosa Challenge a worthwhile endeavor and one that I will take on again! Next time I would like to make one large dosa, like I am familiar with in Indian restaurants. If that is going to happen, I need to go shopping for a new heavy non-stick pan! Cheers to the Daring Cooks! I am already looking forward to next month’s challenge.

Matt’s Big Breakfast, Phoenix, Arizona

noreply@blogger.com (Amy) — Mon, 07 Sep 2009 04:27:00 +0000

On our recent trip to Phoenix we got to eat at yet another establishment that had been featured on Diners, Drive-ins and Dives on the Food Network. Corky and I went to breakfast with my niece Kristin and our friend Simeon at Matt’s Big Breakfast. Even meeting on a weekday morning for a late breakfast at 10:00 a.m., we had at least a 20 minute wait. It was a beautiful sunny day and not as hot as one would expect in Phoenix in August, so we didn’t mind the wait at all. Matt’s is in a small brick building on the corner of First Street and McKinley in downtown Phoenix.

Matt’s website details their food philosophy including the use of cage-free eggs, humanely raised chickens, natural pork and beef and local organic produce wherever possible. Right off the bat, I loved this place. I loved the location, their food ethics and my first sip of their excellent coffee! Most of my friends would not be surprised to hear that I consumed at least three cups! Simeon and I both ordered omelets and Kristin and Corky both ordered Eggs Benedict. They had just run out of English Muffins, so Corky opted to have his breakfast served on toasted sourdough bread. We also ordered one pancake, as we were told that we couldn’t go there without at least tasting a pancake. That was probably the best pancake I have ever tasted. It was fairly sweet and the lightest and fluffiest pancake ever.

Breakfasts were served with a choice of several different breads for toast and a choice of hash browns or home fries. Everything was absolutely delicious. I can’t make one negative comment about a thing we tried. The hash browns were crispy and buttery. The home fries were loaded with onions and perfectly spiced. I chose bacon, cheddar, mushrooms and red peppers for my omelet fillings and to quote my friend Carrie, it was “all kinds of fantastic.”

Kristin’s Eggs Benny with home fries. The onions were incredible!

Simeon’s Veggie Omelet with “extra crispy hash browns.”

Corky’s Eggs Benny…on toasted sourdough instead of muffins. I think he got the better end of the deal on that one!

My omelet with mushrooms, bacon, cheddar and red peppers. This thing was huge and more than half of it came home with me!

Guy’s signature sign on the wall.

Matt’s Big Breakfast was an awesome place to go to breakfast and catch up with a friend. It is quaint, clean and filled with cool artwork and antiques. If you get a chance to go there, you MUST. The service, food and ambience couldn’t be better.

Technorati Tags: restaurant reviews,Phoenix,Arizona,breakfast

Local Breeze, Phoenix, Arizona

noreply@blogger.com (Amy) — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 01:58:00 +0000

Friday night was a night out with old friends in Phoenix. Corky and I met up with my niece Kristin and her boyfriend Matthew, my temporarily singleton and childless friend Lori (husband was in Boston for the weekend) and friends Pam and Jeff. Not knowing where we wanted to go, we consulted Matthew as he is way more current on Phoenix dining establishments than me! This place was on his short list of places to try. Local Breeze opened in May, 2009 in a restored historic home downtown at 4th Avenue and Fillmore. Once you walk onto the large misted patio you are transported to a little Caribbean Hide-away in the middle of the city. We took our chances on a desert monsoon and were seated outside. Before our food was served, we were quickly shuttling inside to a new table out of the rain. Immediately upon being seated at our first table, we were greeted by the most fabulous waiter, Zach. He was charming, obnoxious, sarcastic and very humorous all at the same time and perfect for this group. Some of my favorite quotes of his from the evening included "I'm not straight, I'm CURVY" and "Hey purse digger!" We learned a lot about Zach in the few hours we were there, including his Drag name "Amy Justice" and heard stories about how he broke his heel the previous night while being chased by a midget stripper.

Now, on to the food. I couldn't decide what to order (surprise) so I ended up ordering an appetizer and a salad. I had the fish taco appetizer which was fantastic. Three mini grilled fish tacos were served on corn tortillas. They weren't a traditional Southern California Fish Taco, but they were fresh and flavorful. I ate two of them and shared the third with my friend, Jeff.

The Arugula and Goat Cheese Salad was incredible. A panko crusted goat cheese medallion was fried and served on a bed of Champagne Vinaigrette dressed arugula with a Local Sweet Onion Marmalade and Sliced Prosciutto. This was awesome and I would order it again and again.

Kristin and Corky both ordered the Filet. Kristin ordered hers with a peppercorn sauce and Corky with Bearnaise Sauce. Their medium rare steaks were both cooked perfectly and served with grilled asparagus and french fries with a spicy ketchup with a kick. I had one small bite of Corky's steak and found it tender and delicious. They both were happy with their meals.

Matthew ordered the Cajun Chicken Fettuccine and reported that it was quite good. I was too occupied with my most delicious salad to really pay attention to anyone else's meals! I did manage to take pictures of them though...so here they are!

Cajun Chicken Fettuccine

Pam's Seared Ahi Tuna Sandwich

Jeff's Slow Roasted Beef Sandwich

Lori's Fire Island

Here is a picture of me with Zach, aka Amy Justice. At the end of our meal he told us about an upcoming regular gig he has in Las Vegas at the MGM Grand. It sounds like an awesome opportunity for him and if my travels take me to Vegas in the next two years, I will be sure to look up the show!

Here is our FABULOUS waiter striking a pose. He was all kinds of fantastic!

Thank you to the staff at Local Breeze. We had an awesome meal and an awesome time that night. Despite the desert monsoon and the intermittent power outages, it was a great night. It has been a long time since I have had that much fun coupled with such good food in one place! It was a great place to hang out with old friends and make new ones. We will be back on our next trip to the valley...hopefully for brunch!

An Urban Chicken Coop in Phoenix

noreply@blogger.com (Amy) — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 04:10:00 +0000

My friend Lori has always been an animal lover. She usually has a few dogs, a few cats, a bird or two...I have even known her to have a pet one-eyed rat! So, a few months back when she told me that her husband was building her a chicken coop for their backyard in Phoenix, I wasn't surprised at all! Lori's daughter, Isabel (who has starred in my blog posts in the past) has been involved in this urban chicken coop story from the get go. Lori, Regis and Isabel built a beautiful red coop in the backyard and bought four of the cutest "BABY BIRDS" (only a few friends will get that reference) that have provided them with endless hours of fun and "chicken love" since. Soon they will hopefully be providing eggs for the family as well. I told them the next time we visit, I expect a farm fresh omelet for breakfast!

Here is a picture of Isabel outside the coop in their backyard:

Lori gets some nuzzles and chicken love from Junie B.

Isabel is perfectly comfortable having all four chickens jump up on her...Corky as you can tell, is not quite so comfortable. The four chickens are named Junie B., Edna, Dumpling and Alex.

When we first got there for our visit, I said to Corky..."awwwww, I want chickens." Having never been around birds, I was a little freaked out when they jumped on me. One I could handle, but when I had two nearly full sized chickens jumping up on me, I was a little freaked. Luckily, Isabel came to my aid and took them off of me. By the end of our visit, I was saying that I "wanted to visit Isabel's chickens more" and was done with the idea of being an urban chicken farmer myself! Who knows...I am sure if I raised them from the tiny chick stage, I would be more comfortable around them as full sized birds. We shall see!

The Coronado Cafe, Phoenix, Arizona

noreply@blogger.com (Amy) — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 05:24:00 +0000

While I love to visit a few of my old favorite restaurants from when I lived here in the 90s, I am always happy to find new and interesting restaurants. I was discussing this tonight with a friend of my niece. My tastes have changed a lot since I lived here and my definition of what makes a "really good restaurant" has changed. I was 26 when I moved from here. Living here as a grad student and as a recent grad in her first job, Z'Tejas was a "really good restaurant!" This will be my first trip here where I won't make a trip there. That is OK with me. I still enjoy the restaurant and think they are a "better chain" with excellent cocktails and happy hour specials. What I am enjoying this time around is exploring some of the many good restaurants that have opened since I moved. I will be blogging on a few old favorites too, but not many!

The Coronado Cafe is not a new restaurant to Phoenix, but it was new to me. When Corky and I landed on Tuesday we were famished. My niece Kristin picked us up at the airport and en route to pick up our rental car, we looked for someplace to grab a quick bite to eat. We were initially looking for more "taco wagon" type fair. When the parking outside the taco place we were considering on 7th Street was full, we ventured across the street to The Coronado Cafe and am glad we did!

The Coronado Cafe is in a 1915 Craftsman style bungalow on the corner of 7th St. and Monte Vista in the historic Coronado neighborhood in Central Phoenix. The restaurant was light, cheery and inviting. Our server was attentive and immediately greeted us and served our iced tea. The cafe's menu was simple with three categories available for lunch: starters, soups/salads and sandwiches/tacos. Dinner entrees and pizzas are only available after 5:00 pm.

Kristin and I split an appetizer and tacos. We were instantly drawn to the Brie & Lavash appetizer and the Pork Tacos. The Brie & Lavash was decadent. A layer of three-seed lavash was topped with melted triple creme brie. It was then topped with a balsamic reduction, strawberries and pears. This was delicious. The flavors melded together perfectly.

The pork tacos were equally as tasty. The pork was tender and flavorful and the corn tortillas were crisp. The green sauce was fabulous.

Corky ordered the Pesto Chicken Sandwich and reported that it was "tastier than he expected." I am not sure why he went in with limited expectations, but that is his quote! I had one small taste, but got mainly fresh mozzarella. Being a big fresh mozzarella fan, I was not mad at that! He felt that the chicken was tender and moist and that it was just a very good sandwich on good foccacia bread, which is not usually a favorite of his. He had the choice of potato salad or beans and chose the potato salad. He loved the potato salad and felt it was close to the German Style Potato Salad he is used to from Eastern Pennsylvania.

Our lunch at the Coronado Cafe was lovely. This little place is a gem in Central Phoenix. It is a perfect lunch spot and I am sure a romantic dinner spot as well. With the small size of the restaurant and limited parking, I am sure reservations would be recommended!

Marie Catrib's, Grand Rapids, Michigan

noreply@blogger.com (Amy) — Fri, 21 Aug 2009 17:50:00 +0000

I recently took a road trip to Grand Rapids with my friends Duane and Katrina. They have both been talking about this restaurant for ages. Marie Catrib previously owned a restaurant called Marie's in Houghton, Michigan. Duane and Katrina are both Michigan Tech grads and have fond memories of her restaurant in Houghton. She now owns Marie Catrib's in East Grand Rapids with her son. I was excited to head west to the GR area to visit her restaurant. We had the stop off at MadCap Coffee , so we made it there in time for lunch. I checked out the breakfast menu online and hope to make it there earlier next time!

Marie Catrib's menu is varied and expansive. It is definitely vegetarian-friendly with many items being vegan and/or gluten free. I was impressed from the get go. From the colorful and fun restaurant interior to the alternative vehicle parking to the attentive waitstaff to the eclectic menu full of things I wanted to try! I will have to go back several times just to try what caught my eye on this first trip!

Not being able to decide on appetizers and being with two foodie friends, we decided to order the salad sampler as an appetizer. We left the choice of five salads to our waiter and she chose some awesome salads for us. Here is the picture of the full salad plate. Honestly, we could have split this with soup and dessert and been happy! From the top and proceeding in a clockwise fashion: Cole Slaw (yellow with carrots), Carrot Salad, Pasta Salad, Tabouli and Chicken Salad.

We agreed to all order something different so we could taste as many things as possible. Duane and I each ordered a cup of gazpacho while Katrina ordered the Sweet and Sour Cabbage Soup. Both soups were fabulous! I have been sampling a lot of gazpacho this summer and this one was one of the best. It had a little different flavor that I could not put my finger on. It was fresh, not too chunky with excellent flavor. I had a few tastes of Katrina's soup and that was awesome too.

Katrina's Sweet Potato-Quinoa Burger had to be the star of the entire meal. This sandwich was served on Oat Bran Bread with lettuce, curry mayonnaise and chutney. This was seriously the tastiest veggie burger I have ever had. I have dreams of recreating it at home, but as Duane told me after our visit "don't ruin the Marie Catrib's experience." I may just have to make it to Grand Rapids more often and enjoy it there.

Duane ordered the Falafel Sandwich and it was excellent too! The pita bread was homemade and just incredible. I had a taste of his seasoned potatoes and they were crunchy, salty, spicy...and as my friend Carrie would put it, "all kinds of fantastic." I bought a tub of the seasoning to take home and can't wait to try it on EVERYTHING! I think it would make a great rub for salmon, vegetables and almost anything! It was so tasty.

I ordered the daily special, which was beef and pork empanadas, served with a small salad. This was excellent, but was so overshadowed by the Sweet Potato-Quinoa Burger that I had to order one of the veggie burgers to take home! The empanada dough was fantastic and the meat was perfectly seasoned. It was a great dish and I would order it again, but with this group and the other things at the table, I wish I had ordered vegetarian.

While the forks were flying with all three of us eating off everyone's plates, Duane ordered us a small pot of Turkish Coffee. I had never had Turkish Coffee before but REALLY enjoyed it! I was warned to not drink the end of the cup and almost forgot that bit of advice. I lowered my cup just in time to prevent myself from getting a mouthful of grounds. The taste was incredible. It was dark, almost thick and espresso-like but had some spice to it that I couldn't name but found very appealing. I can't wait to try this again.

We finished this incredible "food coma inducing" meal with one chocolate pudding and three spoons. The pudding was as thick as peanut butter with a rich chocolate taste. It was labeled gluten free, but not vegan. My best guess is that it was made with chocolate and heavy cream. The consistency reminded me of chilled ganache. I bet if it was brought to room temperature it would be spreadable like a ganache. This was the best ending to one incredible meal shared with two friends in a lovely setting. I can't wait to visit Grand Rapids again...and I know THAT statement surprises a few people!

MadCap Coffee, Grand Rapids, Michigan

noreply@blogger.com (Amy) — Fri, 21 Aug 2009 17:05:00 +0000

My friend Duane is trying to change my coffee drinking habits. First, he turned me on to local coffee roaster, Rudy Baggs. Then he invited me on a road trip to Grand Rapids to visit MadCap Coffee. It was quite an experience. It was the first time I have actually consumed straight up espresso and traditional Cappuccino (with no sweeteners) and enjoyed it. In the past, I have taken a sip of Corky's triple espresso and thought it tasted like "coffee gravy." This was totally different. It had a very complex taste and reminded me not only of coffee, but chocolate, stout, bourbon...you name it. It was awesome. Duane and I split a pound of Brumas del Zurqui, from Costa Rica to take home. It makes a great espresso and is also awesome in a French Press. We spoke briefly with the owner and found out that his coffee is going to be featured soon at Comet Coffee in Ann Arbor. I will be watching for that!

Katrina, pre espresso.

Katrina post-first taste of espresso. She found it much more palatable with a little sugar!

Bacon Lettuce and Tomato with Avocado and Smoked Paprika Mayo

noreply@blogger.com (Amy) — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 03:23:00 +0000

What makes a good Bacon Lettuce and Tomato Sandwich? Well, for me there are a few key ingredients. The most important is GOOD bacon. I was turned on to an incredible bacon by my friend Tia's mom, Dr. Sue! After spending New Year's Eve out on the town in Cincinnati, she served four very hungover women a full breakfast of scrambled eggs, Nueske's Bacon, Goetta (that is the subject for a post all its own) and toast. I believe there was a lot of coffee at that table too! It was the best cure for us and prepared us for a very long and snowy drive back to Lansing. Did you know that it can take 9 hours to drive from Cincinatti, OH to Lansing, MI? I didn't either!

Anyway...back to the story! The Nueske's Bacon was incredible. It was lean and meaty, not too sweet with a very nice smokey flavor. I have seen it served in a few places, such as Mitchell's Steakhouse in Columbus, Ohio and it is the house bacon at Zingerman's in Ann Arbor, Michigan. To my delight, I found it locally at Goodrich's Shop-Rite in East Lansing. It runs $8.99 a pound which is actually less expensive than Nueske's online store. It is worth every penny. Goodrich's only had the thin cut Applewood Smoked Bacon, but I wasn't about to complain that they didn't have thick cut peppered bacon! I was just happy to find it!

I do not eat bacon every day, so after I opened the package and cooked a few slices for breakfast the other day, I rolled up the bacon slices individually and placed them in a quart sized freezer bag and froze them. This is an easy way to be able to pull out individual slices. I would love to say that I came up with this idea on my own, but I really found it on a blog here.

When I was thinking about what to make for dinner tonight, I immediately thought of the leftover perfect avocado half from last night and the bacon in the freezer. Knowing that I also had ripe local tomatoes at home, my decision was made. I wrapped it all up in a low carb tortilla and topped it with a spicy smoked paprika mayo. I have to say this was delicious.

So here is the run down...

1. Cook three slices of Nueske's Bacon. The package recommends baking it in the oven on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. I have to concur that this method produces flat slices that are perfectly crispy. The thin sliced bacon was crispy in 15 minutes in a 350 degree oven. If you are lucky enough to get your hands on the thick variety, it would probably take closer to 20 minutes. I added a few grinds of black pepper to the bacon. If you like sweeter bacon, you could also sprinkle it with a little brown sugar, but that is not my preference. Remove the bacon from oven and place slices on paper towel to absorb extra fat. This bacon shrinks very little as it is leaner than most bacon.

2. Slice tomato and avocado.

3. Layer a handful of mixed greens on the wrap and top with crispy bacon. Layer on slices of tomato and avocado. Top with Smoked Paprika Mayonnaise (directions follow).

4. Roll and eat! I served this with slices of cucumber and yellow peppers.

For the Smoked Paprika Mayonnaise, I mix a half cup of commercial mayonnaise with Smoked Hot Paprika. I started with 1/2 teaspoon and tasted. I ended up using a full teaspoon of the paprika and ended up with a nice spicy mayo. I only used 2 - 3 teaspoons of the mayo on the sandwich and the rest is in the fridge for other uses! You can use any mayonnaise you like or make your own (I have not ventured there yet). I used Hellman's Light Mayo. You could even use vegenaise, but if you are making bacon sandwiches, you probably don't have that in the fridge! That doesn't explain why I have a jar of it in the fridge, but I guess that isn't surprising, given my condiment addiction!

Salad with Local Shrimp, Fried Halloumi and Avocado

noreply@blogger.com (Amy) — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 00:58:00 +0000

I have heard tales of locally farmed shrimp in Okemos, Michigan. The Shrimp Farm Market is open on Thursdays and Fridays and at the Meridian Farmer's Market on Saturdays. Various sizes of shrimp were available at the market ranging in prices up to ~$20 per pound as well as prepared products such as shrimp salad and shrimp cakes. I spoke briefly with the owner, Russ Allen who assured me that these would be the "best shrimp I have ever tasted." I would have loved to talk to him a little longer, but given that I was standing under his tent in a torrential downpour with water pouring off the tarp and down the back of my shirt, I was in a hurry! Jumbo shrimp were $15 per pound and looked gorgeous. They were available peeled and deveined for slightly more and prepacked in pints for $15, which is probably just short of a pound. Normally, I wouldn't pay for the peeling and deveining, as I can use the shells for seafood stock, but this was ready to go and quick and I wanted to get to dry land!

I did a little homework, as I wanted to use the shrimp for something special. I had picked up some Halloumi Cheese last week and thought I would try to find a recipe with both ingredients. A quick google search for recipes for shrimp and halloumi cheese yielded few results. A recommendation from someone on Twitter caught my eye though. I had posted a plea for ideas for shrimp and halloumi hoping one of my foodie friends would have some awesome idea for me. This came from someone I had never interacted with before. I will be sure to follow any culinary recommendations from my new friend Anita from now on! Her response was simple. "Keep it simple, fry both in garlic oil and serve on mesclun with avocado." This appealed to me immediately and I knew that this would be my dinner tonight.

Halloumi is a mild salty cheese from Cyprus made from a mixture of goat's and sheep's milk. It has a high melting point and can be fried until golden brown without melting. Before this I had only brushed it with olive oil and grilled it on the grill and had it in the Crispy Bacon Appetizer at Michael Symon's Roast Restaurant in Detroit. It is available locally at The Jerusalem Bakery and has a long shelf life.

I sliced the Halloumi Cheese in ~1/3 inch slices and fried it in olive oil with a couple cloves of garlic. It browned very nicely and I removed it to drain on a towel. The shrimp were prepared in the same oil with a shake or two of another new favorite of mine, Vulcan's Fire Salt from The Spice House. This gave the shrimp just a slight bit of heat and complimented it very well. I hadn't planned on eating the fried garlic cloves, but they were delicious!

Baby greens were dressed simply with a squeeze of lemon juice and a good extra virgin olive oil and a tiny amount of sea salt. I dress greens with this regularly, but I made sure to go very lightly on the salt, as the cheese is quite salty. I lucked out tonight and was able to find a perfectly ripe avocado at Foods for Living on my way home from an appointment. I had been thinking about this salad all day and would have been so disappointed if I had found nothing but hard avocados!

The finished salad garnished with the fried garlic. This will make a repeat performance in my kitchen soon!

River's Bend Mesquite Grille, Eaton Rapids, Michigan

noreply@blogger.com (Amy) — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 00:20:00 +0000

I just found out about this restaurant this week. A friend on Twitter recommended it, reporting that he had had very good food there. I had planned on cooking today, but when Corky found out that he was going to have to travel this week, we decided to go out for a nice lunch/early dinner. River's Bend Mesquite Grille was on our short list of places to go, so we decided to make the short drive to Eaton Rapids, approximately 15 miles from the south side of Lansing.

The restaurant was very easy to find. It is on Main Street in Eaton Rapids, just as the name implies, on the bend of the river. We arrived at ~3:30 and there were only a few tables filled. The restaurant is actually quite large and also has an outdoor patio. Given today's high humidity and over 90 degree heat, we opted for a nice table by the window in air conditioned comfort. The restaurant appeared to have a smoking section that was on the other side of the bar and almost in its own room. That is almost as nice as a non-smoking restaurant/bar. I am not sure if smoking is allowed at the bar, as it was empty at this hour.

The menu had a lot to offer! They have Appetizers, Pizza (Blue Cheese Steak and Potato Pizza sounds interesting), Sandwiches and Wraps, Soups, Salads and Lunch and Dinner Sized Entrees. I glanced at the beer list and didn't see much good beer on tap, although it looked like they had a few more varieties in bottles. The Sunday Bar Special was a $2.50 Bloody Mary. I am not one to turn down a Bloody Mary, so I ordered this and it was perfect! It was spicy and tart with a pickle spear and was delicious. Another great thing that we noticed right off the bat was the music they played. To quote Corky, "Anyplace that plays Stevie Ray Vaughan, Buddy Guy and Robert Johnson all in one meal's time gets extra points." I would have to agree and add in that to spend a leisurely afternoon there with great music and a Bloody Mary was awesome.

Corky ordered the London Broil. It was served with mesquite grilled vegetables, starch and choice of salad or soup. He chose a baked potato and a salad with blue cheese. The salad was your basic dinner side salad served with the dressing and croutons on the side. It was perfect for him. I am not a huge fan of iceberg lettuce, but the salad was more than adequate, fresh and well chilled. Corky's meat was a little over cooked, closer to medium well than medium rare but it was tender and juicy. He passed on the A-1 Steak Sauce offered by the waiter! Everything on the plate was good. The potato was fresh and the vegetables were excellent. I have never seen Corky eat any zucchini before today! The blend included grilled red pepper, carrots, yellow squash, zucchini, onion and snow peas. They were crisp and delicious.

I ordered the Grilled Shrimp Borracho with a side salad, no potato and extra vegetables. I could have eaten a plate of just those vegetables! They were perfect! 12 jumbo shrimp were seasoned with southwestern spice and beer, grilled and finished with homemade BBQ sauce. This was incredible. The shrimp were grilled perfectly and the sauce was just spicy enough and I loved it. Luckily, I have 7 shrimp in the fridge for lunch tomorrow! The Grilled Shrimp Borracho is also available as an appetizer.

I had gone into this meal intent on being very carbohydrate conscious and avoid processed white carbs. I did a great job for the most part, with the exception of a couple croutons on my salad. That is, until I saw the bread with three different butters. Fresh baked bread was served with Habanero-Lime, Cinnamon and Regular Butter. I had to try the Habanero-Lime Butter and yup...they weren't lying...it was very nice...very spicy and you could see the Habanero in it. I had a sample of it on a piece of bread and also took the leftover butter from the bread basket in my to-go box! It is some good stuff! It would be great on fish or used sparingly on top of some grilled vegetables. It really is pretty spicy!

We were way too full to consider dessert, but River's Bend Mesquite Grille has many options for you when it comes to dessert. There are five different choices with everything from an Ice Cream Sundae to Deep Fried Banana Cheesecake. This restaurant is a gem in the heart of Eaton Rapids and I will be going back again soon. Dinner for two ran $37, $45 with tip.

Confessions of a Condiment Addict

noreply@blogger.com (Amy) — Sun, 09 Aug 2009 22:56:00 +0000

I love to cook. I love to shop. I especially love to shop for food and cooking paraphernalia. As anyone who has ever helped me move (Sheryl) or schlepped around Toronto with me with six bottles of Kozlik's Mustard from the St. Lawrence Market can attest to...I have a VERY full pantry! Last week I made a big decision. That decision was to come out as a "condiment/sauce/marinade/canned bean/salad dressing etc." addict! I took a picture of my pantry overflowing with "stuff." I then went through the cupboard, threw out any expired items and attempted to assemble this mess into a somewhat orderly, yet overstuffed pantry. I didn't take down an exhaustive inventory, but to give you an idea of what is in there, here is a little example:

6 cans of black beans
4 cans of garbanzo beans
a few more "obscure" finds such as garlic jam from a Farmer's Market in the Finger Lakes from last summer and a Blueberry Vinaigrette from South Haven over the holidays
at least 6 jars of salsa
at least 6 jars of marinara and/or pizza sauce
4 jars of various simmer sauces from Trader Joe's
4 jars of mustard
5 bottles of barbecue sauce (not counting the half gallon jug we purchased at Eastern Market a few weeks ago!)
various bags of whole grains: brown rice, quinoa, wheat berries, barley, rolled oats, steel cut oats and flours: almond meal, garbanzo flour, whole wheat pastry flour etc. These are not kept in this cupboard, but in the fridge and in another cabinet close by!

You get the picture. I have a problem! I have set a goal and that is to pare this down to a reasonable amount. By "reasonable amount", I would like to use only half of the shelf space I am currently using and I would like to not throw out any more expired food! I cook for one to two people most of the time. I don't need to keep enough non perishables for a family of 8 to survive in a bomb shelter for 2 months!

This would probably be a better fall/winter project, but I would really like to put a big dent in this before then. With our CSA share, we have an ample supply of fresh vegetables to use, but I think there are still things I can use with the fresh produce to work on this issue! Corky and I are trying to east less meat and I will be pairing the beans and grains with the fresh vegetables and using the condiments to make some healthy vegetarian meals like hearty whole grain, legume and veggie salads.

This is the "after picture." While it probably doesn't look much different, it really does have a little more semblance of order! I placed all the things that are at risk of expiring towards the front.

A couple weeks ago, when I first started thinking about this undertaking and how needed it was, I made a salad that used several items from my well stocked pantry. I mixed a can of cannellini beans, a jar of artichoke hearts, a can of fire roasted diced tomatoes and a half jar of fire roasted red and yellow peppers from the fridge. I added some fresh herbs from our CSA share, a little garlic salt and some extra virgin olive oil and made a very tasty salad. This is something that Corky wouldn't think about eating, so I took it to work with me and a coworker and I ate it over several days for lunch.

If you have any recommendations for recipes or any other ideas, please feel free to leave me a comment!