This is my own recipe for meatballs. Normally, I just eyeball the seasonings, but this recipe is a good place to start. For the seasonings, personally, I'd use no less than what's listed below, and you can definitely use more. I've made these meatballs quite a few times, and they're always good. If you don't want to use a recipe, here's my usual approach in flavoring them:

1. Put a pound of ground meat in a large mixing bowl.
2. Take out every Italian herb you have in your spice cabinet (oregano, basil, parsley, thyme, rosemary, etc.) and coat the meat in each of them.
3. Add the rest of the ingredients.

There's one thing about this recipe that's different than other recipes that I've seen/used—the panade. Panade is just a mixture of bread and milk. Without it, your meatballs can easily become dense and dry. With it, they're consistently soft, moist, and delicious. Sure, it's possible to to create soft, moist meatballs without it, but it takes a bit more care in cook time.

Sizing is a problem that I used to have when I made my meatballs too. My first meatball would be the size of a golf ball, and they'd just get progressively bigger and bigger until I was making peach-sized meatballs . . . not good. Bad for presentation, bad for consistent cook times . . . just not good. To fix this, now I use a medium cookie scoop, so all of my meatballs are consistently the same size.

Putting cheese in the meatballs is also a delicious detail. A lot of people put cheese on top of their meatballs, so why not inside too? It's also great to change up the meat once in a while for a little bit of variety: you can use pork, lamb, beef, chicken, or a combination of a few. I've used combos of pork and beef, and the results are just as great.

Finally, I've found that the best way to mix these is to knead them by hand (with clean hands!). I know some people might be turned off by kneading meat, but it's really the easiest way to mix the meat consistently.

Enjoy!

Homemade Meatballs

Makes: about 20 small meatballs
Prep time: 20 minutes
Cook time: 30 minutes

2 Tbsp butter
1 small onion, finely chopped
2 slices white bread
1 egg
2 Tbsp milk
16 oz ground meat (whatever your favorite type is, around 85% lean)
½ tsp salt
½ tsp black pepper
1 oz pecorino romano or grana padano cheese, freshly grated
½-1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp dry basil
1 tsp dry parsley
1 tsp dry oregano
1 tsp dry thyme
Extra virgin olive oil
Your favorite sauce

1. Sauté the onions in the butter.

2. Combine the white bread and milk in a food processor. Process until smooth to make panade. Note: the amount of milk you need depends on the bread you use, so add the milk slowly. You'll know it's done when it's the consistency of a thick yogurt.

3. Combine the onions, panade, egg, meat, cheese, and seasonings in a large mixing bowl. Knead by hand to incorporate all of the ingredients.

4. Heat up olive oil in a non-stick pan over medium-high heat. Form balls about 2 inches in diameter, then sear meatballs on all sides. Reduce to medium heat.

5. Pour enough sauce into the pan to cover the meatballs. Bring to a light simmer then cook, rotating occasionally, until done. Keep warm until ready to serve.

This morning, I came downstairs and saw that we had 4 very ripe bananas. We wouldn't want to waste them, but we also probably wouldn't eat them by themselves in one day. So, what do you do?

One of Allie's all-time favorite breakfasts is pancakes (which are also part of the story of how we met). They're a nice and sweet, but surprisingly filling, thing to have for breakfast. I love that you can put pretty much any fruit (or chocolate!) in them, and they're totally different, but just as delicious.

Now back to the bananas! One thing that makes bananas especially good for pancakes is that they're so easy to liquefy and add to the batter. In this recipe, I use two bananas—one puréed and liquefied for the batter, and one chopped for banana chunks inside of the pancake. The liquefied banana replaces some of the milk from a normal pancake recipe and gives it a subtle banana flavor. The chopped banana gives you even more of that delicious banana. You could also definitely add some mini chocolate chips or finely-chopped walnuts. This recipe was loosely based on the recipe for plain pancakes from Grace and Good Eats.

Now that I'm writing this post, I also wonder how it would be to replace some of the sugar with honey . . . mmmm, bananas and honey . . . so good! I'll have to try that in the future. Anyway, even without the honey, this recipe is fabulous and worth eating. 

To produce that nice, even brown color, there's a simple trick: cook with low heat (I set the stove to 4 out of 9), and use a nonstick pan with little to no grease or butter. The grease tends to fry portions of the pancake unevenly which is what gives some pancakes the crazy look. Cooking at too high of a temperature will cause the outside to burn before the inside has a chance to cook.

Have fun and enjoy!

Fluffy Banana Pancakes

Makes: 8 medium or 16 small pancakes
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 4 minutes per pancake

2 very ripe bananas
1 ½ cup (180 grams) all-purpose flour
3 ½ tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
¼ cup sugar
¼ tsp ground cinnamon
1 large egg
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
¾ cup milk
3 Tbsp melted unsalted butter

1. Place a flat, nonstick skillet on the stove on medium-low heat to preheat.

2. Purée one of the bananas in the food processor, and chop the other into ¼-inch chunks.

3. Whisk together the dry ingredients, then whisk in all of the wet ingredients, including the puréed bananas (but not the chunks).

4. For medium pancakes, scoop batter onto the skillet using a ¼-cup measuring cup. For small pancakes, use a ⅛-cup measuring cup.

5. While the first side is cooking, add the banana chunks to the pancakes and continue cooking the first side for a total of about 2 minutes, until bubbles start to form.

6. Flip the pancakes, then cook the second side for 2 minutes.

7. Remove the pancakes from the skillet, then serve with with maple syrup (and more chopped bananas or walnuts if you're feeling adventurous). You can also keep them warm in the oven at 170℉ until you're ready for them.

If you've ever been to Philly, then you've probably had a cheesesteak. And you probably also know that there's no point in going to any of the big names in cheesesteaks . . . the food trucks are great! There are a few important aspects to any cheesesteak: 1) very thinly-sliced shaved steak, 2) pick the right cheese (American is the right cheese), and 3) bread that's soft on the inside and crunchy on the outside.

This stromboli recipe is pretty simple (though a bit time consuming): it's just cheesesteak filling wrapped in fresh pizza crust. I can't stress the fresh thing enough. The really important thing is that the crust needs to rise so you have a nice bread.

Philly Cheesesteak Stromboli

Makes: 4 servings
Prep time: 2½ hours
Cook time: 45-50 minutes

For the crust

⅔ cup warm water
1 packet (5/16 oz) dry active yeast
1 Tbsp sugar
2 cups (240 grams) bread flour
½ tsp salt
2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil

For the filling

½ sweet onion, coarsly chopped
1 green pepper, coarsely chopped
1-2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 lb shaved steak
Freshly ground salt and pepper
5 slices of American cheese
2-4 Tbsp ketchup
Olive oil, for brushing
Garlic powder, dried rosemary, and dried basil

1. First, make the pizza crust: mix together the warm water, yeast, and sugar and allow to rest for about 5 minutes until frothy. If the mixture doesn't become frothy, start over because your yeast is likely dead. Meanwhile, whisk together the flour and salt, then make a well in the center of the mixture.

2. Pour the yeast mixture and olive oil into the well. Slowly stir the flour mixture into the liquid from the boundary until a dough forms. Knead dough on a floured surface until smooth (about 5 minutes).

3. Place dough in large floured mixing bowl and cover bowl with a damp cloth. Place in a warm location for 1 to 1.5 hours until doubled in volume.

TIP: If your house tends to be cold and you don't have a warm place to put the dough, turn on your oven for about 2 minutes, then turn it off. Place the bowl with the dough in the oven to rise.

4. As soon as you're finished with the crust, start on the filling; it'll need to cool before you fill the stromboli. Heat some oil in a frying pan over medium heat, then add the onions, peppers, and Worcestershire sauce and cook until softened.

5. Add the steak to the frying pan, then cook, stirring occasionally, until all of the meat is browned. Add the cheese and ketchup, then stir until well combined. If there's any liquid in the pan, cook until the liquid is gone. Allow to sit until it is about room temperature.

6. Roll out the pizza dough into a large rectangle on a floured surface until it's about ¼-inch thick. Spoon the filling onto the dough about 1-2 inches from the edges.

7. Roll up the stromboli along one of the long edges, then, with the seam on the bottom, let it rest for about another hour to continue rising.

8. Preheat the oven to 350℉. While it preheats, place the stromboli on a large baking sheet and poke holes every 2 inches with a knife. Brush the surface with olive oil, then season with garlic powder, basil, and rosemary. Bake for about 40 minutes, then serve with your favorite tomato sauce.

This is really one of the easier recipes that you could try. I made some prepackaged popcorn (Newman's Own Tender White), but you could always pop your favorite kernels in a pot or popcorn popper. I'd stay away from buttery popcorn though, that might be a bit much with all the toppings.

To finish it off, I topped the popcorn with some homemade caramel and some bittersweet chocolate. 

If you want precise control over how hard the caramel is, you can use a candy thermometer. The caramel I made would be considered light amber in color. When it's drizzled on the popcorn, it creates a hard, crunchy coating. 

In all, this took me about 10 minutes to make. I made it on a whim, so there are tons of places for improvement. You could make a peanut butter sauce, use softer caramel, temper the chocolate, make some ganache instead. If you want to add some crunch, you could always toss in some chopped nuts or crushed potato chips . . . the possibilities are endless. Enjoy!

Chocolate Caramel Popcorn

Makes: 2 to 4 servings
Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time: 5 to 10 minutes

¼ cup granulated sugar
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
Water
½ cup of bittersweet chocolate chips
1 bag of popcorn

1. Pour the sugar and vanilla extract into a small saucepan, and add enough water to cover the contents. Stir the ingredients, then shake the pan a bit to make the mixture more uniform.

2. Over medium-high heat, bring the contents of the saucepan to a simmer, then lower to medium-low heat. Heat until the caramel becomes a light amber color (about 340℉ if you're using a thermometer).

IMPORTANT: Do NOT stir the caramel while it is cooking! Otherwise it will crystallize and have a weird texture.

3. While the caramel is simmering, microwave the chocolate chips in 15-second increments, stirring after each one, until it is molten and smooth.

4. Pop your popcorn according to the instructions, pour into a few bowls, and drizzle the molten chocolate and caramel over the top.

WARNING: After drizzling the caramel, let it sit on the popcorn for a minute or two before touching. It may be extremely hot and can cause severe burns.

Cream puffs (a.k.a. profiteroles) are a great dessert that can be made in a million different ways. The recipe I have for you below is not exactly the one I started off with, but it's still delicious!

The shells are a standard pâte á choux dough. You can find the recipe below or from a million different sources and they're all pretty much the same. You can make them with or without sugar (depends how sweet you want it) but it's really not necessary—this is coming from someone with a huge sweet tooth.

The filling can be one of a hundred different things. This was my first attempt at making cream puffs, so I was going to go with a simple vanilla cream . . . which I messed up the first time and couldn't try again because I was out of eggs. So, take 2! This was my first attempt at making cream puffs, so I went with a simple filling: whipped cream! Whipped cream is easy to make and easy to pipe, so it's ideal for filling cream puffs with.

Finally, these are topped with chocolate ganache, which really makes them delectable. I almost topped them with rainbow sprinkles, but decided to stop myself (I'm still not sure why). Next time!

Cream Puffs with Whipped Cream Filling and Chocolate Ganache Topping

Makes: 24-32 cream puffs
Prep time: 20 minutes
Cook time: 10 to 15 minutes

1 cup water
½ cup unsalted butter
1 cup all purpose flour
¼ tsp salt
4 large eggs
Whipped cream for filling
8 oz bittersweet chocolate, broken into small pieces
1 cup heavy cream
1 tsp pure vanilla extract

1. Preheat oven to 425℉.

2. In a small saucepan, bring the water and butter to a rolling boil. While that heats up, whisk together the flour and salt.

3. Sift the flour into the boiling mixture and stir with a wooden spoon until it forms a ball, then place in cool mixing bowl.

4. Mix eggs into the dough with a stand mixer or wooden spoon until smooth and uniform. I used a whisk here, but just be warned, the dough will get stuck in the middle of the whisk.

5. Transfer dough to a piping bag and pipe about 24 spirally mounds (like topping pie with whipped cream) onto an ungreased baking sheet. They should be about 2 inches in diameter. Push down any points at the centers of the mounds, then bake for 20 to 25 minutes until golden brown.

6. Transfer to a wire rack and allow to cool before filling. Meanwhile, you can make your whipped cream.

7. Make the chocolate ganache by stirring together the heavy cream and vanilla extract, then heating in a saucepan until steaming. Pour the steaming mixture over the bittersweet chocolate and stir until smooth.

8. Pipe whipped cream into the cream puff shells through the bottom using a long, narrow piping nozzle. Dip the tops into the ganache, and refrigerate to firm up the ganache.

At the bottom, I made a sweet, vanilla-y Nilla wafer crust, followed by layers of chocolate, peanut butter, and banana mousses. If you're looking to simplify a bit or just save some prep time, all of three of the mousse recipes can easily stand on their own just fine. Even making all three recipes doesn't take that much of your time, though. Each of the recipes is some combination of making whipped cream, then mixing with the flavoring ingredients in a way that doesn't make it flat.

That's a key here. Mixing too much can make your mousse a bit dense. If you do it right, they will come out very light and airy. It's also great topped with some chocolate shavings, cocoa powder, or whipped cream. You could also use some ground toasted hazelnuts or, if you want to be really decadent, top it off with some chocolate ganache!

There are so, so many different ways that you can play with this recipe. Is the chocolate too light for you? Add some more—use 6 or 8 oz instead. Just be careful, it'll also get richer and denser. Different fruits could also be great! You can do that by making a coulis first or by puréeing a different fruit. Not all fruits will work, and some may need something like gelatin to help them firm up when they set, but it's always fun to try different things.

Three-layer Chocolate, Peanut Butter, & Banana Mousse

Makes: 6-8 servings
Active time: about 30 minutes
Total time: about 3 hours

For the crust (optional)

30 vanilla wafer cookies
2 Tbsp sugar
2 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted

1. Preheat oven to 350℉.

2. Place the cookies and sugar into a food processor and pulse until reduced to fine crumbs. Alternately, place them in a large zipper bag and crush them using a rolling pin.

3. Mix the crumbs together with the melted butter. Divide into six to eight even portions, and press them into the bottom of 6-ounce ramekins.

4. Bake crusts for about 10 minutes, until golden brown.

For the chocolate mousse

1 cup heavy cream
1 egg yolk
2 oz bittersweet chocolate, broken into small pieces
¼ cup confectioners' sugar
1 tsp pure vanilla extract

1. Whisk together ⅓ cup of heavy cream and the egg yolk in a small saucepan. Thicken, over medium heat, until the mixture coats the back of a spoon.

2. Place chocolate in cream mixture, remove from heat, and whisk until chocolate is melted and smooth. Set aside to slightly cool.

3. While the chocolate cools, beat together the remaining cream, sugar, and vanillia extract with a mixer until stiff peaks form.

4. Scoop about a quarter of the whipped cream into the chocolate, and fold together to lighten it. Then, fold the lightened chocolate into the remaining whipped cream until relatively uniform. It should still be a little bit streaky though.

5. Distribute the mixture evenly into your ramekins (or serving dishes). Refrigerate for about an hour before putting any more layers on top.

For the peanut butter mousse

1 cup heavy cream
½ cup smooth peanut butter
¼ cup confectioners' sugar
1 tsp pure vanilla extract

1. With a mixer, beat together the peanut butter and 2 Tbsp of the cream until light and fluffy.

2. Beat together the remaining ingredients until stiff peaks form.

3. Transfer about a quarter of the whipped cream into the peanut butter and fold together to lighten. Fold the lightened peanut butter into the remaining whipped cream until relatively uniform.

4. Transfer evenly into ramekins and refrigerate while working on the banana mousse.

For the banana mousse

1 cup heavy cream
¼ cup confectioners' sugar
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 large banana, puréed

1. Beat together the cream, sugar, and vanilla until stiff peaks form.

2. Fold a quarter of the whipped cream into the banana purée to lighten it up. Fold the lightened banana mixture into the remaining whipped cream until smooth.

3. Transfer evenly into ramekins, then refrigerate for at least another hour, preferably longer, until needed.

I came up with this savory recipe (yes, it's savory despite all the maple syrup in it) and just figured I'd give it a shot and see how it went. This is now one of my favorite things that I've ever made, and I'll be making it again without a doubt. It's perfect for the fall with all of its autumn spices and makes your house smell warm and inviting.

As with many good meat recipes, just be forewarned, it takes a really, really long time (up to 18 hours). But, since it's a slow cooker recipe, most of that time is just idle time anyway, so no big deal! You just make the brine, then soak the meat. Sweat off the onions, mix them with the apples, sear the pork, and let it cook.

When you're choosing your apples, I'd go with something more on the tart side. I went with honey crisps because they're my favorite, but something like a pink lady or granny smith apple would also be appropriate. 

When I made this, we had it with mashed sweet potatoes and sautéed kale. It would also go well with mashed or roasted potatoes, rice, and/or spinach quiche! If you want to make this a little fancier, you can also top the pork loin with crispy pancetta. Enjoy!

Slow-cooked Pork Loin with Apple-Onion Topping

Makes: 4-6 servings
Prep time: 15 minutes
Brine time: 8-10 hours
Cook time: 6-7 hours

For the brine

1 quart water
¼ cup salt
½ cup maple syrup
2 whole star anise
1 stick cinnamon
2-3 pound pork loin

For the pork

1 sweet onion, roughly chopped
6 Tbsp butter
2 apples, peeled and sliced
¼ tsp ground cinnamon
¼ tsp ground cloves
¼ cup maple syrup
Freshly ground salt and pepper
Smoked paprika

1. Stab the pork loin every inch or so with a fork. Combine all of the brine ingredients, place the brine and pork loin in a gallon-sized zipper bag, and refrigerate overnight (about 10 hours).

2. About 7-8 hours before dinner, sauté the onions in 2 Tbsp of butter until onions are semi-translucent and soft. Transfer to slow cooker, along with the apples, ground cinnamon, ground cloves, and syrup. Stir to combine.

3. Remove the pork from the brine, pat dry, and season with salt, pepper, and smoked paprika. Melt 2 Tbsp of butter in frying pan and brown pork loin on all sides (about 2-3 minutes per side).

4. Remove the star anise and cinnamon stick from the brine and place in slow cooker. Place pork loin in slow cooker, then top with remaining 2 Tbsp of butter. Cook on low for about 6 hours, flipping after 3 hours.

5. After 6 hours, remove the loin from the slow cooker, place on broiler pan, tent with aluminum foil, and place in a warm oven (at around 170℉ to keep it warm).

6. Meanwhile, remove the cinnamon stick and star anise from the apple mixture, then transfer the mixture to a medium saucepan and reduce over medium-high heat until reduced to half of the volume (about 10-15 minutes).

7. Slice the pork loin into ½-inch slices and top with the reduced apple mixture.

Whoever invented French toast was brilliant—it's a socially-acceptable way to have dessert for breakfast! Don't get me wrong, if you make this recipe, you'll cover a lot of your food groups for this meal (dairy, bread, eggs, and fruit), but they'll also be covered in sugary goodness (and booze).

I came up with this recipe while I was watching a cooking competition, and one of the contestants was trying to flambé something. It made me wonder how hard that actually is to do. The answer is . . . not very hard. You just need enough alcohol in the pan to catch on fire. Don't worry, though: if you're afraid to start a fire in your house (and I don't blame you, I did this using the side burner of my grill the first time), you can just cook down the bourbon. DISCLAIMER: starting a fire in your house can be dangerous.

The flavor in this recipe is amazing: the peaches pair perfectly with the maple, which pairs perfectly with the bourbon. Despite the seemingly large number of ingredients listed below, I promise that this recipe is easy to make. In fact, you probably have most of the ingredients in your kitchen right now!

You just start off making some French toast. While that cooks, flambé some peaches, then put it all together and top it with some whipped cream. For the peaches, it really doesn't matter what kind you use. I've used white and yellow peaches, and the flavor comes out about the same either way.

Enjoy while peaches are still in season!

French Toast with Flambéed Bourbon Maple Peaches

Makes: 2 servings
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 10 to 15 minutes

5 eggs
¼ cup heavy cream
¼ tsp ground cinnamon
4 thick slices (1-1 ½ inches thick) challah, brioche, or white bread
2 Tbsp butter
3 medium peaches, peeled and cut into wedges
¼ cup bourbon
2 Tbsp maple syrup
Another ⅛ tsp ground cinnamon
Whipped cream

1. Whisk together the eggs, heavy cream, and ¼ tsp cinnamon.

2. Melt butter in a medium frying pan (large enough to fit all of the bread) over medium heat. Dredge the bread in the egg mixture and quickly soak. Place in hot frying pan.

3. Meanwhile, mix together the peaches, bourbon, and remaining cinnamon. Pour into a separate pre-heated medium-sized frying pan over medium heat. Immediately set on fire by tipping the pan toward the flame, or using a lighter (much less cool). You may need to pull the peaches away from the bourbon to ignite it.

4. Cook the peaches, shaking the pan occasionally, until the flame goes out. Then add the maple and cook until slightly thickened (about 3 to 5 minutes). Set aside while you finish the toast.

5. Flip bread when bottom is browned, and brown the remaining side.

6. When French toast is ready, transfer to plate, and top with peaches, then whipped cream. Add some more cinnamon or maple if desired (and who wouldn't?).

Nothing screams summer like pasta salad! It's probably one of the simplest things to make as a side dish (or entire meal)—just cook some pasta, and add your favorite ingredients.

This particular recipe is something that I just tossed together based on what we had in the fridge (granted, we just went grocery shopping yesterday, so we had quite a bit in there). It's colorful, flavorful, and refreshing.

If you're not a huge fan of any of the ingredients in the list, you can always switch it up. Chopped mushrooms, broccoli, or olives make nice additions. If you want a slightly easier recipe, just replace the fried pancetta with some chopped pepperoni. You really can't go wrong here. Enjoy!

Pasta Salad with Crispy Pancetta

Makes: 2-4 servings
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 10 to 15 minutes

8 oz your favorite twisty pasta (gemelli, cellentani, etc.)
1 Tbsp olive oil
½ sweet onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 green bell pepper, chopped
2 stalks celery, finely chopped
10 oz cherry tomatoes, sliced lengthwise
1 oz freshly-grated grana padano parmesan cheese
Italian dressing
Freshly-ground salt and pepper
5 oz pancetta, cut into 1-inch squares

1. Cook the pasta al dente according to the package instructions. Drain, toss the pasta in a splash of olive oil (to prevent sticking), and set aside in the refrigerator to cool.

2. While the pasta is cooking/cooling, sauté the onion and garlic in the olive oil until softened, about 3 minutes. Set aside to cool.

3. Mix onions, garlic, bell pepper, celery, tomatoes, and parmesan into the pasta. Add Italian dressing and pepper to taste. Don't add too much, if any, salt yet—the pancetta will add some saltiness to the dish.

4. Cook the pancetta in a frying pan until crispy, then place in a paper towel-lined plate and pat off the excess oil. Mix pancetta into the pasta salad and add salt (to taste) immediately before serving.

When we were in Maine a few weeks ago, there was a ton of family around (about 32 people), and we wanted to contribute something to the food atmosphere. On vacation, dessert is the most important meal(s) of the day, so ice cream was one of the first things that came to mind. We made a total of eight half-gallon containers full in six different flavors, and most of it was gone within a few days.

Most flavors of ice cream are surprisingly easy to make, even when you try to make them fancy (which we did) by adding egg yolk. Technically, that makes these frozen custards, but I'll still go ahead and call them ice cream.

Unfortunately, some of the flavors were gone by the time we got around to taking photos of them. The ones in the pictures are half-baked (cookie dough and brownie), raspberry chocolate chip, and blueberry lemon. We also made French vanilla, mint chocolate chip, and chocolate hazelnut.

For full recipes, click on any of the flavors below!

French Vanilla
Chocolate Hazelnut
Half-baked
Raspberry Chocolate Chip
Blueberry Lemon
Mint Chocolate Chip

Grilling is a great way to cook them quickly, and in a healthy way (if that's something you care about). You just toss some sliced sweet potatoes with some olive oil and whatever herbs and spices you want and they come out deliciously every time. I normally go with salt, pepper, thyme, and rosemary, but you could definitely add some garlic powder or spice it up with some cayenne chili powder.

Grilled Sweet Potatoes

Makes: 2-4 servings
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 10 to 15 minutes

2 sweet potatoes, peeled and sliced into ½-inch thick rounds
Olive oil
1-2 sprigs of thyme, stems removed
1-2 sprigs of rosemary, stems removed and leaves chopped
Freshly ground sea salt and black pepper

1. Set grill to highest setting, and allow to preheat for 5 to 10 minutes.

2. Place sweet potatoes and seasonings in a large mixing bowl, pour in a splash (1-2 Tbsp) of olive oil, and toss until everything is uniformly coated.

3. Grease the grill with olive oil by pouring some on a sponge or towel (I use a paper towel), then rubbing the grates. Don't let your fingers get too close. Place the sweet potato rounds on the grill, one at a time.

NOTE: Be careful when you're adding the rounds to the grill so they don't fall through the grates.

4. Cook on first side for 2 to 3 minutes, then flip and lower to medium-low heat. After 5 minutes, flip again. Continue cooking until they're soft and can easily be broken in half.

The recipe calls for buttermilk, but if you don't have any, then plain milk will do. You can also make buttermilk by pouring 1 tablespoon of white vinegar into a measuring cup, filling up to the 1 cup line with milk, then waiting for 10 minutes. Stir the buttermilk afterward.

These waffles always come out moist and delicious on the inside and crisp on the outside—in other words, they're perfect (in my opinion). They actually rival waffles that I tried while I was in Belgium a few years ago.

They're great topped with fruit, syrup, chocolate, whipped cream . . . really anything mildly sweet. If you don't have much of a sweet tooth, savory toppings can be just as delicious. If you go south, chicken and waffles are popular.

No matter what you like on your waffles, these ones are a great template to pile your toppings onto. Enjoy!

Buttermilk Belgian Waffles

Makes: 2 round Belgian waffles
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 4 minutes per waffle

1 cup all-purpose flour
1 Tbsp sugar
1 tsp baking powder
½ tsp baking soda
¼ tsp salt
1 cup buttermilk
3 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted
1 large egg
1 Tbsp vanilla extract

1. Whisk together the dry and wet ingredients separately.

2. Slowly whisk the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Continue to whisk until smooth.

3. Add half of the batter to waffle iron and cook for 4 minutes, flipping the iron every minute if possible.

TIP: After adding the waffle batter and closing the iron, flip the iron over if it's an option with your model. It helps to make the waffles even airier and more uniformly shaped.

4. Top with brûléed bananas, fresh fruit, syrup, or whipped cream to serve.

It's a pretty easy recipe: you heat up the spinach, cook some onions, mix the ingredients, then bake them in a pie crust. There are a lot of good cheese combinations that you can use—the important thing is that they can't be too creamy. Something like Swiss or cheddar is always a good option. I went with a combination of Gruyere, Swiss emmenthaler, and pecorino romano. Enjoy!

Spinach Quiche

Makes: 8 servings
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 45 minutes

1 pie crust
Two 10-oz packs of frozen spinach
1 Tbsp butter
1 small onion, finely chopped
½ oz pecorino romano, freshly grated
4 oz Gruyere, freshly grated
4 oz Swiss emmenthaler, freshly grated
½ cup heavy cream
3 eggs

1. Preheat the oven to 375°F.

2. Line a pie pan with a pie crust. Poke holes in the bottom of the crust with a fork.

3. Heat up the spinach in a microwave or in a saucepan. Meanwhile, sauté the onions in the butter.

4. Squeeze the excess liquid from the spinach, then mix the spinach and onions with the cheeses while hot until uniformly mixed. Mix in the heavy cream and eggs.

5. Pour mixture into the pie crust and bake for about 45 minutes, until the surface is beginning to brown. Slice into 8 wedges and serve.

I spent some time developing a recipe for yellow cake. The cake I came up with is not too light, but not too dense. It's a flavorful, balanced recipe that should be good for cakes or cupcakes. Reducing the amount of egg in the recipe (you could remove one whole egg and add a touch of milk) would make it a little bit lighter. Adding another egg yolk, and maybe some sugar, would make it a bit heavier.

The filling is definitely the star here—it's based on a recipe from Tidy Mom. I reduced the sugar slightly and added more banana. It's very important to use ripe bananas. If they aren't very ripe, you'll need to add more sugar to the mix. Just taste it as you go to figure out if it's necessary. There's nothing that can't be eaten raw in this part of the recipe. The result is a smooth, creamy, super banana-y filling. When it cools, it's thick and firm, perfect for filling a cake or cupcakes.

Like I mentioned before, I used to make this using buttercream frosting. I would highly recommend going with whipped cream frosting instead. It's much lighter and complements the banana flavors perfectly. We were in love with this cake when we ate it. If you want chocolate frosting, you could always add some cocoa powder to the mix (maybe a half cup).

To finish, there are a lot of options. We just went with rainbow sprinkles, but you could certainly top with candied walnuts or chocolate shavings instead. Lightly sprinkling some cinnamon over the top would also be a good option. Enjoy!

Banana Cream Cake

Makes: 16 servings
Prep time: 45 minutes
Cook time: 25 minutes

For the yellow cake

2 cups (240 grams) cake flour
½ tsp salt
2 tsp baking powder
2 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature
1 ½ cups sugar
2 tsp pure vanilla extract
3 large eggs
4 large egg yolks
¾ cups whole milk

For the filling

2 ripened bananas
½ cup sugar
1 ½ cups heavy cream
½ cup whole milk
¼ cup corn starch
1 Tbsp pure vanilla extract
¼ tsp salt

For the icing

2 cups heavy cream
1 cup confectioners' sugar
1 tsp pure vanilla extract

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.

2. Start on the cake first. Whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt and set aside.

3. Using a stand mixer, beat the butter together with the sugar on medium-high speed until smooth. Then add the vanilla extract and eggs, one at a time.

4. Add the flour mixture and milk in several batches. Wait until the ingredients are incorporated before adding the next batch. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl before each addition.

5. Split the batter between two well-greased 9-inch cake rounds, then place in oven. Bake for about 25 minutes, then remove from oven and place pans on cooling rack. After another 25 minutes, remove the cake from the cake rounds and cool upside down on the cooling rack.

6. While the cake is baking, make the banana cream filling. Place all of the ingredients into a blender or food processor, and blend until smooth. In a medium saucepan, heat over medium heat until thickened, about 15 minutes. Cool in refrigerator (stir occasionally to assist in cooling).

7. After everything has cooled, assemble the cake. Place one of the layers, flat side down, on a plate or cake stand. Spread a thick layer of the banana cream filling over the top surface of the layer.

8. Place the second layer, round side down, on top of the first and gently press down to make sure it sticks. Fill in any gaps on the side with more banana cream.

9. Make the whipped cream frosting immediately before icing. Whisk all of the ingredients together, then beat with a hand mixer, on high speed, until stiff peaks form.

10. Frost the cake with the whipped cream frosting. Garnish with sprinkles, chocolate shavings, or candied walnuts.

I went with a seven-course tasting: amuse-bouche, soup, appetizer, first course, main course, cheese platter, and dessert. The goal was to make it well-balanced without any single course being too filling. Full recipes for some of the dishes are on their way (eventually)!

Amuse-Bouche

For the amuse-bouche, I adapted an Asian-inspired meatball soup from Gordon Ramsay's Home Cooking. I made tiny pork meatballs mixed with ginger, sesame oil, salt, and pepper. The broth is chicken stock mixed with soy sauce, hoisin sauce, oyster sauce, star anise, and fresh ginger. Some baby spinach is also wilted in the broth.

To serve, I took the wilted spinach out of the broth and piled it on an Asian soup spoon. I placed the meatball on top of the spinach, poured some of the broth over top (enough to fill the spoon), then topped the meatball with either scallions or pickled ginger. I think this was Allie's favorite course (she was freaking out a little bit).

Soup

For the soup course, I made fresh pea soup. It's surprisingly simple, yet oh-so-delicious. Basically, you sauté a small onion and a leek, then boil them and a bag of peas in chicken stock. Once the peas are soft, toss the ingredients in a blender with a few tablespoons of créme fraiche, some salt, and some pepper (to taste), and blend until smooth. I topped the soup with chives and homemade croutons. Simple.

Allie says that this was her favorite part (which is kind of surprising since she's basically a straight-up carnivore . . . veggies have no place in her life). Give it a shot, it's worth it.

Appetizer

The appetizer was a simple shrimp cocktail. Of course, I made the cocktail sauce myself. It's a simple mixture of ketchup, prepared horseradish, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, and a few drops of Frank's Red Hot. All of these ingredients were to taste. It's definitely worth it to make your own cocktail sauce . . . you can make it personal, and a bit more flavorful than most of the jarred stuff.

First Course

This is where I started to get fancy. If you remember the post from a few weeks ago, we went to Gotham Bar & Grill in NYC, and Allie fell in love with the mushroom risotto. Well, I tried to replicate it (at least mostly). The risotto is a chantrelle mushroom risotto with pancetta and Gruyere cheese.

To make it, I fried some pancetta, added some butter and the mushrooms, then the rice, wine, and broth (with a few minutes between each new ingredient). When the risotto was just about finished, I added Gruyere cheese. The result was pretty spectacular, if I do say so myself. My recipe doesn't hold a candle to Chef Portale's, but it was still pretty darn good.

A few differences certainly came from the wine choice and specific ingredients. I went with a white wine because it's what we were drinking, while Gotham's risotto is made with sherry. I also used rehydrated dried mushrooms instead of using fresh ones. If you don't have access to fresh chantrelles, dried will certainly suffice. Just make sure you rehydrate them separately from your risotto.

Main Course

Now for the really good stuff (this is where I may have lost control of portion sizes a bit . . . oops!).

For the main course, I went a little wild and made Beef Wellington with a red wine reduction sauce. Wellington is a filet mignon surrounded by duxelle (mushroom paste, I tossed some truffle powder in there too), prosciutto, and puff pastry. This dish takes some serious planning—you need to have time to cook several ingredients separately, cool them, build the Wellington, then cook it again.

This wasn't my first time making it (maybe my fourth?), so I knew what I was in for. A similar recipe can also be found in Gordon Ramsay's Home Cooking (you may have noticed, but I like his book a lot).

On the side, I made a simple but delicious cauliflower purée (similar recipe here). It was steamed using chicken stock, then puréed with créme fraiche, salt, pepper, and some milk. I'd recommend adding some butter, but I didn't this time. I originally was going to make mashed potatoes, but decided that it would be too heavy for such an elaborate meal. This was a good alternative.

Cheese Platter

There's really not much to say here except: choose what you like, serve your cheese with neutral-flavored crackers (nothing too rich or flavorful, but nothing bland), and garnish with something sweet (I normally go with jams). At this point (partially because of my failure at portion-size control), we were pretty full. We were 5 hours into the meal, and ended up having one piece of cheese each (gotta have room for dessert!).

Dessert

And now for everyone's favorite part: dessert! I'll admit, making dessert did not go well . . . until the end. Then it was fabulous.

I originally planned to make a fruit tart with mascarpone filling—but the mascarpone curdled. I managed to save the tart shell though. So, on to idea number two. I tried to make a salted caramel and chocolate tart—but I burned the caramel (my first attempt ever, so no big surprise there). Naturally, that had to go in the trash.

Finally, I had the idea to make a chocolate ganache tart. And oh my was that successful. The tart is bittersweet and semi-sweet chocolate ganache on a vanilla crust (homemade, of course . . . I have the scars to prove it! On a possibly unrelated note, food processor blades are much sharper than they appear . . .), and topped with sea salt and hazelnuts.

The recipe for the tart shell, from Sally's Baking Blog, can be found here (along with my original dessert plan). The ganache is similar to my recipe for chocolate truffles, but using slightly less chocolate. I used 6 oz of chocolate (a mixture of bittersweet and semi-sweet) with 1 cup of heavy cream, and a splash of vanilla extract. It was a sweet end to a challenging culinary work-out!

I've made popovers dozens of times with several different recipes, beginning with one of the recipes available from the Jordan Pond House gift shop. It's actually amazing how many different (and sometimes convoluted) recipes there are for them. The recipe that I started with requires over 10 minutes using a stand mixer at various speeds for various different steps . . . that's a little ridiculous. Some use baking soda, but most don't. Some call for skim milk and others require whole. This recipe is a reliable adaptation of the recipes that I've tried.

First off, I've nixed that absurd mixing algorithm and replaced it with a small amount of time in a blender. The entire point of mixing the dough for an extended period of time is to add a lot of air to the mixture. Blenders are much more efficient at that. I've also removed the baking soda—it's just unnecessary.

For the milk, well, the type doesn't seem to matter much. I've used 2% and whole milk, and the results are equally good for both varieties. I haven't used skim, nut, or soy milks, but they're certainly worth a try if it's all you have (or if you're lactose intolerant). Enjoy!

Popovers

Makes: 6 popovers
Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time: 35 minutes

1½ cups (180 grams) all-purpose flour
¾ tsp salt
3 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted
1½ cups milk
3 large eggs

1. Preheat the oven to 450°F.

2. Whisk together the flour and salt.

3. Put the butter, milk, and eggs into a blender and blend on high speed for 20 seconds.

4. Place the popover pan in the oven to warm it. Meanwhile, add half of the flour mixture to the blender and blend on high speed for another 20 seconds. Scrape the sides, then add the remaining flour to the blender and blend on high speed for 40 seconds.

5. Remove the pan from the oven, grease it well (even between the holes), and fill each hole halfway (don't overfill them). Place pan in oven and bake for 20 minutes.

6. Reduce temperature to 350°F and bake for an additional 10 to 15 minutes, until well-browned. Remove from oven and poke a hole in each popover to vent the steam (otherwise they'll get mushy). Serve warm with butter and jam.

Beignets at Café du Monde

Whenever I mentioned to someone that I was going to New Orleans, they immediately told me, "you have to get beignets!" Naturally, that was my first order of business. Café du Monde is a small café in the French Quarter of New Orleans. It opened in the nineteenth century and is well-known as the place to get beignets in New Orleans. First thing in the morning while the city was still sleeping, I hopped over to this wonderful gem to grab some breakfast.

What I didn't know was that they are also known for their café au lait (coffee with milk), which is their own chicory coffee blend mixed with milk. I found out about it while standing in line and listening to other people discuss what they were going to order.

When I got to the front of the line, I naturally ordered one order of beignets (3 is the minimum number, so be it) and a small café au lait. The beignets were light, sweet (but not too sweet), and crispy on the outside. For my first trip to the café, they even came with a baseball-sized ball of sugar (not sure why, but that's fun!). They were excellent. If you're going to get beignets, this is the place to get them. I tried them at another well-known location, but was extremely disappointed . . . extremely. If you like coffee, definitely get the café au lait as well, it's a nice complement to the beignets. Full disclosure: I went here twice during the 3½ days that I was in the city. I recommend going early in the morning if you don't like waiting in line (they're open 24 hours); there's normally a line down the street.

Dining at Mother's

Mother's is a small cafeteria-style restaurant on a corner on Poydras Street, pretty close to Harrah's Casino. Again, I'll recommend that you go during odd hours to avoid standing in long lines. I went twice (both times at 4pm), partially out of convenience, and partially because Mother's is known as one of the top places for certain foods.

During my first visit, I ordered jambalaya—you can't go to New Orleans and not get jambalaya. I've had a few jambalaya recipes (always good), and this is one of the better recipes I've had. It's meaty, flavorful, and very well done. It's certainly worth trying.

On my second visit, I ordered the red beans and rice and a slice of sweet potato pie. The red beans and rice were flavorful and loaded with Mother's famous ham. It was hearty and delicious. The sweet potato pie was equally good, but may have been nice with a dollop of whipped cream on top. My labmate that I was travelling with also loved his seafood gumbo and crawfish etoufée. Overall, Mother's is a great place to try out all manner of New Orleans cuisine, especially on a budget. It's not fancy or pretentious; it's just good, home-style food.

Dinner at Pat O'Brien's

To cap off my first full day in the city, I grabbed some dinner at Pat O'Brien's with a friend. We were actually looking for the piano bar (still not sure where that was), but we ended up eating at the main bar.

They had a nice assortment of dishes to try. We started off with fried catfish strips for an appetizer. The catfish was well-cooked, moist, and tasty; it was served with homemade tartar sauce and cocktail sauce. Definitely a good start.

For dinner, I went for the Shrimp Creole. It was definitely a good choice. It came nicely plated with a large portion of shrimp. The sauce had a spicy kick to it and a great flavor.

Finally, we had to end our meal with slices of pecan pie. You can't take a trip to the south without having some. It was certainly one of the better pecan pies that I had tried, and was served with some great Chantilly whipped cream. All in all, this was a great dinner to cap off our first day in New Orleans.

Fried Chicken at Willie Mae's Scotch House

On my second day in the city, I stopped by Willie Mae's Scotch House for what is undisputedly one of the best fried chicken restaurants in the city. When I was doing my research, Willie Mae's was in the top 5 (usually number 1) on every source I looked at. 

It's a long way from the touristy areas. I walked, but I'd suggest driving or taking public transportation. When you get there, Willie Mae's is unremarkable from the outside. It's a small, run-down building in the middle of a neighborhood. I got there at 11am (to avoid the lunch rush), and still had about a 15 minute wait . . . for a party of 1. That's a good sign.

I naturally ordered "America's Best Fried Chicken" with a cornbread muffin and (much to my shame) a side salad. This order comes with three pieces of chicken: a thigh, a wing, and a drum. You can also pay a little bit more to get white meat if that's your preference. The chicken was unique. It was very slightly spicy with a thick but wonderfully crispy layer of breading. I would highly recommend it.

Cake Café

Cake Café is located a few blocks from the French Quarter and is an excellent place to grab a quick breakfast. I was disappointed to hear that I couldn't order one of they're delicious-sounding crab breakfasts, but if crab is out of season, it's out of season. I took the suggestion of the person at the cash register and ordered myself corned beef hash with a biscuit.

Overall, I'd recommend Cake Café. It's quaint, the food is good, and the employees are nice. It has the added benefit of being slightly away from the touristy parts of the French Quarter, so it's a bit less busy, though certainly visited often.

Killer Poboys

Last but not least, no post about New Orleans food would be complete without a po' boy. You can find po' boys at pretty much any restaurant, and they'll probably always be good. While the fillings vary from place to place, they should all have one thing in common (based on what I've heard). The bread should be flaky and crispy on the outside, and light and airy on the inside. To my friends from the Philly area, it's the same as the bread you need for a good cheese steak.

The most common po' boys I saw around the city were some combination of fried oysters, fried shrimp, and thick slabs of meat. There were also a lot of "classy" po' boys that had some more exotic or expensive ingredients. My visit to Killer Poboys (I went to the 219 Dauphine Street location) was halfway between the two. I ordered the shrimp poboy (again at the recommendation of the cashier). It consisted of the perfect bread, sautéed shrimp, sriracha aioli, cucumbers, carrots, lime . . . it was delicious.

If what I've described doesn't strike your fancy, they also have some other interesting types to try like Housemade Chorizo, Glazed Pork Belly, Pecan Butter & Jelly, or Roasted Cauliflower. They even had a venison po' boy special on the day that I visited. There's something for almost anyone here.

The pizza crust is basic and can certainly be modified if you'd like. Some suggestions I have are to add garlic powder, Italian spices, or grated cheese to the mix of dry ingredients for a different flavor. Be careful with the cheese, though—that can prevent the dough from rising well.

The sauce was inspired by an Emeril recipe. I've made a few small changes, but nothing major. The sauce is very garlicky, which makes this pizza extra flavorful. If you don't like garlic, you could always reduce to a half head of roasted garlic. If the sauce isn't garlicky enough when you taste it, you can also add some garlic powder to the mix. 

Lastly, the toppings are obviously changeable. You can add or take away whatever you'd like according to your taste. The spinach, mushroom, and tomato mix gives you a beautifully colorful pizza with lots of contrasting flavor. You could add or substitute ricotta, broccoli, or peppers to this pizza for an interesting twist. Enjoy!

White Pizza with Garlic Sauce

Makes: 2-4 servings
Prep time: 1.5 hours
Cook time: 15 minutes

For the crust

⅔ cup warm water
1 packet (5/16 oz) dry active yeast
1 Tbsp sugar
2 cups (240 grams) bread flour
½ tsp salt
2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil

For the sauce

1 large head (not clove) roasted garlic
2 Tbsp butter
1 Tbsp all purpose flour
1 cup milk
A pinch of cayenne pepper

For the pizza

1 Tbsp olive oil, plus more for brushing
4-6 oz fresh baby spinach
1-2 cloves garlic, minced
4-6 oz cremini mushrooms, sliced
8 oz grated mozzarella cheese
2 medium tomatoes, seeded and chopped

1. First, make the pizza crust: mix together the warm water, yeast, and sugar and allow to rest for about 5 minutes until frothy. If the mixture doesn't become frothy, start over because your yeast is likely dead. Meanwhile, whisk together the flour and salt, then make a well in the center of the mixture.

2. Pour the yeast mixture and olive oil into the well. Slowly stir the flour mixture into the liquid from the boundary until a dough forms. Knead dough on a floured surface until smooth (about 5 minutes).

3. Place dough in large floured mixing bowl and cover bowl with a damp cloth. Place in a warm location for 1 to 1.5 hours until doubled in volume.

TIP: If your house tends to be cold and you don't have a warm place to put the dough, turn on your oven for about 2 minutes, then turn it off. Place the bowl with the dough in the oven to rise.

4. When the dough is almost done rising, start making the sauce: Melt the butter over medium-high heat, then add the flour and stir constantly for about 30 seconds to 1 minute. Add the milk and cayenne pepper, then bring mixture to a simmer and slightly thicken.

5. Pour milk mixture into a blender with roasted garlic (paper removed) and blend until smooth.

6. Preheat the oven to 450°F.

7. Cook the spinach and garlic together in the oil in a non-stick pan until wilted. Set spinach aside, and cook mushrooms in same pan until softened. Set aside.

8. Now let's put it all together. Brush a medium baking sheet with olive oil and sprinkle with garlic powder if desired. Stretch the risen dough to the edges of the baking sheet, then brush the edges of the dough with oil. Bake for about 7 to 10 minutes until slightly browned.

9. Take crust out of the oven and press down bubbles with a rubber spatula. Spread sauce over the surface one spoonful at a time (you won't need all of it). Top with cheese, spinach, and mushrooms, then bake at 500°F for 5 to 10 minutes, until cheese is melted and brown at edges.

10. Remove from oven and top with tomatoes. Cook longer if desired, then transfer to cooling rack.

Maison Kayser

We arrived in NYC from Boston late on a Friday morning, checked in at the hotel, then immediately got some breakfast at the Maison Kayser location near Bryant Park. Before going in, you can window shop and see the stunning pastries and desserts that await you inside.

At the counter, you're faced with dozens of beautiful options. We went for the pain au chocolat aux amandes (chocolate almond croissants) and chai lattes. The croissants were enormous, buttery, and had a great ratio of chocolate and almond filling to pastry. They were wonderfully flaky with a powdered sugar topping. If there was anything I could change, I wish I would have asked for it to be warmed up (I'm not sure if that was an option). We would have liked to come back again, but in such a big city with so little time, we didn't get the chance. If you happen to be in the area, this little shop is worth a try.

Gotham Bar & Grill

Now for the real meat of this blog post: what we thought of Gotham Bar & Grill. Any birthday needs a big splurge of some sort—this was ours. By our standards, this is an extremely expensive restaurant, but certainly one that's worth going to . . . we already want to go back (but won't any time soon because we're broke from the first time). My sister and brother-in-law also came along, so we had the opportunity to sample a large portion of their spectacular menu.

If you've ever dined in New York City, then you've likely experienced a meal at a typical hole-in-the-wall type of restaurant, or a restaurant where you're almost sitting on top of the people at the next table. This restaurant is not like that. Here, you have some space to stretch out and the restaurant is open and airy. The design inside is elegant and beautiful, with high ceilings and flowing curtains throughout. 

The menu is divided into "First", "Second", and "Third" courses. We figured, this was a celebration, so we got some of everything.

First course

For the first course (this is the most boring part, I promise), we ordered a platter of oysters and the yellowfin tuna tartare. The selection of oysters was tasty. We were served 3 east coast oysters and 3 west coast oysters; both varieties were delicious. I won't spend much time on these, though, since the specific varieties available will likely vary from week to week.

The yellowfin tuna tartare was also excellent. I always love tuna as a nice, light appetizer. The tuna was cut and plated beautifully on a bed of cucumbers and topped with crostini. The fish mixture was light, flavorful, and well-balanced. So far, so good.

Second Course

For the second course, Allie and I were both stuck between two dishes: the shellfish bisque and the wild mushroom risotto. So, we ordered both. We were going to eat half of one, then switch plates and eat the rest of the other. At least, that was the plan...

Allie has a thing for risotto. She also has a thing for Gruyere cheese, which happened to be in the risotto. When she took her first bite, that was the end of our plan. The risotto that we were going to share was now hers. I did get a few bites, and I agree with her. That was the best risotto I had ever had. The texture and flavor were perfect . . . and I was told that I had to figure out how to make it. I'll work on that.

It's not all bad though, that means I got the shellfish bisque all to myself. As with any fancy shellfish bisque, the bowl with the meat and garnishes was placed in front of me, and the liquid was poured around it. This bisque is served with lobster, crab, clam, shrimp, and mussels. There was no point while I was eating it that I felt there wasn't enough meat in there. The broth had an interesting flavor that made me just keep taking bite after bite until it was gone. Maybe it's a good thing Allie commandeered the risotto—I'm not sure the bisque would have made it to her.

Third Course

Now for the best part (in my opinion—Allie's still stuck on the risotto): the entree. I was stuck for a while when deciding on the entree and ended up going with the Niman Ranch Pork Chop. Allie went with the Miso Marinated Black Cod.

This was a little bit out of character for me. It's very, very rare for me to order pork chops at a restaurant. They tend to be dry and tough by the time they get to the table unless the chef knows what he's doing. This seemed like the place to take the risk.

I wasn't disappointed. My pork chop was a huge, bone-in slab of perfectly cooked pork. It was topped with a cider sage reduction, and had sauerkraut filled with thick chunks of bacon on the side, along with some apple quince chutney. These components really made the dish. Every bite was a delicious, smoky, bacon-y taste of perfection.  Even after the first two courses, I had no trouble eating this entire plate of heaven.

Dessert

At this point, the three courses were catching up with us. So we slowed down with some cappuccinos . . . and then went immediately to dessert, because how could we not? This was a birthday splurge after all.

My dessert was a beautiful mascarpone mousse served with figs, gingerbread, and honey ice cream (I'll have to work on a recipe for the mousse and ice cream too). The mousse was the light, sweet dessert that I needed at the end of such a wonderful meal, and it was perfectly complemented by the garnishes. I ate it all (minus some bites for Allie) and didn't regret a single bite.

The word bruschetta actually refers to the bread, which is traditionally rubbed with olive oil and garlic, not the topping. You can, of course, just eat the bread part. I like to dip it in tomato sauce or seasoned olive oil. But, there are also many recipes for the topping that are worth trying out.

The topping I have for you is a simple tomato, basil, and olive mixture. I strongly recommend using Kalamata olives rather than black olives. Green olives could also work. Kalamata and green olives have a much stronger flavor than black olives, which adds a nice tangy flavor to the recipe. If you're not a Balsamic vinegar fan, I'd also recommend replacing it with red wine vinegar. The vinegar helps to brighten up the flavor even more, so I don't recommend skipping it. 

We'll have a lot more recipes for different bruschetta toppings in the future, so stay tuned! Enjoy!

Tomato & Olive Bruschetta

Makes: 2-4 servings
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 5 minutes

3 medium tomatoes, seeded and chopped
1 oz coarsely grated Grana Padano Parmesan cheese
6–8 basil leaves, chopped
12–16 Kalamata olives, finely chopped
1 tsp olive oil, plus more for bread
1 tsp Balsamic or red wine vinegar
Kosher salt
Coarsely ground pepper
Loaf of Italian bread
Garlic powder

1. Turn on the oven broiler.

2. Mix together tomatoes, cheese, basil, olives, 1 tsp oil, and vinegar. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

3. Slice the bread to your desired thickness (the thinner, the crispier), and brush one side of each piece with olive oil. Sprinkle generously with garlic powder, then broil until beginning to brown. Top the bread with the tomato mixture to serve.