FlourPower!

Slows Bar BQ

noreply@blogger.com (FlourPower) — Mon, 17 Oct 2011 02:14:00 +0000

I heard from several folks that Slows was the place to go in Detroit. We had no luck on Friday night so we tried again Saturday afternoon and only had to wait about 30 minutes for a table.

We ordered pretty quickly and our food came shortly after. The decor is very nice, dark hardwood floors and a casual atmosphere.

Pat ordered the Triple Threat pork sandwich which was ham, pulled pork and bacon. He ordered waffle fries with cheddar cheese on the side. From what Pat said the sandwich was really good and he loved their apple barbecue sauce. The waffle fries with cheddar practically sell themselves.

I opted for the Mary Ann which was pickle, white onion on top of cubed brisket with macaroni and cheese. Their mac n cheese is pretty damn delicious. It's large shells with a rich cheddar cheese sauce, cooked until bubbly and brown. The sandwich had a good portion of brisket on it and was sauced before coming to the table. Not my preference but it was okay. I would have preferred to sauce it myself. I like the spicier sauces and with the pickle and onion I think it would have been better. It was a pretty hearty portion and it made quite a mess.

I liked Slows but I'm not sure I would endure the 30-40 minute wait for it on a Saturday afternoon.

Krazy Jim's Blimpy Burgers

noreply@blogger.com (FlourPower) — Mon, 17 Oct 2011 01:53:00 +0000

ANOTHER Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives establishment! We did indeed drive all the way from Detroit to Ann Arbor, Michigan just to have a tasty cheeseburger at Blimpy Burger.

I read ahead of time on their menu for their ordering decorum (nothing too difficult, I assure you). 1. order your fried items, 2. order your # of patties, 3. request any grill items, 4. request bun type, 5. request cheese, 6. request any condiments, 7. pay.

Upon arrival I ordered the fried veggies and a double cheeseburger. Pat ordered the quint cheeseburger with bacon. Yes, that is 5 patties. They make everything before your eyes. they grind the beef daily and its placed on the grill in a meatball sized portion and smashed on the grill to make a nice brown crust.

Here is my double with cheddar. A very tasty burger, I probably shouldn't have wolfed it down.

Here's Pat's quint. Bacony, cheesy, beefy goodness.

Fresh cut steak fries were a nice touch.

These fried veggies were delicious. Fresh cut/battered veggies, absolutely delicious.

Blimpy Burger doesn't need my help. There are 3 generations of Wolverines that can attest to the deliciousness of their burgers.

New York Red Hots Coney Island

noreply@blogger.com (FlourPower) — Mon, 17 Oct 2011 01:39:00 +0000

I am a fan of the diner foods. Since we were in Detroit I had to try a Coney Island dog. Being from Cincinnati I know a thing or two about Coneys but these were different. The Detroit Coney Island is more of a chili dog, and is quite tasty. The bun was perfectly steamed and the hot dog appeared to be a natural casing, it had that certain "snap" to it.

I had an order of the spinach pie which was great. It was HUGE and delicious. I was expecting more of a spanikopita sized portion but this was as big as a slice of bread. Lots of delicious onion, garlic, cheese and spinach and wonderful phyllo dough.

Pat had a ham and cheese melt with fries. As you can see they don't mess around with the fries. Pat said that the ham and cheese was good however the fries were more than likely frozen. Not bad for diner food though.

NY Red Hots Coney Island much like other CI restaurants is open 24/7 and has an expansive Greek American diner menu serving breakfast classics and dinner entrees all day. Good comfort food anytime or enough to soak up all that booze you just drank!

Zack's Hot Dogs

noreply@blogger.com (FlourPower) — Mon, 17 Oct 2011 01:24:00 +0000

Before our concert we went to Zack's for a quick snack/meal.

Pat ordered the Chicken Fried dog which was battered, deep fried and then smothered in gravy. Pretty tasty!

I ordered the Baltimore dog which is a regular dog wrapped in bologna and then grilled. It was reaaaaally good!

I also had their onion rings which were pretty good. A little greasy as you might expect but still pretty good.

This location had less than stellar reviews from the other one and they did have some missteps upon our arrival but everyone was very friendly and I would definitely go back. So should you if you're not in the market for coney island style dogs in D-town.

The Spinning Fork

noreply@blogger.com (FlourPower) — Mon, 17 Oct 2011 01:10:00 +0000

We went to Spinning Fork on a whim one Sunday. The decor was quite nice kind of like an Italian diner.

We ordered the garlic bread with cheese which was good. The marinara sauce is very good, smooth but substantial.

Pat tried the Italian Wedding Soup which he enjoyed. That surprised me. I wouldn't normally think he would like this soup. I tasted it, it was very flavorful and a nice portion in lieu of a salad.

I had their side salad which was okay. The house Italian dressing was too sweet for my liking. I can't believe I had to say that Italian dressing was sweet. Meh, it's not a deal breaker.

I ordered their Fettuccini Alfredo which was pretty good. I've had better but it was good. It tasted freshly made and the pasta was cooked perfectly. If I had one complaint is that it could have used more salt in the cooking process. Still a hearty portion.

Pat had the Spaghetti with meatballs, 2 large meatballs to be exact. Pat liked the marinara, which was smooth and flavorful. The meatballs were large and flavorful due to the beef and Italian sausage. Really tasty.

Spinning Fork was a great alternative to other "Italian" restaurants that you could try. This is going in our regular rotation.

Union Woodshop

noreply@blogger.com (FlourPower) — Mon, 17 Oct 2011 00:50:00 +0000

Union Woodshop was both worth the drive and the wait. My god, was it ever. This is another Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives location. I actually didn't know that in advance! The decor was cute, kitschy Americana with wood details. The floor was made of wood particle paneling complete with lumberyard stamps.

Nothing was really photogenic here so you'll have to trust me.

We ordered the burnt ends appetizer which was a large portion on a piece of toast. The Burnt Ends were delicious. They have a really great sauce that's smoky and slightly sweet with a little heat. The burnt ends are a misnomer they're not burnt at all but tender and flavorful. It will make you want more.

Pat ordered the back ribs platter with fries. It came cleverly in a baking pan for ease of cleaning. Pat really liked their ribs and sauce. The smoke ring on the ribs was rich and deep. And by the way, I had a bite of Pat's mac and cheese that came on the side. UW makes the BEST macaroni and cheese that I've ever eaten. It was a really creamy sauce, penne pasta, and a crunchy crust. MMM!

I ordered the pineapple and tasso pizza. Yes, ma'am you read that right. Grilled pineapple and house made tasso ham on a wood fired pizza crust with San Marzano tomato sauce. God. Was. This. Good. I am a fan of the tasso ham and with the grilled pineapple it was really tasty. I added roasted garlic for an extra kick. In fact I just had some as leftovers. MMMM!

For dessert pat had the deep fried twinkie which he enjoyed a lot. I can't do them, they're too sweet. I opted for the Butterscotch Pudding which was topped with house-smoked sea salt & our fresh whipped cream. I would drive 4 hours from Cincinnati to Detroit for that pudding ALONE. Damn!

UW has a great craft beer selection and the bar staff is more than capable of making any cocktail that you could want.

Stockyards Steakhouse

noreply@blogger.com (FlourPower) — Sun, 16 Oct 2011 23:37:00 +0000

After Phil's graduation from MMI we decided to treat him to a steak. I found Stockyards and it was a really cool joint. they have a giant cow on the roof. How could you go wrong?

We were greeted with a bread/cracker basket while we perused the menu.

I had the filet mignon with their parmesan potato stack which is simply au gratin potatoes with parmesan. It was very tasty and dense. Their filet was very good. Nicely seasoned and cooked perfectly. It was at a right price at $36 for 8oz., in my opinion. It's also worth mentioning that they were running a side item special that day on sauteed chanterelle mushrooms at $10. Worth it! God those are my kryptonite.

Pat opted for the Buffalo steak which was $55 for a 20oz Ribeye. Pat really loved it and pretty much cleaned the bone. Pat had a nice loaded potato on the side which was a generous size.

Phil on the other hand had the world's largest, bloodiest piece of prime rib ever. He had the "Cattle Baron's Cut" of prime rib which was $36 for 18oz. He also had the parmesan potato stack and horseradish on the side. This was a really generous portion and according to Phil it was top notch. I don't know why but I am always really happy when all of our food comes out perfectly cooked and at the same time. I mean look at my filet and this big old slab below... same time!

We ended up sitting in the same booth that John Wayne liked to sit at as did Barry Goldwater. Yep, we're that cool. The Duke also blessed us with delicious food and great staff to take care of us. On your next trip into Phoenix please swing by the Stockyards. It has a wonderful atmosphere and great food to keep you coming back.

Matt's Big Breakfast

noreply@blogger.com (FlourPower) — Sun, 16 Oct 2011 23:07:00 +0000

We were going to our friend Phil's graduation from MMI. Thankfully we had time for food. This is also another delicious installment from Diners, Drive-ins and Dives.

I ordered for the side their house made bread toasted with their mixed berry spread. I am a fan of even the most mediocre breads and this was exceptional. Crusty, delicious bread with fresh berries and butter.

Pat had the Hog and Chick sandwich that had eggs, bacon and off-the-bone ham and a side of hash browns. Pat really liked this sandwich. It was a hearty portion and hit the spot for that period of time between breakfast and lunch...or brunch as it were.

I had the salami scramble which was ah-ma-zing. Really, really good. I am a big fan of salami and eggs. this was just wonderful. The eggs tasted really fresh and the rosemary homefries were a wonderful compliment. This was also a really hearty portion for most appetites.

It's also worth mentioning that they have the most delicious Honey Lemonade known to the planet.

'Pomo Pizzeria Napoletana

noreply@blogger.com (FlourPower) — Sun, 16 Oct 2011 23:00:00 +0000

This was a beautiful restaurant in Scottsdale which was really pretty. We ordered a few pies. Only one was sort of photogenic which was the Bianca. Which was white pizza, proscuitto and house made mozzarella. They serve the delicious pizza with a crushed red pepper oil for the crust. Wood fired pizza really is my favorite of all pizza. So delicious and light. Their crust was exceptionally delicious. Crisp outside and fluffy inside crust.

Below is the Profitterol which was: Cream Puffs Filled with Chantilly Cream and Chocolate Topped Mousse. Really delicious. The chocolate mousse was delicate and not too sweet. Profitterols were really good.

Pat had the Semifreddo Di Mandorle which was: Traditional Italian Dessert Term for “Half Cold”, Very Light Cold Mousse Topped with Amaretto Cookies. This was wonderfully simple but a bit too almond-y for me.

Phil had the MILLEFOGLIE Layered Puff Pastry: (thousand leaves) with Pastry Cream and Flavored with Amarena Fabbri ( Wild Cherry). I had a bite of it and it was really tasty. Beautiful pastry layers and fruit.

Anyone who knows me knows I am not a dessert-y person. These desserts were totally worth saving room for.

La Piazza Al Forno

noreply@blogger.com (FlourPower) — Sun, 16 Oct 2011 22:42:00 +0000

I really love wood-fired pizzas. This is another location that comes recommended by Diners, Drive-ins and Dives. This is a beautiful location with a great atmosphere. We were seated promptly and ordered 3 pizzas (2 Italian Stallions which have: San Marzano Tomatoes D.O.P., Homemade Mozzarella, Prosciutto di Parma (cotto), Sopressata, Schreiner’s Sausage and Pepperoni and a Bianca which has: Homemade Mozzarella, Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Ricotta Cheese, Fresh Garlic and Basil).

The one below is the Bianca. I had some of both and the Italian Stallion was really delicious, the meats all worked well together and weren't overpowering. The Bianca was really light and delicious. Their house made mozzarella really made the difference between plain old pizza and a wonderful authentic wood fired pizza.

If you can stand the heat in Phoenix, try to make it to La Piazza Al Forno. I don't lie about pizza.

Piggy's BarBQ

noreply@blogger.com (FlourPower) — Wed, 28 Sep 2011 10:09:00 +0000

We were driving back from KCK and saw the billboard for Piggy's and decided to eat there. The billboard had an adorable pig butt on it. Trust me, it was cute.

We ordered and sat down pretty quickly. We got our food pretty quickly. Pat ordered the St. Louis Spare Ribs which were really, really HUGE. God, look at them! He really liked them and said the smoke flavor was really, really good.

I ordered the pulled pork sandwich, potato salad and baked beans. The baked beans were really good, big hunks of bacon in them and a great smoky flavor. The potato salad was really good too. It was tangier than a regular old mayonnaise potato salad, I want to say there was sour cream in it. The pulled pork was really special, it was moist and smoky. I loaded it up with their spicy sauce. It was really worth the stop.

Smokin' Guns BBQ

noreply@blogger.com (FlourPower) — Wed, 28 Sep 2011 08:35:00 +0000

This is another restaurant destination for fans of Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives (or Triple D). I can't say that I am thoroughly impressed by Guy Fieri, but he sure is entertaining and the food on the show always looks delicious.

We made it a point to try Smokin' Guns purely on the suggestion on Triple D. Upon arrival I was pretty sure we wouldn't be disappointed. I couldn't get a good picture but every inch of wall space in SG is decorated with winning ribbons from BBQ competitions. That is its own recommendation right there.

Pat ordered the slab or ribs and waffle fries. The item in the cup is their potato casserole which I enjoyed but Pat did not. It was cheesy, sour creamy and had a corn flake crust.
Pat really enjoyed the sauce as did I. It was the delicious sauce that made the dish. It wasn't overpowering and it wasn't slathered on the ribs either. The wonderful smokiness and the sauce made a great combo.

I had the brisket sandwich which was really great as well. It was a generous portion which I opted to slather in sauce because that's my thing. I love a good brisket sandwich and this was certainly that. It was sliced not too thin and wasn't squishy. It was smoked perfectly and had a great flavor. I bought some sauce for our friends who were dogsitting for us and they opted to use it as ketchup. Yeah, it's that good.

Smokin' Guns speaks for itself without my words. See for yourself.

Chubby's on Broadway

noreply@blogger.com (FlourPower) — Wed, 28 Sep 2011 08:24:00 +0000

We attended Farm Aid this year in beautiful Kansas City, Kansas. No, I wasn't kidding it really was beautiful. When we left Farm Aid I scouted out 24/7 restaurants and stumbled upon Chubby's. I liked the menu enough so we GPS'd our way there.

We were greeted by no less than 3 helpful employees and seated next to a table of steampunks. Seriously.

We ordered drinks and some delicious macaroni and cheese wedges. They were pretty much as delicious as they sound. They came with a side of ranch for dipping and were molten hot.

Being that it was KCK Pat needed a KC Strip. Pat said it was just one of the best steaks he'd ever had. The fact that it was only $9 and was a SIDE item was impressive to me.

This big sphere of white was the Country Boy Benedict which is comprised of a biscuit, ham, hash browns and country gravy. It was heavy and delicious. Just the thing for a cold winter day.

On my server's suggestion I had the Italian Beef sandwich which was really fantastic. I had them make it pretty spicy and they added some jalapeno to the beef and a side of the jardineria and au jus. Really satisfying skirt steak and provolone combination on a toasted roll.

Chubby's has a really huge menu and they are open 24/7. Parking lot is right next to the entrance and the staff could not have been friendlier.

Gabby's Cafe

noreply@blogger.com (FlourPower) — Wed, 28 Sep 2011 07:36:00 +0000

My friend Colin has been telling me about Gabby's for some time. Being that I live 3 minutes away I had extra incentive to go. Our server was very friendly and prompt with his service.

We ordered the fried mozzarella which was pretty good as far as fried cheese goes. It was a fairly large portion and had fresh shavings of parmesan cheese. Their marinara was pretty good with a little sweetness.

Pat ordered the meatball pizza which was good. It was a large enough portion for 2 to share and had nice slices of freshly made meatball with the same tasty marinara.

I had a white pizza with chicken, asparagus and red onion which was really tasty. They have a light and fluffy crust which I enjoyed. The cream sauce base was not too heavy for me and the asparagus made the pizza really tasty with a good textural component.

I've been here a couple times and I only seem to get pizza. I need to eventually try their burgers.

America the beautiful

noreply@blogger.com (FlourPower) — Tue, 06 Sep 2011 02:29:00 +0000

In honor of this Labor Day I accidentally made a biscuit in the shape of the United States of America. Enjoy!

Polo Grille

noreply@blogger.com (FlourPower) — Sun, 04 Sep 2011 13:12:00 +0000

Deerfield township is not near my house exactly so I only dare to try restaurants in this area when I have left the hair salon. On this occasion I went to Polo Grille. It's a large restaurant that serves lunch and dinner. I was greeted and seated very promptly.

I decided on the Pot Roast Pretzel sandwich with yucca fries. I can't say I'd ever had yucca fries before. They were good. They were a bit heartier than a potato fry but similar in flavor. Nice departure from the normal sandwich side, in my opinion.

The pot roast sandwich was pretty special. Delicious caramelized onion and cheese accompany the juicy pot roast that is heftily piled on a pretzel bun. It's a really large sandwich that might be a bit heavy for a normal lunch but I was making an exception I guess. You could put just about anything on a pretzel bun and I'd try it.

The only drawback for PG is that it's so damn FAR away from everything. I can't imagine people from Northern Kentucky driving all the way up here for a pretzel pot roast sandwich.

Predicting Movie Remakes of the Future: Dirty Dancing

noreply@blogger.com (FlourPower) — Tue, 09 Aug 2011 07:29:00 +0000

I have been working on this post for weeks. I just found out TODAY that they greenlit this remake. Maybe I've missed my calling. Maybe I should work in Hollywood?

Original Cast:

Jennifer Grey - Frances "Baby" Houseman

Patrick Swayze - Johnny Castle

Jerry Orbach - Dr. Jake Houseman

Cynthia Rhodes - Penny Johnson

Jack Weston - Max Kellerman

Jane Brucker - Lisa Houseman

Kelly Bishop - Marjorie Houseman

Lonny Price - Neil Kellerman

Max Cantor - Robbie Gould

Hollywood Version:

Frances "Baby" Houseman - Emma Stone (I don't dislike her, but that's just something I'd expect)

Johnny Castle – Justin Theroux

Dr. Jake Houseman - Dennis Quaid

Penny Johnson - Leslie Bibb

Max Kellerman - John Goodman

Lisa Houseman - Zooey Deschanel - everything about her annoys me.

Marjorie Houseman - Melissa Leo

Neil Kellerman - Paul Rudd

Robbie Gould - James Franco

The Version I Would Actually Enjoy:

Frances "Baby" Houseman - Olivia Wilde or Emma Watson (Both equally beautiful with a striking "girl next door" look)

Johnny Castle - Ryan Gosling (I'm sure he can dance. He can do anything. He's made out of kittens and cake batter anyways)

Dr. Jake Houseman - Alec Baldwin (hells yes!)

Penny Johnson - Katrina Bowden

Max Kellerman - Brian Cox (it's a bit part, I know)

Lisa Houseman - Katy Perry (remember how annoying Lisa's character was? I'm sure Katy can do her justice)

Marjorie Houseman - Julianne Moore

Neil Kellerman - Jesse Eisenberg

Robbie Gould - Alexander Skarsgard

I'd frankly see either of them. I think Ryan Gosling has that damn charm to pull it off. Don't think he's getting out of it without a cover of "She's Like the Wind" either!

Hot Dog - July

noreply@blogger.com (FlourPower) — Mon, 01 Aug 2011 02:29:00 +0000

This is a household favorite. Pat actually found this recipe somewhere I'm not sure. We've been toying around with names but can't decide on one. Basically it's a Kosher hot dog with apple bacon relish and sharp cheddar cheese.

Recipe below.

3 Fuji apples, peeled and chopped into 1/2" cubes
1 lb bacon, chopped
1/4 - 1/2 cup brown sugar
1 tsp salt
1/4 - 1/2 cup water
1 tsp cinnamon

put chopped apples in saucepan with water, brown sugar and cinnamon. brown bacon, lay on paper towels to absorb grease. apples will continue to cook down for 30 - 60 minutes they should still have texture and not be mushy. in the last 10 minutes before serving add chopped bacon and simmer.

we put the shredded cheddar cheese underneath the hot dog so that it melts separately. next put your hot dog of choice but we use Hebrew National, then put a generous helping of the relish on top and enjoy!

Taqueria Cruz

noreply@blogger.com (FlourPower) — Sat, 30 Jul 2011 19:55:00 +0000

I wanted something quick for lunch. I had sort of an idea where TC was but I found it in the strip mall past the Anchor Grill. If you blink you really might miss it.

It was hot as blazes inside and I kind of wish I had gotten my order to go. You're basically eating inside a mercado with no more than 5 tables. I ordered some tacos and chips and salsa. Additionally on the menu they had other options which completely escape my memory. Next time a photo of the menu is needed.

The chips were really tasty, needed a bit of salt. They were obviously freshly made. The salsa/hot sauce was great. It was a thin almost hot sauce consistency.

I ordered 3 tacos: pork (top left), carne asada (bottom), and goat (top right). The pork taco was good, a little dry but was cooked well and had great texture. I put a lot of lime and hot sauce on these. The carne asada was the best of the 3 and had a lot of flavor. The goat taco I'm sure is something that people love. Just not me. Texturally it was a bit mushy for me and I didn't care for the flavor. This wasn't my first time eating goat so I assure you, it wasn't the fact that it was goat. At $2.00 a taco it was a chance I was willing to take!

These corn tortilla, cilantro, lime, onion tacos are my most favorite variety. I make a sad little version of these at home.

The service is spotty here I had to go to the register and order while other patrons got table service. Weird. Do not go here in the summer though, it's hot as Hades. This might be a good place to place a nice to go order of really yummy tacos. Being less than 10 minutes from my work I am certainly going to make this a dash and go lunch destination from now on.

Addictions: July

noreply@blogger.com (FlourPower) — Sat, 23 Jul 2011 08:23:00 +0000

Frasier on DVD
mashed potatoes
Sugar Free Gatorade
My new Pool
ballet flats
not wearing makeup to work
making barbecue sauce from scratch
Smashburger

Predicting Movie Remakes of the Future: Highlander

noreply@blogger.com (FlourPower) — Fri, 22 Jul 2011 18:52:00 +0000

Why do we always hurt the ones we love? I don't know. Whether you think it's cheesy or not, you probably have an opinion on this movie. I for lots of reasons, love this movie. I can watch it anytime it's on and own it on the most exclusive of DVD versions. I am a fan. That being said it's only a matter of time before Hollywood kills my dream of a wonderfully tacky, poorly acted movie. According to the internets this movie remake is actually in the works. We'll see if my picks pan out!

Original Cast:

Christopher Lambert: Connor "The Highlander" MacLeod / Russell Nash

Roxanne Hart: Brenda Wyatt

Clancy Brown: Victor Kruger / The Kurgan

Sean Connery: Juan Sanches Villa-Lobos Ramirez

Beatie Edney: Heather MacLeod

Hollywood Version:

The Highlander: Clive Owen or Johnny Depp

Brenda Wyatt: Amy Adams

The Kurgan: Michael Fassbender (aka Magneto)

Ramirez: Javier Bardem

Heather: Scarlett Johansson

Version I Would Actually Enjoy:

The Highlander: Gerard Butler

Brenda Wyatt: Maggie Gyllenhaal

The Kurgan: Ron Perlman

Ramirez: Liam Neeson

Heather: Rachel Weisz

Update Hurdles:

If anyone so much as thought they could do a better job on a soundtrack and deigned to remake Queen's wonderful set of crazy, fun and at times awesome songs - well, I would meet them in a parking garage after a wrestling match. If you know what I mean.

Pat's 30th Birthday Explosion

noreply@blogger.com (FlourPower) — Thu, 14 Jul 2011 10:41:00 +0000

So my husband is turning 30 this year and my skills as a party planner extraordinaire have been requested. The last birthday party that I threw for him resulted in my ankles being swollen like a fresh hard salami hanging in an Italian deli window and my kitchen being roughly 1,000 degrees from the GENIUS idea that I had to serve lasagna.

This time I am running garde manger on this bitch! More to the point I am employing my oven before guests arrive and giving my warming drawer a workout. Crockpots will also be employed heavily to house the warm items which will be buffet style.

I have been told that I make too much food. I have also been told by friends that they've never been to my house when there WASN'T a giant buffet of food. How do I find the middle ground? I have no idea. Let me run down my rough draft of the menu.

homemade pulled pork
homemade pulled chicken
booze
vegan sloppy jacques
white bean dip
liquor
guacamole
pasta salad
assorted chips
beer
cole slaw
vegan cheese ball

And I'm out of ideas. What ideas do you have out there. In lieu of cake, pie has been requested. Although I do have a 20 inch pan I could make a GIANT cheesecake in. That might have to happen.

Recipe: Kansas City Barbecue Sauce

noreply@blogger.com (FlourPower) — Sat, 09 Jul 2011 04:42:00 +0000

I was totally bored after surgery so I made Pat some pulled pork and I decided to make homemade barbecue sauce. This one ended up being a touch too spicy for us. I might tone down the cayenne, chili powder ratio next time. It was nice and thick though. I might also experiment with adding some molasses.

Kansas City Barbecue Sauce

Yield: Makes about 2 cups

Ingredients:

· 1 cup ketchup

· 1/4 cup water

· 1/4 cup vinegar

· 1/4 cup brown sugar

· 3 tablespoons olive oil

· 2 tablespoons paprika

· 1 tablespoon chili powder

· 2 cloves garlic, minced

· 1 teaspoon cayenne

Preparation:

Heat oil in a saucepan. Add garlic and sauté until brown. Add remaining ingredients and reduce heat. Simmer for 15 minutes until thickened. I ran an immersion blender through mine to get the chunks of garlic to a nice smooth consistency.

Recipe: Aioli

noreply@blogger.com (FlourPower) — Sat, 09 Jul 2011 04:38:00 +0000

I got bored and I can’t eat so I made Aioli for when I can eat. You know, like you do when you’ve had surgery.

Aioli

Ingredients:

2 or 3 small garlic cloves, peeled

Salt

1 egg yolk

1 cup olive oil.

1. Grate garlic with either a microplane or a box grater.

2. Put egg yolk in mixer bowl, add about half the garlic paste and 1/2 teaspoon water. Mix well.

3. Using cup with a pour spout, slowly dribble in oil, mixing constantly. As egg yolk absorbs oil, sauce will thicken, lighten in color, and become opaque. This will happen rather quickly. Then you can add oil a little faster, mixing all the while. If the sauce is thicker than you like, thin it with a few drops of water. Taste, and add more salt and garlic, as desired.

Yield: One cup.

Variations for different flavors:

Rosemary or any other fresh herb like thyme, dill, basil

Mustard

Roasted Garlic

Cayenne

Paprika

Shallot

Truffle Oil (lessen the olive oil by the amount of truffle oil)

Chili sauce or dried chilis

I’m going to try to make this with Old Bay seasoning to make a makeshift Remoulade sauce.

Goose Island Brewpub

noreply@blogger.com (FlourPower) — Tue, 05 Jul 2011 06:58:00 +0000

We went here for lunch after we visited Vosges chocolates. This was a requirement for me as I am a huge fan of Goose Island.

We ordered their pretzels which were really good. Big and soft with delicious mustards for dipping.

Ann had the Stilton burger which she enjoyed. Yes those are huge cloves of garlic on top of that burger with sweet potato fries.

I had the Cuban sandwich which to me was really dry. I could have used more of that delicious mustard on it. The meat was good, but dry. I would choose something else next time.

Make no mistake, I was not going here for the food alone. I was there for the beer. I would eat chips alone to drink all their Goose Island beer. I had some Green Line beer. Yum!