Savorychicks

Time to Bring Back an Old Classic

noreply@blogger.com (Anja (Savorychicks)) — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 08:09:00 +0000

by Marjan

Have you observed within the last decade the comebacks of many popular dishes from the Seventies and Eighties era of cooking? I guess fashion isn’t the only brand that makes a comeback throughout the ages!

Mac’n cheese, burgers, and cupcakes have recently had a face lift to represent the modern day food lover’s palate. Well, I want to make a petition: Let’s bring back Shepherd’s pie! A traditional English dish popularized in the late Seventies. I smell the sweet smell of comeback! I have made many requests to family, friends, and acquaintances within the last couple of years for their recipes that are neither too traditional ("been there, done that!") or too fusion ("is this Shephers’s pie?"). Not finding the right recipe, I have made my own concoction of Shepherd’s pie. I hope you will give it a try and sign my petition to "bring back a classic!"

Ingredients:
• 2-3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 3 medium carrots, peeled and sliced
• 2 rib celery, sliced
• 1/2 pound cremini mushrooms, quartered
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon kosher salt
• 3/4 teaspoon dried oregano
• 5 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1 1/2 pound ground beef
• 1/4 cup canned beef broth
• 4 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper
• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Directions
Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion, carrots, celery, garlic, half the salt, and oregano. Cook until vegetables are tender, about 10 minutes. Add mushrooms and cook for another 5 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste and cook until mushrooms are soft and tomato paste has turned brick red, about 8 minutes more. Stir in the beef and sauté until it is in small pieces, avoiding large clumps. Stir in broth, the remaining salt, the Worcestershire, and some pepper, and cook until the meat is no longer pink, about 3 minutes.

Transfer the meat and vegetables to a 2-quart oval casserole dish.

Begin preparing the mashed potatoes:
1 1/2 pounds russet potatoes, peeled quartered
2 teaspoons kosher salt, plus more for seasoning
3/4 cup whole milk
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
Freshly ground black pepper

Put the potatoes in a saucepan with cold water to cover by about 1-inch and add the salt. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat, uncovered, until the potatoes are tender but not mushy, about 15 minutes. At the same time, combine the milk and butter in a small saucepan and warm over low heat until the butter is melted. Remove from the heat and cover to keep warm.

Drain the potatoes and return to the saucepan. Toss the potatoes over medium heat until dry. Add the heated milk mixture and mash the potatoes until just slightly chunky. Season with salt and pepper.

Spread the mashed potatoes over the top, leaving a 1/4-inch boarder around the edge. Make a decorative pattern on the top of the potatoes, if desired. Sprinkle with cheese, if using, and dot with the remaining tablespoon of butter. Bake until potatoes brown and the juices bubble around the edge, about 40-50 minutes. Let cool for 10 minutes before serving.

Cheerio!

Winter Salad

noreply@blogger.com (Anja (Savorychicks)) — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 08:02:00 +0000

by Marjan

Lettuce, tomatoes, mushrooms, and dressing: sounds pretty boring to me! Yes, you can try different dressings to gain variety. But what if you had a dressing that would make any carnivore come to nibble over to the other side? It can be done; I’m living proof. For me, salad was just another diet food. It never made me feel full or satisfied. I used to force myself to consume salad in order to gain fiber and nutrients.

Then I decided to get creative! Using seasonal fruits and vegetables in my salad really made an ordinary salad into a crave! From one carnivore to another: there is nothing like a juicy steak, but this salad will knock your hoofs off!

With this recipe, be creative! Use whatever variety of green lettuce you like; use any vegetable or fruit you like. If you don’t like bell peppers, don’t use them! If you like the dressing more sweet, add more strawberry preserve, and vice versa. Don’t like almonds, substitute hazelnuts or walnuts. Love Feta chesses, toss out the parmesan. You can’t go wrong. Make this salad your own! After all, it is a complete meal all by itself.

Mixed lettuce leaves (or any dark green lettuce you like with spinach, arugula, radicchio, etc)
1 large tomato-bite size cut
½ bell pepper-bite size cut
¼ cup thinly sliced purple onion
½ cup sliced mushrooms
1 small apple-cubed
¼ cup slivered almonds
½ cup freshly parmesan shavings
1 cup of any seasonal fruit available in your market: Pomegranate seeds, persimmons (cubed), orange slices, pears, etc.
Dressing:
2 large lemons
¼ cup strawberry preserve
¼ cup rice vinegar
1 ripe avocado- cubbed
Salt and pepper to taste
Extra virgin olive oil

In a small bowl, zest entire lemon and squeeze all of its juices. Add preserve, vinegar, oil, salt and pepper to lemon juice and mix with a fork and set aside. If you wish to make your dressing ahead of time, cube the apples and avocados and mix in with the dressing to prevent browning.

In a large salad bowl, use any green leaf lettuce or a combination of lettuce, spinach, arugula, radicchio etc. Add all the ingredients such as tomatoes, bell pepper, onion, mushroom and seasonal fruits of your choice. Before serving, introduce the dressing to your salad mix and toss thoroughly. Garnish with slivered almonds and parmesan cheese shavings.

This salad is filling and nutritious…let’s not forget how good it tastes and makes you feel!

Once upon a time...

noreply@blogger.com (Anja (Savorychicks)) — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 08:01:00 +0000

by Anja

Somehow it feels right to start my little review of my favorite Swiss restaurant like an old fairytale. Especially in wintertime, after a ride through windy, snowy roads it seems you arrive in a fairytale. So enchanting, so magical is the view of this old “Säumerhaus”. A majestic house, several hundred years old, affectionately renovated. The Beyeler family turned this jewel into “Landgasthof Rohrmoos”, a place for culinary highlights and wonderful service (which, in case you don’t know, is far from normal here in Switzerland, where in many restaurants you feel like an uninvited intruder).

At Landgasthof Rohrmoos you feel like coming home. The atmosphere is so warm and cordial, you immediately relax and anticipate a wonderful “homemade” meal. They welcome you with a wonderful glass of wine, accompanied by local cheeses and cured meats, and if you’re lucky during wintertime even mussels. This is all served in the main hall, where you can mingle and chat with other patrons if you wish. Afterwards you enjoy your meal in one of the beautiful rooms of the house, if you’re lucky you even get one to yourself to celebrate intimate dinners – perfect for a romantic night out.

Beyeler is known for using the freshest local products and composing daily menus based on market availabilities. The many times we’ve eaten there, we have never been disappointed. I wouldn’t call it the most creative, surprising cuisine, but it is full of flavor, wonderfully prepared.

Last weekend when we went for Roland’s birthday we had a fantastic sunchoke soup, perfect lamb with an herbed olive crust with savoy cabbage and lentils and a dessert plate to dream about, including an outstanding passion fruit parfait with a rose pepper ragout.

It's been a sensual pleasure though and through, from the wonderful ambience to the tasteful food and wine. A fairytale night!

Ben's Kale & Prosciutto Soup

noreply@blogger.com (Anja (Savorychicks)) — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 18:02:00 +0000

by Anja

Ben is one of my oldest friends. We met more than a decade ago in a friend's house here in Switzerland. Ever since we've shared a special friendship, exchanging many thoughts via old fashioned letters or emails. And over coffee when meeting in New York or Miami. Ben is a true New Yorker, loving his city. Whenever I visited he showed me favorite places of his and I got to see the city through his eyes. What a great experience! It's been a while now since my last trip to NYC, but I hope to be back soon.

Ben is a great, incredibly talented artist - capturing life so wonderfully detailed with his camera, his pencils and colors, and with his typewriter. Unfortunately, Ben never decided to publish all his amazing short stories - so I am one of the few lucky ones who've had a chance to read a few of these jewels. Every time Ben sends one of his famous "PL's" (picture letters) I get to enjoy great photography, fantastic sketches along with some brilliant musings and often fun observations and thoughts.

But Ben is not only one of the most inspiring friends I have, he also is a great cook, going for simple, full-of-flavor-no-fuss meals, enjoying food straight from the farmers' market, fresh corn, tomatoes... He recently shared one of his favorite recipes, a kale & prosciutto soup. And since I found this great organic kale the other day, I just had to try.

Here Ben's recipe, in his own words:

You need:
a thick slab of prosciutto, like a half inch thick, (you'll have to translate to the
metric), and it doesn't have to be the more expensive Parma, just 'domestic' is fine;
a big bunch of kale, can be the nice organic Locato, but the 'regular' will do;
fresh garlic, like maybe a dozen cloves;
an onion, Spanish or purple or sweet;
pasta; (I like shells, like semolina 'orecchiette', but whatever;
oil; not olive, but canola or a vegetable oil;
and some salt and pepper... up to you, or whomever. And that's it!

And then you need a big pot, with a lid. (I have a favorite old steel pot here in NYC, I think it's about 4-quarts? or maybe even bigger. And I love it because it heats up fast, and because it has a steamer-rack on the top, for when I'm just doing veggies.)

So then... on your cutting-board, slice up the garlic cloves. Not exactly diced; I like bigger chucks, like just 2 or 3 pieces from each clove, because later it gives you something to bite into; not just a taste, okay? And the same with the onion, just halved and chunked. And while you're doing that, spill some oil to liberally cover the bottom of your pot, and get the fire going underneath; hot-hot.
And then when the oil is burbling, toss in all the garlic and onions, and let it cook for a few minutes, as you stir it over now and then.

And while that's happening, slice up the prosciutto. And again, not diced, but in somewhat bigger pieces; just chunks. And when the garlic and onions are just beginning to brown, spill in the prosciutto. And then stir and mix up that concoction and let it cook for a few minutes... smell it, YUM!
And as that base cookerates, chop up your kale. Just in big leafy clumps, because it will shrink on you. And use the whole big batch. And then when your kale is ready...
Add about 4 or 5 or even 6 cups of hot water to your pot, and stir, and then...

Add the kale, and stir some more, and then toss in a big half-bag or whatever of the pasta.

And then, once the ingredients are almost boiling again, turn the flame down, and let it all simmer for a while. But it'll be ready quickly. Just stir every few minutes.

THAT'S IT!

Reminiscing of Winter Dishes from Back Home

noreply@blogger.com (Anja (Savorychicks)) — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 08:49:00 +0000

by Marjan

I love to listen to my father’s reflection of the traditional foods he used to eat growing up in Iran. He imparts with such fondness of a happy childhood. With a tender voice, a sparkle in his eyes, and a sweet smile, he shares with me his memories of the dishes his mother lovingly prepared for him. I guess now I know where I inherited my love of food!

I know it’s hard to believe, but here in Southern California, we have had extremely cold weather lately. Every morning, we wake up with frost! At nights, my father prepares a raging fire in the fireplace to fill the house with crackling sounds of wood burning, heat, and crimson glow. To please him, my mother on this one cold night prepared a traditional dish my father had as a child during cold, snowy, winter nights. Nestled warm by the fireplace, sometimes it feels refreshing to have something cool as a snack. Ice cream is too cold and after a while, how much hot cocoa can one drink? A healthy alternative is always good option!

My mother brings to a boil water, organic beets (mostly from our garden), and a dash of salt in a pot until they are well cooked and yet still firm. Remove beets from the hot water and cool. Once the beats are cold, remove the skin and cut into bite size pieces and place in a bowl. Add Greek yogurt and crushed walnuts to taste. Sprinkle a dash of salt and mix all ingredients well. Place in the refrigerator and serve thirty minutes later to experience a cool, healthy, winter dish. The crunch of walnuts, subtle natural sweetness of the beats, and soothing texture and taste of yogurt is a perfect snack to be enjoyed on a cold winter’s night by a roaring fire.

Enjoy!

Savory Roasted Potatoes

noreply@blogger.com (Anja (Savorychicks)) — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 06:57:00 +0000

by Marjan

In the United States, unfortunately we don’t have very tasty potatoes like the ones I have experienced in Europe. To accent the natural flavors of potatoes, I have concocted a tasty blend of herbs and spices to add robust flavor.

Instead of potatoes being the ‘starch side dish’ to your next hearty meal, why not flavor it to highlight your meal. Or if you’re like me, on days in which I dine alone at home, there is nothing like potatoes to satisfy my hunger. I always have a bag of potatoes in my pantry and an abundant of herbs and spices. I have found Yukon potatoes to be slightly tastier than others. Therefore, feel free to experiment with a variety of potatoes.

Ingredients:

4 Yukon potatoes
8 Garlic cloves with peel
10 pearl onion – peel removed
4 Rosemary sprigs
½ teaspoon garlic salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1 tablespoon of ground coriander
½ teaspoon of dried thyme
A pinch of cayenne pepper
Extra virgin olive oil

Preheat oven350 degrees.

Chop potatoes into bit size pieces. In a large bowl, combine all of the above ingredients with the potatoes. Toss well and lay mix on a roasting pan. Place in oven for 30 minutes. Then lower heat to 250 and continue to cook for another 30 minutes. Ten minutes prior to serving, raise temperature back to 350. Remove sprigs from the potatoes and serve.

Ruxbin. It's Cozy, Creative, and Fabulous!

noreply@blogger.com (Anja (Savorychicks)) — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 08:35:00 +0000

by Sun

I have a book club that's 14 years old with 6 other girls. I think everyone should have a book club or join/create something they enjoy that they can do on regular basis with a group of people. It can be 3 or 4 people. The size doesn't matter. It's all about the substance. After each book meeting, I always feel that we have such a productive, healthy and meaningful discussion that it's very satisfying experience.

Once in a while we go see a movie together. This time we saw "Bridemaids" which was very funny and had a good story line. A rarity in comedies today I think. I highly recommend it! We can always use more laugh in life.

After the movie, we decided to try a new restaurant called 'Ruxbin Kitchen' in the Wicker Park neighborhood of Chicago. There was a point where I wasn't too excited about Chicago's new restaurants. Because every time I tried a new place, they all seemed like they had similar types of "so so" food, with similar luxurious interior designs without much of it's own personality. Unfortunately or fortunately, most of those places have now closed down. Now a days, there are too many good new restaurants that I'm not feeling shy when it comes to bragging about Chicago's food world. Here is one of them.

(all images by Ruxbin)

Ruxbin Kitchen is located on Ashland avenue where it's starting to catch up with the rest of the Bucktown boom. The restaurant was picked by Bon Appetit Magazine as one of "The 10 Best New Restaurants in America".

They don't accept reservations so I was a little bit worried we might have a long wait. Luckily, it's a small space with only 32 seats, but we were seated right away and were even happy to be squeezed in a booth table.

The interior is cozy, creative, and in many ways different than any restaurant in Chicago. They created an ambience that is unique and true to who they want to be. This is the kind of restaurant I would love to see more of. The 3 owners are Ed the chef, Vicki his sister, and their friend Jenny who handle the front of the house, and who are all Koreans but were all born and raised in Chicago. Vicki told me that Ed was originally studying to be a lawyer but his friends, who were already unhappy lawyers themselves, advised him to do something else... something he was passionate about.

We ordered Pork Belly Salad, Endive Caesar as starters, followed by Halibut, Hanger Steak and Clams. It was all so good, I have to admit that we ended up licking the plates, something that hardly ever happens. Each dish is light with lots of flavor. Also the unexpected combination of ingredients such as pork belly with salad was surprisingly good! I see that pork belly is one of most popular items among the chefs these days. Usually the pork belly portions are pretty small but they add plentiful of flavor and taste to the dish.

Have I mentioned that I live for the moments discovering dishes that are so good that they make me forget all the worries in the world? Yes, I'm one of those constant worrying type. But not when I'm eating yummy food! :)

Good eating and forget the worries!

Easy Appetizers for the New Year's Party

noreply@blogger.com (Anja (Savorychicks)) — Tue, 27 Dec 2011 08:20:00 +0000

by Marjan

Time to gather with family and friends to celebrate the season and bring in the New Year! Personally, I need more time to plan and prepare for all the festivities associated with the Holidays. Buying gifts, decorating the house, creating a menu to show your loved ones how much you care to entertain all of their senses. Love is in the details!

If your parties are like mine, most of our guests love to gather in the kitchen. I personally don’t like decorate with ornaments and garments a room filled with aromas and oils of all the food galvanized throughout the holidays. Therefore, I use fruits and vegetables to fill the kitchen with the colors and the abundant flavors of this time of the year. Cinnamon sticks, squash, oranges, pomegranates and apples are a few of my favorite items to decorate in a holiday platter, bowl, or simply next to candles to fill my kitchen with the spirit of the season.

After Thanksgiving and Christmas dinner, I think most of us have had it with laboring over a hot stove for New Years! That’s why for New Years, the food should be easy to prepare: fast, quick and easy. For appetizers, it should be easy finger food, scrumptious and festive! The classic guacamole, chips and salsa are fun and delicious, but don’t really showcase the season.

Instead of putting out crackers, cheese and wine, take it a step further: on a silver platter (or any holiday/festive flat platter), spread individual pieces of your favorite butter cracker one by one. On top of crackers, place a thin slice of your favorite cheese such as Muenster, Gouda, Swiss, cheddar, etc. Slice equal amounts of green and red apples into thin wedges, toss in a small bowl with one lemon zest and its juices. Take one of green and red apples and garnish on top of the cheese crackers. Chop chives and sprinkle on top!

Crackers, cheese, green and red apples decorated with chives: holiday appetizer easy to make, visually festive, and delicious all in one bite! Grab a glass of wine, make a wish and let’s bring in the New Year with those we love.Best wishes for the New Year to our loyal readers. I bid you and your families a year filled with hope, peace, health, love and joy!

The savorychicks wish you all a wonderful and Happy New Year!

Last Minute Holiday Gifts - Spiced Berry Jam

noreply@blogger.com (Anja (Savorychicks)) — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 08:12:00 +0000

by Anja

Still looking for a great homemade gift for your loved ones? Wanna surprise them with some delicious seasonal jam? Nothing easier than that!

My sister's spiced berry jam is my favorite for the winter time. It is so easy to make, yet incorporates all the great seasonal flavors and makes a wonderful gift. In my opinion, a homemade gift made with love is the best gift you can give someone.

Wishing you a Merry Christmas and a wonderful holiday season!

Ingredients (for about 2-3 jars, depending on their size)

1 lb (500g) frozen berries (a mix of raspberries, blackberries and blueberries works well)
½ lb (250g) preserving sugar 1:2
1-2 tablespoons gingerbread spice mix (if you cannot find it at your store, make your own by mixing ground cinnamon, coriander, star anise, clove and ginger)
1 shot rum (optional)

1. Put berries and sugar into a pot and bring to a boil, add spice (and rum if you like). Let boil for 4 minutes. Stir often to avoid burning.

2. Carefully fill into very clean jars (best are sterilized, but you can also thoroughly wash with hot water). Close jar with the lid and allow to cool upside down before turning back to an upright position.

My Favorite Cookie

noreply@blogger.com (Anja (Savorychicks)) — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 08:09:00 +0000

by Marjan

Thank you Anja, for sharing your mother-in-law’s recipe for the Swiss almond cookie. I baked them and they were delicious and easy to make. There was one ingredient missing: having you and your sweet family next to me to enjoy together with tea! I especially miss having the luxury to sneak to my godchild ‘just one more cookie’.

I must share with you my recipe for a healthy chocolate chip cookie! I think here, it is American’s favorite cookie. But as you know, I try to minimize my sugar and butter consumption to snack on a ‘healthier’ cookie. With the addition of walnuts and oatmeal, I have transformed an ordinary chocolate chip cookie into a sweet, satisfying bite!

You're right: let the baking wars begin!

Preheat oven to 375 degrees

Cream together in a small bowl:
½ tablespoon vanilla
½ cup butter-room temperature
½ cup brown sugar
2 eggs

In a large bowl, mix the dry ingredients:
1 ½ cups crushed oatmeal
½ cup crushed walnuts
1 cup flour
½ teaspoon each of salt, baking powder, and baking soda
6 oz. miniature chocolate chip

With a large spoon, blend together the wet ingredients into the larger bowl of the dry ingredients until well mixed. With a teaspoon, scoop cookie mix one by one onto a cookie dish. Bake for 12-14 minutes until golden. Remove from cookie sheet and cool on a rack. Or if you’re like me, immediately enjoy with cup of cold milk!

... And The Holiday Baking Is On!

noreply@blogger.com (Anja (Savorychicks)) — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 09:02:00 +0000

by Anja

It's that time of the year again. Time to pull out all your favorite cookie recipes and start to bake. Fill your cookie jar and enjoy a handful of sweetness with your afternoon tea or chai latte.

One of my favorite recipes (besides my beloved sugar cookies) are these Swiss almond cookies. A recipe handed down by my wonderful mother-in-law. As you may realize by now, I like buttery, sugary cookies without a lot of knickknack. Just pure cookie flavor. Sinfully good and worth a little slip on a heathy holiday diet.

Ingredients:
300g (a little less than 2 cups) all purpose flour
1 pinch of salt
200g (7 oz.) butter, cold
150g (1/3 cup) sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract (or vanilla sugar)
1 egg
150g (2/3 cup) blanched whole almonds

1. Mix flour and salt in a large bowl. Add butter in small pieces. Combine with your hands until you have an even, crumbly texture. Add sugar, vanilla and egg. Work the dough with your hands until it just holds together. Add almonds.

2. Form three rectangular blocks (about 5x3cm, 2x1 inches) and wrap in foil. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours.

3. Preheat oven to 180C (350F).

4. Cut the blocks into slices and place cookies on a baking sheet (buttered or lined with parchment paper). Bake for 7 minutes.

Enjoy!

Considering Fish Soup for Christmas Dinner

noreply@blogger.com (Anja (Savorychicks)) — Fri, 02 Dec 2011 08:19:00 +0000

by Anja

Although my favorite season by far is summer with its long, warm and sunny days I always look forward to the Christmas holidays. From childhood on these days have always been relaxing, lazy days with great food. If there is one memory I have with the holidays it’s the constant smell of something great baking or simmering in the kitchen. Since a lot of my family members love to cook or bake, there is always someone in the kitchen preparing the next treat.

Even with weeks to go, my mind (and stomach) is already getting ready for the big feast. There are a few “classics” that are always part of the celebration. But with so many good things to try throughout these days, I try to incorporate new and light dishes for a change.

This year I am thinking about a wonderful fish soup featuring shrimp and a variety of other fish for opening our Christmas dinner. I first tried it at my neighbor’s and became a huge fan right away. I served this soup a couple of times when we had guests over, and it never failed to please everyone. It’s easy to prepare and doesn’t require a lot of time in the kitchen.

Ingredients (for 4 appetizer size servings)

Please note: all measurements are suggestions, please feel free to adjust according to your taste and preference.

2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 onion
1 ½ cups vegetable broth
1 ½ cups fish broth (you can substitute vegetable broth)
½ -3/4 cup heavy cream
1 cup white wine
1 pinch high quality saffron
salt, pepper and sugar to taste
shrimps or prawns (precooked)
other fish of your choice (I usually use salmon and hake or sea bass), cut into small bite-size pieces

In a medium-sized pot heat the oil and sauté the chopped onion until translucent. Add vegetable broth and fish broth and let simmer for a few minutes. Add cream to the stock. Using a handheld blender, blend until smooth.

In the meantime, mix white wine and saffron in a small sauce pan and bring to a gentle boil. Add to the broth and season with salt, pepper and about 2 teaspoons sugar. Bring to a boil.

Place a handful of shrimp and fish in each soup bowl or plate. Pour very hot soup over the soup - the heat of the soup will be enough to cook the fish just right.

Enjoy!

Hard day’s work; easy night’s meal

noreply@blogger.com (Anja (Savorychicks)) — Fri, 25 Nov 2011 08:01:00 +0000

by Marjan

Cool winter nights beg for hot soup! If your holiday work and social calendar is like mine, who has time to cook? My schedule at work is tough the last couple of months of the year. When the clock strikes five, I just want to fly home; but then there is holiday traffic, shopping, and the natural chaos of the season. So by the time I’m home, I just want to kick my shoes off and relax. Weekend holiday parties surpass my attempt of maintain 1,500 daily calorie count. Therefore during the week, I attempt to have a more disciplined healthy culinary experience. For me, healthy does not abdicate taste!

A hot soup composed of tangy flavors of Kaffir lime leaves, tamarind and celery, and yet filled with heartwarming flavors of tofu, shitake mushrooms and jalapenos to warm the soul, is the perfect balance of flavors and taste! This soup can be prepared on the weekend and enjoyed throughout the work week; however, it is easy enough that it can be prepared in 30 minutes after work! It is light, filling and delicious! Best part of all, it is low in calories, so when the weekend comes around with another decadent holiday dinner party, you can feast knowing during the week, your soup helped balance your week’s calorie count!

Tamarind tofu soup ingredients:
4-5 cups organic chicken stock
1 package of Knorr’s Tamarind Soup Base
1 package of extra firm tofu-chopped into bite size cubes
1 package of Ramen Noodles (or any noodle of your choice such as vermicelli)
1 celery stock-sliced into bite size pieces
1 cup of sliced dry shitake mushrooms- rehydrated with 2 cups of hot water
1 green onion diced
**optional: 1 red jalapeno-remove seeds and diced into small pieces
**optional: 1 tablespoon chili sesame oil

Boil two cups of hot water. In a medium size bowl, add hot water to the shitake mushrooms for 15 minutes until slices are well hydrated. Save rehydrated mushroom juices/water.

Over medium low heat, in a large sauce pan, bring to boil chicken stock with Kaffir lime leaves. Add Tamarind soup base. Then add the tofu, mushrooms, and its rehydrated water. Once a nice boil is reached, add celery. Five minutes later, add the noodles until cooked (another 3-4 minutes). Prior to serving, remove the Kaffir lime leaves, add green onions, jalapenos, chili oil. Serve immediately!

Giving Thanks

noreply@blogger.com (Anja (Savorychicks)) — Fri, 18 Nov 2011 10:14:00 +0000

by Marjan

Tradition teaches us, when the pilgrims first landed on Plymouth Rock, food was scarce. Yet the American Indians shared with the pilgrims the abundant gifts of their fertile land. Thus, Thanksgiving Day celebrates gratitude for the land, food from which it came, and the giving hearts of the American Indians who shared with the pilgrims both the land they preserved and food they had harvested. That is the true spirit of Thanksgiving! Interesting how most people associate the ‘thankful’ celebration of Thanksgiving, and focus less on the ‘giving’.

In most places around the world, many people focus on fewer reasons to be thankful or giving during these tough economic crises, wars, and famine. Here in the United States, emphasis has been placed more on preparing Thanksgiving dinner, eating, and perhaps a few thankful words to complete the celebration. So what if the focus became ‘giving’? Taking the focus off of ‘those things that I am thankful for’ and placing it on ‘giving those things in which I can’.

On a lighter note, for me, what I can give to you is my official savorychick pardon of using a chicken vs. turkey for your Thanksgiving dinner! A turkey is fantastic if you are serving a large number of guests. But let’s face it, most people are gathering for the traditional dinner in smaller groups. And the truth we all know and have openly admitted to, who likes turkey? If you’re like my family, we prefer the taste of chicken and it is small enough to serve my gathering of 4-5 people. Who needs to deal with the side effects of tryptophan after Thanksgiving feast and for many days to come with all the leftovers? So if you’re not entertaining a large number of people, and like the taste of chicken better than turkey, than try my recipe to Thanksgiving Chicken!

Should you be serving Turkey to a large number of people, check out our past posted recipes for Thanksgiving! Or if you are planning to fly solo this Thanksgiving, try my Cornish hen recipe! It is sure to please!And don’t forget to ‘give’ someone your essence and presence! It is the greatest gift!

Ingredients:

5lb whole chicken

Marinade:
Zest of 2 lemons, 2 limes, and 2 oranges
2 cups freshly squeezed orange juice
The juice of 2 lemons and 2 limes
¼ cup honey
¼ cup soy sauce
½ cup mayonnaise
¼ cup mustard
1 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp dried rosemary
4 fresh rosemary sprigs
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon salt
½ teaspoon ground pepper
**optional: Yukon potatoes chopped into bite size pieces

1. In a blender, blend the above ingredients to yield a consistent marinade incorporating well the honey (should be added last as the blender is mixing so that it does not settle on the bottom).

2. Place chicken in a 13 gallon trash bag; add the marinade to cover the entire chicken inside and out. Seal bag tightly and place in the fridge for 24 hours (occasionally shaking up the bag to ensure all surfaces of the chicken are well marinated).

3. One hour prior to roasting, remove the chicken from the fridge and allow it to sit in the marinade at room temperature.

4. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. In a roasting pan, place the marinated chicken in the center and place fresh rosemary sprigs in the stomach cavity. Rub some of the marinade on the chicken and discard bag with juices. Spoon 2-3 tablespoon of virgin olive oil over the chicken. Sprinkle a little salt and pepper on top. Should you prefer to roast potatoes, chop them into bite size pieces, toss them in olive oil, salt and pepper and lay them along the chicken. Cover chicken with foil and place in the oven on a low rack.

5. Thirty minutes later, decrease oven temperature to 400 and allow roasting for another hour. One and half hours later, remove foil and decrease oven temperature to 350 and roast for another thirty to forty minutes, until a golden crispy skin appears. Remove chicken from the oven and allow the chicken to sit for fifteen minutes prior to transferring to a serving platter and cutting.

Happy thanksGiving!

Comforts of Autumn: Spinach Swirl Turkey Loaf

noreply@blogger.com (Anja (Savorychicks)) — Fri, 11 Nov 2011 08:04:00 +0000

by Marjan

Regular visitors on our blog have probably assessed by now that my recipes are influenced by the splendor and gifts of the seasons. Fall is one of my favorite times of the year; however, I’m constantly polarized between the angel and devil voices in my head. The devilish voice wants me to incorporate into every recipe more butter, bacon, cheese, starch and all ingredients that comforts and warms the soul as the weather cools down. The angelic voice reminds me that I worked hard all summer watching my diet to keep in shape! After all, it is easy during summer to stay trim- I tend to gravitate less towards heavy, starchy meals and enjoy light flavors of fresh vegetables and fruits. As you have also already realized, I do my very best to offer recipes that are healthy, nutritious, and robust with flavor!

Today, I warmed up a cup of almond milk and accented it with a dash of cinnamon and honey; I sat in my library and relished the view of the magnificent, multicolor foliage outside my window. I wrapped a warm blanket around me as the rain played a symphony of drops on the grounds. I savored every sip as I contemplated my menu for tonight’s dinner. Of course I would like to make my favorite Persian walnut and pomegranate stew, fesenjoon, (the perfect fall dish, warming and sweet); however, I want to make something a little more quick and easy.

In the United States, autumn recipes center on our favorite November bird: the turkey! Just in time for Thanksgiving. Meatloaf screams comfort to me. However, I try to eat less ground red meat and save my red meat consumption for an unadulterated, hearty, juicy steak! Therefore, I make my meatloaf with ground turkey and add spinach to incorporate a dark green vegetable for not only taste but also nutrition! Even if you are not a meatloaf lover, try my recipe for a hearty, healthy, comforting dish! It is light, tangy, and stuffed with flavor.

Ingredients:
½ lb. ground turkey
8 oz. can tomato sauce
2 tsp. Worcestershire Sauce
½ cup Italian seasoned bread crumbs
½ cup finely chopped onions
1 egg
¾ tsp crushed oregano leaves
9 oz. frozen chopped spinach- thawed and strained/pressed of all its liquids
½ cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1 thin carrot steamed until cooked (still firm, but not soft!)
½ tsp salt and pepper

1. Pre-heat oven at 350 degrees.

2. Blend tomato and Worcestershire sauce in a small bowl. In a larger bowl, blend well turkey, bread crumbs, onion, eggs, oregano and ¾ of the tomato sauce (reserve 1/3 of the sauce for later). Form mixture into one large compact ball and place on a large piece of foil (approximately 2 feet).

3. Pat down with the palm of your hand on the meat to form a 12”x8” rectangle. Sprinkle spinach on turkey mixture, covering the entire rectangle. Sprinkle on top of the spinach mozzarella cheese. Place carrot (cut ends off to make it approximately the same length as the mix) on one short end of the rectangle and carefully roll meat mix tightly to the other end and seal edges to form a compact loaf.

4. Place loaf on a greased cookie sheet, cover with foil and cook for one hour. Later, remove foil and spoon remaining tomato sauce over the loaf and cook for another 10 minutes.

Fantastic! All the flavor, and none of the guilt!

How Slow Would One Go to Cook Her Short Ribs?

noreply@blogger.com (savorychicks) — Fri, 04 Nov 2011 07:05:00 +0000

by Shirl

Seated at the counter that faces the cozy kitchen, my dining companion and I fixated on our main course, the 24-hour short ribs as we made our way through it. We were having dinner in Santa Barbara in a fantastic restaurant named Julienne, when bemusement, if not only bedazzlement, set in as we tried to make sense of what we were experiencing. Yes, we love and eat beef short ribs as much and often as the next guy does. But this plate is wildly different.

On the outside, the ribs look as enticing as you’d expect any good short rib dishes do. Bafflement begins when you cut into the rib. Suddenly you start questioning your senses: You feel as though your knife is running through some very tender cut, not unlike prime ribs. Not to mention you are now bewildered at the sight of a rosy-pink interior, when what you were anticipating was a rich dark brown color that normally comes with long, slow cooking. You can’t help but wonder: Is it possible that short ribs cooked only to medium-rare yields a tender texture like a steak? Well, there's only one way to find out. You pick up a piece with your fork and taste. Sinking your teeth into the caramelized crust, your palette registers that concentrated richness of meat flavor right away. Next comes your appreciation of its crispy crackly texture, which, by all means, contrasts brilliantly with the juicy tender beef underneath it. Short ribs could do that? Imagine the enlightenment that hit me that evening.

David Chang of Momofuku, who operates some of my favorite restaurants in New York City, has published a 48-hour short ribs recipe in his acclaimed cookbook. It involves cooking the ribs in sous vide method for a full two days. That poses a couple of issues for me. One, usually I don’t start to cook until I get hungry, so I don’t really have the stomach and patience to wait 48 hours for my next meal to come about. Two, I don’t have an immersion circulator in my kitchen, so attempting the sous vide method is definitely out of question. But do I really want to give up just because I’m not equipped to cook my short ribs at a constant temperature of 140F (60C) for 48 hours straight?

In this case, I’m willing to settle for less. I know, without the proper length of cooking time and equipment, I would never be able to create the same excellent results the professional chefs out there do. As an avid cook, my challenge is to streamline a professional recipe to something simple and convenient enough to make at home whenever I have a craving for those delicious short ribs. I’ve found cooking them in the oven at a low temperature of 190F (90C) for just eight hours yields some very tender and juicy meat that somewhat resembles what I tasted at Julienne. Remember, only the oven has to work 8 hours; you don’t. If you use a food processor, the actual preparation and active cooking takes only half an hour. If you broil or sear the ribs before you serve them, you will get that wonderful crust that any meat lovers live for. The bonus is you'll have a pot of rich beef stock left over, good as sauces for any dish or for cooking your next batch of short ribs. Try it on a weekend!

Slow-Cooked Short Ribs

Serves 3 – 4

3 pounds (1.3 Kg) Boned-in Beef Short Ribs

3 cups Beef stock

1 Onion

3 Carrots

1 Stalk of Celery

2 cloves of Garlic

1 cup of dry Red Wine

1/4 Teaspoon of Dried Oregano

1/2 Teaspoon of Ground Allspice

1/4 Teaspoon of Ground Cumin

1 Teaspoon of Ground Coriander Seeds

1 Bay Leaf

1/2 Teaspoon of Paprika

1 Tablespoon of Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Sea Salt and Freshly Ground Black Pepper

Suggested Side Dishes: Glazed Carrots, Mash Potatoes
Optional Equipment: Food Processor, Fat Separator

1. Preheat oven at 195F (90F).

2. Cut vegetables to manageable pieces and puree, including garlic, in food processor until fine.

3. Heat a big cooking pot (one that comes with a tight-fitting lid) over a medium flame. Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil. When oil shimmers, add pureed vegetables, stir and cook for about 5 minutes.

4. Add wine and use cooking spatula to scrape the bottom of the pot to release any brown bits. Let wine cook down to about half the volume. Then add beef stock. Turn heat up and bring to a boil. Stir in spices and bay leaf. Turn flame down to low enough so it would simmer, but not too vigorously, for about 15 minutes. Check seasoning. Add salt and pepper if desired. Turn off the heat and let stand for 5 minutes.

5. Season short ribs with salt and pepper liberally. Put short ribs into the pot. They will not be fully submerged in the stock. Now put the lid on. Place it in the preheated oven and let them cook for about 4 hours. Then turn over the ribs; cover and cook in the oven for another 4 hours.

6. Remove pot from oven after cooking for a total of 8 hours. Preheat broiler. Take ribs out of the pot and place them in a broiler-proof dish. Meanwhile separate or skim fat from the cooking stock. Keep stock in the pot. Turn on the stove to a high simmer and cook down the stock to a sauce consistency for about 10 minutes. Check seasoning. Add salt and pepper if desired.

7. Broil short ribs bone-side down under preheated broiler for a few minutes just until pieces turn a gorgeous brown. Alternatively you can heat a pan with oil. When it’s hot, sear the ribs until they turn a delicious brown. Place short ribs on serving plates. Spoon sauce over short ribs and serve with your favorite side dishes.

You will have plenty of the flavorful beef stock left, which would be perfect for later use as a sauce. Or freeze it until next time you cook your next short rib dish again.

Pumpkin Season

noreply@blogger.com (Anja (Savorychicks)) — Fri, 28 Oct 2011 07:01:00 +0000

by Anja

Today I thought I share a few pictures of the wonderful pumpkin stall we discovered last weekend. Julie had so much fun looking at all the beautiful pumpkins, and we ended up buying plenty of them. Don't know yet what to do with all them. Some roasted butternut squash soup for sure, and then some pumpkin pasta.

Any other ideas? What are your favorite pumpkin or squash recipes?

Happy Halloween!

Another Great Apple Cake

noreply@blogger.com (Anja (Savorychicks)) — Sat, 22 Oct 2011 17:52:00 +0000

by Anja

A few days ago, when I was browsing through a German magazine, I stumbled upon a section about cute little cafes on the North Sea island Föhr. I quickly learned that this island is famous for it’s incredible cakes. The magazine featured recipes of signature cakes of a handful of cafes. One looked better than the other, and I could have had them all – right that moment. But since Föhr is about 700 miles north of Switzerland and hence too far away for a quick visit, I just had to make a cake myself.

I am not really a very inspired or great baker, but in fall, with the abundance of fresh apples, I always find myself baking one apple pie or cake after the other. In the past few weeks, I made this one, and also Marjan’s great apple pie .
And now I just had to try the apple cake from “Café im Apfelgarten”. It was heavenly!!!

Ingredients

200g soft butter
200g sugar
1 pinch of salt
4 eggs
400g flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
4-5 large apples (use local, organic ones whenever possible)
50g butter
2 teaspoons sugar, mixed with ½ teaspoon cinnamon

1. Preheat oven to 140°C (275°F)

2. In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, mix butter, sugar and salt with until creamy.

3. Add one egg at a time, mix well.

4. Add flour and baking powder, and mix until just combined.

5. Butter a spring form (I usually cover the bottom with parchment paper and only butter the sides). Evenly spread in the batter into the form.

6. Peel apples and chop into small pieces, spread on top of the batter

7. Bake for 50 minutes.

8. Spread butter flakes and sugar-cinnamon mix on the cake, and bake for an additional 10 minutes.

9. Best served when still a little warm. Serve with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream if you like.

Sweet Potato and Eggplant Curry

noreply@blogger.com (Anja (Savorychicks)) — Fri, 14 Oct 2011 07:23:00 +0000

by Anja

Although I am not vegetarian, I try to eat more veggies these days. Thinking about the nutritional intake of my little Julie I tend to also eat healthier myself. And it's fun, because I am exploring so many great new recipes and very often don't miss my meat at all. I take Julie to the market and we pick a variety of organic veggies that look tempting and go home and try new recipes.

This curry recipe here is just one example of all the great dishes that make it to our table these days.

Ingredients (for about 4 servings)

1 onion, finely chopped
1-2 tablespoons green curry paste
1 large sweet potato (or yam)
1 medium to large eggplant
1 ½ cups coconut milk
1 cup water
6 kaffir lime leaves
1 lime (zest and juice)
2 teaspoons sugar
1 cup fresh cilantro leaves
vegetable oil

Serve with basmati rice

1. Over medium heat, heat some vegetable oil in a big frying pan or a wok. Add finely chopped onion and green curry paste. Sauté for a few minutes, constantly stirring.

2. Add coconut milk and water, bring to boil. Then reduce heat and let simmer for a few minutes.

3. Chop sweet potato into bite size pieces, add to curry, let simmer for another few minutes.

4. Chop eggplant into bit size pieces, add to curry. Add kaffir lime leaves and let simmer for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

5. Add lime zest and juice, and sugar, mix well.

6. Serve over basmati rice and garnish with fresh cilantro leaves.

Takashi & Upcoming Slurping Turtle

noreply@blogger.com (Anja (Savorychicks)) — Fri, 07 Oct 2011 08:03:00 +0000

by Sun

If you like a small and cozy place that is not too loud and has great food in Chicago, Takashi is it. The food is French-American with Japanese influences. It's a couple of blocks away from the busy Bucktown center of North avenue and Milwaukee Avenue.

As the name suggests, the chef and owner Takashi is Japanese and was born and raised in Japan. He has been cooking since he was 16 years old and continued to work in restaurants while he received his interior design degree from the Tokyo design school.

He worked in larger restaurants such as Okada at Wynn in Las Vegas and Tribute in Detroit Michigan, winning many awards along the way. It seems like it was a natural course for him to start his own venture in a smaller scale where he has many loyal local customers such as myself, giving him an opportunity to offer his creations in a warm and very intimate setting.

Takashi has small menu but it changes regularly. Each and every dish is very tasty and fresh. Although the portions aren't too big, so you can probably be better off doing Tapa style and share, which is my normal preference any way.

Takashi is opening another restaurant called 'Slurping Turtle' in the River North area next month serving noodle dishes, sashimi, steamed shumai and miso marinated black cod, etc ... Yum! It's a more casual place than Takashi and I can't wait to be slurping away all the noodle dishes. I love noodles! Americans eat Hamburgers or Pizza for lunch, many of the Asian countries eat Noodles for lunch. I would love to see more American eat noodles than Hamburgers. It surely is lighter and healthier way to be.

There are so many new good restaurants popping up in Chicago that I'm having a hard time catching up with them. As you can imagine I'm super excited about it! Stay tuned for more new and exciting restaurants in Chicago...

Feta Cheese and Fresh Herb Roll

noreply@blogger.com (Anja (Savorychicks)) — Fri, 30 Sep 2011 08:06:00 +0000

by Marjan

Commonly I’m asked, 'what differentiates Persian cuisine from Indian or Middle Eastern food?' I believe it is fresh herbs. Not only do we like to eat a variety of herbs (such as dill, green onions, mint, basil, tarragon) as a condiment to most of our daily dishes, but we commonly incorporate it in our stews and rice dishes. We do enjoy spices, such as turmeric, cinnamon, cardamom, to compliment flavors in our recipes, but the use of fresh herbs really distinguishes Persian recipes.

Growing up as an immigrant in the United States, from the time we lived in a one bedroom apartment up until our present day ranch, my mother would always grow her own herbs and incorporate it in all her recipes. Whenever my mother prepares a Persian dish, there is always a small basket of mixed herbs on the table, fresh from her garden, to accompany our food not only with flavor but nutrients! Conveniently, fresh herbs can be purchased in most specialty grocery stores or farmer’s market.

For lunch, or even appetizers, I like to use Lavash bread (flat rectangular bread, available in most Middle Eastern stores), spread feta cheese on top of the entire bread, place a combination of fresh herbs such as basil, tarragon, chives (or any combination of your own personal favorite herbs) over the cheese. On one shorter end of the Lavash bread, I place a row of chopped red tomatoes from the top to bottom, and roll from the tomato side of the bread to the other end of the Lavash bread- forming a roll/wrap. Utilizing a sharp knife, cut little pieces (similar to sushi) and use a toothpick to keep the wrap together, or just make wraps and sink your teeth into this heavenly, flavorful, healthy sandwich! Play around with the ingredients: add crushed walnuts to enrich the flavors and texture; use any other cheese such as goat or havarti; make it an Italian wrap with mozzarella, basil, and tomatoes. Of course, this is a great vegetarian meal!

Enjoy!

Mallorca, Figs & Katja's Recipe

noreply@blogger.com (Anja (Savorychicks)) — Fri, 23 Sep 2011 08:21:00 +0000

by Anja

We just came back from a few splendid days in Mallorca.

September is my favorite time for a visit to the island. Summer has already come to an end in Switzerland, even with sometimes sunny days you can definitely smell the autumn. But in Mallorca, summer is still at its heat.

So, we spent some hot and sunny days at our favorite Finca, enjoyed lazy hours, the pool, and of course some wonderful food. We indulged in serrano ham, freshly caught local fish, figs picked fresh from the tree. What a delight!

When we came home I wanted more, just to keep the idea of summer for a bit longer. So, I hurried to the market and bought a basket of fresh figs, Spanish ones...

And finally I got to try and enjoy a recipe my friend Katja was kind enough to share...

Katja's Baked Figs with Goat Cheese & Honey

Preheat oven to about 180°C (350°F).

Cut fresh figs in half, the cut a little opening into each half. Fill some goat cheese into the opening and drizzle some honey (Katja recommended acacia honey) on top. Place figs in an ovenproof dish and put into hot oven for about 15 minutes.

Thanks, Katja, for this wonderful idea!

Best Coffee Places in Southern California: Part IV - Silverlake

noreply@blogger.com (Anja (Savorychicks)) — Fri, 16 Sep 2011 08:00:00 +0000

by Marjan

On our last savorychick gathering in Los Angeles, while Anja and I were patiently waiting for our coffees at Intelligentsia, a very nice patron in line with us recommended La Mill in Silverlake, Los Angeles.

Silverlake is the original home to Intelligentsia. Now I discovered La Mill: I tried it and loved it! Let the battle of the best coffee spot in Silverlake begin!

Intelligentsia is understated, cool, and aims to please the most finicky of coffee lovers. La Mill is a boutique style coffee shop. Unlike Intelligentsia whose main focus is just coffee, La Mill takes it a step further and serves food. A little pricy and the portions are small, but it is perfect! Every bite needed to be savored. And the coffee? A close second to my favorite coffee place in southern California, Intelligentsia!

Give La Mill a shot!

Old San Juan's Best Coffee and Pancakes

noreply@blogger.com (savorychicks) — Fri, 09 Sep 2011 08:04:00 +0000

by Sun

I had an unusual trip to San Juan Puerto Rico about 10 days ago. The purpose of my trip was to see my best friend in college Edith who now lives in Australia. She came to San Juan last March for a wedding and fell in love with the place so she decided to return and rented a very charming condo apartment in the center of old San Juan for 3 months. Since it's not too far from Chicago, even though I have been to PR three times before, I didn't want to miss the opportunity of catching up on the last 25 years of our lives. Unfortunately, a couple of unexpected things happened.

The day before leaving for San Juan, I sprained my left foot while walking my puppy Kino. The condition of the foot looked pretty bad and my husband had to carry me up and down the stairs. I was mobilizing myself by jumping around using only one leg from room to room in a very painful and slow manner. But I was determined to make the trip and I did. Surprisingly things went pretty smooth at the airport with the assistance of a wheel chair, they take you right up to the plane.

To make a long story short, I was able to manage walking to the restaurants with Edith's help and we had a good first two days, but then hurricane Irene came. Looking back we were pretty lucky because things could have been a lot worse. The place Edith rented was traditional with modern features but didn't have air conditioner. The old house wasn't designed to have A/C. When we had a power outage from the hurricane, all the fans started blowing upwards to the ceiling instead of downwards. Oh, and did I mention the mosquitos? If you are not in front of a fan for a sec, you will be swarmed and get 3-5 bites instantly. So you can imagine how fearful we were when we were at the house. I don't think I've ever had this kind of thing happened during a vacation. Regardless, I'm glad that we got to spend some solid time and endure the hardship together and survived. In the process, we even managed to find what turned out to be my favorite pancake and coffee place 'Caficultura'.

Since I wasn't sure how good the pancake were going to be, I only ordered a kid size.

We were planning to go back the next day but hurricane Irene put stop to our numerous attempts getting there. When we finally got there, the restaurant wasn't taking customers because they didn't have power. You can imagine the disappointment on my face. I was more upset at being deprived of my newly discovered favorite pancakes then sitting in the airplane for 3 hours on the runway in PR returning back to Chicago.

So if you ever make it to old San Juan, please have the pancakes for me at Caficultura and send me a line!

Best Coffee Places in Southern California: Part III - La Jolla

noreply@blogger.com (Anja (Savorychicks)) — Fri, 02 Sep 2011 07:45:00 +0000

by Marjan

Summer travels bring many tourists to southern California. La Jolla, San Diego is a major attraction for those who want to enjoy perfect weather, beautiful beaches, scenic coves, art galleries, and of course restaurants. In my previous post I begged our readers to recommend a café in San Diego - I had Los Angeles and Orange County covered! One of our loyal readers, and my good friend Nazy, was sweet enough to introduce to me Bird Rock Café . “Ask and you shall receive!” Amen! Thanks Nazy. Now my friends in San Diego won’t have to listen to me complain repetitively on how “I can’t find a good cup of joe in San Diego!”

As with most eateries in San Diego, Bird Rock Café is a simple, low key hang out. From a block away, you can smell the coffee brew to perfection. Nothing fancy, but it gets the job done quite well. Next door to the Bird Rock is a low-carb, gluten free bakery: Julian Bakery . We purchased our bread for the following day’s breakfast and sweets to enjoy with our coffee. I was pleasantly surprised with the wholesome flavors of my brownie and macaroons (which were my favorite). Excited over my new coffee place in San Diego, our friends and I sat outside in the patio to enjoy my first really good cup of coffee in San Diego and sweets. Coincidentally, one of our friends named ‘Joe’ parked his car right out in front of us, and in a mad rush proceeded to walk across the street to his local Starbucks. I had to stop him in his tracks! “Joe, friends don’t let friends drink at Starbuck!”

Thanks Nazy, for insisting and treating us to the best Coffee in San Diego. Bird Rock does it right!