I am an appetizer freak. Specifically, a dip freak. I love dips - dunking veggies, chips, or bread into a mass of gooey goodness makes my tummy happy (and my waist line expand, but whatever....). I always like making them, but there is one that entered my recipe repertoire that has become required at parties. Seriously, people have told me that I cannot enter a house without bringing this dip. In fact, effective immediately, I am changing the name of this dip.
Buffalo Wing dips have been showing up on more and more menus over the past few years. Now, being from the city where the wing gets its namesake, we NEVER refer to them as Buffalo Wings. First sign of an outsider. They are Chicken Wings, or more simply, Wings. So to take the wings, hot sauce, and blue cheese and transform them into a dip makes for a delicious party appetizer, without the need for a wet nap(kin).
I received this recipe from my Mom about six years ago. I've tweaked it a bit, but always brings rave reviews. It's a little more cheesy and messy, but better than anything you'll get in any restaurant. In fact, I'm waiting for the chicken to cool to assemble said dip for my New Year's festivities tonight. My ride won't even let me in the car without it.
Enjoy and Happy New Year!
Required Chicken Wing Dip
1 - 8 oz package cream cheese, softened (I usually use low fat cream cheese)
2 chicken breasts, cooked and shredded
1 cup Frank's Red Hot Sauce (for that Buffalo authenticity....) - alter to your desired heat level.
1 jar blue cheese dressing (found in produce department, not salad dressing aisle) - again, true Buffalo authenticity. Substituting ranch dressing is frowned upon.
1 package shredded Monterey Jack Cheese
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spread cream cheese along bottom of 9x13 casserole dish. Toss hot sauce and chicken in bowl until chicken is well coated; layer on top of cream cheese. Layer blue cheese over chicken, and top with shredded cheese. Bake for 10-15 minutes or until cheese is bubbly. Serve with bread, tortilla chips, or celery.
Saturday, December 31, 2011
Tuesday, December 27, 2011
Snooze 8-19-2011
I always try to get recommendations on restaurants from friends, because the best places are the places that only need to rely on word of mouth. I trust that most of my friends know my love of food, and wouldn't steer me wrong. This is especially the case when I travel. I mentioned to my friend Liz (who writes her own awesome blog called Lovely Life of Liz) that we were headed to Denver for the weekend, and asked her for some recommendations. Liz lived in Denver for several years before meeting the love of her life and moving to Raleigh, so she was the perfect person to ask. She came through in fine fashion, sending me an e-mail with a list of things to see and do while in the Mile High City. The one place on her list that caught my eye was one she said served great breakfast called Snooze.
When I travel, breakfast is always the hardest meal to come up with. I don't want to just jump into a chain coffee shop and grab a pastry, since I'll be hungry 90 minutes later. I love a good sit down breakfast place - either a fancy brunch or a greasy spoon. However, those places are so tough to find because they aren't on every corner (except for Buffalo, it seems...), or they aren't open on a weekday. So our first morning before heading to Fort Collins for some beer touring, we decide to hit Snooze up for some breakfast.
We arrive at 9:30 on a Friday morning to the location near Coors Field, and there is a 30 minute wait. On a FRIDAY morning. First inkling we were in for something special. They don't have a large waiting area, so everyone is standing around on the corner waiting for their name to be called. There is a small stand of complimentary coffee and water inside the door for guests waiting for their table. Once we get in, the place has a super 50's throwback diner vibe. We sit in the last circular booth near the kitchen - it almost looked space age.
The menu has all sorts of delicious breakfast items - breakfast pot pies, breakfast burritos, and a slate of benedicts. Since they are only until 2:30pm, breakfast IS their thing. Their specialty is their pancakes - one more decadent-sounding than the next. I usually do eggs for breakfast, but when in Rome....but had no idea what to get. Then I see the Pancake Flight - three pancakes of your choice. Yes, please. The first I chose was a pineapple upside down pancake, and #2 was the sweet potato. Then the winner was #3, which was a special - Ghiradelli white chocolate with strawberries and caramel bacon maple syrup. Yes, it was was as good as it sounds - the sweet and savory made it unbeatable. I don't know if I could have eaten all 3 of the same kind, so the flight is a way to get a taste of each without getting sick of one.
MM got the ham benedict, as he is a eggs benedict connoisseur. The kicker was the Snooze Spuds deluxe which were served underneath the benedict, which are their basic home fries, and can top with whatever your little heart and stomach desires. He went southwestern - green chile, caramelized onion, chicken sausage and ranchero sauce (which was served on the side, so you could add as much or little as you like). They were a meal within itself.
This was one of the best breakfasts I've ever had, and Snooze will be a stop any time my travels take me to Colorado. There are 6 locations - 3 in Denver, 1 in Boulder, 1 in Fort Collins, and 1 in San Diego.
www.snoozeameatery.com
When I travel, breakfast is always the hardest meal to come up with. I don't want to just jump into a chain coffee shop and grab a pastry, since I'll be hungry 90 minutes later. I love a good sit down breakfast place - either a fancy brunch or a greasy spoon. However, those places are so tough to find because they aren't on every corner (except for Buffalo, it seems...), or they aren't open on a weekday. So our first morning before heading to Fort Collins for some beer touring, we decide to hit Snooze up for some breakfast.
We arrive at 9:30 on a Friday morning to the location near Coors Field, and there is a 30 minute wait. On a FRIDAY morning. First inkling we were in for something special. They don't have a large waiting area, so everyone is standing around on the corner waiting for their name to be called. There is a small stand of complimentary coffee and water inside the door for guests waiting for their table. Once we get in, the place has a super 50's throwback diner vibe. We sit in the last circular booth near the kitchen - it almost looked space age.
The menu has all sorts of delicious breakfast items - breakfast pot pies, breakfast burritos, and a slate of benedicts. Since they are only until 2:30pm, breakfast IS their thing. Their specialty is their pancakes - one more decadent-sounding than the next. I usually do eggs for breakfast, but when in Rome....but had no idea what to get. Then I see the Pancake Flight - three pancakes of your choice. Yes, please. The first I chose was a pineapple upside down pancake, and #2 was the sweet potato. Then the winner was #3, which was a special - Ghiradelli white chocolate with strawberries and caramel bacon maple syrup. Yes, it was was as good as it sounds - the sweet and savory made it unbeatable. I don't know if I could have eaten all 3 of the same kind, so the flight is a way to get a taste of each without getting sick of one.
MM got the ham benedict, as he is a eggs benedict connoisseur. The kicker was the Snooze Spuds deluxe which were served underneath the benedict, which are their basic home fries, and can top with whatever your little heart and stomach desires. He went southwestern - green chile, caramelized onion, chicken sausage and ranchero sauce (which was served on the side, so you could add as much or little as you like). They were a meal within itself.
This was one of the best breakfasts I've ever had, and Snooze will be a stop any time my travels take me to Colorado. There are 6 locations - 3 in Denver, 1 in Boulder, 1 in Fort Collins, and 1 in San Diego.
www.snoozeameatery.com
Monday, December 26, 2011
Green Bean Casserole Upgrade
Every year for the holidays, I made the holiday staple green bean casserole. It's easy, but so processed - condensed soup, canned green beans, can of french fried onions you use only for this specific purpose. I watched Guy Fieri make homemade green bean casserole on his Thanksgiving special, and he made it look easy. So this Christmas, I decided to make his homemade green bean casserole.. All I can say is WOW. The mushroom gravy is packed with flavor and fresh green beans make a world of difference. On top, I flash fried some shallots. The recipe is a little high in calories with the cream, but will experiment trying to bring down by using skim milk as a substitute (and of course I used heavy cream first time out - it was the holidays, of course!)
Was it as easy as pouring things out of a can into a casserole dish? Of course not. But the effort was really minimal and the end product was 100x better than the recipe on the soup can. This is immediately entered into my recipe book, and looks to be a holiday staple, if not a weeknight staple, for years to come.
Green Bean Casserole with Mushroom Gravy
Ingredients
1 1/2 pounds green beans, trimmed
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 pound mixed gourmet mushrooms, such as shiitakes, creminis and oyster, cleaned and quartered
1/2 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 teaspoon cayenne powder
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 cup low-sodium chicken broth (I did use vegetable broth as a vegetarian option).
1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup cream
1/4 cup grated Parmesan
4 medium shallots, sliced and separated into thin rounds
1 cup all-purpose flour
Vegetable oil, for shallow frying
Directions
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the green beans and cook until they just turn bright green, 2 to 3 minutes. (You don't want to cook the green beans through as they will cook in the oven also.) Strain and plunge the green beans immediately in a large bowl of ice water to stop the cooking process. When cool, drain and set out to dry on paper towels.
Set a 12-inch cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Add the butter and vegetable oil. Once the butter is melted and the pan is hot, add the mushrooms. Cook undisturbed so the mushrooms sear nicely, about 1 minute. Add the thyme and garlic and continue cooking the mushrooms to achieve some nice color. Season with the salt, pepper, cayenne and nutmeg. Cook 2 to 3 more minutes longer, dusting the mushrooms with some of the flour as they release moisture. Stir with a whisk to incorporate the flour (just like making a roux) and gradually add in the chicken stock. Bring to a simmer, then reduce the heat and add the sour cream and cream. Stir gently and cook over low heat until gravy thickens, 5 to 6 minutes. Add the blanched green beans to the pan and fold together so everything is mixed well. Spread out evenly in the pan. Sprinkle the green beans with the grated Parmesan and transfer to a roasting tray (to catch any spill-over). Bake until the casserole is bubbly and the top is melted and golden, 15 minutes.
Pour the vegetable oil into a deep skillet and heat to 350 degrees F. Pour the flour into a large mixing bowl and sprinkle generously with salt and pepper. Toss the shallot rounds in the seasoned flour, then place in a strainer and shake off any excess flour. Fry the shallots in the hot oil in small batches until golden brown, 3 to 5 minutes. Drain on paper towels and season with salt while still hot.
Top the green bean casserole with the fried shallots and serve.
Saturday, December 10, 2011
Glenwood Grill
One night at my local watering hole, I was chatting with one of the regulars, who mentioned they worked at a nearby restaurant. I hadn't heard of it, so one night we wanted to go out for a nicer dinner but wanted to try something new, we ended up at his restaurant - the Glenwood Grill. While on the busy Glenwood Avenue in Raleigh, it is set off the road a ways, so unless you are in the shopping center at the grocery store, pastry shop, or spa, you wouldn't know this hidden gem is back there.
The chef comes from the highly touted Magnolia restaurant in Charleston, SC. The menu is mainly seafood, with southern flair such as seafood and grits. However, for the carnivores, there is rack of lamb and the house specialty Carpet Bagger - 2 - 4oz filet mignons served with parsnip mashed potaoes, parmesan fried oysters, cabernet veal reduction, over a bearnaise sauce. Everything my dining companions and I have had have been fantastic, and pricing is extremely reasonable. Wine list is not extensive, but is moderately priced.
There is a hidden gem on the menu though. On the a la carte menu, there is a 8 oz filet served with pimiento cheese on top, with the cabernet veal reduction. I've seen blue cheese served a top steak, but putting a spin with this southern delicacy is nothing short of brilliant. MM ordered it one night, and definitely won the best meal contest that night. The best part? $19 for one of the best filets I've ever had. Bargain. That's what makes this restaurant great - high quality food at reasonable prices.
What I like best about Glenwood Grill is the atmosphere - it's very metropolitan inside with a cozy feel. Tables are close together, but each time we've been there, we've chatted up the adjacent table, and discussed our fabulous meals. For example, last time MM and I were in there, the gentleman sitting next to him ordered the lobster pot pie, and advised us we "couldn't go wrong." Next visit, MM took his suggestion, and was not disappointed. People come in dress clothes or in their NC State sweatshirts straight from Carter-Finley Stadium. One thing is for sure - they know they're going to get a high-end meal without the high-end price.
Glenwood Grill
2603-151 Glenwood Avenue
Raleigh NC 27608
www.glenwoodgrill.com
Saturday, December 3, 2011
Bella Monica
I loved Italy when I traveled there years ago, and can't wait to get back. People see me and think I'm Italian with my olive complexion and dark hair, but I don't have a lick of Italian heritage (mainly German, with some Polish, French & Irish if you're wondering). I married an Italian (well, he'll tell you Sicilian...). So it's no surprise that I am a huge fan of Italian food.
Growing up in Buffalo, there were great local Italian restaurants over town, especially in North Buffalo, which is where many Italian immigrants settled. When we moved to Virginia, MM and I tried to find good quality Italian, and nothing ever compared. We did find places that were OK, but nothing that ever reminded me of the little Mom and Pop places back home.
When we moved to Raleigh, a co-worker of MM invited us for dinner and told us he was taking us to "the best Italian in town." Although he is known to eat a meal or two or ten (football players never lose that appetite...), we were skeptical, since we had lived in Virginia for 6 1/2 years without finding great Italian. We went to Bella Monica, which is tucked away in a shopping center, with only "pizza" on the storefront. Really? Best Italian? One meal, and we were sold. This is our go-to when we have visitors in town to try their deliciousness.
You walk in, and during peak hours, is always a wait in their small waiting area. If I have a downfall with Bella, it's that it's too small. There are only about 20 tables inside (and I think I'm overestimating). It's an hour wait without reservations, and the bar area is usually full with people eating, so usually you have to wait outside, which is even difficult now since they've taken over the walkway outside for al fresco dining (or in winter closed in with heat lamps, but allows about 10 more tables). The hosts are very accommodating to get you a glass of wine from the bar. I would HIGHLY recommend not going without a reservation for dinner (they are on Open Table). They are open for lunch which while busy, is not as crazy for dinner. Regardless, it's worth the wait.
The base menu has several appetizers, salads, Italian classics such as Manicotti, Spinach Stuffed Shells, and Chicken Parmigiana, and some with a spin like Portabello and Sun Dried Tomato Lasagne and Chicken Balsamico. The back of the menu is their neopolitan pizza and flatbreads. (They have started a frozen pizza business, which offers gluten free options, and are available in various specialty grocery stores, including Whole Foods).
Where Bella Monica shines is their specials. Their specials are recurring, and some only appear on certain nights. The Eggplant Rollatini appetizer is only available on weekends, and is a staple order each time we go. Fresh ricotta cheese wrapped in fried eggplant, smothered in marinara and topped with shavings of basil. I could eat that as a full meal, but then I'd miss out on all the other specials. When the Rollatini isn't on the menu, we get the Brussel Sprouts. Yes, I said it - Brussel Sprouts. This completely changed my opinion on this much-despised vegetable. They are sauteed with pancetta in a sage brown butter sauce.
For dinner, Lobster Ravioli, Veal Chop Parmigiana and Mussels make frequent appearances. In fall, pumpkin ravioli graces its presence on the menu, and it is a must. Served with spinach, pancetta, sage brown butter sauce and parmesan reggiano, it is the ideal fall meal. Tuesdays are chicken fennel lasagna, which was the inspiration for my recipe (see Lasagna? Not so fast my friend. entry). They do rotate their freshly made pastas, and have gnocchi, cheese stuffed rigatoni, and squid ink pasta.
I would be remiss if I didn't discuss dessert. They have gelato, cannolis, and a personal favorite, a deconstructed creme brulee, which is served in a tiramisu-like format with flaky layers of phyllo.
Everything the Monica family does is top notch, and keeps me coming back for more. With a reservation and an empty stomach.
Bella Monica
3121-103 Edwards Mill Road
Raleigh NC 27612
www.belllamonica.com
Growing up in Buffalo, there were great local Italian restaurants over town, especially in North Buffalo, which is where many Italian immigrants settled. When we moved to Virginia, MM and I tried to find good quality Italian, and nothing ever compared. We did find places that were OK, but nothing that ever reminded me of the little Mom and Pop places back home.
When we moved to Raleigh, a co-worker of MM invited us for dinner and told us he was taking us to "the best Italian in town." Although he is known to eat a meal or two or ten (football players never lose that appetite...), we were skeptical, since we had lived in Virginia for 6 1/2 years without finding great Italian. We went to Bella Monica, which is tucked away in a shopping center, with only "pizza" on the storefront. Really? Best Italian? One meal, and we were sold. This is our go-to when we have visitors in town to try their deliciousness.
You walk in, and during peak hours, is always a wait in their small waiting area. If I have a downfall with Bella, it's that it's too small. There are only about 20 tables inside (and I think I'm overestimating). It's an hour wait without reservations, and the bar area is usually full with people eating, so usually you have to wait outside, which is even difficult now since they've taken over the walkway outside for al fresco dining (or in winter closed in with heat lamps, but allows about 10 more tables). The hosts are very accommodating to get you a glass of wine from the bar. I would HIGHLY recommend not going without a reservation for dinner (they are on Open Table). They are open for lunch which while busy, is not as crazy for dinner. Regardless, it's worth the wait.
The base menu has several appetizers, salads, Italian classics such as Manicotti, Spinach Stuffed Shells, and Chicken Parmigiana, and some with a spin like Portabello and Sun Dried Tomato Lasagne and Chicken Balsamico. The back of the menu is their neopolitan pizza and flatbreads. (They have started a frozen pizza business, which offers gluten free options, and are available in various specialty grocery stores, including Whole Foods).
Where Bella Monica shines is their specials. Their specials are recurring, and some only appear on certain nights. The Eggplant Rollatini appetizer is only available on weekends, and is a staple order each time we go. Fresh ricotta cheese wrapped in fried eggplant, smothered in marinara and topped with shavings of basil. I could eat that as a full meal, but then I'd miss out on all the other specials. When the Rollatini isn't on the menu, we get the Brussel Sprouts. Yes, I said it - Brussel Sprouts. This completely changed my opinion on this much-despised vegetable. They are sauteed with pancetta in a sage brown butter sauce.
 |
| Eggplant Rollatini |
For dinner, Lobster Ravioli, Veal Chop Parmigiana and Mussels make frequent appearances. In fall, pumpkin ravioli graces its presence on the menu, and it is a must. Served with spinach, pancetta, sage brown butter sauce and parmesan reggiano, it is the ideal fall meal. Tuesdays are chicken fennel lasagna, which was the inspiration for my recipe (see Lasagna? Not so fast my friend. entry). They do rotate their freshly made pastas, and have gnocchi, cheese stuffed rigatoni, and squid ink pasta.
 |
| Lobster Ravioli |
 |
| Veal Chop Parmigiana |
Everything the Monica family does is top notch, and keeps me coming back for more. With a reservation and an empty stomach.
Bella Monica
3121-103 Edwards Mill Road
Raleigh NC 27612
www.belllamonica.com
Sunday, November 13, 2011
Olive Oil Heaven
In years past, buying olive oil and balsamic vinegar was simply a guessing game for me - I'd just pick up a container at the grocery store, or buying the mamma jamma container at the warehouse store. It never really mattered to me. I didn't buy the best, but I didn't buy the cheapest either...just something serviceable.
That was until I found the Olive Oil store. Olive oil stores have popped up throughout the U.S., and here in Raleigh, we have the Midtown Olive Press, located in North Hills - a growing trade area with trendy shops, restaurants and condos for those work/live/play types. You walk in this small shop filled with tables set up with silver barrels of a variety of olive oils and balsamics. There are your standard olive oils, oils infused with herbs like basil and garlic, and fruit-infused oils like blood orange. The balsamics run the gamut from a standard 12 year aged dark balsalmic, to jalapeno white balsamic. All oils and vinegars drums have spigots and can be tasted, as sample cups and fresh bread samples are available for tasting. Recipes and suggested balsamic/oil combinations are available to expand your culinary horizons.
My eyes has been opened to this wonderful world, and subsequently, my pantry has now been stocked with several olive oils and balsamics. My personal favorite is strawberry balsamic, which I eat with some goat cheese and fresh bread. I could eat this as a dessert every day.
The new items in my pantry help me experiment with different flavors to change every day dishes. I encourage you to find your local olive oil store and explore. If you don't have one in your town, check the web - my store has a very interactive website with recipes. You'll never buy the 20 lb drum of olive oil at Costco ever again.
Midtown Olive Press
The Lassiter at North Hills
4421-205 Six Forks Road
Raleigh NC 27609
www.midtownolivepress.com
Sunday, October 30, 2011
Lasagna? Not so fast my friend....
On a trip to Trader Joe's the other day, I made the impulse purchase of fennel. I'm not a huge fan of licorice, but I am a huge fan of fennel (see Blue Monk post). I mentioned the purchase to MM and said "I have no idea what I'm going to do with it." His suggestion? Chicken fennel lasagna. Done and done.
So where did MM dream this up? Our favorite Italian place in Raleigh, Bella Monica, serves great Italian classics and specialize in their weekly specials that spin the classics. Every Tuesday, they serve Chicken Fennel Lasagna as a special. It's so special that if you go for dinner at 7pm, it's long gone. I have been fortunate enough to have this special, and can see why it sells out so quickly.
So as I start perusing my normal recipe websites for a chicken fennel lasagna recipe, I can't find anything. I'm surprised, so I google chicken fennel lasagna, and the only recipe that comes back is from the Sorrento Cheese website (Sorrento is based in Buffalo - home bias already). The recipe is for Chicken Lasagna with Fennel and Cauliflower. Cauliflower? on lasagna? As I read the recipe, I realized the cauliflower is actually a substitution for the ricotta. So a random trip to the grocery store turns into an opportunity to tweak a favorite meal of MM's into a healthy, low fat alternative.
The lasagna was delicious! Using chicken and cauliflower made this much lighter than being weighed down by 4 pounds of cheese. Roasting the cauliflower and fennel enhances the flavor of the vegetables, and making my own bechamel sauce helps to control the fat of the sauce. The roasted cauliflower is softened and gives a similar texture to the ricotta that it is substituting. I opted to use ground chicken instead of cut up chicken, and omitted the bread crumbs (didn't seem to fit in lasagna). I cut the vegetables as the original recipe called, but felt they were a little too large. I'd advise chopping them into smaller pieces to fit.
So where did MM dream this up? Our favorite Italian place in Raleigh, Bella Monica, serves great Italian classics and specialize in their weekly specials that spin the classics. Every Tuesday, they serve Chicken Fennel Lasagna as a special. It's so special that if you go for dinner at 7pm, it's long gone. I have been fortunate enough to have this special, and can see why it sells out so quickly.
So as I start perusing my normal recipe websites for a chicken fennel lasagna recipe, I can't find anything. I'm surprised, so I google chicken fennel lasagna, and the only recipe that comes back is from the Sorrento Cheese website (Sorrento is based in Buffalo - home bias already). The recipe is for Chicken Lasagna with Fennel and Cauliflower. Cauliflower? on lasagna? As I read the recipe, I realized the cauliflower is actually a substitution for the ricotta. So a random trip to the grocery store turns into an opportunity to tweak a favorite meal of MM's into a healthy, low fat alternative.
The lasagna was delicious! Using chicken and cauliflower made this much lighter than being weighed down by 4 pounds of cheese. Roasting the cauliflower and fennel enhances the flavor of the vegetables, and making my own bechamel sauce helps to control the fat of the sauce. The roasted cauliflower is softened and gives a similar texture to the ricotta that it is substituting. I opted to use ground chicken instead of cut up chicken, and omitted the bread crumbs (didn't seem to fit in lasagna). I cut the vegetables as the original recipe called, but felt they were a little too large. I'd advise chopping them into smaller pieces to fit.
Chicken, Roasted Fennel, and Cauliflower Lasagna
Ingredients
- 16 oz. Mozzarella cheese, shredded
- 2 Fennel Bulbs, sliced and chopped
- 1 Cauliflower, cut into florets and chopped
- 2 tbs Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 1 lb ground chicken, cooked
- 2 cups Basic Tomato Sauce, divided
- 2 cups Bechamel sauce, divided
- 12 sheets Lasagna Noodles, cook as directed
Preheat oven to 400°F.
Toss fennel and cauliflower with oil in a large mixing bowl, season with salt and pepper. Roast in single layer on a baking sheet until caramelized, about 30 minutes. Toss ½ of the chicken in 1 cup tomato sauce and the other in 1 cup of the béchamel. Spray a 13x9-inch baking dish with cooking spray. Spread 1 cups béchamel sauce on the bottom of the dish. Top with 4 sheets of the lasagna noodles and then the tomato-chicken mixture. Top with ½ of the vegetables and ¼ of the mozzarella. Continue to layer with 4 more lasagna noodles, the béchamel-chicken mixture, the rest of the vegetables and ¼ of the mozzarella. Finish layering with the last 4 noodles, 1½ cups tomato sauce, and the remaining mozzarella. Cover with parchment and then aluminum foil. Bake for 40 minutes until slightly bubbling. Remove foil and parchment and continue to bake until top is browned, about 10 minutes more. Cool 15 minutes before serving to allow lasagna to set up.
Zillycakes & Blue Monk Buffalo 10-15-11
When I travel back to Buffalo, the weekend schedule is usually trying to cram all my favorite hometown foods and specialties into a 72 hour span - Mighty Taco, A Royal from Penora's, Pizza & Wings from anywhere, Beef on Weck are usually the menu (I believe to the chagrin of my mother, who always wants to make me a home cooked meal...) Since I'm always chasing down the old standbys, I never really get to try new restaurants in the area.
My last trip home, my sister & I went down to the Elmwood Strip, a 2 mile stretch of Elmwood Avenue, lined with bars and eclectic shops near the Buffalo State College campus. The day was cold and rainy, so our plan to walk the strip was altered to jump in the car and drive 5 blocks to the next group of stores, but still fun nonetheless to explore.
While we were up at the northern end of the strip, we saw Zillycakes, a specialty cake and cupcake shop. Their main business is designing cakes, but they do have a walk-in cupcake bar. The walk-in area is TINY - there is a small bar with a couple stools, but is adjacent to the bar, so when someone else walks in, you are cramped. Fortunately, we had some space when making our selections.
All the cupcakes at the cupcake bar are made to order - you pick your cupcake, your frosting, and if you desire, your toppings. They had the standard cupcakes - yellow, chocolate, red velvet - but they had special cupcakes - apple almond, and lime thai chile. Same goes with the frosting - standard buttercreams and cream cheese, but also had apple cider buttercream, which sounded perfect on a fall day, so we went with the apple almond cupcake to complement the apple cider buttercream. They sprinkled almond slivers a top the cupcake, and was beautifully presented.
The cake was super moist, and frosting had hints of apple and spice, but not overpowering. The almonds gave it texture. Definitely a great cupcake. Since Zilly (the owner, hence the name) was recently on Food Network Halloween Challenge, she may want to think about expanding, because her walk-in business will do the same.
Shopping makes me hungry....and thirsty. As we continue down Elmwood, we were going to stop somewhere to knock another Buffalo staple off my list, but we ended up near the Blue Monk, a gastropub that opened in 2010. And being from Buffalo, it's very standard to say "want to get a drink?" at 2pm. So of course, my arm was twisted and off we got out of the rain. The windows are tainted dark, so it was hard to see in from across Elmwood Avenue, and we wondered if they were open....oh, they were open, all right.
We walk in and the place is PACKED. At 2pm. On a Saturday. The only place we can grab seats is at the bar near the door, coincidentally where we had sat when I had first come to Blue Monk on a Saturday evening out with my sister earlier in the spring. We had only come for drinks that evening, but had looked at the menu and was intrigued and wanted to come back.
The restaurant is long and narrow, as most businesses on Elmwood are. The bar runs along the right side before a staircase takes you upstairs to the dining area. To the right of the steps is a huge blackboard listing all their beers on tap. They run approximately 32 beers on tap in a wide variety of craft beers. I go with a Flying Bison Rusty Chain, a Vienna lager which is locally brewed and only locally distributed. Great flavor and always have when I'm in town. Sis goes with a Southern Tier Pumking, a seasonal pumpkin ale which is brewed an hour south of Buffalo in Lakewood, NY, but is distributed regionally. I had this beer in Raleigh a few weeks earlier, and loved it, so introduced it to my family when I was home, and Kim was hooked. Balanced pumpkin flavor that doesn't overpower you (hmmm...now I need to go downstairs and crack the growler of it I bought yesterday....)
The menu is gastropub food, highlighted by the Duck Frites - belgian style fries cooked in duck fat, and served with a choice of 2 sauces. We went with chipotle bacon mayo and wasabi aioli. Since it was a cold day, soup sounded good, and the soup of the day was a creamy fennel and greens soup with goat cheese crostini. I love fennel and I love goat cheese, and in soup? Immediately intrigued. We each got a bowl.
The frites were perfectly cooked - slight crunch on the outside, yet soft inside. The chipotle bacon surprisingly was my favorite of the two sauces we selected - the smokiness of the bacon and the slight heat of the chipotle made for a great sauce. The wasabi aioli was good, but I didn't think the wasabi was strong enough against the mayo.
The soup was even better. Shame on me for not taking a picture of it. The goat cheese was spread on top of the crostini, and placed on top of the soup. The soup itself was delicious - hints of fennel and the creamy warmth of the soup made for a perfect fall meal, but once the crostini softened to break up and eat, the soup took new dimension. The goat cheese heightened the creaminess and the flavor, and was so delicious. I immediately wanted another bowl, but then remembered I had to gorge on other Buffalo delicacies later, so I declined.
We stuck around for another beverage, and this time I went with Three Heads The Kind India Pale Ale from nearby Rochester. I usually don't drink IPA's because they are too hoppy, but sometimes they can surprise me, as this one did, since it more resembled a Pale Ale, which is my beer style of choice.
Blue Monk is not a place I'd expect in Buffalo. Buffalo bars are like the city and their people - simple, no frills, and great heart & soul. This bar seems to be more high end and something I'd see in New York, but given the crowd on a Saturday afternoon, Buffalo embraces it, and so do I. Next time, I will do a full meal, complemented with an Rusty Chain, of course.
My last trip home, my sister & I went down to the Elmwood Strip, a 2 mile stretch of Elmwood Avenue, lined with bars and eclectic shops near the Buffalo State College campus. The day was cold and rainy, so our plan to walk the strip was altered to jump in the car and drive 5 blocks to the next group of stores, but still fun nonetheless to explore.
While we were up at the northern end of the strip, we saw Zillycakes, a specialty cake and cupcake shop. Their main business is designing cakes, but they do have a walk-in cupcake bar. The walk-in area is TINY - there is a small bar with a couple stools, but is adjacent to the bar, so when someone else walks in, you are cramped. Fortunately, we had some space when making our selections.
All the cupcakes at the cupcake bar are made to order - you pick your cupcake, your frosting, and if you desire, your toppings. They had the standard cupcakes - yellow, chocolate, red velvet - but they had special cupcakes - apple almond, and lime thai chile. Same goes with the frosting - standard buttercreams and cream cheese, but also had apple cider buttercream, which sounded perfect on a fall day, so we went with the apple almond cupcake to complement the apple cider buttercream. They sprinkled almond slivers a top the cupcake, and was beautifully presented.
The cake was super moist, and frosting had hints of apple and spice, but not overpowering. The almonds gave it texture. Definitely a great cupcake. Since Zilly (the owner, hence the name) was recently on Food Network Halloween Challenge, she may want to think about expanding, because her walk-in business will do the same.
Shopping makes me hungry....and thirsty. As we continue down Elmwood, we were going to stop somewhere to knock another Buffalo staple off my list, but we ended up near the Blue Monk, a gastropub that opened in 2010. And being from Buffalo, it's very standard to say "want to get a drink?" at 2pm. So of course, my arm was twisted and off we got out of the rain. The windows are tainted dark, so it was hard to see in from across Elmwood Avenue, and we wondered if they were open....oh, they were open, all right.
We walk in and the place is PACKED. At 2pm. On a Saturday. The only place we can grab seats is at the bar near the door, coincidentally where we had sat when I had first come to Blue Monk on a Saturday evening out with my sister earlier in the spring. We had only come for drinks that evening, but had looked at the menu and was intrigued and wanted to come back.
The restaurant is long and narrow, as most businesses on Elmwood are. The bar runs along the right side before a staircase takes you upstairs to the dining area. To the right of the steps is a huge blackboard listing all their beers on tap. They run approximately 32 beers on tap in a wide variety of craft beers. I go with a Flying Bison Rusty Chain, a Vienna lager which is locally brewed and only locally distributed. Great flavor and always have when I'm in town. Sis goes with a Southern Tier Pumking, a seasonal pumpkin ale which is brewed an hour south of Buffalo in Lakewood, NY, but is distributed regionally. I had this beer in Raleigh a few weeks earlier, and loved it, so introduced it to my family when I was home, and Kim was hooked. Balanced pumpkin flavor that doesn't overpower you (hmmm...now I need to go downstairs and crack the growler of it I bought yesterday....)
The menu is gastropub food, highlighted by the Duck Frites - belgian style fries cooked in duck fat, and served with a choice of 2 sauces. We went with chipotle bacon mayo and wasabi aioli. Since it was a cold day, soup sounded good, and the soup of the day was a creamy fennel and greens soup with goat cheese crostini. I love fennel and I love goat cheese, and in soup? Immediately intrigued. We each got a bowl.
The frites were perfectly cooked - slight crunch on the outside, yet soft inside. The chipotle bacon surprisingly was my favorite of the two sauces we selected - the smokiness of the bacon and the slight heat of the chipotle made for a great sauce. The wasabi aioli was good, but I didn't think the wasabi was strong enough against the mayo.
The soup was even better. Shame on me for not taking a picture of it. The goat cheese was spread on top of the crostini, and placed on top of the soup. The soup itself was delicious - hints of fennel and the creamy warmth of the soup made for a perfect fall meal, but once the crostini softened to break up and eat, the soup took new dimension. The goat cheese heightened the creaminess and the flavor, and was so delicious. I immediately wanted another bowl, but then remembered I had to gorge on other Buffalo delicacies later, so I declined.
We stuck around for another beverage, and this time I went with Three Heads The Kind India Pale Ale from nearby Rochester. I usually don't drink IPA's because they are too hoppy, but sometimes they can surprise me, as this one did, since it more resembled a Pale Ale, which is my beer style of choice.
Blue Monk is not a place I'd expect in Buffalo. Buffalo bars are like the city and their people - simple, no frills, and great heart & soul. This bar seems to be more high end and something I'd see in New York, but given the crowd on a Saturday afternoon, Buffalo embraces it, and so do I. Next time, I will do a full meal, complemented with an Rusty Chain, of course.
Monday, October 24, 2011
Mac and Cheese? Not so fast, my friend...
If I was granted one last meal before I parted this earth, I'm 99.9% sure I would have macaroni and cheese. And not that blue box powder stuff....REAL mac and cheese with REAL cheese and noodles....from scratch. As a good catholic girl (at least one that still doesn't eat meat on Fridays during Lent), I will make a big pan of homemade mac and cheese. Eating as a full meal is a lenten treat to help me forget I can't have chicken or steak on Fridays for eight weeks, but the fat and cheese and all things that make it the king of comfort foods makes me sadly keep it out of my diet on a regular basis.
I have always loved butternut squash, which has its own comfort quality about it. It's a sign of fall - crisp air, walking outside in a light sweater, leaves morphing into beautiful hues of reds and yellows. I always jump at the chance to have butternut squash at a restaurant, but usually don't cook with it. Fortunately, my friendly produce delivery service forces my hand, and now to find something for butternut squash....
So when I stumbled upon a lighter version of mac and cheese substituting butternut squash for some of the cheese, I was immediately intrigued. I did opt for a lower-calorie recipe, as I wanted to pare down the recipe as much as I could. Looking at this picture, could you tell this isn't full-on homemade mac and cheese??
The squash once mashed down and combined with the cheese gives that cheesy consistency, as well as acts as a binding agent. Yes, it tastes like butternut squash, but it gives the illusion of that warm comfort yummy-in-your-belly while sneaking in some veggies and fiber. I used high fiber pasta to even get a little more fiber in the recipe, which does help fill you up faster so you only eat a cup, instead of the entire pan.Macaroni & Cheese with Butternut Squash
- 1 small butternut squash (about 1 pound), peeled, seeded, and cut into 1-inch cubes (about 3 cups)
- 1 cup homemade or low-sodium canned chicken stock, skimmed of fat (vegetarian option - swap for veggie broth)
- 1 1/2 cups nonfat milk
- Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
- Pinch of cayenne pepper
- 3/4 teaspoon coarse salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 1 pound elbow macaroni (I use Barilla Plus to get that extra punch of fiber)
- 4 ounces extra-sharp cheddar cheese, finely grated (about 1 cup)
- 4 tablespoons Parmesan cheese, finely grated (1 ounce)
- 2 tablespoons fine breadcrumbs (I omitted this, as to reduce carbohydrates/not a fan of crumb tops)
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- Olive-oil, cooking spray
- 1/2 cup part-skim ricotta cheese
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Combine squash, stock, and milk in a medium saucepan; bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium; simmer until squash is tender when pierced with a fork, about 20 minutes. Remove from heat. Mash contents of saucepan; stir in nutmeg, cayenne, and salt, and season with black pepper. Stir to combine.
- Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add noodles; cook until al dente according to package instructions, about 8 minutes. Drain, and transfer to a large bowl; stir in squash mixture, cheddar, ricotta, and 2 tablespoons Parmesan.
- Lightly coat a 9-inch square baking dish (4 inches deep) with cooking spray. Transfer noodle mixture to dish. In a small bowl, combine breadcrumbs, remaining 2 tablespoons Parmesan, and oil; sprinkle evenly over noodle mixture.
- Cover with foil, and bake 20 minutes. Remove foil, and continue baking until lightly browned and crisp on top, 30 to 40 minutes more. Serve immediately.
Sunday, October 23, 2011
Poole's Diner 9-29-11
So the annual treat of my birthday dinner - the time where I can pick where I want to go. Hooray me!! So I chose Poole's Diner - the old diner in downtown Raleigh that has been turned into a foodie mecca. Right in my wheel house. Chef Ashley Christensen's restaurant has received tons of praise and accolades, and she took on Bobby Flay on Iron Chef.
We show up at 7:30, and since they don't take reservations, we end up standing out front of the storefront on a beautiful fall evening in NC, since the waiting area is basically 4 seats. We grabbed drinks between the two lunch counters where you can sit to eat (packed, of course), and stood outside our table was ready. I had the Milan Mule - Tito's vodka muddled basil jalapeno/ginger sugar and lemon. The jalapeno came through a little more than I was expecting, but the basil and ginger gave this cocktail a definite different spin. MM had a dark and stormy goslings black seal rum line spicy Ginger syrup and soda.
There are no menus at Poole's - there are chalkboards along the walls with appetizers, main courses and desserts. Even the wine list and drink menus are on chalkboards. Wine prices seemed quite reasonable, and we order a bottle of Fontanafredda Barolo. Not my favorite Barolo of all time - the finish was quite harsh.
MM's appetizer was beef tartare w marinated chick peas and piquillo aioli. I'm still trying to figure out what the herb in the chick peas was, because it complimented the beef tartare so well. My guess was tarragon, but as soon as that taste hits my lips again.....I'll remember. My appetizer was a warm pistachio crusted goat cheese w roasted beets charred sweet onions Belgium endive and orange horseradish viniagrette. I love beets and don't get enough. And putting it with goat cheese and pistachios? Party in my mouth.
My entree was braised boarder leg of lamb w begula lentils roasted tomatoes and oyster mushrooms. By far the best lamb I've ever had. That is no easy task, since I had some fantastic lamb at The First Crush in San Francisco on our honeymoon. (HIGHLY recommended...) So tender, and the lentils brought a different texture to the meal. I wouldn't ever go out of my way to eat lentils, but this meal made reconsider that decision. MM had rosemary roasted chicken w mashed yukons and double chicken stock. Chicken was moist and flavorful, but after having the roast chicken at Bouchon, it's a tough, if not impossible, comparison.
Macaroni au gratin was our side, which is the house specialty. The crust on the mac and cheese was nice and crunchy and delicious, but the molten lava underneath was tough to enjoy at first. Once it finally came down to edible temperature, the wonderful crust flavor had lost its luster. It was good. Had they been able to put the warm crust with the edible heat of the pasta, it would have been perfect, but on each side something was lost.
For dessert, MM had hazelnut panna cotta with chocolate sauce toasted hazelnuts and meringues, and in my non-chocolate ways, had carrot cake w cream cheese mousse and ginger anglaise. The desserts, sadly, were disappointing. The anglaise just didn't seem to work well with the carrot cake in my opinion.
Dinner was delicious and I would say it makes my list of top 5 meals in Raleigh. However, sometimes the hype can leave you underwhelmed, which I think is the case here. I would be interested to go back to Poole's again, when my expectations were not as high. I'll have to bear that in mind when I check out Ms. Christensen's other recently-opened restaurants in the City of Oaks.
We show up at 7:30, and since they don't take reservations, we end up standing out front of the storefront on a beautiful fall evening in NC, since the waiting area is basically 4 seats. We grabbed drinks between the two lunch counters where you can sit to eat (packed, of course), and stood outside our table was ready. I had the Milan Mule - Tito's vodka muddled basil jalapeno/ginger sugar and lemon. The jalapeno came through a little more than I was expecting, but the basil and ginger gave this cocktail a definite different spin. MM had a dark and stormy goslings black seal rum line spicy Ginger syrup and soda.
There are no menus at Poole's - there are chalkboards along the walls with appetizers, main courses and desserts. Even the wine list and drink menus are on chalkboards. Wine prices seemed quite reasonable, and we order a bottle of Fontanafredda Barolo. Not my favorite Barolo of all time - the finish was quite harsh.
MM's appetizer was beef tartare w marinated chick peas and piquillo aioli. I'm still trying to figure out what the herb in the chick peas was, because it complimented the beef tartare so well. My guess was tarragon, but as soon as that taste hits my lips again.....I'll remember. My appetizer was a warm pistachio crusted goat cheese w roasted beets charred sweet onions Belgium endive and orange horseradish viniagrette. I love beets and don't get enough. And putting it with goat cheese and pistachios? Party in my mouth.
My entree was braised boarder leg of lamb w begula lentils roasted tomatoes and oyster mushrooms. By far the best lamb I've ever had. That is no easy task, since I had some fantastic lamb at The First Crush in San Francisco on our honeymoon. (HIGHLY recommended...) So tender, and the lentils brought a different texture to the meal. I wouldn't ever go out of my way to eat lentils, but this meal made reconsider that decision. MM had rosemary roasted chicken w mashed yukons and double chicken stock. Chicken was moist and flavorful, but after having the roast chicken at Bouchon, it's a tough, if not impossible, comparison.
Macaroni au gratin was our side, which is the house specialty. The crust on the mac and cheese was nice and crunchy and delicious, but the molten lava underneath was tough to enjoy at first. Once it finally came down to edible temperature, the wonderful crust flavor had lost its luster. It was good. Had they been able to put the warm crust with the edible heat of the pasta, it would have been perfect, but on each side something was lost.
For dessert, MM had hazelnut panna cotta with chocolate sauce toasted hazelnuts and meringues, and in my non-chocolate ways, had carrot cake w cream cheese mousse and ginger anglaise. The desserts, sadly, were disappointing. The anglaise just didn't seem to work well with the carrot cake in my opinion.
Dinner was delicious and I would say it makes my list of top 5 meals in Raleigh. However, sometimes the hype can leave you underwhelmed, which I think is the case here. I would be interested to go back to Poole's again, when my expectations were not as high. I'll have to bear that in mind when I check out Ms. Christensen's other recently-opened restaurants in the City of Oaks.
Saturday, August 13, 2011
What in the world do you do with.....purple basil?
When I get my weekly e-mail from my home produce delivery service, I always peruse the list of available products for funkier things...the things you aren't going to see in your produce section at the local grocery store. As a lover of basil, I immediately jumped at purple basil. I had never seen it nor known what to do with it.
A small package arrived and the leaves look like regular basil, but have a vibrant purple color, and also had some small white flowers. Its taste is a little more bitter than traditional basil. So OK...what in the world am I going to do with this?
Pesto was an obvious choice, but wasn't sure, given the potential color of it might make it look unappetizing. However, I found a recipe for a purple basil pesto included tomatoes, so I tried it, and WOW. The help the color factor, and help cut the bitterness. It would make a great bruschetta, served w a small piece of fresh mozzarella and a green basil leaf for color.
Purple Basil Pesto
1/4 cup pine nuts (you can substitute walnuts or almonds)
1-2 cloves garlic, peeled
2 cups purple basil leaves, packed (green if no purple)
1/4 cup finely grated Pecorino Romano (or other hard cheese)
1 medium tomato, quartered
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, or more to taste
Chop pine nuts and garlic in food processor until finely chopped. Add the basil, cheese, tomatoes, and salt, and process until thoroughly combined and the consistency you like. With the motor running running, slowly drizzle the olive oil through the chute. Add more salt to taste if desired. Store your pesto in the refrigerator for several days or freeze.
1-2 cloves garlic, peeled
2 cups purple basil leaves, packed (green if no purple)
1/4 cup finely grated Pecorino Romano (or other hard cheese)
1 medium tomato, quartered
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, or more to taste
Chop pine nuts and garlic in food processor until finely chopped. Add the basil, cheese, tomatoes, and salt, and process until thoroughly combined and the consistency you like. With the motor running running, slowly drizzle the olive oil through the chute. Add more salt to taste if desired. Store your pesto in the refrigerator for several days or freeze.
When we play the nightly game of "what do we have to get rid of" when we make dinner, we had some pesto and some fresh mozzarella to use, so we decided to make a pizza. I rolled out some dough, brushed it with some basil-infused olive oil, used the pesto as the base, and topped with 4 oz fresh mozzarella and 1 cup of freshly roasted red peppers. The result was this beauty:
The pesto made the perfect base with the fresh mozzarella and roasted red peppers added a little something to the mix. Tasted like something you'd get at a gourmet pizza joint, but even better. Doubt they use purple basil.
Wednesday, August 10, 2011
Durham Food Truck Rodeo this Sunday!
Largest food truck rodeo coming to Durham coming this Sunday. I've wanted to try Kokyu and Grilled Cheese Bus for some time but they don't come to me on Centennial Campus, so I go stalk them! So excited and hope you can go check them out!
http://blogs.newsobserver.com/food/the-triangles-biggest-food-truck-rodeo-to-date-will-be-sunday-in-durham#storylink=misearch
http://blogs.newsobserver.com/food/the-triangles-biggest-food-truck-rodeo-to-date-will-be-sunday-in-durham#storylink=misearch
Saturday, July 30, 2011
Nobhill Tavern MGM Grand Las Vegas 20 June 2011
We were meeting our friends Brian & Liz for dinner out in Las Vegas, who said "you pick the place, you know Vegas. Something laid back and casual." This was no easy task, since there is very little middle ground on the strip - it's either a quick slice of pizza, a chain, or high end dining. We had found a place the night before in First Food & Bar at the Palazzo (which I have to write about still...), but didn't want to go two nights in a row. C'mon - it's Vegas. There's another option somewhere. After googling menu after menu, we decided on Michael Mina's Nobhill Tavern inside the MGM Grand. We had eaten at one of his other Vegas restauarants, Stripsteak at Mandalay Bay last year, and food was fantastic, so thought it was a good choice.
When you enter, it's dark and cozy - I imagine like the old clubs of the 50s and 60s, except with modern decor. Brian & Liz were already there, and Liz had the signature house cocktail - a cable car martini. Spiced rum, orange curacao and sweet and sour, in a raw sugar and cinnamon lined martini glass. The sugar/cinnamon rim breaks up the citrus well, and is easy going down. Which I went to my standby for my next drink (Woodford Reserve Manhattan), otherwise I'd have 6 of those cable cars quickly and on the floor. The ambience is nice - music softly playing and dining noise is a minimum, so you can easily carry on a conversation.
The signature dish at Nobhill is a lobster pot pie. There is actually a station on the dining floor where this is prepared. It's recommended for 2, and is wheeled out and served tableside out of a beautiful copper pot. Well, it's 100 degrees. In Vegas. And being on the east coast and have had lobster pulled straight from the Atlantic to my plate, I wasn't quite feeling it, and apparently none of the rest of us were.
We started the meal with some New England Crab and Lobster rolls (OK - I know what I said about lobster...but if lobster's his thing....this made up for not getting the pot pie...), which 4 pieces came out on french bread slices and topped with greens. A classed up lobster roll - not exactly a wonder bread roll. Seafood is fresh (for flying cross-country).
The other appetizer was tomato fondue with garlic bread grilled cheese. I admit this is the reason we chose Nobhill. Why hadn't I thought of this before??? The tomato fondue is served in a fondue pot, and a whole grilled cheese sandwich is cut into 9 squares on a wooden cutting board. A classed-up comfort food. I would go back for this again and again. A far cry from the Campbell's and Kraft slices combo I make in a pinch.
For dinner, Brian & I both chose the Hawaiian Big Eye Tuna. The tuna was served sliced with its beautiful rareness exposed over a bed of arugula and pickled red onion. Piquillo peppers were served along side, which gave the tuna new dimension. Easily the best tuna I've ever had. Liz went with the Scottish Salmon, served with japanese eggplant, sun dried tomatoes, gypsy peppers and basmati rice pilaf. Mike ordered the only meat entree - the braised beef short rib with sweet carrot puree, english peas and natural jus. I had a bit of Mike's short rib, and it was so tender and melt in your mouth. Delicious.
Brian & Liz agreed Nobhill was the perfect call for what we wanted - good food & good conversation in a laid back atmosphere.
Sunday, July 24, 2011
Buffalo Restaurants
As a native Buffalonian, it is so tough to get good wings (or as they call them everywhere else in the U.S., Buffalo Wings), beef on weck, or any of the multitude of WNY goodies we grew up on. While I am within 4 hours of a Wegmans (and don't think I won't make that pilgrimage...), I'd like to compile a list of Buffalo restaurants throughout the U.S. that will help satisfy those Buffalo culinary urges. Please let me know if you have any to add - all are welcome! :)
Raleigh, NC:
Buffalo Brothers - 2 locations. Owned by 2 guys from Batavia - great pizza & wings. All you can eat wings on Saturday afternoons? OK then. Blue cheese, no ranch.
Blinco's - owned by a guy from Lewiston. He has switched allegiances from the Sabres to the Hurricanes, although I think he still has a soft spot for the blue and gold. Beef on weck, spiedies, and its own garbage plate (called a Hurricane Plate). At least it's served with Zweigles dogs and not Brightleaf.
Phoenix, AZ:
Native New Yorker - several locations in PHX area, and now branching out into Washington and Texas. Going chain on me.
Atlanta, GA
Barker's Red Hots - this was right across the street from my hotel on my last business trip. I only learned of its Buffalo wonderfulness as someone tried to explain they had beef on "wick" (grrrr.....). They serve Sahlen's hot dogs, polish sausage, italian sausage, loganberry (marketed as Crystal Beach....awesome), and yes, beef on WECK. Making sure next time I have to go to Atlanta on work I make sure I get there.
Denver, CO
Big Hoss BBQ - OK...this isn't Buffalo food, but this is great BBQ in the Rockies. And the owner went to my high school. And he gave us free shots of whiskey when watching a Bills game. Shameless plug.
Hilton Head, SC
Lee Wood's - another high school alum bringing Buffalo goodies to the Southeast. Wings, beef on weck, and the house specialty chicken wing soup.
Raleigh, NC:
Buffalo Brothers - 2 locations. Owned by 2 guys from Batavia - great pizza & wings. All you can eat wings on Saturday afternoons? OK then. Blue cheese, no ranch.
Blinco's - owned by a guy from Lewiston. He has switched allegiances from the Sabres to the Hurricanes, although I think he still has a soft spot for the blue and gold. Beef on weck, spiedies, and its own garbage plate (called a Hurricane Plate). At least it's served with Zweigles dogs and not Brightleaf.
Phoenix, AZ:
Native New Yorker - several locations in PHX area, and now branching out into Washington and Texas. Going chain on me.
Atlanta, GA
Barker's Red Hots - this was right across the street from my hotel on my last business trip. I only learned of its Buffalo wonderfulness as someone tried to explain they had beef on "wick" (grrrr.....). They serve Sahlen's hot dogs, polish sausage, italian sausage, loganberry (marketed as Crystal Beach....awesome), and yes, beef on WECK. Making sure next time I have to go to Atlanta on work I make sure I get there.
Denver, CO
Big Hoss BBQ - OK...this isn't Buffalo food, but this is great BBQ in the Rockies. And the owner went to my high school. And he gave us free shots of whiskey when watching a Bills game. Shameless plug.
Hilton Head, SC
Lee Wood's - another high school alum bringing Buffalo goodies to the Southeast. Wings, beef on weck, and the house specialty chicken wing soup.
Saturday, July 16, 2011
J Betski's 16 July 2011
This is one of the best kept secrets in Raleigh. Eastern European food with a twist. All sausages, meats and salmon are made in-house and never disappoint.
New item on the menu is liverwurst pierogies, served with fennel marmalade and sage brown butter. The pierogi itself was fabulous, but the marmalade added a nice sweetness to complement the saltiness of the liverwurst.
The owner John also brought us out the J. Betski's chopped salad. Romaine, cherry tomatoes, red onion, hardboiled egg, smoked bacon, crater lake blue cheese, with raspberry honey mustard dressing. Ingredients all work well together and salad was not overdressed. Nice light option.
Today's special that all 3 of us chose was the reuben burger. Their house house ground sirloin burger w in-house cured pastrami, coleslaw sauerkraut, swiss cheese and thousand island dressing on a brioche bun. All of us also chose the side of fries w paprika mayo. The burger was so moist and the pastrami brings a nice savory element. The softness of the brioche keeps it together and doesn't overpower the sandwich. Easily one of the best burgers I've ever had.
It's a shame Seaboard Station hasn't taken off as a larger trade area in Raleigh, or more people would know about this gem. Take the few block walk east of Glenwood Ave and enjoy a fabulous meal with a tall Schneider Weisse.
J. Betskis
10 West Franklin Street
Raleigh NC 27604
http://www.jbetskis.com/
New item on the menu is liverwurst pierogies, served with fennel marmalade and sage brown butter. The pierogi itself was fabulous, but the marmalade added a nice sweetness to complement the saltiness of the liverwurst.
The owner John also brought us out the J. Betski's chopped salad. Romaine, cherry tomatoes, red onion, hardboiled egg, smoked bacon, crater lake blue cheese, with raspberry honey mustard dressing. Ingredients all work well together and salad was not overdressed. Nice light option.
Today's special that all 3 of us chose was the reuben burger. Their house house ground sirloin burger w in-house cured pastrami, coleslaw sauerkraut, swiss cheese and thousand island dressing on a brioche bun. All of us also chose the side of fries w paprika mayo. The burger was so moist and the pastrami brings a nice savory element. The softness of the brioche keeps it together and doesn't overpower the sandwich. Easily one of the best burgers I've ever had.
It's a shame Seaboard Station hasn't taken off as a larger trade area in Raleigh, or more people would know about this gem. Take the few block walk east of Glenwood Ave and enjoy a fabulous meal with a tall Schneider Weisse.
J. Betskis
10 West Franklin Street
Raleigh NC 27604
http://www.jbetskis.com/
Sunday, June 26, 2011
Habanero Mango Guacamole
So on our culinary adventures in Vegas, we needed a quick snack to hold us over before our dinner reservations at Bouchon. We stopped at Dos Caminos at the Palazzo.
We were intrigued by the crab guacamole, but saw for the same price we could get a sampler of all 3 of their guacs - original, crab, and mango habanero. We opted for the sampler.
As a self-professed wuss when it comes to heat, I was leery of the mango habanero, but knew my husband (once dubbed Mr. Spicy) would like it. But, the mango habanero was my favorite of the three. The habanero wasn't overpowering and mango gave it a nice cooling agent.
When we returned home, we thought we'd take a stab at recreating it. Just as delicious, and wasn't 18 bucks. Heat was constant, but mildly warm.
Mango Habanero Guacamole
3 avocadoes, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup white onion
1-2 habanero peppers, finely chopped (used 1 first time out)
1 large mango, diced
1/3 cup cilantro finely chopped
Juice of 1 lime
Salt as needed
Combine all ingredients in bowl and mash together. Let set for 1 hour for flavors to combine.
We were intrigued by the crab guacamole, but saw for the same price we could get a sampler of all 3 of their guacs - original, crab, and mango habanero. We opted for the sampler.
As a self-professed wuss when it comes to heat, I was leery of the mango habanero, but knew my husband (once dubbed Mr. Spicy) would like it. But, the mango habanero was my favorite of the three. The habanero wasn't overpowering and mango gave it a nice cooling agent.
When we returned home, we thought we'd take a stab at recreating it. Just as delicious, and wasn't 18 bucks. Heat was constant, but mildly warm.
Mango Habanero Guacamole
3 avocadoes, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup white onion
1-2 habanero peppers, finely chopped (used 1 first time out)
1 large mango, diced
1/3 cup cilantro finely chopped
Juice of 1 lime
Salt as needed
Combine all ingredients in bowl and mash together. Let set for 1 hour for flavors to combine.
Friday, June 24, 2011
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