Dishing it up!

614 Restaurant Week - Cameron's American Bistro

2012-01-21T00:54:00.003-05:00

Birthday week continues! For Thursday's birthday dinner I chose Cameron's American Bistro because I have always wanted to go to Mitchell's flagship restaurant. I'm a fairly regular visitor of some of his other places, but for some reason I've never been to this one.

I quote the website:" Cameron's American Bistro, the original Cameron Mitchell Restaurant located in Worthington, presents a dining experience that blends genuine hospitality and uniquely innovative food in an upscale-casual, intimate atmosphere. An American road trip for your palate, Cameron's American Bistro brings home to Columbus delicious dishes familiar and unfamiliar, from places coastal and landlocked." This was a place I definitely wanted to visit.

The posted menu for Cameron's for Restaurant Week looked wonderful. So Cameron's it was! There were eight of us and we were seated smack dab in the middle of the dining room at a round table that allowed us to easily talk to everyone in our party. Our server was a young man named AJ, and he was beyond wonderful! He totally took care of us all night.

Six of the eight of us chose to go with the Restaurant Week menus. Lucky me! In the interest of my blog readers, it really was my civic duty to try everything that I could. Darn Patrick, though. He was clear across the table and I didn’t get to taste his. How did he escape my fork???

By far the most popular appetizer was the Goat Cheese Arancini, and with good reason. The balls of risotto were made with goat cheese and then fried to a golden crisp and were served on a tomato coulis with a sprig of arugula. Let me explain it to you like this; a slice of heaven on a plate. *sigh*

Another choice was the Chop Chop. This was a lovely salad made up of “Wier’s Farm mixed greens, asparagus, sweet corn, hardboiled egg, smoked bacon, gorgonzola, red onions, grape tomatoes and golden balsamic vinaigrette". It was very good.

The third appetizer choice was Shrimp Bisque. As you can see, it was lovely. It was garnished with Lemon cream, chives and crostini. I would like to tell you how incredible it was, however this was one of the dishes that escaped me. Dang-it! Now I’m thinking I need to go back soon and complete my “education”.

Moving on to the entrées, these were an absolute delight! I decided upon the Hoisin Glazed Salmon. This was served with “grilled pineapple rice, ginger glazed carrots, sugar snap peas and sriracha butter sauce”. I am telling you, this salmon was absolutely exquisite. I was totally smitten with the pineapple rice. Oh my goodness! The salmon was wonderfully moist and had sweet and savory notes from the hoisin sauce. The carrots and snap peas were crunch and the sauce…oh the sauce. I was a bit concerned that the sriracha sauce might be a tad too much for me. Much to my delight it was spot on. What a winner!

This is the shrimp and grits. You’re right. It wasn’t on the Restaurant Week menu, but two of my fellow diners ordered this. What rebels! I tried to slip my fork onto Dianne’s plate when she wasn’t looking but I was busted J The grits were made with goat cheese. Yum! I didn’t try the shrimp because both she and Donald warned me that they were pretty spicy. And we all know what a wuss I am. I did go back for seconds on the grits, though.

Bob and Homer got the Crispy Moscovy Duck Breast with “five vegetable fried rice, baby bok choy, glazed peanuts and orange ginger reduction”. While I not a huge fan of duck, this was very nicely done. Bob was certainly happy with it. And I don’t think we heard a peep out of Homer until his plate was empty! I’m thinkin’ he enjoyed itJ

Isn’t this a lovely photo? Isn’t that a lovely pork chop? Don’t you wonder if it tasted lovely? Well, can’t help ya there. This is the other dish I was talking about that I couldn’t reach. I’m thinking next time with a group this size, I’m going to bring along one of those forks that have an extending handle. Yep, that’s exactly what I need.

Everyone but Kathy and I got the Vanilla Crème Brulee with fresh berries. It was some of the best I have ever had. Or, at least Bob’s portion was some of the best! There was a plethora of vanilla beans and it was reflected in the taste. Beautiful.

Now for the big finish! What is a birthday celebration without cake? How right you are! Cake is what gives mankind sustenance; or something like that anyway. No question I was going with the Warm Carrot Cake. Kathy joined me in ordering the warm carrot cake with cream cheese icing and vanilla rum sauce. Oh dear me, I am so happy I did. It was absolutely, totally insane! The cake was light but incredibly flavorful. The cream cheese icing was sort of sliding off the top of the hot cake and the rum sauce was pooling around the base of the cake just waiting for me to take that first taste. When I did, I do believe the heavens opened and angels sang. Yes. That is what makes a birthday so spectacular. Cake is truly God’s gift of comfort and pleasure.

What a truly wonderful birthday this has been!

Another fine Restaurant Week under the belt…or should I say on the hips? Wherever it lands, it was well worth it. The chefs in Columbus are so very talented. Hats off to them! And thank you to 614 Magazine and all of the sponsors, especially Makers Mark!

p.s. Did I mention that because it was my birthday I was given a gorgeous white rosebud? Wow; Cameron's knows how to treat a lady!

Cameron’s American Bistro
2185 W. Dublin-Granville Road
Worthington, OH
(614) 885-3663
Hours:
Monday- Thursday: 5pm- 10pm
Friday & Saturday: 5pm- 11pm

614 Magazine Restaurant Week - Moretti's of Arlington

2012-01-19T23:45:00.003-05:00

I love Restaurant Week, I love Moretti's and I LOVE birthdays!!! And I adore my godsons :-) So how could it not be a fun birthday, I ask you?

Blake drew this while he was waiting for his dinner. Obviously I am the pink lady. (Yikes! Is that really what my hair looks like to him???) Blake is orange and Bryce is green. (all of our favorite colors!) Unfortunately Bob, Clint & Virna didn't make the grade. But it was my birthday after all.

Moretti's is offering a great menu for this week, and it is only $20. Yes, that's right, twenty dollars! For a three course dinner that will leave you moaning because you are so full, yet you have leftovers for lunch the next day! I know!

So let me show you a little of what we had last night.

This is the bread plate presented after we were seated. The bread was still hot from the oven, with flavored butter and the house marinara sauce. It was deeeeeeeliscious!!!!! I admit I may have hogged the butter...just a little...well, maybe a lot. Okay, I admit it! Let's just please move on.

These were the Four Cheese Risotto Balls with lemon aioli. They were not part of the Restaurant Week menu, however I must include them. I totally could make a meal of these! I kid you not. They are delectable deep fried balls of risotto, with cheese in the middle that oozes out when the balls are cut into. These are commonly called arancini. By whatever name, they are to die for. I simply cannot go to Moretti's without indulging in these.

This was the Mediterranean Chop Salad. It consisted of organic greens, cucumber, tomato, kalamata olive, red onion, feta, and pepperoncini dressed with a house vinaigrette. Wonderful.

The Wedding Soup was my appetizer choice. I do believe that Moretti's has some of the best wedding soup I have ever tasted. The broth is so flavorful and the spinach and carrots are yummy. The meatballs are plentiful and so tasty. Just perfect!

The last appetizer choice was the tomato bisque. Rich tomato flavor; deeply satisfying. We probably could have stopped there. But oh no! We soldiered on.

Bob, Clint and Virna all got this entee for dinner. Allow me to introduce you to Moretti's Truffle Mac 'N Cheese with Shrimp. Oh Lordy was it ever good! The shrimp were perfectly cooked and had that wonderful flavor that shrimp have when they are "just right". You know what I'm talking about. When you buy shrimp and they are just so succulent that you never want to stop eating them. Huh? You don't know what I'm talking about? It's just me? Oh dude, if that's true I feel so sorry for you. Put those perfect shrimp on top of homemade mac 'n cheese, add a little truffle (butter or oil, I'm not sure which) and your knees get week and your hands start shaking and your breath is taken away. And no, I do not have a seafood allergy. I just (as my good friend Tom Prosek says) "became one with my food". Or in this case, Bob's food.

My dear friends, meet my dinner Scallop Carbanara with Fuscili Pasta. It is so easy to screw up carbanara. And if you do, you end up with a gloppy mess and who wants to eat that? This carbanara was done quite well. It was abundant with scallops, bacon, onion. peas, and a delicately creamy cheese sauce. It was really good.

Moving on to dessert, Virna and I chose the Chocolate Espresso Cheesecake. Bingo! I darn near cried, it was so good. Rich, creamy, cheesey, deep flavor; everything a cheesecake should be. And the espresso was there in all its glory. Not overpowering, not artificial. No, just wonderful. Add a cup of coffee and I was in heaven.

The guys got the Cannoli. The menu listed this as Chocolate Chip Cannoli. While we didn't see any chocolate chips, the cannoli did not disappoint!

What a dinner! What a birthday! All this and Bryce's first place win in the spelling bee, too!

What more could I possibly have asked for????

Moretti's of Arlington

2124 Tremont Center
Columbus, OH
(614) 486.2333

Monday-Thursday: 4:30pm-9:30 pm, Friday & Saturday: 4:30pm-10pm

614 Restaurant Week January 16-21, 2012

2012-01-18T16:20:00.000-05:00

Yes, we're well into 614 Magazine's Restaurant Week. I haven't been out to dinner yet, but the games are about to begin!

Today is my birthday! Happy birthday to me!!! Okay, enough about that.

We are celebrating with our godsons. Oh we let their parents come along, too. And tonight we have a dual celebration! Bryce won his school spelling bee this afternoon! I am soooo proud of him! So we are really going to have a ball.

When asked where I wanted to go for dinner, I chose Moretti's of Arlington. I just love that place. The pasta is homemade and the sauces are incredible. I figured it was a good choice for the boys, and I'm pretty darn sure that Clint and Virna will like it, too.

http://restaurantweekcolumbus.com/ Check out the menus! It will be mighty difficult to choose.

We also have plans for more of Restaurant Week.

Stay tuned!!!

Baked Ziti

2012-01-10T15:12:00.001-05:00

Bob attended Columbia University in 1963-1965. I think it is fair to say that during that time, he was not flush with money. He has often reminisced about a place that he and his buddies used to go to eat the "best" baked ziti for $2.50! It was absolutely delicious and the price was right. The restaurant was V&T Pizzeria Restaurant on Amsterdam Avenue, between 110th and 111th Street in New York City. I looked it up and they are still there! (http://www.vtpizzeriarestaurant.com/#/home) The Baked Ziti is still on the menu, however the price has gone up to $8.00 - which isn't too bad for 47 years!

So in view of Bob's love memories of V&T's Baked Ziti, I set out to see if I could find something approaching it. This, my friends, was no easy task. Bob's memory is very discerning!

The other day I was reading my blog roll and I saw a recipe that Mocha Me had posted. Well I figured I may have hit pay dirt because I quote: "I think this should be renamed "The Best Baked Ziti I Ever Had." Okay, I'll make it and we'll see how it stacks up to the V&T's memory.

The verdict? Pretty darn good. Woohoo! Thank you Debbie! (and Allrecipes.com for the original recipe)

Baked Ziti

http://debbiesmochame.blogspot.com/2012/01/baked-ziti-1.html

1 pound dry ziti pasta

1 onion, finely chopped

1 pound lean ground beef
2 ( 26 ounce) jars spaghetti sauce
6 ounces provolone cheese, sliced
1 1/2 cups sour cream
6 ounces mozzarella cheese, shredded
2 tablespoons grated (I use freshly shredded) Parmesan cheese

Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add ziti pasta and cook according to package directions; drain.

In a large skillet, brown onion and ground beef over medium heat. Drain excess fat. Add spaghetti sauce and simmer about 15 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Butter (I used olive oil cooking spray) a 9 x 13 inch baking dish. I also add a little of the sauce mixture to the bottom of the dish to prevent sticking. Layer as follows: 1/2 of the ziti, Provolone cheese, sour cream, 1/2 of sauce mixture, remaining ziti, mozzarella cheese and remaining sauce mixture. Top with Parmesan cheese.

Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes in preheated oven on top of baking sheet. Remove foil and bake an additional 10 minutes.

This tastes much better the second day so if you decide to heat this up the next day after it's been in the fridge than bake approximately 45 minutes to 1 hour covered and 10 minutes more uncovered.

Dine Originals Week November 2011 - Chile Verde

2011-11-14T21:54:00.000-05:00

Last night was the end of Dine Originals Week. Bob and I poured over the list, reading the menus and trying to decide where we would have dinner.

Eventually we decided on Chile Verde. We really, really like their food (and their margaritas ain't bad either). The menu sounded wonderful. First course was Butternut Squash Soup, second course was a stuffed avocado and the entree was steak fajitas. While I can't remember the descriptions off the top of my head, let me just say I had to wipe my chin after reading them. Bob and I looked at each other and exclaimed, "What's not to like?" And off we went, with tummies growling and hearts full of anticipation.

As we pulled into the parking lot I said, "Uh, Bob. There isn't much of a crowd here." He nodded and commented, "Yeah, I see. Not a single car is here." We pulled up to the door.

"Closed Sundays"

Guess next time we'll check hours before we drive cross town. *Sigh*

... Hunan Lion was good ...

Dine Originals Week - Surly Girl Saloon

2011-11-10T00:36:00.000-05:00

Meet Brooke & Andy. Yesterday was Andy's birthday, so we went out tonight to celebrate. Andy picked Surly Girl Saloon. Good choice, my friend!!! We had a great time with great friends and great food :-)
Okay, so maybe a few great drinks were consumed, too. It was all just so ... well, great!

Brooke ordered off the menu (she always has to be different, our Brooke) and Andy, Bob and I went for the Dine Originals menu. What a deal! For Andy who was "flying solo" (as the menu put it) his dinner was 3 courses for $20! Even better, For Bob & me it was 3 courses for 2 for $30!!! We were totally psyched. And then we looked at the menu. Oh lordy this was gonna be fun.

Andy began his meal with the "Wasabi Cream Cheese Ball". This was served with sesame crackers and slices of fresh cucumber. It was really good! I say this with surprise because we all know I am a total wimp when it comes to hot food. And wasabi is hot, is it not? So you can understand my hesitation. But in the interest of reporting fairly and not trusting someone else's opinion, I dove right in. I took a cracker and slathered a spoonful of the cheeseball on it. Then I topped it with a cucumber slice. Wow! This was good stuff! The cheese ball had just the right amount of wasabi; not too hot but it had a nice horseradishy quality. The cucumber was the perfect foil; cool & crisp. I have to say I wholeheartedly approved!

Bob and I chose the "Skillet Nachos". These were reliably delicious. The chips were topped with warm black bean & corn salsa and melted cheese. Okay, so what's not to like? They were just flat out yummy.

I chose the "Butternut Squash Ravioli" in a chile-pumpkin cream sauce with house-made focaccia. The picture does not do it justice. This dish was absolutely divine. I kid you not, this is the stuff that food porn is made of. Uh, I mean, dreams are made of. The pasta of the ravioli was perfect. The butternut squash filling was subtle yet substantial enough to stand up to the sauce. And the sauce? Well, excuse me while I swoon. It was one of the most incredible things I have tasted in a very long time. I have to admit that I didn't taste the chile part in it. What I did taste was pumpkin, so creamy and lucious that it should have been served with some kind of fanfare. I simply cannot get it out of my mind! Alongside was the promised focaccia. This was also delicious. And, it was essential to sop up every teensy bit of sauce that might otherwise have been left behind. I will unabashedly tell you that I scraped my plate clean ... something just short of licking it. I didn't want to embarrass my dining companions. Although I'm pretty sure Brooke would have just laughed!

Bob had "Cowgirl Carmen's Cherry Cola Ribs". These were served with creamy coleslaw and poblano mashed potatoes. Excellent. Just excellent. The ribs were falling off the bone tender, with a sweet cherry cola bbq sauce that left you wanting to lick your fingers. The slaw was just right and the potatoes .... well, we know how I adore potatoes. And these were no exception. Three words to say about this dish - yum, yum, yum!

Now for Andy's dinner. He ordered the "Spicy Thai Pizza". This was a pizza made with peanut sauce, broccoli, carrots, cheddar, peanuts and sweet chili sauce. I just need to say that his choice of this pizza following the "Wasabi Cream Cheese Ball" was dead on. The two made for an awesome combination! This pizza however, is not for the faint of heart. Andy advised me to wait until my drink refill came before I chowed down on it. Andy was oh-so-right. This baby packed some heat! But it was so incredible! The crust was thin and crisp and the toppings all worked in such harmony that there was truly a symphony of tastes playing out on my tongue. This was deemed an uber success by all of us!!!

Now on to dessert! Yippee!!! Cupcakes!!! Oh happy day! Andy and I both got the "Red Velvet with Cream Cheese Frosting". Awesome, awesome, and just totally delicious! The crumb was so soft, yet there was just the tiniest bit of crunch at the edge. The cream cheese frosting was not too sweet and the cherry on top was a like little red kiss.

Bob went with the "East" selection, which was a "Cherry Blossom Cupcake". I'm sorry the picture doesn't show it to full advantage. It was a delicate pink color with bits of cherry in the mix. It also had a soft crumb and Bob fully enjoyed it.

So happy birthday to Andy! What a fun and delicious way to celebrate our dear friend turning thirtysomething!

Surly Girl Saloon
1126 North High Street
Columbus, OH 43201-2440
http://surlygirlsaloon.com/
(614) 294-4900

Dine Originals Restaurant Week - November 7-13, 2011

2011-11-05T11:44:00.000-04:00

It is that wonderful time of the year when the restaurants in Dine Originals participate in their restaurant week! Oh boy, we sure are the lucky ones on this deal :-) It is the perfect time to try out a restaurant that has been on your list to visit, or to go back to a favorite one. Check out the info from Dine Originals! You can browse the menus from each restaurant. I am here to tell you that the deals are awesome and you'll find amazing menus. Bob and I already have our plans made!

Happy Eating!!!

Dine Originals Week STARTS NOVEMBER 7

twice-annual EVENT OFFERS chance to sample bold flavors of independence

47 restaurants, 7 days of original menus

Monday, november 7–sunday, november 13, 2011

The next Dine Originals Week will be held November 7–13, 2011, featuring creative, three-course fixed-price lunch and/or dinner menus for $10, $20, or $30 (not including tax, gratuity, or alcohol) from all 47 Dine Originals Columbus restaurants. Besides offering diners extraordinary menus at reasonable rates, this popular event, held twice a year, also serves as a celebration of the high-quality local dining scene. Restaurateurs see an uptick in sales at the restaurants, new faces, and visitors coming from out of town to take advantage of the special menus.

In keeping with Dine Originals’ mission to give back to the community, a portion of the proceeds from Dine Originals Week will be contributed to Local Matters, a nonprofit organization devoted to promoting access to local food, advocating for fair food policies, and other related causes (www.local-matters.org).

Notes Tim Lessner, president of Dine Originals Columbus and owner of Tip Top Kitchen & Cocktails, “We’re excited for the next installment of this very popular week, which has turned into something of a citywide festival celebrating Dine Originals Columbus restaurants. With some new members added since last March, we encourage people to try a new restaurant—or, as always, to revisit a favorite during this special week.”

Menus for Dine Originals Week are at http://www.dineoriginalscolumbus.com/dine-originals-columbus-week/

Dine Originals Columbus has 47 member restaurants, all locally owned and operated. The list follows on the next page.

· Alana's Food and Wine

· Barcelona Restaurant and Bar

· Barrio Tapas

· Basi Italia

· Basil Thai Restaurant

· Bel-Lago Waterfront Bistro

· Black Creek Bistro

· The Black Olive

· Bodega Cafe

Chile

Verde Cafe

· The Clarmont Restaurant

· Columbus Brewing Company

· DeepWood Restaurant

· Due Amici

· Elevator Brewery & Draught Haus

· Figlio Wood-Fired Pizza Grandview

· G. Michael's Bistro

· The Inn & Spa at Cedar Falls

· Katalina's Cafe Corner

· Katzinger's Delicatessen

· LaScala Italian Bistro

· Local Roots American Cuisine & Spirits

· Luce Enoteca

· Mezzo Italian Kitchen and Wine

· Milo's Deli and Cafe

· Milo’s The Capitol Café

· Mozart’s Bakery

· The Oak Room at The Granville Inn

· Old Mohawk Restaurant

· Pistacia Vera

· The Refectory Restaurant & Bistro

· Rigsby's Kitchen

· Shaw's Restaurant and Inn

· Shoku

· Skillet

· Spinelli’s Deli

· Surly Girl Saloon

· Tasi Cafe

· Tip Top Kitchen & Cocktails

· Tony’s Italian Ristorante

· The Top Steakhouse

· Trattoria Roma

· Vienna Ice Café & Tea House

· Vino Vino Restaurant & Wine Bar

· Wildflower Cafe

· The Worthington Inn

· Z Cucina Ristorante & Bar

Bibimbap

2011-09-29T21:23:00.002-04:00

I love Asian food. And I'm talking more than just your run-of-the-mill Chinese fried rice (although I have to say that I still get giddy over a superbly made dish of pork fried rice - like Tony's at Eastern Palace). Having been introduced to some Korean dishes, I must say I am smitten! Bibimbap is one of them. But could I possibly make it at home and do it justice? I decided to find out.

Usually bibimbap is served in a screaming hot stone pot. Okay, that was the first concession my homemade version made. I didn't happen to have the stone pots on hand, and knowing me if I had I would probably be sitting in the emergency room waiting to be treated for burns rather than writing this post right now!

I had saved a recipe for Bibimbap from www.myrecipes.com and I began with that. For the most part I followed it pretty closely. There were just a few modifications I made. The most significant one was that I used boneless skinless chicken breast as the meat instead of beef. The reason for that was pretty straightforward ... that is what I had thawed.

The most important issue with this recipe is to have all of the components prepared so that when it comes to assembly, you are good to go!

The result, you ask? Oh, you didn't ask that? Well, I'm gonna tell you anyway. It was totally awesome! I mean, it rocked!!! Bob and I both were "yummying" all through dinner. While I know it was not totally authentic, it sure was close enough for us!

Will I make it again? You bet! And I'll try it with beef and pork, too. (No, not at the same time ... now you're just being silly.) It is rather labor intensive timewise but it is so worth it! In fact, I can't wait to make it again. Oh! Don't skip the seasoned spinach. It is scrumptious!

When eating bibimbap there are two schools of thought:

While Bob subscribes to the "eat-each-part-at-a-time" theory and likes his spicy ...

I am more a "mix-it-all-up" kinda gal. I am not kidding, just looking at these pictures makes me wish I could sit down and start the meal all over again!

I only wish Michelle was here so she could tell me if I really did do it justice :-)

Bibimbap

http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/bibimbop-rice-vegetable-medley-10000000429512/

Serves 4

Ingredients

2 teaspoons low-sodium soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon minced peeled fresh ginger
1 garlic clove, minced
4 ounces eye of round or top round steak, thinly sliced
Cooking spray
1 cup (2-inch) julienne-cut carrot
1 cup (2-inch) julienne-cut English cucumber
1/2 teaspoon sesame seeds, toasted
1/2 teaspoon rice vinegar
1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
1/8 teaspoon dark sesame oil
1 garlic clove, minced
4 large eggs, divided
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
3 cups hot cooked short-grain rice
1 cup thinly sliced shiitake mushroom caps
1 cup Seasoned Spinach*
4 teaspoons sambal oelek or Thai chile paste, to taste

Preparation

Combine first 4 ingredients in a zip-top plastic bag. Seal and marinate in refrigerator 30 minutes. Heat a small nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray over medium-high heat. Add beef mixture; stir-fry 3 minutes or until done. Remove from pan. Cover and keep warm.
Cook carrot in boiling water 1 minute or until crisp-tender. Drain. Rinse with cold water; drain and set aside.
Combine cucumber and next 5 ingredients (cucumber through 1 garlic clove); set aside.
Heat skillet coated with cooking spray over medium-high heat. Break 1 egg into hot skillet. Cook egg 1 minute; carefully turn over. Sprinkle with dash of salt. Cook an additional minute or until desired degree of doneness. Remove from pan. Cover and keep warm. Repeat procedure with remaining eggs and salt.
Spoon 3/4 cup rice into each of 4 bowls. Arrange 1/4 cup each of beef, carrot, cucumber mixture, mushrooms, and Seasoned Spinach over each serving. Top each serving with 1 egg and 1 teaspoon sambal oelek.

*Seasoned Spinach

Ingredients

2 (10-ounce) packages fresh spinach, divided
1/4 cup finely chopped green onions
1 teaspoon sesame seeds, toasted
2 teaspoons low-sodium soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon dark sesame oil
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
2 garlic cloves, minced

Preparation

Steam half of spinach, covered, for 5 minutes or until the spinach wilts; place steamed spinach in a colander. Repeat procedure with remaining spinach. Cool slightly, and squeeze dry.
Place spinach in a bowl. Add onions and remaining ingredients; toss mixture well to combine. Serve chilled or at room temperature.

Note: You will need to steam the raw spinach in two batches, since there is so much of it. Combining the cool ingredients with your hands is easiest.

Treasures

2011-08-03T08:28:00.002-04:00

Trying to get organized at home ... Found a bag of 'paper'. Most could be shredded, but there were some pictures of the kids, some things from my folks ... and this recipe from Ellen's mom! It's a good one ... a great way to start the day.

Fruity Couscous Salad - adapted from a USA Today recipe

1 1/3 cup dry couscous (I prefer the larger size 'Israeli'?)
2/3 cup slivered almonds
1/2 cup packed dried apricots, chopped
2/3 cup Craisins microwaved in 1 cup water (I think Harriet used orange juice) for 1 minute
1 tsp cumin
3 scallions, thinly sliced with greens
1 pinch salt
freshly ground black pepper to taste

Prepare couscous according to package directions. Combine all ingredients; toss. Serve at room temperature or chilled.
Yields 8 servings

10 common mistakes and stereotypes !

2011-08-02T14:03:00.000-04:00

We put together the 10 most common mistakes and stereotypes about Italian Cooking abroad...so you can avoid them! Share this note with your friends :)

1- You shall not sip cappuccino during a meal!

Coffee and cappuccino are the pride of Italy in the world; but if the first is usually consumed at the end of the meal, the second, more substantial, is sipped at breakfast, usually accompanied by some pastry. You can ask for a cappuccino at the end of a meal, just know that most Italians don’t.

2- Risotto and pasta are NOT a side dish

The organization of courses in the Italian dining is unique and requires pasta and – most of the time –risotto to be served by themselves (apart from specific recipes such as Ossobuco milanese-style). The presentation of pasta as a side dish to others is widespread in several countries, but in Italy is seen almost as a sacrilege.

3- You shall not add oil to pasta water!

Oil should not be added to pasta cooking water! Pasta dressing (and oil too) must be added only after you have drained it from its cooking water. Find out how to cook pasta like an Italian here.

4- Ketchup on pasta: please, don’t

This is one of the combinations that most shocks Italians; although ketchup may have some similarities to tomato sauce, pouring ketchup over pasta in the “Bel Paese” is considered a real gourmet crime. Keep ketchup for your french fries or hot dogs, please!

5- Spaghetti Bolognese? No way, it’s Tagliatelle!

While probably being the world’s most popular Italian recipe, you will not find any restaurant in Bologna to eat it. That’s because the original Italian recipe is “Tagliatelle Bolognese” (not spaghetti).

Although this may seem a minor detail, in real Italian cuisine the pairing of the right kind of pasta with the right sauce is considered almost sacred.

6- Chicken Pasta: not in Italy

Speaking with American friends, one of the most frequent requests is the advice for a typical Italian recipe for pasta with chicken. It’s always rather embarrassing to point out that in Italy there are no hot dishes featuring pasta and chicken.

7- “Caesar salad”

This salad, which bears the name of its supposed creator, Caesar Cardini, is a part of the long list of recipes devised by chefs of Italian origin, but in fact is almost unknown in Italy.

8- The red and white checkered tablecloth is only a stereotype !

For some strange reason, these tablecloths are universally associated with our food and with the stereotype of the "spaghetti-eater", and abroad almost all the restaurants that want to play typical Italian use them. Probably, tourists who come to visit Italy remain somewhat disappointed when they discover that the checkered tablecloths are almost never used (only restaurants for tourists do!)

9- “Fettuccine Alfredo” are popular only overseas

This is perhaps the most curious in this top ten. The fettuccine Alfredo is both the most famous “Italian” food in the United States and the least known dish in Italy.

These noodles, seasoned with butter and Parmigiano Reggiano, are in fact actually been invented in the “Bel Paese”, specifically by Alfredo Di Lelio, the owner of a restaurant in Rome, but in Italy have never been imposed as a traditional dish. Overseas, however, have become increasingly popular and in time became a symbol of the good life in Rome.

For this reason legions of American tourists coming to Italy hoping to enjoy the fettuccine Alfredo at every restaurant on the peninsula remain very disappointed.

10 - You shall respect tradition and what Italian mamma says.

She knows from her mamma, who knew from her mamma who knew from her mamma and so on. It's been tried and tested. And what a mother teaches at her daughter while they are cooking? that love is the center of all. We must share Italian food with your loved ones. It is what life, love and family are all about.

Sweet and Sour Slaw

2011-07-28T19:33:00.004-04:00

Tried this over the weekend. Thinking of Jean, figured she'd say ... 'blog it'! :)
Adapted from Allrecipes. We had it with grilled chicken, and also betting it would be great on top of fish tacos!

1 bag cole slaw mix (cabbage and carrots), finely shredded, not chopped
1 medium red bell pepper, slivered
1 cup thinly sliced green onions
1 cup frozen corn (straight from the bag!)
1/2 cup rice vinegar
3 packets Splenda (i will try without the next time)
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
drizzle of sesame oil. (because I had to, recipe does not call for oil)

Mix together. Refrigerate at least two hours. Serve!

Cubano Hot Dogs

2011-07-13T19:59:00.000-04:00

When I first saw the post on http://www.tasteandtellblog.com/ for the Cubano Hot Dog, it was all over. How could I not love this? How could anyone not love this? The recipe originally came from Rachel Ray. It is so perfect in its simplicity, and makes for a quick weeknight dinner, or would knock the socks of your guests at a cookout! Hmm...maybe when the new deck is unveiled these might be on the menu.

The cast of characters: pork or beef hot dogs, hot dog rolls, yellow mustard (Bob had to have spicy mustard because he is a mustard snob-whatever), diced green chilies (we used yellow banana pepper rings) deli ham, Swiss cheese, and pickle spears. Heads up! Your taste buds are going to thank you for this :-)

Preheat your broiler. Heat a griddle pan or skillet. Split your dogs and open them up like a book. You're going to grill them on both sides until they get nice and crispy! Oh...I can barely wait!

Load the mustard on the buns! I'm talkin' lots of mustard!!!

Top with deli ham,

Swiss cheese,

peppers (okay, peppers should really go on before the ham and cheese-but when have I ever done things in the right order?). I got a little ahead of myself and had to go back and add the peppers. And even though I rarely eat these hot yellow pepper rings, they are a must on these sandwiches. I am absolutely telling you the truth on this...trust me!

Put those bad boys on a baking sheet and slide them under the broiler. You want the cheese to get gooey and melty (is that even a word? Apparently not. My spell check just highlighted it bright yellow. Well, I like it and it's staying!)

Looks like the dogs are ready! Pull the buns out of the oven and assemble the sanwiches. Put the dogs on the bed of melty cheese and place a pickle spear down the middle.

Behold the Cubano Hot Dogs! I sincerely hope you enjoy them as much as Bob and I did - and will again soon! Thanks Deb for posting this great recipe!

Cubano Hot Dogs
http://www.tasteandtellblog.com/2011/06/saturdays-with-rachael-ray-cubano-hot-dogs/
Serves 8 Total Time: 15 minutes

Ingredients:

8 pork or beef hot dogs
8 good quality hot dog rolls, split
yellow mustard
1 (4 oz) can diced green chilies, drained
8 slices mild deli ham
8 thin slices good quality Swiss cheese
8 pickle spears

Directions:

Preheat the broiler. Heat a griddle pan or skillet over medium-high heat. Cut the hot dogs open lengthwise and open them up like a book. Grill them until crispy on both sides.

Arrange the hot dog buns on a baking sheet. Top the rolls with lots of mustard, the green chilies, ham and cheese. Place under the broiler until the cheese is melted.

Put the hot dogs on top of the melted cheese and fill the crevice with a pickle spear.

Hot Stuff!!!!

2011-07-03T16:08:00.006-04:00

OK, it's not spicy, but cooking on one of the hottest days of the year probably not all that smart. Went to a delightful graduation party yesterday, and everything was 'ethnic'. Here's my version of something I found to be absolutely delightful. I hope you enjoy. My version of Spanakopita Meatballs.

Spanakopita Meatballs - No measuring - eyeball: 18 oz ground turkey (bet it's wonderful w/ground lamb too), frozen chopped spinach, squeezed dry, 1 chopped smallish onion, chopped garlic (can never have too much), 5 oz pkg feta crumbles, Cavendars Greek seasoning. Add as much spinach as the mixture will hold. Spray a large frying pan with Pam. Squish the meat mixture together and shape into walnut sized meatballs. It's not pretty. Pan fry until golden. Sigh with rapture. I made 36 meatballs.

Piada - Welcome to Gahanna!

2011-06-24T22:47:00.000-04:00

Today was a big day for Piada fans. The Gahanna Piada opened at Stoneridge Center at the corner of Morse and Hamilton Roads. Hooray! Many of us have been anticipating this day ever since we had our first taste of Piada's deliciousness at the Lane Avenue location.

For those individuals that are not familiar with Piada, you are in for a treat! The ordering setup is quite easy. (And no, I refuse to go the "just like Chipotle" route again.) Let's say it is quick, easy and fun! The staff is happy to help walk you through the process.

Choose a piada (wrap), pasta or salad. Add your protein,

sauce,

and toppings.

Behind the front line - meats, pasta and grilled veggies are constantly being cooked up fresh for a line of hungry customers that moves amazingly fast!

Additional choices include soups, side salads, spinach artichoke dip, a variety of piada sticks, and cannoli chips & cream for dessert.

Add a drink (the Italian peach tea is my personal favorite) ranging from teas and sodas to beer, wine and peach bellinis!

All of that makes for happy customers ... like Jane!

Welcome Piada! We sure are glad you're here!!!

Thai Beef with Chilies and Basil over Coconut Rice

2011-06-18T22:12:00.000-04:00

Each afternoon I get a text from Everyday Food with a suggestion for dinner. Yesterday's suggestion grabbed ahold of me and just didn't let go. I checked the pantry & fridge to make sure I had all of the needed ingredients. As always, I was one ingredient short. When I told Bob, he volunteered to run to the store. 'Cause who has red jalepenos just laying around? I sure don't. And I really wanted to make this dish.

Bob got home with the needed chilies and we were set to go! First thing we did was to get the rice going. This was the first time I made coconut rice and I was really excited. I did use lite coconut milk to save a few bazillion fat grams.

Now that we had the rice going, Bob set to work chopping.

Red chilies were seeded and sliced into 2 inch matchsticks (note the gloves). As you can see, we used the red jalepenos. I can pretty much handle their heat. Sometimes. If they are seeded and deveined. And cooked so they lose some of their power. Yeah, I can pretty much handle red jalepenos.

Next the garlic was chopped. Please, please do not look at my sorry cutting board. I keep swearing that I'm going to get new ones but I never seem to get around to it. I like to just pretend that there's so much character from all the meals cooked with love and tenderness reflected on that board that ... oh what the hell am I saying??? I just haven't gotten around to buying some new ones.

When the rice was almost ready, I mixed the fish sauce, soy sauce and sugar.

I got the wok screaming hot, put in the oil and quickly added the garlic and half the chiles. Gave that about 15 seconds and added the beef. While it cooked, I broke up the beef and mixed the garlic and chiles well into it.

When the beef was browned, I added the soy sauce mixture. I cooked this for about 30 seconds. Smelling good!

Add the rest of the chiles and the torn basil. Isn't it gorgeous?

Now, I only used 2 chiles. Next time I will definitely use all three. And we were a bit short on basil, so we added some while cooking the beef and had a bowl of torn fresh basil to add to the dish on the table.

I served the Thai Beef over the coconut rice (which by the way is like, totally awesome!) I'm not sure how I'm ever going to make regular rice again! I also served optional toppings: chopped green onion, sliced radishes, the torn basil leaves, and grape tomatoes just because I like them. Oh! And soy sauce and Thai sweet chili sauce.

Okay, now here is where I confess to being a tad scatterbrained. I forgot the lime wedges. We kept thinking that this was really good but it was just kind of missing a little something. Yeah Jean ... maybe a little something green? That would have been perfect. (Guess that's why it's in the recipe, huh?)

Bob and I agreed this is a definite do-over. Overall, this was absolutely delicious. And it took almost no time to put together. Next time I will use all three chilies and probably more garlic. And I will NOT forget the limes!

Thai Beef with Chiles and Basil Over Coconut Rice - Everyday Food

Ingredients

• 1 1/4 cups jasmine rice
• 1 can (13.5 ounces) coconut milk {used light coconut milk}
• Coarse salt
• 2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon fish sauce
• 2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 3 garlic cloves, chopped {used 4}
• 3 long hot peppers or red jalapeno chiles, seeded and sliced into 2-inch matchsticks {used red jalapeños}
• 1 1/4 pounds ground beef sirloin
• 1 cup loosely packed torn fresh basil leaves
• Lime wedges, for serving

Directions
1. In a medium saucepan, combine rice, coconut milk, 3/4 cup water, and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Cover and bring to a boil; reduce to a simmer, cover, and cook until rice is tender and liquid has been absorbed, about 25 minutes.

2. When rice is almost done, combine fish sauce, soy sauce, and sugar in a small bowl; set aside. Heat a cast-iron skillet or wok over high. Add oil and heat; add garlic and half the chiles. Cook, stirring constantly, 15 seconds. Add beef and cook, breaking up meat with a wooden spoon, until completely browned, about 4 minutes. Add soy mixture and cook 30 seconds. Add basil and remaining chiles and stir to combine. Serve beef over coconut rice with lime wedges.

Broccolini Pasta with Goat Cheese

2011-05-30T23:24:00.000-04:00

Here is a dish that is simple and delicious ... simply delicious! I know. Sometimes I just amaze myself with how cleverly I can turn a phrase! But seriously, this really is darn good.

I had something similar to this at California Pizza Kitchen and I couldn't stop thinking about it. Thus was the inspiration for this one dish dinner.

The first time I made it I used rotini pasta. I didn't have rotini this time so I used orecchiette. Orecchiette means "small ears", just in case you come upon an Italian food trivia game. There was lively discussion about this in our house. I swore it meant "lambs ears". I have no idea whatsoever where I got that idea, but I was so cocksure of myself. Lord, I hate when I'm wrong. I had to man up to it when I looked it up because I knew Bob would google it for himself if I didn't come clean. But I digress.

There really isn't a recipe. I just eyeballed amounts for as big a batch as I wanted. We like it warm the first night and the leftovers we'll eat cold, or with just a few minutes in the microwave to knock the chill off. And you can really use any protein you like, or even none at all. The first time I made it I sauteed shrimp. The next time I added cubed ham. The version I had at the restaurant had grilled chicken. It is so versatile that just about any protein tastes good.

I will say that I think the goat cheese is definitely a must have in this dish. It takes it to a whole new level. Be generous with it! And to add earrings on the elephant (one of Bob's phrases that just cracks me up!), I toasted pine nuts and sprinkled those on top. Oh - YUM!!!

Broccolini Pasta with Goat Cheese
Pasta - such as rotini, shells, orecchiette - cooked according to directions & drained
Broccolini - blanch in pasta water the last 2 minutes of cooking time for pasta, then chop into 1/2 inch pieces
Sundried Tomatoes - chopped (I use copious amounts because as far as I am concerned they are like crack - uh, let me clarify that I have no real knowledge of what crack is like, but if I imagined what it could be compared to, it would probably be chocolate or sundried tomatoes - just not together)
Garlic - chopped and sauteed in olive oil
Olive Oil - enough to cook garlic and enough to moisten ingredients when tossed together
Shrimp, Grilled Chicken, Ham or your choice of protein
Goat Cheese - my favorite is the goat cheese with a touch of honey in it
Toasted Pine Nuts
Salt & Pepper - to taste

Mix all ingredients and toss well. Serve with a green salad and you will just not believe how good this tastes!!!

Enjoy!

Ever have "one of those days"?

2011-03-31T17:54:00.000-04:00

Yeah, you know the ones I'm talking about.

Bob's out of town. I've been sick. Today was the first day a cup of coffee sounded really good. And considering that it is March 31st and there is snow on the ground, it sounded really really good. I made my way to the kitchen to make a pot.

I rinsed out the pot. I decided to make a full pot so I could have some iced coffee tomorrow, so I filled it up with 12 cups of water. I got out a filter. I measured the beans. I ground the beans (much to the cat's dismay). I put it all together and turned the pot on.

I sat down at the computer and started looking at email. Oh the aroma! My mouth was singing in anticipation! I could barely wait.

I walked into the kitchen and literally screamed in horror! Coffee and grounds covered the entire counter! Gross. And I mean the entire counter. Under the microwave, under the pots of rosemary and marjoram, under the coffee pot & grinder & jars of beans and most distressing ... under 24 wine glasses that I had not put away yet from the party on Saturday. Did I mention they were clean wine glasses?

This is precisely what went through my mind and out my mouth:

-(*&%$^)*^*^%$&^%&&$##^*^^

Yeah, I said that and a whole bunch more!

Now that I've cleaned up that disgusting mess, I think I'll head out to Caribou.

*sigh*

Reuben Casserole

2011-03-23T02:17:00.000-04:00

First of all, let me apologize for no pictures. I forgot! I am ashamed to admit that. However, I am not going to let that stop me from sharing this recipe with you.

I made this to use up the leftover corned beef after St. Patrick's day. First time I have ever made a corned beef. I certainly will be doing that more often. But even if it's not after St Patrick's day, you could always get some corned beef at the deli. Have them slice it thick and then you can cube it from there.

I got this recipe from the Bob Evans website. Bob and I both absolutely loved it!

Reuben Casserole – Bob Evans

The classic flavors of a Reuben sandwich – corned beef, sauerkraut, Swiss cheese – baked in a casserole.

Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 20 minutes
Makes 6 servings

Ingredients:
1 package Bob Evans Original Mashed Potatoes (24 oz)
2 large eggs
¼ cup milk
1/3 pound thickly sliced corned beef, cut into ½ inch pieces
1 can sauerkraut, drained (4 oz)
1 tablespoon spicy brown mustard
1 cup shredded Swiss cheese, divided

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400˚F.

2. In large bowl, stir together potatoes, eggs and milk until well combined.
3. Stir in corned beef, sauerkraut and mustard.
4. Set aside 2 tablespoons of cheese. Stir remaining cheese into potato mixture.
5. Pour into a greased 8x8 inch oval baking pan.
6. Top with reserved 2 tablespoons cheese.
7. Bake 15-20 minutes or until top is golden.

Dine Originals Week March 7-13

2011-03-03T15:15:00.000-05:00

Dine Originals Week is upon us once again! Boy howdy do I love this time of year!!! The menus are absolutely phenomenal!

I can't wait!!!!

http://www.dineoriginalscolumbus.com/dine-originals-columbus-week/

Happy eating!

Whit's is open, Gahanna!!!!

2011-02-22T15:28:00.000-05:00

Photo courtesy of Whit's FB

It seemed like forever that my favorite dessert was unavailable. I know. It was only, like six weeks. But every time I would pass by that darkened building my inner self wept.

But weep no longer! Whit's doors are open once again. And even though there is snow on the ground and it is freezing, that custard is oh-so-good!

As the nirvana that is espresso chip passes by my lips and I smile like a gleeful child, I think how good it is to see my friends, Chip, Annie & Jeff. ('specially Jeff...he messages me when they make my beloved espresso chip:-)

Whit's is doing some really cool new stuff. They have expanded their menu and it's pretty darn good eatin'! We already know the coney dogs are really good; now you can have a slaw dog, too! Or have the works! The slaw is rough cut with a hint of sweetness. Just the perfect compliment. I also had the pleasure of tasting some of the chicken filling for the chicken quesidilla and man was it good! One new item I haven't tried yet is the new chicken salad. But I love this idea .. a "chicken salad boat"! It's the banana boat dish with a scoop of chicken salad in the middle, slaw or cottage cheese and crackers. How fun is that? And today I found out that they are serving soups with bread from Creekside's Bread Basket. Soups will include chili, broccoli cheese, chicken noodle and French onion. I can't wait to try those!

I think we're going to see some fun things happening at Whit's this summer. Plans are in the making for events to be held on the green at the back of the parking area. Ideas are just percolating.

And did you know Whit's caters? With all of this good stuff popping up at Whit's, an event catered by them would be a great idea! Good food, great people, incredible custard and your family and friends. Does it get any better than that?

Simply put, Whit's totally rocks! I know it, you know it ... so get over there and start your summer right now!

Happy Birthday, Bryan!!!

2011-02-20T03:27:00.000-05:00

Happy birthday to the best nephew ever!

This next year is going to be such a ~~big~~ huge year. Gavin Alexander Coss is coming into this world in May.

O.M.G. Bryan, you are going to be the most awesome dad!

You have been blessed with an incredible wife, and it is going to be such a pleasure watching you two begin a family of your own. My wish for you is that you find as much love and laughter and happiness in this little guy as you have given your mom & dad ... and me! I can't even begin to tell you what you mean to Bob and me. Somehow, I think you already know.

So happy 31st birthday, B.

You are so loved!!!

Piada: Italian Street Food

2011-02-17T18:08:00.000-05:00

Piada; my new love. I can’t get enough of it! In fact, I’m seriously afraid it might be becoming an addiction. But what a lovely addiction it is. If you have not been there yet, you really need to go NOW. The food totally rocks!

Piada is the latest venture and creation of Chris Doody, who, along with his brother Rick, created Bravo and Brio (BDI). I had the pleasure of meeting Chris a few visits ago. He is very involved; very “hands on”. I fear I may have gushed when I was talking with him. Oh well, I really, really want a Piada in Gahanna! The Bexley Piada is under construction, and while that is closer than Lane Avenue, I want one literally around the corner from home. Yes, it’s that good!

The concept of Piada is Italian street food. The layout will remind you of Chipotle. The ordering process is the same. Likeness stops there! Every time I have entered Piada I have been immediately greeted with a huge smile and a big hello. That in itself is refreshing. The staff is just great. And they look like they are having a great time. I chatted with a young man who told me that he and his buddy work at both Piada and Bravo. That speaks highly of the owners, I would say. And the ingredients used are high quality and fresh. This is reflected in the finished product.

So you come up to the counter and first you choose among a Piada (which is kind of a wrap, with or without pasta), a pasta bowl, or a salad. In addition, there are Piada sticks that are already made and are heated on the very hot stone that is used to heat the very good bread used in the Piada. These come in artichoke (my personal favorite), pepperoni, ham & cheese and there might be another one that escapes my memory right now. I like to get one of these babies when I’m getting a pasta bowl. Perfect combination! They also offer a variety of sides, including two soups (tomato basil and lobster bisque-both are outstanding!), artichoke dip or calamari fritto misto.

After the choice is made among the three main options, the next dilemma is which grill item to choose. I say dilemma because everything is so good. My go-to item is the grilled chicken that is prepared with rosemary, garlic and lemon. However, the steak is really good, the crispy chicken fritte is crazy delicious, the salmon is yummy, and the Italian sausage is wonderful. All have been perfectly cooked when I’ve had them. The only thing I haven’t tried is the calamari and I plan to fix that oversight the next time I am there!

Moving on, next up is the selection of sauce. Oh my. The hot sauces include a pomodoro sauce, a diavolo sauce and parmesan alfredo. Cold sauces include red pepper pesto, fresh basil pesto and creamy parmesan. Mix and/or match. It’s your playground!

Next up is where you really make it your own! The array of toppings makes me just want to dance! Did any of you see the movie “Tortilla Soup”? In the movie one of the characters says, “I love toppings. Sometimes I go to a restaurant and just order toppings.” Well, you really could do that here!

Get a load of this list:

Artichokes
Arugula
Black olives
Cucumbers
Eggplant Caponata
Feta cheese
Mixed greens
Mozzarella cheese
Mushrooms
Pancetta
Parmesan Reggiano
Peppadew peppers
Red onions
Romaine
Spinach
Tomato basil relish
White beans

See what I mean? And all of that is there for you to create whatever masterpiece tickles your fancy. This is a steak Piada.

Beverages are not boring, either. The Italian teas & sodas are outstanding. I absolutely adore the peach tea. God, I wish I had one of these fountains in my kitchen!

And don’t think that dessert has been forgotten. Piada has the coolest dessert; cannoli chips with chocolate chip cream. Totally yummy!

Chef Jamy Bolling shines at Piada. You can tell this is his baby and he is very proud of it, as well he should be! He has a great smile that just makes you believe this man loves his work.

In case you might be wondering what my favorite combination is, I have a pretty much set standard order. Every great once in a while I might vary, but I always come back to it. I start with an artichoke Piada stick. Then I get a pasta bowl with fresh basil pesto (sometimes I mix in the alfredo), mozzarella, a smidge of parmesan cheese, spinach, artichokes and black olives. Add in my peach tea and I am a happy girl!

One other thing; Piada has a “pick-up” window. This is not to be mistaken with a “drive-thru”. Phone, fax or order online, and then swing by the “pick-up” window and you’re good to go.

I LOVE THIS PLACE!!!

Piada
1315 W. Lane Avenue
Columbus, Ohio
614-754-1702
http://www.mypiada.com/

"Black Heels to Tractor Wheels"

2011-02-17T11:54:00.000-05:00

There is something HUGE happening in Columbus this Saturday afternoon! I am soooooo excited!!! I simply must tell you about it!

Ree Drummond, aka Pioneer Woman, is going to be at the Lennox Barnes and Noble promoting her new book, The Pioneer Woman: Black Heels to Tractor Wheels. The event begins at 2:00pm on Saturday, February 19th.

WOW!!! This is so cool!

Hope to see you there!

BARNES & NOBLE

1739 Olentangy River Road Columbus, OH 43212

Sher Bliss Valentine's Day dinner

2011-02-15T00:54:00.002-05:00

I hope all of you have had a wonderful Valentine’s Day! I certainly did. First of all I had the pleasure of helping with my godson’s class’s Valentine’s Day party. Wow! Nineteen second graders jacked up on a sugar high. Enough said there. Then my sweetheart came home and we got ready to double date with the Padovas. Donald found a great Valentine’s deal, and I want to tell you all about it.

Sher Bliss is a “wine/candy/epicure/gifts” shop in Gahanna at the corner of Morse Road and Cherry Bottom Road. This was the first time I had been there and I certainly plan to go back! The selection of wine is quite amazing. They also have some very interesting beer. And do they have chocolate! Lots and lots of chocolate! Even chocolate dipped bottles of wine!

But what I want to tell you about is the dinner we just attended. It was absolutely lovely. Each course was paired with a wine chosen to complement the food. Now understand, I’m not that big of a wine drinker (that’s Bob’s thing). However, I was pleasantly surprised! I truly enjoyed three of the four wines that were served. And the one I didn’t care for, well let’s just say I didn’t exactly have to twist Bob’s arm for him to take it off my hands.

The table settings were quite lovely. Candlelight and crystal glittered, waiting our arrival. There were five couples enjoying this intimate, romantic dinner.

The appetizer was not listed on the menu, however for me it was one of the highlights of the meal. It was a mini black bean cake with bits of chocolate, served with white tortilla strips, salsa, sour cream and a slice of perfectly ripe avocado. I know, I know. You’re saying “chocolate in a black bean cake”? It so totally worked. I loved it. I wanted more. It was served with Il Folio Rose Prosecco. This was also the wine served with the first course.

The first course was chilled strawberry soup with white chocolate shavings. First of all, it was so pretty. And seeing how we eat with our eyes first, I wanted to gobble this up! Truly it was the essence of strawberries. (Okay, I stole that line from Bob. He declared this after his first bite and I simply do not know how to say it better myself. And he’s my husband, so I can quote him and call it my own anytime. But I also know he’s likely to read this so I’m giving him credit ... in the interest of connubial bliss ... I’m sure you all understand.) The soup contained some of the prosecco we were drinking and it was a beautiful complement. Pour this in a tall glass with a straw and I’d be a happy girl!

Next was the salad course. This was a pear and spinach salad topped with Roquefort cheese and chocolate vinaigrette. This was served with Morande Late Harvest Sauvignon Blanc. The salad was incredible. I do not know how the chocolate vinaigrette was made, but I sure would love to! It rocked! The interaction of the chocolate and the cheese and the pear were unbelievably delicious! The chocolate in the vinaigrette was so unexpected. The wine was a late harvest so it was sweet, almost a dessert wine. The pairing was perfect.

I was really excited for the entrée. This was the part of the dinner I was most looking forward to. The entrée was chocolate rubbed chicken breast with peanut sate, served with Indian spiced chocolate cauliflower and rice. The wine paired with it was “Sensual” Cabernet Sauvignon. This was the wine that didn’t excite me. But that’s not to say it wasn’t a good wine! It’s me. I’m just not much of a red wine drinker. The chicken was really good. While I’ve had coffee rubbed chicken, I can honestly say I’ve never even thought about chocolate rubbed chicken. It was very tasty! The peanut sate was oh so good! The cauliflower with Indian spiced chocolate sauce was yummy. And the rice; well it’s a starch and we all know how I feel about carbs. I ate every last grain.

We had arrived at dessert. This was paired with our choice of Port or Choco-Vine. Our whole table opted to go with the Niepoort Ruby Port. I’m awfully glad we did, because it was beyond good. It was good enough to dance with the desserts! We were served lemon mousse on a graham cracker square, chocolate covered strawberries (milk and white) and a chocolate covered grape cluster spritzed with gold gilt. The dessert plate was not only delicious but also gorgeous to look at. The grape cluster was so unique and pretty!

We had a wonderful time tonight. We truly enjoyed the company, truly enjoyed the food, and truly enjoyed the libations.

Thank you, Donald for arranging such a wonderful evening!

Thank you, Sher Bliss for a lovely Valentine’s dinner!

Sher Bliss
1394 Cherry Bottom Road
Gahanna, Ohio 43230
Phone (614) 428-WINE (9463)
Fax (614) 428-9467

Different Pot Roast

2011-02-08T21:55:00.003-05:00

My dear neighbor Jean Bugs is always asking me to post some of the things I cook. I talked with her tonight and was telling her about my roast I fixed. She said it would great if I would post it. I really like to just throw things together. I decided to fix a pot roast tonight, my husband's favorite thing. It's not the healthest, but boy was it yummy! I decided to share this as I think you would enjoy it.

Different Pot Roast

1 boneless chuck roast (I used a 2lb roast)

2-3 strips of cooked bacon crumbled

3 tbls flour

2 garlic cloves sliced thick

1 can cream of mushroom soup

1 can or sm box of beef broth

whole baby carrots(as many as you like)

4-5 small potatoes cut into 1/4 or what ever size you like

1 small to med sweet onion sliced thick

1 container of any type of mushrooms sliced ( I used sliced wild mushrooms mixture)

1/4 cup of red or white wine

Cook the bacon until crisp, drain on paper towel, then crumble, flour roast, salt and pepper to taste, sear in bacon drippings on both sides, remove to plate, let cool enough to handle, cut small slits all over one side of roast, insert garlic into slits, mean time, put mushroom and onions in same skillet, saute until they start to get soft, pour wine in, stir well, and scrape bottom of pan, push mushrooms and onions to the sides of skillet or small dutch over, add roast back to skillet with carrots and potatoes, mix cream of mushroom and beef broth, pour over roast and vegetables, sprinkle crumbled bacon on top, cook coved in a 350 oven until desired doneness. I used a 2lb roast and it took approx 1 hour. Sorry I didn't think to take picture:(

Lentil Soup with Bacon & Sausage

2011-02-05T17:18:00.000-05:00

Can I just tell you that I made lentil soup, and it was wicked good? I was so excited because the last time I made lentil soup it was kind of blah.

I started with a recipe that I found in Everyday Food magazine. I planned to add sausage at Bob’s request. After I cooked the bacon I added three links of Italian sausage without the casings. This proved to be a great addition!

I began making the soup and I’m following the recipe to a T (okay, I subbed shallots for the onions; why? because that’s the way I roll) and the recipe calls for 1 ½ cups lentils. So what are you supposed to do with the other ½ cup that is left in the bag? I mean, I don’t know about you but I have nothing that calls for ½ cup lentils. So in they went. Of course, now I’d thrown off the balance of lentils to liquid. I added more chicken broth. And I think I might have thrown in a little extra water. Then I needed to re-season it with salt and pepper and add some more thyme.

In spite of all my tinkering, or maybe because of it, the soup turned out to be delicious! The sausage and bacon together worked really well. We happen to like our lentil soup on the thick side so that was good. If I had wanted it thinner, I’d have just added water or broth. In fact, when we reheated it the next day it did need to be thinned a bit. So we just added water. (Of course Bob added beer to his.)

And I have to tell you, I was a little weirded out about the red wine vinegar at the end. Definitely DO NOT skip it. It added kind of made the flavor just pop!

With all my tinkering, instead of the four servings that the recipe says you'll have, I'm pretty sure I ended up with enough soup to feed all of Gahanna. We sure did enjoy it, though.

I'll give you the recipes as found in Everyday Food without my modifications.

Lentil Soup
Everyday Food Magazine
Serves 4

INGREDIENTS:

• 3 strips (3 ounces) bacon, cut into 1/2-inch pieces

• 1 large onion, chopped
• 3 medium carrots, peeled, halved lengthwise, and cut into 1/4-inch half-moons
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1 1/2 cups lentils, picked over and rinsed
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
• 2 cans (14 1/2 ounces each) reduced-sodium chicken broth (3 1/2 cups)
• 1 tablespoon red-wine vinegar
• Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper

DIRECTIONS:
1. In a Dutch oven (or other 5-quart pot with a tight-fitting lid), cook bacon over medium-low heat until browned and crisp, 8 to 10 minutes. Pour off all but 1 tablespoon fat.

2. Add onion and carrots; cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in garlic, and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in tomato paste, and cook 1 minute.

3. Add lentils, thyme, broth, and 2 cups water. Bring to a boil; reduce to a simmer. Cover; cook until lentils are tender, 30 to 45 minutes.
4. Stir in vinegar, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Serve immediately.

Eastern Palace - Chinese New Year

2011-02-04T01:07:00.000-05:00

Tony Quach and his youngest daughter.

Gung Hay Fat Choy! That means "Best wishes and Congratulations. Have a prosperous and good year.” And we certainly did!

One of my most favorite restaurants is Eastern Palace. Of course, if you know me you already know that. :-) I love it. I love everything about it! I love the people, I love the food, I love the atmosphere, I even love their bathrooms! No kidding! They are the absolute cleanest bathrooms I’ve ever seen. There is always a bowl of water with a fresh flower in it! See? How can you not love that attention to detail? Let me see, what else do I love? I love that Tony loves OSU. I love that when we walk in we are greeted by name! (um, maybe that says we’re there too much?) And especially, I love that we are treated like family.

Don’t even get me started on the dishes I love at Eastern Palace. I could go on all night about them. Let’s just say I’m a big fan of the food. And they did not disappoint on their New Year celebration.

Bob & Oksana

Bob and I went in for dinner on the New Year as we try to do every year. Unfortunately we missed the dragon dance this year. We’ve seen it in the past, but I sure am sorry we didn’t get there early enough to see it this year. It’s always so fun to watch, and a lot of fun to see the kids watching it. Tony sure does know how to do it up right.

This evening they offered a buffet as part of the celebration. Of course you could still order off the menu, but why would you want to? This way I could have a little of this and a little of that. Let me tell you about the buffet. And you might want to get a cloth to wipe the drool off of your chin as you read this.

First there was a gorgeous, enormous sushi boat. And did I get a picture of it? I’m sorry to say I didn’t. You will have to take my word for it that the sushi was absolutely delicious. Then onto the hot dishes. Oh, the crunchy spring rolls right next to the shrimp toasts made me weak in the knees. Two of my favorites right next to one another. (But wait! They all my favorites!) There was sesame chicken, string beans with beef, seafood delight, bbq pork, bbq chicken, fried rice and steamed rice. Every single dish on that buffet rocked.

I’m partial to the bbq pork and the string beans with beef. That of course is following the spring rolls and shrimp toast. Then again, the sesame chicken with fried rice was right up there, too. Okay, there is no way I could pick favorites. No way. It’s just all too good. Oh, don't let me forget to tell you about the cake. Oh my. It was light and refreshing; white cake with strawberries between the layers and frosted with whipped cream. Oh yeah. It was scrumptious!

There is so much more offered on the menu that you must march yourself to EP and find out for yourself what an incredible restaurant this is. The food is just outstanding! Everyone there will make you feel so welcome. Check out this previous post to get a feel for it. http://dishingitup-columbus.blogspot.com/2009/02/eastern-palace.html.

psst...if you’re going, give me a call…I’ll meet you there!

Eastern Palace
6078 East Livingston Ave.
Reynoldsburg, Ohio
(614) 755-8880

p.s. I promise I am going to do a post on just their sushi alone. You won’t even believe it!

Famosa Latino Cuisine

2011-01-29T20:50:00.001-05:00

Today Bob and I met Jenny for lunch at Famosa restaurant in Hilliard. She had told us about it, and that we had to try it. So we did just that.

Famosa Latino Cuisine offers an incredibly diverse menu. They claim to serve “Mexicana, Guatemalteca, Salvadorena, Peruana, Venezolana, Columbiana, Cubana, Puerto Riquena, Dominicana and Argentina” foods. Oh, you can get a taco or an enchilada here, but why would you want to? The menu is so extensive that it is almost overwhelming! Go for something new and different. That’s what I did. I asked our server Daniel, what he would recommend. He actually ended up helping both Jenny and me decide on what to order.

But first we began with an appetizer to share. Jenny chose the “El Caribeno/Picadera Mix”. Wow. This appetizer was huge! I would love to show you a picture of it, however we dug into it before the camera was out of the case. Uh oh. This will not be allowed to happen again! Let me tell you about it anyway. It had longaniza (sausage) very good, Dominican salami that was just incredible, Dominican fried cheese that was insanely delicious, chicken wings that were yummy, pork that had such good flavor and tostones (fried plantains) and lettuce, avocado and sour cream. No way could we eat all of this and our dinners, too. But we sure gave it one heck of a try!

Then the dinners came rolling in … on platters! Correction: these were feasts!

On Daniel’s recommendation I chose “Bandeja Paisa, a Columbian dish. It was awesome! There was a fried ripe plantain (heaven), a Dominican sausage that surprised & delighted me, a piece of deeply flavored steak, fried pork and white rice with an egg on top. Oh! There was a cup of Columbian beans, too. What a feast! Every single thing on that plate was delicious! Even the two avocado slices that garnished the plate!

Bob had zeroed in on what he wanted way before Jenny or I had even come close. He went with “Costilla de Res al Carbon”. Of course he did! Why not with a description like this? “Ribs rubbed with our Famosa salsa and seasonings, served with fries and green salad.” He did change the fries for beans and rice.

Jenny had Mofongo de Carne. This was a dish of mashed green plantains stuffed with beef and served with lettuce and tomatoes. It was uniquely served in a big goblet. It looked totally cool. And the flavor was delicious. The mofongo also can be ordered with chicken, chicharron (I honestly have no idea what that is), shrimp or the above mentioned beef.

Of course the three of us traded dishes and tasted everything on the table. It was all so incredibly delicious. I’m thinking that my dinner was the best, but then I think about those ribs on Bob’s plate. Hmm. This may require more research on my part.

But wait! There’s more!

Even after all the proclamations of how stuffed we were, we requested the dessert menu. We were thinking we would get one dessert and three spoons. HA! Who do we think we were kidding? Here’s how it went down …

I went super traditional with flan. And I was not disappointed. This was flan as flan should be. Creamy, caramely (is that a word), and just like silk. We all agreed with a collective sigh.

Bob wisely chose the “Churros con Helado”; caramel filled churros with ice cream. OMG! And that’s all I’m going to say about that!

Jenny went way out of her comfort zone and got “Torta Imperial”; classic Guatemalan sweet bread, served with strawberries. So, so good. And so pretty!

All of the desserts were delicious. That being said, hands down we chose the churros as the best. Those things were crazy good. I think the term Bob used for Jenny and me was something like “sharks circling the waters” as we hovered over his plate with our forks. Like it or not he was sharing!

Famosa Latino Cuisine is definitely a place to check out. They have live music and DJ on Saturdays. They have dance weekends, do catering & buffets and rent space for events.

I hope this entices you to give them a try! I think next time I go back I’ll start with the churros and work my way backwards!!!

Famosa Latino Cuisine
5445 Roberts Road
Hilliard, Ohio 43026
Ph# 614-767-5445
Fax: 614-767-5446

HAPPY BIRTHDAY "DISHING-IT-UP COLUMBUS"!

2011-01-26T22:01:00.001-05:00

I’m late. I’m often late. It is a trait that I find most annoying. It makes me anxious and irritated. Nevertheless, I’m late.

Monday, January 24, 2011 was the second birthday of this blog. I am just amazed how the time has passed. Lately I haven’t posted as consistently as I’d like, but sometimes life takes a turn you don’t expect. And also I had a birthday, and that requires at least a week of celebration.

I think I’ve mentioned that I have several soup recipes that I have been wanting to try; so on Sunday I picked the one I’ve wanted to make the most. Chicken and Gnocchi Soup. Doesn’t that just sound delicious? Oh how I hoped this was going to turn out. It smelled really good as I was making it. It came together so easy. But you know how sometimes just those very things turn out to be a bust.

This soup ROCKS!!! I totally mean it! I can’t get enough of it!!! I was hoping it would be somewhat similar to the chicken gnocchi soup at Olive Garden. Well forget that! I found the recipe on “My Boyfriend Dated a Chef” blog, and Karalee says it’s on par with the Olive Garden. I have to disagree! It is way, way better!

It is so simple to make, and so good that I’m pretty sure it will become one of your favorites, too.

I adapted the recipe just a bit for ease, and ingredients on hand. I skipped the first step of the instructions because I had some rotisserie chicken. I chopped that up and was on my way!

First cook the gnocchi according to package directions. Gnocchi are usually found in the pasta aisle and are vacuum packed. They are pillows of potato pasta perfection! (Kathy and I made them from scratch for Donald's birthday, but that's another post.) When cooked, I rinsed them in cool water so they wouldn't stick.

While my gnocchi were cooking, I was chopping away. I shredded carrots, minced garlic,chopped shallots (my substitute for the onion) and celery, and rough cut a bunch of spinach. Now on to making soup!

You know it's going to be good when you start with a hunk of butter.

And what could possibly smell better than onions and garlic sautéing in butter?

When my onions and garlic were soft and translucent, I added the flour. And what do you get? ...

... a ROUX!!! Oh this is so much fun! I just love to make soups :)

It was time to add the half and half, skim milk and vegetables. Then the chicken went in. When that began to thicken, the chicken broth was added. After that starts to thicken a second time, add the gnocchi and spinach! This is so exciting! It looks and smells out of this world!

The finishing touch is a tablespoon of olive oil and fresh parsley and thyme. Serve it with grated parmesean cheese.

Thank you Karalee, for this yummy ladle of sunshine to our dreary winter days!

Chicken and Gnocchi Soup
Recipe from http://www.myboyfrienddatedachef.com/?p=779
Serves 8-10.

INGREDIENTS:
2 Tbs. olive oil
1 cup chicken breast
1 lb. potato gnocchi
1 cup onion, finely diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
4 Tbs. butter
4 Tbs. flour
2 cups half and half
2 cups skim milk
1 cup carrots, finely shredded
1/2 cup celery, finely diced
1 14 ounce can low-sodium chicken broth
1 cup fresh spinach, coarsely chopped
1/2 tsp. thyme
1/2 tsp. parsley
Grated Parmesan cheese

PREPARATION:

In a small nonstick skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil over medium-high. Cook the chicken, until browned and cooked through. Transfer chicken to a plate. Set aside.

Cook gnocchi according to package directions.

In a large nonstick saucepan, sauté the onion and garlic in butter over medium-high. When the onion becomes translucent, add the flour. Allow to cook for 1 minute.

Add half and half, skim milk, carrots, celery, and chicken. Once the soup starts to thicken, add the chicken broth. Once the soup thickens again, add the cooked gnocchi, spinach, 1 tablespoon olive oil, thyme and parsley. Allow to simmer for 4-5 minutes.

Serve immediately with grated Parmesan cheese.

Smoked Sausage and Garlic Bread Appetizer

2011-01-21T00:52:00.000-05:00

I have a great appetizer for you! If you like sausage baby, stick with me! I found this recipe labeled as an appetizer, but I have to tell you that along with a bowl of soup we made this dinner! The key is to get really good smoked sausage. I actually went to Thurn's to get some, and I kid you not it made my knees week. It was that good!

This recipe can't be any easier. As mentioned above, you need really good smoked sausage, Italian bread (I used roasted garlic bread because I love it!), garlic, olive oil, kosher salt and chopped parsley (which you can see I forgot). Oh, and maybe I used just a tad more garlic ...

Heat up your oven and follow the recipe directions and you will be astounded with the deliciousness of this little treat. I served it with several kinds of mustard and that was fun. I was a huge fan of the Champagne Shallot Mustard. But honestly, this stuff stands alone just fine.

Smoked Sausage and Garlic Bread Appetizer
Adapted from Paula Deen

Serves: 6
Cook Time: 15 Minutes

Ingredients
• 1 lb. really good Smoked Sausage
• 3/4 loaf of Italian bread
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 6 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 pinches kosher salt
• 4 tablespoons fresh flat leaf parsley, chopped

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Cut the sausage into 1/2" slices and cut the bread (keeping the crusts on) into 1/2" cubes. Line a sheet tray with foil. Place sausage and bread on tray. Coat with olive oil and toss in garlic and salt. Spread out on sheet tray and toast in oven for 10-15 minutes until bread browns. You will need to stir a couple of times during bake time for thorough baking. Remove from oven and toss in fresh parsley. Serve warm with toothpicks so your guests can spear a piece of sausage and bread in each bite.

Thai Chicken and Coconut Soup with Noodles

2011-01-15T21:03:00.000-05:00

On a blustery, cold winter day what could taste better than soup? Well, yeah there is lobster. But I’m talking reasonable here. Yeah, there’s chocolate. But that’s dessert. Work with me here! Think dinner. When it's cold outside I usually think soup.

And now I’m in the soup making mood. So I’ve had a few recipes that I’ve been waiting to make when the cold weather arrives. And it has arrived!

Thai Chicken and Coconut Soup with Noodles turned out to be a delicious surprise! The recipe comes from Food and Wine. It captured my imagination when I saw it. First of all, I truly like Thai food. And the ingredients just sounded so refreshing that I knew I had to try it.

Cast of Characters-most of them anyway. And ignore the box of Mike ‘n Ikes … uh, I think those must have been Bob’s?

The recipe calls for cooking oil. I decided to use coconut oil in keeping with the theme. I’m not sure how much difference if any it made, but it worked for me. I sautéed the onion until translucent and then added the garlic, coriander, ginger, black pepper and cayenne. After cooking that for about 30 seconds, in went the broth, coconut milk, fish sauce, salt and lime zest. Oh, and by the way I used low fat coconut milk. I brought that to a simmer and partially covered it. I let it simmer for about ten minutes while stirring it occasionally.

While the broth is simmering, cook the fettuccine in boiling water until just done. (I used wide egg noodles because wide egg noodles are what I had. Worked great!) Drain the noodles.

Add the chicken to the soup and continue to simmer a few more minutes. Take the pot off the heat and add in the noodles, lime juice, and cilantro (if using – I didn’t).

Serve the soup with a fork and spoon. And prepare yourself for such goodness you’ll wonder just how you’ve lived this long without it!

Thai Chicken and Coconut Soup with Noodles-Food & Wine

Ingredients:
1. 1 1/2 tablespoons cooking oil
2. 1 small onion, chopped
3. 4 cloves garlic, minced
4. 1 1/2 teaspoons ground coriander
5. 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
6. 1/4 teaspoon fresh-ground black pepper
7. 1/8 teaspoon cayenne
8. 1 quart canned low-sodium chicken broth or homemade stock
9. 2 cups canned unsweetened coconut milk
10. 5 teaspoons Asian fish sauce (nam pla or nuoc mam) or soy sauce
11. 1 3/4 teaspoons salt
12. 2 3-inch-long strips lime zest
13. 1/2 pound egg fettuccine
14. 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 3), cut into 14-inch slices (I used rotisserie chicken)
15. 2 tablespoons lime juice
16. 3 tablespoons chopped cilantro (optional)

Directions

1. In a large pot, heat the cooking oil over moderately low heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until it is translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, coriander, ginger, black pepper, and cayenne; cook, stirring, for 30 seconds.

2. Add the broth, coconut milk, fish sauce, salt, and lime zest. Bring to a simmer, stirring occasionally. Reduce the heat and simmer, partially covered, for 10 minutes.

3. Meanwhile, in a large pot of boiling, salted water, cook the fettuccine until just done, about 12 minutes. Drain.

4. Add the chicken to the soup and simmer until just done, about 1 1/2 minutes. Remove the pot from the heat and stir in the fettuccine, lime juice, and cilantro, if using. Serve the soup in bowls with a fork and spoon.

Roasted Vegetables

2011-01-13T22:23:00.000-05:00

I know I’ve recently written about the wonders of roasted cauliflower. I’m a convert for sure. So after admitting that I might possibly have been “wr-r-r, ahem, wr-r-r, uh … a little bit not right about certain vegetables, I decided to take a giant leap of faith. I became a vegetable roasting fool.

I gathered a whole lot of different vegetables and set out to roast and test them. Gee, that makes it sound like I put my galoshes on and went out into the fields to harvest them. The reality is that I just drove to the grocery store and got a nice selection of vegetables to try. I wanted to see which veggies would fare the best.

I cleaned them all up and tossed them with a little olive oil, added halved cloves of garlic and sprinkled chopped bacon on top (because what doesn’t taste good with bacon sprinkled on it, I ask?) and roasted them till they were soft and golden brown on the edges.

Aren’t these absolutely gorgeous? They are a thing of beauty. And I am here to tell you that I am now eating vegetables that I never would have before. I roasted cauliflower (big surprise there!), regular brussel sprouts, broccolini, fennel, butternut squash, baby brussel sprouts, and red beets. All received equal treatment, except that the beets, broccolini, and fennel did not have the bacon.

The cauliflower goes without saying, was delicious. Both the regular brussel sprouts and baby brussel sprouts turned out really good. Bob and I were astounded at how good they turned out. We were actually still smiling after eating them! The butternut squash was heaven and I will admit that the beets weren’t bad, either. I would definitely make any of those again, and again, and again.

And as for the “not-so-good” corner? The broccolini was just too fragile to be roasted. The fronds were pretty much totally dried out and crunchy, and not crunchy in a good way. The stems weren’t as bad as the fronds, but not by much. The fennel didn’t fare much better. I found that it lost a lot of its flavor. It even lost its color. At least the broccolini still looked kind of pretty. I wasn’t impressed at all. I’ve heard several chefs on the Food Network say how wonderful roasted fennel is. I just don’t see it.

So there you have it! My very informal exercise in finding some veggies that are good for roasting. I’m sure that there are some other good ones. If you have any ideas just let me know. I really am loving these veggies! Who knew?

Retro Dinner

2011-01-09T23:11:00.000-05:00

Okay, how delicious do these look? I know! I saw a picture of them that Laura had put on Facebook. Ever since then I could not get the darn things out of my mind! They're certainly not pretty, but boy are they good! I just bet you've forgotten how good they really are. I was possessed. I would simply not rest until I made them.

Bob made a shopping run for me and he came home with these great Angus dogs, four in a package. Perfect! I just happened to have a roll of 4 crescents in the fridge. And here's the funny thing; I rarely buy crescent rolls. Not because I don't like them, but because they usually end up on my thighs! But for the holidays I thought I might need them.

I took a dog, made a slit almost but not through, and stuffed it with shredded cheddar cheese. I started with the wide end of the crescent dough and wound it around the dog. Put those puppies into a 375 degree oven and cooked them for 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, I thought "why not go all retro?". I took out those leftover mashed potatoes and made four perfectly crusted potato cakes. Next I opened up a can of green beans, tossed in a few cloves of roasted garlic, and a smidgen of bacon grease and cooked those up.

Now just look at that. Doesn't that look like something Mom would put on the table? (That is if your folks were Ward and June Cleaver.)

Bob and I got a big kick out of our dinner. And, I might add that my dear husband ate two pigs! A little ketchup on the potato cakes and we were good to go!

Did I mention there were cookies and milk for dessert?

Roasted Cauliflower

2010-11-27T19:49:00.001-05:00

So Thanksgiving Day 2010 has passed and we are livin' on leftovers. This is a good thing! In our house we love leftovers. And Thanksgiving leftovers are the best ever!

This year I threw in a new side dish. To my amazement it was a tremendous success! See, my family (with me leading the pack) is adamant that Thanksgiving dinner is all about tradition. We must have a turkey; there must be dressing (made the same way my mother made it and don't even think about messing with the recipe); there must be mounds of mashed potatoes; and there must be copious amounts of gravy! In our family gravy is a beverage. In the last few years we've added an awesome smoked turkey, compliments of David Miller (Werner Meats), however there still has to be a regular turkey as well. In addition to all of the above we also have homemade noodles, cranberry sauce (that's another post), rolls & butter, and appetizers (oh yeah, yet another post). I figured that we might need a vegetable thrown in there other than a relish tray. So I kept my eyes open for something that might be interesting.

And I found it on Steamy Kitchen's blog. Remember how I said in my cauliflower soup post that I pretty much loathe cooked cauliflower? (Deborah, you're going to love this.) I found out I love roasted cauliflower! Really!!!

Let me backtrack a bit. When I made the cauliflower soup I had a half head of cauliflower left. What was I going to do with it? Then lo and behold here comes Jaden from Steamy Kitchen with a post on roasted cauliflower. I saw garlic. I saw bacon. What's not to like? Okay, I can try this.

I made it as a side dish for dinner that night and Bob and I ate every last bite! We totally scarfed it down! Who would'a thought I like cooked cauliflower? But, I will insist that we say "roasted" rather than cooked. I do think that roasting transforms it into a whole different being. The cauliflower turns a gorgeous golden color and the taste is out of this world. The garlic roasts to a sweet nutty deliciousness and the bacon crisps up and gets all crunchy and incredible. This dish simply put, rocks!

So I slid the roasted cauliflower into the Thanksgiving line up and it was a total hit! Almost all of it was gone and everyone wanted some to take home with their leftovers.

I think I have found a new favorite vegetable. And I do believe we have a new "must" for the Thanksgiving dinner table.

Thanks, Jaden!

Roasted Cauliflower Recipe with Bacon and Garlic

http://steamykitchen.com/11868-roasted-cauliflower-recipe-bacon-garlic.html
Servings: 4 Prep Time: 5 Cook Time: 20

Ingredients:

1 head cauliflower, cut into small florets
6 cloves garlic, halved
3 strips bacon, cut into bite sized pieces
2 teaspoons olive oil
salt to taste
freshly ground black pepper to taste

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375F. On a baking sheet, toss together the cauliflower, garlic slices, bacon and olive oil. Roast for 20 minutes until bacon is crisp and cauliflower is cooked through. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Cibo

2010-11-16T21:39:00.002-05:00

Last Friday night I had dinner with two very handsome men. Aren’t I the lucky one! Bob, our friend Donald and I went to check out a new restaurant in Upper Arlington, Cibo. Carla Piolata (one of the owners of the now closed Davinci’s) and her sister-in-law Carrie Ciotola opened Cibo on October 7, 2010. Often they have live music, mostly jazz. As you all know there is a certain jazz singer here in Columbus that is near and dear to our hearts. And guess what … Dwight Lenox just happened to be playing there on Friday. Oh, this just keeps getting better and better!

When we walked in the door, I immediately loved the ambiance. There is a lovely fireplace that greeted us with the warmth from the fire. They have a full service bar with a wine list that according to Bob and Donald had some very good Italian wines. There are two rooms and we were seated in the “music” room so we could listen to Dwight when he began to play.

The restaurant seats about 100 people and is decorated in warm tones. The tablecloths are black and each table has a candle surrounded by coffee beans and a beautiful vase of fresh flowers, making it all feel quite cozy.

We started off with a few appetizers since the three of us were hungry enough to begin gnawing on the tablecloth if we didn’t get something soon. We munched on the breadsticks until they arrived. I was quite smitten with the breadsticks.

Here’s the thing … I can’t show you a picture of our appetizers because by the time I remembered I had my camera and that I wanted to take pictures … um, they were gone. Darn those boys, anyway. I really wanted to show you what we had. The arancini was made with saffron risotto and had a center of fresh mozzarella and prosciutto. The outside was crispy and the inside was creamy. The sauce was a perfect compliment. Oh, I could have eaten those all night. They truly were the best I have ever tasted … the best ever! Our other appetizer was the calamari. Those tasty little squids were absolutely perfectly cooked. The sauce that accompanied them had a little kick to it. We definitely made great choices!

Donald had the bucatini all ‘Amatriciana. Bucatini is a long hollow spaghetti-like pasta. The sauce is tomato with pancetta and usually chili or chili flakes. I tasted the dish and I’m thinking this might be what I get next time. It was really delicious.

Bob’s entrée was the pan roasted free range chicken. The skin was a gorgeous brown and crispy. The meat was moist and succulent. The chicken was finished with a caramelized garlic sauce that I found to be exceptional. As in, I could drink this stuff with a straw! The dish included asparagus and butternut squash puree with rosemary. The squash puree totally worked for me. It was scrumptious.

My dinner was divine. I had the spaghetti carbonara. Cibo’s carbonara sauce is made with egg and no cream. According to Carla, no one in Italy would consider making carbonara with cream. The pancetta was crispy crunchy and oh so good. I fell in love with this dish. (I did share a bit of it with Bob so that I could pirate some of his squash. Hey, I’m not entirely unreasonable.) I would so order this again in a heartbeat. It was awesome.

We moved on to dessert. Each of us ordered something different and we tasted all around.

Donald’s choice was the lemon mascarpone cheesecake with blackberry compote and basil syrup. Not only was the presentation gorgeous but the taste was divine. This was everything a cheesecake should be; creamy, rich, light and decadent.

Bob chose the triple chocolate torte. I don’t have the particulars on this. I remember that it had three different chocolate layers with three different kinds of liqueur. This is was I distinctly remember; when I put a small bite of the torte on my tongue and let it melt, it was almost like the chocolate wrapped itself around me and each flavor became singular and yet combined all at the same time. Whoa … it totally was a sensual experience. I kid you not.

My dessert was the bonet ala piedmontese. This is a baked custard-like piece of heaven made with espresso, cinnamon and chocolate sitting atop a amaretti cookie crust with caramel sauce. I know. I know.
And when I didn’t think it could get any better, Dwight Lenox and the trio began playing. Dwight’s voice never fails to thrill me. Simply no one sings jazz better than Dwight. And then, Lee Savory joined him on the flugel horn. Oh my goodness. Then to my delight, who should walk in but Carl Sally, toting his sax! The music was unbelievable!!!

I also had the pleasure of meeting Chef John Beck. What a charmer! His use of ingredients and execution of Italian specialties is a true thing of beauty. And he told me he makes the desserts himself. I was so impressed. Chef Beck previously was in the kitchens at Abbracci, RJ Snappers, Capital Club and Hyde Park. He is most definitely talented.

I do want to note that Carla makes the gnocchi herself. I didn’t have the opportunity to taste them this trip but I plan to soon.

A trip to Cibo needs to be given high priority on your list of restaurant visits. I suggest you call for reservations because the place was hopping! Let them know you read about them here at Dishing-it-Up Columbus!

One more thing; don’t forget to finish your dinner off with a glass of Sambuca (with three espresso beans). Carla will totally appreciate it and you will definitely be glad you did!

Cibo
4740 Reed Road
Upper Arlington, OH 43220
614-436-2426
Mon – Thur: 5-10pm
Fri & Sat: 5-11pm
Closed Sunday
http://www.cibocolumbus.com/

Dine Originals Week November 8-14, 2010 – Shoku

2010-11-15T00:18:00.001-05:00

Well, Dine Originals Week is over and I only made it to one restaurant. I am absolutely ashamed of myself! But it just wasn’t happening. And I’m pretty sure you’ll forgive me. Especially when I tell you about the one that I did go to! It was my first time ever to Shoku ... and it rocked my world!

I was pretty certain that I was only going to make it to one place this round, so I wanted it to be somewhere I hadn’t been to before. My dining buddy Jane, and I checked out the lunch offerings and decided upon Shoku. They were offering 3 different lunches for $10 each. So off we went.

I have seen Shoku often when Bob and I go to Stauff’s (in Grandview) for coffee. And I have to tell you that while I knew where it was, I hadn’t really heard much about it. I am smitten! We walked in and I immediately loved the ambiance. It is modern but had a real “home” feel to it. We sat down and right away we were offered beverages. We both ordered hot tea. The green tea arrived piping hot and was absolutely delicious!

While we were perusing our lunch choices, I placed an order of the Tempura Green Beans for us to share. They were so good! I’ve had fried green beans before, but these were on a whole different level. The tempura batter was so light and crispy. The dipping sauce was just perfect. Yeah, these little guys were addicting. We finished off that platter before we knew it. We were left wanting more. However, our lunch was on its way and we were excited about that.

Jane chose the Tempura Shrimp Wrap. This was described as “Shrimp tempura rolled with rice and vegetables in spinach tortilla served with candied sweet potatoes and mixed vegetables”. It was gorgeous. The presentation was just beautiful. The candied sweet potato cubes were wonderful. There was a crunchy outside with a lovely sweetness, and inside was the creamy goodness of a good sweet potato. The vegetables consisted of broccoli and carrot strips and were topped with a few of the tempura green beans. The wrap was really good, too. The tempura shrimp was crunchy and it was accompanied by rice and strips of carrots and others veggies. The dipping sauce finished with just enough heat. This was a great dish.

However, the show stopper was my Shoku Salad. The description was, “A mixture of iceberg lettuce and spring mix; comes with a vegetable eggroll, Japanese noodles and an egg with choice of beef skewer, chicken skewer or grilled shrimp skewer. Served with carrot miso dressing”. The plate was stunning. It was magnificent. The riot of color on the plate just made me smile. The salad had the promised mix of iceberg and spring greens topped with strips of carrot, and white and purple cabbage. It was accompanied by a hardboiled egg. The eggroll had a sweet chili sauce for dipping and it was very tasty. I chose to go with the beef skewer because it seems I usually gravitate to shrimp and I wanted something different. Boy, am I glad I did. The beef was so tender and so moist and so yummy! I love noodles of any kind, and the little dish of noodles was no exception. What made this salad such a standout was the carrot and miso dressing. I am generally so-so about miso. But this dressing? Well, this dressing I could just drink, it was so good! I ended up pouring it on the noodles and dipping my beef into it. The gal serving us told me, “Mama makes it herself”. She inclined her head to a woman sitting at a back table wearing an apron and having her own lunch. I was just blown away by this dressing!

What a great experience! I can’t wait to return to Shoku. I saw quite a few other items on the menu that I’d really like to try. Needless to say, Jane and I commented that we think we’ve found yet another “favorite restaurant”!

Shoku
1312 Grandview Ave
Grandview, OH
614-485-9490
http://www.daeoh.com/

Ree's Cauliflower Soup

2010-11-01T14:22:00.000-04:00

Here's the deal...I cannot stand cooked cauliflower. I love it raw. But when cauliflower is cooked, it becomes a whole different animal. And it stinks. So no way, no how, am I cooking cauliflower in this house.

Okay having said that, I can now admit to a few deep dark secrets that I have kept hidden behind closed doors ...

First, I love to shop at Aldi's. If you hit it right you can get some really awesome produce at prices that will just have you dancing in the aisles. A few weeks ago I found the biggest, fattest head of cauliflower that I simply could not walk away from. I'm not even going to tell you what I paid for it because it was obscenely inexpensive (and I can't actually remember what is was because my memory has gone to hell). Yep, Aldi's is one of my guilty pleasures.

Second, I cooked it.

I know, I know! But honestly, on a technicality I didn't really cook it. I used it to make soup. And why I even did that, I cannot tell you. Except to say that I was reading www.thepioneerwoman.com and she made her mother's cauliflower soup sound so good that I craved it. And after all, I had that honkin' big head of cauliflower in my fridge. There's only so much raw cauliflower that a girl's husband will let her eat!

So I followed Ree's incredibly easy step-by-step instructions and made the soup. Then I swooned. Then Bob swooned. I gave some to Donald & Kathy and I think they swooned. Even if they didn't, let's pretend they did. They said they liked it ... a lot. So I'm thinkin' they swooned. (That's just how my mind works.)

I'm going to give you the original recipe and the link to Ree's blog page because her photographs are incredible. In fact, the above photograph is hers, not mine. Why mess with perfection? (Also, the fact is we ate ours before I could take a picture of it.) I did adjust mine to make it Weight Watcher friendly. I'm trying, I'm trying.

Cauliflower Soup
http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2009/01/cauliflower-soup/

Ingredients

• 1 stick butter, divided
• ½ whole onion, finely diced
• 1 whole carrot finely diced
• 1 stalk celery, finely diced
• 1 whole (to 2 whole) cauliflower heads (roughly chopped)
• 2 Tablespoons fresh or dried parsley (chopped)
• 2 quarts low-sodium chicken broth or stock
• 6 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 2 cups whole milk
• 1 cup half-and-half
• 2 teaspoons to 4 Teaspoons salt, to taste
• 1 cup (heaping) sour cream, room temperature

Preparation Instructions

In a large soup pot or Dutch oven, melt 4 tablespoons butter. Add the onion and cook for a few minutes, or until it starts to turn brown.

Add the carrots and celery and cook an additional couple of minutes. Add cauliflower and parsley and stir to combine.

Cover and cook over very low heat for 15 minutes. After 15 minutes, pour in chicken stock or broth. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and allow to simmer.

In a medium saucepan, melt 4 tablespoons butter. Mix the flour with the milk and whisk to combine. Add flour-milk mixture slowly to the butter, whisking constantly.

Remove from heat and stir in 1 cup half-and-half. Add mixture to the simmering soup. Allow to simmer for 15 to 20 minutes. Check seasoning and add more salt or pepper if necessary.

Just before serving, place the sour cream in a serving bowl or soup tureen. Add two to three ladles of hot soup into the tureen and stir to combine with the sour cream. Pour in remaining soup and stir.

Serve immediately. Then, SWOON!

Classic Meatloaf

2010-10-26T14:26:00.000-04:00

I was craving comfort food. It had been a long week and I just wanted something so good to eat that it would transport me to a happy place (kind of like when I’m at IHOP). So I started combing my files for that special dish.

Bingo! Meatloaf! Of course! And here was one that promised:

“This is the meat loaf to make when you long for a nostalgic taste of the foods of your childhood. It’s moist, and the combination of beef, veal and pork gives it a rich, meaty flavor. It’s equally good served warm from the oven or cold in sandwiches the next day.”

It was all that and more. If only I’d had worn a smart dress, frilly apron and a single strand of pearls I think Bob might have truly believed he was Ward Cleaver. It was so very tasty. And as promised, it was just as good cold as it was hot. Oh my, be still my beating heart. A cold meatloaf sandwich slathered with ballpark mustard (the “good” mustard). It just doesn’t get much better than that!

If you are experiencing that gray, dull weather that we call Columbus, OH you might want to pull this one out of your bag of tricks. And if you really want to go all out, you could even make some good ole mac ‘n cheese to go along with it. Now that’s just crazy nostalgic! But come to think of it, I recently found a killer easy mac ’n cheese that would be perfect!

CLASSIC MEATLOAF
Food Now-8 servings

MEAT LOAF

2 teaspoons olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 eggs
2/3 cup unseasoned dry bread crumbs
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh parsley
1/2 cup whole milk
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1/2 teaspoon hot pepper sauce
1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh thyme
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1 1/2 lb. ground beef chuck
1/4 lb. ground veal
1/4 lb. ground pork

GLAZE

1/3 cup ketchup
2 tablespoons packed light brown sugar
1 tablespoon cider vinegar
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

1. Heat oven to 350°F. Heat oil in medium skillet over medium heat until hot. Add onion; cook 5 minutes or until softened, stirring occasionally. Add garlic; cook 30 seconds or until fragrant. Place in large bowl; cool to room temperature.

2. Whisk eggs into onion mixture. Stir in bread crumbs, parsley, milk, 2 tablespoons mustard, Worcestershire sauce, hot pepper sauce, thyme, salt and pepper. Add ground beef, ground veal and ground pork; mix together by hand or with large fork until evenly blended. Press into 9x5-inch loaf pan or place freeform loaf in shallow baking pan. To prevent glaze from dripping off pan during baking, mound meat in center with sloping sides.

3. In small bowl, stir together all glaze ingredients. Brush 1/4 cup of the glaze over top of loaf. Bake 45 minutes; remove pan from oven. Brush top of loaf with remaining 1/4 cup glaze. Bake an additional 15 to 20 minutes or until meat loaf is firm and juices run clear. Loosely cover with foil; let stand 15 minutes before slicing.

PER SERVING: 330 calories, 18.5 g total fat (6.5 g saturated fat), 24.5 g protein, 16 g carbohydrate, 125 mg cholesterol, 585 mg sodium, 1 g fiber

Dine Original's Week - November 8 - 14!

2010-10-21T22:18:00.000-04:00

It's time to gear up for the Dine Original's Week!!! I just checked out the participating restaurant menus and I am in an absolute dither. How can I possibly choose just a few to visit??? So many of them sound so absolutely incredible! What a chance to try new places, and what a chance to visit old favorites!

Here is their website:
http://www.dineoriginalscolumbus.com/dine-originals-columbus-week/
Check it out for yourselves! Then let me know what you think!!!

Experience Columbus Days! October 8-11, 2010

2010-09-23T16:42:00.000-04:00

EXPERIENCE COLUMBUS DAYS!!!

This is such a great four days in Columbus that I definitely do not want any of you to miss it. Seems like the last several posts have been about events. But there is so much happening that I just have to tell you all!!!

"Now in its seventh year, Experience Columbus Days, October 8-11, has grown to include discounts to 24 area attractions and 50 area restaurants. The program was created by Experience Columbus to make the capital city the place to be during Columbus Day Weekend through offering great incentives.

Experience Columbus has again partnered with area attractions and Dine Originals Columbus, to offer visitors and residents alike 50% off admission to top area attractions and 25% off food bills to unique Columbus eateries.

To receive the discounts, visit http://www.experiencecolumbusdays.com/anytime between now and October 11 to download two flyers, one for attractions and the other for Dine Originals Columbus restaurants. Upon arrival at a participating attraction or restaurant, simply show a printed flyer or display it on a mobile device to receive:

· 50% off admission when you present the attractions flyer at 24 of the city’s best attractions including perennial favorites such as the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium, the Wilds, COSI and the Columbus Italian Festival as well as new participants like Columbus Food Adventures, SegAway Tours of Columbus and more.

· 25% off the total food bill (excluding beverages) for up to two people, when you present the restaurant flyer at all 50 Dine Originals Columbus restaurants, including 11 new members such as Barrio Tapas Lounge, Black Olive, Moshi Sushi, Spinelli’s Deli, Skillet and others.

“Now in its seventh year, the goal of Experience Columbus Days is to get people out to explore Ohio’s capital city and expose them to all that makes Columbus unique,” said Paul Astleford, president and CEO of Experience Columbus. “This program would not be successful without the support from our partners at area attractions and restaurants. They truly see the value of tourism and creating ambassadors locally, which is what Experience Columbus Days is all about.”

In 2009, with only social media, viral marketing and word of mouth efforts used to promote the program, more than 4,300 flyers were redeemed at area attractions and more than 860 were redeemed at Dine Originals Columbus restaurants.

Visitors from 30 states as well as Canada, Puerto Rico and Switzerland took advantage of the program’s discounts.

For complete details, a full list of participating attractions and restaurants and to print off the flyers, visit
http://www.experiencecolumbusdays.com/."

Excuse me while I go download...

Taste of Columbus

2010-09-13T13:58:00.003-04:00

This promises to be an amazing event for such a good cause! And a party on the pool deck at the Renaissance, hosted by Latitude 41 is always a great time! Here is a wonderfully fun evening out that will benefit the new Kobacker House. Go ahead ... you deserve a night out!
http://www.atasteofcolumbus.com/

A Taste of Columbus event to benefit
HomeReach Hospice slated for Sept. 28 at Renaissance

(COLUMBUS) – Six of the best locally owned and operated restaurants are coming together to host the first-ever "A Taste of Columbus" event on the pool deck of the Renaissance Columbus Downtown on Tuesday, Sept. 28, from 5:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. The event will benefit HomeReach Hospice – the largest and most comprehensive not-for-profit hospice program in central Ohio.

Participating restaurants include:
• Barcelona
• Basi Italia
• G. Michael’s
• Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams
• Latitude 41
• The Refectory

“We are so grateful that these restaurants and the Renaissance have all stepped up to make this evening possible. All proceeds will be used toward the construction of a new Kobacker House, scheduled for opening in late 2011,” said Karen Morrison, president of the OhioHealth Foundation.

Tickets are $50 per person and can be purchased exclusively online at www.atasteofcolumbus.com. Each restaurant will have a sampling station, there will be a silent auction featuring travel and dining opportunities and live music by Victor Zancudo. Dress for the evening is cocktail/business attire.

The Kobacker House is a free-standing inpatient hospice facility that was created to offer a home-like setting for hospice patients requiring 24-hour medical supervision. The new Kobacker House will offer 24 patient beds – more than double the capacity of the current house.

The Renaissance Columbus Downtown Hotel approached OhioHealth HomeReach Hospice to partner on the event to raise much-needed dollars for the facility. Additionally, Chef Dave Maclennan of Latitude 41 reached out to the chefs of the other participating restaurants to round out the evening.

“You’d be hard-pressed to find someone in central Ohio who hasn’t been positively impacted by HomeReach Hospice; we applaud their mission of providing quality end-of-life care for central Ohioans,” said Geri Lombard, general manager of The Renaissance. “We are committed to being an excellent community partner, and we have the space and setting on our beautiful roof-top pool deck to create a wonderful event for OhioHealth HomeReach Hospice. “

About HomeReach Hospice
HomeReach Hospice is the largest and most comprehensive not-for-profit hospice program in central Ohio. It is part of the OhioHealth health system.

A team of specially trained hospice caregivers -- physicians, nurses, social workers, therapists, chaplains, aides and volunteers -- are dedicated to providing the highest quality end-of-life care to patients and grief support to their families. Services offered by HomeReach Hospice, which is supported by the OhioHealth Foundation, include 24-hour inpatient care at Kobacker House (the first free-standing inpatient hospice care facility in central Ohio), as well as extensive services and support for patients who are able to remain at home; specialized therapies, including massage, art and animal therapy; in-home visits from physicians; family support services; and grief support programs for larger numbers of people, including school children who have lost family members, coworkers or friends.

About Renaissance Hotels & Resorts
Renaissance Hotels & Resorts is an upscale modern hotel collection with more than 140unique properties in 28 countries -- from historic icons to ultra-modern masterpieces -- that speaks to passionate travelers in search of authentic local experiences. Whether a trip is for business or pleasure, Renaissance believes there's always something wonderfully new to be found.

Drunken Fruit Skewers

2010-09-11T00:41:00.010-04:00

Labor Day weekend has come and gone. (Heads up ladies; no white shoes! Is that even a “rule” anymore?) Anyway, back to what I was saying before I interrupted myself. The cookouts, bbq’s and feasts of gluttony have come and gone with the holiday. Thank goodness! My hips just couldn’t take anymore!

But the memory of the appetizer that we took to both cookouts we attended lingers. It was an idea that was resurrected by one of my favorite blogs … which they got from another blog! Oh, don’t you just love the food blogosphere? I sure do! The delight I am speaking of is (drum roll please) “Drunken Fruit Skewers”.

Now anybody that knows us can tell you that my dear husband has a penchant for liquoring up just about everything he gets his hands on (don’t go there, my friends). He was in the kitchen mixing up the liquid in which we would macerate the fruit and was he a scientist in all his glory! Remember the rocket scientist story? That’s my Bob! This was his kind of recipe. Actually, there isn’t even a “recipe”.

We purchased a fresh pineapple, kiwis, plums, strawberries and honeydew. Bob concocted the most delicious mixture of Captain Morgan Spiced Rum, and Cointreau. He added just a wee bit of Splenda (hey! We’re watching our figures over here!) added cinnamon sticks and whole cloves.

The Kitchn blog tells us to “Simply cut your fruit into bite-sized pieces, put them in a container, and cover with the liquor of your choice. Let this sit for anywhere from a few hours to overnight.” However, we found that 3 hours for the pineapple, honeydew and plums was perfect. The strawberries and kiwi were soaked only for about an hour. The liquor bleaches the fruit, and the skewers are so much prettier when the colors are vibrant. We threaded the fruit onto wooden skewers that had been soaked in water, and Bob tossed them on the grill. Okay, he very gently arranged them in a perfect formation to be grilled to absolute beauty.

And boy-howdy were those things good!!! They packed a punch, too.

Try these at your next party. You will no doubt be the host/hostess with the mostest. Oh good Lord … even I can’t believe I just said that!

http://www.thekitchn.com/thekitchn/liquor/cocktail-alternative-boozesoaked-fruit-skewers-126144?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+apartmenttherapy%2Fthekitchn+%28The+Kitchn%29

WaterFire and Dwight Lenox & the Lenox Avenue Jazz & Dance Band

2010-09-03T00:08:00.010-04:00

Are you looking for something fun to do on a Friday night? I have a suggestion for you!

Last week we attended “WaterFire Columbus”. What fun! And to make the evening even better, the music was provided by our very dear friend and favorite jazz singer and his band! Why yes, that indeed would be none other than “Dwight Lenox and the Lenox Avenue Express Jazz & Dance Band”! What an incredible evening!

First let me tell you about WaterFire in case you aren’t familiar with it. Here is an excerpt from their webpage: http://www.waterfirecolumbus.com/

WaterFire Columbus

WaterFire opens all of our senses to our surroundings; it allows viewers to savor the artwork's surprises, view the city's landscape and mingle with fellow citizens.

WaterFire Columbus is becoming one of the most exciting art exhibits in Central Ohio. The magnificent array of bonfires was first established on the three rivers of downtown Providence, Rhode Island in 1997. In downtown Columbus the flames reflect on the waters of the Scioto River. Audience members gather for an evening of natural art, music and activity featuring this remarkable display on the east side of COSI in front of Genoa Park.

WaterFire Columbus has created seven events for the 2010 Burn Season partnering with different performing arts organizations. The board's goal is to expand relationships with additional performing arts groups in Central Ohio.

The event has expanded from 19 braziers in 2008 to 37 for 2010 Burn Season. WaterFire also gives viewers the opportunity to purchase tables where individuals have the choice of sitting down and enjoying dinner along the river during select events.

We began our evening by setting up our chairs and spreading a blanket over the ground in front of them. There were vendors selling food and we brought some of our own. When I spoke with the gentleman at Experience Columbus, he advised me that they asked that drinks be purchased there. Wine, beer, water and lemonade were available. We made our selections and returned to our spot. There we laid out a cheese plate & crackers and fruit & dip that we'd brought along to compliment our purchases. We then proceeded to feast!

Just about the time we finished noshing, the music began. Oh how we love to hear Dwight and his band! As the sun began to dip behind the COSI building and the sky turned golden, Dwight’s luscious baritone wrapped itself around us and seeped into our bones. The strains of the instruments, individually and collectively, danced as one melody led into the next. We lost ourselves in the glorious sound that is uniquely Dwight.

As dusk settled, the band took an intermission and Dwight was taken out on the boat to light the first of the fires. How thrilling! What a vision the boat, the flames, and the figures in the boat made against the dwindling light of the night sky.

It really was amazing to see those fires burning on the Scioto River! And then there was the wonderful smell of a wood fire, while the heat from the flames could be felt on the lower levels of the amphitheater.

The boat returned Dwight to dry land and the music began once more, with what sounded to me like a renewed sense of soul and character. There was spontaneous dancing in front of the stage. We were even fortunate enough to have a young couple entertain us with what could only be the result of some serious ballroom dance lessons! They were charming. And underneath the music, you could hear the chatter and laughter of a great party.

What an evening! Dwight played well past the 10:00pm mark. I believe he and the band were having as much fun as we were!

There are only three more WaterFire events taking place this year. I’m sure the entertainment will be lovely. But for me, Dwight & the Lenox Avenue Express made a special evening even more spectacular! I so hope they do it again next year. If so, stop by front and center to say hello to us … because that is exactly where we will be!

http://www.dwightlenox.com/

WaterFire
Genoa Park
303 W Broad Street
Columbus, OH

2010 WaterFire Burn Schedule:

•Friday, September 3rd: In partnership with Music in the Air, performance by BalletMet Columbus
•Friday, September 17: In partnership with Riverfront Art Festival, performance by Opera Columbus
•Saturday, September 18th: In partnership with Riverfront Art Festival, performance by Ladies of Longford

Photos courtesy of Dwight Lenox

Tri-Colore Orzo - Giada De Laurentiis

2010-08-28T01:23:00.011-04:00

I really, really like Giada. I mean, who doesn’t like Giada? I know my husband and all the male friends we have like Giada. Why, some of them even actually know that she’s a chef.

I have yet to make a Giada recipe that I don’t like. So when I saw this one, I just knew I had another home run on my hands. And in addition to that, it uses a cheese I have been wanting to try; ricotta salata. So I got all of the ingredients and was good to go.

First you cook the orzo. After draining it, the olive oil is mixed in well. Spread it out on a cookie sheet. When it is cooled, put it in a bowl and add salt and pepper.

Add dried cherries.

Add ricotta salata.

Add arugula and basil.

Next is fresh squeezed lemon juice. (no seeds, please)

Mmmm ... toasted pine nuts.

Then mix it all up and serve.

Here is what I learned:

First I learned that I don't care much for ricotta salata. It is pretty bland and a bit chalky. It has the same texture as feta, with a milder taste. But I'm not a huge fan of feta either. So no big surprise there.

Second, the lemon juice wasn't enough of a dressing.

Third, the cherries and arugula were perfect together. The sweetness of the cherries tasted great against the spiciness of the arugula. And the basil was a burst of flavor!

Fourth, it needed more pine nuts. But doesn't every dish need more pine nuts?

The final verdict was that my expectations were way too high. The dish definitely did not live up to them. However, the next night I reworked the leftovers. I picked out all of the ricotta salata and cubed up provolone and added that to the orzo. I thought the creamy mildness of the provolone suited the dish better. I added more chopped basil; not a whole lot, just a few more leaves. Next I threw in additional toasted pine nuts and cherries. I mixed it all together and it was looking good. I tasted it and it still needed something.

I went refrigerator shopping and was waiting for inspiration to hit. And it did! I had a bit of balsamic vinaigrette that Bob had made for a salad earlier in the week. That my friends is exactly what that orzo needed! I shook it up and drizzled it over the orzo, mixed it up real good, tasted it, and sat down because my knees were weak. Now we're talkin'!

I'm giving you the recipe as Giada wrote it. You can try it without changing a thing. Please let me say that these are just my opinions (and Bob's). Many of you might love feta and also might find you really like the ricotta salata.

The thing about this recipe is that I think you can be really flexible with it and have some fun. Next time I make it I might change up some of the ingredients and maybe use a flavored vinegar. Another option might be to use a different combination of dried fruits and greens. Try other cheeses. I think I'd stick with the orzo as the base, though. That seemed totally right.

Make it and let me know what you think! Won't be the first time I've been wrong. But whatever you do, do not tell Bob I just said that!

Tri-Colore Orzo
Giada De Laurentiis-http://giadarecipes.blogspot.com/2010/08/tri-colore-orzo.html

Prep Time: 15 min
Inactive Prep Time: 15 min
Cook Time: 10 min
Serves: 4 to 6 servings

Ingredients:
• 1 pound orzo pasta
• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus 1/4 cup
• 2 cups fresh arugula (about 3 ounces)
• 3/4 cup crumbled ricotta salata cheese (or feta cheese)
• 1/2 cup dried cherries
• 12 fresh basil leaves, torn
• 1/4 cup toasted pine nuts
• 3 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Directions:
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 8 to 10 minutes. Drain pasta and put the pasta on a large cookie sheet. Drizzle the pasta with 3 tablespoons olive oil, toss, spread out, and set aside to cool.
Once the orzo is cool, transfer to a large serving bowl. Add the remaining ingredients and toss gently to combine. Serve.

Gahanna Community Wellness Festival

2010-08-21T23:19:00.012-04:00

Today Bob and I participated in a 'Community Wellness Festival' at Schoedinger in Gahanna. A “wellness” festival at a funeral home, you say? Why yes. I believe it was a gesture of reaching out to the community and offering an afternoon of family fun along with some good information about services offered in the Gahanna area.

We met a lot of really cool people. It was a great opportunity for us to talk with others who care about our town and want to touch others’ lives. And of course, we brought food with us to share! Always, there is food!

Elizabeth Gerhard (our friend and Schoedinger manager) kicked off the event with a welcome to all,

and the “Legal Limit Quartet” gave a lovely rendition of the National Anthem while the flag was raised.

There were presentations that were interesting and quite informative. Dr. Marc Hollander spoke about how dental care affects just about every part of us. Cathy Philips, the director of the Ohio Herb Education Center spoke about healing herbs and tea “thyme” (Dianne Williams baked some absolutely delicious banana nut muffins to go with the tea!), and Michael Schoedinger talked about “green burials”.

Beecher Chiropractic & Wellness Center was there and were had info and testing on laser allergy treatments. They offer some really interesting services and are definitely worth taking a look at if you’re not familiar with them! http://www.beecherchiro.com/

We met folks from Celebrate Recovery, which is a “Christ-Centered Recovery Program” for “healing life’s hurts habits and hang-ups”. Meetings are Thursdays at 7pm at Shepherd Church of the Nazarene.

Smoothie King was there with some yummy samples and information on all the products they have. YMCA had representatives at the event and Bernie Decicco (YMCA) was making healthy snow cones with fruit juices. I had a mango concoction and Bob had one made with grape juice. Just delicious! Schoedinger provided grilled hot dogs that were done just the way I like them! They were served on whole grain buns which bumped up the “healthy” factor. Who knew they made whole grain hot dog buns?

And then there was Dishing-it-Up! Columbus. You might have heard of them? Oh yeah, we were totally into it! Keeping with the healthy (okay, not totally if you think about all the butter I used) and herbal theme (Gahanna = herbs), I made several different kinds of herb butter. Bob and I had a set up that really was quite lovely. Bob brought pots of flowers and our own potted herbs to decorate. We had vases of cut herbs including basil, rosemary, Italian parsley and chives.

A produce basket almost overflowed with fresh vegetables that Bob used to make the most wonderful bruschetta. No kidding; the stuff was incredible. It was full of fresh tomatoes, basil, garlic, chives, Italian parsley, shredded cheeses, and then dressed with balsamic vinaigrette. This morning before we left, the two of us had made three loaves of crostini; toasted bread that was rubbed with a garlic clove as soon as it came out of the oven.

When he worked his magic with the tomatoes and garlic, etc and topped a crostini with a heaping spoonful of the gorgeous mixture, I fell in love with him all over again. Oh be still my beating heart. *sigh* One bite of this and your taste buds began to sing. Really! It was that good. I think it was the balsamic vinegar that just put it over the top. I can see a lot of this bruschetta in our future. A lot!

This painted man sure liked Bob's bruschetta!!!

I started out with a pretty standard herb butter that contained basil and chives. We had some cracker sticks for sampling the butter. To get an even better taste of herbs' abilities to communicate with other fresh ingredients, I made simple cucumber sandwiches. Now I ask you, how long has it been since you’ve had a cucumber sandwich? They were pretty darn good. But what was really fun was when I started experimenting!

I had a slab of butter that I mixed with some basil. It cried out for something more! I just happened to have a container of sundried tomatoes with me. I picked out some nice juicy ones and pressed them between layers of paper towels to remove as much of the oil as I could. We had chosen to use Plugra (European style butter with 82% butterfat, compared with 80% butterfat in American butters), so I figured we really didn’t need the extra oil from the tomatoes. I finely diced the tomatoes and added a couple of cloves of garlic for good measure, because you can never have too much garlic. A pinch of salt and I called it good. I folded, I mixed and I stirred. Then the moment of truth … can I just say that this stuff rocked? Oh my. I have a new love in my life. And my waist and thighs ain’t gonna be happy about it! A cucumber sandwich with this butter climbed to a new level. (As far as cucumber sandwiches go, okay?) My mind was reeling. What if …? Oh dear. What if I were to make a bacon sandwich with this? Oh the possibilities!!! I couldn’t take it. I had to sit down.

So there you have it. We sliced, we diced, we chopped and we slathered. We fed the masses! Well, I might be going just a bit overboard.

We sure did have fun, though!

..............

Yikes! I cannot believe I forgot to put the recipe for the bruschetta on here! Please forgive me! If you don't now, you will after you make this recipe!

Bob's Bruschetta
adapted from recipe from "Culinary Herb Guide"
Serves 4 (supposedly ... ha!)

Ingredients:

2 medium to large tomatoes, diced
3 large cloves garlic, chopped
2 cloves garlic, peeled
3 Tablespoons olive oil
2 1/2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
3 Tablespoons chopped fresh basil
1 Tablespoon chopped fresh chives
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper
8 slices Italian bread, cut on the bias about 1" thick
4 Tablespoons grated Italian cheese blend (we used Sargento's)

Instructions:

Whisk together vinegar, salt, pepper, and oil.

Combine tomatoes, chopped garlic, basil, and chives. Add to vinegar mixture. Let sit at room temperature.

Toast the bread. This can be done either in the toaster (if it's got really wide slots) or under the broiler (if using this method watch closely so it does not burn.)

When the bread is toasted rub each piece, on one side, with the whole garlic pieces.

Mix grated cheese into the tomato mixture. Top each piece of bread with bruschetta mixture.

Serve immediately.

Accept praise and accolades from family and friends! Take appropriate bows.

Hot Summer, Cool Salads

2010-08-19T14:25:00.006-04:00

When it is so stinkin' hot out that you can't even think, who wants to cook dinner? Before we left for vacation that's the way it was. I was shopping and packing and so not wanting to add cooking to that list. But you sure can't go out or order dinner in every night, so I needed to come up with cool alternatives.

One night we had salads. And I'm not just talking your run of the mill mixed lettuce and dressing. No, we were still hungry enough. So I made BIG salads.

Bob loves tuna salad. Me, not so much. So I whipped up a chunky, creamy tuna salad and plated it with mixed greens and radishes, carrots, cucumbers and cheese cubes. He loved it!

For my salad I went Cobb. And since I love iceburg (I know, I know) I loaded that on my plate and topped it with ham and chicken, cheddar and mozzarella, carrots, radishes, cucumbers, onions and sliced hard boiled egg.

They totally and completely hit the spot! YUM!!!

bobandjeancollier@hotmail.com

Pecan Praline Mix

2010-08-14T15:05:00.004-04:00

Having just come back from vacation , I'm here to tell you it sure is difficult to get back into the swing of things. Especially when you've driven 1400 miles with two children ages 7 and 4! Okay, so they were in the other car. It was still stressful listening to their parents!!! And I won't even get started on the car breaking down when we were all loaded to take off at 8am on a Saturday when we were all cranky because our vacation was ending and we were leaving the ocean behind!

But there are some things I rely on when I'm taking a driving vacation. And the answer to your question of "What things, Jean?" would be snacks. Yes, snacks. And I'm going to share one of my most favorite of them with you. Why? 'Cause I'm just that kind of girl. Always giving and sharing ... hush all of you! This truly is one of the best ever!

Pecan Praline Mix

Mix in 13 x 9 pan. Set aside.
16 oz box Quaker Oat Squares (regular or cinnamon)
2 cups pecans (sometimes I mix in almonds and cashews)

Mix in 8 cup microwave safe bowl:
½ cup light corn syrup
½ cup packed brown sugar
¼ cup butter or margarine
Microwave on high for 1 ½ minutes; stir.
Microwave an additional ½ to 1 ½ minutes until boiling.

Add:
1 tsp vanilla
½ tsp soda
Mix well (will foam) and immediately pour over mixture in pan.
Bake 1 hour at 250˚, stirring every 20 minutes.
Spread on baking sheet to cool. Break into pieces.

*Note: This is extremely addicting!

Penne Pasta with Sundried Tomatoes, Spinach & Feta

2010-07-27T00:36:00.007-04:00

This is one of Bob’s and my favorite dishes. The first night I make it we eat it warm/room temperature. The next night we eat it cold. Sometimes we eat it standing in front of the open refrigerator with a fork in our hands! It seems it has an addictive quality.

The recipe doesn’t really have set amounts of ingredients. It’s very forgiving in that you can adjust what you like or don’t like. We happen to like it all. Go figure.

I do hope you like this dish as much as we do!

Penne Pasta with Sundried Tomatoes, Spinach & Feta

16 oz box of penne pasta
1 bag baby spinach leaves, washed and spun dry – remove stems if you’re anal like me
6 oz crumbled feta cheese (we like the sundried tomato & basil flavor)
Sundried tomatoes (packed in oil), sliced
Chopped garlic – roasted garlic is nice if you have it
Olive oil
Grated parmesan cheese
Toasted pine nuts

The cast of characters. Uh oh … looks like the olive oil and the parmesan cheese didn’t make it to the preview party. I’m sure they’ll catch up with us.

Cook the pasta according to package directions. (I generally use penne pasta, but the store was out of it. So I went with rigatoni. Bob and I both agreed we like the penne better.) Drain pasta and return to the pot.

While the pasta is cooking, grate the parmesan cheese and then toast the pine nuts in a small skillet. Be careful because they toast really fast! Watch them every single second! They’ll turn on you in a heartbeat. Please, learn from my experience.

Add the remaining ingredients, except the grated parmesan cheese and toasted pine nuts, to the pasta in the pot.

Mix well. I eyeball the olive oil. Don’t skimp on it because you want this to have a great mouthfeel. Add enough that it’s easy to mix but doesn’t look overly greasy. And use some of the oil from the tomatoes! That has great flavor!

Dish up a healthy serving and garnish with grated parmesan and toasted pine nuts.

This dish is so easy it’s crazy. And it’s so good it’s sinful! My mouth is watering just writing this. Really! Oh man, now I’m going to have to make this again to silence the craving.

You should whip up a batch too, and tell me what you think!

Restaurant Week (614) magazine - Lemongrass Fusion Bistro

2010-07-15T20:57:00.011-04:00

Last night’s dinner choice was a slam dunk! My friend, Jenny has been urging us to go to Lemongrass for some time now. She adores this place. And now I know why! It is absolutely awesome! I simply could not stop thinking about it all day today. Almost everything that passed these lips set me on a rant about the fabulousness of the tastes! And if “fabulousness” isn’t a word it should be … just to describe Lemongrass! O-M-G!!!

Beginning with the space itself, I fell in love. From the outside on High Street it doesn’t look like much. There is a neon sign that’s kind of cool, but if you blink you might miss it. Don’t blink! Definitely don’t blink. The inside is just charming. I absolutely love the décor!

The first course choices were all tempting. Bob chose to begin with the Eurasia Salad. Baby field greens and romaine lettuce, roasted almonds, tangerines and crispy noodles; served with their Eurasia vinaigrette made with rosemary, maple, and spicy lime vinegar. It also had pineapple chunks and a funny looking fried thing. Can you see it there on the upper left side? Bob took a bite of it and looked at me with a big grin and said, “Oh, you’re going to love this.” I tasted it and he was right (as he so often is). He was darn lucky he got it back. I wanted it in a real bad way. The salad was delightful. The dressing was just perfect with the fruit and the greens.

I chose the Pan Seared Veggie Dumplings. These are house-made dumplings stuffed with fresh Asian chives and served with their ginger-soy sauce. I love dumplings of any type so I barely even looked at the other choices. Um, let me say these were not quite what I had expected. The menu states they are “pan seared” so I anticipated that they would be like potstickers. These were more steamed than seared, and the texture was chewy. Don’t get me wrong, I ate them! The flavor was good, but the texture was kind of weird. I probably wouldn’t order them again. But when talking to Jenny, she gushed over them. Go figure.

The second course was served quickly after the first. Service was quick! Bob ordered the Pacific Rim Grilled Chicken. It is grilled then baked chicken breast, paired with their Pacific Rim cream sauce and served over linguine pasta. Oh my goodness is this good. The cream sauce is just ridiculously delicious. The chicken was yummy, the linguine was cooked just right, and it was garnished with a couple of broccoli floweret’s and carrot sticks. The plate was gorgeous.

I had the Monsoon Shrimp. It is one half pound of fresh shrimp, wok-fried with lime juice, lemongrass, coconut milk, and chili paste. This is served over a bed of Thai green beans and steamed rice. I was a bit concerned that the dish might be too spicy for me because of the chili paste. (We all know what a wimp I am.) I asked our server and he assured me that it was not overly spicy at all. First of all, the plate was beautiful. The beans surrounded rice that had been unmolded in the center. 11 shrimp were then placed around the rice and one sat atop the rice. The sauce was indescribably good.

We started eating our entrées and both of us were practically moaning. We switched plates and dug in. Neither of us could decide which was better. Bob asked if I wanted to switch back and I told him I wasn’t ready to. He responded, “Okay, but you’re losing shrimp at an alarming rate.” I took a few more bites of the chicken and linguine and reluctantly switched. My first bite of the Monsoon Shrimp had me swooning again.

Who is the wizard in this kitchen?

Our dessert dishes did not disappoint. What an incredible end to an incredible meal! Bob got the Almond Cream Cake, which is a rum soaked almond pound cake, frosted with amaretto mascarpone, garnished with caramelized almonds and powdered sugar. Oh my goodness. This was so good and the plate was so pretty. I think Bob had half of it gone before I could even get a first bite! This was right up his alley. The rum soaked cake was moist and delicious. The amaretto mascarpone was the perfect complement to the cake. Yes, that was an excellent choice!

My dessert was the Fried Plantains -- fresh plantains coated with coconut and sesame seeds, fried to a golden hue and served with chocolate covered ice cream bars. I loved this! Coating the plantains with coconut and sesame seeds was genius! The flavors were perfect together. Then to put the ice cream bars with the coconut/sesame plantains was whimsical. I wanted to lick the plate.

To say that we will return to Lemongrass is an understatement. I’m already plotting my strategy for future visits. There are so many items I see on the menu that I want to try. Jenny and I have compared notes and I’ve received her recommendations. The possibility of a Lemongrass rendezvous with her looms large.

They even packed our left-overs in a bag with a smiley face on it. What's not to like about this place?

Maybe they should just permanently reserve a seat for me … one in the front room, please.

Lemongrass {fusion bistro}
641 North High Street
Columbus, OH
(614) 224-1414
www.lemongrassfusion.com

Restaurant Week (614) Magazine – Flatiron Bar & Diner

2010-07-12T22:57:00.010-04:00

And so it begins. (614) Magazine Restaurant Week starts today and runs through Saturday, July 17th. The list of participating restaurants is quite impressive. This makes it incredibly difficult to narrow down the choice of where to go.

I’ve gone over the list of menus again and again. And I mean over, and over, and over, again and again, and again. There are so many that I want to try. Oh the decisions. The first one that I just could not get out of my mind was the Flatiron Bar and Diner. I kept coming back to it and drooling. So when Bob got home tonight and we were deciding where to go, that was what I was pushing for. Let me tell you, it sure didn’t take much pushing to get him to agree!

Off we went. The Flatiron doesn’t take reservations; it’s first come, first serve. It’s such a fun place to eat. The building is actually pie shaped. It was built in 1914, and the narrow part of the building was originally a saloon. From the end of the bar to the back door (the widest part of the building) was a grocery store. We love the building, especially the windows!

This is such a gem in downtown Columbus. The food is absolutely delicious! Their website describes the food as “bold tastes of Cajun, Creole, barbecue, and low country cuisine”. I just say it’s good. Let me get on with business and show you.

The first course was a choice of salads. I got the Mixed Green Salad with candied jowl bacon and bleu cheese, and Bob got the Traditional Caesar Salad. My salad was wonderful. The candied jowl bacon took this salad to a new level. The balsamic dressing was spot on; with flavors that were perfectly balanced. Bob said his Caesar salad was quite good.

The Second course choices we made were ever so good! We shared :-)

My choice was the Laughing Bird Shrimp and Stone Ground Grits with Ohio pork belly red eye gravy. Holy cow was this good! The grits were delicious alone, however paired with the shrimp and pork red eye gravy, this dish was absolutely wonderful. I’d have been happy if this had been my main dish!

Bob’s choice was even better! (Good thing we were sharing, or things might have gotten a little dicey here!) He got the Homemade Smoked Texas Sausage Plate with apple stadium mustard, cornichons, red onions and herb marinated provolone cheese. Wow! The smokiness of the sausage was unbelievable. The squiggle of mustard running along the top of it was classic. And the cornichons were the perfect accompaniment! A bite of the sausage got the flavors of the meat and the smoke working in my mouth. Then I took a bite of the cornichons and it about brought me to my knees. What a plate!

The third course did not disappoint. Bob ordered the Seared Yellowfin Tuna Medallions with green tomato chutney and benne beans. Bob said the tuna was delicious. The chutney was really interesting … a good interesting. There was the tartness of the tomatoes, but also tanginess from vinegar and sugar. The tuna was served on a bed of white rice with a side of string beans that had been blanched and dressed with an oh-so-light dressing and sprinkled with sesame seeds. They were crisp and fresh and nutty.

My third course was heaven. Truly I mean it! I had Smoked Chicken Leg Quarter with chipotle orange BBQ sauce, Boursin mashed potatoes and southern style green beans. I swooned. I nearly fell out of my chair! Talk about comfort food. Oh my. Let me begin with the green beans. Bob’s were bright green. Mine were dark, army green. I like my beans cooked within an inch of their lives. So sue me. These were like my mom made them. They were soft and had chunks of pork. I could have wept. The beans were nestled up against mashed potatoes. Not smooth, over-whipped, squirted out of a pastry bag potatoes (although I’d never turn my nose up at those … me + potatoes = happy girl). These potatoes had Boursin cheese in them and had lumps and steam coming off of them. And plopped on top of all this happiness was a chicken leg quarter with skin that was charred and smeared with Flatiron’s chipotle orange BBQ sauce. Love on a plate is what it was. Nothing should taste this good. It just ruins me for mediocre food (hmm … like my own cooking, maybe?).

What a dinner! And all of this for $20 each! Is that crazy or what???

Special thanks to an awesome and incredibly hardworking server, Amber. You were terrific!

If Flatiron Bar and Diner isn’t one of your choices this week, it should be!

Flatiron Bar and Diner
129 E Nationwide Blvd
Columbus, OH 43215
(614) 461-0033
http://www.flatironcolumbus.com/

KDB Easton

2010-07-10T05:09:00.003-04:00

I received an email from my friend, Tammy Geiger. She is the Director of Sales & Marketing for the new “KDB” that is opening in Easton. It sounds like a place that can be fun for the whole family, dates, or friends just wanting to meet somewhere for a bite to eat and a drink. Plus, they can accommodate groups large and small for special occasions.

Check it out! Opening day is August 5, 2010! What fun!!!

Friends,

I would like to formally introduce to you the newest entertainment concept at Easton – KDB.
KDB - “Your Neighborhood, Kitchen, Den and Bar” will be your home away from home offering great food, drinks, games, bowling, and entertainment. Our 37,000+ square foot venue is located in Columbus, Ohio at Easton Town Center. Our venue showcases a unique blend of friendly neighborhood service, delicious menu offerings and immersive entertainment experiences to provide our guests a one-of-a-kind experience.

For day or night events, KDB features a unique modular design that allows us to customize the space and entertainment experience for any group size or demographic. The Kitchen: 150 dining area, including an outside patio and the best in home-style Americana cuisine. The Den: is 20,000 square feet of space with over 200 of the hottest games and one-of-a-kind interactive attractions designed exclusively for KDB surrounded by high-definition flat screens. The Bar: includes two high-energy bar areas, the perfect spot to watch sports and a Martini Lounge serving signature drinks.

KDB is the premier location for high-tech corporate meetings, group events, private parties, Team Building Event, Holiday Parties, Fundraisers, Sales Seminar’s, New Product Launches, Manager's Meetings, training classes and so much more!

KDB Offers:
• Accommodations for groups from 10 – 1,000
• Private Party and Meeting Rooms
• Professional Sound Stage with Live Entertainment
• A variety of creative menu options
• Professional on-site party and meeting planners
• A totally unique party atmosphere
• The best Interactive Games and Attractions around
• 2 high-energy bars including a sports bar
• 150 seat restaurant

Cheers, I look forward to working with many of you again and planning your exciting events at KDB Easton!

Tammy Geiger
KDB - Easton

"Our house is your home...and a whole lot more"
GREAT FOOD, DRINKS, GAME & FUN!
Director, Sales and Marketing
165 Easton Town Center
Columbus, OH 43219
614.418.7149 (office)
614.390.0144 (cell)
tgeiger@kdbeaston.com
facebook.com/kdbeaston

So there you have it! The newest addition to Easton! A great place for parties … and who doesn’t like a party?

Restaurant Week - (614 Magazine) July 12-17, 2010

2010-07-08T23:26:00.003-04:00

It is time again for Restaurant Week from 614 Magazine! July 12-17 is going to be a great week! The list of participating restaurants and their menus will knock your socks off! I am just blown away ... and it's going to be tough to make choices! But I already have a few picked out.

Boy am I glad Bob is back on his game. Think I'll strap a bib on him and away we go!

Please check them out and visit as many as you can. The proceeds go to the Mid Ohio Food Bank.

http://restaurantweekcolumbus.com/

Summertime Lunch

2010-06-28T23:29:00.003-04:00

When Bob was home recovering, we had the pleasure of being able to have lunch together; not something we normally get to do. I tried to make our lunches light and as low in calories as I could, since he wasn't very physically active (and we all know I'm rarely physically active if I can help it!). Some days we were lucky enough that the weather cooperated and we got to have our lunch on the deck.

This lunch was one of his favorites. As you can see, the preparation of each food on this plate did not require a rocket scientist. (No, we are not going there today, I promise you!) But the combination just worked.

The main event was a big scoop of chicken salad with a few fresh mint leaves tucked in (left over from the Vietnamese Spring Rolls). A deviled egg, slices of baby Swiss cheese, carrot stick and cucumber sticks rounded out the plate. On the side was a fresh sliced tomato, and a plate of multi-grain bread. Top that off with ice cold lemonade and you have a summer lunch that is absolutely delicious!

As we sat at the table and listened to the birds sing and watched the squirrels play out in the wooded area behind the house, a tiny female hummingbird came up to the feeder a few feet from where we sat. She perched on the feeder and fed right before our eyes; turning a good lunch into a fantastic lunch!

I love summertime!

Vietnamese Spring Rolls

2010-06-24T01:59:00.006-04:00

It is so stinkin’ hot outside that I cannot stand it! I should be swimming! I should be in a pool with crystal clear water swishing around me and enveloping me as I dive into the cold, delicious water! Oh dear. I lost control for a minute. I’m sorry you had to see that.

Ahem. Okay, I’ve pulled it back together. It’s not easy to do when it’s 95 degrees out and you’re not sure if your air conditioner is going to hold out. It’s almost too hot to eat. Almost. I don’t know that I’ve ever really been too hot to eat. In fact, I don’t think anything gets in the way of my eating.

So when the thermometers are screaming with high temperatures, I want something that is refreshing. Enter Vietnamese Spring Rolls. I have wanted to make these forever. Well here was my chance. These would taste great on days like these. They are fresh and light and just the thing when the temperature is on the rise.

Now, I’ve never made them before but they didn’t look too difficult. One of my absolute favorite blogs is http://www.steamykitchen.com/. Jaden Hair is amazing. You really should check out her blog. It is one of the best around. She had blogged about the spring rolls a while ago and I knew I had saved the post. I dug it out and used this as my main guide, plus I made the sauce from her post.

The thing about these Vietnamese Spring Rolls is that they are not baked or fried. They are totally fresh. And you can put just about anything you want into them. I stayed pretty traditional on my ingredients. I did all of the prep work in the kitchen and then Bob and I made them at the table. It really was a lot of fun!

The ingredients I used were small shrimp that I had sautéed with chopped garlic and basil. (Jaden marinates and grills hers.) I had mango, red peppers, carrots and seeded cucumber. In addition, there were fresh mint leaves, Boston Bibb lettuce and vermicelli rice noodles. And of course, the round rice paper wrappers

We began by taking one rice paper, dipping it in the water. Then we started constructing our rolls. First up was the shrimp. Next the lettuce, vermicelli noodles, carrots, red pepper, cucumber, mango and finish with 2 mint leaves.

Then it was time to roll it all together. Jaden says to “try to keep the filling compact and piled on top of the shrimp.” She instructs to start with the side closest to you, “roll up the roll tight, stopping halfway to gently tug back on the roll to tighten.” As you will quickly find out when working with rice paper wrappers, they stick to themselves very easily. So as you roll and the paper comes in contact with itself, it will seal. We just folded ours up like a burrito.

This is Bob’s roll. Isn’t it gorgeous? His is prettier than mine because I don’t put the red pepper in mine. You will not believe the taste! Oh my gosh! The mango and the mint absolutely sing in your mouth! The shrimp and the vegetables are so refreshing and taste so incredible together. And you can see the dipping sauces I made to go with them; sweet chili sauce and cashew butter dipping sauce. I kid you not, these things will make you swoon.

This is my roll. Doesn’t it look yummy? Look how nicely rolled it is and how the wrapper is tight around the filling? Doesn’t it just look like a picture?

Okay, time for true confessions. This was the second time we had them. The first time we made these we took pictures of the first roll I made. We were so hungry that we didn’t really take a good look at the picture before we polished off dinner. I about fell off of my chair when I downloaded the pictures. I yelled for Bob. He came hobbling over on his crutches to see why I was darn near hysterical. Ah hell; I can’t explain it. Take a look for yourselves.

See? There was no way I could blog and use that picture!!! I’d have to put a disclaimer on here and post an X rating for the blog … and it wouldn’t be referring to my size!

And that’s all I’m going to say about that!

Please disregard the picture of my first attempt and rest assured that these are fun to make, healthy, and a perfect meal on a stinkin’ hot day.

By the way, the cashew butter dipping sauce is so incredibly delicious it defies explanation. And the sweet chili sauce is every bit as good. We couldn’t decide which we liked better so we would alternate bites until we got to the point where we slathered both sauces on at once.

You simply have got to make these! And ladies … uh, like I said, that’s all I’m gonna say about that!

Vietnamese Summer Rolls (Goi Cuon)
Adapted from Steamy Kitchen http://steamykitchen.com/265-vietnamese-summer-rolls.html

6 oz dried rice vermicelli
3 cloves garlic, chopped fine
24 small sized shrimp, shelled
16-24 round rice papers (8” diameter)
1 head of butter or Boston Bibb lettuce, leaves separated
1 cup julienned or shredded carrots
½ cup julienned red bell peppers
½ cup mango, sliced into thin slivers
½ cup julienned seeded cucumbers
24 mint leaves

Sauté shrimp and garlic in olive oil. Let cool. Slice each shrimp down the middle of its back so that you have two identical halves of shrimp.

You will need a dish to dip the rice papers in; one deep enough to submerge the whole paper at once. I found that a deep dish 9” pie plate did the trick. Fill it with room temperature water. Dip one rice paper round in the dish for a quick 2 seconds. Lift round and let the water drip off. Place on clean, dry work surface. Blot the top of the round with a paper towel. You’ll work one roll at a time.

Now it’s time to roll. The wrapper will still be a little stiff. By the time you finish piling on the ingredients, it will have softened enough to roll. Lay 4 halves of the shrimp in a line near the bottom 1/3 of the round. Top with some lettuce, vermicelli noodles, carrots, bell pepper, cucumber, mango, and finish with 2 mint leaves. Try to keep the ingredients compact and piled on top of the shrimp. Starting with the side closest to you, roll up the roll tight, stopping halfway to gently tug back on the roll to tighten.
The wrapper is self-sealing. You can use a sharp knife to cut off the two ends to make it look neater.

Cashew Butter Dipping Sauce
Adapted from Oishii Eats

Most recipes for dipping sauce call for Peanut Butter, however a Cashew Butter or even Almond Butter is more fragrant, delicate and oh-so-delicious. I like my sauce a little thin, so that when I dip my roll in the sauce, it lightly coats the roll and I can still taste the fresh, vibrant vegetables inside.

1 tablespoon vegetable oil
3 garlic cloves, finely minced (about 3 teaspoons)
1/3 cup hoisin sauce
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon chili garlic sauce
3 tablespoons cashew butter
1/4 cup water
In a small saucepan over medium heat, warm the oil. When it is hot, add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add hoisin, sugar, chili garlic sauce, cashew butter and water, whisk and simmer for 1 minute. You can add an additional tablespoon of water for a thinner consistency.

Beautiful Berries!

2010-06-23T16:42:00.002-04:00

Every summer I wait for the berries; blueberries, strawberries, raspberries, blackberries and black raspberries. I love them so. And oh, the possibilities! I quiver with the thought of it all.

How is this for the simple beauty of summer berries?

Bob and I have already put an assortment of them into brandy. I can’t wait to get into those! I’m going to try freezing some in simple syrup. Cuisine at Home magazine recommends this. Of course there will be coffee cakes and shortcakes and muffins and cupcakes. Dear Lord, I can feel my hips widening as I type this!

Tell me, what will you do with berries this summer?

Sweet Pickled Beans from Everyday Food Magazine

2010-06-22T15:50:00.006-04:00

First let me explain my absence and apologize for it. You know how inside all of our heads we think we’re much younger than our actual age? And how sometimes maybe a lapse of judgment leads us to believe we might be capable of doing something that we really aren’t capable of doing? (Elaine, remember the Christmas decorations in the crawl space?) Yeah. Well anyway, in Bob’s head I think he sometimes thinks he’s 12 years old. And it’s usually when he’s with Brian. On a bicycle. Who knows what Brian’s thinking?

Long story short, Bob was racing Brian and he crashed. Bob that is, not Brian. Results were not pretty. Broken bones, separated shoulder, bruises and contusions … like I said, not pretty. So that pretty much explains what I’ve been doing for the past three weeks. Sorry. I’ve missed my blog.

Now I’m back. Bob’s not completely recovered, but he’s oh so much better! Thank you for asking :-) Now on to business!

I love pickled stuff. I saw a recipe in July/August 2010 Everyday Food magazine that I just had to try. It was for “sweet pickled wax beans”. Since I like green beans way better than wax and the recipe suggests that as one of the swaps, that is what I decided to pickle; along with cauliflower.

It was pretty darn easy. Basically using clean jars, you pack them with your choice of vegetables.

Then you make the brine and bring it to a boil; reduce and simmer. After it cools you pour it into the jar, covering the veggies and leaving headspace.

Seal the jars and refrigerate at least 3 days before serving. We tried them after 3 days and they kind of tasted like new pickles taste. So we resealed them and will wait a little longer. As for the taste, the flavor was really good! But both Bob and I thought that they were way too sour. We expected that sweet pickled taste. So I googled info on Splenda. I wanted to sweeten them up a bit but I also didn’t want to disturb what I’d already done. I added about 1/8 cup Splenda to each jar. We’ll see what they taste like again in a few days.

I have another recipe for awesome pickles that I’ll have to share. Now that I’ve thought of them I am just going to have to make them! They make my knees weak!

Here is the original recipe from Everyday Food. Do you do any pickling? If so, I would love to hear what you do and how you do it.

Sweet Pickled Wax Beans
From Everyday Food magazine
Serves 8

Ingredients:

1 pound wax beans, trimmed
4 sprigs thyme
4 cups white-wine vinegar
2 cups sugar
1 cup water
4 garlic cloves, peeled
1 teaspoon fennel seeds
1 teaspoon coriander seeds
1 teaspoon mustard seeds
½ teaspoon whole black peppercorns

Directions:

1. In two quart-size glass jars, arrange beans upright and place 2 sprigs thyme in each. In a small saucepan, bring vinegar, sugar, garlic, fennel seeds, coriander seeds, mustard seeds, peppercorns and water to a boil over medium-high. Reduce heat and simmer 10 minutes. Let cool to room temperature.

2. Pour cooled brine over beans, leaving a ½ inch space at top of each jar, seal and refrigerate at least 3 days before serving. (Pickled beans keep, refrigerated up to 2 months.)

Swap It:
Green beans, cauliflower, carrots, or beets would also work in this preparation.

Summer Sides

2010-05-30T23:32:00.002-04:00

Let's talk about side dishes for summer meals. Here is a dish that is a staple for cookouts in our house. I don’t have pictures of them, because who thinks to take a picture of something that is a staple? I don’t think you’ll really need a picture anyway. But these are so good that you really should try them. You owe yourself that much!

It used to be that I never could make a decent pot of baked beans. Then I tasted Calico Beans. They are so absolutely incredibly delicious! It’s funny because now I’m asked to bring these beans to cookouts. They are so good that Bob and I could truly eat them for dinner all by themselves. Of course the rest of the evening might be a little dicey, if you get my “drift” ;-)

"Calico Beans"

½ pound bacon, cut into ½ inch pieces
½ pound ground beef
1 onion, chopped
15 oz can pinto beans, drained
15 oz can black beans, drained
28 oz Bush’s Baked Beans, undrained (your favorite flavor)
1 cup dark brown sugar
2 Tablespoons vinegar
½ cup ketchup

Put all of the beans in a baking dish.

Cook bacon in skillet, remove and drain well on paper towels. Remove all but two Tablespoons bacon grease. Cook ground beef and onions in reserved bacon grease. Drain some but not all of the fat. Add brown sugar, vinegar, and ketchup. Mix well.

Pour over beans and mix well. Bake at 350 degrees until desired consistency.

Swoon accordingly.

Another side that I made this weekend is totally retro. Think back to when every potluck, every cookout, and every family reunion had … Veggie Pizza! No, I’m not talking about a pizza with vegetables on it. I’m talking about the cold appetizer that is made with a base of crescent roll dough and has a ranch like dip & veggies and cheese on top. Oh yeah. Brings back memories, huh? Thought so. Me, too. I made it and was totally smitten with it all over again. So here is the recipe, if you’d like to take a walk down memory lane with me!

"Veggie Pizza"

Crust:
2 cans crescent rolls (8 ct each)
Press dough onto cookie sheet, closing seams. Bake 15 minutes in a preheated 375 degree oven. Cool completely.

Filling:
2- 8 oz cream cheese, softened
8 oz sour cream
1 pkg Hidden Valley Ranch mix
Blend well. Spread on cooled crust.

Top with:*
½ cup broccoli, chopped fine
½ cup carrots, shredded
½ cup cucumber, peeled and seeds removed, chopped fine
½ cup cauliflower, chopped fine
1 cup shredded cheddar
1 cup shredded mozzarella

Refrigerate until ready to serve. Cut into small pieces and serve.
*May be any combination of vegetables you desire.

What sides are favorites in your house?

Smoky Tomato Bacon Pasta

2010-05-22T14:57:00.004-04:00

I read quite a few cooking blogs and am always seeing recipes I want to try. I have stacks of printed recipes I intend to make someday. Ask Bob. It makes him crazy. I also have computer files full of recipes and paper folders and binders and I think there might even be some taped to the cats! Come here Bogey, let’s see … yep. Turned him over and there is one stuck on his furry little belly right now!

Every once in a while there will be one that I just keep thinking about. Who knows what it is that makes one stick in my head and another one slip away? I can’t tell you.

Some time ago I saw a recipe on “Taste and Tell” blog. (I love her blog. And her little girl? I could just eat her up she’s so cute!) Anyway, I saw this a while back and it stuck. The other night I wanted to make something different than the standards that we always fall back on. Well I’m here to tell you I’ve just added a new recipe to the “standards”!

Deb posted “Smoky Tomato-Bacon Pasta” after she made it from The Deen Family Cookbook. While on the whole she wasn’t blown away by the cookbook, she was totally smitten with this recipe. And I can understand why. It was everything I had hoped it would be.

Admittedly, I did make a few alterations. First of all, where is the garlic? It cried for garlic. I, of course could not resist. There was a very persuasive voice in my head telling me to chop garlic. Oh wait, that was Bob’s voice. He was standing behind me, looking at the recipe and saying, “I think you should add garlic.” Sometimes we think so much alike that it is downright frightening.

In addition to the garlic there were a couple of other adjustments I needed to make. I have a big bag of shallots that I’m needing to use, so instead of the yellow onion I chopped up a very big shallot and about 3 cloves of garlic. I used thick cut bacon and I think that added a great depth of smokiness along with a good bite of meat. I drained most all of the bacon drippings, leaving much less than the ¼ cup the recipe calls for. I couldn’t justify all that fat and the ½ pound bacon! I used San Marzano tomatoes because frankly, they rock. And the pasta shape I used was Campanelle, which was perfect because it really held the sauce.

Speaking of the sauce; it was thick and rich and absolutely delicious! I love that instead of heavy cream it uses cream cheese to make it rich and creamy. I used the Neufchatel (low fat) and it was great! It made me feel just a tad better about all that bacon! I garnished the dish with a fresh basil leaf and some grated parmesan cheese.

I love this recipe! The sauce is so good, and the fresh basil really made it pop! This is a new favorite. Thanks Deen family! And thanks, Deb!

Smoky Tomato-Bacon Pasta
from: The Deen Family Cookbook and “Taste and Tell”

Serves 4 to 6

1/2 pound bacon (about 10 slices)
1 large yellow onion
One 28-ounce can diced tomatoes, drained
salt and pepper
4 ounces cream cheese, cut into pieces
1 pound uncooked pasta

In a large skillet, cook the bacon until crisp and brown. Transfer it to a paper towel lined plate. Pour off all but 1/4 cup fat from skillet.

Add the onion and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until softened, 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in the diced tomatoes, and then crumble in the bacon. Season with salt and pepper; simmer, stirring occasionally, until thick and chunky, about 10 minutes. Stir in the cream cheese until melted.

Meanwhile, in a large pot of boiling salted water, cook the pasta according to the package directions. Drain and transfer to a large bowl. Toss with the sauce and serve immediately.

Note: This is the recipe as printed from “Taste and Tell”. I did not change it to include my alterations.

Have you seen a blue turtle in Westerville?

2010-05-20T14:36:00.004-04:00

We've been blessed with another fantastic place to eat in Westerville -- the Blue Turtle Tea and Spice Company, 2 S. State St. (diagonally across the State Street/College Avenue intersection from Grater's Ice Cream.) Originally opened as a quaint and quirky shop offering organic tea and spice products, it as evolved into a wonderful place to grab lunch and dinner (or attend special Sunday events such as murder mystery dinners and Mothers/Fathers Day seatings.) You can also stop in anytime for a cup of hot tea or a glass of iced tea, and some friendly conversation.
A group of friends gathered there last night to gab, and devour some delicious food, prepared by owner Amanda's brother, a chef recently profiled on Table Talk, by Columbus Dining Guide.com. We started with iced tea, brewed individually for each of us (I had Thai Pear; I also heard raves about the Georgia Peach). Some of the organic creations sampled by our group included a crab cake sandwich, apricot curried chicken salad and jerk chicken quesadillas, each served with a side of zesty pasta salad. Their soup of the day was cream of spinach, just right for a crisp spring evening. Amanda advises the menu changes weekly, but I was happy to hear she loves crab cakes more than life itself, giving me hope for more this summer.
Of course we succumbed to the lure of the dessert menu, which features creations by Sugardaddys. Amanda commented that she'd never seen a group of such close friends be so quiet -- we were swooning with every bite of Tahitian (or mint) brownies and amber walnut cheesecake with brownie crust, and there just didn't seem any need for words.
The location holds a special place in my heart -- it was for many many years Brinkman's Pharmacy, one of those great old corner drugstores where I worked during college. It has a whole new vibe, but I was glad to be there again.
After indulging, there was time for a little shopping. I can't wait to try the Sweet Onion organic sugar I brought home -- recommended for sprinkling on asparagus, or on shrimp before grilling. They probably have about 200 more products calling my name -- I'll be back for food, tea and spices!

Morphing Cinco de Mayo Leftovers

2010-05-13T18:07:00.007-04:00

Remember that jewelry party I had on Cinco de Mayo? Remember the food? Oh, the food! Well I didn't have much in the way of leftovers other than the rice. Seems we kind of overestimated on that. Don't get me wrong; it was absolutely delicious. But I think that since everything else was finger food, it kind of got lost. So I had rice left over. What to do?

Inspiration! We had made a ham for Sunday dinner. I love ham fried rice. How good would it be if I made Ham Fried Arroz con Gandules? (Rice with Pigeon Peas, which really aren't peas at all! They are actually legumes; like lentils, kind of.)

Not to mention that when Chef Tony, Michelle and Camryn came into town on Saturday, we went to Costelos. Laura Lee (L3) and her mom, Linda met us there. Another great time was had by all. And I brought home beef empanadas and a bottle of that crazy good sauce! So I'm thinkin' I was set to go!

First I gathered my ingredients; eggs, onion, leftover rice, ham, canola oil and a smidge of butter. I began by chopping the onion into decent sized pieces. I wanted them in big enough pieces that you could see them and know what you were eating. Not huge chunks, but not minced either. Next I set about whipping the eggs like I was making scrambled eggs; but I didn't add any milk. I put a little canola oil and the butter into the pan. I let the egg begin to cook and then I kind of pushed it around with a spatula. When it was almost set, I removed it to a cutting board. I ran a knife through it both ways to cut it into pieces.

I then added a touch more oil to the pan and began to saute the onions. When the onions were soft but not translucent, I added the cold rice to the pan. At this point I was pretty much finished with the actual cooking. From here on in, I was going to be adding ingredients that are already cooked, and then I'd be marrying the whole bunch ... kind of like a hippie commune. (Did I really just say that?)

After I'd broken up all of the rice clumps and mixed it together with the onions, I just let it hang out a bit. I wanted to let it get all warm and cozy before I'd go adding anything else to the mix. I'd know when it was ready to continue. I began to smell the wonderful aroma of the warmed rice mixing with the onions. I gave it a good stir to make sure it was warmed completely through.

Now was the time to add the cubed ham and the egg that I cooked earlier. I mixed it all up really well. Again, I just let it do its thing. Every once in a while I gave it a good stir. When I thought it was ready, I speared myself a piece of ham and tested it. I wanted to make sure the ham was warmed through.

Here it is in all its beauty. Oh I could not wait to get my fork into that. But wait! There's more! Remember the beef empanadas I brought home? And that sexy Costelos sauce?

Ladies and gentlemen ... lunch!

For the Love of Gnomes

2010-05-11T15:11:00.008-04:00

Have I ever told you about my love for all things "Gnome"? Oh, it's true. I am totally smitten with gnomes. I just get the biggest kick out of them. They make me smile. Even when I don't feel like smiling, they make me.

They're such funny creatures. I would have them everywhere if I could. But Bob can only tolerate so many at a given time. We had a particularly nasty storm right before Easter that blew my stacked "see-no-evil, hear-no-evil, speak-no-evil" gnomes off the front porch. Poor babies; the top gnome's head exploded. It was very sad. Bob wasn't so sad.

This is my favorite gnome. He is sorely in need of a new paint job. I'll have to take care of that soon. This guy mans the front of the house and sits right by my kidney stone (that's another story). It was quite a coup when I got him. Oh boy was I excited. Yes my friends, that was a happy day. He was even on sale!

On my 50th birthday my crazy friends Cara & Sandy gave me 50 gnomes. Ha! Some of those little guys have even shown up in other people's yards. Some have stayed here. (Like those involved in the unfortunate incident of the exploding head.) If you find a gnome in your yard you must keep him. If he has found his way to you then you are his rightful owner. Something unseemly may happen if you don't keep him. They are quite mischievous, you know. I know this because there are quite often situations in our house when I know I haven't done something and Bob swears he didn't do it, and I'm almost certain the cats didn't do it. So what other explanation is there than it was the work of the gnomes?

When it's nice outside I like to sit on the deck and read. Fortunately, if the phone rings or I need a snack (and we all know how I like my snacks!), then I have the security of knowing that my gnomes will "mark" my page in my book so I don't lose my place.

But sometimes when I'm sitting out there reading, I get the feeling that I'm being watched...

Bob says he gets the same feeling when he gets ready to grill ...

...maybe we're just paranoid. Because gnomes really can be quite helpful. If they like you they do things that you may not have the patience to do; like just hanging out and monitoring the temperature all day ... boooring. So if you happen to find a gnome in your yard, be good to him and he'll be good to you.

All this just because I wanted to show you what the Easter Bunny brought me (my new gnome dish set).

Costelos & Cinco de Mayo!

2010-05-07T13:14:00.014-04:00

Costelos Restaurant – Latin Cuisine

Have you ever “found” a restaurant and feel like you’ve just discovered a rare gem? Even though they’ve been there for three years and they didn’t even know they were “lost”? Yeah, it’s something like that.

Much to my husband’s dismay I was having a jewelry party. Actually he’s such a good sport that not only did he not mind, he was right in the thick of it, being the backbone of the whole affair! Am I a lucky gal, or what? My sister, friends and I joke and tell him he is our “boy-toy/servant”. But let me just say this … he’s the only man in a room of 27 women. Does he really mind? Not so much, I think.

I digress (as usual). Back to my “find”. I had my heart set on having empanadas for the party. It was Cinco de Mayo, after all! After much calling around and begging and pleading, one of the local Mexican restaurants took pity on me and directed me to Costelos Restaurant. I immediately “Googled” them and that was the moment! That was the moment that the clouds parted and the heavens shone light down upon us!

I kid you not! This was just what I was looking for! I called the restaurant and spoke with Rick. He knew just what I wanted and just what I needed! It was incredible. After looking at the pictures on the website and talking to Rick, I placed my order for catering pick up for the party … without ever having even tasted the food! I know! Crazy, huh? But I was so sure. I just knew.

Bob and I did go to Costelos for dinner before the party. Brothers Brian and Rick Perez are Costelos Restaurant. Their mom Anni, makes the desserts. They opened their restaurant in February of 2007. Why am I just now finding them? I honestly do not know. I lament the loss of time and empanadas that represent the past three years. However, I plan to make up for that lost time!

Bob and I wanted to taste what we would be serving, as well as taking a look at the rest of the menu. Would this become a new favorite? We met Rick, who is not only handsome and personable, but is definitely a man that loves what he does! He talks about the food that his brother creates as if it is sacred; something precious and cherished. He speaks of it with a certain reverence.

I have to tell you that upon my first bite of the beef empanada, I understood. That is when the light bulb came on! That is when the fireworks went off! That is when the angels started to sing! This was everything I was looking for and more. The crust was flaky and delicious. The ground beef filling was flavorful and tasted like “more”. As in, “I’d like more, please!”

The chicken empanadas and crab empanadas followed suit. The fillings have so much flavor; using spices to enhance but not adding heat. And the plantains, you ask? O.M.G. The fried sweet plantains just rock. I don’t even know how to describe them to help you “taste” them. They made me swoon. And Costelos has a sauce that just defies description. It goes on the plantains and on the empanadas and anything else that stood still long enough for me to drizzle it on! Seriously, the “secret” sauce is worth the trip alone!

The yellow rice with pigeon peas is a Costelo specialty. As well it should be! It is the perfect accompaniment. We also ordered shrimp in creole sauce and it worked beautifully with the rice. There are just so many other dishes I want to try. You need to check the menu out on the website. And take a few minutes to watch the pictures of the food cycle by. Each one looks better than the last!

Before we left we definitely had to have dessert. As I said before, Brian and Rick’s mom Anni makes the desserts. We chose to order the flan and a piece of the tres leche cake to share. When they were served, I didn’t know which one was more beautiful. Flan is a classic favorite of mine. This one was a beauty. Flan is a crème caramel with vanilla custard. The texture of a good flan is one of silky smoothness. And this one was so "good" that I almost felt as if I just couldn’t cut into it. But soon I came to my senses and slid my spoon smoothly through the gently yielding custard. One bite and I knew I had indeed entered the Promised Land. Hey, it could happen!

I looked at Bob and he was having his own moment with the cake. Anni’s tres leche cake was divine. The cake was light and incredibly fresh. We were delighted to find that in between the layers were thin slices of perfectly ripe mango. It was frosted with whipped topping and had a fanned strawberry on top. The plate was a thing of beauty.

I really wanted to try the dessert empanada. I'm totally an empanada girl! ;-) Listen to this description: "Guava Cream Empanadas - Island turnovers with a cream cheese and guava paste stuffing". Imagine my excitement! Unfortunately they were out of them. I consoled myself with another bite of flan. It helped.

And then we got to meet Anni! She came into the restaurant and Rick introduced us. No way could this gorgeous woman be Rick & Brian's mother ... she was way too young! And her smile lights up the whole room. She is just as sweet as her delicious confections. A new friend! Could this night get any better?

As full as we were, it did not take us any time to take care of those gorgeous desserts. Then there came Rick with coffee that he had insisted on making himself. I’m not quite sure what magic or mojo he used to make this coffee, but I loved it! It was the perfect strength, with the perfect sweetness and the perfect amount of cream. I need to go back just for the coffee!

There was no decision to be made here! We confirmed our order for Cinco de Mayo with the assurance that we were in good hands. Rarely do Bob and I have a party that we don’t do the cooking. We love to cook! But with me just getting out of the hospital, we felt that this time that just wasn’t going to be possible. So we put ourselves in Brian and Rick’s hands. What a tremendously good decision that turned out to be!

Wednesday came and Bob headed out to get the food. I set the oven at 200 degrees for warming, I was a little anxious, but that could be because pregnant Brooke was having conversations directly with the salsa and guacamole. When a 7 months pregnant woman begins to converse with her appetizers, well that’s pretty much a red flag. We diffused the situation by systematically testing the mild salsa, hot salsa, guacamole and chili con queso. All three required their own type of chip. Having sorted this out we were feeling quite prepared, because we knew we were the girls for the job. And anyone could have taken one look at us and recognized that was true by the dribbles of salsa and con queso on our shirts. Brooke and I are what we eat! And we wear it well, too!

Jane made the con queso dip and it was muy bueno! I've encouraged her to blog about it so that we can all have the recipe. It is a definite must for a Super Bowl party or for next year's Cinco de Mayo! Brooke made the salsa and guacamole. In fact, if you're a regular reader of Dishing-it-Up! Columbus, then you might remember Brooke's post on her salsa. Yum!

Bob came in and the aroma that wafted through the house was mesmerizing. Oh my goodness! Guests followed him in so they could see the unveiling.

We loaded platters with beef empanadas, chicken empanadas (excuse the tongs; had to get the picture quick before the masses descended on them),

fried plantains,

and yellow rice with pigeon peas.

A bottle of the “Secret Sauce” was passed around and around and around. Oh, that sauce! We had to watch a few of the ladies to make sure they didn't slip it into their purse and walk out with it. I thought Laurie was going to start drinking it right out of the bottle! (Hey, I've seen her do worse!) Yes, I'm telling you it is that good!

For the party Dianne, our very own pastry chef, made us two incredible Tres Leche Cakes, served with tropical fruit. I'm sorry I can't show them to you. They, uh, got devoured before I could even think to photograph them! Dianne is amazing! And her cakes are right up there with Anni’s. These women kill me! I gained 20 pounds just looking at those cakes. Okay, so maybe I did have a teeny piece … or two. Hey, I kept losing my plate! ;-)

Everyone at the party loved the food. I lost count of the compliments! I'm still getting calls and emails about what a wonderful Cinco de Mayo feast we had! The combination of foods that Rick helped me choose was absolutely perfect.

Hopefully you will find your way to my little gem. Maybe I’ll see you there. Most likely I’ll be the one with a beef empanada in one hand and a plantain in the other, with sauce dripping down my chin! Or maybe I’ll be eating the Mofango! Or maybe I'll be having a Cubano. Who knows what I'll be enjoying? There is so much I want to try. For sure, I’ll be the one with the big smile on my face!

See you there for some of the best Latin Cuisine in Columbus ...or anywhere for that matter! When you go, tell them you "found" them on Dishing-it-Up! Columbus!

Costelos Restaurant
Latin Cuisine
2492 Home Acre Drive
Columbus, OH 43231
(614) 899-2550
www.costelos.com

p.s. Chef Tony is coming into town on Saturday ... guess where we're going for dinner!

Bacon Wrapped Jalapeño Thingies – Pioneer Woman

2010-05-03T19:48:00.003-04:00

Did you happen to notice the stuffed jalapeños on the plate with the Italian Drip Beef? Those were also from The Pioneer Woman. Oh my gosh were they good! I knew you noticed them! And I figured you’re probably thinking, “Hey! Why the heck didn’t she give us the recipe for those?” Well, I’m going to do just that!

First of all, I don’t eat jalapeños. No way. I don’t do spicy. So I really can’t explain to you why these caught my eye. Except that they looked like something Bob would really like. So I got three little jalapeños, thinking that would make six appetizer/sides for him. Well, once they started cooking and smelling so incredibly delicious, I couldn’t wait for them to come out of the oven. I mean, they’re wrapped with bacon (the daddy of all pork products)!!! And, they’re filled with cream cheese! By the time they came out of the oven, I was beginning to rethink my resistance to jalapeños!

When I was plating up our dinner, I slipped the smallest jalapeño thingy onto my plate. I was about halfway through my drip beef sandwich before I worked up the courage to try it. Bob assured me and reassured me that it was not hot. I cut it in half and tentatively tasted it. Of all that is green and creamy and smokey and bacony on this earth! This was delicious! I wanted more! But, uh oh … I’d already put the rest of them on Bob’s plate. Would he notice if I slid my fork across the table and nabbed one? Does a squirrel eat nuts? Of course he’d notice. If I asked, he’d probably give me one. But I knew he was enjoying them too. So I decided right then and there that the next trip to the grocery store was going to include more jalapeños to make more “thingies”!

One more thing! Pioneer Woman says that her family has started to put these on top of their grilled hamburgers. I sure do like the way those folks think!

Here is the recipe. It is so good and so easy! If you want to see in detail step-by-step picture instructions, here is the link to PW’s post. http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2007/07/bacon-wrapped_j/

Bacon-Wrapped Jalapeno Thingies
Pioneer Woman

Ingredients:

• 20 whole Fresh Jalapeños, 2-3 Inches In Size
• 2 cubes Cream Cheese, softened
• 1 pound Thin(regular) Bacon, Sliced Into Thirds

Preparation Instructions:

If you have them, slip on some latex gloves for the pepper prep… Cut jalapenos in half, length-wise. With a spoon, remove the seeds and white membrane (the source of the heat; leave a little if you like things HOT). Smear softened cream cheese into each jalapeno half. Wrap jalapeno with bacon pieces (1/3 slice). Secure by sticking toothpick through the middle. (At this point, you can freeze them, uncooked, in a Ziploc bag for later use).

Bake on a pan with a rack in a 375-degree oven for 20-25 minutes. You don’t want the bacon to shrink so much it starts to the squeeze the jalapeno. If, after 20 minutes, the bacon doesn’t look brown enough, just turn on the broiler for a couple of minutes to finish it off. These are best when the jalapeno still has a bit of bite to it.

Serve immediately, or they’re also great at room temperature.

Pioneer Woman's Italian Drip Beef

2010-04-29T00:25:00.012-04:00

Have you ever heard someone that really loves Italian beef talk about it? It’s like they’ve found the Holy Grail. I believe it was Super Bowl Sunday (I know, I know. I can’t believe it’s taken me this long to tell you about it either!) that the stars aligned just perfectly and I experienced the wonder that is called “Italian Drip Beef." All I can say to you is … Oh my! It is pretty darn close to Nirvana. (Of course in my book that description explains potatoes. But that’s another post for another time. You are already well aware of my potato passion.)

This wonder called “Italian Drip Beef” came to me by way of one of my most favorite bloggers, Ree Drummond, aka: the Pioneer Woman. Her blog is amazing. She is amazing. And the Italian Drip Beef? Three words: Sweet ... Baby ... Jesus! And the recipe is so stinkin’ easy you won’t even believe it!

Bob and I absolutely devoured these heavenly sandwiches, between oohs and ahhs and juice dripping down our chins! And then last month, when Chef Tony came to visit (yeah, I’m talkin’ Hawaii Chef!), I made these for the night he arrived. He flipped over these!

Now, it takes guts to cook for a chef. The afternoon he arrived I had told Brooke (Hot Mom) that I was making dinner for Tony. Her eyes got huge and she asked me, “Aren’t you nervous cooking for a chef?” Well, I wasn’t so much before she said that! So, I was a happy girl when they were such a hit with him! Oh, but I digress, you're waiting for a recipe, aren’t you?

Like I said, the recipe comes from the Pioneer Woman. http://thepioneerwoman.com/ Her photography is amazing, and she posts step-by-step photographs that are just beautiful. So how dare I post my pitiful by comparison photos? Um, let’s just look at the recipe and not talk about that … okay? I promise you that if you make this, you’ll forget all about my lack of photographic skills and just be oh-so-thankful that you read Dishing-It-Up Columbus! I promise.

As Ree says, "The cast of characters"

Put roast into the your slow cooker and add the consomme and Italian seasoning ...

... salt ...

... peppers and juice ...

... and it cooks and cooks, and the house smells like you won't even believe, and you don't know if you can wait, and then it looks like this! Of course, that is after you have shredded the beef and removed as much of the fat as you can and are ready to make your sandwich! Oh, I want some right now!

So you have buttered your buns (haha!) and toasted them in a skillet (ouch!) and you load this luscious beef onto the bottom of the bun. Make absolutely sure that you have peppers on there, too! Then, cover it with provolone cheese and put it under the broiler. This is what you get!

Oh dear, I think I just salivated on my keyboard! Don't those look absolutely delicious? Top them with the other half of the bun and serve with a side of the juice for dipping. Holy moly, have you got a sandwich or what! Here's a close up.

Are you with me still? Is your stomach growling, are you drooling? Yeah, me too! Dig in, close your eyes and experience the wonder of "Italian Drip Beef". Thank you, Ree :-)

Italian Drip Beef – The Pioneer Woman
http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2010/02/drip-beef-two-ways/

Prep Time: 5 Minutes, Cook Time: 6 Hours, Difficulty: Easy, Servings: 10

Ingredients

• 1 whole Beef Chuck Roast, 2.5 To 4 Pounds
• 1 can Beef Consomme Or Beef Broth
• 3 Tablespoons (heaping) Italian Seasoning
• 1 teaspoon Salt
• ¼ cups Water
• ½ jars (16 Oz) Pepperoncini Peppers, with Juice
• Buttered, Toasted Deli Rolls

Preparation Instructions

Combine all ingredients in a heavy pot or dutch oven. Stir lightly to combine seasoning with the liquid.

Cover and bake in a 275 degree oven* for 5 to 6 hours, or until meat is fork-tender and falling apart.

Remove from oven. With two forks, completely shred all meat, leaving no large chunks behind. Serve immediately, or keep warm over a simmer on the stove.
May make the day before, then store in the refrigerator. Remove the hardened fat from the top before reheating.

Serve on buttered, toasted rolls. Top with cheese and melt under the broiler if desired. Serve with juices from the pot.

*P.S. I know the recipe says to do it in the oven. I just did mine in the slow cooker for convenience. I did a 4 pound roast and it took about 4 hours.

Tora - True Comfort Food

2010-04-21T20:26:00.004-04:00

When I came home from the hospital last night, all I wanted was some “comfort food”. Because believe you me, the care that you get at Riverside Hospital is the best; but the food definitely is not!

I’d been in Riverside for five days. Bob and the nurses did what they could to get things for me to eat that would interest me. I didn’t have much interest in food (now you know I was sick!). One dear nurse, Amy, even went down to the cafeteria late at night and brought me back an awesome burger and potato wedges! Everyone was so good to me.

So when we got home last night and it came to deciding on dinner, my vote went to Tora. I already knew their ramen was wonderful. I decided to try something different, though. I went with the Yakiudon with shrimp. The menu description is “thick flour noodle stir-fried with vegetables, served with miso soup”. The miso soup was clean and flavorful. The bits of tofu were just perfect. The Yakiudon was incredible. It was abundant with shrimp and vegetables and had a delicious creamy sauce that made me want to lick the bowl. I loved it and will most definitely order it again.

Bob opted for the Yakisoba with beef. I tasted his and it was so good I almost wished I’d gotten that! The noodles were thin egg noodles that soaked up the rich beefy broth. The thin slices of beef were wonderfully tender and delicious! I made some lemon and ginger tea to go with it and the whole meal was absolutely perfectly comforting. Just what I needed!

Many thanks to Chef Kim and all of the staff at Tora for my dinner last night. And as always, thank you Han for your hospitality.