Down 2 Eat

Kitchen Power Tools

2010-12-29T15:31:00.000-08:00

My darling boyfriend Phil got me a totally unexpected present for Christmas, a KitchenAid Mixer! In the Maurer family, KitchenAid Mixers are reserved for wedding presents, so I was prepared to wait for mine. When I opened the box I thought it was a joke, just the box, no mixer, but behold, a Professional 600 Series KitchenAid Mixer in Meringue. Capable of making 8 pounds of mashed potatoes, 13 dozen cookies, and 8 1/2 loaves of bread. As Tim the Tool Man Taylor would say, "More POWER!".

Speaking of men, as I started making my first recipe with the mixer (pizza dough) what I had suspected all along was confirmed: I'm not the only one excited about this mixer. The conversation in the Kreiglemaurer house went as follows:

Phil: Did you wash the bowl?

Amanda: Yes.

Phil: Are you using the dough hook?

Amanda: Yes.

Phil: Did you wash the dough hook?

Amanda: Yes.

Phil: Are you using the mixer yet?

Amanda: Not yet.

Phil: You know the dough hook can only go up to speed 2.

Amanda: I know.

Phil: Why is the flour on the sides like that?

Amanda: I don't know.

Phil: Do you have to scrape the sides?

Amanda: I don't know.

Phil: How long do you let it knead for?

Amanda: PHIL I'VE NEVER DONE THIS BEFORE LEAVE ME ALONE!

At this point Phil took the hint and left the kitchen, but you better believe when this came out of the oven he came right back!

The pizza I made is a Cooking Light pizza recipe. I usually tweak and rewrite recipes but this one I wouldn't make any changes to since the ratio of the toppings is important in keeping the pizza delicious but still light. Don't worry about the lack of sauce, the caramelized onions make a delicious substitute, but they also remind me of how much I love chopping onions but hate caramelizing them. Enjoy the following eye-candy, or should I say, eye-pizza.

Ready for the oven...

....and with the magic of the interwebs, it's done!

Where's Amanda?

2010-12-05T10:25:00.000-08:00

Poor Down 2 Eat, I'm sorry I've been neglecting you! In case you have wondered where I've been, I got a new job. I work full time as a Social Media and PR Specialist for an online gourmet food store.

I have two blogs there:

Edible Antics - recipes, cooking tips, and general food fun.

A Gourmet Wisconsin Cupboard - gift ideas and showcasing gourmet food from Wisconsin.

And you can follow @Wisconsinmade on twitter.

I'm not sure what's going to happen to Down 2 Eat. With 4 posts a week at work I'm all "blogged out" by the time I get home, but I definitely come up with some ideas that don't fit in to my work blog for whatever reason that might be fun to post here. Whatever happens I am so happy that I have a job doing what I love- talking about food! And I don't think I could have done it without Down 2 Eat. Stay tuned.

Quest for the Best Mac and Cheese

2010-10-05T16:44:00.000-07:00

I love mac and cheese. I don't know many people who don't, but I can't make a blue box without scarfing the whole thing. Even if I put half of it in my bowl, and pack the other half away in the fridge, I can feel the magnetic pull of the processed cheesy goodness. I try not to even keep it in the house, but Phil ends up buying it because he loves it just as much, if not more, than I do. Our house rule: Don't make mac and cheese unless the other person is there to help you eat it.

We also want to implement the "No junk food unless you make it yourself" rule. Which has sent us on a quest to find the best mac and cheese recipes. I tried the first one for Phil's birthday. I was drawn to this recipe because it calls for one of my favorite ingredients: chipotle in adobo. The secret ingredient was also featured in my Holy Chipotle post (I apologize for the cutesy post titles, I am trying to get away from that!!). The other 2 "smokey" flavors are from the paprika and the smoked cheddar cheese.

The verdict? Phil and I both loved the unique smokey flavor and the buttery bread crumbs are awesome! My one minor issue is that I prefer my macaroni and cheese creamier. On the blog where I found the recipe (herbivoracious.com) commenters described it as creamy, so maybe I cooked it too long? I still haven't figured out my fickle oven. Check back for more updates on the great Mac and Cheese Quest!

Triple Smokey Macaroni and Cheese

Adapted from herbivoracious.com

1lb elbow macaroni

8 tablespoons butter, divided

4 cups cubed bread

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/4 cup AP flour

4 cups whole milk

1/2 onion, finely diced

1 tablespoon smoked paprika

1 teaspoon rosemary, minced (I used dried)

1 chipotle pepper (canned in adobo sauce) minced

1 teaspoon oregano

1/4 tsp nutmeg (freshly grated if you have it)

8oz smoked cheddar grated

8oz mozzarella grated

salt to taste

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Boil the macaroni according to package directions, but be sure not to cook it too long because it will bake more in the oven. Drain and toss with 2T of butter.

2. Put the bread in a food processor and pulse until you have some coarse bread crumbs. Heat 2T butter in a skillet over medium heat, add the garlic, a pinch of salt, and the breadcrumbs. Cook, tossing frequently, until lightly browned. Set aside to cool.

3. Preheat oven to 350 and grease a large baking dish. Unless you have an oven like mine. In this case you probably should have pre-heated a few hours ago.

4. In a medium saucepan, melt the remaining 4T of butter over medium low heat. Sprinkle in the flour and whisk pretty constantly for 3 minutes. Whisk in the milk. Add the onion, smoked paprika, rosemary, chipotle, oregano and nutmeg. Simmer, whisking occasionally until it begins to thicken.

5. Gradually whisk in the grated cheese, stirring each batch until incorporated.

6. Taste the sauce, and adjust the seasoning as needed. Add more spiciness if desired. Remember that the sauce should be strong because it is going to be diluted by a pound of pasta.

7. Stir the macaroni into the sauce. Pour the macaroni into the pan.

8. Top with the breadcrumbs.

9. Bake for about 30 min or until you can see bubbling around the sides and the breadcrumbs are browned.

10. Let stand 5-10 min before serving.

Mozzarella and smoked cheddar. Wonder how it would be with smoked cheddar AND smoked mozzarella? I do live in Wisconsin so there is no shortage of cheese!

Making a rue!

Look at all the yumminess swimming in the milk!

I could not WAIT to try it at this point.

Yes, those bread crumbs are as yummy as they look!

Family Recipes: Crowd Pleasing Cobbler

2010-09-01T13:23:00.000-07:00

I have been making this cobbler recipe for as long as I can remember. It has all the qualities that I love in a recipe: easy, quick, and standard ingredients that come together to make a simple yet simply awesome dish. This cobbler is a go-to dessert in my family and hopefully it will be one in yours too.

My mom refers to this recipe as "Blueberry Stuff", but as you can see I used peaches when I took the pictures. Peaches and blueberries together are also delicious. The combination of the fresh-out-of-the-oven cobbler and the cold ice-cream melting on top is totally heavenly.

"Blueberry Stuff"

Original Recipe from Southern Living Magazine

Adapted by the Maurers

4 cups of blueberries, peaches (sliced), or a combination of the two (4 cups = 2 pints of blueberries)

about 1T lemon juice for sprinkling

1 egg

1 cup flour

1 cup sugar

3T melted butter

vanilla ice-cream

1. Preheat oven to 350.

2. In a 13x9 inch baking dish*, arrange the fruit and sprinkle with lemon juice.

3. In a food processor, combine egg, flour and sugar. Blend until the mixture is course and resembles corn meal.

4. Sprinkle the mixture over the fruit.

5. Bake for 30 min. or until the crust is starting to brown and the fruit is bubbly.

6. Serve while still hot topped with vanilla ice-cream.

*the dish in the picture is smaller because I wanted to try it crustier, but I think I like with less crust better because you can taste the fruit more, but you can do it either way if you like more crust.

Toss the crust ingredients in the food processor...

...it should look like this...

....the fruit...

...top with the crust...

...butter makes everything better!

Golden brown, yum!

Vanilla ice-cream is a must!

Aarti's Sloppy Bombay Joes

2010-08-26T18:11:00.000-07:00

I like Indian food, but I don't have a huge attachment to it since I never ate it growing up. Mom hates the smell of curry and Dad tends to avoid anything that's too flavorful. Phil (my bf) on the other hand, loves Indian food. He has been talking about finding some easy but tasty Indian recipes for awhile now. It was all talk until we started watching the show Next Food Network Star.

Right from the beginning, we loved Aarti. She cooked the exact food we were wishing for- Indian flavors with American elements to make them a little more familiar. Not to mention she is a food blogger! When Aarti won the show, Phil and I let out a big "YEAAAHH!". How cool is that? From food blogger to her own show on Food Network? I'm a little inspired.

So in honor of Aarti we made a recipe from her first show: Sloppy Bombay Joes. I always get excited about cooking, but this recipes was especially fun since my kitchen was filled with new scents. The taste did not disappoint either. Here's the recipe with some of my tips and comments along the way.

Aarti Party at Amanda's house!

Photo: Food Network Website

Sloppy Bombay Joes

From Aarti Sequeira/Food Network

Ingredients

Sauce:

2T vegetable oil (I cut back on the amount of oil throughout, 1T is plenty here)

1 T minced ginger

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 serrano chile, seeded and finely minced ( Aarti puts the chile in the sauce and the meat, but I just put it in the sauce since I am in denial about how much spice I can handle and didn't want to over do it. I'm glad I cut back this time, but next time I might try the whole amount.)

1t garam masala (An Indian spice blend, they didn't have it at the normal grocery store, but I found it at World Market, along with lots of other affordable spices, but that's for another blog...)

1/2 teaspoon paprika

1 (15oz) can tomato sauce

1 cup water

Turkey:

3-4 tablespoons vegetable oil (I probably used 1T here as well)

small handful shelled pistachios, about 1/4 cup ( Make sure to get some extra to munch while you cook!)

small handful of raisins, about 1/4 cup

1t cumin seeds

1/2 large white onion finely diced

1 red bell pepper, seeds and membrane removed, finely diced (I used a green pepper)

1/2 serrano chile, seeds intact, not chopped

Kosher salt

1 pound ground turkey

1/2 teaspoon honey

1/4 cup half-and-half (I used milk)

small handful chopped pistachios

4 - 6 hamburger buns

Begin by making the sauce: Warm the oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat, until it shimmers. Add the ginger, garlic, and serrano pepper. Saute until the ginger and garlic brown a little. Add the garam masala and paprika and saute for 30 seconds. Stir in the tomato sauce and water. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer, uncovered until thickened, about 15 minutes.

Meanwhile for the turkey, in large skillet, warm 2 tablespoons of oil. When shimmering, add the pistachios and raisins. Cook until the raisins swell up and the pistachios toast slightly. Remove from the pan and set aside.

Return the pan to medium heat, add 1 to 2 more tablespoons of oil, and warm until shimmering. Add the cumin seeds and allow them to sizzle for about 10 seconds, or until some of the sizzling subsides. Stir in the onions and bell pepper, saute until softened and starting to brown. Add the serrano pepper. Saute for another couple of minutes, seasoning with a little salt. Stir in the turkey, breaking up the big lumps. Cook until opaque, about 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, your sauce should be ready. Pour the sauce into the skillet with the turkey. Stir and bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer until the mixture has thickened slightly, about 10 minutes.

Once the turkey is cooked and the sauce has thickened a little, remove the serrano pepper. Add the honey, half-and-half, pistachios and raisins. Stir through and taste for seasoning. Before serving, garnish with fresh cilantro.

Toast the buns, fill with the turkey mixture and serve.

The ingredients for the sauce, prepped and ready to go.

The ingredients for the turkey.

The ginger, garlic, and serrano peppers- trust me, you wish you could smell it!

The sauce.

The raisins and pistachios add a ton of flavor and texture, don't skip out on this part.

The sauce and the meat, if it seems too runny, just let it cook a little bit longer.

Not the prettiest meal ever, but trust me, it's yummy, and tastes even better as leftovers the next day!

La Tomatina

2010-08-25T15:11:00.000-07:00

Like most days, today I came home from work and began to browse my favorite food blogs. I saw a message board post that reminded that La Tomatina was today! For those of you that don't know, La Tomatina is an annual festival in Bunol (pronounced boon-yol), Spain. It's a giant party, the world's largest food fight, and an amazing cultural experience. How do I know? I was in Bunol up to my waist in tomatoes for La Tomatina 2009!

The roots of the festival, as I understand it, go back to a random food fight that occurred in a market back in the 1940s. Every year, the town had a tomato fight to commemorate the day. When General Franco (evil Spanish dictator) came into power, he banned all festivals and anything fun. Once Franco was removed from power, the town celebrated their freedom by having an even bigger festival.

Now, bus loads and bus loads of tourist (many from Australia and New Zealand) come into the town to celebrate. Participants are advised to dress in old clothes, not to carry anything on their person that they don't want to loose, and wear goggles (they help, a little). Girls are warned- your shirt WILL be ripped off- so wear a sports bra or one piece swimsuit underneath. I had my friends ceremoniously shred my tank-top so it wouldn't be removed by a stranger.

Before the event, locals cover store fronts and homes with tarps, and some set up tables and chairs outside their house to watch all the crazies. The official events begins at 8am, when food fight participants climb a greasy pole to retrieve a ham (if you have spent any time in Spain you know that everything is about the jamon). Once the ham is removed, dump trucks full of tomatoes roll into the streets and tomatoes start flying. The whole town becomes a sea of screaming tomatoey humanity. The tomato throwing goes on for exactly one hour, when a flare goes up and all tomato tossing must stop or you could be arrested (!). You may be wondering how this mess gets cleaned up. The locals all pitch in and hose down the tourists.

The next couple days, I had several showers but still found the occasional tomato bit in my hair. Plus I couldn't get the tomato smell off of me and my eyes were all crusty from the tomato acid. Would I do it again? Well, I probably wouldn't go out of my way to get there again since there are so many other fun adventures I want to have first, but if given the opportunity, I probably would do it again! I highly recommend La Tomatina to any adventurous travelers out there. Let me know if you have any questions about it!

The "before" pic: Amanda (me), Scott, Rosemarie

Beer for breakfast? Why not!

So much fun I want to punch my friend Rosemarie!

Does that look fun? Well, it's WAY more fun than it looks!

Ground Cherries? Gooseberries? Physalis? Tasty!

2010-08-19T10:43:00.000-07:00

In the parking lot of the shopping center I work at there is a farmers' market on Thursday, and I usually stop by after work. I picked up 2 zucchinis, 2 summer squashes, an onion, 4 poblanos and a bunch of basil. Not because I had any plans for these items just because a) I like them and b) they were on sale. As I was leaving I noticed a vendor selling "ground cherries". Seeing a good learning opportunity I asked the vendor what they were, he described them as "little sweet tomatoes" and let me sample one. They were yummy! They have little husks around them and the consistency of a tomato but sweetness of a berry.

Some people have a little devil on one shoulder and an angel on the other. I ,on the other hand, have a tight-wad cheaper than Ebinezer Scrooge on one shoulder and a food snob on the other. At $4 a pint the tightwad got the best of me, but as I walked away, the foodie started arguing her case- "You don't need to use all these veggies at once, and plus you have a food blog and this is a great chance to use a local ingredient you've never tried before. Go back and get those dumb cherries!" So, I did.

As soon as I arrived back at the apartment I asked google what the heck a ground cherry is, and then I realized they are gooseberries. Now this I've heard of, not sure where, probably a secret ingredient on Iron Chef. After consulting my Le Cordon Bleu cookbook (thanks Phil!) I found the following description.

"Physalis (yet another name) - also called cape gooseberry, this sweet orange berry is encased in an inedible husk of papery leaf- like sepals. Eat raw or cooked, or use as a flower-like decoration."

And on page 322, a recipe!

I continued with my adventurous attitude and ignored the fact that I had never made my own caramel or worked with hot motel sugar before. I survived without burninateing anything, and my candied gooseberries look just like the picture! They taste good too, maybe not worth the mess... but I learned a new technique AND used a new ingredient. Not to mention I took some great photos. All in all, a successful day in the kitchen.

What do YOU do with gooseberries? A quick google search revealed recipes for pies, cobblers, salsas, chutneys.... any recommendations?

Better Than the Bux: Banana Chocolate Chip Coffee Cake

2010-08-10T12:04:00.000-07:00

I work at a coffee shop here in Madison. In fact, you probably have a similar one near you since there seems to be one on every street corner. I try to avoid eating the pastries, since my mindless snacking the first day of work put me over my daily calories before 11am. The coffee cakes always tempt me, especially the Banana Chocolate Chip variety. Phil's family was visiting from out of town so I decided to recreate it for them. At least that way I wouldn't down the whole batch myself. Well, I solved my pastry munching problem in an unexpected way- my homemade coffee cake put the store bought cake to shame! My new problem is that I can't stop thinking about my "Better Than the Bux" cake.

Banana Coffee Cake with Chocolate Chip Streusel

Adapted From Bon Appetit - January 2003

12 servings

1 bag semisweet chocolate chips- 1 1/4 cups for streusel, mix the rest in the batter

2/3 cup packed brown sugar

1/2 cup chopped pecans

1 tablespoon ground cinnamon

1 1/2 cups AP flour

3/4 teaspoon baking soda

3/4 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

About 3 very ripe, mashed up bananas

3 tablespoons of sour cream

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Butter and flour an 8-inch square baking pan.

Streusel: Stir chocolate chips, brown sugar, pecans, and cinnamon in a small bowl, set aside.

The Dry Team: Sift flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt into medium bowl.

Using electric mixer, beat sugar, room temperature butter, and egg in a large bowl until fluffy. Beat in mashed bananas and buttermilk. Add dry ingredients and blend well. Fold in the extra chocolate chips, if desired. Come on, you know you want to!

Spread half of the batter (about 2 cups) in prepared baking pan. Sprinkle with half of streusel. Repeat with remaining batter and streusel. Bake coffee cake until tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 45 minutes. Cool coffee cake in pan on rack.

The ingredients- mostly stuff you probably have on hand.

The streusel ingredients....

...mix them up!

The dry team. Note: These pictures are of a half batch.

The wet team. I broke the yoke, opps!

The bananas and 3 tablespoons of sour cream.

My $5 mixer from the thrift store works just nicely.
Here's the part where Amanda says BAM! Extra chocolate chips!
Ready for the oven!

Fresh out of the oven, yum!

The final product! Phil says my extra chocolate chips make this more like breakfast brownies, but I see nothing wrong with that.

Comments!

2010-08-10T11:19:00.000-07:00

Bloggers love to see comments on their posts and I am no exception. My Aunt told me that she wanted to comment on my last post but couldn't unless she signed up for a google account. I investigated the problem and it is now fixed! So comment away! Even if it is just to say "hi".

What If Your Food Isn't "Just Fine, Thanks!"?

2010-07-29T13:48:00.001-07:00

You may have noticed in my last post I planned on writing about the restaurant I dined at last night for restaurant week. Alas, I have decided not to blog in detail about my experience since...well, it wasn't a great experience. Actually, I take that back, the company and conversation was awesome, the beer was cold, but the food left something to be desired, like a kobe beef burger that's not cooked to death, or a salad without any "extra protein"...I don't ask for much!

Which brings me to another interesting topic, what, do you say, if anything, if the food at a restaurant is bad? Issues like bugs in the salad are obviously unacceptable, but truth is, we didn't say anything! We were just having a great time and didn't want to start even the tiniest of confrontations. Looking back, we should have said something, but seeing as it wasn't my salad I didn't want to push the issue.

As if the foodie gods were testing my limits, the waitress came by and said "wasn't that burger GREAT?" and I faked a "Oh, yeah! Great!". I have heard of this phenonmenon of people saying the food is fine even when it's not, and here I am being a part of it. After carefully considering the issue, I have two reasons why I didn't say anything:

1) I was hungry and ate a little more than half the burger before giving up. Kind of tacky to complain about food after you ate half of it.

2) What do you say that doesn't make you sound like a total food snob? " I was expecting awesome and your burger was mediocre at best. Is this your definition of medium?..." I admit it, I am particular about the quality of my food, but I still want to be a nice person, plus, to some people, my waitress included, that burger was perfectly awesome.

What would you do? If a server or the manager comes around and asks you how your food was, are you honest about it? Do you vote with your wallet and never come back? Do you go home and slave over a slanderous Yelp review?

If anyone is out there reading my blog, this is your chance to comment and let me know you are here!

Not the actual bug! Photo: Flikr

Restaurant Week in Madison

2010-07-28T12:52:00.000-07:00

It's restaurant week in Madison! Brought to you by the letters E, A, and T and the number 25. $25 dollars that is, because that's how much a three course dinner costs at participating restaurants. I'm starting to sound like a commercial, you can read the fine print here: Madison Restaurant Week.

Last night I went to Liliana's, a restaurant serving New Orleans style fare just outside of downtown Madison in Fitchburg. I have driven past Liliana's on multiple occasions and judging by the exterior decor only, I wanted to try it. Big windows, outdoor seating...after asking around, a few friends agreed that the food was great as well. There were three dinners on the restaurant week menu to choose from, and I went with the seafood heavy one: the Bayou menu.

My starter was four barbecued rock shrimp, which put Phil's starter (some fried okra and a salad) to shame in both looks and taste. The fresh, succulent, head-on shrimp transported me from ocean-less Madison to a beach side restaurant in Valencia, Spain where the head-on shrimp adorn the top of a savory paella. Obviously these shrimp had traveled some distant from the sea to my belly, but I would never have guessed by the taste.

My main course consisted of a catfish fillet on a bed of southern goodness: greens and grits. Despite growing up in Virginia, I haven't had greens in recent memory. This makes me sad, because they tasted like bacon. I'm sorry bacon flavored leafy vegetables... for not eating you more often when I had the chance. Meanwhile, the catfish and grits had just the right amount of spice for me. Like the appetizer, the entree was a little on the greasy side, but that's just more flavor, right?

Finally, I finished the meal off with a chocolate filled beignet. Now the Chef isn't getting any creativity points for beignets at a New Orleans restaurant, but tastes is what matters and this square chocolate filled donut was simply delicious. After my first bite the waiter came over and asked me if I was enjoying it, I thought about saying "Didn't you hear me moaning?"... but decided to keep the unlady-like comments to myself.

I give this one two governator thumbs up...I'll be back!

Amanda's entree: Catfish with Grits and Greens

Phil's entree:Red Beans and Rice with Andouille Sausage

I'm checking out the Restaurant Week scene again tonight so check back soon!

Crazy Caprese

2010-07-13T17:34:00.000-07:00

In my last post I showed you how a few simple pantry staples can make a tasty shortcake to enjoy with summer fruit. Continuing on with the simple and seasonal theme, this week I made a flashy salad. But don't worry, it looks and tastes flashy, but is super easy to make. Just slice up a 2-3 tomatoes (different colors make it fun), and 1 ball of fresh, whole milk mozzarella (the kind that is chilling in the brine pool is the best). Layer the tomatoes, cheese, and some basil, then drizzle with olive oil and balsamic vinegar. I like a pinch of salt on mine too. YUM!

I'm also helping out my community since I bought the tomatoes and basil at the Madison farmer's market. Even on a budget, I like to eat responsibly when I can. Buying locally ensures that the food I eat doesn't have to travel, which makes it freshers and therefor, tastier! Yummier food is only one of the reasons to buy and eat local food, to read more, check out the REAP's Food Group website: Why Buy Local

I don't know many tricks, but one I do know: the cutting board shot.

...but this trick is pretty impressive, too!

Susie's Shortcake

2010-05-28T08:37:00.000-07:00

The best part about this recipe is the simplicity to happiness ratio. I know shortcake makes me really happy, but it has a special place for Phil because his mom used to make it. Then, she hand wrote the recipe with love and now I'm making it for him an taking all the credit, mwahaha! No, just kidding, the credit definitely goes to Susie. This shortcake proves that the best food is simple and from the heart. Awww, let's all hug like its the end of an episode of Full House.

Susie's Shortcake

Adapted by Amanda

Ingredients:

2 cups flour

2 teaspoons baking powder Fun fact: BP is what makes it shortCAKE and not shortBREAD, thanks Wikipedia!

1/2 teaspoons salt

1/4 cup sugar

5 tablespoons oil

2 tablespoons melted butter

3/4 cup milk

1. Mix together all the ingredients. First time I made it I just dumped the hot butter into the cold milk and the butter got all clumpy, but the cake turned out fine. Second time I made it I slowly added the hot butter to the milk, no clumps this time, but I don't think it made a difference in the final product, so dump away!

2. Pour into a greased pan. I used 9in round metal pan and Phil says Susie does too, you could use a loaf pan.

3. Bake 12-15min at 425.

Serving suggestions:

-Strawberry shortcake- serve up a piece of cake with sliced strawberries and cool whip, or real whip cream if you are feeling fancy. You could even try different kinds of fruit, I bet peaches would be awesome.

-Shortcake and Milk (Phil's favorite)- Put a piece shortcake in a bowl, add some sliced strawberries, pour on some cold milk. Great for breakfast.

Susie's handwritten recipe, with Phil and Amanda's shopping list for burgers on the right. If you were thinking smoked mozzarella and bacon don't go well with shortbread, you are right.

The ingredients- I bet you have all this stuff in your pantry. What are we waiting for? Start cooking!

So easy- ingredients in the bowl...

...mix...

...put in the greased pan...

...bake...

...and serve!

Burger Paradise

2010-05-19T17:29:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I typed "paradise" into my GPS and that's exactly where I ended up. More specifically, Paradise Pup, a tiny burger/hot dog joint in Des Plaines, Illinois that serves fast food Chicago style. My belly was rumbling as I approached but I whispered "I know we're here but there will probably be a line, but don't worry, it will be worth it".* The only thing more famous than the char grilled burgers at the Pup is the line which is usually out the door on "warm"** days like this. Somehow the foodie gods were smiling on me because there was no line! I stepped up to the counter and ordered the following: Chicago style hot dog, cheddar burger, 3 layer fries and chocolate banana milkshake. While I could have easily consumed all this food myself, Scott was nice enough to come along to save me a few calories as well as act as photographer. He actually had to stop me from chowing down so he could take a picture.

The burger, sitting pretty on its fresh tasting, soft, glorious bun tasted charred and delicious. Fresh veggies and grilled onions came along for the ride, and the cheddar cheese came to play- it was sharp and flavorful. I later found out the cheddar was from my new home state, Wisconsin.

I won't bore you with long descriptions of the other foods, since you are probably drooling right now and ready to get in a car or on a plane to come try burger paradise for yourself.

*If you have been reading my blog you know how obsessed I am with food and probably aren't surprised I talk to my belly.

**Using quotes here because as a Virginian I would not consider 65 degrees warm, but hey, I'm a Midwest transplant now, my standards are changing.

The burger of my dreams.

3 layer fries!

Yep, these burgers are famous!

Funfetti For All!

2010-04-29T11:35:00.000-07:00

My friend Scott, from Scotland,* has never tried a funfetti cake. You know funfetti, the cake mix that has rainbow specks throughout. It's a miracle that Scott turned out half way decent considering the depravity of his childhood.

I feel it is my duty as his American friend to end the tragic quarter of a century that has been Scott's life without funfetti. Wait, that sounds bad, I'm not going to kill Scott, I'm just going to feed him some funfetti. Not just any funfetti, but these AMAZING funfetti cookies I found at Serious Eats**.

* Hilarious I know, I asked to see his ID when he first told me his name.

**I always feel bad taking recipes off of other blogs BUT I am including my step-by -step pictures and humorous commentary so there is some value added!

Funfetti Cake Mix Cookie Sandwiches

From Serious Eats and adapted from Betty Crocker's Cooky Book

Makes about 18 sandwiches

Ingredients

For the cookies:

1/4 cup butter, softened

1 8oz package of cream cheese

1 egg

1/4 teaspoon vanilla

1 package funfetti or rainbow chip cake mix

For the Filling:

1 1/2 sticks of butter

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 to 4 cups of confections' sugar, depending on your desired consistency

1. Preheat oven to 350.

2. Cream the butter and cheese. Blend in egg and vanilla.

You are going to need the big guns (stand mixer) for this recipe.

3. Add cake mix in two parts, mixing well (it will be a super thick batter- if the batter seems too stiff add a small amount of heavy cream to the batter and mix well).

The picture doesn't do the funfetti justice. Just looking at the cake mix, it didn't seem very colorful, but as the flour dissolved in the wet ingredients the colorful specks magically appeared.

4. Using a small cooking scoop, drop balls of cookie dough on an ungreased backing sheet. Leave about 2 inches between the cookies.

5. Bake for 8-12 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool cookies at least 15 minutes on the cookie sheet before moving to a wire cooling rack; the cookies are very delicate when they first come out of the oven and will break if you transfer them too soon.

6. Once completely cool, add a generous dollop of frosting to the bottom half of the cookies, and then sandwich the rest of the cookies on top to from something that vaguely resembles a whoopie pie, but tastes like something else entirely.

I thought about picking a different color for the icing, but I'm a sucker for pink.

Yes, the cookies are totally adorable, but how do they taste? Heavenly, light, fluffy, and delicious! You may never want a regular funfetti cupcake again.

Eat with Your Eyes: Market Edition

2010-04-21T09:29:00.000-07:00

Due to the crazy success* of my last "Eat with Your Eyes" blog I decided to post another, this time it's the Market Edition. Taking pictures of food is fun, and while my food photography skills have improved I still have a long way to go before my pictures end up on magazine covers. Usually I take pictures of a dish at a restaurant or one I made at home, but I also have a few pictures from stores and markets. Mass quantities of fruits, vegetables, even packaged goods are fun photography subjects.

* My mom, boyfriend, and a few random twitter followers read it!

An ingredient I recently discovered and really love: chipotle peppers in adobo sauce. They are smokey, spicy, and delicious! See the Tortilla Soup recipe. I had a hard time finding them the first time, hopefully this pic will make it easier for you.

Wegman's

75 Locations in PA, VA, MD, NJ and NY

Massive quantity of olives.

Dellalo's

101 Lincoln Highway

Jeanette, PA 15644

Dried peppers or pretty hanging decorations? Both! This was taken at one of the most famous markets in the world.

Pikes Place Market in Seattle

1531 Western Avenue

Seattle, Washington 98101

Carrots at a lovely farmer's market in Olympia, Washington.

Olympia Farmers Market

700 Capital Way North

Olympia, Washington 98512

Eat with Your Eyes: Madison Edition

2010-04-19T18:29:00.000-07:00

I take pictures of my food all the time with the intent to blog about it later. Some of the pictures become part of my blog, but most of them just sit on my phone, never to be seen again....until now! This is the first in a series of blogs featuring those lost food photos. In honor of my move from Petersburg, VA to Madison, WI here's some pics of the good eats I've enjoyed in Madison.

I'm not a steak person, but my first trip to the Tornado Room I was jealous of Phil's peppercorn encrusted filet. Phil is a pretty humble guy, except when it comes to ordering food. He's confident that he always picks the best dish on the menu. I have to admit, he is pretty good, I find myself jealous of his food pretty often. Luckily he will share as long as I don't let him eat it all first. You can bet I ordered the peppercorn steak on our second visit. Phil ordered the lamb.

Tornado Room

116 South Hamilton Street
Madison, WI

Steak too fancy for you? How about some macaroni and cheese pizza? After a night out on State Street Ian's Pizza makes the best late-night munchies. This pictures is from the State Street location. Apparently they have a BYOB Ian's in Chicago!

Ian's Pizza

151 State Street

Madison, WI

*or*

3463 North Clark Street

Chicago, IL

Confession of a Food-a-holic

2010-02-23T18:36:00.000-08:00

I've been really slacking on the blog posts this month! It's not that I haven' t been cooking, in fact, I've been cooking more than normal, and tons of new recipes too. Truth is, I'm a tiny bit embarrassed because I've been keeping a secret from you, blog world. So here it is... I'm on Weight Watchers. I know, nothing to be ashamed of really, but I love food and watching every morsel that goes into my mouth doesn't allow for complete cooking and eating freedom. Also, I feel kind of guilty because I'm always that friend who is saying "come on!! eat the ice-cream!!! it's no big deal!!" and now I'm the one who says "umm can I get a salad instead of the onion rings??"

Despite being worried that I would be depriving myself of the joys of food, I have been surprised how good the recipes from Weight Watchers have been. Don't get me wrong, there are some foods that just aren't the same when you scale them down (french fries!) but the great thing about Weight Watchers is that you can eat anything, you just have to plan accordingly and control your portions. One of my biggest challenges is my sweet tooth, so I decided to see what the Weight Watchers recipe bank had in the way of sugary goodness.

I decided on the Berry-licious Cupcakes because the picture of them looked so cute. I realize that these aren't *healthy* but they have less calories and fat that regular cupcakes, and taste just as good, proving you can have your cupcake and eat it too!

Berry-licious Cupcakes

150 calories and 2.5g fat (with frosting)

Dunken Hines Yellow Cupcake

270 calories and 12g fat (not including frosting)

Berry-licious Cupcakes

Courtesy of Hungry Girl and Weight Watchers, comments by Amanda

Makes 12 cupcakes

Prep time 20 min

Cooking time 20 min

Ingredients:

4 oz (or half an 8oz container) fat free Cool Whip

1/4 cup fat-free cream cheese, softened

2 tbsp SPLENDA No Calorie Sweetner When recipes call for artificial sweetener, you can't just use sugar instead because 1 tbsp sweetener might not equal 1 tbsp sugar. Also, baking is a science as well as an art, so you might mess up the chemistry if you sub sweetener for sugar or vis-versa

1/8 tsp vanilla extract

2 drops neon pink food coloring (1 drop for icing, 1 drop for batter) I skipped this part because I wanted to have white icing so my sprinkles would look cool

1/2 Tbsp sugar free raspberry or strawberry syrup again, skipped it for white icing

9 1/8 oz (about half a package) regular white cake mix I weighed this out just to be sure I had exactly half, remember, this is science! Also, I used yellow, but I would recommend white, read on to find out why.

1 cup diet cola, black cherry flavor I used Diet Dr. Pepper

4 large egg whites (about 1/2 cup)

6 medium strawberries, pureed I used my mini food processor

2 sprays cooking spray or cupcake liners

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350.

2. In a medium bowl, comine whipped topping, cream cheese, Splenda, vanilla extract, 1 drop of food coloring (optional but looks cute and girly) and syrup (also optional, but tastes good).

Using electric mixer at medium-low speed, blend frosting until mixed thoroughly, about 1 minute. Chill frosting in freezer for 20 minutes and then transfer to refrigerator until ready to frost cupcakes.

3. In a large bowl, combine cake mix, soda and egg whites; add pureed straberries and remaining drop of food coloring. Mix with electric mixer at medium-high speed until smooth, about 45 seconds. I used yellow cake mix because it was on hand, and left out the pink food coloring. This caused the batter to be a slightly unpleasant yellowish-brownish-pinkish color, tasted fine, but not so pretty looking.

4. Coat a 12 cup muffin pan with cooking spray or line with cupcake wrappers. Evenly spoon batter into prepared muffin pan.

5. Bake until firm, about 15-20 minutes. Remove from oven and cool completely in pan. Once cool, remove cupcakes from pan and evenly spread with frosting. As I was decorating I noticed that the icing had tiny chunks in it where the cream cheese didn't incorporate into the cool whip all the way. I didn't like the way this looked, but as soon as I started topping each cake with sprinkles, not only did they look adorable, but I couldn't stop smiling! Oh, the magic of sprinkles.

Ingredients for the frosting

Ingredients for the batter

Showing off my new cupcake tree!

Practicing my food photography skillz! (with a z cuz I learned them on the streetz)

Does that look low-cal to you?

Final thoughts? These cupcakes are moist, sweet, and simply adorable. Everything a cupcake should be!

So what does Amanda's new eating habits mean for Down 2 Eat?

A few changes, like more vegetables, and less Amanda (I've lost 7 lbs so far, woo hoo!), but plenty of good eats!

Tips for Maximum Southern BBQ Enjoyment

2010-02-18T06:50:00.000-08:00

By: a Northerner By Birth But Southerner By Choice

For: Midwesterners, Yankees, Hoosiers, West Coasties, and anyone who needs to know

1. BBQ Means Low and Slow- Many people misuse the word BBQ. If you plan on having some people over and throwing some hot dogs and hamburgers on the grill you are not having a BBQ. Repeat after me: BBQ means low and slow. The ribs, pulled pork, and brisket you get at a BBQ restaurant have been cooked for hours and hours, maybe even DAYS!

2. Pink Means Smoked- In this case, pink meat does not mean "CALL THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT", it means your meat has been smoked to maximum tastiness, usually the pinker, the better.

3. Don't be Scared by Crappy Exterior - Most tasty BBQ places are in tiny little buildings on the outskirts of town. Don't be surprised to see a collection of fat smiley pig figurines. My all time favorite BBQ restaurant, Oklahoma Joe's in Kansas City is in a gas station. I am always skeptical of "fancier" BBQ joints, but there are some good ones, try The Pit in Raleigh, NC.

4. Coleslaw on the Pork = YUM - When I first saw people put coleslaw on their pulled pork sandwiches I thought it seemed weird. Don't knock it till you try it! It adds some cool freshness to your hot and spicy pork. Once my mom asked if she could get her coleslaw on the side instead of on the sandwich, and the waitress told her that if she wanted it on the sandwich, it was included, but if it was on the side, it cost extra! (This was years ago but I believe it occurred at Allen & Sons).

5. Choose Sides Wisely / Get Your Own Dang Coleslaw- Most places allow you to choose 2 (or more) sides to go with your meat. While side choices are personal, I always get coleslaw if I am having pulled pork and it doesn't come on the sandwich (see tip on coleslaw). I demonstrated the coleslaw on pork technique to my BF and he proceeded to eat all my coleslaw. Don't get me wrong, I love sharing food, but there's a limit- get your own coleslaw! In addition to coleslaw, I usually go with something unique and southern.... sweet potato fries are a favorite, and Olde Time BBQ in NC has apple pie sticks- fried batter filled with apples and cinnamon, yum!

6. BBQ Sauces Vary by Region- Each region has its own BBQ sauce "style". They come in different colors- red, yellow, white- and different flavors - sweet, tangy, or a combination. Here is a fun song to help you learn the types of BBQ. Sadly, they fail to mention MY home state of Virginia! In case you were curious, I think that Virginia mostly takes after North Carolina in our BBQ tastes- usually vinegar based, but sometimes you can find some red, sweet BBQ sauce.

Baking with Beer Part 2: Beer Bread

2010-01-24T09:48:00.000-08:00

In the words of Homer (the fat yellow cartoon dude, not the blind ancient greek dude) "MMMM BEEER!"

I love beer. There are so many different tasty varieties to explore, and on top of that, its great to bake with! The bubbles in the beer help the dough rise, so there’s no need to mess with yeast. You can use all those yummy beer flavors to make all different kinds of tasty baked goods. I am particularly fond of this recipe from Cooking Light magazine because you can used different types of beer and different add-ins to make beer breads from around the world. To make all American beer bread, stick to the base recipe with Bud and monetary jack. Add some manchego cheese and Dos Equis (hey, it rhymes!) and, HOLA!, you’ve got Mexican beer bread. Got some Peroni and sausage? Bon Journo, Italian beer bread! I’ve tried the Mexican and American versions and both are superbly delicious and surprisingly low in fat/calories. In the future I might experiment with some more flavor combos. What about Blue Moon and some orange zest? Sounds like I just came up with the idea for a future blog post.

Beer Bread

From Cooking Light Magazine pictures by Amanda

Yield

16 servings (serving size: 1 slice)

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon olive oil

• 1/2 cup finely chopped yellow onion

• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

• 1 garlic clove, minced

• 13.5 ounces all-purpose flour (about 3 cups) All-Purpose is essential! I used bread flour once and the bread didn’t rise enough and was very dense.

• 3 tablespoons sugar

• 2 teaspoons baking powder

• 1 teaspoon salt

• 1 cup (4 ounces) shredded Monterey Jack cheese

• 1 (12-ounce) bottle lager-style beer (such as Budweiser) I used Yuengling

• Cooking spray

• 2 tablespoons melted butter, divided

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 375°.

2. Heat oil in a small skillet over medium-low heat. Add onion to pan; cook 10 minutes or until browned, stirring occasionally. Stir in pepper and garlic; cook 1 minute.

3. Weigh or lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl, stirring with a whisk; make a well in center of mixture. Add onion mixture, cheese, and beer to flour mixture, stirring just until moist.

4. Spoon batter into a 9 x 5–inch loaf pan coated with cooking spray. Drizzle 1 tablespoon butter over batter. Bake at 375° for 35 minutes. Drizzle remaining 1 tablespoon butter over batter. Bake an additional 25 minutes or until deep golden brown and a wooden pick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool in pan 5 minutes on a wire rack; remove from pan. Cool completely on wire rack.

Once again I failed to take a good picture of the final product because I got so excited that I ate it :)

Apple-Cheddar Beer Bread: Substitute 1/2 cup minced shallots for onion. Place 1/2 cup shredded peeled Gala apple in paper towels; squeeze until barely moist. Cook shallots and apple in oil over medium heat for 7 minutes. Substitute 1 cup shredded extrasharp white cheddar cheese for Monterey Jack. Substitute 1 (12-ounce) bottle hard cider for lager. Yield: 16 servings (serving size: 1 slice)

Manchego-Jalapeño Beer Bread: Substitute 1/4 cup thinly sliced green onions and 1/4 cup finely chopped jalapeño pepper for onion; cook over medium heat for 3 minutes. Substitute 1 cup (4 ounces) shredded Manchego cheese for Monterey Jack cheese. Substitute 1 (12-ounce) bottle Mexican beer (such as Dos Equis) for lager-style beer. Yield: 16 servings (serving size: 1 slice).

Sopressata-Asiago Beer Bread: Substitute 1/2 cup minced shallots and 2 tablespoons chopped green onions for onion. Substitute 3/4 cup (3 ounces) shredded Asiago cheese for Monterey Jack cheese. Substitute 1 (12-ounce) bottle Italian lager beer (such as Peroni) for lager-style beer. Stir 2 ounces finely chopped Sopressata salami into batter. Yield: 16 servings (serving size: 1 slice).

Moussaka: Funny Name, Yummy Food

2010-01-22T11:08:00.000-08:00

Every summer St. Constatine and Hellen Greek Orthodox Church in Newport News has an AWESOME Greek Festival. I have fond memories of sneaking Izzy (the family dog) in the back of the tent so I could chow down on some awesomely good eats! Gyros, slovaki, spanikopita, baklava and those little honey donuts that I don't remember the name of. But what about those Greek cravings during non-festival times? I have the recipe for you. I make the most FANTASTIC Mossakka. I pronounce it (moose-ahhh-kaaaa) but I could be wrong.

If you aren't familiar with Mossakka, it's kind of like a combination of eggplant parmesan and lasagna, but of course with Greek flavors. This particular recipe is actually quite time consuming but tastes better than any Mossaka I've ever had.

Moussaka

from the Dean & Deluca Cookbook with comments by Amanda

serves 8 2/3 of a recipe is perfect for 3 people, but you might as well make the whole thing because the leftovers are so good

3 pounds eggplant

2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon course salt

1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons Greek extra virgin Olive oil I used italian EVOO, no big deal

3 cups minced yellow onions

1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon finely minced garlic

1 pound ground lamb

1/4 cup white wine

14- ounce can tomatoes in puree I used diced and it worked fine

1 bay leaf

1 cinnamon stick

1 teaspoon dried thyme

1 teaspoon dried oregano

pinch of freshly grated nutmeg

2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh flat leaf parsley

1 stick (1/2 cup) plus 3 tablespoons butter

1/2 cup flour

5 cups milk heated to almost boiling

1 teaspoon of white pepper

1 1/4 cup freshly made bread crumbs

6 tablespoons freshly grated parmigiano-reggiano You can use regular parmesan, but luckily I had the good stuff on hand

1. Slice eggplant into 1/4-inch rounds and place on sheet pans. Using 1 tablespoon of coarse salt, sprinkle salt on each side of eggplant. Set aside to "sweat" for 30 minutes. Sweating and (later) frying the eggplant takes extra time but it is essential to getting the eggplant to have that meaty texture.

2. In a large saucepan (non-stick works best here) heat 1/4 cup of olive oil over moderate heat, and add onions, garlic, and 1 teaspoon of coarse salt. Cook, stirring occasionally for 10 minutes,

3. Increase heat to high, and add the ground lamb. Break up lamb with wooden spoon as it cooks. Cook until well browned, about 10 minutes. Removed as much fat from the pan as possible.

4. Add white wine and cook for 3 minutes scraping bottom of pan to loosen brown bits. Reduce eat to low and add tomatoes, bay leaf, cinnamon stick, thyme, oregano, nutmeg, and 1 teaspoon salt. Stir well, breaking up tomatoes with wooden spoon. Simmer gently for 30 minutes, add chopped parsley, mix well, and turn off heat.

5. Heat a large skillet over moderately high heat and very lightly coat the bottom with olive oil. When oil is hot, dry eggplant slices well and saute in batches until well browned about 4 minutes for side. (If it is necessary to add more oil to the skillet, add sparingly, as eggplant absorbs oil easily. Do not crowd the skillet.) Set aside cooked eggplant.

6. In a medium saucepan (yep, you need to dirty more dishes, woo!) melt 1/2 cup of butter over moderate heat. Add flour 1 tablespoon at a time, whisking well after each addition. Cook roux gently, whisking constantly, for 2 to 3 minutes, without letting color change. Add hot milk slowly, whisking constantly, and cook over low heat, whisking frequently, for about 20 minutes or until the sauce has the consistency of very thick cream. Season with 2 teaspoons coarse salt and white pepper.

7. Preheat oven to 350. Sprinkle 1.3 cup of the bread crumbs on the bottom of an 11 inch by 9 inch by 1 1/2 inch pan/ Next, layer half the eggplant slices over the bread crumbs. Spread lamb mixture evenly over the eggplant. Cover with 3 tablespoons of the Parmigiano-Reggiano and 1/4 cup of the bread crubs. Add the remaining eggplant slices, then top with the bechamel sauce. Sprinl;e with remaining cheese and bread crumbs. Dot with remaining butter.

8. Bake in preheated oven for 50 minutes. Before serving, brown moussaka under the boiler for 3-4 minutes. Let sit for 10 minutes. Cut into squares and serve.

Ta-Da!

Baking with Beer Part 1: Beer Pecan Rolls

2010-01-14T20:01:00.000-08:00

This recipe is from the food blog of food blogs, Serious Eats. Now, blogging about recipes I find on recipe websites, magazines, and cookbooks is one thing, but blogging about a recipe that was already blogged about always makes me feel alittle sketchy. So, I am making it crystal clear I AM NOT THE FIRST PERSON TO POST ABOUT THIS! See the original post here.

However, I do have something to say/ an improvement to make. This recipe was probably converted from metric measurements without much care. If you checked out the original post, you might have noticed my comment, which at the time of posting has remained unanswered, I guess because it’s a huge blog and an old post.

I noted in my comment that the recipe says 1 ½ tablespoon, which is kind of a weird way to measure stuff (I don’t have a tool to measure ½ tablespoon ) but easy enough to figure out (3 teaspoons in a tablespoon so 2 ½ teaspoons). But then ¼ tablespoon? Oww, my head hurts trying to figure that one out. It was easy enough with a calculator, but I don’t think I should need to get out the calculator when I’m cooking, especially breakfast.

If this was a recipe for a sauce or something, I would just guestimate by filling up my tablespoon measurerer ¼ full, but this is baking! Being off by a little bit on the salt can most certainly affect that outcome of your food.

The recipe should say ¾ of a teaspoon, and no, I don’t have a ¾ teaspoon measuring spoon either, but I DO have a ½ teaspoon and a ¼ teaspoon. And that’s math even I can do: ½ + ¼ = 3/4 teaspoon!

Anyway, my big issue with Serious Eats, and I guess food blogs in general, is that everyone comments and says "oh sounds great" "I can't wait to make this" but who actually makes it? I DO!

Beer Bread Pecan Rolls

- serves at least 6 -
Adapted from Home Cookin' by Julia Sneed. and adapted AGAIN from Serious Eats blogger Maggie Hoffman by Amanda

Ingredients

For the cinnamon filling:
4 or 5 strips bacon (optional)
1/2 cup raw pecan halves or pieces
1 cup brown sugar
2 tablespoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon cloves
5 tablespoons butter, melted (you may not use all of this)

For the dough:
3 cups all purpose flour
1 1/2 tablespoons baking powder *1 tablespoon plus 1 1/2 teaspoons *
1/4 tablespoons salt *1/2 teaspoon plus 1/4 teaspoon*
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 twelve-ounce bottle Abita Pecan Ale (or other nut brown or pumpkin ale), at room temperature

For the caramel topping:
3 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons brown sugar
3/4 cup raw pecan halves or pieces

Procedure

1. Remove beer from the fridge to bring to room temperature. You can run it under warm tap water until it doesn't feel too cold. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar until well blended. Add beer and stir with a wooden spoon until a moist dough is formed. Flour your hands and a kneading surface well, then knead, adding a small amount of flour as needed, until dough doesn't stick to the board.

2. If you're making the bacon variation, cook the bacon slowly in a cast iron skillet (11 inches is ideal) to render out as much fat as possible. When crisp, remove bacon from pan and let cool on a paper towel. Crumble bacon. Add pecans to the pan (with remaining bacon grease) and toss, toasting lightly until fragrant. Remove nuts from pan with a spoon and set aside with the bacon.

Note: If you're not using bacon, toast the nuts in a dry cast iron skillet (11" is ideal) until fragrant, then set aside as above.

3. In a mixing bowl, mix remaining dry ingredients (brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves) for cinnamon filling until blended.

4. Preheat oven to 350°F. Flour surface and rolling pin and roll dough out to 1/2-inch thickness. Brush melted butter over the rolled-out dough. (You may not use all of it.) Sprinkle cinnamon filling over dough and top with the toasted pecans and crumbled bacon if using. Roll up like a log.

5. In the same cast iron pan, melt remaining 3 tablespoons butter with remaining brown sugar to make the caramel topping. Stir until dissolved. Add remaining raw pecans and distribute caramel evenly over the bottom of the pan. Remove from heat.

6. Cut cinnamon-roll log into coinlike slices about 1 1/2 inches thick. Place each roll into pan on top of the caramel topping, starting in the center and working outward in concentric circles until pan is full. Brush roll tops lightly with butter and bake at 350°F for 25 to 30 minutes (rolls will brown slightly.) I would tend more toward the 25 minutes if you like yours gooey. Place a round platter on top of pan and invert rolls onto platter so caramel topping is on top. Serve immediately.

Final verdict? These are delicious, and I made them without the bacon. They tasted a little dry when they came out of the oven, but when I wrapped one in a damp paper towel and reheated it the next day it was moist and heavenly. Next time I will cut down on the cooking time a tiny bit. I forgot how much fun making a huge doughy mess can be, I will definitely bake some more after this.

The beer I used, I'm curious to try this recipe with pumpkin beer.

I baked them in a small pan so they all baked together. You can pull them apart pretty easily, if you bake them in a bigger pan they won't all stick together like that.

I made a satisfactory mess if I do say so myself :)

New Year, Old Favorite: Buffalo Chicken Chili

2009-12-31T11:15:00.000-08:00

I first found this recipe in Rachael Ray magazine a few years ago and now its one of my favorites. It's easy to serve to a crowd, it's healthy, taste great, and makes awesome leftovers. Only downside is it requires lots of chopping, but I love chopping, so for me there is no downside.

There are a few different versions of this recipe available online, but beware, some of them nix the beer! Shocking I know. Beer is not only my favorite beverage, but also one of my favorite ingredients to cook with, beer bread, beer cinnamon rolls, beer chicken... but that's another post. Here is the version of the recipe I use, with a few tips I have learned from making this several times.

Buffalo Chicken Chili

Original Recipe by Rachael Ray, modified by Amanda

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon EVOO

2 tablespoons butter

2 pounds ground chicken Turkey works just as well and you can't taste much of a difference

2 garlic cloves, chopped

2 celery ribs, chopped

1 medium onion, chopped

1 carrot, chopped

1 jalapeno, seeded and chopped You can use canned jalapenos if you have those on hand

salt and freshly ground pepper

1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin

1 teaspoon ground coriander

6 ounces of beer

1 15 ounce can of tomato sauce

1/4 cup cayenne pepper hot sauce I use Frank's Buffalo Wing Sauce and it's the right amount of spice for me. Remember you can always add more (leave the wing sauce out so diners can have more if they want) but you can't take it away. Once I accidentally used the Frank's Extra Hot Buffalo Wing Sauce and it about killed me (I'm a pansy).

Blue cheese (for garnish)

1 box jiffy corn bread mix and stuff to make it (1 egg, some milk)

1. Heat a medium dutch oven over high heat. Add olive oil, 1 turn of the pan, and butter and melt together.

2. Add the chicken and cook, breaking up the meat for 6 minutes.

3. Add the garlic, celery, onion, carrot and jalapeno. Season with salt, pepper, cumin and coriander and cook for 5 minutes.

4. Add the beer and scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Concentrate the flavor of the beer by reducing the mixture over medium heat for 2-3 minutes.

5. Stir in the hot sauce and the tomato sauce. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 15 minutes.

6. Bake up the cornbread. Follow the recipe on the box.

7. Serve with blue cheese crumbles on top and side of cornbread.

This is what French chefs call a mirepoix or "holy trinity". Carrot, onion, and celery form the basis not only for the Buffalo Chicken Chili, but for many French dishes. In New Orleans, the carrot is replaced with green bell pepper for yummy creole foods like gumbo.

Oh, and did I mention leftovers? How about Buffalo Chicken Nachos? Just top some chips with leftover chili, cheese, salsa, and bake. Top that with your favorite nacho fixings (jalapenos, lettuce, tomato, guacamole, sour cream) and enjoy.

The Feast of the Seven Fish: Italian Seafood with a Side of All American Freedom!

2009-12-29T09:18:00.000-08:00

My Grandma (Grammy) will be quick to tell you, “I’m Italian and I’m from Pittsburgh.” Both statements are a stretch. She has never lived in Italy nor Pittsburgh. She lives in a small town outside of the city, and both of her parents are Italian.

Nevertheless, this year my family celebrated the Feast of the Seven Fish. In the Catholic tradition, Christmas Eve is a time of fasting, so eating meat is out. I find it a little contradictory to have a feast on a day of fast, but I‘m not one to turn down a feast. If you can’t eat pigs or cows or chickens, you might as well eat as many types of fish as possible.

Like Grammy, the Feast of the Seven Fish presents itself as 100% Italian. A quick Google search revealed that the origins of the Feast are debatable. It is widely celebrated in Pittsburgh and other areas with large Italian immigrant populations. Walking into Dellalo (an Italian grocery store) on Christmas Eve will quickly clue you to the number of Italian Americans who practice the tradition. On December 24th attendants direct traffic outside, and after a few minutes inside you will feel like you are in an episode of Everyday Italian with Giada DeLaurentiis on Food Network. Store workers shout “Fresh baked bread great for bru-sket-a!” “Sale on Par-me-san-a!” . Even my Grammy asked where to find the “Cal-i-mar” (which was sold out by the way, sold out of squid…interesting). Apparently in the walls of the store you are required to use the Italian pronunciations. But do Italians really celebrate the Feast of the Seven Fish?

Italians (the ones from Italy, not the American ones) usually eat fish on Christmas Eve since the Catholic church forbids eating meat on that day, but Seven Fish is much more strongly rooted in the United States then in Italy. I tried to tell this to my Grammy but she wouldn’t hear any of it. Oh well, I don’t care where it came from, because eating seafood, drinking wine, and reuniting with family doesn’t need to be authentically Italian to be enjoyed. I asked Grammy what she remembered about Seven Fish dinners when she was a kid, and she said it was “even better than Christmas”. I might have to agree.

All of us want to have a cultural identity. Many Americans look to where their ancestors came from- Italy, Ireland, China, wherever. Sure, we might carry on some traditions that have roots in these cultures, but I’m no more Italian than the Pope is American. And what about those of us who are “mutts”? I’m a quarter Italian and a quarter Ukrainian on my Mom’s side, and my Dad’s side is such a mix there’s really no telling. Does this doom me to not having any cool traditions? No way!

Being an American is kind of like when you live in New York City all your life and never go in the Empire State Building. It’s there, but you don’t go in and appreciate it because its ALWAYS there and you start to take it for granted. Think of all the things that Americans do but other countries don’t: Fourth of July, Thanksgiving, the Wienermobile….just to name a few. My fellow Americans, if you find yourself looking for a cultural identity, no need to cling to a motherland you have little association with when you live in arguably the greatest country in the world. Whether you are Italian-American, Mexican-American or Di’Jabuti-American, don’t forget to appreciate the “American” part!

I went to pick up my Grandparents so I didn't get to do much cooking, I didn't even have a chance to get my coat off before I was handed a plate full of fish and a glass of wine.

I don't think Swedish Fish and Gold Fish Crackers count toward the 7, but it's the only "fish" my brother will eat.

More Soup For You!

2009-12-20T15:41:00.000-08:00

I'm totally on a soup kick right now. I didn't plan on having three blogs in a row on the subject but, who doesn't love a warm bowl of comforting goodness when there's a chill in the air and snow on the ground? I found this recipe for Baked Potato Soup on AllRecipes.com. It's one of my favorite places for recipes online because there are tons of reviews, it crunches the numbers for you if you want to change the amount of servings, and if you register you can save your favorite recipes in a neat little recipe box. The recipe is just as easy as it is tasty.

Tortilla Soup: Holy Chipotle!

2009-12-17T10:46:00.000-08:00

I spend a ton of time with the Food Network chefs. They come in to my home, tell me stories about the dishes they make, and I feel like I have a special relationship with each of then.

Rachael Ray was one of my favorites to begin with. Her food is fun, not overly complicated or fussy. I have a few go-to recipes that came from Rachael's kitchen.

Rach also gave* me her cookbook 365 Days No Repeats, and I must admit I made a few recipes from there and I don't love all of them. Some fell a little bit flat in the flavor department, so you have to take her recipes with a grain of salt (literally!). Don't skimp on any ingredient that adds flavor and definitely taste it and add more seasoning as needed.

I was browsing some of her recipes online when I saw this one: Chicken Tortilla Soup with Chipotle and Fire Roasted Tomatoes

First reaction, Yumm-O! Quick, get out the EVOO and the Official RR Garbage Bowl** and let's get cooking. Not that easy, I went to three different grocery stores until I finally found the star ingredient: chipotle in adob0. I had never used it before but seen it on Food Network many times. It kind of reminds me of roasted red peppers, but in a spicy brown adobo sauce. I was looking for a jar but it actually comes in a little can. I found it in the Mexican section at the Commissary at Fort Lee. The Commissary always has good international ingredients, probably because military families who have lived overseas have some diverse tastes. Sad news is, you have to have a military ID or be with someone who has one to make purchases.

Now that I had successfully hunted down the chipotles I was ready to get cooking! Once I had the soup going I realized without the toppings and chiles it was basically just some canned tomatoes and some poached chicken. Yumm-O? More like Lame-O! Those peppers better be good.

I started with one (Rach called for two) because I am a pansy when it comes to spicy stuff. Wow, the soup tasted awesome! I added a couple big spoonfuls of the adobo sauce and the spice level was perfect. The flavor sort of reminds me of cumin, smokey and flavorful but not overly hot. My whole family loved it. For a minute there my parents were actually happy that I am temporarily crashing their empty nest. You must try this recipe! And check back here to see what I decide to do with the rest of the chipotles in adobe!!

* OK, so maybe my mom gave it to me, but my story is more fun.

** I don't actually own the Official Rachel Ray Garbage Bowl, but I've seen them in stores and it makes me chuckle that someone would actually buy a garbage bowl.

French Onion Soup: The Adventures of Super Chopping Girl

2009-12-13T11:26:00.000-08:00

If French Onion soup is on the menu, I will probably order it. The sweet onions and beefy broth are delicious, but we all know it's the melty cheese on top that makes it so irresistible. This baked cheesey delight has been on my list of food to cook for awhile now, and with the cold weather rolling in it got bumped to the top of the list.

Most cooks dread chopping onions, I actually look forward to it. I shared with my Mom that I would be making FOS and she advised me to use the food processor. I ignored this comment because I love to chop. Also, unlike most mere mortals, onions don't make me cry. Seriously, ask anyone who's seen me in the kitchen.

I perused a few recipes, and watched this video of Alton Brown making FOS. I acquired a few onions, 2 vidalias and 2 red onions at the store the day before, so I was shocked when he said to use 8 onions! Wow, no wonder mom wanted me to break out the food processor. Chopping eight onions might even make Super Chopping Girl tear up. I compared AB's recipes to some I found online, and discovered that most averaged about 1 large onion per serving. So I could make enough for everyone in my house with just 3. Here's the recipe I followed.

I cooked the onions for about an hour. The recipe said 45 minutes, but after that amount of time the onions didn't look as brown as AB's onions. After another 15 minutes. I still wasn't satisfied, but I was also sick of babysitting the onions. I moved on to the next step, finished cooking the soup and put it in the fridge so I could construct the bowls of bread and cheesy goodness the next day.

I followed AB's advice for assembling the bowls and they looked awesome if I do say so myself. I grated asiago on top of the croutons, then topped them with 1 slice of provolone and 2 slices swiss each.

Final verdict: I was happy with the way my cheese and croutons turned out, but the soup, not so much. Cooking the onions took forever and they didn't even taste that good. With all the hassle and a mediocre result, I don't think I would make this one again. I'd be better off going to Panera. But if you do feel the need to try FOS on your own, don't forget these important tips:

- Cook the onions to a deep dark brown, at least 1.5 hours!

-You need about 1 large onion per serving.

-Use sweet onions: vidalia, red or a combination of both.

- If onions make you cry, a food processor is probably a good idea.

This picture turned out quite artsy don't you think? There might be hope for my food photography.

Cook-Through Blog

2009-12-10T23:59:00.000-08:00

When I started this blog I wanted it to have a unique angle, something to set it apart from the bagillions of food blogs out there. I thought a blog for that group of us who loves gourmet dinners AND greasy bar food. Not that it's a bad idea, but I know I can do better.I feel like there's no coherence to it, just some random recipes I try and a collection of my Yelp reviews. I want people to look at my blog and say "that's such a FUN and SIMPLE concept, why didn't I think of it??!".

That's what I said when I saw Julie and Julia. Julie cooks through Julia Child's cookbook and blogs along the way. Julie started in 2002 when I was 16. I guess I can't blame myself for not beating her to the boeuf bourguignon, but standing in front of the cookbooks in Books-a-Million today I said to myself, what book can I cook through??? I browsed the cookbooks at the store, the ones on my own shelf and here are a few I'm contemplating and the pros and cons of each:

The Dean and Deluca Cookbook

Pros:

I made a few recipes from it and they were AWESOME

I can reward myself with a trip to the Dean and Deluca store in NYC

Already own it/can steal it from my mom.

Cons:

Over 700 recipes!

Don't feel totally amped on this one for some reason (could change).

The New Best Recipe

Pros:

Cooked a few things from it and I like it.

Love America's Test Kitchen! They test all the different ways to make a recipe, Eggplant Parm, for example, and choose which one is the best to put in the cookbook.

Already own it/ can steal it from my mom.

Being done.

Cons:

OVER 1,000 recipes... wow! Julie did about 400 recipes in a year... that means this will take me at least 2.5 years.

Italian Classics

Pros:

300+ recipes is a good amount to do in 1 year.

Eating Italian Everyday!

Also by America's Test Kitchen people.

Already have it/ steal it from mom!

Cons:

Eating Italian everyday. Is that really a con?

Haven't cooked anything out of it yet.

Alton Brown's Good Eats The Early Years

Pros:

Only 140 recipes.

Love Alton Brown.

Might get it for Christmas :)

Cons:

400 page, 140 recipes.

Alton Brown and his overly complicated and tedious recipes will probably make me pull my hair out.

Haven't cooked anything out of it yet.

Ruled out for being over done: anything Julia Child, anything Jamie Oliver, Joy of Cooking, anything Gordon Ramsey

Ruled out for not being cool enough for me: Anything Sandra Lee, Rachel Ray, Ina Garten, Martha Stewart, Tyler Florence, Bobby Flay...

Please comment on which one you like or any others you might recommend!!

Check out Cooking the Books- a blog for "Cook-Through" blogs!

I Heart Down2Eat

2009-12-10T15:09:00.000-08:00

I love my blog. YES it is made from a really lame template and NO I’m not very good at posting regularly, I never get any comments, and its not going to be made into a movie anytime soon, but lots of positive things come out of it.

Helps me move past two of my biggest blog fears- being a bad writer and no one caring about what I have to say. I may not have perfect grammar, but I have a fun way of saying things, and I care what I have to say… and so does my mom, my boyfriend….and, well… I think that’s about the only people who read it. Anyone else out there? PLEASE COMMENT!!
Gives me something constructive to do while being unemployed. Cooking and writing fills my time. Developing my writing skills is great for my future career in Marketing/PR, and developing my cooking skills will make for some very happy bellies.
Inspires me to do bigger, better blogs! What’s next? My own domain name? A blog without a template? I’m seriously considering a Cook-Through Blog a la my new favorite movie Julie and Julia.

Keep checking back to see what’s cooking next…

Egg-cellent Part 2: The Challenger

2009-12-02T08:46:00.000-08:00

I stumbled across a recipe for the perfect scrambled eggs. More perfect than mine? GASP!

Check out where I found the recipe: NoobCook.com.

Watch Chef Ramsey make them: Youtube.

Ok, I guess maybe just MAYBE Gordon Ramsey MIGHT make better scrambled eggs than me (the man has 16 Michelin stars I guess I should give him a chance).

Ingredients (Serves 2)

-4 eggs Only using 2 since it's just me!

-1 tbsp creme fraiche Yumm-o! I've heard about this stuff but never used it. It's like a very rich sour cream from France. Pronounced "crem fresh".

-small knob of butter

-salt and fresh cracked pepper

-fresh chopped chives

Directions

1. Break eggs in a saucepan and add butter. Do not whisk the eggs or season them at this point. Crack into the pan? So my usual method of "whisk the crap out of them until frothy" is not coming into play here....I'm skeptical already.

2. Turn on the flame and whisk the eggs in the pan using the spatula. Whisk the eggs in the pan? With a spatula? Sad I can't use my power tools (hand blender), but don't you whisk with a whisk? Not a spatula? I'll try the spatula first but I have the whisk on standby.

3. Keep stirring the egg mixture, and as soon as it starts to thicken a little, get it off the heat and continue stirring. That's interesting, what will this accomplish? Other than making my arm tired?

4. Alternate between stirring the eggs while they are on and off the heat, repeat a few times (about 3-4) until the scrambled eggs are of the right consistency (creamy and fluffy). Wow. I get it now, by controlling the heat this way, you ensure that you don't overcook the eggs (I HATE overcooked eggs). Also, they aren't as "chunky" as normal scrambled eggs. They are smooth, yet fluffy.

5. Take the eggs off the heat, mix in crème fraîche to cool it down, season with salt and pepper and fold in some chopped chives. Oh wow, these look really good, the dollop of creme fraiche really helps. These are delicious!! Not sure if they are better than mine, but definitely different! Oh, I forgot to season! Too bad I already scarffed them down :)

Egg-cellent: Part 1

2009-11-27T20:51:00.000-08:00

I love scrambled eggs.

Here is how I make the perfect scrambled eggs:

2 eggs
dash of milk
salt and fresh cracked pepper

Crack eggs into medium sized bowl.
Add a dash of milk.
*Important* Whisk eggs until nice and frothy. Use an actual whisk, not a fork! Even better, use a hand held blender. Sounds a little over the top I know, but the eggs come out super fluffy.
*also important* Cook until the eggs are no longer runny but still "shiny". I can't stand over cooked scrambled eggs, and I think most people don't realized that they overcook them.
Plate and sprinkle with salt and fresh cracked pepper. Enjoy!

When I don't care about calories...I use cream instead of milk, and toss some butter in the pan. When I'm feeling fancy... I add some goat cheese just before the eggs are done so the cheese gets melty. Sprinkle with chopped chives.

Image: everystockphoto.com

I started thinking about my perfect eggs after I stumbled upon a Gordon Ramsey recipe for his perfect scrambled eggs. Tomorrow morning I'm going to try his recipe, and we'll see which eggs I like better.

Happy Thanksgiving!

2009-11-26T09:16:00.000-08:00

I love today because it's one of the biggest cooking days of the year. Getting the turkey and stuffing just right can be difficult, but let's face it, plopping cranberry sauce out of a can or pouring a can of pumpkin pie filling into a pre-made crust is not difficult or any fun! I've noticed that some people are super stuck on tradition and need their cranberry sauce and pumpkin pie, and they can have it! Just spice it up a little. Here's a few recipes on my Thanksgiving table this year.

Instead of cranberry sauce try this Cranberry Apple and Ginger Chutney (don't let the name scare you, not complicated!):

Instead of pumpkin pie, I made Pumpkin Roulade.

I guess Izzy isn't a stickler for tradition, she wants to try the Pumpkin Roulade.

C is for Cookies

2009-11-24T20:04:00.000-08:00

I'm watching Good Eats and Alton Brown just said "The recipe on the back of the Nestle chocolate chip package is the Magna Carta of chocolate chip cookie recipes."

I couldn't agree more. My grandma makes the best chocolate chip cookies on earth (real original I know, but true!). We always rave about them, but she insists she just follows the Nestle recipe. Curious, I took a shot at the recipe myself. While my cookies were pretty close to Grandma Nancy's, I still think hers are a little better. What's her secret? Somehow she can bake in the love (awww).

Hot Lava? Hot CHOCOLATE Lava!

2009-11-21T17:41:00.000-08:00

I was watching a Food Network special (shocking, I know) about Thanksgiving desserts and noticed a serious lack of chocolate! Today also happens to be my mom's birthday so what better excuse to make something chocolatey.

These Chocolate Lava Cakes look and taste amazing, but they are surprisingly easy to make! I only wanted to make 3 cakes, and allrecipes.com made that super easy. Just type in how many servings you want and it will recalculate the amounts for you.

Authentic Mexican Food: No Passport Required

2009-11-12T10:07:00.000-08:00

Last Spring, someone recommended that my coworker and I try an authentic Mexican Restaurant with a weird name. We wandered the streets, reading the Spanish signs until we finally found it. We walked in, and it looked more like a factory than a restaurant. No one spoke English. Luckily, my Spanish speaking coworker asked where the restaurant was, and we were pointed next door. I guess when you wander into a tortilla factory while in search of tacos, you're in good shape.

But wait, I wasn't in Mexico, I was in West Chicago.

Mmm, tasty authentic Mexican food without getting out your passport! Yes please.

I scoped out another restaurant in Chicago's Spanish speaking neighborhoods: Cemitas Puebla. I saw it on DDD (Diner's, Drive Ins, and Dive's) and I have been dying to go for almost a year now, but it's a little out of the way and I just never made it until my most recent visit.

The story? The family that owns the restaurant returns to their "puebla" once a month to get ingredients, including the awesome cheese that comes on your Cemita in generous handfuls. Check out their website and drool over the video of Guy's visit.

Cemitas Puebla

3619 W. North Avenue

Chicago, IL 60647

Love at First Bite

2009-11-03T19:49:00.000-08:00

I went on an amazing two week bus tour called "The Best of Europe". The tour's website listed reviews and people raved about a lunch stop at a pizzeria in a tiny town in Italy. I looked forward to this from day one. I didn't know anyone when I started the tour, but I made friends with a lady named Kathy, who loved to watch me eat because she couldn't believe how happy it made me. She had the camera ready for my first bite of Italian pizza. I'll let the pictures speak for themselves on how I felt about the pizza.

Ketchup vs. Mustard

2009-11-03T09:42:00.000-08:00

Spending a year working for Oscar Mayer and with the informal job title "Hotdogger" I think I have earned the right to call myself a hot dog expert. This is my first, but certainly not my last, hot dog related post.

I'm headed to Chicago this weekend and that has me thinking about the Ketchup vs Mustard debate. Die hard ketchup fans will be surprised to find out that Chicago natives despise the stuff. Chicagoans reserve ketchup for the 10 and under crowd, and maybe french fries. Ketchup on a hot dog? Blasphemy. Unassuming tourists have been known to ask for ketchup on their hot dog, and vendors refuse to apply it for them. Some hot dog vendors don't even carry the stuff, and will point ketchup lovers in the direction of the nearest McDonald's.

Surprising, I know, why so much hate for a simple condiment? The answer is as simple as it is justified. The Chicago hot dog of choice? Vienna Beef. It's not your 99-cent-off-brand-mystery-meat dog. Vienna Beef hot dogs are juicy and flavorful. The sweetness of the ketchup over powers the flavor of the meat, while mustard enhances it. Add relish, tomatoes, onions, sport peppers, a pickle spear, celery salt, and a poppy seed bun, you have the perfect Chicago hot dog and an amazing flavor combination. Next time you are in the Windy City, get your hot dog Chicago style and I promise you won't miss the ketchup.

Can't get enough on the Ketchup vs. Mustard debate? Check out my friend Meathead's blog.

Halloween Eats

2009-10-26T10:33:00.001-07:00

The one time of year when making food that looks like eyeballs, brains, or anything gross is not only accepted but encouraged. The cute and creative dishes at my friend Michelle's Halloween party impressed me. Here's a few of my favorites!

Octopus cupcakes made with blow pops and gummy worms.

Too cute to eat- Mummy made of cheese! His wrappings are made of cream cheese.

Mmm, pumpkin barf! (it's guacamole)

Bite-sized pumpkins- cheese balls with parsley for leaves and pretzels for stems.

Campus Eats

2009-10-18T12:10:00.000-07:00

Grads cherish memories of their college days. A few of my favorites: football games, sleeping late, Frisbee on the quad, campus food. Yep, that’s right, campus food makes my list. When I entered James Madison University in 2004 the Princeton Review ranked them at #18 on their Best Campus Food list. A few of JMU students' favorite eats: Thanksgiving dinner anytime at Cranberry Farms in the Festival food court, spinach and artichoke dip at the on-campus sit down restaurant Madison Grill, and peanut butter pie at cafeteria style D-Hall.

I went back to JMU recently, and they have since climbed to #4 on the Best Food list thanks to their new dining hall, referred to by students as E-Hall. This isn’t your middle school lunch line. It’s a completely green facility with fancy black square plates and fresh made pita bread. Grad school anyone?

Salad and homemade pita bread and mini pineapple upside-down cake for dessert.

Bizarre Eats

2009-10-18T10:08:00.000-07:00

Traveling and trying new foods is always an adventure, but it can be uncomfortable when cultures differ on what is considered “food”. I expanded my “food” boundaries in Spain with pig ears, fried lamb stomach, and suckling (yes, as in baby) pigs. The lamb stomach and the suckling pig were amazing! I look forward to my next trip to Spain so I can try them again. The pigs ear tasted great, too. It was garlicky and buttery, but when I mentioned to my friend that I wasn’t too fond of the texture, she blurted out “Yeah! That’s because you are eating cartilage and fat and skin!!”. Needless to say, I couldn’t clean my plate.

Los Cuchinillos (baby pigs) ready for the oven at Botin, the World's Oldest Restaurant.

Resturante Botin, Calle de los Cuchillerros 17, Madrid, Spain

Fried lamb stomach at a Spanish street festival, served Spanish style with lots of bread.

I'm not anxious to try "the Golden Ear" again.

La Oreja de Oro, Calle de La Victoria 9, Madrid, Spain

I’m not obsessed with trying weird things but apparently there’s a large group of Foodies who feel the stranger, the better. Fans of Travel Channel shows Bizarre Foods and Anthony Bordain’s No Reservations are disappointed if an episode doesn’t include the consumption of a few testicles. It’s not just the older chefs that are in on the weird food. I discovered an interesting Blog called Weird Meat. Blogger Michael was a vegetarian, oddly enough, but his curiosity about why cultures eat what they do has made him put aside his all-veggie habits. If you are traveling to a new country and are looking for some weird eats, his blog will serve as an awesome guide.

3 Foods that are Surprisingly Easy to Make From Scratch

2009-10-18T09:38:00.000-07:00

Cooking from scratch is not always the most convenient, but for Foodies, better taste can be worth the effort. Here are a few foods that take only a little extra effort to make from scratch but provide a big pay off in taste. Plus, isn’t it nice controlling the quality of your ingredients and knowing exactly what goes into your food?

Salad Dressing- You’d be surprised how many types of salad dressing you can whip up with staples in your kitchen. Don’t have any Thousand Island? Just mix some ketchup, mayo, and relish, viola! That way, you can mix up just enough for your salad or reuben sandwiches and not have a ton of extra going to waste in the fridge.

Croutons- Sticking with the salad theme, making croutons is easy and has several advantages: 1. Great use of day old bread 2. Having fresh, homemade, delicious croutons on hand always encourages me to eat more salad. 3. They taste way better than boxed croutons.

Homemade Croutons

Refried Beans- I know you probably think I’m nuts for suggesting such a thing. Yes, eating refried beans is just as easy as opening a can, but what if I told you 5-10 minutes of extra work would give you the most flavorful, perfectly seasoned refried beans you’ve ever had? You’re a Foodie, of course you would try it! Check out the recipe and remember,you can customize the amount of heat and spice to your own taste. The following recipes uses green chiles, but I like mine with sauteed garlic and jalapenos. Add these beans to burritos, nachos, or serve them in a bowl as a dip.

Homemade Refried Beans

What foods do you think are worth making from scratch?

Welcome to Down 2 Eat!

2009-10-18T08:51:00.000-07:00

Down 2 Eat is a blog dedicated to young foodies who love anything and everything that involves food! Down 2 Eat Bloggers will chow down at home, at a roadside diner or with candles and white linens. The setting doesn’t matter; it’s all about finding that bite of food that makes you close your eyes and say “mmmm!”.

When we find that perfect bite, we'll share the restaurant, the store, or the recipe where we found it. So check back often to see what we've come up with, your mouth will thank you.