tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36319631530208520962024-03-17T22:59:00.240-04:00Amateur Omnivore...I just like food.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15153743926624409739noreply@blogger.comBlogger32125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3631963153020852096.post-31718084129941361512014-09-02T11:24:00.002-04:002014-09-02T11:25:39.598-04:00Andrzejewski-Gedra Tasting Meal<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Several weeks ago Doug and I went to a tasting dinner at Mike A's (soon to be Bourbon & Butter) which was created by the combined powers of Mike Andrzejewski with Steve and Ellen Gedra (Black Sheep). It was a ten course dinner each paired with a cocktail or wine. There were many things in this meal that I had never eaten before (blood risotto, squid ink, urchin and lamb testicles to name a few) so that plus the experimental feel of each dish made for a really enjoyable experience.</div>
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I really enjoy tasting-style meals where the chef is able to push his creative boundaries. It's so much fun to experience new ingredients, flavors and textures and because they tend to be more expensive, I become more critical about the food on my plate. At this seating, I had some distinct favorite dishes that seemed to come together beautifully while others, though technically impressive and playful, may have felt a little over-complicated or lacking a balanced flavor. We were served so much food that I was full already half way through the meal, though <i>somehow </i>I persevered through to the delicious end.<br />
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<b>Lamb Testicle Tacos</b></div>
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<i>lamb fries, fresh pressed tortilla, summer salsa</i></div>
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The lamb fries were really tender and moist, like a braised meat. Although they had some seasoning to them, the flavor wasn't enough to stand out against the cilantro and the strong flavor of the homemade corn tortilla. The salsa too, though deliciously sweet and acidic on its own, got somewhat lost next to the tortilla which itself was crispy around the edges and soft and pliable in the center (a model of perfection for the soft shell taco). </div>
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<b>Fresh Atlantic Sea Urchin</b></div>
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<i>bacon froth, tomato sheet, nasturtium</i></div>
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There were so many textural elements on this plate. The tomato sheet and the consistency of the urchin, both very soft on their own, paired fantastically with that delicious crunchy bacon and the little cous-cous like grits. There was also a powdery mushroom-flavored component and an aioli-like sauce that brought a lot of flavor to each bite. There were a lot of components on this plate, and many that I couldn't exactly pinpoint, but I thought the flavor and mouthfeel of each bite was really exciting. <i>Can we use the term mouthfeel when referring to food? or is that only wine?</i></div>
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<b>Lobster Roe Pasta</b></div>
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<i>crabmeat, intense lemon, fine herbs</i></div>
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When it was set in front of me, my first thought was how unfortunately thick the pasta looked but when I took my first bite, I was more than happy with how well cooked it was. Yes, the pasta was on the thick side, but not to the dish's detriment. It was consistently al dente through the entire thickness of the noodle and to be able to serve such perfect pasta for a seating of 50+ patrons was really impressive. Each bite also tasted surprisingly light in my mouth. I don't know what the white sauce was, something like a whipped marscapone or sour cream but the description wasn't kidding with 'intense lemon'. It was a very pronounced flavor and, for me, somewhat masked the light flavors of the lobster and crab.</div>
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<b>Pork and Shrimp Crepinette</b></div>
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<i>vietnamese caramel, lime, chili</i></div>
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This pork and shrimp meatball (a combination, it turns out, I may not be overly fond of) was served over something like an onion jam. The sauce was sweet with some heat from those pretty sliced hot peppers. </div>
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<b>Blood Risotto</b></div>
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<i>dried fruits, bay, thyme</i></div>
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There was a lot of weight to this risotto in my mouth (and my rapidly filling stomach). The sweetness of the cherries in the risotto was really lovely and combined with the salty, sort of crispy/chewy, meaty tentacle made for an interestingly satisfying bite. There was a crispy fried strip that also combined for good bites, but we couldn't figure out what it was. There's an air of excitement for me when eating something when I don't know what it is and our table was enjoying trying to pinpoint the various elements in our dishes. But I would have preferred to find out what the unknown elements were after the dish was cleared and unfortunately our server was markedly unable to answer the majority of questions our table had about the food. </div>
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<b>Beef Tongue</b></div>
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<i>rye jus, onion, pierogi, weck</i></div>
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Lightly resting on this plate was a delicate crispy lettuce chip, like a kale chip but more peppery like arugula. I would never have thought to 'chip' my greens before adding them to a sandwich but this really tasted fantastic! The tongue was tender and both its consistency and flavor held up well against the thick roll. The jus on the plate was salty and flavored with caraway and I mopped up every last drop of it with my bread. I bet the potato pierogi would have tasted really good with the arugula chip too, but I had already housed the chip along with my sandwich before I even noticed the pierogi on my plate.</div>
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<b>Black Scallops</b></div>
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<i>sepia ink, peas, anise, vermouth</i></div>
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As you may already know, I am a huge lover of scallops. I love twists on scallops and I love trying new flavor profiles (sweet, acid, spice, etc) and seeing how they compliment the flavor and consistency of the scallop. This twist, though, was a totally unique experience for me and I know I'll have a hard time putting it into words. For me, the ink made the scallop more umami. Although not exactly the same, I want to compare it to when you eat peanut butter and you kind of have to suck the peanut butter off the roof of your mouth. In a way, it sort of sat on my tongue after I had swallowed and that was completely unusual from any other experience I've had with a scallop. <i>Now I'm totally wondering how a scallop would pair with a peanut sauce...</i> As for the other elements on the dish, the grapefruit (?) rind might have been pickled which combined with the sepia scallop gave a bitterness to the dish that the very sweet pea puree couldn't balance.</div>
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<b>Roast Baby Goat</b></div>
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<i>garlic, black vinegar, vegetables</i></div>
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The meat on my plate and on others at my table was overcooked and tough but had it been on that night, this would have been a yummy dish. It was simple, yellow beans, red and golden roasted beets and an aromatic clove of roasted garlic with a red pepper oil like Chinese pepper sauce but not as quite as spicy. Doug said the red pepper oil was very common in China and he really enjoyed having it on the plate.</div>
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<b>Bing Cherry Pound Cake</b></div>
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<i>homemade cherry ice cream, polenta marcona crumble</i></div>
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What a beautiful way to end the meal. Not overly sweet or heavy, this was kind of exactly what my mouth wanted. Somehow the cake was firm but soft and with all that melting ice cream on top there was no sogginess at all. Honestly, I think it was made by magic. The flavor of the pound cake really came through and complimented the cherry ice cream. The crumble on top added some almond flavor and a little crispy texture. At this point of the meal, I was actually bursting with fullness and well past unbuttoning the top button. Still, I did everything but lick the plate. </div>
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<i>Lies, I did lick the plate.</i> </div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15153743926624409739noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3631963153020852096.post-52743942136566271572014-08-11T09:29:00.000-04:002014-08-11T09:34:44.235-04:00Soft-Boiled Scotch Quail Egg<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-SFsym7zrP0-2-2hnUjNMGdbzPE_TG-jzNb8MbhVvp1T0Famxgqt2n1zfPitFJ3N585Hcwc4AFcuqkCxjQJ02n8jmKAPKz_WoCQ6JKoeH_TojJxts-P1UE4SWAi_wbxYVbOCmxh6tAYY/s1600/MMD+191.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-SFsym7zrP0-2-2hnUjNMGdbzPE_TG-jzNb8MbhVvp1T0Famxgqt2n1zfPitFJ3N585Hcwc4AFcuqkCxjQJ02n8jmKAPKz_WoCQ6JKoeH_TojJxts-P1UE4SWAi_wbxYVbOCmxh6tAYY/s1600/MMD+191.JPG" height="426" title="Sotch Quail Egg and Hollandaise // Amateur Omnivore" width="640" /></a></div>
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I'm sure I've already mentioned the frequency I eat <a href="http://www.amateuromnivore.com/2014/03/steak-and-mushroom-fettuccine-with.html">eggs</a>. It's <a href="http://www.amateuromnivore.com/2014/04/martin-cooks-brunch.html">often</a>. I love <a href="http://www.amateuromnivore.com/2014/03/fried-eggs-in-bell-pepper-rings.html">eggs</a>.</div>
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The first time I had a quail egg was in Thailand. Doug and I were on our honeymoon, perusing a street market looking for dinner. So much of the food looked and smelled unfamiliar which was thrilling. But more than once, something we had thought was foreign turned out to be a familiar ingredient that had just been prepared in an unrecognizable way. In those circumstances we had conversations that went something like this: "So, do you think that's a meat or some kind of a fruit?" [cautiously take a bite] "Oh, it's a potato." Somehow, that was an equally exciting discovery.</div>
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At one point, we came across a stand selling fried hard-yolk quail eggs with a light squirt of that fermented, southeast Asian staple: fish sauce. I swear, fish sauce over there is like Franks over here. It goes on everything! I liked the salty addition, but the powerful flavor overwhelmed any delicate flavors of the egg itself. I made a mental note to try quail eggs on my own sometime back in the states.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4mij-tDBYsuwYyK2DxEhPem61xdkJbYuTkddH3sfxtP2m3yxKShB7_6HYA73PSuDEa7o0rwKUG13Zp1Fx7YZ86r8bI1jvSZwtTHsXY56367cljpbZQb0k-rFDEvbTKWoEVoMEUOx2UIE/s1600/204534_10100776214846178_1307781981_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4mij-tDBYsuwYyK2DxEhPem61xdkJbYuTkddH3sfxtP2m3yxKShB7_6HYA73PSuDEa7o0rwKUG13Zp1Fx7YZ86r8bI1jvSZwtTHsXY56367cljpbZQb0k-rFDEvbTKWoEVoMEUOx2UIE/s1600/204534_10100776214846178_1307781981_o.jpg" height="480" title="Thailand Street Meet // Amateur Omnivore" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our Thai Street Meat Adventure</td></tr>
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<a name='more'></a>Earlier this year, I was planning meals for a small-bites style party. I had just eaten my first scotch egg (sausage wrapped soft boiled egg coated in breadcrumbs and deep-fried) at Ramsay Pub in Vegas and I wanted to play with that concept. I thought if I could wrap only the yolk of an egg in sausage, the small size would be perfectly appropriate for the party I was planning. In the sous-vide, I was able to slow cook an egg yolk to a custardy consistency but once the sausage wrapped egg was placed in the deep fryer, I couldn't manage to stop the pressure of the cooking sausage from breaking the soft yolk.</div>
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I was so set on this idea of the miniature scotch egg. Then Doug made the genius suggestion. Quail eggs. I went on the hunt. After unsuccessful searches at the normal grocery markets, <a href="http://www.amateuromnivore.com/2014/07/tabree-bnf-dinner.html">BNF</a> helped me find the eggs at the most logical market, An Chou, the Asian market on Bailey. (Did you read the paragraph before this about Thailand? D’oh, why wasn't my first stop at the Asian market?)</div>
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I couldn't wait to get them home. I soft boiled one, peeled it, popped it in my mouth, chewed, let the soft yolk coat my tongue (my favorite part!) swallowed and panicked! To me, it tasted slightly and unexpectedly different from a hen egg. I'm having a tough time putting the difference into words, but it tasted... gamey? It took me by surprise and made me nervous because online others said that there was no taste difference. Don’t believe everything you read online... ha.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXAOI15wBA-j_ZE2u5qI580W6T2wI2hj97Qrrw5X-a17cMfUJtwE_vEU0LpkdplHWMAlF0Og8eVhPNnfdJ8Z11EZHe_7kIaaK6W5qBP6CvlrGU5u9NJrppYeYab6LCOmvAknoJhb51TW4/s1600/MMD+010.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXAOI15wBA-j_ZE2u5qI580W6T2wI2hj97Qrrw5X-a17cMfUJtwE_vEU0LpkdplHWMAlF0Og8eVhPNnfdJ8Z11EZHe_7kIaaK6W5qBP6CvlrGU5u9NJrppYeYab6LCOmvAknoJhb51TW4/s1600/MMD+010.JPG" height="426" title="Quail Eggs // Amateur Omnivore" width="640" /></a></div>
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In fact, I also read that quail eggs would be more difficult to peel than regular eggs. I didn't have much of a problem, but to be fair a few nicks here and there didn't bother me because I was wrapping them in sausage anyway.</div>
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They came out miniature, soft-yolked and absolutely delicious.</div>
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<b>Soft boiled Scotch Quail Egg</b></div>
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<i>1 dozen</i></div>
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12 quail eggs, room temperature</div>
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3/4 lb breakfast sausage (I used storebought and mixed in some extra sage, brown sugar, cayenne and nutmeg)</div>
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1 egg, whisked</div>
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breadcrumbs</div>
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Bring a pot of water to boil and prepare an ice bath. Gently drop the quail eggs in the boiling water for 23 seconds and transfer immediately to the ice bath. Once cool, peel off the shells.</div>
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Roll a small piece of breakfast sausage into a ball and pound it flat to approximately 1/8 inch thickness between sheets of plastic wrap. Wrap the sausage around the egg. Brush the outside of the sausage with whisked egg and toss in breadcrumbs to coat.</div>
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I did the steps above ahead of time and stored the uncooked balls in the fridge over night. Then just prior to serving, I dropped each egg into the fryer for about two minutes or until golden brown.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVULhyphenhyphenrAzVquNDGXGQ1lBToA4DM1u6WHsXAm8RcxKxvbfqCgdTRdhdL9crVpN7gnU0Hnr5HBFGjyW3dBVOd04bmPABN2y-4Dyc47t3ztrq16GkOVMX_rjP-L4kfW0y2njtMDuw055aBWg/s1600/MMD+018.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVULhyphenhyphenrAzVquNDGXGQ1lBToA4DM1u6WHsXAm8RcxKxvbfqCgdTRdhdL9crVpN7gnU0Hnr5HBFGjyW3dBVOd04bmPABN2y-4Dyc47t3ztrq16GkOVMX_rjP-L4kfW0y2njtMDuw055aBWg/s1600/MMD+018.JPG" height="456" title="Asparagus // Amateur Omnivore" width="640" /></a></div>
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Interesting Asparagus Fact: Twenty-five percent of people report having pungent pee after eating asparagus, but the truth is that even though everyone’s body breaks asparagus down into those smelly chemical components during digestion, only about one-quarter of the population has the gene that allows them to smell it. Therefore, if you smell a funny fragrance in your urine after you eat asparagus, you're not only normal, you have a good nose.</div>
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Before cooking asparagus, I always snap off the tough ends, freeze them and use them later for soup. For this recipe, I was using the asparagus heads for a garnish so I cooked those (plus a few stalks for snacking…) and added the unused (uncooked) stalks to my frozen stash.</div>
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<b>Roasted Asparagus</b></div>
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Asparagus</div>
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Oil</div>
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Salt and pepper<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span></div>
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Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Line the asparagus on a baking pan or tray. Lightly drizzle them with oil and season with salt and pepper. </div>
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Bake to desired doneness. I like to let them go for ~15 minutes.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh82EZfJMj1OCnSbgV299Z003LgDozUIxtco1qiDgUqgR3HAjCnE5RUiPRHZslBnVTfcwUC8hQfIEaVGJwXQJavIFQhPR1lj3Rel309WDdXHgHcF9CmCjTy_4JEfSrDw-HPpttzSMYOwR4/s1600/MMD+174.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh82EZfJMj1OCnSbgV299Z003LgDozUIxtco1qiDgUqgR3HAjCnE5RUiPRHZslBnVTfcwUC8hQfIEaVGJwXQJavIFQhPR1lj3Rel309WDdXHgHcF9CmCjTy_4JEfSrDw-HPpttzSMYOwR4/s1600/MMD+174.JPG" height="452" title="Sotch Quail Egg and Hollandaise // Amateur Omnivore" width="640" /></a></div>
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A moutarde sauce is just a hollandaise sauce finished with dijon mustard and it tasted fantastic with the scotch egg and asparagus.</div>
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There are a lot of opinions out there about the best method to make hollandaise but I like to use (my favorite gadget in the kitchen) the immersion blender. It makes quick work out of soups and sauces.</div>
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Like with <a href="http://www.amateuromnivore.com/2014/04/turkey-apple-and-bacon-sandwich-with.html">aioli</a>, be sure your egg yolks are at room temperature.</div>
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<b>Moutarde Sauce</b><br />
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1 stick + ¼ stick butter<br />
3 egg yolks, room temperature<br />
½ tablespoon water<br />
1.5 tablespoons lemon juice<br />
¼ teaspoon sugar<br />
½ teaspoon salt<br />
Pinch of cayenne<br />
1.5 tablespoons Dijon mustard<br />
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Melt the butter in a separate dish. Set aside.<br />
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In a small bowl, use an immersion blender, whisk or blender depending on your preference to combine yolks, water, lemon juice, sugar, salt, and cayenne. Continue to beat for 1 minute or until the yolks are creamy and light in color.</div>
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Slowly add the butter one drip at a time and continue to whisk/blend. Continue to drip the butter in until it is all incorporated. The key here is to incorporate the butter very very slowly!</div>
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Once all of the butter is incorporated and the hollandaise is a creamy consistency, add the mustard and blend for 30 more seconds.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkQIWBo93nLzEbbcbpsWuapzUqAvWxQnCw7cjpbbkPr5dvWmqqvlbsPQ2nE5AdIU6GdLluMGkzqEpCnf5uaZuDCoXHdr8ZOJuQHjwA48shnLoDcyqmsc_Y8TVb0U_T2JI0z-kwDyIBRgs/s1600/MMD+190.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkQIWBo93nLzEbbcbpsWuapzUqAvWxQnCw7cjpbbkPr5dvWmqqvlbsPQ2nE5AdIU6GdLluMGkzqEpCnf5uaZuDCoXHdr8ZOJuQHjwA48shnLoDcyqmsc_Y8TVb0U_T2JI0z-kwDyIBRgs/s1600/MMD+190.JPG" height="426" title="Sotch Quail Egg and Hollandaise // Amateur Omnivore" width="640" /></a></div>
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I served this dish garnished with chives and parmesan at the <a href="http://amateuromnivore.blogspot.com/2014/03/pasta-passion-and-pistols.html">Pasta, Passion and Pistols party</a><br />
with <a href="http://www.amateuromnivore.com/2014/04/raspberry-pancakes-with-almond-powder.html">raspberry almond pancakes</a> on the side.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0STjJJi5jRYZ4o34mKgkua_k6xAZhVBdEsgDPkYgwD-OTQKoAFrURRDYHMVktnLnDeLvM61J5KuFhj6X2rmcdMXAygfQoA5Bkd-WFG3kodw6FSeopcM4JDCE1eIFKo1OH1gFv5klHY-8/s1600/Fotor052391211.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0STjJJi5jRYZ4o34mKgkua_k6xAZhVBdEsgDPkYgwD-OTQKoAFrURRDYHMVktnLnDeLvM61J5KuFhj6X2rmcdMXAygfQoA5Bkd-WFG3kodw6FSeopcM4JDCE1eIFKo1OH1gFv5klHY-8/s1600/Fotor052391211.png" height="480" title="Thailand and Indonesia Honeymoon // Amateur Omnivore" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Thailand and Indonesia</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15153743926624409739noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3631963153020852096.post-43144479656701962002014-07-24T10:21:00.000-04:002014-07-24T20:59:39.412-04:00Philly<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCNuUI8_AuZDKKUCZz3JqXO9zuGjXNZHXp4LxI-QygPPtVkBkIcp_6q2ZJ3Ydbi1WAybsxaorXombyuxSWDdUw5i3aGJmiIE0gz-Y8gIJ3-pUEZqxxXwZNdDz2pTherh6iX8gigp1NZ6I/s1600/Philly+069.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCNuUI8_AuZDKKUCZz3JqXO9zuGjXNZHXp4LxI-QygPPtVkBkIcp_6q2ZJ3Ydbi1WAybsxaorXombyuxSWDdUw5i3aGJmiIE0gz-Y8gIJ3-pUEZqxxXwZNdDz2pTherh6iX8gigp1NZ6I/s1600/Philly+069.JPG" height="480" title="Philadelphia, PA - Magic Gardens - Eat" width="640" /></a></div>
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OUR PHILLY WEEKEND IN PHOTOS</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiccL9M5nrf8Fk0Os12_mCKoaKBgYRRO2Il2JSxsfGfz4fwyWnxWu0rNsSSzQzRL9s25b_ut0kmm8GvFRjZ6JiioPIkRumuxKtWZo3Zq8bWeA-jNW5lW4OBKO1r4ftybKVHUSW8uoNNBaY/s1600/Fotor0723103712.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiccL9M5nrf8Fk0Os12_mCKoaKBgYRRO2Il2JSxsfGfz4fwyWnxWu0rNsSSzQzRL9s25b_ut0kmm8GvFRjZ6JiioPIkRumuxKtWZo3Zq8bWeA-jNW5lW4OBKO1r4ftybKVHUSW8uoNNBaY/s1600/Fotor0723103712.png" height="480" title="Philadelphia, PA - Mac's Tavern" width="640" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<u>Mac's Tavern</u></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>Philly Cheesesteak Sticks</i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>Crab Cakes</i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>Calamari</i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>BBQ Macaroni and Cheese</i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i><br /></i></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3Rc9GifWYnwp4ajef11Hvy9qKDjIROH5URcP7-0BrwwguKWn6fxvVQ39YWDDfzn7D25r9BlPcDonk2cMy4Sa4oC-alX4jVNOSHYK1319_-EwSS1QoTJwLALErUqp3Rndz_g0P6TFtPlk/s1600/Fotor0723104235.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3Rc9GifWYnwp4ajef11Hvy9qKDjIROH5URcP7-0BrwwguKWn6fxvVQ39YWDDfzn7D25r9BlPcDonk2cMy4Sa4oC-alX4jVNOSHYK1319_-EwSS1QoTJwLALErUqp3Rndz_g0P6TFtPlk/s1600/Fotor0723104235.png" height="480" title="Philadelphia, PA - Beau Monde Creperie" width="640" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<u>Beau Monde Creperie</u></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>Egg, Andouille and Goat Cheese</i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>Cherry Compote, Creme Anglaise and Vanilla Ice Cream</i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i><br /></i></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfOSs5eArmqwrWCCPlY3Z3wv2J30pDN_dpfjonnXcJXH94ZwD-h5hbYe_tVP67RJE97OukDJ1xLrRir0UkfGBLiFWmsgkEcVD5RcB7jCG9IydmIpdVJW9yBrwXA0ZRnx2mPtdNKFZfqZ4/s1600/Fotor0723115210.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfOSs5eArmqwrWCCPlY3Z3wv2J30pDN_dpfjonnXcJXH94ZwD-h5hbYe_tVP67RJE97OukDJ1xLrRir0UkfGBLiFWmsgkEcVD5RcB7jCG9IydmIpdVJW9yBrwXA0ZRnx2mPtdNKFZfqZ4/s1600/Fotor0723115210.png" height="480" title="Philadelphia, PA" width="640" /></a></div>
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Magic Gardens, Duel Piano Bar and other sights around the city</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiMNjD3j7hDVtpem8sHrcaosF-ikUdsr8hKA1NaR8GVtygT6AAw7UMS_hgip7m_ElaUOdudpMmUi6Zf8PRb_88lpqxlpu1KfoyKxEFmOu3v2hnKq8HYt1IGajdUSElMCNCSA5stNeb4X0/s1600/Fotor072311393.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiMNjD3j7hDVtpem8sHrcaosF-ikUdsr8hKA1NaR8GVtygT6AAw7UMS_hgip7m_ElaUOdudpMmUi6Zf8PRb_88lpqxlpu1KfoyKxEFmOu3v2hnKq8HYt1IGajdUSElMCNCSA5stNeb4X0/s1600/Fotor072311393.png" height="480" title="Philadelphia, PA - Reading Terminal Market" width="640" /></a></div>
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<u>Reading Terminal Market</u></div>
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<i>Fried Mac and Cheese</i></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<i>Chocolate Ears</i></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<i>Chinese Fowl Market</i></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<i>Ham and Egg Sandwich on Goat Cheese Croissant</i></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8BId6T_GQv_vJXkXP5K6vWp07W8BYNr1w7sl32HWTBpMu9w8D88YDIq5WGN7yw8uU_AELU506YXZxBcqLEMcBVZpAGoMoFty-iy2kD6jYcy28RFHzqOSQVtMT13yfA0O3skAcS3qkn_o/s1600/Fotor072311425.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8BId6T_GQv_vJXkXP5K6vWp07W8BYNr1w7sl32HWTBpMu9w8D88YDIq5WGN7yw8uU_AELU506YXZxBcqLEMcBVZpAGoMoFty-iy2kD6jYcy28RFHzqOSQVtMT13yfA0O3skAcS3qkn_o/s1600/Fotor072311425.png" height="480" title="Philadelphia, PA - Strangelove's" width="640" /></a></div>
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<u>Strangelove's</u></div>
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<i>Lakewood Tree Hugger - Organic Porter</i></div>
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<i>Unibroue La Fin Du Monde - Tripel</i></div>
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<i>Brewer's Art Ozzy - Belgian Strong Pale</i></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_bTJ1AY6olmt4WJPoz6TB-fSITsNgljJDYS9mhWM_UqoQkp9foh3i9dV36-CP6q1Z-TMpG23hmFkYU3Jw5RIxlh0SX6U_eKs8DnuElxs6HbbrnFqutegPqGC7mnWm3SED451VQ9uX_LU/s1600/Fotor0723114432.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_bTJ1AY6olmt4WJPoz6TB-fSITsNgljJDYS9mhWM_UqoQkp9foh3i9dV36-CP6q1Z-TMpG23hmFkYU3Jw5RIxlh0SX6U_eKs8DnuElxs6HbbrnFqutegPqGC7mnWm3SED451VQ9uX_LU/s1600/Fotor0723114432.png" height="480" title="Philadelphia, PA - Franklin Fountain" width="640" /></a></div>
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<u>Franklin Fountain</u></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<i>Honeycomb Ice Cream</i></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15153743926624409739noreply@blogger.com22tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3631963153020852096.post-60963917079856518892014-07-22T09:53:00.002-04:002014-07-24T20:59:59.172-04:00Tabree - BNF Dinner<div style="text-align: justify;">
I belong to a facebook group called Buffalo/Niagara Foodies. BNF is a forum for people who love food and I am frequently amazed at how much knowledge is housed amongst its members. For me, it's been an informative and entertaining resource for information on availability and preparation of ingredients, restaurants and various local food news.</div>
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Last week some of BNF's members arranged to meet one another for dinner to enjoy our pre-established common interest (food) and discover more about one another. After a vote, with an overwhelmingly obvious winner, reservations were made at Tabree. Eleven of us met, ordered from the menu and discussed food and life between (and sometimes during) mouthfuls of bliss.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbQj7ggURMTvHFZgtPZR_P0J_4uG3KmAM0Mg1l2vQJWhDV53lOUuqVsCFMDKeKOFpcrZf_BpI4UKDt7kwuyEboCeVfxLrmC6M1U8gp2pkyPWkGU-xTDOPZRoh0adBLAhdoIySX-pqMcCE/s1600/078.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbQj7ggURMTvHFZgtPZR_P0J_4uG3KmAM0Mg1l2vQJWhDV53lOUuqVsCFMDKeKOFpcrZf_BpI4UKDt7kwuyEboCeVfxLrmC6M1U8gp2pkyPWkGU-xTDOPZRoh0adBLAhdoIySX-pqMcCE/s1600/078.JPG" height="480" title="BNF Dinner at Tabree - Charcuterie Platter" width="640" /></a></div>
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We started with the charcuterie platter, which I have to admit that even after the spectacular reviews I have shied away from thus far because of the price tag ($16/small, $30/large). I am so happy to have finally been able to indulge. I can't tell you exactly what everything was, but I can tell you how it tasted and I can definitely tell you I would order it again. Let's go clockwise from the top left.</div>
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The first is a slice of pork terrine with pistachios which was soft and mild tasting. The cherry mostarde was like a sticky dessert jam. The rillete had tender pork sealed into the ramekin with a layer of fat and was such a delicious meaty bite spread on toast. Next is the rabbit liver pate which had a gamey mild liver taste and was caramelized on top. Below that are caper berries, crunchy bread and butter pickles and pickled eggplant. The final five are aged salami-like meats and the last one, my favorite, had a kind of sweet and earthy fennel flavor. (For a more informational version on the preparation of the meats on the platter check out <a href="http://www.buffalonews.com/gusto/out-to-eat/tabrees-charcuterie-platter-is-artful-introduction-to-local-pork-20140327" target="_blank">A.G.'s account</a> of it.)</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIJ-VrTPlGRSPMWR-H67ebobXzeBcYWAqqvuxdgI6nA7WHWVQlYZ9MYoqX928mxiN-wpguYYjrhLvCZLDkPRkVLISFdRU2UdWI5yhJlC0r9NA9uOT-I9DBZIIYFYWEsm1t_7OZAd9krYc/s1600/081.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIJ-VrTPlGRSPMWR-H67ebobXzeBcYWAqqvuxdgI6nA7WHWVQlYZ9MYoqX928mxiN-wpguYYjrhLvCZLDkPRkVLISFdRU2UdWI5yhJlC0r9NA9uOT-I9DBZIIYFYWEsm1t_7OZAd9krYc/s1600/081.JPG" height="480" title="BNF Dinner at Tabree - Fried Squash Blossoms with Red Sauce" width="640" /></a></div>
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Next on the table were delicately fried squash blossoms served over a red sauce. These were small, lightly breaded and stuffed with a delicious ricotta. I found the sauce a little confusing for my mouth and wanted something with a little more punch of flavor, maybe cayenne aioli, balsamic or something with citrus.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNOzTf6fqsBmCZxx35ujtbU-SC_jRLXX5HGH_Psgt_fgEioazbwqdWhpe6sEkD3rrkMa6G3hB97tiJaiZgWDZmBdGPtxAOv9SYMaW45WPk6i3nYj3XQ51jl-lkCw7H4Wt2yFUOzS10HDQ/s1600/082.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNOzTf6fqsBmCZxx35ujtbU-SC_jRLXX5HGH_Psgt_fgEioazbwqdWhpe6sEkD3rrkMa6G3hB97tiJaiZgWDZmBdGPtxAOv9SYMaW45WPk6i3nYj3XQ51jl-lkCw7H4Wt2yFUOzS10HDQ/s1600/082.JPG" height="480" title="BNF Dinner at Tabree - Meatballs" width="640" /></a></div>
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Tabree's meatball, which I had heard rivals <a href="http://www.amateuromnivore.com/2014/03/osteria-166.html">Osteria 166</a>'s, was very good and the sauce with a drizzle of olive oil was well-balanced, but Nani's Sunday Sauce at Osteria just... Man, it can't be beat. Tabree's appetizer came with three meatballs.</div>
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I also ordered the octopus appetizer because it was just so damn good <a href="http://www.amateuromnivore.com/2014/06/tabree.html">last time I was in</a>.</div>
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On to our entrees!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg05Twm6wmOkapubghs398LY-uLccdJg33tfu_Jv_0UtwZyxGHtKjFFP44c6r4qZybx82cgMlqseJgezyddXrKTHrh9w3M0QPfMpBXb9sMD14oRto4kyVPi4G1jXOOxt7s-zs8HyMTsEXA/s1600/085.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg05Twm6wmOkapubghs398LY-uLccdJg33tfu_Jv_0UtwZyxGHtKjFFP44c6r4qZybx82cgMlqseJgezyddXrKTHrh9w3M0QPfMpBXb9sMD14oRto4kyVPi4G1jXOOxt7s-zs8HyMTsEXA/s1600/085.JPG" height="456" title="BNF Dinner at Tabree - Fried Chicken with Creamed Corn and Gravy over Wilted Greens" width="640" /></a></div>
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Fried chicken, creamed corn and gravy. Katie offered a taste, but I was already so full. Maybe she can fill us in on how she liked her dinner?</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjynwrOfL_qyIWBVE2MzeBFNbGzdBKZklwxr_ZpJamAk_Mge750auO7Ha6l7M_0WjCrsdKdj0f-46OoN0ZGh9lHKSIUm83qFb6wGbm38gly0V15vPxrWHetvJTu44UUwgWttQ3EKHCTqDQ/s1600/096.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjynwrOfL_qyIWBVE2MzeBFNbGzdBKZklwxr_ZpJamAk_Mge750auO7Ha6l7M_0WjCrsdKdj0f-46OoN0ZGh9lHKSIUm83qFb6wGbm38gly0V15vPxrWHetvJTu44UUwgWttQ3EKHCTqDQ/s1600/096.JPG" height="640" title="BNF Dinner at Tabree - Duck Breast, Beet Puree and Onion" width="452" /></a></div>
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I ordered the duck breast. The meat was medium rare and tender and was served sliced with a beet puree and crunchy pearl or maybe small cipollini onions. I thought it could use some salt, but to be fair, I usually tend to be somewhat heavy handed with it compared to others. It was a very well presented and colorful plate.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijPppQeb9seBw41i2OqBQxr7bTQ3o-Vv1-2hD6pW8biSPuSSk-zo9LxnjSBo-PEXDW_UjGNbQ_uLkiH_afR1_1RrlI0NaMUsAzh48AnLhU4TT7wbAlDDqQzZGMCSHJxRrg0ZYo-u5jvSw/s1600/098.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijPppQeb9seBw41i2OqBQxr7bTQ3o-Vv1-2hD6pW8biSPuSSk-zo9LxnjSBo-PEXDW_UjGNbQ_uLkiH_afR1_1RrlI0NaMUsAzh48AnLhU4TT7wbAlDDqQzZGMCSHJxRrg0ZYo-u5jvSw/s1600/098.JPG" height="480" title="BNF Dinner at Tabree - Gnocchi with Lemon Ricotta and Tomato" width="640" /></a></div>
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Above is the lemon ricotta gnocchi with greens and tomatoes. Those satisfying little pillows of potato, egg and flour can have such varying ranges of density. I've had absolutely heavenly gnocchi that had me floating too with its lightness and I've also had dough rocks. This was somewhere in the middle and the flavors were delicious, I loved that little bit of acid from the lemon in the ricotta and the tomatoes. That mixed with the greens and the light sauce, I loved it. Fill in what I've missed, Remy, and thank you for the bite!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsR8yumTH7Hq7yvafzSD7eHSn00ub8-Rc-B1NICcQPlXyq22n9Nbph5R2S0m9FfskFrlZn_gf61Gwm9anA5BpdlyY2RnG9NVqxGj4uoR9p8aL2MOsuAFE6hTVnFmxqM8ShyV8LnZ8xAcg/s1600/092.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsR8yumTH7Hq7yvafzSD7eHSn00ub8-Rc-B1NICcQPlXyq22n9Nbph5R2S0m9FfskFrlZn_gf61Gwm9anA5BpdlyY2RnG9NVqxGj4uoR9p8aL2MOsuAFE6hTVnFmxqM8ShyV8LnZ8xAcg/s1600/092.JPG" height="480" title="BNF Dinner at Tabree - Swordfish" width="640" /></a></div>
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I've saved the best for last. Doug ordered the swordfish. And it was stupendous. I have been eating swordfish wrong my whole life, I guess, because I have never had such a delicate and flaky piece. It was beautifully grilled, I mean actually aesthetically beautiful, look at those grill lines(!), and I loved the vegetables and tomato broth.</div>
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Planning for the next BNF dinner is in the works, this time with the theme of 'affordable and international'. Maybe Balkan dining, maybe Burmese, maybe Polish? Either way, I'm looking forward to it.</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15153743926624409739noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3631963153020852096.post-3768213291550788892014-06-18T11:33:00.000-04:002014-07-22T12:47:05.127-04:00Tabree<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIRh4igBh9i4HC_TO9VRxHJsCbh6lgUdpxK60Ohnguj1cge7b0T0TWqvDSI8fxM8XjIex-CDp8ofSYENs4kUVl2N80JRPAHeeLYMfurHKsNTAkg0W0QE5X5kJF1vW6_drXIuX-O-Nvltc/s1600/Tabree028.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIRh4igBh9i4HC_TO9VRxHJsCbh6lgUdpxK60Ohnguj1cge7b0T0TWqvDSI8fxM8XjIex-CDp8ofSYENs4kUVl2N80JRPAHeeLYMfurHKsNTAkg0W0QE5X5kJF1vW6_drXIuX-O-Nvltc/s1600/Tabree028.JPG" height="456" title="Tabree // Amateur Omnivore" width="640" /></a></div>
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Doug and I visited Tabree the night before I threw a big <a href="http://www.amateuromnivore.com/2014/03/pasta-passion-and-pistols.html">dinner party</a>. I wanted to escape the house for a great meal and some last minute inspiration before heading back into my own little kitchen. </div>
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I had first heard of Bruce Wieszala, chef at Tabree, because of his appearance on Good Eats. In my small world, it was mind blowing that someone who cooks food here in Buffalo had also cooked food with the love of my life, <a href="http://www.amateuromnivore.com/2014/03/steak-and-mushroom-fettuccine-with.html">Alton Brown</a>. Ah, I'm so easily influenced, but the truth is Bruce has gained so much respect and notoriety in this area in a relatively short period of time. His name is mentioned in the same breath as so many of the other outstanding chefs who are cooking impressive and delicious food in Buffalo.</div>
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Tabree, on Main Street is nestled next to the little Snyder library. In the summers, their patio is open and I particularly enjoy sitting outside in the sunshine shoveling my face full of deliciousness as I watch healthy, attractive suburbanites jogging by. Who's enjoying themselves more, really? <i>The answer is me.</i></div>
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We started with the asparagus soup and it was the smoothest soup I've ever had. I know, it's a weird descriptor, but think about it -- Often, the asparagus isn't pureed fully and there is a stringy or slightly gritty texture to the soup. <u>This was silk</u>. It's also a very pretty presentation with the long slice of asparagus waving through it, the droplets of oil and sprinkle of coriander(?). Outstanding.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeGsJw19ubPHrGVUuUgu8gHPqHpiUR9GpEPrGhFy2Sl-FfcqYmgRYgitFMZe5l5ewm3w2-afUH3Q9FIgZmWbkKy9on5DFDvp7JDE6iesrS4CmkYEduWGtSHbgwlGu7mxwCyUdcWgLRzco/s1600/Tabree+003.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeGsJw19ubPHrGVUuUgu8gHPqHpiUR9GpEPrGhFy2Sl-FfcqYmgRYgitFMZe5l5ewm3w2-afUH3Q9FIgZmWbkKy9on5DFDvp7JDE6iesrS4CmkYEduWGtSHbgwlGu7mxwCyUdcWgLRzco/s1600/Tabree+003.JPG" height="458" title="Tabree - Asparagus Soup // Amateur Omnivore" width="640" /></a></div>
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As an appetizer, we ordered the crab cakes which came out light brown and crispy. The herby sweetness of the crab cake went really well with the tartness of apple and fennel slaw. Plus, there was quite a lot of crab packed in there.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDMRqxOKtEjV6Q1E0nKmUz415C2VOKEOkBvDkf0Ja7JnZUhZL5ZmXuMRnS0Tfg17H6pargIclkjCIPgNOHDx7xxzt-IknUZ7vZ1l2agrzB2vTCASR0fjMmwDucf9UM88gmW_SBk4M9D98/s1600/Tabree+006.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDMRqxOKtEjV6Q1E0nKmUz415C2VOKEOkBvDkf0Ja7JnZUhZL5ZmXuMRnS0Tfg17H6pargIclkjCIPgNOHDx7xxzt-IknUZ7vZ1l2agrzB2vTCASR0fjMmwDucf9UM88gmW_SBk4M9D98/s1600/Tabree+006.JPG" height="480" title="Tabree - Crab Cake with Apple Fennel Slaw // Amateur Omnivore" width="640" /></a></div>
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At the time of this meal, I had been craving banh mi for weeks. When I saw it on Tabree's menu, I hesitated because I simply wasn't there for just a sandwich. Alas, I had to give in to the fact that this was literally calling my name. And I am so glad I did.</div>
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The meat was tender, like pork belly. It fell right apart with every bite (IMO, that' so important with thicker meats on a sandwich) and the viscous meaty-sweet sauce kind of soaked right into the top of the bread without making things soggy, it was so good.<br />
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Side note: I am reasonably certain that I will try any food that is put in front of me. New foods and new flavors excite me and I can't think of a flavor that I actually hate. But there are three things, three basic flavors, that I just have not been able to bring myself to love (...yet). One is anise. <i>Jingle cookies are my worst! </i> Another is indian curry. <i> Though I have friends who are bound and determined to change my mind on this. </i>And the last is cilantro. </div>
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Now, I don't mind a hint of cilantro, but I always find that it overpowers a dish so easily. I must have a cilantro-sensitive palate because I've asked people to explain to me this awful fad of adding fistfuls of it to any and every dish... and they look at me like a monster from another universe. I am an outcast in a cilantro loving world.</div>
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So, after this lengthy justification, my point is that I had a few bites of my banh mi as served and then took out about 3/4 of the cilantro from the sandwich.</div>
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<span style="text-align: justify;">One of my favorite parts of the banh mi is the pickled veggies. There weren't a ton on this one, so I thought it was missing some of that crunch that I really like, but when I did get bites with the veggies they were extra pickley (delicious!), so I understood why the sandwich wasn't overloaded with them. I opened up my sandwich, spread the veggies around evenly and returned to enjoying every single bite.</span><br />
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<span style="text-align: justify;">If this sandwich looks yummy to you, and it should, stop in at Tabree and also check out </span><a href="http://www.buffaloeats.org/2014/05/19/throwdown-banh-mi/" style="text-align: justify;" target="_blank">Buffalo Eats Banh Mi Throwdown</a><span style="text-align: justify;">.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVGeSqPxUHXLtHPgSThqKBu2xW0A8t-nXCI57NhoY4R23Mpjon4Hdj23HOsRyuwl64Y-FyPcG9Xr-PwJXG260SKA2rc4VH863ushDofgQrGwDv3GmeggQawTC3Z65Q0xZ5FwpZLlSHeuc/s1600/Tabree+007.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVGeSqPxUHXLtHPgSThqKBu2xW0A8t-nXCI57NhoY4R23Mpjon4Hdj23HOsRyuwl64Y-FyPcG9Xr-PwJXG260SKA2rc4VH863ushDofgQrGwDv3GmeggQawTC3Z65Q0xZ5FwpZLlSHeuc/s1600/Tabree+007.JPG" height="640" title="Tabree - Banh Mi // Amateur Omnivore" width="456" /></a></div>
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Doug ordered two appetizers as his entree. A salad and a smoked shrimp dish.</div>
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The beet salad was served with arugula, micro greens and feta. It was seasoned and dressed lightly, but there was plenty of flavor. The beets were chilled and the feta was, truly, the best feta I can remember eating. I would love to know what kind it was or where it came from.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZPENtv4lsztkKmBPErD57WOyuRgkZXHcmG0jGmBADRzB5hQHRj5TCiEFGBWT2Ehnr62Y5j2T2IsFnuD4-GKrtM-diuiOVyBYzInHvAR9hhuRmj8FkFAMZ8eLyLxZE31lT36m3lZg5wfs/s1600/Tabree+011.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZPENtv4lsztkKmBPErD57WOyuRgkZXHcmG0jGmBADRzB5hQHRj5TCiEFGBWT2Ehnr62Y5j2T2IsFnuD4-GKrtM-diuiOVyBYzInHvAR9hhuRmj8FkFAMZ8eLyLxZE31lT36m3lZg5wfs/s1600/Tabree+011.JPG" height="456" title="Tabree - Beet Salad with Feta // Amateur Omnivore" width="640" /></a></div>
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His second dish was BBQ smoked shrimp with lentils. It was an interesting combination of flavors. The lentils were mildly seasoned, a good beany base that complimented the sweet, tangy barbecue sauce, but the star was definitely the smoked shrimp. It really held that smokiness and were tender and nicely cooked.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitsLo-kqiTpyqyw9k58o74Y7JK23EL05ylhjc9G60igekkFz3DKtdF_pM2LVY84muUmTmGNSOZLLvhNaLlRpIENZQPGC1jNOHNUyrwirdoi3f_SK5vEZq7nzjhSuF8lcv063T3RXmedbg/s1600/Tabree+010.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitsLo-kqiTpyqyw9k58o74Y7JK23EL05ylhjc9G60igekkFz3DKtdF_pM2LVY84muUmTmGNSOZLLvhNaLlRpIENZQPGC1jNOHNUyrwirdoi3f_SK5vEZq7nzjhSuF8lcv063T3RXmedbg/s1600/Tabree+010.JPG" height="458" title="Tabree - Barbecue Smoked Shrimp with Lentils // Amateur Omnivore" width="640" /></a></div>
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A delightful consequence of living walking distance from Tabree means I have visited the restaurant again before posting my last meal. Out of my now five visits, this most recent meal was my absolute favorite, namely because I was able to check an item off of my food bucket list (!).</div>
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My girlfriend Clark and I stopped in and ate at the bar. We enjoyed a rose, saw some familiar faces and caught up with an old friend and each other. We got to hear more about the plans that Tabree's owner has for a <a href="http://www.buffalonews.com/gusto/tabree-owner-plans-oyster-and-salumi-bar-in-williamsville-20140519" target="_blank">new oyster bar in Williamsville</a> and it was a fun night.</div>
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The patrons were treated with a bar snack. Crispy puffed crackling (fried pork skin). It was salty and crunchy and fun to snack on. I certainly don't have the skill that Bruce does, but crackling would be a fun experiment to try at home.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLKZEekkjvcG-ON2CMn5B8yE98wsD3a-jPJKmEwHyPXXuq3vExe-39iBYNGpqnPwTQr6HeQI0Bw3H8auEb96xsnu9lmHNNnRz8BRZ2-U3i45gWsEb2ujOAmUl8MqIm8rqHsIcvhz1a56E/s1600/Tabree030.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLKZEekkjvcG-ON2CMn5B8yE98wsD3a-jPJKmEwHyPXXuq3vExe-39iBYNGpqnPwTQr6HeQI0Bw3H8auEb96xsnu9lmHNNnRz8BRZ2-U3i45gWsEb2ujOAmUl8MqIm8rqHsIcvhz1a56E/s1600/Tabree030.JPG" height="480" title="Tabree - Pork Crackling // Amateur Omnivore" width="640" /></a></div>
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I ordered the octopus with chorizo sausage, beans and greens and a sherry vinaigrette. The octopus is first cooked in a sous-vide and then lightly charred on the grill. I was very surprised at how tender it was and even though I kept imagining the tentacle coming to life in my mouth and sucking on my uvula (not dramatic at all...) I would order this again in a heartbeat.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje1YZxGVDGYz3m6KOtpbWSFKJlwAAkZDfv6eUe7cLttloobfndVHTppkUgx0pNuOEP8bnLY4Eo-V4O_MxYzpWZETKsZfbN0waD9iQvi3DRMTBSsDJ8wFC13tfYefNhyWK6PVdjNuPDtkg/s1600/Tabree035.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje1YZxGVDGYz3m6KOtpbWSFKJlwAAkZDfv6eUe7cLttloobfndVHTppkUgx0pNuOEP8bnLY4Eo-V4O_MxYzpWZETKsZfbN0waD9iQvi3DRMTBSsDJ8wFC13tfYefNhyWK6PVdjNuPDtkg/s1600/Tabree035.JPG" height="480" title="Tabree - Grilled Octopus with Chorizo // Amateur Omnivore" width="640" /></a></div>
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Now for the piece de resistance! On the menu was headcheese, a rather misleading name for a terrine made from the head meat of a pig. Last year I read a photojournal on the process of making headcheese. The pictures were beautiful and intriguing and the article resulted in me adding headcheese to my food bucket list. I, of course, now can't find the article again to share with you but <a href="http://gocarnivore.com/2013/07/26/adventures-with-headcheese/" target="_blank">this one is good too</a>.</div>
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The meat was similar to pulled pork, but the terrine was more of a solid unit like when you use your fork to pull apart the dark meat on a turkey thigh. It was then breaded and deep fried and truly delicious. I savored every bite.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzInOd174kAikFpBo5V4qIUPOVQ6xatfAw2_0mVoH0vTKExbT6fZ8HMNnx4xWh921pOvN8b1b9zUrjSsPFELxKgXSHpAy21Tw6gruxMHKktj9-Ix1M5nRuoEIkF1d6vzqSdEueC65xQsQ/s1600/Tabree034.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzInOd174kAikFpBo5V4qIUPOVQ6xatfAw2_0mVoH0vTKExbT6fZ8HMNnx4xWh921pOvN8b1b9zUrjSsPFELxKgXSHpAy21Tw6gruxMHKktj9-Ix1M5nRuoEIkF1d6vzqSdEueC65xQsQ/s1600/Tabree034.JPG" height="458" title="Tabree - Coppa Di Testa - Headcheese // Amateur Omnivore" width="640" /></a></div>
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See you again soon, Tabree. I expect you'll somehow be serving a delicious pork hoof next time I'm in!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15153743926624409739noreply@blogger.com20tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3631963153020852096.post-34760526317628972492014-05-27T12:51:00.001-04:002014-05-27T12:53:56.597-04:00Warm Corn and Bell Pepper Salad with Asparagus<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8gs7m5i_b48uob8NFoTP0aHaymb4-H9a5gV2F0FUA7nMu4pm9XLpdnYDmyr9k54s9tDKtg3dXAhhYAiudsxhyHHSKffyKRbAdpHQUTG8IqWPLg8Jc29LibfgzaExvxuwWU2EhkxmwOWA/s1600/154.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8gs7m5i_b48uob8NFoTP0aHaymb4-H9a5gV2F0FUA7nMu4pm9XLpdnYDmyr9k54s9tDKtg3dXAhhYAiudsxhyHHSKffyKRbAdpHQUTG8IqWPLg8Jc29LibfgzaExvxuwWU2EhkxmwOWA/s1600/154.JPG" height="426" title="Warm Corn and Bell Pepper Salad with Asparagus // Amateur Omnivore" width="640" /></a></div>
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Today Amateur Omnivore is guest posting for fellow blogger <a href="https://www.facebook.com/ButImHungry" target="_blank">But I'm Hungry</a> while she is taking a little baby-moon with her newborn daughter.</div>
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Check out this tasty vegetable side dish <a href="http://butimhungry.com/2014/05/27/warm-corn-and-bell-pepper-salad-with-asparagus-from-amateur-omnivore/#more-2247" target="_blank">here</a> and while your at it check out Christina's genius <a href="http://butimhungry.com/2014/05/07/creme-brulee-cheesecake/" target="_blank">Creme Brulee Cheesecake</a> and <a href="http://butimhungry.com/2012/11/14/chipotle-sweet-potato-chowder/" target="_blank">Chipotle Sweet Potato Chowder</a>!</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15153743926624409739noreply@blogger.com17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3631963153020852096.post-9811787112837838322014-05-22T11:16:00.003-04:002014-05-22T17:35:11.756-04:00Lombardo's Vine and Dine Dinner<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeSHZFrYd_q9R3BhEl0-4XSOYRaJTHaE4PlBuh5pRN4tsOMCTKcU3O8P3KdiWGmZcbc1DQUKR3XJGxF7vw-VyxbC6Gq6a7629Zm_WtBRmuxsW4gSkDRFQwNKWSCgysoWQIzFHao0CCqAo/s1600/Vine+and+Dine+-+Lombardos+010.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeSHZFrYd_q9R3BhEl0-4XSOYRaJTHaE4PlBuh5pRN4tsOMCTKcU3O8P3KdiWGmZcbc1DQUKR3XJGxF7vw-VyxbC6Gq6a7629Zm_WtBRmuxsW4gSkDRFQwNKWSCgysoWQIzFHao0CCqAo/s1600/Vine+and+Dine+-+Lombardos+010.JPG" height="458" title="Lombardo's // Amateur Omnivore" width="640" /></a></div>
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Our recent Vine and Dine dinner at Lombardo was such a treat. The food courses were thoughtfully paired with wines from Arrowhead Spring Vineyard and Leonard Oakes Estate Winery and I really appreciate when you can tell that a lot of love and planning went into a meal, as was the case with this one. To read more about this meal, check out <a href="http://the%20meal%2C%20organized%20by%20michael%20chelus%2C%20has%20already%20been%20beautifully%20written%20up%20over%20at%20nittany%20epicurean./" target="_blank">Nittany Epicurean</a>.</div>
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Shaved Asparagus Salad</div>
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<i>preserved lemon, baby pea shoots, Maggie's round cheese</i></div>
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Sauvignon Blanc Reserve, Leonard Oakes 2012</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiV7dryBr5leokWYo3FQMWiCxXUMbZ-HrcoIMQltG4VStfTi-qAuchER1JJGVfR-PwqrP6kA2A2zJba1LV1fXMeh_D8Z4c9tX9wEAnllvlX8CiDwi81DW13ik17LtWhJQg3Io9jDAhsWQU/s1600/Vine+and+Dine+-+Lombardos+004.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiV7dryBr5leokWYo3FQMWiCxXUMbZ-HrcoIMQltG4VStfTi-qAuchER1JJGVfR-PwqrP6kA2A2zJba1LV1fXMeh_D8Z4c9tX9wEAnllvlX8CiDwi81DW13ik17LtWhJQg3Io9jDAhsWQU/s1600/Vine+and+Dine+-+Lombardos+004.JPG" height="480" title="Lombardo's Shaved Asparagus Salad // Amateur Omnivore" width="640" /></a></div>
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Ravioli</div>
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<i>ricotta, mushroom, amarena cherries, brown butter</i></div>
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Pinot Noir Barrel #44, Arrowhead Spring 2012</div>
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& Blaufrankisch, Leonard Oakes 2012</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRsT2cc1PSpqABJqpwadPXo1GDtD6lQEUzgixI3izvtCRNNAZFHEVGBhzFMTAFCr_0f1FGyClG4OwC5LtPtlrVszUXl1Y2sY0NfqXQigeyd2IbGuXXGe8-FLbpiHs9GxXwv1t-Nz0vaLU/s1600/Vine+and+Dine+-+Lombardos+014.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRsT2cc1PSpqABJqpwadPXo1GDtD6lQEUzgixI3izvtCRNNAZFHEVGBhzFMTAFCr_0f1FGyClG4OwC5LtPtlrVszUXl1Y2sY0NfqXQigeyd2IbGuXXGe8-FLbpiHs9GxXwv1t-Nz0vaLU/s1600/Vine+and+Dine+-+Lombardos+014.JPG" height="456" title="Lombardo's Mushroom Ravioli // Amateur Omnivore" width="640" /></a></div>
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This ravioli was incredible. The pasta was so delicate and cooked to al dente. The filling had sweetness from the ricotta and cherries and strong earthiness from the mushrooms and brown butter. That variation of flavors in my mouth was really satisfying. </div>
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T Meadow Pork Pate<br />
<i>fennel, toasted coriander seed, burnt orange</i><br />
Riesling Reserve, Leonard Oakes 2012</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_XASN_qDldTVnFIJhkIBLdOljKc9KTwdZbzoWboz_tVuaLybxEntzr-usQrkyJr4Eic9bWhWReiS8kMX47uizzHLgwxV9_tZ00cwKZuOTSa0NgmoU4i5lesatiKRTpCmUkOMBuk3SSe4/s1600/Vine+and+Dine+-+Lombardos+018.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_XASN_qDldTVnFIJhkIBLdOljKc9KTwdZbzoWboz_tVuaLybxEntzr-usQrkyJr4Eic9bWhWReiS8kMX47uizzHLgwxV9_tZ00cwKZuOTSa0NgmoU4i5lesatiKRTpCmUkOMBuk3SSe4/s1600/Vine+and+Dine+-+Lombardos+018.JPG" height="456" title="Lombardo's Pork Pate // Amateur Omnivore" width="640" /></a></div>
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T Meadow Pork Shoulder</div>
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<i>goat cheese polenta, blackberry gastrique</i></div>
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Estate Syrah, Arrowhead Spring 2010</div>
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& Estate Syrah, Arrowhead Spring 2011</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6CxEfUyYe4hmk7vuBRcrd-vHQwyuhk2kycWM63sGJWFf5H5djeJSKvVZx_Q5CuANw7_WWxMO1CttQ0fM3OiYJrU1qjyoCisc3UL5bE2v9rIi5ejiMoED0SVYbtrOsSzY9aP09bdhTyhA/s1600/Vine+and+Dine+-+Lombardos+023.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6CxEfUyYe4hmk7vuBRcrd-vHQwyuhk2kycWM63sGJWFf5H5djeJSKvVZx_Q5CuANw7_WWxMO1CttQ0fM3OiYJrU1qjyoCisc3UL5bE2v9rIi5ejiMoED0SVYbtrOsSzY9aP09bdhTyhA/s1600/Vine+and+Dine+-+Lombardos+023.JPG" height="456" title="Lombardo's Pork Shoulder and Blackberry Gastrique // Amateur Omnivore" width="640" /></a></div>
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The tartness of the blackberry sauce went incredibly well with the tender pulled pork. I'm really looking forward to trying this out at home. I wish I could have that bite in my mouth again right now.</div>
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Prime Rib Eye Fiorentino</div>
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<i>florentine herb crust, capezzano olive oil, pee wee potatoes</i></div>
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Estate Meritage Reserve, Arrowhead Spring 2006</div>
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& Estate Meritage Reserve, Arrowhead Spring 2010</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn1C0T6wPp_oXR6T11x1eJ579ocdzstNoK0P-xfjdSRFPI3rYyvx9fAeGumHwqTnOjd426jjd1NmtzFx9fvhDA_qbw4Ng67N4mSiXaluBhKiPuyl7siNN6sySn6wuGB-obpsPYoT1LuxQ/s1600/Vine+and+Dine+-+Lombardos+026.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn1C0T6wPp_oXR6T11x1eJ579ocdzstNoK0P-xfjdSRFPI3rYyvx9fAeGumHwqTnOjd426jjd1NmtzFx9fvhDA_qbw4Ng67N4mSiXaluBhKiPuyl7siNN6sySn6wuGB-obpsPYoT1LuxQ/s1600/Vine+and+Dine+-+Lombardos+026.JPG" height="480" title="Lombardo's Prime Rib Eye Fiorentino // Amateur Omnivore" width="640" /></a></div>
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A strange thing to comment on when the meat looks so good, I know, but the potatoes on this plate were so outstanding. I've actually never enjoyed a potato so much as I did these little guys. I asked Chef Obarka how they were so good and he said "It's all in the quality of the olive oil". I need to do some shopping.</div>
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Mountain Gorgonzola</div>
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<i>nut brittle, wildflower honey</i></div>
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Vidal Ice Wine, Leonard Oakes 2012</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnhXr6ewap3nfimD_5HuGVT-JtJxUROCMm94AY3csti_CwoFtQennlWZjtNt4DotCImbtK2pjInqt7Lgrj1AVH0_KTcW8zhyZNnl-P8KU3Gkao5oh-XvPQviHkn1ICNEJACu2B4PyDYM4/s1600/Vine+and+Dine+-+Lombardos+035.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnhXr6ewap3nfimD_5HuGVT-JtJxUROCMm94AY3csti_CwoFtQennlWZjtNt4DotCImbtK2pjInqt7Lgrj1AVH0_KTcW8zhyZNnl-P8KU3Gkao5oh-XvPQviHkn1ICNEJACu2B4PyDYM4/s1600/Vine+and+Dine+-+Lombardos+035.JPG" height="640" title="Lombardo's Gorgonzola and Nut Brittle // Amateur Omnivore" width="480" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIHSKkEGh6NDT-c5B-bw6AC_EfQI6MZ36qxdHARRvwTOrGqbRRO-AGNssb1_66rmFkYyHCPGUCXG1kMnjz4NWNLtgWG4zC5E2OcxIk3wteHUszXG7yMoOmL-W-UiMZAIc7Qkj2bDCS6Ps/s1600/Vine+and+Dine+-+Lombardos+040.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIHSKkEGh6NDT-c5B-bw6AC_EfQI6MZ36qxdHARRvwTOrGqbRRO-AGNssb1_66rmFkYyHCPGUCXG1kMnjz4NWNLtgWG4zC5E2OcxIk3wteHUszXG7yMoOmL-W-UiMZAIc7Qkj2bDCS6Ps/s1600/Vine+and+Dine+-+Lombardos+040.JPG" height="640" title="Lombardo's // Amateur Omnivore" width="480" /></a></div>
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I can't wait to visit Lombardo's again soon to be able to order from their normal menu. From what I've heard, I feel pretty pretty confident that my next meal with them will be as impressive as this one was.</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15153743926624409739noreply@blogger.com22tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3631963153020852096.post-38988597459564887002014-05-16T12:05:00.000-04:002014-05-16T12:05:37.715-04:00Scallops Two Ways and Margarita Jello<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnxoQANpn3Euy8uhl38ZBdG2pRlkQZKszMhOPNxwvYlL1VvidB-TbSenOebkJuuvjvjhRN5HE0N46jPOvyx6q-0gvC-buLGn4wv5HN9tLwXAxBdSx8I2spowNiseUbFrT_zWvvzgsCyvA/s1600/MMD+227.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnxoQANpn3Euy8uhl38ZBdG2pRlkQZKszMhOPNxwvYlL1VvidB-TbSenOebkJuuvjvjhRN5HE0N46jPOvyx6q-0gvC-buLGn4wv5HN9tLwXAxBdSx8I2spowNiseUbFrT_zWvvzgsCyvA/s1600/MMD+227.JPG" height="426" title="Margarita Lime Jello and Prosciutto Wrapped Scallop over Arugula with Vinaigrette and Cornmeal Crusted Scallop over Corn Mash with Sriracha // Amateur Omnivore" width="640" /></a></div>
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I absolutely love scallops. I love the delicate texture and the sweet, mild flavor and I love trying new preparations for them. I've had them prepared with with hot sauce, with pasta, with vinaigrettes, with corn, with grapefruit, with prosciutto, with strawberries, with cream sauces and with sweet potatoes and cranberries. I'm trying to say that they pair well with a lot of other foods and flavors.</div>
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Scallops tend to be a 'special occasion' meal at our house because of the heftier price tag compared to other seafood, but they're easy and quick to make at home. If you haven't done this before, the trick is to just keep an eye on your pan.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxEalRaD7Khdk-kvjWiPFcFbHa2CcObc-6z6T4l8m-sluR3204TAHFykBQvbe5Bw334EDWBFD0vOc3Ktq7npyf8jEkWXcJjY09GccAKqeBby9v1Z24FuhypUQCTgTH8MvfxDoeyfwjICg/s1600/MMD+006.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxEalRaD7Khdk-kvjWiPFcFbHa2CcObc-6z6T4l8m-sluR3204TAHFykBQvbe5Bw334EDWBFD0vOc3Ktq7npyf8jEkWXcJjY09GccAKqeBby9v1Z24FuhypUQCTgTH8MvfxDoeyfwjICg/s1600/MMD+006.JPG" height="456" title="Scallop Shell // Amateur Omnivore" width="640" /></a></div>
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I had a lot of fun with the plating for this dish. Doug and I made the wooden trays, filled them with aquarium stones and served the scallops on the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Harold-Imports-Natural-Baking-Shells/dp/B001CZKUBQ/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1399989465&sr=8-1&keywords=scallop+shells" target="_blank">scallop half shell</a>. I even found <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001ECQR00/ref=oh_details_o02_s00_i00?ie=UTF8&psc=1" target="_blank">squid shaped seafood forks</a> to fit with the fishy theme. The margarita jello shot was served in a quartered lime rind. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBO2GpYfxeE84tDa4PtlODlZJF0Z5GwpXcRd-G1Jhuyz9od7qsLmT3EaOmoViC0OhILbtrFw0AZhjYsEFR9L5tb1C2XANft9A73v4aY4CgogOKjjbiLF0uDaRLqZnbMfAUd_HQosAnIpo/s1600/IMG_0491.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBO2GpYfxeE84tDa4PtlODlZJF0Z5GwpXcRd-G1Jhuyz9od7qsLmT3EaOmoViC0OhILbtrFw0AZhjYsEFR9L5tb1C2XANft9A73v4aY4CgogOKjjbiLF0uDaRLqZnbMfAUd_HQosAnIpo/s1600/IMG_0491.JPG" height="480" title="Squid Shaped Seafood Fork // Amateur Omnivore" width="640" /></a></div>
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These margarita jello shots look like a little lime wedge when they're done and I really loved the presentation. To make the wedge, I hollowed out half of a lime to make a small bowl and filled the lime bowl with jello. Once the jello was set, I cut the bowl in half lengthwise to make a lime 'wedge'. One lime made four jello wedges.</div>
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Gutting the limes was not exactly what I would call a fun task. I used a grapefruit spoon because that ridged edge really helped me dig into the fruit. By the end, though, I was covered in lime pulp and I had scraped up my finger a couple of times. Still... it was worth it. They were pretty.</div>
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<b>Margarita Jello Shot</b></div>
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<i>Makes 20 shots</i></div>
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<ul>
<li>5 limes</li>
<li>1 package lime jello</li>
<li>1 cup water</li>
<li>3/4 cup tequila</li>
<li>kosher salt</li>
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Rinse the limes and halve each along the prime meridian. Next you're going to scrape out the pulp to make a lime rind bowl. Scrape over a bowl to catch the lime juice. Strain the pulp out and reserve 3 tablespoons of lime juice.<br />
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Line the bottom of a container with a paper towel and place the lime bowls inside. (I used tupperware because the tall sides helped the lime bowls stay upright and they had a lid so I could stack them in the fridge, but any flat bottomed container will work.)</div>
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Now to make the jello. Bring the water to a boil and add the jello. Stir to dissolve. Remove from heat. Stir in lime juice and tequila. Pour mixture into the lime bowls. Refrigerate until firm (~4 hours). <br />
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With a sharp thin knife, cut each bowl in half lengthwise to form a 'slice' of lime.</div>
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Just prior to serving, sprinkle each slice with kosher salt.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJ5t4Y5NCYkt68PP8aGsgkJTKZCyikFQE-8G9lFVQe9Dst1gwRguX8eJW5cKx0f6b7goykk4Rr7MjATNuIDWZ9U7HfW6xkXhj6nCggUgDJkDjRlYGXSIl_HL0K1z6W_xA6l3pK1xylG2E/s1600/MMD+212.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJ5t4Y5NCYkt68PP8aGsgkJTKZCyikFQE-8G9lFVQe9Dst1gwRguX8eJW5cKx0f6b7goykk4Rr7MjATNuIDWZ9U7HfW6xkXhj6nCggUgDJkDjRlYGXSIl_HL0K1z6W_xA6l3pK1xylG2E/s1600/MMD+212.JPG" height="426" title="Margarita Lime Jello and Prosciutto Wrapped Scallop over Arugula with Vinaigrette and Cornmeal Crusted Scallop over Corn Mash with Sriracha // Amateur Omnivore" width="640" /></a></div>
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I recently said that <a href="http://www.amateuromnivore.com/2014/05/agave.html">there is nothing worse than watery salsa</a>, but I was wrong. </div>
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There is lit-ral-lee nothing worse than a gritty scallop. Nothing.</div>
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Nothing. Nothing. Nothing.</div>
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Nothing.</div>
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(Actually, there is nothing worse than people who say 'lit-ral-lee'... because, literally, they're the worst. Did you all sound that out in your head? Be sure to put an emphasis on that first syllable.)</div>
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Always remove the small muscle from the side of the scallop, rinse the scallop thoroughly and dry it with a paper towel before searing it. </div>
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<li style="text-align: justify;">That small muscle (also called a foot) is chewy and tough, it's usually a different color and texture than the scallop, so you can find it visually or by running your finger around the edge of the scallop. Not all scallops will have the muscle, some may have already been removed or they may have fallen off on their own.</li>
<li style="text-align: justify;">A scallop may have sand or grit which will really disrupt the smooth texture of the meat when you eat it. Think getting a grain of sand in your mouth at the beach. Blech! Run the scallop thoroughly under the faucet to rinse that away.</li>
<li style="text-align: justify;">Lastly, pat the scallop dry with a paper towel. It should be dry when it hits the hot pan in order to form a nice crust. To also help develop that crust, I like to use a stainless pan rather than one with a non-stick coating.</li>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWQEDHKVMi_kUZlh6IaIXqitLz7wsV_kGoYbx_OMrHxXn1nypMU8T4za9dpieFbOrq4_iLy22V1pfrK6bBlG0DUQ4IVsxeHobUZAtyImM5z_sJBfxnDEW-CP_YTF0LLh_vHyS9OaFeYSs/s1600/MMD+101.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWQEDHKVMi_kUZlh6IaIXqitLz7wsV_kGoYbx_OMrHxXn1nypMU8T4za9dpieFbOrq4_iLy22V1pfrK6bBlG0DUQ4IVsxeHobUZAtyImM5z_sJBfxnDEW-CP_YTF0LLh_vHyS9OaFeYSs/s1600/MMD+101.JPG" height="425" title="Prosciutto // Amateur Omnivore" width="640" /></a></div>
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<b>Prosciutto Wrapped Scallop with Arugula and Sun-Dried Tomato Vinaigrette</b></div>
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<i>Serves 8 (1 scallop/person)</i></div>
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<ul>
<li>8 scallops (rinsed and dried)</li>
<li>4 slices prosciutto</li>
<li>salt and pepper</li>
<li>1 tablespoon olive oil</li>
<li>2 cups arugula</li>
<li>Sun-Dried Tomato Vinaigrette</li>
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Cut strips of prosciutto and wrap a piece around each scallop. Secure with a toothpick if necessary. (Cut the prosciutto strips depending on the amount of prosciutto you want to use to wrap the scallop. I cut strips whose width matches the height of the scallop and whose length will wrap around the scallop once.) Dust both sides of each scallop with salt and pepper. </div>
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Pour one tablespoon of oil in a skillet over high heat. Place the scallops in the pan and once they are set down, don't move them. They're developing that delicious crust. Depending on the size of the scallop, sear approximately 1.5 minutes per side. </div>
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The scallop should be golden brown on the outside but maintain a translucent center. </div>
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Serve the scallop over a bed of arugula and top with the vinaigrette.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZGVWwbvDKVo6WX_ck3KTFihNzZSeMJ5dr2ji1o3yYSd1lED4ysa62BxuHmUrlCaVbMlwgNx3zpXUaVvyMMLOeLd-AYCVGS2D0fZS_HbSxj_DcmgQXEcUZMBPVEd7Hxw-6jVDVks-shMs/s1600/MMD+207.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZGVWwbvDKVo6WX_ck3KTFihNzZSeMJ5dr2ji1o3yYSd1lED4ysa62BxuHmUrlCaVbMlwgNx3zpXUaVvyMMLOeLd-AYCVGS2D0fZS_HbSxj_DcmgQXEcUZMBPVEd7Hxw-6jVDVks-shMs/s1600/MMD+207.JPG" height="426" title="Scallop Shell // Amateur Omnivore" width="640" /></a></div>
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This mashed corn was certainly not the healthiest, but I kept the serving size small by using just enough to form a little bed for the scallop.</div>
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I was nervous, at the time, about being too heavy handed with the sriracha, but with the cream in the corn and and the cornmeal on the scallop, the dish can handle a little more heat. Next time, I'll drizzle a little more sauce directly on the corn and scallop.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5oYImpBuff5SHJD8AygK-BPQNwzQrfHee4j22lMKYzxyP01xHvUoPrylpVf7CbsMwBNGXBNUH0S-paqgPvfwJ6LjwDBbHoZC3wPaEahB78i5LRVPQA4iZuMdD_fls6i54XgAI_Z_6Yiw/s1600/IMG_0501.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5oYImpBuff5SHJD8AygK-BPQNwzQrfHee4j22lMKYzxyP01xHvUoPrylpVf7CbsMwBNGXBNUH0S-paqgPvfwJ6LjwDBbHoZC3wPaEahB78i5LRVPQA4iZuMdD_fls6i54XgAI_Z_6Yiw/s1600/IMG_0501.JPG" height="480" title="Mashed Corn // Amateur Omnivore" width="640" /></a></div>
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<b>Cornmeal Crusted Scallop over Mashed Corn</b></div>
<i>Serves 8 (1 scallop/person)</i><br />
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<b>Mashed Corn</b><br />
<ul>
<li>1 teaspoon butter</li>
<li>2 cloves garlic - finely chopped</li>
<li>1/2 onion - finely diced</li>
<li>1 jalapeno - seeded and finely diced</li>
<li>2 sprigs thyme - finely diced</li>
<li>1.5 cups corn (I used frozen because corn was out of season, but otherwise use 2 ears)</li>
<li>1.5 sticks unsalted butter</li>
<li>1/4 cup heavy cream</li>
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Over medium-high heat add 1 teaspoon butter and garlic to saucepan for 1 minute. Add onions and jalapeno and cook for 5 minutes. Add thyme, corn and remaining butter. Once the butter has melted, add heavy cream and continue cooking for 10 minutes.</div>
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Puree 1/4 of the corn mixture in a blender and return it to the saucepan. Season with salt and pepper.<br />
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(Note: I made this the day before my party. I followed the steps up to adding the heavy cream. The next day I reheated the corn mixture in a small pot, then added the cream and continued with the remaining instructions.) </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPyokBydcfbYrAP1jR5bQRhLXkjqYM30z1ly9vRh6n6Jxy1wSshN5HmgFaRVlBDvypBE-aNcGlkbOxeUEyC4oQiNcHXMujcbjaTFavYEnXiAE5kcFqIf779_RM1_q6oGvHTOIIi5EaK0U/s1600/MMD+208.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPyokBydcfbYrAP1jR5bQRhLXkjqYM30z1ly9vRh6n6Jxy1wSshN5HmgFaRVlBDvypBE-aNcGlkbOxeUEyC4oQiNcHXMujcbjaTFavYEnXiAE5kcFqIf779_RM1_q6oGvHTOIIi5EaK0U/s1600/MMD+208.JPG" height="422" title="Cornmeal Crusted Scallop // Amateur Omnivore" width="640" /></a></div>
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<b>Cornmeal Crusted Scallop</b></div>
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<ul>
<li>8 scallops (rinsed and dried)</li>
<li>1/4 cup cornmeal</li>
<li>salt and pepper</li>
<li>1 tablespoon olive oil</li>
<li>sriracha</li>
</ul>
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Dredge scallops in cornmeal. Dust with salt and pepper. </div>
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Pour one tablespoon of oil in a skillet over med-high heat. Place the scallops in the pan and once their set down, don't move them. They're developing a delicious crust. Depending on the size of the scallop, sear approximately 1.5 minutes per side.</div>
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Serve over the mashed corn and finish with drops of sriracha for a nice kick.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNoqJ3Y_7a5Z1Qg7Yw1yRCgucQk9yCKdBr2EUfcYbAh_DeKBcYH_j67xOzOiN7zWO8VlQzvyhsbieXoxKclKrK7s0d-ZO24qYswJ6INVznpyZZ6i5_zqUEQCsr62GVFr7vUxPnf5BtzvQ/s1600/MMD+226.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNoqJ3Y_7a5Z1Qg7Yw1yRCgucQk9yCKdBr2EUfcYbAh_DeKBcYH_j67xOzOiN7zWO8VlQzvyhsbieXoxKclKrK7s0d-ZO24qYswJ6INVznpyZZ6i5_zqUEQCsr62GVFr7vUxPnf5BtzvQ/s1600/MMD+226.JPG" height="640" title="Margarita Lime Jello and Prosciutto Wrapped Scallop over Arugula with Vinaigrette and Cornmeal Crusted Scallop over Corn Mash with Sriracha // Amateur Omnivore" width="425" /></a></div>
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I served this as one of the courses of an eight course dinner </div>
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at the <a href="http://amateuromnivore.blogspot.com/2014/03/pasta-passion-and-pistols.html">Pasta, Passion and Pistols party</a>.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMT27Wvu9QFY1BlS6sBxx6BswHM7yBziIYX-90kitJdcDMOicqQL6FVdVUND7PQ0GlRNdtYDoaTipZ5KW9VMUllu9fdlxbkXdGsXXNLKqQlmUG0LIad5z51b22Exo5sCicVVhyfcacWJo/s1600/2014-04-21_11-49-38.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMT27Wvu9QFY1BlS6sBxx6BswHM7yBziIYX-90kitJdcDMOicqQL6FVdVUND7PQ0GlRNdtYDoaTipZ5KW9VMUllu9fdlxbkXdGsXXNLKqQlmUG0LIad5z51b22Exo5sCicVVhyfcacWJo/s1600/2014-04-21_11-49-38.jpg" height="244" title="Agave // Amateur Omnivore" width="640" /></a></div>
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Remember that first really nice Saturday this Spring? Ellen, my friend and <a href="http://www.amateuromnivore.com/2014/04/curlys.html">recurring star</a> in this blog, and I took full advantage of it and had a fun girls day out. We ran errands, shopped around at the mall, picked up the petticoat for under her wedding dress, drove around Hertel, hit up a flea market, walked around Elmwood and ended up eating lunch at <a href="http://agavemex.com/" target="_blank">Agave</a>.</div>
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Sitting there at the bar, the sun pouring through windows and keeping us toasty warm, spanish guitars drifting through the speakers, drinking margaritas (hers frozen strawberry, mine regular on the rocks, both with salt), it felt like we were on vacation in Mexico. We were there for two hours but I could have stayed for four, it just felt good in there.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSvVfV8Wki9XJa5no9Eg5n-7V7LUNk51KgDPa-L57VygeSQFHO4Zu1Xy-ldnOpehrTAowUXd7H_3nnKTpy0BMDHjFNMjkA7QdwKEiMLp93NvPDzyxqJ4KKFmNgg5w_EsU7D8P7Xaa-3zg/s1600/004.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSvVfV8Wki9XJa5no9Eg5n-7V7LUNk51KgDPa-L57VygeSQFHO4Zu1Xy-ldnOpehrTAowUXd7H_3nnKTpy0BMDHjFNMjkA7QdwKEiMLp93NvPDzyxqJ4KKFmNgg5w_EsU7D8P7Xaa-3zg/s1600/004.JPG" height="480" title="Agave: Chips and Salsa // Amateur Omnivore" width="640" /></a></div>
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When we sat down at the bar we were greeted quickly, given our drinks and offered menus. There are a ton of options on this menu. Luckily the bartender helped us out and was able to narrow down our options when we told him our preferred meat (Ellen shrimp, me pork). </div>
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We were given chips and salsa to tide us over before the meals came out. Why some restaurants serve those flavorless thin cardboard chips is beyond me. Yuck. But Agave's salsa more than made up for it. It wasn't very chunky, but it had some acid, some onion, some roasty-ness and some spice. They even provide extra salsa in a little carafe right off the bat so we didn't have to keep bugging the server for more. But best of all, it wasn't watery and that made me really happy. You know how sometimes as the salsa sits it gets watery pools that settle on the top? Then you dip your chip, and it gets all soggy, and the salsa slides right off... that wasn't the case here. In fact, it was particularly thick without being pasty. Ugh, there is nothing worse than expecting salsa and getting tomato water instead. </div>
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Ok... there might be worse things (such as tan lines with strapless dresses) but tomato water salsa has got to be on the list. </div>
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Our plates came out piping hot. </div>
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<span style="text-align: start;">Camarones al Moho de Ajo</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEI1zUJNKumTfZVKRO8_wZKSSxjhp4xccFGaGSuSA9ZORc0aJWkbQ8ZVz7JTKqGHy0RWQxmOqRYD8CiZ_C4iHbBmkyHRm4JradKhKDLXeOaehtisPUf7wYpF_FLnXZYfynyaWJ3LYLU50/s1600/008.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEI1zUJNKumTfZVKRO8_wZKSSxjhp4xccFGaGSuSA9ZORc0aJWkbQ8ZVz7JTKqGHy0RWQxmOqRYD8CiZ_C4iHbBmkyHRm4JradKhKDLXeOaehtisPUf7wYpF_FLnXZYfynyaWJ3LYLU50/s1600/008.JPG" height="480" title="Agave: Camarones al Moho de Ajo (Shrimp with garlic butter) // Amateur Omnivore" width="640" /></a></div>
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Ellen's garlic butter shrimp was topped with caramelized onions and came with rice, guac, iceberg lettuce, sour cream and warm tortilla shells on the side. The flavor of the shrimp was as expected, buttery and garlicky, but not at all oily. They may have been just slightly overcooked, potentially due to residual cooking from that really hot plate.</div>
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The simple truth is that you can't beat Ellen's homemade guacamole. The girl's got it locked down. Even still, Agave's guac was pretty darn good. It had a little lime and a touch of hot chiles. It was creamy with some small avocado chunks. What I'm saying is: there wasn't any left on the plate.</div>
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Burrito Grande</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtAFB3NbBj_F9PmZUbZ_qg6Y6xli1oe-MaSAppcQ_sc5naECEWXFgWqBYa5QAgSHrtaH9Rrzd9M-hmx2LDlmWic7_aisNEnwKb1cnjXMCcy5kvWqKPJWlkGqPlGaaaDsGlCP44dL4rKsE/s1600/006.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtAFB3NbBj_F9PmZUbZ_qg6Y6xli1oe-MaSAppcQ_sc5naECEWXFgWqBYa5QAgSHrtaH9Rrzd9M-hmx2LDlmWic7_aisNEnwKb1cnjXMCcy5kvWqKPJWlkGqPlGaaaDsGlCP44dL4rKsE/s1600/006.JPG" height="480" title="Agave: Burrito Grande - pork // Amateur Omnivore" width="640" /></a></div>
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I'm not sitting here wondering why they call this dish Burrito Grande. The thing was massive. I have great pride in my ability to house a meal but I could only finish half of this guy.</div>
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The picture below is poor, but the innards of this burrito consisted of pulled pork. Nothing else, just chunks of densely packed, deliciously tender and moist pork. Under other circumstances I would likely not want a one ingredient taco, but I tackled this plate with a fork and knife which let me stack the other components on the plate (including more salsa from our little carafe) onto each bite. And I loved it.</div>
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The other components were rice, iceberg lettuce (not my fave, but so common on tacos, I can't complain), sour cream and tomato. There was also some cheese baked right onto the top of the burrito.</div>
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Ole!</div>
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I didn't leave behind the uneaten half of my burrito. They packaged it up for me and I ate it for lunch the next day. It reheated really well in the toaster oven. The shell wasn't soppy and it even got a little crispy (yum) while it reheated. The pork inside stayed moist and I <u>still</u> had some salsa left over to top it off.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsiDehEgArY1CAjRsozWGqWEfzK_qVUZ7RA3XS07WUZDqEeErAy0CDomzHOkMCTqjUx9-Bf2Q6-XwQkuXF8E6NMNd-jwrqnZifdlcfUnuADNRCedNzro_E687LDSUUL-Z0TDGUe8AL0XI/s1600/012a.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsiDehEgArY1CAjRsozWGqWEfzK_qVUZ7RA3XS07WUZDqEeErAy0CDomzHOkMCTqjUx9-Bf2Q6-XwQkuXF8E6NMNd-jwrqnZifdlcfUnuADNRCedNzro_E687LDSUUL-Z0TDGUe8AL0XI/s1600/012a.JPG" height="452" title="Agave: Burrito Grande - pork // Amateur Omnivore" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15153743926624409739noreply@blogger.com24tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3631963153020852096.post-6060910340837092112014-05-09T09:29:00.002-04:002014-08-11T22:25:30.625-04:00The Garage Deli<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq5yq4cy3Zt-oHIJRLG09_6accAGC32oB9jD1RmZsLIaopxOZhI52fCq1oXM9nIdDU1c0wPldsJT3uL5E4IZosFdaRmn_6s9nN1tyWCqFtUbCsFsVnV9T5GHfS91CzqylpF0yEMJU1EzU/s1600/IMG_5094.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq5yq4cy3Zt-oHIJRLG09_6accAGC32oB9jD1RmZsLIaopxOZhI52fCq1oXM9nIdDU1c0wPldsJT3uL5E4IZosFdaRmn_6s9nN1tyWCqFtUbCsFsVnV9T5GHfS91CzqylpF0yEMJU1EzU/s1600/IMG_5094.JPG" height="426" title="The Garage Deli - Turducken Sandwich Box // Amateur Omnivore" width="640" /></a></div>
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The Garage Deli, on Kenmore Avenue next to <a href="http://www.amateuromnivore.com/2014/03/torches-bourbon-social.html">Torches</a>, is open weekdays for lunch. Owned and cheffed by the Richert family, you just sort of know that your meal is going to be a treat.</div>
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I thought I would never get the opportunity to eat here. It's a little too far from work to trek over for lunch, but I am a lucky girl. Ellen (yes, <a href="http://www.amateuromnivore.com/2014/04/curlys.html">Curly's</a>, <a href="http://www.amateuromnivore.com/2014/04/martin-cooks-brunch.html">Martin Cooks</a> and <a href="http://www.amateuromnivore.com/2014/05/agave.html">Agave </a>Ellen), is a teacher and on her week off for spring break she offered to pick up lunch from The Garage for both of us and meet me somewhere closer to my work to chow down.</div>
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The Garage menu is available on their <a href="https://www.facebook.com/TheGarageDeli/photos/a.494490417287137.1073741826.494486797287499/566602230075955/?type=1&theater" target="_blank">facebook page</a> plus they have changing daily specials. One of the specials available the day we ordered was a french dip, which I love, and I would have ordered it if not for one standard menu sandwich which I just could not pass up. More on that later.</div>
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First of all, these sandwiches had a little bit of travelling to do. I fully expected a bit of soggy bread but was delighted when that was not the case. The styrofoam container was lined with adorable red and white checked paper. There were pretzels and a pickle on the side and both sandwiches were wrapped in foil, necessary I think, to hold them together. Look at all that meat!!</div>
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Smoked Turkey BLT Sandwich</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYHJn1Kg5SCPgs7ag3rxSTSVp6DM3kqSMk5D7T2XLK0ajsEyJqSR2yfFYM4cN6AN9e4dZ9u7VH-aT6mjrO0EA-JqtjA-SkUOGp9EB5SlqT9BraL4pJsEVZWTRLVasuoqh5ErV_gLjxib8/s1600/IMG_5099.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYHJn1Kg5SCPgs7ag3rxSTSVp6DM3kqSMk5D7T2XLK0ajsEyJqSR2yfFYM4cN6AN9e4dZ9u7VH-aT6mjrO0EA-JqtjA-SkUOGp9EB5SlqT9BraL4pJsEVZWTRLVasuoqh5ErV_gLjxib8/s1600/IMG_5099.JPG" height="426" title="The Garage Deli - Smoked Turkey BLT // Amateur Omnivore" width="640" /></a></div>
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Ellen ordered the Smoked Turkey BLT Sandwich which, clearly, has a tower of smoked turkey on it. It also had lettuce, smoked tomato (which was delicious on its own), applewood smoked bacon mayonnaise and red onion jam. We both had a fun time unhinging our jaws trying to get an entire bite of our sandwiches into our mouths. </div>
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With the smoked turkey, smoked tomato and smoked bacon, there were a lot of smokey ingredients. The smoke was more than noticeable but not at all overpowering and together it tasted excellent.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgH2R7N9pdAMCQoSUpMbKocyCtwXRF0U9MeZp1kNxPwDEcYA7m0PbEwkU6ROOtOLvW132FvDD5SHUQKY5yTOAZIwkkMS_2JahiDTVU_gfaiefBWWVNf3i7keTXS3EFEv-fYot9NxImjATc/s1600/Fotor0418172553.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgH2R7N9pdAMCQoSUpMbKocyCtwXRF0U9MeZp1kNxPwDEcYA7m0PbEwkU6ROOtOLvW132FvDD5SHUQKY5yTOAZIwkkMS_2JahiDTVU_gfaiefBWWVNf3i7keTXS3EFEv-fYot9NxImjATc/s1600/Fotor0418172553.png" height="476" title="The Garage Deli - Pasta Salad and Mediterranean Salad // Amateur Omnivore" width="640" /></a></div>
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We also ordered sides of Cyndi's Pasta Salad and their Mediterranean Salad. </div>
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The pasta salad ingredients were listed as wacky mac, garbanzo, corn, Hickory Farm beef stick, cheese and italian dressing. Our salad didn't have any garbanzo beans or corn but the pasta was nicely al dente and there was just enough dressing to give the salad some flavor without drenching the other ingredients. </div>
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We had a similar scenario with the Mediterranean salad. Orzo pasta, celery, carrots and some onion were tossed in olive oil and lemon, but the artichokes, olives and feta (as listed on the menu) were missing from our dish. </div>
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Tur-Duc-Ken Sandwich</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRWfC1jNBRyPClhq4UnFZMnL-Zo4AMpQA15LzzMZaqx0XDYf9wtM29CzZomcBIfYjCP2pDrcmgDyiIuk352QGrprF9ZQqen9laoTKOmBbH7oT4WBEv78JDy0VS7g7iAq6SS91IfuMYcSw/s1600/IMG_5107.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRWfC1jNBRyPClhq4UnFZMnL-Zo4AMpQA15LzzMZaqx0XDYf9wtM29CzZomcBIfYjCP2pDrcmgDyiIuk352QGrprF9ZQqen9laoTKOmBbH7oT4WBEv78JDy0VS7g7iAq6SS91IfuMYcSw/s1600/IMG_5107.JPG" height="426" title="The Garage Deli - Turducken Sandwich // Amateur Omnivore" width="640" /></a></div>
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I have been fat-kid-in-a-candy-store excited to try this sandwich, so even with the appealing presence of the french dip as a special, I couldn't pass up the opportunity of eating a tur-duc-ken sandwich. The throwback to Thanksgiving flavors is incredibly appealing to me. I have to admit, though, layers of meat (smoked turkey, duck leg and braised chicken) with corn bread stuffing on a thick sandwich roll had me thinking that this sandwich had the rather serious potential to be very dry.</div>
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It was not dry. The meats were not dry. The stuffing was not dry. The cranberry gastrique was like a tart burst of sweet and sour flavor with each bite and I think there was a little cranberry mayonnaise spread at the bottom of the sandwich also.</div>
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This sandwich lived up to everything my mind had hoped it could be. The stuffing was moist and had a lot of sage and seasoning, which was necessary to cut through the additional bread in the sandwich roll. I could probably have eaten a duck sandwich on its own, but the smoked turkey and braised chicken kicked things up a notch and added more complexity to the flavor of the sandwich.<br />
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Am I raving enough? If I go to The Garage again I don't know if I will venture away from this sandwich. I'm certain it could completely captivate me a second time. Hm, when do teachers get their next break....?</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15153743926624409739noreply@blogger.com21tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3631963153020852096.post-74323957842997839062014-05-05T12:39:00.001-04:002014-05-05T12:39:32.109-04:00Homemade Fettuccine<div style="text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2NudBjXR52HhoTgFlmb0g2XmxdQ6Hf0GXyb6B30HJNMdv7rPecNHszBztLsYRx4uotFqbn5xX4iEiW-k8u4TgfdelSWTpChZmZgdQ8ln06cgBINiAePeWPQmiXS1JAPwstm5c2mZTfXY/s1600/IMG_3465.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2NudBjXR52HhoTgFlmb0g2XmxdQ6Hf0GXyb6B30HJNMdv7rPecNHszBztLsYRx4uotFqbn5xX4iEiW-k8u4TgfdelSWTpChZmZgdQ8ln06cgBINiAePeWPQmiXS1JAPwstm5c2mZTfXY/s1600/IMG_3465.JPG" height="425" title="Homemade Fettuccine // Amateur Omnivore" width="640" /></a></div>
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The very first time I made pasta was on a whim. I had the ingredients. I had the time. I had the enthusiasm. I did not have the equipment.</div>
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It was half a disaster. I made spinach linguine and it tasted good. Kneaded by hand, rolled by hand (technically: rolled by wine bottle [hey, you use what you've got...]) and cut by hand. So far so good. But I almost wish I had a photo so you could see the embarrassingly uneven strands of linguine I made. We're talking widths ranging from half a spaghetti noodle to half a lasagna noodle. Shameful. Let's move on.</div>
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For Valentine's day last year, I was thrilled when my husband bought me the pasta roller attachments for my Kitchenaid Mixer. Turns out, the right tools can make a world of difference.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiB8-HgXS7p0EHzeVgIC8FUvfJhETF15k1BxUN1hw7M3J7ut8l0gZ4Czcl9MLCCPuQMY2z9ULThg6IQf3Y5_sY_OQRPd6k9KrQxPTlly7Rp3WDVW89vUYWMDwulTfTS_ZRI1olGphr61QE/s1600/IMG_4060.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiB8-HgXS7p0EHzeVgIC8FUvfJhETF15k1BxUN1hw7M3J7ut8l0gZ4Czcl9MLCCPuQMY2z9ULThg6IQf3Y5_sY_OQRPd6k9KrQxPTlly7Rp3WDVW89vUYWMDwulTfTS_ZRI1olGphr61QE/s1600/IMG_4060.JPG" height="426" width="640" /></a></div>
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With my next attempt, I made spaghetti and actually this time it was a full disaster. Yes, yes, I had the right tools, but it turns out a good recipe is also a crucial part of success. The dough was sticking to everything and jamming the dough cutter attachment. Rolling and cutting that pasta took so long and was such a headache. I needed help.</div>
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I begged my little facebook community for a good pasta recipe and a family friend came to the rescue. Amy (Hi Amy!) was kind enough to share her recipes for fettuccine AND ravioli with me. All subsequent pasta attempts have been both successful and (dare I say it?) fun. </div>
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I've used this recipe so many times, making pasta for myself, making it with Doug and helping out various friends who think I'm being nice when I let them use the roller attachment. (I'm really just in it for the couple of ravioli they throw my way at the end! Thank you guys!)</div>
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As with most projects, you'll probably start out with a reasonable level of enthusiasm for this awesome thing you'll be creating. Take advantage of this feeling. Bask in the joy of creation. Sing 'That's Amore' and '<a href="http://youtu.be/9prJXEhNhPA" target="_blank">Mambo Italiano</a>' at the top of your lungs. In about two minutes, after you've only sung along with Rosemary Clooney for the chorus (because does anyone really know any of the other words?), you should stop singing. Your dog/cat/roommate/husband/neighbor is not amused. <br />
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...oh wait... that's just my husband...</div>
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Carry on.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcAVgEyTy36lC5XwDMVhO0ukowIP8wk033GLQSIweSf0N-wwiEbbcNrstZrbcD_5Rc8T5c00LogcPZ_J_k8x-UPJUPWyrvasQ24kHslRzhyphenhyphendjEgxnZow4cEummekDDjHyH61_plexPVro/s1600/IMG_0263.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcAVgEyTy36lC5XwDMVhO0ukowIP8wk033GLQSIweSf0N-wwiEbbcNrstZrbcD_5Rc8T5c00LogcPZ_J_k8x-UPJUPWyrvasQ24kHslRzhyphenhyphendjEgxnZow4cEummekDDjHyH61_plexPVro/s1600/IMG_0263.JPG" height="480" title="Homemade Fettuccine // Amateur Omnivore" width="640" /></a></div>
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I would totally advise on splurging for the semolina or <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Antimo-Caputo-Italian-Superfine-00/dp/B0038ZS6PU/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1399259705&sr=8-3&keywords=00+flour" target="_blank">"00" flour</a>. The 'specialty' flour makes a difference in the softness of your final product. I've also used whole wheat pastry flour which worked fine, but made my dough a little more challenging to work with and resulted in a coarser textured pasta.</div>
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Also, It's worth it to make this whole recipe. It's a lot of pasta, but the stuff freezes really well. After it hangs for a short while I separate the pasta into serving-size portions and swirl each portion around two fingers to create little nests. If your noodles stick together a little bit at this point, toss them with a bit more flour and don't worry, they will come apart when you cook them. I put the nests in a gallon-size ziplock bag, date it and toss it in the freezer to enjoy later.</div>
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<b>Fettucine </b>(from the kitchen of Amy Fischer)</div>
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<i>8 servings</i></div>
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<li style="text-align: justify;">1 3/4 cup all purpose flour</li>
<li style="text-align: justify;">1 cup semolina or "00" flour</li>
<li style="text-align: justify;">6 large eggs</li>
<li style="text-align: justify;">4 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil</li>
<li style="text-align: justify;">A pinch of salt</li>
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Sift both flours into a mound on a large work surface and make a well in the middle. Make sure you have strong walls and enough room in your well for all 6 eggs. Crack the eggs into the center and break the yolks with a fork. Add the oil and salt. Gradually whisk the wet ingredients into the flour until combined.</div>
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Separate the dough into two equal portions and knead each piece separately about 4-5 minutes. (This can be done by hand or in a stand mixer with a dough hook.) Roll each piece into a ball, flatten slightly and wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 30 minutes or overnight. When you take it out, the dough is going to feel pretty hard. This is good. </div>
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If you have a pasta roller, go to 1. If you are rolling by hand, go to 2.</div>
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<li style="text-align: justify;">Break off a manageable piece of dough. (If it's your first time, start with something the size of a woman's fist. From there you can take more or less dough depending on how much you're comfortable working with at a time.) Flatten the dough slightly, dust it with a bit of flour and run it through the widest setting on your pasta roller twice, folding it in half before feeding it through the second time. Dust it with more flour if you feel any stickiness. Continue to run the dough through the roller until you're at the last setting (I go to 6 on the KitchenAid attachment). Using your pasta cutter attachment, cut the dough. Dust with semolina and hang it on your drying rack. Repeat with the other ball of dough.</li>
<li style="text-align: justify;">Roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface and dust the top with flour. Starting in the middle, push away from you with the rolling pin, ease the pressure as you approach the edge. Continue rolling the dough into a sheet, turning occasionally, until you can see your fingers through it. Let dry about 10 minutes. Dust the top with a little more flour and roll into a loose cylinder. Using a knife, cut the dough to desired widths. Unwrap the noodles, dust with semolina and hang it on your drying rack. Repeat with the other ball of dough.</li>
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Cook the pasta until al dente, approximately 7 minutes. </div>
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At this point, you can freeze the unused pasta. </div>
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Build a strong-walled well!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieA7E_eAj2uLllZzw78ueZKLFjb6taAg9slhvKIahKIXsP9PMQIbUAy7unCtAOg0v0Phoh0vp93cjZ7Cg5gXiOOViUgyIOpj7dCGDdJjbLJjg_Pb3TFKwADyVoKbMKhhJ2Ej5v9ctfEhM/s1600/2014-02-15.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieA7E_eAj2uLllZzw78ueZKLFjb6taAg9slhvKIahKIXsP9PMQIbUAy7unCtAOg0v0Phoh0vp93cjZ7Cg5gXiOOViUgyIOpj7dCGDdJjbLJjg_Pb3TFKwADyVoKbMKhhJ2Ej5v9ctfEhM/s1600/2014-02-15.jpg" height="640" title="Homemade Fettuccine - Egg Well // Amateur Omnivore" width="502" /></a></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15153743926624409739noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3631963153020852096.post-40922947843062663032014-04-29T10:45:00.001-04:002014-04-29T10:56:35.701-04:00Turkey, Apple and Bacon Sandwich with Cranberry Aioli<div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYvObkrO0n-umu9QAmTvhWKm2rOeajbgBGjDMxb7PBbu9_zp8ZloIcwTaAUeh4kEFY6ekEzgoavO0BkTPuwfzV_rUUxD6Dpqq-dJGo84euzWIqvLyRR-dP4CiDliy1w7i3L7o_1HsaYzo/s1600/MMD+011.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYvObkrO0n-umu9QAmTvhWKm2rOeajbgBGjDMxb7PBbu9_zp8ZloIcwTaAUeh4kEFY6ekEzgoavO0BkTPuwfzV_rUUxD6Dpqq-dJGo84euzWIqvLyRR-dP4CiDliy1w7i3L7o_1HsaYzo/s1600/MMD+011.JPG" height="452" title="Turkey, Apple and Bacon Sandwich with Cranberry Aioli // Amateur Omnivore" width="640" /></a></div>
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My previous understanding of the term 'aioli' was basically that it meant 'fancy mayo'. To find out more, I went to my trusty food-informant (the world wide web) and it seemed I wasn't the only one who was curious about the difference between the two condiments.</div>
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What I learned is that purists would consider a traditional aioli to be an emulsion of garlic, lemon juice and extra virgin olive oil, ground and combined with a mortar and pestle. No exceptions, no substitutions. </div>
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Then, classic French aioli took the traditional recipe and added a single ingredient, egg yolk. The result is what we would call garlic mayonnaise. The addition of the egg yolk significantly increased the emulsion power and now, thankfully, because the egg emulsion isn't as delicate as the garlic-only emulsion, the ingredients can be whisked by hand or with an electric blender. Remove the garlic from this recipe and we have good ol' fashioned mayo.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-h8C9hEW7ZiqP2jZ4W5wGS77lAc5GXktnWjlGZ8Us984BfLLbl0wJPrjckspIvjiS7fM9ZJf_NHc0qr9m5hI9l3TKSZltVWei-iiEk9EN_fIbBVthw5rH2rH72jsb4kZ25_S1MwJWCBY/s1600/Aioli.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-h8C9hEW7ZiqP2jZ4W5wGS77lAc5GXktnWjlGZ8Us984BfLLbl0wJPrjckspIvjiS7fM9ZJf_NHc0qr9m5hI9l3TKSZltVWei-iiEk9EN_fIbBVthw5rH2rH72jsb4kZ25_S1MwJWCBY/s1600/Aioli.png" height="225" width="640" /></a></div>
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These days, aioli, as a popular term, is being used interchangeably to refer to any of these three recipes. This shift in the use of the term can be confusing. Does the aioli contain garlic? Does it contain egg? Is it really just store bought mayo? <br />
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We also have variations on aioli where new ingredients are added for flavor. For example, we might find chipotle aioli or this recipe's cranberry aioli.</div>
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That ingredient-dependent nomenclature occurs because, with the exception of saffron and chile aioli, called rouille, we don't have a word for these flavored aiolis like we do for the hollandaise family. (Hollandaise is another emulsion based sauce using egg and warm butter instead of oil. Tarragon hollandaise is called bearnaise sauce (phenomenal on steak), dijon hollandaise is called moutarde (popular on scotch eggs and chicken) and blood orange hollandaise is called maltaise (great on fish).)</div>
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Aioli can be somewhat finicky to make. We are trying to combine two ingredients that don't want to be combined. It must be done slowly. I navigated through a couple trial runs to get things right, but now that I've got the process down, it would be hard to mess up. Hopefully understanding my mistakes will allow you to skip that trial run portion and just get on with your mayo-making. </div>
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In the past my flavored aiolis that have turned out just fine, but my first attempt at this cranberry aioli was literally pink soup (see those embarrassing results below). In frustration, I gave up and just mixed some of my pink soup failure with store bought mayo. It was a fine cheat, but I knew what my recipe could (and should) have been and I wanted that smooth, light consistency of homemade mayo where store bought is rather heavy and thick.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj15kAKyxDAxyW2IpebTDYYlZiZz0BcipD-ZxE8fIsqHhCbsEpxr3t7TJFVMolSVNj7hldfRCM2EL6zlklWGSPGtizqaznPGSBjxxGIPa2H2BO0qZu5lB7aFcKZzjRxrcLCYow4AWRgt1Y/s1600/MMD+074.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj15kAKyxDAxyW2IpebTDYYlZiZz0BcipD-ZxE8fIsqHhCbsEpxr3t7TJFVMolSVNj7hldfRCM2EL6zlklWGSPGtizqaznPGSBjxxGIPa2H2BO0qZu5lB7aFcKZzjRxrcLCYow4AWRgt1Y/s1600/MMD+074.JPG" height="320" title="Cranberry Aioli -- soup // Amateur Omnivore" width="225" /></a></div>
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Looking back, it turns out I had forgotten one very important first step: bring the yolks to room temperature. Making this small change will allow the emulsion to form easily.</div>
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I made a couple other mistakes this time around, too. When using my food processor's large bowl, the egg sat so low in the bowl that the spinning blades weren't doing any mixing. I switched back to my immersion blender with much better results. (Man, I love that thing.) Be sure to drip the oil in very, very slowly to give the emulsion time to form. Also, one of the recipes I had tried called for vinegar which, in my opinion, seriously overpowered the other more delicate flavors. I've omitted it from the recipe below so that the cranberry and orange can really shine.</div>
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Aioli is a pretty great vessel for a lot of different flavors. Even the vinegar. I bet that would taste great if we were making a vinegar-garlic aioli for dipping fries. Doug loves when I make horseradish aioli to spread on steak and I've also made jalepeno-lime aioli as a shrimp dip in place of cocktail sauce. </div>
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My homemade spread has lasted for a month in the fridge.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEholkXXxAKOb4j7KTMKFfyPO4tpkCwytEBkOwly0w9AboPnYtNU-82RUxUlqclidISCrD9qO4R591ZwtvRTEfBlXJjjMTo00tIC9OwB7M20zJT14fIH323wEQRkxzOCrrsOo8eNewZ4vD4/s1600/MMD+076.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEholkXXxAKOb4j7KTMKFfyPO4tpkCwytEBkOwly0w9AboPnYtNU-82RUxUlqclidISCrD9qO4R591ZwtvRTEfBlXJjjMTo00tIC9OwB7M20zJT14fIH323wEQRkxzOCrrsOo8eNewZ4vD4/s1600/MMD+076.JPG" height="452" title="Cranberry Aioli - Cranberries // Amateur Omnivore" width="640" /></a></div>
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One more quick note, I cut the extra virgin olive oil with vegetable oil to tone down the strong flavor of the extra virgin. Adjust the quantities to your taste, if you'd like!</div>
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<b>Cranberry Aioli</b></div>
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<i>1 cup</i></div>
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<ul>
<li>2 cloves garlic - smashed</li>
<li>2 egg yolks - room temperature</li>
<li>1 teaspoon lemon juice</li>
<li>1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil</li>
<li>1/4 cup tablespoons vegetable oil</li>
<li>2 teaspoons orange juice</li>
<li>1/4 cup dried cranberries - chopped finely</li>
<li>1/4 cup fresh or frozen cranberries - chopped finely</li>
<li>pinch of salt and pepper</li>
</ul>
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Place garlic, both yolks and the lemon juice in a bowl and blend for 30 seconds or until the yolks become lighter in color and creamy. Mix together the oils and, while continuing to blend, very slowly begin drizzling the oil into the egg. Once approximately 1/3 of the oil is incorporated, you can begin to pour it a little bit faster. Continue blending until smooth and thick.</div>
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Add the OJ and cranberries while still beating and salt and pepper to taste.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGh6hb5AUxTK815oHge5jCuTPCuo7As7_JSRtLXr2cOfApEECh-DHn8SNTvlFTmNqPhzSgqPKxywiEej7ExDteF6ExvYXkly7AcN76rkbNaISzx-pEl11sHCDN_KpSFjBSC0aOA6PiJj8/s1600/MMD+005.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGh6hb5AUxTK815oHge5jCuTPCuo7As7_JSRtLXr2cOfApEECh-DHn8SNTvlFTmNqPhzSgqPKxywiEej7ExDteF6ExvYXkly7AcN76rkbNaISzx-pEl11sHCDN_KpSFjBSC0aOA6PiJj8/s1600/MMD+005.JPG" height="480" title="Turkey, Apple and Bacon Sandwich with Cranberry Aioli // Amateur Omnivore" width="640" /></a></div>
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I love to crisp up the bread and melt the cheese for sandwiches before adding the remaining ingredients. I bought rosemary olive bread for this sandwich and the flavor worked really well.</div>
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When I want to cut the apple slices a little earlier than I will be assembling the sandwiches, I store the slices in the fridge in a ziplock baggy with some lemon juice to keep the slices from browning. (The apple slices in the top photo had actually been stored this way for two full days before I took that picture. You can see they have browned a little, but not too badly, and they were certainly still nice and crisp.)</div>
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<b>Turkey Sandwich</b></div>
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<i>4 sandwiches</i></div>
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<ul>
<li>8 slices of bread </li>
<li>4 slices of fontina cheese</li>
<li>4 slices of turkey breast</li>
<li>4 slices of bacon - cooked</li>
<li>1 empire apple - cut into thin slices</li>
<li>spinach</li>
<li>cranberry aioli (recipe above)</li>
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Place bread slices on a cookie sheet. Cover 4 of the slices with cheese. Place under the broiler for 2 minutes or until the cheese melts. Layer on the turkey, bacon, apple and spinach. Spread the aioli on the non-cheesed slice of bread.</div>
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Eat it up!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSLphACZnJuALNYEbpm0rQATxthyFzpSCDXdz4Nn0gRJ9S6KXw42b27UU5X-8yb2JMf8MAB7mUoeafqy_F8qI6WDoA6R8E9m7Q2ZjXTppIT99V4UVTxVmXykflFe4Qo-7eefp2qmuGUuc/s1600/MMD+203.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSLphACZnJuALNYEbpm0rQATxthyFzpSCDXdz4Nn0gRJ9S6KXw42b27UU5X-8yb2JMf8MAB7mUoeafqy_F8qI6WDoA6R8E9m7Q2ZjXTppIT99V4UVTxVmXykflFe4Qo-7eefp2qmuGUuc/s1600/MMD+203.JPG" height="426" title="Turkey, Apple and Bacon Sandwich with Cranberry Aioli // Amateur Omnivore" width="640" /></a></div>
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A mini version of this sandwich was one of the eight courses I served<br />
at the <a href="http://amateuromnivore.blogspot.com/2014/03/pasta-passion-and-pistols.html" target="_blank">Pasta, Passion and Pistols party</a> with <a href="http://amateuromnivore.blogspot.com/2014/04/roasted-cauliflower-soup-with-chicken.html" target="_blank">cauliflower soup</a><br />
and <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Lil-Reds-Mini-Solo-Glasses/dp/B00D7KY1SW/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1398269237&sr=8-1&keywords=mini+solo+cups" target="_blank">miniature solo cups</a> of Innis and Gunn.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRPxOrIIJnsjpVKsH0lMoTiWZbCJ7pMmQvJTmtKOKdpc0mofNdwLg8Z1ae95LVSFeSfVsZWnoBnRentkiA_FeYtE3IToQ0OYk6vE50nYRSuSncct28Cdv2RHsqdD6bbFvLZEQa5b37myI/s1600/MMD+193.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRPxOrIIJnsjpVKsH0lMoTiWZbCJ7pMmQvJTmtKOKdpc0mofNdwLg8Z1ae95LVSFeSfVsZWnoBnRentkiA_FeYtE3IToQ0OYk6vE50nYRSuSncct28Cdv2RHsqdD6bbFvLZEQa5b37myI/s1600/MMD+193.JPG" height="400" title="Innis and Gunn - Miniature Beer Pong // Amateur Omnivore" width="282" /></a></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15153743926624409739noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3631963153020852096.post-50056947125271666132014-04-25T10:02:00.001-04:002014-05-13T10:54:04.895-04:00Martin Cooks - Brunch<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwGo9gpTKE1Zywr1OjUle9_DjjMjwlFd6bba0_tyFVlLgSTJx9YKbLWnGPnxdwwRNVXOVdVfzPmp9xVcowABPjXaR5IqzxCDoYPxRaf09Huz14u6dCPOR0LImUkjkHVrxvgIS7lFjEY4Q/s1600/Martin+Cooks+-+Brunch+024.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwGo9gpTKE1Zywr1OjUle9_DjjMjwlFd6bba0_tyFVlLgSTJx9YKbLWnGPnxdwwRNVXOVdVfzPmp9xVcowABPjXaR5IqzxCDoYPxRaf09Huz14u6dCPOR0LImUkjkHVrxvgIS7lFjEY4Q/s1600/Martin+Cooks+-+Brunch+024.JPG" height="480" title="Martin Cooks // Amateur Omnivore" width="640" /></a></div>
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I have been really wanting to get to Martin Cooks for a while. The price point for their tasting-menu-style dinner, $65 per person + $40 to add wine pairings, for me means it would be a special occasion dinner. Special occasions have come and gone but for one reason or another I hadn't made the trek yet. That didn't stop me from torturing myself by reading their menu offerings which are posted on the <a href="http://www.martincooks.com/menu" target="_blank">website</a> as they change each week and I'm telling you: I couldn't wait to get there.</div>
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On Sunday, the stars aligned. I actually stumbled into this place accidentally. </div>
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I tagged along to Horsefeathers' Winter Market with two of my friends and as we drove past the building looking for parking I saw the signage in the window for Martin Cooks. I think I may have audibly squealed with excitement. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvOEVms97zM-cQ4eKkj2eyurMk2MwW2yLSajIUMku46dgP-lW8ASLkxYAixAeuyIfj0yUptwJ3hfQa0nFjnBupsgbs6FZGz-3MBdS7txSt3A34iuE3XBFQlTydOfvURj-3xgH60XiqQ_g/s1600/Martin+Cooks+-+Brunch+007.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvOEVms97zM-cQ4eKkj2eyurMk2MwW2yLSajIUMku46dgP-lW8ASLkxYAixAeuyIfj0yUptwJ3hfQa0nFjnBupsgbs6FZGz-3MBdS7txSt3A34iuE3XBFQlTydOfvURj-3xgH60XiqQ_g/s1600/Martin+Cooks+-+Brunch+007.JPG" height="480" title="Martin Cooks - mimosa // Amateur Omnivore" width="640" /></a></div>
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Horsefeathers has small permanent shops upstairs, traditional chinese food, a bakery and pasta shop (with gluten free options) and a buffalo and food themed tchotchke shop. In the basement they host a farmer's market in the winter months and there are also a couple other permanent shops for coffee and chocolate.</div>
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The winter market had vendors selling meats ranging from filet to <a href="http://www.amateuromnivore.com/2014/02/an-organized-mind.html">tongue</a> to <a href="http://www.amateuromnivore.com/2014/04/cucumber-salad-balsamic-caviar-and.html" target="">sausage</a>. There was <a href="http://www.communitybeerworks.com/" target="_blank">beer</a> and <a href="http://www.arrowheadspringvineyards.com/" target="_blank">wine</a>. There was produce and cheese and a dairy farmer who even brought little kids in cages. I'm talking about adorable baby goats, not small humans. </div>
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Castle Farms was selling goat milk products and I've used their goat milk yogurt as the starter culture for <a href="http://www.amateuromnivore.com/2014/04/homemade-yogurt-and-maple-granola.html">homemade yogurt</a>.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgla2BgMoO9G8d9PV11c1IoQL-V9mS6RSx9Mq6bQpLJeWVXEL_QX38J-pE3Jk0zUr9eKAvK9wB5nIuI5p0zHpSc7wZUJ3SubrzWM7_f3Vpvl0hi5yTgY7HAsoRlJ8i4gQ2CJrq9eUxMpEw/s1600/Fotor041293058.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgla2BgMoO9G8d9PV11c1IoQL-V9mS6RSx9Mq6bQpLJeWVXEL_QX38J-pE3Jk0zUr9eKAvK9wB5nIuI5p0zHpSc7wZUJ3SubrzWM7_f3Vpvl0hi5yTgY7HAsoRlJ8i4gQ2CJrq9eUxMpEw/s1600/Fotor041293058.png" height="472" title="Horsefeather's Market - Castle Farms // Amateur Omnivore" width="640" /></a></div>
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We browsed the shops and the market, made some purchases and worked up a little appetite... Just in time to head back upstairs for brunch at Martin Cooks.</div>
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The windows out front are huge so there's tons of light streaming in. The decor is rustic and eclectic... more of that shabby chic look that's so popular right now. And they did a good job with it. There are fun chandeliers and long wooden tea light candle holders and an amazing wine rack on the wall. I'm sure I'm not the only person who covets this piece.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhI9P1YlbECZlmBki446pMM6Bd9ZALJ9iDUDrw8sA64wiwL3Cd40lfZ51rBxymjETeYhkNhO1girBefZ7yjQUtxELTAWdv2TuzxeP5Arpml_1vYWu3EEFDJChVhpIi4yET7xoWHgVu-XLQ/s1600/Martin+Cooks+-+Brunch+001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhI9P1YlbECZlmBki446pMM6Bd9ZALJ9iDUDrw8sA64wiwL3Cd40lfZ51rBxymjETeYhkNhO1girBefZ7yjQUtxELTAWdv2TuzxeP5Arpml_1vYWu3EEFDJChVhpIi4yET7xoWHgVu-XLQ/s1600/Martin+Cooks+-+Brunch+001.JPG" height="452" title="Martin Cooks // Amateur Omnivore" width="640" /></a></div>
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You know when you're hungry and everything looks good? That wasn't the case here. Well, it was half the case... none of us were starving yet the entire menu ($10-$15) sounded so delicious. We hadn't made a decision on the meal yet but, as per ushe, we started with mimosas.<br />
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"A brunch without booze is just a sad, late breakfast" - Martin Cooks</blockquote>
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I was back and forth considering the andouille sausage and biscuits when the stranger on the stool next to us leaned over to mention he had gotten it and that it was delicious. Said stranger then offered me a bite of his own meal. How do other people feel about this??! Because I think it's the swankiest move ever. The same thing happened to me at Ramsay's Pub in Vegas once. Maybe I have naturally hungry eyes and strangers take pity. If that's true, I was born with lucky genes. </div>
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(On the flip side, maybe I have a habit of staring so awkwardly at strangers that they can't even stomach taking another bite of their meal and they just pass it to me so they can get the hell out of there... hm, things to think about...)<br />
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Anyway, I'm a huge fan of this generosity and concept of food truly bringing people together. (even strangers!).</div>
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That bite of our stranger friend's meal was so good, the over easy egg soaked into the biscuit and the chorizo gave it a good kick of flavor. But because we weren't all that hungry and had decided to order two meals between three of us and because one of us doesn't eat wheat (therefore no biscuits) and because, well, now I had already gotten to try it, we ordered two other things.</div>
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Exhibit A: Mushroom Risotto and Fried Egg<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMr1elVSLDzZ5kSmStpUXwaT_7C14oa3J_CuxFrnmfKOPftYyw5cVW_NN7uCpkexNfN7l6TCHSv_tn2F3rtVDBs2L3TiTTkLvXB8zBQ-YMq1QGBJzAb1rVFlcDms1KmynY3MsMPNMiKmM/s1600/Martin+Cooks+-+Brunch+012.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMr1elVSLDzZ5kSmStpUXwaT_7C14oa3J_CuxFrnmfKOPftYyw5cVW_NN7uCpkexNfN7l6TCHSv_tn2F3rtVDBs2L3TiTTkLvXB8zBQ-YMq1QGBJzAb1rVFlcDms1KmynY3MsMPNMiKmM/s1600/Martin+Cooks+-+Brunch+012.JPG" height="480" title="Martin Cooks - Mushroom Risotto and Fried Egg // Amateur Omnivore" width="640" /></a></div>
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The risotto was creamy and the grains still had a little bite to them. There were plenty of whole mushrooms and parmesan-y goodness and I could not be happier about this fad of putting an egg on top of everything, de-lish. </div>
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Exhibit B: Sweet Potato Hash with Sausage and Fried Egg<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMs0UwNWIetr31lwsUd9MTrCRDQfCDosxBQamDWd30qOIyajHS3NEYq0CQz5-EThFfinZqaH9mgbngYJjqBu3_qRMnYLHhq56SFq3MWCqgRsZWc8BBQAG1XXbfZYji4OYzMp8skZvKe5s/s1600/Martin+Cooks+-+Brunch+011.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMs0UwNWIetr31lwsUd9MTrCRDQfCDosxBQamDWd30qOIyajHS3NEYq0CQz5-EThFfinZqaH9mgbngYJjqBu3_qRMnYLHhq56SFq3MWCqgRsZWc8BBQAG1XXbfZYji4OYzMp8skZvKe5s/s1600/Martin+Cooks+-+Brunch+011.JPG" height="480" title="Martin Cooks - Sweet Potato Hash with Sausage and Fried Egg // Amateur Omnivore" width="640" /></a></div>
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Chunks of sweet potato and bell peppers were fried up with sausage and, in typical brunch fashion, topped with an egg. Parsley, in my opinion, can sometimes overpower a bite, but that wasn't the case here. I thought it added a bright, fresh flavor and married well with the sweet potatoes and peppers.</div>
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We separated the two meals equally onto three plates and basically the talking just stopped. Let me just drive this point home. We were three girls. Three girls not talking. Clearly we were enjoying our food.</div>
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When it came towards the last few bites of our meals, I could tell we were all debating which dish we wanted as our last bite. Independently we all chose the hash. Both meals were so so good, but apparently the hash won out as a favorite... just by a bite.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHf0qVNsMz8Vdc9_uNTdNJ8oEWS1qNRE8_W5xD0BMEQoaChUTo3U3VH7p9T2dYgCIyQUN-nYrNAUH3lJZh1kowOlJlgRrVV9QwJOBJnIOzfSIuWRpC7k_E2GAHOcJnJnU4mN2QAW_o0T0/s1600/2014-03-22+Martin+Cooks+-+Brunch.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHf0qVNsMz8Vdc9_uNTdNJ8oEWS1qNRE8_W5xD0BMEQoaChUTo3U3VH7p9T2dYgCIyQUN-nYrNAUH3lJZh1kowOlJlgRrVV9QwJOBJnIOzfSIuWRpC7k_E2GAHOcJnJnU4mN2QAW_o0T0/s1600/2014-03-22+Martin+Cooks+-+Brunch.jpg" height="640" title="Martin Cooks // Amateur Omnivore" width="502" /></a></div>
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I can't wait to return for dinner!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15153743926624409739noreply@blogger.com17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3631963153020852096.post-24231095862518256092014-04-23T08:54:00.001-04:002014-04-23T09:05:09.972-04:00Homemade Yogurt and Maple Granola<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjOgQE8NOt3WkzxGsfclWgsZ4p86rjtm-6phS6rHQYXkx5RcWDJ9jI7cykvMjTwhqx7_K6MzluT5Nce3bzM6jQDdvVQEcaIdsoLCHIhLGMGUb2_EquHR8b0X7T-IqwGtaDL-8c2410cQg/s1600/MMD+113.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjOgQE8NOt3WkzxGsfclWgsZ4p86rjtm-6phS6rHQYXkx5RcWDJ9jI7cykvMjTwhqx7_K6MzluT5Nce3bzM6jQDdvVQEcaIdsoLCHIhLGMGUb2_EquHR8b0X7T-IqwGtaDL-8c2410cQg/s1600/MMD+113.JPG" height="426" title="Whole Milk Yogurt, Macerated Strawberries, Homemade Granola, Orange Zest and Chocolate Shavings // Amateur Omnivore" width="640" /></a></div>
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My parents tell me this story about when I was 4 years old. On this particular day all the kids at daycare were being given ice cream as a special treat. Seriously, what is more exciting to a child than ice cream? I think the answer is nothing. So the story goes that we were all given our ice cream and when I took my first bite I got a huge smile on my face and yelled "yogurt!". It turns out, the staff was verbally disguising the yogurt as "ice cream" to trick the kids into eating it. I was thrilled. The other kids started crying.</div>
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I have always loved yogurt. I am a die-hard Dannon Fruit on the Bottom Blueberry fan and I have been since... well, since at least daycare apparently. My parents tried to get me to eat cherry, strawberry, mixed berry (come on, it has blueberries in it!) but, no, I was set. All through middle school, high school, college and afterwards, I ate around five yogurts a week and always Dannon blueberry.</div>
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Then two years ago I was working to get in better shape for my <a href="http://www.wendymitchellphotography.com/blog/wedding/doug-erica-september-22-2012-buffalo-museum-science-wedding-photography/" target="_blank">wedding</a>. I was trying to maximize the nutrition content of each meal and it was then that I turned to greek yogurt because it had less fat and more protein than my beloved Dannon blueberry. At first the thickness weirded me out, but after some time I got used to it and now I prefer it. When I realized that I could like a new type of yogurt, I decided at 24 years old that it probably wouldn't kill me if I tried other flavors too. Turns out I actually love peach.</div>
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Two years later, I decided it was time to give making my own yogurt a try. This was only an experimental endeavor for the following reasons. </div>
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<li style="text-align: justify;">Most of what I read online said that even over the long run, DIY yogurt will save the consumer only a small amount of money.</li>
<li style="text-align: justify;">Low fat homemade yogurt tends to be thinner than store bought yogurt (especially store bought greek).</li>
<li style="text-align: justify;">To make homemade yogurt thicker, you can use milk with a higher fat content. Tasty, yes. Healthy, no.</li>
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I expected the process to be really complex, so I was surprised when yogurt requires only two ingredients and two steps. The best part is, one of the steps is "wait". In the interest of a thicker yogurt, I add two additional ingredients (dry milk powder and heavy cream) and one extra step (drain yogurt through a cheese cloth).</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYij91zU3fuxA1hrppzyOOT5KhKI3oFNTty8qzYuOEcYaKXv_8E7Eaajv6r7yVof3_n07hJmyVWJEk6HzeNRWimTeVda0LnZ5gh9I-Ym9IhZh5EuzpxVB-DnxXGksj2ivL7lTjhS0gCqM/s1600/MMD+111a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYij91zU3fuxA1hrppzyOOT5KhKI3oFNTty8qzYuOEcYaKXv_8E7Eaajv6r7yVof3_n07hJmyVWJEk6HzeNRWimTeVda0LnZ5gh9I-Ym9IhZh5EuzpxVB-DnxXGksj2ivL7lTjhS0gCqM/s1600/MMD+111a.jpg" height="282" width="400" /></a></div>
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I've made goat milk yogurt by substituting the whole milk for Meyenberg goat milk and the Dannon starter for Castle Farms goat milk yogurt. Taste-wise the results were similar, perhaps the goat milk yogurt was a little tarter, but it didn't get quite as thick as the yogurt in the recipe below.</div>
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<b>Thick Whole Milk Yogurt</b></div>
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<i>1 quart</i></div>
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<li style="text-align: justify;">1 quart whole milk</li>
<li style="text-align: justify;">1/4 cup dry milk powder</li>
<li style="text-align: justify;">1/4 cup heavy cream</li>
<li style="text-align: justify;">1/4 cup active culture plain yogurt (hello again, Dannon!)</li>
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In a heavy bottom pot, heat the milk and cream to 180 degrees. Whisk in the milk powder and continue heating the milk at 180 for 20 minutes.</div>
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Let the milk cool to 112 degrees. You can speed up this process by setting the pot in an ice bath. Add the yogurt and stir to combine.</div>
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Now you need to keep your mixture hovering at 112 degrees for 10-12 hours. I use the sous vide and let everything set overnight. </div>
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<li style="text-align: justify;">I've read that you can leave the covered pot in your oven on low or even wrap it in a blanket with an electric heating pad to hold the temp. </li>
<li style="text-align: justify;">The longer the yogurt sets at this stage, the thicker it will become, but also the tarter it will become. Taste test with a clean spoon at the 10 hour mark to gauge the thickness and sweetness according to your preference.</li>
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Once set, you may have some liquid floating on top of the yogurt. For thicker yogurt, dump this out, otherwise there's no harm in reincorporating it into the yogurt.</div>
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The last step (for thicker yogurt), is to lay a piece of cheesecloth over a fine mesh sieve and allow residual liquids in the yogurt to drain out.</div>
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Transfer the yogurt to a tupperware container and refrigerate. The yogurt will thicken slightly as it cools.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgph07p1nhx_9boVIvpabtMBxT7NbmcpgTtXwxjrNBs247xLr9Cq7la5exKgXRrqihWTO1odzBh-_Z6oco0dxHvxsnKyAPccHgS5KprvW2OTI4H38jPbKF6AqH4ldAtbYB-z_nvJBrZKnc/s1600/043.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgph07p1nhx_9boVIvpabtMBxT7NbmcpgTtXwxjrNBs247xLr9Cq7la5exKgXRrqihWTO1odzBh-_Z6oco0dxHvxsnKyAPccHgS5KprvW2OTI4H38jPbKF6AqH4ldAtbYB-z_nvJBrZKnc/s1600/043.JPG" height="640" title="Macerated Strawberries //Amateur Omnivore" width="480" /></a></div>
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Macerated fruit is a fancy way of saying that the fruit has been marinated. In this recipe the strawberries are combined with sugar which draws the liquid out of the strawberry leaving a fruit with a more concentrated flavor and a thick syrupy liquid which they can be served in.</div>
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The amount of sugar can be varied to increase or decrease the sweetness based on preference. You can also make macerated strawberries using simple syrup or flavored liqueurs.</div>
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<b>Macerated Strawberries</b></div>
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<li style="text-align: justify;">2 cups strawberries</li>
<li style="text-align: justify;">1/4 cup brown sugar</li>
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Hull and slice the strawberries. Combine the strawberries and sugar in a tupperware or glass container. Let sit for minimum 2 hours or overnight.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGg7WJxz9KeWzXjGy-Ld3fFIUFbxC-Hk_2ixNlaFGJmY6G5biS_By8vgr8sOT4K_dlzvD-8JlGLjJ4gkv_ZHRX0yF-psMoFCVlpBvkyE6bz6oqjkRllY0m2A_7HRx4_7Z2g-MhMutb0MQ/s1600/MMD+024.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGg7WJxz9KeWzXjGy-Ld3fFIUFbxC-Hk_2ixNlaFGJmY6G5biS_By8vgr8sOT4K_dlzvD-8JlGLjJ4gkv_ZHRX0yF-psMoFCVlpBvkyE6bz6oqjkRllY0m2A_7HRx4_7Z2g-MhMutb0MQ/s1600/MMD+024.JPG" height="640" title="Homemade Granola // Amateur Omnivore" width="452" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-N2gUO1UWu6LC27eTG49Q0ngg0sxtI57uBI-5k1jJaQi1CulJfRwR7RJ3BAxg4M8qdHMiHMgGXoZbXpUTG0_1_BBvOSjcUZHg9iViqLBf3qwIcNgPMWvgymzeBYuTSowVPvQ-tU3Q-bI/s1600/MMD+035.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-N2gUO1UWu6LC27eTG49Q0ngg0sxtI57uBI-5k1jJaQi1CulJfRwR7RJ3BAxg4M8qdHMiHMgGXoZbXpUTG0_1_BBvOSjcUZHg9iViqLBf3qwIcNgPMWvgymzeBYuTSowVPvQ-tU3Q-bI/s1600/MMD+035.JPG" height="426" title="Homemade Granola // Amateur Omnivore" width="640" /></a></div>
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This is just a basic granola recipe, but I'm telling you, it's dangerous to have in the house. I could eat handfulls of the stuff without yogurt or anything. <br />
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Ok... I HAVE just eaten handfulls.<br />
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The dry milk powder helps the ingredients bind into nice granola nuggets.<br />
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<b>Granola </b><i>(adapted from Alton Brown)</i><br />
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<ul>
<li>3 cups rolled oats</li>
<li>1/4 cup dry milk powder</li>
<li>3/4 cup shredded sweet coconut</li>
<li>1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons dark brown sugar</li>
<li>1/3 cup maple syrup</li>
<li>1/4 cup vegetable oil</li>
<li>3/4 teaspoon salt</li>
<li>1.5 teaspoons cinnamon</li>
<li>dash of vanilla</li>
</ul>
Preheat oven to 250 degrees. In a large bowl, combine the oats, milk powder, coconut and brown sugar.<br />
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In a separate bowl, combine maple syrup, oil, salt cinnamon and vanilla. Combine both mixtures and pour into an even layer onto two sheet pans. Cook for 1 hour and 15 minutes, stirring every 30 minutes to achieve an even color.</div>
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(Add nuts or raisins, if desired)</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAE2lQ9kOYDVKf4IgwLmqQe5XAWtuqYqzSRrx364S76dyy48dCVS2vsrJj46WnxFnwcxC8Ej7D3wSyyOJpSLtH501UpOHom-xjYGHZ5O_7qzNQ2fPzGwkNXiZmuDKU3SngMawFniLBo5Y/s1600/MMD+089.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAE2lQ9kOYDVKf4IgwLmqQe5XAWtuqYqzSRrx364S76dyy48dCVS2vsrJj46WnxFnwcxC8Ej7D3wSyyOJpSLtH501UpOHom-xjYGHZ5O_7qzNQ2fPzGwkNXiZmuDKU3SngMawFniLBo5Y/s1600/MMD+089.JPG" height="426" title="Homemade Granola // Amateur Omnivore" width="640" /></a></div>
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Now we put everything together. The yogurt is very pretty served in a clear glass (I used a martini glass) with layers of fruit and yogurt. I put a strawberry slice garnish on the side of the glass and topped it with granola, shaved chocolate and a little orange zest. Don't skip the orange zest! It adds a great tang.<br />
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It was helpful to shave the chocolate beforehand. I used the medium holes on the side of my box grater because the small holes made incredibly tiny shavings. Try both and see which you like better. I stored mine in a small tupperware and just gave a little shake over the top of each yogurt when I was ready to serve it.<br />
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I was careful not to spoon too much of the strawberry syrup into the glass because it thinned the yogurt quite a bit. You could top it with honey or sugar for more sweetness.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcvrTBbN2om6ZsWnbCW_Zbt7WOekmLoHZm6CmiJQ51gzjZwF50ojEkXAZJZ8C-aAz23JNo2UsEkAfpIZ7EI3_ceAHatoK9hlehuWODq26wlFFdhQVEPAjv4o1r0rDNpKEPsLTKutsq7oA/s1600/MMD+114.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcvrTBbN2om6ZsWnbCW_Zbt7WOekmLoHZm6CmiJQ51gzjZwF50ojEkXAZJZ8C-aAz23JNo2UsEkAfpIZ7EI3_ceAHatoK9hlehuWODq26wlFFdhQVEPAjv4o1r0rDNpKEPsLTKutsq7oA/s1600/MMD+114.JPG" height="426" title="Whole Milk Yogurt, Macerated Strawberries, Homemade Granola, Orange Zest and Chocolate Shavings // Amateur Omnivore" width="640" /></a></div>
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This was served with a pomosa as the first of eight courses </div>
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at the <a href="http://amateuromnivore.blogspot.com/2014/03/pasta-passion-and-pistols.html">Pasta, Passion and Pistols party</a>.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCmgpGpL5KGxtqytt5_37FzyOtyeHB6HQr916LY2SsN2ZRt-bbLFTNuB4WalXSkPpe4AhAa2Wmf2kve67hinVGbMmhxW2wWNLOAdK68D4LC7_QI-3DtD00U2eGkRkIJxgW5GEwK8_MAXg/s1600/MMD+169.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCmgpGpL5KGxtqytt5_37FzyOtyeHB6HQr916LY2SsN2ZRt-bbLFTNuB4WalXSkPpe4AhAa2Wmf2kve67hinVGbMmhxW2wWNLOAdK68D4LC7_QI-3DtD00U2eGkRkIJxgW5GEwK8_MAXg/s1600/MMD+169.JPG" height="282" title="Pomegranate Juice, Vodka and Champagnge - Pomosa // Amateur Omnivore" width="400" /></a></div>
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1 part pama - pomegranate juice</div>
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1 part pomegranate vodka</div>
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2 parts prosecco</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15153743926624409739noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3631963153020852096.post-1338918422911387192014-04-21T08:44:00.000-04:002014-04-21T12:29:11.568-04:00Sous-vide Flank Steak with Red Wine Sauce and Gorgonzola Powder<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbAHj9HqriiEHXq-ovgVelEV0Yk_IGnCT-vTyJehUr9HWkqlIru4vzwgsLFdhVltOoRKIg3QwvCGgtr6n6RA-OduAfkT3oFWRfqP6m0KQ4LLuy2BOx2SqqXDfhQQKcc3c3UBKuMue3qkc/s1600/072.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbAHj9HqriiEHXq-ovgVelEV0Yk_IGnCT-vTyJehUr9HWkqlIru4vzwgsLFdhVltOoRKIg3QwvCGgtr6n6RA-OduAfkT3oFWRfqP6m0KQ4LLuy2BOx2SqqXDfhQQKcc3c3UBKuMue3qkc/s1600/072.JPG" height="451" title="Sous-Vide Flank Steak with Red Wine Sauce and Gorgonzola Powder // Amateur Omnivore" width="640" /></a></div>
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<div style="text-align: justify;">
I love slow cooked meats and the seemingly magical way that a tough cut can be broken down into tender juicy bites. Smoked, braised, roasted, sous-vided. (Sous-vided... that is the past tense of sous-vide, right?) </div>
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The sous-vide machine is essentially a hot water bath. Food is vacuum sealed in plastic and submerged in water held at a specified temp. For example, a medium rare steak is ~135 degrees. When I cook this flank steak, I set the water temp to 135. The steak cooks at this temperature for 8 hours. Because this temperature of the water is the final temperature of the meat, there is practically zero chance of overcooking the food. (However, if left long enough, those proteins will denature so much that you will have meat mush. Mmm...)</div>
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The sous-vide machine has been a lot of fun to play around with. Before using it for this steak (135 degrees), it's been used to hold homemade yogurt at a steady temp while it ferments overnight (112 degrees), used to cook <a href="http://www.amateuromnivore.com/2014/04/brussel-sprout-pork-belly-and-apple.html">pork belly</a> (180 degrees) and used to make egg yolk croquettes (144 degrees). It's been fun discovering different uses for the machine and learning why the cooking temperature and time varies for different foods.</div>
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If you don't have access to a sous-vide or sous-vide equivalent (Yes, Doug Macgyver'd us a second machine using a Cole-Parmer Immersion Circulator and a small cooler) <a href="http://www.goerie.com/braised-flank-steak-in-red-wine-2013-11-25-15-56" target="_blank">braising the flank steak</a> would work nicely for this recipe too.</div>
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<br /></div>
<b>Flank Steak</b><br />
<ul>
<li>1 pound steak</li>
<li>oil</li>
<li>salt and pepper</li>
</ul>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Heat the sous-vide machine to 135 degrees. Season the steak with oil, salt and pepper. Vacuum seal the steak and submerge in the sous-vide for 8 hours. (Note, my steak was about 1.5 inches thick. The cooking time should be increased for thicker steaks.)</div>
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After removing the steak from the vacu-bag, sear it on a hot cast iron over high heat for thirty seconds per side. Slice across the grain when serving.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrepA9VEk9ba4F_dt2yY7QaF3TN_xWaIX_RH3JrfcmW9IsKwiNouhNOZ1ucRd0254b_TB4PWi_yyL06KqQ5S4P92QUE_3JFzms3RKU8DrNJnYiiCM97dcmXXfOZTbyWs2tCusLJC4n-Jo/s1600/053.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrepA9VEk9ba4F_dt2yY7QaF3TN_xWaIX_RH3JrfcmW9IsKwiNouhNOZ1ucRd0254b_TB4PWi_yyL06KqQ5S4P92QUE_3JFzms3RKU8DrNJnYiiCM97dcmXXfOZTbyWs2tCusLJC4n-Jo/s1600/053.JPG" height="451" title="Sous-Vide Flank Steak // Amateur Omnivore" width="640" /></a></div>
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I once came across an article in Food and Wine magazine discussing the common practice of home cooks using lesser quality wines for cooking and debating whether the quality of wine used in a recipe will affect the outcome of the dish. </div>
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I don't recall all of the specific details, but I do remember that their test chef's found that the quality of wine was less important when the wine was being used as a secondary ingredient (i.e deglazing a pan for a stew) but should be considered as more of a factor when the wine will contribute as a primary flavor in the dish (i.e. a red wine sauce).</div>
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This seems like such a straightforward conclusion but in my house we're definitely still using the least expensive bottles when the wine is being transported into my mouth via silverware. I think until Cakebread Cellars starts funding my amateur cheffing, I'll probably stick with what I've been doing. (Just don't tell Dana Cowin)</div>
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<b>Red Wine Sauce</b><br />
<i>1.5 cups</i><br />
<ul>
<li>4 shallots - diced</li>
<li>4 tablespoons olive oil</li>
<li>1 teaspoon rosemary</li>
<li>1 cup red wine (I used a zinfandel)</li>
<li>1 cup beef broth</li>
<li>salt and pepper</li>
<li>1 tablespoon cold butter - cut in small chunks</li>
</ul>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
In a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, saute the shallots in two tablespoons of the olive oil until lightly caramelized, about 5 to 7 minutes. Raise the heat to high and add the rosemary and red wine. Reduce by half. Add the broth and reduce by half again.</div>
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If you like a smooth sauce you can either strain out the shallot and rosemary or process it in the food processor. If you're making this for a meal ahead of time, the liquid can be refrigerated at this step and the remaining steps completed before serving.</div>
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Return liquid to the pan. Reduce heat to low. Season with salt and pepper. Finish the sauce by swirling in the chunks of cold butter.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsC76pwS8-jMa6YDa608NeKlQnloeEKoUMx66olDCL1Fg1Ya1xKIsWpJbxNphyphenhyphenKwKJlm8sovHVDyY06H5NWHsCRPkxYu9U6JnYn5F1sjOvv_Wn_4E9T8hYqgF553LtTCB1Q_Yg0ZJ64WQ/s1600/058.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsC76pwS8-jMa6YDa608NeKlQnloeEKoUMx66olDCL1Fg1Ya1xKIsWpJbxNphyphenhyphenKwKJlm8sovHVDyY06H5NWHsCRPkxYu9U6JnYn5F1sjOvv_Wn_4E9T8hYqgF553LtTCB1Q_Yg0ZJ64WQ/s1600/058.JPG" height="451" title="Sous-Vide Flank Steak with Red Wine Sauce and Gorgonzola Powder // Amateur Omnivore" width="640" /></a></div>
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After a lot of searching online for some guidance on dehydrating cheese I still didn't feel overly confident about this process. I found plenty of instruction for dehydrating cheddar cheese, a harder cheese to begin with, but gorgonzola is so much more... wet...? I definitely didn't go into this with a lot of confidence about the outcome, but the process was simple and I actually had great results.</div>
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The following tips were scattered around the internet or discovered during my attempts. </div>
<ul>
<li style="text-align: justify;">Oil from the dehydrating cheese will accumulate on the trays, especially during the first four hours. At hour 2 and hour 4, transfer the cheese onto a paper towel and wipe off the trays. At this point also press the larger chunks of cheese with the back tines of a fork to make them smaller. (As the chunks begin to dry out it will become easier and easier to break them up into smaller chunks and smaller chunks will dehydrate more quickly.)</li>
<li style="text-align: justify;">Half way through the process, run the cheese through the food processor. Try to keep the chunks as small and similarly sized as possible so it all dehydrates evenly.</li>
<li style="text-align: justify;">As the cheese becomes more and more dehydrated, it will become more susceptible to browning or burning. Keep a good eye on everything in the last 2 hours or so.</li>
</ul>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihKWbkE_f4MYZ8Mfc37kSggUycWXYYRighnOE9WElQCfy5is5bsx0VtOZusKAow7OnvwQMQmHp5IRFnHeYNMiifI60TmZGYpS0Dt3Azg3iTIwv53kM7TOp3EZ6AS5mOlILiY66v8S-zig/s1600/036.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihKWbkE_f4MYZ8Mfc37kSggUycWXYYRighnOE9WElQCfy5is5bsx0VtOZusKAow7OnvwQMQmHp5IRFnHeYNMiifI60TmZGYpS0Dt3Azg3iTIwv53kM7TOp3EZ6AS5mOlILiY66v8S-zig/s1600/036.JPG" height="422" title="Gorgonzola Powder // Amateur Omnivore" width="640" /></a></div>
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The gorgonzola powder was sprinkled around the plate of flank steak for an extra flavor component and it gave a great earthy tang to the steak. I had quite a bit left over, but this powder can be stored in an air tight container for a very long time. I found some sources say it will store for 10 years. </div>
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We have used it on popcorn and sprinkled in a steak taco. I'd love to try shaking some on mac and cheese or stuffed mushrooms. Doug's a big fan of it and said he will just eat it plain. (Though... imagining him licking fingers full of gorgonzola powder isn't my most appealing daydream.)</div>
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<b>Dehydrated Gorgonzola Powder</b></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<i>1/3 cup</i></div>
<ul>
<li style="text-align: justify;">1.5 cups gorgonzola cheese</li>
</ul>
<div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Arrange the cheese on the plastic trays included with the dehydrator. Set the dehydrator to high.</div>
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<div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
As the cheese dehydrates, oil will accumulate on the plastic sheets. After two hours, scrape the cheese off the trays onto paper towels. Wipe residual oil off of the trays and return the cheese to the trays. Repeat this step after another two hours.</div>
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<div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Continue dehydrating for two more hours (6 in total at this point). This time, scrape the cheese off the trays into a food processor. The cheese should be dry enough at this point to be able to process into finer</div>
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Turn the dehydrator down to low and dehydrate for a final four hours. Process again so that the cheese becomes a dust. If it still seems to be retaining moisture, continue dehydrating until the cheese is completely dry.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKQo6LPyI7ycIvIMrjw7bhRJOH8eo5d-lwBtyVsY9BLXi419D6age1uMfm1t5F0w5ZYMfZhg1O0MJlWSSNaHXmmkyw02NihYkuYCLG83XKLFiU-Eqz4ryU67H_2yUkguv_bIsSMKV0Nx0/s1600/MMD+245.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKQo6LPyI7ycIvIMrjw7bhRJOH8eo5d-lwBtyVsY9BLXi419D6age1uMfm1t5F0w5ZYMfZhg1O0MJlWSSNaHXmmkyw02NihYkuYCLG83XKLFiU-Eqz4ryU67H_2yUkguv_bIsSMKV0Nx0/s1600/MMD+245.JPG" height="454" title="Sous-Vide Flank Steak with Red Wine Sauce and Gorgonzola Powder // Amateur Omnivore" width="640" /></a></div>
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<div style="text-align: right;">
I served this dish at the <a href="http://amateuromnivore.blogspot.com/2014/03/pasta-passion-and-pistols.html">Pasta, Passion and Pistols party</a> </div>
<div style="text-align: right;">
with a <a href="http://www.amateuromnivore.com/2014/04/brussel-sprout-pork-belly-and-apple.html">brussels sprout, pork belly and rum-soaked apple skewer</a>.<br />
The link to the pork belly skewer (above) also has a short 'how-to' on those DIY skewer toppers!</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15153743926624409739noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3631963153020852096.post-69593140760249256182014-04-17T08:16:00.001-04:002014-04-21T09:36:44.358-04:00Raspberry Pancakes with Almond Powder and Ricotta Stuffed Raspberry<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVRviBxWyisJavlSgg6tjXUn-bLntHe7a6tDxyK2ByLA4L84YtBN7EOzIYum8neJMZdcL1LSAepPBg14OZgJMrnIhEMRSTiVcCqJ3bSjJsCB7jp8L8wY3wYRWv97H4D7g_jgcga6K4AEI/s1600/MMD+185a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVRviBxWyisJavlSgg6tjXUn-bLntHe7a6tDxyK2ByLA4L84YtBN7EOzIYum8neJMZdcL1LSAepPBg14OZgJMrnIhEMRSTiVcCqJ3bSjJsCB7jp8L8wY3wYRWv97H4D7g_jgcga6K4AEI/s1600/MMD+185a.jpg" height="460" title="Raspberry Almond Pancakes // Amateur Omnivore" width="640" /></a></div>
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I know, I know, breakfast is the most important meal of the day. But during the week I do not drag my body out of bed early enough to make breakfast. On work days I'm more of a brush teeth, brush hair, run out the door kind of gal. </div>
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It's different on the weekends though. For weekend breakfasts I love playing around making a variation of pancakes, eggs, french toast or oatmeal.</div>
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For now let's talk pancakes.</div>
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What's the best fruit in a pancake? Blueberry? Raspberry? Banana? Something else? This recipe combines raspberries, almonds and dark grade B maple syrup to keep things simple, but jazz up the flavors of a basic pancake breakfast.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0IXja01lJIvl96dfQPjpY6JhpxM3eq3F9UbQvONu06y4jlbVPKUA-HWf_IFgC6eGQr9nrim7Lg5zD__nAIVkXyGUDF795R_kubf2usxdRxcq554ahTGMQMoetLB_hkUcwqUcB_P9-PIQ/s1600/005.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0IXja01lJIvl96dfQPjpY6JhpxM3eq3F9UbQvONu06y4jlbVPKUA-HWf_IFgC6eGQr9nrim7Lg5zD__nAIVkXyGUDF795R_kubf2usxdRxcq554ahTGMQMoetLB_hkUcwqUcB_P9-PIQ/s1600/005.JPG" height="640" title="Raspberries // Amateur Omnivore" width="452" /></a></div>
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I'm embarrassed to admit that I like that buttery taste of fake maple syrup. My dad and brother have always loved the real stuff and weren't quiet about pointing out my inadequate preference. The ingredients in my fake syrup are water, high fructose corn syrup, sugar syrup, cellulose gum, salt, artificial flavors, caramel color and various chemical preservatives.</div>
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The real stuff found in most grocery stores is grade A syrup. It takes 40 gallons of sap to make a single gallon of maple syrup, so there's a pretty significant increase from the cost of the fake stuff. There are three subgrades of grade A syrup based on translucence: light amber, medium amber and dark amber. </div>
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But recently I discovered grade B maple syrup and I have been converted. Grade B is darker and thicker than it's A grade counterparts. It's referred to as a cooking syrup as it's commonly used to add greater depth of flavor to baked goods. I prefer its deep caramel and maple flavors poured right on my breakfast or even directly in my mouth. It's so good! I did find Grade B syrup harder to locate. It wasn't available at Wegmans, Trader Joes or Premier Gourmet, but I did find it online with no problem. I was told that B is harvested later in the maple season, which runs February to April, so it may have seasonal availability locally.</div>
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The ingredient list in grades A and B syrup is simple. One ingredient: pure maple syrup.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZo0TiATtslvaFvNv0bT_Jw2ecNipl6jWAZeLNekOzEZi6A2bvulb0-svQB56nX-EBtAw8pAhroz75HNpZHVuRXVwztfh0CdGQgM2jzOjTp-X1P1EbRkI2ffFJVxQWB864jyyb0UMHDeg/s1600/MMD+012.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZo0TiATtslvaFvNv0bT_Jw2ecNipl6jWAZeLNekOzEZi6A2bvulb0-svQB56nX-EBtAw8pAhroz75HNpZHVuRXVwztfh0CdGQgM2jzOjTp-X1P1EbRkI2ffFJVxQWB864jyyb0UMHDeg/s1600/MMD+012.JPG" height="454" title="Grade B Maple Syrup Pipettes // Amateur Omnivore" width="640" /></a></div>
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The almond powder is made by processing whole almonds in the food processor. If the almonds continue to be processed after the powder stage, they will eventually turn to paste resulting in almond butter, something I haven't tried yet.</div>
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I keep a stash of almond powder, stored in tupperware, in the cabinet to use on the fly.</div>
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<b>Almond Powder</b></div>
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<i>1 cup</i></div>
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<li style="text-align: justify;">1 cup almonds</li>
<li style="text-align: justify;">1/8 teaspoon salt</li>
<li style="text-align: justify;">1/4 teaspoon nutmeg</li>
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Combine all ingredients in a food processor. Process to the consistency of a granular powder.</div>
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<b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKs2XWfuydRZfPJEbazG1hiFyMSJCl_HQZ3ulxbK-3sthonvW6Rn53SbdF1VORWqbOHG9azK1Ytj5Pb8wIt1n4azFH53JfiwmuLOkZRnnjjxSjAwsE_c9vNaMbtNjm7Do07BpPY4NvG7E/s1600/108.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKs2XWfuydRZfPJEbazG1hiFyMSJCl_HQZ3ulxbK-3sthonvW6Rn53SbdF1VORWqbOHG9azK1Ytj5Pb8wIt1n4azFH53JfiwmuLOkZRnnjjxSjAwsE_c9vNaMbtNjm7Do07BpPY4NvG7E/s1600/108.JPG" height="426" title="Almond Powder // Amateur Omnivore" width="640" /></a></b></div>
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These stuffed raspberries would be even prettier with a little mint leaf on the plate.</div>
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After the berries were stuffed, I had some extra ricotta mix which I spread as filling between two pieces of french toast.</div>
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<b>Ricotta Stuffed Raspberries</b></div>
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<i>1/2 cup</i></div>
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<li style="text-align: justify;">1/2 cup ricotta</li>
<li style="text-align: justify;">1 tablespoon sugar</li>
<li style="text-align: justify;">1/4 lemon zested</li>
<li style="text-align: justify;">1/8 teaspoon vanilla</li>
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Combine all ingredients. Spoon the mixture into a pastry bag or plastic baggie with a small hole cut into the corner. Pipe the ricotta into the center of each raspberry.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgoCujfE6eDmyKdf4L79w08jThtf6PSteTV5Rf61nPY5dyQsuOjC3_LKN0JoW_ZWfmWW6O7xnsvXdHYXzTjT8wAEGt3NQT1wfOkWm6qXFxQlKDB3MB_ymOj6uRpHO8tR8EFFKJOyu1lmU/s1600/MMD+179a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgoCujfE6eDmyKdf4L79w08jThtf6PSteTV5Rf61nPY5dyQsuOjC3_LKN0JoW_ZWfmWW6O7xnsvXdHYXzTjT8wAEGt3NQT1wfOkWm6qXFxQlKDB3MB_ymOj6uRpHO8tR8EFFKJOyu1lmU/s1600/MMD+179a.jpg" height="640" title="Ricotta Stuffed Raspberry // Amateur Omnivore" width="452" /></a></div>
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I garnished each plate of pancakes with extra almond powder, a ricotta stuffed raspberry, a slice of banana and a syrup filled pipette.</div>
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<b>Raspberry Pancakes</b></div>
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<li style="text-align: justify;">2 eggs</li>
<li style="text-align: justify;">1 cup milk</li>
<li style="text-align: justify;">2 cups Bisquick</li>
<li style="text-align: justify;">1/4 cup almond powder (recipe above)</li>
<li style="text-align: justify;">1 cup raspberries - halved</li>
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Whisk the eggs and milk together. Add the Bisquick and almond powder, stir to combine. Pour each pancake onto a hot, buttered griddle. Once bubbles can be seen rising in the batter, press several raspberry halves into each pancake. Flip the pancake to finish cooking through.</div>
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(I like to drop a spot of batter on top of each raspberry before I flip the pancake over. The raspberry will burn easily and the extra batter gives the fruit some protection from the heat of the pan. It also makes that second side of the pancake look a little nicer.)</div>
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Keep finished pancakes warm in a low heat oven while the remaining batter is cooked.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgXyYDVsX0S43WUt6ZJGt6V47yxBETV_psW3lED__OO23STDYDme1RO7wO24m4zmMvexYBqYQMyqDMuuoksmnqfYJf4dVHQ7YGFW6f6vXhlgDhBrAeShx8pnOnUtKfeTzXIoT_4C6M0LE/s1600/MMD+178.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgXyYDVsX0S43WUt6ZJGt6V47yxBETV_psW3lED__OO23STDYDme1RO7wO24m4zmMvexYBqYQMyqDMuuoksmnqfYJf4dVHQ7YGFW6f6vXhlgDhBrAeShx8pnOnUtKfeTzXIoT_4C6M0LE/s1600/MMD+178.JPG" height="426" title="Raspberry Pancake with Almond Powder and Ricotta Stuffed Raspberry // Amateur Omnivore" width="640" /></a><br />
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This dish was served at the <a href="http://www.amateuromnivore.com/2014/03/pasta-passion-and-pistols.html">Pasta, Passion and Pistols party</a></div>
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with a soft-boiled scotch quail egg.</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15153743926624409739noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3631963153020852096.post-65747253236501712092014-04-16T08:38:00.001-04:002014-04-17T10:33:50.516-04:00Curly's<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzsjwrpJg5JR1D7PN9u4mOZeHNckv0h1OYgmPVla6xGgADv3Dm5JCZgv3rqX-RqOymjQYwfgWid1rDGHaTFVhQV4wcRa8jsB6K2Gb3x_qt7Megdj7ElFCxFow2IC9u9PCzVMJ-3NEwrTw/s1600/Curlys+002.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzsjwrpJg5JR1D7PN9u4mOZeHNckv0h1OYgmPVla6xGgADv3Dm5JCZgv3rqX-RqOymjQYwfgWid1rDGHaTFVhQV4wcRa8jsB6K2Gb3x_qt7Megdj7ElFCxFow2IC9u9PCzVMJ-3NEwrTw/s1600/Curlys+002.JPG" height="480" title="Curly's: Conch Fritter // Amateur Omnivore" width="640" /></a></div>
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My visit to <a href="http://curlysgrill.com/" target="_blank">Curly's</a> last week wasn't just for dinner. My girlfriend, Ellen, is getting married later this year and she was pumped to check out Curly's as an option for her reception. The rooms were nice, the meal options sounded delicious and the dance floor was real hard wood (perfect for the breakdancing I'll be busting out at the wedding). But, when you're planning a special event, you seriously can't beat that feeling of clicking with the banquet manager. </div>
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We met with Scott who was knowledgeable, patient, friendly and flexible. Even if Ellen didn't already have a little love for Lackawanna (where she lived in her first apartment), and a lotta love for Curly's food, meeting with Scott sealed the deal and made us all feel like she would be in great hands. She's going to have an amazing wedding!</div>
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Now let's eat dinner.</div>
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We started with appetizers. We ordered the conch fritters and the Caribbean jerk wings.</div>
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The fritters were fried to a crispy golden brown on the outside and the dough was soft and fluffy on the inside. They had a touch of that seafood flavor and a touch of spice. They were served with a fruit salsa which made each bite a little bit sweet and a little bit spicy. I would have liked a squirt of lemon on the salsa, but I think all fruit salsas should have a little more acidity. I just like lemon.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhr8CpEGzwvuB5yvYiSfKfwGbvB3B33CXRhC5bTAseY3Ba5JyMxJcAWrZj00LZih0ofeIiu4KnDJoOgw2SGiLFsRwZsMbhSpl7p87yTImf12h81ccV-gcWxNzhQTXrUbJxk42vp34E5AMk/s1600/Curlys+004.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhr8CpEGzwvuB5yvYiSfKfwGbvB3B33CXRhC5bTAseY3Ba5JyMxJcAWrZj00LZih0ofeIiu4KnDJoOgw2SGiLFsRwZsMbhSpl7p87yTImf12h81ccV-gcWxNzhQTXrUbJxk42vp34E5AMk/s1600/Curlys+004.JPG" height="480" title="Curly's: Conch Fritter // Amateur Omnivore" width="640" /></a></div>
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The wing and thigh meat on the chicken wings was very tender and, to someone who orders everything mild, the jerk seasoning was pret-ty spicy! Some of the wings were more heavily grilled and others had very little crispiness to them. That variety was good for our table of four people with different preferences; I like that crispy skin. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnE_HggQKiHEmk5ni2ykgGylYFDF64PROdwdI7QSgG8i3C_fpHw_SBYaxbmJi6_IDNXDpr8yaESaUjMA8XPF_xvkCiexXnYeduxYw44nEhyNsPZM4H127e0ZHMCvUzrj5-w-EknJzB9zU/s1600/Curlys+005.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnE_HggQKiHEmk5ni2ykgGylYFDF64PROdwdI7QSgG8i3C_fpHw_SBYaxbmJi6_IDNXDpr8yaESaUjMA8XPF_xvkCiexXnYeduxYw44nEhyNsPZM4H127e0ZHMCvUzrj5-w-EknJzB9zU/s1600/Curlys+005.JPG" height="480" title="Curly's: Caribbean Jerk Chicken Wings // Amateur Omnivore" width="640" /></a></div>
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In a past life, Curly's was a male-dominated, smoke-filled, bourbon-soaked saloon. <br />
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At least that's how I imagined it when our waiter told us it used to be a tavern frequented by the local steelworkers. You can still find small buttons that look like doorbells on the walls behind each table which were used to buzz a waitress over back in the saloon days. <br />
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We, of course, thought it would be funny to push the button but it turns out the wait staff has even more fun with it than we did. When we pushed it, our waiter gave a big jump and hurried over to the table. For a second we were fooled into thinking we had buzzed him. In reality the buttons don't do anything anymore... but when you visit, it doesn't hurt to try. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGz0K0VxFnp-sahS2hnTm-ieGQNSq7YiCQDpSY4p17t8_2Ybv6_eZ0X-Z6vL33f9H0ARrippDJjGPZX-__xKspcAbi6vBPoZQCuMMrmcrhFsXwngl1HWpbDJM6MeiclxCyJicpU8NUNq4/s1600/Curlys+008a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGz0K0VxFnp-sahS2hnTm-ieGQNSq7YiCQDpSY4p17t8_2Ybv6_eZ0X-Z6vL33f9H0ARrippDJjGPZX-__xKspcAbi6vBPoZQCuMMrmcrhFsXwngl1HWpbDJM6MeiclxCyJicpU8NUNq4/s1600/Curlys+008a.jpg" height="640" title="Curly's: Doorbell // Amateur Omnivore" width="454" /></a></div>
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Curly's soups du jour this night were potato-bacon chowder and their traditional black bean which we were told has been on the menu since they first opened. All four of us got the black bean.</div>
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My love of soup started when I was working at the <a href="http://www.hideawaygrille.com/" target="_blank">Hideaway Grille</a> in NT. Their soup is so outstanding, I'm not kidding that I'm sitting here trying to think of a favorite and I can't because they are all so good. Hideaway's was the first black bean soup I ever had and theirs is thick, really thick, almost like a chip dip. It's chock full of beans and served with sour cream, diced onion and a tortilla chip. So good.</div>
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Curly's black bean was not as thick as Hideaway's but that didn't take away from the flavor. That meaty beany goodness was still there. Theirs was also served with sour cream and big pieces of chopped onion.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVAHh-T_ximbo3eU7Imw6q68YEYWU8QTXJLYvrFaS_vc9QibWbmSG0zsLVR815KbsBK_UVXAYLXkdFt_mANCeY5HYlQWA12AUqK7HWwrSfkQLE6wM9revPeYcIf8p0yh0feVZl4zKszBg/s1600/Curlys+010.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVAHh-T_ximbo3eU7Imw6q68YEYWU8QTXJLYvrFaS_vc9QibWbmSG0zsLVR815KbsBK_UVXAYLXkdFt_mANCeY5HYlQWA12AUqK7HWwrSfkQLE6wM9revPeYcIf8p0yh0feVZl4zKszBg/s1600/Curlys+010.JPG" height="454" title="Curly's: Black Bean Soup // Amateur Omnivore" width="640" /></a></div>
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There's not a single thing that wasn't outstanding about our entrees.</div>
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My red snapper came served over a bed of mussels with a crusty slice of bread on top to sop up all that flavorful seafood broth. The fish was simple, moist, flaky and absolutely delicious.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggRheBXCNOh70Vde01yFaiMnd5XClRCDDVnyCdKUf-LTAcq6JN55G6bUwbLecWbC7tK83kkk3_Y2c6Xa0uJiJcP9-HfdR0Ht7X_m5gellNaNHDADxOWcvfeD4wYI5ovLGBEjqL_rq7BMA/s1600/Curlys+013.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggRheBXCNOh70Vde01yFaiMnd5XClRCDDVnyCdKUf-LTAcq6JN55G6bUwbLecWbC7tK83kkk3_Y2c6Xa0uJiJcP9-HfdR0Ht7X_m5gellNaNHDADxOWcvfeD4wYI5ovLGBEjqL_rq7BMA/s1600/Curlys+013.JPG" height="480" title="Curly's: Red Snapper and Mussels over Seafood Broth // Amateur Omnivore" width="640" /></a></div>
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The rest of the table got the ricotta gnocchi in a broth with mushrooms. I was lucky enough to be given a bite, and it was also so good. I love when all the components in a dish can be piled onto your spoon to create an amazing bite of flavor and texture and that was the case with this. I can't make any comparative statements about the gnocchi because I've never had a ricotta gnocchi before. It was definitely heavier than the potato variety, but in a melt on your tongue kind of way.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmG8pu3U5Mwn3pyKJJ-Ugk9taGtlIN_VKBL8QRimAtiSlC8RURt2uC3XLUh6TJkkL9g3NI6dMWoRB4bYvbGOtUEQBXDHN9IlrUuAMlhcdU3GgKiqss7r5BsIr0jwmLxK2pkih3VvjuoEk/s1600/Curlys+015.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmG8pu3U5Mwn3pyKJJ-Ugk9taGtlIN_VKBL8QRimAtiSlC8RURt2uC3XLUh6TJkkL9g3NI6dMWoRB4bYvbGOtUEQBXDHN9IlrUuAMlhcdU3GgKiqss7r5BsIr0jwmLxK2pkih3VvjuoEk/s1600/Curlys+015.JPG" height="454" title="Curly's: Ricotta Gnocchi // Amateur Omnivore" width="640" /></a></div>
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To celebrate her engagement, Ellen was brought over a complimentary peanut butter pie... with three extra forks so we could celebrate too. Cheers!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNXkQI69Wq0iBXNHAHWiasevTgH45EJETZDKmPaNqmcDsMjm5k17lvVDGGaoSfxEGxqtD4vbmah3cRFvAwVmy5YB_tls4OI1dnaZYJd3iNnCpuESXLBkc96fDcpyn_tjkLHgh4mBQ6V2Q/s1600/Curlys+022.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNXkQI69Wq0iBXNHAHWiasevTgH45EJETZDKmPaNqmcDsMjm5k17lvVDGGaoSfxEGxqtD4vbmah3cRFvAwVmy5YB_tls4OI1dnaZYJd3iNnCpuESXLBkc96fDcpyn_tjkLHgh4mBQ6V2Q/s1600/Curlys+022.JPG" height="454" title="Curly's: Dessert: Peanut Butter Pie // Amateur Omnivore" width="640" /></a></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15153743926624409739noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3631963153020852096.post-3495452558441258782014-04-14T08:40:00.001-04:002014-04-21T09:38:35.122-04:00Lemon Cheesecake and Blackberry Dessert Sauce<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpLUfZnOARF_ugFV2-pejPyOSW_4NZVpVCkAtOXFhOYBcAKw7lb7x49-A1p1QSsKDNHPihB7SpcTQvvtsnOPaMyfFH_tszwGzlKLqAogjs2OsqhrvIh_McBs8N6QH6jZoFXiELH5HBvvo/s1600/MMD+259.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpLUfZnOARF_ugFV2-pejPyOSW_4NZVpVCkAtOXFhOYBcAKw7lb7x49-A1p1QSsKDNHPihB7SpcTQvvtsnOPaMyfFH_tszwGzlKLqAogjs2OsqhrvIh_McBs8N6QH6jZoFXiELH5HBvvo/s1600/MMD+259.JPG" height="426" title="Lemon Cheesecake and Blackberry Dessert Sauce with Icecream" width="640" /></a></div>
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"Some people think destiny is something you cannot escape, such as death or a curdled cheesecake, both of which always turn up sooner or later." - Lemony Snicket</blockquote>
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I have to be honest, I was nervous to tackle a cheesecake. With this recipe, some research on the the concept and I think a little beginner's luck, I had really good results. </div>
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<span style="text-align: justify;">All this talk about a soggy crust. I found pages and pages of threads discussing how to avoid soggy crusts. It's a sensible question, we're literally putting a non-watertight pan into a water bath. Cooking in the waterbath allows the cheesecake to heat evenly and more importantly to cool slowly which will help prevent cracking on the top of the cake.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuHIDzkTZtku0dAG9ICZsS4yAfjOaWOUbZPBNzSPBMjl2hWFN5TO4EwQXP-t8yhep7clTVmEfMfdFdxD1ur8CAf_pEfLeIYBCSpQM9v-Aiz9gTf2Yi1wpexuAv9_gNO_M3YWVCiq2rDiI/s1600/MMD+065.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuHIDzkTZtku0dAG9ICZsS4yAfjOaWOUbZPBNzSPBMjl2hWFN5TO4EwQXP-t8yhep7clTVmEfMfdFdxD1ur8CAf_pEfLeIYBCSpQM9v-Aiz9gTf2Yi1wpexuAv9_gNO_M3YWVCiq2rDiI/s1600/MMD+065.JPG" height="426" title="Lemon Cheesecake and Blackberry Dessert Sauce - Cheesecake batter" width="640" /></a></div>
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Heavy duty aluminum foil seems to be the most commonly suggested method for keeping water out of the crust. Because of the size of the springform, I needed extra-wide foil. </div>
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The first time I made this recipe, I didn't have the extra-wide foil. But I did have a large <a href="http://www.wegmans.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?langId=-1&storeId=10052&catalogId=10002&productId=373949" target="_blank">disposable foil pan</a>. After molding it carefully around the springform and making sure there were no cracks, I put it in the water bath and kept my fingers crossed.</div>
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I wish I had a photo of the whole cheesecake. It came out beautifully. There were no cracks on the top, the texture was smooth and creamy and the crust was moist.<br />
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Although this is titled lemon cheesecake, there is only a hint of lemon in the cake which I really enjoy. This recipe is definitely a go-to. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAyxTQTbV_pnUv_lZz2yTPPkwxVHxeZdgRGCk1LR3CVgEvO5QvCUTkUDCC4PukXysyz_cbPoJQa5KTiOQUtsdmIu2YnbqmcsC4LhDAJdw1tnop_2tbR5fzEA_PVY61RmEDxnrpCDCj9Gs/s1600/MMD+067.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAyxTQTbV_pnUv_lZz2yTPPkwxVHxeZdgRGCk1LR3CVgEvO5QvCUTkUDCC4PukXysyz_cbPoJQa5KTiOQUtsdmIu2YnbqmcsC4LhDAJdw1tnop_2tbR5fzEA_PVY61RmEDxnrpCDCj9Gs/s1600/MMD+067.JPG" height="426" title="Lemon Cheesecake and Blackberry Dessert Sauce - cheesecake batter" width="640" /></a></div>
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<b>Lemon Cheesecake </b><i>(from Tyler Florence)</i></div>
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2 cups graham crackers - finely ground</div>
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1/2 teaspoon cinnamon</div>
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1 stick unsalted butter - melted</div>
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1 pound cream cheese - softened</div>
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3 eggs</div>
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1 cup sugar</div>
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1 pint sour cream</div>
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1 lemon - zested</div>
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1 dash vanilla extract</div>
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Preheat the oven to 325 degrees and lightly coat the bottom and sides of an 9-inch springform pan with non-stick cooking spray.</div>
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In a mixing bowl, combine the crackers, cinnamon and butter with a fork until evenly moistened. Pour the crumb mixture into the pan and, using the smooth bottom of a glass, press the crumbs down into the base. Refrigerate for 5 minutes.</div>
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In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese on low speed for 1 minute until smooth and free of any lumps. Add the eggs, 1 at a time, and continue to beat slowly until combined. Gradually add sugar and beat until creamy, for 1 to 2 minutes. Add sour cream, lemon zest, and vanilla. The batter should be thoroughly mixed but not overbeaten.</div>
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Pour the filling into the crust-lined pan and smooth the top with a spatula.</div>
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Set the cheesecake pan on a large piece of heavy-duty aluminum foil and fold up the sides around it. Place the cake pan in a large roasting pan. Pour boiling water into the roasting pan until the water is about halfway up the sides of the cheesecake pan; the foil will keep the water from seeping into the cheesecake. Bake for 1 hour. The cheesecake <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g7yzGl7JpRs" target="_blank">will still jiggle slightly</a> and will firm up further after chilling, so be careful not to overcook. </div>
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Let cool in pan for 30 minutes. Remove from water and chill in the refrigerator, loosely covered, for at least 4 hours. Loosen the cheesecake from the sides of the pan by running a thin metal spatula around the inside rim.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMIpMT3tQF-pKVpPszo1YroqcCn3goEu39BocyfJ9ilChB7kzFRn0tDxmRtC7RQTCyj_ZtwXaAUobKGVjEL2_I2hcZa5TzTnjQF7pdeoSPPPl6njomMRWUB1RyX8TEL5VZBS5ri4FDa2I/s1600/MMD+257a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMIpMT3tQF-pKVpPszo1YroqcCn3goEu39BocyfJ9ilChB7kzFRn0tDxmRtC7RQTCyj_ZtwXaAUobKGVjEL2_I2hcZa5TzTnjQF7pdeoSPPPl6njomMRWUB1RyX8TEL5VZBS5ri4FDa2I/s1600/MMD+257a.jpg" height="454" title="Lemon Cheesecake and Blackberry Dessert Sauce - cheesecake" width="640" /></a></div>
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This syrupy dessert sauce gets an extra little kick of flavor from the liqueur and lemon added at the end. I made mine the night before, stored it in the fridge and brought it back to room temperature before serving it with the cheesecake.</div>
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I used a silicone basting brush to brush the sauce on the plates.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUXicAR3y6SGh2OAOzRsqEmfh-cRcvbBG7bvPRmefZklU_mzz8KS52UIF97UTJ86avV_OXAtBuZB6Gp3Pf8xAYw56WiZxs_QxDkAeMkNYGAn4YiqzZEvVmb0UYmWcO5dShDYt1Nlfg8i8/s1600/MMD+088.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUXicAR3y6SGh2OAOzRsqEmfh-cRcvbBG7bvPRmefZklU_mzz8KS52UIF97UTJ86avV_OXAtBuZB6Gp3Pf8xAYw56WiZxs_QxDkAeMkNYGAn4YiqzZEvVmb0UYmWcO5dShDYt1Nlfg8i8/s1600/MMD+088.JPG" height="426" title="Lemon Cheesecake and Blackberry Dessert Sauce - blackberries" width="640" /></a></div>
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<b>Blackberry Sauce</b></div>
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<i>1.5 cups</i></div>
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1 pints fresh blackberries (reserve remaining blackberries for garnish)</div>
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1/2 cup fresh or frozen blueberries - thawed</div>
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1/4 cup sugar</div>
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Pinch salt</div>
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2 tablespoons raspberry liqueur</div>
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1 tablespoon lemon juice</div>
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Place blackberries, blueberries, sugar, and salt in a medium saucepan and cook until the berries are soft and the sugar has melted. Transfer to a blender and blend until smooth. </div>
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Pour through a fine mesh sieve into a bowl. Stir in the liqueur and lemon juice. Set aside until ready to use.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi84WQqFB-S3yoxgw6u8GwZZ4nQiMiskvlKKhtsOKVBCwH6FBhL3iSFTv0ZYNAddCkmzD25T_VD1BcDOH1843w4bk8-NXKXAjcQ3xoP5yr6vLbrgbt4admcYItka1DjIlFfe_iHrhLXGjY/s1600/MMD+253.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi84WQqFB-S3yoxgw6u8GwZZ4nQiMiskvlKKhtsOKVBCwH6FBhL3iSFTv0ZYNAddCkmzD25T_VD1BcDOH1843w4bk8-NXKXAjcQ3xoP5yr6vLbrgbt4admcYItka1DjIlFfe_iHrhLXGjY/s1600/MMD+253.JPG" height="426" title="Lemon Cheesecake and Blackberry Dessert Sauce - Blackberry sauce" width="640" /></a></div>
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I served this dish with Megalomaniac riesling ice wine and blackberry ice cream </div>
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as the last course of an eight course dinner at the <a href="http://amateuromnivore.blogspot.com/2014/03/pasta-passion-and-pistols.html">Pasta, Passion and Pistols party</a>.</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15153743926624409739noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3631963153020852096.post-34696527716644670192014-04-11T12:12:00.000-04:002014-04-14T10:57:30.680-04:00Olive Bread Crouton<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiU-yhcydygZJsCTz0wPyk1ykh8M9JxQfWgqrSi4hhwCZGe2_irOHxKhkWZ1fuQX17nFYeSs6Ta5WwVFgC3VwsixG0eyvMCDHYhSjgX6kwHqKDwA1Tj51-BqaxGOQzGxeW9gErLjl1KaZ4/s1600/MMD+058.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiU-yhcydygZJsCTz0wPyk1ykh8M9JxQfWgqrSi4hhwCZGe2_irOHxKhkWZ1fuQX17nFYeSs6Ta5WwVFgC3VwsixG0eyvMCDHYhSjgX6kwHqKDwA1Tj51-BqaxGOQzGxeW9gErLjl1KaZ4/s1600/MMD+058.JPG" height="426" width="640" /></a></div>
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My dad makes great bread. It's soft and spongy with just a hint of sweet. A good sandwich can be made even better with great bread. Egg sandwiches are my absolute favorite food and the anticipation of my Saturday egg sandwich breakfast is a large part of the reason (though not the entire reason) that I look forward to the weekend. </div>
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I have eaten so so so many egg sandwiches, but my very favorite version is on day-old dad-bread with prosciutto and Dubliner cheddar. It's a rare treat because dad typically only makes his bread for Thanksgiving or my birthday and then I have to hope that it doesn't all get devoured at dinner* and that there are some leftover slices I can take home with me. Come to think of it, he and I should have a chat about the frequency of his breadmaking...</div>
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I digress. This recipe is for my olive bread, not dad-bread.</div>
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The skill of baking eludes me. I do my fair share of dabbling, but I am certainly not a baker. It's so final! Once that dough or mix is made and popped in the oven, all that's left to do is wait. When the center of my cake falls or my cookies need more chocolate chips or my bread is dry (eek!). It's not like I can just re-mix, re-bake or re-season it. This is a start over from scratch, all or nothing kind of deal. </div>
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With other cooking it's more like - add some of this, add some of that, taste it, repeat, repeat, repeat, serve. So much more forgiveness. I really am very impressed with good bakers. It's an art.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7ktxOwPsTBfC4uPNtFC7651WdLpBfY3dIOZkEvupvtMG0lcFWVO1qH0w77JGnn8SVBzYRiVF8ghb1A9KeSiJvbcnitgVxbf8fZ6sWyMxaXch9nIddFzuUIeDrnTh_EUjJGB0uwFVKFjI/s1600/MMD+023.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7ktxOwPsTBfC4uPNtFC7651WdLpBfY3dIOZkEvupvtMG0lcFWVO1qH0w77JGnn8SVBzYRiVF8ghb1A9KeSiJvbcnitgVxbf8fZ6sWyMxaXch9nIddFzuUIeDrnTh_EUjJGB0uwFVKFjI/s1600/MMD+023.JPG" height="454" width="640" /></a></div>
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Quick breads, like <a href="http://www.amateuromnivore.com/2014/03/banana-bread.html">this banana bread recipe</a>: mix, pour, bake; Those I can handle. But yeast breads, for me, are a whole other monster. They intimidate me. </div>
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How important are the kneading and resting steps? How do I know if the bread will rise? What will happen if I change the amounts of this, that or the other ingredient? Denser bread, lighter bread? I don't have the answers to these questions yet, but perhaps after some practice, I can link back to this post with those answers. </div>
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In the meantime, I give you this olive bread. The flavor is so good, rosemary, garlic and olives, it's hard to go wrong there, and normally when I've made it, it's had a good crust and a moist center. But this time I made a mistake. Or two. Or three. Why do you hate me, yeast breads?! <br />
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Let me explain.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWxxaJOJRLlnRgZbwjHZ94XFeXWtbzDPhGjXBQGVoPxA0qjOhmnzPX3t2msOoGoKT00_7AJ7Z1ND9eyfbw2Zjf5vaY1MlrkRmKnZ_QX3OAa9Aq6-5Z6VABxoURhOWkHlcKCYZJNGbW8zw/s1600/MMD+025.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWxxaJOJRLlnRgZbwjHZ94XFeXWtbzDPhGjXBQGVoPxA0qjOhmnzPX3t2msOoGoKT00_7AJ7Z1ND9eyfbw2Zjf5vaY1MlrkRmKnZ_QX3OAa9Aq6-5Z6VABxoURhOWkHlcKCYZJNGbW8zw/s1600/MMD+025.JPG" height="452" width="640" /></a></div>
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In my opinion, the photos are still lovely and we were certainly able to consume the entire loaf with no difficulty, so it wasn't a complete failure, but this was the first time I was making bread specifically for croutons. I figured croutons should be dry, so I should probably make the bread a little dryer to start with. Bad idea.</div>
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I omitted the olive juice, didn't knead as much as I should have and baked it an extra few minutes. Those few changes made this bread very crumbly. Also, the outside of the bread was slightly overdone while the inside was slightly underdone. Ok, consistency-wise, it was a bit of a mess.</div>
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Don't worry, I've made this olive bread other times with much better results. The good version of the recipe is below! </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimDCUitxHdYof9YTGCjJzq20Ht4EV42YPhxn5-6TyUrz7lydh8x9te3s7bG2x0EJ73lOD4ew7ezabOTSODB5hBUfD29BwfeFSRX9rgkvvd4_gZbabOe5n2fY9ErDl2dJXuogRvqJamj8c/s1600/Fotor040801714.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimDCUitxHdYof9YTGCjJzq20Ht4EV42YPhxn5-6TyUrz7lydh8x9te3s7bG2x0EJ73lOD4ew7ezabOTSODB5hBUfD29BwfeFSRX9rgkvvd4_gZbabOe5n2fY9ErDl2dJXuogRvqJamj8c/s1600/Fotor040801714.png" height="474" width="640" /></a></div>
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<b>Olive Bread</b></div>
<ul>
<li style="text-align: justify;">1 cup lukewarm water</li>
<li style="text-align: justify;">pinch of sugar</li>
<li style="text-align: justify;">2.5 teaspoons yeast</li>
<li style="text-align: justify;">1 jar olives - chopped</li>
<li style="text-align: justify;">2 tablespoon olive juice</li>
<li style="text-align: justify;">1 egg</li>
<li style="text-align: justify;">3 tablespoons oil</li>
<li style="text-align: justify;">3 cloves garlic</li>
<li style="text-align: justify;">2 tablespoons rosemary</li>
<li style="text-align: justify;">1.5 teaspoons salt</li>
<li style="text-align: justify;">1 tablespoon sugar</li>
<li style="text-align: justify;">3 cups bread flour</li>
<li style="text-align: justify;">corn meal</li>
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Combine water, sugar and yeast in a small plastic or glass bowl. Let it sit, unagitated for about ten minutes to proof. </div>
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Combine the remaining ingredients in your mixer bowl (except flour and cornmeal) and add the yeast. Slowly incorporate the flour and knead for 5 minutes. Set the dough aside and let it rise for 30 minutes. Knock down the dough and knead again for 10 minutes. Again let it rise for 30 minutes.</div>
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Dust the top and bottom of your loaf with cornmeal and slash the top of the loaf with a sharp knife.</div>
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Bake 10 min at 475 degrees, then 35 minutes at 375 degrees.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnM4eCFqxaPWds0NQOVIvE4M09xiT5nlVotpRCNQUWebei0ln0x53kKEtZGi9ii1FNN8g0VhhM5nza7sVB0mZEmyQk6A2citAYd4AAIWCOdnI5-y2kmLumxcEXzURAx1122fRhztztrUo/s1600/MMD+060.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnM4eCFqxaPWds0NQOVIvE4M09xiT5nlVotpRCNQUWebei0ln0x53kKEtZGi9ii1FNN8g0VhhM5nza7sVB0mZEmyQk6A2citAYd4AAIWCOdnI5-y2kmLumxcEXzURAx1122fRhztztrUo/s1600/MMD+060.JPG" height="426" width="640" /></a></div>
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<b>Olive Bread Croutons</b></div>
<ul>
<li style="text-align: justify;">olive bread (see above)</li>
<li style="text-align: justify;">olive oil</li>
<li style="text-align: justify;">salt and pepper</li>
</ul>
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Cut the bread into cubes the same size you'd like your croutons to be. (I made rather large croutons because of how they were going to be featured on the plate.) Lightly toss them in or brush them with olive oil and give them a quick dusting of salt and pepper. </div>
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Place the cubes on a baking sheet under the broiler for about three minutes depending on their size. Be careful, they can go from toasted to burned quickly!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDQndFAlpnWtf83mjLJqtJar3Zbq6fq7K29fqvInD_Aqtsw8PegDKnaZdYHKIic20RBBUKSAQBsNBZ0001vRM5lvOgcFaXEBbS_Ta-6pL1l2QgaiJdsn9CZZ5rvbZmxWNDScDoHftjJUU/s1600/MMD+064.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDQndFAlpnWtf83mjLJqtJar3Zbq6fq7K29fqvInD_Aqtsw8PegDKnaZdYHKIic20RBBUKSAQBsNBZ0001vRM5lvOgcFaXEBbS_Ta-6pL1l2QgaiJdsn9CZZ5rvbZmxWNDScDoHftjJUU/s1600/MMD+064.JPG" height="454" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgovE3rOqYEyWdgAk1hGBgTL2YqVGo5k-Kf3iLaU0dRfVRR9jqbUiy-_8ErOgaDHZ0ckW50o1t7UqbFwOXG6inqTw0rhadAeE1YekFHhGi0A0qmM8CE2U-mw2FkEn6YpBiOvGG1AXYdcko/s1600/MMD+234.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgovE3rOqYEyWdgAk1hGBgTL2YqVGo5k-Kf3iLaU0dRfVRR9jqbUiy-_8ErOgaDHZ0ckW50o1t7UqbFwOXG6inqTw0rhadAeE1YekFHhGi0A0qmM8CE2U-mw2FkEn6YpBiOvGG1AXYdcko/s1600/MMD+234.JPG" height="426" width="640" /></a></div>
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I served the crouton at the <a href="http://amateuromnivore.blogspot.com/2014/03/pasta-passion-and-pistols.html">Pasta, Passion and Pistols party</a> as one of the eight dinner courses </div>
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with the <a href="http://www.amateuromnivore.com/2014/04/cucumber-salad-balsamic-caviar-and.html">cucumber salad, balsamic 'caviar' and fried camembert</a>.<br />
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*When I say "hope that it doesn't all get devoured", I really mean "hide slices of hot bread in my purse".</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15153743926624409739noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3631963153020852096.post-56735551929082865912014-04-08T08:33:00.000-04:002014-04-14T10:57:22.324-04:00Cucumber Salad, Balsamic Caviar and Fried Camembert<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8bPjQMOQPZy0m8xd9L_1U07EmUH3fQryIxdfvLCId_C9eyzLfltUBJSYV5dalU1S8NWHFySrQs4vWtVWz4vZXt0XPJRaaLNatrJm-iTUp1CtyKn3R9wMO3qyeYYCYa6HeAfv4Iy6uVis/s1600/MMD+234.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8bPjQMOQPZy0m8xd9L_1U07EmUH3fQryIxdfvLCId_C9eyzLfltUBJSYV5dalU1S8NWHFySrQs4vWtVWz4vZXt0XPJRaaLNatrJm-iTUp1CtyKn3R9wMO3qyeYYCYa6HeAfv4Iy6uVis/s1600/MMD+234.JPG" height="426" title="Cucumber Salad, Balsamic Caviar and Fried Camembert" width="640" /></a></div>
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Looking through the pictures as I've been writing about each of the courses from the <a href="http://www.amateuromnivore.com/2014/03/pasta-passion-and-pistols.html">murder mystery dinner</a> has been a reminder of how much fun I had planning and preparing all the dishes. It's like I can re-live the night, in a way, which is the <a href="http://www.amateuromnivore.com/2014/02/an-organized-mind.html">reason I really started this blog</a> in the first place. </div>
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One of the more fun projects for the dinner was this balsamic 'caviar'. It looks impressive and with the right tools, some simple instructions and a few tips, it's so easy to make. This would definitely be a fun project with kids (and with fruit flavored jello). The result would be like jello dip'n'dots. </div>
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So here's the concept: As small, warm droplets of gelatin dissolved in balsamic vinegar are dripped into cold oil, the temperature change allows the spherical drops of gelatin to set before they reach the bottom of the oil. This results in little balls of balsamic 'jello'.</div>
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You will need the following tools: </div>
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<ul>
<li style="text-align: justify;">A pipette dropper (or equivalent): I bought <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Plastic-Transfer-Pipettes-Gradulated-Pack/dp/B005IQTSE0/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1396807369&sr=8-1&keywords=pipette+dropper" target="_blank">mine </a>from Amazon and they have been really useful. I'll have to muster up some creativity to use all 100, but they were so cheap.</li>
<li style="text-align: justify;">A tall slender container: I used a large drinking glass that was about ten inches tall and four inches wide. It worked perfectly. I read online that a lot of people had problems with irregularly shaped balls. (insert witty vulgar joke here). The irregular shapes probably occur when the gelatin balls don't have time to set completely before they settle at the bottom of the oil thus creating one flat side. I had only a few pieces that were irregular and I was able to just scoop them out.</li>
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My 'caviar' were, on average, about three millimeters in diameter. But as I mentioned a few of my pieces were irregularly shaped. I think this was because as I was dripping the gelatin into the oil I went a little too fast and dropped multiple drops of gelatin in the same spot. Those little drops met together and made a bigger drop which fell through the oil faster and reached the bottom before it had set. To avoid the same mistakes I made, just keep moving the pipette tip to different areas of the oil and drip as small of drops as possible since they will set more quickly.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGEVEwqTg8zUEyvPi1XptTw8FpnMv7EDg7VuB0Gff1bxUhTaMpEDaoSYeeI6TcjdoARvYjoOTZA5eiiAgHPafUlFbIWjyVp6PXeeSSI-jlpWLAnEsUEVC3PF7u7UO0a5CkmjcAK6t67N0/s1600/MMD+001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGEVEwqTg8zUEyvPi1XptTw8FpnMv7EDg7VuB0Gff1bxUhTaMpEDaoSYeeI6TcjdoARvYjoOTZA5eiiAgHPafUlFbIWjyVp6PXeeSSI-jlpWLAnEsUEVC3PF7u7UO0a5CkmjcAK6t67N0/s1600/MMD+001.JPG" height="452" title="Cucumber Salad, Balsamic Caviar and Fried Camembert - Balsamic Gelatin Balls (Agar Agar)" width="640" /></a></div>
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I had a vegetarian dining with me so I used agar-agar in place of gelatin. You can substitute equal amounts of agar for gelatin.</div>
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Because these little guys were going directly on a salad, I chose to use olive oil as my cooling medium. If you were doing say... hot sauce flavored 'caviar' (hmm....!) or the fruit jello flavor, you could opt for vegetable oil, which has a milder flavor, instead. Once the gelatin has set in those cases, you can submerge it in cold water. With a little agitation, the oil will separate away from your 'caviar' and float to the top of the water.</div>
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<b>Balsamic 'Caviar'</b></div>
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<i>1/3 cup</i></div>
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<ul>
<li style="text-align: justify;">2-3 cups oil (placed in freezer for 45 minutes)</li>
<li style="text-align: justify;">1/3 cup balsamic vinegar</li>
<li style="text-align: justify;">4 teaspoons agar-agar powder or gelatin</li>
<li style="text-align: justify;">ice bath - large bowl filled with ice and water</li>
</ul>
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Heat the balsamic in a small sauce pan over medium heat. Stir often to avoid burning. When the balsamic begins to bubble add the agar and whisk until completely dissolved, about 3 minutes. Remove from heat.</div>
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Remove the container of oil from the freezer and place it in the water bath. This will help keep the oil cold as you drip in the warm gelatin. Be sure it's steady and won't tip. This step will take a couple of minutes and will allow the balsamic mixture to cool just slightly (exactly what you want).</div>
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Fill the pipette with the balsamic mixture and begin squeezing out small drops into the cold oil.</div>
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Every once in a while (maybe every other time you refill your pipette) stir up the bottom of the glass to make sure the finished caviar isn't sticking and to recirculate the cold oil.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPICEcSCzw0HC13K6i-ihMUEQUNtPh58C7q-MN5lZmRNJqYIyzoBBahLmal7K9URp1CCoRNDvtWPXUzUetkUdFtjeVh03_E3W-Um98tw0XmLdvgisep5039na7KTA7ktoD10w2a7im8kY/s1600/MMD+094.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPICEcSCzw0HC13K6i-ihMUEQUNtPh58C7q-MN5lZmRNJqYIyzoBBahLmal7K9URp1CCoRNDvtWPXUzUetkUdFtjeVh03_E3W-Um98tw0XmLdvgisep5039na7KTA7ktoD10w2a7im8kY/s1600/MMD+094.JPG" height="426" title="Cucumber Salad, Balsamic Caviar and Fried Camembert - Radish" width="640" /></a></div>
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Seedless cucumbers, also called english cucumbers, are long. Like 12-14 inches long. For this recipe, I made thin strips down the entire length of the cumber which were used to wrap around and secure the contents of the salad.</div>
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When I originally served this dish as part of a multi-course dinner, I playfully included different eating utensils for each course. This particular course was served with miniature tongs. How cute and clever, right? Wrong. Turns out that attempting to eat an incredibly long piece of cucumber with only tongs is an awkward experience.</div>
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I think that most often this salad would be served with a fork and knife, in which case your guests can simply cut the cucumber into smaller bites on their own. But if you're feeling funky and forcing your guests to Macgyver their meals with unique utensils, I would suggest one small change to prevent the aforementioned awkwardness.</div>
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Cut each slice of cucumber in half. This will give you two 6 inch lengths of cucumber which can then still be wrapped and skewered to hold one-bite sized bundles of salad.</div>
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<span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /></span></div>
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<b>Cucumber Wrapped Salad</b></div>
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<ul>
<li style="text-align: justify;">seedless cucumber - thinly sliced lengthwise</li>
<li style="text-align: justify;">spinach</li>
<li style="text-align: justify;">red bell pepper - sliced</li>
<li style="text-align: justify;">radish - sliced</li>
</ul>
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Bundle the spinach, peppers and radish and wrap in cucumber slice. Skewer to secure, if neccessary.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJefhK1b7Us5qsnVXky8R1tzyaE_Xx8MKVFHkgplTJPAhkc8TLRxZ1syZOIGDqlBl5Ws4jWzOWpjKSCSXATRI0DbiKOo81FIBlbh_qJfzPkV3CtQHk6YY9wZ_eoVkrh-5kXaRYG9JYPaY/s1600/MMD+104.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJefhK1b7Us5qsnVXky8R1tzyaE_Xx8MKVFHkgplTJPAhkc8TLRxZ1syZOIGDqlBl5Ws4jWzOWpjKSCSXATRI0DbiKOo81FIBlbh_qJfzPkV3CtQHk6YY9wZ_eoVkrh-5kXaRYG9JYPaY/s1600/MMD+104.JPG" height="426" title="Cucumber Salad, Balsamic Caviar and Fried Camembert - Cucumber" width="640" /></a></div>
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On the other side of the plate from the salad was a miniature cheese plate.</div>
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I served comte (similar to an aged cheddar), stilton (bleu cheese) and a deep friend camembert (a soft cheese like brie). To add a little texture and flavor I included pieces of candied apricots, almonds, grapes and slices of Avenue Boys Smokehouse farmer's sausage.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi61-Q65HWTLwaZMMWaQMizJmE40Ud4ivZuOJcmj234wmamvIufBPZFlcai1Zsht3_2IWBrxON6q5_q1Hp5QALjUmmOcM-KCwFmyfDMBqw4RIuPOx_ttH0jm7gNs1b65qplrZu9MAtV9V0/s1600/041.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi61-Q65HWTLwaZMMWaQMizJmE40Ud4ivZuOJcmj234wmamvIufBPZFlcai1Zsht3_2IWBrxON6q5_q1Hp5QALjUmmOcM-KCwFmyfDMBqw4RIuPOx_ttH0jm7gNs1b65qplrZu9MAtV9V0/s1600/041.JPG" height="480" title="Cucumber Salad, Balsamic Caviar and Fried Camembert - Comte, Stilton and Camembert Cheese" width="640" /></a></div>
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<b>Deep Fried Camembert</b></div>
<ul>
<li style="text-align: justify;">camembert cheese</li>
<li style="text-align: justify;">pan searing flour</li>
<li style="text-align: justify;">egg - whisked</li>
<li style="text-align: justify;">italian seasoned breadcrumbs</li>
</ul>
<div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Cut the camembert into slices or wedges. Coat each wedge in flour, then dip in the egg and toss in breadcrumbs. In order to prevent cheese from oozing out of the crust, give each piece another coat of egg and breadcrumb.</div>
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If you've prepared them for the following day, refrigerate the coated cheese at this step and bring them back to room temperature before they are fried.</div>
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Heat vegetable oil in the fryer. Fry the cheese for 30 seconds.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2xQxj-pp1RXfhTgkGR-si-PXeG-F-pKVUWmkcS0wepc7B2BWBeYmYSSJkQystAcNYfDHwObgSATomRw4bEJYokeJeGBrXd9OT9wSpsKiJcyAj5t6pwg33PZUNL14gaI160lBpCCEQUYU/s1600/MMD+233.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2xQxj-pp1RXfhTgkGR-si-PXeG-F-pKVUWmkcS0wepc7B2BWBeYmYSSJkQystAcNYfDHwObgSATomRw4bEJYokeJeGBrXd9OT9wSpsKiJcyAj5t6pwg33PZUNL14gaI160lBpCCEQUYU/s1600/MMD+233.JPG" height="426" title="Cucumber Salad, Balsamic Caviar and Fried Camembert" width="640" /></a></div>
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I served this salad as one of the eight dinner courses at the <a href="http://amateuromnivore.blogspot.com/2014/03/pasta-passion-and-pistols.html">Pasta, Passion and Pistols party</a><br />
with an olive bread crouton.</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15153743926624409739noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3631963153020852096.post-16614480045978532552014-04-05T12:00:00.003-04:002014-04-21T16:47:28.557-04:00Brussels Sprout, Pork Belly and Apple Skewer<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEix65UilZS5fSNZBkNHOqi0811SZOqgjEZOzOPlKWsg1eZ57hz-SppJVS-ozeTPVX-vN6MBppakwFGzqlQk1zDPamQNt4L4371U5APeYuYhiT6tzk3NmuUamNWmdtEZbJuOu8v4s-bcGM0/s1600/MMD+245a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEix65UilZS5fSNZBkNHOqi0811SZOqgjEZOzOPlKWsg1eZ57hz-SppJVS-ozeTPVX-vN6MBppakwFGzqlQk1zDPamQNt4L4371U5APeYuYhiT6tzk3NmuUamNWmdtEZbJuOu8v4s-bcGM0/s1600/MMD+245a.jpg" height="452" title="Brussel Sprout, Pork Belly and Rum Soaked Apple Skewer" width="640" /></a></div>
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It's an undeniable truth of the universe that people who don't like brussels sprouts just haven't tried this recipe yet. </div>
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Food can be prepared so many different ways. Variations in method of cooking, such as steamed or roasted, the addition of sweet, savory or spicy seasonings and the incorporation of other ingredients for texture or flavor all affect the final taste of a dish.</div>
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For example, I would prefer my salad without olives. But I love olive bread and I love olive tapenade. Doug's brother likes split pea soup but he doesn't like to just have peas. I'm sure everyone can think of an example like this. And the reason for like versus dislike may be just a difference in the food's preparation. When someone says that they don't like a food, I always like to know how they've had it prepared because sometimes it's not the food, it's the packaging.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRBlj528R-TZGYMpz2uy98y4Mbc5OHcu8rAcSXAg1NFtAzsZCkrtA1xGGvZpJtpWAH6XQh3iQbH6xnJvDAFRsti9rqQ3ub-kob5ogvvTeyWWktttjtWGBCJk8GWRU0c-wMqR65oEIN-BU/s1600/MMD+036.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRBlj528R-TZGYMpz2uy98y4Mbc5OHcu8rAcSXAg1NFtAzsZCkrtA1xGGvZpJtpWAH6XQh3iQbH6xnJvDAFRsti9rqQ3ub-kob5ogvvTeyWWktttjtWGBCJk8GWRU0c-wMqR65oEIN-BU/s1600/MMD+036.JPG" height="454" title="Brussel Sprout, Pork Belly and Rum Soaked Apple Skewer - Apple" width="640" /></a><br />
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There are three tasty bites on this skewer: brussels sprout, pork belly and apple. Once the skewers are prepared, you have the bonus result of soy mayo and a shot of apple rum as by-products of your preparation.</div>
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The longer you soak your apples in the rum, the more they're going to taste like rum. I know, an innovative concept. But seriously, the first time I tried this, I left them marinating for about a full day. The rum tasted great but the apples were solid rum cubes and completely overwhelmed the sweet sprout and salty pork. If you follow the timeline below, you can enjoy the apple steeped rum and still let the apple be an apple.</div>
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<b>Rum-Soaked Apples</b></div>
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<i>Makes 20 skewers and 10 one ounce shots</i></div>
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<li style="text-align: justify;">2 empire apples - skinned and chopped to 1/2 inch cubes (reserve the cores)</li>
<li style="text-align: justify;">1 1/3 cups spiced rum (I used Captain Morgan)</li>
<li style="text-align: justify;">1 teaspoon butter</li>
<li style="text-align: justify;">salt and pepper</li>
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Marinate the apple cubes and apple cores in the rum for 5 hours. Remove the cubes from the rum and cook them in the butter over medium-high heat for 10 minutes or until they are soft (but not mushy). Season with salt and pepper to taste.</div>
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The apple core can stay soaking in the rum until your ready to serve the shots. I enjoy the apple-steeped rum at room temperature.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5-Rz-Vq1GbU3lXTNqWFlm9GcTwiIeJ6r6IJINaBa-VGvO5jnzxWD3gN6uVYqBPrFxWPBO5p1YcKWnYFjsPX3lRGtlzGk6nERWJGTuqNUTSfhH20fozIf06Brb-vOppsA-dX-B13q33sY/s1600/MMD+248.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5-Rz-Vq1GbU3lXTNqWFlm9GcTwiIeJ6r6IJINaBa-VGvO5jnzxWD3gN6uVYqBPrFxWPBO5p1YcKWnYFjsPX3lRGtlzGk6nERWJGTuqNUTSfhH20fozIf06Brb-vOppsA-dX-B13q33sY/s1600/MMD+248.JPG" height="640" title="Brussel Sprout, Pork Belly and Rum Soaked Apple Skewer - Apple Steeped Rum" width="452" /></a></div>
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Everyone knows that bacon makes everything better and since bacon is pork belly, then pork belly makes everything better too.</div>
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Pork belly is basically just up-charged, uncured bacon. Whether it's the facade or the flavor, I don't care. I love it. But my increasing love for pork belly certainly isn't decreasing my love for bacon. I think they both have their places in the kitchen and they're welcome in my home anytime.</div>
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For me, bacon is more accessible than pork belly and also can be ready to use on the fly (10 minutes versus 10 hours). But that ten hours is almost all hands-off cooking time. There's only about ten minutes of prep, so if I have the time and the meat should be a star of the dish, I like to use the uncured belly. </div>
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It's so worth it. Slow cooking the pork belly in the sous-vide results in an incredibly tender piece of meat. It feels like it melts like butter on your tongue when you eat it with those crispy broiled edges for some texture and crunch. </div>
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<b>Sous-vide Pork Belly with Soy Mayo</b></div>
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<i>Makes 20 skewers</i></div>
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<li style="text-align: justify;">1 tablespoon soy sauce</li>
<li style="text-align: justify;">1 tablespoon mirin</li>
<li style="text-align: justify;">1 tablespoon brown sugar</li>
<li style="text-align: justify;">1/4 tablespoon fish sauce</li>
<li style="text-align: justify;">1 clove garlic - diced</li>
<li style="text-align: justify;">1 teaspoon scallions - diced</li>
<li style="text-align: justify;">1/4 teaspoon ginger</li>
<li style="text-align: justify;">1 pound pork belly</li>
<li style="text-align: justify;">3 tablespoons mayo</li>
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Create a marinade by processing all of the ingredients (except the pork belly and mayo) in a food processor. Seal the marinade with the pork belly in a vacuum bag and cook in the 170 degree sous-vide for 10 hours.</div>
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Remove the bag from the sous-vide and chill for 2 hours. Cut the bag open and remove the pork belly and suspended fat. Reserve the sauce. Cut the pork belly into chunks and broil it until the outside is a little bit crispy, about 5 minutes. Continue rotating the pieces until all sides are cooked.</div>
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Rather than just dumping the marinade, strain that reserved sauce and reduce it over medium heat. Add mayo to thicken it further. It's going to have a great flavor and you can serve it squeezed directly on the skewer or as a dipping sauce on the side.</div>
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If you're looking for an alternative to the sous-vide cooking, try <a href="http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/emeril-lagasse/emerils-new-orleans-asian-style-braised-pork-belly-recipe.html" target="_blank">Emeril's recipe for braised pork belly</a>.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOA5rPyGYUPvb2dVQ0_akyxYg-bhDFJrwPqrh5-GXSdJJljJbbsjdv8X3lRXQ67wpg_9JW8tUZJ58YluXLefZyaXJPn86zD1riDvN4gePGRK7ybBTeuPrNHJd5ltSb6upJbl3L7kLXEUM/s1600/MMD+091.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOA5rPyGYUPvb2dVQ0_akyxYg-bhDFJrwPqrh5-GXSdJJljJbbsjdv8X3lRXQ67wpg_9JW8tUZJ58YluXLefZyaXJPn86zD1riDvN4gePGRK7ybBTeuPrNHJd5ltSb6upJbl3L7kLXEUM/s1600/MMD+091.JPG" height="450" title="Brussel Sprout, Pork Belly and Rum Soaked Apple Skewer - Pork Belly" width="640" /></a><br />
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Brussels sprouts can taste bitter when they're undercooked. If your sprouts are large or there are variations in the size of your sprouts, cut the big ones in half for more even cooking. Those flat surfaces are going to char up really nicely too.</div>
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The key with this recipe is not to overcrowd your pan. If you have a lot of sprouts, cook them in batches, otherwise the moisture releasing from the veggie as it cooks may cause your syrup to turn watery and it will be more difficult to make that great caramelization on the sprout.</div>
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<b>Spicy Maple-Glazed Brussels Sprouts</b></div>
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<i>Makes 20 skewers</i></div>
<ul>
<li style="text-align: justify;">olive oil</li>
<li style="text-align: justify;">1 pound brussels sprouts - base trimmed</li>
<li style="text-align: justify;">salt and pepper</li>
<li style="text-align: justify;">1/4 cup maple syrup</li>
<li style="text-align: justify;">1 pinch of red chile flakes (more or less depending on how spicy you like)</li>
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Over medium-low heat, pour enough oil to just coat the bottom of your pan. Add the brussels sprouts and season with salt and pepper.</div>
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Cover the pan to lightly steam the sprouts and speed up cooking. Every few minutes give the sprouts a stir and check them for firmness. They should be getting soft but still have some crunch in the center by about the ten minute mark.</div>
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Turn the heat to high. This step starts to crisp up the outside of the sprout while the inside continues cooking. Once the sprouts are hot, add maple syrup and chile flakes. Don't leave your post during this step! Continue moving the sprouts around the pan to prevent them from burning and keep cooking until the sprouts begin to char. Personally, I prefer them to be pretty well 'charred up'.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQcQfnlkzOqfmPx_cqNEEq7c1KcHx7d-jFJ02iE2GtMYIIPmtNS55hE0Qzj-wBhFhICetBfazPYXevH6QihRmn65YEsrdo1h1g9R_iEvKSRFlZ3zgHlUB7jAvbOoZshoPRaLFCVjYY8V4/s1600/MMD+090.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQcQfnlkzOqfmPx_cqNEEq7c1KcHx7d-jFJ02iE2GtMYIIPmtNS55hE0Qzj-wBhFhICetBfazPYXevH6QihRmn65YEsrdo1h1g9R_iEvKSRFlZ3zgHlUB7jAvbOoZshoPRaLFCVjYY8V4/s1600/MMD+090.JPG" height="452" title="Brussel Sprout, Pork Belly and Rum Soaked Apple Skewer" width="640" /></a></div>
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Once all three of your components are cooked, put them on your skewers.</div>
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These little skewer toppers in the photo I made out of <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000BZ6TZE/ref=oh_details_o02_s01_i03?ie=UTF8&psc=1" target="_blank">plastic toy animals</a>. I drilled a small hole in their bellies, sorry Simba!, threw on a couple coats of <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Martha-Stewart-32103-2-Ounce-Metallic/dp/B007C7X8CQ/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1396708424&sr=8-1&keywords=martha+stewart+gold+paint" target="_blank">gold paint</a> and one coat of polyurethane. </div>
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Written down that sounds like a walk in the park, but these little guys all have four little legs to paint around and since it took three coats of gold paint to cover their original color I was thoroughly annoyed with the project, even though I do really love the result.</div>
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Note: I made two dozen of these. The first dozen I hand painted all three coats of gold paint with a brush. Then I stuck them on a skewer and dipped them in the polyurethane. With the second dozen, I thought it might be easier to use a spray paint primer as the first coat. Even though I only had to use two coats of gold paint, that still ends up being three coats total and I thought some of the texture of the animals was lost (albeit only slightly) when using the primer.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI68MW-sG5eNjr2Hk0q8lxPyYuTwmQioi6R3TR4SC5Jk2mZT6E-81PBF4FL_c_aP_81lAzrRxzbD2YhyphenhyphendM5lQaVrifBvPDYSz3vXy5IdRsdEkN8efAA9QladVJAg6IXZbkqfBxWYsUroQ/s1600/MMD+247.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI68MW-sG5eNjr2Hk0q8lxPyYuTwmQioi6R3TR4SC5Jk2mZT6E-81PBF4FL_c_aP_81lAzrRxzbD2YhyphenhyphendM5lQaVrifBvPDYSz3vXy5IdRsdEkN8efAA9QladVJAg6IXZbkqfBxWYsUroQ/s1600/MMD+247.JPG" height="640" title="Brussel Sprout, Pork Belly and Rum Soaked Apple Skewer" width="452" /></a></div>
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I served these skewers at the <a href="http://www.amateuromnivore.com/2014/03/pasta-passion-and-pistols.html">Pasta, Passion and Pistols</a> party</div>
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with <a href="http://www.amateuromnivore.com/2014/04/sous-vide-flank-steak-with-red-wine.html">flank steak and red wine demi with gorgonzola powder</a>.</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15153743926624409739noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3631963153020852096.post-57089051602065785372014-04-03T11:10:00.001-04:002014-05-03T10:22:02.909-04:00Trattoria Aroma - Main Street - Dessert<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTAUeQBCU5ePCbUBzeu6izfMBY0pK2gUtOuW61KeHINMk_AY9qIl52kYD5dxipYRA_dHVzU1gBFio-HOuv8KIdCI6PTyExXFUEiJb4lkg_xtNF5J6ZjuzeXwzr640ADPnp3B5voBL4uA4/s1600/IMG_0331.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTAUeQBCU5ePCbUBzeu6izfMBY0pK2gUtOuW61KeHINMk_AY9qIl52kYD5dxipYRA_dHVzU1gBFio-HOuv8KIdCI6PTyExXFUEiJb4lkg_xtNF5J6ZjuzeXwzr640ADPnp3B5voBL4uA4/s1600/IMG_0331.JPG" height="452" title="Trattoria Aroma - Dessert - Creme Brulee and Banana Bread Pudding" width="640" /></a></div>
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Trattoria Aroma on Main is my go-to restaurant. It's conveniently located close to my house, they have great daily specials and I love the atmosphere at the bar. There's always someone to strike up a conversation with and Joe, the bartender, is friendly and attentive. And he really knows his wine.</div>
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On this visit, it was my girlfriend's birthday. We basically inhaled our dinners. Clark had a gorgonzola tagliatelle and I had a sesame seed tuna and orzo salad (both delicious). After dinner we got the expected question: would you like to see the dessert menu, and we laughed because we had just said how full we both were already. Guess what happened next.</div>
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Clark responded "Nothing more will fit... unless there's creme brulee." And you guessed it, there was creme brulee. Joe told her that she must be lucky because it was her birthday. (In fact, every day is lucky for her... but that's another story.) Sometimes her luck rubs off on me, it seems, because they had a dish similar to, but actually so much better than(!), banana bread pudding, which is one of my favorite desserts.</div>
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I have never been disappointed in any of their desserts and this night was no exception.</div>
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Creme Brulee </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbMe8bUNOEWsx9XuoYkpM6KhX2rOLGrPrtiJiSitLgI5kcdSV5HsgLxND8xf7N2HkaIt1afLRm5jHZxVHlzaWX4Gcy86KnUzbPp_YVF34IhvVk9C1_Hz-Lf8x0BDKjI_yXIt59qL0L9W8/s1600/IMG_0330.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbMe8bUNOEWsx9XuoYkpM6KhX2rOLGrPrtiJiSitLgI5kcdSV5HsgLxND8xf7N2HkaIt1afLRm5jHZxVHlzaWX4Gcy86KnUzbPp_YVF34IhvVk9C1_Hz-Lf8x0BDKjI_yXIt59qL0L9W8/s1600/IMG_0330.JPG" height="640" title="Trattoria Aroma - Dessert - Creme Brulee" width="634" /></a></div>
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Cinnamon Brioche with Bananas, Maple Ice Cream and Bacon</div>
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(Ah! Can you think of anything better?)</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhviWX1sp9UlauPE2cmy0vDzpvEYW27siN7OiqJQYWUryVG0R_YLFTzPOEk2N_rRESv2v4al51r6cGMbsQz-5uz-fGMUk3Ou6oWtWiQ4iUq31HkDGitd_OO-QaWZsqbfZp3oHHMsIZFFhc/s1600/IMG_0329.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhviWX1sp9UlauPE2cmy0vDzpvEYW27siN7OiqJQYWUryVG0R_YLFTzPOEk2N_rRESv2v4al51r6cGMbsQz-5uz-fGMUk3Ou6oWtWiQ4iUq31HkDGitd_OO-QaWZsqbfZp3oHHMsIZFFhc/s1600/IMG_0329.JPG" height="640" title="Trattoria Aroma - Dessert - Cinnamon Brioche with Bananas, Maple Ice Cream and Bacon" width="480" /></a></div>
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This was like my ideal dessert. I tend to like desserts that are less sweet and the cinnamon-bacon combo was amazing. The brioche was a little bit crusty and warm in the center so it had a really good texture change, crunch to soft, when I bit into it. Paired with the maple ice cream and banana, this was heaven on a plate for me. My mouth is watering just thinking about it.</div>
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I wonder if adding candied pecans to this dish would be too many components... it would add a nice crunch.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3BD9QT2HMoGW3yjnjyHcBaJ4_pPLoE45NsBi88ayyWukJNHC6dss1-5iMFTXmlnG03DXUvBlTyDh5ns-xc8QGAygKYtytMcB8XenAexQjNtetWKU0GtD6uEfLhBo6j2WattC0wYcS4YU/s1600/downsized_IMG_20411.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3BD9QT2HMoGW3yjnjyHcBaJ4_pPLoE45NsBi88ayyWukJNHC6dss1-5iMFTXmlnG03DXUvBlTyDh5ns-xc8QGAygKYtytMcB8XenAexQjNtetWKU0GtD6uEfLhBo6j2WattC0wYcS4YU/s1600/downsized_IMG_20411.jpg" height="640" title="Trattoria Aroma - Dessert - Creme Brulee" width="480" /></a></div>
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Oh... did you want to try some?</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15153743926624409739noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3631963153020852096.post-37507082135327129522014-04-02T08:55:00.003-04:002014-04-14T10:57:00.141-04:00Roasted Cauliflower Soup with Chicken and Quinoa<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCuuNroroR9PoSRMfZ6sfV3XnLoIeV48aGvoAHFd4TI5g-1_nDF41Nk48gH8K9pcGYKT8tVrYJWQiy69Cv0CzAYfNpSxhNOdBW0rNHujqhfTyj3pvr6Xame36lLbuoBGh7CkIBki9CKlc/s1600/MMD+194.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCuuNroroR9PoSRMfZ6sfV3XnLoIeV48aGvoAHFd4TI5g-1_nDF41Nk48gH8K9pcGYKT8tVrYJWQiy69Cv0CzAYfNpSxhNOdBW0rNHujqhfTyj3pvr6Xame36lLbuoBGh7CkIBki9CKlc/s1600/MMD+194.JPG" height="426" title="Roasted Cauliflower Soup" width="640" /></a></div>
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I have always liked to eat cauliflower. My gramma, since I was little, or probably before that, has always had bite size pieces of fresh cauliflower in a bowl in the fridge. And when I discovered roasted cauliflower it was love at first bite.</div>
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I find it really amazing how the flavor of certain foods can change so drastically when cooked. Cauliflower is this way. Roasted cauliflower is almost... nutty and it adds a fantastic flavor to this soup. Absolutely do not skip the roasting step!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIX6hQNHOW5lXHy1H3Rj7o86BiTdeYsoq7buTOxdJwpBX6kEA7WP_XZGNUXoc0MlkgYOcilnblHRCKRzSG261oBEaa_3466WJMTM_MwPZaWqoZ282eCaNigydCMJZ3-On2c7yXZ3oAFEE/s1600/MMD+013.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIX6hQNHOW5lXHy1H3Rj7o86BiTdeYsoq7buTOxdJwpBX6kEA7WP_XZGNUXoc0MlkgYOcilnblHRCKRzSG261oBEaa_3466WJMTM_MwPZaWqoZ282eCaNigydCMJZ3-On2c7yXZ3oAFEE/s1600/MMD+013.JPG" height="426" title="Roasted Cauliflower Soup - Cauliflower" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXkDMOab8Dg7-CbixCm9Cz2k4N3L6PIoYKZ9LbdoHOWw9fExJOAEPSZn6wDzqP72hEXDhUObWaW-Vw97VxZ99pYMXwvFKEw977N3cveZ28kY4OakN8LELoDoXlF9iAZSK019a_549wkKE/s1600/MMD+037.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXkDMOab8Dg7-CbixCm9Cz2k4N3L6PIoYKZ9LbdoHOWw9fExJOAEPSZn6wDzqP72hEXDhUObWaW-Vw97VxZ99pYMXwvFKEw977N3cveZ28kY4OakN8LELoDoXlF9iAZSK019a_549wkKE/s1600/MMD+037.JPG" height="426" title="Roasted Cauliflower Soup - Roasted Cauliflower" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdkxzjbsfK0jEVrkN2Gq1JqWXUE-ZvaRPyD5iNvsmpcIIzW3TFgMHcEVc88_3Z_pptvnFe-bprhJdglSFk3kRk1H2dEYij6BDLeSlB_WFy8kUYQLVaU-uUfsbDtTOlZzbHZQG7MvOZt08/s1600/MMD+042.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdkxzjbsfK0jEVrkN2Gq1JqWXUE-ZvaRPyD5iNvsmpcIIzW3TFgMHcEVc88_3Z_pptvnFe-bprhJdglSFk3kRk1H2dEYij6BDLeSlB_WFy8kUYQLVaU-uUfsbDtTOlZzbHZQG7MvOZt08/s1600/MMD+042.JPG" height="452" title="Roasted Cauliflower Soup - Celery" width="640" /></a></div>
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I love that a lot of soups allow you to make them as chunky or as smooth as you'd like at the end. It leaves some room for a little creativity and variation. </div>
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For example, when I make this soup for dinner, I only puree about one quarter of the soup. This leaves it nice and thick with chunks of cauliflower. I've also made this soup as a miniature 'tasting' portion. I pureed the whole soup which resulted in a smooth, creamy consistency that I loaded with shredded chicken and quinoa and topped with bacon and a cauliflower floret.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyijhTwayjouQPRi4LXnJc5fOqc_OWSXxiBAJr6qiN6ULrLSHZOv7DEFEHQS9DPEmAxM7XJnBXbcJsCIyGNuBjUwDQhj9YS1Abod31fUVeFij4V49_lhwXGiBWi9KcWQEeBE25r_ZMi8U/s1600/MMD+053.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyijhTwayjouQPRi4LXnJc5fOqc_OWSXxiBAJr6qiN6ULrLSHZOv7DEFEHQS9DPEmAxM7XJnBXbcJsCIyGNuBjUwDQhj9YS1Abod31fUVeFij4V49_lhwXGiBWi9KcWQEeBE25r_ZMi8U/s1600/MMD+053.JPG" height="426" title="Roasted Cauliflower Soup" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlPkC4FtVLkqk7XzGteXVrN37XbLJ-oIlutRFSUmchZDwzewlGcRx5jxPYbg7U53P2u-uyTCzY5ueCb2K8bCOeU7hJafqc6HEoExzFpksuvUnRk06euat6WYkOQrklLaKWRRHpNHor8yA/s1600/MMD+055.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlPkC4FtVLkqk7XzGteXVrN37XbLJ-oIlutRFSUmchZDwzewlGcRx5jxPYbg7U53P2u-uyTCzY5ueCb2K8bCOeU7hJafqc6HEoExzFpksuvUnRk06euat6WYkOQrklLaKWRRHpNHor8yA/s1600/MMD+055.JPG" height="452" title="Roasted Cauliflower Soup" width="640" /></a></div>
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I got great feedback on this soup. According to my husband's friend, "This soup is the truth". He was asking for more four days later. Can't get a better compliment than that!</div>
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<b>Roasted Cauliflower Soup with Chicken and Quinoa "The Truth"</b></div>
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<i>Serves 8</i></div>
<ul>
<li style="text-align: justify;">olive oil</li>
<li style="text-align: justify;">1 large head of cauliflower - cut into large chunks</li>
<li style="text-align: justify;">3 tablespoons butter</li>
<li style="text-align: justify;">1 medium onion - finely chopped</li>
<li style="text-align: justify;">3 stalks of celery (including leafy tops) - finely chopped</li>
<li style="text-align: justify;">2 tablespoons fresh thyme</li>
<li style="text-align: justify;">2 tablespoons flour</li>
<li style="text-align: justify;">1 quart chicken broth</li>
<li style="text-align: justify;">1 cup half and half</li>
<li style="text-align: justify;">sriracha</li>
<li style="text-align: justify;">1 box of red quinoa - prepared as per package</li>
<li style="text-align: justify;">roasted chicken - shredded</li>
<li style="text-align: justify;">bacon - cooked (optional garnish)</li>
<li style="text-align: justify;">parsley - chopped (optional garnish)</li>
<li style="text-align: justify;">cheddar cheese - chopped (optional garnish)</li>
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Place the cauliflower in a pan and drizzle with olive oil. Place in a 400 degree oven for 20 minutes, flip and roast another 20 minutes. Eat a few florets, it's delicious!</div>
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In a large pot, heat 1.5 tablespoons of the butter and cook the onion and celery for 4 minutes over medium heat. Reserve 8 cauliflower florets for a garnish then add the thyme and remaining cauliflower and cook 3 more minutes.</div>
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Push all the vegetables to one side of the pot and melt the remaining 1.5 tablespoons of butter. Stir the flour into the melted butter and let it cook for 1-2 minutes letting it start to brown. Add the chicken stock and half and half. Simmer for 20 minutes.</div>
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If you have an immersion blender, blend the soup leaving your desired amount of chunkiness. If you're using a regular blender or food processor, puree whatever portion of the soup you'd like, leaving the rest to add texture.</div>
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Add a few dashes of hot sauce, the quinoa and chicken.</div>
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Top each bowl of soup with a floret, bacon, parsley, cheddar cheese, sriracha or any combination of these!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimUu7hyeKrp6-GxIMiMzRTbXWlZXDFhC-xcK-zz4aVrBsvpJOr03P43QeMjsBSgyhcCnJVSGcsE-cukPERX_KDoncsRNZPWLCQ6yW0g5EP0RgFTinlhIALeGwbWhMeOFxcglyjj2B3eMY/s1600/MMD+197.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimUu7hyeKrp6-GxIMiMzRTbXWlZXDFhC-xcK-zz4aVrBsvpJOr03P43QeMjsBSgyhcCnJVSGcsE-cukPERX_KDoncsRNZPWLCQ6yW0g5EP0RgFTinlhIALeGwbWhMeOFxcglyjj2B3eMY/s1600/MMD+197.JPG" height="454" title="Roasted Cauliflower Soup" width="640" /></a></div>
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I served this soup at the <a href="http://www.amateuromnivore.com/2014/03/pasta-passion-and-pistols.html">Pasta, Passion and Pistols</a> party with Turkey Sandwiches.</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15153743926624409739noreply@blogger.com19tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3631963153020852096.post-6565723545673464872014-03-30T12:46:00.000-04:002014-08-11T09:34:15.961-04:00Pasta, Passion and Pistols<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBxi6EO1ojRi3XSOqt675z_dn8L0aeX0HUNbnXtolC8LYD0FsenJA4z9z2fCvhR4LeTJJ6CtIdBw6UO8uVfLFv7OTi3nZZsFGuUirCDig7heRvxdBiggcoyVpUelTc2_kVMDdTjIdtKWk/s1600/MMD+210.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBxi6EO1ojRi3XSOqt675z_dn8L0aeX0HUNbnXtolC8LYD0FsenJA4z9z2fCvhR4LeTJJ6CtIdBw6UO8uVfLFv7OTi3nZZsFGuUirCDig7heRvxdBiggcoyVpUelTc2_kVMDdTjIdtKWk/s1600/MMD+210.JPG" height="426" title="Pasta, Passion and Pistols Party - Scallops Two Ways" width="640" /></a></div>
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I love throwing dinner parties. I love the planning and the prep and the part where I (hopefully) get to serve my friends something yummy. Also, when we have company, the house gets cleaned, so that's a bonus.</div>
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This dinner is something I have been hoping to try for a long time, but needed some time to build up some courage. I wanted to serve a small bite 'tasting' meal as a walk through of an entire day's meals. We had breakfast, lunch, dinner (with an appetizer, salad and main course), dessert and a drink to pair with each of them.</div>
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This post is a little teaser of the meal and I'll link out to the recipes later once I get them written up.</div>
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While I cooked, everyone else kept busy playing a <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Murder-Mystery-Party-Passion-Pistols/dp/B00000J00L/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1396197145&sr=8-1&keywords=pasta+passion+and+pistols" target="_blank">murder mystery</a> (hence the bizarre title of this post). Two months ago everyone was given their characters and last night they had to come fully dressed and acting the part. My friends, as always, did themselves up amazingly and cracked me up all night with their italian accents and dramatic monologues of grief, accusations and lies! </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmYl3E_AOeS4JW59gkAUnaudOqY9sliwmNhB8xEUgfcIg5b4C87GvJcFK4oF1WMZsaVnKtnp1OLE7IBV1koax5QFadxlCU9QptdhO_mpeb32npu6ZKZuh2mtcP2yWy6KjKziUgYRIuGvg/s1600/MMD+142.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmYl3E_AOeS4JW59gkAUnaudOqY9sliwmNhB8xEUgfcIg5b4C87GvJcFK4oF1WMZsaVnKtnp1OLE7IBV1koax5QFadxlCU9QptdhO_mpeb32npu6ZKZuh2mtcP2yWy6KjKziUgYRIuGvg/s1600/MMD+142.JPG" height="213" title="Pasta, Passion and Pistols Party - Characters" width="320" /></a></div>
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I made up a little menu so everyone knew what to expect and named our little 'restaurant'. <span style="text-align: center;">Dilettante means to delight or amuse and it can also mean amateur (how appropriate!)</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjuSS4LSazEmX16piXGcFz_MF7AA3GEAvGPRbk4voeVPfQZUWnloPQBoh88ss3mDIQ1mltZare9p2ZknuI9fomfgyk46XJ5JeNg9twY6-Iyjve7x8fJzdGeDeHpkJwG8-_Z4FtlcpE8IA/s1600/IMG_4782.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjuSS4LSazEmX16piXGcFz_MF7AA3GEAvGPRbk4voeVPfQZUWnloPQBoh88ss3mDIQ1mltZare9p2ZknuI9fomfgyk46XJ5JeNg9twY6-Iyjve7x8fJzdGeDeHpkJwG8-_Z4FtlcpE8IA/s1600/IMG_4782.JPG" height="640" title="Pasta, Passion and Pistols Party - Menu" width="454" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjllEeHbT0HgQLT1suxjX9lUdIs0SVnLPjV6loXvnYwMBwUef1pnw9mkniQjqP5lrJ4G80jPrLZuJ10jphtygmQT22kGHSVEBmWXg9kitsuxdBedobeYM8b_Wa6zpKynjyc9dgF-YgsqRs/s1600/MMD+169.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjllEeHbT0HgQLT1suxjX9lUdIs0SVnLPjV6loXvnYwMBwUef1pnw9mkniQjqP5lrJ4G80jPrLZuJ10jphtygmQT22kGHSVEBmWXg9kitsuxdBedobeYM8b_Wa6zpKynjyc9dgF-YgsqRs/s1600/MMD+169.JPG" height="452" title="Pasta, Passion and Pistols Party - Pomosa Shooter" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://www.amateuromnivore.com/2014/04/homemade-yogurt-and-maple-granola.html">pomosa: pomegranate juice, pomegranate vodka, prosecco</a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv0prg07nkUl-d2KQUwCW8Qa6S5VCKcJc_34vGJXlCQiRhok60Zqjr45d7xp3EqnepRLgvDzvbqEKAlc9hvUHJYHB23Nny0EwTzfOaV6i2glHpO0RzCon8ARVNg1oWhqGeUkdwcUrIB54/s1600/MMD+117.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv0prg07nkUl-d2KQUwCW8Qa6S5VCKcJc_34vGJXlCQiRhok60Zqjr45d7xp3EqnepRLgvDzvbqEKAlc9hvUHJYHB23Nny0EwTzfOaV6i2glHpO0RzCon8ARVNg1oWhqGeUkdwcUrIB54/s1600/MMD+117.JPG" height="426" title="Pasta, Passion and Pistols Party - Yogurt" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://www.amateuromnivore.com/2014/04/homemade-yogurt-and-maple-granola.html">goat milk yogurt, macerated strawberries, blueberries, orange zest, granola, dark chocolate</a> </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoHzsl4UB5ZZoKnyFyNeCOtdj7ehgmVYD0U9zfmtPv532aiVIc12qXgIrLi7z84_qixzjJ1IjcFigXxMBnILECTEInVROdGVfQlcQOIiHasW_AiRkT-dCjDP_HpNc9ZVYojFUtL_B-OCU/s1600/MMD+179.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoHzsl4UB5ZZoKnyFyNeCOtdj7ehgmVYD0U9zfmtPv532aiVIc12qXgIrLi7z84_qixzjJ1IjcFigXxMBnILECTEInVROdGVfQlcQOIiHasW_AiRkT-dCjDP_HpNc9ZVYojFUtL_B-OCU/s1600/MMD+179.JPG" height="426" title="Pasta, Passion and Pistols Party - Scotch Egg and Raspberry Pancake" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://www.amateuromnivore.com/2014/04/raspberry-pancakes-with-almond-powder.html">raspberry pancakes, almond powder, banana, lemon ricotta stuffed raspberry, grade B maple syrup</a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh16kc_1CDriySMzF7ipMHqhIH49leIEDOAI0biTOa7-nnKhZb_8ogqXuRJZgw3hxS95OHT6ZfWZ_AFjRn5V2VeMG-zs3m3_ge8LEaqOM3pWKoostK6UcEAifwFayBrd1PWfGd7imx8B2c/s1600/MMD+191.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh16kc_1CDriySMzF7ipMHqhIH49leIEDOAI0biTOa7-nnKhZb_8ogqXuRJZgw3hxS95OHT6ZfWZ_AFjRn5V2VeMG-zs3m3_ge8LEaqOM3pWKoostK6UcEAifwFayBrd1PWfGd7imx8B2c/s1600/MMD+191.JPG" height="426" title="Pasta, Passion and Pistols Party - Scotch Egg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://www.amateuromnivore.com/2014/08/soft-boiled-scotch-quail-egg.html">soft-boiled scotch quail egg, chive, asparagus tips, parmesan, moutarde</a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRRmIh0-zY7aHeE-Uehfzfd558q2PpoMysLMszIHgeffH6xLpdKbLV6pfN0bpPxwWV-kYZ4wNA6NLkubEQip-YCr9Sf_z1DFBjM7lO-MaZstj9FqCnY77d-nmr82CGtRh21dns9AyUDrI/s1600/MMD+193.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRRmIh0-zY7aHeE-Uehfzfd558q2PpoMysLMszIHgeffH6xLpdKbLV6pfN0bpPxwWV-kYZ4wNA6NLkubEQip-YCr9Sf_z1DFBjM7lO-MaZstj9FqCnY77d-nmr82CGtRh21dns9AyUDrI/s1600/MMD+193.JPG" height="640" title="Pasta, Passion and Pistols Party - Innis and Gunn Scotch Ale" width="452" /></a></div>
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Innis and Gunn - scotch ale </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpQci9bAd_dwoZUU0bIK6IqKBouuGRk0ooga3PwlrriJE6FSQon9Ptn_xPWNVAzfORyBhBfnCikGbtnFV3NKapZ8q25IoWHHhuqCNpkennJxcDpa7Jq6upCNNQXqvBkpTZrR1Ym3NQg9c/s1600/MMD+195.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpQci9bAd_dwoZUU0bIK6IqKBouuGRk0ooga3PwlrriJE6FSQon9Ptn_xPWNVAzfORyBhBfnCikGbtnFV3NKapZ8q25IoWHHhuqCNpkennJxcDpa7Jq6upCNNQXqvBkpTZrR1Ym3NQg9c/s1600/MMD+195.JPG" height="426" title="Pasta, Passion and Pistols Party - Cauliflower Soup" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://www.amateuromnivore.com/2014/04/roasted-cauliflower-soup-with-chicken.html">roasted cauliflower soup, quinoa, chicken, bacon </a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrLroT6DLECZ38N76qbfKhERJB8Rmwviz0KTBCv9ozZQE0jBSITktp-15Ofku9CZTmbeLJvrvPumccLrS6UaLuLnvYmmS_TpQjm98YMmvgiM17GNy8moMOI2P7M5VGPisAxMvFKZ5Iyak/s1600/MMD+203.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrLroT6DLECZ38N76qbfKhERJB8Rmwviz0KTBCv9ozZQE0jBSITktp-15Ofku9CZTmbeLJvrvPumccLrS6UaLuLnvYmmS_TpQjm98YMmvgiM17GNy8moMOI2P7M5VGPisAxMvFKZ5Iyak/s1600/MMD+203.JPG" height="426" title="Pasta, Passion and Pistols Party - Turkey Sandwich" width="640" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.amateuromnivore.com/2014/04/turkey-apple-and-bacon-sandwich-with.html">turkey sandwich, fontina cheese, bacon, spinach, cranberry mayo, apple</a> </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiR0JwXQDZHfk3AItOwJoZJNsPtihEVAP3hPK2_Gvc_LkykA7KYyvocw6SwXF3UJ5tF2jkAc2PM8Cp5fK-kJxSV5CTHHeNF00sWWIRfNBsy5qQmi8pNA0lnhRPo0DAdKUJLSkvTqyc9v_E/s1600/MMD+227.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiR0JwXQDZHfk3AItOwJoZJNsPtihEVAP3hPK2_Gvc_LkykA7KYyvocw6SwXF3UJ5tF2jkAc2PM8Cp5fK-kJxSV5CTHHeNF00sWWIRfNBsy5qQmi8pNA0lnhRPo0DAdKUJLSkvTqyc9v_E/s1600/MMD+227.JPG" height="426" title="Pasta, Passion and Pistols Party - Scallops Two Ways" width="640" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.amateuromnivore.com/2014/05/scallops-two-ways-and-margarita-jello.html">tequila lime jello</a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.amateuromnivore.com/2014/05/scallops-two-ways-and-margarita-jello.html">prosciutto wrapped scallop, arugula, sun-dried tomato vinaigrette </a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.amateuromnivore.com/2014/05/scallops-two-ways-and-margarita-jello.html">cornmeal crusted scallop, sweet corn mash, sriracha</a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjodoepbP7FBEOxVDIZcpyo0rNwkZNA_hfWirFU1KtRrVupjNcdDGZ2Brzl9W4v9tTbZmXHfLOaci1axbhHOESFjgfBOgSU7ZIQuGQwPzOYUPM2BetwY3bOSoezXOZ-uhiurORZcqQYHYE/s1600/MMD+231.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjodoepbP7FBEOxVDIZcpyo0rNwkZNA_hfWirFU1KtRrVupjNcdDGZ2Brzl9W4v9tTbZmXHfLOaci1axbhHOESFjgfBOgSU7ZIQuGQwPzOYUPM2BetwY3bOSoezXOZ-uhiurORZcqQYHYE/s1600/MMD+231.JPG" height="452" title="Pasta, Passion and Pistols Party - Cucumber Salad, Balsamic Caviar, Fried Camembert" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://www.amateuromnivore.com/2014/04/cucumber-salad-balsamic-caviar-and.html">cucumber-spinach salad, red bell pepper, radish</a>, <a href="http://www.amateuromnivore.com/2014/04/olive-bread-crouton.html">olive bread cruton</a></div>
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<a href="http://www.amateuromnivore.com/2014/04/cucumber-salad-balsamic-caviar-and.html">balsamic vinaigrette and balsamic vinegar 'caviar'</a></div>
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<a href="http://www.amateuromnivore.com/2014/04/cucumber-salad-balsamic-caviar-and.html">stilton, comte, fried camembert, grape, almond, dried apricot, farmer's salami</a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUS-IIYzBrCk7GWxgJajJjNw4MhMIRrmGL6-a8n3HSlNfj4pUKs1lVVwARKoUC1h5VgCa6SacxcmxJMD2K7sFId2BI9ayQX4ZtYz6BaFJ0XDT3mjRIKvvea59u_R1FSyZO7wpUmv8GNDs/s1600/MMD+242.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUS-IIYzBrCk7GWxgJajJjNw4MhMIRrmGL6-a8n3HSlNfj4pUKs1lVVwARKoUC1h5VgCa6SacxcmxJMD2K7sFId2BI9ayQX4ZtYz6BaFJ0XDT3mjRIKvvea59u_R1FSyZO7wpUmv8GNDs/s1600/MMD+242.JPG" height="452" title="Pasta, Passion and Pistols Party - Goat Cheese and Pancetta Ravioli with Peas" width="640" /></a></div>
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pancetta and goat cheese ravioli, shallot and garlic brown butter, peas, parmesan</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiitcoz5o0wDaUtgojH6v3axZMNXNeMN5N2vFp60n0X69wU6U2SlCXoRXdrhfPPxAf9NJ1kee9vPd-Bo0XLdA3pJqjjVWv3DUvvfRNBSnNuKeWm6NJ9Yj-v8Igs4xkpSCPL6u7-lVbVYl4/s1600/MMD+248.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiitcoz5o0wDaUtgojH6v3axZMNXNeMN5N2vFp60n0X69wU6U2SlCXoRXdrhfPPxAf9NJ1kee9vPd-Bo0XLdA3pJqjjVWv3DUvvfRNBSnNuKeWm6NJ9Yj-v8Igs4xkpSCPL6u7-lVbVYl4/s1600/MMD+248.JPG" height="640" title="Pasta, Passion and Pistols Party - Apple Steeped Rum" width="454" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://www.amateuromnivore.com/2014/04/brussel-sprout-pork-belly-and-apple.html">apple steeped rum</a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbgwxOEdtV3nznt3owlCACjVdBi6f5nLyD0wjiqnxnizWr1sj9tzXiF0zAsOv3Tm1ot7mHLMiTOEqFYqmhGfyVpBsda2Ufsh1GZnfjWhOvVU738PkaMMGUpQkqRl5SS9VOUuFxUkvr1Z4/s1600/MMD+245.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbgwxOEdtV3nznt3owlCACjVdBi6f5nLyD0wjiqnxnizWr1sj9tzXiF0zAsOv3Tm1ot7mHLMiTOEqFYqmhGfyVpBsda2Ufsh1GZnfjWhOvVU738PkaMMGUpQkqRl5SS9VOUuFxUkvr1Z4/s1600/MMD+245.JPG" height="454" title="Pasta, Passion and Pistols Party - Brussel Sprouts, Pork Belly and Rum Soaked Apple" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://www.amateuromnivore.com/2014/04/brussel-sprout-pork-belly-and-apple.html">maple glazed brussels sprout, pork belly, rum soaked apple, pork belly mayo</a></div>
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<a href="http://www.amateuromnivore.com/2014/04/sous-vide-flank-steak-with-red-wine.html">sous-vide flank steak, red wine sauce, dehydrated gorgonzola powder</a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6Tz-70cgufSqDIYea2vgsq2qeOx9LwVlTMeZgRnyDQpg2zF2kzoHYdYJ0WJrHZy5GcYVvGvByqHf0745CQtJLH8voLcJVWAI5p2zwPdZ-caZcWSUWC4Cq13V643zmzq1H4mhOHjgzBCw/s1600/MMD+258.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6Tz-70cgufSqDIYea2vgsq2qeOx9LwVlTMeZgRnyDQpg2zF2kzoHYdYJ0WJrHZy5GcYVvGvByqHf0745CQtJLH8voLcJVWAI5p2zwPdZ-caZcWSUWC4Cq13V643zmzq1H4mhOHjgzBCw/s1600/MMD+258.JPG" height="426" title="Pasta, Passion and Pistols Party - Megalomaniac Riesling Ice Wine" width="640" /></a></div>
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Megalomaniac riesling ice wine with edible gold stars</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjipSz5TMzORDotn_HDT1lzO12mITxgKmFE-TrQEU-S2UKoUx1h2-uJ1djRZJ5xdO5JNaajSQEy9Hew4-ZIU_fnunLzoY0SmMCvvA10IixqS4TQxsEP2-gfcEcoL5qHbwWGyvoXYCTnq5Y/s1600/MMD+257.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjipSz5TMzORDotn_HDT1lzO12mITxgKmFE-TrQEU-S2UKoUx1h2-uJ1djRZJ5xdO5JNaajSQEy9Hew4-ZIU_fnunLzoY0SmMCvvA10IixqS4TQxsEP2-gfcEcoL5qHbwWGyvoXYCTnq5Y/s1600/MMD+257.JPG" height="426" title="Pasta, Passion and Pistols Party - Lemon Cheesecake and Black Raspberry Ice Cream" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://www.amateuromnivore.com/2014/04/lemon-cheesecake-and-blackberry-dessert.html">lemon cheesecake</a>, black raspberry ice cream, pistachios, </div>
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black raspberry soaked in ice wine, <a href="http://www.amateuromnivore.com/2014/04/lemon-cheesecake-and-blackberry-dessert.html">black raspberry sauce</a> </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8dclevAO5U66auzkqDlj3O_UxW6WMKEBr7lR78aMNZY8IRMgLuYzKAgQsye6kVrUxnHHXoK7wzhkTbi3D7_MpdndSH_WZMpV8Ymm8OIpUnZocEUO-cPh6ETcLOH-1q4MaxRWsTaO80SQ/s1600/MMD+265.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8dclevAO5U66auzkqDlj3O_UxW6WMKEBr7lR78aMNZY8IRMgLuYzKAgQsye6kVrUxnHHXoK7wzhkTbi3D7_MpdndSH_WZMpV8Ymm8OIpUnZocEUO-cPh6ETcLOH-1q4MaxRWsTaO80SQ/s1600/MMD+265.JPG" height="426" title="Pasta, Passion and Pistols Party - One of Four Loads of Dishes" width="640" /></a></div>
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first of four loads of dirty dishes - yowza!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoo0J2Ow83A07NZixpSo7gbIGWn7KugYdP-GAQOpQ0s4e4swA5TtGgiyOI50idAu2GItIl5daWiNTUJPFgHyJAOfeyre5ZOmA6_T7YaM9Co42SiY3N5I5as6jcq2fdag9XKwZuFwWRWQA/s1600/Dinner+106.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoo0J2Ow83A07NZixpSo7gbIGWn7KugYdP-GAQOpQ0s4e4swA5TtGgiyOI50idAu2GItIl5daWiNTUJPFgHyJAOfeyre5ZOmA6_T7YaM9Co42SiY3N5I5as6jcq2fdag9XKwZuFwWRWQA/s1600/Dinner+106.JPG" height="426" title="Korean Beef Noodles" width="640" /></a></div>
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This recipe was one of my first attempts at cooking an asian-style dish at home and has become somewhat of a staple when I'm craving these flavors. In fact, you should see the recipe card. It is dirty and stained, a clear indication of being well loved. The sesame oil brings an earthiness to the dish, soy and brown sugar is always a winning combination and the apple cider vinegar gives everything an extra little kick of flavor.</div>
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Yum... look how pretty that skirt steak is. When you cut across the grain the meat will break apart nice and easily across those fatty striations.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOCjX6OL20TPHOM6w8L8Sv3r-X-fHrghZQvXQ5sgtgpQFE0cp4nEP3i1h2xlUTg4aCzjX6PRkb2j1TwJYfkMEcD7OoT7EMoMv1PgvBMQJx_qvy22Ypa7ZE1IJ1d3ad2xClRWFjir_uH0k/s1600/Dinner+078.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOCjX6OL20TPHOM6w8L8Sv3r-X-fHrghZQvXQ5sgtgpQFE0cp4nEP3i1h2xlUTg4aCzjX6PRkb2j1TwJYfkMEcD7OoT7EMoMv1PgvBMQJx_qvy22Ypa7ZE1IJ1d3ad2xClRWFjir_uH0k/s1600/Dinner+078.JPG" height="426" title="Korean Beef Noodles - Skirt Steak" width="640" /></a></div>
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One of the times making this recipe, I made strips of carrot with a vegetable peeler. The strips were very long. Grating the carrots on a box grater is much faster and the resulting carrot is better sized anyway.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihwQa4wJ__CCr2Km8tbbbPAyZTQMYTCbbgrypbviv2l-ImsvZr4b7ytwovWys7oYoYBEoZS1tbBcmqnczsD5pO0yNA4_cm05S-NjOQVrS11MZQ5uD8CgP4iTur9LQ-qIDTyFtxy7pzD0Q/s1600/2014-03-16_21-45-42.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihwQa4wJ__CCr2Km8tbbbPAyZTQMYTCbbgrypbviv2l-ImsvZr4b7ytwovWys7oYoYBEoZS1tbBcmqnczsD5pO0yNA4_cm05S-NjOQVrS11MZQ5uD8CgP4iTur9LQ-qIDTyFtxy7pzD0Q/s1600/2014-03-16_21-45-42.jpg" height="304" title="Korean Beef Noodles - Vegetables" width="640" /></a></div>
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And don't forget to cut those noodles. I do it right after they've softened a bit and I've drained the water. Five inch lengths seem to work really well. Just dig your kitchen shears right into the pile of noodles and snip away. Sometimes I even do a few extra cuts after I toss the noodles into the pan. In my opinion, too short is better than too long in this dish.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjr_l1hnkTHFdhAZ7s1Wr0FR5EakLgJKnV0wezU_vWW1Frme24mRsWKaReOwPdkEN5KjoI6dYJxoYtbASzPhRAdfd3Eg-EkBMcqsBlY5FgFvQYDcadWPkSSiovoMMqD8Fo7H0LA42BJYQI/s1600/Dinner+104.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjr_l1hnkTHFdhAZ7s1Wr0FR5EakLgJKnV0wezU_vWW1Frme24mRsWKaReOwPdkEN5KjoI6dYJxoYtbASzPhRAdfd3Eg-EkBMcqsBlY5FgFvQYDcadWPkSSiovoMMqD8Fo7H0LA42BJYQI/s1600/Dinner+104.JPG" height="426" title="Korean Beef Noodles - Cellophane Noodles" width="640" /></a></div>
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<b>Korean Beef Noodles</b></div>
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<i>Serves 4</i></div>
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<li style="text-align: justify;">5 ounces cellophane noodles</li>
<li style="text-align: justify;">1/2 cup soy sauce</li>
<li style="text-align: justify;">6 tablespoons sesame oil</li>
<li style="text-align: justify;">1 clove garlic - minced</li>
<li style="text-align: justify;">1/2 cup brown sugar</li>
<li style="text-align: justify;">2 tablespoon apple cider vinegar</li>
<li style="text-align: justify;">12 ounces skirt steak - sliced 1/4 inch thick against the grain</li>
<li style="text-align: justify;">1 yellow onion - cut into 1/4 inch wedges</li>
<li style="text-align: justify;">10 ounces shiitake mushrooms - stems discarded and heads sliced 1/4 inch thick slices</li>
<li style="text-align: justify;">1 cup shredded carrots (about 3 carrots)</li>
<li style="text-align: justify;">1/3 cup water</li>
<li style="text-align: justify;">6 cups spinach</li>
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Soak the noodles in warm water to soften, 5-10 minutes. Drain and snip into pieces with kitchen shears.</div>
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Meanwhile, combine soy sauce, 4 tablespoons sesame oil, garlic, brown sugar and vinegar in a bowl. Marinate the beef with 3 tablespoons of the soy mixture.</div>
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Heat 1 tablespoon of sesame oil in a very large skillet over high heat. Add the onion, season with salt and stir-fry 2 minutes. Add the beef and continue cooking until just cooked through. Transfer to a bowl.</div>
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Again, heat 1 tablespoon of sesame oil in the pan. Add the mushrooms and carrots, season with salt and stir-fry 3 minutes. Add the noodles and 3 tablespoons of the soy mixture. Fry for 1 minute. Add water and spinach. Cook until noodles are just tender and spinach is wilted, 3 minutes. </div>
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Add the beef, onions and remaining sauce to the pan and toss. Salt and Pepper to taste. If you like something with more kick, I bet this would taste great with some red chiles, too.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgs9P-TIIZD_K9mCki1GWsMO1JQtqOfcl0CS_Xfvizx9c4Rea36Bb5USDnA41Vh-jOShVlGs_9qGoYHkxlN_7uzaoytbuXzQJrpHHm1ph2YQGonOVvsTwclqAPbw7Rv9noyWAjLiygl7wE/s1600/Dinner+127.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgs9P-TIIZD_K9mCki1GWsMO1JQtqOfcl0CS_Xfvizx9c4Rea36Bb5USDnA41Vh-jOShVlGs_9qGoYHkxlN_7uzaoytbuXzQJrpHHm1ph2YQGonOVvsTwclqAPbw7Rv9noyWAjLiygl7wE/s1600/Dinner+127.JPG" height="480" title="Korean Beef Noodles" width="640" /></a></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15153743926624409739noreply@blogger.com8