Pink's is a place I have heard about my whole life being someone who loves food, celebs and kitsch.
I forgot all about Pink's though...how could I have done that?!?! But the hot dog gods were shining down on us last Friday. We were driving down La Brea and there it was a beacon of gleaming deliciousness with a line around the corner. I think I let out a little yelp and once I explained to Michael that no he had not just run over a celebrity that I was screeching for Pink's Hot Dogs it was decided we would head back for lunch after our museum visit.
We easily found meter parking across the street at around 2pm (ish) on a Friday. (You can also get free valet parking in their lot if you wish...)The line spanned around the building. Being a food geek I know that this is common for Pinks and had no problem waiting. We figured-it's hot dogs so it can't be too terribly long of a wait.
In the end the wait was around 25 minutes. People passed the pink paper menus around to each other so you could see the different dogs. I of course did not pass my menu back but kept it as a souvenir.
Ok, why is Pink's famous? It has been on the same location since 1939 starting as an original food cart and growing into the stand it is today. Celebs come here at all hours of the day and night. We are all equal at Pink's!
Why else is Pink's famous? Well it has to be those delicious dogs in so many variations I can't list them all. The dogs are made especially for them by a private company. Nobody else can get these dogs so they are pretty special before you even start topping them.
You step up to the counter and place the food order for your entire party, then you slide down to the register and order drinks and pay. Your food joins you there-the entire order put together by the same person and in less than a minute or two no matter how much you order.
The choices are pretty endless-
The Bacon Burrito Dog, Mushroom Swiss Dog, The Bacon Chili Cheese Dog...etc etc. Then the names get more Hollywood-
The Three Dog Night-3 dogs wrapped in a giant tortilla, 3 slices of cheese, 3 slices of bacon, onion and chili...you get the picture....
We decided on the following selections of goodness-a mild polish dog with mustard and chili for me, the Rosie O'Donnell and Pastrami Reuben Dog for Michael and Zoe...well she broke all the rules. A plain dog with ketchup only. Ketchup is a dirty word at a joint like Pink's. That is just not how they roll, but that IS how Zoe rolls so ketchup it was.
My dog was giant-9+inches covered in yellow mustard and chili sauce. The chili was the meaty thick stuff that you want for your dog. The bun was warm and soft. The yellow mustard was the perfect foil for the fat in the dog. It was my only lunch food and I couldn't finish it, there was just so much.
Michael LOVED the Reuben dog-pastrami, swiss, mustard and kraut on a dog. Genius idea really...He thought the pastrami itself was quality stuff-and this from an East Coast guy who knows what he is talking about. The Rosie O'Donnell was mustard, chili, onions and kraut. More traditional and he liked it but after that pastrami dog it was a let down for him.
Zoe declared her dog with ketchup delicious as was her orange crush served in a glass bottle.
The whole meal including a bag of chips and 3 drinks was $24. I would definitely wait in line again for some Pink's dog love.
Wednesday, July 27, 2011
Tuesday, July 26, 2011
Los Angeles-The Waffle A Review
The Waffle
6255 W Sunset Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90028
(323) 465-6901
www.thewaffle.us
A month or so ago I was watching "The Best Thing I Ever Ate" on Food Network and saw a piece about red velvet waffles at The Waffle in Los Angeles. Not only did I take note, as I was heading to LA at least 3 of my friends told me to please try them while I was in LA. No need to ask me twice!
The Waffle is a family (and according to their website) pet friendly little gem decorated in a 60's style decor. They have a wide variety of comfort classics like tuna melts and mac n' cheese. Their namesake and specialty is waffles.
The Waffle features 10+ breakfast waffles such as smoked salmon, sticky bun and more traditional flavors like blueberry lemon. Waffles are also used as bread for sandwiches-like egg or meatloaf.
I ordered the famous Red Velvet's and was NOT disappointed. The outside was crisp, the inside was light and fluffy-exactly perfectly cooked. The flavor was a perfect red velvet-light chocolate, mild tang. The topping was a diabetic shock inducing amount of cream cheese icing. It was tasty and it melted over the hot waffles. It was also too much icing. It made the waffles a bit soggy for me, and if (when) I get to do it all again I will ask for either half the amount or icing on the side. It did not slow me down though! I ate the lot of it. The Red Velvet like most of the breakfast waffles was $10.50. The other meals at our table were a kids waffle/egg/bacon combo that was cute-petite little waffle with sprinkles and 1 scrambled egg and bacon-$6.50, and a ham and egg breakfast for my husband. He thought it was fine but feels he should not have branched out from the waffles-thought it was a little in need of seasoning-the potatoes specifically.
Our meal was $30 plus tax/tip. The service was great, parking was on the street and plentiful when we were there at 10am on a Friday. I doubt I would go for anything other than waffles but I would certainly go back for waffles any time!
6255 W Sunset Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90028
(323) 465-6901
www.thewaffle.us
A month or so ago I was watching "The Best Thing I Ever Ate" on Food Network and saw a piece about red velvet waffles at The Waffle in Los Angeles. Not only did I take note, as I was heading to LA at least 3 of my friends told me to please try them while I was in LA. No need to ask me twice!
The Waffle is a family (and according to their website) pet friendly little gem decorated in a 60's style decor. They have a wide variety of comfort classics like tuna melts and mac n' cheese. Their namesake and specialty is waffles.
The Waffle features 10+ breakfast waffles such as smoked salmon, sticky bun and more traditional flavors like blueberry lemon. Waffles are also used as bread for sandwiches-like egg or meatloaf.
I ordered the famous Red Velvet's and was NOT disappointed. The outside was crisp, the inside was light and fluffy-exactly perfectly cooked. The flavor was a perfect red velvet-light chocolate, mild tang. The topping was a diabetic shock inducing amount of cream cheese icing. It was tasty and it melted over the hot waffles. It was also too much icing. It made the waffles a bit soggy for me, and if (when) I get to do it all again I will ask for either half the amount or icing on the side. It did not slow me down though! I ate the lot of it. The Red Velvet like most of the breakfast waffles was $10.50. The other meals at our table were a kids waffle/egg/bacon combo that was cute-petite little waffle with sprinkles and 1 scrambled egg and bacon-$6.50, and a ham and egg breakfast for my husband. He thought it was fine but feels he should not have branched out from the waffles-thought it was a little in need of seasoning-the potatoes specifically.
Our meal was $30 plus tax/tip. The service was great, parking was on the street and plentiful when we were there at 10am on a Friday. I doubt I would go for anything other than waffles but I would certainly go back for waffles any time!
Saturday, July 2, 2011
Jennie's Diner - Amazing Fried Chicken!
Based on a recommendation from our friend Nate we decided to try out Jennie's Diner (2575 Lincoln Highway, Ronks PA 17572) when visiting Lancaster, Pennsylvania. We were going to be nearby anyways and the online reviews talked about giant portions, delicious chicken and a fun Americana atmosphere. It sounded like a perfect ending to our visit to Pennsylvania.
First of all, if you have seen that show on Food Network "Diners, Drive-ins and Dives" this place qualifies as a #1 Dive! I mean that in a good way though. The place is right off a busy county road, railcar style (long and skinny) with the kitchen in the back. When we walked in I was on sensory overload for a minute-the red white and blue garland around photos of local service men and women hung as trim around the ceiling, the waitresses in tye-dyed Jennie's t-shirts, the smell of gravy and grease and the din of the crowd.
Even though the diner was full we were seated pretty quickly as the waitresses keep things moving. The menu is 3 pages of diner fare including a handwritten specials list that has at least 35 different meals on the specials page. They serve hot opens, salads, burgers and other comfort classics like fried chicken and meatloaf.
We decided on cheeseburger and fries for Zoe, hot open turkey for me and the fried chicken for Michael. The burger was standard stuff, tasty but nothing special. To my disappointment the waitress ordered me a hot roastbeef not turkey and because she was a little on the surly side I decided to not make waves and just stick with it. The sandwich contained close to a pound of beef between 2 slices of white bread and a giant scoop of mashed potatoes. The whole thing was liberally dosed in homemade beef gravy. The gravy was peppery and had a beefy taste and a silky texture and look. The potatoes were creamy and lovely with that gravy. The beef was really dry. If there had not been a top slice of bread soaking up all that gravy it probably would have been fine, but without direct gravy contact it just wasn't doing it for me....my bad for not insisting on what I ordered (which I hear is quite good).
Michael got the famed chicken platter. It came with 2 vegetable sides, a giant scoop of mashed potatoes in chicken gravy (yum!) and at least 6 or seven pieces of chicken. The chicken was one of those smaller roasters, but given that number of pieces you don't mind at all. The chicken was hot, crisp and juicy all the way to the bone. I have had fried chicken at Hattie's in Saratoga-fabled to have some of the best in the country. I have made Emeril's amazing recipe for fried chicken and have had fried chicken in both Atlanta and Austin. None of that chicken even comes close to this chicken. The breading was simple-salt, pepper, flour and maybe something to give it a tiny touch of sweetness. I am not sure what that is though but plan to figure it out. That flavor unlike most chicken ran right through to the bone. Other reviewers have suggested that Jennie's uses shmaltz (chicken fat) in their cooking and this would make sense based on being in Pennsylvania Dutch country...I don't know what they used but I really wish Jennie and her chicken were NOT 5 hours away.
The chicken was so good that it overcame my dry beef the so-so burger and the fact that someone had recently cleaned both bathrooms with straight bleach-by the gallon. It made me tear right up, and they didn't wipe away a good portion of that bleach.
That chicken was so good that I am now on a mission to replicate it as soon as possible.
Jennie is cash only, but for your convenience has an ATM onsite. Our meal with tip was $30. Dress-super casual.
Do not pass by Jennie and her chicken!
Thanks Nate!
First of all, if you have seen that show on Food Network "Diners, Drive-ins and Dives" this place qualifies as a #1 Dive! I mean that in a good way though. The place is right off a busy county road, railcar style (long and skinny) with the kitchen in the back. When we walked in I was on sensory overload for a minute-the red white and blue garland around photos of local service men and women hung as trim around the ceiling, the waitresses in tye-dyed Jennie's t-shirts, the smell of gravy and grease and the din of the crowd.
Even though the diner was full we were seated pretty quickly as the waitresses keep things moving. The menu is 3 pages of diner fare including a handwritten specials list that has at least 35 different meals on the specials page. They serve hot opens, salads, burgers and other comfort classics like fried chicken and meatloaf.
We decided on cheeseburger and fries for Zoe, hot open turkey for me and the fried chicken for Michael. The burger was standard stuff, tasty but nothing special. To my disappointment the waitress ordered me a hot roastbeef not turkey and because she was a little on the surly side I decided to not make waves and just stick with it. The sandwich contained close to a pound of beef between 2 slices of white bread and a giant scoop of mashed potatoes. The whole thing was liberally dosed in homemade beef gravy. The gravy was peppery and had a beefy taste and a silky texture and look. The potatoes were creamy and lovely with that gravy. The beef was really dry. If there had not been a top slice of bread soaking up all that gravy it probably would have been fine, but without direct gravy contact it just wasn't doing it for me....my bad for not insisting on what I ordered (which I hear is quite good).
Michael got the famed chicken platter. It came with 2 vegetable sides, a giant scoop of mashed potatoes in chicken gravy (yum!) and at least 6 or seven pieces of chicken. The chicken was one of those smaller roasters, but given that number of pieces you don't mind at all. The chicken was hot, crisp and juicy all the way to the bone. I have had fried chicken at Hattie's in Saratoga-fabled to have some of the best in the country. I have made Emeril's amazing recipe for fried chicken and have had fried chicken in both Atlanta and Austin. None of that chicken even comes close to this chicken. The breading was simple-salt, pepper, flour and maybe something to give it a tiny touch of sweetness. I am not sure what that is though but plan to figure it out. That flavor unlike most chicken ran right through to the bone. Other reviewers have suggested that Jennie's uses shmaltz (chicken fat) in their cooking and this would make sense based on being in Pennsylvania Dutch country...I don't know what they used but I really wish Jennie and her chicken were NOT 5 hours away.
The chicken was so good that it overcame my dry beef the so-so burger and the fact that someone had recently cleaned both bathrooms with straight bleach-by the gallon. It made me tear right up, and they didn't wipe away a good portion of that bleach.
That chicken was so good that I am now on a mission to replicate it as soon as possible.
Jennie is cash only, but for your convenience has an ATM onsite. Our meal with tip was $30. Dress-super casual.
Do not pass by Jennie and her chicken!
Thanks Nate!
Thursday, June 30, 2011
Get your meat on...Brazilian Style
The family and I are in Southeastern Pennsylvania to visit Sesame Place and decided to start our vacation out right by having a really nice dinner. We did a little internet searching and settled on na'Brasa in Horsham. (http://www.nabrasa.com/)
Our research included the standard places-yelp, chow hound and trip advisor. na'Brasa was the #3 restaurant in Horsham on Trip Advisor. (The #2 restaurant listed is closed, just FYI).
Reservations were made using Opentable.com. The restaurant had low lighting, linen tableclothes and napkins and a very relaxed feel. If you have never been to a Brazilian Steakhouse here is the basic premise-you pay a premium per person for dinner (in our case $34.95/pp) as you have the opportunity to litterally eat pounds and pounds of quality meats and sides. There is always an enormous salad bar with 20+ options that you start with. Each person has a stone, token, button or other marker in front of them and you turn it to "go" or "stop". When you turn the marker to "go" the fun starts. Gauchos ("cowboys") start bringing skewers of roasted meats/sausage/chicken to the table and slice you off a hunk right there. They will come about 1 per minute each with a different option to try, so you need to turn your marker over to "stop" so you can eat and catch up. You can go on like this until you have had your fill.
So na'Brasa met the basic mold of a Brazilian restaurant. In our case the salad bar was more of an antipasti bar with assorted cheeses (goat cheese encrusted with pistachio, dill havarti), salumi's, tomato boccancini salad, cold marinated vegetables. Everything I tried was great. I of course think that if you are allowing me to consume slabs of goat cheese then you are the best restaurant around...The cheeses and the salumi selection were surprisingly high quality for a non-Italian place.
While we filled our plates for the salad bar we were brought a few small tapas style dishes at our table-cheese puffs (tiny savory cream puffs filled with aged cheddar) and miny meatballs. Zoe went to town on those meatballs, but their texture didn't quite work for me. They tasted a little mealy to me. I could have snacked on those warm cheesey bites all night though (and I sort of did..)
The whole time we were eating the salad Zoe kept asking if she could turn her marker over. Finally, all 3 of us did at the same time and within 1 minute we had 3 or 4 types of meat on our plates. Highlights for me were the filet in garlic sauce and the sausage. The filet was like buttah-no knife needed and the garlic sauce was luxurious. The sausage (which we waited a long time for, but it was worth it) had a good char on the skin and once it cooled enough to eat I noted a nice heat to it. It was a kielbasa style sausage and it had some bite.
Other faves at our table included the lamb and the chicken or beef wrapped in bacon.
Kids 6 and under eat for $5 and we ate enough to be completely full without sickened. You could easily go whole hog here and try all 14 types of meat including the salmon. If in the suburbs of Philly I highly recommend na'Brasa. (Casual attire is just fine!)
Our research included the standard places-yelp, chow hound and trip advisor. na'Brasa was the #3 restaurant in Horsham on Trip Advisor. (The #2 restaurant listed is closed, just FYI).
Reservations were made using Opentable.com. The restaurant had low lighting, linen tableclothes and napkins and a very relaxed feel. If you have never been to a Brazilian Steakhouse here is the basic premise-you pay a premium per person for dinner (in our case $34.95/pp) as you have the opportunity to litterally eat pounds and pounds of quality meats and sides. There is always an enormous salad bar with 20+ options that you start with. Each person has a stone, token, button or other marker in front of them and you turn it to "go" or "stop". When you turn the marker to "go" the fun starts. Gauchos ("cowboys") start bringing skewers of roasted meats/sausage/chicken to the table and slice you off a hunk right there. They will come about 1 per minute each with a different option to try, so you need to turn your marker over to "stop" so you can eat and catch up. You can go on like this until you have had your fill.
So na'Brasa met the basic mold of a Brazilian restaurant. In our case the salad bar was more of an antipasti bar with assorted cheeses (goat cheese encrusted with pistachio, dill havarti), salumi's, tomato boccancini salad, cold marinated vegetables. Everything I tried was great. I of course think that if you are allowing me to consume slabs of goat cheese then you are the best restaurant around...The cheeses and the salumi selection were surprisingly high quality for a non-Italian place.
While we filled our plates for the salad bar we were brought a few small tapas style dishes at our table-cheese puffs (tiny savory cream puffs filled with aged cheddar) and miny meatballs. Zoe went to town on those meatballs, but their texture didn't quite work for me. They tasted a little mealy to me. I could have snacked on those warm cheesey bites all night though (and I sort of did..)
The whole time we were eating the salad Zoe kept asking if she could turn her marker over. Finally, all 3 of us did at the same time and within 1 minute we had 3 or 4 types of meat on our plates. Highlights for me were the filet in garlic sauce and the sausage. The filet was like buttah-no knife needed and the garlic sauce was luxurious. The sausage (which we waited a long time for, but it was worth it) had a good char on the skin and once it cooled enough to eat I noted a nice heat to it. It was a kielbasa style sausage and it had some bite.
Other faves at our table included the lamb and the chicken or beef wrapped in bacon.
Kids 6 and under eat for $5 and we ate enough to be completely full without sickened. You could easily go whole hog here and try all 14 types of meat including the salmon. If in the suburbs of Philly I highly recommend na'Brasa. (Casual attire is just fine!)
Sunday, April 10, 2011
Eating My Way Through NYC -Day 2
The big meal of the day was definitely at Eataly, the Mario Batali project on 23rd and 5th. This place is eatery combo food and kitchen wares market. The thread that holds it all together is Italy.
There are 3 different sit down spots within Eataly. All 3 have their own seating and hostess. They are veggies, seafood, pizza/pasta. Additionally there are the following other spots- raw bar, wine bar, salumaria (ass't cured meats, salami being one of them), rotisserie chicken, gelataria, coffee bar, dessert bar and sandwich bar. These spots had limited seating and in some areas people were just milling about standing and noshing on a plate of cured meats and cheese whilst balancing a glass of wine.
Eataly also sports a scratch bakery, butcher, seafood bar, produce and other staples like milk and eggs.
While waiting for our table I spent some time looking around. So many types of pasta-lasagna noodles at least a foot long, all manner of cork screw and curly q's and everything in between. Barilla pasta is a major sponsor of this venture and their product was prominent. However there were at 20 varieties of Barilla Regionals all of which were new to me. Also many types of sauces, pesto's, jams, oils, and exquisite balsamic vinegars and balsamic reductions/creams that i must try.
I won't spend much time discussing the other offerings, but if it was Italian they had at least 5 varieties of it!
We ate in the pizza/pasta area. Our waiter was fantastic. Despite how busy they were food came quickly and was freshly made. We decided to split lasagna al forno ragu and margarita pizza. The lasagna was at least 10 delicate layers of pasta with an amazing meat sauce between each layer and just enough grated cheese to give it some contrasting sharp flavor. This was not your standard heavy ricotta dish. It was light and yes I will say it again, delicate. The pizza came out screaming hot. San Marzano tomato sauce, fresh mozzerella and fresh basil on the thin crisp crust. It was exactly how I like my pizza. The sauce was slightly sweet but very tomato fkavored. The basil made it all pop.
We grabbed Zoe a gelato on the way out. She picked vanilla, and it was very good. Not the best one I have ever had but quite good.
We went on Friday night. It was beyond packed. I heard it was pretty packed on a Thursday afternoon too though. My only complaint was that I was required to keep checking in with the hostess to see if our table was ready. As unNew York as it is a buzzer would have been better. I could have kept exploring and not worrying about my table. That aside I do recommend!
There are 3 different sit down spots within Eataly. All 3 have their own seating and hostess. They are veggies, seafood, pizza/pasta. Additionally there are the following other spots- raw bar, wine bar, salumaria (ass't cured meats, salami being one of them), rotisserie chicken, gelataria, coffee bar, dessert bar and sandwich bar. These spots had limited seating and in some areas people were just milling about standing and noshing on a plate of cured meats and cheese whilst balancing a glass of wine.
Eataly also sports a scratch bakery, butcher, seafood bar, produce and other staples like milk and eggs.
While waiting for our table I spent some time looking around. So many types of pasta-lasagna noodles at least a foot long, all manner of cork screw and curly q's and everything in between. Barilla pasta is a major sponsor of this venture and their product was prominent. However there were at 20 varieties of Barilla Regionals all of which were new to me. Also many types of sauces, pesto's, jams, oils, and exquisite balsamic vinegars and balsamic reductions/creams that i must try.
I won't spend much time discussing the other offerings, but if it was Italian they had at least 5 varieties of it!
We ate in the pizza/pasta area. Our waiter was fantastic. Despite how busy they were food came quickly and was freshly made. We decided to split lasagna al forno ragu and margarita pizza. The lasagna was at least 10 delicate layers of pasta with an amazing meat sauce between each layer and just enough grated cheese to give it some contrasting sharp flavor. This was not your standard heavy ricotta dish. It was light and yes I will say it again, delicate. The pizza came out screaming hot. San Marzano tomato sauce, fresh mozzerella and fresh basil on the thin crisp crust. It was exactly how I like my pizza. The sauce was slightly sweet but very tomato fkavored. The basil made it all pop.
We grabbed Zoe a gelato on the way out. She picked vanilla, and it was very good. Not the best one I have ever had but quite good.
We went on Friday night. It was beyond packed. I heard it was pretty packed on a Thursday afternoon too though. My only complaint was that I was required to keep checking in with the hostess to see if our table was ready. As unNew York as it is a buzzer would have been better. I could have kept exploring and not worrying about my table. That aside I do recommend!
Thursday, April 7, 2011
Eating My Way Thru NYC-Night #1
So immediately upon arriving in NYC we made a beeline for food of course. We had a place in mind, but arrived in town a little late and couldn't make that work. So we were walking and a place with yellow lettering in their window caught our attention. Words like homemade pie, thick shakes and fried chicken ALWAYS catch my eye! So we thought what the heck, let's give it a whirl.
In we went to Hill Country Chicken on 1123 broadway, corner of 25th. It had a feel of friendly Southern diner, lots of tables on the main floor and the basement level had wonderful huge booths, perfect for big groups. The place is counter service only, and I have to say the service was better than usual for NYC, downright friendly.
Zoe got the kids coop for $6.50-2 giant hand battered chicken tenders, a lunchbag full of fresh handcut fries and a small drink. I got a salad for $10.50 - mixed greens, grape tomatoes, craisins topped with 2 tenders and honey mustard on the side. The tenders were juicy, hot and fresh. Truly the best I have had. My biscuit was a little dry, but in retrospect I probably should have gotten the honey for it. Zoe's fries were hot, fresh, thin, lightly salted. My salad greens were fresh and plentiful. The pickles- sweet bread and butter kicked up with hot pepper flakes. They are addictive. They serve Boylan's soda made with cane sugar which was yummy. Michael had a giant chicken breastwith the most interesting coating on it that was crisp, spicy yet a touch sweet. It was fresh, juicy and well worth the $6. He got a side of cheesy fried mashed potatoes that i had to stop myself from stealing. Smashed potatoes, smashed fries, cheese and bacon all in a heavenly cup of love.
They also have an assortment of shakes like black and white, and one made with their homemade ice cream and the pie of the day. Speaking of pie, they make several varieties in little personal sizes-cheddar apple, peach raspberry, coconut cream. Michael enjoyed a mini apple.
I wouldmost certainly recommend and go again. Great spot for families, and if you dont get enough to eat it is most certainly your fault.
Delicious.
In we went to Hill Country Chicken on 1123 broadway, corner of 25th. It had a feel of friendly Southern diner, lots of tables on the main floor and the basement level had wonderful huge booths, perfect for big groups. The place is counter service only, and I have to say the service was better than usual for NYC, downright friendly.
Zoe got the kids coop for $6.50-2 giant hand battered chicken tenders, a lunchbag full of fresh handcut fries and a small drink. I got a salad for $10.50 - mixed greens, grape tomatoes, craisins topped with 2 tenders and honey mustard on the side. The tenders were juicy, hot and fresh. Truly the best I have had. My biscuit was a little dry, but in retrospect I probably should have gotten the honey for it. Zoe's fries were hot, fresh, thin, lightly salted. My salad greens were fresh and plentiful. The pickles- sweet bread and butter kicked up with hot pepper flakes. They are addictive. They serve Boylan's soda made with cane sugar which was yummy. Michael had a giant chicken breastwith the most interesting coating on it that was crisp, spicy yet a touch sweet. It was fresh, juicy and well worth the $6. He got a side of cheesy fried mashed potatoes that i had to stop myself from stealing. Smashed potatoes, smashed fries, cheese and bacon all in a heavenly cup of love.
They also have an assortment of shakes like black and white, and one made with their homemade ice cream and the pie of the day. Speaking of pie, they make several varieties in little personal sizes-cheddar apple, peach raspberry, coconut cream. Michael enjoyed a mini apple.
I wouldmost certainly recommend and go again. Great spot for families, and if you dont get enough to eat it is most certainly your fault.
Delicious.
Thursday, March 17, 2011
Signs of Spring
Signs of spring are all around us today. I drove with my window rolled down while thinking how my jacket seemed to warm. I had my first iced coffee of the season, as it is strictly a warm weather treat for me. It was also warm enough out today for me to go to the local Jiffy Lube and give my car the long overdue interior cleaning that it has been begging me for. Yet, with all the telltale signs I still wasn't getting that spring is just about here...that is until I stood up from vacuuming the driver's side of my car, wondering how I could have that much salt on the rug and I saw it. Nope, it certainly wasn't a bluebird, or even a tulip beginning to bud. It was the the line at Jim's Tastee Freeze on Delaware Ave.
Hot damn! Winter is pretty much kissing us goodbye. I dropped that vacuum hose and immediately called Michael to give him the news. "Jim's is open!" We made plans to go after dinner.
Jim's is just the local soft serve joint a few minutes from our house. They are open from March til October-no specific date just when the weather turns. Cash only, open 7 days a week. They happen to have a delicious creamy soft serve that they make from a Crowley's brand ice cream base. Lots of places use that brand, but for some reason Jim's does it better. (And for all you Kurver Creme addicts...I think that stuff tastes waxy...) Jim also makes their own peanut butter topping and brownies along with other goodies.
So just a couple of weeks ago the parking lot at Jim's was literally covered with 2 feet of snow. Today there was a line of folks for large chocolate twist with rainbow sprinkles. I should have known it was coming though. This week another fare weather staple to our area opened for the season-Jumpin' Jacks in Scotia. Jacks is the greasiest of greasy burgers, fries, shakes and all the other usual stuff for a burger stand. Situated on the banks of the Mohawk River Jumpin' Jacks is a tradition that causes students (and I suspect a teacher or two) to cut school the day they open to queue up with all the other fans for the first burger of the season. We have waited in line for up to an hour to enjoy the goodness.
There are certainly other signs of spring all around me, recipes using asparagus abound in the recent issue of Cooking Light, seedlings at the Home Depot amongst others. For me though, it really isn't time to start putting those boots in the back of the closet until I've had my first Tastee Freeze.
Do you have a favorite seasonal food spot? I would love to hear about it.
Hot damn! Winter is pretty much kissing us goodbye. I dropped that vacuum hose and immediately called Michael to give him the news. "Jim's is open!" We made plans to go after dinner.
Jim's is just the local soft serve joint a few minutes from our house. They are open from March til October-no specific date just when the weather turns. Cash only, open 7 days a week. They happen to have a delicious creamy soft serve that they make from a Crowley's brand ice cream base. Lots of places use that brand, but for some reason Jim's does it better. (And for all you Kurver Creme addicts...I think that stuff tastes waxy...) Jim also makes their own peanut butter topping and brownies along with other goodies.
So just a couple of weeks ago the parking lot at Jim's was literally covered with 2 feet of snow. Today there was a line of folks for large chocolate twist with rainbow sprinkles. I should have known it was coming though. This week another fare weather staple to our area opened for the season-Jumpin' Jacks in Scotia. Jacks is the greasiest of greasy burgers, fries, shakes and all the other usual stuff for a burger stand. Situated on the banks of the Mohawk River Jumpin' Jacks is a tradition that causes students (and I suspect a teacher or two) to cut school the day they open to queue up with all the other fans for the first burger of the season. We have waited in line for up to an hour to enjoy the goodness.
There are certainly other signs of spring all around me, recipes using asparagus abound in the recent issue of Cooking Light, seedlings at the Home Depot amongst others. For me though, it really isn't time to start putting those boots in the back of the closet until I've had my first Tastee Freeze.
Do you have a favorite seasonal food spot? I would love to hear about it.
Monday, March 7, 2011
My First Bolognese
First of all, it has been way too long since my last post. Life keeps getting in the of all the yummy posts...
A few weeks ago Zoe and I cooked a dish out of her kids cookbook called Squid and Eyeballs, that was essentially Buccatini in an Asian style sauce with tiny meatballs filled with scallion and since Zoe was cooking it "love".
That day was the first time I had ever cooked Buccatini and we all loved them. Buccatini is a thick spaghetti that is hollow down the center of it. It only cooks for about 8 minutes and is meant to be al dente and therefore works well with chunky sauces or as a substitute for Asian noodles. It is NOT readily available by all your standard pasta manufacturers and we had a little trouble finding it but all of the imported brands seem to have it (except Barilla).
We decided that we would try it again with a hearty Italian-style sauce and a bolognese seemed to fit the bill. I had never made a bolognese sauce before so we did a little research on recipes and I came up with a hybrid that worked for me/us, which is below the description of bolognese.
A bolognese is a sauce originating in Bologna (no surprise there!) that is a very meaty ragu of a sauce-more chunky less saucy is a good way to describe. It works well with thicker pastas.
We used 1 pound of buccatini for 3 people to go with this recipe and we have at least one more dinner for all of us.
1 lb ground turkey*
3/4 lb ground pork
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons butter
1 onion finely diced
1 carrot finely shredded
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1/2 cup heavy cream**
3/4 cup milk
Pinch of nutmeg
1 1/4 cup white wine
32 oz canned plum tomato in juice
ground thyme, salt, pepper, crushed red pepper flakes, dried Italian seasoning (basil, oregano & parsley)
In large non-stick skillet brown the meats with the garlic and a generous sprinkling of Italian season.
While meat is cooking, prep your veggies. Dice your onions finely and cut your carrots into fine matchsticks (I cheated...I had shredded carrot left over from something else that I bought and just used that...).
Begin heating your oil and butter in a large heavy duty pot with a lid.
Drain off the excess fat from your meat and set meat aside.
Once oil and butter are heated put in veggies along with a sprinkling of dried thyme. Cook for 3-5 minutes until tender. Stir in meat and cook 2 more minutes to incorporate.
Stir in cream and milk along with a pinch of nutmeg. Allow to cook for 5-7 minutes, stirring occassionally, allowing for the liquid to melt into the meat and cook down.
Add wine, salt and pepper to taste, and allow this to reduce for another 10 minutes.
While pot is reducing blend tomatoes to a chunky sauce texture.
Once the liquid has sufficiently reduced add the blended tomato. Stir to incorporate and allow to simmer for up to 1 hour.
I added crushed red pepper and a drizzle of balsamic vinegar at the end to give the sauce a little pop and zing!
*most recipes call for 1/2 pound ground chuck and 1/2 pound of ground pork. I used what I had on hand and adjusted amounts of other ingredients to compensate.
**for more richness use all cream, for less fat use all milk.
Enjoy!
A few weeks ago Zoe and I cooked a dish out of her kids cookbook called Squid and Eyeballs, that was essentially Buccatini in an Asian style sauce with tiny meatballs filled with scallion and since Zoe was cooking it "love".
That day was the first time I had ever cooked Buccatini and we all loved them. Buccatini is a thick spaghetti that is hollow down the center of it. It only cooks for about 8 minutes and is meant to be al dente and therefore works well with chunky sauces or as a substitute for Asian noodles. It is NOT readily available by all your standard pasta manufacturers and we had a little trouble finding it but all of the imported brands seem to have it (except Barilla).
We decided that we would try it again with a hearty Italian-style sauce and a bolognese seemed to fit the bill. I had never made a bolognese sauce before so we did a little research on recipes and I came up with a hybrid that worked for me/us, which is below the description of bolognese.
A bolognese is a sauce originating in Bologna (no surprise there!) that is a very meaty ragu of a sauce-more chunky less saucy is a good way to describe. It works well with thicker pastas.
We used 1 pound of buccatini for 3 people to go with this recipe and we have at least one more dinner for all of us.
1 lb ground turkey*
3/4 lb ground pork
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons butter
1 onion finely diced
1 carrot finely shredded
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1/2 cup heavy cream**
3/4 cup milk
Pinch of nutmeg
1 1/4 cup white wine
32 oz canned plum tomato in juice
ground thyme, salt, pepper, crushed red pepper flakes, dried Italian seasoning (basil, oregano & parsley)
In large non-stick skillet brown the meats with the garlic and a generous sprinkling of Italian season.
While meat is cooking, prep your veggies. Dice your onions finely and cut your carrots into fine matchsticks (I cheated...I had shredded carrot left over from something else that I bought and just used that...).
Begin heating your oil and butter in a large heavy duty pot with a lid.
Drain off the excess fat from your meat and set meat aside.
Once oil and butter are heated put in veggies along with a sprinkling of dried thyme. Cook for 3-5 minutes until tender. Stir in meat and cook 2 more minutes to incorporate.
Stir in cream and milk along with a pinch of nutmeg. Allow to cook for 5-7 minutes, stirring occassionally, allowing for the liquid to melt into the meat and cook down.
Add wine, salt and pepper to taste, and allow this to reduce for another 10 minutes.
While pot is reducing blend tomatoes to a chunky sauce texture.
Once the liquid has sufficiently reduced add the blended tomato. Stir to incorporate and allow to simmer for up to 1 hour.
I added crushed red pepper and a drizzle of balsamic vinegar at the end to give the sauce a little pop and zing!
*most recipes call for 1/2 pound ground chuck and 1/2 pound of ground pork. I used what I had on hand and adjusted amounts of other ingredients to compensate.
**for more richness use all cream, for less fat use all milk.
Enjoy!
Tuesday, January 4, 2011
Prince Spaghetti Day
So according to my brand new Food Network calendar that I got for Christmas (Thanks Kelli!) today January 4th is National Spaghetti Day. I of course was not prepared with a big delish bowl of macaroni and sauce for the family tonight. (DiGiorno pizza and left over girl scout cookies for us tonight-don't judge!) But does it count that we eat macaroni based meals at least once a week?
My mother in law makes Sunday Gravy with meatballs, sausage, veal and pork and serves it over linguine. It is to die for. It is one of the most comforting meals on earth to me. I have learned how to make a variation on her gravy that works for me. (Tip-the recipe in The Sopranos Family cookbook is an excellent reference point to start with.) I also make a lovely chicken sauteed with mushrooms in a lemon caper sauce that I serve over spaghetti.
Spaghetti is a very versatile food and is easy enough to make and there are many fresh-style varieties available in the grocery store. (If you have access to it try the Mario Batali fresh pasta's-I know they are available at BJ's...) So that said I am going to hook you up with my turkey meatball recipe that goes quite nicely with your spaghetti. My turkey meatballs are by far my best...my beef ones are good just not as tasty (or as healthy) as these are.
mangia!
Turkey Meatballs
1 lb ground turkey
1 egg, lightly beaten
salt & pepper
1/4-1/2 cup bread crumbs-seasoned is preferred
1/3 cup grated parmigiano reggiano
2-3 Tablespoons dried italian herb mix (parsley, basil, oregano)
1 Tablespoon pressed garlic
Mix all above together until the mixture is a bit dry. Experiment with flavors. I almost always add more cheese than this and definitely more garlic but this is a good baseline. (roll a little of the mix into a ball, cook in hot oil and taste it-see what you want more or less of and mix it up)
Roll the mixture into meatballs-we roll ours rather large and get about 15 meatballs per batch. Go whatever size you desire.
We fry our meatballs to develop a bit of crust all the way around then drain on paper towels and simmer in sauce to complete the cook process. For a healthier choice bake them at 350 for 20 minutes on a baking sheet and then simmer in sauce for another 15-20 minutes.
My mother in law makes Sunday Gravy with meatballs, sausage, veal and pork and serves it over linguine. It is to die for. It is one of the most comforting meals on earth to me. I have learned how to make a variation on her gravy that works for me. (Tip-the recipe in The Sopranos Family cookbook is an excellent reference point to start with.) I also make a lovely chicken sauteed with mushrooms in a lemon caper sauce that I serve over spaghetti.
Spaghetti is a very versatile food and is easy enough to make and there are many fresh-style varieties available in the grocery store. (If you have access to it try the Mario Batali fresh pasta's-I know they are available at BJ's...) So that said I am going to hook you up with my turkey meatball recipe that goes quite nicely with your spaghetti. My turkey meatballs are by far my best...my beef ones are good just not as tasty (or as healthy) as these are.
mangia!
Turkey Meatballs
1 lb ground turkey
1 egg, lightly beaten
salt & pepper
1/4-1/2 cup bread crumbs-seasoned is preferred
1/3 cup grated parmigiano reggiano
2-3 Tablespoons dried italian herb mix (parsley, basil, oregano)
1 Tablespoon pressed garlic
Mix all above together until the mixture is a bit dry. Experiment with flavors. I almost always add more cheese than this and definitely more garlic but this is a good baseline. (roll a little of the mix into a ball, cook in hot oil and taste it-see what you want more or less of and mix it up)
Roll the mixture into meatballs-we roll ours rather large and get about 15 meatballs per batch. Go whatever size you desire.
We fry our meatballs to develop a bit of crust all the way around then drain on paper towels and simmer in sauce to complete the cook process. For a healthier choice bake them at 350 for 20 minutes on a baking sheet and then simmer in sauce for another 15-20 minutes.
Saturday, January 1, 2011
A New Year a Familar Chicken
New Year's Day is a relaxed day in our house. We don't generally go wild on NYE, but we try to toothpick our eyes open to watch the ball drop before hitting the pillows so we tend to sleep in a bit and start the day lazy. Today is no different...pajama's all around, watching t.v. and contemplating the yummy food to be made later today.
Most people plan a big spread for NYE-I have family who make surf and turf every year, others throw big parties and get their drink on all while enjoying delicious eats. I actually prefer to prepare a delicious meal on NYE that we can sit and savour with some of our closest friends.
Last year I busted out my brand new Christmas gift Bobby Flay cookbook and made us all the most amazing steak dinner ever, complete with home made steak sauce. It was delicious and indulgent and a great meal. This year I was thinking about recreating that same meal or something similar but Michael put the bug in my ear about fried chicken.
I think I can honestly say that my fried chicken is pretty darn good. The process is multi-step and takes a few hours but is completely worth it. I prefer it hot out of the fry pan but I have taken it to more than one picnic cold and had great success. Today I still need to decide if I will make mac n' cheese or mashed potatoes (or both) to go with my chicken, along with a green salad and a double chocolate cake. Here is the recipe for the chicken.
Happy New Year!
10 pieces chicken (breast, leg, thigh, etc-whatever you like)
2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cayenne
2 teaspoon black pepper
3/4 teaspoon each-garlic powder, onion powder, dried oregano and dried thyme
Large container Crisco
2 eggs
1/2 cup buttermilk
2 1/2 cups flour
Mix together the garlic powder, onion powder, dried oregano and dried thyme in a small bowl.
Toss chicken with salt, pepper, 1/2 the cayenne and 1 Tablespoon of dry spice mix. Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours
Heat shortening to 360 degrees in deep fryer, cast iron skillet or other deep fry pan. There should be enough room for the chicken to fully immerse in the pan.
Whisk together eggs, buttermilk and 1 Tablespoon of dry spice mix. In another bowl whisk together flour a pinch of salt and pepper, remaining cayenne and remaining spice mix.
Dredge chicken in flour mix, then milk mixture, then again in the flour. Shake off excess. Fry 2-4 pieces at a time. (10-12 min for dark meat, and 8-10 min for white meat) til golden brown.
Drain off excess oil on paper towel and enjoy!
Most people plan a big spread for NYE-I have family who make surf and turf every year, others throw big parties and get their drink on all while enjoying delicious eats. I actually prefer to prepare a delicious meal on NYE that we can sit and savour with some of our closest friends.
Last year I busted out my brand new Christmas gift Bobby Flay cookbook and made us all the most amazing steak dinner ever, complete with home made steak sauce. It was delicious and indulgent and a great meal. This year I was thinking about recreating that same meal or something similar but Michael put the bug in my ear about fried chicken.
I think I can honestly say that my fried chicken is pretty darn good. The process is multi-step and takes a few hours but is completely worth it. I prefer it hot out of the fry pan but I have taken it to more than one picnic cold and had great success. Today I still need to decide if I will make mac n' cheese or mashed potatoes (or both) to go with my chicken, along with a green salad and a double chocolate cake. Here is the recipe for the chicken.
Happy New Year!
10 pieces chicken (breast, leg, thigh, etc-whatever you like)
2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cayenne
2 teaspoon black pepper
3/4 teaspoon each-garlic powder, onion powder, dried oregano and dried thyme
Large container Crisco
2 eggs
1/2 cup buttermilk
2 1/2 cups flour
Mix together the garlic powder, onion powder, dried oregano and dried thyme in a small bowl.
Toss chicken with salt, pepper, 1/2 the cayenne and 1 Tablespoon of dry spice mix. Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours
Heat shortening to 360 degrees in deep fryer, cast iron skillet or other deep fry pan. There should be enough room for the chicken to fully immerse in the pan.
Whisk together eggs, buttermilk and 1 Tablespoon of dry spice mix. In another bowl whisk together flour a pinch of salt and pepper, remaining cayenne and remaining spice mix.
Dredge chicken in flour mix, then milk mixture, then again in the flour. Shake off excess. Fry 2-4 pieces at a time. (10-12 min for dark meat, and 8-10 min for white meat) til golden brown.
Drain off excess oil on paper towel and enjoy!
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