But my love, hate relationship with avocado dissipated when I came across Alton Brown’s guacamole.
I had an avocado laying around, as I had planned to introduce it to my little one. But since I took my sweet time, I figured I better have the adults consume it in the form of guacamole instead. I am not going to repeat the recipe here, as I followed it exactly. The Food Network came through once again!
Getting the actual samples was a bit of a task in itself, but once I finally got my hands on them I was pretty excited to try them out. First I tried the the primavera vegetable risotto. Now, hubby was of course a part of all the tastings and his opinion will be reflected in my overall taste and tell.
Overall, I had a positive impression of the risotto. Texture wise, in my opinion, it’s what a risotto should be. Creamy, but not too creamy. However, there was a bit of a vinegary or somewhat sour taste to it. I would say a bit too much of it. This was also true of the mushroom and green bean risotto as well as the roasted potatoes and green beans. I am not sure if there is a tad too much vinegar added or maybe it had to do with the fact that by the time my package finally made it to me, the food was mostly defrosted.
The next night I paired the mushroom and green bean risotto with some baked salmon. I baked the salmon very simply, for approximately 25 minutes at 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Seasoned it with salt, fresh ground black pepper and lemon juice of a fresh lemon. This made for a great weeknight dinner. How can you beat having a side dish in four minutes?
I paired the roasted potatoes with green beans with some breaded cod. This was a very well received dinner. Once again, weeknight dinner with a great side in less than a half an hour.
I have to say that creamed spinach was my favorite one, of all the Birds Eye samples I received. Creamed spinach could be a side all on its own. However, I decided to mix it in with some pasta. I boiled some pasta and cooked the creamed spinach according to the directions on the package (another 3 minute quicky). Once both were ready, I mixed the spinach into the pasta, added some slivered almonds and some shredded mozzarella cheese. After combining all the ingredients I popped this casserole of sorts into the oven for about 15 minutes. Once 15 minutes were up, I garnished the pasta with a sprig of cilantro (I add cilantro to almost everything), and dinner was served.
The takeaway from my experience tasting Bird’s Eye Chef’s favorites: these dishes make great sides for weeknight dinners as there is no hassle with preparation. You just take packet, as purchased. Pop it in the oven for 3-5 minutes (depending on the strength of your microwave and the food you’re cooking). Once time is up, all you have to do is empty the packet onto a serving dish or a plate. It’s that simple! Hopefully, the vinegary/sour taste of the risottos and the roasted potatoes was only due to the defrosted goods upon delivery, and therefore only specific to my samples.
I call this, pelmeni face. Simply place some pelmeni on a plate, cut a tomato in half and place on each side of the pelmeni, creating ears. Place two blueberries on top of the pelmeni, to create two blue eyes. Add a piece of butter for a cute nose, and a slice of peach for a smiling mouth. The ground black pepper makes for cute freckles, don’t you think?
M, big props on this very creative idea!
Moms and Dads, do you have any other fun tricks up your sleeves for fun kids’ meals?
I was very excited to try this coffee. One problem though…this gal doesn’t own a coffee maker. So here I face a dilemma, I’ve got great coffee and no way to brew it. This is the time to get creative, and so I did. I used, drum roll please…a tea pot. It totally makes sense, a tea pot has a an infuser, which doubles as a coffee filter, when no coffee maker is in site. With this set up I proceeded to make, what we call Coffee Glisse, which is simply, coffee with ice cream. I decided to add a little kick to my version.
Coffee Glisse
Ingredients:
Godiva Chocolate Truffle Coffee
1 shot Kahlua
1 shot Original Baileys Irish Cream
1 Scoop of Coffee Ice Cream
Preparation:
Brew coffee and pour into cup. Add Kahlua and Baileys. Top with a scoop of coffee ice cream.
I have to admit, 1 shot of each, Kahlua and Bailey’s, might have been a bit much. Half a shot of each would have been just as good.
I took a simpler route with the Hazelnut Creme coffee. I also had the help of a cezve, courtesy of my parents. All I did was place four teaspoons of Godiva’s Hazelnut Creme ground coffee into the cezve and top it with boiled water. I heated the cezve over the stove for a few minutes, and poured into a cup. Topped with some skim milk, added two teaspoons of sugar…and oh my…I was in heaven. Absolutely delicious!
As delicious as Godiva chocolate is, Godiva coffee is exquisite. The aroma draws you in like nothing else.
So make yourself a cup of delicious Godiva coffee, sit back and take it all in…
Today, I have a very special treat for all of you. My restaurant review series, which has become a staple of sorts on the blog, is being taken up a notch. All thanks to my friend Lyuba. Lyuba not only took part in spoiling me, with an absolutely fabulous dinner for my birthday, but she also graciously agreed to write this incredible review of our experience. So without further ado, I present to you Lyuba’s review of The House. And if you love Lyuba’s commentary as much as I do, please do leave some blog lovin’ in the form of comments, to encourage Lyuba to come back again soon!
Get to know me:
Many of you may remember me from such hits as “hot chicks with skillets” from the “cooking with..” portion of Dimple Arts. For the 99.9% of you that don’t, allow me to introduce myself. One thing you absolutely must know about me is that as much as I love cooking, I love going out and having someone do it for me even more. But it’s not just about the food; restaurants, like people, have personalities. Some are all about looks and some are all about substance. Some are pretentious and others humble and understated. When looking for a restaurant, we look for one that works with not only our food preference, but personality and mood as well. As a frequent diner and traveler, I find that a good restaurant, like a man, is hard to find and reviews don’t always tell the right story since reviewers, as people, also have personalities and different backgrounds. In the era of Yelp, anyone with a computer is suddenly a critic. So I say this now, I am not a food critic…I do dine out a lot, like good food at a reasonable price, and am known for giving good restaurant advice.
The Place:
Last Friday, I had the immense pleasure of taking out our very own blogger-extraordinaire, Julia, out for her B-day at one of my favorite restaurants in San Francisco, The House. Located in the heart of the bustling and parking-challenged North Beach district, or San Francisco’s claim to having an actual Italian community (please… the sleazy waiters at Steps of Rome DO NOT COUNT), this place truly pleases the senses without overwhelming them. In short, the food is great, the dress code is casual, and the décor is minimal. Don’t get me wrong, I am the first to admit that I tend to get suckered in to over-paying by giant Buddha statues, hipster chandeliers, and other gimmicks of the sort that pretentious restaurants employ, but sometimes it’s just nice to get the fancy food and not have to spend hours putting on your face and bunion-busting heels.
The Ambiance: Good for: Dates, groups of 4 or less, weeknights, pre-night out dinner.
This is not a bar scene, nor is it for decking out or people watching, although, Clive Owen did come here while filming “Ernest Hemingway” a couple of months ago. Expect a small space, tables almost too close for comfort, and the crowd to be on average, 35-40 year old eHarmony daters.
The Price: $42/person on average
The Food: I hate to bring up the cliché-ridden genre of Asian Fusion, but this place does generally fall into this category.
For all you oyster lovers, I am starting a cult and I am calling it “The House”, but seriously, living in SF, we are truly spoiled when it comes to seafood–especially raw seafood –and this place definitely ranks among my Top 5 for freshness, texture, and taste. Drizzle some of their delicious mignonette for the complete experience.
Ahi tuna tartare with roasted nori chips–The worst thing about ordering tuna tartar is the impossibility of actually getting it inside your mouth. Unlike other places, where the tuna and avocado flee at the sight of a cracker, leaving you poking at the plate for tiny morsels of fallen tuna, the house not only creates just the right consistency so that the good stuff stays in one piece, but they also serve it already doled out on top of the crackers, which are large enough for you to actually hold on to, resulting in less mess and more tuna. The flavor is balanced with just enough avocado and wasabi and just the right amount of zest in the fish itself.
Next, and not nearly as earth-shattering, we had the Asparagus with roasted sesame dressing. As my jewish grandfather says: “Eh…” nothing to write home about, so I won’t. Get it only if you like veggies with your meal.
Warm wasabi house noodles with angus flatiron steak- now that’sa what I calla a good pasta! Delicious and satisfying– get the steak on the rare side if you can handle it, the juicier the better. Guaranteed to be a crowd favorite and one of the more filling items on the menu, which makes it a great value.
Grilled sea bass with garlic ginger soy- Oh how I dread ordering fish as life is like a box of bad fish, you never know what you’re gonna get. Fortunately, at The House, you get a Sea Bass that is incredibly soft and flavorful. Whew!
The Wine: Due to the lack of adventure on the part of my Riesling-loving companions, we had the 2003 German Riesling for the second time here, even though they do have quite a few great options on the list, many of which are rarely found elsewhere. Ok ok.. I have to admit, I didn’t mind too much as it does go well with the sweetness of all the sauces.
The Conclusion:
If the house teaches you anything, it is that food is a wonderful thing…if done right and for the right price. One minus is the absolute impossibility of just walking in or getting a short-notice reservation. On my newly-created scale of “go there” to “skip it”, I give this place a “go-there ”, even after downgrading for the aforementioned parking situation and the proximity of the tables. Also, did they REALLY charge me for the extra serving of pickles that come free with the meal?? Yes…they shamelessly did. The food gets a “go-there” as well, even though the desert menu lacks the Joie de Vie! of its savory counterparts. With a little less “GTL” and lots of great food, The House is a “DGT”, or a “definite go-there!”.
The contact info:
The House: www.thehse.com
1230 Grant Ave
(at Broadway St)
San Francisco, CA 94133
Neighborhood: North Beach/Telegraph Hill
(415) 986-8612
I started out simply by pulling out the manual, which doubles as a recipe book. For the first time I decided to keep it simple and try out a basic Belgian waffle recipe, nothing fancy. I didn’t really have that many ingredients to play with. I used my last two eggs for these puppies, just shows how prepared I was.
Basic Waffles
Ingredients
6 cups of unbleached all-purpose flower
1/2 cup and 2 tablespoons of sugar
1/4 cup baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
3 1/2 cups of reduced-fat milk
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
4 large eggs, lightly beaten
Preparation
Preheat the waffle maker. Mix all ingredients in the order they appear. Pour approximately 2 cups of batter on to the middle of the waffle griddle (this may vary based on the type of waffle maker you have). Close the waffle maker, cook until you hear a tone from the waffle maker (this may vary based on your waffle maker). Open waffle maker, remove waffles carefully with a heat proof spatula. The recipe makes approximately 16 waffles.
I halved the recipe, and used non-fat milk. I ended up with 8 delicious waffles. They may be over 300 calories per waffle, but do you really think about that when you’re enjoying this deliciousness with jam, maple syrup, or whatever else you put on your waffles?
Thank you L & L for this awesome gift!!! I can’t wait to try out all different types of waffles!
Foodbuzz and Frigidaire teamed up for a campaign to support Save the Children, the Kids’ Cooking Academy Summer Session. By visiting my local farmer’s market and checking in via Gowalla, I contributed to this campaign, and so can you.
All you have to do is visit your local farmer’s market, and check in using Gowalla, to help give more children access to fresh foods.
As for me, I checked out my local farmer’s market for the first time, and picked up a few goodies. However, I will be returning to an old favorite farmer’s market, even though it is further away. I do like my variety (I was a little disappointed by the lack of selection). I guess location isn’t everything.
I found a great recipe on Epicurious App, which is just as easily found on the Epicurious website. I knew going in that I didn’t have the required walnuts, due to a miscommunication with hubby, which left me with raw, unsalted, whole almonds. No worries, this did not deter me. I had some pecan chips on hand and used those. However, as I started the preparation process, I realized that I didn’t have enough flour…Now this put a bit of a damper on my plans.
But no fear, with quick thinking I decided to substitute half the flour with matzo meal. I was concerned that the bread wouldn’t turn out just right. When I mixed all the ingredients, I crossed my fingers and put the batter in the oven.
I was very happy to see the bread turn out just right. It was fresh and moist, and I received a lot of compliments. Try it, you might just like it.
It was a only about 2 years, while out at lunch with some coworkers, someone suggested we order agedashi tofu. I was up to try something new (as I usually tend to be these days). When I tried my first piece of agedashi tofu, I thought it was amazing! Crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. Dipped in tempura sauce. It hit the spot.
Japanese food is not something I attempt at home. It’s one of the cuisines I enjoy going out for. But I decided to try making my own agedashi tofu. I found a tutorial on how to make your own agedashi tofu on youtube.com (there is modern technology for ya). I realized that there wasn’t much to it at all. All I needed was some corn starch, firm tofu, vegetable oil and tempura sauce. Agedashi tofu is now a great quick snack that I can make at home.
Agedashi Tofu
Ingredients
Corn starch
1 package of firm or extra firm tofu
Vegetable oil for frying
Tempura sauce for dipping
Preparation:
In a skillet heat vegetable oil. Cut the tofu into even cubes. I cut it into about 12 equal cubes. Drench each tofu cube in corn starch and fry in the oil. Cook the cubes in the skillet, turning until the tofu cubes are golden. Serve immediately with tempura sauce.
Didn’t I tell you it is super easy?!
These days we try to use these occasions to try new (new to us) and interesting restaurants . This time we decided to try out Gitane in San Francisco. It came highly recommended by a friend. Since I also had the opportunity to try their beignets, I was definitely intrigued and wanted to check out the food.
Overall, we came away with a positive impression. The restaurant is tucked away in a little alley, and unless you’re looking for it, you probably won’t come across it easily. Once inside, you’ll be taken upstairs to the dining room. The dining room is pretty small, and from what I could gather could seat somewhere about 30 to 40 people. I have to warn you, there is only one restroom for the entire place (including the bar). Be prepared for a wait, if you need to use the facilities.
The food at Gitane is inspired by the Iberian Peninsula, with foods from Spain, Portugal, Southern France and Morocco. We opted for our usual way, share a bunch of little plates, to get a good overview of the food. Unfortunately, we got a little carried away and ordered so much that we never got to dessert. However, I still vouch for the beignets (they come with three different sauces). Here is what was on our dinner table last Saturday.
Bacon Bonbons – prunes stuffed with goat cheese, wrapped in smoked bacon, spiced port glaze – $10
Espargos – grilled asparagus, cured pork loin, egg mimosa, lemon, olive oil – $10
Tartare – lamb tenderloin, walnut & red pepper, mint, fava puree, black olive – $18
Carbassa – squash blossom, farmers cheese, smoked tomato vinaigrette, zucchini – $12
I have to say my most favorite out of the above mentioned were the bacon bonbons. The combination of the salty bacon and sweet prunes was just right. The asparagus was very nicely grilled, not too soft. I really enjoyed the squash blossoms. The farmers cheese was warm inside its fried shell. The zucchini was very refreshing. I did feel that the lamb tenderloin was quite a bit salty.
Bastilla – sweet & savory pastry with chicken, spiced almonds, apricot fennel salad – $13
Sardinas – semolina crusted sardines, hearts of palm, grapes, verjus creme fraiche – $12
Coca Catalan Flatbread – with serrano ham, baby chard, manchego – $16
Patatas Bravas – yukon gold potatoes, lemon aioli – $6
I am generally a fan of sardines, but as hubby noted, they were very fishy. The sweet & savory pastry was very interesting. The pastry was savory with meat inside but was topped with powdered sugar. I found the combination very tasty. Unfortunately, we overestimated our abilities and barely had any strength for the flatbread and potatoes. I tried one of each (I wouldn’t have forgiven myself if I didn’t).
On the down side, since we couldn’t really tackle the flatbread and potatoes, I asked for the waiter to pack them to go, as well as for the check. Unfortunately, at this point the service suddenly slowed down. For some reason it took a while for us to get the check, and apparently our doggy bag was forgotten. We got tired of waiting for the check, and decided not to even bother with asking about the doggy bag.
All in all, good food, nice atmosphere. I would suggest giving it a try.
