Sunday favorite: Tiny Boxwood’s

One of my dad’s most common compliments for a fabulous restaurant is this: “It doesn’t feel like you are in ______ ” (insert city that is not NYC or Paris or any other culinary capitol). While I in no way want to knock Houston or Birmingham or any other non-Paris of the world, it is true that part of a great meal is the ability to feel like you are “getting away,” even if it’s just for the duration of brunch. My favorite place to do this in Houston is at Tiny Boxwood’s. You’ll notice when you click the link that you have been directed to the website of a landscape architecture company/garden shop. Tiny’s is a small cafe located on the site of a nursery- so as you can imagine, the surroundings are gorgeous. There is some seating outside under big umbrellas, and an open dining room inside. Outside is my favorite- if you can get over the 110+ heat index, you are instantly transported to a grassy Parisian park.

Indoor Dining at Tiny's (photo from www.tinyboxwoods.com)

Cutest outdoor dining in the city, hands down (photo from www.tinyboxwoods.com)

I’ll have to admit: I’ve only been for one meal here, and that’s brunch. Tiny’s also serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner as well. The lunch menu looks particularly good- it’s next on my list to check out. There’s just something about brunch though- number one, it’s my favorite meal. If you time it right and eat enough, it can be your single significant meal for the day. Number two, coffee. And it’s great at Tiny’s.

One of the things I love most about this place is that you order at the counter. Now, it has resulted in some people waiting much longer than others for their order since they’re not grouped together. But I love it because there’s no awkward, annoying discussion of how to split the check, who’s got cash, who’s got a credit card, etc. Nothing ruins the end of a meal like that. Once you place your order, pick up your coffee drink from the bar (they’ll call your name… loudly), and head over to the water area. This usually isn’t an exciting part of a dining experience- but here, it it’s pretty cool. Tiny’ s has really awesome ice, and limes in addition to your average lemon to add to your water!

But you’re here for the food. My only complaint about the menu is that they don’t rotate it. There are certain things that change, such as the quiche filling and flavor of muffin, but other than that it’s pretty standard and pretty small. I think they would really benefit from incorporating specials into the menu from time to time. I’ll let the pictures speak for themselves. This is my go-to casual meal right now. Love that I don’t have to deal with the hassle of splitting checks or waiting for the check, but the atmosphere encourages long, leisurely meals (unless there are River Oaks vultures waiting on your table).

One of the breakfast pizzas- roasted potatoes, fried egg, basil, and some kind of cheese that I can't remember.

Muffin of the day: Raspberry

Granola, yogurt, and fruit (not mine- those who know me would figure that out due to presence of yogurt), and an amazing croissant with fresh strawberry jam. Amazing coffee and lime-water in background.

The flakiest crust you will ever put in your mouth. Delicious quiche.

Major Update! Food Galore

There are a good number of Triangle restaurants that I have visited recently, though failed to review in a timely manner. Repeat: FAIL. So it’s time to lay it out on the table and catch up! I will be covering Piedmont (Durham), Blu (Durham), Azitra (Raleigh), 42nd Street Oyster Bar (Raleigh), Busy Bee Cafe (Raleigh) and a Bravo’s Top Chef demo at the NC Farmer’s Market (Raleigh).  Fasten your seat belts.

piedmont

Piedmont [401 Foster St, Durham]— I headed here for Triangle Restaurant Week back in mid-May. Located in a fairly nondescript building, the restaurant could easily be passed without notice, but it is truly worth noticing! For starters the menu changes (often) nightly, so you can be sure you’re getting what is fresh and seasonally available. Restaurant week favorably prices lunches and dinners at $15 and $25 respectively. So at a place like Piedmont, we left with a deal.

First Course: White Sweet Potato Soup with Chive Blossoms. Smooth a creamy, with a drizzle of olive oil, the mild potato base of the soup is a solid start. But the chive blossoms add a subtle hint of sweet and oniony tang, though more delicate and less vegetal than the green chive stalk. I loved this as a not-too-filling start to a meal. Like warming up for the big race.

white sweet potato soup with chive blossoms

Another First Course option: Bruschetta with House-smoked Mahi Mahi, Dandlion Greens Salad & Pickled Red Onions. The highlights of this dish are the intense smokey flavor on the tender fish, and in my opinion, the pickled red onion. For the same reason I love pickled ginger—it’s sweet, but kind of sharp, too. Maybe I like all pickled things (save pickled pigs feet).

smoked mahi bruschetta

Main Course: Breast of Poulet Rouge with Potato, Spring Peas & Bacon Hash, & Italian Broccoli. Goodness this was incredibly delicious and flavor-packed. The boneless chicken married niceley with a bite of hash drenched in the salty, smokey, wine-based(?) sauce. I’m not sure if the bitter greens were in fact Italian broccoli (broccoli rabe) or something like turnip greens. But either way, the bitterness and droopy wilt complemented the smokey bacon flavor, tender chicken and crisp peas.

I usually don’t love plates like this, where everything is stacked atop one another. It’s just too “this is a fancy restaurant.” But I suppose it works because each bite of chicken/hash/greens/sauce is harmonious, but the kitchen doesn’t have to deliver a casserole dish to the table. Speaking of which, who’s going to open up the family-style casserole restaurant? Menu options would be things like green bean casserole (with fried onions on top), spicy spaghetti casserole, wild rice casserole and potato chip chicken casserole!

poulet rouge

Another Main Course option: Asparagus & Ricotta Ravioli with Lemon-Mint Butter Sauce & Parmesan.

ravioli

The third entrée option, unfortunately, was no longer available the evening we went. It was housemade Italian sausage with creamy polenta, Italian broccoli and tomato broth. But we did try each of the three desserts.

Dessert: Dark Chocolate Mousse with Hazelnut Biscotti. Fluffy and light, but seriously chocolatey. A few bites were plenty, and the biscotti, which I normally find brick-like and unappetizing, were quite good when lacking the anise flavor.

dark chocolate mousse

Another Dessert option: Espresso Panna Cotta with Sugar Cookies. Great flavor in a panna cotta gelatinous texture.

espresso panna cotta

And Another Dessert option: Pistachio Cake with Candied Orange Semifreddo & Orange Caramel. Amazing—still-warm cake, crunchy! I would definitely try to make something like this. It’s much like a carrot cake.

pistachio cake

Blu [2002 Hillsborough Rd, Durham]— This was my brother’s birthday dinner choice, and I was happy to be a part of it! The seasonal menu favors seafood, including some local catches, like the North Carolina trout I ordered. The fish is tender, not flaky, from sauteing in this awesome acidic and slightly buttery sauce, and encrusted with pistachios, then topped with red grapes, slightly warmed and acidic. Each bite was a perfect blend of flavors. The sides—French green beans and mashed potatoes—I’m sure were quite good, but were mostly overshadowed by the trout.

nc trout

Azitra [8411 Brier Creek Pkwy, Raleigh]— I tried to go here during restaurant week, after hearing positive reviews—from vegetarian and non-vegetarian sources alike. But Azitra is not open for Saturday lunch, when I happened to go. So just a small warning there. I went back a few weeks later for a weeknight dinner. The food completely fulfilled my desire, nay, need, for Indian food. First, it has a cool, modern interior.

azitra entrance

My table ordered the assorted naan for soakin’ up sauce! Score. Some breads had peppers baked into them, others were garlic or parsley topped. I selected the Tandoori Chicken Tikka for dinner, which came with makhni sauce, masala potatoes and basmati rice. Flavors and serving size were over the top. The tandoori-baked chicken made for superb leftovers. I completely put away the potatoes…that masala sauce is so incredible it may induce dreamy hallucinations.

tandoori chicken tikka

42nd Street Oyster Bar [508 W Jones St, Raleigh]—I went here ages ago, following Raleigh’s World BeerFest. After drinking beer all afternoon, our group was in dire need of a snackeroo, a glass of water and for moi—a glass of wine! We went splits on some appetizers and oysters. I hope to go back soon and get more of a taste of the menu selection, though this was a solid introduction. We also found that the restaurant will kindly hold your debit card if you leave it there. I would highly recommend the classic 42nd Street Baked Oysters. You will want to gulp down the oysters, and clean out the shell for every remaining breadcrumb, bit of bacon and butter.

baked oysters rockefeller—with spinach, bacon and parmesan

baked 42nd street oysters—with breadcrumb crust, bacon and spicy butter

cajun fried shrimpers

spinach artichoke dip with pita bread

Busy Bee Cafe [225 S Wilmington St, Raleigh]—This was my first meal trip to Busy Bee, and I was happily surprised by the yummy food. Since opening, Busy Bee amended the menu slightly with some seasonal additions, but everything our group ordered is still available. I should also mention that the restaurant has an enjoyable atmosphere. The multi-level space has a ground floor dining room and loft, plus an upstairs bar, and rear patio for the after-dinner crowd. You can always have a drink upstairs before dinner while you wait for your table to be put together…

For dinner I ordered the Chicken Salad Sandwich, which came on an airy croissant. The chicken salad was wonderful, but I love all kinds of chicken salad—my mom’s being my favorite, closely followed by O’Carr’s in Birmingham, AL. My mom has said before that it’s her mission to try every chicken salad possible, and I couldn’t agree more. They are all slightly different, but all good! I’ve never had a bad chicken salad…I think that would be memorable if I had. Busy Bee’s mayonaisee-based chicken salad includes some celery, apple and egg tossed in.

a perfect chicken salad croissant sangwich w/ fried green tomatoes on the side

Here are some of the other entrées ordered at our table.

tom & jack burger: fried green tomatoes and jack cheese; side of tater tots

shrimp and grits—small portion, but delicious

side of mac & cheese

grilled chicken sandwich with pear, basil and honey; also, somone likes pepper ketchup!

State Farmer’s Market [1201 Agriculture St, Raleigh]—Finally, we’ll head over to the Top Chef Demo with Carla (HOOTY HOO!?) and CJ. Former season 3 contestant CJ was preparing the menu with season 5’s Carla assisting. The dish was inspired by N.C. hog farming and our love of the pig: Spiced Pork Loin Tacos with Apple Fennel Bacon Slaw and Bacon-Fat Dressing. Since I watched the demo, I’ll give a rundown on how to make it yourself. It’s quite easy. Sorry though. No specific measurements or cooking times.

carla and cj at cooking demo

To prepare the pork loin, begin by very liberally seasoning the outside with salt and pepper. Then add a rub of cayenne, cumin and cinnamon (sort of Moroccan flavors). With some oil drizzled in a cast iron skillet, sear the sides of the pork loin to seal in the juices. Finish cooking in the oven. Once it has rested from cooking, slice thinly.

To prepare the vinaigrette, combine lemon juice, shallot, a dash of IPA (CJ used Carolina Brewing Company’s IPA), sugar, rendered bacon fat, olive oil, salt and pepper. For the salad, combine julienne apples, fennel, bacon, dates and toasted walnuts, then toss with the vinaigrette. Allow to marinate in the dressing.

CJ formed the slices of pork loin into hard shell taco shapes, and piled a scoop of the salad on top of each. Lastly, he toppped it with a bit of fresh fennel tops. These tacos were the perfect size for eating with your hands. And the flavors were absolutely spot-on with notes of sweet, smoky, citric and spicy. So amazing.

spiced pork loin tacos

Well that’s all folks. It feels good to get this food of my chest.

Holy Crêpes, Je t’aime.

Oh boy, I’ve a new trick up my sleeve! Crêpes!

ta-dah!

I got the idea while watching an episode of BBCA’s “Gordon Ramsay’s F Word,” the show which takes place in Ramsay’s F Word restaurant. The chef allows teams of participants to cook simple, but elegant 3-course meals in his kitchen, to be served to 50 guests who vote the courses up or down. If it’s good, the customer pays for it; if it’s bad, they ain’t payin’. The flashy crêpes Suzzette were featured on this particular episode. Once the crêpe has cooked, sugar and a liqueur (like Triple Sec, Cointreau or Grand Marnier) are poured over top and lit on fire to caramelize. This little trick is commonly done table-side for the ooohs and aahhhhs.

I preferred to go my own route, beginning with homemade crêpes. You can actually purchase pre-made crêpes at some grocery stores, but that’s just criminal. Because it is this easy.

necessary ingredients

Here’s what you’ll need. According to the recipe, this makes 4 servings, but I got 6 crêpes out of it.

1 cup all-purpose flour
2 eggs
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup water
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons butter, melted (I used Smart Balance 67% Buttery Spread)
* add a splash of vanilla extract for sweet crêpes; if you’re making savory, omit it.

Whisk together the eggs and mix with the flour.

adding eggs to flour

Gradually pour in the milk-water mixture. Finally add the salt and melted butter.

batter is a little clumpy, but i did not want to over-mix

Over medium high heat, line the pan with a thin layer of oil. Follow that with a 1/4 cup of crêpe batter. Tilt the pan until the batter forms a thin, even coat.

my first crêpe — a kind of gummy consistency at first

Cook on one side for about 2 minutes until edges begin to brown and loosen easily with a spatula.

edges looking good

ready to flip

Flip and cook the reverse side.

stack of beautiful, perfect crêpes

With all of the blank slates complete, it’s time to think about toppings. The options are endless here: Nutella/banana would have been my go-to if I had those items on hand, but I know better than to purchase Nutella and expect it to stay around long. So I went with raspberries, and Hershey’s syrup with powdered sugar. Place a spoonful of raspberries, or any other filling, on a quarter of the crêpe and fold in half twice. Or you can roll it.

homemade crêpes

I stored my leftovers in an airtight container and they kept nicely. The next day, sans camera, I macerated farmer’s market fresh strawberries in a good balsamic vinegar and home-grown basil leaves. After a couple of hours in the fridge, I topped a microwaved homemade crêpe with something equally as delicious.

Chubby’s Tacos…Not Texas, but close

Two friends invited me to join them on a taco adventure, and I must thank them for helping me branch out from my regular Mexican grub haunts (Armadillo, Montey’s, El Rod, La Fiesta, Chipotle). Chubby’s Tacos opened a Raleigh location recently, a second establishment of the original in Durham. And judging by the crowd (in this nondescript strip mall) word has quickly traveled about the bangin’ salsa bar, variety, fresh ingredients and relaxed atmosphere. Check the menu here. Chubby’s has acquired beverage permits now, too, so you can partake in a beer or a margarita.

What’s so great about Chubby’s? The menu is simply priced, with items served à la carte. This is especially satisfying for me because I like variety, picking and choosing a few things to try. Fresh ingredients: salsa bar, veggies, herbs. Flavors: a variety of flavor combos, beyond the traditional.

this is a proper taco meal

My order: two tacos (Carne Asada—diced seasoned steak with onions & cilantro; Grilled Tilapia—citrus marinated with chipotle cream sauce and pico de gallo). Plus, I made it a meal for an additional $2 to include rice, beans and chips. LG, what do you think? This looks like Houston food… so while you might be a little jealous, I know you’ve got at least five places down the street that offer this grub.

The carne adasa taco is my standard order, so no surprises there. The combination of spicy steak with cilantro and onions is simple, but the bright cilantro and crispy onion go great with the meat. And here’s what really makes it: soft corn tortillas…far superior to the flour.

The grilled tilapia taco was nicely balanced with a delicate chipotle sauce, not too smokey, and lightly fried fish. The pico burned so good.

The beans and rice represented the standard for most restaurants, but I add a heaping spoonful of salsa to pep it up a bit and make it spicy. Rice and beans makes it feel more like a meal, but I’ll get another outrageously good taco instead next time.

On to the salsa…

don't make me commit, i'll try them all

From top to bottom, left to right…I will do my best to remember…1. Salsa Verde 2. Habanero (Spicy!) 3. Can’t remember, but It looks like I liked it 4. Salsa Fresca 5. Guacatillo (Avocad0-Tomatillo) 6. Roasted Pepper? This bloggie got seriously distracted by consuming the salsas, and forgot their names.

Here’s a look at the day’s special: The Chubbychanga (fried tortilla, stuffed with chicken, onions, peppers), plus a side of queso dip, chips and a classic margarita on ice.

Chubby's Changa

Mas tacos

Check it: more tacos, because Chubby’s is all about variety. That’s a Chicken Fajita (seasoned chicken with lettuce and cheese) and Al Pastor (marinated pork & pineapple with cilantro and onions). In corn tortillas!

Finish it all off with something sweet.

fried plantains with sweet cream sauce

If you’re in search for an upgrade or just something different from your more frequented Mexican restaurants, why not try Chubby’s. It’s local, plus prices are reasonable. The ingredients are fresh. You’ll find tofu, tilapia and ahi tuna alongside traditional steak, chicken, shrimp and pork. And you can have it anyway you want it: taco, taquito, gordita, torta, burrito (the size of your head!), quesadillas, taco salads and nachos.

I have a feeling I’ll be going back this weekend. Any takers?

BOOM—chubby's tacos

(Late) Early Cinco de Mayo

Since I am in Texas, and thus the closest foodstalker to Mexico, I thought I should probably celebrate Cinco de Mayo on more than just the cinco this year. Since the actual day fell on a Tuesday this year, my group hit up our Tuesday Tradition- Terlingua Border Cafe for half priced fajita night! I will save that review for another Tuesday since I don’t have any pictures, but suffice it to say, it must be good if we keep coming back every week!

So, on the quatro de Mayo, I decided to start the celebration a little early with these Lime-Cilantro Pork Tacos. I have recently started basing my weekly meals on what is on sale at Central Market for the week- this particular week featured pork tenderloin, so I did a quick search and landed on this recipe. It just so happened to have three of my favorite ingredients in the title, so how could I go wrong?

 

Onions, jalapenos, and garlic going to town. Note the terrible knife skills.

 

Bowl of pork, glass of wine, smell of onions sauteing- perfection.

 

Ta-da!

I didn’t take any pictures of the actual finished product- if you thought it all looked the same color in the picture above, you should’ve seen it wrapped in a corn tortilla. What it lacked in visual presence though, it made up for in taste. I just love the combo of lime and cilantro. I ate this as leftovers for several days afterward and I enjoyed it every time. 

Cinco de Mayo Fajitas

As a Mexican food fiend, Cinco de Mayo tops my list of favorite holidays for it invites everyone to celebrate the national heritage, and the American-spin of that heritage (especially cuisine and beverages!) of our neighbors to the south. What better time to break out some smokin’ hot chicken fajitas and roasted corn salsa?

And when fajitas are on the menu…I just have to include this…I immediately think of one of my favorite Friends episodes: The One Where Ross is Fine. “Weird?! What, what’s weird? The only thing weird would be if someone didn’t like Mexican food, because I’m making FAJITAS!” The rest of the clip features Ross and margaritas—also funny.

For the chicken, I adapted Paula Deen’s Gold Medal Sizzling Fajitas marinade recipe.

MARINADE

2 tablespoons vegetable oil
juice of 1 lemon
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
dash of Texas Pete
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

in the bag and into the fridge

Seal the two skinless chicken breasts in the bag for as little as 20 minutes in the fridge. I prepared my chicken before work, and cooked it for dinner, giving the marinade extra time to work its magic.

ROASTED CORN SALSA
—making up the exact amounts here. Just go with what you like, but try these basic components.

roasted corn of two cobs
shallot, chopped
1/3 cup green bell pepper, diced
3 green onions, sliced
3 tablespoons-ish pickled jalapeño, diced* I use jarred peppers primarily because I think the degree of heat is more predictable
5 leaves basil, julienned
a few good glugs of red wine vinegar and extra virgin olive oil to toss
juice of 1/2 a lime
salt and pepper

salsa ingredients + lime

Place the corn cobs, still in the husk, in a 400° oven for about 20-25 minutes. I could have boiled the corn, but I had a lot going on on the stove top. Roasting is healthy, and for around 20 minutes it leaves the kernels crisp and fresh, not mushy. The corn looks like this when done (By the way, the foil contains the tortillas I added to the oven for the last 15 minutes of cooking.)

corn cobs & tortillas

Shuck the corn, and slice it off the cob. Toss with remaining salsa ingredients.

roasted white corn salsa

CHICKEN, PEPPERS, ONION

I preheated my indoor heavy duty grilling pan until it was smoking, then grilled the chicken for about 5-6 minutes on each side. Meanwhile, I used a separate pan for grilling a medium-sized yellow onion (halved, and sliced) and the leftover bell pepper (sliced). Coat the bottom of the pan with vegetable oil, and season the onion and pepper with salt and pepper.

boom, look at those grill marks!

With all of the components ready, it’s time to build the perfect FAJITA! I layered mine up with spinach, grilled chicken, veggies, salsa, lite sour cream, grape tomatoes, lime juice and black pepper.

my kind of fajita requires a fork

The fajita has a great base in the warmed tortilla, crunchy spinach leaves and grilled peppers and onions. Add to this the chicken, which was tender and moist with subtle hints of the marinade, particularly the lemon, and you have a meal. But the salsa added a nice note of sweetness and heat. I adore green onions and basil separately, but together, they are a masterpiece in this salsa. And every Tex-Mex dish is improved ten times by adding sour cream and the squeeze of a lime. As little as I grill chicken, now that I have a go-t0 marinade, I may try to get in the habit of planning on that for at least one meal a week. Sure could take the place of a turkey sandwich. Likewise, the salsa is a keeper recipe. It was excellent with chicken, but I could also see it working with fish, shrimp or scallops. Or forget that. Just a bag of tortilla chips will do.

Pretty food

When I logged in to the WordPress site, it said: “Welcome back, LG!” I take this to be a good sign that I am A. still welcome and B. they still remember my name. 

I can’t even begin to document all of the good (and bad- Ziggy’s, I’m looking at you…) food that I’ve eaten over the past two months, so I’ll just share some highlights! Without further ado… 

Grimaldi’s Pizzeria in Sugarland, TX. An off-shoot of the Brooklyn original! Absolutely fabulous. This was a pepperoni pie with fresh basil.

White pizza from Grimaldi's. Equally amazing.

Late night dining at BB’s Cafe in Montrose. The Southern Man: Fried catfish, cheese grits, eggs, bacon, and a biscuit.

Homemade pizza sauce for my Margherita pizza!

The finished product. Crust was a little soggy this time, but still delicious.

Five Guys Grand Opening in Houston. My life is complete.

Homemade pizza try #2. This time with pepperoni, black olives, and mushrooms (my standby). Crust was much better after pre-baking for 5 minutes.

That’s about all I’ve got after cleaning off my memory card. I ate a lot of pizza, now that I think about it. I’m ready to get back in the swing of things!

Not-so-traditional Easter dinner

My mom and I cooked Easter dinner together this year for the family, veering away from the traditional Southern route of ham, deviled eggs, potato salad, green beans and yeast rolls. Don’t get me wrong, I love that menu. Who doesn’t? But we had gone to The Fresh Market (the Disneyworld of grocery stores that originated in Greensboro, NC) the previous day, loading up on fresh, beautiful produce—so we went with this menu: Barefoot Contessa Crab Cakes with homemade Tartar Sauce, Roasted Asparagus, Caprese Salad and Oatmeal Caramel Bars. This was seriously right up my alley. Fresh, flavorful ingredients with not much “done” to them.

easter dinner

The crab cakes require a lot of dicing (sorry, LG, I know it’s not your favorite thing to do), and lots of ingredients. But they are sooo good and worth the extra effort. Lucky for me, Mom was on crab cake duty, so I covered the tartar sauce, asparagus and Caprese salad (one of my very favorite dishes).

CRAB CAKES – makes 26 small crabcakes; 6-8 servings

2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons olive oil
3/4 cup small diced red onion (1 small onion)
1 1/2 cups small diced celery (4 stalks)
1/2 cup small diced red bell pepper (1 small pepper)
1/2 cup small diced yellow bell pepper (1 small pepper)- omitted
1/4 cup minced fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 tablespoon capers, drained
1/4 teaspoon hot pepper sauce (recommended: Tabasco)
1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 1/2 teaspoons crab boil seasoning (recommended: Old Bay)- omitted; didn’t have it
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 pound lump crabmeat, drained and picked to remove shells
1/2 cup plain dry bread crumbs
1/2 cup good mayonnaise
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
2 extra-large eggs, lightly beaten for frying
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/4 cup olive oil

what you need for the crab cakes

Place the 2 tablespoons butter, 2 tablespoons oil, onion, celery, red pepper, parsley, capers, hot pepper sauce, Worcestershire sauce, salt and pepper in a large saute pan over medium-low heat and cook until the vegetables are soft, approximately 15 to 20 minutes.

veggie portion of the crab cakes

Cool to room temperature. In a large bowl, break the lump crabmeat into small pieces and toss with the bread crumbs, mayonnaise, mustard, and eggs.

uncooked portion of crab cake mixture

Add the cooked mixture and mix well. Cover and chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes. Shape into bite-sized crab cakes. I used a spoon to produce more or less uniform crab cake patties for even cooking. Plus, because they are small, they require a briefer stay in the hot oil to cook through.

fry time

Heat the butter and olive oil for frying over medium heat in a large saute pan. Add the crab cakes and fry for 4 to 5 minutes on each side, until browned. Even though they are darkening, they are not burning. It’s essential to let them brown, otherwise you’ll end up with a crispy outside, but a battery, uncooked inside. Not good.

you really do want to brown them. they are not burned.

Drain on paper towels; keep them warm in a 250° oven if necessary and serve hot with tartar sauce.

TARTAR SAUCE - with a caper twist

1/2 cup good mayonnaise
2 tablespoons small-diced pickles or cornichons
1 tablespoon Champagne or white wine vinegar
1 tablespoon capers
1 teaspoon coarse-grained mustard
Pinch kosher salt
Pinch freshly ground black pepper

homemade tartar sauce with a twist

Mix. Done.

ROASTED ASPARAGUS

giant asparagus

Now for the roasted asparagus. This is the easiest possible method for preparing vegetables (and healthy because it does not deprive the vegetable of its nutrients). To prep the asparagus, hold the stalk between the thumb and index finger of both hands, and snap in half. This removes the tough, woody portion of the stalk, and you’re left with the tender green bit. You can then trim the ends even. Next, toss in olive oil, salt, pepper and lemon zest. Place on a baking sheet in a 400° oven, roasting until the stalks are just beginning to develop golden or brown tones. I served it with a slice of prosciutto.

CAPRESE SALAD

Be still my heart. This is one of my favorite dishes. Select a variety of heirloom tomatoes (I like to mix and match the colors), fresh mozzarella di bufala, a fruity olive oil (I love the extra virgin olive oil from A Southern Season…they use it at The Weathervane, too) and a handful of fresh basil. And a good bit of salt and pepper. Layer everything up, and perfetto!

heirloom tomatoes & mozzarella—color!

with basil, extra virgin olive oil. salt and pepper

a southern season extra virgin olive oil

I love “farmer’s market meals.” What I mean by this is all of the ingredients are fresh, and they are either served uncooked or with only minimal cooking. Having sides dishes that are so simple also allows a little more time to put into the crab cakes. This was a splendid meal for welcoming in Spring and it’s good produce. It won’t be long before we’ll be feasting on the freshest watermelons, corn, zucchini, blueberries, strawberries and peaches from our local farmer’s markets.

LG, I know you’ve been busy! But get back on the foodstalking horse! This blog is just “foodstalker” without you :(

Dinner on a Dime

Last Friday after work I was craving comfort food, but with one stipulation: it had to be a budget-friendly recipe (hence, most of the ingredients had to come from my current fridge situation or pantry). That’s when I came across the section “Dinner on a Dime” at myrecipes.com. The Beef and Bok Choy Hot Pot caught my eye because Asian flavors make my palate so happy. Plus, of the ingredients, I already had on-hand the noodles, garlic, low-sodium soy sauce, rice vinegar, brown sugar, cinnamon, vegetable oil and carrots. So I picked up bok choy (a super cheap green), green onions, beef broth, ginger and beef stew meat. Surprise! The beef stew meet was a buy-one-get-one special. I paid less than $4 for about a pound, and got a second tray free. Here’s the recipe:

BEEF & BOK CHOY HOT POT

2 1/4  cups  water
3/4  cup  low-salt beef broth
1/3  cup  rice vinegar
1/3  cup  low-sodium soy sauce
2  tablespoons  brown sugar
1/4  teaspoon  ground cinnamon
1  tablespoon  vegetable oil
1  pound  beef stew meat, cut into bite-sized pieces
1 1/4  cups  chopped green onions
1  garlic clove, minced* (I doubled this, using 2 cloves because I heart garlic)
1  teaspoon  minced peeled fresh ginger
2  cups  thinly sliced bok choy
1 1/2  cups  thinly sliced carrot
2  cups  hot cooked wide rice noodles or fettuccine* (I used fedelini, similar to vermicelli)

Whisk together the first 6 ingredients and set aside. And then get going on the chopping of the ginger, garlic and green onions. I like green onions cut on the bias in strips about 1-inch long. This way, the onion holds up a bit more to the cooking. But even when served raw, I like a big bite, not a silly ring.

add liquids to dry and whisk

garlic, green onions, ginger, big knife

Then heat the vegetable oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Brown the beef on all sides.

brown the beef stew meat

Add broth mixture, green onions, garlic, and ginger; bring to a boil.

add broth mixture, green onions, garlic, and ginger

Cover, reduce heat, and simmer for 1 hour and 30 minutes or until beef is tender. While the broth mixture is simmering away, prep the carrots and bok choy. If you roll up the bok choy leaves like a cigar, you can slice through the layers and create these pretty ribbons of green. I included a few inches of the white, ribbed bok choy leave because I like that extra crunch.

bok choy and baby carrots

Stir in bok choy and carrot, and cook 5 minutes or until tender.

add the ribbons of bok choy and carrots

Serve beef mixture over noodles. Serves 4.

dinner on a dime

Yummers. I will again proclaim my love for soups or so-called “hot pots” that require spoon and fork. And this particular recipe favors the spoon because it’s all about the broth. You get the blend of flavors from the savory beef broth, acidic rice vinegar, salty soy sauce and spicy hits of garlic, ginger and cinnamon! The longer all of these flavors steep, the richer the broth becomes. And I have to say, I was skeptical upon reading the recipe that the broth would be as flavorful as I desired, but I was proved wrong. I enjoyed the leftovers over the weekend as much as I enjoyed it the first time around. Because this batch made four servings, it was even more affordable and on-a-dime-conscious. I highly recommend giving this a try.

Oatmeal Caramel Bars

best. dessert. ever.

My mom has been making this dessert ever since, well, I can’t remember exactly. But it quickly became my favorite homemade sweet. My brother always favored her chocolate cake (which is amazing), but the Oatmeal Caramel Bars were always my thing. I recall peeling each caramel from its wrapper just so Mom would bake them. A couple of Christmases ago, I had just completed a post-graduate internship down in Birmingham, Alabama, with Southern Progress Corporation (the publisher of Southern Living, Cooking Light, Coastal Living, Health, Southern Accents and Sunset)—and more importantly where I met LG, so my mom surprised me with the 1985 Southern Living Annual Recipes cookbook. Oxmoor House is the book publishing division for all SPC titles, and each year, they publish an annual for each of their magazine titles that contains every recipe from the year. No need to hang on to pesky paper magazine clippings.

the annual recipes of 1985

Here’s my mom’s inscription on the inside cover:

pretty handwriting

So I turn to page 247, and find this…the Oatmeal Caramel Bars recipe!

page 247

If that’s not destiny, I don’t know what is. The Oatmeal Caramel Bars were meant to be my favorite dessert since birth. I’ll share the recipe.

OATMEAL-CARAMEL BARS

1 (14-oz) package caramels
1/3 c. milk
2 c. all-purpose flour
2 c. regular oats, uncooked
1 1/2 c. firmly packed brown sugar
1 t. baking soda
1/2 t. salt
1 egg, slightly beaten
1 c. butter, softened
1 (12-oz) package semisweet chocolate chips
1 c. chopped walnuts

Combine caramels and milk in a saucepan; cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until caramels melt. Set mixture aside.

Combine flour, oats, sugar, baking soda and salt. Add egg and butter, stirring until mixture is crumbly. Press half of mixture into a greased 13- x 9- x 2-inch baking pan. Bake at 350° for 10 minutes. Sprinkle with chocolate chips and walnuts; pour caramel mixture evenly on top. Sprinkle on remaining crumbs. Bake at 350° for 20 to 25 minutes. Cool and cut into bars. Chill 8 hours. Yield: about 3 dozen.

It’s not uncommon that a batch is waiting on the kitchen counter when I come home to visit. And if I’m lucky, half of the batch is reserved for me to carry home. So for Easter, my mom had done a good bit of cooking and baked these treats. They were as delightful as ever. Just one thing has changed about the Oatmeal Caramel Bars over the years. They have been sliced smaller. Seriously, a few bites of this treat is enough because it’s so rich. I suggest pouring a glass of milk to get the full effect.  The oatmeal crust is both crunchy and chewy, the chocolate and caramel are sweet, but there’s a distinct saltiness that works with the walnuts.

And now I’m thinking back to other delicious family desserts. There’s strawberry cake, pound cake, berry or peach cobbler, chocolate chip cookies, chocolate bread pudding…I’ll have to stop there.