tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-39240629948474919192024-03-08T13:18:13.323-05:00sopressata29 year old foodie intent on living the culinary good life. location: columbus, ohheatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17442551760635743994noreply@blogger.comBlogger100125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3924062994847491919.post-15453354778411939622009-10-26T19:09:00.004-05:002009-10-26T19:14:31.962-05:00The Suisse Shop<span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);">Where was The Suisse Shop when I was choosing wedding cake? The answer is: Polaris Parkway, where they've been located since 2003, quietly dominating the Columbus wedding cake market. And actually, wedding cake is just one thing they've perfected. Perfection is the name of The Suisse Shop's game and as much as it sounds like hyperbole, all of The Suisse Shop's offerings are flawless. They hit a magical point of balance with each product, never being overly rich or cloying texture while still offering an amazing flavor profile.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);">In The Suisse Shop's nearly 27 year history, European pastries have been their specialty, offering an authentic product made with the highest quality ingredients available. We sampled a beautiful array of cakes, pastries and cookies during our visit, here are a few of my favorites:</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);">Chocolate Decadence Torte - This comes as close to chocolate cake perfection as one can get. The cake has a delicate texture with deep rich chocolate flavor and the butter-cream frosting's impossibly smooth texture make for the perfect finish.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);">Pumpkin Walnut Pound Cake - Normally, i can take or leave things that fit into either the "pound cake" or "pumpkin" categories, but this was really tasty. The pound cake highlighted the delicate flavor of the pumpkin, allowing the spices to play a supporting role in the background - right where they belong.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);">Sugar Cookie - The sugar cookie is the bar by which i judge baking. so simple and yet so easy to get wrong. The Suisse Shop's sugar cookie is just slightly chewy, having the perfect amount of body that plays well against the light and heavenly icing. Not one hint of the overly sugary "so sweet it will make your mouth ache" some sugar cookies can be guilty of (I'm looking at you Cheryl's Cookies).</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);">Suisse Almond Torte - If The Suisse Shop had a signature item, this would be it. And signature worthy, it is. The pure, rich flavor of natural almond really translates in this torte, providing a rich background for the raspberry filling, which sings on top of it all.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);">What impressed me about The Suisse Shop was the painstaking and impeccable detail that goes into creating their product. Only the best ingredients are sourced from around the globe (you won't find any crisco in this kitchen), recipes are researched and perfected (sometimes for years!) before they hit the cases and quality and consistency are never compromised. Another thing I love about The Suisse Shop is that their products are priced appropriately. What you're paying a fair price for is quality, not pretension or trend. Five inch versions of their tortes, called "Cute Cakes" are available for $15. Speaking of trendy, Columbus Monthly named The Suisse Shop's cupcakes the best in Columbus, and considering the competition, that's no small feat.</span><br /><a style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2659/4047663913_71f22eb667.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 500px; height: 226px;" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2659/4047663913_71f22eb667.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);">And even though this gem just recently hit my radar, The Suisse Shop has plenty of loyal clientele who have been worshiping them for years. Seasonal orders for pies and cookies book up quickly, so if you'd like to serve The Suisse Shop goodies this Thanksgiving, you should get on the phone now. </span><a style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2578/4047663605_b600ae44c1.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 500px; height: 403px;" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2578/4047663605_b600ae44c1.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);">Pictured (from top, clockwise): Chocolate Chip Cookie, Princess Bar Cookie, Oatmeal Raisin Cookie and Coconut Triangle.</span><br /><div style="text-align: center; color: rgb(102, 51, 0);"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3521/4047664655_4a1da91499.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 500px; height: 375px;" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3521/4047664655_4a1da91499.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><a style="color: rgb(153, 102, 51);" href="http://www.thesuisseshop.com/index.html">The Suisse Shop</a><br />2119 Polaris Parkway<br />Columbus, Ohio 43240<br />614.846.5102<br /></div><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);">*This review was completed upon request for <a style="color: rgb(153, 102, 51);" href="http://www.columbusunderground.com/">Columbus Underground</a>. Thanks for asking me, guys!</span>heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17442551760635743994noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3924062994847491919.post-54671035243510514782009-04-05T11:39:00.007-05:002009-04-28T14:57:15.596-05:00the thurmanator<a style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3590/3405077211_89e6056f21.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 500px; height: 381px;" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3590/3405077211_89e6056f21.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><div style="text-align: justify; color: rgb(102, 51, 0);">mark <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">lyle</span></span> has done it again. on <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">saturday</span></span>, march 28<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">th</span></span> at three in the afternoon, mark <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">lyle</span></span> "the human vacuum" consumed two entire <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">thurmanators</span></span> with all the fixings. showing up with his <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">requisite</span> bottle of sports drink, he bellied up to the table and got it done. for those not familiar with the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">thurmanator</span></span>, it is (from the bottom up): bun, mayo, lettuce, tomato, pickle, hot peppers, 12 oz burger, bacon, cheddar, another 12 oz burger, sauteed onion, mushroom, green pepper, ham, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">american</span></span> and provolone cheese, and a bun to top it off. this <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">monstrosity</span> is served with a huge pile of greasy <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">thurman's</span> fries. even half of one <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">thurmanator</span> is enough to bring a grown man to his knees. here's a shot of mark with the first <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9">thurmanator</span>:<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3545/3405890992_e8c5cfa6a5_m.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 211px;" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3545/3405890992_e8c5cfa6a5_m.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>mark never ceases to amaze. keep an eye on my <a style="color: rgb(204, 153, 51);" href="http://twitter.com/sopressata">twitter feed</a> for <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_10">announcements</span> on when he'll strike again.<br />a word of advice to anyone who would like to tackle a <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_11">thurmanator</span> (or any of <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_12">thurman's</span> other delicious offerings) be prepared to wait! <a style="color: rgb(204, 153, 51);" href="http://www.thethurmancafe.com/"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_13">thurman's</span></a><span style="color: rgb(204, 153, 51);"> </span>popularity has grown exponentially since the <a style="color: rgb(204, 153, 51);" href="http://www.travelchannel.com/TV_Shows/Man_v_Food">man vs. food</a> episode <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_14">featuring</span> the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_15">thurmanator</span> aired.<br /><br /></div>heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17442551760635743994noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3924062994847491919.post-5064423667392671272009-03-27T07:09:00.004-05:002009-04-28T14:58:14.562-05:00thurmanator announcement<div style="text-align: justify; color: rgb(102, 51, 0);"><a style="color: rgb(204, 153, 51);" href="http://www.competitiveeaters.com/asp/EaterDetail.asp?EaterID=26">mark lyle, the human vacuum</a>, will attempt to set a record for "most <a style="color: rgb(204, 153, 51);" href="http://thisiswhyyourefat.com/post/80297011/the-thurmanator-two-half-pound-beef-patties-under">thurmanators</a><span style="color: rgb(204, 153, 51);"> </span>eaten" at <a style="color: rgb(204, 153, 51);" href="http://www.thethurmancafe.com/">thurman's</a><span style="color: rgb(204, 153, 51);"> </span>this saturday at 2:30pm. come down and cheer him on, or watch my <a style="color: rgb(204, 153, 51);" href="http://twitter.com/sopressata">twitter feed</a><span style="color: rgb(204, 153, 51);"> </span>for live coverage.<br /></div>heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17442551760635743994noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3924062994847491919.post-80626379550826306972009-03-21T15:49:00.009-05:002009-04-28T14:58:33.618-05:00dagwood record conquered!<a style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3433/3373186067_81dd09e51d.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 422px; height: 500px;" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3433/3373186067_81dd09e51d.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);">much to my horror and amusement, <a style="color: rgb(204, 153, 51);" href="http://www.competitiveeaters.com/asp/EaterDetail.asp?EaterID=26">mark "the human vacuum" lyle</a> has beaten the dagwood world record.</span><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);">dagwood lore: <a style="color: rgb(204, 153, 51);" href="http://sopressata.blogspot.com/2008/03/dagwood-challenge.html">the dagwood challenge</a> began when a customer ate the dagwood in 13 minutes and then finished it off with pie. the next milestone came when one <a href="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3176/2302525119_10ebafe5e0_b.jpg"><span style="color: rgb(204, 153, 51);">josh matko</span> </a>finished it off in 6 minutes. then in march 2008, a valiant young group of <a style="color: rgb(204, 153, 51);" href="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3208/2302531421_364f0b1e3b_b.jpg">columbus underground guys</a><span style="color: rgb(204, 153, 51);"> </span>took the challenge as a group. thanks in no small part i'm sure, to the internet infamy of the columbus underground group, the dagwood was subsequently featured on <a style="color: rgb(204, 153, 51);" href="http://www.travelchannel.com/TV_Shows/Man_v_Food">man vs. food</a>. then, flying under the radar, an unnamed amateur swooped in and beat the 6 minute mark by 30 seconds, raising (or is it lowering?) the bar to 5.5 minutes.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);">and so we arrive at present day. mark "the human vacuum" lyle is ready to kick off his pre-retirement tour, his "adventure in gluttony", by beating the dagwood record. driving to the ohio deli, i was nervous. i wasn't sure it could be done. and i didn't want mark to fail. and i wasn't sure just how bad the carnage would be.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);">the waitress brought out the dagwood, mark settled in and was off to devour the dagwood. he quickly disassembled the sandwich and the meat was gone in under 50 seconds. he spent less than 2 minutes each on the bread and then fries and in just 4 minutes and 44 seconds, it was all gone.</span><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3447/3374003196_da55f2818b.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 500px; height: 427px;" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3447/3374003196_da55f2818b.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);">mark finishes off the deli meat<br /><br /></span><a style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3607/3373188067_169edcce61.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 372px; height: 500px;" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3607/3373188067_169edcce61.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);">and when it's over, he takes a victory lap with two pieces of chocolate cream pie</span><br /><br /></div><a style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3469/3374004682_23d19cd058.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 477px; height: 500px;" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3469/3374004682_23d19cd058.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);">notice the gaping whole on the wall of champions -it's where mark's record will be posted</span><br /><br /><a style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3585/3373186565_6f5f36edda.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 500px; height: 375px;" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3585/3373186565_6f5f36edda.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);">a 4 minute, 44 second record is an auspicious start to his pre-retirement tour and i've got to admit, i'm hooked. mark is a fierce competitor, entertaining to watch and extremely gracious. i'm looking forward to more adventures in gluttony.</span><br /><br /></div><br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/XGdE0-97t1E&hl=en&fs=1"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/XGdE0-97t1E&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17442551760635743994noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3924062994847491919.post-78888731032622871142009-03-18T20:25:00.005-05:002009-04-28T14:58:55.117-05:00think you can eat a dagwood in under 6 minutes?<div style="text-align: justify; color: rgb(102, 51, 0);"><a style="color: rgb(204, 153, 51);" href="http://www.competitiveeaters.com/asp/EaterDetail.asp?EaterID=26">mark "the human vacuum" lyle</a> does. and he's going to prove it at 2:30pm this saturday, march 21st.<br /><br />as a refresher, <a style="color: rgb(204, 153, 51);" href="http://sopressata.blogspot.com/2008/03/dagwood-challenge.html">the dagwood</a> is a monster of a sandwich, containing 2.5 lbs of deli meat and accompanied by a healthy portion of fries. but the real kicker is the bun. it's huge and it doesn't go down easy. you have 30 minutes to eat the whole thing, and if you prevail, you get your picture on the wall and a tshirt that reads "i defeated the dagwood".<br />when foodie friends from<span style="color: rgb(204, 153, 51);"> </span><a style="color: rgb(204, 153, 51);" href="http://www.columbusunderground.com/">columbus underground</a> decided to <a style="color: rgb(204, 153, 51);" href="http://sopressata.blogspot.com/2008/03/dagwood-challenge.html">tackle the dagwood</a>, only 7 out of 11 could meet the challenge, the best of them finishing in 12 minutes.<br />and while i have my doubts that this record can be beaten, if anyone can do it, that person is mark.<br />i'll be <a style="color: rgb(204, 153, 51);" href="http://twitter.com/sopressata">tweeting </a>it, so tune in!<br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);">the ohio deli and restaurant</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);">3444 south high street</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);">columbus, ohio 43207</span><br /></div>heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17442551760635743994noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3924062994847491919.post-84201744175898210772009-03-15T18:32:00.012-05:002009-04-28T14:59:12.663-05:00i heart competitive eating<div style="text-align: justify; color: rgb(51, 0, 0);"><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);">i love competitive eating. it's a real spectacle. it's exciting and a little disgusting to watch. and it's fun for the whole family.</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);">there's a feeling of empathy all spectators feel for professional eaters that doesn't exist in other competitive sports. i don't have any idea what it's like to get tackled, score a home run or slam dunk a basket ball. but everyone knows what it's like to eat too much, and witnessing people eat past the boundaries of sane and safe consumption is a horrific thing of beauty.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);">so when </span><a style="color: rgb(204, 153, 51);" href="http://www.competitiveeaters.com/asp/EaterDetail.asp?EaterID=26">mark "the human vacuum" lyle</a><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);"> (</span><a style="color: rgb(204, 153, 51);" href="http://www.competitiveeaters.com/rankings.htm">ranked 5th in the world</a><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);"><span style="color: rgb(204, 153, 51);"> </span>according to </span><a style="color: rgb(204, 153, 51);" href="http://www.competitiveeaters.com/default.htm">AICE</a><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);">)announced he would be setting out on a pre-retirement "adventure in gluttony", i knew i had to watch.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);">as a warm up to defeating such behemoths such as </span><a style="color: rgb(204, 153, 51);" href="http://sopressata.blogspot.com/2008/03/dagwood-challenge.html">the dagwood</a><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);"> and the</span><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);"> </span><a style="color: rgb(204, 153, 51);" href="http://thisiswhyyourefat.com/post/80297011/the-thurmanator-two-half-pound-beef-patties-under">thurmonator</a><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);">, this weekend mark entered in an all you can eat coney contest put on by the dublin </span><a style="color: rgb(204, 153, 51);" href="http://www.skylinechili.com/">skyline chili</a><span style="color: rgb(204, 153, 51);">.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);">the contest:</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);">30 minutes</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);">as many coneys as you can eat</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);">no vomiting</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);">the winner gets free skyline for a year (52 certificates for a 3-way & coney)</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);">$20 entry fee goes to a local food pantry -way to go skyline!</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);">mark came out swinging, polishing off 12 coneys in the first 14 minutes:</span><br /><a style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3619/3357574767_d08167f950.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 375px; height: 500px;" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3619/3357574767_d08167f950.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);">the crowd immediately began to buzz as people realized mark wasn't your average competitor:</span><br /><a style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3459/3358392532_76386878f1.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 397px; height: 500px;" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3459/3358392532_76386878f1.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);">one contestant was especially cute, and a fierce competitor to boot!:</span><br /><br /><a style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3615/3358395358_be3d4018fb.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 500px; height: 426px;" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3615/3358395358_be3d4018fb.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);">about 20 minutes into the contest, it became apparent that mark would be the winner. he slowed down a bit and watched the runner up, who was stalled around coney number 10. mark was feeling good, speculating that he thought he could probably do 25 coneys if he needed to.</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);">when it was all said and done, mark won by putting down 15 coneys. the runner up ate 11 coneys.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);">after being awarded the "free skyline for a year", he graciously gave it to the little girl who did such a great job of competing earlier.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);">i've got to say, this was a really fun event. the kind folks at skyline did a great job putting it on and raised $265 for a local food pantry. it was nice to meet mark and chat with him a bit. i'll be following up shortly to talk more about the</span><span style="color: rgb(204, 153, 51);"> </span><a style="color: rgb(204, 153, 51);" href="http://www.competitiveeaters.com/default.htm">IACE</a><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);"><span style="color: rgb(204, 153, 51);">,</span> mark and the details of his next conquest.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);">on a side note, i really spend much more time on </span><a style="color: rgb(204, 153, 51);" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Twitter">twitter</a><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);"> than blogger these days. i'm mostly </span><a style="color: rgb(204, 153, 51);" href="http://twitter.com/sopressata">tweeting</a><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);"> about & </span><a style="color: rgb(204, 153, 51);" href="http://twitpic.com/photos/sopressata">twitpic'ing</a><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);"> </span><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);">what i eat with other random thoughts thrown in. i've been (and will be) tweeting the food events i attend. so if you don't tweet, give it a try and </span><a style="color: rgb(204, 153, 51);" href="http://twitter.com/sopressata">check me out.</a><br /><br /><br /></div>heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17442551760635743994noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3924062994847491919.post-35476439258346445652009-02-13T13:56:00.002-05:002009-04-28T14:59:30.127-05:00the dagwood challenge<div style="text-align: justify; color: rgb(102, 51, 0);"><span style="font-style: italic;">edit 2.13.09:</span><span style="font-style: italic;"> i'm bumping this post to the top because of the comment i received last night. if mark is willing to allow me to document his efforts, i'm happy to return from hiatus. there's nothing that fascinates/horrifies/turns me on, more than competitive eating.</span><br /><br />the premise is simple: eat a sandwich in under 30 minutes and you get a t-shirt and your picture on the wall.<br />simple, unless the sandwich is this monster:<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3187/2303319770_17cfea2e9c_b.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px;" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3187/2303319770_17cfea2e9c_b.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>behold, the dagwood from the ohio deli and restaurant. consisting of a whopping two and a half pounds of meat, a huge bun and accompanied by a hearty pile of fries. jim from <a style="color: rgb(204, 153, 51);" href="http://cmhgourmand.wordpress.com/">cmh gourmand</a> met the challenge and blogged about it <a style="color: rgb(204, 153, 51);" href="http://cmhgourmand.wordpress.com/2007/12/25/ohio-deli-dagwood-sandwich-1-gourmand-1/">here</a>. his feat of strength and endurance got the folks at <a style="color: rgb(204, 153, 51);" href="http://www.columbusunderground.com/">columbus underground</a><span style="color: rgb(204, 153, 51);"> </span>talking and soon an event was born.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3156/2303318590_3965eaaca2_b.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px;" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3156/2303318590_3965eaaca2_b.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3176/2302525119_10ebafe5e0_b.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px;" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3176/2302525119_10ebafe5e0_b.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>shortly after the competition began, we asked the waitress who held the record for eating the dagwood and she brought us this picture. 6 minutes?!?!?<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2254/2302524517_388a4fa0dd_b.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px;" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2254/2302524517_388a4fa0dd_b.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>11 competitors began this challenge, only 7 finished. sufficed to say, this was an amazing spectacle.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3264/2303323100_e613055bc6_b.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px;" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3264/2303323100_e613055bc6_b.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2056/2303324690_d105722d65_b.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px;" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2056/2303324690_d105722d65_b.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2030/2303325934_0e06d3923b_b.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px;" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2030/2303325934_0e06d3923b_b.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>after finishing his sandwich, the fries and a piece of pie, this guy got a bloody nose. you heard it here: the dagwood may cause internal bleeding. <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2348/2303326946_bf546c04c5_b.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px;" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2348/2303326946_bf546c04c5_b.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>jim, sporting his third "i defeated the dagwood" shirt.<br /></div><div style="text-align: center; color: rgb(102, 51, 0);"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3208/2302531421_364f0b1e3b_b.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px;" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3208/2302531421_364f0b1e3b_b.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>the victors.<br /><br />the ohio deli and restaurant<br />3444 south high street<br />columbus, ohio 43207<br /></div>heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17442551760635743994noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3924062994847491919.post-40933461129483659412009-01-06T16:21:00.003-05:002009-01-06T16:28:26.423-05:00gone fishing<div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 51);font-family:georgia;" >other priorities in my life are competing for my time - and winning. so for now, i'm closing up shop. maybe inspiration will strike when the growing season starts.</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 51);font-family:georgia;" >until then,</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 51);font-family:georgia;" >h</span><br /></div>heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17442551760635743994noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3924062994847491919.post-59234613905109130852008-08-05T20:20:00.002-05:002008-08-05T21:02:56.618-05:00rad dog meatless gourmet hotdogs<div style="text-align: justify;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3135/2736529861_f41ac01fbe_b.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px;" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3135/2736529861_f41ac01fbe_b.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);">i love street food. and i love hot dogs. so when i heard about a new vegetarian hot dog vendor in town, i had to check it out.</span><br /><a style="color: rgb(204, 153, 51);" href="http://raddogveg.googlepages.com/home">rad dog veggie hot dogs </a><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);">doesn't disappoint, i think this is as good as vegetarian hot dogs get. a friend and i ate our dogs on a high street bench and thoroughly enjoyed the change of pace in the old lunch routine.</span><br /><a style="color: rgb(204, 153, 51);" href="http://raddogveg.googlepages.com/home">rad dog</a><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);"> offers kraut, chili or peppers & onions for toppings in addition to the standard ketchup, mustard and relish. they also offer blue sky soda (made with real sugar!) and delicious vegan cookies from </span><a style="color: rgb(204, 153, 51);" href="http://www.pattycakeveganbakery.com/">pattycake bakery</a><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);">. yummy, cheap, healthy and fun! </span><a style="color: rgb(204, 153, 51);" href="http://raddogveg.googlepages.com/home">rad dog</a><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);"> moves around town, so check out his website to see where you can catch him.</span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3288/2736527781_d0b6e53742_b.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px;" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3288/2736527781_d0b6e53742_b.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3182/2737376532_3777b05d89_b.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px;" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3182/2737376532_3777b05d89_b.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3076/2736530305_1c8e8cf30e_b.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px;" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3076/2736530305_1c8e8cf30e_b.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /></div>heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17442551760635743994noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3924062994847491919.post-34653667831351746932008-07-07T18:43:00.002-05:002008-07-07T19:20:23.447-05:00sweet summer treats<div style="text-align: justify; color: rgb(102, 51, 0);"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3203/2647195007_fb66407c76_b.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px;" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3203/2647195007_fb66407c76_b.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>often life gets too busy for me to visit my parents in western new york as often as i'd like. however, the fourth of july is one holiday i try never to miss. when i was growing up, christmas and the fourth of july were the two holidays our entire family got together. both holidays are filled with great food traditions and memories, but the fourth is my favorite for one reason - cherries. i have really fond memories of picking cherries with my mom and grandparents as a child, memories i've been lucky to recreate as an adult.<br /></div><div style="text-align: justify; color: rgb(102, 51, 0);"><div style="text-align: justify;">so this year when my parents and i loaded into the car and drove out into the country in search of u-pick cherries, the news that almost the entire sweet cherry crop had been destroyed by hail came as a big disappointment. but we were determined to pick something, so we headed out to find the next best crop that was in season - raspberries.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3227/2648024058_e38c22384a_b.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px;" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3227/2648024058_e38c22384a_b.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>we found raspberries to pick and in one fun, sweaty and sticky hour, we picked about six pounds. we ate a good bit while picking and back at the house, about a pound was turned into raspberry sauce and eaten over ice cream and the rest went onto cookie sheets to be frozen and then stored in bags for enjoying later.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3270/2648027160_bbb45b4a29_b.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px;" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3270/2648027160_bbb45b4a29_b.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>the cherries, strawberries (and corn, peas and tomatoes) were purchased at the farm stands we stopped at along the way to locate a farm that offered u-pick raspberries. - a tasty price we were happy to pay. <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3204/2647194475_19652c8408_b.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px;" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3204/2647194475_19652c8408_b.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>this cute little robin's nest was right in the middle of a large raspberry bush!<br /></div><br /></div>heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17442551760635743994noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3924062994847491919.post-55317011924869272972008-06-30T19:19:00.003-05:002008-06-30T20:03:33.737-05:00the hulk<div style="text-align: justify;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3139/2593009907_2ed31d5ae6_b.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px;" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3139/2593009907_2ed31d5ae6_b.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);">when i want something yummy, easy, good for you, and satisfying, this dish really fits the bill. i usually make "the hulk" pasta on sunday evening and parse it out for lunches that week. i call it "the hulk" for two reasons: as a tribute to a </span><a style="color: rgb(204, 153, 51);" href="http://www.columbusunderground.com/archives/bonoTOGOmenu.pdf">bonotogo pizza</a><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);"> called the "hulk" that is topped with green toppings and because this is a really nutritionally dense dish that will make you as strong as the hulk. </span><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center; color: rgb(102, 51, 0);">the hulk pasta<br /><br />1 lb whole wheat pasta (or barilla plus, which i prefer)<br />1/2 lb frozen edemame<br />1/2 lb frozen broccoli<br />1/2 cup prepared pesto (i like trader joe's)<br />pecorino romano<br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);">cook pasta, with 4ish minutes left, add broccoli and edemame to pot. drain and return to pot. add pesto. top with pecorino romano when serving. </span><br /></div>heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17442551760635743994noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3924062994847491919.post-22275640726921058082008-06-10T19:39:00.002-05:002008-06-10T20:28:36.562-05:00akai hana wakes me up in the middle of the night<div style="text-align: justify; color: rgb(102, 51, 0);"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3232/2519303270_1ddf83523a_b.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px;" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3232/2519303270_1ddf83523a_b.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);">here it is, my kryptonite - the sweet potato tempura roll at akai hana. i know it's not hardcore, but i don't eat sushi to be a bad ass. you'll never see me order uni. yuck.<br /> </span><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);">the sweet potato roll consists of radish sprouts (cute and tasty!), spicy mayo (yes please!) and sweet potato tempura (does it get better?) just thinking about it starts a powerful craving. it's such a pleasing combination of tastes and textures. the sweet and crispy potato plays perfectly against the creamy spicy mayo and the slight crunch and bite of the radish sprouts.</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(51, 0, 0);"> </span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2263/2519304368_a4e55ffc27_b.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px;" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2263/2519304368_a4e55ffc27_b.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);">here's a peek at akai hana's party boat for four. who doesn't love a boat filled with sushi and delivered to your table? the service and atmosphere at akai hana are great, just be sure to call for a reservation if you'd like a table on the weekend. </span><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center; color: rgb(102, 51, 0);">akai hana<br />1173 old henderson road<br />columbus, ohio 43220<br />614.451.5411<br /></div>heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17442551760635743994noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3924062994847491919.post-37758924136114422122008-06-02T06:17:00.001-05:002008-06-02T08:01:17.601-05:00tweet!<div style="text-align: justify;"><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);">for a few months i've been twittering, so if you'd like to tune in to what's on my mind 24/7, check me out: </span><a style="color: rgb(204, 153, 51);" href="http://twitter.com/sopressata">http://twitter.com/sopressata</a><br /></div><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);">twitter is a <a style="color: rgb(204, 153, 51);" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Micro-blogging">microblogging</a> site that i almost exclusively update via my smartphone. it's what i'm thinking and doing in 140 characters or less, which is almost always food related.</span><br /></div>heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17442551760635743994noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3924062994847491919.post-6695362579108371582008-05-31T22:37:00.003-05:002008-05-31T22:42:57.578-05:00cafe lola<div style="text-align: justify;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3187/2519319386_f7fe01b5b9_b.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px;" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3187/2519319386_f7fe01b5b9_b.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);">working downtown, i start to salivate every time i hear of a new restaurant opening within walking distance of work. so when cafe lola popped up as part of the nbc studios extravaganza at broad and high, i had to check it out. adding to my anticipation was the news that cafe lola is a kevin ames restaurant. past ventures of his are two places i still miss: frezno and dagwoodz.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);">cafe lola does a great job of serving speedy, straightforward cafe food. lunch offerings are expansive, covering sandwiches, quesadillas, pizzas, salads and soup. and while the menu, atmosphere and service may not the swankiest in town, they really seem to have lunch down to a science. service is quick (study that menu </span><span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(102, 51, 0);">before</span><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);"> you get in line or you'll wind up stammering and staring up at the huge menu like i did) and food is brought out to your table when it's ready. i chose the turkey, roasted red pepper & provolone panini and wasn't disappointed. the bread was perfectly toasty and the turkey, veggies, and cheese were fresh, tasty appropriately warm and gooey. i had a side of the pasta salad and found it to be decent.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);">other items on the menu i've made a mental note to return to try: blt pizza (kryptonite!), italian sandwich, spicy thai noodle salad, and the grilled lime chicken pizza.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);">patio seating will be a treat when it opens, cafe lola is in the heart of columbus' ever improving downtown.</span><br /></div><a style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2287/2518499283_9c373c1351_b.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px;" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2287/2518499283_9c373c1351_b.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);">cafe lola</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);">12 e. broad street</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);">columbus, ohio 43215</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);">p 614.754.8804</span><br /></div>heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17442551760635743994noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3924062994847491919.post-85408479208516283572008-05-26T08:31:00.000-05:002008-05-26T09:03:05.959-05:00annual salmon roast at the hills market<div style="text-align: justify;"><a style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3253/2518495473_a1929e7ef6_b.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px;" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3253/2518495473_a1929e7ef6_b.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);">even though salmon is not my favorite protein, the idea of a fresh fish being grilled for hundreds about a mile from my house was too good to resist. and i'm a sucker for food events. so the husband and i jumped in the car, met a friend at </span><a style="color: rgb(204, 153, 51);" href="http://thehillsmarket.typepad.com/inside_the_hills_market/">the hills market</a><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);"> and got into a line that stretched almost to the end of the shopping center. the line moved quickly and hills had ingeniously set up product demos the entire way. </span><a style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2381/2518497377_294ac93491_b.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px;" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2381/2518497377_294ac93491_b.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);">the salmon sandwiches are served with the hills coleslaw and an onion sauce, both complimented the salmon well. this was a tasty sandwich! the aroma of the grill, the beautiful sunshine, live music and relaxed family picnic atmosphere really added to the experience. we chatted with the young men grilling the salmon, who told us the aroma of grilled salmon seeped into their pores enough that they didn't plan any dates for the couple of days following the roast. thanks for your sacrifice guys, it was well worth it. </span><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify; color: rgb(102, 51, 0);"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2269/2519314252_dcb74fd57d_b.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px;" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2269/2519314252_dcb74fd57d_b.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>the hills market maintains an excellent <a style="color: rgb(204, 153, 51);" href="http://thehillsmarket.typepad.com/inside_the_hills_market/">website </a>where you can get tips on future food events (<a style="color: rgb(204, 153, 51);" href="http://thehillsmarket.typepad.com/inside_the_hills_market/wine/index.html">like wine tastings</a>), read about featured products and all sorts of other tasty tidbits.<br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a style="color: rgb(204, 153, 51);" href="http://thehillsmarket.typepad.com/inside_the_hills_market/">the hills market</a><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);">7860 olentangy river road</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);">columbus, ohio 43235</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);">p: 614.846.3220</span><br /><br /></div>heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17442551760635743994noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3924062994847491919.post-22445870733905161602008-05-18T21:07:00.002-05:002008-05-18T21:29:59.275-05:00i heart sauce cartel<a style="color: rgb(204, 153, 51);" href="http://www.saucecartel.com/">sauce cartel</a><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);"> is a fantastic local purveyor of hot sauce. i've </span><a style="color: rgb(204, 153, 51);" href="http://sopressata.blogspot.com/2008/02/fiery-foods-festival.html">gushed about them in the past</a><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);"> and here's a review of two of their best sauces:</span><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /></span><p style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-weight: bold;">green wave</span><br />this is a great sauce. it is so enjoyable i’d suggest that <a style="color: rgb(204, 153, 51);" href="http://www.saucecartel.com/">sauce cartel</a> start selling it in at least 10 oz jars. the peppery notes are the first thing you’ll notice upon smelling green wave, they hit the pepper just right in this sauce with both jalapeno and black pepper prominently featured. the second thing that I noticed about green wave was the slightly sweet taste of pineapple. the lighter citrus flavors of pineapple are the perfect foil to the darker, more complex pepper of the jalapeno. for those who don’t want to hurt themselves when eating hot sauce, this is great. you get a nice middle-of-the-tongue heat that just builds slightly the more you eat. as tempting as it is to eat directly from the bottle, i really wanted to use it in a way that highlighted the excellent flavors. using the green wave, i came up with this recipe for fresh pineapple salsa: </p> <p style="text-align: center; color: rgb(102, 51, 0);" class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p><span style="font-weight: bold;">pineapple jalapeno salsa</span></p><div style="text-align: center; color: rgb(102, 51, 0);"> </div><p style="text-align: center; color: rgb(102, 51, 0);" class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p>2 cups diced fresh pineapple</p><div style="text-align: center; color: rgb(102, 51, 0);"> </div><p style="text-align: center; color: rgb(102, 51, 0);" class="MsoNormal">1/3 cup diced red onion</p><div style="text-align: center; color: rgb(102, 51, 0);"> </div><p style="text-align: center; color: rgb(102, 51, 0);" class="MsoNormal">¼ cup diced jalapeno</p><div style="text-align: center; color: rgb(102, 51, 0);"> </div><p style="text-align: center; color: rgb(102, 51, 0);" class="MsoNormal">¼ cup chopped cilantro</p><div style="text-align: center; color: rgb(102, 51, 0);"> </div><p style="text-align: center; color: rgb(102, 51, 0);" class="MsoNormal">juice of 1 lime</p> <p style="text-align: center; color: rgb(102, 51, 0);" class="MsoNormal">2 tbs green wave sauce</p><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2339/2503491115_a2c71ec21f_b.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px;" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2339/2503491115_a2c71ec21f_b.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(102, 51, 0);">locura mayan<br /></span> <span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);">locura mayan really highlights </span><a style="color: rgb(204, 153, 51);" href="http://www.saucecartel.com/">sauce cartel’s</a><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);"> flair for flavor. these guys aren’t afraid to make a really mild sauce, the complex flavors stand on their own, with no need to hide behind a million scoville units. this sauce has a savory, smoky aroma, but that’s just where locura mayan begins. the balance between the smoky and sweet is what really stands out about this sauce. in the background there’s the magical complexity of sun dried tomato and the slight bite of vinegar. my husband commented he’d love to pour it on a chipotle burrito. hey </span><a style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);" href="http://www.saucecartel.com/"><span style="color: rgb(204, 153, 51);">sauce cartel</span> </a><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);">– want to wholesale to chipotle? </span>heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17442551760635743994noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3924062994847491919.post-89282350138553091342008-04-17T12:05:00.001-05:002008-04-17T12:06:46.627-05:00where could i be...?<span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);">other priorities are hogging up my time. i'll be back soon, i promise. </span>heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17442551760635743994noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3924062994847491919.post-54060691560922586662008-03-05T22:52:00.000-05:002008-03-05T22:01:26.520-05:00veggie soup<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3091/2305982136_18e8071c25_b.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px;" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3091/2305982136_18e8071c25_b.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);">i've been craving veggie soup and came up with this hearty version this weekend:<o:p></o:p></span> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;" align="center"><b><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);">veggie soup</span></b><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);"><br /><br />2 tbs olive oil<br />1 medium onion<br />2 stalks celery<br />2 handfuls of baby carrots<br />18 cups vegetable stock<br />28 oz can of diced tomatoes<br />1 package frozen spinach<br />1 lb shelled edamame<br />1 tbs basil<br />1 tbs oregano<br />1 tsp cumin<br />salt and pepper to taste<br />1 package harvest grains blend from trader joe's<br /><br />dice onion, carrots and celery and saute in olive oil until softened in large stock pot. add all remaining ingredients except harvest grains and simmer for 40 minutes. add harvest grains and simmer for at least 20 more minutes.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);">i really like the edamame in this soup. they retain their texture and add a great boost of nutrients. the harvest grains from trader joe's consist of israeli couscous, yellow lentils, orzo and quinoa. any other healthy grain, like barley for example, would do for substitution.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17442551760635743994noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3924062994847491919.post-26292670836475832362008-02-21T14:47:00.000-05:002008-02-21T22:05:56.005-05:00i heart northstar<div style="text-align: justify;"><a style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2311/2255784892_44349201de_b.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px;" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2311/2255784892_44349201de_b.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);"><a style="color: rgb(204, 153, 51);" href="http://www.thenorthstarcafe.com/">northstar cafe</a> offers the perfect warm-you-up treat for cold winters days: hot chocolate and a raisin oatmeal cookie. the northstar's hot chocolate is so rich and decadent, i could make a meal of it. it's topped with cold, dense whipped cream and bits of dark chocolate covered in cocoa powder. so good!</span><br /></div>heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17442551760635743994noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3924062994847491919.post-80101885730332712402008-02-18T15:38:00.001-05:002008-02-18T14:42:54.767-05:00fiery foods festival<div style="text-align: justify; color: rgb(102, 51, 0);">i've been anticipating the <a style="color: rgb(204, 153, 51);" href="http://www.northmarket.com/press/press-release.php?detail=45">fiery foods festival at the north market</a> for a couple of weeks and it definitely didn't disappoint. we started by sampling products from <a style="color: rgb(204, 153, 51);" href="http://www.saucecartel.com/">sauce cartel</a><span style="color: rgb(204, 153, 51);">, </span><a style="color: rgb(204, 153, 51);" href="http://www.its-soulicious.com/">urban chefs</a> and <a style="color: rgb(204, 153, 51);" href="http://www.montezumabrand.com/">montezuma brands</a>. now, i like hot food but don't really go for anything that could be classified as "stupid hot". i favor distinctive flavors with good back of the mouth heat. sauce cartel sells hot sauces that use a variety of fruits for flavor and sweetness that were really excellent. plus, the guys from sauce cartel positively ooze passion and excitement for their product. <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2274/2269902694_d93e4ae441_b.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px;" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2274/2269902694_d93e4ae441_b.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>we picked up some <a style="color: rgb(204, 153, 51);" href="http://www.saucecartel.com/Online_Store.html">green river sauce</a>, made with pineapple and jalepenos. we also bought some soulicious wing sauce from <a style="color: rgb(204, 153, 51);" href="http://www.its-soulicious.com/products.htm">urban chefs</a><span style="color: rgb(204, 153, 51);"> </span>that had a great balance of heat, vinegar and smokiness.<br /></div><div style="text-align: justify; color: rgb(102, 51, 0);"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2159/2269906872_1823b9a4d8_b.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px;" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2159/2269906872_1823b9a4d8_b.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2213/2269115365_324592ca4a_b.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px;" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2213/2269115365_324592ca4a_b.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>next stop was <a style="color: rgb(204, 153, 51);" href="http://www.cajohns.com/">cajohn's</a>, for whom i've got a <a style="color: rgb(204, 153, 51);" href="http://sopressata.blogspot.com/2007/03/chili.html">deep and abiding love</a>. i sampled "the world's hottest chili" made with the the naga jolokia (scoville rating of 1 million!) i think the chili tasted good, but all i can really recall is my mouth burning for about twenty minutes after i sampled it. <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2197/2269117355_0d67f628fb_b.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px;" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2197/2269117355_0d67f628fb_b.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>taking a break for lunch we had some pho ga from lac viet, a dish that never disappoints. don't miss the house-made chili sauce in the red quirt bottles. <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2164/2269119411_900c7b7112_b.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px;" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2164/2269119411_900c7b7112_b.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>after lunch we attended "a chilihead's perspective" given by joe from <a style="color: rgb(204, 153, 51);" href="http://thehotzoneonline.com/index.php">the hot zone</a>, a blog devoted to hot and spicy food products and chilihead culture. he talked briefly about the naga jolokia (pictured), the scoville rating system, chilihead culture and the online chilihead community. <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2123/2269120525_50770b1ced_b.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px;" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2123/2269120525_50770b1ced_b.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>the "wings of fire" hot wing eating challenge was by far the high point of the day. a riveting mix of pain, testosterone, intestinal fortitude, endurance and sheer will, this competition was a real spectacle. presided over by the fine folks a <a style="color: rgb(204, 153, 51);" href="http://www.cajohns.com/">cajohn's</a>, there were two competitions. the rules were thus: contestants could surrender at any time by holding up a "surrender" sign or by taking a drink. for each round they had three wings to eat in 90 seconds, a 2 minute wait until the next round of three wings came out, with each round of wings getting successively hotter. among the hot sauces used for the competitions were:<span style="color: rgb(204, 153, 51);"> </span><a style="color: rgb(204, 153, 51);" href="http://www.cajohns.com/store/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=CFF&Product_Code=C340&Category_Code=PS">i<span style="color: rgb(204, 153, 51);">gnite</span></a><span style="color: rgb(204, 153, 51);">, </span><a style="color: rgb(204, 153, 51);" href="http://www.cajohns.com/store/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=CFF&Product_Code=C224&Category_Code=Novelty">cojohns</a><span style="color: rgb(204, 153, 51);">, </span><a style="color: rgb(204, 153, 51);" href="http://www.cajohns.com/store/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=CFF&Product_Code=C325&Category_Code=PS">ace</a><span style="color: rgb(204, 153, 51);">, </span><a style="color: rgb(204, 153, 51);" href="http://www.cajohns.com/store/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=CFF&Product_Code=C426&Category_Code=Ultras">talon</a>, and <a style="color: rgb(204, 153, 51);" href="http://www.cajohns.com/store/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=CFF&Product_Code=C440">sauce 10</a>. for the final round, a plate of ten wings covered in <a style="color: rgb(204, 153, 51);" href="http://www.cajohns.com/store/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=CFF&Product_Code=C440&Category_Code=Ultras">sauce 10</a> was placed in front of remaining contestants. whoever ate the most wings in 3 minutes was crowned the winner. <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2120/2269121421_c0f4c98d75_b.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px;" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2120/2269121421_c0f4c98d75_b.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>halfway into the competition competitors' eyes were bulging and blinking, sweat glistening on their foreheads. in the last round of the competition, the guy i had pegged for the winner got <a style="color: rgb(204, 153, 51);" href="http://www.cajohns.com/store/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=CFF&Product_Code=C440&Category_Code=Ultras">sauce 10</a> in his eye and faltered. he did resume eating but the gentleman in the foreground of the picture below ended up winning the first competition.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2337/2269123617_bf1aa9f2c8_b.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px;" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2337/2269123617_bf1aa9f2c8_b.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>a contestant throwing in the towel:<br /></div><a style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2180/2269122469_d6ed6a89dc_b.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px;" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2180/2269122469_d6ed6a89dc_b.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);">the second competition was pretty fierce with representatives from </span><a style="color: rgb(204, 153, 51);" href="http://thehotzoneonline.com/">the hot zone</a><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);"> and </span><a style="color: rgb(204, 153, 51);" href="http://www.saucecartel.com/">sauce cartel</a> <span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);">competing.</span> <a style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2229/2269124593_3c84cc7e6f_b.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px;" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2229/2269124593_3c84cc7e6f_b.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);">unfortunately, gary from sauce cartel dropped out: </span> <a style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2267/2269126159_52c699f3b1_b.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px;" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2267/2269126159_52c699f3b1_b.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);">which left two competitors at the very end to be crowned co-champions.</span> <a style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2072/2269917516_c8405c1162_b.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px;" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2072/2269917516_c8405c1162_b.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);">as joe from </span><a style="color: rgb(204, 153, 51);" href="http://thehotzoneonline.com/">the hot zone</a><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);"> limped away, guzzling a pint of milk, i heard him say "i think i saw god".</span> <span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);">now that my friends, is some fiery food.</span>heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17442551760635743994noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3924062994847491919.post-10456325419480829782008-02-10T14:35:00.000-05:002008-02-10T15:23:57.539-05:00bistro 86, asian fusion<div style="text-align: justify;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2393/2255789558_1e83465d6d_b.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px;" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2393/2255789558_1e83465d6d_b.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2149/2254991399_c69f75df93_b.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px;" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2149/2254991399_c69f75df93_b.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);">hidden in a strip of industrial grandview real estate, <a style="color: rgb(204, 153, 51);" href="http://www.bistro86.com/">bistro 86</a> is coming up with some really intriguing and fresh fusion flavors. <br />we started with the bistro 86 croquettes - "a signature dish of japanese sticky rice, pork and romano, fused with a special blend of seasoning". the appearance and crisp exterior were appealing. the inside tasted good but was so sticky they were a bit unpleasant to eat. within the first bite my lips, teeth and tongue were hopelessly coated. the flavor of the filling reminded me of a processed pizza snack, something akin to totino's pizza rolls or a hot pocket. </span><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><a style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2376/2255792110_661022050d_b.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px;" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2376/2255792110_661022050d_b.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);">my dining companion had the sesame chicken. the chicken was fresh and lightly battered, obviously prepared by the kitchen rather than from a preprepared frozen bag. this was a nice departure from average asian fare. the sauce was tangy and sweet with a slightly smokey background. </span><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify; color: rgb(102, 51, 0);"> </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><a style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2206/2255788156_66a42955a8_b.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px;" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2206/2255788156_66a42955a8_b.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);">i started with the chicken corn soup, it was similar to egg drop soup with the addition of corn. the flavor was subtle with a full bodied texture, great for a cold day. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify; color: rgb(102, 51, 0);"> </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><a style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2327/2255786904_b83f1ec30c_b.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px;" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2327/2255786904_b83f1ec30c_b.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);"><a style="color: rgb(204, 153, 51);" href="http://sopressata.blogspot.com/2007/03/pad-thai-slight-obsession.html">my obsession with pad thai</a> compelled me to order the southwestern pad thai, even though i had my doubts about how good it would be. i pleasantly surprised by a dish that was a perfect fusion of southwest flavors and the classic pad thai. everything really worked and it was very tasty. high quality chicken & fresh veggies with the perfect sauce/noodle ratio. i love the caramelization added to the corn from cooking in the wok. </span><br /></div><div style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0); text-align: justify;"> </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);">i've got to say i'm intrigued and plan to go back for more of this authentic fusion.</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);"></span></div><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);"><br /></span><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: rgb(204, 153, 51);"><a href="http://www.bistro86.com/">bistro 86</a></span><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);">1223 goodale boulevarde </span><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);">grandview, ohio 43212</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);">614.223.1288 <span style="font-style: italic;">phone</span></span><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);">614.223.1188 <span style="font-style: italic;">fax</span></span><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);"></span></div>heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17442551760635743994noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3924062994847491919.post-22787392014576766762008-02-03T16:33:00.000-05:002008-02-03T16:52:14.403-05:00dates with manchego and walnuts<div style="text-align: justify;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2015/2219453846_ab3f6a2518_b.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px;" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2015/2219453846_ab3f6a2518_b.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);">here's an elegant little appetizer that can be made a day in advance and tastes better together than three simple ingredients should. </span><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);">the dates are sweet, the manchego has a bit of a bite and the walnuts add a nice clean and crunchy element. </span><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);">and let's face it, if you're trying to pull off a nice dinner for guests, you don't really have time to be fussing around finishing off appetizers <span style="font-style: italic;">and</span> finishing dinner <span style="font-style: italic;">and</span> entertaining your guests <span style="font-style: italic;">and</span> being the consummate hostess. if you do assemble them the night before, be sure to allow them to fully come up to room temperature before serving. </span><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);"><br /></span><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);">what you'll need: pitted dates (sliced open), whole walnut halves (cut in half) and a smallish hunk of manchego cheese. put those babies together and enjoy!</span><br /></div>heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17442551760635743994noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3924062994847491919.post-56727523913227295872008-01-27T20:47:00.001-05:002008-01-27T21:25:26.393-05:00lasagna<div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2263/2224938054_1eec5db120_b.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px;" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2263/2224938054_1eec5db120_b.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);">this is my grandmother's recipe for lasagna. the pace of the recipe is relaxed and is a nice way to spend a sunday afternoon. today i got to use my new </span><a style="color: rgb(204, 153, 51);" href="http://www.emilehenryusa.com/Lasagna-Dish-Blanc-plu059632.html">emile henry lasagna dish</a><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);">. lucky me! i was also thankful for the sun today. cooking in a sunny kitchen is one of my favorite things. now, if spring would hurry up and get here i could be cooking in a sunny kitchen with the breeze coming in open windows. </span><br /></div><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(102, 51, 0);"></span></div><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(102, 51, 0);">lasagna</span><br /> </div><p style="text-align: center; color: rgb(102, 51, 0);" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-style: italic;">combine in a stockpot:</span><span style=""><br /></span>2 large cans tomato puree<span style=""><br /></span>2 small cans tomato paste<br /><span style=""></span>2 cups water<span style=""><br /></span>1 tbs oregano<br /><span style="">1 tbs basil<br /></span>1 tbs sugar<br /><span style=""></span>1 tsp salt<br /><span style=""></span>1 tsp ground pepper<br /><o:p></o:p><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">simmer the sauce while you sauté in a skillet:</span><br /><span style=""></span>2 tbs olive oil<span style=""><br /></span>1 c diced onion<br /><span style=""></span>1 clove garlic, diced<br /><o:p></o:p><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">when the onion is golden, add:</span><br />3/4 lb ground beef<br />3/4 lb italian sausage<br />1 tsp. salt<br /><o:p></o:p><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">brown the meat and add to the saucepan mixture. simmer for about 2 hours or until the sauce is thick. cook ½ box of lasagna noodles per instructions on package, drain thoroughly, rinse and separate the noodles.</span><o:p style="font-style: italic;"> </o:p><span style=""></span></p><div style="text-align: center; color: rgb(102, 51, 0);"> </div><p style="text-align: center; color: rgb(102, 51, 0);" class="MsoNormal"><span style=""></span>1 lb sliced mozzarella<span style=""></span><br />15 ozs. ricotta cheese<br /><span style=""></span>4 oz fresh grated romano cheese.<br /><o:p></o:p><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">spoon some of the sauce into a 9 x 13 pan, put in a layer of noodles, then a layer of mozzarella and a layer of ricotta. continue layering sauce, noodles, mozzarella then ricotta. lather, rinse, repeat. finish with sauce, mozzarella, cover with all of the romano cheese.<br /></span></p><p style="text-align: center; color: rgb(102, 51, 0);" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-style: italic;">you should have a few cups of sauce left over. reserve this to add to the plate for serving lasagna.<br /></span></p><div style="text-align: center; font-style: italic; color: rgb(102, 51, 0);"> </div><p style="text-align: center; font-style: italic; color: rgb(102, 51, 0);" class="MsoNormal">bake covered at 350 degrees for 45 minutes.<span style=""> </span>let stand in a warm place for 15 minutes before serving.<span style=""> </span></p><div style="text-align: center; font-style: italic; color: rgb(102, 51, 0);"> </div><div style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0); text-align: justify;">the emile henry lasagna dish is really worth purchasing. it holds more than a 9x13 pyrex baking dish (no ugly bubbling over in the oven), it cooks evenly, it's pretty, and easy to clean up. go ahead, you've earned it. </div><p style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0); text-align: justify;" class="MsoNormal"> </p>heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17442551760635743994noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3924062994847491919.post-39513918409835184822008-01-20T11:03:00.000-05:002008-01-20T11:41:19.588-05:00a gift for your favorite foodie<div style="text-align: justify;"><a style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2174/2138610477_1d17cce75d_b.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px;" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2174/2138610477_1d17cce75d_b.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);">a friend was kind enough to get me </span><a style="color: rgb(204, 153, 51);" href="http://www.amazon.com/Foodie-Fight-Trivia-Gameboard-Cards/dp/0811858642">foodie fight, a trivia game for serious food lovers </a><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);">this christmas and it's the perfect gift for your favorite foodie. you really need to be a well versed foodie in all aspects of foodie culture to excel at this game: history, science, restaurants, and food personalities. the husband and i played one night after dinner and i won, but just barely. good times.</span><br /></div>heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17442551760635743994noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3924062994847491919.post-70673859900510752292008-01-13T16:32:00.000-05:002008-01-13T14:41:30.162-05:00new year's resolutions<span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);">i'm not usually a resolutions type of person.</span><br /><div style="text-align: justify; color: rgb(102, 51, 0);">however, blogging has given me the opportunity to reflect on how my cooking, creativity, technique and skill have developed over time. and reflecting on my culinary life over the last year has made me realize i want to devote more time to improving my culinary skill, technique and knowledge; to not just be able to follow a recipe but to know why foods are cooked using specific methods and mastering those techniques.<br />to this end, santa has very generously given me these two books for christmas:<br /></div><div style="text-align: center; color: rgb(102, 51, 0);"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2287/2190470968_c968cd1046_o.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px;" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2287/2190470968_c968cd1046_o.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><a style="color: rgb(204, 153, 51);" href="http://www.amazon.com/Elements-Cooking-Translating-Chefs-Kitchen/dp/0743299787/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1200250660&sr=8-1">the professional chef</a><br />and<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2355/2189683679_b3f81d6543_o.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px;" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2355/2189683679_b3f81d6543_o.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a> <a style="color: rgb(204, 153, 51);" href="http://www.amazon.com/Elements-Cooking-Translating-Chefs-Kitchen/dp/0743299787/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1200250660&sr=8-1">the elements of cooking</a><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify; color: rgb(102, 51, 0);">blogging provides accountability for devoting time and energy to my passion, so in a year from now i hope to see development in my technique that will allow me to explore and enjoy cooking in new and deeper ways.<br /><br />other things i hope to accomplish in 2008:<br /></div><ul style="text-align: justify; color: rgb(102, 51, 0);"><li>get over my <a style="color: rgb(204, 153, 51);" href="http://sopressata.blogspot.com/search/label/i%27ve%20got%20issues">fear of baking</a>. it can't be that hard, unless you consider that impatience is probably at the root of my baking issues. in which case, it may be very hard.</li><li>take some classes. i'll have to seek out alternatives to the <a style="color: rgb(204, 153, 51);" href="http://www.northmarket.com/featured_event.php">north market's classes</a>, as they are sold out. good for them! bad for me. even though i think my knife skills are pretty decent, like i said, i'm building on the fundamentals, so i may take <a style="color: rgb(204, 153, 51);" href="http://surlatable.turnstilesystems.com/LocationDetail.aspx/Columbus">sur la table's knife skills</a>.<br /></li><li>eat more indian food. this is one of the world's best cuisines and i know virtually nothing about it.</li><li>learn to cook something from my relatives in sicily. we plan to travel to italy next summer and visiting family in sicily is top of my list of priorities.<br /></li><li>grow something this summer. i need to find a way to make our almost 100% shady back yard yield some produce.</li><li>make stock, the right way. and maybe demi glace if everything goes well.<br /></li><li>eat more <a style="color: rgb(204, 153, 51);" href="http://jenisicecreams.com/">jeni's</a>. (i just stuck that one in there so i'd be guaranteed to have at least some success when 2009 rolls around.)<br /></li></ul>heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17442551760635743994noreply@blogger.com3