Tag: dinner

The Foodie Chef Travels :: New York

Chelsea Market

Every time I visit New York it seems like there is never enough room in my tummy to try all of the hip restaurants and food carts.  The key is to plan slightly. I never have an hour by hour plan because I feel rushed and pressured to complete everything. I always have a list of a few places I would like to try. One of which was Chelsea Market. I have been before but it was extremely crowded and hard to take in. This time, I went on a Friday morning at 10am and it was a ghost town.  I highly recommend going then. After walking through the entire place, I decided on my breakfast spot, Sarabeth’s Kitchen. I got this delicious savory yet slightly sweet chive muffin with an egg in the middle. I must figure out how to make this…..

egg muffin

My next stop was Momofuku Noodle Bar. The last time I was in New York, I believed I had the best bowl of ramen at Ippudo. I have yet to find anything comparable in my hometown, Houston. Finally, Momofuku filled my desire for a bowl of umani’d  love (is that a word? I’m make it one). The broth was the perfect balance of salty, sour, and sweet. My favorite part was not the oh so popular pork belly but the shredded pork. It melted in my mouth and had the best flavor. The egg was perfectly cooked and when I punctured it, the yolk oozed out and mixed with the soup. The noodles were doughy and not overly cooked. I ate as much as I could but had to stop so I could save room for the milk bar.

Momofuku Ramen

Ramen

The next stop was Momofuku Milk Bar. I have been wanting to check this place out for far too long.  Last year I got my hands on their crack pie recipe. I’ve made it for a few dinner parties and people still rave about it to this day. With that being said, I had to find (taste) more inspiration to test more recipes! I bought the compost cookie which has butterscotch chips, chocolate chips, potato chips and more– yum!! I also got the blueberries and cream cookie which was to die for. Lastly, my friend got the cereal milk soft serve, O.M.G. Heavenly. Do you know the taste of the milk after you’ve eaten a bowl of frosted flakes? Well, this was it in soft serve form. It was so great that a few days after I came home, I searched for the recipe and make the custard.

Momofuku cereal milk

The next day we took a trip to Brooklyn and went to Smorgasbord. It’s pretty much a gourmet food market. Once again, I had to check all of the tents out before I made my decision. Between my friends and myself, I tried just about 6 different things. The one that stood out most was the lobster roll. Having been raised in the south, Texas, I haven’t really been exposed to a lobster roll. There were chunky lobster pieces, sliced iceberg lettuce, mayo, all in a buttery toasted bun. It was so good that my mouth is watering just thinking about it. See for yourself..

Lobsta Roll

Aside for the roll, I needed something sweet and came across a black and white cookie which was devoured shortly after being purchase.

Black and White cookie

Have you tried  Big Gay Ice Cream? They have some of the most unique combinations. The one I got was the salty pimp which had vanilla soft serve, sea salt, dulce de leche drizzled on top then dipped in chocolate. Wow, need I say more?

Salty Pimp

My last meal was a bagel because I had to.

Murrays bagel

//Mountain Love//

Two weeks ago my boyfriend and I went to Colorado for a vacation. After arriving by plane, we went on a little road trip that started in Denver. We met a good friend of mine at this awesome restaurant called Root Down where I had my first ever Moscow Mule. It was in a copper mug and all. I was in love. The sweet and tangy flavors quenched my thirst after our evening of traveling.

Moscow Mule

The highlight of our meal was the Green Chili Duck Tacos. A mound of duck was topped on a small flavorful blue corn taco with lemon creme fraiche, cotija cheese, and fried crunchy sweet potato. All of the flavors melted together with the salty yet sweet duck, the sour creme fraiche , and crunchy chips on top. The ambience was really hip with dimmed lighting which I really enjoyed. I would fly back just for the duck and mule.

Duck Tacos

As our road trip unraveled we landed in Boulder for a short weekend then onto Aspen. In the mean time we were surrounded by this..

CO

The views are so beautiful but driving alongside those mountains make me oh so sick. The fresh air, views, and delicious food made up for it. 🙂 However, something else completely made up for my sickness…my boyfriend and I got engaged!! He surprised me while riding a gondola down from the top of Aspen mountain. He had both of our families awaiting our arrival. Our celebration continued for several days and another highlight was trying the tasting menu at Chefs Club.  If you’re not familiar with this restaurant, they’re partnered with Food & Wine Magazine. This is where some of the best new chefs showcase their top dishes.

Chefs Club

The whole tasting menu was pretty safe, nothing was too out of the ordinary. The cocktail menu was pretty exceptional and my favorite drink had lavender and fresh egg whites in it. I’m usually skeptical of raw eggs but this, this was frothy, creamy, tangy, and smooth. Oh, and beautiful too, see below!

Lavender Drink

The best tasting item on the menu was the cured scallops. They were light, creamy, sweet, and slightly salty. The texture was maybe the best part, the salmon roe provided a burst of fresh sea flavor.  The lovely pop of color from the carrots added a faint sweetness. Uh and that presentation, exquisite!

scallops

Next up was the Keffir Lime Custard. Although I was so full from the previous dishes, I couldn’t stop eating it! It was so creamy, sour and sweet that it was hard to stop! It was almost like eating the best limeade you’ve ever had in custard form. I.could.not.stop. Before I knew it, the custard was devoured.

Key Lime

Last but not least, we had to visit the farmers market on our second to last day. Peaches are at it’s peak so I just had to taste the peach sorbet. Look how cute and yummy they look (below). The mountainous background and painted sky aren’t too bad either.

Sorbet

Chicken Dumpling Soup

 

Chicken Dumpling Soup 1
I have never actually tried making chicken and dumplings — ever. I guess it’s because I grew up on matzo ball soup and it was good enough.  There was no need to learn how to make other dumpling soups.

  The other day I was watching my favorite channel, The Cooking Channel; It’s pretty much where I get a lot of my inspiration from. It was my second time watching the show Little Paris Kitchen and this one recipe caught my eye. It stars an adorable girl, Rachel Khoo who makes really easy delicious French style food.  She made a take on chicken dumplings without the “and.” It’s practically a rich chicken broth with veggies and dumplings made with chicken. I never knew a concoction like this would be so delicate and tasty.

The last time I made quenelles was in pastry school so it was fun practicing again!

Chicken Dumpling Soup 2

I’m not going to type out the entire recipe because this blog, Eat Little Bird does it oh too well. Her pictures are really wonderful too. My only changes were that I sautéed a minced shallot, 2 cloves of garlic, 2 leeks, diced carrots, and celery. I cooked all of these ingredients until wilted and soft to touch. Other than that, follow her recipe.  Oh and this is a “meat and potatoes” boyfriend approved recipe.

::New Orleans::

Oysters

Planning different foodie adventures excites my everyday life. I then have experiences to look forward to. The original plan was to check out Jazz Fest. After the unsuccessful hunt to find nothing but pricey hotels, we decided on going the weekend before the madness.  There are still amazing bands playing so why not? The last time I visited Nola was in college during Mardi Gras. It was an intense and crazy introduction to a lively city. This time, however, was much more modest. My boyfriend and I ate our way through the city (no joke) attending reservation after reservation. Perhaps next time, I’ll visit longer than a weekend, space out my large meals, and make more time to listen to local bands.

The first stop was Luke, a fabulous restaurant by the famous Chef, John Besh. Here’s to my boyfriend and my first time eating raw oysters…

I give you, the charcuterie platter! On the top left corner going the the right, we have: Foie Gras, Blood Sausage, Compania Pork. In the middle: Rabbit and Chicken pate next to it, Rillete of Pork. The sauces consisted of stone ground mustard, housemade pickles, pickled watermelons, sweet pickle relish, and pepper marmalade. My all were amazing but I could do without the blood sausage. My favorite was the rabbit and chicken pate, it was sweet, velvety, and rich. We tried every which combination to get the best flavor, see below…

Charcuterie
bite

Late night eats. This is a must. We don’t have a Krystal Burger in Houston, Texas…

krystal

Something to wake up to, Cafe Du Monde beignets.

beignets

Next stop, Commanders Palace. Way too much good food.. Below is a picture of the perfectly made gumbo. It has a dark roux flavor and color. Next to it, I’m smelling the turtle soup. It was rich in sherry and had tons of flavor. My first experience was excellent!

gumbo/turtle soup

As if I wasn’t full after the soup and killer bloody mary (ahem, heavily hand poured vodka and mixed table side). Below is a picture of shrimp & grits with pork belly. Needless to say, the pants were unbuttoned at this point. The flavor combination was a party in my mouth, from the sherry to the rich and buttery grits, I couldn’t stop eating.

shrimp and grits

Why stop there when dessert is coming? Bread pudding souffle you say? Eek, I’m so full but must. eat. more.

bread pudding souffle

Time for a nap.

———–

 I was still incredibly full after our filling yet delicious lunch and much deserved nap.  BUT we had to attend our next reservation at Cochon.

fried alligator

Here you go, the oh so delicious fried alligator. Simply cooked to perfection without a tough chew.  Sriracha aioli was the perfect addition to these nuggets. Below is the rabbit and dumplings. I would love to describe the flavor but I couldn’t eat anymore at this point.

Rabbit & Dumplings

 

It’s safe to say that we had a successful cajun fix.

Cinnamon Toast Cupcake

Hello foodies! I have such fond memories (i’m sure you do too) of  eating a huge bowl of cinnamon toast crunch cereal and enjoying the sweet milk that follows. I love the flavors { sugary, cinnamony, crunchy, sweet, and slightly salty. }  Combining this delicious cereal with a fluffy cupcake is the perfect combination.  I assure you, you will be very satisfied once you bite into one of these lovlies.

 

Hope you enjoyed the video!

Print Recipe
 Cinnamon Toast Cupcake
Servings
12
Ingredients
Cream Cheese Icing
Servings
12
Ingredients
Cream Cheese Icing
Instructions
  1. Mix eggs and sugar in standing mixer.
  2. Add buttermilk, sour cream, oil, and vanilla.
  3. Then add dry ingredients sifted in: ap flour, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon
  4. For the icing: Mix cream cheese and butter then add sifted powdered sugar and cinnamon.
  5. Sprinkle crushed cereal on top.

 

{Blueberry Lemon Cardamom Donuts}

Donuts!

A friend joined me in making donuts for :: Valentines Day :: We landed on the lemon blueberry flavor with spicy cardamom because you always need something sweet in your life.  These aren’t your usual fried , crunch yet fluffy donuts.   They’re more like muffins in the shape of donuts.  The Meyer lemon glaze really balances out the sweetness of the  sugar.  I hope you enjoy something sweet in your life this Valentines Day!

image

 

Blueberry Lemon Donut

 

Print Recipe
 {Blueberry Lemon Cardamom Donuts}
Servings
12
Ingredients
Doughnuts
Blueberry Jam
Glaze
Servings
12
Ingredients
Doughnuts
Blueberry Jam
Glaze
Instructions
  1. Preheat your oven to 425F.

  2. In small saucepan over medium high heat, add blueberries, sugar and lemon juice. Mash blueberries until only a few remain whole. Heat and stir until boiling. Remove from heat and allow to cool and thicken. Set aside.
  3. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt.
 Beat in greek yogurt, eggs, vanilla, milk and melted butter until fully incorporated.
  4. Spray doughnut pan with non-stick spray, filling each cavity with ¼-1/3 cup doughnut batter. Dollop two to three tsp of blueberry jam on top doughnut batter in each doughnut pan cavity. Using a knife swirl the jam into the doughnut batter. Bake in oven for 9 minutes, or until light golden brown.
  5. In small bowl, whisk together powdered sugar, lemon zest, milk and vanilla bean caviar until sugar is dissolved and mixture is runny.
 Dunk tops of doughnuts into glaze and turn right side up to set. Serve while still slightly warm.

The Great Get Away :: Austin ::

It was time for a trip. When life gets repetitive, there’s a huge need for a foodie adventure! Austin is only a few hours away so it’s not a bad ride. Our trip was kind of last minute but before going, I posted on facebook asking friends for food suggestions. We hit some of the top spots and to my surprise, Austin has become so hip and trendy that there are almost 2 hour waits at restaurants. Wait, what?! I wish we planned a bit better but the lesson was learned!  We missed out on places like Midnight Cowboy.

Austin

The first stop was Elizabeth Street Cafe. I’m not usually one to try trendy asian food as I love hole in the walls. I absolutely loved the decor and style of this place. They had the cutest uniforms and their logo can’t be beat. I hate to say it but I liked the way this place looked better than how the food tasted.  It was just missing that authentic flair. I did like one thing… a delicious spicy and tangy drink, Year of the Dragon. It’s made with beet sake, orange sherry, ginger brew, fresnos, falernum, and lime.

Year of the Dragon

The next day we set out on our adventure to have a fulfilling breakfast but light enough to do some hiking. We ended up at the highly recommended,  Bouldin Creek Cafe. I had been there previously but I went out on a limb this time to try some vegetarian/ vegan fare. Everything on the menu seems to have a healthy vibe to which I love! I ended up getting the Renedicit. The small print says “available before 1pm while it lasts.” If a menu item has info like that, I must try this dish. It comes with… grilled ciabatta served open faced and topped with baby spinach, 2 over-medium cage-free eggs, local tomatoes, tofu ‘bacon’, and homemade vegan Hollandaise. So. Freaking. Delicious. I could eat this meal every day. Who knew vegan fare was this amazing?

Bouldin Creek Cafe

After an easy hike around McKinney Falls and a relaxing hour of canoeing on Lady Bird Lake, we had to fill our tummies with yet another delicious meal. This time we chose Noble Pig. It was, like my friend had said, a tad bit far from the hip area but so worth the trip. I took the advice and was blown away. Everything on the menu looked amazing. In the cold case, they had freshly made pate, bacon fat,  house made pickled veggies (holy moly), and more. I settled on the special, house made shrimp sausage wrapped in bacon, pickled veggies, crispy bacon on a challah bun. Holy heck! This was maybe one of the best sandwiches I’ve ever had. The combinations of flavors and textures all together made my tastebuds dance like crazy.

Shrimp Sausage

            nom nom nom

Shrimp Sausage

Our tummies were full and extremely happy. {nap time}

As the evening came, we started the night off with a drink at Weather Up. Ok, ok, I know I keep saying each meal is the best i’ve had. Seriously though, this was the best cocktail. In Houston, we have wonderful cocktail bars like Anvil, which is still one of my favorites. But Weather up, wow. Just on another level of cocktail bars than I’ve experienced. Apparently they don’t buy bags of ice. Instead, they have a huge  block that they chip off of. Each drink requires a different “cut” of the ice. Talk about time consuming work.. Anyway, the entire menu was unique but the waitress helped me find my drink of the night, Peach Blow Fizz. No, this drink didn’t have any peach in it, kind of misleading…

Weather Up

Ok so let me tell you why this drink is so amazing. The absolutely perfectly whipped egg white. Having a pastry background, one can appreciate perfectly whipped whites. It tasted like a boozy strawberry shake without the milk and not overly boozy! It was light and fluffy which was the perfect texture for this flavor combination. I was in heaven.

Peach Blow Fizz

Next stop, Foreign & Domestic. This place was made for the adventurous foodie, one who eat pork jowls and such. The menu was tiny and so was the restaurant.  It’s a good thing though, it gives the chefs a chance to hone in on their skills, use quality ingredients and make each dish amazing. I got the short ribs and the bf got the monsterous kobe burger. Both set us in food comas. ’nuff said.

Short Ribs

 

Kobe Burger

 

All in all, it was a successfull (pun & misspelling intended) foodie adventure to Austin. Lessons learned: plan 2 weeks ahead and make reservations.

Best Cinnamon Rolls Ever

One day I was searching for the best cinnamon roll recipe. I could have easily bought the pillsbury stuff but that’s too easy. Homemade dough is always better. I searched through pinterest and found this great recipe that had a secret ingredient. This ingredient was the key  to the moist, fluffy, delicious texture and flavor. They were a hit at the brunch I went to. So if you want to wow your friends, I suggest you make these.


 
Print Recipe
 Best Cinnamon Rolls Ever
Servings
4
Ingredients
Cream Cheese Icing
Servings
4
Ingredients
Cream Cheese Icing
Instructions
  1. Preheat over to 350.
  2. In a small bowl, combine water and yeast. Stir until dissolved, about 5 minutes.
  3. After, mix pudding according to the packaged instructions with milk.
  4. Then add sugar, 1/2 cup melted butter, egg, and salt. Mix well.
  5. Gradually add flour and mix with dough hook. After, knead by hand into a ball.
  6. Place the dough into a large greased bowl. Then cover and let rise in a warm place until it doubles in size.
  7. Punch down and let rise again for a second time.
  8. Roll dough on a very large floured surface.
  9. Dough should roll out to a long rectangle, about 34 x 21"
  10. Take 1 cup of melted butter and spread over entire dough surface using a pastry brush.
  11. In a small bowl, combine brown sugar, cinnamon, and raisins.
  12. Sprinkle mixture over top of buttered dough. Roll dough up like a jelly roll.
  13. Measure dough every 2 inches and cut with a knife.
  14. Place each roll in a buttered baking pan and allow to rise in a warm place for about 20 minutes.
  15. Bake in a preheated oven and bake until golden brown, about 15-20 minutes.
  16. Once out of the oven, slather the cream cheese mixture on top.
Recipe Notes
Enjoy these warm 🙂

:: Donut Breakfast Sandwich ::

Happy New Year! I know, I know, everyone starts their diets in the beginning of the new year. It’s the time to say bye-bye to sweets and treats.  Do you really keep to this? I like to trick myself and eat more greens yet still have treats! I mean, come on, it’s not fun cutting out scrumptious desserts. It’s so hard to resist delicious sweets, especially a donut egg sandwich. Besides, you’re only eating one donut and one isn’t that bad, right?

I came up with this idea when the donut burger was all the hype. I thought it would be a grand idea to cook some canadian bacon, onions, and garlic then add a fried egg to it. It’s the perfect balance, you get the sweet from the crunchy yet soft glazed donut, the saltiness from the garlicy fried egg, and the creaminess from the avocado and Boursin cheese.  Watch the video to see how it’s made. I’m positive that it will blow your socks off.

Print Recipe
 Donut Breakfast Sandwich
Servings
1
Ingredients
Servings
1
Ingredients
Instructions
  1. Preheat pan and add butter.
  2. While the butter is melting, cut the donut in half and spread boursin cheese on one side and jam on the other.
  3. Spread sliced avocado and tomato on top of the cheese.
  4. Add the onion and shallot to the pan and cook until translucent. Then add the canadian bacon.
  5. Once the the bacon is slightly crisp, add an egg and fry topping with salt and pepper.
  6. When the egg is flipped and cooked to medium.
  7. Place egg on top of tomato, put the other half donut on top- ta da!
Recipe Notes

If you're feeling funky, try making it with a specialty { blueberry cake, apple fritter } donut. Let me know how that is!

:: Pretzel Balls & Bacon Jam ::

The theme lately, with me, seems to be salty and sweet (last post).  Salty, fluffy, crispy, and chewy pretzel balls paired with sweet, savory, chewy and flavorful bacon jam. What more could you ask for? Your tastebuds will be dancing once you eat these nuggets dipped in heaven.  This will be a hit at your holiday party, superbowl party, or even just lounging on a lazy Sunday.

I made these recipes for the first time a year ago and it was a hit at our friends superbowl party. I made the jam the day before because it takes almost 4 hours to cook in the crock pot. Our apartment smelled of warm, sweet bacon which kept us salivating for days. The balls are time consuming as well so get ready to wait for the prize!

 May I present you with…

Here’s how I made the Bacon Jam

Here’s how I made the Pretzel Balls

1 hour later

:: The finished product ::

Print Recipe
 :: Pretzel Balls & Bacon Jam ::
Pretzel Balls Adapated from Paula Deen and Bacon Jam adapted from Martha Stewart
Servings
Ingredients
Bacon Jam
Pretzel Balls
Servings
Ingredients
Bacon Jam
Pretzel Balls
Instructions
Bacon Jam
  1. In a large skillet, cook bacon over medium-high, stirring occasionally, until fat is rendered and bacon is lightly browned, about 20 minutes. With a slotted spoon, transfer bacon to paper towels to drain. Pour off all but 1 tablespoon fat from skillet (reserve for another use); add onions and garlic, and cook until onions are translucent, about 7 minutes. Add vinegar, brown sugar, maple syrup, and coffee and bring to a boil, stirring and scraping up browned bits from skillet with a wooden spoon, about 2 minutes. Add bacon and stir to combine.
  2. Transfer mixture to a 6-quart slow cooker and cook on high, uncovered, until liquid is syrupy, 3 1/2 to 4 hours. Transfer to a food processor; pulse until coarsely chopped. Let cool, then refrigerate in airtight containers, up to 4 weeks.
Pretzel Balls
  1. In a large mixing bowl, combine warm water and yeast. When the yeast dissolves/activates, add half of the flour, the butter, salt, and sugar and mix for about 3 minutes. Stir in the remaining flour. Turn dough out onto a floured surface and knead until the dough is no longer sticky. Let the dough rise in a greased, covered bowl until it doubles in size, about 45 to 50 minutes. Punch down the dough and divide into 12 pieces. Roll each piece of dough into 18-inch long ropes. On a greased cookie sheet, shape each rope into a pretzel shape. Let rise again until almost doubled, about 30 minutes.
  2. Preheat oven to 500 degrees F.
  3. In a large non-aluminum dutch oven over high heat, bring 4 cups of water and baking soda to a boil. Using a large spoon, gently lower pretzels into water a few at a time and boil until they float. Return the pretzels the sheet pan and brush with an egg wash then sprinkle with kosher salt. Bake until browned, about 12 minutes.