Food Lush

Recipe Round-up: Brussels Sprouts, Chicken & Waffles, and Donuts!

By Jennie

Garlic Parmesan Top Knots & Brown Buttermilk Biscuits by A Cozy Kitchen 

Old-Fashioned Sour Cream Donuts by Christie's Corner

Shortbread Bites by Delish

Crunchy Black Bean Tacos by Endless Simmer

Hot Chocolate Cake by Be Different Act Normal

Balsamic Brussels Sprouts Grilled Cheese by How Sweet It Is

Spiced Wine & Pear Hand Pies by Chasing Delicious

Pint-Size Chicken & Waffles by Hungry Girl Por Vida 

Turkey Enchilada Verde Soup by Homesick Texan 

Any delicious links you'd like to share in the comments?

Maui Eats: Leoda’s Kitchen and Pie Shop

By Julie

While we were planning our trip to Maui, our local paper happened to run a spread on the island, including a list of their favorite places to eat. One of those spots was Leoda’s Kitchen and Pie Shop, which we noticed on our drive to the hotel from the airport, and we made a note to check it out.

Leoda’s is a tiny little restaurant on the side of the road that winds from central Maui to the western side of the island. They have a terrific selection of sandwiches and burgers, but where they really shine is with their pies, both sweet and savory. I tried the mushroom pie for lunch, as I’m in love with anything that contains mushrooms and cheese, and it did not disappoint. The crust was a dense, flaky, buttery wrapping around the flavorful filling, and while it’s billed as a hand held pie, I highly recommend using a fork. My husband would also like to add that his ahi tuna sandwich (a special of the day) was one of the top meals he had the whole week. (I took a bite, and he’s not wrong.)

But if you do nothing else on a visit to Maui, please got to Leoda’s for the macadamia nut chocolate praline pie. I mean, just look at this –

 

It is simply the very best pie I have ever tasted, and pumpkin pie and I have been best buds for a long time. This is so spectacular that I’m going to describe it in detail.  The pie starts with a chocolate cookie crumb crust and is filled with chocolate custard that is both airy and fudgy. The whipped cream topping is dusted with macadamia nut chunks and shaved chocolate. And then there’s the surprise in the middle.  Between the chocolate and the crust is a hidden layer of praline caramel that makes eating this dessert a mind blowing experience. We spent a good portion of the rest of our trip trying to figure out ways to bring home this pie is vast quantities. We failed, but it gives us good reason to go back as soon as possible.

For Maui, this place is reasonably priced and oh so delicious. I’m sure if we’d gone there earlier in the trip, we would have gone back every day. No matter where you’re staying on the island, this is a place you need to check out.

{Photo Credit: yelp.com}

Easy, Home-baked Holiday Gift Idea

By Nora

My daughter goes to a Quaker preschool where they don't really make a big deal out of the holidays, especially the commercialism surrounding it. As a result, the teachers request that the kids not give them gifts, but if they want to, make something home/hand-made for them. Since my daugher is only 2 and a half that limits what she can create herself, although lately she's been enthusiastic about helping me cook (which is thrilling me to no end!).  So, this gave me an inspired idea. Remember that No-Knead Bread recipe I wrote about a while back? Well, I figured that my kid could help me mix the dough, and then the morning of preschool we pop them in the oven and after it's baked we can wrap it in a cute dishtowel, like this:

{Photo from sayyestohoboken.com}

I bet you can buy super cheap towels at Marshalls or Kohl's, or you can get a few of these that Katie wrote about back in September, and which I am completely obsessed with. And who doesn't appreciate and LOVE fresh baked bread???

Pete Wells vs. Guy Fieri: A New Kind of Food Review?

By Dani

By now, you've probably read about Pete Wells' takedown of Guy Fieri's Times Square restaurant in the New York Times. If you haven't read it yet, you definitely should - it's a one-sided Socratic debate that will make you want to be a food snob:

"Did you notice that the menu was an unreliable predictor of what actually came to the table? Were the 'bourbon butter crunch chips' missing from your Almond Joy cocktail, too? Was your deep-fried 'boulder' of ice cream the size of a standard scoop?"

In my opinion, it was easily the most awesome restaurant review I've ever read. Heartily honest, brutal and hilarious - a far cry from the typical "atmosphere - service - food" formula we've come to expect from most critics. However, Fieri is an easy target, so I'm not sure that this really spells a revolution in food critique. He's so over-the-top that he's a caricature of himself, and it's not surprising that the New York Times isn't impressed by his far-from-intellectual approach to cuisine. Nor is it particularly daring to make fun of someone who makes a living eating ungodly amounts of fried food and hollering about it's awesomeness. 

Nonetheless, the war that's emerged (well, really, the entertainment, as Fieri is simply floundering to pin a conspiracy theory on Wells) is pretty fun to watch. SNL even got in on the action with this great unaired sketch:

So, what do you think? Is this a new era of clever, brutally honest reviews or simply a chance to bully an easy target? Did you laugh at the review, or do you like Guy Fieri? More importantly, do you wear sunglasses on the back of your head?

Fried Egg Sandwich from Smitten Kitchen

by Jess M

I like to do something special for breakfast on the weekends, and sometimes that consists of a package of bacon and cinnamon rolls out of a can. But sometimes I go to the extra trouble to make something so super delicious:

Smitten Kitchen’s Fried Egg Sandwich with Bacon and Blue Cheese

Based off of a salad, this runny yolk and warm bacon dressing topped sandwich is nothing short of perfection. My Wegman’s usually has baby frissee and some great artisan-type rolls.

(Photo from: me)

Eat Vancouver: Heirloom Vegetarian

by Sarah Anne  

In honour of my husband's Graduate Record Exam (GRE) scores, we went out for more than take-out falafel this week! Not that there's anything wrong with takeout falafel, mind you. I surely didn't eat it three times this week. Nope. Not I.

My husband surprised me with the restaurant this time, which is no small feat considering how keyed into the local food scene I am. When we pulled up and I saw the sign outside, I could barely contain my excitement. A new vegetarian restaurant, called Heirloom Vegetarian, that hadn't even been open a month yet!

I could hardly sit still; I was so excited when I looked at the menu. I had been assured that one of their appetizers was so perfect for me, it could have been created with me in mind, so I frantically searched the menu for that item. Was it the crispy chickpeas? The raw cauliflower risotto? Oh, no. This was it. They knew I was coming.

We started out with drinks, and I was hooked by the nightly special - a Red Cedar. Forgive me for not remembering the mix, but it had cedar infused vodka, sweet vermouth, a cherry garnish, and a sprig of scented cedar. We were told by our server that the head bartender, Vanessa, was a holistic nutritionist and created all the inventive drinks herself. I loved watching her make drinks all night, spraying the cedar with some concoction, using an eyedropper to scent or flavour other beverages. She truly brought back the art of the cocktail. As a fan of gin and juniper, I figured I might like the different twist that the cedar brought to the drink. I was not disappointed.

Our initial order somehow did not make it to the kitchen, but just as we were getting a bit grumpy our server offered a bowl of not-so-average popcorn and apologies to tide us over. This is also on their late night menu, and I highly recommend it as something to munch while deciding. It was lightly coated in a mix of coconut oil, nutritional yeast, and beetroot powder! I suspect the beet gave it the hint of sweetness that matched perfectly with the rich coconut oil and salty, cheesy nutritional yeast.

As our food finally came out, my initial excitement came roaring back with a vengeance, along with my hunger that had been temporarily quelled by the bowl of popcorn I nearly inhaled. The handpicked greens salad was beautiful and while I don't usually prefer frisee lettuce, its bitterness married perfectly with the toasted hazelnuts, sweet ginger poached pears, roasted brussel sprouts, and the floral orange blossom vinaigrette.

The avocado frites came out next. I was afraid I had built up the crispy wedges to something unattainable in my head, but I assure you, we were not disappointed. Smoky, crispy, buttery and accented perfectly by the sweet and fruity homemade ketchup. I rationed these for the rest of my meal, making sure they lasted until the bitter end! You'll have to forgive my phone-quality photos and just trust me that every dish was enticing and beautiful.

The other star of the night, (How many are we at, have you kept count?) was the wild and foraged mushrooms in coconut cream with fennel, garlic and dry cider, served with a walnut onion baguette. I really wished that I could swim in this dish. I took no photo, as I was too focused on digging into the bowl of mixed mushrooms in cream. Again, not a single disappointment with this perfectly spiced dish. Delicately anise hinted from the fennel, rich and unctuous thanks to the coconut, it was probably our favourite dish of the night. Thanks to our server, whose name I did not get - for shame, for solidifying our ordering of this dish. We all but licked the bowl clean and then mourned the loss.

Heirloom's dessert selection was like the rest of the menu, inventive, creative and thoughtful. There was a gluten-free semolina chocolate cake, a vanilla chia pudding, and the dish that we ordered, a pumpkin mousse with vanilla cashew cream and a date-walnut crumble. I figured I could have chocolate anytime, but this might be seasonal.

I wasn't sure with my first bite as it wasn't what I was expecting. Chilled, not sweet and pumpkin pie-y like I had anticipated. However with each bite, I loved it more and more. I particularly ended up loving that it was barely sweetened, delicately spiced and felt so light. We finished the glass off with no problem, of course. Did anyone have a doubt?

Heirloom thanks their local suppliers boldly on their menu and focuses on delicious vegetarian and vegan fare with many gluten free options and sources as much as they are able, locally. No tofu, no fake cheeses, the menu at Heirloom Vegetarian was exciting to read and it became very apparent by the creativity of the offerings, that the chef simply loves good food.

The atmosphere was clean, elegantly lit by candlelight and I couldn't help but look around to take in all the antiqued light boxes, gardening tools turned artwork and vintage veggie prints on the walls. The staff were lovely and knowledgeable and took care of us well, recommending dishes, offering suggestions and helping us when our order had us waiting.

I cannot say enough about this new restaurant in Vancouver. While not an everyday restaurant for us probably, I just can't wait for another occasion to dine at Heirloom Vegetarian. On the way out I noticed they serve brunch and my budding love of this local spot combined with my faithful relationship with brunch guarantees our return for sure. I'm excited to dine again with Heirloom and can't recommend it enough for vegetarians and omnivores alike.

And of course, I loved the message at the bottom of the menu.

Current Obsession: Whole Foods Frozen Fruit Bars

by Caitlin

Well! It's been a while since I've had a Regularly Scheduled post around here, eh? Hey, did you see the Gift Guide that went up last week? That is by far my favorite post of the year. It's a beast to put together, but in the best way possible: it's fun and exciting to discover new food gadgets and treats. I love window shopping for others, and I maintain a list of ideas all year long, jotting things down as I see them, just to be able to tell you to buy them come November. I hope you found something on there that tickled your fancy, and for further fancy tickling I also highly recommend the Style Lush Gift Guide, handcrafted for your perusal by the lovely Elizabeth who has been doing this far longer than I. She is in fact the originator of the gift guide 'round these parts, and she nails it year after year. 

Speaking of years, 2012 has been a doozy. Those of you who have been following along - whether here or anywhere else in my life - know that I've had some health problems stemming from my sinuses. I had one procedure done in June, and when that didn't take, I had major sinus surgery the week before Thanksgiving. So far it seems to have been a success, although recovery is definitely going much more slowly than I anticipated. 

Something happy about my two week convalescence, aside from my remarkably improved ability to breathe, spending hours a day in bed with Tim Riggins, and being able to blame almost anything on the pain meds, is rediscovering my love for popsicles. 

Hey girl. I like popsicles too. We have so much in common. 

I thought that Tim Riggins photo alone was enough but then I stumbled on this. 

Gosh it feels dreamy in here. But that may just be the pain meds talking. (SEE?) Aaaaaanyway. 

After they wheeled me out of the operating room and into recovery on the day of surgery, I was quite confused and not fully with it. If you've ever been under general anesthesia, you'll know exactly what I mean. I actually woke up crying, confused, and in pain. It took a while for them to get it under control (druggggsssss are magical, kids!), but once they did I felt much more cheerful and chatty (drugs!). It was around this time, I think, that my husband inquired about whether they had given me a popsicle. You see, I hadn't been able to eat or drink anything since the night before, and I'd been told that they'd give me a popsicle after my surgery. At this point I was high as a kite, still a bit confused, and had just told a lovely, sweet nurse who was helping me that she must be so good at her job because there were two or three of her (drugggs). When Zach asked me about the Promised Popsicle, I distinctly remember feeling a) happy, because oh yeah! popsicles! and b) robbed, because WHITHER, POPSICLE? I said I had NOT received my popsicle and literally shook my fist and proclaimed it "a grave injustice." LET THEM EAT FROZEN TREATS.

I did eventually get my Popsicle of Justice, you'll be relieved to know.  

One of the many popsicles I've eaten recently, filtered for instant nostalgia!

And since I'm a Preparation Panicker and cope with stress and uncertainty by making lists, spreadsheets, and over-preparing I had Panick Stocked my kitchen with all manner of fizzy water, juices, and popsicles. It turns out that I made a wise choice in my frozen treat selection, with a variety of Whole Foods Brand 365 Frozen Fruit Bars. There's nothing weird in them, no corn syrup or fake sugar, no added coloring. It's mostly fruit juice, sugar, water. I'd bought a variety of flavors - lime, strawberry, mango, and carribean blend - and my favorite turned out to be the strawberry. My husband's favorite are the mango, as evidenced by the fact that he demolished an entire box of them before I even had my surgery. He did replace them, which I think we can agree was smart considering my apparently strong feelings about Popsicle Justice.

 

You can't touch the mango!

So. That's what'ss been going on with me. I've missed you and my regular writing here. How have YOU been lately? What's your favorite Friday Night Lights moment? Have you started shopping? Have you tried these popsicles? Will you put them in anyone's stocking this year, like maybe mine?

Tim Riggins photo from http://kingdragon.tumblr.com. Mango pop photo from http://enthusiasticrunner.com.

Cuisine at Home Magazine

By Tara C.

If you have seen Caitlin's wonderful gift guide (and if you haven't you should) you may have noticed that Cook's Illustrated topped her list--this year with the cookbook and last year with the magazine subscription. But let's say the food lover on your list already has a subscription. I'd like to throw in another magazine idea--Cuisine at Home.

I was introduced to Cuisine at Home magazine a couple years ago when my aunt Diana, who is a fabulous cook herself, gifted me with a subscription. It quickly turned into my favorite food magazine. Their Old Fashioned Chocolate Cake recipe (adapted here) might be my favorite chocolate cake recipe. And that's saying a lot; it's hard to choose a favorite chocolate cake. They're all so lovable.

Here's what I love about Cuisine at Home:

• The recipes are reliable. Everything I've tried has been good (including this Mac n' Cheese Soup).
• There are tons of photos and step-by-step instructions.
• There's an emphasis on technique.
• There are no ads.

The "no ads" part is probably what differentiates it the most from other food magazines, but the emphasis on technique has been most helpful to me. While I enjoy cooking, I never really learned a lot of the basic techniques. I am much more comfortable with baking than with cooking main dishes. And with a vegetarian mother, this is particularly true when it comes to cooking meat. I just never really learned some of the basics.

I think one of the best things about Cuisine at Home is that it allows less experienced home chefs to create elegant and tasty dishes. So, for something like Seared Beef Tenderloin Filets, they not only provide recipes but also give step-by-step instuctions, with photos, for trimming and searing the filets. This is not to say that it's only for the novice cook. But for those of us who like to have all the steps really spelled out for us, this is a great resource. I have thoroughly enjoyed my subscription--I highly recommend it.

(photo from: Cuisine at Home)

Homemade dinner rolls

by Elsha

This Thanksgiving was the first one that Brian and I weren’t with family, which meant we were in charge of all the cooking. You would think that would encourage me to stick with what I already know, but nope! I decided I wanted homemade rolls with Thanksgiving dinner. This was a big thing since, as I’ve mentioned here before, I’ve never had good results baking anything with yeast. I was determined that this time I’d get it to work. Obviously I turned to the internet (I believe my search involved the word “easy”) and found this recipe for Favorite Dinner Rolls from Salad in a Jar.

You guys! They turned out great! 

(My first bread baking sucess!) 

They were exactly what I wanted. Wonderfully soft and delicious. Plus they were great for making turkey sandwiches. Here’s what I think made these a success where my other attempts failed: 1) I used a bread maker to make the dough and 2) I watched her video on how to form the rolls, so I knew how they were supposed to look. I’ll definitely be trying the cinnamon roll variation on these. Maybe for Christmas morning? We’ll see.

Did you have any successful new Thanksgiving dishes?

Turkey-Cranberry Rollups

By Ariel

We have a lot of "snack" days at work. Basically our team comes up with a theme and everyone brings in something delicious. Basically my job is awesome.

Tuesday after Thanksgiving our theme was incredibly creative: Thanksgiving Leftovers Remade. See? How on earth did we come up with that?

I needed to make something I didn't have to cook. I am so sick of cooking from last week that I am insanely grateful we have enough leftover food to get us into the new year (well, maybe). Anyway, you cannot go wrong with a rollup, and I had a TON of cranberry sauce leftover. I give you the Turkey Cranberry Rollup:

Only four ingredients are needed: One package cream cheese, about 3/4-1 cup cranberry sauce (I used this recipe, I can't say how jellied cranberry sauce would work), leftover turkey (white and dark meat) and four flour tortillas.

Combine the cream cheese and cranberry sauce and spread it over each tortilla. Place small pieces of turkey throughout and roll the tortilla up tightly like you would any rollup.  I like to wrap mine up in plastic wrap or foil and stick them in the fridge before slicing, but that part is up to you. 

Tada! Easy lunch or snack for some of that leftover food. What are you doing with all your leftovers?