A Few Food Faves of '14
No year-end is complete without a countdown list. Here's my take on it with a few food favorites of my own creation and others from this year.
PIZZA!
I know, am I still in college? It's almost mundane, but it has been a real pleasure this year. Between making my own homemade crust and a pizza stone (ok, three), it has been a delicious treat. I've been experimenting more and more with the crust and have gotten pretty good at it. My husband is a self-proclaimed pizza snob and says I have spoiled him. I take that as a real compliment.
Eggplant
I have had a love/hate relationship with this vegetable for a while. I want to like it because so many of my favorite cuisines include it (Mediterranean, Indian, etc.). I just hadn't found a way to cook it to my satisfaction i.e. Not mushy and gross. I gave it one more try this summer growing our own Japanese variety. That's when things clicked. I marinated it in balsamic, olive oil, lemon, garlic, salt, pepper, and fresh thyme, then grilled it. Oh my Greek gods was it delicious! My husband is also a self-proclaimed non-eggplant-lover and I got him to 1. try it and 2.) LIKE it! Vive l'aubergine!
Summer Food
Nothing to me tastes better than the fresh favors of summer. The juiciness of a ripe tomato, the crispness of garden fresh lettuce, the delightful aroma of fresh herbs - all speak to me in joyous ways. We have planted some type of garden the past few years and this year seems to be the craziest in terms of tomato output. We planted just a few but many volunteers sprung up on their own in the wildest spots: in the hostas, the flower garden, up to our ears. Needless to say, we had many a BLT, chips and fresh salsa, and gazpacho dinners outdoors. Raise a glass to summer!
Cajun
This year Mardi Gras fell on my birthday. Is there a better reason to have a party or what? Even on a work night this was going to be fun! We have had a Williams-Sonoma "New Orleans" cookbook for a while and had prepared a few things from it. This time we went for the gumbo & king cake. My husband prepared the time-intensive shrimp gumbo that was absolutely divine! He made it using homemade shrimp stock (save your shrimp tails and simmer them with carrots and celery - easy!). And I made the king cake. I should say, cakes. Having never made one before I experimented the week before so we had our own, plus I made two small ones for "food days" at work then another one for the party. By the last one, I had it down and they turned out great! Laissez les bons temps rouler!
Square Plates
Ok, this is not necessarily a food item but food does go on them. In an attempt to eat healthy and watch portions, we serve many meals on smaller square plates. Not only are we watching our calories, but they make for elegant plating.
Dog Biscuits
No, I am not eating dog food but I did make peanut butter-oatmeal treats for our dog and his canine friends. I have had bone- and squirrel-shaped cookie cutters for a couple of years with this idea in mind and finally made them which was perhaps the easiest thing I had ever baked. And the receivers woofed them down. Many tails a waggin' in appreciation!
Those are a few things that I created & enjoyed. Occasionally the Small Kitchen Cook likes to hang up his apron and go out to eat. Now I'd like to highlight some memorable food experiences both nearby and a little farther away. Here are a few places I dined at this year that really impressed me. When you're out and about you might give them a try.
More Pizza
Yes, I'm starting with pizza again. But this place I went to in Armonk, NY, was right up my alley. I was out there for business and had an evening free. I was walking around seeing what the little Westchester county village had to offer. While perusing the internet on my phone for local fare, my phone starts to buzz. Someone was calling, so I thought, from an unknown number. What followed was a classic game of "no, you called me". I had accidentally dialed the number to Fortina. I explained what I was doing and the guy on the other end was friendly and encouraged me to stop by. When I got off the phone, I looked up and there it was. I thought that must be a sign so I went in. Google refers to it as, "Rustic-chic bistro & bar known for pies & main dishes cooked in imported wood-fired ovens." That is spot on. Rustic, elegant, wood-fired, pizza, delicious. The mushroom pie I had was to die for. This was in March and I still remember it!
Peruvian
Another business trip brought me to Washington D.C. Even though it's our nation's capital, it is also an international capital. There were so many options for dinner that my head was spinning. Having never tried it, I landed on a small Peruvian restaurant a short walk from my hotel. El Chalan is a quaint place in the lower level of a centuries' old building. I started with a salad, plata con palmito (avocado and hearts of palm salad) that had a peanut dressing and a large basket of European-style bread (that didn't last long). The main dish was "cau cau de mariscos". I would liken it to Peruvian paella. Tons of good seafood and the rice had the most wonderful flavor! I could not put down my fork. It was truly amazing.
Farm-Fresh
Despite living in the Heartland, we are not surrounded by farm-to-table restaurants. Unfortunately it seems most of our city's diners would choose to go to a tired old chain. Breaking out of that middle America monotony, we are blessed to have a place like Cobble Hill who bring to the table the freshest, brightest parts of living in Iowa. A list of ingredients & the farms they come from greet you at the door. And the meals are always inspired and unique. Hats off to you, Cobble Hill!
More Cajun
In the sleepy, little town of Oxford, Iowa, there is a restaurant called Augusta whose menu is self-described as "comfort food with a Cajun twist." For Labor Day, friends invited us to go as they were having their own Mardi Gras party with an all-you-can-eat buffet of Cajun delights: red beans and rice, gumbo, jambalaya, alligator étouffé, king cake. Sounded like a no-brainer to me. I made several trips back as the selection was très bon. I was expecting a fairly large party (it's was billed as "street festival" after all). That really consisted only of a lonely tuba player and a few tables and chairs. Luckily we were with good friends (& strong hurricanes) so we made our own fun!
These were just a few highlights of the culinary adventures I had this year. I look forward to sharing more with you in 2015. Until then, have a happy and safe New Years!
PIZZA!
I know, am I still in college? It's almost mundane, but it has been a real pleasure this year. Between making my own homemade crust and a pizza stone (ok, three), it has been a delicious treat. I've been experimenting more and more with the crust and have gotten pretty good at it. My husband is a self-proclaimed pizza snob and says I have spoiled him. I take that as a real compliment.Eggplant
Summer Food
Nothing to me tastes better than the fresh favors of summer. The juiciness of a ripe tomato, the crispness of garden fresh lettuce, the delightful aroma of fresh herbs - all speak to me in joyous ways. We have planted some type of garden the past few years and this year seems to be the craziest in terms of tomato output. We planted just a few but many volunteers sprung up on their own in the wildest spots: in the hostas, the flower garden, up to our ears. Needless to say, we had many a BLT, chips and fresh salsa, and gazpacho dinners outdoors. Raise a glass to summer!Cajun
This year Mardi Gras fell on my birthday. Is there a better reason to have a party or what? Even on a work night this was going to be fun! We have had a Williams-Sonoma "New Orleans" cookbook for a while and had prepared a few things from it. This time we went for the gumbo & king cake. My husband prepared the time-intensive shrimp gumbo that was absolutely divine! He made it using homemade shrimp stock (save your shrimp tails and simmer them with carrots and celery - easy!). And I made the king cake. I should say, cakes. Having never made one before I experimented the week before so we had our own, plus I made two small ones for "food days" at work then another one for the party. By the last one, I had it down and they turned out great! Laissez les bons temps rouler!
Square Plates
Dog Biscuits
Those are a few things that I created & enjoyed. Occasionally the Small Kitchen Cook likes to hang up his apron and go out to eat. Now I'd like to highlight some memorable food experiences both nearby and a little farther away. Here are a few places I dined at this year that really impressed me. When you're out and about you might give them a try.
More Pizza
Yes, I'm starting with pizza again. But this place I went to in Armonk, NY, was right up my alley. I was out there for business and had an evening free. I was walking around seeing what the little Westchester county village had to offer. While perusing the internet on my phone for local fare, my phone starts to buzz. Someone was calling, so I thought, from an unknown number. What followed was a classic game of "no, you called me". I had accidentally dialed the number to Fortina. I explained what I was doing and the guy on the other end was friendly and encouraged me to stop by. When I got off the phone, I looked up and there it was. I thought that must be a sign so I went in. Google refers to it as, "Rustic-chic bistro & bar known for pies & main dishes cooked in imported wood-fired ovens." That is spot on. Rustic, elegant, wood-fired, pizza, delicious. The mushroom pie I had was to die for. This was in March and I still remember it!
Peruvian
Another business trip brought me to Washington D.C. Even though it's our nation's capital, it is also an international capital. There were so many options for dinner that my head was spinning. Having never tried it, I landed on a small Peruvian restaurant a short walk from my hotel. El Chalan is a quaint place in the lower level of a centuries' old building. I started with a salad, plata con palmito (avocado and hearts of palm salad) that had a peanut dressing and a large basket of European-style bread (that didn't last long). The main dish was "cau cau de mariscos". I would liken it to Peruvian paella. Tons of good seafood and the rice had the most wonderful flavor! I could not put down my fork. It was truly amazing. Farm-Fresh
More Cajun
In the sleepy, little town of Oxford, Iowa, there is a restaurant called Augusta whose menu is self-described as "comfort food with a Cajun twist." For Labor Day, friends invited us to go as they were having their own Mardi Gras party with an all-you-can-eat buffet of Cajun delights: red beans and rice, gumbo, jambalaya, alligator étouffé, king cake. Sounded like a no-brainer to me. I made several trips back as the selection was très bon. I was expecting a fairly large party (it's was billed as "street festival" after all). That really consisted only of a lonely tuba player and a few tables and chairs. Luckily we were with good friends (& strong hurricanes) so we made our own fun!
These were just a few highlights of the culinary adventures I had this year. I look forward to sharing more with you in 2015. Until then, have a happy and safe New Years!
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