Hello all. Happy belated Labor Day and welcome back to reality. I woke up this morning ravenous for bagels. I also had a very random and nostalgic craving for Monti’s Roman Bread. I waited tables there in college and have been known to eat entire baskets of the stuff in one sitting. This train of thought led me to reflect on my general obsession with breads of all shapes, sizes and flavors. For example … Dave’s warnings about filling up on the bread basket when we eat out are futile. Don’t think I won’t buy a baguette and eat it with butter for breakfast, lunch and dinner. My last Trader Joe’s…
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Yummy Links 9/4/09
See which foods turned popular food bloggers into foodies at Chew on That A trix-ed out version of rice crispy treats at Cake Spy I can’t help but be curious about these apple dumplings from Out Best Bites Fried Butter Balls. Seriously. Guess my cinnamon sugar crunch french toast wasn’t as original as I thought: Hot off the Garlic Press’ version even has almonds in it.
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George
Don’t worry! This post isn’t about food! The picture you see above is not the next hot exotic ingredient I picked up at the farmer’s market! It’s George the Pug. My neighbor, Ginger, came over the other day to ask me if I’d like a new side gig as a dog walker to her precious pug George. The whole time I was walking him today, all I could think was how freakin’ cute he is. It being our first date and all, I didn’t have the heart to bring him back to an empty apartment right away, so after our walk I took him up to my place for a…
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Fig-get about it.
I have a confession to make. Until a few days ago, the only fig I’d ever had in my kitchen was of the Newton variety, if you catch my drift. I know. Revoke my foodie card right here on the spot if you must. (Maybe I shouldn’t tell you that this was also my first foray into homemade pie crust. Whoops, too late). I hope I’ve redeemed myself, however, by creating these yummy fig and raspberry tartlets. OK, so techincally they’re not tartlets. More like mini pies—I just love that word. Tartlet. Fig and Raspberry Tartlet You’ll need: pie crust dough (homemade or store bought) 10-12 ripe figs 1 small carton of…
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Squash blossoms, part 2: Squash blossom quesadilla
After squash blossom experiment part 1, I had some unsused blossoms and thought I’d try Paula’s quesadilla idea. Here we go: Squash Blossom, Onion and Orange Bell Pepper Quesadilla You’ll need: 2 large tortillas about 1 cup of mexican cheese (I buy the blended, packaged kind from the store) 6 or 7 squash blossoms 1/4 of 1 chopped yellow onion 1/2 of 1 chopped orange bell pepper (green or red would work fine also) 2-3 cloves garlic, minced 1-2 tablespoons olive oil 1-2 tablespoons vegetable oil First, cook your bell pepper, garlic and onion in olive oil until they are soft. This takes a while so I add water to…
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Increasing traffic to your food blog in five simple steps
As with this beautiful congregation of eggplants, more is always merrier. For a fairly new blogger, there’s nothing more exciting than logging into Google Analytics to see a big spike in traffic. After only seven days of having this little ol’ blog up and running, I actually brought in 916 unique visitors in a single day. I swear I’m not bragging. There is a point to all of this. How does such a new blog attract so many people? Pull up a chair and listen closely. 1. FoodGawker, TasteSpotting, PhotoGrazing and other “food porn” sites. I discovered these sites early on and immediately realized their power. Here are a few…
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Free Gyros
If you’re in Chicago right now, listen up: Kronos Foods, a major gyro-ingredient supplier is giving away coupons for free gyros at 44 chicago-area restaurants. It’s only good for today. Sorry I’m a little late with this news, but if you hurry you can still beat the dinner rush. To print your free coupon and find a location, go here.
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Squash blossoms, part 1: Fried squash blossoms
I decided on two recipe ideas for my squash blossoms. The general consensus seems to be that they’re perfect for deep frying. Paula from Pure Perfection Catering also suggested I try a squash blossom quesadilla. Anything fried or stuffed in between layers of melted cheese sounds good to me. First, the frying. Battered and Deep-Fried Squash Blossoms You’ll need: 1 cup flour 1 cup water 1 teaspoon cumin 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper 1/2 teaspoon ground pepper 1 teaspoon salt squash blossoms vegetable oil for frying Heat your vegetable oil to about 375 degrees. Mix the flour, water and spices. Dip each blossom in the batter when the oil is hot…
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Guac it out
We picked up some ridiculously low-priced produce at Stanley’s on Saturday. Dave even took some time to interview the owner about how the heck they do it, while I browsed the aisles in a wide-eyed fruit and veggie frenzy. He found out some fun facts about the place: It’s been family-owned since 1967 Peter, a co-owner says that Stanley’s main mission is to contribute to the community by providing quality, low-cost produce The secret to their dirt-cheap prices is “buying right and selling right,” and knowing how to turn inventory quickly Stanley’s was ahead of the curve when they began stocking organic produce in 1995—They now dedicate almost half the…
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French Toast Boast Post
Dear readers, I would never steer you towards bad food. I will admit, however, that some of my recipes happen to be a little better than others. The difference between “great” and “fan-freakin-tastic!” if you will. This recipe is FAN-FREAKIN-TASTIC. I had some leftover challah and I wanted to create a jazzed-up french toast recipe. After a little bit of thought, I decided to incorporate raspberries, strawberries, cinnamon, brown sugar, almond extract and corn flakes. Sound a little odd? Don’t worry—I have a very specific plan in mind. Stay with me people … Cinnamon-Sugar Crunch French Toast with Raspberry and Strawberry Syrup You’ll need: 3, 1-and-1/2-inch thick slices of old…