March « 2010 « Gourmet and Comfort Food Blog by Two Hot Potatoes

2012

2011

2010

2009

Spice Rubbed Trout

Wednesday March 31st 2010

Trout always reminds me of the Parent Trap (the original, Hayley Mills version). I love the camping scene where Vicki finally has a breakdown.

I detest trout! How many times do I have to tell you?

I’ll wait and eat in the morning.

What are we having for breakfast?

Trout.

I happen to really like trout. I’m a big fan of all fish, but fresh rainbow trout actually tastes like you’re eating fish – slightly gamey, slightly sweet.

I’m not even sure the below recipe even counts as a recipe as it’s so simple. I wanted a fast weeknight meal and sautéing fish, spinach and making instant couscous (Near East – Roasted Garlic and Olive Oil Couscous) always does the trick. I used a spice rub from Colorado Spice Company and added a few spices I had on hand. I love the flavors in this rich spice rub, and you could easily recreate it at home.

Colorado Spice Company – Trout & Salmon Rub

Black Pepper
Salt
Bell Peppers
Garlic
Orange Peel
Thyme
Basil
Onion

Spice Rubbed Rainbow Trout

4 trout fillets with skin
Spice mixture (above)
1 TBS unsalted butter or olive oil
1 Lemon
1/3 cup chopped parsley

Pat fillets dry and rub flesh sides with spice mixture.  Heat butter or olive oil in a 12-inch heavy skillet over medium heat until foam subsides, then cook trout, skin side down, until skin is golden-brown, about 4 minutes. Turn fish over and cook until just cooked through, 1 to 2 minutes more. Transfer to a plate with a slotted spatula and keep warm, loosely covered with foil.  Squeeze lemon and chopped parsley over trout. Enjoy!

The Beer Holster

Friday March 26th 2010

Introducing the beer holster, my new favorite man gift. It has the same benefits as the wine necklace, but it’s so much manlier. It can go from business (bottles) to casual (cans), so who wouldn’t want to use this for a camping trip, tailgate party or a romantic picnic? It seems like the perfect gift for the beer lover in your family.

Some highlights from the reviews for the beer holster:

“I bought this beer holster for my husband for Valentine’s Day. He loved it and showed it off to several buddies, plus is planning to take it with him to fishing camp next week”

“We are always saying, is that my beer? This way we can both keep track. It will be great for doing yard work and hanging around the pool.”

“I never thought he would love it as much as he does. He uses it whenever he is grilling and at parties.”

So there you go ladies. Head over to Red Envelope and purchase your man a beer holster today. It’s $34.95 of sheer genius.

Best of Big D

Thursday March 25th 2010

So the polls are open for D Magazine’s Best of Big D – Food and Drink. Obviously my favorite category in Best of Big D.

So head on over to D Magazine, and cast your vote.

If you don’t know who to vote for in certain categories, you can always follow my lead. There are around 40 questions, but I only feel really strongly about a few of them.

Best Burger
My favorite burger has to be at The Grape. Read my post and check out pictures of the infamous burger here.

Best Pizza
This is a tough category, and I had a hard time choosing the winner. My previous favorite pizza was at Campania – a basica pizza with cherry tomatoes, basil and pecorino. But then they stopped carrying pecorino. So as hard as it was, I moved on. My current favorite is the regular pizza with basil from Coal Vines. The service is spotty, but the pizza is money.

Best Brunch
Parigi, hands down. We eat Parigi brunch every Saturday morning. I’ve yet to write a post about it, as I just enjoy the leisurely pace too much to worry about taking pictures. The menu at Parigi changes almost weekly, but the eggs benedict are a definite winner as well as the freshly brewed iced tea.

Best Cheese
Scardello. So if you know anything about me, you know that I love cheese. And if you add wine to that equation, I’m in heaven. My favorite cheese shop in Dallas popped up about a year ago on Oak Lawn, and I’ve been smitten ever since. The employees are more than helpful, and the cheese selection, classes, sandwiches and wine selection don’t disappoint. It’s a really great way to start a weekend – just stop by Scardello and have them whip you up a cheese plate and bring you a glass of sparkling wine.

Best Chinese
For Chinese takeout, I’m pretty loyal to Hunan Express. It’s right down the street from me, and their Lo Mein is one of my favorite guilty pleasures. But it’s not on the list. So my second favorite, and definite choice for dumplings is Royal China at Preston & Royal. Angela is also a lover of Royal China, and you can read about her last visit here.

Best Italian
Nonna. I honestly don’t even like any other Italian restaurant in Dallas, unless you count pizza places, which I don’t. Nonna is the only authentic Italian food in the area, and the homemade pasta is nothing short of heavenly. If you haven’t been there, go. But prepared to order a lot of food. The plates are small, and the prices aren’t cheap, but it’s totally worth it.

Best Steak
I’ve eaten my fair share of red meat here in D-town, and I think this is a pretty competitive category. I haven’t met a lot of steaks I don’t like, but if forced to choose a favorite I would have to go with The Place at Perry’s (formerly known as just Perry’s). The filet is consistently tender, and they’re also the only restaurant in Dallas to serve Niman Ranch all-natural beef. And I don’t know about the rest of you, but I prefer my beef natural.

Best Sushi
Dallas really shines in the sushi category. There are many delectable sushi places, and I honestly don’t have a top favorite. I wrote in my vote of Teppo, just because I felt like it should be represented. But I also love Steel, Tei Tei, Little Katana, Sushi Axiom and Yutaka.

Best Wine Shop
Cork. Not because they have the most amazing selection ever (although they do have a great selection of reasonably priced wines), but it’s just such a fun place. It’s like a giant wine arcade. Check out my post about Cork here.

So there were several more questions & categories on the full D quiz, but I think I covered the most important ones. What do you think? Am I missing anything?

Chicago Chef's Week

Tuesday March 23rd 2010

It’s Chef’s Week in Chicago this week. How lucky am I that I just so happen to be working on a photo shoot in town all week! Chef’s Week is the same thing as Dallas’s restaurant week – many of the best restaurants in town invite guests to partake in the chef’s set three course menu for only $30. Some restos also do the same at lunch for only $20.

Last night we went to Perennial. I was really looking forward to trying the Black Truffle Gnocchi after reading that it was one of the Top 10 dishes of 2009 from Food and Wine magazine. And after our visit, I definitely concur with F&W.

Sumptuous appetizers. The mini ham croquettes (pictured far right) were a mouth full of cheesy heaven. As were the oysters on the half shell, and Crudo.

The famous Truffle Gnocchi was tantalizing. I was surprised the texture was a bit different than the Americanized potato gnocchi I’ve had before. This was closer in texture to light fluffy polenta. Our waiter later informed us that this recipe is much closer to the Roman tradition, and exactly how the Italians intended.

I ordered the red wine braised short rib,with celery root puree, glazed carrots and red wine sauce. All I can say is – AMAZING! This was the most tender fall-apart short rib I have ever eaten. I could literally cut it with a fork and twirl the shreds of beef around the tines to pull it apart as if it were spaghetti. The tender meat melted in my mouth and paired perfectly with the celery root puree and carrots.

Perennial didn’t disappoint when it came time for dessert either. Pictured above is my crispy hazelnut bar, with milk chocolate, crème fraiche, chocolate caramel. This sweet, savory hazelnut dessert was out of this world! Hazelnut can somtimes be quite an overbearing flavor, especially in the form of chocolaty hazelnut Nutella. This Nutella-like ice cream paired with vanilla cream, and the thin caramel sheet, on top of the light as air hazelnut crisp bar blew me away. The perfect finish to an outstanding meal.One more highlight of the evening was that Perennial was offering 50% off bottles of wine over $100. So we enjoyed this exceptionally smooth bottle of vino for only $50!

Chicago’s Chef’s Week will continue through March 28th so make your reservations now! A few of my other Chi-town favorites are on the list such as Le Colonial and Spring.

The Cuban Sandwich (via Pork Tenderloin)

Tuesday March 23rd 2010

In case you haven’t noticed yet, I have a small love affair with pork. In fact, pork tenderloin was my first meat dish to perfect and serve to guests. And pork tenderloin led to pork shoulder, which led to pork loin roasts, which led to stuffed pork chops. It’s basically an endless cycle of pork love.

But my favorite pork leftover dish has to be the cuban sandwich, which actually includes ham so I’m getting a double serving of pork in one dish. My first Cuban sandwich was in a basement restaurant in Soho – Cubana Cafe. I’m not even sure if it still exists. But in Dallas the best Cuban sandwich is at Jimmy’s Food Store. If you haven’t eaten it, you should. And pick up some homemade meatballs while you’re there.

So I’ve made many recipes for pork tenderloin over the years (herb crusted, mustard-glazed, bbq braised), but this recipe is my ultimate favorite. It takes a little longer to cook than other recipes, but the tenderness is worth it.

Pork Tenderloin (from the Cellophane Noodle Salad With Roast Pork recipe, Gourmet, June 2006)

2 medium-sized pork tenderloins
1/4 cup hoisin sauce (I use Whole Foods organic hoisin sauce)
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup Chinese rice wine or sake
1 tablespoon finely chopped peeled fresh ginger
1 teaspoon finely chopped garlic
1/2 teaspoon salt

Remove and discard any sinew but do not trim fat from tenderloins. Transfer pork to a large sealable plastic bag. Stir together remaining pork ingredients in a small bowl until combined well. Add to pork and turn to coat, then squeeze bag to eliminate as much air as possible and seal. Marinate pork, chilled, at least 4 hours but no longer than 24.

Put oven rack in lower third of oven and preheat oven to 375°F. Put 1/2 inch water in a 13- by 9-inch roasting pan and place a metal rack across top of pan (rack should not touch water).

Remove pork from marinade, reserving marinade, and arrange pork strips 1 inch apart on rack. Roast in oven 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, bring marinade to a boil in a 1-quart saucepan, then boil 1 minute (marinade may look curdled). Remove from heat.

Brush both sides of pork with some marinade and roast 10 minutes more. Generously brush both sides of pork with marinade again and roast, basting 2 or 3 times, 10 minutes more.

Increase oven temperature to 400°F and roast pork until strips are mahogany-colored and caramelized on edges, 10 to 15 minutes more (pork should roast for a total of about 50 minutes). Transfer to a cutting board and let stand, loosely covered with foil, 10 minutes.

The Cuban Sandwich

So I’m obviously not Cuban. And I’m sure there are many authentic ways of making this sandwich, but this one is pretty freaking good. Even if it’s made by a white girl.

Leftover pork tenderloin
Cured ham (I just got mine at the Kroger deli)
Swiss cheese
Dill pickle slices (I used those sandwich stackers)
Mustard
Mayo (technically you’re not supposed to use mayonaise in a Cuban sandwich, but I don’t care. I think it tastes better with a mustard/mayo blend)
Crusty white bread (I substitute wheat bread most of the time to make me feel better about myself)
Butter

Preheat your George Foreman, panini maker or large fry pan. Spread butter on both halves of bread (outside), spread mustard and mayonaise on both sides (inside). Make each sandwich with the ingredients in this order: pickles,roasted pork, ham, and cheese. Be generous!

NOTE: Most people use a sweet cured ham (jamón dulce) or bolo ham for Cuban sandwiches. If you can find these hams in your area, great. Otherwise, look for a slightly sweet, soft textured ham with a mild taste. You don’t want the flavor of the ham to overpower the rest of the ingredients!

Place the sandwich in your sandwich press or frying pan – you really want to smash the sandwich, compressing the bread to about 1/3 its original size.

Grill the sandwiches for two to three minutes on each side, until the cheese is melted and the bread is golden. Slice the sandwich in half diagonally and serve.

Tuna and Avocado Tartare

Monday March 22nd 2010

Raw fish makes me so happy. Especially when it’s mixed with avocado, ginger and soy sauce. What’s not to love?

I’ve been making this tartare for a few years now, and it’s definitely one of my go-to recipes to start my meal. However, I wouldn’t recommend making this dish for company as it isn’t the most appealing looking dish if left to rest for more than five minutes. Because the dish includes both avocado and soy sauce it ends up looking a little brown if it isn’t eaten immediately. And no one wants to eat brown tartare.

Technically, this tartare recipe includes homemade wontons. But I’ve never made the wontons, and I usually just eat the tartare straight from the bowl with a fork. It’s seriously that good.

Tuna and Avocado Tartare (courtesy of Bon Appetit, October 2006)

2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon unseasoned rice vinegar
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 1/2 teaspoons wasabi paste or wasabi powder
3/4 teaspoon Asian sesame oil
8 ounces sushi-quality ahi tuna steak, cut into 1/3-inch cubes
1 medium avocado, halved, pitted, peeled, cut into 1/3-inch cubes
1 cup 1/3-inch cubes seeded English hothouse cucumber (optional)
1 green onion, finely chopped
Toasted sesame seeds
Chopped fresh chives (optional)

Whisk first 5 ingredients in medium bowl to blend. Add tuna, avocado, cucumber, and green onion; stir gently to coat. Spoon tartare into bowl; sprinkle with sesame seeds and chives and place on platter. Or just eat it straight from the bowl. No judgment.

AirFork One

Friday March 19th 2010

It’s okay to play with your food – as long as you’re chomping with an Airfork One.

This ingenious invention should get even the pickiest eater to have fun eating his or her vegetables. I can see parents worldwide breathing a sigh of relief.

Made by Fred & Friends. The quirky company who also makes other kitchen favorites of mine such as Salt Pants, and Batter Finger. Most products can be found on Amazon, or at boutique stores nationwide.

Fun with Fondant

Wednesday March 17th 2010

We’ve all seen those beautiful, immaculately frosted and elegantly decorated cakes before. They’re just so pretty you almost don’t want to cut them. If you’ve ever been to a wedding, or seen an episode of Ace of Cakes- you know what I’m talking about, and the reason these cakes look so amazing is all in thanks to fondant.

Last weekend my friend and I were in the mood to do some baking for our boys, thus our fondant experiment had begun. Amanda has had experience working with fondant before so she was one up on me. I was so surprised to learn that the recipe she had was so simple and actually quite delicious. (Truth be told- I’ve never really liked the taste or texture of fondant. The stuff I’ve had before- though it was truly beautiful- just tasted like hard sugar paste. But this soft marshmallow fondant changed my point of view entirely.

Since making the fondant part of the cake is such an undertaking, we went the store bought route with the actual cake. We baked two 10″ square yellow cakes, then set aside to cool while we got elbow deep in fondant ingredients.

Marshmallow Fondant

16 oz mini marshmallows

2-5 tbs water

2 lbs. powdered sugar

1/2 Crisco shortening (you’ll be greasing yourself and your counter down with it so keep it accessable)

Corn starch (also keep on hand to dust on your rolling pin to prevent sticking)

In a large mixing bowl melt the marshmallows and 2 tbs of water by placing in the microwave for 30 sec. stir, then 30 more sec. stir- keep repeating until they are all melted together in one hot gooey mess. Then place about 3/4 of the powdered sugar in the bowl and stir to combine. (this doesn’t have to be perfect, you’re about to dump it on the counter and kneed).

Grease both your hands and your counter top HEAVILY with Crisco. Dump your marshmallow/ sugar mixture on the greased surface and begin kneading just as you would knead bread. Slowly incorporate the rest of the sugar and keep kneading and re-greaseing your hands as needed. It gets very sticky. If your fondant ball is a bit crumbly and keeps tearing as you are kneading then it’s too dry- add a tbs more water and keep kneading for about 8-10 minutes until you have a smooth elastic fondant ball.Then separate the ball in to a few pieces and add color by kneading in a few drops of food coloring.

Making it actually wasn’t that difficult. It’s just marshmallows, water and sugar. It’s rolling out the fondant and layering it on the cake that is the tricky part. Just be sure to keep plenty of corn starch on hand to prevent your fondant sheet from sticking to your counter top, your rolling pin, and yourself.

To assemble- stack your cakes and trim off any uneven edges. Cover the whole cake with a 1/4″ of Butter cream icing. It is crucial that you make this icing layer as smooth as possible because any major imperfections will still be visible as bumps under the fondant.

To roll out your fondant- first clean up the greasy counter, then dust the dry surface liberally with cornstarch as well as your rolling pin. Roll the fondant in to a large sheet no thinner than an 1/8 of an inch. Make sure you keep adding corn starch as needed to prevent sticking, and once your fondant sheet is large enough to cover the cake, roll the fondant up on your rolling pin then lightly unroll it centered on top of your cake so that you have plenty of overhang on each side. (It really helps to have an extra pair of hands to help you do this, Thanks Amanda!)

Using your hands lightly press all over the cake to smooth the surface and bond the fondant to the butter cream frosting underneath. Trim off all the excess at the bottom with a sharp knife (or a pizza roller works very well too).

Lastly, cut out any shapes you’d like and stick them on with butter cream icing (or just a little water will help adhere too). Then slice and enjoy!

Slow Roasted Leg of Lamb

Tuesday March 16th 2010

If you don’t own a slow cooker, buy one. I’m serious. Drive your car to the nearest slow cooker retailer, and invest $30 in a new, magic, slow cooking dream machine.

Yesterday I cooked a leg of lamb in my slow cooker for the first time, and it definitely won’t be the last. I made up this recipe as I went along based on the ingredients/spices I had at home, and the only thing I would recommend is to be liberal with the salt. The potatoes suck all the salt right out of this dish, so don’t be scared to salt and salt again.

Slow Roasted Leg of Lamb

1 (3-4lb) leg of lamb
2 tbs cumin
1 tbs coriander
1 tbs ground garlic
fresh ground pepper & salt to taste

Pat your leg of lamb completely dry. Combine spices in a bowl and then rub all over leg of lamb. Brown leg of lamb in a hot, non-stick pan until golden brown on all sides. Throw in to crock pot on top of the lemon roasted potatoes (recipe below). Cook on low for 6-8 hours until tender. If you’re not cooking the lamb with the potatoes, then add at least half a cup of wine or chicken broth to the crock pot.

Lemon Roasted Potatoes with Oregano

2lbs small Yukon potatoes (cut into quarters)
1 lemon
1 cup of chicken broth
1 tbs oregano
salt & pepper to taste

Once you cut up the potatoes, throw them into the crockpot. Season with salt, pepper, oregano and then pour the chicken broth on top. Finish them off by squeezing half of the lemon over the top of them, and throwing the lemon quarters into the crockpot. Squeeze the other half of the lemon over them before you serve them.

So this lamb could easily be served on it’s own, with the potatoes and a salad as accompaniments. You could also make a gravy from the juices left in the crockpot, and who doesn’t love gravy? I could bathe in it.

But I chose to pull apart the leg of lamb and make pitas with tomatoes and cool, cucumber tzatziki. And since a 4lb leg of lamb makes is enough to feed that Duggar family with 20 kids, I’ll probably be eating lamb pitas for the next two weeks.

Whole Foods Grand Opening

Monday March 15th 2010

The wait is over for North Texas foodies – we finally have an organic food mega-store in our neighborhood. This store is the largest Whole Foods location in North Texas, and the grand opening celebration is taking place all day today.

Sarah and I were invited for a V.I.P (that’s Very Important Potato) tour last Friday, and here are just a few things we found that will make our followers a fan of this new development:

Concierge Service – If you’re too busy to browse through the store just give Monica a call and she’ll get you set up with your goods (214.342.4850).
Wine & Cheese Bar – Food & wine go hand in hand, so why not grab a glass of your favorite vino to sip while you stroll through the aisles and do your shopping?
Expanded Bulk Food Aisle – I was blown away with how many items are for sale in bulk! Not only flour, salts and candy that we are used to, but now they’ve added an assortment of flavored salts, pepper, sugars and oils! So if you are in need of just a pinch of specialty flavored sugar to garnish your drink party tonight you can grab some here. Or if you would like to sample an assortment of flavored oils (without having to commit to buying a large expensive bottle) you can sample it all here.
Breakfast Tacos – Served every morning starting at 7am in the coffee bar.
Gluten-Freedom – This store is home to the chain’s largest selection of gluten free food, with both dry and frozen foods and educational materials in the same aisle.
Rockin’ Garden – Along the front of the store is a staffed garden center selling local plants, soils and tools. and the outdoor seating area includes a covered stage for local bands scheduled to play live music every Friday.
Wi-Fi – Both indoor and outdoor seating areas have free Wi-Fi.
Cart-Scalator – Because it’s darn near impossible to push carts up and down stairs, this building has a custom escalator for grocery carts heading to the underground parking garage.
CYOC – Otherwise known as Create Your Own Cupcake. Choose your own cake, filling, frosting, and sprinkles then mix and match to your hearts desire.

Bulk Oils

This new store is sure to be a North Texas foodie landmark. Be sure to stop by this week for their grand opening party with coupons, free samples and more!

Whole Foods: 8190 Park Lane, Suite 351. Dallas, TX 75231

Links