heated up whole wheat pita, home made roti, 2 samosas, 3 dollar tomato-onion salad, and mattar paneer.
Tuesday, April 7, 2009
mom's mattar paneer + Sri-g samosas...
Was fortunate enough to go back to Dayton this weekend and stock up on my mom's home cooking. Call me a momma's boy but my mom's got mad skills in the cooking department. She also hipped us to her new favorite samosa joint. Sri-G Grocer's in Dayton, Oh makes samosas on the weekend. These samosas were to die for. I credit it to 2 things: 1) their potato-pea filling which is very spicy and tasty that you don't even need hot sauce or chutney and 2) the mastered art of reheating aka nuking a food item in the microwave just enough so that the insides are warm and then broiling the outside of said item so that it crisps up. This meal was crucial.
heated up whole wheat pita, home made roti, 2 samosas, 3 dollar tomato-onion salad, and mattar paneer.
heated up whole wheat pita, home made roti, 2 samosas, 3 dollar tomato-onion salad, and mattar paneer.
signature black bean dip + white chocolate chip orange cookies
For a cookout with friends we decided to make some signature cholesterol king bean dip and orange white chocolate chip cookies inspired from the 52 weeks of baking blog that I've been following.
bean dip prep
finalized bean dip. looks like christmas
signature bean dip consists of a layer of black beans and salsa; a layer of sour cream with spices; shredded extra sharp cheddar cheese; shredded ice burg lettuce; green onions; and dice tomatoes
betty agreed to be in charge of the cookies which called for orange zest.
betty did a good job with the cookies
fresh outta the oven.
The cookies were delicious. They were a big hit at the cookout as the citrus flavor took our friends by surprise. Betty and I thought about adapting this recipe in the future including trying them with lemon zest and regular chocolate morsels. Folks loved the bean dip as always.
bean dip prep
finalized bean dip. looks like christmas
signature bean dip consists of a layer of black beans and salsa; a layer of sour cream with spices; shredded extra sharp cheddar cheese; shredded ice burg lettuce; green onions; and dice tomatoes
betty agreed to be in charge of the cookies which called for orange zest.
betty did a good job with the cookies
fresh outta the oven.
The cookies were delicious. They were a big hit at the cookout as the citrus flavor took our friends by surprise. Betty and I thought about adapting this recipe in the future including trying them with lemon zest and regular chocolate morsels. Folks loved the bean dip as always.
why i say no to mcdonalds and bk breakfasts...
because i can make the best parts of their menus at home my way.
egg mcmuffin cholesterol king style with eggs over medium + american cheese ore-ida crispy crowns browned to perfection.
heinz ketchup + el yucateco red sauce + green sauce.
certifiably yum.
egg mcmuffin cholesterol king style with eggs over medium + american cheese ore-ida crispy crowns browned to perfection.
heinz ketchup + el yucateco red sauce + green sauce.
certifiably yum.
Marcellas Reconsidered...
The evening of the New Kids on the Block (NKOTB) show found us being frugal with our parking so we parked in the Short North and bar hopped our way down to Nationwide. We decided to check out Marcellas. I had been to Marcellas one time before and thought they had pretty tasty pizzas with overpriced sweet cocktails.
We were pleasantly surprised to learn about the happy hour specials that were half off pretty much everything on the menu except for the 'L" on the right of the menu. Betty had the grapefruit Negroni with Bombay Gin, Campari, Sweet Vermouth, Fresh Grapefruit juice and tonic and the Milan Manhattan with Woodford Reserve Bourbon, Amaretto Di Saronno, Vanilla infused syrup, and Di Saronno soaked cherries. Both were pretty good but again too sweet for me. I tried the extra dirty gin martini with tanqueray and blue cheese stuffed olives. These were divine and gave the Refectory a run for their money in terms of best martini in Columbus. We ordered the pesto shrimp pizza with goat cheese and the margherita cheese pizza. Both were tasty and at the right price.
shrimp pesto pizza with goat cheese and roasted tomato
The above picture is a bit out of focus but i was pleased since it was from my new cell phone. Regardless it was nice to rediscover Marcellas and their happy hour prices. We will definitely be back there for happy hour with friends in the future.
We were pleasantly surprised to learn about the happy hour specials that were half off pretty much everything on the menu except for the 'L" on the right of the menu. Betty had the grapefruit Negroni with Bombay Gin, Campari, Sweet Vermouth, Fresh Grapefruit juice and tonic and the Milan Manhattan with Woodford Reserve Bourbon, Amaretto Di Saronno, Vanilla infused syrup, and Di Saronno soaked cherries. Both were pretty good but again too sweet for me. I tried the extra dirty gin martini with tanqueray and blue cheese stuffed olives. These were divine and gave the Refectory a run for their money in terms of best martini in Columbus. We ordered the pesto shrimp pizza with goat cheese and the margherita cheese pizza. Both were tasty and at the right price.
shrimp pesto pizza with goat cheese and roasted tomato
The above picture is a bit out of focus but i was pleased since it was from my new cell phone. Regardless it was nice to rediscover Marcellas and their happy hour prices. We will definitely be back there for happy hour with friends in the future.
Sunday, April 5, 2009
salads and salads...
I wasn't kidding when I was talking about salads.
1) mixed greens
2) grilled chicken tenderloin marinated in a rosemary spice blend
3) sliced boiled eggs
4) shredded mozzarella cheese
5) green onions
6) all topped with a blend of cous cous, tomatoes, corn, onions, cucumbers tossed with balsamic vinegar
1) mixed greens
2) grilled chicken tenderloin marinated in a rosemary spice blend
3) sliced boiled eggs
4) shredded mozzarella cheese
5) green onions
6) all topped with a blend of cous cous, tomatoes, corn, onions, cucumbers tossed with balsamic vinegar
El Vaquero please forgive us for our indiscretion...
Instead of resuming a healthy diet of cooking at home -- Monday (April 1st) found us spontaneously trying Rancho Alegre. The relatively new restaurant that opened up down 33 from our favorite restaurant El Vaquero. It is located in the building that used to be Tee Jays. It seemed sacrilegious at first to go there considering El Vaquero is the truth -- but we got over it. The place is a more family friendly version of El Vaquero like if Bob Evans opened up a Mexican restaurant. There is plenty of natural light and booths by the windows and spacious tables and chairs in the middle. The bar area has a flat panel tv for those who want to hang there. When we pulled into the parking lot the place was empty which was slightly alarming but it was right after work. They had a pretty extensive menu and we were surprised to see that they had a meal with the same name as our all time favorite from El Vaquero -- The Pollo Ranchero. Betty ordered the Pollo Ranchero and I ordered the Nachos. Betty and I then began our food commentary. It was hard not to compare this restaurant to El Vaquero but here goes:
The chips and salsa were delicious. A smooth and sweeter salsa with cilantro...Can't complain. The chips were warm and tasted freshly made w/o too much grease on them. A good start.
Margaritas were lime on the rocks with salt of course. These were very tasty. I rated them higher then El Vaqueros. I asked for a hot salsa and it wasn't bad. Similar to El Vaquero's with a vinegary taste but not as many green chilis or cilantro in it.
The food.
Well my chicken nachos were okay except that i ordered the Super Nachos which were supposed to come with beef, chicken, and beans. I think they mistakenly gave me the grilled chicken nachos which had only chicken and onions and peppers. It was difficult to tell whether i had the right order until i had eaten quite a bit of nachos and at that point I didn't want to fuss. The nachos were not bad -- just not what i ordered.
Betty's Pollo Ranchero was a tangier version of our favorite El Vaquero Pollo Ranchero aka the 141. The usual description for such an offering is "chicken with our special red sauce". The sauce was not so special for me. The Ranchero sauce was lighter but almost tasted like chef boyardee. I didn't care for the rice and was disappointed that beans did not accompany the meal especially for $10.50. Refried beans are essential for me when we eat mexican. I was tempted to order them on the side but Betty and i were already getting stuffed.
Overall Betty and I thought Rancho Alegre was an "a'ight" place with average food. Though we might go back there for margaritas and chips we found our palettes craving the bold flavors of our timeless favorite El Vaquero just a jaunt down the road.
The chips and salsa were delicious. A smooth and sweeter salsa with cilantro...Can't complain. The chips were warm and tasted freshly made w/o too much grease on them. A good start.
Margaritas were lime on the rocks with salt of course. These were very tasty. I rated them higher then El Vaqueros. I asked for a hot salsa and it wasn't bad. Similar to El Vaquero's with a vinegary taste but not as many green chilis or cilantro in it.
The food.
Well my chicken nachos were okay except that i ordered the Super Nachos which were supposed to come with beef, chicken, and beans. I think they mistakenly gave me the grilled chicken nachos which had only chicken and onions and peppers. It was difficult to tell whether i had the right order until i had eaten quite a bit of nachos and at that point I didn't want to fuss. The nachos were not bad -- just not what i ordered.
Betty's Pollo Ranchero was a tangier version of our favorite El Vaquero Pollo Ranchero aka the 141. The usual description for such an offering is "chicken with our special red sauce". The sauce was not so special for me. The Ranchero sauce was lighter but almost tasted like chef boyardee. I didn't care for the rice and was disappointed that beans did not accompany the meal especially for $10.50. Refried beans are essential for me when we eat mexican. I was tempted to order them on the side but Betty and i were already getting stuffed.
Overall Betty and I thought Rancho Alegre was an "a'ight" place with average food. Though we might go back there for margaritas and chips we found our palettes craving the bold flavors of our timeless favorite El Vaquero just a jaunt down the road.
2 Flipped-Finger Chicken Good Y'all...
It's been a while since we've purchased chicken. Normally I prefer to get the frozen chicken tenderloin from Trader Joe's trusting their label that the animal was living a good free range life without steroid injections. The past week or so saw me pulling the chicken out of the fridge and grilling it with various seasonings.
The meal below:
Mixed Green Salad with Radishes and Cucumbers; Grilled Brussel Sprouts with Yukon Potatoes + sauteed onions and garlic; Grilled Chicken rubbed in rosemary seasoning mix splashed with Balsamic Vinegar + Worcestershire.
I was very pleased with the meal. I tried a new approach for cooking the chicken which involved only turning it twice. Historically I'm guilty of flipping the chicken a number of times while it cooks. For this I cooked it on medium for 5 minutes on each side and presto. Good tasting chicken seared on the outside tender on the inside. Boom!
The meal below:
Mixed Green Salad with Radishes and Cucumbers; Grilled Brussel Sprouts with Yukon Potatoes + sauteed onions and garlic; Grilled Chicken rubbed in rosemary seasoning mix splashed with Balsamic Vinegar + Worcestershire.
I was very pleased with the meal. I tried a new approach for cooking the chicken which involved only turning it twice. Historically I'm guilty of flipping the chicken a number of times while it cooks. For this I cooked it on medium for 5 minutes on each side and presto. Good tasting chicken seared on the outside tender on the inside. Boom!
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