2012 Restaurant Week: Winter Edition

You know me....I love eating out during Restaurant Week here in DC. I just received an email from my favorite booking website, Opentable.com, that the winter restaurant week is January 9-15!! Remember to book early since times fill up quickly.

Spencer's Coffee House - Bowling Green, KY

Today we take a journey a bit south to my homeland...Kentucky.  I'm currently living at home for a month to help take care of a sick family member.  I spend most of my day making pretty bland food for picky taste buds, but every so often I am able to take a break and get out of the house. The past two times that I left the house I ended up at the same place:  Spencer's Coffee House in Bowling Green, KY.

I love local coffee places. They feel so much more genuine than a Starbucks or Dunkin Donuts. Plus, there's nothing like drinking coffee or tea out of a real, ceramic mug.  The first time I visited this establishment I had their drip coffee of the day. I WISH I had photographed what kind of coffee it was because it was really delicious. The coffee was perfectly brewed and didn't feel like it had sat in a container all day (we drank the coffee at 9:00 at night...and you never know how long it's been there!).  The coffee was rich and not bitter, high in (excuse the snobby term) tannin which filled my whole mouth with balanced flavor notes. Basically, this was a darn good cup of joe!

Hooded Sweatshirt Latte

The second time we went, I had to try their hooded sweatshirt latte. Why? Well, first of all, with a name like "hooded sweatshirt" I was intrigued. Secondly, how can a drink be like a sweatshirt? I took my first sip and understood why. The flavors were similar to a "pumpkin spice" but surprisingly different at the same time. When I took a sip, I felt like I was enveloped in fall; warm, creamy and spicy. It's like I was...wrapping up in a hooded sweatshirt! Seriously, I wish I could take this mug of warmth home with me so that I could experience my favorite season, fall, in a cup every day.

The atmosphere at Spencer's is typical coffee shop, but the place had a nice homey feel to it as well. It could be the exposed brick, 10 foot high ceilings, or the hardwood tables and chairs...and yes, you can tell that this is where the KY hipsters go...but everyone was very friendly (I expect nothing less in the South!) and you can tell they are dedicated to their coffee. If you're ever driving through KY, you should totally take a little detour off the interstate to try this place!

Highlights from Dublin, Ireland

Miss me?? I was in Dublin, Ireland for 10 days for my association's fall conference and was unable to post while I was there. Although I was working all the time, I did snap a few photos of my dining adventures. Wanna see some highlights?

Now, of course I couldn't take pictures of everything while I was there. I am actually really sad I couldn't take pictures of our luncheon entrees at the Dublin Convention Centre because they were literally the best conference food I have ever had! Still...here are some of my fav Dublin moments:

Innocent smoothies are beyond delicious. I used to drink these all the time when I lived in the UK. Right after we landed I spotted this particular smoothie in a convenience store and had to have it! The best way to avoid jet lag? A bottle of pure fruit goodness of course!

I can't go to Ireland without some fish & chips! We were staying at the historic Shelbourne hotel, and their bar food was actually spot on. The fish was flaky and tender on the inside, and crunchy on the outside. Plus, their chips had the perfect crunch to thickness ratio.

My favorite dinner was at Ely's Restaurant and Wine bar. The next couple of photos are from the two (yes two) times that we ate there...

Organic Lamb with Mashed Potatoes and Celeriac Remoulade

Local Beef Fillet, Green Beans, and Roasted Potatoes

Lobster & Crab Ravioli

And of course, I couldn't leave Dublin without grabbing afternoon tea. The traditional tea at the Shelbourne would have cost me 35 euros (approx $50). So, after my co-worker and I did a little shopping on our day off, we popped into the M&S food court for this reasonably priced late lunch. Our total bill was 20 euros. This wasn't the best afternoon tea in the world, but it definitely hit the spot without killing my budget. Mmmmm, I already miss devonshire cream (aka clotted cream) on a nice fluffy scone...

All in all the food in Dublin was surprisingly awesome! I can't wait to go back to Ireland some day and see the rest of the country...and cuisine!

Sauteed Kale with Corn

I have a new obsession...I feel like I say that a lot but really I get in these crazy periods of eating the same thing for an entire week, then change to another obsession. For the moment, my obsession is kale. Kale is one of the few dark greens that I like, and I didn't even know that I liked it since I usually sneer at the over-cooked greens I get in the south (sorry collard/mustard greens!). Although kale can be a bit tough or chewy if not cooked properly, with these simple steps you can make some darn tasty greens!

Sauteed Kale with Corn

Serves 2

Ingredients:

1 bunch of Kale, pulled off the stem and chopped in big pieces

2-3 cloves garlic

1.5 T olive oil

1/8 cup water

salt/pepper

3/4 cup corn

Directions:

• Start with a huge pan with sides. This is important as you'll need to load the pan in order to get enough wilted greens.
• As with most of my recipes, start by heating your oil on medium-high heat with the chopped garlic. 
• Once you can smell garlic (1-2 minutes), add the chopped kale.

• Stir the greens until the kale wilts to half the original size (3-4 minutes). 
• Season the kale with salt and pepper. 
• Add the corn and water, and put a lid on the kale. Steam for 5 minutes, or until the kale reaches your desired tenderness, stirring every few minutes. 

I like to eat this dish wish some brown rice or quinoa and call it a meal! But if you want to have sauteed kale as a side dish, here's a great modification.  Don't use the corn but add 1-2 tsp of balsamic vinegar when you add the water. Serve under seared scallops or fish. The vinegar adds a nice brightness to the kale which pairs perfectly with fish.

Am I lactose intolerant?!

I've never been a fan of drinking straight milk. Milk always needed to be served in a latte, with cereal, or some Hershey's syrup. However, I love all dairy products; particularly yogurt and cheese. I didn't realize just how much dairy I eat until recently. I've been experimenting with vegetarian/vegan cooking, so my dairy intact went WAY down. Pretty much to none really.

I had not thought much about the lack of dairy in my life until I grabbed a pumpkin latte a few days ago. I wasn't more than 4 sips in when my stomach went crazy. It was so crazy I thought that I had some bad milk and didn't drink the rest. The next day I ate some pizza at a friend's house and the same thing happened...Now I'm considering going to a food allergist to see if I'm allergic to lactose or something else. Anyone have any experience with lactose intolerance? Or any remedies to helping with the symptoms? I don't think I will miss milk, but I would really miss cheese...and ice cream...and cream sauces...

Stovetop Popcorn

My last post got me thinking....I wonder how many people just pop a bag of microwave popcorn when it is so easy to pop your own on the stove top! I mean, nothing beats the taste of fresh popped popcorn, and it's even better when you can control the oil/seasoning.

Here's what you need:

Ingredients:
Popping corn (~1/4 cup), vegetable oil (not olive oil though!), & seasoning.

Tools:
Medium saucepan with lid

That's it. See, making popcorn isn't so hard!

The trick to popcorn perfection is high, fast heat. You want to turn the stove to a little more than medium-high (I put mine on the "8" of my stove), but not all the way to high.

Pour a little oil in the bottom of the pan. I like to use around 1 tablespoon, but you can use less/more if you want.  You really do need some sort of oil though to keep the popcorn from burning or tasting stale. Add 3 or four kernels of popcorn to the pan and put a lid on it. These are your "test" kernels. 

Once these kernels pop, you know that the oil is the perfect temperature (and not too hot!). Immediately pour in the rest of your popcorn.  I use 1/4 of a cup, which makes a little less than 3 cups of popped corn. Once the kernels are in the pan, put a lid on it. The trick to keeping the popcorn from burning depends on a few factors:

1. Do not walk away from this pan for any reason!!!
2. Gently "shake" the pan to keep the kernels moving/swirling around 
3. Just like with the microwave, when the popping stops for more than 3 seconds, remove the pan from the heat 

When the popping stops, carefully pour the popcorn into a bowl, season and enjoy. Just be wary of any renegade popcorns that may pop at you as you pour. Personally, I use the lid of the pan to shield myself from any flying corns.

I can eat this entire bowl all by myself....but feel free to adjust the amount of uncooked kernels based on how much you will eat.

Here are some of my favorite seasoning ideas:

• black truffle salt
• parmesan cheese
• cinnamon & sugar (2 parts cinnamon to 1 part sugar)
• salt and pepper

Black Truffle Sea Salt

Have I said how much I love anything with black truffles??? No? Well, I'm quickly becoming obsessed. It all started when I went on vacation to Seattle, WA earlier this summer. Truffles thrive in Washington state, and I found an awesome little shop by Pike's Place Market to try oils, salts and seasonings. A few months ago, my obsession really bloomed when I went to Graffiato and had a truffle pizza!

The problem with truffles is that they are super pricy and do not fit in the everyday budget. Have you gone to a fancy restaurant and ordered black truffle mac & cheese? I have and let me tell you it's not cheap! (but totally worth it...please order it once in your life.)

So to add a little truffle flavor to my life, I bought black truffle sea salt. Let me tell you, a little of this stuff goes a long way! The guy at the store suggested sprinkling it on steamed veggies, mashed potatoes, or even adding it to little mayo for a nice dip. What do I like to do with it? Sprinkle it on popcorn! Popcorn is the perfect base for a salty seasoning and lets you really taste rich, truffle-goodness.

Don't like truffles? Try other gourmet seasonings! The trick is to buy these specialty flavors in small containers, and to only use them on special occasions. This little jar cost me $10, but I've had it for almost a year and really haven't used much. That is because the flavor is so robust and rich that I don't need a lot to make an impact.

So if you want to spice up your everyday recipes, why not head to the fancy spice shelf at Whole Foods or any other specialty store and pick up a small bottle of exotic seasoning? By keeping quantity low and flavor-impact high, you get a great return on your gourmet investment!