Monthly Archives: March 2011

Mar 18 2011
1 Comment
We Eat Well

I love Bacon. I love Chocolate… but Bacon Chocolate?

I’ve seen chocolate covered bacon featured on the news as a delicacy at area festivals and fairs, but I’ve never tried it, and honestly, never even thought about trying it. Enter my friend Mary who randomly pulled Mo’s Bacon Bar out of her purse earlier this week during a meeting. “Hey look, I have bacon chocolate. Want some?” she asked. I wasn’t sure, but she insisted that it was good, so I tried a piece.

Holy whoa! Applewood smoked bacon, alderwood smoked salt and deep milk chocolate… genius. Granted, it wasn’t a bacon strip covered in chocolate as I have seen, but rather a nice chunk of chocolate with smaller bacon pieces throughout. All the taste of the bacon without the texture, which I think would be strange. I was so intrigued by this product that I asked Mary if I could take the box in order to do some more research. She informed me that the owner of the company, Vosges, is a Canterbury graduate, so it has a local tie. Excellent! And the story on the back of the box describing how she conceived her business is entertaining and down to earth.

You can purchase Vosges products at Fresh Market in Fort Wayne, even though the locator on the website doesn’t find it. For a full list of retail outlets and products, including truffles, candy bars, and tons of specialty chocolate items, check out the company website.

Tagged , , , ,
Mar 16 2011
1 Comment
We Live Well

Jimmy Kimmel & Harry Baals- Take 2

In early February, Jimmy Kimmel spotlighted Fort Wayne on his nightly show poking fun at our Harry Baals debacle. You can view the original video here: 
http://theycallmeamber.com/2011/02/10/harry-baals-receiving-national-attention/
.

Last night, Fort Wayne Mayor Tom Henry appeared on the show via Skype. Initially, I was concerned, but I believe the Mayor handled himself well and that his appearance was good press for our city. Sure, Jimmy Kimmel poked fun at us, but I don’t feel he was disrespectful.

In case you missed it, here’s the clip. What do you think?

Tagged , , , ,
Mar 15 2011
2 Comments
We Eat Well

Oh My Cupcake!

I don’t know about you, but pastries make me very happy. I dream of one day becoming a top pastry chef, but in the meantime, I will settle for being a top pastry consumer. Last week, I received a lot of feedback from friends about who has the best cupcakes in town. Yum Mees frequently rose to the top, so I thought I’d give it a try. I ordered one dozen cupcakes last week for my volunteer appreciation party this afternoon. I haven’t been in the space now occupied by Yum Mees since it was Scott’s Bakery. I was immediately impressed with what they’ve done with it. It is modern, cozy and clean. I can’t wait to go back to enjoy more pastries and take a load off at the counter facing the windows overlooking State Street. I love my neighborhood and I love it when new businesses come into it. Here’s hoping it sticks around.

As for the cupcakes… they look delish! I can’t wait to try them this afternoon.

For a full list of cupcake flavors, click HERE.

 

Tagged , ,
Mar 15 2011
Leave a comment
We Eat Well

Quest For Zest’s Fantastic Foodie Contest

I am gushing this morning. My photo of Brazilian Chicken and Olives with Rice was selected as one of the Winners in The Quest for Zest’s Fantastic Foodie Contest. Thank you Josh and Danielle for hosting this contest. I hope you do it again soon. Check out all the winning photos on their site.

Tagged , ,
Mar 14 2011
2 Comments
We Eat Well

Monday Night- Easy Stir Fry

We are getting pretty good at making scrumptious meals with whatever is leftover in the fridge. Tonight was no exception. Jon whipped up a spontaneous, spicy stir fry that had me going back for seconds- a rare occasion indeed! You certainly don’t have to use our ingredients. You can literally use any veggies you have on hand and it take less than 10 minutes. Here’s what we used.

Easy Stir Fry

  • 3/4 large green pepper
  • 1/2 extra large vandallia onion
  • 1 bag of bean sprouts
  • 4 oz mushrooms
  • 2 small heads of brocoli
  • 2 carrots, julienned
  • 1 1/2 chicken breast, sliced thinly across the grain
  • 2 tablespoons Hoisin sauce
  • 2 tablespoons soy sauce
  • 2 tablespoons water
  • 1 tablespoon sesame oil
  • 1 tablespoon walnut oil
  • Salt
  • Pepper
  • Ginger
  • Chinese 5 spice
  • Red pepper flakes

Slice the chicken and sprinkled with spices. Dice the veggies. Heat the wok and then put the oil in. Allow oil to heat- it will happen quickly. Add chicken. Cook chicken until pink is gone. Remove chicken and set aside. Add veggies (except bean sprouts) to wok with salt and pepper. Heat and stir until broccoli is half done. Add chicken and bean sprouts, mix well. Pour in sauce, mix. Turn to stove low, cover and cook until veggies are soft (3-5 minutes).

Garnish with soy sauce and Sriracha to taste.

Tagged , , , ,
Mar 14 2011
Leave a comment
We Live Well

An Exception to the Rule: Granite City

Jon and I don’t like chain restaurants. Luckily, Fort Wayne is blessed with a plethora of independent and locally owned restaurants to satisfy our need to get out and enjoy food that has been cooked for us. Recently, an exception to the chain restaurant boycott has emerged- Granite City. When my parents come to town, it has become tradition to pig out at the Sunday brunch- pancakes, waffles, scrambled eggs, omelets, fresh fruit, biscuits & gravy, prime rib and a “make your own bloody mary” bar. And Jon and I have been known to take a trip to the bar on a Saturday or Sunday afternoon. We love sitting in one of the big booths and ordering 2 or 3 appetizers or meals to split. This weekend we tried the Honey Rosemary Tenderloin and Focaccia Salad and Pepper Bacon and Tomato Flatbread Pizza. My mouth is watering just thinking about these two dishes.

The Honey Rosemary Tenderloin and Focaccia Salad is amazing. It seems a bit counterintuitive to eat steak on a salad, but you simply have to try this.  Here’s the description from the menu: “A half-pound of fresh beef tenderloin marinated in honey, olive oil, soy sauce, chopped garlic, and fresh rosemary, then charbroiled to perfection. Hand sliced into bite-size pieces, then tossed in balsamic dressing with spring greens, freshly grilled herb focaccia croutons, Parmesan cheese, marinated balsamic tomato onion relish, and creamy bleu cheese crumbles.” Though a bit steep in price ($16.99), it was the perfect salad to split and accompany our flatbread pizza.

The Pepper Bacon and Tomato Flatbread Pizza offers the perfect combination of flavor and crunch. Okay, you can’t really go wrong with bacon, but this bacon has a hint of maple syrup flavor that balance the salty of the cheese and intensity of the fresh basil. The description from the menu: “A thin crispy crust brushed with roasted garlic aioli. Topped with maple pepper bacon, sliced Roma tomatoes, mozzarella cheese and Parmesan cheeses. Finished with julienne fresh basil.”

View the full menu here.

 

 

Tagged , , ,
Mar 13 2011
1 Comment
We Eat Well

Stovetop Mac ‘n Cheese

The latest issue of Food & Wine magazine arrived yesterday. I like nothing more, than curling up on the couch with it to take in all of the glorious food photography. I dream that one day my photos will come close to resembling the ones that grace these pages. Jon skims it and takes mental notes about the recipes he’d like to make. Rarely, do I pay attention to the recipes, but Stovetop Mac ‘n Cheese drew me in. I love mac ‘n cheese. So, while Jon was busy studying, I flipped to page 76 to try and tackle it. Of course, we didn’t have Fontina nor Mascarpone, so I had to improvise. That’s usually when my dishes turn out best. The smell lured Jon down from the study. “It smells like mac ‘n cheese,” he said. I must have done something right. Rich, creamy, “ah-mazing.”

Here’s my take on Stove Top Mac ‘n Cheese

  • 4 ounces shredded cheddar cheese
  • 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 1/4 cup flour
  • 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
  • 1/2 cup milk
  • 1/2 cup heavy cream
  • 1/2 cup feta
  • 1/4 cup cream cheese
  • 1/4 cup Dijon mustard
  • 8 ounces pasta (I used orecchiette)

In a very large saucepan, melt the butter. Whisk in flour and paprika and cook over medium heat until bubbling, about 2 minutes. Add the milk and heavy cream and whisk until smooth. Cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, until thick and creamy, about 5 minutes. Stir in the cheddar and the Feta and cook over low heat until melted. Off the heat, stir in the cream cheese and dijon mustard. Season with salt

Meanwhile, cook the pasta. Drain and add to cheese sauce. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until hot and bubbling, about 2 minutes.

Tagged ,
Mar 13 2011
1 Comment
We Eat Well

Seriously Simple Sunday Dinner

Though I didn’t get to enjoy this meal the first go round (Jon made it while I was out of town), it was super tasty even as leftovers. Jon says, “It is seriously simple and takes just a few minutes. The flavor combo of the chicken with the sweet onions is superb.” We’ve had the Cauliflower dish before and it got earmarked as a “must have again.”

Paprika Roast Chicken Breast with Sweet Onion

  • 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons paprika
  • 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon cayenne
  • 3 large chicken breasts (about1 3/4 pounds)
  • 1 sweet onion, cut into 1/2-inch wedges

    • Preheat oven to 500°F with rack in upper third.

    Mix oil with spices, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper in a large bowl, then add chicken and onion, tossing to coat. Arrange chicken, skin side up, and onion in a 3-quart shallow baking dish.

    Bake until chicken is just cooked through and skin is golden, about 30 minutes. Skim any fat from pan juices in dish.

    Cauliflower, White Bean and Feta Salad- recipe here.

    Tagged , ,
    Mar 11 2011
    6 Comments
    We Live Well

    What is Rotary?

    I became a Rotarian in June 2008. I will admit that, at the time, I knew little about the organization. I saw it as a networking opportunity and a resume item. Shortly after joining, two members took me under their wings and showed me what it truly means to be a Rotarian. As with most things I do, I jumped in head first after that, taking on numerous roles within the club to help further our mission. Late last year, I was selected as President Nominee, which means I will serve as club president in 2012-13, making me the second woman to serve the club in this role and the youngest by 9 years.

    This weekend, I am with our President Elect and hundreds of other future Rotary presidents at the Great Lakes PETS in Kalamazoo. I am learning so much about how to be an effective club leader. During one session, our district governor gave us some homework. He tasked us with asking people in our community what they know about Rotary in order for us to gauge where we need to focus our PR efforts. So, what better way for me to reach those I interact with than via this blog and Twitter? My question to you is (and please don’t do a quick Google search): What is Rotary? What do we do? How do we do it?

    Not only will your responses help our club, which in turn will help our community, but it will help our district, our zone, and our organization worldwide, as well.

    Tagged , ,
    Mar 08 2011
    1 Comment
    We Eat Well

    (This is Why I Feel So) Fat Tuesday

    I hope you all had a wonderful Fat Tuesday. As is tradition, Jon and I spent the evening bellied up to the bar at Henry’s for our annual Oyster Po Boys. Another recommendation from a friend today: 800 Degrees, serving up duck gumbo, seafood jambalaya, red beans & rice, and Creole greens. I’ve got to try that place… maybe next year!

    Please excuse the poor quality of this photo. It was taken with my phone in a dark bar. I had to borrow the bartender’s flashlight!

    Tagged , ,
    ← Older posts
    Newer posts →
    Follow

    Get every new post delivered to your Inbox.

    Join 1,288 other followers

    %d bloggers like this: