Good Food Rocks!

Disney Food and Wine Festival

2010-08-25T20:50:00.007-04:00

If you read this blog, you know Jeff and I are big fans of Disney. So it should come as no surprise to you that we are going to the 2010 Epcot International Food and Wine Festival at Walt Disney World this Fall. I have heard about it for years but have never been able to make it until now. I am so excited. There are 25 International kiosks set up all around the World Showcase in Epcot that serve tapas sized portions of their countries' specialty dishes and drinks. The kiosks represent countries that are already in World Showcase like France, Italy, Canada, China, Germany, Mexico and Morocco as well as lots of other countries that do not have a permanent presence in WS like Argentina, Belgium, Singapore, South Korea, South Africa, and Poland. I think I am most looking forward to trying New Zealand's wine and everything on the Ireland menu sounds fantastic to me. (Which is a little weird because who thinks of the Ireland when thinking of great cuisine around the world?But everything on this menu sounds good!)

What looks best to you? Click here to see all the menu descriptions. I want to try it all but I know I will run out of time, money and room in my stomach! Help me prioritize the must dos!

There will also be concerts throughout the 7 weeks of the festival. Look at the random assortment of talent they have lined up.

There will also be lots of food and wine seminars and demonstrations. You know this is exactly the type of event I LOVE! Here is a look at the numbers:

* More than 300 national and international wines
* 45 fabulous days long
* More than 76 kinds of international foods, each appetizer-sized portion priced $2-$5
* More than 160 of America's most celebrated chefs and Walt Disney World® Resort chefs
* 1,200 wine and beer seminars featuring more than 100 topics
* More than 1,200 fireworks rockets exploding each night over World Showcase Lagoon in "IllumiNations: Reflections of Earth" grand finale to the festival
* 135 Eat to the Beat! concerts performed
* 33,000 bottles of wine and champagne
* 1.2 million hors d-oeuvre plates
* 2.1 million Vanity Fair napkins
* 750,000 beer cups
* 690,000 sumptuous samplings
* 600,000 forks
* 338,000 wine glasses
* 100,000 miniature desserts, including creme brulee, traditional apple strudel, baklava and more
* 3,000 gallons of soup, including cheddar cheese soup (Montreal marketplace), seafood gumbo (New Orleans marketplace), and chilled tomato and garlic soup (Barcelona marketplace)
* 1,500 pounds of fresh strawberries

I can't wait to tell you all about it when we get back. I am already counting down the days.

Lupa

2010-08-18T10:48:00.000-04:00

Lupa Osteria Romana is a Mario Batali restaurant in Greenwich Village. We really wanted to go to Babbo, which is Mario's flagship restaurant, but it was impossible to get reservations on short notice. At Lupa, I think Mario is more of the money guy instead of the chef but we were ok with that because we really wanted pasta that night.

When we got to the restaurant, we were surprised at how small it was, even by New York standards. We were quickly seated but the tables were EXTREMELY close together. As in, our two top was basically a four top with the table beside us. A person could not have fit in between the two tables. I wasn't even able to put my purse on the back of my chair because the person behind me was so close. Jeff was pretty uncomfortable until the table behind him left. The person he was back to back with apparently was tap dancing at the table until they left! So the atmosphere was not something we were used to.

Once we finally settled in, we got a bottle of wine recommended by our waiter because the entire wine menu was in Italian. But it did turn out to be a wine we enjoyed. For our antipasti course, we selected broccoli rabe with ricotta, beets with pistachio and Prosciutto de Parma. We figured we would go with one thing we knew, the prosciutto and try two other new things. It turned out to be a good choice. All three were good and the preparation was was very different than anything we have had before.

For our pasta, we chose Spaghetti alla Carbonara and Bucatini All'Amatriciana. We chose the Bucatini based on a recommendation from our neighbors two inches to our right who overheard our quiet debate on which two pastas to get! The Carbonara was delicious and I have since made it at home a few times. It is extremely easy and quick and a nice luxury after a hard day at work.

All it has in it is cheese, egg yolks, diced pork, and black pepper. When I make it I use Parmesan Reggiano and pancetta. Guanciale is the more traditional pork so that is probably what Lupa uses but I can't find it in Greenville.

Bucatini All'Amatriciana is a spicy tomato pasta. I had heard of the pasta bucatini before but this is the first time I actually tried it. It is spaghetti shaped but with a small hole running through the center. It was good too but I preferred the Carbonara which worked out perfectly since Jeff preferred the Bucatini.

Like a lot of traditional Italian restaurants, pasta is only considered the first course but we were too full to try any of their entrees, even though they looked delicious. One other really cool thing to note about this restaurant is a certified Green Restaurant. They recycle, don't use Styrofoam or bottled water, and they practice water and energy conservation. The hand soap in restrooms is recycled from used vegetable oil from restaurants. All in all, Lupa was good but not somewhere we will try again.

Artisanal Bistro

2010-08-01T08:00:00.000-04:00

A friend of Jeff's who used to live in NYC recommended Artisanal Bistro to us and I am so glad he did! This French bistro was my idea of heaven because they had a huge variety of cheese and wine. As one review, hanging on their wall, said, "it is like Disney World for cheese lovers." They even have a fromagerie in the restaurant.

The best way to get the most variety into your visit is to try their wine and cheese fights. They have 12 different cheese flights, with three cheeses each, that you can get with or without their recommended wine pairings. Since I love cheese as much as I do, we had a cheese flight for an appetizer and another one for dessert. All the wines and cheeses we tried were fabulous but the absolute best pairing was onthe Fromager's Selection Flight. I didn't love either the Epoisses, a cow's milk cheese from France, or its paired wine, a French Sauternes, on their own. The washed- rind cheese was oozy and stinky. The wine, a Chateau Padouen '06, was sweeter than I normally like but when put together with the cheese, the flavor was absolute magic in my mouth. The flavors married together unlike any other wine and cheese pairing I have ever experienced. I will be recreating that magic on my next cheese board at home.
For the main course I got the special of the day, Bouillabaisse. It was everything a good bouillabaisse should be with lots of seafood- shrimp, scallops, mussels, and fish-with fennel, potatoes and a very flavorful tomato seafood stock. Jeff got the Mussels Frites, mussels steamed in white wine and garlic with a side of crispy French fries. The mussels were good but we both agreed that they were not as good as our favorite steamed mussels at Bin 112. My stew was served with a garlicky aioli on the side. We ended up using it as a dip for Jeff's mussels and fries and it was great.
As I already mentioned, we got another cheese plate for dessert but Jeff had a hard time deciding since there was a chocolate tart with salted caramel ice cream. He isn't a huge chocolate fan but ever since he tried salted caramel ice cream at the California Grill, he can't pass it up when he sees it on a menu. Luckily, the waitress was kind enough to bring him 2 scoops to try so we didn't have to get another whole dessert (since I was obviously not giving up my second cheese plate!) The ice cream was wonderful but I was in heaven with my Epoisse and Sauternes magic.

We will definitely return here on our next NYC trip. We didn't even get to try their famous fondues. Our dinner was so good and the menu was so tempting we debating going back the next day for lunch but we ended up not being able to make it.

-Joy

Where Have You Been?

2010-07-31T22:57:00.004-04:00

I think most of our friends and family have given up on reading our blog since it has been 4 months since we last posted. But the blog is not dead! Since our last posting we have both been busy with work and been on numerous business trips (Jeff more than I) and a couple of personal trips. We both went to NYC for business then a few weeks later went again to celebrate my birthday. Since NYC is pretty much the culinary mecca of America, we have lots to share. -Joy

Bin 112

2010-03-28T21:21:00.010-04:00

On Saturday, We decided to go to dinner at one of our all time favorite Restaurants, Bin 112 in Downtown Greer. We discovered Bin on August 18th, 2007. The night we got engaged.

We'd eaten that evening at Gerrard's, which was also in Greer but closed a year or so later. After dinner, we were walking around downtown and came across Bin. It had opened only two months earlier in June. We went back and tried it a few weeks later and instantly fell in love with it.

The atmosphere is very intimate and casually elegant but the food and service was what really got us. The wait staff are very attentive but what really stands out is how friendly they are. Each time we go back they remember us and always strike up a conversation. A few of them will even remember our favorite dishes each time we go even if they don't wait on us for months at a time.

Atmosphere and service are great, but the reason we go, of course, is the food. The cuisine can best be described as "eclectic southern". Every item on the menu comes in half or full sizes so you can get your own meal or go tapas style. We prefer tapas style. I also love the little southern touches like the use of collard greens in many of the dishes.

Here's a rundown of our dinner on Saturday night and a few of our favorite items. We start with a bottle of Redhead Studios Yard Dogs Red Blend of Cab, Malbec and Petite Verdot From Australia. They also bring complimentary homemade chips and bread.

Our first items were half size orders of "Flaming Kasseri" "Mussels on the Beach", "Tapas the World, Mom!". Three of our standards.

The Flaming Kasseri is a fried Greek Mediterranean melting cheese finished with lime and flamed with Tequila. So freakin' good.

The Tapas the World, Mom! is a plate of marinated vegetables like olives, roasted red pepper, roasted garlic, green beans, artichoke hearts and tomatoes.

Mussels on the Beach is my personal favorite. It's fresh mussels sauteed in an incredible garlic, lemon Sauvignon Blanc sauce. My suggestion, get more bread to soak up the broth once the mussels are gone. (The picture doesn't do it justice, trust me.)

After our standards, we tried something new. The night's special was a pan fried grouper with a bacon-wrapped scallop over Carolina rice and collard greens. The dish was garnished with clams in a lobster cream sauce. WOW! The grouper was absolutely fantastic.

For dessert, we tried their new special... the Cordillera S'Mores. It's a homemade smoked chili chocolate bar with marshmallows and graham crackers served with a fire pot so you can make the s'mores yourself at your table. It was very fun.

As always, our meal was fantastic. But don't take my word for it. Try it for yourself. The website is bin112.com.

- Jeff

Reuben Dip

2010-03-24T13:05:00.005-04:00

This dip will be my contribution at tomorrow's Dip of the Month Club. What is DOTM Club, you may ask? A couple of girls at work, Natalie and Jennifer, came up with a great idea to gather a bunch of co-workers each month to sample new dips and share the recipes. So I will have more dip recipes coming soon! I came up with this recipe over the weekend and it is a new favorite. I just happened to find Rye Triscuts and they go really well with the dip. I think I like this combination even more than a regular Reuben sandwich!

Ingredients

1/2 pound corned beef. Deli sliced thick then cut into ½ inch pieces
1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened
1 1/2 C shredded Swiss cheese, divided
1 cup sauerkraut, drained and squeezed well
½ C Thousand Island dressing

In a medium bowl, combine corned beef, cream cheese, 1 C Swiss cheese, sauerkraut,and dressing. Spoon into a greased, 1-quart baking dish. Top with remaining ½ C Swiss cheese.

Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes, until hot and bubbly. Serve warm with Rye Triscuts or rye bread.

Note: I used reduced fat cream cheese, Swiss cheese and Thousand Island dressing and it turned out great.

Smoky Tomato Soup

2010-03-19T08:00:00.001-04:00

Oh my goodness this is my new favorite gotta-get-dinner-ready-in-less-than-20 minutes recipe! It is so tasty but quick and very healthy. The key is the quality of the ingredients so make sure you actually have the smoked paprika and the fire roasted tomatoes. Don't substitute the regular versions.

Ingredients
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 chopped onion
2 chopped garlic cloves
3/4 tsp smoked paprika
2 large 28 oz cans fire roasted diced tomatoes (Muir Glen makes an organic version usually in the health food aisle and I recently found some made by Hunt's in the regular vegetable aisle. )
1/2 C orange juice

Heat the oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium high heat. Add the onions and saute about 5 minutes until they are soft. Add garlic and paprika and saute for 2 more minutes. Add tomatoes and orange juice and simmer for 10 minutes. Transfer half the soup to a blender and blend until smooth. Since it will be hot, make sure you open the center piece on the lid to allow steam to escape. Cover it with a towel as you blend. Pour into a large bowl and repeat with other half. Or you can use an immersion blender if you have one. I prefer the regular blender because it makes smoother soup. Top with some Parmesan or cheddar cheese or sour cream and enjoy.

We sometimes make grilled cheese sandwiches to go with it if we are especially hungry.

Scallops in White Wine Butter Sauce

2010-03-18T08:00:00.000-04:00

I love any type of seafood but scallops are one of my favorites. Jeff feels the same way so we enjoy making them at home. These were particularly good because we got a good crust on them. We served them with sauteed spinach and lemon Parmesan orzo.

3/4 lb large sea scallops (3-4 per person depending on the size)
2 tsp olive oil
1/2 C dry white wine (we used a sauvigon blanc and drank the rest with dinner)
1 tsp fresh dill chopped
1/4 tsp salt
1 Tbsp butter
Salt and pepper to season scallops

Pat the scallops dry with a paper towel. This removes extra moisture and ensures the exterior gets a nice sear. Season with salt and pepper. Heat the oil in a stainless steel pan over medium heat. Make sure the pan is hot enough by sprinkling some water in the pan. If it dances and evaporates, the pan is hot enough.

Add scallops and cook approximately 3 minutes on each side. The trick to using stainless steel pans like All Clad is to wait until the food is ready release. Using tongs, try to gently pick up the food. If it doesn't release easily, leave it alone and let it it cook for a couple more minutes. Don't pull it or it will fall apart. Once the food is cooked, it will release easily from the pan and you will have a nice sear on your scallop. When using stainless steel pans, I rely on the releasing technique much more than I do on actual cooking times.

Once scallops are cooked on both sides, remove them from pan. Delgalze the pan with the white wine, scraping the bottom of the pan to release the brown bits. Add the dill and salt and cook for a minute to allow the alchol to evaporate. Stir in the butter and immediately serve the sauce over the seared scallops.

Tag You're It

2010-03-14T21:59:00.011-04:00

I know I have not posted in over a month and there is no excuse other than both Jeff and I have been extremely busy at work. What better way to get back into blogging on a regular basis by participating in a blog game. Here is the deal:

1. Open your 1st photo folder
2. Scroll to your 10th photo
3. Post the photo and the story behind it
4. Tag 5 or more people

The photo above is my 10th photo. It is me and my friend Jami in Charleston on 4th of July weekend 2006. I think this was at Ravel on King Street. We were out with her husband, Dan, and my other friends Miriam, Roxanne, Melonye, and Melonye's husband John. It was a really fun night but the 11th picture in my folder made me laugh out loud and I have to tell you the story behind that one!

This picture was taken once we got back to Miriam's house. It is a picture of her brisker. You may be asking, "what is a brisker" because Roxanne and I certainly asked that question. A brisker looks like a bread box but really its function is completely opposite of a bread box. It is an electric crisper. It keeps food like crackers, chips, cereals and cookies crisp. Miriam said they have been used in her family for years and this one was passed down to her. We think they were used a lot in the South years ago when not everyone had air conditioning and summers were very humid. Roxanne and I had never heard of a brisker before that evening and we were so glad Miriam was able to enlighten us. And that we had crispy bagel chips to enjoy when we got back from our night out on the town!

I tag Jami, Katie, Deanna, Melanie, Mary Katherine, and Cristin. If you don't have a blog, you can email me your picture and story. Thanks Rox for tagging me!

Cheesy Sausage Dip

2010-02-06T12:00:00.000-05:00

This is a great dip for football season and especially Super Bowl parties. You don't have to use reduced fat ingredients but I think this version tastes just as good as full fat so why not lighten up when possible!

1 tube Jimmy Dean Reduced Fat Sausage
2 packages Reduced Fat Cream Cheese
2 cans Rotel, 1 can drained and 1 full can

Brown sausage in a pan over medium heat. Put cream cheese and Rotel in a crock pot. Drain 1 can to keep a creamy consistency. Add browned sausage to crock pot and cook on high until dip is melted together. Stir and reduce heat to medium to keep warm as you serve it. I serve it with Baked Tositos but it is good with any corn or tortilla chip.

Kahalua and Pecan Baked Brie

2010-01-25T19:20:00.002-05:00

This is one of my favorite recipes for brie. I love baked brie of all types but this one has an amazing sauce that compliments the creamy cheese. And it is much easier than some other recipes that wrap the brie in pastry.

Ingredients
Big wheel of Brie
1 C Kahalua
1 C Brown Sugar (I used Splenda)
1 C Whole Pecans

Pre-heat oven to 350. Cut the top rind off the Brie but leave the rest of it on. The rind is edible. Put the cheese in an oven safe dish and bake for 12-15 minutes until warm.

While the cheese is cooking, put the Kahalua and Brown Sugar in a pot and bring to a boil. Once you get a few bubbles, reduce the heat to a simmer to create a syrup. Once the cheese is done, put the pecans in the syrup then top the Brie with the syrup.

Serve with crackers or bread.

Ohana at Disney's Polynesian Resort

2010-01-24T19:44:00.003-05:00

For our last night in Disney, we went to the Polynesian Resort for dinner at Ohana. The Howles had eaten here before and were VERY excited to return. I was not as excited. Being from Hawaii, I am not a fan of cheesy Hawaiian themed events and this entire resort and it's restaurants seem to fall in this category. But they were insistent that this place was awesome and the bread pudding was THE BEST EVER! I am so glad that they were right and I was very wrong.

We had to wait a few minutes for our reservations so we wandered around the resort. It was beautiful with lots of tropical greenery everywhere. There is a man-made beach that faces the Magic Kingdom and is a perfect place to watch the nightly fireworks. I definitely want to stay here on our next visit.

Once we were seated, our server brought our drinks then a big bowl of salad with honey lime dressing. This is one of Disney many family style restaurants where they bring out big platters of food for the table to share. Next came the appetizers, honey coriander chicken wings and pork potstickers. This was the point when I first realized I had misjudged this place. Ordinarily, I do not like chicken wings but these were delicious! The potstickers were crispy and flavorful. They bring out as much as you want and we requested another appetizer platter.

Next came the skewers. They have a huge, open oak fire grill in the middle of the restaurant and they grill skewers of steak, pork, turkey and shrimp. Again, I am normally not a big fan of turkey but I liked the turkey here. The steak and pork were great too. It was all cooked perfectly and the oak fire grill added such a good flavor to all the meats. Each of the meats had their own dipping sauce which just made them even better.

But the shrimp was my absolute favorite. I must have eaten at least 20 grilled shrimp. They kept coming around with more skewers and giving us more food. I think Curtis and I probably ate the most out of the group. I could not stop eating the shrimp!

The sides served with the skewers were vegetable lo mein and stir fried vegetables. The sides were just as good as the skewers. The vegetables included broccoli and snow peas and they were some of the best vegetables we had all week, perfectly cooked! Dessert was bread pudding and it was so good it is getting its own post.

Overall, the food was excellent and one of the best meals of the week. But the absolute highlight of the evening for me was the entertainment.

There was a Hawaiian entertainer named Malia. She was the epitome of what I don't like about tropical themed events, fake leis, obnoxious songs and all. Pat even asked me if I thought she really was Hawaiian and I said no. Again, I ended up being wrong. As she came by our table I noticed her name tag. All Disney Cast Members, regardless of their positions, wear name tags with their name and home town. She was from my home town, Makakilo! This is a huge deal because Makakilo is so small that it wasn't even our official mailing address. The city in our mailing address was Eva Beach which was the next largest town nearby with a post office. So she and I chatted for a while about Hawaii. She was so funny and reminded me of one of my friends who still lives in Makaliko. Then she lined all the children up and taught them a hula song and dance. It was one of the few I actually remember from childhood, The Hukilau! It is extremely cheesy but by this point I was so full of food and the Aloha spirit that I really enjoyed it!

-Joy

Ohana's Bread Pudding

2010-01-24T19:42:00.003-05:00

This is the dessert that the Howles have been talking about for as long as I have known them. They LOVE it and it is probably the main reason they love Ohana so much. Once I finally got to try it for myself, I was not disappointed. It is the best bread pudding I have ever eaten. When they serve it at Ohana, they pour the the bananas foster sauce over the top at the table. The sauce really makes it. I may have to try making it at home for Jeff's birthday.

Ingredients
5 eggs
3 cups whole milk
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1 1/2 cup sugar
8 cups French bread

1. In bowl mix eggs, milk , salt, sugar and nutmeg. Set aside.
2. Cut bread in medium pieces, place on cookie sheet pan put in 350 degree oven.
3. Bake bread until lightly toasted, about 15 minutes. Remove bread and place in egg and milk mixture.
4. Place mixture in a greased 10-inch cake pan and bake at 325 degree for 1 hour.
5. Let stand 5 minutes, serve hot with ice cream and top with Banana Foster Sauce

Banana Foster Sauce
4 oz sugar
4 oz brown sugar
4 oz corn syrup
4 oz unsalted butter
1cup heavy cream
1 tsp vanilla extract
1cup spiced rum
1cup banana slices

1. Combine sugar, brown sugar, corn syrup, butter and half of heavy cream in a large pan. Bring to a boil and slowly add remaining heavy cream keeping mixture at a steady boil.

2. Add spiced rum and flambe.

3. Candy will brown slightly; cook 3 minutes until candy forms into a firm ball in cold water. Remove from heat and add vanilla. Add sliced bananas. Serve warm.

It is delicious! -Joy

SC Restaurant Week

2010-01-13T13:24:00.002-05:00

It is Restaurant Week in SC. This is a great chance to try that fancy new restaurant or maybe return to an old favorite for a little less expensive meal. Restaurants in Greenville, Columbia, Charleston and the Beach are all offering 3 course meals for $30. Click here for participating restaurants and their menus. And make plans soon, it ends on Sunday.

La Cava de Tequila at De San Angel Inn

2010-01-12T20:51:00.004-05:00

This is a new restaurant/bar in in the Mexico Pavilion at Epcot and their specialty is, obviously, tequila. The Mexican Pavilion is one of my favorite in the World Showcase in Epcot because it has a great atmosphere, a cool ride and interesting shopping, all in an Aztec pyramid.

The new addition of La Cava makes it even better. We enjoyed our margaritas so much that we had to bring Julie and Curtis back for a second visit. The menu included over 70 types of tequila. We tried the Margarita flight with 5 different versions. My favorite was the Pepino, with El Mayor Blanco Tequila with trile sec, carmelized pineapple juice, cucumber and agave nectar syrup with lemon grass salt. (Second one from the front in the picture.) Jeff's favorite was the Jalapeno, also with El Mayor Blanco Tequila, jalapeno lime juice and agave nectar syrup with hibiscus Himalayan salt rim. (First one in the picture.) The other margaritas in the sampler included Naranja Roja, with blood orange juice and hibiscus syrup topped with blood orange foam (red in the middle), Fruta Dela Pasion (orange with foam on top, our least favorite) and Aguacate (last one) with Midori and fresh avocado.

I wish I could have a Pepino or Jalapeno one right now! -Joy

California Grill

2010-01-06T23:32:00.002-05:00

Our second night at Disney took Joy and I to our fanciest restaurant of the week, the California Grill. The California Grille is located on the top floor of the Contemporary Resort, which was one of the two original Walt Disney World hotels and is located on the monorail loop that takes guests to the Magic Kingdom. (The other original hotel is the Polynesian-you'll hear about that one later.) The California Grill overlooks the Magic Kingdom and even has an observation deck where you can watch the nightly firework shows. But you don't have to go outside to the deck to enjoy the view since the entire restaurant has floor to ceiling windows with a great view of the Magic Kingdom as well. Before dinner, Joy and I had drinks at the bar and watched that night's firework display. It was very cool to see them from that perspective, overlooking the park. This meal was the best of the vacation. And as I said above, the fanciest and most expensive. Almost everywhere we ate, you could wear jeans and t-shirts if you wanted. Pretty much everywhere on property was that way. But there are a few places with a dress code and this was one of them. Having to dress up was a nice change of pace from many of the places on property. You could also tell that this was a locals restaurant too. Many non-vacationers were enjoying dinner even on a Sunday night. To start our meal, we ordered the cheese board with 5 different cheeses and accompaniments and yellowfin tuna three ways appetizer. The cheese board was very good and like any cheese plate there are some that we liked better than others. The really interesting part was the pairings. We had honey, glazed nuts, cranberries, apple chutney and a raisin crostini.

The Yellowfin Tuna was poki, tartare and tataki styles. The tuna was such high quality. The preparations were so simple. Some of the best yellowfin, I've ever had.

Our entrees were exceptional. I have to say that mine might have been the best thing I've ever eaten. I had a Seared Ostrich Filet with Buttery Potato Puree, Wild Mushrooms, Globe Carrots, Fig and Honeyed Port Reduction. The best way I can describe it is it tasted like a beef scallop. The rich, buttery texture of a scallop with the savory taste of a great filet. The entire dish complemented each other. It was hard to pick out any one distinct ingredient. They just all worked together perfectly. I absolutely loved it. Makes me kind of sad I don't live in Orlando.
Joy had Spiced Tuna with Sweet Potato Puree, Mustard Greens, Red Wine Braised Beef Rib Ravioli, Natural Reduction. The spiced tuna was very good but the outstanding component of this dish was the braised beef rib ravioli with natural reduction. It oddly didn't match the rest of the dish, but boy was she glad it was on the plate. The beef was so tender and the reduction so rich. Definitely worth a try.

For dessert we had Valrhona Chocolate Cake. A Warm Chocolate Cake with Molten Center, House-made Salted Caramel Ice Cream, and Roasted Golden Pineapple. The molten chocolate cake was fairly standard but the Salted Caramel Ice Cream was crazy good. I've never had a ice cream quite like it. You could actually taste the salt. It was sweet and savory. Very nice. Overall, the California Grill was excellent. We highly recommend it and we'll definitely be going back the next time we visit Disney World.

-- Jeff

Kouzzina by Cat Cora

2010-01-04T08:00:00.000-05:00

We arrived at Walt Disney World on Saturday Dec 5th. That afternoon we went to our the first park, EPCOT. Joy and I had dinner reservations that evening at Kouzzina in the Boardwalk resort right behind EPCOT. Kouzzina is a new restaurant where Disney has partnered with Iron Chef Cat Cora for her first signature restaurant.

The restaurant has a Mediterranean "theme" to it and is filled with photographs, maps, etc of the Mediterranean region. One of my favorite parts was the open-air show kitchen.

To start, we each got a flight of wine. Joy had the Cat Flight. These are all from Cat's "Coranation" line of Wines. She had a Sauvignon Blanc that had notes of ripe apple, blood orange and spice, a Chardonnay that Cat specifically designed to go with her Mediterranean style food, and a Pinot Noir with hints of cherries, cranberries and cinnamon.

I had the California Fruit Bomb flight. It had a nice Graff Family Grenache, Edna Valley Vineyards Syrah and a Zen of Zin Zinfandel. The Syrah was my favorite. For appetizer, we had a Saganaki, which was a skillet seared Haloumi cheese with grilled lemon and oregano. Of course it was awesome, it was seared cheese.

Something that was truly amazing was the complimentary bread and butter. Now bear with me here. The bread was a fairly typical but it was fresh baked. The interesting part was the the butter. It was sweet and topped with Hawaiian sea salt which gave the bread and butter an amazing kick when you got a bit of the salt.

For our entrees, Joy had the Fisherman's Stew which consisted of scallops, snapper, shellfish, and fennel. The broth of the stew was amazingly rich with a deep tomato and olive oil flavor. The seafood was cooked perfectly, but the broth was the stand out. We literally cleaned the bowl with the grilled bread that accompanied the stew.

For my entree, I had the Slow-cooked Lamb Shank with Gigantes Beans and Pepper Sauce. It was delicious. The lamb was so tender, I could easily pull it apart with a fork. I'd never had gigantes beans before and they were huge. The size of my thumb.

For dessert, we tried two items. The first were the Loukoumades which are Greek doughnuts drizzled with warm honey. They came with two dipping sauces: a raspberry and a vanilla cream. Overall they were good, but when I covered one of the doughnuts with the vanilla cream sauce it tasted just like a Krispy Kreme glazed! Our second dessert was a warm molten chocolate cake called the Budino Cake. Pretty standard as far as these cakes go. This particular kind of cake seemed to be a trend across WDW restaurants. We found it on quite a few menus.

With our desserts, we had a pot of Kouzzina Pressed Coffee with Cat's special blend. It had a rich, dark chocolaty flavor. It was so good, it's made Joy and I serious fans of pressed coffee.

Overall, Kouzzina was very good and it stemmed two trends for us (1) our love of french press coffee and (2) salting our bread and butter.

-- Jeff

Where have we been?

2010-01-03T21:39:00.000-05:00

The happiest place on earth, that's where. As some of you already know, Joy and I haven't been posting much as of late mainly because we've been caught up in a very busy Christmas season.

Back at the beginning of December, Joy and I took a holiday vacation to Walt Disney World with the Varsity Howles (my mom and dad) and the Roses (my sister, Julie and brother-in-law, Curtis). Once our vacation was over and we were back in Greenville it was a crazy couple of days leading up to Christmas.

Now we're back and excited to share with you some of the really awesome meals we had while we were down in Florida visiting Mickey and company. When you mention Disney and food, most people think of Hamburgers, Chicken Fingers, Popcorn and Mickey-shaped Ice Creams, but there are some really amazing restaurants on the WDW property. Most of these restaurants will be found either within the World Showcase area of EPCOT or within the various hotels throughout the resort.

Over the next several posts, we'll take you on the culinary tour we got to experience first hand. We hope you enjoy.

- Jeff

Now See Hear

2009-12-20T17:29:00.004-05:00

So the other day, my friend Cory gave me an "album" he'd received in the mail by a photo journalist named Jimmy Williams. The album was entitled Now See Hear! and it was dubbed a visual album of Southern Musical Masters. Mr. Williams traveled around the South for 2 years documenting these musicians with the help of the Music Maker Relief Foundation.

The result of his travels is an awesome compilation of some truly gifted musicians and brilliant photography. The tracks are very Southern. Very bluesy and soulful. And the photography really paints the picture of who these musicians are.

The project's website is www.jimmywilliamsphotography.com/musicmakers/. Check it out. I highly recommend it.

- Jeff

Leftovers

2009-11-27T08:45:00.002-05:00

I hope everyone had a good Thanksgiving! We had a great time with our family and friends, and stuffed ourselves silly! Of course we overcooked and have tons of leftovers. We will definitely enjoy a turkey sandwich or two but what else can be done with leftovers? Here are some ideas:

Cranberry Sauce

Add it to salsa or salad dressing for a holiday twist

Use it to top ice cream or yogurt. For breakfast I had Greek yogurt topped with cranberry sauce and honey.

Mashed Potatoes

Potato Cakes-scoop potatoes into balls then dip them in panko breadcrumbs and saute.

Jalapeno Poppers- stuff jalapenos with potatoes and cheese

Baked Potato soup-add chicken broth and cream until it gets to a soup consistency. Top with cheese and bacon.

Stuffing

Make meatloaf and layer the stuffing inside.

Breakfast casserole

Layer leftover potatoes, vegetables, and turkey in a casserole dish. Top with eggs and cheese and bake.

Turkey

Food Network's website had some very creative ideas. Chinese Turkey Salad and Emeril's turkey tetrazzini look great!

Let us know your favorite ways to use leftovers. Have a fun Black Friday and enjoy the long weekend!

Cranberry Sauce

2009-11-23T08:00:00.001-05:00

I love fresh cranberry sauce for Thanksgiving. Eating canned cranberry jelly when I was younger, I had no idea cranberries could be so good! Here is the recipe I came up for this Thanksgiving:

1 C orange juice

3/4 C brown sugar

zest and juice of 1 tangerine

1 bag fresh cranberries, washed

1/2 C honey

1 cinnamon stick

1/2 tsp cardamom

Bring OJ and sugar to a boil then add the rest of the ingredients. Lower heat to a simmer and cook for 20 minutes or until thick. The cranberries will pop then it will thicken up a few minutes later.

Viva Las Vegas

2009-11-22T13:30:00.001-05:00

I was recently in Las Vegas on business with my buddy and co-worker Cory. Our trip was very quick, as we came in on a Thursday and left the following morning but we packed as much in as possible. We stayed at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino, which was awesome.

Such a cool resort. Not nearly as "casino-y" as a lot of the resorts on the strip. As you would expect, there was music memorabilia everywhere, there was also a great music hall called The Joint. (We're going to get to do some work with The Joint because Verizon has a sponsorship, really cool). Anyway, there's much more of a party scene as the Hard Rock. Would definitely like to go back when I've got more time.

Check it out.... http://www.hardrockhotel.com/ (click on nightlife to see The Joint)

After our meeting Thursday afternoon, we made our plan for the night. THE PLAN: 1) have a great dinner & 2) walk hotels until our legs couldn't go any more. I've been to Vegas before but it was Cory's first time so we wanted to see as much as we could.

We decided to eat dinner at Aureole at the Mandalay Bay Resort based on Joy's suggestion. When we were trying to decide where to eat, I called Joy to get ideas and she reminded me of Aureole. I'd heard of it before and have seen pictures of its multi-story, all glass wine tower with wine angels that move up and down the cellar on cables retrieving wine. It's also been showcased on Food Network. It's owned by Charlie Palmer and has a sister restaurant in NY, although, I don't know if it has a similar wine tower.

Dinner was great. I had a 3 course tasting menu they called the "Theatre Menu".

- First Course: Thai Style Popcorn Shrimp spicy coconut broth, cilantro coulis.

- Main Course: Berkshire Pork Scallopini lemon chives, fettuccini, sautéed rapini.

- Dessert: Caramelized Banana Bread Pudding, butterscotch sauce.

My favorite dish was the first course. It was really a soup where they poured the spicy coconut broth in the dish table-side over the shrimp and coulis. Amazing aroma and flavor.

Cory had a different tasting menu that had "parallel" plates, where each course had two small portions of two different dishes made with similar ingredients. It looked really good and Cory said it was great.

After dinner we began walking and made it through 7 Casino/Hotels before we couldn't walk anymore. We saw the Mandalay Bay, the Luxor, Excalibur, New York New York, MGM Grand, and the Bellagio. The Bellagio is definitely my favorite on the strip. The lobby is awesome. And due to the price of that hotel, the lobby is as far as I would get other than the casino floor. The also have the best sportsbook I've seen so far.

The trip was far too quick. Hopefully, I'll get to go back soon.

-- Jeff

Pumpkin Gingerbread Triffle

2009-11-21T16:04:00.002-05:00

I haven't made this yet but it looks great! It is going to be one of three desserts on our Thanksgiving table.

Pumpkin Gingerbread Trifle

Recipe courtesy Paula Deen

Prep Time:: 30 min
Inactive Prep Time:: 9 hr 0 min
Cook Time:: 30 min

Level:: Easy

Serves:: 20 servings

Ingredients

2 (14-ounce) packages gingerbread mix
1 (5.1-ounce) box cook-and-serve vanilla pudding mix
1 (30-ounce) can pumpkin pie filling
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/3 teaspoon ground cardamom or cinnamon
1 (12-ounce) container frozen whipped topping
1/2 cup gingersnaps, optional

Directions

Bake the gingerbread according to the package directions; cool completely. Meanwhile, prepare the pudding and set aside to cool. Stir the pumpkin pie filling, sugar, and cardamom into the pudding. Crumble 1 batch of gingerbread into the bottom of a large, pretty bowl. Pour 1/2 of the pudding mixture over the gingerbread, then add a layer of whipped topping. Repeat with the remaining gingerbread, pudding, and whipped topping. Sprinkle of the top with crushed gingersnaps, if desired. Refrigerate overnight. Trifle can be layered in a punch bowl.

Tomato Soup

2009-11-17T21:47:00.005-05:00

Ingredients

5 lb tomatoes, deseeded and stemmed and quartered

6 garlic cloves smashed

1/8 C olive oil and 2 Tablespoons olive oil

1 C onion, chopped

1 C water

1 C chicken broth (or vegetable for a vegetarian option)

2 teaspoons sugar

1 teaspoon kosher salt, halved

½ teaspoon black pepper

1/3 C cream or 2% milk

1/4 C fresh dill (or basil depending on your preference)

Preparation

Preheat oven to 450.

Put quartered tomatoes and garlic cloves in a large casserole dish and toss with 1/8C olive oil, ½ teaspoon of salt and ½ teaspoon of pepper. Roast for 40 minutes. They will be very soft and produced a lot of liquid.

In a large pot sauté onion in the remaining 2 T of olive oil for 5-7 minutes or until soft. Stir in water, broth, sugar, remaining ½ teaspoon salt, and all of roasted tomato mixture. Bring to a boil then reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Then transfer soup to a blender and add your fresh herbs. They don’t have to be chopped, just throw the clean whole leaves in and let the blender do the work for you. Be careful with the hot soup in the blender, only filling the blender half way and covering the top with a dish rag to avoid spills.

Blend until smooth and return the soup to the pot to add the cream or milk. Do not let the soup boil (no bubbles) after you add the dairy.

More Gratins

2009-11-16T22:44:00.012-05:00

Here are 2 more au gratin recipes. Both of these dishes will make it onto our Thanksgiving table.

Broccoli Gratin

You can really make any vegetable au gratin. All you really need to do is cut the vegetable into uniform pieces, parboil the vegetable, make a bechamel (a classic white sauce), top with cheese and bake for 30 minutes.

Mixing a little Guerye cheese into the bechamel sauce.
Finished, Yummy, Cheesy Goodness

Ingredients

3 large bunches of broccoli, chopped as uniformly as possible
3 Tablespoons butter
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 cups 1% milk
2 cups grated Gruyere, halved
salt and pepper to taste

Preparation
Preheat oven to 350. Steam broccoli until just tender, about 4 to 5 minutes; transfer to a large bowl.

Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in the flour and for 2 minutes. It will look like a lump of nothing but keep stirring and don't let it get dark. Whisk in the milk and simmer until slightly thickened and smooth, about 4 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in 1 cup of the cheese, salt and pepper. Toss the sauce with the broccoli.

Transfer the broccoli mixture to a shallow baking dish and sprinkle with the remaining cup of cheese. Bake until bubbling about 35 minutes. Broil for a few minutes until it gets a nice brown crust. Let sit 10 minutes before serving. Makes 8 servings.

Asiago and Bacon Potato Gratin
This one is a family favorite. It is also from Cooking Light and constantly ranked as one of their best dishes as well.

Ingredients

1 1/2 pounds peeled Yukon gold potatoes, cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices
1 teaspoon salt, divided
Cooking spray
2 tablespoons minced shallots
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 cups 1% low-fat milk, divided
3/4 cup (3 ounces) grated Asiago cheese
1/4 cup chopped fresh chives
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
4 bacon slices, cooked and crumbled
1/4 cup (1 ounce) grated fresh Parmesan cheese

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350°.

Place potatoes in a large saucepan; cover with water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer 5 minutes or until potatoes are almost tender. Drain. Sprinkle potatoes evenly with 1/4 teaspoon salt; set aside and keep warm.

Heat a medium saucepan coated with cooking spray over medium heat. Add shallots; cook 2 minutes or until tender, stirring frequently. Lightly spoon flour into a dry measuring cup; level with a knife. Sprinkle flour over shallots. Gradually add 1/2 cup milk, stirring with a whisk until well blended. Gradually add remaining 1 1/2 cups milk, stirring with a whisk. Cook over medium heat 9 minutes or until thick, stirring frequently. Remove from heat; stir in 3/4 teaspoon salt, Asiago, chives, pepper, and bacon.

Arrange half of potato slices in an 8-inch square baking dish coated with cooking spray. Pour half of cheese sauce over potato slices. Top with remaining potato slices and cheese sauce; sprinkle with Parmesan. Bake at 350° for 35 minutes or until cheese is bubbly and lightly browned.

Yield: 6 servings

Calories: 250 (30% from fat)

Fat:: 8.2g (sat 4.6g,mono 2.7g,poly 0.5g)
Protein:: 12.3g
Carbohydrate:: 31.9g
Fiber:: 2.3g
Cholesterol:: 23mg
Iron:: 0.9mg
Sodium:: 618mg
Calcium:: 306mg; Cooking Light, APRIL 2004

Sweet Potato and Butternut Squash Gratin

2009-11-16T17:13:00.005-05:00

I love potatoes au gratin. The dish originated in France with Gratin Dauphinois and while the authentic version is delicious, it doesn't have cheese. Since I believe everything is better with cheese, I prefer the cheesy American versions. But I don't love all the fat and calories so I was very intrigued by Cooking Light's article on "Great Gratins." I had to try this lighten up recipe with sweet potatoes and butternut squash. We will definitely be making this delicious dish again but I included some notes at the bottom that I believe will slightly improve it.

Sweet Potato and Butternut Squash Gratin
2 tablespoons butter
1 ounce pancetta, chopped
1/4 cup chopped shallots
2 garlic cloves, minced
1.38 ounces all-purpose flour, divided (about 5 tablespoons)
1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
2 cups 2% reduced-fat milk-
3/4 cup (3 ounces) grated fresh Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper
1 pound baking potato, peeled and cut into 1/8-inch-thick slices
8 ounces sweet potato, peeled and cut into 1/8-inch-thick slices
8 ounces butternut squash, peeled and cut into 1/8-inch-thick slices
Cooking spray
1/3 cup (1 1/2 ounces) shredded Gruyère cheese
1. Preheat oven to 375°.
2. Melt butter in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Add pancetta; cook 1 minute. Add shallots and garlic; cook 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Weigh or lightly spoon 1.1 ounces (about 1/4 cup) flour into a dry measuring cup; level with a knife. Add to pan; cook 2 minutes, stirring constantly with a whisk. Stir in thyme. Gradually add milk, stirring constantly with a whisk; cook over medium heat until slightly thick (about 3 minutes), stirring constantly. Stir in Parmigiano-Reggiano; cook 3 minutes or until cheese melts. Stir in salt and peppers. Remove from heat.
3. Cook baking potato in boiling water 4 minutes or until almost tender; remove with a slotted spoon. Cook sweet potato in boiling water 4 minutes or until almost tender; remove with a slotted spoon. Cook butternut squash in boiling water 4 minutes or until almost tender; drain. Sprinkle vegetables evenly with remaining 1 tablespoon flour. Arrange potatoes and squash in alternating layers in a broiler-safe 11 x 7-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray; spoon sauce over potato mixture. Top with Gruyère. Bake at 375° for 40 minutes.
4. Preheat broiler. Broil 3 minutes or until golden. Let stand 10 minutes.

Yield: 8 servings (serving size: about 1/2 cup)

CALORIES 220 ; FAT 8.7g (sat 5.2g,mono 2.2g,poly 0.3g); CHOLESTEROL 25mg; CALCIUM 259mg; CARBOHYDRATE 26.2g; SODIUM 418mg; PROTEIN 9.7g; FIBER 2.6g; IRON 1.3mg

Cooking Light, NOVEMBER 2009

Joy's notes-I used 1% milk instead of 2% and it turned out fine. Next time I make this dish, I will parboil the vegtables for only 2 minutes instead of 4 and layer the sauce between the potatoes and squash as well as top the dish with it.

21st Annual Christmas Jam

2009-11-11T21:16:00.003-05:00

Every holiday season one of the best music events on the planet comes to Asheville, NC. CHRISTMAS JAM! This year Warren Haynes presents his 21st Annual Christmas Jam at the Asheville Civic Center on Saturday December 12th.

The line up is already incredible. And if you know me at all, it appears to be tailored just for me. Joy would say, "stolen from Jeff's iPod." Gov't Mule, Ani Difranco, Moe., Counting Crows, and William Bell are the headliners with special guests Jackie Greene, Kevn Kinney, DJ Logic, Col. Bruce Hampton, Robert Kerns and many more. There's sure to be several more additions in the coming weeks leading up to the event.

Unfortunately, I'll be out of town on the 12th and won't be able to attend, but if you get a chance to go...GO. It will be a great show. Tickets go on sale this Saturday the 14th. To learn more go to http://www.xmasjam.com. If you do end up going, get me a t-shirt.

-- Jeff

Vietnamese Noodle Soup

2009-11-10T21:19:00.004-05:00

This is one of Jeff's favorite soups. We made it the other night for dinner and had leftovers for lunch. It was fantastic both times! You should be able to find fresh ginger and cilantro in the produce department of most grocery stores and the Asian ingredients in the ethnic food aisle.

Meatballs
1/2 lb ground pork
2 T minced scallions
2 T chopped fresh cilantro
1 T fresh ginger minced
1 T garlic minced
1 T soy sauce
1 t sweet chili sauce
1/4 t each salt and pepper

Combine all ingredients together until everything is mixed in. Scoop into teaspoon size meatballs. Heat a nonstick pan over medium heat and add 1 T vegetable oil. Brown meatballs but do not cook through. They will finish cooking in the soup.

Soup
1/4 lb rice stick noodles
6 C chicken broth
2 T soy sauce
1 T fresh ginger
1 T sugar
1 t sweet chili sauce
1 t fish sauce
1 C napa cabbage, cut into 1 inch strips
1/4 bean sprouts
1 T fresh lemon juice

Put the noodles in a large bowl and pour boiling water over them to soften. Let stand for about 15 minutes then drain and separate clumps. While meatballs are cooking, start the broth. Simmer the chicken broth, soy sauce, ginger, sugar, chili sauce, and fish sauce in a large pot or dutch oven. Cook over low heat until the meatballs are browned. Then add the meatballs and simmer until they are cooked through. They should float when they are done, usually 10 minutes or so.

Add cabbage, bean sprouts, and lemon juice and serve.

8 servings

1 C per serving- 190 calories, 9 g fat, 1 g fiber, 9 g protein

Pumpkin Whoopie Pies

2009-10-30T16:54:00.003-04:00

Our friend Mary Katherine brought these into work today. Oh my goodness! These are to die for! Here is the recipe that she got from Bon Appetit. Thanks for sharing MKat!

Pumpkin Whoopie Pies

Ingredients
FILLING
1 cup powdered sugar, sifted
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 7-ounce jar marshmallow creme
2 teaspoons maple extract
CAKE
3 cups all purpose flour
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
3/4 teaspoon ground cloves
6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
3/4 cup (packed) golden brown sugar
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup vegetable oil
3 large eggs
1 15-ounce can pure pumpkin
1/2 cup milk
Nonstick vegetable oil spray
Preparation
FILLING
Using electric mixer, beat sugar and butter in large bowl until fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add marshmallow creme and maple extract; beat until blended and smooth. DO AHEAD Can be made 2 hours ahead. Let stand at room temperature.
CAKE
Sift first 7 ingredients into large bowl. Using electric mixer, beat butter and both sugars in another large bowl until blended. Gradually beat in oil. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating to blend between additions. Beat in pumpkin. Add dry ingredients in 2 additions alternately with milk in 1 addition, beating to blend between additions and occasionally scraping down sides of bowl. Cover and chill batter 1 hour.
Arrange 1 rack in bottom third of oven and 1 rack in top third of oven; preheat to 350°F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment; spray lightly with nonstick spray. Spoon batter onto baking sheet to form cakes (about 3 level tablespoons each; about 12 per baking sheet), spacing apart. Let stand 10 minutes.
Bake cakes until tester inserted into centers comes out clean, about 20 minutes, rotating sheets halfway through baking. Cool cakes completely on baking sheets on rack. Using metal spatula, remove cakes from parchment.
Line cooled baking sheets with clean parchment; spray with nonstick spray, and repeat baking with remaining batter.
Spoon about 2 tablespoons filling on flat side of 1 cake. Top with another cake, flat side down. Repeat with remaining cakes and filling. DO AHEAD Can be made 8 hours ahead. Store in single layer in airtight container at room temperature.

Chicken Mushroom Spinach Stuffed Crepes

2009-10-26T22:28:00.004-04:00

For dinner that evening, we made chicken mushroom spinach stuffed crepes with the remainder of the crepes we made in the morning. See the post below for a basic crepe recipe.

Saute:

2 chicken breasts in a medium pan over medium high heat. Once cooked, chop and set aside.

In a separate large pan saute over medium high heat:

1 C thinly sliced onion for 3 minutes, then add

1 package of mushrooms sliced, saute for 5 minutes or until vegetables are soft

Add:

1 package of frozen chopped spinach, thawed, drained and squeezed dry

Chopped cooked chicken breasts

1/2 C sliced green onions

Keep that warm while making a bechamel sauce in a separate pot.

Melt 1 TBSP butter over medium low heat in a small saucepan. Add 2 TBSP flour to pan, creating a roux. Cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Slowly add 1 C 2% milk to pan stirring constantly with a whisk. After about 5 minutes, the sauce will thicken up. Season with salt and pepper to taste and 1/4 tsp freshly ground nutmeg.

Pour sauce over chicken and spinach mixture. Stir to combine thoroughly. Preheat broiler.

Spoon 1/2 C mixture in the center of each crepe then fold ends and sides over (like a burrito). Place seam side down in a 13x9 glass baking pan spread with cooking spray. Top crepes with Gruyere cheese or reduced fat Swiss cheese and broil lightly until cheese is melted and brown.

Yields 10 crepes with 2 crepes per serving.

Crepes

2009-10-26T21:44:00.007-04:00

I love crepes and I have finally (somewhat) mastered making them. It really isn't that hard but I definitely recommend a crepe pan, a non-stick shallow pan about 8 inches wide. Here is the basic recipe that works with sweet or savory fillings:

1 C all purpose flour

2 tsp sugar

1/4 tsp salt

1 C low-fat milk-1%

1/2 C water

2 tsp butter, melted

2 large eggs

Combine dry ingredients in a bowl (flour, sugar, salt). Put remaining wet ingredients in a blender and process on low until just mixed. Then add dry ingredients and process until smooth. Cover batter and chill for 1 hour.

Once it has set for an hour you are ready to make crepes. Heat your non-stick pan over medium heat and pour 1/4 C batter into pan, quickly tilting the pan so that the batter thinly, evenly coats the bottom of the pan. That is the part that takes a little bit of practice. I usually eat the first few before I make pretty ones.

Cook for a minute. It is ready to flip when it can be shaken loose from the pan. Flip and cook for 30 seconds on the other side. Stack finished crepes between a single layer of wax or parchment paper until you have finished the batch. This recipe should yield 12 crepes.

Once done, you can do a variety of recipes. I like eating them for breakfast or dessert with a little honey or pumpkin butter or jam. They are an excellent dessert with a little Nutella. When we made a batch this weekend, we ate a few for breakfast then saved the rest for dinner.

Chef Vicky at the Lazy Goat

2009-10-21T16:25:00.003-04:00

This is pretty cool. A GREENVILLE chef is named as one of four Breakout Chefs to Watch. Chef Vicky Moore, the Chef de Cusine at the Lazy Goat, is featured in the current Esquire magazine as a Breakout Chef to Watch.

The Lazy Goat is awesome and Jeff and I enjoyed a cooking class with Chef Vicky a couple of months ago. But the really cool thing is the other 3 chefs are from NY, New Orleans and Philly so Greenville is right up there with big culinary meccas. If you haven't had a chance to try the Lazy Goat, you definitely should go. I love the paella, the Morrocan lamb and the Spanish omlet pizza.

www.thelazygoat.typepad.com

Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Bread

2009-10-20T20:08:00.003-04:00

I found this recipe on Cooking Light's website and made it this weekend. Awesome! I highly recommend!

Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Bread

2 cups sugar
2 cups canned pumpkin
1/2 cup canola oil
1/2 cup fat-free vanilla pudding
4 large egg whites
3 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
Cooking spray

Preheat oven to 350°.

Combine first 5 ingredients in a large bowl, stirring well with a whisk. Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour, cinnamon, salt, and baking soda in a medium bowl, stirring well with a whisk. Add flour mixture to pumpkin mixture, stirring just until moist. Stir in chocolate chips.

Spoon batter into 2 (8 x 4-inch) loaf pans coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350° for 1 hour and 15 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes in pans on a wire rack, and remove from pans. Cool completely on wire rack.

Yield: 32 servings (serving size: 1 slice)

CALORIES 152 (30% from fat); FAT 5g (sat 1.2g,mono 2.5g,poly 1.1g); IRON 1mg; CHOLESTEROL 0.0mg; CALCIUM 10mg; CARBOHYDRATE 26.5g; SODIUM 137mg; PROTEIN 2g; FIBER 1.1g

Cooking Light, DECEMBER 2004

Disney Wine Dine Run

2009-10-18T13:31:00.003-04:00

Disney just announced a new half marathon next year called the Disney Wine and Dine Run. You run 13.1 miles then you enjoy the Epcot Food and Wine festival! It is Oct 1-2, 2010. One of the really cool things about this half marathon is it will be at night!

I REALLY want to do this. Who wants to join me? Registration begins 11/16 and Disney races typically fill up fast. Check out www.disneywinedinerun.com

-- Joy

Sometimes you feel like a sandwich

2009-10-17T12:20:00.005-04:00

Sometimes you feel like a sandwich and this week I did. On Wednesday night, I just didn't feel like cooking. I was on my own for dinner and decided to make a sandwich with some of the fixings we picked up from the grocery store on Sunday. Here's the ingredient list.

- Parmesan, Pesto Ham
- Ever-roast Roasted Chicken
- Horseradish Cheddar Cheese
- Sweet Hot Mustard
- Mayo
- All on Whole Wheat Sourdough

It was a good sandwich. My only complaint was in the bread. The sourdough was good, but the slices were so thick and the bread was so dense that it masked the taste of everything else. It dominated the sandwich too much. Next time, I'll try plain whole wheat or regular sourdough.

Funny story on the Ever-roast Roasted Chicken. It's a Boar's Head product and was on special. When I asked the girl at the deli counter if it was good, she said "ooooohhhh it's the BOMB! Tastes just like chicken noodle soup!". As though that's what you're looking for in deli meat. So she game me a piece to try. And you know what? It did tasted oddly like chicken noodle soup. But was also pretty good. And despite the odd similarity to chicken noodle soup, I bought some. I recommend everyone try it, at the very least to see how much it taste like chicken noodle soup.

-- Jeff

Jambalaya

2009-10-17T12:18:00.002-04:00

We love making paella but sometimes it is a little time consuming for a week night. I decided to try jambalaya because it has similar ingredients, rice, shrimp, sausage, but I thought it would be quicker to make. Don't let the list of ingredients scare you. If you don't have all the spices, leave it out or put something else in. If you don't like spicy foods, omit the cayenne and the hot sauce.

Heat 1 tsp olive oil in a large pot or dutch oven over medium heat, add:

8 oz sliced andouille sausage

Cook for a few minutes until oil is released from sausage. Remove sausage from pot and add in 1 TBSP olive oil then saute:

1 chopped medium onion

1 chopped red bell pepper

2 cloves minced garlic

Cook for 5 minutes or until onions and peppers are tender.

Put sausage back in pot and add:

1 C rice (regular long grain)

1 tsp paprika (I like smoked paprika but whatever you have is fine)

1 tsp black pepper

1/2 tsp kosher salt

1 tsp dried oregano

1/2 tsp onion powder

1/4 tsp garlic salt

1/8 tsp cayenne pepper

2 bay leaves

Stir spices in and cook for 1 minute.

Then add:

2 C fat-free chicken broth

1 C water

1 can tomato puree (or diced tomatoes. I use puree so there are not any tomato pieces because Jeff hates tomatoes.)

1 TBSP tomato paste

A couple dashes of hot sauce to your taste. We like it spicy so I use about a teaspoon.

Stir and bring to a boil. Then lower the heat, cover and simmer for 20 minutes. Add:

1 lb peeled and deveined shrimp and cook for another 7 minutes or until shrimp are pink and done.

Remove bay leaves and enjoy. Serves 4.

--Joy

What I'm listening to...

2009-10-15T21:26:00.003-04:00

Here nor there by Andy Stochansky -- There's a crisp to the air. It's getting dark earlier. Fall is officially upon us. As I was walking the dogs tonight, shuffling the iPod, it landed on a track from Andy Stochansky called Everest that just seemed to fit with the evening. Tonight finally felt like Fall.

That track made me come back to the house and look back over Andy's collection and, thanks to Grooveshark, I discovered another Fall-esque Stochansky number I'd never heard before, Here nor there.

Check it out.

For more, check http://www.myspace.com/andystochanskymusic.

-- Jeff

What I'm listening to....

2009-10-13T21:27:00.005-04:00

Jackie Greene. I discovered Jackie Greene a little over a year ago when he was tour with the Phil Lesh and Friends band. Phil & Friends opened for the Black Crowes on Oct 5th, 2008 at the Verizon Wireless Amphitheater in Alpharetta, GA. Phil's line-up always changes and when I was preparing for the show and checking out which musicians he was touring with this time, I recognized everyone except a guy named Jackie Greene.

When I looked him up I saw an article in the New York Times that dubbed him “The Prince of Americana” and described his music as "steeped in country, blues, jazz, rock and folk traditions, defying easy categorization". Needless to say, I was very interested to see this guy play.

When Phil and Friends took the stage on Sunday evening, I was surprised to see the unassuming Jackie Greene as lead vocals and guitar for Friends, a position held most notably by Warren Haynes and Chris Robinson on previous iterations of the Friends. The band was great, as usual, but I was taken with how Jackie commanded the stage and couldn't wait to check out his solo work.

Since that show just over a year ago, Jackie Greene has been my favorite new musician and I just can't get enough.

Check him out www.jackiegreene.com and www.myspace.com/jackiegreene. If you're interested in picking up an album, I'd recommend his 2002 release Gone Wanderin'.

-- Jeff

Soup, there it is!

2009-10-11T22:53:00.004-04:00

This is one of my favorite easy Fall soups. It is really easy, really good and still healthy.

Fall Harvest Soup

Saute:

3 Tbsp butter

6 Cups cubed peeled butternut squash (1 squash, about 2 lbs)

4 Cups cubed peeled russet potatoes (3 potatoes, about 1 1/2 lbs)

Saute for 3 min. Add:

2 Cups sliced leeks (one medium leek*)

*clean well. Leeks have a lot of grit in the base. Best way to clean them is slice them then put in them in a salad spinner. Soak, then rinse, then spin. Let me know if you have questions or don't know what a leek is. I promise it is not hard.

Saute for another minute. Add:

1 Tbsp flour. Sprinkle on mixture and stir.

Stir in:

4 Cups chicken broth

Simmer 20 minutes or until potato is tender.

Once everything is soft, transfer to blender. Blend until smooth. Make sure you let steam out out of the top center piece but cover it with a towel so the mixture doesn't fly out everywhere.

Transfer back to pot but take it off the heat and add:

1 Cup milk (I typically use half and half or whole milk but last time I used skim and it turned out just fine)

1/8 teaspoon of cayenne (optional but it adds a nice little bit of heat)

Stir and serve. And it is delicious.

-- Joy

I Love Fall

2009-10-11T22:09:00.000-04:00

Jeff and I both love Fall but for different reasons. He likes the cool weather and football and I like the food. I love soups, apples, candy corn and anything pumpkin flavored. I wait all year for the pumpkin spice latte at Starbucks. I am very excited to try Blue Moon's Harvest Moon Pumpkin Ale. I can't wait to test some recipes for pumpkin bread, pumpkin poundcake, pumpkin cheesecake and pumpkin soup.

Another Fall find is Honeycrisp apples. I don't know how I did not know about this wonderful fruit until just recently. They are the perfect combination of crispy, sweet and a little tart. I usually like the green Granny Smith apples but these are even better. They are slightly more expensive than most apples but so worth it! We found this huge bag at Trader Joe's for only $3.49. I plan on eating an apple a day! -- Joy

Our First Post

2009-10-11T21:50:00.000-04:00

For anyone out there reading this, this is our first blog entry. There was a lot of discussion around the name of this blog. Some good ideas that we might share in various post titles; some really bad ideas that are too embarrassing to share at all. But in the end we settled on Good Food Rocks! because it summed up what we really wanted to say with this blog.

The name was inspired by a shared affinity for Walt Disney World. When I was a kid, there was a show at EPCOT in WDW called Food Rocks at the Land Pavilion. It was an animatronic concert where various foods and kitchen utensils performed hit songs of the time. A mix of food and music, just like this blog. (Who knows, we might even throw a little Disney in for you from time to time.)

We hope you enjoy reading this blog as much as we will enjoy cooking it up. And remember good music feeds the soul and good food rocks!

-- Jeff

Good Food Rocks!

Disney Food and Wine Festival

Lupa

Artisanal Bistro

Where Have You Been?

Bin 112

Reuben Dip

Smoky Tomato Soup

Scallops in White Wine Butter Sauce

Tag You're It

Cheesy Sausage Dip

Kahalua and Pecan Baked Brie

Ohana at Disney's Polynesian Resort

Ohana's Bread Pudding

SC Restaurant Week

La Cava de Tequila at De San Angel Inn

California Grill

Kouzzina by Cat Cora

Where have we been?

Now See Hear

Leftovers

Cranberry Sauce

Viva Las Vegas

Pumpkin Gingerbread Triffle

Pumpkin Gingerbread Trifle

Ingredients

Directions

Tomato Soup

More Gratins

3 large bunches of broccoli, chopped as uniformly as possible3 Tablespoons butter1/4 cup all-purpose flour2 cups 1% milk2 cups grated Gruyere, halvedsalt and pepper to taste

Preparation

Asiago and Bacon Potato Gratin

This one is a family favorite. It is also from Cooking Light and constantly ranked as one of their best dishes as well.

Preparation

Yield: 6 servings

Calories: 250 (30% from fat)

Sweet Potato and Butternut Squash Gratin

Sweet Potato and Butternut Squash Gratin

Joy's notes-I used 1% milk instead of 2% and it turned out fine. Next time I make this dish, I will parboil the vegtables for only 2 minutes instead of 4 and layer the sauce between the potatoes and squash as well as top the dish with it.

21st Annual Christmas Jam

Vietnamese Noodle Soup

Pumpkin Whoopie Pies

Chicken Mushroom Spinach Stuffed Crepes

Crepes

Chef Vicky at the Lazy Goat

Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Bread

Disney Wine Dine Run

Sometimes you feel like a sandwich

Jambalaya

What I'm listening to...

What I'm listening to....

Soup, there it is!

I Love Fall

Our First Post

3 large bunches of broccoli, chopped as uniformly as possible
3 Tablespoons butter
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 cups 1% milk
2 cups grated Gruyere, halved
salt and pepper to taste