Foodie Adventure: New York City

I spent six glorious days in New York City, working and of course eating!! Here are just a few of the places I visited.

Crumbs Bake Shop  This place makes 50 different kinds of cupcakes!

 

So many choices! I am almost ashamed to admit it, I bought a simple vanilla cupcake with vanilla icing (that's what I was craving lol).  Next time I'll be a little more adventurous.

 



There should be a law against calorie info on a cupcake lol.



Melt Shop Grilled Cheese - I walked almost a mile to get to this place, that's how much I love a good grilled cheese sandwich!! 

 

 

I ordered The Dirty, it had pepper jack and muenster cheese with caramelized onions, pickled jalapeños, sliced tomato and potato chips. It was so good!  I love anything with caramelized onions.



Tater tots with truffle mayo. The truffle mayo (not pictured) was so amazingly good! I could eat this sauce on everything.

 

  44 & X Hell's Kitchen  I went here for lunch.

 

Crabcake and squash appetizer.  I don't remember what the other ingredients were but this was good.



 

 

Vermont cheddar macaroni and cheese. This is the biggest bowl of mac n cheese I have ever been served. I barely finished half of it.

 

 

Red Rooster  - Chef Marcus Samuelsson's restaurant in Harlem.  The food was amazing.  

I ordered Helga's Meatballs, which is Chef Samuelsson's twist on Swedish meatballs, with lingonberries, braised green cabbage and dill stewed potatoes.  It was delicious my mouth is watering just thinking about it. 

I also order a side of cornbread that came with honey butter and tomato jam. The cornbread was sweet, almost like cake; just like I like it.

 

Writing this post makes me want to go back to New York....

 

Unique Eats: Dolce Coffee Shop & Sushi Bar

Update 2/4/2015 - Dolce Coffee is no longer in business

I love coffee shops, especially ones that are quaint with comfortable chairs and good coffee.  I recently spent at afternoon at Dolce Coffee.  It's a coffee shop and sushi bar, a weird combination right?  I thought so also.  I was pleasantly surprised by the place.  I spent several hours there, so I had an opportunity to try several items on the menu. The menu didn't have alot of options, which was fine because when you go to coffee shop, coffee is the most important item on the menu right? 

The first thing I tried was the turkey sandwich, it was so good!  The sandwich had a generous amount of turkey, avocado, bacon, garlic aioli and pepper jack cheese all on a ciabatta roll. At $6.75 I thought the price was alittle high for the size of the sandwich and it also didn't come with any sides items. However, the taste more than made up for the price, it was well worth it.

The coffee was good. I'm not really into fancy coffee drinks, a simple french roast with milk or vanilla flavored creamer works for me.  They offer a variety of roasted coffees, teas and frozen drinks. Your typical coffee shop.

The sushi was excellent.  I ordered a spicy tuna roll and shrimp tempura roll that was made with shrimp tempura, mango and jalapenos. It was so good, the sweetness from the mango complemented the shrimp and jalapenos.

Overall, I really liked this place.  I won't be drinking coffee and eating sushi at the same time but I will definitely make this a regular spot for coffee or when I'm craving sushi.

Dolce Coffee is located at 705 E Market Street in Leesburg VA.

Signature Chefs Auction: A Night of Culinary Delight for a Good Cause

On November 14^th I attended the 2012 DC Signature Chef’s Auction benefiting the March of Dimes. This annual event was held at The Ritz-Carlton Washington, DC Hotel. More than 500 people came together for a night of culinary tastings, fine wine and cocktails from more than 30 of the area’s best chefs, mixologists and wineries.

  

The food was amazing!!  I sampled smoked turkey with corn pudding from Hill Country Barbecue Market, crawfish etouffee from B. Smiths, duck sausage with braised cabbage from The Federalist.  Bar Pillar served an amazing half smoke frito pie. Bastille Restaurant featured a mushroom veloute with roasted duck and croutons that was flavorful and rich.  Pan seared scallops, mini apple cobblers, beef shorts ribs and tuna tartare, I could go on and on. To top it off Georgetown Cupcake provided cupcakes and Manor House at Poplar Springs made pumpkin white chocolate mousse with pecan financier and cider caramel.  I sampled two really great wines, a merlot from Trefethen Family Vineyards winery and a riesling from Fess Parker Winery.  I was in foodie heaven.

Cupcakes provided by Georgetown Cupcake

In addition to great food and wine, there were auctions that featured items from spa trips, jewelry and art to trips to see Jimmy Kimmel and Anderson Cooper and dinner with Washington Redskins. This evening was a great success and raised over $230,000 to support the March of Dimes.

Alan J. Savada, Executive Chef Wes Morton and Tricia Barba from Art & Soul

Special guests included March of Dimes Ambassador Family, Tiffany and Stephen Bowen, who is a Defensive End with the Washington Redskins, and other Washington notables. WJLA-TV news anchor Leon Harriss served as master of ceremonies. Bar Pilar’s Executive Chef Justin Bittner and Occidental’s Bar Manager Jo-Jo Valenzuela served as honarary event chairs.

Stephen Bowen, Washington Redskins DE, and wife Tiffany Bowen. Both were 2012 Signature Chefs Ambassador Family and Fund the Mission Co-Chairs

The Signature Chefs Auction supports the work of the March of Dimes, whose mission is to improve the health of babies by preventing birth defects, premature birth and infant mortality.  Proceeds will fund research to find answers to premature birth and support local programs such as the Mama & Baby Bus, Stork’s Nest and NICU Family Support programs at Children’s National Medical Center, Inova Fairfax Hospital for Children, Inova Loudon Hospital and MedStar Georgetown University Hospital.

To bring attention to the serious problem of premature birth, the Bowens raised over $60,000 for the event, where they shared their story and dedication to the cause which aligns closely with their own foundation.

Paul Carlson, Owner of Vinoteca, and Brittany Garrison,  ThreeLockharts Public Relations

To learn more about the March of Dimes and the Signature Chefs Auction event including a complete listing of the participants, please visit www.marchofdimes.com/marylandmetrodc. To view event photos, please visit their Facebook gallery, https://www.facebook.com/marchofdimes.

Event sponsors include: DC Magazine, E*TRADE Financial, Fairfax Neonatal Associates, Infinitive, Skyler’s Gift Foundation, Stratford University, The Washington Informer, US Chamber of Commerce, WBB, WMAL and ZwillGen

Upcoming Event: March of Dimes Signature Chefs Auction

Signature Chefs Auction - D.C.

When: Wednesday, November 14, 2012 at 6:00 PM
Price: $200 Person

Where: Ritz-Carlton, Washington DC Hotel
1150 22nd Street Northwest
Washington, DC 20037

 One of Washington, D.C.’s most popular annual food and wine charity events since 1996, the March of Dimes Signature Chefs Auction, is happening on Wednesday, November 14, 2012 at the Ritz-Carlton.  This event year will feature over 30 of the DC area’s celebrated chefs, bartenders and vintners.  There will be culinary masterpieces to sample, wine tastings and creative cocktails to try.  Bar Pilar’s Executive Chef Justin Bittner will serve as the 2012 Honorary Chef. Occidental’s Bar Manager Jo-Jo Valenzuela will serve as the 2012 Cocktail Chair, and ABC7/WJLA Anchor Leon Harris will emcee the event.  2012 Fund the Mission Co-chairs, Tiffany Bowen and Stephen Bowen, Washington Redskins Defensive End will also be in attendance.

The evening will also include a silent auctions featuring unique dining, entertainment, travel and leisure packages, such as :

• Hotel stay for 8 at the Greenbrier, including spa for 4, golf for 4 and a chef’s dinner for 8
• Dinner for 10 with the Washington Redskins and tickets to the Redskins Suite
• Tickets to Jimmy Kimmel Live and a two-night stay at the Loews Hollywood Hotel
• Makeup party for 6 at Saks Fifth Avenue followed by dinner at Chef Geoff’s restaurant Lia’s
• Four Lexus Presidents Club seats and one parking pass to a 2013 Washington Nationals game and an autographed Ryan Zimmerman baseball

All proceeds raised fund the vital mission of March of Dimes. For more event information and to purchase tables or tickets visit https://www.marchofdimes.com/marylandmetrodc/events/events_Chefs-DC.html

 Participating restaurants:

Art & Soul,  B. Smiths, Bar Pilar, Bastille Restaurant, BLT Steak, Café St. Ex, Chef Geoff's/Chef Geoff's Downtown/Lia's/Chef Geoff's Tysons, DINO, Fuego Cocina y Tequileria, Georgetown Cupcake, Hank’s Oyster Bar, Hil Country Barbeque Market, Manor House at Poplar Springs, Michel Richard Citronelle, Poste Brasserie, Restaurant Eve, Stratford University, Taberna Del Alabardero, The Federalist, Westend Bistro and Willow Restaurant

2012 Participating Wineries & Beverages:

Bacchus Importers, Benzinger, J. Lohr Vineyards & Wines, The Fess Parker Winery, The Hess Collection Winery, Mumm Napa, Royal Cup Coffee, Ste. Michelle Wine Estates, Trefethen Family Vineyards and Truchard Vineyards.

2012 Participating Mixologists:

Jo-Jo Valenzuela of Occidental, Michael Akin of Last Exit, Adam Bernbach of Bar Pilar, Taha Ismail of Graffiato and Duane Sylvestre and Jamie MacBrain of Bourbon Steak.

Rotisserie Chicken Salad

Over the last two years I have been trying to perfect my chicken salad recipe.  I have tried many variations, using canned chicken, baked chicken, with eggs without eggs; trying to get the recipe just right.  I have finally nailed down a recipe that makes great chicken salad every time. 

Lately I have been serving chicken salad as an appetizer, spooning chicken salad into phyllo cups and garnishing it with parsley and smoked paprika. These Chicken Salad Bites are an easy appetizer that taste great and can be made ahead of time.

Chicken Salad Recipe

Updated 5/15/2013
Ingredients

• 1 whole rotisserie chicken, shredded without the skin
• 3 - 4 tablespoons chicken drippings from rotisserie chicken
• 3 celery ribs, diced
• 1/2 large green pepper, diced
• 1/2 small onion, diced
• 1 cup of mayo
• 2 tablespoons yellow mustard
• 1/4 cup sweet relish
• salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder to taste

Directions 

1. In a large bowl combine shredded chicken, chicken drippings, diced veggies and relish. Mix well.
2. Add in 2/3 cup of mayo and mustard, mix well.  Add additional 1/3 cup of mayo one tablespoon at a time until it has reached a desired consistency.
3. Season to taste with salt, pepper, garlic powder and onion powder. 
4. Let chill and serve.

Note: For best results, prepare chicken salad using a chicken that is warm or room temperature. 

To make Chicken Salad Bites, use a spoon or melon baller and scoop chicken salad into store bought phyllo cups.  Sprinkle with fresh parsley and smoked paprika.  This recipe will make about 45 bites.

Blogher Food '12: I have more than 10 readers, right???

I must admit I was nervous about attending the Blogher Food '12 conference in Seattle last weekend. I’ve only been blogging 3 months and at the time I was friends with only one blogger, Tonia, The Chatty Momma.

Tonia and me

Tonia is my blog mentor, high school friend and one of the people who encouraged/pushed me to start my blog.  I agreed to go to the conference before my blog was even up and two minutes after Tonia asked me to go!  And for those of you who know me personally, you know I rarely do things on a whim. I have to think everything through, do a cost benefit analysis, then come up with a plan A, then a plan B and then do a risk analysis before I make a decision lol…I am tiring myself out just thinking about my decision making process lol. I know I am a bit OCD when it comes to planning and making a decision but admitting you have a problem is half the battle right?  

Back to the conference… I was nervous because I didn’t know what to expect; being a newbie to the blogging world, would anyone be interested in my blog and what I had to say???  According to James (someone who thinks he's a comedian..lol), I only have 10 readers, which I know is not true (at least I hope it's not..LOL).  And what would I say if I actually met Ree Drummond of The Pioneer Woman or Joy Wilson of Joy the Baker?

Well, I am so glad I decided to go.  I had a great time!! After the first hour or so, the nervousness wore off, I was able to relax, network and most all enjoy myself. It was a great experience, the food was FABULOUS and I met some wonderful people.

Starting at left - Frieda, Tonia, me, Jenny

I did meet Ree Drummond; I chatted with her for a few moments about her TV show, her blog and her pig cake recipe (which I highly recommend). She is so nice and personable.

During the conference, I attended sessions on food literacy, story telling, making the most of kitchen mishaps and managing your blog. I learned that first and foremost I have to be true to myself, blog for me and write about what I am passionate about. My posts don’t have to be perfect; I can write about my kitchen mishaps and my pictures don’t always have to be perfect especially if they tell a story.  I also learned a new way to serve spinach salad and potato salad.

Spinach Salad (bottom left) and Deconstructed Potato Salad (bottom right)

Most of all  I feel rejuvenated and excited about my blogging future and I can't wait for the next conference, Blogher '12  in New York in August!  Here are some pictures from my weekend in Seattle. Enjoy!

Conference Breakfast

Making chocolate (courtesy of American Heritage Chocolate)

 

Top- Strawberry Sorbet dipped in melted chocolate
Bottom - Animal cracker cupcakes

Pike Place Market

Lunch at Pike Place Chowder

Dinner at Rock Bottom Brewery

This place has 23 different flavors of popcorn!

Downtown Seattle

Blogging Reflections and Day 1 in Seattle for Blogher Food

It has been three months since I started this blog! The process has been fun, rewarding and more work than I ever thought it would be. However, I have enjoyed this experience tremendously!  I am beginning to find my voice as a blogger and getting the hang of tweeting and using Facebook and Instagram to keep everyone up-to-date on my latest food adventure and latest blog post. Over the last three months I have posted healthy recipes, and not so healthy (pound cake), eaten off a food truck for the first time and this week I am in Seattle attending my first food blogger conference.

Day 1 in Seattle for Blogher Food 2012

When I initially began this blog, the goal was to focus solely on healthy alternatives to the foods I crave, which in hindsight was a little restrictive because my food adventures (as I like to refer to them) don't always involve food one would call healthy.  I have also had many request for some of my classic southern recipes, which aren't always the healthiest either (I am working on fried chicken and sweet potato pie posts) and I want the freedom to post those recipes also.  So, I have decided to just write about what I eat and crave, the good, the bad and the not so bad; and provide tips and ideas along the way.   

Thanks for reading!

My Sushi Obsession

Fish and Chips Roll (top) and Spicy Salmon Cilanto Roll (bottom)

I absolutely love sushi. I started eating it about three years ago and after the first bite I practically spent the next few months trying to make up for the 31 years I hadn't eaten it. I'm not joking! I think I ate sushi everyday for a while. One of my favorite sushi places is Sei in DC. It's on The Washingtonian Top 100 restaurants list. They have a Fish and Chips Roll that is oh so good. It has flounder, malt vinegar, potato crisp and wasabi tartar sauce. What makes this roll so good is the different flavors and textures you taste with each bite. First you taste the wasabi tartar sauce, then the flounder, then the potato crisps and finally the rice. This is how serious I am about the fish and chip roll... I once waited for my waiter to leave my table before I ate my last piece. I was having a moment and wanted to enjoy every bit of my last bite and I didn't want to be interrupted! So after my waiter refilled my water and left my table I picked up my chopsticks ever so gently and picked up my last piece of fish and chips roll and put it in my month and closed my eyes and savored every single flavor. It was delicious (in fact I am reliving the moment right now lol!).

Trucko De Mayo

I attended DC’s Trucko De Mayo festival at RFK stadium on May 5th.  There were over 40 of DC’s best food trucks selling everything from Korean tacos and grilled cheese sandwiches to popcorn and cupcakes.  I was overwhelmed with the assortment of trucks, so many options and I could only eat so much (all the food was served in normal size servings so there were no sample sizes) and since I foolishly attended the festival by myself I had to have a strategy.  I decided to try two of DC’s most popular food trucks and then find a truck for dessert. 

I started at the Red Hook Lobster Pound Truck, voted one of the best food trucks in DC.

The line was one of the longest at the festival but it moved fast.

The food was so worth the wait. This lobster roll was sooooo good. I ordered the Connecticut style lobster roll with fresh Maine lobster poached in butter with scallions and buttery grilled bread.

My next stop was the Takorean truck, another popular DC food truck, which serves Korean BBQ tacos. I waited in line for 40 minutes.

I ordered three tacos, chicken, beef and caramelized tofu with all the toppings. Each taco had sriracha sauce, lime crema, fresh cilantro and sesame seeds.  I order spicy kimchi style slaw on the chicken taco and napa-romaine slaw on the beef and tofu tacos.  It looks good but I was a little disappointed. The meat and tofu were seasoned well but I felt the tacos were missing something and a little dry,  maybe more lime crema or maybe a fresh salsa would have added more flavor.  Also, each taco had two corn tortillas. So by the time I finished the first two tacos I didn't want to eat the tortillas on the last taco so I just ate the filling.  The food wasn't bad but it just wasn't that great. It was definitely not worth the 40 minutes I spent waiting in line.

My last stop was the Sweet Bites Mobile Cafe Truck.

I ordered two cupcakes, a red velvet cupcake and a double Madagascar vanilla. I love red velvet cake and vanilla cake with butter cream icing is my absolute favorite, so I had high hopes for these cupcakes.  I loved the icing; both cupcakes had a light and fluffy vanilla butter cream that wasn’t too sweet.  The cake was dense and not light and fluffy like I prefer, overall not too bad.  Of the two cupcakes, the red velvet cake tasted the best.  I was disappointed that the double Madagascar vanilla didn’t have a stronger vanilla flavor.  Overall the cupcakes were ok not the best I have ever eaten but not the worst either.