So, its been awhile since I have posted my cooking adventures, so I have a humorous and informative story to share with you!
I was making champagne chicken the other night, which requires you to brown chicken in a skillet, then deglaze with cognac. And flame it.
I had made this before but neglected to do the flaming part. This time I remembered, so, I browned my chicken, poured in the cognac, and took the lighter to it.....
WHOOOSH! A huge 2 second fireball erupted from my pan! Thank goodness I wasn't burned and there was no damage to our kitchen! Everything turned out fine after that, but it scared the bejeezus out of me for a second there!
Notes (lessons!) about flambe!
1) Stainless steel pans with copper core get HOT
2) REMOVE THE PAN FROM THE HEAT BEFORE YOU FLAME.
3) If you plan to do this, investment in a fire extinguisher is advisable!
Friday, August 28, 2009
Wednesday, August 5, 2009
Gardens of Salonica
Gardens of Salonica
19 5th St NE
Minneapolis, MN 55413
http://www.gardensofsalonica.com/
I have been to this restaurant a couple of times now, and I must say... GO. DROP WHATEVER YOU ARE DOING AND GO IMMEDIATELY.
I mean, yea... it's good.
The vibe of this place is really cool. Its got a minimal decor with lots of iron sculptures inside and out by a greek artist. The dining room is warm with lots of light as well. Also, both times I went it wasn't crazy busy, so I was able to enjoy the place.
The food here is also top rate and very reasonably priced overall. Some of the entrees and specials can get a little pricey though. However, the menu prices are more than fair.
My favorite thing about this restaurant is the pita. I know what you are thinking, "th PITA?!?!" Yes. The pita. I think it is made fresh in house and it comes out warm and soft and a little buttery tasting. When you eat it, it just melts in your mouth. I have never had pita that tasted quite like that, and I get cravings for it just thinking about it.
Over my two visits, I also tried some great appetizers. I has the Tyro, which is soft feta cheese that is combined with spices and peppers. Its salty and spicy and wonderful on the warm pita. I also tried the Skordalia, which is a potato and garlic puree with lemon juice, olive oil, and spices. Its really good and a nice cool contrast to the Tyro. I also tried the pipperies, which are roasted red peppers in olive oil. Very light and nice.
On the two times I have visited, I tried several things. The first time I went, I had chicken Sovlaki. This is skewer cooked chicken, de-skewered and put in a pita with tzatziki sauce and vegetables. Theirs also comes with homemade potato wedges. YUMMY.
Also, the last time I tried three different Boughatsa. These are essentially phyllo pockets. I had the spinach-feta, which is also called spanakopita, I had the leek-lemon-garlic, and the Feta ric, which has feta, ricotta, and kefalotyri cheeses in it. All were very good, but I think the leek one was my favorite. Very nicely spiced and cooked. Even the phyllo was spiced a bit. I liked it.
Pat has the lamb sovlaki and liked it, and this last time, he has a vegetarian special with eggplant, potaoes and otehr veggies in a tomato sauce, served with feta on the side. It was fairly good.
Finally, there is dessert. This is also worthwhile. I recommend the baklava. Very nicely spiced and flavored without being too sweet. Pat also had something called Kataifi, which is a lot like baklava, but it is covered with shredded wheat and honey. Its pretty good too. This last time, Pat has the rice pudding. I was not as fond of this. It was lightly spiced and I thought it could be a little sweeter and spicier. But this could be a taste issue. Pat liked it very much.
A last little note. The wine list here is all Greek. On my first visit, I had one of the house whites and it was very good. Sweet, but not overly sweet. It was light and refreshing.
19 5th St NE
Minneapolis, MN 55413
http://www.gardensofsalonica.com/
I have been to this restaurant a couple of times now, and I must say... GO. DROP WHATEVER YOU ARE DOING AND GO IMMEDIATELY.
I mean, yea... it's good.
The vibe of this place is really cool. Its got a minimal decor with lots of iron sculptures inside and out by a greek artist. The dining room is warm with lots of light as well. Also, both times I went it wasn't crazy busy, so I was able to enjoy the place.
The food here is also top rate and very reasonably priced overall. Some of the entrees and specials can get a little pricey though. However, the menu prices are more than fair.
My favorite thing about this restaurant is the pita. I know what you are thinking, "th PITA?!?!" Yes. The pita. I think it is made fresh in house and it comes out warm and soft and a little buttery tasting. When you eat it, it just melts in your mouth. I have never had pita that tasted quite like that, and I get cravings for it just thinking about it.
Over my two visits, I also tried some great appetizers. I has the Tyro, which is soft feta cheese that is combined with spices and peppers. Its salty and spicy and wonderful on the warm pita. I also tried the Skordalia, which is a potato and garlic puree with lemon juice, olive oil, and spices. Its really good and a nice cool contrast to the Tyro. I also tried the pipperies, which are roasted red peppers in olive oil. Very light and nice.
On the two times I have visited, I tried several things. The first time I went, I had chicken Sovlaki. This is skewer cooked chicken, de-skewered and put in a pita with tzatziki sauce and vegetables. Theirs also comes with homemade potato wedges. YUMMY.
Also, the last time I tried three different Boughatsa. These are essentially phyllo pockets. I had the spinach-feta, which is also called spanakopita, I had the leek-lemon-garlic, and the Feta ric, which has feta, ricotta, and kefalotyri cheeses in it. All were very good, but I think the leek one was my favorite. Very nicely spiced and cooked. Even the phyllo was spiced a bit. I liked it.
Pat has the lamb sovlaki and liked it, and this last time, he has a vegetarian special with eggplant, potaoes and otehr veggies in a tomato sauce, served with feta on the side. It was fairly good.
Finally, there is dessert. This is also worthwhile. I recommend the baklava. Very nicely spiced and flavored without being too sweet. Pat also had something called Kataifi, which is a lot like baklava, but it is covered with shredded wheat and honey. Its pretty good too. This last time, Pat has the rice pudding. I was not as fond of this. It was lightly spiced and I thought it could be a little sweeter and spicier. But this could be a taste issue. Pat liked it very much.
A last little note. The wine list here is all Greek. On my first visit, I had one of the house whites and it was very good. Sweet, but not overly sweet. It was light and refreshing.
Tuesday, August 4, 2009
Dal.... FAIL. Curried vegetables... WIN!
So I made my first attempt at making dal, an indian lentil curry tonight. I was leafing through a vegetarian cookbook I was given for my birthday, and saw what seemed like a fairly simple recipe for it, and attempted to make it. FAIL. MASSIVE FAIL. The lentils came out mushy and tasteless, with WAY too much water remaining after the cooking time was up! I hope to find a recipe from my Indian cookbook and try again. More on this later.
However, as another side dish, I cooked some leftover veggies I had in the fridge with some shallots and Penzey's Vindaloo seasoning. VERY YUMMY. These, over rice, with home made raita were very good. Try this!
However, as another side dish, I cooked some leftover veggies I had in the fridge with some shallots and Penzey's Vindaloo seasoning. VERY YUMMY. These, over rice, with home made raita were very good. Try this!
Friday, July 31, 2009
Risotto!
Tonight I attempted to make risotto for the first time, and it was a rousing success! In fact, it was heavenly. It was so good I had to force myself to stop eating!
The basic recipe I used was on the back of the package of arborio rice I bought:
Ingredients:
1 Cup arborio rice
2 tbsp unsalted butter
1 large onion, chopped
1 tsp garlic salt
1/2 cup dry white wine
3 cups hot chicken broth
3/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
Fresh ground pepper
Method:
In a saucepan/skillet, saute rice in 1 tbsp. butter, stirring constantly. Add onion and garlic salt. Saute until onion is tender. Add white wine and saute until absorbed. Slowly add 1 cup hot brother, stirring frequently. As the liquid cooks down, continue to add remainder of hot brother, 1/2 cup at a time, until all broth is used and the mixture is very creamy. Fold in the cheese, pepper, and remaining butter. Serve.
I added peas and pancetta to my risotto and it was just DIVINE. I cannot believe how awesome this risotto is. I also had a few different ingredients, but I basically followed this recipe.
Some thoughts:
Be patient, this takes time. I also had to use a little more broth than called for the get the right consistency.
Use real parm cheese that you grate yourself, not that shakey stuff. Preferably parmagiano-reggiano from Italy. This cheese has a more pungent flavor than the domestic parm we can get here. But, either way fresh is better.
I used pinot grigio wine in this because I like it. Use a wine that you would be willing to drink on its own.
Finally, toward the end of the cooking, start tasting the rice. It goes from still crunchy to dine in a short amount of time, and will go to mush just a bit after that! What you are looking for is rice that doesn't crunch in the middle anymore, but that still has its character. You don't want a mush like porridge.
I guarantee you that once you start making risotto, you won't stop. I know I won't! Perhaps more recipes will follow!
The basic recipe I used was on the back of the package of arborio rice I bought:
Ingredients:
1 Cup arborio rice
2 tbsp unsalted butter
1 large onion, chopped
1 tsp garlic salt
1/2 cup dry white wine
3 cups hot chicken broth
3/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
Fresh ground pepper
Method:
In a saucepan/skillet, saute rice in 1 tbsp. butter, stirring constantly. Add onion and garlic salt. Saute until onion is tender. Add white wine and saute until absorbed. Slowly add 1 cup hot brother, stirring frequently. As the liquid cooks down, continue to add remainder of hot brother, 1/2 cup at a time, until all broth is used and the mixture is very creamy. Fold in the cheese, pepper, and remaining butter. Serve.
I added peas and pancetta to my risotto and it was just DIVINE. I cannot believe how awesome this risotto is. I also had a few different ingredients, but I basically followed this recipe.
Some thoughts:
Be patient, this takes time. I also had to use a little more broth than called for the get the right consistency.
Use real parm cheese that you grate yourself, not that shakey stuff. Preferably parmagiano-reggiano from Italy. This cheese has a more pungent flavor than the domestic parm we can get here. But, either way fresh is better.
I used pinot grigio wine in this because I like it. Use a wine that you would be willing to drink on its own.
Finally, toward the end of the cooking, start tasting the rice. It goes from still crunchy to dine in a short amount of time, and will go to mush just a bit after that! What you are looking for is rice that doesn't crunch in the middle anymore, but that still has its character. You don't want a mush like porridge.
I guarantee you that once you start making risotto, you won't stop. I know I won't! Perhaps more recipes will follow!
Sunday, July 26, 2009
India House
So apparently all I crave these days is Indian food! We tried a new place this week that is a little closer to the house. Here's the review!
India House Restaurant
765 53rd Ave. NE
Fridley, MN 55421
We went here today and sampled many items off of their buffet lunch. Because this is not a vegetarian restaurant, there were more choices to sample here. Overall, the food here was very good and the prices were quite reasonable. Its only $9.99 to have tho whole deal, and that is great when you consider that comprises appetizers, entrees, and desserts!
I tried the:
Vegetable samosa These were really good! Theirs are a little different in that the inside is many small cubes of potato rather than the mashed potato filling that most Indian restaurants use. Quite good with the tamarind sauce.
Chicken Makhani This is chunks of chicken cooked in a tomato cream sauce with spices. It was quite good, but more subtle in flavor. I added a bit of raita to punch up the flavor. I really liked the sauce on this!
Vegetable Curry This was also quite good with raita. One of my favorite things about Indian food is that it can take a simple dish of vegetables and make it extremely flavorful and filling! This definitely fit the bill and I enjoyed it with some basmati rice.
Paneer with vegetables I like Paneer. Its really good and this was no exception. Its got a mild cheesy flavor and then it takes on the spices of the sauce and the vegetables it was mixed with, mostly red onion in this case. Couple this with a little creamy raita and life is quite good.
Curried goat I tried a small piece of this and I have to say that I did not like it. The meat was very tough and hard to chew, like dried out roast beef. I am not sure if it was poorly made or I just don't like goat. But that's my opinion.
Finally Pat and I got small portions of three different desserts and tried them:
Kheer (rice pudding) This was creamy and good with a subtle pistachio flavor. However, the other spices in this version were very subtle. It was overall a milder version of this than I have had other places, but still good.
Mango Pudding This was good! It sort of tasted like vanilla pudding with mango juice mixed in. It also had pieces of fresh mango mixed in, but they were not very sweet. However, on a hot summer day, this was quite refershing.
Rasmalai This was the most intriguing of the desserts we tried. It was a chunk of homemade cheese in a sweetened and thickened milk sauce. It was good, but I spent most of the time trying to identify what the texture reminds me of. It takes a little effort to cut into the hunk of cheese with a spoon, and to take the first chew in your mouth. Then the cheese just crumbles on your tongue. The milk sauce is very nice, and the cheese itself has very little flavor. After some thinking, it occurred to me that it reminded me of the divinity that my grandfather used to make before he died in terms of texture. This is a very interesting and different dessert that I recommend everyone try!
Overall, our experience at this restaurant was very positive. The food was good, the service was polite and attentive without being obnoxious, and we enjoyed ourselves very much.
India House Restaurant
765 53rd Ave. NE
Fridley, MN 55421
We went here today and sampled many items off of their buffet lunch. Because this is not a vegetarian restaurant, there were more choices to sample here. Overall, the food here was very good and the prices were quite reasonable. Its only $9.99 to have tho whole deal, and that is great when you consider that comprises appetizers, entrees, and desserts!
I tried the:
Vegetable samosa These were really good! Theirs are a little different in that the inside is many small cubes of potato rather than the mashed potato filling that most Indian restaurants use. Quite good with the tamarind sauce.
Chicken Makhani This is chunks of chicken cooked in a tomato cream sauce with spices. It was quite good, but more subtle in flavor. I added a bit of raita to punch up the flavor. I really liked the sauce on this!
Vegetable Curry This was also quite good with raita. One of my favorite things about Indian food is that it can take a simple dish of vegetables and make it extremely flavorful and filling! This definitely fit the bill and I enjoyed it with some basmati rice.
Paneer with vegetables I like Paneer. Its really good and this was no exception. Its got a mild cheesy flavor and then it takes on the spices of the sauce and the vegetables it was mixed with, mostly red onion in this case. Couple this with a little creamy raita and life is quite good.
Curried goat I tried a small piece of this and I have to say that I did not like it. The meat was very tough and hard to chew, like dried out roast beef. I am not sure if it was poorly made or I just don't like goat. But that's my opinion.
Finally Pat and I got small portions of three different desserts and tried them:
Kheer (rice pudding) This was creamy and good with a subtle pistachio flavor. However, the other spices in this version were very subtle. It was overall a milder version of this than I have had other places, but still good.
Mango Pudding This was good! It sort of tasted like vanilla pudding with mango juice mixed in. It also had pieces of fresh mango mixed in, but they were not very sweet. However, on a hot summer day, this was quite refershing.
Rasmalai This was the most intriguing of the desserts we tried. It was a chunk of homemade cheese in a sweetened and thickened milk sauce. It was good, but I spent most of the time trying to identify what the texture reminds me of. It takes a little effort to cut into the hunk of cheese with a spoon, and to take the first chew in your mouth. Then the cheese just crumbles on your tongue. The milk sauce is very nice, and the cheese itself has very little flavor. After some thinking, it occurred to me that it reminded me of the divinity that my grandfather used to make before he died in terms of texture. This is a very interesting and different dessert that I recommend everyone try!
Overall, our experience at this restaurant was very positive. The food was good, the service was polite and attentive without being obnoxious, and we enjoyed ourselves very much.
Tuesday, July 21, 2009
Souvlaki
So I went to a great little greek restuarant a couple weeks ago called Gardens of Salonica (GO HERE!), and I had chicken souvlaki there. Ever since then, I have had a hankering for it again, so I thought I would attempt it at home.
All in all, not half bad, but not as good as the restaurant!
Here's what I did:
I took chicken breast and coated it with greek seasoning. I make my own, but Penzey's also sells this. Set aside.
I used a george forman grill as I am an apartment dweller, but you could use an outdoor grill or a rangetop cast iron grill as well.
First, take pita bread and grill it lightly on your grill of choice. I get my pita at Holy Land. If you go to the one off of Central Ave, its really cheap too. I used the garlic pita, but any kind will do. After you have grilled it, keep it warm in your oven on low.
Grill your chicken breast until cooked through. Try not to overcook or it will get dry. Let cool a little. Cut into strips.
Make Tzatziki sauce. The basic elements of this are plain yogurt, cucumber, lemon juice, and salt. You can vary the ingredients based on your taste. Take all the ingredients and blend in a blender or food processor until smooth.
To serve:
Take a pita (do not use as a pocket,just fold), fill with chicken and tzatziki, as well as other desired ingredients. Traditionally you would put raw onions and tomatoes. I use lettuce in mine.
This recipe can also be made with chunks of lamb if you prefer.
All in all, not half bad, but not as good as the restaurant!
Here's what I did:
I took chicken breast and coated it with greek seasoning. I make my own, but Penzey's also sells this. Set aside.
I used a george forman grill as I am an apartment dweller, but you could use an outdoor grill or a rangetop cast iron grill as well.
First, take pita bread and grill it lightly on your grill of choice. I get my pita at Holy Land. If you go to the one off of Central Ave, its really cheap too. I used the garlic pita, but any kind will do. After you have grilled it, keep it warm in your oven on low.
Grill your chicken breast until cooked through. Try not to overcook or it will get dry. Let cool a little. Cut into strips.
Make Tzatziki sauce. The basic elements of this are plain yogurt, cucumber, lemon juice, and salt. You can vary the ingredients based on your taste. Take all the ingredients and blend in a blender or food processor until smooth.
To serve:
Take a pita (do not use as a pocket,just fold), fill with chicken and tzatziki, as well as other desired ingredients. Traditionally you would put raw onions and tomatoes. I use lettuce in mine.
This recipe can also be made with chunks of lamb if you prefer.
Sunday, July 19, 2009
The Vegetarian
The Vegetarian
4022 Central Avenue NE
Minneapolis, MN 55421
Today we visited The Vegetarian.
It was lunch time on a Sunday and there was a buffet for serving ourselves this day.
The restaurant itself is in a nondescript building along with other restaurants, offices and shops, and it is easy to miss unless you are looking for it. Once you enter, you see a small room which is sparsely decorated in the way most low budget restaurants are, with paper placemats and the like. However, the waiter/cashier/owner? Of the place is warm and friendly and makes you feel immediately comfortable and happy to be there.
We received the customary large glass of water that is standard at Indian restaurants, and proceeded to the buffet lunch that was set up this day. As I am sure you can figure out, all the dishes here were vegetarian, and some were vegan.
I tried some chickpeas with yogurt sauce, some palak paneer (paneer with spinach) and another chickpea dish with onions on top of excellently prepared basmati rice. There were also vegetable pakoras, which are a sort of fried, Indian hushpuppy.
The chickpeas and yogurt sauce were decent, but unmemorable, and the palak paneer was a little flat. However, the chickpeas with onions was wonderfully spicy and hearty. I really enjoyed this. I even had a second helping!
Along with the meal, you are served naan, which is a Indian staple flat bread baked in a clay oven. However, here, you are also served a masala dosa with your buffet meal. A dosa is essentially an Indian crepe. This one was filled with a spicy potato and onion mixture. I was not particularly fond of the crepe part, but the filling was very tasty.
I ended my meal with a taste of the kheer (rice pudding). This was very rich and tasty. It was creamy and sweet, but spicy with clove and perhaps nutmeg? It was a very nice way to round out the meal.
Overall, this was a good restaurant and I would like to go back in the evening when I could taste other dishes off of their menu.
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