I've posted a few reviews on Yelp myself - I'm definitely not one of the elite, but I will say, the time I got double charged on my credit card, and a week later the restaurant was closed, when I yelped about it, I got some attention. That restaurant owner got on the phone and refunded my over charge asap. Yelp definitely holds some clout.
The Online Reviewing Mafia
The Online Reviewing Mafia
Etc. Food Crazies, June6 - June 12, 2011 edition of Bloomberg Businessweek
Sunday, June 5, 2011
Wednesday, June 1, 2011
Chicken Salad Sandwiches
On Monday I decided to roast a chicken so we'd have it to eat off of all week. So far it's been a good thing to do. Monday we had the roast chicken that I rubbed in butter and sage, salt and pepper and stuffed with apples, roasted veggies (carrots, celery, potatoes and more apples) and gravy. Tuesday I made chicken fajita's with bell peppers and onion, cumin and chili powder. Tonight, I wanted something fairly quick. I'm tired and have to get up early so this is what I came up with. Chicken Salad Sandwiches and this is how I made them and they were delicious!
About 2 cups of chopped cooked chicken.
1/4 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup diced apple
1/2 cup diced celery
1/8 cup diced white onion
1/4 cup chopped honey roasted peanuts.
Then I mixed together about 1/4 cup of mayo with a tsp of fresh squeezed lemon juice and about 1/8 tsp of curry powder. I added about 1/4 tsp kosher salt some fresh ground pepper. I mixed this well and added it to the chicken mixture.
I put this on a slice of sour dough bread, topped with a tomato slice and the other slice of bread and we had a very tasty meal that my girls happily chowed down. (It was sweet - so they liked it). I think when my man comes to visit I'll make it again and this time add some chopped fresh jalapeno's. I think it would be good with the spicy hot flavor.
Tomorrow - maybe some chicken quesadilla's or omelettes with the left over veggies from the roast chicken. Saturday I'll make chicken stock with the carcass and have a base for some soup on another day. How's that for stretching a chicken?
About 2 cups of chopped cooked chicken.
1/4 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup diced apple
1/2 cup diced celery
1/8 cup diced white onion
1/4 cup chopped honey roasted peanuts.
Then I mixed together about 1/4 cup of mayo with a tsp of fresh squeezed lemon juice and about 1/8 tsp of curry powder. I added about 1/4 tsp kosher salt some fresh ground pepper. I mixed this well and added it to the chicken mixture.
I put this on a slice of sour dough bread, topped with a tomato slice and the other slice of bread and we had a very tasty meal that my girls happily chowed down. (It was sweet - so they liked it). I think when my man comes to visit I'll make it again and this time add some chopped fresh jalapeno's. I think it would be good with the spicy hot flavor.
Tomorrow - maybe some chicken quesadilla's or omelettes with the left over veggies from the roast chicken. Saturday I'll make chicken stock with the carcass and have a base for some soup on another day. How's that for stretching a chicken?
Tuesday, May 31, 2011
BlogHer Book Club Review A Jane Auset Education
Check out my and other reviews of A Jane Austen Education by William Deresiewicz here at BlogHer Book Club:
Sensorium
What an interesting concept..................
Sensorium: A Feast for the Senses and Memories
Sensorium: A Feast for the Senses and Memories
Wednesday, May 25, 2011
Cravings
I have been craving dark leafy green veggies a lot lately. My girls just won't eat them anymore, which frustrates me for two reasons. One, they used to love them, and devoured them like they were candy, so why the change? Two, I love them and don't get to eat them when they're with me. I could cook them, but I'm doing double duty, making two different meals. So, another way to appreciate my time alone - I'm devouring them while they're not here with me. I started with spinach. That was great, but I wanted chard. Unfortunately the store on my way home didn't have any chard. All through winter, when it should be growing, not a single bunch of chard. And what really irked me, is they cut the greens off of their beets. I mean really! WTH?
I was getting a little tired of spinach. Luckily I found myself in a different store in a different town and lo and behold! They had beets with the greens attached! Even though that's not what I was shopping for, I grabbed a bunch. Oooo! And they had chard. Rainbow chard! And they had mustard and kale and collards. I stopped myself at the chard. Then, for some reason I had a sudden urge for radishes and grabbed a bunch of those too. So I left the store with my booty of greens ( and a bunch of strawberries and rhubarb too). Two bags for less then $30. A lot cheaper then I usually pay for 2 bags of groceries. This craving is saving me some bucks.
I got home and I roasted those beets in olive oil, kosher salt and fresh sage. I sauteed the beet greens in olive oil, then tossed them with the beet infused oil from my roasted beets, which I had mixed with a little balsamic vinegar. I topped the roasted beets with a little chevre cheese and I was one happy camper. This meal ended up being quite a lot and I was able to squeeze a couple more meals out of it. That same night I also made a strawberry rhubarb compote, so for breakfast I had whole milk honey yogurt topped with granola and my fresh homemade compote that tasted a little like summer.
But back to my greens - unfortunately I haven't been able to cook up my chard yet, that will be tomorrow, but tonight I got into my radishes. I had a big lunch, so I didn't need a huge meal, and something crunchy and fresh sounded good. So I made myself a butter and radish sandwich for dinner. Perfect! The sweetness of the butter against the peppery, slightly bitter flavor of the beets was just what I was craving. And sprinkled with a little kosher salt on top. Perfect. But then I got to thinking, what about the radish greens? (See, I really am obsessed with greens these days). So I did a little searching and figured out I could make soup with them. I had everything I needed on hand. A couple of potatoes, onion, chicken broth, butter, garlic, the radish greens and milk. Very simple. I sauteed the onions in the butter, threw in the diced potatoes, garlic and radish greens, tossed them in the butter and poured a couple cups of chicken broth on top. I simmered for 30 minutes, cooled it and pureed it in my blender. Then I put it back in the sauce pan and added about 1/4 milk and a dollop of sour cream, just because, and heated it through. I seasoned with salt and pepper to taste and I have a yummy lunch waiting for me tomorrow. I was surprised at how tasty something with radish greens in it could be, and very pleased with myself for not wasting any part of the plant. Waste not want not they say.
So tomorrow will be a baked potato, with sour cream of course, and chard sauteed in olive oil and drizzled with balsamic vinegar and beet infused olive oil. I'm getting my fill of dark leafy greens and feeling very healthy for my efforts. I can't wait for the farmers markets to open up so I can start fulfilling some of my other cravings - like purslane, zucchini blossoms, and heirloom tomatoes ripened on the vine! Oooo I can't wait for that!
I was getting a little tired of spinach. Luckily I found myself in a different store in a different town and lo and behold! They had beets with the greens attached! Even though that's not what I was shopping for, I grabbed a bunch. Oooo! And they had chard. Rainbow chard! And they had mustard and kale and collards. I stopped myself at the chard. Then, for some reason I had a sudden urge for radishes and grabbed a bunch of those too. So I left the store with my booty of greens ( and a bunch of strawberries and rhubarb too). Two bags for less then $30. A lot cheaper then I usually pay for 2 bags of groceries. This craving is saving me some bucks.
I got home and I roasted those beets in olive oil, kosher salt and fresh sage. I sauteed the beet greens in olive oil, then tossed them with the beet infused oil from my roasted beets, which I had mixed with a little balsamic vinegar. I topped the roasted beets with a little chevre cheese and I was one happy camper. This meal ended up being quite a lot and I was able to squeeze a couple more meals out of it. That same night I also made a strawberry rhubarb compote, so for breakfast I had whole milk honey yogurt topped with granola and my fresh homemade compote that tasted a little like summer.
But back to my greens - unfortunately I haven't been able to cook up my chard yet, that will be tomorrow, but tonight I got into my radishes. I had a big lunch, so I didn't need a huge meal, and something crunchy and fresh sounded good. So I made myself a butter and radish sandwich for dinner. Perfect! The sweetness of the butter against the peppery, slightly bitter flavor of the beets was just what I was craving. And sprinkled with a little kosher salt on top. Perfect. But then I got to thinking, what about the radish greens? (See, I really am obsessed with greens these days). So I did a little searching and figured out I could make soup with them. I had everything I needed on hand. A couple of potatoes, onion, chicken broth, butter, garlic, the radish greens and milk. Very simple. I sauteed the onions in the butter, threw in the diced potatoes, garlic and radish greens, tossed them in the butter and poured a couple cups of chicken broth on top. I simmered for 30 minutes, cooled it and pureed it in my blender. Then I put it back in the sauce pan and added about 1/4 milk and a dollop of sour cream, just because, and heated it through. I seasoned with salt and pepper to taste and I have a yummy lunch waiting for me tomorrow. I was surprised at how tasty something with radish greens in it could be, and very pleased with myself for not wasting any part of the plant. Waste not want not they say.
So tomorrow will be a baked potato, with sour cream of course, and chard sauteed in olive oil and drizzled with balsamic vinegar and beet infused olive oil. I'm getting my fill of dark leafy greens and feeling very healthy for my efforts. I can't wait for the farmers markets to open up so I can start fulfilling some of my other cravings - like purslane, zucchini blossoms, and heirloom tomatoes ripened on the vine! Oooo I can't wait for that!
Annapurna The Goddess of Nourishment
Sunday, May 15, 2011
Spiritual Food Thought
"In this food I see clearly the presence of the entire universe supporting my existence." - Thich Nhat Hanh
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