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Tofu Po’Boy with Barbecue Cole Slaw

January 14, 2012

This Tofu Po’Boy sandwich is a remake of a sandwich I loved ordering from one of my favorite places to eat in central Kentucky, Windy Corner Market.

 
Tofu Po’Boy with Barbecue Cole Slaw | Fake Food Free
 
My first experience with tofu was not pleasant. I convinced myself to try it when I was in college because it was what healthy people ate. And being a nutrition major, well, I considered myself a healthy person. After ordering it at a restaurant, it arrived in a stir-fry, mushy and tasteless. This led to my conclusion that while I was healthy, I wasn’t that healthy. 
 
It wasn’t until I traveled to Southeast Asia and tasted tofu for what it truly is – an Asian specialty – that I began to appreciate it. There, it was most often referred to as bean curd, deep fried with a crispy texture, set atop a steaming bowl of veggies and noodles, and it most likely came homemade from the restaurant, or a vendor at the local market. It was delicious. 
 
Bean curd is what I like, not the healthy-people-eat-tofu version I received in the States during that first experience.  
 
Because frying isn’t my specialty, I had yet to make it at home. Then a few months ago I came across a post from Taste Hong Kong with step by step instructions on how to fry tofu. 
 
With tofu fresh on the mind, I met friends at Windy Corner Market on the outskirts of Lexington for a holiday lunch a few weeks ago. I’ve already written about this wonderful, must-try establishment serving up local foods. On my most recent visit, I branched out to try the Tofu Boy for Topher. As the menu describes, “Crispy fried tofu in Black Jack Barbecue Sauce stacked with Earthy Crunchy Slaw, tomatoes, pickles and our special sauce.” 
 
Tofu Po’Boy from Windy Corner Market in central Kentucky | Fake Food Free
 
Despite the mediocre iPhone picture, I assure you it was delicious.
 
So, I had some tofu-focused signs telling me that it was time to bring it to my kitchen. As a result, I have my version of the Tofu Boy for Topher. It is different in style and ingredients, but similar in flavors. I also still have a way to go with perfecting fried tofu, but practice makes perfect in the kitchen. 
 
Despite these shortcomings, I am ready to make this again for lunch tomorrow. It’s not Asian-style bean curd, but it’s a lot closer than the first version I tried. And surprisingly, barbecue sauce and crunchy cabbage go wonderfully with tofu. 
 
Tofu Po’Boy with Barbecue Cole Slaw | Fake Food Free
 
 
Tofu Po’Boy with Barbecue Cole Slaw
Makes: 2 servings
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Ingredients
  1. 6 pieces of tofu about 1 ½ inches wide & ½ inch thick
  2. 1 teaspoon olive oil
  3. 1 cup green cabbage, thinly sliced
  4. 1 cup purple cabbage, thinly sliced
  5. 2 green onions, sliced
  6. 1 tablespoon mayonnaise
  7. 1 tablespoon barbecue sauce (I use a local favorite, KY Smokin’Grill)
  8. Salt and pepper to taste
  9. 12 inch baguette or bun
Instructions
  1. Prepare the tofu by using the instructions at Taste HongKong.
  2. In a bowl, combine the cabbages and green onion. In a separate bowl, whisk together the mayo and bbq sauce. Pour the sauce over the cabbage and toss to coat. Salt and pepper to taste.
  3. Cut the baguette in half and split down the center. Once the tofu is done, place three pieces on each half of baguette. Divide the slaw and top tofu. Enjoy right away.
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 Tofu Po’Boy with Barbecue Cole Slaw | Fake Food Free
 
 
 
Thanks for reading! All images and content are the property of Fake Food Free unless otherwise stated. Please do not republish full recipes and images without written permission. What is okay? Feel free to Pin images, share links to my posts or share the photo in a round up post with the title of this recipe and a link back to the post. Confused about copyright and food blogs? Here is some helpful information on Recipe Attribution. If you want to use a photo or full recipe, just ask. I’m sure we can work something out.  
 

Woven Shrimp for Number 33

October 20, 2011

I turned 33 last week. And I emphasize the word week because the celebrations lasted roughly 7 days. Around here we believe that celebrating just one day simply isn’t enough.

In honor of the big day, there was one specific meal I wanted. Nothing else would do.

That meal was Woven Shrimp from Azur Restaurant and Patio in Lexington, KY.

If you find yourself in Lexington you should find yourself a seat at Azur, but don’t look for it downtown. Azur is actually located in a strip mall on the southwest side of the city. But don’t let the description of the location fool you. This modern establishment which serves lots of local products such as Kentucky beef and Kentucky seafood from our up and coming aquaculture farms, also boasts an inviting patio area.

So back to that Woven Shrimp. Actually let’s go back to the first course because those were equally exciting.

We opted for a Saturday lunch and settled in on the patio with jackets and the space heaters going (it was just too beautiful not to sit outside) and ordered a Kentucky Ale.

Next up for me, well, us, were Truffle Fries. These are one of life’s simple pleasures. No French Frie tastes the same after you’ve had one graced by the presence of truffle oil.

My husband ordered his favorite, Lobster Crepes. Crepes with a creamy lobster-based filling set on top of guava sauce and garnished with microgreens. Sweet, salty, rich – this is the crepe of all crepes.

We enjoyed our starters to their fullest extent and some a bit longer. We had to keep fries on the table and nibbled throughout our meal. You don’t just give Truffle Fries back to the waitress. You finish them even if you are full. I mean, it’s truffle oil!

Now on to the main course which for my husband was actually a starter. He was sold on the Fried Calamari which came topped with sautéed peppers, onions and Napa cabbage. This was a bowl of perfection. The calamari was light and tender. It almost melted in your mouth.

Now for this woven shrimp. To get you thinking in the right direction, consider coconut shrimp with three times the flavor and ten times the creativity.

Woven shrimp is jumbo shrimp covered with shredded filo and fried until crispy. Good, but it gets even better. It is set on top of risotto. Creamy coconut risotto with edamame and corn. Then it’s topped with a chili sauce.

It’s brilliant, classic and a bit breathtaking all at the same time. Hands down my favorite dish at a restaurant.

So remember, Azur, Lexington, Woven Shrimp.

Birthdays aren’t complete without dessert. My mom is a fabulous cake decorator and has owned a shop for years, so growing up I was never without a beautiful birthday cake. Now that I’m all grown up, I usually still get one, but it’s when we are able to get together near my birthday, not always on it.

So I usually have a substitute the day of and this year my husband went to Twisted Sifter, a nearby bakery whom I also mentioned in my post about Danville, Kentucky. On a side note, I might have mentioned rather strongly that I wanted a cake from there.

Inside this beautiful cake was the seasonal flavor, pumpkin pecan with a cream cheese filling covered in buttercream frosting. We kept saying we would freeze part of it, but then we made an excuse everyday as to why we needed another piece. Needless to say, we’ll just have to order another when we get a craving because none made it past my birthday week!

Thirty-two was a big year for me. We got a new pug, I published my first book, I ran my 2nd half marathon and we visited a few new places. All of that has me more than ready to face 33 and excited to find out what’s in store!

Food and Fellow Bloggers in Danville, Kentucky!

August 27, 2011

Picturesque; a term often overused yet I can think of few that better describe Danville, KY. Streets lined with manicured hanging flower baskets and old-fashioned store fronts. This small Kentucky city is full of history while managing to also be a trendy college town.

For the five years we lived in Lexington, I had always heard about Danville. I kept meaning to visit, but never took the opportunity. Once when we moved out of the city a little over ago, I got my land, my cattle farm view and my garden, but I also got Danville. Not bad timing either, especially for a foodie.

You see, Danville went wet just a little while back. If you are unfamiliar with small-town USA this means that they now allow alcohol to be served and sold in the area.

While going wet rarely brings the threat of people falling victim to a life of gambling and working the corners as many opponents fear, what it does bring with it are restaurants. Locally owned, locally sourced, unique restaurants.

Some of us in the area have begun the process of forming the Kentucky Food Bloggers Association. Word has been getting out and the Danville Boyle Co Convention & Visitors Bureau invited us to take a a food tour of the city, our first organized event as a group.

Nine bloggers from the central Kentucky area were in attendance. Cameras and notebooks in hand we tackled Danville one bite at a time.

Our first stop was the V the Market, a quaint shop offering everything from cheeses to wines and beers. You can get the rarest of imports as well as the varieties closest to home. Our host shared her interesting stories of how she sources her products and manages to get her hands on some of the rarest offerings in the area. Things like this blue goat cheese and Life & Limb crafted beer.

She worried she was boring us with her stories, but I could have sat on that couch and listened all night. Food, especially food this outstanding, is never boring to me whether you are eating it, hearing about it or taking photos of it.

Next was Mermaid’s Bar and Bistro. This little place is the perfect balance of modern and homey which was nicely represented by martinis sitting on the glowing bar right in front of the homemade meringue pie. We were served generous portions of Mermaid Punch which was followed by Porch Punch, both of which tasted like summer in a glass.

Soon after came a beautiful sampling of food. A prosciutto wrapped prawn, a portion of locally sourced tender steak and gently seared tuna with greens wrapped in a cucumber with a wasabi sauce.

Slowly starting to get full, but still in need of food to counteract the effects of all the punch, we walked down to 303 W of Danville. Bar food lovers, this is your place! This restaurant has the atmosphere of European pub meets US tavern. We were greeted with smiling faces as we marched in armed with DSLRs. We likely looked as if we were sniffing the air knowing that food was near.

We were greeted with a table full of appetizers. Pretzel sticks with pimento cheese, veggies with beer cheese, Wild Alaskan fish fingers, tortilla crusted pizza with spinach, artichokes and chicken, and two kinds of wings. We passed, we picked, we shared, and we got a bit of history about the location.

The most interesting to me was that the wood floors had been salvaged from Hamburg. Hamburg is an area in Lexington that is now full of strip malls, but it used to be a horse farm. The floors were from horse barns and likely had a few derby winners walk across them.

Bordering on “okay, now I’m starting to get really full,” we headed to the Bluegrass Pizza and Pub. Along with V the Market, this was the only place I had been to before, a couple times actually. The place itself isn’t our cup of dining-out tea, but that doesn’t take away from the pie. The pizza here is excellent and it has a lot to do with their crust – the ideal combination of crispy and chewy with just the right thickness.

This place is packed all the time and Thursday night was no exception. We were approached by several people who wanted to know who we were and why this crazy group was photographing their table.

We dined on the Mediterranean pizza with chicken, artichoke, olives and red onions. This was paired with bread sticks and a rich tomato sauce for dipping. And you can’t forget the cheese sticks! What is it about bread, cheese and garlic that is just so good?!

Now, officially full, we headed to the Beer Engine. One thing that has surprised me about Danville is that when they went wet, they went straight for the good stuff – microbrews and some of the most sought after craft beers around. V the Market, 303 W and Bluegrass Pizza all carry these types of beers. You can stop in for a pint or fill a growler (or two) to take home.

At the Beer Engine we were greeted with the kind of place where you just wanna hang out and perhaps discuss world issues over a pint. Or just drink a pint and discuss the masterpiece you have in hand. We got a unique tasting of some amazing beers and I didn’t get the names of all of them, but Dogfish Head Festina Peche and King George’s Nut Brown were part of the tasting. We also had a delicious stout and a honey beer. There were several in the group who did not drink, so the others of us who did took one for the team and made up for them.

Dinner, drinks…what else is there? If you didn’t just yell “dessert” at your computer I’m disappointed.

Yes, dessert!

All the dessert establishments were closed at the late hour our tour finished up, but they managed to host us without actually being open.

First, cupcakes from the Twisted Sifter.

Now I’ve visited this place a time or two and they are by far the best cupcakes I’ve had in the central KY area. (Did you hear that, Food Network? I’m talkin’ Cupcake War quality!) Not only that, but you can actually afford them more often than once a month which may or may not be a good thing. Our tasting flavors were Champagne and Pumpkin Spice. Speechless.

Burke’s Bakery is a Danville institution. I’m pretty sure I’ve never met anyone from Danville who hasn’t said something about Burkes upon answering the question, “Where are you from?” Burke’s is the epitome of an old fashioned bakery making the kind of cookies you used to get in Grandma’s kitchen. They gave us a bag of goodies including these cookies and one of their donuts. Did I mention they do all kinds of baked goods?

The cookies are small. Remember the kind we used to get when portion sizes were appropriate? This also means that a dozen will set you back a whopping $2.50 so when you visit be prepared to control yourself!

Dessert three. Yes, three and I’m not complaining. We got some gorgeous gift bags from Karamel Kreations. This place has holiday gifts written all over it for me. One of those – I could never make a caramel this good – places. I know that because there is a caramel missing from this picture. I felt it my obligation as a food blogger to try it before sharing it with you. You’re welcome.

I’d like to extend a special thank you to each of the staff from the Danville Boyle Co Convention & Visitors Bureau and the Danville Boyle Co Economic Development Partnership, and all the owners of the fine establishments we visited and tasted!

Danville – go, eat, drink, enjoy!

Disclaimer: All foods featured in this post were provided free of charge. I was not required to post about any food or establishment and received no compensation for doing so.

Doodles with Bourbon, or a Day in Central Kentucky

February 28, 2011

Whether you drink it or don’t, love it or hate it, welcome it or ban it, there is no denying that bourbon holds a significant part of Kentucky’s history. Much more than fried chicken, despite the fact that when I tell someone I live in Kentucky, fried chicken is the first thing they mention. Even before horses, I might add.

Bourbon is something that truly puts Kentucky on the map and for good reason. The making of this spirit is quite an art that has been passed down for generations.  Ninety-five percent of all bourbon produced comes from right here in central Kentucky.

This weekend we had a birthday to celebrate, my husband’s. When deciding what he would like to do in honor of the big day, he quickly mentioned continuing The Bourbon Trail. Thus far, we have been to Woodford Reserve, Maker’s Mark, and Buffalo Trace (even though they don’t take part in the actual Bourbon trail promotion). This time we wanted to see Wild Turkey and Four Roses.

I’ll tell you a little about our day as well as sum up the one distillery you shouldn’t miss if you are in central Kentucky. First, however, let me tell you how we started our day.

Yes, let’s get to the food.

Doodles, in addition to its cute name and artistic roosters, resides in a building that was once home to a gas station. This is evident by the restrooms on the outside of the building.

It was then a liquor store and finally became a restaurant focused on serving mostly local, organic food with a slight New Orleans flair.

It’s difficult to find a word to describe Doodles. Unique, cute, original, whimsical, gourmet, old-fashioned yet trendy – they just don’t cut it. This place is all those things and more!

We were greeted by the most helpful hostess I’ve had the pleasure to meet and selected our meal from the menu board. We had studied it online so we knew what we wanted going in. Although the daily specials of a twist on a breakfast Monte Cristo and the French toast casserole were tempting.

For drinks we settled on cups of bottomless fair-trade, organic coffee. It should also be noted you can upgrade to a French press for two with coffee roasted in nearby Paris, Kentucky by Caffé Marco.

First came the beignets, coated in powdered sugar, deep fried to perfection as not to be heavy and greasy, but light and fluffy. I told my husband I could swing in for a couple baskets of these and some coffee on occasion and be a completely happy camper.

Oh, but my taste buds (and my eyes) were in for so much more.

Soon an artistic display of Huevos Rancheros came to the table. Being such a connoisseur of Kentucky farm fresh eggs, if there is such a thing, I had no doubt these were the real thing. Just look at those yolks.

They sat atop a flavorful pile of black beans and crisp corn tortillas. All was topped with red and green salsa, sour cream and a wedge of lime.

My husband went for the Corned Beef Hash with equally beautiful eggs on top. The hash was full of flavor and melted in your mouth. Alongside was a light and fluffy biscuit complete with Kentucky jam.

We left the place smiling contently and planning when we could return. Just remember – breakfast, lunch, brunch in Lexington – Doodles. You won’t be disappointed.

So with full bellies we took a drive out to the Wild Turkey distillery to begin the bourbon tasting.

I loved the sign driving in, but I do have to say that this particular tour was a bit…eh. Our tour guide was great, very knowledgeable which sometimes is not the case on these tours. We watched a video and got to see the storage facilities, but they have just doubled their production and the new facilities are not yet open for tours. In addition, they bottle out of state.

So lots to learn, but not much to see. Well, except for the warehouse. If you have never been inside a bourbon warehouse, put it on your to-do list.

All that goes into rolling the barrels, lifting them to higher rows and aging the barrels all in a piece of history that, let’s be honest, looks like it might tumble due to age, is pretty amazing. Then of course there is that wonderful aroma, deemed the angel’s share.

We saw barrels approaching 12 years of age next to brand new ones rolled into the warehouse the week prior. The whole process is intriguing.

A few interesting things we learned is that 50% of the bourbon Wild Turkey makes is exported outside the US, mostly to Australia and Japan. When we were in Ireland we took the Jameson Whiskey tour and learned their whiskey is aged in bourbon barrels from Kentucky. Our guide told us that they hold a contract with Jameson so the barrels used there are likely from Wild Turkey.

Small world in terms of spirits.

After a tasting, at which we took advantage of trying the single barrel and rare varieties, we headed to our next stop. I might add that being out at the distilleries on a Saturday provides a fun time to eavesdrop. Many people are out just to do the distillery tours in the area and come from all over the US as well as abroad.

Four Roses was our next stop and I was really excited about this one. This bourbon has been around for a while, but when we first moved to Kentucky they didn’t offer tours. We quickly learned the reason for this. For several years the bourbon was only exported to areas such as Europe and Japan. Although it was made in Kentucky, none was to be found in the States until it returned just a few short years ago after the brand had a change in parent companies.

The Spanish mission style buildings are well equipped for a tour and here you will get the real thing. We were able to see the fermenters and smell the mash. The only drawback is no aging of barrels or bottling is done on site, but it was still a great tour nonetheless.

Here we were able to try all three varieties. We really like Four Roses for high end bourbon and picked up a single barrel bottle with a couple glasses with the four roses etched in the bottom.

After our tours my husband and I brought up the fact that one really does have to do almost all the tours along the Bourbon Trail to understand the entire process of bourbon making. Because the distilleries utilize different parts of the state for different processes it is difficult now to see all these steps at one single facility.

That being said, if you do want to see it all in one place, get a good explanation of bourbon history and understand what high quality, small batch bourbon is all about go to Woodford Reserve. We have done this tour twice since living in Kentucky and it is far and away our favorite.

So if you make it to central Kentucky in the near future drop me a note. I’ll meet you at Doodles!

Mexican Tapas in Geneva, IL

July 9, 2010

It wasn’t until this past weekend that I realized there are some really enticing small towns that reside along the river outside Chicago. With their boutique shops and attractive landscaping, the main streets are overflowing with restaurants. It was on one of these streets in the small city of Geneva, IL that we had the pleasure of experiencing Bien Trucha.

My brother-in-law and his wife had told us about the place prior to our arrival so the anticipation had been building for a while. This little restaurant and its Mexican tapas are in high demand. Apparently the restaurant began with about six tables and has since expanded to twelve or so.

Lunch service began at noon and we arrived early to avoid a line which we’ve heard is the norm. Surprised to be the first ones at the door at 11:45 am, it took a mere 30 seconds before others started filing in. By the time the restaurant opened the line was long enough to fill every table inside.

The atmosphere was an inviting mix of quaint, cute, rustic and authentic. The dining room gave hints of a romantic evening ambiance, but at the lunch hour it was bustling with couples, friends and families, loud conversation and few cocktails round the tables.

I was still trying to soak everything in, with my camera in hand of course, as we were quickly asked for our drink order. I barely had time to look at the menu as the waiter rattled off several margarita selections. A quick glance and three were ordered at our table – Pinasada with grilled pineapple, Pepino or cucumber, and the Flor de Jamaica with hibiscus flower extract. The water of the day was also ordered which was mango.

My drink was the Pepino and the rim came adorned with a chili-type salt that melded the flavors together. It was refreshing with that familiar tequila kick. Yes, cucumber is a wonderful ingredient in a summer cocktail.

The menu boasts a creative list of appetizers, soups, salads and tortas, but the real draw are the tacos. Each order comes with four, tapas-style, served on a wooden platter.

Before we took on the tacos, we began with the guacamole of the day. What distinguishes the guacamole of the day from the traditional guacamole is that it is topped with fresh fruit. Ours had grapes and apparently watermelon has been the fruit of choice on other visits. For me, the texture was perfect as far as guac goes. Creamy, but still slightly chunky and the sweet grapes added a nice contrast with the slight heat of peppers and tart lime.

Still not done with starters we continued to look over the menu. My husband immediately noticed the ceviche. We weren’t sure how our hosts would feel about it, but fortunately they were game. I say fortunately because the ceviche was delicious, not to mention beautifully plated.

While the standard selection on the menu was with tilapia there was a special the day we were there. Our choice was the ceviche with shrimp, strawberry and melon with an avocado mousse. I’m not extremely experienced in ceviche, but this creation was outstanding.

We chose three different varieties of tacos, and with four people at our table this meant that we all got one of each. The Pescado came highly recommended by our family and included beer battered, fried tilapia topped with a red cabbage slaw made with chipotle-morita aioli. Crispy, crunchy, spicy, creamy – these tacos had it all. The red cabbage really added to the presentation as well.

As a side note, I was unfamiliar with morita. It turns out that Chile Morita is a small reddish-purple chile. It can literally be translated too small blackberry pepper.

Next up were the Pastor tacos with ancho-guajillo marinated pork, morita salsa and a piece of grilled pineapple. As you can imagine the sweet pineapple tasted wonderful with the mildly spicy flavor of the meat and salsa.

The grand finale was the Bien Trucha taco. These had both grilled skirt steak and homemade chorizo. The salsa was roasted tomatillo-serrano. What a way to end our meal! The chorizo really made this one for me. There was just a little bit added, but the flavor took over in a very good way.

To be honest, there is no way I could pick a favorite. Each item we sampled had its own appealing characteristics and individual flavors. Visiting Bien Trucha reminded me how much I crave authentic food which we tend to have very little of where we live unless you want a southern favorite.

There is little if anything on the menu that has been altered to appeal to the US American palate. Even the style of service from the refilling of water to serving sodas in a can was incredibly Latin American.

Bien Trucha is the type of place where you adapt to the food, the food doesn’t adapt to you. The type of place that makes this former expat think – perhaps this whole repatriation thing isn’t so bad after all.

Bien Trucha
410 West State Street
Geneva, IL 60134-2104
(630) 232-2665

Taste of Chicago

July 7, 2010

Chicago has always been one of my favorite cities. When I was in high school our art and chemistry teachers used to organize a trip each year. We’d head up from southern Indiana for a weekend that always included Chicago-style pizza, a show, shopping Michigan Avenue and a stop at some other attraction such as Shedd Aquarium.

Chicago was really my favorite city until I discovered the public transportation system in DC and the rustic outdoor feel of Seattle. It may have dropped a few slots, but it still remains in my top 10 in the US. These days my brother-in-law lives there along with his wife who is native to the area. So visiting now also includes an insider’s view and local tips. Not a bad situation to be in.

It has been a long time since our last visit so we decided to make the trip up over the holiday weekend. My husband had wanted to see a Cub’s game and it didn’t hurt that our trip fell the same weekend as the Taste of Chicago! So this week, Chicago is the part of the world we’ll be covering here on the blog. I’ve got a few posts for you that cover some incredible eats from our weekend.

We arrived on Friday, mid-afternoon and headed downtown to the Taste of. I had been warned it would be crowded and hot and tiring so I was prepared. To be honest with you, all three of those things seem to have much less of an effect on us since living in Brazil. It is like our crowd and heat tolerance has increased quite a bit.

Fortunately we got there fairly early in the day so there was still plenty of room to move around. By the time we left, however, it looked like this. Yeah, I was glad we went early.

We wanted to focus on more of the ethnic foods for this event. A lot of them we can’t get around central Kentucky, or if they are available, they aren’t quite as authentic as they tend to be in city like Chicago.

This was my first time going to this type of Taste Of. There was no entry fee; guests could buy tickets for 50 cents each before the event. Then tickets could be used to purchase food. All the booths had full meals that were about 6 to 11 tickets each and two options on their tasting menu that were 2 to 4 tickets each. We stuck with the tastings so we could try more things.

Okay now you know how it worked. Enough talk. Let’s go on a tour of the Taste of Chicago.

The first stop was for the Bobak’s All Natural Chicken Apple Gouda Sausage served with honey mustard. I should have tried it without the honey mustard first to get the full flavor of the sausage. Even so, this was really good. Not as much apple sweetness or gouda flavor as I would expect, but a great chicken sausage.

I never thought I would say this, but I really miss mandioca (cassava, yuca) from Brazil. They version I miss the most – fried. Fortunately Las Tablas was serving yuca fries with a delicious salsa verde on the side. It hit the spot.

If you know Chicago, then you know Garrett Popcorn. It is such good stuff. The biggest kernels you have seen with the best caramel flavor. And as fake as it may be, I have to admit I love the doesn’t-occur-in-nature neon orange cheddar thrown in with my caramel.

At the taste they served Caramel Popcornsicles, a popcorn ball freeze dried on a stick. It was as tasty as their original caramel and actually kind of refreshing with the cold which you typically don’t expect from popcorn.

Next came the one thing I had been anxiously awaiting. Mango Sticky Rice! Oh, how I have missed this from Thailand. It was so good even though the mango was canned. I got over that quickly because the rice was so close to what I remember from our trip. Even better, I was taken to an Asian market in town and finally came back with a bag of sticky rice! I’ll be making my own version soon!

The Varenyky from the Shokolad Café caught my attention because the eggplant and potato variety came with an Indian spiced sauce. I have since learned that varenyky is a Ukrainian dumpling similar to perogies. I typically love this type of dumpling, but this one was just okay. The sauce needed a lot more spice to it. I’m not sorry I tried it though because I actually think it may have been my first Ukrainian dish.

There were lots of sodas and energy drinks being sampled, and while we aren’t fans of soda anymore, this Manzanita Sol from Pepsi did catch our attention. We were hooked on apple spritzer while in Austria which is kind of like an apple soda, but a lot lighter. More like a sparkling apple flavored water. The Manzanita is nothing like that by the way. A sugary apple soda. Guess I’ll have to go back to Vienna.

Another new cuisine for me – Puerto Rican. We tried the mini Jibarito Sandwich from Sabor Latino Restaurant. The name comes from Jibaro which is a term used for those in agriculture working in the sugarcane and coffee fields, basically farmer’s from what I understand. It is traditionally a plantain and steak sandwich. This was so good! I absolutely loved the fried plantain version of a bun! I found a recipe if you’d like to try it yourself.

Now for the unique award – a Mashed Potato Stuffed Chocolate Cupcake. Yes, you read that correctly. Honestly, it wasn’t bad at all. Not something I’d have to go back for, but a nice sweet and salty combo and the smooth potatoes with black pepper blended nicely with the chocolate. The cupcake itself was excellent. These were served by Polo Café and Catering. I was joking with my husband that I’d love a wedding reception do-over and sneak these onto guest’s dinner plates to see the reaction!

These Pot Stickers from Star of Siam were by far the best deal. Just look at all of them! They were comparable to the full portion at most places. They were also one of my favorites with a delicious Thai chili glaze on top.

My husband was hungry for the Red Beans and Rice with Jerk Chicken. Vee Vee’s African Restaurant also had goat, but although I don’t like eating it for sentimental reasons, I have had goat and I really don’t prefer it. The jerk chicken was great, and although my bite wasn’t all that spicy my husband assured me that the more you ate it, the hotter it got.

The Sweet Potato Hashbrowns from a restaurant by the name of Hashbrowns had been on our list before arrival. These were good, but not what we were expecting. I had the fried, crispy version in mind. These were soft with what tasted like a lot of extra butter and spices. I’d get them again, but I think a Waffle House version might be better.

With a few tickets leftover we stopped at The Grill on the Alley for Mango Rice Pudding with Dried Cranberries. This was completely unexpected as well. (Apparently we had a lot of expectations). It was spiced almost like a traditional pumpkin dessert. There wasn’t the tropical, coconut/mango flavor I thought there would be. Good, but autumn flavors to me, despite the mangos.

Finally we finished off this eating marathon with a food that is as cultural as the sticky rice and yuca – a Chicago-style hot dog (or half of one) from Gold Coast Dogs. There is nothing else like these for me. The more stuff on top the better, especially that nice, spicy pepper you can see there in the photo.

That concluded our Taste of Chicago. After that, we did some major walking and went down to Navy Pier to see this:

This happens to be where we got engaged way back in 2002. Right up there on the observation deck in the middle of February during a dinner cruise on Lake Michigan. We’ve vowed to make it back for a repeat cruise at some point. Maybe anniversary #10.

We settled in at Navy Pier for some beers and to split a bag of Garrett Popcorn. I told you we couldn’t get enough of this stuff, right? We felt we needed to take full advantage while there, so while a bit unbalanced, this was our dinner. Not a bad way to end a wonderful day, overlooking the water.

Myths and Truths: My First Half Marathon

March 29, 2010

For a while now I’ve been trying to determine where this goal came from, this goal to run a half marathon. A goal which, I might add, I successfully accomplished yesterday morning.
I’ve never especially liked running. There are times when I hated it with a passion. I just prefer other forms of activity. However, I was to the point where I wanted to stop confusing not liking it with not being able to do it. As a result I’m starting to enjoy it more.
Let’s be clear. I run, I’m not a runner. And there are several reasons why I likely won’t ever consider myself a runner. When I think of a runner, I think of someone who is in love with running, and needs it in their lives. Someone who is willing to push themselves to the point of injury and past it to run. Now, I don’t mean to generalize, certainly not all runners are like this, but I know many who are.
Personally, if I hurt, I’m not going to run. I don’t just mean sore, aches and pains hurt, I mean injury hurt. I view my body and all its wonderful capabilities as a gift. Hurting it to the point where it is injured and can’t function is not respecting this gift. Wellness means understanding your limits as well as exceeding them when appropriate. For me, not respecting this gift by pushing too hard is as bad as not respecting it by not using it and letting it waste away without any activity at all. I have issues with both.
The second reason I say I’m not a runner is that I am slow. And I mean slow. I fall into the jogger/walker category. In fact, there were race walkers flying right by me yesterday. When people tell me to slow my pace down I laugh because going any slower for me is walking and it is physically impossible for me to go any faster. I’ve tried hard, too.
My goal was to finish the race in a motion that somewhat resembled running for 13.1 miles and I did. I never stopped running and I came in at a time of 2:57:26. About a 13 minute mile. See, I told you. The fastest I’ve run is a 5K at a 10:45 mile. Still no speed of lightening.
One thing that helped me keep fighting for my goal was a comment I recently read in a book which said “there is no freedom without discipline.” I’d never really thought much about that before. But if we don’t provide structure for our lives, make ourselves do things, we really can’t accomplish much.
Setting out on my training it wasn’t until I was able to run 10-11 miles that I honestly felt like I was going to complete the half marathon. That was about 2 weeks ago, so I was basically pushing myself to obtain a goal I wasn’t sure was possible for 10 weeks.
Throughout the training I knew I wanted to present a post that highlighted the honesty of running a half marathon. Not something that says “it was tough, but so worth it.”
I don’t have finish line blinders on, I have reality set in my mind. The reality of how hard it was to accomplish my goal. I also thought a lot about the things people told me along the way or views I developed and whether or not they were true. So if you are thinking of running or shooting towards a goal you aren’t sure you can accomplish, this is for you.
12 weeks is enough time for training. Debatable.
I think everyone is different when it comes to this. My original plan was to run a half sometime during 2010 and I was shooting for fall. When I discovered this local event it was 14 weeks out. I began training at 13 weeks and used Hal Higdon’s Novice Half Marathon program which is a 12 week program. I added an extra week myself and got up to 11 miles before the race.
Initially I thought this program was too ambitious and at certain points it was. The day I was supposed to run 9 miles, I had to stop at 4.5. I did not reach the goal for many weekday runs because of shin problems in the middle of my training. Also, if I had stopped my training at the 10 mile mark, I’m not sure I could have finished. Making to 11 miles pre-race had a postive impact on me mentally.
Looking back though, I’m glad I pushed the training and got the race in early in the year. At certain times 12 weeks seemed fast, but it is also enough time to get discouraged. If I had pushed the race to later I may not have stayed motivated to meet my goal.
Cross-training is important. Truth.
I suppose there are people out there who love to run and run and run. I don’t. I ran 3 days per week and if I had been forced to run more I would not have enjoyed my training at all. I didn’t enjoy it that much to begin with. In addition, my shin problems stopped as soon as I incorporated yoga into my routine. As with everything else in life physical fitness is about balance and performing different types of exercise helps establish that.
Running will make you lose weight. Myth.
I lost only 6 lbs during my training, but I knew that losing weight by running was a myth before I started because you typically eat more. I could have cut back drastically on my caloric intake and lost weight, but I wasn’t willing to do it. If I didn’t eat, I didn’t have the energy to run. It was a difficult balance for me and stressed me out in the beginning. Finally I decided I would eat healthy foods as I needed them and let my body decide what it wanted to do.
It hurts. Truth.
Fortunately, I had no injuries, not even a blister during my training. I suffered from shin splints halfway through, and a bit of chaffing that was taken care of by BodyGlide. Everything I encountered was manageable.
That being said I have been exhausted for the past 12 weeks. I came home after runs of 5 miles and longer and basically lay around the rest of the day. I was sleepy all the time and incredibly sore after my long runs. During the runs themselves my knees, ankles and hips ached like crazy. It was just part of it for me and I’m glad that part is over.


The adrenaline and atmosphere will push you through the last few miles. Myth.

I’ve heard and read this several times, and I’m sorry, but I don’t agree. It is highly dependent upon the race you do. This was not a high energy race, it was a rainy day and I was running past other people leaving as I rounded the ½ mile mark to the finish. The last two miles were complete agony. I got maybe two cheers when I rounded the bend for the finish and a couple claps once I crossed the line. Perhaps if you choose a high energy race with lots of people, music and celebration on a sunny day this statement could be true. Yes I made it, but it would have taken a lot less effort on my part if there had been more support.
Crossing the finish is the best part of the race. Debatable.
I’m going to be honest, because of this particular race, crossing the finish was one of the most disappointing experiences of my training. I was hoping for cheers, music and lots of people around. The place had cleared out. It was me and a handful of people there to hand me a medal and take my picture (a special thank you to them). There were granola bars, water and bananas left to eat, and all the vendors had packed up early. To be honest, it made me sad and even sadder for all the people behind me who still had to finish. Because of this, I think it is important to be prepared that the finish may not be what you have envisioned in your mind.
Note, this doesn’t include seeing my husband there to take pictures of me and hug me afterward. Now that was the best part of the race.


After all this, am I glad I did it? Of course! I accomplished something that I honestly didn’t think I would ever be able to. I also fully believe that pushing myself this hard was beneficial to my well being. I think it is important to find things that push you as hard physically, but it doesn’t have to be running.

What are my goals now?
My running started back in January 2009 with a goal of being able to pick up and run a 5K at any point. I accomplished that and then set one to run a half. Now, I’ve accomplished that.
I’ve discovered that I do enjoy running out in the country and seeing the landscape, I just enjoy running shorter distances. To be honest, I’m tired of running long distances and having to be so structured with my workouts.
So the plan is to now be comfortable with running a 10K at any point in time. I’ll likely run 2-3 miles two days per week and 4-5 miles on the weekend. I want to increase my speed and get closer to a 10 minute mile. I also want to start concentrating on other activities again such as more yoga, spinning and strength training.
Will I run another half?
I haven’t decided that yet. Three weeks ago I would have said no. Everyone told me that when I made it to the finish I would want to do more, but I’m not there yet. I can see signing up for a half that is guaranteed to be fun and energetic at some point during the future, but now I’ll stick with 5Ks and 10Ks. I just find them more enjoyable and don’t view them as work like I do a half.


Now for all those who have been holding out for the food. We had an amazing post-race brunch at Alfalfa Restaurant in downtown Lexington, KY. I’ve posted about this place before and we certainly weren’t disappointed on this visit. I enjoyed a Spanish Omelet with white cheddar and ranchero sauce with their special Alfafries. My husband had the Breakfast Burritos. We split the Buttermilk Buckwheat Blueberry Pancake. This thing is amazing. The first bite tastes like a blueberry cake donut!



Special congrats to my husband! Although he’s run relays of the same or greater difficulty, this was his first official half marathon finish as well. He finished in 1:53 and is preparing for the Flying Pig Marathon in May.

A Trip to Ireland in Food

March 17, 2010
I’m ashamed to say that this year I have let St. Patrick’s Day arrive with no food celebration in my kitchen. It seemed everything I wanted to make was an Irish-inspired dessert, and well, I thought it best to wait to fill the house with sweets until after Easter.
I haven’t completely forgotten the day, though. I have my Guinness shirt on and made sure my husband was wearing green before he left the house this morning.
Since I have no recipe to offer today I thought I’d turn to my backup – travel.
My first trip to Ireland was in 2007 and then I had the opportunity to go again in 2008. Unfortunately I skipped 2009 to take our month long tour around SE Asia last October. With the new house chances I’ll make it in 2010 are slim, but I have decided that I’ll get there in 2011 even if I have to swim myself! As you can image by this point withdrawal symptoms from the lack of fresh Guinness, Irish coffees, brown bread and fruit scones are almost unbearable.
In honor of St. Patrick’s Day I decided to sort through my photos and take you on a food tour of trips to the country. If you have ever been to Dublin then you know that this tour will include much more than traditional Irish food. In fact, the traditional stuff can sometimes be hard to come by in such an international city.
So here you have my Ireland through food.

Fish & Chips from Leo Burdocks

My first real Shepherd’s Pie from Bruxelles in Dublin

Hoisin Duck Wrap from Bewley’s Graffton Street Cafe

Sweet Potato Coconut Soup with Brown Bread at the GastroPub in Dun Laoghaire

Chicken & Pancetta Open-faced Sandwich from Harry’s Cafe Bar in Dun Laoghaire

Thai Vegetable Yellow Curry from Cafe Mao in Dun Laoghaire

Irish Fruit Scone, Clotted Cream, Jam & a Latte from Poppies in Dun Laoghaire

Weekend Farmer’s Market in Dun Laoghaire

Thai Prawn and Cod Cake & Chips for Beshoff Bros in Howth

Mussels, Clams & Cockles and Crayfish Pizza from Deep in Howth

Bailey’s Irish Cream ice cream from Maud’s in Howth

Drinks of Choice – Guinness, Bulmer’s Cider and Irish Coffee

If you would like a little scenery with your food check out my Photo Tour for St. Patrick’s Day.

Food Finds and College Memories

February 17, 2010

I suppose how one feels about where they went to college will vary from person to person. For me, happiness, fond memories, pride and a bit of longing for times past come to mind. I may have had my complaints from time to time when I was there, but now that I’ve experienced other campuses and various forms of academic life I appreciate Purdue University more than ever.


We visited West Lafayette, IN this past weekend to see a basketball game with my brother –in-law and his wife and I was once again reminded of what a great place Purdue is. It’s been about four years or so since our last visit and now that my trips tend to be a bit more food-centric, it made the weekend even more fun.


A few months ago we saw an episode of Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives and were surprised to see the Triple XXX featured on the show. It does claim to be Indiana’s first drive-in restaurant, but we were surprised because this is a place I think I went to once during college. Why? Well, because it was sooooo unhealthy and I viewed it as an overcrowded, dirty diner.

Yes, I lacked appreciation for local culture back then, despised fat and needed floors I could eat off of. Well, I’ve changed a lot. Travel has led me to incredible food in places a lot less sparkling and my personal bubble has been known to disappear from time to time. I have a newfound appreciation.

We were cheerfully greeted by the cashier and we waited in our car (no space inside) about 20 minutes for a bar stool. Yep, this is a true diner. Only stools around a winding bar and it was beyond packed, shoulder to shoulder.


Since the beginning of the year I’ve only been eating non-meat options when dining out unless I know the source of the meat. I made a bit of an exception at Triple XXX, but not a big one. We felt the option of meat without fillers or additives was the second best choice. You know that gray stuff they showed in Food, Inc. Yeah, there is none of that. The diner grinds their own sirloin and I’m going to be honest. It was one of the best burgers I have had in a very long time.

They are perfectly grilled and thin. I love my burgers thin. I got the Barney Burger which was topped with grilled onions.


Going in my husband said he wasn’t going to order it, but caved at the last minute. I’m talking about the Duane Purvis All-American (many of the menu options are named after Purdue athletes) which was featured on the show – a burger with peanut butter on it.


Wait. I encourage you to practice the don’t-knock-it-until-you-try-it rule. I was surprised at how good the slightly sweet spread of pb was with the burger. However, my husband did admit that my burger with the grilled onions was more his style. No regrets in trying it though.


Our next stop we had really been looking forward to, but ended up disappointed. Lafayette Brewing Company was a favorite when we lived in the area and we made a point to go back. Perhaps it is because we’ve had the opportunity to visit many more microbreweries since then or maybe we are just upset they took the fried pickles off the menu, but we found both the food and beer somewhat mediocre. We did have a very friendly server though. Always want to mention the positive.

I ordered the Wit Bier which was made of 100% organic ingredients, but I really just ordered it because I love wheat beers . It was okay, not the best wheat I’ve had. It lacked the sweeter flavor I prefer in a wheat. I did really enjoy the Piper’s Pride Scottish ale and the Eight-Five my husband ordered though.


We shared our entrees and I got the bison burger. Yes, we had a lot of burgers, but I wasn’t too thrilled with the veggie options here. I was also pleased that the burger was Indiana-raised, grass-fed, organic American bison. My husband got the fish and chips of which the tartar sauce was excellent with a strong dill flavor. Otherwise the meal was good, and that is about the highest rating I’d give it.


We weren’t completely disappointed, it just reminded us of how fortunate we are that we can make all of these food comparisons among places we’ve lived and traveled.

On Sunday we walked around for part of the morning and I was reminded of one of the reasons I love Purdue’s campus so much. There are so many areas just like this where we could always gather and study. The tables and chairs in the Union alone have such character.

We met a friend at Noodles & Company for lunch. We don’t have any noodle places like this that I know of in Lexington as of yet. Not sure if this is a good or bad thing, but we did enjoy this place. Apparently, everyone else does too because it was packed. I had the Indonesian Peanut Sauté. The rice noodles were a bit too sticky, but it was nice and spicy with a great peanut flavor. My husband had the Japanese Pan-fried noodles with lots of udon and sprinkled with black sesame seeds. He enjoyed that as well.


Before heading out we stopped by Greyhouse Coffee. This place used to be called The Village Coffeehouse when I was on campus and I loved studying there as much as I loved their raspberry mochas. The place has only gotten better. The inside is a mix of modern and traditional with an upscale, cozy feel. I’d be studying here daily if I was still in school.


Fortunately for me, the raspberry mocha of sorts is still on the menu as the Raspberry Truffle. Although, I will admit I was tempted by the Dr. Strangelove as well. It was a coffee drink made with Mexican Oaxacan sauce infused with Sri Lankan cinnamon, orange and cloves.


My husband and I have both promised ourselves that we will make it back more often. Even with all this great food, there were several favorite places we didn’t get to visit and we’ve learned of many more we need to try. When all is said and done, I really do miss Purdue’s campus and the surrounding area, I do not, however, miss being in school.

Learning? I love it. School? Glad I’m done, but college towns have some of the best food around and the Lafayette area is no exception.


Triple XXX Family Restaurant
2 North Salisbury Street
West Lafayette, IN 47906-3027
(765) 743-5373

Lafayette Brewing Company
622 Main Street
Lafayette, IN 47901
(765) 742-2591

Noodles & Company
102 N. Chauncey Ave.
West Lafayette, IN. 47906
(765) 743-4444

Greyhouse Coffee & Supply Co
100 Northwestern Avenue
West Lafayette, IN 47906
(765) 743-5316

Local Eats in Louisville

January 27, 2010

Update:  Unfortunately Lynn’s Paradise Cafe closed in 2013. 

 
There are times when I feel that the only food Kentucky is known for is fried chicken, along with that famous place that makes it. Anytime my husband and I travel abroad we are often asked by locals where we are from. When we say Kentucky, the person says fried chicken.
 
I’m not the biggest fan of this worldwide recognition our state seems to have. I think the history of it is great; what it has become, not so much. Therefore, I am excited when another Bluegrass-based restaurant gets much deserved attention. I get even more excited when I actually get to go there.
 
This past weekend I visited a good friend in Louisville and she took me to lunch at Lynn’s Paradise Café. I’ve only been once, several years ago, and even before that time the restaurant had been in the travel and food media spotlight quite often. It’s been mentioned in Bon Appetite, Southern Living, and Travel & Leisure. It was also featured in the show “Throwdown with Bobby Flay”.
 
The inside of Lynn’s is everything you would expect it to be based on the look of the outside. I mean, where else are you going to find all those flowers in Kentucky in the middle of winter? There are bright colors, eclectic decor, a tree in the center of the dining room, booths, tables and a diner-like service bar. Before entering the actual restaurant visitors make their way through the gift shop full of gag gifts, cards and stationary and even hats and hair accessories perfect for any Derby Day celebration.
 
We made reservations because the place is overflowing on Sundays with after-church diners, even at 2:00 pm when we arrived. I had checked out the menu online beforehand so I knew what I was in for and I couldn’t have been happier with the selection.
 
Lynn’s serves lots of local options such as Kenny’s Farmhouse Cheese (which I plan to review soon), and their burgers and meat loaf are made with Kentucky grass-fed beef. You can get anything from a comfort food-focused turkey and stuffing to non-meat options like the Grilled Portobello Mushroom Sandwich with sweet potato fries that I chose. The sandwich had baby greens, Gorgonzola cheese, cider honey vinaigrette and sweet onion marmalade.

 

 


It was as delicious as it sounds! Sweet and salty from the marmalade and cheese combined with a deep, rich woodsy flavor from the mushroom. The fries were crispy and slightly sweet, seasoned with cinnamon.

Lynn’s also offers breakfast all day and I have to admit that I was tempted by the Bourbon Ball French Toast. This was listed as the star of the “Throwdown with Bobby Flay” episode. I need to look that up because I haven’t gotten the chance to see it yet.

 

 


My friend Michelle, who graciously put up with my food photography, decided on the Popeye Omelet, which is the regular for her, she tells me. It looked wonderful too, stuffed with creamy spinach, bacon and tomatoes.


Lynn’s Paradise Café has such a unique character with fantastic local food options. It is no surprise that it has gotten so much media attention. If you find yourself in Louisville, put it on your list, but make reservations or you might be waiting quite a while for seat!

Lynn’s Paradise Cafe
984 Barret Ave.
Louisville, KY
(502) 583-3447

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