February 27, 2009
When traveling, I always have the best intentions of exercising, not eating too much and not having cocktails every night before, during and after dinner, but I know from experience that these promises are not worth making because they are next to impossible to keep when you consider jet lag, different working and eating schedules, having to dine out for every meal and believe it or not, it is hard to translate "fat free dressing" into English from whatever language the menu might be in- in the case of my most recent travels, German. My carefully calculated diet of January became a distant memory rather quickly and was transformed into the much joked about "see-food" diet. Let's face it, Europeans know how to cook AND they know how to eat which is why Diet Girl got lost in Germany for a couple of weeks.
The good news is that from my dieting escapades in January I was down a full 5 pounds which I managed to keep off even post-travels!! I have also realized that though the "packaged food" diet was not ideal and not that tasty, I did learn how to eat better, feel better and make some healthier choices: Wheat and grains instead of white flour when possible, try to keep salt and carbs down, when evaluating fat, it is the saturated fats that are most important to monitor AND vegetable and fruits are practically a free food in the diet world no matter what the calories. I have also been very much on the lookout for healthy, light meals that actually have some flavor and I found a great one that I tried at home this week...Spicy Sweet-and-Sour Chicken courtesy of Cooking Light magazine (Jan/Feb 09 issue). I am not one to give props to my own cooking abilities but I rocked this one!! It rivals the best chinese take out you've ever had...AND IT IS LIGHT! See below for the recipe. Serve with easy white rice or some type of noodles or eat as is. I hope you enjoy and let us know at Foodie Favorites if you try it and what you thought.
Bon Appetit!
Diet Girl
PS- I've noticed that alot of "light" recipes call for the same ingredients so even though it might be a pain to get everything, you will use them again.
Ingredients:
4 teaspoons cornstarch, divided
5 teaspoons low-sodium soy sauce, divided
1 teaspoon minced peeled fresh ginger
1 teaspoon Shaoxing (Chinese rice wine) or dry sherry
1/8 teaspoon white pepper
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breast, cut into 2x 1/2 inch thick pieces
1/2 cup fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
1 tablespoon brown sugar
3 tablespoons ketchup
2 1/2 tablespoons rice vinegar
2 teaspoons chile paste
1 teaspoon dark sesame oil
1 tablespoon canola oil, divided
1 cup (1/2 inch) diced onion
1 cup (1/2 inch) diced green bell pepper
1 cup (1/2 inch) diced medium red bell pepper
1/2 cup (1 inch) sliced green onions
1 cup (1/2 inch) diced fresh pineapple
1- Combine 2 teaspoons cornstarch, 2 teaspoons low-sodium soy sauce, and next 5 ingredients (through garlic) in a medium bowl. Add chicken; stir well to coat. Set aside.
2- Combine chicken broth, remaining 2 teaspoons cornstarch, brown sugar, remaining 1 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce, ketchup, vinegar, chile paste and sesame oil.
3- Heat 1/2 teaspoon canola oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add diced onion, bell peppers, and green onions to pan; saute 4 minutes or until crisp-tender. Transfer to a bowl.
4- Heat remaining 2 1/2 teaspoons canola oil in pan. Add chicken mixture to pan, and spread in an even layer; cook, without stirring, 1 minute. Saute an additional 3 minutes or until chicken is done.
5- Return vegetable mixture to pan. Add soy sauce mixture and pineapple, stirring well to combine. Bring to a boil; cook 1 minute or until thickened, stirring constantly.
YIELD: 8 servings (serving size: about 2/3 cup)
Calories 132; Fat 3.8g (sat 0.6g, mono 1.7g, poly 1.1g); Protein 12.7g; Carb 12.2g; Fiber 1.4g; Cholesterol 31mg; Iron 0.9mg; Sodium 304mg; calc 26 mg.
Diet Girl Note: Though it says 8 servings, for a normal eater, it is probably closer to 4 servings which calorie and fat-wise is still super light in my book!
Cooking Light
www.cookinglight.com
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Germany Part 2
February 25, 2009
I am back to report on the rest of the restaurants from my jaunt through Berlin a couple of weeks ago.
The night I arrived, I was a little jet-lagged so I deferred to my new friends and colleagues with respect to what they wanted to have for dinner which was "Restaurant China City" near their hotel. It was definitely not high-end Chinese, but they had a HUGE menu with all the offerings that you would expect and it was very casual and inexpensive! They also had the biggest ice cream sundae that I have ever seen for dessert which my friend finished right down to the last lick! If you want to kick-back with no pressure, this place fits the bill. Beware that you may encounter a few difficulties with the Chinese servers who speak German and presumably Chinese, but no English though I guess you can't fault someone who already speaks 2 languages!
"Moreno Carusi" was a hidden gem serving up good Italian food with good service and it was tucked away in such close proximity to my hotel that I went twice during my stay. It is small with seating capacity probably less than 100 people so I would recommend a reservation if possible- it was totally full both nights I was there. As a starter, the Bufala Caprese (Mozzarella and Tomato) was wonderfully fresh- the cheese practically melts in your mouth. I also give high marks to the Pappardelle Ragu (with meat sauce) and the Canneloni as main courses. A bottle of the white Gavi de Gavi was very enjoyable and easy to drink. Desserts were also shared and enjoyed by everyone at our table- the creme brulee was very good and so was the tirimisu.
I LOVED the bustling atmosphere of "Il Calice"and we were a lively group so it was a perfect fit. Even late at night this fooderie was hopping! They have a very extensive wine list and we had a great bottle of red, but sadly I don't know which one it was- sorry! I was very excited to see oysters on the menu which is what I had to start and they were fab. For the main course, I along with some others had the risotto with shrimp (the biggest singular shrimp I have ever seen laid across the top of the risotto). Maybe we were just hungry, but plates that started with risotto were licked clean. We had a few vegetarians (no meat AND no fish) among our group and I must say that the restaurant was pretty accommodating considering they did not really have many (or any?) straight-forward vegetarian dishes- after some needed translations, they did make a pasta dish with red sauce with an assortment of veggies which seemed to be well received at our table as well. I would highly recommend giving it a try, especially if you are a wine lover.
Last, and in this case least, was Restaurant Maxwell. Those of you have read Foodie Favorites before know that I normally don't include places in my postings that I did not like but I have to make an exception here for a couple of reasons...
As we walked up to the restaurant, it is set back from the road, almost through an alley and when it suddenly appears, it is a breathtaking sight. The building dates back to 1893 and was once the sight of the Josty brewery. (picture at left) The building and courtyard are beautiful and apparently they serve dinner outside when the weather permits. I for one was excited by the initial ambiance and atmosphere which were totally different from anywhere we had been thus far. To say it went downhill from there would be an understatement. The service was beyond terrible- to give just a few examples (and there were many)- the wine wasn't served for about 3o minutes from when we ordered (and the wine that was recommended was not great), we waited well over an hour and a half between our appetizers and main course to be served and until the entree plates finally reached the table, we were told every 1o minutes that it would be out in 5 minutes, there was "apparently" no manager on duty on a Saturday night and the restaurant did nothing for us considering the long delays and overall poor treatment. (plus, I had the tomato cannelloni which I didn't really care for, though others had it and seemed to enjoy)
I decided to still include the restaurant however because of the beautiful setting, the fact that the restaurant apparently comes highly recommended (The Ritz Carlton sent us there) and has a loyal fan following AND there was one dessert that the chairman of our company somehow knew would be FABULOUS and ordered 1 for everyone at the table (after joking of course that we wanted to receive it the same night...maybe he wasn't joking?). If you do decide to give it a try, you may want to make sure they are fully staffed the night you are going and that there are no special events because from our experience the kitchen can't handle it AND you MUST have the Walnut Ice cream Brittle Lolly with Apple Wan Tan and Cranberries. You'll be glad you did!
Happy trails,
Foodie
Restaurant China City
Leipziger StraBe 46
Berlin
Phone: +49 30 20 45 38 02
Website: www.china-city.eu
Moreno Carusi
Leipziger Platz 15
Berlin
Phone: +49 30 224 881 56
Website: www.morenocarusi.com
Il Calice
Walter-Benjamin Platz 4
Berlin-Charlottenburg
Phone: +49 30 324 2308
website: www.enoiteca-il-calice.de
Maxwell
BergstraBe 22
Berlin
Phone: +49 30 280 71 21
Website: www.mxwl.de
Share your comments on this blog by going to http://foodiefavorites.blogspot.com and clicking on "comments" at the bottom of the posting or share with a friend by clicking on the share/mail icon. Thanks for reading!
I am back to report on the rest of the restaurants from my jaunt through Berlin a couple of weeks ago.
The night I arrived, I was a little jet-lagged so I deferred to my new friends and colleagues with respect to what they wanted to have for dinner which was "Restaurant China City" near their hotel. It was definitely not high-end Chinese, but they had a HUGE menu with all the offerings that you would expect and it was very casual and inexpensive! They also had the biggest ice cream sundae that I have ever seen for dessert which my friend finished right down to the last lick! If you want to kick-back with no pressure, this place fits the bill. Beware that you may encounter a few difficulties with the Chinese servers who speak German and presumably Chinese, but no English though I guess you can't fault someone who already speaks 2 languages!
"Moreno Carusi" was a hidden gem serving up good Italian food with good service and it was tucked away in such close proximity to my hotel that I went twice during my stay. It is small with seating capacity probably less than 100 people so I would recommend a reservation if possible- it was totally full both nights I was there. As a starter, the Bufala Caprese (Mozzarella and Tomato) was wonderfully fresh- the cheese practically melts in your mouth. I also give high marks to the Pappardelle Ragu (with meat sauce) and the Canneloni as main courses. A bottle of the white Gavi de Gavi was very enjoyable and easy to drink. Desserts were also shared and enjoyed by everyone at our table- the creme brulee was very good and so was the tirimisu.
I LOVED the bustling atmosphere of "Il Calice"and we were a lively group so it was a perfect fit. Even late at night this fooderie was hopping! They have a very extensive wine list and we had a great bottle of red, but sadly I don't know which one it was- sorry! I was very excited to see oysters on the menu which is what I had to start and they were fab. For the main course, I along with some others had the risotto with shrimp (the biggest singular shrimp I have ever seen laid across the top of the risotto). Maybe we were just hungry, but plates that started with risotto were licked clean. We had a few vegetarians (no meat AND no fish) among our group and I must say that the restaurant was pretty accommodating considering they did not really have many (or any?) straight-forward vegetarian dishes- after some needed translations, they did make a pasta dish with red sauce with an assortment of veggies which seemed to be well received at our table as well. I would highly recommend giving it a try, especially if you are a wine lover.
Last, and in this case least, was Restaurant Maxwell. Those of you have read Foodie Favorites before know that I normally don't include places in my postings that I did not like but I have to make an exception here for a couple of reasons...As we walked up to the restaurant, it is set back from the road, almost through an alley and when it suddenly appears, it is a breathtaking sight. The building dates back to 1893 and was once the sight of the Josty brewery. (picture at left) The building and courtyard are beautiful and apparently they serve dinner outside when the weather permits. I for one was excited by the initial ambiance and atmosphere which were totally different from anywhere we had been thus far. To say it went downhill from there would be an understatement. The service was beyond terrible- to give just a few examples (and there were many)- the wine wasn't served for about 3o minutes from when we ordered (and the wine that was recommended was not great), we waited well over an hour and a half between our appetizers and main course to be served and until the entree plates finally reached the table, we were told every 1o minutes that it would be out in 5 minutes, there was "apparently" no manager on duty on a Saturday night and the restaurant did nothing for us considering the long delays and overall poor treatment. (plus, I had the tomato cannelloni which I didn't really care for, though others had it and seemed to enjoy)
I decided to still include the restaurant however because of the beautiful setting, the fact that the restaurant apparently comes highly recommended (The Ritz Carlton sent us there) and has a loyal fan following AND there was one dessert that the chairman of our company somehow knew would be FABULOUS and ordered 1 for everyone at the table (after joking of course that we wanted to receive it the same night...maybe he wasn't joking?). If you do decide to give it a try, you may want to make sure they are fully staffed the night you are going and that there are no special events because from our experience the kitchen can't handle it AND you MUST have the Walnut Ice cream Brittle Lolly with Apple Wan Tan and Cranberries. You'll be glad you did!
Happy trails,
Foodie
Restaurant China City
Leipziger StraBe 46
Berlin
Phone: +49 30 20 45 38 02
Website: www.china-city.eu
Moreno Carusi
Leipziger Platz 15
Berlin
Phone: +49 30 224 881 56
Website: www.morenocarusi.com
Il Calice
Walter-Benjamin Platz 4
Berlin-Charlottenburg
Phone: +49 30 324 2308
website: www.enoiteca-il-calice.de
Maxwell
BergstraBe 22
Berlin
Phone: +49 30 280 71 21
Website: www.mxwl.de
Share your comments on this blog by going to http://foodiefavorites.blogspot.com and clicking on "comments" at the bottom of the posting or share with a friend by clicking on the share/mail icon. Thanks for reading!
Empanada Mama, NYC
February 24, 2009
Foodie is pleased to announce the return of Senor Food in his second guest appearance:
Senor Food is back and this time I have brought with me a friend, and that friend is...The Empanada. Some of you may be asking "What is an Empanada?" An empanada (not to be confused with the Portuguese empada) is a stuffed pastry. The name comes from the Spanish verb empanar, meaning to wrap or coat in bread. The empanada is made by folding a thin circular-shaped dough patty around the stuffing, creating its typical semi-circular shape. To put it simply, it is awesome! (definitions courtesy of Wikipedia and Empanada Mama's website).
I recently returned to Empanada Mama in NYC with a friend and it was even better the second time around. Now understand this is not a fancy place by any stretch of the imagination and I would not suggest making a special trip in to the city to eat here but if you are in NYC or are going to be and you want something a little different, it is amazing! The restaurant is small so if you are going for lunch, get there by 12:15 or after 2pm as it fills up very quickly.
I was not shy when I ordered and recommend you try as many varieties as you think you can handle. If you are a fan of foods that have cooked pineapples in them, I STRONGLY suggest you order the Hawaiian (ham, sauteed pineapples and mozzarella cheese). I also scarfed down a Cheese Steak, Reggaeton (Caribbean style roast pork with sofrito seasoned yellow rice and peas), Spicy Chicken, Beef & Broccoli Teriyaki, Spinach & Cheese, Mushrooms (sauteed portobello & white mushrooms with onions) and Chorizo.
Settle down with the judging as this was done over TWO visits, not just one. The empanadas range in price from $2.25 to $3.oo each. Very affordable, even in harsh economic times. The menu also offers many full entrees as well as salad, tapas and soup selections. They have a fun and interesting drink menu featuring Postobon Sodas, natural fruit shakes, coffees and hot chocolate.
It is something different when you just don't know what you want for lunch. If I could, I would probably head there right now.
Arriba!
Senor Food
PS: The guacamole is great and the website is a riot.
Empanada Mama
763 9th Avenue (between 51st and 52nd street), NYC
Phone: 212.698.9008
Website: www.empmamanyc.com
Share your comments on this blog by going to http://foodiefavorites.blogspot.com and clicking on "comments" at the bottom of the posting or share with a friend by clicking on the share/mail icon. Thanks for reading!
Foodie is pleased to announce the return of Senor Food in his second guest appearance:
Senor Food is back and this time I have brought with me a friend, and that friend is...The Empanada. Some of you may be asking "What is an Empanada?" An empanada (not to be confused with the Portuguese empada) is a stuffed pastry. The name comes from the Spanish verb empanar, meaning to wrap or coat in bread. The empanada is made by folding a thin circular-shaped dough patty around the stuffing, creating its typical semi-circular shape. To put it simply, it is awesome! (definitions courtesy of Wikipedia and Empanada Mama's website).I recently returned to Empanada Mama in NYC with a friend and it was even better the second time around. Now understand this is not a fancy place by any stretch of the imagination and I would not suggest making a special trip in to the city to eat here but if you are in NYC or are going to be and you want something a little different, it is amazing! The restaurant is small so if you are going for lunch, get there by 12:15 or after 2pm as it fills up very quickly.
I was not shy when I ordered and recommend you try as many varieties as you think you can handle. If you are a fan of foods that have cooked pineapples in them, I STRONGLY suggest you order the Hawaiian (ham, sauteed pineapples and mozzarella cheese). I also scarfed down a Cheese Steak, Reggaeton (Caribbean style roast pork with sofrito seasoned yellow rice and peas), Spicy Chicken, Beef & Broccoli Teriyaki, Spinach & Cheese, Mushrooms (sauteed portobello & white mushrooms with onions) and Chorizo.
Settle down with the judging as this was done over TWO visits, not just one. The empanadas range in price from $2.25 to $3.oo each. Very affordable, even in harsh economic times. The menu also offers many full entrees as well as salad, tapas and soup selections. They have a fun and interesting drink menu featuring Postobon Sodas, natural fruit shakes, coffees and hot chocolate.
It is something different when you just don't know what you want for lunch. If I could, I would probably head there right now.
Arriba!
Senor Food
PS: The guacamole is great and the website is a riot.
Empanada Mama
763 9th Avenue (between 51st and 52nd street), NYC
Phone: 212.698.9008
Website: www.empmamanyc.com
Share your comments on this blog by going to http://foodiefavorites.blogspot.com and clicking on "comments" at the bottom of the posting or share with a friend by clicking on the share/mail icon. Thanks for reading!
Copper Canyon
February 22, 2009
We've dined at Copper Canyon in Atlantic Highlands, NJ before, so our expectations for dinner last night were extremely high. I am pleased to say that the culinary feast that we experienced did not disappoint. Copper Canyon has a trendy bar with 150 plus tequilas on the menu and lots of variations on the margarita, as well as a full-service dining room, serving up delicious southwestern fare, small plates and large plates, but all good for sharing.
Our group of 4 started out with 2 flights (3 different shots) of tequila, one reposado and one blanco, a Grand Canyon Margarita and a Corazon Cosmpolitan and of course Copper Canyon's delicious freshly made warm chips with salsa and guacamole. It is hard to pinpoint what makes the guacamole so good but if you like guac, it is not to be missed. We ordered a bunch of small plates to share as well as a few large plates.
In the small plate category, we LOVED the Warm Brie with roasted garlic and tomato salsa served with flour tortillas, as well as the Ancho Grilled Baby Lambchops with pineapple mango salsa and the Southwestern Spring Rolls with chorizo, black beans and jack cheese served on Asian slaw with chile sauce. We also had the Grilled Andouille Sausage Quesadillas which got mixed reviews at our table more than likely because the sausage was a little overpowering for us- they also came last which we felt was a little out of order so that may have impacted our taste for those. Next time I might try the Grilled Baby Spinach Quesadillas instead.
Another round of drinks...
Onto the large plates, we ordered the special which was Braised Pork Shank on Jalapeno, Parmesan & Baby Spinach Risotto with Mole Sauce and we thought it was unanimously amazing. The pork fell right off the bone and it was soft, juicy and very flavorful...and very big portion-wise! Equally delicious and cooked to perfection was the NY Strip Steak with pasilla, pepper-hickory crust and Canyon fries which were crispy, shoestring-style that we couldn't stop eating even though we were quickly getting stuffed. We also had the Tuna Avocado Salad which was the only real miss for us- the tuna seemed fresh enough, but the salad greens or dressing was really salty. This was also the last dish served, at the very end with the quesadillas so again, maybe if we had the salad closer to the beginning, it would have gone over better. No real worries though, there were at least 5 other choices that looked appealing (for next time!) including the Tuna Carpaccio and the Canyon Fish Tacos.
Last but not least, we did manage to force down 1 piece (with 4 forks), of Chocolate Ganache which was just the right texture, super rich, with really good crust and out of this world!
And yes, if you are wondering how we possibly ate so much, we did over-order by probably 2 dishes but it was worth it to be able to try so many things.
We didn't dwell on it, but don't be surprised if any special requests to the hostess or staff such as changing tables or for the food to be paced a bit are not overly accommodated, especially on Saturday night.
If you are in the area or even if you aren't, Copper Canyon is worth the trip.
Check it out!
Foodie
Restaurant: Copper Canyon
Location: Blue Bay Inn, 51 First Avenue, Atlantic Highlands, NJ
Phone: 732.291.8444
Website: www.thecoppercanyon.com
We've dined at Copper Canyon in Atlantic Highlands, NJ before, so our expectations for dinner last night were extremely high. I am pleased to say that the culinary feast that we experienced did not disappoint. Copper Canyon has a trendy bar with 150 plus tequilas on the menu and lots of variations on the margarita, as well as a full-service dining room, serving up delicious southwestern fare, small plates and large plates, but all good for sharing.Our group of 4 started out with 2 flights (3 different shots) of tequila, one reposado and one blanco, a Grand Canyon Margarita and a Corazon Cosmpolitan and of course Copper Canyon's delicious freshly made warm chips with salsa and guacamole. It is hard to pinpoint what makes the guacamole so good but if you like guac, it is not to be missed. We ordered a bunch of small plates to share as well as a few large plates.
In the small plate category, we LOVED the Warm Brie with roasted garlic and tomato salsa served with flour tortillas, as well as the Ancho Grilled Baby Lambchops with pineapple mango salsa and the Southwestern Spring Rolls with chorizo, black beans and jack cheese served on Asian slaw with chile sauce. We also had the Grilled Andouille Sausage Quesadillas which got mixed reviews at our table more than likely because the sausage was a little overpowering for us- they also came last which we felt was a little out of order so that may have impacted our taste for those. Next time I might try the Grilled Baby Spinach Quesadillas instead.
Another round of drinks...
Onto the large plates, we ordered the special which was Braised Pork Shank on Jalapeno, Parmesan & Baby Spinach Risotto with Mole Sauce and we thought it was unanimously amazing. The pork fell right off the bone and it was soft, juicy and very flavorful...and very big portion-wise! Equally delicious and cooked to perfection was the NY Strip Steak with pasilla, pepper-hickory crust and Canyon fries which were crispy, shoestring-style that we couldn't stop eating even though we were quickly getting stuffed. We also had the Tuna Avocado Salad which was the only real miss for us- the tuna seemed fresh enough, but the salad greens or dressing was really salty. This was also the last dish served, at the very end with the quesadillas so again, maybe if we had the salad closer to the beginning, it would have gone over better. No real worries though, there were at least 5 other choices that looked appealing (for next time!) including the Tuna Carpaccio and the Canyon Fish Tacos.Last but not least, we did manage to force down 1 piece (with 4 forks), of Chocolate Ganache which was just the right texture, super rich, with really good crust and out of this world!
And yes, if you are wondering how we possibly ate so much, we did over-order by probably 2 dishes but it was worth it to be able to try so many things.
We didn't dwell on it, but don't be surprised if any special requests to the hostess or staff such as changing tables or for the food to be paced a bit are not overly accommodated, especially on Saturday night.
If you are in the area or even if you aren't, Copper Canyon is worth the trip.
Check it out!
Foodie
Restaurant: Copper Canyon
Location: Blue Bay Inn, 51 First Avenue, Atlantic Highlands, NJ
Phone: 732.291.8444
Website: www.thecoppercanyon.com
National Margarita Day
February 22, 2009
Celebrate National Margarita Day by SHARING your favorite margarita recipe, your favorite place to go for margaritas or the best margarita you have ever had with Foodie Favorites. How? Go to http://www.foodiefavorites.blogspot.com and scroll to the bottom of this posting and click on comments, then type away.
(You can add your comments or input to all past or future posts the same way or click on the letter symbol and share with a friend. Alternately, you can also post your thoughts, recipes, etc. on the message board on the group, Foodie Favorites, on Facebook.)
To help you get started on National Margarita Day, here are 2 margarita recipes that we like from "The El Paso Chile Company Margarita Cookbook" and they are easy! Why not whip up a batch for the Oscar telecast tonight? Or save the recipes for Cinco de Mayo or a summer fiesta which will both be upon us before we know it! Margarita Fridays anyone?
Margarita 101 (makes 1 cocktail)
1 lime wedge
kosher salt on a small plate
1 1/2 ounces of tequila
1 ounce orange liqueur, such as Controy Licor de Naranjas or Triple Sec
1 ounce fresh lime juice
ice
Run the lime wedge around the rim of a highball glass. Dip the moistened rim in the salt. Set the lime wedge and glass aside.
In a shaker half-filled with ice cubes, combine the tequila, Triple Sec and lime juice. Shake well. Fill the prepared glass with fresh ice. Strain the cocktail into the glass. Squeeze the lime wedge into the margarita, drop the wedge into the glass, and serve immediately.
My Frosty Frozen Margarita (makes 12 cocktails)
3 limes, quartered
kosher salt on a small plate
One 6-ounce container frozen limeade concentrate, thawed
1 1/2 cups tequila
3/4 cup Controy Licor de Naranjas or other orange liqueur
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
about 4 trays ice cubes
One 6-ounce container frozen pineapple juice concentrate, thawed
Run one of the lime wedges around the rim of a stemmed cocktail glass. Dip the moistened rim in the salt and set the glass aside. Repeat for other 11 glasses.
In a blender, combine the limeade concentrate, half the tequila, half the orange liqueur, and half the lime juice. Fill the blender almost to the top with ice cubes, cover, and blend on high speed until thick and slushy. Transfer to a decorative pitcher. Repeat with the remaining tequila, orange liqueur and lime juice, the pineapple juice concentrate and more ice. Transfer to the pitcher and stir to blend. The margaritas can be served immediately or stored, covered, in the refrigerator for several hours.
To serve, pour (or spoon) into the prepared glasses. Squeeze a wedge of lime into each drink and serve immediately.
Note: To make frozen strawberry margaritas, replace 1 tray of ice cubes with about 3 cups chopped fresh or partially thawed frozen berries. Blend as directed, and garnish each margarita with a single berry.
Cheers!
Foodie
Celebrate National Margarita Day by SHARING your favorite margarita recipe, your favorite place to go for margaritas or the best margarita you have ever had with Foodie Favorites. How? Go to http://www.foodiefavorites.blogspot.com and scroll to the bottom of this posting and click on comments, then type away.(You can add your comments or input to all past or future posts the same way or click on the letter symbol and share with a friend. Alternately, you can also post your thoughts, recipes, etc. on the message board on the group, Foodie Favorites, on Facebook.)
To help you get started on National Margarita Day, here are 2 margarita recipes that we like from "The El Paso Chile Company Margarita Cookbook" and they are easy! Why not whip up a batch for the Oscar telecast tonight? Or save the recipes for Cinco de Mayo or a summer fiesta which will both be upon us before we know it! Margarita Fridays anyone?
Margarita 101 (makes 1 cocktail)
1 lime wedge
kosher salt on a small plate
1 1/2 ounces of tequila
1 ounce orange liqueur, such as Controy Licor de Naranjas or Triple Sec
1 ounce fresh lime juice
ice
Run the lime wedge around the rim of a highball glass. Dip the moistened rim in the salt. Set the lime wedge and glass aside.
In a shaker half-filled with ice cubes, combine the tequila, Triple Sec and lime juice. Shake well. Fill the prepared glass with fresh ice. Strain the cocktail into the glass. Squeeze the lime wedge into the margarita, drop the wedge into the glass, and serve immediately.
My Frosty Frozen Margarita (makes 12 cocktails)
3 limes, quartered
kosher salt on a small plate
One 6-ounce container frozen limeade concentrate, thawed
1 1/2 cups tequila
3/4 cup Controy Licor de Naranjas or other orange liqueur
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
about 4 trays ice cubes
One 6-ounce container frozen pineapple juice concentrate, thawed
Run one of the lime wedges around the rim of a stemmed cocktail glass. Dip the moistened rim in the salt and set the glass aside. Repeat for other 11 glasses.
In a blender, combine the limeade concentrate, half the tequila, half the orange liqueur, and half the lime juice. Fill the blender almost to the top with ice cubes, cover, and blend on high speed until thick and slushy. Transfer to a decorative pitcher. Repeat with the remaining tequila, orange liqueur and lime juice, the pineapple juice concentrate and more ice. Transfer to the pitcher and stir to blend. The margaritas can be served immediately or stored, covered, in the refrigerator for several hours.
To serve, pour (or spoon) into the prepared glasses. Squeeze a wedge of lime into each drink and serve immediately.
Note: To make frozen strawberry margaritas, replace 1 tray of ice cubes with about 3 cups chopped fresh or partially thawed frozen berries. Blend as directed, and garnish each margarita with a single berry.
Cheers!
Foodie
Celebrate National Drink Wine Day!
February 18, 2009
Though I love wine, I am not nearly the expert nor the researcher or collector that my "cousins' husband" is - I affectionately referred to him as this once before and have not been able to live it down! I have shared many a good bottle of wine with him and he definitely goes to the "expensive" shelves when we are over so it is with pleasure that I introduce "Cabhunter" as a guest blogger for our "Celebrate National Drink Wine Day" posting. I have asked him to include easier to find wines in various price ranges for this occasion and I couldn't agree more with his selections as I have had just about all of them! I know you will enjoy them too so pick a bottle up on your way home and have a toast with us! Cheers- Foodie
Cabhunter:
When Foodie asked me to post a blog about wines for National Drink Wine Day, I said "sure, that sounds like a good idea, and something I would really enjoy". As the big day drew closer I started to wonder what I was going to write about with a whole world of wines to choose from. I finally decided to start by writing about the wines I really enjoy and that I think many of you will, and by providing choices of price points from $10 to $45.
White Wine (I tend to spend less on white wines and view them as appetizers to my red wine entrees!)
When I first got into wine drinking and collecting in 2000, the focus was California which was in the midst of two excellent Chardonnay vintages- 1996 and 1997. Everything we enjoyed back then was in the classic opulent Cali style. Over the years, our tastes gradually began to change, and we found ourselves enjoying the more restrained Chardonnays of White Burgundy. Our house white for the past several years comes from the Macon region, laying outside of the Chardonnay epicenters of Mersault and Puligny Montrachet and thus retailing at a MUCH lower price.
Subtle notes of green apple, nuts, oats, honey and lemon are the hallmarks of these dry, minerally wines. At a price point of $12-$15, these wines can't be beat for everyday drinking. 2004, 2005, and 2006 are all very good vintages in the region, and 2007 looks promising. Most of what you see on the shelves will be 2006 and 2007, and these wines should be enjoyed now.
Recommended-
Domaine Michel Barraud Macon Village 2006 - $12
If you are looking for a California Chardonnay in a similar style, try the Wyatt Chardonnay for $12. And if you can't pull yourself away from that full bodied Cali style, the 2007 Bogle should do the trick at $10.
Red Wine (my real wine obsession)
Similar story for my introduction to red wine as that of white wine - a string of excellent Cabernet vintages in Cali including 1996, 1997, and 1999 (but not 1998). Unfortunately prices for Cali Cabs have skyrocketed over the past 9 years, so value is hard to come by today. For that reason, as well as an expanding interest in the different varieties of red wine, I began to explore.
One of the best sources of red wine value in the world is the Southern Rhone valley in France. Made from primarily Grenache and Syrah (with some other varietals included as well), the Southern Rhone produces rich, structured, earthy wines with nice fruit and complexity. With a string of excellent vintages dating from 2007 back to 1998 (except 2002), you will easily find an abundance of selections from Chateauneuf du Pape, the flagship (and pricier) part of the region, right down to the delicious and affordable wines of Cotes du Rhone.
Recommended-
Jean-Louis Chave Selection Cotes du Rhone Mon Coeur 2006 - $23
If you feel like "going back to Cali", we can provide some excellent, widely available (and relatively reasonably priced) red wine choices from the Golden State as well:
2006 Ridge - Three Valleys, Geyserville, or Lytton Springs- Longtime top Cali producer of Zinfandel (usually blended with some Petite Syrah) ranging from $22 to $35.
2005 Buehler Cabernet Napa Valley - $27
2005 Joseph Phelps Cabernet Napa Valley - Long time Napa pioneer produces an EXCELLENT bottle of Napa Cabernet that can be found for $40 to $45, and which will really improve with a few years of cellar time.
Anything from T-Vine Cellars - a small (500 to 700 case production of each varietal) California producer and personal favorite, features Syrah, Petite Syrah, two Zinfandels, Grenache and a Merlot between $30 and $36, and a Cabernet based wine for $45. All of the wines are dark, full bodied and extremely tasty. If you want to keep the price in the low $30 range, try the Syrah and the Zinfandel. These wines are hard to find in the store but available on the website at www.tvinecellars.com
Last but not least, Wyatt also makes and enjoyable bottle of California Cabernet that retails for $12.
Hope you enjoy National Drink Wine Day and these selections!
For now,
Cabhunter
Though I love wine, I am not nearly the expert nor the researcher or collector that my "cousins' husband" is - I affectionately referred to him as this once before and have not been able to live it down! I have shared many a good bottle of wine with him and he definitely goes to the "expensive" shelves when we are over so it is with pleasure that I introduce "Cabhunter" as a guest blogger for our "Celebrate National Drink Wine Day" posting. I have asked him to include easier to find wines in various price ranges for this occasion and I couldn't agree more with his selections as I have had just about all of them! I know you will enjoy them too so pick a bottle up on your way home and have a toast with us! Cheers- FoodieCabhunter:
When Foodie asked me to post a blog about wines for National Drink Wine Day, I said "sure, that sounds like a good idea, and something I would really enjoy". As the big day drew closer I started to wonder what I was going to write about with a whole world of wines to choose from. I finally decided to start by writing about the wines I really enjoy and that I think many of you will, and by providing choices of price points from $10 to $45.
White Wine (I tend to spend less on white wines and view them as appetizers to my red wine entrees!)
When I first got into wine drinking and collecting in 2000, the focus was California which was in the midst of two excellent Chardonnay vintages- 1996 and 1997. Everything we enjoyed back then was in the classic opulent Cali style. Over the years, our tastes gradually began to change, and we found ourselves enjoying the more restrained Chardonnays of White Burgundy. Our house white for the past several years comes from the Macon region, laying outside of the Chardonnay epicenters of Mersault and Puligny Montrachet and thus retailing at a MUCH lower price.
Subtle notes of green apple, nuts, oats, honey and lemon are the hallmarks of these dry, minerally wines. At a price point of $12-$15, these wines can't be beat for everyday drinking. 2004, 2005, and 2006 are all very good vintages in the region, and 2007 looks promising. Most of what you see on the shelves will be 2006 and 2007, and these wines should be enjoyed now.
Recommended-
Domaine Michel Barraud Macon Village 2006 - $12
If you are looking for a California Chardonnay in a similar style, try the Wyatt Chardonnay for $12. And if you can't pull yourself away from that full bodied Cali style, the 2007 Bogle should do the trick at $10.
Red Wine (my real wine obsession)
Similar story for my introduction to red wine as that of white wine - a string of excellent Cabernet vintages in Cali including 1996, 1997, and 1999 (but not 1998). Unfortunately prices for Cali Cabs have skyrocketed over the past 9 years, so value is hard to come by today. For that reason, as well as an expanding interest in the different varieties of red wine, I began to explore.
One of the best sources of red wine value in the world is the Southern Rhone valley in France. Made from primarily Grenache and Syrah (with some other varietals included as well), the Southern Rhone produces rich, structured, earthy wines with nice fruit and complexity. With a string of excellent vintages dating from 2007 back to 1998 (except 2002), you will easily find an abundance of selections from Chateauneuf du Pape, the flagship (and pricier) part of the region, right down to the delicious and affordable wines of Cotes du Rhone.
Recommended-
Jean-Louis Chave Selection Cotes du Rhone Mon Coeur 2006 - $23
If you feel like "going back to Cali", we can provide some excellent, widely available (and relatively reasonably priced) red wine choices from the Golden State as well:
2006 Ridge - Three Valleys, Geyserville, or Lytton Springs- Longtime top Cali producer of Zinfandel (usually blended with some Petite Syrah) ranging from $22 to $35.
2005 Buehler Cabernet Napa Valley - $27
2005 Joseph Phelps Cabernet Napa Valley - Long time Napa pioneer produces an EXCELLENT bottle of Napa Cabernet that can be found for $40 to $45, and which will really improve with a few years of cellar time.
Anything from T-Vine Cellars - a small (500 to 700 case production of each varietal) California producer and personal favorite, features Syrah, Petite Syrah, two Zinfandels, Grenache and a Merlot between $30 and $36, and a Cabernet based wine for $45. All of the wines are dark, full bodied and extremely tasty. If you want to keep the price in the low $30 range, try the Syrah and the Zinfandel. These wines are hard to find in the store but available on the website at www.tvinecellars.com
Last but not least, Wyatt also makes and enjoyable bottle of California Cabernet that retails for $12.
Hope you enjoy National Drink Wine Day and these selections!
For now,
Cabhunter
Foodie Favorites Goes Global
February 16, 2009
My apologies for being away for so long. Diet Girl has been missing in action and it has taken some time to track her down... All kidding aside, I have been traveling and it has been very difficult to find the time to post to Foodie during my trip so sorry for that.
The good news is that Foodie Favorites has officially gone global! Germany, not necessarily known for it's food and fine dining like some of it's more obvious European neighbors like Italy and France, definitely did not leave this Foodie hungry (hence Diet Girl being M.I.A)! I was in Berlin for the last 10 or so days and in fact, there was a pleasantly surprising number of delicious places to eat and drink. If your travels or business happen to take you there, you will be able to impress your friends and colleagues with your knowledge of many good restaurants.
In no particular order, following is Part 1 of my German culinary tour (Part 2 to be posted within the week):
Note to Foodie Readers: In almost every case, one of my dinner companions ordered the wine which is why I have not been that specific with respect to what we had. (Plus, I rarely meet a glass of wine I don't like...)
My favorite restaurant in Berlin which I first went to during the Berlin Film Festival last year has to be "Grill Royal". It is trendy and "sceney", yet comfortable with good ambiance, located snugly next to the river with great food and equally great service. On this trip, we began with a nice glass of champagne and I had the tuna tartare to start and the halibut with risotto which were both prepared perfectly and were delicious. They also have a pretty extensive beef (or "grill") menu that I have ordered from previously and my friend had on this trip. We shared a lovely bottle of Italian red wine throughout the meal and nibbled on a cheese plate for dessert (one of my favorite dessert options as you know, and lucky for me, wildly popular in Europe!). If you are ever in Berlin, I highly recommend eating here and you MUST have a reservation!
Speaking of the cheese plate, one late afternoon around 6pm (dinner time by American standards), I was pretty hungry and knew I wouldn't be eating dinner for at least a few more hours so I stopped into "Lutter & Wegner" (L&W) for a snack. L&W is conveniently located across the street from The Ritz and close walking distance from The Marriot, The Grand Hyatt and The Mandala Hotel as well as various cinemas and shopping. They had a delicious cheese plate (quite large I might add) with 5 different types served with assorted breads. Other variations and interesting nibbles included a plate with cheeses and hams, mixed meats including prosciutto, etc. They also serve a full lunch and dinner menu. L&W also has a pretty substantial wine list by the glass and the bottle and it doubles as a wine shop. You can buy many German bottles to take away. It was definitely a warm cozy place to pass some time over a glass of wine and it was less than 20 Euros total.
Another night, a large group of us went to "Restaurant Refugium" which was fine dining complete with a delicious wine list and good service- even for a big group. We had German Riesling (of course!) and a French Bordeaux. I started with the thinnest slices of tuna carpaccio which was very enjoyable, but I must say that when I saw the 3 salmon appetizer which consisted of smoked salmon, salmon blinis and salmon tartare, I had orderer's remorse. I will definitely choose that next time. For my main course, I ordered one of the special menu pastas which was pretty similar to fettucine alfredo and very yummy. I hate to be boring, but a cheese plate is great to share among a large group and so we did... The menu was chock full of meat eater delights from pork to veal to calf's liver...you get the idea, but they did also offer several fish and pastas as well and from what I could tell everyone at our table enjoyed the meals and the company!
The last restaurant of Part 1, but not the least... "Cancun". A casual Mexican eatery with multiple locations throughout Berlin and Germany. It is super laid back, inexpensive, the portions are huge and the food is good. I shared a heaping plate of nachos to start and was already stuffed but still wanting more. I somehow also managed to shovel down chicken and beef tacos for the main course. To drink, what Mexican restaurant would be complete if they didn't offer all varieties of margaritas? As a whole, it is definitely a taste of something different among the "hoi polloi" restaurants especially if you just want to relax a little and so relax we did...
Stay tuned for Germany: Part 2 and don't forget that February 18 is National Drink Wine Day, followed by National Margarita Day on February 22.
Happy Speisesaal!
Foodie
Grill Royal GmbH
Friedrichstralse 105B
10117 Berlin
Phone +49 30 288 79 288
website www.grillroyal.com (mostly in German)
e-mail office@grillroyal.com
Lutter & Wegner
Bellevuestrasse 1
10785 Berlin-Mitte
Phone +49 30 263 90 372
website www.l-w-berlin.de
e-mail info@l-w-berlin.de
Restaurant Refugium
Gendarmenmarkt 5
10117 Berlin
Phone +49 30 2 29 16 61
website www.restaurant-refugium.de (mostly in German)
e-mail mail@restaurant-refugium.de
Cancun
Multiple Locations
Phone in Potsdamer Platz location +49 30 20 91 16 66
website www.cancun-restaurant.de
e-mail info@cancun-restaurant.de
My apologies for being away for so long. Diet Girl has been missing in action and it has taken some time to track her down... All kidding aside, I have been traveling and it has been very difficult to find the time to post to Foodie during my trip so sorry for that.
The good news is that Foodie Favorites has officially gone global! Germany, not necessarily known for it's food and fine dining like some of it's more obvious European neighbors like Italy and France, definitely did not leave this Foodie hungry (hence Diet Girl being M.I.A)! I was in Berlin for the last 10 or so days and in fact, there was a pleasantly surprising number of delicious places to eat and drink. If your travels or business happen to take you there, you will be able to impress your friends and colleagues with your knowledge of many good restaurants.In no particular order, following is Part 1 of my German culinary tour (Part 2 to be posted within the week):
Note to Foodie Readers: In almost every case, one of my dinner companions ordered the wine which is why I have not been that specific with respect to what we had. (Plus, I rarely meet a glass of wine I don't like...)
My favorite restaurant in Berlin which I first went to during the Berlin Film Festival last year has to be "Grill Royal". It is trendy and "sceney", yet comfortable with good ambiance, located snugly next to the river with great food and equally great service. On this trip, we began with a nice glass of champagne and I had the tuna tartare to start and the halibut with risotto which were both prepared perfectly and were delicious. They also have a pretty extensive beef (or "grill") menu that I have ordered from previously and my friend had on this trip. We shared a lovely bottle of Italian red wine throughout the meal and nibbled on a cheese plate for dessert (one of my favorite dessert options as you know, and lucky for me, wildly popular in Europe!). If you are ever in Berlin, I highly recommend eating here and you MUST have a reservation!
Speaking of the cheese plate, one late afternoon around 6pm (dinner time by American standards), I was pretty hungry and knew I wouldn't be eating dinner for at least a few more hours so I stopped into "Lutter & Wegner" (L&W) for a snack. L&W is conveniently located across the street from The Ritz and close walking distance from The Marriot, The Grand Hyatt and The Mandala Hotel as well as various cinemas and shopping. They had a delicious cheese plate (quite large I might add) with 5 different types served with assorted breads. Other variations and interesting nibbles included a plate with cheeses and hams, mixed meats including prosciutto, etc. They also serve a full lunch and dinner menu. L&W also has a pretty substantial wine list by the glass and the bottle and it doubles as a wine shop. You can buy many German bottles to take away. It was definitely a warm cozy place to pass some time over a glass of wine and it was less than 20 Euros total.
Another night, a large group of us went to "Restaurant Refugium" which was fine dining complete with a delicious wine list and good service- even for a big group. We had German Riesling (of course!) and a French Bordeaux. I started with the thinnest slices of tuna carpaccio which was very enjoyable, but I must say that when I saw the 3 salmon appetizer which consisted of smoked salmon, salmon blinis and salmon tartare, I had orderer's remorse. I will definitely choose that next time. For my main course, I ordered one of the special menu pastas which was pretty similar to fettucine alfredo and very yummy. I hate to be boring, but a cheese plate is great to share among a large group and so we did... The menu was chock full of meat eater delights from pork to veal to calf's liver...you get the idea, but they did also offer several fish and pastas as well and from what I could tell everyone at our table enjoyed the meals and the company!
The last restaurant of Part 1, but not the least... "Cancun". A casual Mexican eatery with multiple locations throughout Berlin and Germany. It is super laid back, inexpensive, the portions are huge and the food is good. I shared a heaping plate of nachos to start and was already stuffed but still wanting more. I somehow also managed to shovel down chicken and beef tacos for the main course. To drink, what Mexican restaurant would be complete if they didn't offer all varieties of margaritas? As a whole, it is definitely a taste of something different among the "hoi polloi" restaurants especially if you just want to relax a little and so relax we did...
Stay tuned for Germany: Part 2 and don't forget that February 18 is National Drink Wine Day, followed by National Margarita Day on February 22.
Happy Speisesaal!
Foodie
Grill Royal GmbH
Friedrichstralse 105B
10117 Berlin
Phone +49 30 288 79 288
website www.grillroyal.com (mostly in German)
e-mail office@grillroyal.com
Lutter & Wegner
Bellevuestrasse 1
10785 Berlin-Mitte
Phone +49 30 263 90 372
website www.l-w-berlin.de
e-mail info@l-w-berlin.de
Restaurant Refugium
Gendarmenmarkt 5
10117 Berlin
Phone +49 30 2 29 16 61
website www.restaurant-refugium.de (mostly in German)
e-mail mail@restaurant-refugium.de
Cancun
Multiple Locations
Phone in Potsdamer Platz location +49 30 20 91 16 66
website www.cancun-restaurant.de
e-mail info@cancun-restaurant.de
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