Russian River Brewery

Posted on May 21, 2013 by admin

Last week Whisk and I traveled up to Northern California for my work. I had a class to take on Saturday so we thought it was a good opportunity to go up a little earlier and have some fun. Even though my class was in St. Helena, the closest room we could find was in Santa Rosa, lucky for us the hotel was only about 2 miles away from Russian River Brewery.

The first time I ever tasted a beer from Russian River Brewery was back in 2009 at Hollingshead’s Deli in Orange, CA. One of my good friends took me there and introduced me to Pliny the Elder. I was hooked after the first taste. So when Whisk told me that we would just be up the street from the brewery, I knew we had to go.

List of Russian River Brewery beers on tap. Pliny the Elder on the bottom left is my favorite.

We arrived to the brewery on a busy Thursday night. When you walk into the brewery the first thing you notice is the long bar and the big chalk board behind the bar with all the current beer offerings. They also have plenty of tables for seating if you prefer a seat away from the bar to enjoy your beer and food. Russian River Brewery is also family friendly if you have children with you to sit at tables away from the bar.

Whisk and I got a spot at the bar for our beer tasting and dinner.

Whisk and I found a spot at the bar and decided to take a seat there. We each ordered a pint of Pliny the Elder to start off with. This beer got its name from Pliny the Elder, who lived from 23 AD to 79 AD. He was a Roman author, naturalist, philosopher, and is believed to have discovered hops. This beer is one of my all-time favorites, it is a double IPA that has an incredible balance of alcohol, hops, and citrus. The brewery recommends enjoying this beer young and fresh.

We each started with a pint of Pliny the Elder.

Whisk and I split a salad and a pizza while enjoying our beer.

While enjoying our beer we decided to have some dinner. The brewery offers up a variety of appetizers, chicken wings, salads, sandwiches, calzones, and pizza’s. We decided to split a salad and a pizza.

The “Mikey”: Mozzarella, marinara, pepperoni, sausage, and caramelized onions. Delicious!

Along with dinner we ordered up a beer sampler. A friend of ours from my work who had visited the brewery in the past recommended that we share a sampler, I am glad that we listened to her. For $15 we got a sample of 16 different beers that they currently offered.

The Russian River Brewery beer sampler.

Russian River Brewery makes a wide variety of beers focusing on Belgian inspired ales, IPA’s, as well as barrel aged beers. There were also three sour beers on the sampler. Whisk and I tend to gravitate towards the Belgian style beers, IPA’s, and Stouts, but for those of you who like sour beers this would be a great place to tryout.

We decided to split the 16 beer sampler.

After finishing our sampler we both agreed that our favorites were Pliny the Elder and Blind Pig, both are IPA’s. Individual bottles are available for purchase to take home with you, which is great because it is hard to find these beers here on the Central Coast.

Russian River Brewery Pliny the Elder and Blind Pig

Whisk and I both agreed that are two favorites in the tasting were Pliny the Elder and Blind Pig. We ended up taking 3 of each home with us.

If you’re a beer lover and find yourself in the Santa Rosa area then Russian River Brewery is a must visit. Also keep an eye out at restaurants and bars, you never know when it could be your lucky day and Pliny the Elder will show up on the menu.

Enjoy!

Russian River Brewery
Santa Rosa, CA 95404
707-545-BEER
www.russianriverbrewing.com

Tropical Traditions Gold Label Virgin Coconut Oil Giveaway

Posted on May 13, 2013 by admin

Whisk and I are very excited to be participating in our first ever giveaway here at the Fork and Whisk Blog. Tropical Traditions is going to be sponsoring a giveaway for 1 quart of their Gold Label Virgin Coconut Oil.

Whisk starting using Tropical Traditions products quite a few months ago. We not only use their coconut oil, but also their skincare products. Tropical Traditions carries many other products besides coconut oil such as: pastured chickens, pastured turkeys, grass-fed bison, grass-fed beef, grass-fed lamb, and pastured butter along with many other products.

Below is a delicious recipe that Whisk adapted from www.101cookbooks.com using Tropical Traditions Virgin Coconut Oil. Near the end of the post you will see the words “a Rafflecopter giveaway” highlighted in red, click on that link for your chance to win 1 quart of the Tropical Tradition Gold Label Virgin Coconut Oil. Enjoy and good luck.

Chopped 72% Dark Chocolate.

Chocolate, sugar, Tropical Traditions Virgin Coconut Oil, and water all being combined.

Melting chocolate mixture over a double boiler.

Whipping egg whites to stiff peaks.

After egg yolks have been beaten into the chocolate mixture, the egg whites are folded in.

We like to serve this chocolate pudding in mason jars. Enjoy!

3.0 from 1 reviews

Tropical Traditions Virgin Coconut Oil Giveaway

Recipe type: Chocolate Pudding

Whisk adapted this chocolate pudding recipe from www.101cookbooks.com. This is a quick and delicious dessert, only takes about 10 minutes start to finish.

Ingredients

2 eggs, pasture raised, brought to room temperature shortly before using*
6 ounces / 170 g good-quality dark chocolate, finely chopped
4 tablespoons water
4 tablespoons fine grain sugar or coconut sugar
4 tablespoons Tropical Traditions coconut oil
fine grain sea salt
to top: heavy cream, loosely whipped, slightly sweetened (optional)

Instructions

Separate the whites and yolks of the eggs. In a large bowl, beat the egg whites until they hold very stiff peaks.
Combine the chocolate, water, sugar, butter, and a pinch of salt in a double boiler. If you don’t have a double-boiler, you can fashion one by combining the ingredients in a medium stainless steel bowl, and then placing this bowl atop a small simmering saucepan of water. The idea is to apply just enough gentle heat to melt the chocolate. Stir until the ingredients come together smoothly. Remove from heat, and beat in the egg yolks. Add the egg whites, and fold gently until the pudding is uniform in texture. Pour the pudding into serving cups or glasses, and chill well – preferably for a few hours. Serve topped with a bit of whipped cream.
Serves 2-4.

Win 1 quart of Gold Label Virgin Coconut Oil!

Tropical Traditions is America’s source for coconut oil. Their Gold Label Virgin Coconut Oil is hand crafted in small batches by family producers, and it is the highest quality coconut oil they offer. You can read more about how virgin coconut oil is different from other coconut oils on their website: What is Virgin Coconut Oil?

You can also watch the video they produced about Gold Label Virgin Coconut Oil:

Tropical Traditions also carries other varieties of affordable high quality coconut oil. Visit their website to check on current sales, to learn about the many uses of coconut oil, and to read about all the advantages of buying coconut oil online. Since the FDA does not want us to discuss the health benefits of coconut oil on a page where it is being sold or given away, here is the best website to read about the health benefits of coconut oil.

Disclaimer: Tropical Traditions provided me with a free sample of this product to review, and I was under no obligation to review it if I so chose. Nor was I under any obligation to write a positive review or sponsor a product giveaway in return for the free product.

Virgin Coconut Oil, Gold Label – 1 pint

“If you order by clicking on any of my links and have never ordered from Tropical Traditions in the past, you will receive a free book on Virgin Coconut Oil, and I will receive a discount coupon for referring you.”

Click on the highlighted text below to enter the giveaway for your chance to win! Thanks, Fork and Whisk.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Dey Dey’s Best Beef Ever

Posted on May 6, 2013 by admin

I was led to Dey Dey’s Best Beef Ever in a roundabout way, I was reading a book by Michael Pollan entitled The Omnivore’s Dilemna. In this book Michael Pollan visits Joel Salatin of Polyface Farms in Riverheads, Virginia. Reading this book was my first introduction into how meat in our country is mostly produced; How most of the meat we eat is from cattle that has been fed grain and soy, and also shot up with antibiotics. But I also learned about grass-fed beef from Michael Pollan’s visit to Polyface Farms, the health benefits of eating grass-fed beef as well as the benefits to our environment. After reading the Omnivore’s Dilemna I wanted to see if we had any farms like that out here in California. I started searching around on the internet and found Dey Dey’s Best Beef Ever.

A beautiful day in the Santa Rita Hills at the ranch.

John and Nadine de Bruin are the owner/operators of Dey Dey’s ranch located in California’s Central Coast in the Santa Rita Hills. The first time Whisk and I bought grass-fed products from Dey Dey’s was April 20^th, 2011 from their roadside farm stand. The reason I remember that day so clearly is because it was also the day Whisk and I got engaged, so Dey Dey’s will always be special to us.

I first contacted John via e-mail back in March of this year asking if we would be able to take a tour of his ranch. He was very kind in his response and set up a date for Whisk and I to come out and take a look at his property and operation.

When the day of our tour arrived it was a beautiful spring day. We drove out to the ranch and met John at his home. He invited us in and we took a seat on the couch while he pulled up a chair. We talked with John for about 45 minutes in his living room, he told us about his past career as an engineer and physicist, and how that owning a working ranch was a childhood dream of his. I was also shocked to find out that John was a vegan for 5 years at one point in his life. He said he did it for health reasons, but never physically felt great while being a practicing vegan. He then started to read books about health and discovered the health benefits of grass-fed beef, poultry, and pork. I was so impressed with the amount of knowledge he had, his ability to reference books and the amount of research he has done.

John of Dey Dey's Best Beef Ever leading Whisk to the chickens.

John and Whisk talking as he leads us over to see the chickens.

The chickens and cows at Dey Dey’s coexist in a very important way. Cows graze on tall grasses until they are about 4 inches high, after that they are moved to a different part of the pasture to feed on newly grown grasses. Chickens come in after the cows and are free to eat the remaining grasses and bugs. While the chickens eat, their claws act as a tool to help fertilize the soil. The chickens claws mix their poop in with the cow poop and spread it around the soil acting as an incredible fertilizer that will help grow the next batch of healthy grasses for the cows.

The chicken coop where all the pastured eggs are collected.

Dey Dey's best beef ever free range pastured chickens.

Now these are truly free range chickens.

Dey Dey's Best Beef Ever assorted grasses.

Cow and chickens feed on a mixture of grasses including: oat, alfalfa, perennial rye, orchard, and fescue.

One thing I noticed while Whisk and I were walking with John around his ranch was his respect of the animals, the land, and his crew of people working for him. This definitely seemed like a labor of love for him, an endeavor he was truly passionate about. This showed in the way he would pet the cows, talk to the animals, and talk about the land.

This picture reminds me of those old commercials talking about happy cows coming from California, these cows truly did seem happy.

On Saturday May 11th, Dey Dey’s will be having an open house at the ranch. Tickets are $15 for adults and $8 for children. The open house will start at 11 in the morning and go till 3 in the afternoon. This is a great opportunity to learn where your food comes from, to learn about the incredible health benefits of grass-fed beef and pastured chickens. They will also be offering many educational classes that day, foot tours of the ranch, and hayrides. You will also be able to enjoy a delicious grass-fed burger. To find out all the information about Dey Dey’s open house and acquiring tickets click on the highlighted open house.

www.bestbeefever.com

Whisk and I would like to thank John and Nadine for letting us come to their home and tour their ranch. It was an absolute pleasure.

Dey Dey’s sells their grass-fed and pastured products on their website at www.bestbeefever.com, as well as at many farmer’s markets between Solvang and the Los Angeles area. Go to their website to find where you can get their delicious beef and chicken. Below is a delicious chicken pot pie recipe Whisk created using Dey Dey’s pastured chicken.

Enjoy!

Chicken Pot Pie with Dey Dey’s Pastured Chicken.

Dey Dey’s Best Beef Ever

Ingredients

1 ½ pounds Chicken, whole or pieces, roasted
2 tbsp. butter
3 carrots, medium, peeled and cut crosswise ½” thick
1 onion, medium, minced
1 celery rib, sliced ¼” thick
½ butternut squash, small cube
½ tsp salt
¼ cup all purpose flour or tapioca flour
⅓ cup dry white wine
2 cups chicken broth
½ cup heavy cream
2 tsp fresh thyme, minced
1 cup frozen peas*
12oz. pie crust
*instead of peas, substitute 1 cup Kale leaves, roughly chopped

Instructions

Melt butter on medium in stockpot.
Add the carrots, onion, celery, butternut squash and salt and cook until the vegetables are softened, 5 to 7 minutes.
Stir in the flour and cook, stirring constantly, until incorporated, about 1 minute. Slowly stir in the wine and cook until evaporated, about 30 seconds. Slowly stir in the broth, cream and thyme and bring to a simmer.
Simmer for 10 minutes. Shred the chicken while vegetables simmer.
Add the chicken to the vegetables and stir in the peas or kale and season with salt and pepper to taste.
Fill ramekins with chicken filling and cover with pie crust cut to ½” larger than the ramekin. Seal edges. Brush with egg wash and sprinkle with salt & pepper OR make into double crusted 10″ pie
Bake at 425 F degrees until crust is golden brown and filling is bubbling.

Tofu “Tzatziki”

Posted on April 22, 2013 by admin

Tzatziki is a Greek sauce that I love to have on fish, grilled chicken, and especially lamb. It is made with strained yogurt and mixed with cucumbers, garlic, lemon juice, and mint or parsley.

Yesterday while Whisk was at work, the idea of having tzatziki with dinner sounded good. I was in the mood to do some grilling on the barbecue, so I grabbed some chicken thighs at the store, and grabbed some yogurt for the base of my sauce. While I was walking around Trader Joe’s the thought hit me that I should try this sauce with tofu instead of yogurt. I have heard a lot of people lately talking about being lactose intolerant and how dairy products give their stomachs a hard time. Tofu sounded like it would be a great substitution.

Firm tofu, lemon, yellow bell pepper, tomato, red onion and garlic ready to be prepped.

When I started thinking about everything else that was going to go into the sauce I decided to switch it up a bit. I wasn’t really in the mood for cucumbers so I grabbed some tomato instead, I also wanted to add some bell pepper and onion for a little texture, flavor, and added nutrition.

Yellow bell pepper, red onion, and tomato all diced.

Diced tomato, yellow bell pepper, and red onion.

tofu dried and ready to be cut up and pureed.

Tofu pressed and dried with a paper towel, all ready to be cut into squares and placed in the blender.

This is a very easy sauce to make, I made it about 5 hours before I was going to serve it. If you do make it ahead of time just be sure not to salt it until you are ready to serve, the salt will draw the water out of the tomatoes and make your sauce runny.

Tofu, garlic, lemon zest and lemon juice in the blender to be pureed.

You can make your own variations to this sauce as well. Try different herbs; instead of cilantro try it with parsley, dill, or thyme. You could also add spices to the sauce, I think cumin and paprika would have worked really well, maybe even a little cayenne if you wanted a bit of heat. What about substituting jalapeno or serrano chile peppers in place of the bell peppers? The combinations are almost endless, find what flavors work together the best for you.

I let this blend for 3 to 4 minutes to get it as smooth as possible.

I let this blend for 3 to 4 minutes to get the tofu sauce as smooth as possible.

Pour the tofu sauce over the mixed vegetables. Your almost done.

We served the tofu tzatziki alongside grilled chicken thighs that had a rub with a little bit of spice to it. This would also go great with blackened salmon or halibut, leg of lamb, or even pork loin. I also like to have it with millet, black rice, or quinoa because you can mix it all up together and it tastes great.

Tofu “tzatziki” with spice grilled chicken and millet with fava beans.

Tofu “Tzatziki”

Ingredients

1 beefsteak tomato, seeded, small dice
1 yellow, red, or orange bell pepper, finely diced
½ red onion, finely diced
3 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
1 (14) ounce package firm tofu, drained, cut into squares
2 lemons
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1 bunch cilantro, chopped
Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

In a medium sized bowl, place diced tomato, red onion, and bell pepper together.
In the bowl of a blender, add cubed tofu, garlic, red wine vinegar, zest of 1 lemon, and the juice of 2 lemons. Blend until very smooth.
Pour the pureed tofu mixture on top of the diced vegetables. Gently mix together with a spoon or spatula. Add chopped cilantro and incorporate into the mixture.
Season with salt and pepper when ready to serve.

A Day In Milwaukee

Posted on April 16, 2013 by admin

This past February Whisk and I flew out to Chicago for a week to visit with family and to catch up with some friends. On this trip we also wanted to have a little alone time together and take a quick overnight trip out of Chicago. We decided that we would spend a day in Milwaukee since it is only about a 90 minute drive from Chicago.

Whisk had been to Milwaukee before and thought it was a city that I would enjoy. She also has a cousin that lives near the Milwaukee area and thought it would be nice to visit with him and his wife. Whisk called her cousin and he suggested that we meet them at a coffee shop called Alterra.

Alterra at the Lake
1701 N. Lincoln Memorial Dr.
Milwaukee, Wi 53202
414-223-4551
www.alterracoffee.com

Alterra coffee was started by 3 friends back in 1994, they now have coffee shop cafe’s throughout the metro-Milwaukee area. We met up with Whisk’s cousin and wife at Alterra at the Lake. This was a cool place, the building was built in 1888 and was originally home to the historic Milwaukee River Flushing Station.

Inside the cafe there is a lot of history from when it was the Milwaukee river flushing station and even some pieces of equipment that they decided to keep in the building to preserve some of its history.

Alterra serves much more than coffee; soups, salads, sandwiches, fresh baked goods made from scratch, espresso, and tea can be enjoyed in the cafe with its ample seating or for you to take with you if you don’t have the time to sit down.

Alterra carries a wide variety of coffee, you are sure to find one just right for you.

Alterra at the Lake had a lot of seating.

Plenty of seating to enjoy a quick meal or to enjoy a cup of coffee with some friends.

Whisk’s cousin made a very generous gesture and let us pick out a bag of coffee of our choice to take back home with us. On the back of each bag of Alterra coffee they have a flavor profile scale that helps you pick out the coffee best suited for you. Whisk picked out the Colombia Paso Fino blend, on the scale it was a medium-light roast, medium bodied with a bright acidity. It was delicious, we just finished off the bag last week. Lucky for us and for everyone who lives outside of Milwaukee you can order any of the delicious Alterra coffee blends off of their website at www.alterracoffee.com.

Whisk’s Cousin and wife bought us a pound of coffee as a gift, we picked the Colombia blend. Definitely going to be ordering more for home.

After coffee and goodbye’s had been said, Whisk and I headed over to our next stop, Lakefront Brewery. Whisk found out about Lakefront Brewery online while researching our trip. It seems like we would be missing out on an important part of Milwaukee if we didn’t stop by at least one brewery.

Lakefront Brewery
1872 N. Commerce St.
Milwaukee, WI 53212
(414) 372-8800
www.lakefrontbrewery.com

Lakefront Brewery was started in 1987 by Jim and Russ Klisch and today the brewery is located right on the Milwaukee river. From its modest beginnings of producing under a 100 barrels the brewery now produces over 33,000 barrels per year

A tasty line-up of some of their craft beers.

Lakefront Brewery offers a wide variety of beers including seasonal beers, organic and gluten free beers, limited release beers, and beers that they carry all throughout the year. Whisk and I both picked the Fixed Gear American Red Ale as our favorite beer from the lineup we tasted.

We also decided to take a tour of the brewery which they offer several times throughout the day. If you are going to visit Lakefront Brewery then a tour is a must, what a good deal. For $7.00 you get a great tour full of history of the brewery and family, four 6 ounce pours of beer, and a souvenir pint glass. You also get a coupon for a free beer at a participating local bar to use before 6pm that same day.

We had a great time at Lakefront Brewery, now time for a little rest at the hotel before we head into the town for the night.

Downtown Milwaukee at dusk.

While Whisk was getting ready for dinner back at the hotel I decided to take a little walk around town. Downtown Milwaukee is a beautiful city, beautiful buildings, and the river going right through town.

For dinner we headed over to a restaurant called Honeypie. Whisk discovered them online and really like their menu and approach to food.

Honeypie Cafe
2643 S. Kinnickinnic Ave
Milwaukee, WI 53207
(414) 489-7437
www.honeypiecafe.com

The first thing that struck me about Honeypie was their list of Wisconsin Farms and purveyors that they support. This is great to see, they use local grass fed beef in their burgers, as well as local dairy, poultry, produce, ice-cream, and coffee. They also had a great list of beers to choose from.

Honeypie cafe: local farms and purveyors

Honeypie supports local farms and suppliers by using local meats and produce.

House Green Salad- Growing Power greens, tomatoes, cucumbers, carrots

Roasted corn clam chowder with a housemade corn muffin.

The cuisine at Honeypie is comfort food prepared in an elevated state. Almost everything is made from scratch and done very well. Everything I ate I liked, especially the roast chicken, that hit the spot on a cold Milwaukee Winter night.

Burger- Wisconsin raised grass-fed beef, American cheese, caramelized onions, lettuce, tomato, onion, bacon, special sauce, a sunny side egg on an egg-glazed bun.

Roasted Farm Chicken- fine herb spaetzle, wild mushrooms, wilted spinach, shallot butter, and parsley pistou.

After a great dinner at Honeypie we decided it was still early enough to take a walk over to Blackbird bar and have a night cap.

Blackbird
3007 S. Kinnickinnic Ave
Milwaukee, WI 53207
(414) 486-1344
Follow on Facebook or twitter @blackbird_bar

The review I read about Blackbird online was “all the qualities of a dive bar without the dirtiness”, this described Blackbird perfectly.

It was a quiet night at Blackbird when we arrived. We took a seat at the bar and asked to see a list of beers. The bartender was very friendly and knew a lot about the local beers they offered on the list. We each ordered a beer and decided we would go into the other room to sit in one of their booths.

Aside from having a great jukebox, Blackbird also has pin ball machines, video games, a photo booth, and board games. This was a great stop to end our night with a nice relaxing drink.

We both really enjoyed our day in Milwaukee. I know it was only a small sampling of what the city has to offer. I would love to go back and catch a baseball game, as well as check out some more breweries and restaurants. If you find yourself in the Mid-West and you are near the Milwaukee area, it is definitely worth your time to stop over and enjoy what the city has to offer.

Grilled Spice Rubbed Flank Steak with Black Bean Salsa

Posted on April 8, 2013 by admin

With Spring here and the temperatures outside starting to rise, we thought we would share a recipe that you could do on your outdoor grill or inside on your grill pan. For tonight’s recipe we are using flank steak, an incredibly flavorful piece of meat and also one that cooks very quickly.

Black beans, avocado, red onion, cilantro, red bell pepper, jalapeno, garlic, tomato, and lime all come together in this delicious salsa.

The flank steak will be marinated for a couple of hours in a simple spice rub and served with a tasty, healthy, and easy to make black bean salsa.

Kosher salt, fresh cracked pepper, cayenne pepper, onion powder, paprika, ground cumin, and brown sugar make up the spice rub.

We purchased our flank steak from Dey Dey’s Best Beef Ever at the Solvang farmer’s market. When we can we like to purchase our beef from local ranchers and beef from cow’s that are grass fed. Aside from supporting our local community, grass fed beef has many health benefits compared to grain fed beef. If you would like to read more about the benefits of grass fed beef and where you can find grass fed beef locally then take a look at the eat wild website which has a lot of great information.

Flank steak from Dey Dey’s Best Beef Ever has been patted dry and is ready to be seasoned with the spice rub.

Spiced rubbed flank steak is ready for the grill or you can let it marinate for awhile.

I let this flank steak marinate for about 2 hours.

My Grandma and Grandpa gave Whisk and I a NuWave induction cook top last year as a gift. The NuWave came with a grill pan that works very well. Originally I wanted to cook the flank steak outside on the barbecue, but because it was so windy outside I decided to do it inside on the grill pan which works just fine.

Flank steak getting a nice sear on our NuWave induction cook top.

All done cooking, now just got to let it rest for about 10 minutes.

Serve the sliced flank steak over brown or black rice and top with the black bean salsa. You could also warm some corn tortillas and make tacos.

Enjoy!

A delicious and healthy meal.

GRILLED SPICE RUBBED FLANK STEAK WITH BLACK BEAN SALSA

INGREDIENTS: GRILLED SPICE RUBBED FLANK STEAK

1 tablespoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon fresh cracked pepper
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon paprika
½ teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon brown sugar
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 pound of flank steak (preferably grass fed)

INGREDIENTS: BLACK BEAN SALSA

2 (15 ounce) cans black beans, drained and rinsed
1 red bell pepper, small diced
1 jalapeno, small diced (you can leave in or remove as many of the seeds and membranes as you want depending on the amount of heat you want in the salsa)
2 medium sized tomatoes, diced
½ red onion, finely diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 small bunch cilantro, chopped
1 avocado, diced
Juice and zest of 1 lime
Salt and pepper to taste

METHOD: GRILLED SPICE RUBBED FLANK STEAK

In a small bowl mix together salt, pepper, cayenne pepper, paprika, ground cumin, onion powder, and brown sugar.
Drizzle 1 tablespoon of olive oil on each side of the flank steak. Rub oil so that it covers the whole flank steak. Generously season the flank steak on both sides with the spice rub. You can now cook the flank steak or let it marinate in the refrigerator for 1 to 3 hours.
Remove flank steak from the refrigerator half an hour before you will be cooking so it can come up to temperature. While the steak is coming up to temperature turn on your barbecue grill to a high temperature. You can also use a grill pan on your stovetop, turn on to high heat.
When your grill is hot add the flank steak and cook 4-5 minutes on each side.
Place cooked steak on a cutting board and loosely tent with foil for 10 minutes to let the juices rest.
When ready to serve cut the flank steak against the grain into strips.
Top the flank steak with a couple spoonful’s of the black bean salsa. Serve with a green salad, bread, and black rice.

METHOD: BLACK BEAN SALSA

In a large bowl add all of the ingredients except for the avocado, salt and pepper. Gently mix together. You can refrigerate this up to 1 day.
Right before serving add the avocado and season with salt and pepper.

The Bristol

Posted on March 19, 2013 by admin

This past February on our trip to Chicago, Whisk and I wanted to share one of our favorite restaurants with two of our friends who came out from California. Maverick and Charlie (for the sake of this post), had never been to Chicago before, so we wanted to take them somewhere that was special to Whisk and I.

The Bristol is located in Chicago’s Bucktown neighborhood and has become a standard stop for Whisk and I on almost every trip we take to Chicago. Whisk took me there when we first started dating back in March of 2011. The first thing I ever ate at The Bristol was the market greens salad with a tarragon-buttermilk dressing, it may sound simple but it is so good. I crave that salad on a regular basis. One of the reasons we started this blog was so that we could share places like The Bristol, the places we love to eat at.

Whisk likes to start her meal off with a cocktail.

Charlie, Maverick, Whisk and myself went to The Bristol on a Saturday night. It was busy but they do take reservations. While we waited for our table we each had a Moscow mule at the bar, The Bristol makes a mean Moscow mule.

The Bristol makes a great Moscow Mule, my favorite cocktail.

I love the feeling and atmosphere inside The Bristol. It feels like a neighborhood restaurant, a place where you would want to be a regular at. If Whisk and I lived nearby we would be there every Sunday night after work for dinner.

Market Greens, Tarragon-Buttermilk Dressing

Besides the friendly service and comfortable atmosphere, what really makes The Bristol special is the food. Owner and chef, Chris Pandel,creates a seasonal menu using locally sourced produce and proteins. They make their own handmade pasta and charcuterie, and also create specialty house made cocktails. They don’t over think the food, they just do it very well. Like I said earlier, the market greens salad was a simple salad, but just done the right way.

Shaved Squash Salad, Endive, Mint, Basil, Pomegranate, Yogurt Vinaigrette

Beef Heart Tartate, Deviled Egg, Hot Sauce, Capers, Toast

The menu at The Bristol is set up so that it is easy to share with other people if you wanted to get a good sampling of the entire menu. The menu is split into four sections: Starters, pasta, mains, and snacks. With our group, each couple ordered a salad, a pasta dish, a main course, and we split some duck fat fries from the snacks portion of the menu.

Goat Cheese Raviolini, Pistachio Beurre Blanc, Chives

Raviolo, Ricotta, Egg Yolk, Brown Butter

Chocolate Cremeux, Nutterbutters

Amanda Rockman is the pastry chef at The Bristol and does an excellent job. Her dessert menu changes but it seems like the chocolate cremeux with house-made nutterbutters are a mainstay, we seem to order them every time because they are so delicious.

Sticky Toffee Pudding, Pear Sorbet, Chestnuts, Ora

2152 N. Damen Ave
Chicago, IL 60647
773-862-5555

I would like to thank everyone at The Bristol for always making our experience there special. Like our last post, the pictures shown here do not do the food justice. We try to take these pictures in the restaurant without disturbing other guests enjoying their meals. If you are in Chicago then The Bristol is another must stop on your list of great restaurants.

Enjoy!

Longman & Eagle

Posted on March 14, 2013 by admin

On our trip to Chicago last month visiting with family and friends, Whisk and I had a free night during the week to go out to dinner together. It just so happened that it was the day after Valentine’s Day so we wanted to go eat somewhere special and someplace that was also new to the both of us.

Leading up to our trip we had both been doing research online about different restaurants and making a list of the places we wanted to eat at. Longman & Eagle ended up on both of our lists. When we sat down together and looked at the menu online it was pretty easy to decide that we both wanted to eat there.

Longman & Eagle is located in the Logan Square District of Chicago. The area has a gritty feel to it, but has some great new restaurants popping up.

Slagel Family Farm Lamb Tartare, 15 Minute Quail Egg, Black Truffle, Crispy Potatoes, Celery Root Remoulade, Dijon, Black Olive-Anchovy Oil

When we arrived at the restaurant it was packed full. They don’t take reservations so you do run the risk of having to wait for a table. Our wait was only about 40 minutes, which isn’t bad for a Friday night, so it gave us time to have a drink before we sat down to dinner.

The atmosphere at Longman & Eagle is very comfortable, the low lighting throughout the restaurant helps to create an intimate setting. The restaurant is split into two different rooms. The first dining room you enter into includes the bar and is lively. The dining room next door is quieter with a bit more of a private feel.

The pictures featured in this post are not of the best quality. I will only bring my camera phone into a restaurant and do not like to use my flash since it can be disturbing to other diners. Some of the following shots of food may be hard to see and do not do the food due justice.

Seared Nantucket Bay Scallops, Oxtail Cannelloni, Sunchoke Puree, Tempura Preserved Lemon, Black Truffle Vinaigrette

Longman & Eagle’s Chef, Jerrod Wentworth, focuses on sourcing local ingredients and creating a menu that revolves around farm to table and nose to tail eating. The menu is divided into three parts: Small plates, bar snacks, and entrees. We took our server’s advice and ordered a few different small plate selections to get a good sampling of the menu and then split an entree. We also tried out two of their desserts, both were good but the charred olive oil doughnut with the Tanzanian hot chocolate was especially delicious.

When Whisk and I were on our way back to California we both agreed that the single best thing that we ate on the whole trip was the lamb tartare, I still have cravings for it.

Glazed Veal Sweetbreads, Gulf Prawn, Pickled Baby Bok Choy, Black Trumpet Mushrooms, Celeriac Puree, Palm Sugar, Tamari

Some menu items that we didn’t get a chance to taste but will definitely come back for would be the cavatelli pasta with braised veal heart, herb crusted veal cheek with smoked fingerling potatoes, and the Pot au Feu of beef short rib with poached filet and seared foie.

Venison Three Ways, Roasted Leg, Housemade Sausage, Calzone

Another great feature about Longman & Eagle is that they have six rooms above the restaurant that you can stay at. Rooms start at just $85 a night. This is a great option since at the current time they have 148 whiskey selections. After a few rounds of whiskey and you will need that room upstairs. Whisk and I will definitely try to get a room their next time we are in town.

Longman & Eagle Charred Olive Oil Doughnut

Charred Olive Oil Doughnut, Bangladeshi Almond Cream, Tanzanian Hot Chocolate, Hazelnut Praline, Aerated Orange

Yuzu Steamcake, Letherbee Gin Ice Cream, Yuzu Honey, Passionfruit, Date Puree

After just one meal at Longman & Eagle it has become one of my new favorite restaurants. Everyone on staff that we encountered was friendly, our server was very knowledgeable of the menu as well as the wine list, and most importantly the food is nothing short of incredible. Chef Jerrod Wentworth and his culinary team are doing an amazing job in the kitchen.

If you live in Chicago or will be visiting the area anytime soon, a visit to Longman & Eagle is a must, you will not regret it.

Bacon Wrapped Dates with Red Wine Bacon Jam

Posted on March 4, 2013 by admin

I first saw someone wrap a date with bacon back when I was in culinary school. In my head it didn’t sound like it was going to taste that good, but in fact it was delicious. Since then I have seen many variations of bacon wrapped dates, some people will glaze them with honey or maple syrup, or stuff them with chili peppers and different kinds of cheeses. The recipe I use is pretty simple, but feel free to mix it up and try different variations for yourself.

I have made bacon wrapped dates so many times for different events at work and for parties I have put on or attended. People really seem to love these and it is so easy to put together and make. The recipe I use has feta cheese and an almond stuffed into the date. I like the crunch from the almond and that little bit of tang and saltiness you get from the feta cheese. Lately at work I have been serving these wrapped dates with a red wine bacon jam and a little arugula. The bacon jam adds a little bit of acid to the dish that comes from the red wine and the vinegar while the arugula gives the dish some freshness with a bit of a peppery tone as well.

Stuffed Bacon Wrapped Dates with Arugula and Red Wine Bacon Jam

Stuffed Bacon Wrapped Dates

Ingredients

30 toothpicks

30 dates, pitted, sliced vertically down one side

15 strips of bacon, cut in half widthwise (giving you 30 ½ strips of bacon)

30 almonds

6 ounces crumbled feta cheese

6 ounces arugula

Method

Turn oven on to 475 degrees.
Stuff dates with a chunk of feta cheese, you can put a small amount or large amount depending on your preference. Place an almond on top of the cheese and pinch the date shut.
Wrap one ½ strip of bacon around each date.
Insert a toothpick through each date. Place wrapped dates on a cookie sheet lined with foil. Place in a 475 degree oven and roast for 10-12 minutes. The bacon should be cooked through and caramelized on the bottom.
Place wrapped dates on paper towels to drain. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Red Wine Bacon Jam

Ingredients

1 ½ pounds bacon, cut cross wise into 1 inch pieces
2 medium yellow onions small dice
3 garlic cloves, smashed
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
¼ cup black strap molasses
½ cup packed dark brown sugar
¼ cup pure maple syrup
¾ cup brewed coffee
1 bottle red wine reduced to 1 cup

Method

Render bacon; remove onto paper towels to drain.
Add onion and garlic, sauté 4 to 5 minutes.
Add vinegar, brown sugar, maple syrup, molasses, coffee, and wine.
Bring to a boil, stirring for about 2 minutes. Add bacon back.
Transfer to a slow cooker, cook on high for 4 hours uncovered, or cook in a dutch oven uncovered, and simmer for 4 hours. When done, coarsely chop then refrigerate. Serve warmed or at room temperature.

This appetizer hits all parts of your palate: Salty, savory, sweet, and acidity.

Service

Place two spoonfuls of bacon jam on a small plate and spread out so the jam is in a thin, round layer. Place 8-10 leaves of arugula on top of the jam. Place three of the bacon wrapped dates on top.

Serve this as an appetizer to start off a meal, or you can serve them on a tray as a passed appetizer at a party or mixer.

Enjoy!

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The Doughnut Vault

Posted on February 25, 2013 by admin

I love doughnuts, a lot. When I drop Whisk off in the morning at her work, a lot of times I turn around and drive down the street to the gas station and pick up a doughnut or two. This move has now become known as the U-turn, thanks to her boss who ratted me out one day when he noticed me driving the opposite direction of my work. Whisk shares in my love of doughnuts, but let me say that she is much better at practicing self-control than I do when it comes to these sweet treats.

Whisk first heard about the Doughnut Vault while living in Chicago. Unfortunately she never got to try one of their doughnuts, by the time she got in the doorway they were already sold out for the day. From what we have heard, they only make a thousand doughnuts a day. People line up outside of their door before they open and will wait for long periods of time to get a taste of their specialty doughnuts. Usually they will only be open for a few hours until they sell out.

People line up early and don’t seem to mind the wait to get a taste of these doughnuts.

Whisk and I arrived about 10 minutes before they opened on a chilly Saturday morning. By the time we got there they already had a line wrapped around the building. Whisk and I waited in line for 45 minutes in the 15 degree weather; we were really hoping that these doughnuts were going to be worth it.

Inside the Doughnut Vault.

When we finally got inside the “vault”, I was relieved that it was small so the wait would be short from here on out. There was one girl working the counter, listening to some “old school” rap and packaging up doughnuts for everyone. Be sure to bring cash with you because they don’t take cards of any kind. It would be horrible to wait in the cold then get turned away for not having cash.

Luckily we made it to the front of the line before they sold out.

When we ordered we decided to order two of everything on their menu. Everything looked so good and we wanted to get a good sampling of what they had to offer. Just so you know, we didn’t eat all the doughnuts ourselves, we did split the doughnuts with Whisk’s parents and our friends who came in later that night.

Orange Marmalade, Red Velvet Cake, Buttermilk Old Fashioned, and Glazed Chestnut Doughnuts.

Gingerbread Stack, Apricot Jam, Glazed Chocolate, and Glazed Vanilla Doughnuts.

I would have to say, it was worth the wait for these doughnuts, they were delicious. There wasn’t a doughnut we didn’t like. My favorite was the glazed chestnut, Whisk picked the buttermilk old fashioned as her favorite.

Back at Whisk’s parents house with our doughnuts all ready to eat. YUM!

The Doughnut Vault is always changing their menu and creating new and delicious flavors. You can check out their tumblr site and see what doughnuts they will be serving for the week at www.thedoughnutvault.tumblr.com. They are open Tuesday through Friday at 8:00am until they sell out, and Saturday at 9:30am until they sell out. You can also follow the Doughnut Vault on Facebook and on twitter at @doughnutvault.

400 N. Franklin Street Chicago, IL 60654 www.thedoughnutvault.tumblr.com

400 1/2 N. Franklin Street
Chicago, IL 60654
www.thedoughnutvault.tumblr.com

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