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Tuesday, June 30, 2009
free food Hardee's new Biscuit Holes
Posted By Priscilla Tsai on Tue, Jun 30, 2009 at 5:29 PM
Hardee's has a new breakfast item: Biscuit Holes!
Little made-from-scratch biscuits are rolled in cinnamon and sugar and served with icing for dipping. Sounds awesome, in a Paula Deen artery clogging kind of way.
Try them here with this coupon that gets you a free 6-pack of Biscuit Holes with the purchase of any breakfast combo.
Also: The name "Biscuit Holes" ain't too attractive, so Hardee's wants you to "Name their Holes." If you've got a clever name, submit it here.
Recipe Recipe: Blueberry Pound Cake
Posted By Priscilla Tsai on Tue, Jun 30, 2009 at 2:08 PM
Don't let the "pound" in the name if the recipe scare you. This recipe doesn't actually require a pound of sugar, a pound of butter, and a pound of flour; nor does it cause you to gain a pound.
This Blueberry Pound Cake is from Cooking Light. It tastes full fat, but actually uses low fat cream cheese and lemon yogurt. Though the recipe is reduced fat, the texture of the cake is still fine, yet dense like a pound cake.
Drizzled with a lemon glaze, this makes for a delicious breakfast or even a dessert.
Blueberry Pound Cake
Yield: 16 servings (serving size: 1 slice)
Ingredients
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup light butter
- 1/2 (8-ounce) block 1/3-less-fat cream cheese, softened
- 3 large eggs
- 1 large egg white
- 3 cups all-purpose flour, divided
- 2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 (8-ounce) carton lemon low-fat yogurt
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- Cooking spray
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar
- 4 teaspoons lemon juice
Preparation
Preheat oven to 350°.
Beat first 3 ingredients at medium speed of a mixer until well-blended (about 5 minutes). Add eggs and egg white, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine 2 tablespoons flour and blueberries in a small bowl, and toss well. Combine remaining flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add flour mixture to sugar mixture alternately with yogurt, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Fold in blueberry mixture and vanilla; pour cake batter into a 10-inch tube pan coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350° for 1 hour and 10 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean.
Cool cake in pan 10 minutes; remove from pan. Combine powdered sugar and lemon juice in a small bowl; drizzle over warm cake. Cut with a serrated knife.
Nutritional Information
- Calories: 287 (19% from fat)
- Fat: 6.1g (sat 3.4g,mono 1.8g,poly 0.4g)
- Protein: 5.7g
- Carbohydrate: 53.9g
- Fiber: 1.5g
- Cholesterol: 57mg
- Iron: 1.3mg
- Sodium: 227mg
- Calcium: 50mg
Monday, June 29, 2009
Three-Course Spiel Sweet words: Charlotte Chocolate Company
Posted By Aviva M. Cantor on Mon, Jun 29, 2009 at 2:21 PM
Meet chocolatier Leslie Vilhelmsen, a Chicago native who has lived in Charlotte for 26 years. Three years ago, she left the corporate world and founded Charlotte Chocolate Company, makers of deliciously creative specialty chocolates. Vilhelmsen creates handmade chocolate treats for a variety of occasions and uses, such as corporate promotions, wedding favors, and birthday gifts. Her passion for chocolate is evident in her products— intricate, unique, and of course, sweet.
Creative Loafing: What inspired you to become a chocolatier?
I was helping a neighbor network [her catering business] in the neighborhood … and I thought, ‘I have to step up to the plate and make something.’ I went through old recipes and I found this recipe for chocolate that I had made back in school. When I made it for the women [in the neighborhood] they all raved about it. It was a time in my career when I was looking for something else to do, as most women do when they hit middle ages. I just wanted to get out of the corporate world … I wanted something different and more creative. When these women loved the chocolate I said, ‘Oh my gosh, this is the universe telling me what I should do.’
What is your favorite type of chocolate?
I have not met a chocolate I didn’t like. I like either a good milk chocolate or a really good dark chocolate — very rich, 70 percent cacao or more of dark chocolate.
Are you working on any unusual creations right now?
I have a new flavor that is a mixture of dark chocolate and ground cashews. We’ve done some market studies and people really like it. I am trying to get that formulated to put it in a candy bar.
For more information on Charlotte Chocolate Company, please visit www.charlottechocolate.com
Friday, June 26, 2009
Food News Food News: The McNinch House, Brixx, Zebra
Posted By Tricia Childress on Fri, Jun 26, 2009 at 5:26 PM
• The McNinch House, 511 North Church Street, has the following tutored wine tasting events with their wine steward Anthony Wesley: June 29th Wines of Spain; July 13th Wines of Australia; and July 27th Wines of South Africa. Tastings are held from 6 p.m. until 8 p.m. and are $20. Reservations required. 704-332-6159.
• Brixx uptown is offering 20 percent off catering orders during July. Contact Catering Director Patti Parker at 704-376-6654. Catering menu: www.brixxpizza.com
• Zebra Restaurant and Fine Catering, 4521 Sharon Road, is offering a $34 per person menu from Monday, June 29th through Saturday July 4th. The three course prix fixe menu includes a choice of these appetizers: Lobster Bisque with Lobster and Crème Fraiche garnishment; Truffled Mushroom Foie Gras soup with Royale Glacage, Torchon au Foie Gras, Sauternes Gelee and Italian Black Truffles; Zebra Signature Vase Salad with Citrus Segments and Raspberries; Organic Baby Lettuces Salad with Nicoise Olives, Capers, Chevre, toasted Pinenuts; and Antipasto Vegetables Platter with shaved Prosuitto. Entrees include Short Smoked Potato Fried Salmon Fillet with Chevre and Swiss Chard Bundle, Tomato Confit and Vin Blanc; North Carolina Rainbow Trout Franchaise; Filet of Beef Tenderloin; Lamb Tenderloins "Diablo" with Celeriac Potato Puree, melted Swiss Chard; and Ashley Farms Free Range Chicken Breast Provencale (or Oscar). Desserts are warm Chocolate Cake with Caramel Ice Cream and Raspberry Coulis; Chocolate Pecan Tart, Amaretto Marscapone, Raspberries; Lemon Curd Tart, Fresh Berries; Coconut Dacquoise Torte, Amaretto Cream and Raspberries; Vanilla Bean Crème Brulee; and Ice Cream or Sorbet. For reservations: jim@zebrarestaurant.net or 704-442-9525.
Food News Il Posto's last day at Phillips Place
Posted By Kimberly Lawson on Fri, Jun 26, 2009 at 11:29 AM
According to Observer food writer Helen Schwab, tomorrow (June 27) will be Il Posto's last day at Phillips Place; menu items will appear at sibling restaurants Toscana (Specialty Shops on the Park by SouthPark) and MezzaNotte (at the corner of Providence and Sharon Amity roads).
Thursday, June 25, 2009
Mouthful Chicharrónes and menudo
Posted By Web Editor on Thu, Jun 25, 2009 at 7:07 PM
Customers often ask me where to find “authentic” Mexican food. I usually suggest a couple of places that I frequent. If I see them again and remember to ask them what they ate, I’m almost always disappointed with their answer. They either complain of the venue not having nachos, the sauce being too spicy or that none of the staff spoke English.
Yesterday was a different story. A young non-Latino customer posed the common question to me. I gave him my standard answer. Then he asked me specifically if these places served chicharrónes or menudo. My heart did a joyful beat. I was stunned. This guy really knew his stuff. It turns out his “baby mama” is Mexican. He went on to describe how he enjoys his chicharrónes with “the green sauce” — salsa verde as Mexicans call it.
Chicharrónes are deep fried pork skin. In Mexico, they are fried to a crunch and often eaten in a taco or gordita with spicy salsa verde.
Menudo is a soup made with tripe (cow stomach). It’s heavy and considered a great hangover cure. My mom used to make it every Sunday. It’s time intensive to make so she would start the night before. The smell of raw or boiling tripe is awful! My siblings and I would wake up with the taste of tripe in our throat, the pungent smell having made its way into our nostrils and throat as it simmered overnight. Locking our bedroom doors couldn’t keep the smell out! I’ve personally never been much of a fan of menudo. If I add cilantro, lots of lime juice and chopped onion I can enjoy the soup but I dislike the chewiness and texture of the tripe.
The response of yesterday’s customer has encouraged me to encourage you to explore Mexican food. Try something you have never had. I suggest you go to festivals where you can try a variety of foods. Being engulfed by blaring Mexican or other Latino music and Latino people will only enhance your experience.
Here are a couple of the bigger ones that are coming up:
Sunday, July 19 — Carowinds Fiesta Latina. Carowinds Amusement Park.
Sunday, October 11 — Latin American Festival.
— Teresa Hernandez
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
Events Learn to cook at Zink this Saturday
Posted By Priscilla Tsai on Tue, Jun 23, 2009 at 3:39 PM
Zink American Kitchen will be hosting a cooking class celebrating the fresh taste and outstanding quality of our local farmer's market this weekend.
The cooking class will be hosted by Chef de Cuisine Jon Fortes on Saturday, June 27 at 10 am in the main dining room. The four course class will also include wine pairings and recipes. Check out the menu below.
“The American Heartland”
Foods from the Farm to the Plate
Pistachio Crusted Goat Cheese Salad
baby yellow and red beets
citrus, tarragon vinaigrette
Tomato, Tomato, Tomato
Yellow tomato gazpacho, baby heirloom tomato salad
Zink’s Summer BLT
Almond Crusted North Carolina Coastal Flounder
crispy asparagus, lime adobo hollandaise
Blackberry Crisp
frozen honey mascarpone mousse
The classes cost $35 a person. For reservations call 704-444-9001.
Recipe Recipe: Sweet & Spicy Sticky Chicken
Posted By Priscilla Tsai on Tue, Jun 23, 2009 at 11:24 AM
This Sweet & Spicy Sticky Chicken is a tried and true recipe that I've been making for years now. It takes about 45 minutes to make from start to finish. It's so tasty, you'll want to lick the sauce off your fingers.
My recipe, which was Xeroxed from a Fine Cooking magazine at least 8 years ago, shows signs of wear -- the paper is yellowed, it has many creases and is covered with a sprinkling of soy sauce stains -- true signs of a good recipe.
In addition to being sweet and spicy, this chicken is salty, too, due to the fish sauce and soy sauce. Don't over do fish sauce -- it's quite pungent. (If you can't find fish sauce at your local grocery store, you can most likely find it at any Asian grocery store.) Serve it with steamed rice and a side of veggies.
Sweet & Spicy Chicken
Ingredients:
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup fish sauce
1/3 cup water water
3 Tbs rice wine vinegar
2 Tbs soy sauce
1 Tbs fresh ginger, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
½ tsp crushed red chile flakes
1 Tbs oil
3 spring onions or bunch of chives, thinly slices
6-8 chicken thighs (fat and skin removed)
Cilantro sprigs as a garnish
Directions:
In a bowl, whisk together the brown sugar, fish sauce, water, rice wine vinegar, soy sauce, ginger, garlic, black pepper, and crushed red chile flakes.
Heat the oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. Add the scallions andcook until soft, about 3 min. Add the thighs and the brown sugar mixture. Turn the heat to high and bring to a boil. As soon as it comes to a boil, reduce the head to low and simmer, turning hte thighs occasionally, until cooked, 25 to 30 min.
Remove the thighs from the pan and cover with foil to keep warm. Increase the heat to high and reduce the sauce by half or until it is slightly thickened and resmbles a bubbling caramel sauce. Serve the chicken with the sauce, garnished with the cilantro sprigs.
Food News Sushi at Zink
Posted By Kimberly Lawson on Tue, Jun 23, 2009 at 10:35 AM
One of our Facebook friends filled us in on the haps at Zink, so we thought we'd pass it on:
In case you haven't heard, Zink American Kitchen is now the newest destination for getting your sushi fix during lunch in the Uptown area. We will be featuring crowd favorites such as the Philly Roll and the Taste of Tuna in addition to our already fantastic lunch options. Zink is open for full lunch service from 11:30am- 2pm Monday thru Friday and 11:30am- 3pm on Saturday.
Zink is also hosting a 1/2 priced sushi happy hour special every Monday thru Friday from 5-7 pm in the bar, lounge and patio areas.
Call 704-444-9001 for more information about our sushi and daily specials, reservations, or upcoming events.
Food News Vegetarian eatery coming to SouthEnd
Posted By Kimberly Lawson on Tue, Jun 23, 2009 at 8:33 AM
Sure, there are plenty of options in the Queen City for eating healthy, but what about eating raw?
Vegetarian-only dining options have been about as rare in Charlotte as tofu at a barbecue festival. But trainer Anthony Quartapella and business partner Randy Powell, a yoga teacher, aim to change that.The two plan to open a vegetarian restaurant, Real Foods Charlotte, in mid-July in the former Tea ReX space at Atherton Mill on South Boulevard in Charlotte. The South End spot will emphasize raw foods, and will adjoin and open onto Athletic Club SouthEnd, where Quartapella is fitness director.
Read the rest of this Charlotte Observer story here.
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Photos: Mint Museum's Allure of Flowers After Hours
A peek into a fancy foodie fundraising event that incorporated flowers into, well, everything.
