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Tuesday, October 19, 2010
Smorgasbord Hump Day specials in NoDa
Posted By Priscilla Tsai on Tue, Oct 19, 2010 at 9:22 AM
Stop by NoDa on Wednesdays to get in on their 1/2-price specials.
NoDa brings you HALF OFF EVERY HUMP DAY! Come to NoDa every Wednesday and check out what your favorite spots are offering 1/2 off.At Crepe Cellar, you can get 1/2 price carafes of house wine every Wednesday!
Other Hump Day Specials in NoDa:
1/2 off dog & cat toys at Blvd@NoDa
1/2 off cans at Growlers Pour House
1/2 off iced coffees at Smelly Cat
Friday, October 15, 2010
Recipe / Priscilla Tsai / Dessert Piped butter cookies
Posted By Priscilla Tsai on Fri, Oct 15, 2010 at 4:07 PM
These cookies are the result of a bout of procrastination.
When I don't feel like doing something, I'll skirt the duty and bake instead.
I made these piped butter cookies last weekend when I was supposed to be doing something else. Inspired by the bag of Pepperidge Farm Milano cookies I had been eating all week, I decided to make my own.
The dough is simple to make, but the it is a major pain in the butt to pipe out because it's so stiff. Use a heavy-duty piping bag for this because my Zip-Lock bag busted half way though.
I made "S" shaped swirl cookies with a small star tip, as well as rosettes with a 1M tip. Remember, the larger the piping tip, the easier it will be to pipe out.
You can leave them plain after baking, spread the bottom with melted chocolate, or you double them up and sandwich them together with some melted chocolate.
Thursday, October 14, 2010
Recipe / Priscilla Tsai / Side Dish / Dinner Dinner: Gorgonzola Penne with Shrimp ... and a salad
Posted By Priscilla Tsai on Thu, Oct 14, 2010 at 4:59 PM
This Gorgonzola Penne with Chicken dish won $25,000 in a recipe contest through Taste of Home. $25K? Dang.
Since it was deemed worthy of the hefty monetary prize, I had to try it.
I'm not a big fan of chunks of chicken in my pasta, so I subbed in shrimp instead. The prep was simple and the cooking was easy. I'd say it turned out pretty freakin' tasty. Even my lactose-intolerant friend scarfed it down, knowing full well what the consequences would be.
Penne pasta and shrimp are tossed with in pungent Gorgonzola cream sauce, made of cream, white wine, sage, and garlic. Thanks to the addition of the light orange shrimp, the dish wasn't completely a monochromatic and bland white.
Here's my version:
Lacking greens, the rich and creamy pasta pairs well with a fresh salad with tart flavors. I made an Spinach Apple Salad to go with it. You can do it too. It's easy! Just a cup of diced apple, a few raisins, chopped red onion, and spinach. Toss it with a simple dressing, and voila:
Read on to get the recipes...
Tuesday, October 12, 2010
Smorgasbord Want Rachel Ray's magazine for $2.99 a year?
Posted By Priscilla Tsai on Tue, Oct 12, 2010 at 11:11 AM
For all your Rachel Ray fans out there, I spotted this deal on DealCatcher.com. You can get a 1 year's subscription to Everyday Rachel Ray for only $2.99.
Everyday With Rachael Ray Magazine Subscription
$39.90 $2.99 Free Shipping at Tanga posted about 1 hour ago
Use Tanga coupon code EVERYDAY during checkout. Tanga also is offering Everyday with Rachel Ray for $2.99 after coupon code. This subscription sells on Amazon for $24. This magazine features 30-minute meals and menu planners, ideas for fun, beauty, style and home, plus 100s of food and entertaining tips.
Monday, October 11, 2010
Food News This one's for you, (slow) foodies
Posted By Rhiannon Fionn-Bowman on Mon, Oct 11, 2010 at 4:23 PM
In case you missed it, this weekend's New York Times Magazine was all about food. If you're like me, I couldn't stay inside yesterday — the weather was too perfect, so I'll end up reading the magazine article-by-article all week long. But even if you didn't get a chance to pick up the paper yesterday, know that you don't have to miss out. Here are a few links to some of the stories local slow food advocates might want to read:
Growing Together, by Christine Muhlke
An open letter to the next farmer-in-chief, by Michael Pollan
Recipe Redux: The Community Cookbook, by Amanda Hesser
Slide show: Food Groups, by Lucas Foglia
A mealtime manifesto; An interview with foodie author Laurie David, by Deborah Soloman
Read more articles from the magazine's annual food issue here.
For those interested in participating in the slow food movement here in the Q.C., check out Slow Food Charlotte's website.
If you're asking yourself what the slow food movement is, here's a video, from the University of Maine, that will help with the answer:
Rhiannon "Rhi" Bowman is an independent journalist who contributes snarky commentary on Creative Loafing's CLog blog four days a week in addition to writing for several other local media organizations. Additionally, she's on the steering committee for the Greater Charlotte Society of Professional Journalists. To learn more, click the links or follow Rhi on Twitter.
Friday, October 8, 2010
Priscilla Tsai Deep Dish Spinach and Smoked Salmon Pie
Posted By Priscilla Tsai on Fri, Oct 8, 2010 at 12:11 PM
Ina Garten's new cookbook How Easy is That? is being released Oct. 26 and I'm kinda excited. I love her recipes to bits.
Here I've adapted one of her recipes, Spinach in Puff Pastry, into a thick spinach and smoked salmon pie. The original dish is chock full of spinach in a cheesy mixture, wrapped up in a flat puff pastry envelope.
I gained inspiration to create this pie, a spin on her recipe, after a visit to Trader Joe's a few days ago. They were sampling some spinach, feta and salmon puff pastry appetizers in the back (where the free mini cups of coffee are) which were simple and surprisingly tasty. Using that same spinach/feta/salmon combo, I turned Ina's Spinach in Puff Pastry into a deep dish pie and incorporated feta cheese (instead of Parmesan) and added a layer of smoked salmon.
I think I've found a dinner winner.
As the pie bakes, the puff pastry will turn a golden brown and the butter will bubble, filling your house with the delicious aroma of butter. It is to die for.
(Yeah, I feel slightly guilty for using two sheets of puff pastry to make dinner, but since I didn't make the puff pastry myself, I didn't see the butter that went into making it, so I guess it's ok ...)
Anyway, try this Deep Dish Spinach and Smoked Salmon Pie because it really is delicious. And it's pretty too.
Each slice of pie has a crispy bite since the spinach filling is entirely encased in flaky pastry ... heck, we can probably call it Spinach en Croute. The smoked salmon adds a depth of flavor without being overwhelmingly fishy, and the feta adds plenty of salt, which makes the dish highly flavorful.
When you cut it into neat slices, you can see gorgeous, colorful layers.
Wednesday, October 6, 2010
Food News / free food Free pancakes from IHOP
Posted By Priscilla Tsai on Wed, Oct 6, 2010 at 3:33 PM
Turn to page 39 in this week's Creative Loafing paper (the one that says "The Music Issue" on the cover).
You'll find this little treat.
To celebrate the opening of the new IHOP Restaurant in Cotswold Village, IHOP is giving you a free short stack of buttermilk pancakes with this coupon.
The coupon says the offer is valid anytime and expires 11/12/10. Valid only at the Cotswold location.
Tuesday, October 5, 2010
Mouthful Flavors of the Pacific Northwest @ The Capital Grille
Posted By Priscilla Tsai on Tue, Oct 5, 2010 at 3:55 PM
The Capital Grille debuted their new prix fixe dinner menu "Flavors of the Pacific Northwest" a couple weeks ago. I was able to enjoy the fresh fall flavors myself last week when I stopped by to check out the 3-course dinner.
The beef tenderloin was perfectly cooked and accompanied with an assortment of luscious mushrooms. The halibut was lightly cooked with fresh herbs. The carrot ginger soup we delicious and the warm Washington apple tart was to die for.
The menu won't be around forever, so go while you can. Click here to see the menu.
Recipe / Priscilla Tsai / Breakfast Let's call these donuts "don't-nuts"
Posted By Priscilla Tsai on Tue, Oct 5, 2010 at 1:57 PM
Seems like donuts are all the rage on the blogosphere nowadays. After seeing a plethora of posts on apple cider donuts, caramel donuts, baked cinnamon donuts and more, I caved and purchased a donut pan to make baked donuts.
The pan arrived in the mail with a recipe for Spiced Donuts on the back of the packaging. I decided to give it a whirl figuring that if the recipe is featured on the product packaging, it's gotta be good, right?
Wrong.
These donuts are a big "don't."
They came out like donut-shaped muffins. Bread-like and slightly rubbery, they didn't even have a cinnamony spiced flavor. Perhaps if I had dunked them in melted butter and then rolled them in cinnamon sugar after baking like these donut muffins, they would have tasted better.
At least they looked attractive.
I won't post the recipe because I don't want to subject you to the temptation to make these, seeing how rainbow-colored and cute they are, you might not be able to resist.
Food News FABO Café to open in Myers Park
Posted By Priscilla Tsai on Tue, Oct 5, 2010 at 11:52 AM
Another new store is coming to Myers Park soon.
FABO Café is set to open late October in Tranquil Court on Selwyn Avenue. The art store/cafe will showcase the work for local artists and will offer food art from vendors like Tizzerts and Edible Arts.
Enjoy breakfast pastries, baked goods, a full coffee bar, and free WiFi as you browse and shop the paintings from 55 artists. The prices will range from $10 to $1000.
FABO Café
2820 Selwyn Ave., Suite 180
Not open yet, but hours will be: Mon. – Fri. 7 am - 6 pm, Sat. 9 am - 6 pm and Sun. 11 am - 4 pm. Available evening for private events of up to 95 people.
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Recipe: Ice Cream Sundae Cupcakes 6
These Ice Cream Sundae Cupcakes are filled with chocolate ganache and topped with vanilla buttercream.
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Dorie Greenspan's Tiramisu Cake
This layered cake is definitely a "pick-me-up" with a little booze and caffeine.
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Back of the Box: No Boil Classic Lasagne 5
Not having to boil the noodles rocks!
