Goin' Old School for my Dad

I am an admitted Daddy's Girl.  I admit it proudly, unabashedly, and sincerely.  Not so much growing up, but certainly now, I really feel sorry for my mom's prominent place behind the 8-ball when it came to me and my sister and our regard for our Daddy.  She just couldn't win!  Now that I have a daughter, I suspect that dreaded payback is on the horizon for me. 

My dad (and I) isn't really a big sweet eater.  He'll have a taste here and there, but doesn't seek out sweets. But, a couple of years ago in casual conversation he mentioned that pineapple upside-down cake was his favorite when he was growing up.  I've had this on my mind ever since.  You see, we NEVER had this cake in our house when I was growing up.  I think the only place I'd ever had it was in the school cafeteria.  So, why did none of us know he liked this cake?  Surely, my sister and I would have mastered this dessert years and years ago to impress our Daddy.  But, he never said anything about it.  Or if he did, the rest of us were talking too much to hear it.  (My dad swears that we three girls talk A LOT). 

Ever since my dad dropped this little pearl, I've been reading recipes.  I've discovered different techniques (to use cast iron, or not...that is the question), different ingredients (cake flour versus cornmeal) and the age-old conundrum...maraschino or cherryless?

Finally, I decided it was time to quit researching this old time cake and just do it.  Father's Day seemed like the right time.  I settled on a recipe that seemed the most pure, unadulterated and basic (like the good ol' days).  With my trusty 8 year old assistant, I set out to create a pineapple upside-down cake to make June Cleaver proud.  

Vivi was in charge of the caramel

 

Getting nice and bubbly now!

Five golden rings!  Ok, maybe a few more than 5.

 

We opted for true old school and used maraschinos

 As we arrived at Mom & Dad's for Father's Day, I handed our cake to my Dad and he said, "Wow, I haven't seen one of these in years!"  Just the reaction we were hoping for.  So, after our dinner we cut into the pineapple upside-down cake.  Viv and I were satisfied with our efforts but more importantly, my Dad really enjoyed it.  I really appreciated that fact that this cake is mildly sweet. The icky, super sickly sweet stuff is what turns me off, so this is one I can handle.  And, I think the maraschinos are just plain festive!  

Pretty as a picture, right?

The Kraken is Serving Brunch

You know how it feels when you have a good local place that you want to succeed?  That's how I feel about The Kraken on Rosewood Drive.  We live in Rosewood and from virtually Day 1, we have been avid supporters and word-of-mouthers for them.  We love the owner, Aaron.  He lives in the neighborhood and like a smart restaurant owner, he and his wife are on-site all the time.  To own a restaurant or bar and think that you never have to be there is like placing a pallet of food and booze in your parking lot with a sign that says "take me."

The Kraken is probably best known for their extensive and ever-changing beer selection.  I don't know how many they feature, but it's a lot.  You can like them on Facebook and get updates about new brews that they have brought in.  They are also known for featuring a really interesting menu that is far more than a typical bar menu.  Interesting like lobster grilled cheese, poutine, smoked wings, truffle frites and fried green tomatoes. And, beginning yesterday, The Kraken now offers a Saturday and Sunday brunch.

The brunch menu is pretty impressive: soft shell crab Benedict; shrimp, catfish or crispy pork belly over grits, grilled cheese BLT, sriracha peanut butter glazed doughnuts and fruit/granola parfait, to name a few.  Neil ordered the pimento cheese on toasted brioche with a side of the house-milled grits, the little gourmand only wanted an order of bacon and I chose the grilled cheese BLT.

I didn't try Neil's sandwich simply because mine was pretty big.  I did try the grits however.  I really wasn't a fan.  They are from the Congaree Milling Company and ground in the restaurant.  Neil really liked them because he felt like it tasted like corn on the cob. But I felt like they tasted like old corn.  You know when you were a kid and you took a bite of that dried, multi-colored Indian corn you always see at Thanksgiving?  That's what it reminded me of.  But, we all have our own taste buds, don't we? 

My sandwich was quite good with one minor critique...it needs more bacon.  A BLT of any description really must showcase the bacon. That's an easy thing for them to fix though.  The cheeses (brie and cheddar) were a great combo and were nice and melty and gooey. 

The tomatoes were flavorful and dripping that juicy goodness onto the toasted sourdough.  As I stated before, the only thing I'd add is more bacon.  I chose the Potatoes O'Brien (chunky hash browns with onions & red bell pepper.)  This dish was well seasoned, the onions and peppers were well cooked and the potatoes were crisp yet tender inside.  But, they weren't hot.  Warm, but not hot.

There was a little disappointment though. The Kraken has very slow kitchen time. It has always been that way.  When they first opened, it was attributed to the small size of the kitchen and a new staff cooking in a new place.  I get that.  I assumed, like everyone I'm sure, that they'd get broken in and that would improve.  But, unfortunately, every time I've been there, the wait time for food has been way too slow.  I've heard it chalked up to the small kitchen, but the folks at Motor Supply Co. have been cooking in the world's smallest kitchen for what? going on 20 years now? It occurs to me that regardless of size, you simply get tons of prep work done and then get your system in place. Today, we were excited to try out the new brunch, but from start to finish, we were there close to 2 hours.  I will concede that we chose to go on the maiden voyage weekend but I guess after being open as long as they have, I was hopeful that just cooking a different menu wouldn't affect their turn time. Investing a couple of hours in brunch is a bit much, especially if you're hungry when you get there.

As I said before, we love the owner, the menu, the awesome beer selection, the cool quaint basement setting and the fact that we have this hip neighborhood joint within walking distance of our house.  That leads me to be honest in my critique of The Kraken.  I am not writing today to bad mouth or bash them. Instead, I hope my words will serve as honest feedback that may help them improve.  Aaron is always there and asks his customers for their opinions and how they are enjoying their food. And for you who is reading this post, let me be clear...if you have not been to The Kraken, you need to go.  It's really a unique atmosphere and is always a good time.  I just hope our next brunch isn't quite so much time!  

Support locals!  

Weight Watchers-You've Come a Long Way, Baby!

My sister just called to tell me about an old email she just came across.  Then, she deteriorated from there into uncontrollable laughter.  All I could make out was "Amy" and "Weight Watchers."  Once she regained her composure, she said she found this old email from her friend Amy about some old WW recipe cards from the 70's that had been found and posted on this website.

Frankfurter Spectacular!

 

Nothin' better than jellied tomato

Marcy's misguided attempt

Mother of all that's holy!  We read through these over the phone and I can honestly say I laughed, I cried, I got choked up, had a coughing fit, gagged a little.  I guess the 1974 strategy was to make people make and attempt to eat this stuff, which of course they couldn't finish  and viola!  the weight just fell off.  Melt away the pounds by combining fish and bouillon and jello and tomatoes and old socks and stuff. 

Give yourself a hysterical good laugh. And I'd recommend bookmarking this post so on one of those days when you're on the verge of killing a co-worker, going to jail for road rage or thinking of setting something on fire, you can simply peruse these vintage (dare I say classic?) recipes.  As Marcy would say, "disfrutar de la cantidad de cosas enchilada Apuesto."

Chimichurri: world's simplest sauce

I've often found myself most satisfied and fulfilled when I make something that is so simple yet so sensational. It's almost poetic when fresh, basic ingredients combine and create a remarkable result.  Today I refer to chimichurri.

Chimichurri is most often characterized as an Argentine condiment.  Argentinians love asado, or barbeque.  Grilled steak is quite common, cut into long strips and cooked on the asado.  And what do Argentinian steakhouses serve instead of Worchestershire, A1 or Heinz 57?  Something much more interesting, quite frankly.  Chimichurri.

Although it sounds exotic and therefore surely complicated, it's not.  I made it today in about 10 minutes. My now 8 year old gourmand passed through the kitchen as I was chopping the herbs and exclaimed "Oh my gosh, that smells so good!"  Always a good sign when you're preparing to spring something new on a kid diner. This sauce is magnificent but it couldn't be simpler to make.  So, pay attention, I'm going to tell you how it's done:

1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 cup loosely packed parsley leaves, chopped
1 cup loosely packed cilantro leaves, chopped
2 Tbs red wine vinegar
1/2-3/4 cup olive oil (whatever looks right to you)
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper

Use the back of a spoon to mash up the salt & garlic to make a paste.  Then mix all ingredients together.  That's it.  You can use immediately or cover and refrigerate for later.  

Our dinner tonight was warm, leftover thin sliced beef tenderloin, roasted potatoes and the Mullaney Salad. As we sat down at the table, the Wunderkind looked at the sauce, stirred it with the spoon and said "Oooh, this is what I was smelling earlier!" 

Without a moment of hesitation, she spooned some on her plate to try on the side (at my suggestion).  Turns out she loved it and proceeded to ladle more over her steak. All you moms who cook for kids will surely recognize this as WINNING.

And, come to find out, chimichurri is also really tasty on roasted potatoes!

Sno Pickle

As soon as the long-awaited Pelican's SnoBalls opened on Rosewood Drive, my daughter made me turn the car around to give it a try. 

On our first visit, she selected a combo of raspberry and cherry.  As you can imagine, she was quite pleased, being the little sweet freak that she is.  While we stood in line, I perused the extensive sno-ball menu.  I was amazed at all the flavors (100 to be exact.)  Crazy flavors like wedding cake, tiger blood (?) and toothpaste.  But one flavor really stood out.  I mean really.

Ever since that day, I can't quit thinking about it.  I've tried to imagine what in the world it would be like. I pondered and contemplated.  After all, I am a huge fan and connoisseur of the real thing. I just couldn't get it out of my mind.  It was quite clear...I had to try it.  There was no way around it.  The flavor?  DILL PICKLE.

I picked up the Wunderkind from school and headed straight for Pelican's. Today was the day.  I told the guy at the window how I've been obsessing about this flavor and he even gave me this look as to say "Seriously lady?  Are you sure?" He handed it over and eagerly awaited my first taste.  As soon as it hit my tongue, I could definitely taste the dill pickle flavor.
  

Dill pickle in forefront

Wish me luck!

But quickly I noticed that after a few bites, it begins to get sweeter, almost limey.  I learned that if you take a break and then have another bite, you'll pick up that dill flavor again.  It was actually quite good.  Although I must say, I was really hoping it would be more sour, like a real pickle.  You would think that kids would hate it, but Viv liked it.

She chose the "gone fishin'" which is a combo of polar punch, lemon-lime and is studded with gummy worms.  As we got in the car to head home, she asked if we could trade.  So, I ate hers on the way home but once we pulled into the neighborhood, she decided it was time to trade back. 

This is appropriately captioned "the brain freeze"

If you're unfamiliar, the SnoBall is, apparently, a native of Louisiana.  The Pelican's SnoBalls is located on the corner of Rosewood and S. Gregg.  They have a parking lot behind it which is about the size of a postage stamp. But don't worry, you can find a park around the place if the lot is full.  They have 3 picnic tables and umbrella's set up along S. Gregg.  And, if you try all 100 flavors in one "season" you win a T-shirt and bragging rights.  I might be able to do it, but the toothpaste SnoBall could be what stands in my way.

Mother's Day Decadence

It's been several years that my parents have been telling us not to buy them presents.  Birthdays, Christmas, Mother and Father's Day.  Their logic is they have everything they want & need and if they don't have it, they go and get it.  Makes sense, but of course, my sister and Neil and I don't feel completely right about it.  So, we try to figure out either a gift of something they haven't gotten for themselves (like the Keurig we surprised Dad with at Christmas) or we find something creative we can do.  This year, as I was contemplating Mother's Day, my mom offered up something that she'd like as a gift.  JACKPOT!  Not just a hint or a suggestion, but a direct request!  

The Moms and the reason we exist

This is what she said: "I want you to cook Lobster Thermidor for me."

You want me to do what??

 Did you hear that?  That thing that sounded like a loud Hosanna?  This was perfect. She wants me to cook for her, which I love to do. She wants lobster, which, well hey...if you know me, you know that this is my nectar of the gods. Everybody wins!

I pulled out my trusty Lobster at Home by Jasper White and studied up on the recipe.  Just reading it makes me hungry for this decadence on a plate. Seriously, if anyone tries to tell me that chunks of lobster, a wine/shallot reduction, and a rich Mornay sauce doesn't sound good, I have no choice but to declare them mentally incompetent.

We had lobster tails available rather than the whole lobsters. I briefly submerged them in boiling water to "parboil" them.  

Look at these beautiful little monsters!

After they cooled a bit, I cut them into 1" chunks and refrigerated while I worked on the rest.  

I could stick my face in this plate with reckless abandon

Next, I started the Bercy reduction. This consists of white wine, lobster broth (which I had in my freezer from my last lobster binge), chopped shallots and fresh ground pepper.  Next, I moved on to the Mornay.  You start by making a blonde roux, add milk and simmer. Once it begins to thicken up, you add gruyere and parmesan.  Meanwhile whisk together some cream and an egg yolk.  Temper it with some of the cheese sauce, then add it in to the rest of the sauce.  Complete it with the Bercy reduction, some Dijon, lemon juice, salt & pepper.

Now, in the classic preparation, you'd spoon all this sinful deliciousness back into the lobster shells.  However, since I only had the tails, it was evident that I had way more Thermidor than I had shells.  So, I opted for ramekins.  Topped off with more of the cheese mixture and popped them in the oven. 

Is this beautiful or what?

 

All this looks great but gimme the lobster

Whew!  I did it!

As you've surely gathered by now, we all gained 10 pounds at the dinner table but it was so worth it.  So rich, so luscious, so over-the-top.  My mom was thanking me for cooking it and I was thanking her for wanting it to be cooked! It's been years since I've eaten this dish and certainly the first time I've made it myself. I already have ideas of how I might change it just a tad and to use the Mornay as a base for my own version of a luxurious lobster mac-n-cheese. The recipe is easy to prepare, but long to write.  If you're interested in getting it, just write a comment below and I'll get it to you.