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Stuffed peppers feels like going home. I know it was a dinner that we regularly had growing up, and I'm pretty sure that I didn't like it. I didn't like the pepper part at least. I could get on board with warm, cheesy ground beef. I thought that I'd try my own version of a stuffed pepper as a grown-up, using ground turkey instead of beef to make it a little healthier. My inspiration was Greek and though the result was pretty good, and I'll probably try a few more new things next time.
One night in Vienna, we ate at Walter Bauer, a restaurant pretty old school since Husband had to actually call to make reservations, and they don't have a website. It's hidden on a side street near where we stayed, and as you can see, they don't have a fancy exterior to draw you in.
My only regret when it comes to this dish is that I made it as soon as the peaches came in season. It is a wonderful side dish, especially when you get some good ripe peaches. Can't it be summer a little longer?
After a late afternoon dinner at an Ethiopian restaurant in Boston, the ladies in our traveling group decided that we also needed dessert. We didn't know any better and picked out Max Brenner while strolling down Boylston Street. The reason I say that we didn't know any better is because this place has the most outrageous (and pretty expensive) chocolate desserts. (I later remembered that I saw the Vegas location featured on one of those CRAZY DESSERTS! shows on Food Network or the Travel Channel.)
I wanted to follow up on an earlier post featuring photos of my dad's garden in August. One month later, here's the crop:
I love the food blog Serious Eats. They review restaurants from all over the country, including here in Chicago, they have great columns like the new Cereal Eats one, and they have really super recipes. Every day they post an easy "Dinner Tonight" recipe, and I email most of them to myself, hoping to one day actually make it for dinner tonight. For the following recipe, I did! You may notice that my "grilled" fish doesn't have grill marks (hiding underneath those tomatoes). Due to a gas problem (with the grill!), I had to pan sear/bake mine. But you go ahead and grill yours. And I also swapped out thyme for tarragon since tarragon isn't one of the 12 herbs that Husband is growing on our deck. Go figure.
Continue reading "Grilled Whitefish Salad with Tomatoes and Thyme Vinaigrette" »
When I was visiting Michigan in August, I had a chance to sample some of the fruits (really vegetables) of my dad's laborous gardening. It's really motivating to see the results, and now I want to garden myself make Husband grow more plants on our deck. The fall is even better since my favorite vegetables (squash!) are harvested during this, my favorite season. Behold, the beauty of the vegetables (and a sunflower).
Husband and I spent a recent weekend in Boston, and I'm slightly ashamed and slightly proud of how many desserts we ate there. We met up with our international friends who were in town looking for an apartment. And unlike any of my US friends, they were enchanted by the obnoxiously prevalent cupcake shop. After surveying a few on a main drag, we stopped in at Sweet.
I know summer is ending with the days getting shorter and the 90 degrees plus days are becoming fewer and fewer. However, there's still time to make this summery dessert if you can find some strawberries though I'm guessing that any berry would taste lovely in this masterpiece. A word of advice: this cake requires some time to freeze; it also requires time to slightly thaw and a sharp serrated knife once it does. Watch your fingers and saw carefully.
With nectarines appearing everywhere around here lately, this was a perfect time to break out the old carb and fruit side dish. I love a little something sweet during dinner, and this "salad" is a yummy way to incorporate into a meal. It was just lovely next to our pink salmon and tasted good too.
Continue reading "Cracked Wheat Salad with Nectarines, Parsley, and Pecans" »
