Girl Scout Cookie (Ice Cream) time!

I've always wondered about the appeal of the Girl Scout cookie time - at one point it was because these delicacies were provided only during a small window of time. Also, you could only purchase a box, two or twelve through the door to door sales of the zealous girl scout. So I suppose the mass appeal was a result of the classic economic rule of supply and demand.

Now, however, girl scout cookies are sold in front of large grocery stores and shopping centers at simple displays thanks to the savvy girl scout (and well intentioned mothers). Also, there are tangential products. Including... Edys Girl Scout cookie flavored ice cream!!

The flavors I've noted in my store are Thin Mint, Samoa and Tag-a-long. I admit, I've tried them all and they're good. I mean, REALLY good. It helps that these limited edition ice creams are part of their PREMIERE or GRAND editions, therefore full fat and flavor. But the nostalgia of the girl scout cookie combined with the illusion of a limited supply make for a bombshell marketing campaign in line with the door to door sales of years past. The items are more readily available today, and for a longer period of time somehow the demand still remains strong. In part because I think people like me can pass along the word of how tasty this frozen treat is. As per the Girl Scout motto, "Be prepared"... it's good!

Tulsi

I have nothing witty or smart to entitle this post, as Tulsi is a restaurant that speaks for itself. As stated on the restaurant website, "Located in Kittery Maine, Tulsi in a short time has earned the reputation of the best Indian Restaurant on the Seacoast." In a word, it is divine. If you are someone who enjoys Indian food they will love the variety and freshness. And for those who don't think they like Indian food, you will think otherwise after tasting the delicacies that come out of this tandoor oven!

The atmosphere here is intimate and calming. That is until the dinner crowd rolls in, such as my experience on a weeknight at 7pm the small restaurant was bustling. Reservations are suggested for parties of more then two!

The wine and beer selection was more then adequate and we were surprised that prices were extremely affordable. We ordered a bottle of Chilean Chardonnay called Oveja Negra for $20. It was crisp and fruity, a perfect accent to the heat of some of our dishes.

For five people, we ordered three appetizers, Malai Kabob ("Breasts of chicken marinated in sour cream and mild spices, and grilled in the Tandoor clay oven")

Bhel Puri ("Assorted wheat flour chips, spiced puffed rice tossed with our own chutneys, chopped tomatoes and onion"),

and Jeera Kabobs ("Cubes of chicken thighs marinated in a blend of cumin, ginger, garlic and indian spices cooked in the Tandoor oven and served on a bed of mixed greens.")

I found the chicken dishes very succulent, fork tender and extremely flavorful. You have to enjoy dark meat to lke the Jeera Kabobs but they were a nice alternative to the white breast meat kabobs. I thought I would dislike the Bhel Puri for the mango but the components were finely chopped and mixed together in a very flavorful and aromatic balance of sweet and spicy; that dish had some heat!

We had a variety of entrees including my all time favorite, Chicken Tikka Masala which was creamy and rich, Pork Vindaloo which packed some heat but had succulent and tender meat, Chana Saag which was TO DIE FOR and not on the menu, but definitely something you could ask for (since the were out of Paleek Paneer) - just a very flavorful combination dish of chickpeas and spinach. Very creamy! And we ordered a variety of breads like Garlic Naan and Aloo Paratha. Never enough bread to soak up the delightful sauce of my Tikka Masala. I was glad to find another order of bread arrive near the end of the meal, thanks to a friends' forward thinking but this time it was Peshawari Naan.

This bread, Peshawari Naan, deserved it's own course. This was more dessert then anything else, with sweetness from the nuts, spices and coconut. It was almost fried in butter and had a feel of a carnival delicacy. I was in heaven. Full tummy with warm spicy food and good friends. It was a meal worth repeating.. and I am very very glad for the leftovers I have to enjoy tonight!

Who you calling a shrimp!?

I definitely live my life cooking as simply as possible. Cooking for one deems that almost critical since leftovers can get boring if eaten for days and days in a row. Also, if you're preparing it for yourself, you're almost as inclined to eat dinner out of a plastic container then set up a nice presentation. (This is why going out to restaurants is so important to me, a foodie, to see food at it's finest.) But again, we can't afford to eat out all the time. And sometimes, you have to prepare your favorites at home.

Last night I was struggling with what to eat. I had some items in my freezer and almost nothing to go with them. But what's wrong with a night o' homemade tapas or endless buffet of appetizers? My favorite and perhaps the easiest being Shrimp Cocktail!

And so, I defrosted some frozen, raw shrimp and set some salted water to boiling. But the MAIN reason I mention this portion of my dinner is to highlight the difference in flavor between pre-frozen COOKED shrimp and Frozen Raw shrimp. One comes out tough and chewy with a dull flavor (almost tasteless), the other comes out succulent and sweet. Why is this? By the time you've defrosted pre-cooked shrimp, it might have freezer burn or worse yet, you're adding it to a hot recipe. If that is the case, by definition, the shrimp are going to be overcooked.

I am a new convert to the use of frozen raw shrimp and while it took some adjustment to accept that I wouldn't poison myself by cooking raw shrimp in whatever sauce I was making, the simple 3-6 minutes it takes to cook raw shrimp (3-4 min for boiling, 6-8 min to saute in sauce), is well worth it. I understand the avoidance of the small amount of extra cleaning and removal of the exoskeleton, but if you're a foodie, that's part of the fun. And definitely well worth the additional sweetness that the shrimp yields when cooked to order!

H to the O

In all this talk about food, drinks seem to be neglected.. and with drinks comes nifty drinking containers. We all know the adage we should drink 6-8, 80z glasses of water a day. Most of us don't, and I am one of the "most." As New Years Resolutions go, I promised myself I would drink more water, and haven't. Though today, I realized I was thirsty and my classic diet coke wasn't going to cut it. So, off I went to the office fridge to get myself water.. because while room temperature water absorbs faster and therefore relieves thirst more quickly, I prefer to drink only ice cold water. No ice machine at work, means finding the best device by which to store my water at the coldest temperature possible.

I can thank my sister for the randomness of the latest find - the SIGG bottle. Now, I've know of SIGGS, embraced them as the recycler's preferred potable water vessel. But I got one for Christmas and brought it to work on a whim in the New Year. Maybe the personalization of this SIGG bottle through CAFE PRESS (http://www.cafepress.com/designer/sigg/) will be the means by which I finally embrace this New Years Resolution. Mine reads, 'Peace Love and Nancy," and with hydration I hope to achieve Peace and Love. A girl can hope :)

Having your cake and eating it too!

It is clear to most people who know me that I am definitely a fan of the sweet stuff in life.. sugar is a vice that I struggle with everyday. Generally it doesn't take as formal a presentation as cake, which most of us associate with a special occasion. But luckily for me, my sister had a special birthday and I had just the occasion I needed to dive head first into cakedom.

Lucky for me, she chose a theme for her party celebration that provided numerous cake options, the 80s! Google 80s cakes and you're going to get everything from elaborate rubik's cube cakes to madonna cakes to the time honored PacMan cakes. And who doesn't enjoy the irony of eating PacMan? I certainly do. So, it was time to get the Funfetti (Betty Crocker brand confetti cake mix) cake mix and yellow food dye ready to make a homemade PacMan cake complete with chocolate eye. This was a huge hit with the kids (photo to follow soon).

And this was just course #1 of cakes. The real reason I even bring this up is as a tribute, a thanks, a standing ovation to the pastry chef at La Praline in Bethesda, MD. In a last ditch effort I called them from many states away to order a cake sight unseen, never tasted. Now, my sister and I happen to be real slaves to the chocolate hazelnut spreads, including Nutella. So, when their pastry menu listed a Chocolate Hazelnut Dacqouise, I knew I had to get it. I had NO idea what it was, not even after ordering a half sheet of it for 40 people. But this is when the risk was WELL worth it. No elaborate decorating needed, though I did have a tasteful chocolate plaque made that ready HAPPY BIRTHDAY. The cake itself was presented beautfully in the form of what most people think of for Tiramisu layers. The bottom was a hazelnut sponge cake, topped with a chocolate hazelnut spread thickly, then toasted hazelnuts topped with a thick custard creme, topped with another layer of cake and then a hard chocolate top, swirled as if in a zen garden. At the corners of the cake were pyramids of candied hazelnuts... like the crown on this jewel..

The presentation was lovely. But it didn't even hold a candle to the rich, delicious flavor and textures that this cake delivered. Rich but not sickly sweet, a light crunch from the nuts but the smooth creaminess from the custard and chocolate cream combined. I didn't mind that there was very little cake to hold the structure together. In fact, I didn't even think about it until now.

The only problem with this whole cake was that it was SO delicious that the manager and other staffers at the club we were visiting helped themselves to portions after hearing how amazing it was... but there was more then enough cake to share. And thank goodness, because it that cake had come home, I wouldn't be here to write this. I'd have died and gone to cake heaven!

So, this will end with a definite standing ovation for LA PRALINE bakery in Bethesda, MD (www.praline-bakery.com). Yum, yum yum and thank you, thank you, thank you!

A Pint at the Pub...

Going back to my British heritage, I was yearning for a pint of beer today.. it was a tough Tuesday (faux Monday after a 'bank holiday' monday), and in general, life is throwing me some serious curve balls. I needed to step out of the way, and rather into the warm and welcoming arms of a british pub. So, the Coat of Arms in Portsmouth, NH was going to have to do the trick; being the only British pub I know of in the near vicinity. I know it serves a mean fish N chips, has malt vinegar for the "chips", curry chips, and bangers & mash. British enough for this expat.

So, I called up a trusty friend who swears by their burgers and we headed through the snow and slush to the trusty COAT OF ARMS.

Seated in the darkened high tables of the bar, I perused the extensive list of draft beers, beer specialty drinks (like Celtic warrior, Black N Tan , etc.) along with their long long list of bottled beers from around the world. I like a belgian white so I settled for the one and only one on their menu, Hoegaarden, with lemon of course.

The best part of the menu here are the sides, as in the beer battered onion rings and fries. Crispy, fried goodness. Enough to make the most vigilant dieter cave. Alas, no diet food on my plate this evening. I got a Beefeater Panini with thinly sliced roast beef, caramelized onions, portabella mushrooms, horseradish mayo on grilled panini bread. Oh, SOOO good. I am not usually one to be tempted by a sandwich for dinner but this was definitely satisfying. And if you're not in the mood for fish N chips, a great alternative. The beer didn't hurt either :)

Slummin' it at home

I've not had the occasion or opportunity to go out anywhere very exciting recently. In part to save money, in part to be slightly healthier, and in part due to a slim social calendar, I've chosen to cook at home. Aside from the classics which I have on permanent rotation, I like to add in something new when I have the time and energy. Fortunately, the Chicken Tikka Masala recipe I found on the back of a spice packet required only energy - almost NO time. (image thanks to Megatroncat's blog)

I was somewhat skeptical considering I always assume that good food has to take time and thought, but I was more then pleasantly surprised with the results of this experiment. In short, the chicken was cooked in record time, the spice was warm but not overly hot, the texture was pleasant and it was as aromatic as any fine indian food I've ordered out at restaurants. I would most certainly cook this recipe again; trick will be remembering where I bought the spice packet in the first place. As you can imagine, I am racking my brain!

In short, the recipe called to saute onion, ginger and garlic together in oil. Add the spice packet, heavy on cloves in the one I bought, and cook through to release the oils in the spices. Add 8oz of tomato sauce (I doubled it to thin out the spice flavor), cook 3-4 min. Add cubed raw chicken and cook for 8-10 min. Voila! Now, I only had 1 lb of chicken whereas this called for TWO lbs, so I added chickpeas and cauliflower instead of the second lb of chicken and it was awesome and robust with texture and flavor. I loved it. Served with brown bastmati rice and naan - both purchased premade from the store.

So, I slummed it (and wish I'd though to watch Slumdog Millionaire while eating dinner) - and it was some of the finest dining I've done it in a while. Goes to show that some effort at home can produce a far better meal then some of the shortcut options we have at restaurants when we're feeling short on time and energy. Just say NO to drive-throughs :)

Sometimes you don't need to go out to find a treat!

It has been a while, and many restaurants (and calories) since last I posted.. but I shall resume this project. To be honest, I forgot I was doing it! ;)

Alas, no fine dining out recently. I've been cooking at home, getting back into the kitchen has been fun and I may share some of those stories too, but in the meantime, many of the holiday treats have made their way into our office. Today was no exception with a co-worker's BLACK BOTTOM CUPCAKES courtesy of The Joy of Cooking. I am by no means a cupcake connoisseur, and can not therefore claim to know a good vs. bad recipe. That being said, I am a chocoholic and can tell you a good chocolate dessert from a bad one. And these Black Bottom Cupcakes are sin in a cup. Yum, delicious, sinful and chocolately cheesecake goodness .. divine and heavenly. Yep, I liked them.

I know there are FAR too many blogs detailing recipes but how I not share??

Black Bottom Cupcakes
From the book The All-New, All-Purpose Joy of Cooking by Ethan Becker, Marion Rombauer Becker, and Irma S. Rombauer

Yield 16 cupcakes

Introduction

This children’s classic is very easy to make; its moist topping of cream cheese essentially functions as frosting.

Ingredients

Filling

8 oz. cream cheese, softened
cup sugar
1 large egg
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Cupcakes

1½ cups all-purpose flour
1 cup sugar
¼ cup unsweetened non-alkalized baking cocoa
1 tsp. baking soda
½ tsp. salt
1 cup water
1/3 cup vegetable oil, such as canola
1 Tbsp. white vinegar
1 tsp. vanilla extract

Steps

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease (or line with paper baking cups) two muffin trays.
2. In a medium bowl, beat the cream cheese and sugar until smooth. Add the egg and beat until smooth. Stir in the chocolate chips.
3. In another bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, and salt. Add the water, vegetable oil, vinegar, and vanilla; stir just until smooth.
4. Fill the muffin cups about half full with the cake batter, then dollop each with a heaping tablespoon of the cream-cheese mixture.
5. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the cakey part of a cupcake comes out clean, about 20 to 25 minutes. Cool on a rack before serving.

Chocolate Satin Frosting

1 cup heavy cream
6 ounces unsweetened chocolate, cut into chunks
3 cups confectioners' sugar
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
1 teaspoon vanilla.

Bring the cream to a boil. Remove from heat and add chocolate. Cover and set aside for 10 minutes. Scrape into a food processor and add the confectioners' sugar, butter and vanilla. Process until smooth, then 1 minute more. Set aside at room temperature until thickened into a spreadable consistency. Makes about 3 cups. Adapted from "Joy of Cooking."

***NOTE: You don't have to frost or decorate these cupcakes as they are supremely rich all on their own. It was a nice, festive touch though. Just remember, recipe above makes a LOT of frosting.

Enjoy!!