Sweet Potato Cheesecake w/ Candied Pecans

Thanksgiving has come and gone.  Are you still in a food coma, like me?  I ate 2 Turkey dinners on Thanksgiving and then a 3rd just a few days after.  I don't know if my stomach will ever forgive me.  But I know my tastebuds are really pleased with me because I allowed them to make nice with their best friends: Mashed Potatoes.  I'd been avoiding them in my quest for losing 30 for 30 (drop 30 lbs in honor of hitting my 30th year).  It was like old times, you know?  Like no time had passed.  It was romantic...wait...

...This is a post about cheesecake!  Sweet Potato Cheesecake to be exact.  I made two Cheesecakes using the measurements that I am going to provide below.  So keep that in mind, Forks!  I hope your tastebuds will be as happy as mine were!

Preheat oven: 350*

Crust: store bought graham cracker crust is fine

Cream Cheese Filling ingredients (Mix together in seperate bowl):

3 eggs

2 pkgs cream cheese, softened

3/4 cup sugar

1 tsp vanilla

Sweet Potato Filling ingredients (mix together in seperate bowl):

2 cans sweet potato or yams, needs to be drained/pureed

1 little pinch of salt

Nutmeg, to taste

1/2 tsp vanilla

1/4 cup sugar

Candied Pecan ingredients:

1 bag Pecans

1/2 stick butter

3/4 cup sugar

Cheesecake topping ingredients:

1 cup confectioners sugar (3/4 a cup if you want it more tangy)

1 small container of sour cream

And away we go!

Mix together all ingredients listed above for the Cream Cheese filling in it's own bowl using a hand mixer on low/medium, until smooth.  Next, mix together all the ingredients listed above for the Sweet Potato filling in it's own bowl using a hand mixer on low/medium, until smooth.

Once you are satisfied with the consistency of each mixture, it is time to pour them into your pie crust.  Alternate layers of cheese and potato fillings.  Don't worry if they run together or if the potato filling doesn't spread as neatly as you'd like.  Fill the pie crust just shy of the top edge.  Once you've filled the pie crust with your filling, take a butter knife and run if through out the filling, making zig-zags, which will marble the filling and make it pretty when you slice open the finished product.  Now, it's time to bake! 

Pop that sucker in the oven on 350* for 35 - 45 minutes.  And while it bakes, work on the other stuff!!!

To make the sour cream topping, combine the confectionary sugar and sour cream in a bowl and mix well. Set aside until cheesecake is finished/cooled.

Candy the pecans by melting butter on Medium heat in a skillet, sauce or saute pan. Your preference. As it melts, add in the bag of pecans and make sure they're coated w/ the butter. Once the butter is compeltely melted, add the sugar and stir to make sure that every pecan is covered. After about 5 minutes, these should be done. Set aside and allow these to cool before topping the cheesecake.

Once your cheesecake is done baking, set it aside to cool.  Once it is cooled, you can then top it with your sour cream and then cover with your candied peacans.  Serve at room temperature or chilled.

Enjoy it, 'buds!

Be my guest, Be my guest!

Well, Forks, I'm not offering to tell jokes or do tricks with my fellow candlesticks.  But I am offering you a job!  Zootaleur!

Qualifications: Must have appetite, tastebuds, willingness to leave the house, possess motor skills, such as putting your fork to mouth and have the ability to form sentences!  If you meet these qualifications, please continue reading, below.

Guest Revue-er Wanted: A reader of my blog who is willing to revue their own dining experience and allow me post it on this blog.  Your entry can be long and elaborte, it can be your own format, your own style.  It can be something as simple as, "I really enjoyed the McFish sandwich at McDonald's.  Extra tarter sauce really increases it's value.".  There is no right or wrong.

So!  I'm accepting applications and am ready to begin this screening process.  Please submit your entries to: kristenelizabethsweeney@gmail.com.

Well pilgrims, it's almost that time of year again!  I mean, for the rest of the world, it'll just be regular  November 25th.  But for us freedom lovers, it's the day we break out the good china and silverware, loosen our belts and OD on pie and football; it's Thanksgiving!  High-five, America!

I actually don't eat turkey on Thanksgiving.  Partly because I don't like it and partly because I'm afraid of Turkeys.  Did you know that live turkeys plague my office campus?  They travel in packs and they are often angry.  I've seen them fight, I've seen them fly and I've seen them chase each other.  They're gross little buggers.

Most of you know of my mashed potato obsession.  I usually stuff my face with starches on turkey day.  I like to take the potatoes, stuffing and corn and mash it all together and eat a lovely little side dish medley.  So, suck it Boston Market and KFC!  I was making these combos before you even started selling real meat!

Growing up, many of our Thanksgivings were also graced w/ a nice traditional...lasagna.  Hey, I have a little Italian grandmother.  The pilgrims would have loved her.  I think a lot of families do untraditional favorites of their own, too! 

Oh hey (insert coy light bulb here)!  Since I have this handy-dandy blog, why not share your favorite part about Thanksgiving in the "COMMENTS" section, below?  I would love to have some blogging interaction. 

Feel free to share anything you want about Thanksgiving, what your family eats, recipes, general comments, etc.  And check back often to see what people are saying!  It's fun!  Don't be shy!  It's the internet, no one can see you!

Gooble, gooble, tastebuds! 

Scandalous Specials @ Solstice

Who: The family (Steve-o, Karen & Sister),  Roomie and our lovely hosts, the ScanClan (Dave, M.A. & Young Ryan)

Where: Solstice - Kingston, MA
Atmosphere: A renovated train depot w/ exposed brick and good lighting, for those who aren't 29 anymore.
What: Dinner, drinks…balls?

30 years old never tasted so good! Back in my day…ok, I'm not ready to talk like that yet. But again, if this is how you eat when you turn 30, then I'll take it and leave my 20s in the fast food drive-thru.


The matriarch of the ScanClan, the lovely M.A., was kind enough to organize a little outing between our families to celebrate the my birthday. Entirely too nice, as always! Appetizers and cocktails led off our night: Crimson martinis, Champagne martinis, cheeses baked in filo, shrimp…and we're not even @ the restaurant yet! It was a great start to the evening.

From there, my personal driver (thank you Young Ryan) drove us to the restaurant where we had a small wait before being seated at a large round table. I like the round tables. Everyone gets a good view of the entire party and you can all hear each other. Although, we Sweeney's voices are locked to outdoor-mode, so you can always hear us.

Enter Jackie, our sweet and patient server. She was nice, funny and thought I was a school teacher. Tell me the specials, and I'll be whatever you want Jackie. I LOVE hearing the specials. And she got through the specials nicely; a shear pro, because I thought I was the only one who wanted to laugh during the specials recitation, until my dad (Steve-o) asked, "What was that 2nd one again?". Jackie pleasantly replied, "Lamb balls. It's the Lamb Balls. They're balls…oh.". Sorry Jackie. You got Sweeney'd.

To clarify, the Lamb balls were officially Arancini, and sister was more than happy to order them. And no, it was never not funny. Ah, I'm so glad I still have my sense of humor in my old age.

Young Ryan (yes, we let the driver eat with us) ordered the calamari, which of course, we all had to dig in on. It was delish. There was a seasame-ish/soy-ish dipping sauce that I've never thought to use for this appetizer. Big success. Much better than any cocktail sauce or marinara. I usually never dip calamari in anything. That was some good squid. For an entree, he had the Steak Frites, no veggies. He had the misfortune of sitting next to me, so I can tell you, that was one of the best steaks I have ever had and I plan to order it the next time I go. There will be a next time. Is it too soon to tell you that? I mean c'mon…we all know this revue is a rave. Let's not fake it. Back to the Frites! They came w/ a nutmeg-y ketchup and a garlic-y mayo. Homerun. This place knows what it means to dip!

Roomie got a special Sole over a Celery Puree w/ fried lemon pieces. It was magical. If you don't like munching on celery or were deprived of Ants on a Log as a kid, it's ok. Celery Puree is way better than both of those things. And I've never had a piece of fried lemon in my life. It was genius. Slice it, bread it, fry it. Yup. I will, thanks.

M.A. had the delicious Sea Scallops over a Lobster Risotto, I should know. I sat only 1 seat away from her. That plate was not safe. We all know how I feel about lobster…so it should mean a lot when I say (type) that it was one good dish. We discussed this at length. Yes, lobster was definitely a hot topic, aside from the balls.


I cannot believe I failed to mention the salads. I need to structure these revues in a more cohesive manner…but I'm busy. The salads were crazy! Roomie and I shared the caser, as we often to do. The Solstice ceaser is now tied for 1st place for the best cease salad I've ever had. This dressing was creamy and for a little plot twist, it had a think balsamic glaze drizzle on top. It was like candy. And it was a wicked good idea. Balsamic glaze = peace on earth, my friend. It could save the world one tastebud at a time. Sister and M.A. both got the Warm Medjool Dates stuffed with Goat Cheese salad with a Blood Orange Dressing. I am not sure if I've ever tried dates, but I can now tell you, if it's warm and stuff w/ goat cheese, I'm a #1 fan. That salad was something I've never seen before…it even intrigued Roomie, who does not do funky cheeses.

My meal was a seasonal favorite, but not a special.  I got the Butternut Ravioli in a warm sage butter sauce.  They offer an appetizer portion and an entree portion.  I was sort of full at the time of ordering, so I considered the app portion...but let's be honest.  I got the entree and ate the entire thing.  It was incredible.  It was sweet and savory and perfect.


Karen (Mother) had the pork chop, which Steve-o said he would get if he went back. So that was a hit. Dave (the head of the ScanClan) got the Lamb Trio w/ was a Shank, some Wellington and a T-bone all in one. Looked and smelled amazing. Even got a little doggie bag for…the dog. Bailey. She was in Doggie Heaven!


Am I forgetting anything? The wine! The Malbec was awesome. An Argentinean bottle w/ lots of legs. I think? I know it was amazing, even prompting Karen to say it was the best glass of red wine she's ever had…and she's had her share, if you know what I mean. (Um...If you don't know what I mean, I mean that she drinks a lot of red wine. Also, you should get out more.)


To sum up, I believe I will quote…myself…"genius", "amazing", "wicked good idea"…"balls"…wow, I say a lot! Solstice was so nice and I am so thankful to the ScanClan for putting together this evening @ such an awesome place. I also thank you, Jackie, our server, for not losing your mind w/ our rowdy group. You're a saint, Jackie. A saint!


I give Solstice 2 long, fruity legs and 3 balls! A major success and place I plan to grace again soon.


***One complaint? The water boy called me ma'am. It's miss! Miss! Oh man. Early bird specials are right around the corner aren't they?

21 Ingredients, not including the love

Alright, maybe I've been watching too much Throwdown w/ Bobby Flay b/c this recipe is on ingredient-overload!!!  Do not be horrified by the Lord or the Rings-like lengthy list of ingredients, my friends.  I can tell you that I had over 80% of these things in my house and the rest did not cost me more than $12 and 20 minutes at the grocery store.

So c'mon!  Fall is here and the NFL is back.  (miss you Summer...miss you so much) Chili is exactly what the season calls for.  Check out this recipe and give it a shot.  I guarantee you'll be happy.


Triple Threat Chili: Sweet, Spicy & Smokey

Ingredients:
1 1/2 lg pk Ground Turkey (or whatever ground meat you prefer) salted to taste before cooking
1 lg white onion, diced
1 lg cubanelle pepper, diced
1/3 bag of frozen mixed peppers (Fresh is ok, too.  I just had the frozen ones on hand.)
1 Med sweet potato, cubed, (microwave w/ some liquid for 3 min after cubing for best results)
1 can white kernel corn, drain & reserve liquid
1 can golden kernel corn, drain & reserve liquid
1 can kidney beans, drained - do not save reserve liquid b/c it's disgusting
1 can black beans, drained - do not save reserve liquid b/c it's even worse than the other one
1/2 sm can of Adobo chilies (they're sweet and smokey)
1 lg can of crushed tomatoes
1 reg can of tomato sauce
1/2 TBSP of garlic powder
1 TBSP of white pepper (if you don't have it, black pepper is fine)
1 tsp of nutmeg
1/2 TBSP of chili powder
1/2 TBSP of cayenne pepper
1/2 TBSP cumin
Salt to taste
3 dashes of Frank's red hot
2 handfuls of semi sweet chocolate chips
2 tbsp veg or olive oil
(all spices can be adjusted to your preference and/or omitted/swapped out w/ alternate spices)

Hardware needed:
1 lg skillet & 1 lg crock pot or lg sauce pot




Crock pot:


1. Put your crock pot on HIGH (if you're doing a sauce pot, just put on med heat). Pour in the can of Crushed tomatoes, Tomato Sauce, Adobo chilies, the microwaved Sweet Potato and half of the reserved liquid from the corn. Season this sauce w/ all the spices and the Frank's red hot.


Skillet:


1. Heat your skillet to Medium heat w/ the oil in the pan. Sauté the Onion and all Peppers until translucent.
2. Add the ground meat and cook until the meat is mostly cooked through. Add the remaining half of the reserved corn liquid to the meat and finish cooking.
3. When cooked through to your satisfaction, add the entire contents of the skillet into your crock pot or sauce pot. You're now done w/ the skillet! Buh-bye!


Crock pot:



1. Stir all contents and add in the chocolate chips. Stir continuously until they are melted. Cover for about 30 minutes. (If you're like me, you'll go taste it every 5 seconds, smothering it like an overbearing mother.)
2. As needed, adjust the spices to your preference.
3. Add all beans and cover again.
4. Continue to cook, adjusting temperature as needed. Cook until the meat has absorbed a noticeable amount of the liquid/thickens and the sweet potato is cooked through/tender.
5. Add corn at the end and allow it time to soften before serving.
6. Stuff your face!!!

***I personally enjoy putting a spoonful of sour cream in my bowl, then putting in the chili…and then maybe some shredded cheddar cheese on top. It's super skinny and healthy that way. Corn bread for dipping also adds to the tastebud overload - in a good way.

Pie, Pie, Me oh my!

Ok friends, here it is!  The first recipe posting by Yours Truly!!!  Can you believe it?  Well, I can because I made this post. 

Memorial Day 2010 was a high energy Family extravaganza, with a fun contest thrown in.  This year we had our First Annual Pie Baking Contest!  Many entered and many 'buds were pleased.  To see my 2nd Place winning recipe in the Fruit Category, keep on reading!

Ingredients:

1 Shortbread pie crust
1 1/2 pints strawberries, sliced, washed & dried
2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 cup mascarpone cheese
1/2 cup whipping cream
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup sugar

Toss strawberries w/ 2 tbsp of sugar, set aside.

In a saucepan, bring the vinegar and 1/4 cup sugar to a slow boil. Reduce the heat and cook for another few minutes. Turn off the heat and set aside, it will thicken as it cools. No need to refridgerate, otherwise it'll be too hard. It can just hang out on the counter.  (If you like this sauce to be Xtra sweet, like me, add more sugar!)

Mix the mascarpone and powdered sugar together until combined. Add in the cream, slowly.  Just a little at a time. The final outcome of this mixture should be a pourable/spreadable consistancy.

Spread the mascarpone mixture evenly within the pie crust. Next, gently top with the strawberries.  If there are too many, you do not have to cram them all on.  Use your discretion.. Refrigerated pie for as long as possible, before serving.  At least 1 hour.  Do not put it in your freezer.

Drizzle the balsamic syrup over the top of the pie and serve!!!

The best of 2 worlds; A Thai and Sushi time!

http://www.montien-boston.com/

Where: Montien 63 Stuart Street
Who: Me & Roomie
What: Thai & Sushi! The best of both worlds!!!
Why: Because every time we go to the AMC in Boston Common, this is where we eat!
How Much: Never more than $40 - $50 a visit

Living in the city and having a Roomie who is heavily into movies means I am going to do a lot of sitting in dark theaters.  My favorite activities involve taking advantage of the city life, eating, chatting, walking around.  So I had to find a place near the AMC theater at Park Street where we could get in a compromise for nights like this.  A movie for him, food for me.  To Google, I went.

What I found was a long list of little delis and bars, most of which I've been to.  But then, once I manuevered around the Google map, I found Montien, right in the theater district. The power of Google. I LOVE YOU GOOGLE! Romantic.

What appealed to us was the fact that Montien offers Thai food….AND SUSHI. Two of our most favorite things over the past few years. What I like about Thai is that the dishes are often sweet and spicy. What I like about Sushi is that it's awesome. The combination kicks some serious sak-ieister. ( <--Did that go over well?) Now that we're frequent diners, we always get the same waitress, which is a fun bonus. She always remembers us and tends to take good care of us.

Because we go all the time and have had many dishes, I think I'll do this post in list format. Just list 'em all out there and tell you how we felt/feel about the dishes. Get your chopsticks and ready and enjoy!

Pad Thai (with Chicken and/or Veggies): If Roomie had his way, it'd be just chicken w/ his Pad Thai Noodles. If I had my awesome way, it'd be just veggies. So we get the best of both worlds…both. Both is a funny word. Say it a few times. It's weird…where was I? Ah yes. This dish is really good. Lots of noodles and goodness dumped piping hot on a huge serving dish to share. Very delicious and enough to have leftovers for you lunch the next day.

Crispy Chicken: This item is a little deceiving…Think of the name. Crispy Chicken…but the chicken is NOT crispy. The noodles are. They're pan fried. Unless we got the wrong dish, this one is not good. To me. Roomie highly enjoyed his crispy noodles. Thankfully he added shrimp and I added veggies to this peanuty flavored dish. Me, I ate the chicken, lots of the broccoli, peppers…basically everything but the noodles and shrimp. Roomie enjoyed it all. But we had much debate over if we got the right meal, if we ordered it wrong and if we'd had it before…it was a very chatty meal, let's just put it that way! I have to say that the chicken tasted delicious. It was not breaded and covered in the peanuty sauce, similar to a Pad Thai sauce.

Chic-Chic Hot Basil: Ooooooo! Holy eastern philosophy! This dish is my fav, fav, favorite! The chicken is lightly breaded, the veggies are tempura style and the sauce is…sweet and Xtra spicy! Definitely a lot of chili action happening. A huge winner in my book. Roomie is just so-so on this one. And again, the portions are so huge, there are always leftovers.

H07 Negi Hama Maki (Yellow Tail w/ Scallion Roll): No matter what the entrée is, we always order a round or two of sushi. And let me tell you, the sushi is going to stop the chatter for a few minutes. The pieces are the size of a sand dollar and it takes about 2.5 minutes to get through one piece. Now this isn't a bad thing. The sushi is quite good…just a lot to handle. In regards to Yellow Tail, I am not a fan of it anywhere. Please don't take that into consideration when ordering it here. Roomie is a huge fan of it. In fact, I believe it's his most favorite sushi. And I can say that he really enjoyed it at Montien.

H12 Sake Maki (Salmon Roll): Another roll that is not my fav, but one Roomie loves. It's spicy, that's for sure. Lots of cucumber packed into every roll to give a good crunch, which is nice to offset the other textures.

H14 Tekka Maki (Tuna Roll): Finally!!! My most favorite sushi roll of all time. Of all time. And the spicier, the better. (Whoever invented spicy mayo, can I just applaud you right now? Seriously. Take a bow my friend.) And although it takes me forever to get through one piece, I really like it. We get this one every time. I do wish they'd have something crunch in the roll, like some tempura pieces. But the lack of this would not stop me from ordering it at all.

Now that I think of it…this revue may end up being a rolling revue. I can say for certain that we'll be going back in the near future and that there will be other menu items to revue. So definitely keep your 'buds on the look out for that.

It has to be said that we've never had dessert at this spot, as we always end up with snacks at our movie. Roomie w/ his industrial size popcorn, and I with my skittles. And yes…we share.

Montien gets 8 wasabi nuggets from this gal! I now have to go make out with Google.

South End Buttery...in the South End, surprisingly

I'm not usually one who usually speaks her mind...(hahahaha!)  But these are the best damn cupcakes I have ever eaten.

The South End Buttery is a cutie little place on Shawmut Ave in the S. End of Boston that I found on a whim.  Over a year ago I wanted to buy a treat to bring to a welcome-home outing for our friend and hero, Greg, who was just coming home from Iraq.  It had to be something easy to transport and pleasing to many people.  So I did a Google search for cupcakes in the Boston area.  And yes, Johnny Cupcakes did come up in the search, and no I did not get fooled.

After much stalking and deep thought, I settled on the Buttery because I liked what they had to offer.  There is always 4 standard flavors avaiable: Vanilla, Red Velvet, Carrot Cake and Chocolate.  I got all 4 of these, but I also ordered 2 specialty flavors.  The Strawberry Shortcake and the Lemon-Raspberry. 

Can I just tell you something?  That was the best decision I have ever made in my life...or at least tied with the decision to move into the city, so I am now a mere 10 minute T ride away from the Buttery!!!

Of course the 4 standards were a hit.  You cannot go wrong with those classics.  The carrot cake and the red velvet both had the cream cheese frostings...but it tasted like cream cheese flavored whipped cream, which in my book is a great plot twist.  It was very unexpected but entirely welcome, as frosting is not one of my most favorites things (but neither is schnitzel with noodles).  And if I am not mistaken...we were wearing most of the frosting by the end of the night, rather than eating.  Hey, what welcome home party is not complete without a food fight in a public, crowded bar?

Moving on to the Speciality flavors.  The likes of these have to be ordered in advance and are not available at walk-in.  Again, it was the best decision I ever made to order these cupcakes.  The shortcake and the lemon-rasp are tied for first place as my favorites.  The cake was fluffy and elves were the size of a softball.  For the shortcake, the frosting was that light whipped cream, which was slightly vanilla flavored.  The same goes for lemon-rasp, but the whipped cream was slightly lemon flavored.  Amazing.  Really.  Top notch.

Recently, Boyfriend (who has now been upgraded to Roomie) and I took a nice city stroll over to the Buttery to get some treats.  He got the carrot cake and I, the red velvet.  The frosting and cake were as good as we remembered.  We even got stopped on the street by strangers to ask where we got our snackies.  When we mentioned the Buttery, they just nodded and said, "Oh yeah.", as if there couldn't be another place in the world making such yumness.

I highly suggest making a special trip for these or ordering them for your next event.  See their website for more Specialty cupcakes. 

Have your cupcakes and eat 'em, too, people!  Enjoy!  Me and my 'buds always do.

Ivy's - Restaurant Week 8/15/10

http://www.ivyrestaurantgroup.com/

The Haps: Ivy Restaurant - 49 Temple Place in Downtown Crossing
Peeps: Yours truly, L, SJ & SJ's coworker Melissa from E. Walpole
Cheddah: $33.10/per person (the usual Restaurant Week Prix Fixe rate)
Chow: Caprese Salad, Grilled Italian Street Corn, Seafood Caponata, Gnocchi x 3, Spicy Chocolate Strawberry & Lemoncello Gelato Sundae


Hello forks! How long has it has been? (That was rhetorical...please don't ask me to figure out how long. I'm good with a fork, not a calculator.)



Do you ever see something happen that is out of your control and wish you could go back in time and stop it from happening? Or at least, have the power to stop yourself from seeing it unfold? I sort of wished I had that ability Sunday night at dinner. I should have seen the inclinations that things would go badly when our cutie little waitress told us it was her first night...


...mama mea culpa!



Me and my girls were hitting up Ivy's for Restaurant week.  To see the full Prix Fixe menu, hit up the link I provided up top. I ordered the Caprese salad by default, as Melissa from Walpole and SJ ordered the Street Corn. The Caprese was...Capboring. The mozz and basil were fine, but the tomatoes were oddly breaded in a manor that tasted unfinished. And they put enough balsamic on the plate to satisfy an ant who's had a lap band installed. C'mon Ivy!!! Gimme the balsamic. Think more along the lines of 19 Kids and Counting, ok? Thanks.


But I've gotta tell ya...the Street corn was corn-tastic. Whew! I cannot wait to try to replicate and fail! The appetizer came out in 2 small ears per serving. It was oily, cheesy and paprika-y. It definitely won the table's vote for best app.



You know that song from Sesame St...One of These Things is Not Like the Other? Well, that was me when it came to Entree time. I was the only gal to order the Seafood Caponata. This meal consisted of a buttery, citrusy herb sauce, papardelle pasta and an entire aquarium of seafood. Mussels, shrimp, lobster and scallops. I do not like lobster and shrimp, but my theory for restaurant week is to pick the pick that is most outside my comfort zone. Mussels were not something I'd really tried before...I have to say, if you drown them in enough sauce, they're great! My prior stance on lobster and shrimp were not changed. And the scallops were perfect. The dish was outta this ocean! Oh...and it came out of the kitchen hot...



...The Gnocchi, not so much. There was much promise for the Gnocchi in a red sauce w/ basil and riccotta...but man. Those balls were cold. It pained to me watch my friends suffer through their cold dinners while I feasted like royalty. Oh wait...yup, there it is. We finally got our bread! (Which was worth the wait, btw! Great dipping oil.) It turned out that the Gnocchi gals mentioned the cold entrees to our waitress, who looked ready to pose for a DUI mug shot. It was a sight I cannot erase from my memory.


But this was not quite as awkward as the hot mess I witnessed when she spilled 4 shots of Limoncello all over herself at the bar. It was more embarrassing than Keanu Reeves' acting. I felt the embarrassment in my neck and shoulders. It was really hard to watch. Turns out, though, those 4 shots of Limoncello were for our table, "for the aggravation". Very thoughtful...and tasty! The desserts came out shortly after and we all began scooping the Limoncello gelato into our shots. Booze-floats! A nice grown-up alternative to the ice cream floats of childhood...or 4 days ago. Whatever. After leaving the restaurant I realized what I'd specifically ordered was the Lemoncello Gelato Sundae...there was no sign of Sundae in the dish. Just the gelato and a frozen grape.



Overall, my tastebuds give the meal many burps (a huge compliment in some cultures). I give the service #1 status on the all-time awkward dining moments of...all-time. So go to Ivy, for sure. Just take the service with a grain of fresh cracked sea salt.



(O, and for those keeping track, noticing I didn't detail details about the Chocolate Covered Strawberry...take that for what it's worth.)

Here's the Scoop...

...I'm more of a 2 scoop kind of girl, to be honest.

Hello forks! Hope you're keeping your bellies full and and your faces stuffed during this bizarre-o winter we're having. Yes, yes, I've been out of stock for a while. I know. I'm sorry. I thought my mother was going to retroactively ground me; not blogging seemed worse than stealing the car when I didn't have a license!

Admittedly, I've been a little lazy. A little tired after work. More interested in watching the Jersey Shore...a little obsessed with planting crops and making a kick ass Farmville. Regardless of all of this, I'm back. I pledge to you, forks, I will be more proactive about my postings.

So enjoy your Tuesday! By the time your wake up for breakfast, you'll see some lovely new posts! You may even notice a fun new poll and new facets to my revues!

Me and my "buds" are out. Happy face stuffing!

OpenTable.com

http://www.opentable.com/

Friends, Romans, Countrymen...lend me your...reservation?

Sure, you can call in a reservation to a restaurant..."Excuse me? What's that? HOW many people?". Why not just hop online, since you're already there perusing your restaurant's online menu, and make your reservations at OpenTable.com. And the fun part? For every reservation you make, you earn points on your account towards earning a free gift certificate! I haven't earned on yet, so I can't say where the gift certificate applies. I am fairly certain that it is for the restaurant of your choosing.

It's free, it's easy and I love it. Another cool feature is that it is a Nation-wide service. So if you're on vacation in San Fransisco, you can book your reservation 2 months in advance online from home! It's great.

Just a little tip from me and my "buds". Happy face-stuffing!

Fat Cat? Fat AWESOME!

Location: Fat Cat in Quincy

Meal: Din Din

I dined with these cats: L and SJ

Cost: $70.00 for 2 apps, 3 meals and 3 cocktails

Meeee-ow, did we eat well tonight! And so did half of Quincy, let me tell you. Was the entire town there on a Tuesday night? I think so! You'd have thought it was the weekend. When SJ and I walked up, there was a crowd outside standing around, there was a line for the hostess stand...every table was slammed. But there was room at the bar, so we mosied on over to wait for L and have a cocktail.

Well, the night almost took a drastic turn at the bar, as I almost clawed out the eyes of a tom cat, trying to deny me a seat at the bar. This is not reflection on the establishment itself. You can't screen your customers...but if it were possible, the radar for douchbag would have been off the charts for that particular patron. Luckily, I'm awesome at doing what I want and I got my seat. And then I proceeded to order the Red Wine Sangria...sad...Wish I hadn't. It tasted like cinnamon juice. But I drank the entire thing.

Sometime between the douche patron almost losing his eyes and the sangria debacle, L showed up and we were seated. We kats immediately batted around the cocktail menu like a ball of yarn. I got an Alley Cat, which basically tasted like a Cosmo. And that is a good thing, so I was pleased. L got a Margarita, which is only served on the rocks, just like she hoped. SJ got the Hello Kitty because it was a pineapple drink...We all purred with delight. Good drinks.

To start we ordered the Fried Dill Pickle slices (thanks for the suggestion Christine Mc!) and the Hand Cut Fries in the Garlic & Parsley seasoning with BBQ Sauce. The Pickles were fun! Not as crispy as I expected. Different, for sure. The dipping sauce was amazing. It was a mixture of Cajun spices, mayo and sour cream. It was so good that I dipped the fries in it, too. The Fries, themselves, were meowlicious. Prrrrrrrr! I want to eat them everyday. They were covered in chopped, raw garlic that made my socks curl. And I wasn't even wearing socks!!!

For dinner, L got the Pulled Pork sandwich with a side of Mac and Cheese. It looked and tasted phenomenal, covered with Onion Strings. SJ and I shared a Ceaser Salad and the Mac N Cheese with Hot Dogs. And let me tell you, there was a lot of bark in every bite! If I had a voice, I would have been singing "Thank you Jesus" at the top of my lungs. First of all this dish was the size of a plasma television - there was so much pasta that SJ and I could not finish it. We had enough left to split the leftovers evenly, which was enough to each be eating for a week! In addition to the cheese and hot doggy goodness, I liked the garnish of the tomato slices, as well. It brought a nice fresh flavor to the meal.

After dinner we had no room for dessert...although we should have made room, considering we were celebrating SJ's bday...sorry SJ, guess we pussied out on that one. But we love you, we love Fat Cat and we loved the bread...have I mentioned the bread yet??? Um...yum. Crusty bread AND corn bread. Love combos.

Final Verdict: Fat Cat receives 9 lives from this feline. Despite the douchy guy at the bar, it was an extremely Delicious and exciting Tuesday.

Location: Accapulco's Norwood

Meal: Cena

Dining Companion: Mi Hermana

Cost of 2 Meals & 2 Margaritas: $36.00

La comeda es muy buena @ Accapulco's! And according to mi hermana, the Norwood location beat out the Franklin and Weymouth locations in regards to layout and decor. I agree that I liked this location a lot because it was not as dark inside as the Franklin location. I didn't feel like I was in a cave. Plus, we sat at a high top bar table, so we were where the action was, which as you know, is good for me because I enjoy the over stimulation.

First of all, when the waiter asked us if we wanted complimentary chips and salsa, Hermana and I looked at him as if to say, "Does Rose Kennedy own a black dress?". Um, Si, papi, we need el chip-os. Mucho, grande...give us the chips! ...We needed a second round after about ocho minutes.

It took forever to order, not any fault of the staff, but because Hermana had to run to the car...then, oh, she had to run to the bathroom. When hungry, I do not like to be kept waiting...actually I do not like to be kept waiting, period. No bueno. But finally we got around to ordering traditional Margaritias, on the rocks with salt. Yes, I got a margarita. And guess what? I liked it. It was super delicioso. Oh, and we got some dinner, too! Hermana ordered the Chicken Avocado salad, at my suggestion. And I ordered the Fajita Quesadillas with steak (you could choose between steak and chicken).

Chicken Avocado Salad: A large salad of lettuce, diced tomatoes and cheese in a taco shell bowl, covered in breaded chicken and avocado, sour cream on the side. I had thrown out this suggestion to Hermana because I'd had it a couple years back and loved it because it was covered in avocado, one of my favorite things. This time, however, the salad had Dos, count 'em, Dos slices of avocado. Very disproportionate to the 758 pieces of chicken on the salad. So that was sad. Hermana aslo wondered where the salad dressing was? But I am pretty sure that this is not the type of salad you douse in Ken's Italian dressing. So she took some salsa and poured it all over, which I think was the right move. The chicken was delicious, however, the meal was not a hit for mi hermana. She was mucho disappointed. But she ate the whole thing.

Fajita Quesadillas (steak): 6 big quesadilla slices filled with steak, cheese and caramelized onions and peppers, sour cream and guacamole on the side. First thing is first. I have to get this off my chest...Why was the guacamole watery? Que? Maybe I'm used to my own recipe, which is on the chunky side and mucho garlicy? Hmmm. This was a pickle, which no, was not served on the side of my dish. The Quesadilla itself was great, although I wish it had come with a side of rice or something. Hermana did not like my meal because she is not into steak. I, however, am very into steak. And cheese. And onion and peppers. And, like I just said 30 seconds ago, it was great. So filling, too. I could only finish 3 slices. I brought the rest home to mi padre. Knowing him, he took the mexican left overs and dumped marinara sauce and mustard all over it. He's got weird taste buds...and I'm drifting away from my point...Which was what?

Did I mention that staff called us Senoritas all night? We both thought that was unnecessary. It was seemed forced and awkward, like it's written into their work agreements. "If you work at this mexican restaurant, you must address all customers as Senorita or Senor.". No bueno.

Final Verdict: I give Accapulco's Dos Maricahis. Not bad, but not great. I would go there again, if someone else suggested it. But it's not my first choice.

A Lack Luxester Meal

Locaction: Showcase Cinema in Randolph

Meal: "Dinner"

Hot Date: Boyfriend

Well folks, put your forks away because for this meal all we needed were our hands. The Luxe Level didn't turn out to be a worth while expense, so we opted for the Mid-level snack bar.

We had our choice of lovely Nathan's products, which sounds good, right? I mean, c'mon. We're at a movie theater. We know that this ain't no gourmet joint! And Nathan's hotdogs are fabulous!!! There were burgers, fries, combo plates, chicken tenders...You name the fried product, they had it. Did you guess Fried Dough? Becauase yes, they had it.

Boyfriend and I love food and love to eat, as you know. But we didn't really go as overboard as I feared. We each ordered a "dinner" and shared an appetizer. To specify: Buffalo Chicken Egg Rolls, Hot Dog and Onion Rings. Mmmm...or should I say, "Mmmm, cough, hack, gross, it sucked". Oh my, bless me.

Buffalo Chicken Egg Rolls: Sounds awesome, doesn't it? Buffalo chicken? I'm a fan. Egg Rolls? Delicious! Buffalo Chicken Egg Rolls? Sounds Brilliant (hey, I watched Harry Potter last night, ok?)! Turns out, it was the complete opposite of Brilliant. I'd like to call the person who made them a Tosser! To be honest, the "roll" tasted like corn dog batter. It was soft and squishy. I could only manage to eat half of one before I turned to Boyfriend, smiling and saying in my most peppy voice, "You can finish it.". And yes, Boyfriend didn't care much for them, either. But he did eat them all. Don't judge him. Just don't. It's wouldn't be fair.

Hot Dog: This will hopefully be the only time I say this: That Nathan's hot dog sucked. The bun was a brick and the dog was, too. Bricky? Not awesome. But I ate the whole thing. I just...I just can't even go into anymore detail about this. It was that bad.

Onion Rings: Ah, I thought these would be my saving grace, to make my Buds (tastebuds) happy. Alas, like so many things in life, including all of Madonna's albums after Like A Prayer, they were a major dissapointment. They were flavorless. They were the most boring onion rings I've ever consumed...And I ate every last one.

I'm pretty sure I know what you're thinking. "Um...duh, it's movie theater food.". Ya, ya, I know. But you just never know where you're going to find a diamond fried product in the rough. And sure, we failed miserably this time around, but I guarantee you that it won't stop us. We will not eat quietly!

Final Verdict: No forks awarded. No napkins, either. Not even a moist towelette. Thank god we had a movie on to distract us from the awful food.

(I won't bore you with my thoughts on Harry Potter, by the way. I'll leave that to those more qualified. Hey! Speaking of which, check out the blogs I follow on the bottom right hand side. They're written by people who are definitely qualified to give you insight about books and movies!)

"That's repetitive." "And redundant"

When you're bored at night and need some noise in the background b/c you're the worst sleeper known to man, you tend to watch a lot of Gilmore Girls. Am I right or am I right? It's especially easy when you own every Season on DVD. 7 seasons in all. And the more I watch and re watch I notice many, many pop culture topics, phrases and "zingers" are used repetitively throughout the seasons. Below is a list of all things repetitive in the world of the Gilmore Girls, whose main stars are Lorelai and her daughter Lorelai...

(Side note: On the show, Lorelai and Rory are huge eaters w/ appetites that should be studied at MIT by men in white coats. If they were real people, I think they'd dig my blog.)

-Hemingway. I can think of 2 episodes in season 4 where is Ernest is brought up for one reason or another.

-Madeline Albright. Not only is her name tossed around in season 5, but she also makes a guest appearance in season 6.

-Hitler and Stalin. YES. Both of these gents are mentioned so frequently, I would go as far as to say that you'll hear these monikers at least once per season. At least!

-Helmut Newton. "Leave the whips and chains at home."

-Side Cars and Rob Roys. These cocktails are thrown around a lot.

-Bowie. Several references. Ground control to major tom. Suffragette City. Talks about Bowie dressed up like a Spaceman, NOT a pirate.

-Suffragette. The city, the sister. You name it, the Gilmores get it in there.

-The Sound of Music. Season 2, Season 4 and Season 7...off the top of my head.

-Bono. Lorelai's Ryan Adams, if you will.

-Elvis Costello. I've never heard his name on the show. However, I've seen his poster in a dorm room in season 4 and heard his song in seasons 1 and 2.

-Proust. Someone always has their nose in their Proust.

-"Stella!". Season 2 and Season 3.

-Judy Garland. Comparisons, watching A Star is Born, talking about Seconal. Wizard of Oz is thrown in, too, but never in regards to Judy.

-Juddisim. Although the Gilmores are not Jewish, they sure know a lot about the culture and use the jargon. They also own a dancing rabbi.

-The Bee Gees. Someone always looks like the 4th Bee Gee or someone is dancing to Shadow Dancing.

-Wilco. Several songs are featured throughout the show, including a cover of Big Star's Thirteen.

-"Let's shall". A common Lorelai witticism.

-Marion Ross. She plays 2 characters. Gran and Aunt Marilyn.

-Sherrilyn Finn. She plays Jess' dad's girlfriend in season 3 and Luke's baby daddy in season 6 and 7.

-Samantha Shelton. In season 1 she plays a debutante at a Coming Out gala and in season 6 she plays a drunken bridesmaid. Not the same character.

-Sweety. On multiple occasions this name is used for the name of a friend in a story or for someone checking into the Inn.

-Nico. The off key beauty is mentioned at length.

-Elizabeth Taylor. She is always referenced, especially when the gals are talking about man troubles!

-"That's going on your tombstone.". Lorelai always manages to say something clever that Rory reminds her will go on her headstone.

-The Monkees. Last Train to Clarksville, dialogue about the opening credits of the Monkees TV show. Not to mention Carole King is on the show and she wrote their hit, Pleasant Valley Sunday, which is featured on the show.

-Neil Young. Season 1 and Season 6.

-Martha Stewart. Every season?

-Sonic Youth. They Even make an appearance on the show in season 6.

-Mary Lynn Rajskub. She makes an appearance in season 2 and season 6.

-Ab Fab! A shout out on several occasions to the British TV show!

-The Algonquin. And old watering hole for many literati such as Dorothy Parker!

-Dorothy Parker. The production company is even called: Dorothy Parker Drank Here.

-Cher. I think...every season?

-"Danger Will Robinson!". Lost in Space reference.

-Emily Post and Ms. Manners. Often compared to Emily Gilmore and her obsession with perfection.

-Hummel. There is lots of talk of these porcelain figurines...Boy with Toothache!

-Star Trek. Sulu, Spock, trekkies...they're all mentioned throughout the seasons.

-Jodie Foster. Think Panic Room and that whole pesky fiasco with President Reagan and a man with a gun. Nell, too.

-Deenie by Judy Blume. Season 3 and 6.

-Annie Hall. All the freaking time.

-Footloose. Twice in season 3. Jump back!

-Ed Wood. Twice in season 3. What is up?

-Korn. Season 3 and season 6.

-The Godfather. Constantly. Every season.

-Annie Sullivan. Helen Keller's teacher...not sure why she's got so much street cred...

-Lord of the Rings. There's even a theme party in season 4.

-Cole Porter...Every season?

-"Clandestine". The word is used a LOT.

There are many more to add to the list. If you know some, share them! But it's late and I'm hitting the bricks. And by bricks, I do not mean the awesome band that just recently rocked NH, but I mean Goodnight!

A Mini Martini Sampler Vs. Sangria

Vs.

http://www.joesamerican.com/ http://www.skylinemarinabay.com/



A Spontaneous Battle of Booze
Locations: Skyline @ Marina Bay - Outdoors / Joe's American Bar & Grill - Indoors
Climate: 80s, sunny, beautiful / Drizzly rain
Partner in Crime: Iesha, drummer/singer of The Bricks

On one of the first days that felt like summer this entire...uh, summer, I experienced an afternoon of spontaneity that cannot be topped.


I started off my day at the beach, totally stunned at how hot it got and thankful that there wasn't a red flag up signally oceanic bacteria on the lifeguard stand. When this got old I gave Iesha a call, who suggested we hang out...Cocktails seemed like the natural choice. It was the weekend, afterall.


First bar: Skyline at Marina Bay. I felt so fancy. The only other time I'd ever been to Marina Bay was for a rehearsal dinner. So imagine my excitement at the thought of eating outdoors, in my bathing suit and flip flops! No sooner were we seated did we notice the gals next to us had a Mini Martini Sampler: 4 Mini Martinis on a tray in 4 different flavors. Again, it just seemed natural that we order it, as well! And we did.


The 4 flavors were: Blue Eyed Blonde, Pomegranite, Melon and Grapefruit. I initially had high hopes for the Grapefruit, but sadly it tasted like burning acid being poured down my throat. Not that I didn't finish it. The Pomegranite and Melon were oddly similar and had bitter after tastes. The Blue Eyed Blonde, however, was as pleasing to the 'buds (tastebuds) as it was the eye. It was blue and yellow and delicious. In the end, Iesha and I ended up ordering a full size Blue Eyed Blonde each. Or was it 2 more each? Hard to say.


Later we moved on to do some shopping. The mall just happened to have a Joe's American Bar & Grill, whose Sangria came highly regarded by Iesha. I'd heard her mention it in the past and we decided that there was no time like the present. There was plenty of room at the bar for us to mosey up and hunker down.

I was expecting the bartender to take 2 glasses of ice and walk over to a premade pitcher of Sangria and pour. Instead the bartender took two large high ball glasses of ice and walked right over to the booze and began to create each cocktail from scratch. And after taking one sip, you'd never tell that someone hadn't slaved all day over the wine allowing fruits and flavors to ferment. No. This shit was whipped up in no time and sucked down in no time, might I add. Delicious. We even got the recipe from the bartender, who enjoyed talking to us, which I always enjoy. Enjoyable.


So ultimately the challenge boils down to this: An outdoor setting with 3 bad martinis, and one that was exceptional versus an indoor chain restaurant with fun staff and delicious sangria that tasted like biting into a plum and an apple simultaneously.


Winner: Joe's Sangria. This concoction gets 3 Cheers from me! I highly suggest it, but cannot share the recipe. You'll have to go there and get your own chatty bartender. Hey, we put in good work to get this info.

Lunch @ Piattini

Piattini

http://www.piattini.com/

Meal: Lunch

Seating: Outdoors

Time/Climate: Sunday afternoon, 80s, sunny, low humidity

Dining Companion: Sister

I have eaten at Piattini many times, but always for dinner. Never lunch. This particular Sunday was absolutely beautiful and I was craving a certain dish. Lunch had to be at this venue. And outside!

Lucky for me, Sister was free and easy to convince into taking this spontaneous trip into Boston with me. Lucky for both of us we got the last open table outside upon our arrival. We were seated immediately.

As I said, I've eaten there numerous times (As much as I subscribe to the philosophy of always being open to try new things, I also believe that "if something works, I stick with it.", to quote John Candy from Splash.). However, lunch would be a first!

What I knew going into this restaurant is that they're a self proclaimed wine bar with a solid base of Italian cuisine. To be precise, they're known for their Tapas! Traditionally, Tapas are Spainish, small portions and ordered in multiples, designed to share and create an open atmosphere. More and more, trendy restaurants are serving their own versions of Tapas in any and all walks of cuisine. Piattini's got the Italian version down.

Immediately I knew that I wanted 2 Tapas, hoping Sister would choose something else from the lunch menu that she'd be willing to share. We ordered the following from the Lunch Menu: Caprese Salad, 1 order of Beef Carpaccio, 1 order of Veal Ravioli and the Vegetarian Wrap.

Caprese Salad:

Large beef steak tomatoes and thick slices of buffalo mozzerella dressed in a light pesto served over mixed greens with balsamic dressing. Aboslutely delicious. I've had plenty of Caprese Salads but the surprise of the pesto made me quite happy. Pesto...you can never go wrong with it.

Vegetarian Wrap:

A wheat wrap filled with red peppers, artichokes, mushrooms and goat cheese. I thought this sounded great! Of all the wraps and panninis on their lunch menu, this one looked the best. I, however, was underwhelmed. And I didn't taste any goat cheese...and I love goat cheese. I could write a song about goat cheese. I really wanted the goat cheese. Sister, however, loved the wrap and was very pleased. Therefore, I consider that order a success. It was served with a side of mixed greens salad. This led my sister to ask me if it would be rude to inquire as to where her french fries were...I thought it might be best that she leave the jokes alone. After all, we were on Newbury street...I was afraid we would be banished. The Sweeneys are not exactly hip enough for Newburey street, but that would never stop us from eating there!

Veal Ravioli:

True Tapas. 4 cheese and veal filled ravioli in a brandied marsala with mushrooms. How can I put this without sounding like a complete moron...These ravioli are like soft pillows of heaven floating on top of a sauce that angels must have made...how was that? These were the best 3 raviloi I have ever eaten, minus the one Sister had and sort of shrugged off. Blasphamey. I get this dish every single time I eat here and have never once been dissapointed. The chesee and the veal are the perfect ratio, so there is no over powering and I really appreciate that.

Beef Carpaccio:

Another Tapas item, one I always have to have. Carpaccio is essentially raw beef sliced so thin that it's almost translucent, drizzled in olive oil served on a bed of arugala and capers. I always avoid the capers and get right down to business. The beef is so perfectly pink and the olive oil all over it is so simple that you'll be astouned by how much flavor you find. I love this dish. It never fails me.

In addition to the amazing food and beautiful weather, the service was very attentive. Any time my water glass looke empty, someone was right there to refill. Our waitress timed the delivery of each order perfectly, so we weren't rushing to make room for more plates. All in all the meal was exactly what I expected. Tastebuds satisfied!

Piattini - I rate this restaurant: 4 Forks. Hell, I give them the entire flatware set, including the ladels and tongs.