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Hot Chicken

9/4/2019

0 Comments

 
I'm sure you guys get it by now. I'm in love with fried chicken. Pretty sure I feel the same way about pasta. There's just soooo many different styles and flavors to choose from but the main ingredient stays the same. Versatile - that's the word I was looking for!! 

Anyways, I spent a couple of days frying up different kinds of chicken in my kitchen and I would have to say that my favorite part of chicken fried "Nashville hot chicken" style would be the chicken thigh. You just can't beat that juicy dark meat especially once you've put the time and effort into soaking it in buttermilk for 24 hours.

Let me know if you have any questions below! And as always, the serving size for this recipe is for around 2-4 people. (Two starving people, three normal people, or four people who feel like snacking together.)
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What you need:
  • Chicken - either 12 wings, 6-8 thighs or 6-8 chicken breasts (you can do a mix of thighs and breast too just make sure the total is around 6-8 pieces.)
For the brine:
  • 3-4 cups buttermilk
  • 2 tbsp seasoned salt
  • 1 tbsp cayenne pepper
For frying:
  • 4-6 cups of vegetable oil
  • 2 cups flour
  • 2 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 tbsp seasoned salt
For the hot chicken sauce:
  • 1/2 stick butter
  • 1/2 cup vegetable oil
  • 2 tbsp cayenne pepper (more if you like extra hot)
  • 2 tbsp brown sugar
  • 1 tbsp garlic powder
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp finely ground black pepper
What to do:
  1. Soak the chicken for 2 hours or up to overnight in the buttermilk, seasoned salt and cayenne pepper.
  2. Heat the vegetable oil in a deep pot. I usually crank the heat to a little over medium. (To test if the oil is hot enough, carefully flick a tiny dash of water into it - make sure you stand back so you don't burn yourself. It will make a crackling noise if it's at the right temp. If it makes a super loud crackling noise that's almost scary, you've got the heat up too high!)
  3. Combine the flour, garlic powder, and seasoned salt in a large bowl. Make sure its mixed well.
  4. Coat each piece of chicken (right out of the wet brine) in the flour mixture and then carefully place it into the hot oil. Cook until golden brown - usually 8-10 minutes.
  5. Set chicken on a cooling rack that has a paper towel layer underneath to catch the oil drippings.
  6. Combine all of the hot chicken sauce ingredients in a sauce pot and cook on medium heat until the butter melts and things start to bubble. Remove from heat and set aside until the chicken is done.
  7. Using a spoon or basting brush, coat each piece of chicken in the hot sauce before serving.
  8. Best if served with white bread and thick crunchy pickles!! Ranch definitely helps with the heat too. :)
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Pork Belly Poutine

8/9/2019

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Poutine is something that I'll never stop dying over. French fries, gravy and cheese curds. Hot damn.

There's a restaurant in Cleveland called the Greenhouse Tavern and they make a dish real similar to poutine but it has juicy pork belly bits, a fried egg and whole grain mustard on it - it's so good and my version of poutine is totally inspired by it.
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What you need:
(For the fries)
  • 4 large potatoes
  • 3 cups vegetable oil
(For the pork belly)
  • 1/2 lb pork belly
  • Salt & pepper
(For the Gravy)
  • 2 tbsp butter
  • 2 tbsp flour
  • 5 oz beef broth
  • 5 oz chicken broth
(Other)
  • 1/2 cup white cheddar cheese curds
  • Quail eggs
  • Parsley
What to do:
(For the fries)​
  1. Slice the potatoes in to thick french fry pieces and soak them in cold water for 2-3 hours.
  2. Heat the vegetable oil in a deep pot to around 300 degrees F and cook the fries in batches for 5 minutes at a time. After, set them on a paper towel to soak up the grease. (They aren't done, this is just to get them ready for the next step.)
  3. Next, increase the oil heat to 400 degrees F and cook the fries in batches again, this time until they are golden brown. (About 7 mins.)
  4. Season lightly with salt and set on paper towels to soak up any excess grease.
(For the pork belly)
  1. Season the pork belly with a good amount of salt and pepper. (1 tsp of each.)
  2. Roast the pork belly in the oven at 450 degrees F for 20 minutes - middle rack. Flip and roast on the other side for 20 more minutes.
  3. You'll notice that the edges of the pork belly are a little crispy from cooking in its own grease so use a very sharp knife to slice it all up into cubes.
(For the gravy)
  1. To make the gravy, melt the butter in a skillet and use a whisk to combine the flour and gravy to make a roux. 
  2. Slowly pour in each broth, little by little and whisk on low to combine and thicken. If it's too thick add more broth and if it's too thin, increase the heat and it will thicken up.
(Assembly)
  1. Fry the quail eggs in a skillet. Each one takes about 60 seconds since they are so tiny.
  2. Pour a little gravy on the serving platter, and then create a pile of fries on top of it.
  3. Sprinkle the cheese curds and pork belly on top of the fries and then douse the whole thing in the rest of the gravy.
  4. Top with parsley and the quail eggs. Serve/eat while it's still hot!
0 Comments

Pork Tacos + Pineapple Crema

7/23/2019

2 Comments

 
I'm REALLY obsessed with tacos al pastor right now. Seeing that I don't have any devices at home that can cook meat on a spit for hours on end, I decided to not try and do that, lol. I seasoned a pork shoulder with the same flavors as tacos al pastor and cooked the meat in a crockpot so that the pork turned into soft and juicy shredded meat. 

Also, this is very much a long recipe. The best way to make it not feel like that is to start marinating the pork around dinner time and wake up and get it going in the crockpot in the morning so that it'll be ready by the next day's dinner time. It makes a lot of pork, I'd say to buy enough taco shells for around 6 people. You can refrigerate the leftover meat and it'll stay good for a few days.
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What you need:
(For the pork)
  • 1 pork shoulder (around 4 lbs)
  • 1 tbsp dried cumin
  • 1 tbsp dried oregano
  • 1 tbsp garlic powder
  • 2 tsp salt
  • 1 tbsp pepper
  • 3 tbsp achiote paste
  • 2 tablespoons guajillo chili powder
  • 1/2 cup white vinegar
  • 1 cup pineapple juice
  • 1 cup diced pineapple
(For the crema)
  • 1  cup Mexican crema (or sour cream)
  • 3/4 cup of the pineapples mentioned above (after they've cooked in the crockpot with the meat.)
What to do:
  1. Mix all of the ingredients except the diced pineapple in a large bowl and marinate the pork shoulder overnight.
  2. Place the pork shoulder in the crockpot and pour the marinade over the top of it.
  3. Add in the cup of diced pineapple and cook on high for 8 hours. 
  4. Separate the pineapples from the meat and stick them in the fridge right away to cool.
  5. After the pineapple has cooled (about 10 minutes, blend it with the crema in a food processor. Stick it back in the fridge to keep cool until it's time to use.
  6. I like to char my corn tortillas in a cast iron skillet before assembling the taco - so do that. Add the meat, pineapple crema and then top with a little shredded chihuahua cheese. I love dipping these tacos in spicy pineapple habanero salsa!!
2 Comments

FOJ Boneless Wings

7/10/2019

0 Comments

 
What if I told you you didn't have to go to your favorite local chicken wing joint to eat the best boneless wings of your life?? I've tried hundreds of times to make them at home and they've never turned out like how they taste from a restaurant. UNTIL NOW, and guess what? It happened on accident, lol.
I was frying chicken to put on sliders for a recipe that I was working on and the batter turned out not so great. So I dipped the chicken into flour, after dipping it into the batter to see if that would help and I'm so glad I did!!
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What You Need
  • 4 boneless skinless chicken thighs or breasts (I prefer thighs, way juicer!)
  • 3 tbsp cornstarch
  • Buffalo sauce (or wing sauce of choice)
  • Vegetable oil for frying
To Make The Batter
  • 1 cup AP flour
  • 1 1/4 cups water
  • 1 tbsp seasoned salt
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
What To Do
  1. Slice the chicken into large nugget-sized pieces.
  2. Soak the chicken in a salt water or buttermilk brine for at least 2 hours and at the most, overnight. (If you're doing a salt water brine, the ratio is 1 tbsp salt: 1 cup of water.)
  3. Remove the chicken pieces from the brine and coat them in the cornstarch. Let them sit out and absorb some of the starch for 15 minutes.
  4. Mix the batter ingredients. The consistency should be similar to pancake batter, more thick than thin. (Add more flour if it's watery and add more water if it's too thick.)
  5. Heat the oil in a deep dish pan on the stove until it's hot. Test how hot the oil is by sticking your spoon in it with a little batter on the end. If it bubbles around the batter, it's hot enough.
  6. Mix the chicken pieces in with the batter. Set aside a large shallow bowl of flour (around 1 cup) to coat each chicken piece as it comes out of the batter mixture. 
  7. After each wing has been coated in batter and then flour, drop in the hot oil. Cook as many at a time that fit comfortably into the pot without overcrowding for about 10 minutes, until golden and crispy.
  8. Fill a large tall bowl with a decent amount of buffalo sauce and toss the wings in the sauce while they are still hot. Pour in more sauce if you need in order to fully coat the wings. Serve with tons of napkins!
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10 Min Mac & Cheese

6/25/2019

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“It ain’t easy bein’ cheesy” is a straight up lie because you can achieve the ultimate cheesiness in under 10 minutes with this recipe. #foolproof
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What you need:
  • 2-3 tbsp butter
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • 1 tsp cornstarch 
  • 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
  • Salt and pepper for seasoning
  • 1/2 lb rotini or elbow pasta
What to do:
  1. Melt the butter in a medium sized skillet on medium heat. Add the heavy cream and bring it to a low bubble.
  2. While heating the cream, mix the cornstarch in with shredded cheese. (This helps evenly distribute it for the next step.)
  3. Add the starchy cheese mixture to the hot bubbling cream and mix around until it's all cheesy and melted. 
  4. Season the sauce with salt and pepper before adding it to the cooked pasta and eating!
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Pho Stir Fry

5/17/2019

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Pretty sure pho is famous for it's slow simmered broth but I loooove picking out all of the noodles and spicy jalapeños whenever I'm eating it. A few people replied to my IG story saying it's not pho since I used soy sauce, but I'm allergic to hoisin sauce since there's peanuts in it so I had to improvise. It still has the flavors of pho with the beef broth, lime and ginger that I used and that's good enough for me. Ps, this recipe will serve two people or one VERY hungry person.

So it's not traditional pho, but it's still really phoking good, okay?!
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What you need:
  • 1/2 lb steak, shaved or very thinly sliced
  • 3 tbsp soy sauce (2 for marinade, 1 for stir fry)
  • 1 tbsp grated ginger
  • 2 fresh jalapeños, sliced
  • 1/4 cup beef broth
  • 1/4 of a white onion sliced very thin
  • 10 oz rice noodles
  • 1/2 cup bean sprouts
  • 1 tbsp lime juice
  • 1 tbsp rice vinegar
  • cilantro for topping
What to do:
  1. Slice and marinate the steak in soy sauce over night. It's easier to slice really thin if you throw it in the freezer for 10 minutes because the texture of it hardens a bit.
  2. Cook the steak slices in a wok with 1 tbsp canola oil until they brown. Remove from wok and set aside.
  3. Cook the ginger and jalapeños for 2-3 minutes in the leftover canola oil/steak juice until fragrant. 
  4. Add the beef broth and onion and simmer until the onion is soft, about 5 minutes. 
  5. Cook the rice noodles while things simmer.
  6. Next, add the steak, rice noodles, bean sprouts, lime juice, 1 tbsp soy sauce and rice vinegar to the wok. Mix it all together and fry for a few minutes.
  7. Transfer the stir fry to a bowl, top with desired pho toppings and eat!
0 Comments

Chow mein Noodles

4/15/2019

3 Comments

 
The trip to your local Chinese grocery store is so worth it for these chow mein noodles. Don't try to skimp and use spaghetti - that's just wrongggg. 

Also, yes I am allergic to sesame seeds, but the person I was cooking dinner for isn't so I put them on her dish! :)
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What you need:
  • 1 lb chow mein noodles
  • 3 tbsp canola oil
  • 1/2 head of cabbage, finely shaved
  • 3 minced garlic cloves
  • 1 tsp minced ginger
  • 3 tbsp soy sauce
  • 2 tbsp rice vinegar
  • 1 tbsp sesame seeds (optional)
What to do:
  1. Add the canola oil to a large wok or non-stick skillet and cook the shaved cabbage, garlic and ginger on medium heat until it wilts and is very tender. (About 15 minutes.)
  2. While cooking the cabbage, bring a large pot of water to a boil and cook the noodles according to package instructions.
  3. Add the cooked noodles, soy sauce and vinegar to the cooking cabbage and combine everything while continuing to cook on medium for 5-7 more minutes. 
  4. Top with sesame seeds and serve hot!
3 Comments

Chicken, Cabbage & Ginger Dumplings

4/6/2019

0 Comments

 
Fact: adding cabbage to dumplings makes the filling a whole lot softer. It's less like a dry meatball inside of there and more like a juicy piece of meatloaf. I always get questions about what kind of dumpling wrappers I use and since I'm too lazy to make homemade dumpling dough, I buy gyoza wrappers from a local Asian grocery store in Cleveland.

Ps - if you prefer a slippery dumpling texture instead of the pan fried crisp, you can boil them for about 8 minutes (they should float when they are done.)
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What you need:
  • 40-50 circle dumpling wrappers
  • 1 lb ground chicken (I prefer dark meat...way juicer!)
  • 1/2 head of cabbage, finely shaved
  • 1/2 tbsp minced ginger
  • 2 minced garlic cloves
  • 1 tbsp soy sauce
  • 1 tsp white pepper
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 egg
What to do:
  1. Combine all of the ingredients except (except the dumpling wrappers) in a large bowl and let it marinate and combine for 15 minute in the fridge.
  2. Place about 1 teaspoon of filling in each dumpling and fold. (There are folding examples on my IG highlights.)
  3. Freeze whatever you don't plan on eating for up to a two months in a zip lock bag.
  4. Pour about 2 tablespoons of canola oil into a large non-stick skillet and place the dumplings face down in the hot oil. Cook until the bottoms brown a bit (about 5 minutes) and then add 1/3 cup of hot water to steam them. Cover with a lid immediately after adding the water and cook for another 5-7 minutes until the dumplings are steamed.
  5. Serve with chili oil or a mixture of black vinegar and fresh ginger.
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Buttermilk Fried Chicken Sandwiches

4/2/2019

0 Comments

 
I legit never think to buy buttermilk when I'm grocery shopping but I saw it the other day and decided I wanted to try and make some seriously good buttermilk fried chicken. I typically use a salt water and garlic brine but this was SO MUCH BETTER!
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I was trying to stop myself from eating the chicken all on it's own after it came out of the hot oil. The seasoned salt is such a clutch ingredient in turning the chicken that really pretty golden color and it smells amazing.
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What you need:
  • 4 boneless skinless chicken thighs
  • 1 1/2 cups buttermilk
  • 1 tbsp garlic powder
  • 1 tbsp salt
  • 1 tbsp black pepper
  • 2 cups AP flour
  • 2 1/2 tbsp seasoned salt
  • 1 tbsp garlic powder
  • 5 cups canola oil (for frying)
  • 1/2 head of cabbage
  • 1 cup shredded carrots
  • 1/2 cup mayo
  • 3 tbsp rice vinegar
  • 1 tsp sugar
  • 1 tsp black pepper
  • 4 sets of brioche buns
  • Favorite hot sauce for sandwich
What to do:
  1. Put the chicken in a  zip lock bag with the buttermilk, garlic powder, salt and black pepper. Make sure everything is mixed inside of the bag - let it soak for a half hour at room temp or for up to 2 hours in the fridge.
  2. To make the breading, combine the flour, seasoned salt and garlic powder. Mix with a fork to evenly distribute the flavors.
  3. Heat the oil in a large pot. It's ready to fry the chicken once you splash a few drops of water into it and the contact makes a crackling noise!
  4. Once the chicken has soaked in the buttermilk long enough, dredge it in the flour and make sure each piece is really coated before frying.
  5. Cook the chicken two pieces at a time. Watch the chicken once you put it in - if the color turns brown super fast the oil is too hot, it should take a little time to get that perfect golden brown (around 8-10 minutes.)
  6. Chop the cabbage and combine it with the shredded carrots, mayo, rice vinegar sugar and black pepper to make the coleslaw. 
  7. Assemble the sandwich! Slaw on the bottom, chicken on the slaw, and cheese or hot sauce on the top bun.
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Deep Fried Goat cheese & Rice Balls

3/28/2019

0 Comments

 
I love fried balls of any sort. Lol. 

But for real, goat cheese is the GOAT - and I love arancini so this is sort of like a weird version of that. Also, how good is goat cheese with honey?? The best combo since pb & j. 
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What you need:
  • 2 cups cooked white rice
  • 8 oz goat cheese
  • 1/2 cup flour
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 cup panko bread crumbs
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 3 cups canola oil for frying
  • honey for drizzling and dipping
What to do:
  1. ​Combine the freshly cooked hot rice with the goat cheese and roll into 2 oz balls (a little smaller than a golf ball) and refrigerate the rice and cheese balls for 15 minutes.
  2. Heat the oil in a deep and small sized sauce pan on the stove.
  3. Mix the salt in with the flour and then coat each rice ball in flour, then egg, then panko bread crumbs before dropping into the hot oil. Make sure the whole thing is covered nicely, you can dip in egg again to get more crumbs on the ball.
  4. Fry 4-5 balls at a time for 5-7 minutes until golden brown. 
  5. Eat immediately and drizzle and dip with honey.
0 Comments

Chicken and Dumplings

3/6/2019

1 Comment

 
I used to beg my mom to take me to Cracker Barrel so that I could eat their chicken and dumplings and this is so much god damn better than that. LOL.

It's actually so easy to make dumplings, I was shocked when I started googling to find out how. I used dark meat because I think there's way more flavor and it's way juicer. #teamdarkmeat
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WHAT YOU NEED:
  • 4 chicken thighs
  • 1/2 white onion
  • 3 minced garlic cloves
  • 3 big carrots
  • 3 celery stalks 
  • 4-5 sprigs of fresh thyme
  • 4 cups chicken broth
  • 1 1/2 cups AP flour
  • 1 cup buttermilk
  • 2 tsp baking soda
  • 8-10 rough chopped sage leaves
  • Salt and pepper as needed for serving
WHAT TO DO:
  1. Season the chicken thighs with salt and pepper and sear each side in a soup pot with 2 tablespoons of olive oil.
  2. Dice up the onion, carrots and celery and add it into the pot.
  3. Place the thyme and garlic into the pot as well and pour in all of the chicken broth. Cover and let simmer for 20 minutes.
  4. Mix the flour, buttermilk, baking soda and chopped sage leaves in a medium mixing bowl until you have a sticky dough texture.
  5. Remove the chicken from the soup after it's done cooking and shred it up. Set aside for now.
  6. Drop a full tablespoon of dough into the bubbling soup one at a time. They get bigger as they cook so save room and do a couple batches of 4 dumplings at a time. (I put the finished ones into the bowl where I keep the chicken during this step.)
  7. Once the dumplings are done, add the chicken back into the soup and serve hot.
1 Comment

Lemon vinaigrette bucatini + Garlic Bread Crumbs

3/6/2019

0 Comments

 
I love this recipe, the combination of that extra virgin olive oil + the zesty lemon flavor gives me all the light and crisp flavor feels. Adding more of the olive oil into the bread crumbs and then topping with more lemon zest at the end is what takes this one to another level.
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What You Need
  • 1/2 lb bucatini pasta (fresh is best) ​
To Make The Vinaigrette:
  • 1/2 cup EVOO
  • 1/2 cup fresh lemon juice (2-3 lemons)
To Make The Breadcrumbs:
  • 6 garlic cloves
  • 5 slices of Italian bread
  • 1 tbsp EVOO
  • 1/2 cup parmesan cheese
What To Do
  1. Boil a large pot of water to cook the bucatini pasta.
  2. To make the breadcrumbs you'll want to process the bread in a food processor. Add in the minced garlic, EVOO and parmesan after the bread is crumbs are...crumb sized lol.
  3. Toast the breadcrumbs in the oven (350 F, for 5-7 minutes) or stovetop until crispy - the olive oil helps them crisp up. Set aside until it's time to top the pasta.
  4. While you are waiting for the pasta to cook, make the vinaigrette by vigorously whisking together the EVOO and lemon juice. Save the lemons to use their zest in the next step!
  5. Combine the vinaigrette with the pasta, plate it and then top with the bread crumbs, some lemon zest and fresh parmesan cheese. Season with salt & pepper as needed.
0 Comments

Beer & honey Mustard wings

3/6/2019

0 Comments

 
It's no secret that I love making fried chicken of all sorts. I think it might be the only other food that I consistently post about besides pasta, noodles and/or dumplings. I don't own a deep frier so I just use a large pasta pot for frying the wings. (If you're in the same boat, be sure to use a tall enough pot so that the hot oil doesn't splash out.)

I don't have a thermometer to check to see if the oil is hot enough for frying different types of food. I just run my finger tips under the sink faucet and then flick a little tiny bit of water into the pot of oil as it's heating. Once the water reacts and makes a crackling sound, it's hot enough to fry stuff.
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This recipe isn't the same without Cleveland's famous Bertman Original Ballpark Mustard. Just sayin'. Go Tribe. For real though, I put this stuff on everything - as I am writing this I'm squirting some out onto crackers that I'm snacking on, lol. The obsession is real. ​If you're going to use other stuff, dijon is the next best thing.
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WHAT YOU NEED:
  • 24 bone-in chicken wings (drums & flats)
  • 4 cups canola oil for frying 
Brine:
  • 1 beer (12 oz can or bottle)
  • 3 cups cold water
  • 1 tbsp garlic powder
  • 3 tbsp salt
Breading:
  • 2 cups AP flour
  • 1 tbsp garlic powder
  • 1 tbsp paprika
  • 1 tsp salt
Wing Sauce:
  • 2 tbsp beer
  • 2 tbsp melted butter
  • 1/3 cup honey
  • 3/4 cup mustard
  • 1 tsp salt
WHAT TO DO:
  1. Soak the chicken in the brine in the fridge for 2 hours. I've learned that if you let it soak too long, the meat turns a non-appetizing color.
  2. Put the pot of oil on the stove and set the heat to medium - test the heat after 6-7 minutes with the method I mentioned above.
  3. In a large bowl, mix the breading ingredients and toss the wings in it so that they are completely coated.
  4. Once the oil is hot, drop in the wings. I do 8 at a time for 8-10 minutes, but it depends on how big your pot is - make sure theres enough space for them to all breathe and cook.
  5. While the wings are cooking, mix the sauce and have it ready in a very large bowl.
  6. Once the wings are golden and crispy, remove from heat and set them onto a paper towel (to absorb a little oil) and then immediately toss them in the wing sauce.
  7. I like to dip the wings in more honey and I also think they taste best if served with the beer you used in the recipe! (Ps - you'll need 679 napkins too.)
0 Comments

Lemon-Butter Tagliatelle

9/18/2018

14 Comments

 
Fresh lemon juice, wine, garlic, butter, pasta and parmesan. These are a few of my favorite things. You've probably noticed by now that I have a couple different lemon recipes. This one is meant to be a bit lighter than the creamy lemon pasta, there's no cheese in the actual sauce so it's more silky and doesn't get melty or stick together as much.
You don't have to use tagliatelle pasta. You can use whatever shape you like, but I think a longer flat noodle tastes the best because that's the way I ate this dish for the first time in Italy. Make sure you remember to add a little of the starchy pasta water into the sauce. That + butter makes for the ultimate silky pasta.
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What You Need
  • 1/2 lb pasta
  • 4 tbsp salted butter
  • Juice from 1 large lemon 
  • 1/4 cup white wine (chardonnay)
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • 1/2 tsp garlic powder
  • 1/2 tsp black pepper
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • Parmesan cheese for topping
What To Do
  • Cook tagliatelle according to package instructions. (Note: if you salt the water enough, you won't have to use as much salt in the seasoning of the sauce.)
  • While the pasta is cooking, melt the butter in a skillet on low-medium heat. Squeeze in the lemon juice and whisk.
  •  Add in the white wine and turn the heat up a tad so that it's bubbling. Let the alcohol cook out of the sauce for 2-3 minutes - the flavor that's left behind after the sauce reduces is so good. (If you don't consume alcohol, you could skip this part.)
  • Mix in the garlic powder, pepper and salt.
  • Add in the heavy cream, 1/4 cup at a time with whisks between each pour.
  • Continue to whisk on and off for 8-10 minutes while it simmers and turns into what will look like an alfredo sauce.
  • Save 3 tbsp of the starchy pasta water before draining the pasta and add it into the lemon butter sauce then whisk. Let it simmer for a couple minutes.
  • Mix the sauce with the pasta and top with fresh parmesan cheese and more black pepper, it should be as silky as your silkiest nightgown!

14 Comments

Honey Butter Fried Chicken Sandwich

9/13/2018

0 Comments

 
I'm obsessed with honey butter fried chicken. That is all. 
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What you need: 
  • 1 thin sliced chicken breast per sandwich (breading is for 3-5 sandwiches)
  • 2 1/2 cups flour
  • 1 tbsp salt
  • 1 tbsp garlic powder
  • 1 tbsp cayenne pepper
  • 3 cups canola oil
  • 2 tbsp butter
  • 4 tbsp honey
  • sriracha mayonaise
  • Sandwich buns, I used English Muffins​
What to do: 
  1. Brine the chicken breasts - soak them in 3 cups cold water, 3 tbsp salt for about an hour.
  2. Heat the canola oil in a pot, I estimated 3 cups, but as long as the oil is 2 1/2-3 inches from the bottom of the pot you are using, you're good. I usually turn my stove up to 8/10 heat setting.
  3. Mix the flour, salt, garlic powder and cayenne pepper in a bowl.
  4. Coat each piece of chicken in the flour and deep fry as many that fit comfortably into the pot of oil. You don't want them to be too crowded because they could stick together and the breading will rip. 
  5. Once the pieces of chicken are golden brown, take them out of the oil and place them on a paper towel.
  6. Heat the butter in a large bowl and mix in the honey after it's melted. Coat the chicken in the honey butter.
  7. Toast the English Muffins.
  8. Spread the Sriracha Mayo onto the bottom of each English Muffin - be generous, it's good stuff.
  9. Put the chicken between the two muffin ends and eat!
0 Comments

Creamy & Cheesy Lemon Pasta

9/12/2018

1 Comment

 
Like I said in my IG post, I would probably eat dirt if there was fresh lemon juice squeezed all over it. This recipe is slightly different from my lemon butter pasta recipe, because there's parmesan cheese all up in this sauce.

You can use any kind of noodle, I was in the mood for bowtie on the day I created this recipe. I've been using garlic powder instead of fresh garlic in some of my sauces lately because I feel like you just can't beat the flavor concentration. It's so strong and I don't think that I get the same flavor when I use fresh garlic? Which doesn't seem right, but my tastebuds don't lie. 
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What you need:
  • 2 cups bowtie pasta (uncooked)
  • 1/2 stick butter
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • Juice from 1 lemon - about 1/4 cup lemon juice 
  • 1/2 cup parmesan cheese
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
What to do:
  1. ​Cook the bowtie pasta according to package instructions. Be sure to salt the water that you're going to boil!
  2. Melt the butter in a large skillet and then add in the heavy cream little by little while whisking. It will start to bubble - that's when you add the lemon, cheese and garlic powder. Mix.
  3. Turn the heat setting to simmer and let the sauce simmer for 10 minutes while you whisk it every 2-3 minutes - it should get thicker like an alfredo sauce.
  4. Season the sauce with salt and black pepper before pouring it over the noodles.
  5. Top with more parmesan cheese and more fresh lemon juice if desired. 
1 Comment

Wonton Noodle Soup

9/3/2018

3 Comments

 
I've always wanted to try wonton soup with actual noodles in it, but the traditional way it's served involves a few things I can't eat. cc: shrimp, sesame oil. About a month ago I went out to eat at Saigon on East 4th Street in Downtown Cleveland and had to watch my friend slurp it down from across the table - talk about FOMO. I decided to make my own version, a version that wouldn't kill me. ​
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You'll want to use fresh wonton egg noodles. You can read more about them + see a photo if you click here and check out @thewoksoflife's blog. (If you scroll past the wonton noodles on that page, you'll also see the yellow square wonton wrappers that you'll need!) Both can be found at Asian grocery stores - if you're from CLE, I do all my noodle/dumpling shopping at Tink Holl Market in Asia Town.

For the portion sizes, I would say that 1 bundle of wonton noodles + 4-6 wontons and 2 cups of broth equals one serving. That said, this recipe makes enough for two eaters!
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What you need:
(Broth)
  • 4 cups wonton soup broth - I didn't have any so I used chicken broth and seasoned it with other flavors to make it taste a bit like wonton soup. If you're going that route - follow below.
  • 4 cups chicken stock
  • 5 garlic cloves sliced in half
  • 5 pieces of peeled ginger - same size as garlic cloves cut in half
  • 1/2 cup chopped scallions
  • 2 tbsp soy sauce
(Wontons)
  • Yellow (thin & square) wonton wrappers
  • 1 lb ground pork
  • 1 cup chopped scallions
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 tbsp soy sauce
  • 1 tbsp chinese black vinegar
  • 1 tbsp shoaxing wine
  • 2 tsp white pepper
  • 1 tbsp salt
(Noodles)
  • 2 small bundles (about 2 handfulls) of fresh wonton noodles - see below for how to identify them at the store
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What to do:​​
(Broth)
  1. Heat the pre-made wonton soup broth - if you're going to use the chicken broth method, heat that up in a pot until it's at a low boil.
  2. Add in all of the parts listed in the ingredients and let simmer for 20 minutes. 
  3. Remove the garlic and ginger chunks from the broth, cover with a lid and keep it at a low simmer until serving. 
  4. Once the noodles and wontons are cooked, they go into the broth. Top everything with fresh scallions and blanched baby bok choy. (Blanched means placing the bok choy into boiling water for 20 seconds and then rinsing under freezing water to halt the cooking process.) 
(Wonton)
  1. Mix together all of the wonton filling ingredients.
  2. Place a teaspoon of the filling mixture into the center of the square wonton wrapper.
  3. Wet the parts of the wonton surrounding the filling with your finger after dipping it in water.
  4. Fold each corner upwards around the meat so that they connect above the meat, press together to seal. It should look like a little purse or money bag when you're done. Make sense? If not, click here to see photos of it on @souperdiaries website - scroll down to "pouch wontons." 
  5. Repeat steps 2-4 until you run out of fillings or wonton wrappers. You can freeze whatever's leftover for up to 3 months.
  6. Boil the wontons in water for 6 minutes, do this step when you're ready to put them into the soup.
(Noodles)
  1. Boil the noodles for 2-3 minutes right before adding them into the broth, time it up so that the wontons and noodles are done right around the same time. While cooking the noodles, stir them constantly - they like to stick together since they are so thin and chewy.
3 Comments

Brie Macaroni and Cheese

8/15/2018

0 Comments

 
Brielieve it or not, brie is probably the easiest kind of cheese to use for mac and cheese since it's so melty. If you're having trouble scooping it out of the wheel, you can stick it in the microwave for 10-15 seconds to loosen up the insides!
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What you need:
  • 1 cup uncooked macaroni noodles
  • 1 12-13oz wheel of double cream brie
  • 2 tbsp heavy cream or whole milk
  • Salt and pepper to taste
What to do:
  1. Bring a pot of water to a boil and cook the macaroni noodles according to package directions.
  2. Using a sharp cheese knife, cut a circle about halfway down around the top layer of the wheel of brie. Be careful not to go too far down and puncture the bottom layer.
  3. Scrape off the top layer of the brie rind (the hard white part.) When you're done, you should have a brie bowl - it's sort of like carving a pumpkin, but way better.
  4. Scoop out all of the creamy brie and put it into a small pot.
  5. Add the milk or cream to the brie in the pot and heat it on the stove (low/medium heat) until it's all melted.
  6. Pour the melted brie sauce over the cooked macaroni noodles and mix well. 
  7. Fill the brie bowl with the pasta and top with salt and pepper
0 Comments

Tomato, Sausage and White Wine Pasta Sauce

8/12/2018

0 Comments

 
I don't eat a lot of meat with my pasta but this one is great for when I'm craving a lil protein. The sausage pieces shown in this recipe are kinda chunky, but if you want the meat to be smaller - all you have to do is break it apart more while you're cooking it in the skillet. 

I really hate portion sizes. I always say it's best to make a lot and then save whatever is leftover/repurpose any extra stuff into another meal. If I had to guess, I'd say the amount listed below in the recipe is enough for three small plates, or two big plates of food. Does anybody even really eat the same amount anyways? Lol.
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What you need:
  • 1 cup of uncooked pasta. I used calamari pasta but any sort of rounded pasta you can pick up on the end of your fork will do.
  • 1/2 lb (about 1 cup once cooked) ground Italian sausage
  • 3-4 minced garlic cloves
  • 1 cup cherry tomatoes
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1/4 cup dry white wine (chardonnay) 
  • salt + pepper to taste
  • parsley for topping
What to do:
  1. ​Bring a large pot of water to a boil and cook the pasta according to packing instructions while you make the sausage and tomato sauce. 
  2. In a large skillet (medium heat on stove) cook the sausage until it's browned and not pink anymore. Add in the minced garlic once it's about half way done cooking.
  3. Next, add the cherry tomatoes to the cooked sausage and garlic. Pour the olive oil and wine over the sausage and tomatoes and then turn the heat down to the simmer setting. Cover with a lid and let sit for 10 minutes.
  4. "Pop" the tomatoes by pressing down on them with a fork or spoon - you'll see their juices start to come out into the skillet. 
  5. Add in the cooked pasta and mix everything around for a couple of minutes. 
  6. Salt and pepper to taste + top with parsley and parmesan cheese.
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Brie & Lemon Pasta

7/2/2018

0 Comments

 
Introducing: alfredo sauce's badass older sister. I started things off with a heavy cream base and added in lemon juice/zest, garlic powder and then brie & parmesan cheese. Oh, and white wine because wine and cheese and pasta is everything!

True story, I basically never measure when I cook unless it's something crazy with very specific instructions. The good thing about this recipe, and really most recipes that I make is that they are hard to mess up. Don't be afraid to add in a little more of what you like/don't like. If it tastes too much like one ingredient, add more of the others. Worse comes to worse, you'll have leftover sauce...which means you can make more pasta and eat it all over again the next day. :)
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What you need:
  • Pasta (the sauce is enough for two big bowls or three small bowls.)
  • 2 tbsp butter (a little less than 1/4 stick)
  • 3/4 cup heavy cream
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 4 tbsp dry white wine (I use an oakey chardonnay)
  • Juice from 1 lemon (about 1/3 cup)
  • 1 tbsp lemon zest (grated lemon peel)
  • 3 wedges of brie, cut the rinds off so it's just the inside/melty part. Each piece should be around inch long/thick. (Basically, three spoon fulls of it.)
  • 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
Optional:
  • Crispy garlic for topping
  • More lemon zest for topping
What to do:
  1. ​Bring water to a boil and cook whatever kind of pasta you're using according to package directions.
  2. Put a skillet on the stove and turn the heat up to medium. Add in the butter, heavy cream, garlic powder, wine, lemon juice and zest. Mix with a whisk.
  3. It should start to bubble after a few minutes, when this happens, add in the brie and parmesan cheese. Whisk until the cheese has melted and the texture is thicker like an alfredo sauce.
  4. Taste test the sauce. Add salt/pepper if you'd like. If it's too lemony or there's too much of a wine taste, add more cream. If it's lacking lemon or wine taste, add in more of either of those.
  5. Pour over the hot pasta and top with lemon zest, crispy garlic and brie wedges.
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Positano, Capri & Salerno

6/18/2018

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Bryant and I are still developing the travel guide part of my website but I figured I would share the basics of our Italy adventures since I've gotten so many questions about where we went to eat and what specific Airbnb we stayed at in Positano! Our official travel guide will incorporate way more detail about how we got around, what the people were like and how much money to expect to spend! (Yea, we documented every penny, like absolute freaks.)
POSITANO
We took a private car arranged through our Airbnb host from the Naples airport to our place. Click here to see where we stayed. (This is where Bryant proposed! Full story to come in our more official travel guide!!) Our place was uphill (and if you're looking at a map) west of the main public beach in Positano. There were busses that ran every so often (signs with times at every stop on the main road) and then there was a sort of hidden stairway that you could walk all the way down to where you will find the main public beach area, the ferry ports and restaurants & shops. You could also walk down the main road which leads to an area near the main beach, there are tons of restaurants and shops along the main road. 
Mediterraneo
This is the first place we ate, we wandered a bit down the main road to find lunch. The first thing they brought out to the table was bread and chili oil (LOL) and then olive oil too. I ordered the spaghetti vongole with tomatoes (and by tomatoes, they literally mean 3 cherry tomatoes) and then Bryant had the bolognese. Both were BOMB, because well, it's Italy.
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Il Fornillo Ristorante
We went here for dinner on the first night shortly after the engagement! They had cacio e pepe on the menu so naturally, i was like F*CK YES gimme dat. The pasta was a little more al dente than I would prefer but I just got engaged so I basically didn't care at all. Bryant had pizza, he ordered pizza a lot and it was seriously amazing at every single place. ​
​La Pergola
We (or maybe it was just me) were super hungover after the engagement celebrations and wandered down this like 3 mile staircase to the restaurants on the beach. We picked this one because it was under really pretty green vines, there was tons of open air and we saw a plate of calamari walk by that looked divine - it was, we loved it. We shared the ravioli, and we didn't love it.
Ristorante Max
This place was BEAUTIFUL. To get to it we walked through a little alley way of shops and they had a special truffle pasta special that I will regret not ordering for the rest of my life. It was by far the fanciest/most expensive dinner we had but the atmosphere was really pretty and you could tell it was a classy place. Side note: they offer cooking classes in the morning which was cool too.
Ristorante Il Capitan
This was our last dinner in Positano! (Tears.) It's part of a hotel called Hotel Montemare. It overlooks the water and the beach from up high and it is the perfect place to watch the sunset while you eat. I really wanted to try squid ink pasta while I was in Italy so I ordered it and was super grossed out. It tasted way too fishy for me. So I proceeded to drink a ton of wine and eat all of the amazing pizza that Bryant ordered.

CAPRI
I LOVED CAPRI. Mostly because of the boat ride that we went on which we found through our Airbnb app's "Experience" tab. As soon as we got off the ferry we were hounded by locals trying to get us to sign up for their boat tours, and we saw them while we were on our boat tour. Their boats were bigger and crowded with tons of people holding their phones up in the air trying to take pictures. Our boat was 8 American millennials drinking beer/wine and having a great time. I HIGHLY recommend booking though Airbnb experiences, you will not want to be on the other boats full of tourists. My favorite part was swimming! The water was freezing but also the most clear water I've ever been it. One second I was looking down at fish and the next second I was looking up at mountains covered in green trees with foggy smoke surrounding them. It kind of reminded me of Jurassic Park and I was loving it so much.
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Ristorante Augusto 
The port of Capri is lined with restaurants and we ended up randomly picking this one because they had a lemon pasta on the menu that I really wanted to try. It ended up being one of my favorite dishes of the trip! The lemons and citrus in Italy are so fresh that it takes the flavor of certain dishes to the next level. I was dying over it - so so so good.

SALERNO
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We spent the last two days of our trip in this magical place. It was so different from Positano because there were way less tourists, or at least American tourists. The English language was the least common here out of everywhere we went. I mean literally, our Airbnb host was trying to tell us not to leave the windows open when we left because of birds and she flapped her arms like a bird to try and get the point across...I was dying inside. Very nice lady, but the language barrier was real.

Salerno was also very different than Positano because all of the streets besides the main one along the water were tiny little alley ways that twisted and turned throughout the city. Instead of little houses built into cliffs, it was more of a flat landscape with taller buildings. At first it was confusing and intimidating but after we got to our Airbnb we had a nice view of the layout of the city and found out that there was an elevator we could take to the entrance of our Airbnb. At first we were trying to use google maps to find our way and it was not working out so well with all of the little roads. 
Ristorante Il Duca
Here's where we went our first night in Salerno! It was in a tiny alley way and we sat three floors up on the roof. It actually overlooked the alley and was a beautiful view. Our waitor didn't understand that we wanted still and not sparkling water, so we were forced to just deal with it, haha. I ordered a bacon and cream sauce pasta - the noodles were super thick and it was real good. Bryant had the gnocchi which was equally as amazing. 
Trattoria Pizzeria Zi Renato
So this restaurant was one out of many along the main street in Salerno that was parallel to the ports and water. It was cute with red checkered tablecloths and the service was pretty good. Once again, blown away by the pizza but the pasta was seriously disappointing. I ordered the carbonara and it came out as penne noodles with scrambled eggs and very pathetic bacon. Someone DM'd me and they were like "ordering bad pasta in Italy feels the same as when you find out Santa Claus isn't real" and it was the realest thing anyone has ever said to me!! I was so sad because I even had a shirt that said "I want pasta" and I just so happened to wear it the time that I effed up my order. BOO. There was this place next to it called In Rada, I would try there instead.
Goccia Wine Bar
This place was super funky, but cool. Lots of different looking people. They had cacio e pepe on the menu and I obviously was immediately sold. They brought out a really weird salad with like chopped cabbage and carrots and it smelled weird so we didn't touch it. I may or may not have had too much wine and asked the waiter if he spoke "American," like an idiot. I'll never forget the look on Bryant's face when it slipped out of my mouth, LOL. Okay back to the food, the cacio e pepe was amazing, def enough for two people. It was super al dente and there were bread crumbs on top!
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San Fran

6/5/2018

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It was pretty ironic to be in San Fran during the first Cavs vs. Warriors finals match. And then less ironic and more heartbreaking when J.R. Smith decided to forget the score of the game in the last couple seconds lol...whoops. We watched it in the hotel lobby and the food they served there kind of made up for how shitty that felt. So the Cavs lost but everything else was a win.

I came to San Fran for the 2018 Brand Marketing Summit which was held on Wednesday and Thursday and then I stayed the rest of the weekend to do FOJ things. Bryant flew out to meet me and then we hung with my boss and her boyfriend. We tried to go to Trader Joes to pick up a bottle of wine and the line looked about the same as the line for the Dragster at Cedar Point so if you're going to buy booze, don't go there, lol.

We stayed in the Union Square area which is about a 20 minute Uber ride from the Golden Gate Bridge, a 10 minute walk to tons of shopping/dining and Chinatown. Since the travel was primarily through work, we stayed at The Parc 55 Hotel instead of an Airbnb (which is usually my favorite way to lodge while traveling.) Our Uber driver on the way back to the airport told us that San Fran is only 7x7 miles big which kinda blew my mind. It was definitely super easy to get everywhere we wanted to go.

We did visit the Golden Gate Bridge on our last day and it was really cool. We hiked down (literally felt like I was Frodo Baggins climbing mountains) as far as you could go to Baker Beach. I wasn't aware, but apparently that is where nudists like to hang out. There were like 3-4 groups of men that were j chillin butt naked...kinda weird, kinda funny. Whatever! Still such a fun experience for sure.

As far as people, it seemed like everyone was either super rich or super poor - lots of strange homeless people encounters but you'll find that in every city.

As far as weather, it was way colder than I expected. I wasn't aware that it's typically warmer in Cleveland during this time of the year than it is in San Fran! It was like high-sixties, low-seventies. Everyone was saying we were lucky to experience such good weather but I didn't wear shorts, and had a jacket on almost the whole time I was there and I thought it was pretty cold (especially at night.)

Key takeaway: there are a lot of "garlic fries" in San Fran and you must order them everywhere you go.
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Puccini & Pinetti
This is the first spot my boss and I went after starving on an airplane for hours, it was literally across the street from our hotel. We LOVED the bruschetta appetizer that came with goat cheese and this warm bread drizzled with balsamic glaze. After that, I of course ordered the clams and linguine and my boss, Rin, got the pappardelle - both were really good. So good that we in fact reheated our leftovers with a blowdryer in the hotel room the next morning. That was fun.
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Super Duper Burgers
This west coast burger chain is what's up. It sort of reminded me of Shake Shack! There were sesame seeds on the bun which sucks because I'm allergic but I was feeling dedicated so I literally scraped every single one off before eating. I seriously loved the garlic fries and all of the different sauces you could order on the side. ALL ABOUT DAT SAUCE, always.
The Old Siam Thai Restaurant
​I walked past this spot on my first night and saw tons of people eating really good looking Thai food through the window. We decided to head here for lunch after discovering it and it didn't disappoint. I ordered the pad see ew and I loved it. The spring rolls were bomb too. There were jars of different sauces and powders on every table and the service was really good as well.
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Begoni Bistro - Chinatown
​
As soon as I saw all the hanging lanterns I was in love - I mean, they kinda look like little dumplings, right? San Fran's Chinatown is full of tons of quirky shops and then tons of restaurants. We tried to go into one based off the pictures hanging outside, but they stopped serving dim sum for the day so I made my way over to the spot that's linked above. The soup dumplings were pretty good and then they also had legit congee - which is kind of like a rice porridge that has life saving (hangover curing) powers. I ate it for the first time in New York with @nom_life and I don't think it's something I would of ever considered eating if they didn't let me know how good it was! It tastes way better than it looks. The green dumplings in the photo below are the vegetable dumplings that were packed with mushrooms and lots of cilantro.
Scoma's - Fishermans Wharf
Fisherman's Wharf was a really cute part of town near the water and this restaurant was tucked away back on one of the piers. Their tag line is actually "from pier to plate" which it thought was cute. There's tons of local fisherman fare on the menu, but I'm allergic to fish so I wasn't able to try it! I could immediately tell upon entering the restaurant that it's the kind of place that serves good food - the waiters kind of dress like butlers too which gave off a fancy feelin'. The clam chowder was amazing, and so was the clam pasta. Can you tell that I like clams?? 
AT&T Park
We went to a Giants game which was really cool because the home run porch is basically the water. Home run balls land in the bay and kayakers paddle over to claim their prize, lol. I was super hungover so we didn't make our way to a ton of food spots but there was some cool looking Asian food stands. I got a Giants Dog vs the regular ballpark dog because it was beef and pork instead of just beef and I think it tasted way better than the original one that Bryant ordered, but that's just me. It was longer and skinnier than the other one and obviously, less beefy. Also, there was someone walking through the stands selling churros which I thought was awesome because you usually just see cotton candy and peanuts. I was very jealous of everyone walking around with chicken fingers that looked like the definition of perfectly crispy, greasy chicken fingers.
Tonga Room & Hurricane Bar
We stopped in here for a few drinks and a quick bite to eat and I'm so glad we did. If you're from CLE, it's just like Porco Tiki Lounge, but bigger with a pool in the center. Every 20 or 30 minutes it rains into the pool and there's thunder storm sounds - SO COOL. It legit felt like we were getting drunk the the jungle. (PS - it's inside of a hotel so it's not something you'll see or recognize from the street!) We ate the vegetable pot stickers, chicken wings and spring rolls. All three items were so sooo good and the drinks were on point too.
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Zhaliang (Chinese fried dough wrapped in rice noodle)

5/9/2018

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This is basically Chinese fried dough wrapped up in a sticky layer of rice noodle. If you ever see it on a menu, you have to order it. I don't care if you're on a diet, allergic to gluten..or whatever..everyone needs to experience this shit. It's exactly why I'm so obsessed with Asian food. I mean, its a noodle-wrapped donut for crying out loud. 
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​

What you need:
  • Chinese fried dough (Youtiao/Chinese crullers)
  • Fresh rice noodle sheets (Cheung Fun)
  • Sweet soy sauce 
What to do:
  1. Heat the fried dough sticks in the oven at 350 for 15 minutes until they are golden brown and a little crispy.
  2. Separate the rice noodle sheets so that they are laid out flat. I like to put them on my granite countertop that's been brushed with a bit of neutral oil since they are kind of sticky.
  3. To split or not to split. When the fried dough is done, you'll see that you can easily split them in half longways. You don't have to, but I think splitting them makes the presentation a bit nicer.
  4. Wrap each fried dough piece in the rice noodle, it should cover the whole thing and overlap about an 1/2 inch where the ends of the rice noodle meet. (I sliced up the sheets as I rolled so that the sizes for wrapping were appropriate. 
  5. Top with or dip into the soy sauce. A lot of people said to add peanut sauce or hoisin - but I'm allergic, so if you want...try that too!
0 Comments

Mac & Cheese Grilled Cheese

4/18/2018

0 Comments

 
Everything is better between two slices of bread. I remember the day my family made the big switch from white to wheat bread. I hated it at first but as time went on I started to love it and my favorite kind has always been Brownberry Bread's Whole Grains: 100% Whole Wheat. That said, I am so excited to be working with them on this post!! Tap the product to learn more details about the bread and to see what other products Brownberry Bread offers. 

Also, homemade macaroni and cheese is where it's at. I make it from scratch a couple of different ways, but this method is seriously SO cheesy and stringy which is perfect for when you need the noodles to stick together in certain recipes. 
Brownberry Bread Foods of jane
What you need: 
  • 2 slices of Brownberry Bread Whole Grains:100% Whole Wheat
  • 1 cup of cooked elbow noodles
  • 1 tbsp butter
  • 1/4 cup whole milk
  • 2/3 cup shredded cheddar
  • 4 slices of cheddar cheese
What to do:
  1. Combine the cooked elbow noodles with the butter, whole milk and shredded cheddar cheese in pot set to high heat on the stove. Stir until the cheese melts and remove from heat. 
  2. Butter two slices of Brownberry 100% Whole Wheat Bread and set them next to eachother in a skillet on medium heat. 
  3. Top each slice of bread with two slices of cheddar cheese and cover with a lid for a minute.
  4. Scoop 5-6 spoonfulls of macaroni and cheese onto one slice of bread and cover it with the other slice.
  5. Cover the assembled sandwich and let it cook for 2 minutes on each side or until the bread is well toasted and the cheese on the sandwich has completely melted.
  6. Slice in half and eat it while it's hot!
0 Comments

Homemade Wontons

4/2/2018

8 Comments

 
I think that I might like wontons better than dumplings. There's more noodle to them once they are folded up and that's what it's all about. If you want to see more visual details for how to make this one, there's a highlight reel on my Instagram page as well as a video that's posted to my feed. You don't have to use pork, I just prefer pork in all of my wontons/dumplings since it's the most fatty and flavorful meat in my opinion.

My favorite wontons EVER are from Szechuan Gourmet in CLE's Asia Town, and these remind me of them! At one point, I ate lunch there every Friday for five weeks in a row. #TrueStory
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What you'll need:
Wontons:
  • 30-ish square wonton wrappers (circle shaped won't work!)
  • 1 lb ground pork (you can sub chicken, beef or veggies here)
  • 1 large egg
  • 3 scallion stalks, finely chopped
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 small ginger root (about the size of a garlic clove), minced
  • 2 tbsp shaohsing cooking wine (you can sub rice vinegar if you don't have access to an Asian shopping market)
  • 2 tbsp soy sauce
  • 1 tbsp salt
  • 1/2 tbsp white pepper
Spicy Sauce:
  • 2 tbsp soy sauce
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 2 tbsp neutral oil like vegetable or sesame
  • 2 tsp Chinese black vinegar
  • 2 tbsp chili oil
  • 1 tsp sugar
  • 1 scallion stalk, finely chopped
How to make:
  1. ​Combine the filling ingredients in a large bowl.
  2. Set a wonton wrapper on the counter with it laying like a diamond and one of the corners points towards you and is in line with your belly button. Lol, make sense?
  3. Place 1 tsp of filling in the center of the square wonton wrapper and wet all of the edges with room tempature water.
  4. Fold the bottom corner up to the top corner so that you've created a triangle. Seal all of the edges and make sure to get out any air pockets that surround the tsp of filling.
  5. From here, fold the bottom of the triangle up, one fold - about 1/4 inch. It's kind of like you're rolling it upwards a tad and the top corner and point of the triangle should still be visable.
  6. Take the two edges (left and right sides) of the diamond shape and bring them towards you to sort of "hug" around the filling. WHen then come together, cross them over each other a bit and use more water to press them together. (There is a video of this in my highlists on my IG profile.)
  7. Repeat steps 2-6 until you run out of filling or dumplings wrappers.
  8. Bring water to rolling boil and cook the wontonss in the boiling water for 10 minutes. Make sure to stir them around becuase they could stick to the bottom of the pot and rip.
  9. While the wontons are cooking, combine all of the sauce ingreidents.
  10. Pour the sauce all over the wontons and enjoy!
8 Comments
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