October 31, 2007
Pssst...hey, you adults who can't trick or treat anymore! If you go to the front desk at Hotel Roanoke today (Halloween) ONLY, they'll give you a free Doubletree chocolate chip cookie. No costume necessary.
I'm sure if you took your kids, they would also get a cookie. But since they'll be having all the fun tonight, why not save the cookies for yourself?
As I said in today's Front Burner column, there are 101 different ways to prepare winter squash besides the standard roasting methods. They can be sliced and grilled, pureed like mashed potatoes, whipped into soups, incorporated into sweet pies and cakes or jazzed up with stronger flavors like garlic, ginger or curry.
I only had room for two recipes in today's paper, but I found a few more I wanted to share, so here they are:
Spaghetti Squash Alfredo
1 medium spaghetti squash, cooked by your favorite method and separated into strands
1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. black pepper
In a medium saucepan, combine all ingredients except spaghetti squash over medium-low heat and whisk until smooth and creamy, stirring constantly to prevent burning. Add the spaghetti squash strands to the sauce and stir until thoroughly mixed and heated through. Serve immediately.
Source: www.razzledazzlerecipes.com
Continue reading "Squash state of mind" »
October 30, 2007
In case you were wondering if I have fallen off the face of the Earth, I have not. I am, however, personally responsible for killing several trees because of the amount of Kleenex I have burned through in the past two days at home with a nasty cold.
I haven't had a cold like this in years. Something tells me the frigid, torrential downpours on Ocracoke Island this past weekend and my friend's wedding ON the beach IN the cold drizzle have something to do with this particular illness rocketing past basic crud into out-of-this-world crud. But I'm happy she's happy.
I am not too happy, however, about the quality of my eating these past two days. If I have to ingest one more cup of tea or bowl of ramen noodle soup, I may go insane. This is coming from someone who loves tea and soup. But not being able to make a delicious, homemade pot of soup makes a big difference.
This afternoon, if I can muster enough motivation, I may run to the grocery store and pick up enough ingredients to try out a butternut squash soup recipe that's running with my column tomorrow. And I'll try to check back in later today or tomorrow morning with those extra winter squash recipes I promised.
If you see me in the store today, run...do not walk...away from me as fast as you can.
If you've got a tried and true recipe to combat the winter crud, I'm listening!
October 25, 2007
With all this talk about homemade Thanksgiving dinners, I have neglected to consider that many, many folks do not have the time, the energy or the good health to spend an entire day in the kitchen cooking. In fact, according to the Institute of Food Technologists, fewer than 1/3 of American households are making meals from scratch.
For non-cooks, the prospect of feeding the family might be downright stressful.
Enter the local grocery store, which can probably supply customers with an entire Turkey Day meal, from bird to pie, if it is ordered far enough in advance. And with many remodeled or brand new grocery stores in the Roanoke area this year, perhaps there will be even more options than ever.
The folks at Fresh Market, one of those new stores, are holding a "Taste of the Holidays" event on November 2 and 3, when customers can try free samples of their ready-made holiday meals. The idea is that you can see what you like and don't like before you place an order and spend a bunch of money.
According to this press release I got, the sampling stations will include both roasted and smoked turkey, petite spiral ham, Yukon Gold mashed potatoes, herb stuffing, corn and carrot souffle, green bean amandine, yeast rolls, desserts and wines.
Here are the times: Friday, November 2, noon to 6 p.m. and Saturday, Nov. 3, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
(Read on for a recipe for Beef Pho Soup)
Continue reading "Foggy day finds" »
Many thanks to all of you for sending along your favorite Thanksgiving recipes.
The first person to respond was Donna Alley with Broccoli Casserole. Donna, if you'll e-mail me your mailing address at lindsey.nair@roanoke.com, I will send that book along straightaway.
Never fear, the rest of you! I'm going to give away another book next week. So stay tuned!
I can't believe how many delicious recipes came through last night. The only other request I have is for a little bit more information about why these recipes are so special to your families. Has it been passed down through the generations? Does everyone lend a hand to make it every year? Do you have to hide it to keep somebody from dipping into it before dinner?
If you guys have any more context for why these recipes are family traditions, I would love to hear it. And if you have not yet sent a recipe and a story, please do!
The deadline is Friday, November 2!
October 24, 2007
Alright, all you Fridge Magnet readers. It's time for me to call upon you again for help with an upcoming story.
If you read Extra today, you might have noticed that I'm compiling favorite Thanksgiving recipes for a story about family food traditions on Turkey Day.
So far, I've received only a small handful of e-mails from readers, but boy do they have some wonderful Thanksgiving recipes to share. My favorites so far are au gratin potatoes and a delicious, spicy Mexican cornbread-style dressing.
I KNOW that some of you guys have a signature Thanksgiving dish. So I'm hoping you might join in the fun and send it my way, along with 200 words or less about why that particular recipe means so much to you and your family.
I'll tell you what-- the first person who submits something via this blog wins a FREE COOKBOOK! Yes, I'm jumping out of my monthly schedule of cookbook giveaways already to shamelessly solicit personal stories for my Thanksgiving article!
This time around, the free book is "A Passion for Baking," a beautiful hardcover book by Marcy Goldman.
A random flip through this book turned up recipes for Toffee Banana Cream Pie, Candy Bar Shortbread, Creme Brulee Cheesecake and Strawberries and Cream Cookies. Now, how can you resist THAT?
October 23, 2007
According to faithful blog reader John C., the Melrose-Rugby Neighborhood Forum is holding their annual fish fry on Friday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
The fish fry has become slightly famous among Roanoke city employees; in fact, many a dignitary, including Roanoke Police Chief Joe Gaskins and Assistant City Manager Jim Grigsby, have been spotted in line.
For $4.50, you get a freshly fried fish fillet sandwich and your choice of coleslaw or potato chips. Cold sodas cost 50 cents extra.
All of the proceeds from the fish fry go to the Melrose-Rugby Neighborhood Forum, which uses the money to maintain its community center at 1730 Orange Ave. NW. The group, which was founded in 1989, is one of the only neighborhood associations in Roanoke that has its own community center. That's where they'll be hosting the fish fry.
Lunch is dine in or carry-out. So perhaps you can organize an office outing on a fine Friday afternoon or bring back a few to-go boxes for your hungry co-workers.
Will you be watching the World Series?
If so, you might score yourself a free taco.
According to the Taco Bell Web site, they're running a contest called "Steal a Base, Steal a Taco," which is kind of a silly name considering that you don't have to steal a taco at all so long as they're handing them out for free.
Here's how it works: If any player on either team in the Series steals a base, anyone can walk into a participating Taco Bell during a designated period of time and request a free beef taco.
More specifically, if a player steals a base during games 1 or 2 on October 24 or October 25, you can go to Taco Bell for a free taco on Tuesday, October 30 between 2 p.m. and 5 p.m. If a base is stolen during games 3-7 on October 27, 28, 29, 31 or November 1, you can claim your free taco on Tuesday, November 6 between 2 p.m. and 5 p.m.
A little confusing, perhaps, but I think they'll be explaining this again on television if a base is actually stolen.
So, just in case you needed another reason to plant yourself in front of the game, there you go. And even if you don't think Taco Bell tacos are very good, well, at least they're FREE!
October 22, 2007
Since it's Monday morning, I'm going to shamelessly steal this recipe from Simply Recipes.
Check out these scrumptious-looking ingredients for homemade cream of mushroom soup: fresh mushrooms, shallots, lemon juice, chicken stock and heavy cream, among other things.
Looks like a heavenly way to pass a cool evening with a crusty chunk of baguette.
Continue reading "Random recipe-- Cream of Mushroom Soup" »
This weekend, I whipped up the Apple Pound Cake with Cinnamon Apple Glaze that was featured in a blog entry last week. That's the cake that placed third in the state pound cake contest in Richmond last month.
I know it's odd for me to choose the third place winner when the first and second place cakes looked so good, but I'm a sucker for any dessert that includes apples. In fact, I've said before that I would choose apple pie over a piece of chocolate cake any day of the week.
This apple pound cake turned out so delicious that I had to eat two slices last night. I guess with that and all the Frank's pizza I ate this weekend, my butt will be at the gym this week.
Continue reading "Props for the apple cake" »
October 19, 2007
I'm impressed that anyone would attempt to cook an entire turkey on a gas grill.
However, according to the folks at Cal Flame grills, it's not only doable but fairly easy.
Alternative turkey cooking techniques have been of interest in the past few years; many, many folks have fallen in love with the crispy skin and juicy meat of a deep fried turkey. I've had one of those myself and can personally vouch for the results. On the other hand, how many of us have heard horror stories about some inept cook who tried to fry a turkey and blew up his garage or himself instead?
Looks like grilling a bird might be a safer alternative.
As you can see in this photo, Cal Flame grills and others can be fitted with rotisseries. I would imagine that makes it easier to pull this off. But they do say it's possible to grill the bird in a pan placed directly on a grate -- the key is to keep water in the pan to create a moist environment inside the grill.
I'm going to copy grilling directions below and would love to hear from anyone who has tried this before or plans to try it out this year.
If the weather stays as unseasonably warm in November as it has to date, grilling the bird might be a nice way to keep the heat (and all the nosy backseat chefs) outside the kitchen.
Continue reading "Who grills a turkey?" »
October 18, 2007
Congratulations to Peggy Logan of Chester, Va., who won the Virginia's Best Pound Cake Contest sponsored by the Virginia Egg Council.
Some of you might recall that I recently ran a recipe for Cinnamon Pound Cake that was created by Donna Manthey of Salem. Donna, whose cake won first place at the Salem Fair this year, did not place at the state fair in Richmond, but her recipe has so far been one of the most requested recipes I've run.
Clearly, Southwest Virginians love their pound cake!
Logan's winning recipe is for a basic pound cake with a touch of lemon extract, but I'm told the judges were awed by the cake's richness and fineness of crumb. A delicious, simple pound cake can be the basis for a number of easy desserts, from strawberry shortcake to pound cake with chocolate sauce or fresh peaches.
The second and third place winners also got my attention, however. Second place went to Elizabeth Cunningham of Midland for her Orange Blossom Pound Cake, and third place was awarded to Rachel Kelly of Purcellville, who entered Apple Pound Cake with Cinnamon Apple Glaze.
Oh, MAN! An essence of orange or big chunks of apple in a pound cake? I can't decide which one to make first!
Continue reading "Virginia pound cake winners!" »
Noooooooooooo!! Make it stoooooooooooop!!
October 17, 2007
As you can see from this picture I snapped this afternoon, Blues BBQ beside 202 in downtown Roanoke has opened for business. Monday was their first day of serving up pulled pork BBQ, brisket, grit cakes, succotash and other tasty fare.
Owner Patrick Maggi (pictured below) tells me they had 50 customers at lunchtime on Monday, which completely blew the fuse on their tiny kitchen. Since then, he has scaled back the menu in an effort to get food out faster, saying he has plenty of time to expand his offerings later.
A buddy of mine (from Tennessee, so he ought to know some decent Q), ate lunch there today and said the Carolina style pulled pork sandwich was the best he's had in these parts.
Continue reading "Blues BBQ open and hopping" »
Regular blog reader Carrie sent along a helpful tip yesterday for making pie crusts -- yet another addition to our growing list of kitchen tips. I have to salute her for making homemade pie crusts. That's something my grandmother was an absolute expert on, but nobody else in our family has been able to master it since.
I'll admit that I haven't really tried to master it since I discovered refrigerated pie crusts, though. Those were an important ingredient in both of the recipes I included today in my Front Burner column in Extra.
The chicken pot pie recipe may look extremely simple, but don't be turned off by the canned chicken and jarred gravy. I promise you that you'll be impressed by the results. The wonderful thing about that recipe is its versatility. You may have noticed that I mentioned my husband hates peas. Instead of getting a standard mix of soup veggies, which always includes peas, I have experimented with all sorts of different frozen mixed vegetables in this recipe, including a delicious broccoli and cauliflower mix.
In addition, I find that a small can of white potatoes is a nice addition to the chicken pot pie. Potatoes really fill out the pie nicely and make it a bit more hearty.
I'm sure someone out there has what they would consider a better homemade pot pie recipe. If you do, be sure to share with the rest of us. And in a continued effort to keep you all away from storebought pot pies, I'm going to include one more recipe below for a Deep Dish Salmon and Mushroom Pie created by our restaurant reviewer, Delores Kostelni.
In addition, I've found at least one delicious pot pie at a restaurant in town. You can find it at Chicken Rules in Towers Mall. Anyone else found a tasty restaurant pot pie?
Continue reading "Speaking of pie crust..." »
October 16, 2007
Check it out! You all are just boiling over with fantastic kitchen tips.
Here's what we've got so far:
* When baking brownies, line the pan with heavy aluminum foil and spray foil with Pam or other spray. When brownies are cooled, you can dump them on a plate to cut. Use a plastic serrated knife to cut them.
* For easier peeling hardboiled eggs, put them in the water, then bring to a boil.
* Put an onion in the fridge for at least 30 minutes before cutting it -- this will help so you don't cry as much when slicing.
* Like melted cheese on your sandwich but don't want to ruin the sandwich by sticking the whole thing in the microwave to melt it? Put a slice of cheese of pile of shredded cheese on top of a baggie and cook it on medium for 10 seconds. Check it then, but it could take a few more seconds. Flop the whole thing on your sandwich and peel the baggie off.
To keep the juices flowing, here are a couple more from me:
* To prevent brown sugar from getting hard (or restore it to softness after it is already hard), add a slice of fresh bread to the container for a couple of days.
* To make mess-free deviled eggs, spoon filling into a clean plastic storage bag, cut off one corner and pipe it into the eggs.
Keep them coming!
Ten years ago, I would never have considered rolling a lime on the counter before cutting and juicing it.
I never would have thought to serve pasta on warm plates or bring eggs to room temperature before adding them to a cake batter.
These are the little tips we pick up along the way, from the moment we decide to roast our first whole chicken in our tiny apartment to the day we present a table of 10 with a gorgeous standing rib roast and a fine red wine.
Since I began to cook seriously, I've had dozens of "Aha!" moments as I pored over recipes, cookbooks and chef's memoirs. I'll venture to say that some of us will go to our graves not knowing several simple tips that would have made cooking and entertaining so much easier.
In my mind, that's one of the best things about writing a food blog. Almost every day, someone has kitchen advice to share with the rest of us.
I've come across a book that is packed with such tips. It's called "Kitchen Wisdom" by Anne Sheasby, and I would recommend it to anyone who strives constantly to improve their productivity and safety in the kitchen.
A few gems from the book:
Continue reading "Learning as we go" »
October 15, 2007
After all the great advice about wings, I had to hit up Sharkey's on my way through Blacksburg this weekend.
Following a beautiful hike to the Cascades in Giles County on Saturday afternoon, three of us stopped at Sharkey's for a much-needed basket of wings and a cold beer. Several readers said Sharkey's has the best wings in the Roanoke and New River Valleys combined, and I should never have doubted that wisdom.
We ordered a large basket of wings (16) with Hokie Hot Sauce, which ranked number five on a scale of one to 10 (or 9-1-1). The flavor of the sauce was exceptional and we probably could have ratcheted it up to the next hottest.
What really did it, though, was the fact that Sharkeys' cooks understand what "extra crispy" wings are. Those bad boys were fiercely crispy and saucy. They also came with both blue cheese and ranch and a nice-sized pile of celery.
Continue reading "Hitting the NRV" »
October 12, 2007
It's time to give away this month's free cookbook, folks! So many of you wrote in for a chance to win "Great Bar Food at Home" by Kate Heyhoe. I appreciate all of the wonderful responses to my question, "What is the best bar food you ever ate, and why?"
It was difficult to choose a winner because there were so many mouthwatering responses: bacon-wrapped dates, popcorn, raw bar fare such as cherrystone clams and stone crab legs, spinach-artichoke dip and seafood potato skins. YUM!
But the book goes to blog reader RICH, who wrote in with this response:
"My favorite barfood is any that deviates from the chicken (tender or wing)/ cheesestick/ riblet variety. On business in Denver once, I had an amazing rumaki marinated in a great soy/bourbon mixture. I liked that so much that I returned the following night and tried the Ovos de Cordona (quail eggs) and some roasted chicken hearts. Just as good as the rumaki.
I enjoyed these and chose them because I KNEW I'd rarely get the chance to dine on them at a bar ever again."
Rich wins not because he was the first to respond, although I do appreciate that. I liked his answer because it showed he has a sense of adventure about food and a desire to try bar snacks that don't fall into the typical categories. That willingness to experiment, I think, makes him a good match for Heyhoe's book of eclectic bar foods.
Rich, e-mail me your address at lindsey.nair@roanoke.com and I'll put this book in the mail for you.
Everyone else, do not despair! I have plenty more free cookbooks where that one came from (in fact, I just got one in the mail called "I'm Dreaming of a Chocolate Christmas" by Marcel Desaulniers) and the same person is not allowed to win twice in one year, so I'm keeping track.
Y'all keep reading!
Before I mail out Rich's book, I will share one recipe from the book. Maybe we can all whip this up this weekend while we're relaxing the work stress away.
Continue reading "And the winner is...." »
October 11, 2007
Roanoke Times retail business reporter Jenny Kincaid Boone has started a new retail blog on this site called "The Storefront." There, she will explore business openings and closings, shopping, trends and other retail-related news on a daily basis.
I am not mentioning this on the Fridge Magnet blog just to promote the work of a very talented reporter and friend. I think those of us who are interested in new restaurants in Southwest Virginia should keep an eye on Jenny's blog for that kind of news. I try to keep an eye on restaurant openings and closings and my readers are good about passing along tips. But Jenny has been writing a retail column for The Roanoke Times for about 4 years now, so she often hears about a new restaurant even before I do.
Her latest entry, in fact, is about a new El Rodeo opening soon on Orange Avenue. Jenny explores the business angle of such restaurant news, but I would like to press my fellow foodies about what this means for us-- can this area really handle another El Rodeo or El Toreo?
Continue reading "Jenny's got the scoop" »
October 10, 2007
My mom used to make green chili on occasion. As a young child, I appreciated it about as much as I appreciated her split pea soup, which is to say not at all.
It took a little growing up before I started to enjoy the way the pork just fell apart into strings and the green chiles in the broth added a little tangy zip. I remember my mom cooking her green chili all day, and hers was on the thin side. That is to say, it wasn't chunky. The pork sort of became part of the broth.
Now, I see chile verde on Mexican menus all over town. I ordered it once and it was pretty tasty, but it was more like a pile of pork chunks with green sauce. Maybe that's the way it's supposed to be made.
Here's a recipe for chile verde that I received yesterday from the Simply Recipes listserv I joined a while back. It looks a little thicker than Mom's, but more like a stew than what I've been served at restaurants in town. It also calls for roasting a bunch of tomatillos, which just sounds delicious to me.
I think I'll give it a try. It's a nice way to use some of those different chile peppers I wrote about in a story last month.
Continue reading "Chile Verde" »
October 9, 2007
Here at The Roanoke Times, we have a running joke about Peeps. But I'm not sure what it is. I do know that we've blown them up in the microwave, smashed one with a sledgehammer, run some over with a car and had Peeps-eating contests. Ahhhh, good times.
But most folks I've talked to don't really like Peeps. They say they're sickeningly sweet, that sort of thing. I will admit that I used to eat Peeps every Easter. And my sister is a Peeps fanatic.
Amazingly, they are still finding new reasons to manufacture Peeps. Here you see the newest creation from the Peeps dungeon: Halloween Peeps. See how they come in pumpkin, mummy and ghost shapes? To me, the mummy Peep looks exactly like a character out of Scooby Doo.
I have placed the candy corn there as a size reference. As you can see, these spooky Peeps are smaller and thinner than typical Peeps. They also come individually wrapped, but I extracted them from the wrappers for photos.
I have taste-tested these Peeps and I find that for some reason, the ghost Peep tastes a little better than the rest, as if it has more vanilla in it. The pumpkin Peep was a bit tasteless.
My stomach hurts.
October 8, 2007
In case anyone was wondering how my pumpkin flan with gingersnap crust turned out this weekend, it was perfect! The batteries in my camera died on Saturday, so I had no way of taking a photo of the beauty. I swear I'm not lying.
My biggest concern, having never made flan before, was that the caramel hardened in the pie pan so quickly after I poured it in. I swirled it around as fast as I could, but I never did make it up the sides of the pan before it hardened. After mixing the eggs, pumpkin, condensed milk and other ingredients in a blender, I filled the pan as full as I possibly could without overflowing it and still had about two cups of filling left in the blender. So that felt a little bit like a waste.
Next time, I may try to find a larger pie pan or perhaps just make two smaller flans with the recipe.
Continue reading "Flan & sauerkraut (but not together)" »
As I said last week, I'm going to be giving away a cookbook once a month to the winner of a simple contest. This month's book is "Great Bar Food at Home" by Kate Heyhoe.
Kate even commented on the blog contest herself! Here's what she had to say:
"Brilliant idea, Lindsey! I am the author of Great Bar Food at Home, and I adore how you've thrown the gauntlet out to your readers. By the way, they can read outtakes and recipes from the book at GreatBarFood.com. For me, picking one favorite is tough, but I have many fond memories of Harry's Bar in Venice, and the little toasted cheese sandwiches there, wrapped in pristine white napkins. I'll look forward to seeing what your readers pick. And with wings, rumaki, garlic fries, prosciutto rolls, and all sorts of other treats in it, this book was written for everyone who loves bar food, especially those who prefer to munch on their bar food at home. Cheers! Kate Heyhoe (GlobalGourmet.com and GreatBarFood.com)"
So come on, y'all! You know you want to check out this book. All you have to do is write in and tell me your favorite bar food and why. The deadline to enter is noon on Wednesday.
October 5, 2007
Just look at that slice of pure deliciousness.
That, my friends, is a Pumpkin Flan with Gingersnap Crust.
Ooooooh yeah, you read that right.
This recipe and picture have been sitting on my desk all week taunting me with its golden perfection and caramel smoothness.
I am not ashamed to say that I have planned out my entire Saturday evening around this pumpkin flan. I plan to make it Saturday morning and have some friends over for dinner on Saturday night. Then, after dinner, I will dazzle them with this fine dessert.
I can just see the stars in their eyes as I emerge from the kitchen with the flan. But since it does call for packing on the crust and then inverting onto a serving plate at the last minute, let's all hope I don't come out of the kitchen with a shapeless pile of goo and crumbs.
What shall I make for dinner that would be an appropriate precursor to this fab slab of goodness? Perhaps a roast beef in a cooking bag!
Photo courtesy of Nestle USA.
Continue reading "Flan-tastic!" »
October 4, 2007
Anyone who has read my column and blog long enough knows that I have no problem with taking some shortcuts in the kitchen. Without certain shortcuts, I just don't think double-income families (or even single income, for that matter) would be able to put a nutritious meal on the table on some nights.
I didn't become a fan of cooking bags until I met my husband, Howard. And even after he began to sing their praises, I balked for a while. I considered them pedestrian. And if anyone reading this considers this whole topic pedestrian, just come back tomorrow, when I'll be talking about flan.
Continue reading "Nothing wrong with cheating" »
October 3, 2007
This morning's Front Burner column in Extra was about wings, and if you'd like to see my wings video, go here.
Thanks to all the blog readers for your great comments and suggestions about this favorite food.
I received a wonderful e-mail this morning from a reader who says she is a native of Buffalo, N.Y.
Here are some excerpts from what she had to say:
Continue reading "One last word on wings..." »
My darling readers, I have emerged from beneath the crush of deadlines and I am still alive to tell the tale. Except the tale isn't really all that interesting, so I will spare you. Suffice it to say that four deadlines at once have forced my blog entries this week to be a little wimpy. For that, I apologize.
How might I make it up to you? Well, I have an idea: free cookbooks!
I mentioned on the blog a few days ago that I receive many free cookbooks in the mail from publishing companies. When someone commented that I am one lucky gal to get all these free cookbooks, it got me thinking. I mean, I'm never going to have the time to whip up all these delectable dishes myself.
Henceforth, I will be giving away a cookbook once a month to some lucky reader who plays along with my silly game, "Answer my question, please."
This month's selection is "Great Bar Food at Home" by Kate Heyhoe. It includes such tasty little recipes as Eggplant Pizzettes, Beer-Bathed Shrimp and Authentic Garlic Fries.
To win this book, shoot me a comment with a few sentences about your favorite bar food. Where did you find it and what was so great about it?
The best comment wins the book. The deadline is noon on Wednesday, October 10. I will announce the winner on Friday. But you'll have to provide your address so I can mail it to you.
October 1, 2007
Looks like the salad joint I talked about with much excitement in a previous blog entry has shut down. Over the past week or so, the Adobe Salad Works in the Roanoke City Market building has closed.
Not only have they closed, they've removed just about everything, including-- or so it appears from the upstairs balcony-- the countertops.
So much for my build-your-own-salad extravaganzas. And to think it was just May when I was rejoicing over the garbanzo beans and artichoke hearts.
I hate to see another restaurant fail in the market building. But the restaurant business in Roanoke has seen many failures before and will see many more, I'm sure. There are also simple retirements from the biz (in the case of Green Dolphin Grille) or the decision to move on before a business completely tanks.
Next week, I'll write about a new place in downtown Roanoke that's promising healthy dining options.
Meanwhile, do you know of any other restaurants that appear to have bitten the dust? You guys can be my eyes and ears.
Well, I'm pretty sure when they say, "An apple a day keeps the doctor away" they are talking about a raw apple, not an apple coated with caramel and candy pieces. But what the hay-- at least you're still getting the fiber and the vitamins of that apple when you munch on a candy apple.
And besides, according to one of my favorite nutrition books, "Nature's Pharmacy," that old saying should have been "A carrot a day..." instead. And nobody is tempted to coat a carrot with candy, are they? I hope not.
Candy apples have never been my favorite treat because I have this pet peeve against things sticking to my teeth. But I'll bet this recipe from Nestle is better than the standard, sticky-icky red candy coating because caramel is a little softer.
I always associate candy apples with popcorn balls for some reason. I believe it's because apples and candy apples remind me of fall and Halloween (bobbing for apples, anyone?), which makes me think about the very best house on my childhood trick-or-treating route. They always had homemade popcorn balls and if you didn't get there early in the evening, you missed them.
I'll share this candy apple recipe if someone out there who has a great popcorn ball recipe will return the favor. Either treat would make a great activity for children, with a little adult supervision and quality control!
Continue reading "An apple a day..." »
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