September 25, 2008Did someone say pizza?For the last four months I have been on following a healthier eating plan and overall I am very pleased with the results. I look better and feel better, and I want the trend to continue. I have no intention of undoing my hard work by returning to my old habits, but I still have to find ways to work in my favorite foods and stay inside my calorie-stingy limits. And one of those favorite foods is pizza.  I love all kinds of pizza: Deep dish, thin crust, flatbread, French bread, meat lovers, veggie lovers, Brooklyn, Hawaiian, hot, cold, for breakfast, lunch, dinner and all points in between. As long as it's tasty crust topped with tomato sauce and gooey cheese, I am so there. I know many people are passionate about pizza, and the debate rages between Chicago-style and New York-style. I remain a fan of both, although being from the Midwest I must admit that a good, Windy City-style deep-dish pie is like comfort food. Growing up in Indianapolis, my favorite pizza was from a chain called Noble Roman's. They served what they called deep dish, Sicilian-style pizza. It was not authentic Sicilian, which is more like bread with ingredients baked inside it, not on top of it. But when you are a kid, authenticity matters less than taste, and this stuff was awesome. The crust was thick, baked in a small, square pan. The best pieces were the corners, where you got the most of the tender, buttery, golden brown crust. Circles of tomato sauce were baked on top of the cheese and other meats and veggies. With a side of thick, chewy breadsticks and fiery jalapeno cheese dip, it was heaven on a plate. Another favorite is from a little place in Speedway, Ind., called Mug and Bun. This more of the New York-style thin crust, but it's oh-so-good and a must-have when tailgating near the race track. The crust is crisp but not cracker-like, the toppings are fresh and cheese is gooey and plentiful. I can almost taste it now. My typical pizza stops here in the Valley area are Bellacino's in Daleville (the number is saved in my cell phone) Grace's in Grandin Village and Goodfellaz on Brambleton. Pizza for me now is like cookies for the Cookie Monster: It's a sometimes food. The way I look at it, when I want to indulge myself, I want the best. So I am open for suggestions of other places to try. What is your favorite style of pizza and where do you go for it here? September 22, 2008I'm alive! And hungry...Lindsey here. I'm into my second week of helping to fill in for my boss, who just had a little bundle of joy. In fact, three Roanoke Times co-workers became parents within about 3 days last week!! There was an entire Roanoke Times wing at RMH! In addition to helping with editing duties, I've been cooking up a storm -- chili and chicken pie for new parents; Swiss steak for us, which we cooked in the pressure cooker. Anyway, I plan to pick the blog back up full-time next week. I will post later this week with the Swiss steak recipe and a few observations from judging the rib cookoff at the Big Lick Blues Festival this past weekend. Meanwhile, I had to chip in my 2 cents' worth on Nona's wonderful blog postings. Thanks a bunch, Nona! I'm excited about the un-perforated dough because I make little pigs in a blanket several times a year. I love them with Lil' Smokies and dipped in both ketchup and mustard. Mmmmmm!! I've never had a party when they didn't disappear in a flash. I'd like to try the new dough in some kind of foldover with a mixture of browned ground beef with onions and other seasonings. Like an English pasty. As for chiffon cake, I'll bet it's delicious and not too fattening. Maybe you could make it and frost it with light whipped cream and strawberries or mandarin oranges. It's beating the egg whites that's a pain, but I've done it for angel food cake and if you have a cold metal bowl, it's actually a cool cooking experience. September 16, 2008Harvest Tuesday... one day lateAaaaaaaaaaaack!! I have misled my beloved blog readers into thinking the free harvest dinner is tonight! It actually happened last night... I guess since I took a vacation day yesterday, I came in feeling one day behind today. Sorry 'bout that, guys. If anyone made it out to the event, I'd still love to hear how it was. Thanks to Deb for pointing out my error. This is one circumstance when I did owe you guys an apology. September 8, 2008When pig flew
A big shout-out this morning to blog readers Dennis and Patrick, who I met in person (finally!) at Macado's in Salem yesterday afternoon. What started as a quick stop for a beer and a snack (and a little football) turned into a great time chatting with Dennis and his lovely wife, Diane, about all things food -- and then some. It's always cool to put a face with a name. And now for the less satisfying experience of this weekend -- my dear husband, Howard, and the case of the missing pork. We had a relaxing evening in on Saturday night, marinating a nice pork tenderloin in some portobello mushroom chop sauce. As usual, he was in charge of grilling the pork while I whipped up macaroni and cheese and sauteed mushrooms to go alongside our meal. When everything was ready, Howard went out on the deck with his platter and his Barbie Boss to retrieve the main dish. From inside, I suddenly heard a series of "D'ohs!" and yelps. He came back inside with a shocked expression and an empty platter. Apparently, as he moved the pork to the platter, it rolled off, did a slow-motion balancing act on the railing of our deck and then slowly teetered off the edge into the dark abyss, leaving nothing but a splotch of sauce on the railing. Twelve feet down in the grass below, Howard heard the sickening "thud" of flesh on ground. Then, we looked at each other. Shrugged. And sliced up the beautiful meat into the succulent portions that we would eventually devour. It sure was tasty, and we were exceedingly grateful that we still have not fenced in the backyard and adopted a dog. September 5, 2008Belly up to the bar food
For our wedding anniversary last night, my husband and I wanted to go somewhere nice. So we wandered down to 202 Market, which is just about the most beautiful bar in Roanoke. Since we're trying to save a little dough for our big trip to Busch Gardens next weekend (woo hoo! Big Bad Wolf!), we weren't in the mood to drop $100 or more for dinner. We decided instead to either order bar food and appetizers or split an entree at the bar. Lots of people seem to have an aversion to eating at the bar, or an aversion to splitting an entree in a fancy restaurant, as if that would be tacky. But my friend Megan taught me that it feels more casual and acceptable to do that at the bar. She and her husband do it all the time, and they get to try out all kinds of meals in nice restaurants without dropping a wad or blowing the buttons off their pants. At 202, Howard ordered a beer and I had a half-price lemongrass martini (it was Ladies' Night), which consisted of lemongrass-infused vodka, vanilla simple syrup and fresh lime juice. Refreshing and delightful. We started with the $5 mushroom tempura snackie, which has to be one of the best appetizer deals in all of Roanoke -- you get a whole bowl full of crispy, meaty wild mushrooms in a savory sauce. File photo by Sam Dean/The Roanoke Times September 3, 2008Don't be cuttin' on my taters, now
A press kit from the United States Potato Board has got me sprouting questions. This defensive new marketing campaign seems to indicate that potatoes have developed more than a bad spot -- they've gotten a bad rap! The potato people say rumors like this abound: Potatoes are "a fattening, worthless starch with empty calories," they are not a vegetable, they cannot be part of a healthy diet and only the skin is nutritious. I'm not sure where all these concerns started, but it's possible that they can be traced back to the Adkins Diet and its kin -- those eating regimens that prohibit the dieter from ingesting carbohydrates because they turn to sugar, and fat. Maybe I missed it, but I kinda thought those diets were passe. Any diet that prohibited me from eating potatoes would not make it past the first day in my life. I am a potato devotee, a big, red-headed, part-Irish, passionate lover of all things potato. In my opinion, potatoes are delicious just about any way they're cooked -- baked, fried, sauteed, boiled; mixed into soups, stews, casseroles and omelets; for breakfast, lunch, dinner, late night snack and everything in between. In short, I LOVE potatoes! And if you are worried about the nutritional value of potatoes, here are some factoids from the Potato Board:
September 2, 2008What a difference a freezer makesLast night at 9:30 p.m., my in-laws came by on their way home from my sister-in-law's house with the object of my desire: the chest freezer. We bought the freezer from Sarah because, as I continue to collect bags of frozen tomatoes and freezer paper-clad venison roasts, my regular old freezer keeps getting smaller and smaller. Upon returning from the grocery store lately, it's been a feat of sheer genius just to wedge in a few more Lean Cuisines and a package of burger. Just opening the kitchen freezer at times lately has been a dangerous proposition. Flying pork ribs feel pretty much like a big rock hitting the toes. And an overstuffed freezer can tax the appliance and affect the quality of your foods. August 18, 2008The Omnivore's HundredThe following list is of 100 items that Andrew Wheeler, co-author of the British food blog Very Good Taste, thinks every omnivore should try at least once in his/her life. Wheeler challenged bloggers to copy and paste the list into his or her blog and boldface every item they have eaten before. Then, we are supposed to put a line through what we refuse to ever eat. I italicized what I won't even try. I didn't think I'd do very well, but I'm actually surprised by the number of bold words in my list! Although I'm not so sure that I should be proud to boldface "roadkill" and not "a tasting menu at a 3-Michelin-star restaurant." It was a deer that my dad hit, OK? It wasn't a possum! The Omnivore's Hundred 1. Venison August 11, 2008Keeping bread fresh
My husband can go through a whole loaf of wheat bread in one week all by himself, thanks to his maniacal metabolism and his habit of eating a sandwich at 4 p.m. every day to tide himself over until dinner. I, on the other hand, buy more expensive loaves of Arnold's Health Nut bread, or "nuts and seeds" bread, as Howard calls it, and rarely make it through the entire thing before I find a fuzzy layer on the outside. This week, I learned that although it's sometimes okay to cut the mold off cheese and eat the cheese, it's not advisable to do the same with bread because it is more porous, and if the mold spores are visible on the outside they have probably permeated the bread, as well. That's why I was so happy to find a site called Wasted Food, which recently featured some tips for keeping bread fresh for as long as possible. Artisan breads can be even harder to keep very long because they don't have preservatives. Among the tips: Always use a bread box, store your bread in a paper bag instead of a plastic bag and, when all else fails, just freeze your bread and take pieces out of the freezer on an as-needed basis. I think I'm going to start tossing my Health Nut in the freezer. Heck, it'll be easier to spread real butter on those frozen pieces for my grilled cheese sandwiches.
July 31, 2008Tomato prep 101
My apologies to anyone who, like me, has spent many summers bent over a boiling pot and then a cold water bath, preparing tomatoes for canning or sauce-making or what have you. This entry is for anyone who needs a little instruction on tomato processing. Step 1: Boil a big pot of water. Drop in tomatoes, about 4 at a time, and blanch for about 60 seconds or until the skins split. 
Last night, when I took these pictures, I made a batch of tomato sauce. I chose not to bother with straining out the seeds, but next time I may try to strain them out for a cleaner sauce. I have found that I like the flavor of butter in the sauce very much. But I am still working on perfecting the recipe. Thanks to my good friend Randy for these lovely tomatoes. If I had to rely on my piddly plants, I'd have nada so far. July 29, 2008Tuesday TidbitsGiven the pitiful number of replies to the cookbook giveaway yesterday, I can only conclude that: a) nobody was interested in that book, or Hopefully it was the latter, because this really is a beautiful cookbook. We do have a cookbook winner, however, and her name is Angela G. She wrote, "The dirt under my fingernails, my aching shoulders, and pinched back are all reasons why I deserve the organic cookbook you are giving away today. In addition to the 40+ hour work week I spend behind a desk I also work on an organic farm that provides weekly harvests of organic veggies and free range eggs to CSA shareholders in my small town." To check out Angela's entire response, look below the jump. Congrats, Angela! E-mail me your mailing address and I'll send "Organic Marin" your way. In other news, tomorrow is National Bring Your Salad to Work Day. That's according to Kraft Salad Dressings. I can't imagine how they would benefit from such a day. Marketing aside, it seems like a good excuse to bring a crisp, cool salad to work for lunch. I've got some romaine, cherry tomatoes, green pepper and garbanzo beans lurking in my fridge this moment. Next up, does anyone watch "The Next Food Network Star?" If so, it may amuse you to learn that someone on the Food Network's Web team accidentally revealed the winner online before the finale ran. Oops!! And finally, has anyone out there ever had a custard pie with fruit? As a lover of pies, I was surprised to realize that I never have had such a pie. A reader wrote in last night with his recipe for wineberry custard pie, which looks 10 times easier than actually collecting the wineberries for the pie. I'll post the recipe, along with his beautiful picture, later today. July 25, 2008The summer of the watermelon
It's all Kathy's fault. In other words, my friend and editor Kathy Lu is responsible for a warm weather craving that I haven't experienced so intensely since I was a child. No, I am not pregnant. But Kathy is. Early in her pregnancy, my friend started yearning for the ruby-red stuff. Its icy cold sweetness seemed to quell her first trimester discomfort in a way nothing else did, like an elixir for nausea. She began to bring it in Tupperware containers to work, munching on big chunks of it in her office. I'd walk in to talk about an idea for a column and spy her hunched over her precious fruit. One day, I brought in some fresh cantaloupe to share with my co-workers and Lu said, "Oh, good. I forgot to bring my watermelon." While reporting the ethnic market series, I told her one day that I was heading out to visit a few markets and see what I could find. "I forgot to bring fruit today," she said. "Could you see if you can find me some?" Okay, so her insatiable desire for watermelon this summer applies to just about any fresh fruit. But she isn't fooling me -- I know she'd take watermelon over anything else. Gradually, I began to have sympathy cravings. I discovered that almost nothing tastes as good on a hot summer day than a freshly carved watermelon. I don't eat it like I did when I was a kid, plowing my face into a big slice and working my way toward the rind, spitting seeds like an M-16, until my cheeks were sticky with juice. Now I'm more dignified -- I buy seedless, organic watermelon and store it in the refrigerator for a day or two before carving it into bite-size chunks. But oh, those frigid chunks are hard to stop eating. Biting down, I can almost feel every little cell of the flesh bursting between my teeth and releasing its cool, cucumbery sweetness. I brought some for breakfast this morning, and I've got some at home in the fridge. I know you're supposed to be nice to pregnant ladies and all, but Kathy isn't getting any of my watermelon. July 21, 2008Three successes
Yesterday turned into experimentation day in my kitchen. After a long, hot day Saturday helping my mom with a yard sale in Alleghany County, I was ready for a relaxing Sunday puttering around the stove -- and, as it turned out, the grill. While rummaging around the refrigerator for random produce to throw into my scrambled eggs (artichokes, tomato, banana pepper), I saw the bag of green peanuts I bought at Global Foods in Blacksburg last week. They still looked okay, so I set them to boil in a big pot of water and dumped in an unhealthy amount of salt. Those of you who read the blog regularly know this made the second time I attempted to make boiled peanuts as tasty as the ones at roadside stands. Well, by golly, I did it this time! They took on the trademark dark, chocolate color and the wonderful, briny flavor. Now all I need to do to perfect them is cut back a little on the salt next time and boil them or let them set about one more hour. The key truly was to just boil the living crap out of them for hours on end. We finally ate them at 4 p.m. Success number two came in the form of a cannellini bean paste for bruschetta. I'd had something similar at a restaurant at the Biltmore in Asheville and have been meaning to try and duplicate it ever since.
July 15, 2008Campfire cookin'
So why do I still love to go camping? You're lookin' at it. Campfire cooking is one of my greatest cooking pleasures. I don't know if it's the smoky flavor that some foods take on or the challenge of producing a decent meal with limited resources. Either way, when my mother and I went camping this past weekend up in Bath County, we made sure to pack a bunch of goodies for breakfast. The potatoes came right out of the garden. We wrapped them in aluminum foil and put them down in the campfire the night before to let them bake. The next morning, we unwrapped them, cut them up and fried them with onions in the hot bacon grease. A shortcut for campfire potatoes is to bake them in the microwave before you leave and pack them in the cooler for the next morning. They take a lot less time to fry up that way than a raw potato. The eggs were scrambled later in the same skillet and the English muffins were toasted on a grill grate over the open campfire. They tasted of a hint of wood smoke, but we still slathered them with a friend's homemade blueberry preserves. After a breakfast like this, it's tempting to crawl back inside the tent. But there's no way I'm doing that....there might be spiders in there. Anyone else out there a campfire cook? Share your smokin' hot tips. July 2, 2008Ode to the Mason jar
In case you missed it, check out today's Front Burner column about the Mason jar's 150th birthday this year. The actual birthday, I guess, would be the patent date of November 30, but with so many pressure cookers hissing away during the summer months to preserve veggies from the garden, it seemed like a great time to wax nostalgic about the versatile container. As I wrote in the column, my memories are full of Mason jars. And those jars in my mind are filled with everything from Grandma's damson preserves to Paw-Paw's honey to the squirrel torsos Mom used to can for Dad's eating pleasure. In fact, our pantry was always lined with a whole rainbow of fruit- and veggie- filled Mason jars. And that was just the beginning. They hung out in the shed, filled with seeds, and in the garage, filled with nails and pins and anything else my dad or my grandfather saw fit to fill them with. I'd love to know your fondest memories of the Mason jar. Does anyone collect them? As you'll see in my column, they can be worth quite a bit of money if you know what you're looking for. Matthew Rowley, who wrote a book called "Moonshine!" shared a recipe with me for the story, but it came in too late for press. I'll share it here instead. It's not what you're thinking, you naughty kids! That stuff is illegal! This is a recipe for a spiced-up homemade "ketchup" that Rowley says is tasty on everything from sandwiches to soup to roasted meat. Sounds like a great way to spice up meatloaf, too. July 1, 2008Beets me!
Why don't people like beets? I pondered this question last night as I slowly chewed and savored my tiny, baby beets. It made me think of how my mother used to serve us sliced, boiled beets for dinner and I would scarf them up with just a little salt to complement their naturally sweet flavor. What kind of little kid eats beets without complaint? Well, maybe I'm recalling a rosier version of the tale, but I'm pretty sure that kid was me. Fast forward to earlier this month, when my story about local food producers was published in the newspaper. Splashed across the front of the Extra section was a picture of Richard Ursomarso up at Waterbear Mountain Farm holding a big clump of dirt-covered beets that he had just pulled from the earth. Somewhere along the way, they were incorrectly identified as turnips in the caption. By the time the proofs came around, I was on vacation. Would I have recognized them as beets instead of turnips? I'd like to think so, but since it's been a coon's age since I ate a fresh beet, I decided that I had better reacquaint myself. June 26, 2008Saving pasta salad, one step at a time
It is the height of cookout season. You're expected to bring a side dish. At almost the last minute, in an effort to avoid another trip to the grocery store, you pull out the elbow macaroni and mayonnaise with plans to concoct one of summer's least inspiring dishes: macaroni salad. Now, I'm sure there are folks out there who adore macaroni salad, and I'm not saying it can't be good if it's prepared well. Usually "well" involves fresh tomatoes and grated cheddar, in my opinion. But overall, I agree with Sara Dickerman, who wrote a recent article for Slate.com about pasta salad, when she says "Pasta salad is the wallflower of summer foods: It almost always makes it to the barbecue, but no one quite remembers who invited it." The rest of her article is equally amusing and enlightening. Ultimately, she says the key to a good cold noodle dish is "attentive seasoning, both with salt and with more aromatic ingredients like fresh herbs and scallions." I would urge you to read the entire article here. You'll surely enjoy it as much as I did. But in the interest of time, I will boil down her twelve tips here: June 23, 2008...And the livin's easy
I spent the first official day of summer enveloped in hickory smoke. This Saturday, my dad and his friend, Bob, smoked three huge racks of pork ribs up at our Bath County river house. I made some zucchini and summer squash on the grill, but other than that, I had absolutely nothing to do with these beauties. Well, I did have SOMETHING to do with them: I ate some. Wouldn't you? According to Dad, he used a dry rub on all three racks. Then, for the sake of experimentation, they smoked one rack with just the dry rub and used sauce on the other two racks. One got Stubb's and the other got Kraft barbecue sauce, which had been doctored up a bit by Bob. 
We all decided that the dry rub finished off with sauce is the way to go. But all three racks were absolutely delicious. I believe I may have to invest in a smoker one of these days. I can't seem to get the thought of smoked trout out of my mind now. Anyone out there like to smoke meat? I'd love to hear some of your tips. June 19, 2008This 'n' thatAnd now, for your occasional round-up of random, food related news: * Update: The online local food guide has been updated with about a dozen new farms! If you haven't checked it out yet, please do. You can search by the type of local food that interests you, such as eggs or fruit or pork, as well as your location. You could even search by both! * White Lily, the queen mother of all light, fluffy Southern biscuits, has been produced in Knoxville, Tenn. since 1883. But the new owner, the J.M. Smucker Company, has seen fit to move production of this Southern specialty to two Midwest plants. It's a change that has some biscuit lovers recoiling in shock. As blog reader Deb, who sent me this tip, put it: "Oh, the horror!" * Chocolatepaper, Southwest County's trendiest sweet shop, is opening a second location in downtown Roanoke. Matt Burkett, who owns the card shop/chocolate shop with his uncle, Mark Burkett and Stan McCulloch, says they hope to open the new store by September 1. * Finally, Thai Orchid, which was formerly housed at the Jefferson Motor Lodge, has re-opened in downtown Roanoke. The new location is in the former Swagat Indian restaurant spot on First Street near Florabella. June 18, 2008More summer bounty
Here's my first attempt at fried green tomatoes. I threw them together last night on my husband's dinner break, and they turned out pretty good. As you can see, I served them with summer squash and a piece of sauteed tilapia. I thought I had cornmeal in the cupboard, but I didn't. I ended up dipping the tomato slices in a mixture of egg and milk with a few drops of hot sauce, then dredging them in seasoned flour and frying in oil. Flavorful, but not as crunchy on the outside as I would like. I suppose practice (and a little cornmeal) will make perfect. If anyone else decides to attempt fried green tomatoes as a result of our discussion this week, please try to send a picture. I would love to see them! The produce fairy came again yesterday while I was at work, leaving a huge armful of fresh rosemary and basil. I plan to use some of the fresh rosemary within the next few days, but I cannot possibly use it all.. Since I love the herb so much, I'm going to dry it and save it for future use. I did a little research about drying herbs and found out that not every herb dries well. June 10, 2008Dinner....on ice
What does your work refrigerator say about you....and your co-workers? Well, from the looks of the fridge in the Features department at The Roanoke Times (I took this picture this morning), it says at least one thing: We bring Lean Cuisines to work, but we never eat them. Notice the TWO Lean Cuisines that have been permanently encased in ice in the upper right hand corner of the picture. I can't even tell if they were sesame chicken or macaroni and cheese or salmon or what. Now, Wendy admitted that one of the Lean Cuisines was probably hers. Who brought in the other one? Okay, I admit. It was me. This is cold, hard evidence that while I often have good intentions about eating a healthy lunch at work, the Lean Cuisine goes untouched in the freezer while I make my way to Alejandro's, the market building or some other spot for tasty grub. Of course, one of these days I'm going to be too busy to run out and I'll remember that I have an emergency frozen dinner. Anyone got an ice pick? June 9, 2008Eating my way through Charleston
Charleston is a food city, there's no doubt about it. The most upscale meal we had was at Oak Steakhouse in downtown Charleston, which is housed in a historic former bank building on Exchange Street. Oak is run by Brett McKee, the same chef who headlined the Puttin' on the Dog event at Roanoke Country Club not long ago. My husband drew the line at letting me bring my camera inside the steakhouse, but I can still picture the meal in my mind: tender, rich oysters Rockefeller, a perfect filet, lobster and shrimp macaroni and cheese and the best brussels sprouts I've ever had. They were roasted with applewood smoked bacon and sugar. I must have that recipe. 
The best seafood house in Charleston, however, is slightly less beautiful on the outside than the Oak Steakhouse. It's called The Wreck of the Richard and Charlene, and it's difficult to find if you aren't looking for it. Check out the picture (at left) and you'll see that it's no wonder The Wreck is one of Charleston's best-kept secrets. I found recommendations for The Wreck on the boards at Chow.com, and I will never take another vacation to an unfamiliar city without checking Chow first. When we checked into our hotel, I asked the clerk: "Isn't The Wreck near here?" The Wreck is housed in a tiny, nondescript building on Shem Creek. There are no signs. As you can see, the view from the inside is quite a bit more becoming (and not just because my wonderful hubby is in the picture.) 
Continue reading "Eating my way through Charleston" » May 27, 2008More eating! More eating!
I'm usually not much of a breakfast eater, so when I woke up hungry as the dickens this morning with my tummy growling like thunder, I knew something was up. That something? Probably the fact that I gorged myself on awesome food all weekend long and my stomach is thinking it's time for another dose already. But that's what a combination holiday/birthday weekend should be all about in a foodie's universe, right? I had a huge, honkin' homemade cheeseburger with all the fixins, a chili dog and so many wonderful side dishes prepared by my friends, including Stacy's broccoli salad with raisins, craisins, sunflower seeds and bacon bits, Kenn's homemade pesto potato salad, Kathy's fruit salad (loaded, of course, with watermelon, her No. 1 pregnancy craving so far) and my own carrot-raisin salad, which I made with crushed pineapple this time around. For dessert, it was Fresh Market carrot cake and a homemade strawberry pie that I made with frozen strawberries left over from my trip to Dansby's strawberry farm in April. Those berries were so sweet that all I added was 3/4 cup of sugar, a dash of cinnamon and about a half cup of flour to create a nice, thick juice. And only in a food geek's world would several packages of fresh beef wrapped in freezer paper be such an exciting gift. Those came from my sister and brother-in-law, who bought a whole side of beef from Ohio and sent me a sirloin, a roast, some stew meat and a couple packages of hamburger. The sirloin is going to go well with the bottle of Malbec my dad gave me. But enough about MY weekend! I know everyone else out there kicked off cookout season the right way, despite last week's story about the rising price of food and fuel this summer. One of those folks was blog reader Patrick, who sent the yummy picture (above) of a friend's pizza dip. I'm also going to share a recipe that came in my regular newsletter from Ladles & Linens, the downtown Roanoke kitchen shop. This is for a crunchy coleslaw with dried cranberries and almonds. Enjoy, and tell us: What was the best thing you made or ate this past weekend? May 23, 2008Weekend tidbits
If you're looking for a place to eat dinner tonight, consider heading out to Three Lil' Pigs in Daleville. They're celebrating their fifth anniversary by offering free food to every fifth table. Here's a little more info. Test your luck! Also this weekend: Festival in the Park in Elmwood Park in Roanoke. Head out there for a variety of food and other activities. And if you're from out of town, be sure to swing by the farmer's market in downtown Roanoke and check out all the local products. Finally, please don't forget to chime in on the hamburger discussion we started yesterday. In case you missed it, the Texas Tavern has been named in a new book, "Hamburger America" by George Motz. Do you agree with the TT's inclusion? If not, where would you go to find the best hamburger in Southwest Virginia? I'm taking Monday off. Thanks to all the soldiers and their families who have sacrificed for us. Have a great Memorial Day weekend! May 13, 2008Easy recipe from the guest bloggerIt's Nona again. Lindsey will be back tomorrow. Some of my favorite dishes are the simplest to make. And as much as I like to cook and bake, I also take a little store-bought help wherever I can find it. I made one of my favorite desserts Sunday night. I started with a chocolate angel food cake from the Kroger bakery. I put the cake on a plate, poked holes in it with a fork and drizzled a big shot of Kahlua over it. I let the cake sit for an hour so it can soak up all the liquid. After about a half hour, I set two 8-ounce containers of mascarpone cheese out on the counter to get to room temperature. 
To the softened cheese, I added another shot of Kahula, a quarter cup of powdered sugar and a couple of tablespoons of Hershey’s syrup. I whipped that all together into a smooth frosting and covered the cake with it. Then I put the cake in the fridge to chill until after dinner. May 12, 2008Guest blogger in the kitchenHello Fridge Magnet readers! I am Nona Nelson, the resident pet blogger here at roanoke.com, and I am honored to fill in for Lindsey today and tomorrow so she can enjoy a few days with her family. Hope you all enjoyed the nice weather on Saturday before everything got all cold and drizzly. My husband and I enjoyed a cool, sunny afternoon on our deck and then fired up the grill to cook a flat iron steak for dinner. 
A flat iron steak is cut from the top of a roast. The end result is half-inch thick cut of meat that is often in a triangular shape that resembles the flat part of an iron. May 1, 2008Cinco de Mayo y fresas
Monday is Cinco de Mayo, a celebration of Mexican heritage and pride. One of my friends has an annual Cinco de Mayo party where everyone brings fantastic Mexican dishes and we all stuff our faces and drink margaritas. It's a blast. The party this year happens to coincide with my infatuation with fresh, local strawberries. Yesterday, I visited Dansby's Strawberry Farm near Rocky Mount for next week's column and picked myself five pounds of strawberries. Well, that turned out to be not near enough because they are sooooooo naturally sweet and delicious. I'm going to get some more before Saturday, and I'd like to come up with a dish that has a Mexican flair but incorporates strawberries. I'd love to do a from-scratch tres leches cake or something, but I'm afraid the schedule will not allow it. And as I said, I have this habit of committing to a difficult recipe when I know I don't have the time to do it right. A few trips around the Internet have resulted in a couple of worthy ideas: an easy tres leches cake that starts with a cake mix and could be garnished with berries, or a Mexican specialty, fruit water. The fruit water looks incredibly easy, calling only for water, ice, fresh fruit, a little sugar and some lime wedges for garnish. If anyone else has an idea for an easy strawberry dish that would fit the theme, I'd love to hear it. And since Mexican food is one of my very favorite cuisines, this is always a great time of year to solicit your favorite Mexican recipe, whether it involves strawberries or not. Last year, I ran a wonderful recipe for papas rellenos, or fried potato and meat dumplings, which I got from Roanoke Police Chief Joe Gaskins' secretary, X Alvarez. If you'd like a reminder of that recipe, click the link. I'll share the two simple recipes that I'm considering below. April 25, 2008Happy Friday!Well, I finally picked a perfect day to take a vacation day -- it's warm, sunny and beautiful. Almost too hot to do all the yard work I'm getting ready to start, but beggars can't be choosers. April 22, 2008Breakfast, chili, shortcakes...oh, yum
Olivia Byrd at Rockfish in Grandin Village sent out an e-mail today announcing that, beginning tomorrow, they will serve breakfast on Wednesday through Saturday mornings. This is in addition to their highly successful lunch and dinner service and the tasty Sunday brunch menu. The hours for breakfast are 7:30 to 10:30 a.m., and the menu will include fresh muffins, biscuits, egg dishes and espresso beverages. So if you live in the Grandin area and you've grown tired of microwaveable 7-Eleven fare, check out Rockfish. This would be a good time for me to also mention that Rockfish recently opened a wine shop beside the restaurant that is open Wednesday through Saturday until 6 p.m. I want to say that the shop sells more than just wine, but I haven't had a chance to pop in yet. In other food news, Roanoke's unofficial start to the summer season happens the weekend of May 3 when the Community School's 27th Annual Strawberry Festival and the 28th annual Virginia State Championship Chili Cook-off invade downtown. April 21, 2008Happy Birthday FM!
Correction: The Spinach-Artichoke Casserole should've included one large clove of garlic and two green onion tops, minced and sauteed in a dab of olive oil. It makes all the difference in the world. *** I've been so busy cooking, eating and writing that I never even noticed when the Fridge Magnet's first birthday came and went. March 26 was the big day. Happy birthday to the Fridge Magnet blog! Of course, I couldn't have made this little blog into anything without all the wonderful comments and advice from readers. We have some very talented home cooks and chefs in Southwest Virginia and I'm happy to provide at least one place for socializing and sharing. Some days have been better than others. While I've had my share of groggy Monday mornings with no motivation to write fresh, daily material on this blog (hence the random recipes), we've also fired up some great discussions on everything from buffalo wings to top restaurants to grilled cheese sandwiches. One thing is certain: I've learned a heck of a lot from you guys. I hope you've learned as much from me and your fellow blog readers. In honor of the one year anniversary, I'll share a quick, easy, delicious side dish recipe that I created last night to go with some barbecued country-style pork ribs. Did you cook up anything noteworthy this past weekend? If so, do share. April 16, 2008The age of asparagus
Anybody who has read Barbara Kingsolver's novel "Animal, Vegetable, Miracle" probably remembers that asparagus is the first vegetable of spring. When those little shoots reach high for the sky, it's a sure sign that strawberries and blueberries and cucumbers are just around the corner. Not only is asparagus an early riser, but according to one of my favorite books, "Nature's Pharmacy," it is high in vitamins A and C as well as glutathione, which keeps eyes healthy by interfering with the formation of cataracts. In addition, asparagus is high in potassium and folates, so if you're thinking of getting pregnant or you're newly pregnant, eat up! Of course, all of these benefits are well and good if you love asparagus, which I do. But there are a significant number of people out there (my sister and mother included) who absolutely hate asparagus. I don't know how I could be related to them. April 15, 2008Remembering Lib
Tomorrow's Front Burner column pays tribute to a lady who had her fingers in a lot of different pies around Roanoke. I would say "literally," but Lib Wilhelm's granddaughter, Kristin Breakell, said her grandma wasn't much for baking. She sure did know a lot about other kinds of cooking, though. Lib, who died earlier this month at age 86, started catering out of her Roanoke home more than 40 decades ago. She didn't stop catering until she was in her early 80s. And in those early years, when her business was still getting started, she also worked at St. John's Episcopal Church, The Shenandoah Club and the Patrick Henry Hotel. But it didn't |