Starfish Brasserie: Inspiring, Sustainable, and Delicious

The Philosophy

Very few restaurants in the Lehigh Valley specialize in sustainable seafood-centric menus, a farm-to-table policy, and boast a fantastic bar area and drinks to boot.

Starfish Brasserie, located at the intersection of Broad and Guetter Streets on Bethlehem’s North Side, is that restaurant. The menu includes local ingredients at all possible opportunities, and the menu changes almost daily based on availability and the inspiration of head Chef, Kristofor Sandholm. 

Overfishing is becoming another contemporary global issue, which means that by calling themselves a sustainable seafood restaurant, Starfish has pledged to serve you quality seafood but of the kinds that are not endangered. Couple this policy with the farm-to-table tag and you’ve got yourself fine meal of well-treated food.

The Bait

A few weeks ago, I was thrilled to hear from Kris via Starfish on Twitter @Starfish_PA regarding a review opportunity. In exchange for a meal, I would do a review of the Starfish Brasserie restaurant. The opportunity was attractive to me for many obvious reasons, chief among them the fact that I had never been to Starfish but I had heard a lot about it recently. 

The Hook
My friend and I arrived at about 6 o'clock on a Wednesday, and three hours later, left happily satisfied. True to all that I had heard, the menu was fresh, farm-to-table, and a one-of-a-kind menu that not even the next day's customers would try.

For example, it's not every restaurant that features an olive oil of the day. Ours was a red pepper, garlic, and tomato infused olive oil that came with delicious bread (soft, fluffy inside and crust with a crunch). 

Next came the amuse-bouche (literally translated to mouth amuser) that consisted of a tortilla crisp topped with kalamata olive tapenade, a cherry tomato slice, and a mussel. I enjoyed the combination of these flavors, but I think it could improve even more with a tortilla more on par with the other ingredients. 

This is a good time to introduce our server, Mike, who was handling the many tables in the main dining room but took excellent care of us. He made good recommendations and was honest where he hadn’t tried things. After all, the menu does change daily. 

After consulting with Mike, we ordered three appetizers that piqued our interest. While Starfish clearly offers the standard shrimp cocktail and scallops, I was drawn to a few more inspiring appetizer choices. After all, how could I resist a salmon cake with asian noodles, smoked mackerel and artichoke hearts, and shrimp-stuffed grape leaves?

Grape Leaves Stuffed with Cous Cous
with a Pickled Beet Side

My favorite of those three was absolutely the smoked mackerel and artichoke hearts. The tart artichoke hearts had been marinated by red and white wine vinegar, creating a beautiful color pallete made more delicious with the perfectly flavored smoked pepper-encrusted mackerel. It was an incredibly simple dish but ingenious in its flavor combinations, a trait I’d say ran across most of Starfish’s fare.

Smoked Mackerel with
Marinated Artichoke Hearts and Arugula

Chef Sandholm also sent out another appetizer for us to try: Spanish octopus medallions threaded over a small skewer, resting on a bed of Mediterranean-inspired bulgar with parsley, red onion, scallion, and tomato. The octopus was absolutely cooked to perfection and lightly barbecue flavored, the bulgar slightly bitter by contrast.

Roasted Octopus served over
Mediterranean Bulgar Salad

The Entrees

The duck dish that my friend ordered was exactly the kind of meal I cook for myself regularly: a meat with sides of quinoa and red swiss chard. For this reason, I was less intrigued to order it but I was happy to sample duck, my favorite fowl.

That being said, my friend who has only recently been introduced to quinoa and swiss chard absolutely loved this dish. There’s a good reason why I can’t live without those ingredients. The duck was tender and the sauce was brilliant.

Duck with Quinoa and Red Swiss Chard

And for my entree, the trout served over red and white quinoa and beet medallions, accompanied by a carrot puree sauce. The trout was buttery but not heavy, and the skin was pleasantly crunchy and salty.

The trout and the beet medallions (that I presume were boiled) complemented one another like Thanksgiving turkey and cranberry sauce. The carrot sauce was an ingenious addition to the flavors and the nuttiness of the quinoa balanced all of the above. What a combination bite. 

Trout over Beet Medallions,
Quinoa, and Carrot Sauce

It is interesting to note the variety of beets we tried throughout the evening. I'm sure this is partially because beets are very much in season in Pennsylvania this time of year. We tried the chef’s beets in a few forms: shaved and pickled with the grape leaves and then with the trout, both were flavored nicely. 

Sweet Endings

The only way I’ve found effective to describe the chocolate basil cake is to compare it to the combination of chocolate and cayenne. In both cases, there is an evident hint of spice that lingers after the bite, but with the basil there isn’t the heat, simply the spice. Mike told us that the batter has a much stronger basil flavor but when it cooks the basil adapts to a nice, subtle role.

The chocolate bar was like a cappuccino in solid form. Decadent yet rich, not overpoweringly sweet, and accompanied on the plate by elegantly painted sauces: a raspberry coulis, strawberry coulis, and cinnamon-flavored crème anglaise that reminded me of eggnog. The dishes were well crafted and beautifully plated on rather posh flatware.

Chocolate Basil Cake
and Decadent Chocolate Bar

Spirits

The evening cannot be summarized without a bow to the bartender. We sampled two of Starfish’s martinis, both spot-on suggestions by Mike. I first tried the White Cosmopolitan and my friend the Pomegranate-Mint martini.

The White Cosmopolitan was tasty and richly flavored. The Pomegranate Mint martini was refreshing and tart, with small mint flakes blended throughout, the kind of drink I’d have a hard time choosing between if it were up against Mojito on a hot, summer evening. Maybe both, I’d be willing to bet Starfish’s bartenders would make a good Mojito as well. 

The Starfish website also points out that they won the 2009 Wine Spectator Best of Award of Excellence for their wine offerings.

Ambiance

At about 7:30 we heard the first chords of the live pianists’ performance from the bar. By the time we left around 9:15, a pleasant cacophony of piano, light drumming, and the sounds of the crowd that had gathered played in the bar area. 

It was clear that many people frequent Starfish on such nights to listen to live music and indulge on any of Starfish’s delicious cocktails, wine, and beer. We resolved to return at the bar at some point, which has a fantastic array of materials and colors in its lively décor. The quaint bar under dangling lights is surrounded by booths and small tables that enjoy the giant picture window view of Broad Street.

The Verdict

I would say that one of the things that impressed me most about Starfish is the Chef’s clear ability and experience with seafood. Everything we had was cooked to perfection, which is difficult to achieve with some of the particular fish and meat we sampled. Above all, none came near the feared “fishy” taste that can discourage many people from even trying seafood.

I also appreciate Chef Kristofor Sandholm's ability to create new dishes every day and understand his zest for innovating upon dishes and flavors. Keep on, but I hope near versions of some of my favorites from that meal are present on the menu the next time I return, for I certainly will. 

Consider me baited and hooked.

To see their menu and keep track of the nightly promotions, specials, and events: http://www.starfishbrasserie.com/


Starfish has an inviting interior atmosphere that sometimes you can't see from the outside. I found this video helpful in getting a little preview of the Starfish experience.

The final thing I'll say is that I'm more than happy to do a review of this type for any other restaurant that offers! It's a win-win. Contact me at imani.hamilton@gmail.com or on Twitter: @imanihamilton

Holiday Cheer in the Form of Cranberry Salsa: Recipe

How delicious does that sound already? It's so good that I almost feel like I'm divulging a family secret. But this is, in my opinion, one of the best party foods for the holidays, so this one's for every holiday party planner out there.

Cranberry Salsa is like the guacamole of the winter: better than your run-of-the-mill salsa, a slightly innovative chip dip, and plenty of potential varieties for you and your neighbors to compete over.

The brilliant color paired with blue and yellow corn chips adds a punch to any array of appetizers.

It's as simple as combine these ingredients in a food processor and blend:
12 ounces of fresh cranberries
1/4 cup sugar
3 Tablespoons of lemon juice
1/4 cup cilantro
1 medium red onion
1 garlic clove
1 jalapeno (or more depending on your spicy tolerance)

Deliciousness.

From The Farmhouse to Table

http://thefarmhouse.com

This is one of many beautiful, historic Pennsylvania farmhouses, but in its recent years this quaint homestead has been given a new life as one of the most wonderful restaurants in the Lehigh Valley. 

I have been wanting to go to The Farmhouse for over a year since a group of friends went last year and told me I absolutely had to try it. The Farmhouse is proud of its locally sourced ingredients and seasonal menu. My friend and roommate Karlee has been many times and decided to take me there for my birthday dinner.

Because The Farmhouse was at one time a home, the interior ambiance is balances classy with comfortable in a charming way. We were seated at a round table in what was probably originally the drawing room, near two enchanting old windows, teal-washed walls, and pretty little paintings. The living room and another set of spaces near the rear of the building had their own colorations and ambiance as well. The basement hosts a lounge and bar area that is also very simply elegant and looks like a cozy place to spend one of these chilly December evenings. From what I gather, it is a good place to sample from The Farmhouse's extensive beer and wine lists.

I started the evening with a glass of red wine that I enjoyed very much: the Lemberger 2009 from the Lehigh Valley's own Vynecrest. Sweet yet not too sweet, dark but not smoky, and not too many tannins. Find this wine and others on their website: http://www.vynecrest.com/

Next, of course, came the appetizers. The small plate Sea Bass Ceviche served over seaweed salad & toasted macadamia nuts was phenomenal. I am a fan of ceviche and find myself ordering it somewhat frequently, in part because I enjoy how much variety there is. 

I have never tried a sea bass ceviche and certainly never had one that involved seaweed salad, so I was impressed by how well the seaweed salad contributed a slightly tart, bitter flavor to the seabass, a role typically reserved for red onions and citrus flavors in a standard ceviche. It was presented with a few sauces and also came with cute little toastlets. Very, very happy with that appetizer.

For the entree, I ordered the Pan Roasted New Jersey Pheasant, served over a warm organic wild rice salad, seasonal vegetables, and morello cherry sauce. It had caught my attention when I was looking at the menu, partially because Pheasant is somewhat rare to find on a menu. I enjoy ordering things that I can't get everywhere. 

The pheasant wasn't life-changing; pheasant is a difficult bird to do well. It's a gamey meat, a little tougher, and there's gristle. Consequently, my dish had some excellent bites when it included the best parts of the meat, but others were not as good. 

That being said, if they bottled the morello cherry sauce, I would stock it in my pantry. As I said to my friends when I finished the dish, I felt like I had a love affair with my entree. At first, I wasn't entirely impressed, but some bites of the best of the pheasant meat were absolutely wonderful, and I'm sure that's why it does still deserve a spot on the menu.

My friend Karlee has been to The Farmhouse three times to order the Roasted Black Sea Bass (with pancetta, beluga lentils, seasonal vegetables, and a hazelnut sage vinaigrette) while it's been on the menu because she loves it so much. I had a bite and was thoroughly impressed. Perfect consistency, a very clean palate of flavors and a few that I couldn't quite identify (probably the hazelnut, I love it when that happens), and a very complimentary use of the lentil, which I don't think is the easiest flavor to showcase.

I was visually stalking a couple who sat at the table near us when we arrived because the porkchop that was brought out to the gentleman looked fabulous and I was at that time deciding between the pheasant and porkchop. He enjoyed it, and our waitress said it was one of her favorites, so perhaps I'll have to return to try, although I don't have long because it's the tail end of this seasons' menu. Perhaps I'll have to live vicariously through my dining neighbor forever.

And finally, dessert. The Chai Cheesecake with cinnamon whipped cream was calling my name and I would be willing to say it's one of the best desserts I've ever had. The slightly tart cheesecake flavor combined with the chai spice was brilliant. I would stop by to order this dessert on a whim.

Overall, a wonderful evening appreciating the good things in life. Karlee knows me well enough to know that any restaurant in an architecturally interesting place, a comfortable charm, and a menu with fresh, local, and seasonal ingredients will make me a happy birthday girl.

For their photo gallery, menus, and a little history: http://thefarmhouse.com

Succulent Grilled Lamb Skewers

This recipe is from The Greek Cookbook by Tess Mallos, a cookbook from a neighbor of ours who is known to serve excellent lamb dishes.

I asked for the cookbook last summer when we were preparing for a dinner party grill-out in hopes of finding an excellent lamb kabobs recipe, and I certainly did.

The absolute key to this recipe, and I've decided to making lamb in general, is the marination time. This summer, I marinated the lamb over night and when we made this recipe about a week ago, we let it marinate all day. Moral of the story, the longer the better.

Marinade proportions for one leg of lamb, which should be cubed before marinating:

• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• juice of 1 lemon
• 2 tsp dried oregano
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 3-4 bay leaves
• salt and pepper
• any other herbs you enjoy: basil, parsley, mint, etc.

I think I probably ended up doubling or tripling this marinade for making a few lamb skewers to allow the meat to be submerged in marinade. To this end, don't be timid with any of the amounts above and feel free to improvise to really get the most out of the flavor and marinating time.

After marinating for several hours or overnight, thread the lamb onto skewers (metal is best for the grill, wood will also work).

Here is where the option of indoor or outdoor grilling presents itself. Last summer we seared the lamb on the grill, leaving it partially rare and it was absolutely mouth-watering. This time of year, no one wanted to be the one stuck grilling in gloves, so we used the griddle and broiled it in the oven. I would say the grill was ideal but both are wonderful.

I won't make any assumptions about how people like their meat cooked, so I'll leave it at cook it to your desired temperature. 

That being said, I would highly recommend the seared lamb (if the meat is fresh and of high quality) that leaves it somewhat rare inside, because the meat is so wonderfully flavored from swimming in the marinade for several hours.

Go Local With Your Cuisine: Groceries, Restaurants, and Lifestyle

www.buylocalpa.org

I found this website today and wanted to share it because it makes it easy to find fresh, local food in the Lehigh Valley. 

Support the farm-to-table movement, restaurants and retailers that offer food from within 100 miles, and most importantly, your local economy.

Sound like a lot? It's not, this site makes it easy: http://www.buylocalpa.org/lehighvalley 

The site will help you locate retailers, restaurants, farmers' markets, wineries, breweries, and the originators: farms that offer local Lehigh Valley food.

Want to learn more about the farm-to-table movement? 

http://www.farmtotableonline.org/

Question: Why eat food from within 100 miles? 

http://100milediet.org/

Answer: To be a localvore: 

http://www.thedailygreen.com/living-green/definitions/Localvores-Localtarians

And from FoodRoutes.org, how to accomplish this: 

http://www.FoodRoutes.org/howtobuylocal.jsp

Arugula Salad with Grapes, Gorgonzola, and Apricot-Fennel Dressing

This is a recipe my mom procured from a friend after being served this salad, an excellent indicator of the dish's credibility (and I might add these particular friends who have great taste in most things). Recipe unseen, she had to have it.

Fortunately, our friends were more than willing to share this gem of a recipe and gave us a copy from their Cook's Illustrated Cookbook.

It's an easy recipe to put together and has wonderful flavors. I love the apricot jam and fennel, I think these ingredients are less intuitively matched with the other flavors here, which is why this is somewhat of a show-stopper salad. The kind of salad someone will ask, "What is in this?!" And my mom did.

The dressing is key to the flavors of this salad. Combine the following:

• 4 teaspoons apricot jam
• 3 tablespoons white wine vinegar
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 small shallot, finely minced
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper 

The Dressing

Next, chop the fennel fronds (leafy greens) to amount to about a 1/2 cup.

If you have a fennel bulb, dice it into small pieces and include them as well.

Add the fennel to the dressing 15-20 minutes before serving, you don't want it to wilt too much.

Finally, combine dressing and fennel with:

• 1 cup red seedless grapes, cut in half
• 1/2 cup toasted, chopped pecans
• 3/4 cup gorgonzola or blue cheese
• 8 cups arugula

Grapes, Dressing, Pecans, and Fennel from Mom's garden

Toss and serve. You may not think it looks like much but your tastebuds will beg to differ...this salad possesses an elegance of simplicity.

The Thanksgiving Leftover Sandwich: A Cross-Section of Dinner

The Thanksgiving Sandwich

It seemed like a tall order to attempt to describe every dish that went into our Thanksgiving dinner. So what I decided to do was describe our dishes through the cross-section of my Thanksgiving leftovers, sandwiched between two slices of delicious home-made bread by my Aunt Cindy.

Perhaps the following can serve as inspiration for your next Thanksgiving. Recipes for most of these can be tracked down, and I'll give you the main ingredients that give them their signature flavors.

From the top:

The mustard: Spread across one slice, Trader Joe's Garlic Aioli Mustard. I'm a big proponent; no sandwich, Thanksgiving or not, is the same without it.

The turkey: A standard recipe, stuffed with celery, carrots, and onions. That grossly understates how much goes into wrestling a turkey into the perfect final product but for the purposes of this description will do.

The cranberry sauce: A sweet sauce made from fresh cranberries, Aunt Cindy's recipe.

The mashed sweet potatoes: That's right, two types of mashed potatoes. This one is based on a Julia Child recipe that includes butter, grated fresh ginger, and ground white pepper. We also added a dash of cinnamon sugar.

The swiss chard and kale: Based on my favorite way to prepare these two greens, I sauteed a head each of kale and swiss chard with garlic, red onion, and olive oil. Squeeze juice of lemon, salt and pepper to taste. Add cranberries and blue cheese and it's a dish.

Sauerkraut dressing: A staple of the Thanksgiving meal for my family, in honor of our Lithuanian heritage. Essentially pork sausage, sauerkraut, onion, and celery.

The Ingredients
Clockwise from 12 o'clock: Mashed Potatoes, Sauerkraut Dressing, Kale/Swiss Chard Greens, Turkey with Cranberry Sauce and Mustard, Mashed Sweet Potatoes

The End

A few other aspects of our dinner didn't make it to leftovers, but included of course the gravy and a salad with red onions, goat cheese, and an orange vinaigrette that I concocted.

Seasonal Favorite: Pumpkin Pie with Bourbon

In 23 years of Thanksgivings, I have enjoyed many-a-pumpkin pie. It is absolutely one of my favorite treats of this season.

I have come to realize there are several fairly standard pumpkin pie recipes, between which there isn't much variation. People usually sit down to a slice expecting a fairly standard set of flavors and are generally happy with the results, considering it is difficult to really mess up a pumpkin pie. However, me being me, I'm always looking for a pumpkin pie with novelty.

Who better to look to for an excellent pumpkin pie than the butter-pushing, French-taught, perfectionist of American home-cooking Julia Child? Mom's rediscovery of Julia Child (since the Julie & Julia movie) has led to our household amassing several of her cookbooks.

The cookbook for this recipe is The Way to Cook by Julia Child, (click here to buy it on Amazon.com) which I bought for my mom last Christmas. She calls the recipe "A Fluffy Pumpkin Pie."

Mom and I set out on Tuesday morning to make three pies and actually ended up with enough mixture to make five. Of course my cousin who would typically eat a pie to himself is on an egg-free diet! Pumpkin pie for breakfast with coffee, delivering pies to neighbors, and as I fly back to school today, there's still one left for my parents to enjoy.

So, word to the wise, the following recipe made either one deep-dish pie or two thinner smaller pies, whichever you prefer to bake is your decision, but now you know. The secrets Julia didn't disclose.

Our take on it is as follows:

1. Prepare a chilled crust, I won't get into that because people do crusts differently. We made ours from another recipe my mom always makes. Preheat the oven to 450*.

2. Combine in a large mixing bowl the following dry ingredients:

• 1 cup light brown sugar
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 tsp salt
• 3 tsp each: cinnamon and ground ginger
• 1/4 tsp each: nutmeg and ground cloves

3. In a food processor (I was raised on a Cuisinart) mix the wet ingredients:

• 3 1/2 cups cooked or canned pumpkin (a negligible amount less than 2 cans pumpkin)
• 3 Tbs molasses (we had dark, she recommended light)
• 3 Tbs bourbon whiskey (there it is, the novel ingredient)
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 3/4 cup milk

4. Separate 4 eggs, adding the yolks to the wet ingredients mixture and keeping the whites in another large mixing bowl.

5. Whip the whites into stiff peaks with a mixer. The trick is starting at a lower speed and working your way up. The whites should eventually hold their form like shaving cream.

6. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients in the food processor and mix.

7. Add 1/4 of the egg whites to the pie ingredients in the food processor and mix a few times. The egg whites should be whipped to the point where separating a 1/4 pie slice is easy and there is no liquid or dripping.

8. Fold the remaining egg whites into the pie ingredients, either in the food processor or the mixing bowl.

9. Pour the mixture into the pie crust and put it in the oven for 15 minutes (still at 450*).

10. When the rim of the crust colors lightly, reduce heat to 375* and bake 15 more minutes. (adjust to lower heat if browning too quickly)

11. Lower heat to 350* and bake another 15 minutes or until you're so impatient that you begin the toothpick test (insert a toothpick, when you remove it clean, the pie has finished baking). If you made it 15 minutes, then do the toothpick test.

12. Turn off the oven, leave the door slightly ajar for 20-30 minutes to allow the pie to finish and cool. Tah-dah!

On the bourbon: Last year we tried dark rum (both are suggested by Julia) but have decided that the bourbon whiskey is far superior. Definitely our new secret ingredient.

On the whipped cream: We used a hand mixer to make the whipped cream from heavy whipping cream on Thanksgiving, yet found ourselves without one of the two removable beaters last night for my early birthday dinner (why make cake when you have five pumpkin pies?) and yes, hand-whipped the cream with a whisk, passing it around the table. It took four of us taking turns and very important, a chilled bowl to mix it in.

On the recipe, five pies later: We still like it and will likely adopt it as our go-to pumpkin pie, until we get restless enough to try something like a pumpkin flan, which I did see a recipe for floating around. Until then...

Thai Chicken Coconut Soup

www.Myrecipes.com

I have found that most self-proclaimed food enthusiasts appreciate a good Thai meal. What I have also discovered is that not everyone knows about Thai Chicken Coconut Soup.

I'm not the first person I've heard call it the "nectar of the gods" and I find myself craving it when I need a truly refreshing, replenishing dish.

All credit to me ever trying this soup is due to my mother, who encouraged me to try it despite the fact that up until then, I wouldn't have considered myself a fan of coconut.

If you are among the people who has yet to appreciate this soup, it's described on Thai Thai II's menu as "the most aromatic herb soup: chicken with coconut milk, galangal, lemongrass, kaffir leaves, mushroom, chili and lime juice."

Bethlehem's Thai Thai II (see the urbanspoon.com page here) #15 Tom Kha Gai is the best of this soup around. San Francisco's Citrus Club on Haight Street (click here for their website) also has a great version that includes noodles.

As much as I like this soup, and have always wanted to attempt to make it myself, it requires some ingredients that are slightly obscure if you don't live next to an Asian grocery. To be honest, I'm still not sure what exactly galangal is.

Despite that, if you're willing to try here's the recipe from www.myrecipes.com that looks like most recipe versions I've seen.

• 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken or medium shrimp - peeled and deveined
• 2 (13.5 ounce) cans canned coconut milk
• 2 cups water
• 1 (1 inch) piece galangal, thinly sliced
• 4 stalks lemon grass, bruised and chopped
• 10 kaffir lime leaves, torn in half
• 1 pound shiitake mushrooms, sliced
• 1/4 cup lime juice
• 3 tablespoons fish sauce
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon curry powder
• 1 tablespoon green onion, thinly sliced
• 1 teaspoon dried red pepper flakes

1. Saute chicken in a little oil (sesame, olive, vegetable) until it turns white. For a shrimp substitute, bring a pot of water to a boil. Boil the shrimp until cooked, about one minute. Drain shrimp, and set aside.

2. Pour the coconut milk and 2 cups of water in a large saucepan; bring to a simmer. 

3. Add the galangal, lemon grass, and lime leaves; simmer for 10 minutes, or until the flavors are infused. Strain the coconut milk into a new pan and discard the spices. 

4.Simmer the shiitake mushrooms in the coconut milk for five minutes. Stir in the lime juice, fish sauce, and brown sugar. Season to taste with curry powder. 

5. To serve, reheat chicken/shrimp in the soup, and ladle into serving bowls. Garnish with green onion and red pepper flakes.

Other versions I've tried have also included bamboo shoots, cilantro, minced fresh ginger root, scallions, carrots, and turmeric.


I have a feeling I'll fold and make a recipe some day, but until then I'm really quite happy ordering it at Thai restaurants almost because it's worth ordering for it's labor and complexity

New York's Latest and Greatest Food Destination: Eataly

www.papermag.com

http://carlosmeliablog.com

www.eats.com

 

 

 

All my friends could tell me before we arrived at Eataly was that I was going to love it, absolutely and completely love it.

I can understand why they had a hard time describing Eataly. It's an overwhelming and exhilarating wonderland of food-related experiences, as if someone had a vision for the best grocery shopping, dining, socializing, sampling, and tasting experience and put it together all under one roof: Eataly.  Those someones are restaurant and culinary magnates Mario Batali, Joe Bastianich, Lidia Matticchio Bastianich and founder of the existing Eataly market in Turin, Italy: Oscar Farinetti.

The store feels very much like an indoor European market or plaza, an agglomeration of restaurants, grocery stores, wine bars, and specialty vendors. Even the interior architecture is reminiscent of regal Italian buildings, with grand arches and opulent decor that reminds me of my visit to the Vatican.

On a Saturday at 4, Eataly was packed to the point that they had agents monitoring the number of people inside over walkie-talkies to ensure they wouldn't exceed capacity. There were literally crowds of people shopping for fine Italian spaghetti and sauces, browsing the array of sexy kitchen goods, mingling over proscuitto and cheese plates, sampling wines, and kids making the difficult decision of which gelato to choose.

If you haven't been there yet, you must see for yourself. Eataly occupies a city block in the Toy Building at 200 Fifth Ave between 23rd and 24th Street.

Here's an article about Eataly from the New York Post: http://www.nypost.com/p/lifestyle/food/welcome_to_eataly_G5QHOIVyNtzG44tyFb5GVM

And another from Eater.com that could not be more aptly called "Welcome to Eataly, a 50,000 Sq. Ft. Italian Culinary Funhouse" with pictures: http://ny.eater.com/archives/2010/08/first-look-at-culinary-funhouse-eataly.php

You can even get an Eataly iWhatever App with recipes, wine lists, and what's in season: http://www.newyork.eataly.it/index.php/eataly-iphone-app/

Coconut Carrot Ginger Spiced Chicken with Roasted Broccoli and Rice

This recipe was a bit of a flavor gamble and I definitely took home the winnings. You can too if you feel like attempting, and you don't have to wonder whether it will taste good or not!

There are two parts to this recipe: the broccoli and the chicken. And an optional third in the rice.

First, the Roasted Broccoli, which can be made as a separate dish any time.

1. Toss the following ingredients and then combine in a pan over medium-high heat in a pan or griddle (the exact same preparation is delicious for on the grill or broiled in the oven on a cookie sheet as well):

• Broccoli, cut into small pieces
• Olive oil and salt enough to generously coat the broccoli
• 1 clove of garlic, minced
• 1/4 red onion, sliced

2. After the broccoli appears cooked, turn to high heat until the broccoli cooked roasted and browned, turn the broccoli crowns as necessary to even the braising.

Part II, Coconut Ginger Carrot Chicken.

1. In a stovetop pan, combine:

• 1 chicken breast, diced
• 1/4 cup coconut milk
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon paprika
• juice of half a lemon (or less)

2. Use a food processor (Cuisinart, etc.) to blend:

• 1/2 cup carrots (I used a handful of baby carrots)
• 1 inch peeled fresh ginger

3. Add the blended carrots and ginger to the pan with the chicken and bring all to a medium-high heat.

4. Stir-fry the ingredients, allowing the liquid to cook off. Don't be afraid to taste and add more of the spices (maintaining proportions if desired-I did this half way through my cooking).

5. Add roasted broccoli and red onion to chicken towards the end of cooking and stir-fry together.

If Coconut Ginger Rice is a desired accompaniment, 

1. Make rice to the regular specifications (2:1 liquid to rice) and use the remaining coconut milk as part of the liquid. 

2. Add small pieces of fresh ginger as well to add incredible flavor to the rice as it cooks.

This recipe combined some of my favorite flavors in Thai and Indian foods and I will most definitely be combining them again. I'm sure lime or lemongrass, celery seed, or perhaps bok choy rather than broccoli would be a nice complement to any of these flavors as well. 

Best of Free, Food-Related Apps: Recipes, Restaurant Finders, and Networking

This post concerns the apps out there that I've found helpful or think some may enjoy. As you'll soon see, by apps I mean software applications, not appetizers. If you don't have a device that can download apps, many of these are also websites.

Looking for a place to eat.

You're in a new city, hungry, and would like to make an informed decision about your next dining destination. Or, you're in the same place, sick of going to the same restaurants over and over again.
If you find yourself wishing someone or something could recommend a restaurant there is, of course, an app for that.


1. Find out what restaurants are around you:
---AroundMe---
A map-oriented integrated map that uses your location to offer categorized lists of businesses around you: Apple Retail Stores, Banks/ATM, Bars, Coffee, Favorites, Gas Stations, Hospitals, Hotels, Movie Theatres, Nearby, Parking, Pharmacies, Pubs, Restaurants, Supermarkets, Taxis, Theaters, and Weather.

Within each category, businesses are ranked by their distance from your location. When selected, the business is shown on an interactive Google Map that pinpoints your location and your destination.
If you click the destination in the map, you can "Show Route" and use Google maps to get there, including options of directions.


2. Find out what people have to say about restaurants:
---Yelp (Yelp.com)---
Uses your location to help you find businesses nearby and then make decisions using other users' ratings and reviews.
Direct links to websites and (in the case of restaurants) menus. Interface offers a map view with pins of what's around you or you can search within categories of :

• Restaurants, filtering by price (out of $$$), distance, or highest rated.
• Bars
• Coffee & Tea
• Banks
• Gas & Service Stations
• Drugstores
• Sales & Special Offers
• More Categories...

Once you join, you can also check in at locations (like FourPoints and Gowalla) and post your own reviews to help others!


3. Do both (find and see reviews of restaurants) at the same time.
---Urbanspoon---
Urban spoon has a fun interface that specializes, clearly, in restaurants rather than all businesses.
It uses your location to find restaurants by three categories, any of which you can lock if you have a specific option by which you'd like to narrow the search:

• Location (district, town, neighborhood),
• Type (Dim Sum, Desserts, Organic, for example),
• Price ($ to $$$$).

The shaker appears like gambling slots and actually uses your shaking of the device to activate the search, or you can simply click "shake" for results.

There is also a Nearby feature which lists restaurants near you by Distance, Name, or Popularity and the same AroundMe Map feature.

I list Urbanspoon third because it's easiest to explain after telling you about the other two, and Yelp reviews far outnumber and are often more specific those on Urbanspoon, but this is not to say that the number of reviews has any relation to the quality of the recommendations or comments.



Looking for a recipe, maybe at the grocery store, or from what's on-hand.

---Allrecipes.com---
The DinnerSpinner acts a lot like the Urbanspoon three-category interface, you can specify a choice within one or all three:

• Dish Type,
• Ingredients,
• Ready In (20 min or less up to Slow Cooker)

You can also "Search" or see the "Featured" recipes if you just want to browse for inspiration.


---Spark Recipes-Healthy Recipes---
Recipes with calories, ingredients, directions, and nutrition facts. I also really like the way this organizes the over 190,000 recipes which you can browse by:

• Category: Poultry, Beef/Pork, Fish, Vegetarian, Desserts, Snacks, Appetizers/Soups/Salads, etc.
• Course: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner, Dessert, Side, Snack, Drink, Sandwich, Soup, Salad
• Cuisine: Asian, Italian, Mexican, French, German, Indian, Spanish
• Dietary Needs: Vegetarian, Vegan, Lactose Free, Gluten Free, Low Fat, Low Carb, Sugar Free 
• Occasion: Brunch, Party, Thanksgiving, Christmas, Cookout, Kids, Birthday, Picnic

You can also bookmark favorites and watch videos of how-to recipes.


---Whole Foods Recipes---
One of my favorite recipe apps. You can search within their recipes by

• Course, Category, or Special Diets,
• or my favorite aspect, the "On hand" tool that lets you select basic ingredients (up to 3) from a large database and browse recipes which include those ingredients.

Once you have found a recipe, you can Add it to Favorites, Add to a Shopping List, Email Recipe, and find out the nutrition information.
You can also locate your nearest Whole Foods with this app.


---TasteBook---
You can create an account or not. Either way, tons of recipes.

• Home tab: features Recipe Collections (Fall Fruit, Vegetarian Greats, Light and Healthy, Easy Weekday Meals, Great Meals for Less, Only Five Ingredients, Tempting Thai Food etc, etc...)
• Search: allows you to search by Meal/Dish, Main Ingredient, Cuisine, or Recipe Source (really cool--includes familiar magazines, cookbooks, newspapers, major publishers of recipes in general)
• Favorites: selected by you from any of the above sources
• Shopping List: also created by you when a recipe is chosen and "add to shopping list" is selected 

---Epicurious---
Treats recipe presentation like a magazine, it includes their chosen recipes relevant to the season plus year-round classics.

Topics on the main page direct you to touch-scan previews of recipes, each have a picture, title, and show a rating (out of 4 forks) and the percent of people who would make it again (and the number of reviews that is based on). If you're interested, you can then "view recipe," which has a Recipe and Reviews tab.

Seasonal topics and recipes are provided first, now: Turkey & Gravy, Thanksgiving Sides, Stuffing, Green Beans, Fine Fall Recipes, Sweet Potatoes, Thanksgiving Taters, Pies & Tarts, Veggie Holiday, Holiday Desserts, Holiday Cocktails.

Consistent topics appear to be Weeknight Dinners, Kid-Friendly Mains (I don't believe in coddling kids regarding food), I Can Barely Cook, I Cook Like a Pro, and Healthy Lunches.

You can save recipes to your "Favorites" with the (+) on the preview window, and create shopping lists.


Looking for Help.

---Chow Thanksgiving Dinner Coach---
Does Thanksgiving dinner stress you out? Yes, it's one of the more involved and complicated meals that many of us will cook this year, but fortunately, millions of Americans do it successfully and Chow has created an app to help you do the same.
The app includes several tried-and-true dishes that you can choose to then create shopping lists, follow along with recipes, and create a day-by-day timeline/to-do list for getting it all done.


Want more than recipes? We can be friends.

---MixingBowl (MixingBowl.com)---
A social networking site centered around the dining table. Find/share recipes, make friends, create blogs, ask questions and get tips on anything food-related from recipes to picky eaters to starting your own restaurant.
It can also be integrated with Facebook, if you want.


Educate yourself about what you're buying and eating.

---TrueFood---
Wary of genetically modified (GMO) or genetically engineered (GE) foods? You probably should be.
-4 Simple Tips to avoid GMO foods.
-GMO Guide: This GMO Guide has foods separated by type and identify by brands/products that are GMO-free and those that may contain GMO's within:

• Fruits & Vegetables
• Meats, Fish, & Eggs
• Supermarkets & GMO
• Alternative Meat Products
• Dairy & Alternative Dairy Products
• Baby Foods & Infant Formulas
• Grains, Beans, & Pasta
• Cereals & Breakfast Bars
• Baked Goods
• Frozen Foods
• Soups, Sauces, & Canned Foods
• Condiments, Oils, Dressings & Spreads
• Snack Foods
• Candy, Chocolate Products, & Sweetners
• Sodas, Juices, and Other Beverages
• Invisible GM Ingredients (aka what to look for on the label)

-What's New: Specificially food-related news, legislation, and measures happening on a national scale.
-Take Action: Join petitions/protests, give feedback to Congress, the Food and Drug Administration, etc. to express your concerns and affect legislation and policy.


Both a gamer and a chef? Or maybe just a dreamer?

---TinyChef---
What cook doesn't dream of opening their own restaurant? Now you can, virtually. It's a game that involves creating recipes, designing and opening your own restaurant, etc.

Now I'm tired and hungry. I hope you find these helpful! Now tell me your favorites.

Joe's Shanghai Restaurant and Dumplings

www.plateoftheday.com/350/

Joe's Shanghai Restaurant is certainly one of New York City's "hole-in-the-wall" restaurants, but not necessarily the kind with a magical interior hiding behind an unassuming exterior.

Instead, Joe's fits the description because they serve absolutely the best dumplings I've ever had, hiding behind an exterior that's so basic I'm struggling to even describe it and one of the least-authentic sounding names in Chinatown.

I point this out not in any way to deter people from going, but because it amuses me to think how anyone decided to choose Joe's Shanghai Restaurant over any number of restaurants in Chinatown and discover this hidden gem. The answer is beyond me but so I'm glad that the trail of recommendations eventually reached me.

This past Saturday in New York City, a group of us followed our friend Becca who had been there before, weaving through the crowds two blocks south of Canal Street into Chinatown and around the corner to Joe's Shanghai Restaurant at 9 Pell Street.

I could tell which restaurant was our destination as soon as we turned onto Pell Street. Farther down the street, a doorway was already surrounded by clusters of groups all staring expectantly at the lady in a blinding neon yellow sweatshirt, holding a clipboard and the fate of the next group to be called.

We were assigned number 76 and spent the next half hour wandering around Chinatown until we also  returned to the masses waiting in the street, sidewalks, and stoop for their turn to be called. Our friend Becca who had shepherded us there assured our growling stomachs that once inside, the service was fast and I assumed that her insistence on waiting out the opportunity must indicate a worthy, delicious payoff.

And it did. We took our seat at a little table for four against the wall and ordered our steamed dumplings immediately. Our initial hesitations regarding the fact that we realized the dumplings were pork were silenced as soon as we took our first bite. Becca demonstrated the process of picking up the dumpling, poking it to let the juices collect in the large spoon we were each provided, and adding a spoonful of the fantastic ginger vinegar sauce to the mixture before enjoying. We're still not sure who decided this was the correct method to eat dumplings, or if it is at all, but the resulting flavors don't need justifying.

We also ordered the Sesame Cold Noodles (literally taste like a spoonful of Jif, not necessarily recommended), Spring Rolls (realized I was imagining a Thai rice wrap rather than deep-fried Chinese style) and a stir-fry entree of tofu and vegetables that was fantastic. More complicated entree-like dishes at the other tables around us looked wonderful and I'd recommend those if you're hungry enough.

Regardless, I'd be happy dining on just the dumplings every time I return.

Here's the menu from their location at 24. W. 56th Street which I haven't visited but has essentially the same menu as their location at 9 Pell Street.

Pizze, Pizze, Read All About It: Lehigh Valley Italian Restaurants

I has been a week chock-full of Italian dining and I'm not complaining. It just so happened that a few dinner plans coincided this week and we went to Italian restaurants both times.

The first was Sette Luna in Easton (see my last review), and last night we dined at Olio in Bethlehem. Filled at this point with calamari, caesar salads, and pizzas (or pizze), I'm going to take this opportunity to do a little comparison of Lehigh Valley's Italian restaurants.

The following is a scale in which I'm just going to rate what I think is worth mentioning at each of these restaurants. Considering none duck below 4/5 in any category, I stand behind recommending all of them, for different reasons. Read on.

http://www.setteluna.com/

Sette Luna: My absolute winner in the atmosphere category. 

Also some of the most innovative Italian food I've ever had.

5/5 Atmosphere. To recap my last review, which you can read in full (click here) or scroll down,
there's something comfortable and classy about the place. It appears to be a historic building of sorts: wide wood planked floors, pretty glass windows, lighting that gives the experience a golden aura. 

5/5 Food. Excellent pizza, yummy fig appetizer, interesting Tre Colore salad, but my friend's octopus salad was a bit weak. I would like to try more things on their menu. Great list of specials. Really just read my other review. Overall, as I just commented on Twitter (find me @imanihamilton), Sette Luna serves lighter fare as far as Italian is concerned and it is delicious.
http://www.setteluna.com/

http://olioristorante.com/

Olio: Very conducive to groups gathering for a good meal.

5/5 Service. An honest waitress makes all the difference and are too hard to come by. She was prompt, was incredibly helpful in answering our questions, and made some great recommendations. For example, she helped me decide if the chicken caesar salad appetizer would be sufficient for a meal (she said it definitely would, and it definitely did!). I know service was actually one of the main points of contention that deterred a lot of people from becoming regular patrons when Olio opened last spring, but I think they've tried to respond to that.

5/5 Atmosphere. Awesome decor. Wine bottles everywhere, high ceilings, vodka sauce colored walls and pretty metallic and blue-like tilings on the bars, counters, fireplace. A major plus is that Olio is also very well lit so won't put you to sleep when you finish your heavy Italian meal. This place is great for big groups too.

4/5 Food. Not earth-shattering but definitely a good meal. GREAT pre-meal bread. One of the best Chicken Caesar Salads I've had in a while. I don't necessarily do much Caesar Salad but I know a good one when it meets my criteria of having more than three ingredients: lettuce, dressing, and croutons.
Friends who ordered pizze were happy. I thought the pizzes were less inventive and ingredient-laden than Sette Luna pizze. Less inventive perhaps but similarly basic and Italian. I would have preferred more basil than came on my friend's Margherita pizza though. The veggie pizza looked fabulous: lots of fresh ingredients like mushrooms, etc. and the personal pizza is a good size that everyone took home leftovers. All of it is also very reasonably priced.
http://olioristorante.com/

http://media.lehighvalleylive.com

Mama Nina's: I probably crave the meal I get there at least once a week. 

Will schedule around beating the crowds.

5/5 Food. Probably mostly due to my two favorite items on the menu: the Garden salad which is not a cop-out like I find most restaurants' garden salads often are and the Soup di Mussels appetizer stewed in a white wine marinara sauce. Could bathe in it. I also like Mama Nina's because whoever is cooking back there is not afraid to use garlic. Lot's of it, and none of this finely minced business. I respect that.

4/5 Service, but only because it's so popular that it's often impossible to get a table without a wait. Start taking reservations! In fact, we opted for Olio because a table of six at 7pm on a Thursday at Mama Nina's is nothing short of a joke.

4/5 Atmosphere. Probably my favorite place in town for outdoor dining, I wish it were tolerable year-round. I find the inside decor to be amusing, but perfect for the wandering eye. 4/5 mostly because I don't like the interior as much as Sette Luna's or Olio's.
http://www.mamanina.com/

http://findlocal.mcall.com

Sal's: Standard. Predictable. Good.

4/5 Atmosphere. The place is too darn tiny for the number of people trying to get into it. Sal's suffers from the same problem that Mama Nina's does, the high demand for their limited seating means that I often opt out of even trying at peak hours.
Also, can't leave the place without smelling, no, reeking of Sal's. It's laughable how many people I know can sniff out someone who has been to Sal's, mostly because they've been there themselves. Don't plan on going places after Sal's unless you have the support group of others who can share your misery and awkward looks directed at the clear source of out-of-place intense Italian aromas.

My visits to Sal's have dropped off because of the presence of the three restaurants above and there's not a specific item on the menu that I'm willing to survive a 30 minute wait for, but it's still a perfect crowd-pleaser for your local Italian restaurant.

4/5 Food. Would recommend the Chicken Fantasy. For Italian food, I like it just fine. It's predictable and consistent and definitely a more classic Americanized heavier Italian meal. Sal's is not nearly as delicate and inventive as Sette Luna, for example. I can see why people love both though. It depends what you're looking for.
http://www.thelvmenus.com/restaurants.php?restaurantid=201


The end. I don't think any of this is blasphemy and I welcome any disagreement coupled with reasons to make all of these categories 5/5. Specific menu suggestions, favorite events pertaining to any of these restaurants, etc., a.k.a. excuses to return! Twist my arm.

Sette Luna- Tuscan Trattoria in Easton

The first thing to be said about Sette Luna is that it has a fantastic atmosphere. Even their website manages to convey the same degree of comfortable elegance that we found within the restaurant.

I looked up the menu after choosing it off the list of restaurants I had yet to try which I'm gleaning from my interactive map of Lehigh Valley's Favorite Restaurants (click here), compiled from submissions by Lehigh Valley's Twitter community.

Pizze Napoletane
http://www.setteluna.com

Tre Colore Salad
http://www.setteluna.com

Sette Luna is an Italian restaurant, per se, but it is by no means your typical Italian dining. We found it to be much lighter fare, more delicate than many heavy, overly filling Italian meals.

A small bowl of olives, rather than bread, was brought out to begin the meal. The appetizers we sampled from the specials, which seem to be somewhat consistent, included goat-cheese stuffed figs, the Tre Colore Salad (See above with arugula, endive, and another somewhat bitter green I can't recall, dressed in a lemon vinagrette), and the Warm Octopus Salad. All were presented beautifully and served relatively quickly, our only complaint was that the Octopus Salad was a bit fishy.

Next we tried the Pizze Napoletane Gamberetti, a Margherita pizza (sea salt, San Marzano tomatoes, basil, and fresh mozzarella) with sauteed shrimp, pesto, and lemon. Sette Luna's pizza selection is incredibly impressive and comes in a variety of three types:

• Napoletane-style with thin crusts, red sauce, and chunks of mozzarella, tomato, garlic, and basil
• Lune Pizze Al Pomodoro-with sauce and four cheeses
• Bianca-no sauce, also sometimes referred to as a white pizza

Pizze diners are also encouraged to add additional toppings from a list. 

Moral of the story: the crust was thin and perfectly crunchy and the flavors of the Pizze Napoletane Gamberetti were excellent. Despite having to to take the tails off of the roasted shrimp on the pizza, I was more than pleased. 

The cheesecake we split for dessert was also the best cheesecake I've had in years. It's apparently culled from a secret recipe, and comes crustless with a mystery cheese and Limoncello as ingredients.

Speaking of Limoncello, the drink menu at Sette Luna included a wonderful list of mixed drinks, several wines, and a large craft beer selection. I've been told to try a few craft beers I can't yet speak for, but I'll pass the recommendations along: 

• for hoppy: Southern Tier 2x IPA
• Fuller's ESB
• Domaine Due Page
• Sierra Nevada Glissade

The menu begs for several more visits. Other more typically appetizers like Calamari and Caprese are wonderful I'm sure. There are a few dining rooms, and even heat-lamps for outdoor dining in front of the restaurant, which entices me to try sitting in various locations as well. The warm lighting and beautiful rustic yet elegant atmosphere made for a great dinner with friends, we were certainly glad we made the trek to Easton.

Liveblogging for Karlee's Butternut Squash Soup Recipe

7:29pm: Thanks for following along! We learn more through failures sometimes, and I'm sure the next version will be even better. Roasted butternut squash seeds for dinner!


7:26pm: As I said before, I made butternut squash soup earlier this week from another recipe that had me cut the butternut squash in half and roast it face down on a cookie sheet in the oven until it was fully cooked and soft, you can tell because the skin will nearly melt off. This way, the squash is soft and easily liquidizes in the soup and is already cooked, removing the need for an immersion blender. Great roasted flavor that way as well.


7:23pm: Verdict: too watery. Cookbook edited for next time. Can't win them all! The butternut squash seeds are still amazing though, that was a good discovery.
For most soups, it's always possible to add "thickeners" a.k.a. flour or cornmeal or a grain that absorbs water like rice.


7:22pm: Next step adding 1/4 cup of orange juice and some salt. More immersion blending.


7:20pm: Got out the pen to edit the cookbook. Cutting the amount of water added in 1/2. This is another reason why it is smart to add water in small amounts so that these things can be judged.


7:18pm: Decided not to transfer to the blender. Keeping the soup on the heat and Karlee's continuing to try her immersion blender.


7:12 pm: Disaster aversion for soup that's too watery. Tried mashing the pieces of squash with a whisk and not working. We're transferring to a blender to get the squash pieces to blend up. I'm honestly surprised this recipe doesn't call to bake the butternut squash soup first. I'll talk about that later--that would be my edit to this recipe, then no immersion blenders, etc are necessary!


7:07pm: Seeds are toasted and crunchy and fantastic! Great flavor. Soup may take a little salvaging. Turning the heat back on to medium and keeping the lid off to cook off liquid.


7:05pm: Karlee's remembering that last time she didn't add as much water as the recipe calls for and is thinking this looks way too watery. Common issue with making soups. Solution #1: let it cook longer and cook off some of the liquid. We'll try that after we finish blending.


7:04pm: Turned the heat off on the soup. We're christening Karlee's immersion blender, this allows her to mix the soup in the pot...and trying to not spray paint our kitchen with butternut squash.


7:03pm: Seeds too mushy. Adding salt and more time. We want them toasted!


7:02pm: Checking the seeds, deciding we're looking for a golden brown. A minute away from the next step of the soup.


6:58pm: Putting the seeds in the oven, planning to check on them in a few minutes so as to avoid burning! Getting out salt and orange juice for the soup.


6:57pm: Stirring the soup, seven minutes left of cooking. The recipe calls for "simmer" so I'm explaining what exactly "simmer" means: the presence of the small bubbles or movement in soup, not quite boiling but also not static.


6:55pm: Drying the seeds before placing on a cookie sheet and adding salt. By the way, Kosher salt or Mediterranean salt is better for all cooking than table salt. I remember that was a big realization for me. Plus it's better for you, and it requires smaller amounts because it's more potent. (Salt for baking is another story)


6:50 pm: All of this makes sense considering the butternut squash seeds are smaller than your average pumpkin seeds.


6:49pm: Washing the seeds, removing "goop." Per the woman's recommendation, we're turning the oven down to 300*. She also says they take less time to cook than pumpkin seeds, really only around 5 minutes.


6:47pm: To prepare the seeds, simply rinse them, place on a cookie sheet, and toss in salt. There are recipes to make "spicy" versions that would include cayenne pepper, chili powder, lime juice, and salt. That decision is up to your taste buds, the process is essentially the same.


6:45pm: GREAT news. Just looked up roasting butternut squash seeds and this woman sounds like she was in the same position as us, decided to give them a try, and says they're way better. Her recipe for roasting them here: http://simpledailyrecipes.com/2401/toasted-butternut-squash-seeds/


6:43pm: The soup is coming to a boil now. Now we turn it to low heat and let it simmer for 20 minutes. Lull time. I finally get a sip of wine. Tough life I lead.


6:42pm: We just decided we're going to roast the butternut squash seeds we saved according to the roasted pumpkin seed recipe and see what happens! Turn the oven on and pre-heat to 350*


6:40pm: We've turned the heat up to high, put the lid on, and now we're waiting for all of these ingredients to come to a boil.


6:39pm: Things are smelling amazing and we're at six minutes, so next up, add 4 cups of water. In any recipe involving adding water or broth, it's good to add it in increments so as to avoid "shocking" the soup.


6:36pm: Only enough of the Blue Fish Riesling for one glass, so I'm getting a glass of the Frontera Sauvignon Blanc, the other go-to white wine we've found. I've been working on finding the best in Wine&Spirits' selection. The best red I've found: Folonari Pinot Noir. These are all under $10 by the way and will make you never consider buying Yellow Tail or Barefoot ever again.


6:33pm: Adding squash, cooking 6-8 minutes or again, "until fragrant." By the way, this is is from "Food Every Day: Great Food Fast"--by the Food Network. Karlee got the cookbook as a present from the people she worked with at the Henry Ford Hospital in West Bloomfield, Michigan. Cute!


6:32pm: Karlee and I are pouring ourselves a glass of wine. Blue Fish Riesling-great stuff. Things are smelling fragrant, adding ginger and garlic to the pan with the onions.


6:30 pm: Butter smells great, of course. We're adding onions next and cooking for about two minutes or "until fragrant." Funny wording. My mom has always told me she cooks by her nose: things are done when they smell good.


6:28 pm: Waterworks are over, everything is chopped, and we're getting out the dutch oven and melting 2 tablespoons of butter over medium heat.


6:26 pm: The chopping continues and Karlee is crying. Yep, we're chopping onions.


6:24 pm: Chopping up what would be 2 garlic cloves but really only needs to be one because of the freak of nature garlic clove Karlee found. These are the variables you learn to adjust when cooking by a recipe.


6:23 pm: Confession: I actually used goggles to chop onions once when I was little and helping my mom out in the kitchen.


6:21 pm: We've established that all of these ingredients will eventually be pureed so the size of the ginger pieces doesn't really matter, thus the reason why the recipe simply calls for "chopped."


6:20 pm: Karlee is peeling 2 inches of the ginger and chopping it to small pieces.


6:18 pm: We're getting out a small onion, ginger, and garlic. We're going to peel the ginger now and chop the onion last because as Karlee says "because I always cry." Apparently Karlee says they actually sell onion goggles in Ann Arbor. "I almost bought them." Hilarious.


6:15 pm: Let's get to know our chef, my roommate Karlee. She's from Michigan, a senior at Lehigh, and very excited to be going to Med School next year.
Me: "When did you start cooking?" To paraphrase for Karlee: "Two summers ago I just opened up a cook book and just started trying to make recipes, totally self taught, my mom doesn't cook so I don't have really role models. My boyfriend's dad is an amazing chef and has been teaching the two of us how to cook and we're learning together."


6:14 pm: Chopping the butternut squash into 3/4 inch pieces. We decided the best parallel is like the size of your thumb, not to be confused while chopping.


6:13 pm: We're checking the status of our ingredients. I assure Karlee that an expiration date of 10/31 for our orange juice does not mean game over.


6:11 pm: Karlee is scooping the seeds out of the squash. We're not sure what potential is there but we're electing to save the seeds to see if we can treat them like pumpkin seeds. Anyone have good recipes for butternut squash seeds?


6:10 pm: The peeling is over at last! Cutting the butternut squash down the middle in order to extract the seeds.


6:08 pm: I wish you all could see the hack job involved in peeling an oddly-shaped butternut squash. If you're doing this with us, don't lose faith. Karlee's celebrating every good peel at this point.


6:06 pm: We're surprised how much a butternut squash smells like pumpkin. They really are similar flavors and are pretty much interchangeable in recipes.


6:05 pm: Karlee's laughing about the fact that the last time she made this soup, she and her friend bought the butternut squash pre-peeled and already chopped (to her dismay). Now she's realizing why her friend insisted on doing it that way--Peeling a giant butternut squash is no small task. I'm willing to bet it'll turn out for the better.


6:03 pm: We're starting with the butternut squash: We have to peel, de-seed, and chop the butternut squash. "This is going to be a process, right?"


6:00 pm: Let's wash our hands first as every good cook should.

5:56 pm: Turns out we're getting hungry at pre-time change dinnertime so we've moved the liveblogging of the butternut squash recipe to 6pm new time! Follow along to cook with us!

Hello readers,

Tonight on November 7th, 2010, the first day of daylight savings time and my dad's birthday(!) I will be liveblogging starting at 7pm as my friend and roommate Karlee makes her favorite butternut squash soup.

I made a butternut squash soup early in the week and look forward to seeing what her recipe includes!

If you watch the progression, you'll get to read consistent updates about how the recipe is developing and feel like you're hanging out in the kitchen with me and Karlee, where we are at our finest.

See you in a few hours!

10:36 am: For those of you who may want to cook along with us, here are the ingredients you need to assemble before 7pm tonight!

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 small onion
• 1 piece of fresh ginger
• 1 garlic cloves
• 2 3/4 lb small butternut squash
• 1/4 cup fresh orange juices
• Salt
• Pepper
• Sour Cream