Worcester Restaurant Week

Worcester Restaurant Week was hosted from March 17 to 31, 2012.  We had pretty much forgotten about it until our friends Steve and Helen reminded us and suggested we get together for dinner.

After perusing the choices, we decided to visit Via Alto 27 -- a new spot for all of us. We headed to Clinton and were welcomed by the elegant charm of the restaurant and notes of live piano music. It was lovely. We all decided to take advantage of the $23.12 restaurant week menu.

I started with the tomato bruschetta. Helen, Steve and Mike all got salads (Caesar for Mike) as their starter.

Tomato Bruschetta

The bruschetta was a hit. I really liked it. The salads seemed to go over well for everyone else, though it was difficult for me to notice with me bruschetta love...

We tried three different entrees. Mike and I each got the Surf & Turf 4oz. Beef bistro filet
w/shrimp & scallops risotto.

Surf & Turf and Seafood Risotto

It was fantastic. The risotto was very, very good. Mike read up on risotto later (we never eat it) and we concluded it is so good because it is so terribly unhealthy (rice soaked in milk, butter, and parmesan, then seasoned even more as it cooks). Steve got the Shrimp and crab stuffed baked filet of sole w/vegetable risotto and Helen got the White lasagna w/zucchini & mushroom topped w/tomato basil or Alfredo sauce. Both got rave reviews.

Dessert was the flourless chocolate cake for all but Helen, who got the gelato. I didn't get a picture of the cake, but it was quite good.

Via Alto 27 was a nice restaurant with a lovely atmosphere and excellent Italian cuisine. I am definitely looking forward to a return visit!

Healthy Breakfast

Mike got me Sam Talbot's cookbook The Sweet Life for Christmas. His recipes look really good and the bonus is that they are super healthy. Last Sunday we decided to make one of the breakfasts from the book -- Peas with Mint and Soft Poached Eggs (recipe here -- though not credited to the chef).

Yum yum yum! I can't wait to make it again!

My Tummy is Growling...

I want to try this...

 

Source: inspiredbycharm.com via Michael on Pinterest

Jalapeno Popper Dip

Ingredients
2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
1 cup mayonnaise
1 (4 ounce) can chopped green chilies, drained
4 ounces canned diced jalapeno peppers, drained
1/2 cup shredded Mexican style cheese
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1 cup Panko bread crumbs
1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
Method
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and spray an oven safe serving dish with non-stick cooking spray.
2. Using an electric mixer, blend the cream cheese and mayonnaise until smooth.
3. Stir in green chilies, jalapeno peppers, and Mexican and mozzarella cheeses. Spoon this mixture into the prepared baking dish.
4. Mix together the Panko and parmesan cheese and sprinkle it over the cream cheese mixture.
5. Spray the Panko and parmesan with a quick spray of non-stick cooking spray.
6. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until the mixture is hot and the topping is lightly browned.
Notes: If you are in a hurry, skip the Panko/Parmesan topping and simply microwave the cream cheese mixture until hot and bubbly.
Serve this dip with, French bread, fresh vegetables, tortilla chips, crackers…pretty much anything that pairs well with cheese!

Bye Bye Patriots

Another Super Bowl has come and gone. Too bad the Pats lost. We did have a healthy snack -- Kale Chips with Toasted Nori, so I guess all was not lost.




Wish they were a little crispier. Just like the Super Bowl -- there's always next time.

Worcester's Best Chef 2012, part 2

My last post covered Worcester's Best Chef competition. This is the rest of the story :)

The event was packed; this is 1/2 of one floor of Mechanic's Hall. Food was available on two floors.

WXLO emceed the event and kept things interesting. All votes were to be cast by 6 pm so they could be tallied for the People's Choice Award. That time got pushed to 6:30. Instead, at 6:15 or so, WXLO awarded a trophy to their pick for the best chef. The selected Chef Chris Rovezzi for his excellent tortelloni.

In addition to the people's choice and WXLO awards, there were 7 chef judges who picked the official top three chefs. The top three chefs would then have a head-to-head competition that lasted 30 minutes -- an Iron Chef, if you will. 6:30 marked the announcement of the judges' top 3: Chris Rovezzi (Rovezzi's), Wilson Wang (Baba Sushi) and Dan O'Sullivan (Sonoma). They were invited onstage to speak briefly about their dishes. The cook-off was to start at 7 pm.


The Iron Chef portion finally commenced around 7:15. Each chef was given a mystery box that contained pompano (fish), sweet soy sauce, fennel and something else I didn't catch. Chef's got 30 minutes to use their mystery items along with anything in the pantry to compose a dish.

Wilson Wang (left), Chris Rovezzi (center), Dan O'Sullivan (right) preparing their dishes

Chef Wang starting to plate

Chef Rovezzi's dish

Chef O'Sullivan's dish (sorry about the focus), judges in background

The People's choice awards were presented around 7:45 as the judges conferred on the overall winner. The winners were Wilson Wang (Baba Sushi), Bill Nemeroff (Ceres) and Chris Rovezzi (Rovezzi's).  Chris Rovezzi got a lot of stage time on Sunday :)

Finally, the overall winner of the competition was announced around 8. Drumroll.... The award went to Chris Rovezzi. Unfortunately, the final dishes were not described, nor were the observations of the judges about each dish. I'm crossing my fingers that this will be a part of next year's event, since the organizer seemed to suggest it would be after I emailed him my suggestion this morning.

For more information about WBC, be sure to visit their website and Facebook page (including lots of photos). We had fun! Come join us next year!

Worcester's Best Chef 2012, part 1

We had a great adventure last night -- we went to Worcester's Best Chef competition at Mechanics Hall in Worcester. Eighteen chefs from around the Worcester area served their signature dishes to a huge crowd of attendees.

The event began at 5 pm for general ticket holders. Those who purchased the VIP tickets (us) were admitted an hour earlier for an opportunity to talk one-on-one with the chefs and have an earlier opportunity to sample the goods. The extra money was totally worth it for the VIP advantage. We got to mingle and taste at our leisure, mostly without lines and without being pushed around. If you plan to attend this event, I would definitely recommend the upgraded tickets.

We were really looking forward to two chefs in particular: Chef Andrew Hurd of Romaine's in Northborough and chef Dan O'Sullivan of Sonoma in Princeton. I'm sure both restaurants are ringing a bell, since I just blogged about them last week. Chef Hurd served braised beef over mashed potatoes and covered with gravy. I wish I had gotten a photo. It was amazing. The meat literally melted in your mouth. Aaaahhh... Chef O'Sullivan served a foie gras on crostini that was very good.

We also had the opportunity to try out some restaurants we've heard of but haven't been to. Included were Baba Sushi,  EVO, Nuovo, and Oliver Wight Tavern. We also enjoyed having food from places we have been to like Rovezzi's and Ceres. Ceres served a huge scallop that was good. Rovezzi's had an amazing tortelloni that was huge.

Now, I have to be honest. Not all the food was great. I threw away one dish after a small taste because it reminded me of dog food. A few others just didn't hit it for me (sliders, really?) for whatever reason. But, getting to try all the signature dishes and have favorites and not favorites was really fun!

Attendees voted for their favorite dishes. Those votes were tallied and the People's Choice award was presented to the top three. We each got to vote for 3 chefs. Here were my votes:

1. Chef Andrew Hurd, Romaine's
2. Chef Dan O'Sullivan, Sonoma
3. Chef Wilson Wang, Baba Sushi

(BTW, Mike's votes were similar to mine except he chose Nuovo for his #3.)

Stay tuned for the results of the competition... I'll have those and details of the rest of the event in my next post!

I love FOOD (part 2 of 2)

As much as I love to eat out, it isn't really practical to do so often. We were lucky in that the last few weeks allowed us to celebrate holidays, thus eat, at home. In preparation for our chow fest, I stocked up on some food. Way more food than was advisable, by the way. But that's okay. We enjoyed it bite by bite.

Cheese plate featuring gorgonzola, brie, gruyere and goat cheese with fig jam (from Murray's Cheese Shop), 12/31/2011

Smoked salmon, onions, capers and creme fraiche (from Wegman's), 1/1/2012

Our first meal on our new kitchen table; pot roast, asparagus with Hollandaise sauce, baby new potatoes and salad, 1/1/2012

Lobster pie (from Hancock Gourmet Lobster), crab-stuffed mushrooms (Wegmans) and snap peas, 1/8/2012

After all of this eating, I need to go on a diet!!!

Smiles

I love FOOD (part 1 of 2)

You knew that about me, right?! I love to eat. If I ate as often as I thought about food I'd weigh 700 pounds. Fortunately, I have a small amount of control that has saved me -- so far. We have enjoyed some very nice meals over the past few weeks. I thought it would be fun to share some of them with you, my few dedicated followers :-) This post will highlight our adventures in dining out.

Mozzarella wrapped in prosciutto and deep fried, served with toasted bread and tomato; starter at Sonoma, 12/30/11

Caesar salad presented in a toasted Parmesan bowl; starter at Sonoma, 12/30/2011

Lobster Savannah en croute, entree at Sonoma, 12/30/2011

Rack of lamb, entree at Sonoma, 12/30/2011

Salmon, entree at Romaine's, 1/6/2012

Duck, entree at Romaine's, 1/6/2012

Apple bacon grilled cheese sandwich with lentil salad, Armsby Abbey, 1/9/2012

Porchetta sandwich with lentil salad, Armsby Abbey, 19/2012

If you haven't been to the restaurants above, I highly recommend them. Yum!

Smiles

Dreaming of lobster rolls

The arrival of summer always brings an increased desire to indulge in lobster rolls. For us, anyway.

We haven't treated ourselves with the hearty goodness of restaurant lobster rolls yet. But, tomorrow, we'll make our own for the first time! I called the supermarket yesterday and asked them to cook up two lobsters for us. We'll shell them tonight and make our salad so it can absorb all the flavors for tomorrow night's dinner: lobster rolls, onion rings, and summer slaw.

I can't wait!!!

Celebrating with a bang

The Fourth of July has come and gone. The summer can't be so far gone already -- really -- it just can't be!

We enjoyed a great weekend away in the Berkshires. We got to see our great friends (even Steve and Helen, which was a super treat), have some nice meals and relax. You can't beat it!!! Speaking of food (as I often am), I made a few yummy recipes that I want to share:

• Salmon with summer tomatoes and rosemary: This was a delightful Friday night dinner. I cooked it one the grill -- the parchment wrapping did not catch fire -- and the flavors were fabulous.
• Shrimp salad with butter lettuce: I skipped the pumpernickel bread on this. The salad had a delicate flavor.
• Herbed new potato salad: A nice flavor, but it needed more dijon and herbs. My all-time olive oil based fave is this one http://iamthebeholder.wordpress.com/2009/06/07/the-best-potato-salad-ever/
• Grilled onion salad: This was by far and away the show-stopper. Friggin' amazing flavors, sweet and carmelized without a bit of sugar. This one is a real keeper.
• Egg Nests: I've made these once before. You have to use a good stand mixer (not a hand mixer) to really puff up the egg whites. This is a nice alternative to scrambies and other eggs and would be tres fun for the kiddos.
• Mixed Fruit Salad: I put in whatever fruit I want. This is a nice, fresh break from the daily egg routine. We top with chopped nuts (this week was pecans) for a nice crunch. If you aren't diabetic and have nut concerns, granola would be perfect.

 I'm not all about food, but it is a nice way to share happiness :)

Happy days!

Work Around Menu Psychology at Restaurants (via Lifehacker)

This was on Lifehacker today. The full NY Times article is worth a read.

Work Around Menu Psychology at Restaurants

The New York Times has a great read on menu psychology and how the fonts, ordering, and descriptions of food is engineered to get diners spending more at restaurants. Taken a different way, it's a handy guide to culinary counter-intelligence.

Liking that item in the top-right corner of the menu, with the dotted border line around it? That's fine, but be aware it's probably one of the most profitable items for the owner to serve. In tough economic times, many restaurants have turned to menu redesign as a means of bringing in more cash. If you're interested in getting a full read on the food, and not just letting your lizard brain give in to the highest-margin item on the menu, heed these examples:

Some restaurants use what researchers call decoys. For example, they may place a really expensive item at the top of the menu, so that other dishes look more reasonably priced; research shows that diners tend to order neither the most nor least expensive items, drifting toward the middle. Or restaurants might play up a profitable dish by using more appetizing adjectives and placing it next to a less profitable dish with less description so the contrast entices the diner to order the profitable dish.

Not that there's anything wrong with ordering a profitable item off the menu, but you want to make sure your eatery isn't sub-consciously hiding something truly appealing from your decision process.

If you've done any menu design yourself, or know the tricks of your own local eatery, let's hear about them in the comments.

Restaurants Use Menu Psychology to Entice Diners [NYTimes.com]

Funny Top Chef Video Spoof

This video was reported by the Serious Eats blog today. If you watched Top Chef this season, you'll get a kick out of it (embedded below).

Top Chef: Hungry Ladies - watch more funny videos

The Making of Birthday Cupcakes

As you all know, since I have gone on and on, Sunday was Connor and Fiona's 5th birthday. Mike and I had a special party for them at our house since Mike was to be out of town during their party on Sunday.

We wanted to make something special for them and decided cupcakes were the ticket. Nana makes them special cakes, so it was a different twist. We settled on Hello Kitty cupcakes for Fiona (not even knowing that was her theme for the party on Sunday) and chocolate Labrador Retriever cupcakes for Connor.

The task was not without its lessons. The first batch of cupcakes I made, using a sour cream chocolate cake recipe, did not cut the mustard. I didn't put enough batter in the liners, so they were kind of empty and the cake was dense. I wanted fluffy, and should have used a different recipe. Those cupcakes went directly into the trash.

Batch number 2 (made the next night) was more successful. I chose a different chocolate cupcake recipe and they turned out great.

On to the icing. We made the icing on the day of the party. I made the traditional 7 minute icing for the kitties. It came out great. I tried to use the same recipe with melted chocolate to make the brown frosting. It didn't work (note, my trash was getting full). Take 2 was the recipe with cocoa added at the end. That came out pretty well.

Step 3 was preparation of the decorative materials. Kitty's ears were made from graham crackers, her whiskers and eyes were made from (sliced and cut) black licorice, and her bow and nose were from (warmed, rolled, and cut) Starburst. The doggy's eyes, nose and mouth were made from black licorice (sliced and cut), his toungue was from Starburst (warmed, rolled, and cut), and his ears were from Tootsie Rolls (warmed, rolled, and cut).

We assembled and tada!!!

Connor and Fiona seemed to like them, which in the end, is all that matters.

Guide to Restaurants Where Kids Eat for Free

Kids Eat For is a database of restaurants that offer free meals or specials for kids. Use it to help you figure out where to save money with your family—or where to avoid being surrounded by kids. It's also available as an iPhone and Android app. [via Neatorama]

Make Cookies in 90 Seconds with Your Waffle Iron [MacGyver Tip]

This is so cool!!!

Make Cookies in 90 Seconds with Your Waffle Iron [MacGyver Tip]:

Baking cookies in your oven is fine and all, but if you want to turn out some tasty cookies in a very short time, consider turning to your trusty waffle iron. Turns out you're only 90 second away from crispy, chewy, cookie-goodness.

Photo by Fine Living & Martha Stewart

Although your oven will still have its place for making large batches of cookies, using your waffle iron can bake up a cookie in just 90 seconds. It's the perfect solution for previously prepared dough when you just need a quick sugar fix instead of an entire pan hanging around the house to tempt you.

It's a simple process of heating your waffle iron (no matter what shape or size it might be) on high and coating it with a non-stick spray. Using a small cookie scoop or tablespoon, spoon batter into each section of your waffle iron. This will ensure even baking and that all your cookies will finish at the same time. All that's left is to remove them from the heat and chow down!

We ran across the idea on food weblog The Kitchn, and after a little more searching found two tested and approved recipes to try your hand at—one from Martha Stewart and the other from recipe weblog Fine Cooking. If you'd like to see the process in action you can head over to Martha Stewwart for a short video (with a slow load time) to see them made before you go all MacGyver meets Cookie Monster on your own. If you've tried this method before, let's hear how it worked out for you in the comments.

A Fast Way to Bake Cookies: Use a Waffle Iron [The Kitchn]

"

Ghosts of Cupcakes Past

Serious Eats linked to this post today. OMG --- I love it!!!! These look like they would be so easy and fun to make!

Ghosts of Cupcakes Past

Posted by A Baked Creation at 5:27 PM

S: We've eaten a lot of cupcakes in the past months.
H: Ahem!
S: Okay, I've eaten a lot of cupcakes in the past months. Much were bought at bakeries that boasted selling cupcakes made from scratched, free of this and that. So this Halloween, let's try something a little bit scary. Something seen as a big no-no in the world of baking.
H: (in a scary voice) Ccccake Mixxxx.
S: That's right. There seems to be an ongoing debate between bakers who use cake mix and those who bake from scratch.
H: We for one don't see a problem with either camp. We've come in peace!
S: For this spooky season, we are going to try using a cake mix enhanced recipe from the Cake Mix Doctor.


A Better Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cupcake
Recipe from The Cake Mix Doctor Returns!
(Makes about 22-24 cupcakes)

1 package of plain yellow cake mix (I used Golden)
1 package of vanilla instant pudding mix
1 cup of milk
1 cup of vegetable oil
4 large eggs
1 teaspoon of pure vanilla extract
1 package of frozen chocolate chip cookie dough

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F) and have all ingredients at room temperature. Also have your cupcake liners and pans ready.
2. Place the cake mix, pudding mix, milk, oil, eggs, and vanilla extract in a large mixing bowl and using an electric mixer, beat on low speed until all the ingredients are incorporated. About 30 seconds.
   
3. Scrape the sides with a rubber spatula and mix on medium for 1.5-2 minutes. The batter should look well blended.
4. Set aside 3/4 to 1 cup of the cupcake batter.
5. Using the rest of the batter, evenly scoop the batter into your cupcake liners/cups - filling them two thirds of the way.
6. Cut the pieces of frozen cookie dough in half to make 24 pieces.
7. Place a piece of frozen cookie dough on the top of each cupcake and push it down into the batter.
   
   
8. Using the 3/4 to 1 cup of batter that was set aside, evenly distribute them (about 1 teaspoon for the 22-24 cupcakes)
9. Place the pans in the oven and bake the cupcakes until they are golden and the tops spring back when lightly pressed with a finger. This should take about 23-27 minutes.
10. Remove the cupcakes from the oven and let them cool before frosting.

Fluffy Chocolate Frosting
Recipe from The Cake Mix Doctor Returns!
(Makes about 3 cups)

1 stick of unsalted butter (at room temperature)
2/3 cups of unsweetened cocoa powder
3 cups of sifted confectioners' sugar
1/3 cup of milk
2 teaspoons of pure vanilla extract

1. Place the butter and the cocoa butter in a bowl and beat with an electric mixer on low until well combined. About 30 seconds.
2. Add the confectioner's sugar, milk, and vanilla extract.
3. Mix on low speed under the frosting is light and fluffy. About 2-3 minutes.
4. Add 1 tablespoon of milk if the frosting is too thick or more confectioners' sugar if the frosting is too thin.

The Cake Mix Doctor Returns!
Written by Anne Byrn

ISBN 13: 9780761129615

ISBN 10: 0761129618

Publisher: Workman Publishing

Hardcover: 502 Pages

The cupcakes we tried were light and super moist, but during the cooling session, some of the tops caved in - my fault. I shouldn't have added the extra pudding (since Betty Crocker already has pudding in it, but I couldn't find a plain cake mix - Anne Byrn explains the difference in this book). I also think this might have to do with the cookie dough! The recipe allowed for extra batter, so as you can see, we made some mini cupcakes too. Don't want to waste it! I think to improve on this recipe, next time I will cut the cookie dough even smaller. Even though the frozen cookie dough we bought were already divided into 24 pieces, smaller ones might work better.

It was interesting to alter the cake mix instructions. I've seen chefs do it on Food Network, so I'm glad I had a chance to try it with the Cake Mix Doctor!

The cookbook includes a coloured table of contents that includes a photo of what the cake, cupcakes, brownies, bars, and cookies look like. Yes! That is so helpful and all cookbooks should include a photo of the finished outcome. It doesn't have to be fancy styled photographs, The Cake Mix Doctor Returns! kept it simple and informative.

This cookbook also includes side columns for you to write Recipe Reminders and Notes for each recipe instruction. There are clear instructions for the different types of baking you can do with this book. I like how Anne provides background information and is honest in her recipe introductions. She tells you where she got the recipe from and what she did to improve on it - what works and what doesn't.

I would recommend this for bakers who want to move a step up from using only cake mix. The recipes are almost similar to baking from scratch, except it is usually missing the flour, baking soda, and baking powder.

Thank you to Laura from Workman Publishing for the copy of The Cake Mix Doctor Returns! by Anne Byrn.


Ghost Toppers
(Makes as many as you want!)

Jumbo gummies
White-coloured fondant
Cookie cutter
Rolling pin
Modeling stick
Wilton's round piping tip #3

Have your jumbo gummies laid out to be ghostified!

Materials used: rolling pin, modeling stick, cookie cutter, round piping tip #3.

Roll out a thin layer of fondant. Use your cutter to cut the fondant.
It doesn't have to be such a wiggly cutter, if you prefer a smooth circle - go for it!
I didn't do a clean cut, I've never met a ghost, but I think some would have that wispy look on the edge.

Using the round piping tip as a cutter, make two eyes!
If they get stuck, use the modeling stick to poke out the excess fondant.

Next, carefully drape the fondant over the jumbo gummy.
Have fun folding and creating indents to make the ghost's body and "arms."

And you're done! Simple right?
Have these dry for an hour before putting them on top of your cupcakes.