Mini Food Cart Crawl: Nong's Khao Man Gai and The People's Pig (Portland, OR)

On my second trip to Portland, a food cart visit was a must, and why not try what is perhaps the most famous of them all: Hainanese chicken and rice at Nong's Khao Man Gai ($6.75)

The order I shared with e*starLA was breast meat. It was tender, but not incredibly special. Instead, the garlicky sauce is really what it's all about! Douse the meat and rice with plenty of it (extra sauce goes for $1).

I don't normally like chicken breast that much, though, and I should've been wiser and ordered like Eat Recklessly did. She asked for dark meat and said yes to the crispy skin! Her plate was 10x better than mine was. I am definitely asking for dark meat and getting the skin next time around.

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January Foodie Penpals

We took a month off from Foodie Penpals but we're back for a new year of fun and sharing!!

I get so excited about the package that I get to put together each month, and the package that I'm anticipating receiving.

This month I received, like, THE BEST package ever!!!! From Melissa. She really hit the nail on the head with her package she sent. It was soooo me. And it had a nice personal touch.

She sent some local items from Florida (so wish I was there), and she knew I liked caramel so she really delivered with this fancy caramel brittle. Yes that is caramel brittle with cashews and POTATO CHIPS sprinkled with sea salt. I am about some salted caramel. I ate 3/4 of the bag as soon as I got it.

Another local product, this caramel corn. Can't go wrong with caramel corn. Most of that is gone as well.

 








 


She also sent some local honey. Adorbs. This will be put to good use.

 
























Besides the local items, she sent some of her homemade strawberry jam. She's got me wanting to try my hand at canning! That's also a lemon from her tree. Aww, so personal!

In my emails with her, I had mentioned that I could use some K-Cups since I recently got a Keurig machine. Then one day at the store I realized that they come in packs of like 12 so I felt bad that I had told her that! But she managed to "borrow" a couple from her neighbor. Thanks, Melissa's neighbor :)

 


















And last but not least, another personal touch.... her product, a bag of Juice Plus chewables. So cool! They were like little fruit snacks. 

I thoroughly enjoyed my package this month. You done good, Melissa, you done good :)

Peace, and bacon grease!

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Chipotle Salsa

Earlier this week I promised you Superbowl recipes, and I'm back to deliver. I don't break a promise.

After making some amazing Crab and Chipotle Aioli Deviled Eggs last week, I had some leftover chipotles to use. Can't let those go to waste.

 
























And I knew I wanted to make some apps for snacking during the Superbowl, so Chipotle Salsa only seemed right.

I'm not a huge fan of the jarred salsas. But homemade salsa has opened my eyes to the beauty of a good salsa.

Now I just gotta learn how to make it look all pretty and salsa-y. Next time we make this I'll be sure to take another picture as my salsa-photographing skills need some work. I think I need a new food processor, one that doesn't only hold like a cup of ingredients and therefore doesn't really chop like it's supposed to. It's on the list.


























Chipotle Salsa
from Eclectic Recipes on the Betty Crocker site 

• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 3 Roma tomatoes, chopped
• 1 can (14.5 oz) Hunt's fire roasted tomatoes, undrained 
• 1 tablespoon chopped chipotle chiles in adobo sauce (from a 7-oz can)  
• 1 cup loosely packed fresh cilantro leaves 
• tortilla chips or Sour Cream and Onion Doritos for dipping   

In a large skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Cook onion and garlic in oil, stirring frequently, until onion is soft. Add Roma tomatoes and cook 4 to 5 minutes. 

Stir in the canned tomatoes and chipotle chiles. Heat to boiling; then reduce heat. Simmer uncovered about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until thickened. Remove from heat; cool slightly.

Place the salsa and cilantro in a food processor or blender. Cover; process with on-and-off pulses until cilantro is finely chopped. Transfer to serving bowl. Serve salsa with tortilla chips.


Printable Recipe

How do you guys like your salsa? Spicy? Chunky? Liquidy? 

All of the above?

I thought so.


Peace, and bacon grease!

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Bookstravaganza!

A glimpse inside book publishing's most glamorous event.

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The Roof on Wilshire: New Year's Day Brunch Is Never a Good Deal

One of my pet peeves is when I sit down at a bar for the first time and the bartender asks what they can get for me without giving me the menu. "Uh, the menu, please" is typically my response. This one takes it a bit further. As he handed me the menu, he says that they have specialty cocktails but they can make me whatever I wanted, like Jack n Coke ... Right. Either he thinks I'm a Jack kind of girl or that's all he knows how to make, but either way it did not seem promising.

I had chosen The Roof on Wilshire for New Year's Day brunch partly because I remembered reading good things about their hot cocktail menu. Granted, Caroline's review was from winter the year before, but I was hoping maybe they'd kept at least some of them - or the quality - for a year. I didn't see any hot drinks listed, though, so I asked the bartender. Apparently the page with the hot drinks list was missing from the menu I had, so he said he'd get me one. Ten minutes later he asked what I wanted to order. "Um, the hot drinks list?"
"Oh, yeah!"

This happened two more times. Luckily I had plenty of time waiting for my party of ten friends who are always late.

Finally, I got the "hot drinks list" which only consisted of a hot toddy and some kahlua whipped cream concoction. That was what I waited 20 minutes to read? Huh. I finally settled on a jalapeno-mezcal cocktail. Not bad, quite spicy.

Finally my table is ready and my friends arrived. The New Year's brunch deal here was a "3-course" meal for around $25 if I remember correctly.
The first course listed some bread and pastry selection, but as I tried placing an order for a croissant, they said they're just bringing a "bread basket" to the table. The "basket" turned out to be this plate. Not bad, but ... the same plate that they brought for the 10 of us they brought to tables of 4. There's also only one croissant and one bacon cheddar biscuit. Which meant I didn't get any. I asked them for more croissant about half a dozen times, which were always answered with "I'll bring them right out" but never appeared.

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Tex-Mex Pinto Bean Spread

This weekend is the Super Bowl, friends! 

I'm super excited! My Bengals, Broncos (love you, Peyton), and Patriots (love you, Brady) aren't in it, but I'll still be watching.

 























And eating of course. 


























Cuz let's face it. For foodies like myself, The Super Bowl is an appetizer fest!


 























So this week I'll be bringing you some appetizer recipes for you to get your Super Bowl on.

Because I love you like that  :)

But for now, for now it's all about this pinto bean dip.

Tex-Mex Pinto Bean Spread
from My Recipes

• 1 (15-oz) can pinto beans, rinsed and drained
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
• 2 teaspoons fresh lime juice
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 jalapeño pepper
• 1/2 cup chopped tomato 
• 1 tablespoon pumpkin seeds, toasted (optional)

Place first 6 ingredients in a food processor, and process until smooth. Place bean mixture in a bowl. Stir in chopped tomato, and sprinkle with pumpkin seeds if desired.

Printable Recipe

 















You can use this as a dip, or as a spread! After dipping tortilla chips and crackers in it, we had some leftover to spread onto flour tortillas for chicken tacos. 

Mayyyyyyyybe don't use as many pumpkin seeds as I did. I went a bit overload.

Peace, and bacon grease!

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Tales from Lovecraft Middle School: Professor Gargoyle & The Slither Sisters

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Suzanne Goin's SAG Awards Menu + Slow-Roasted Salmon with Green Rice Recipe

Suzanne Goin is one of the most established chefs in Los Angeles with the long-standing Lucques and AOC and the newer Tavern and The Hungry Cat, so it should come as no surprise that Lucques Catering was chosen to cater the Screen Actors Guild Awards for the 4th year in a row.

The 19th SAG Awards will take place on Sunday, January 27 at the Shrine Exposition Center. Goin will prepare three dishes on the same plate composed of: Roasted beets and blood oranges with feta and black olives, Slow-roasted salmon with green rice, labneh, capers and nasturtiums, and Beef tenderloin with fingerlings, arugula, and horseradish cream.

The vegan option has the feta removed from the beet salad and the other two dishes replaced by Cauliflower couscous with pomegranate salsa and Farro with kale, young broccoli, currants and pine nuts.

The food will be served with Champagne Taittinger and wines from Gallo.

The slow-roasted salmon was my favorite of all the dishes, with incredible texture and that amazing green rice, so I am sharing her recipe here!

Slow Roasted Salmon with Green Rice, Labneh, Capers and Nasturtium


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The Canadian Living Affordable Feasts Collection

Canadian Living 

Affordable Feasts Collection
Budget-Friendly Family Meals
by The Canadian Living Test Kitchen
Trade Paperback, 256 pages

I love the Canadian Living Collections. They are well researched, well-tested and well loved. This season brings us a much needed Affordable Feasts Collection to help us recoup from holiday spending and generally help stretch the household budget without sacrificing fun and flavour.

The book is in their signature easy to follow format, peppered with many full-page colour photos of beautiful meal ideas from traditional to exotic but always affordable.

Chapters Include:

Red Meat

White Meat

Eggs, Beans & Tofu

Pasta, Noodles & Rice

Hearty Vegetables

They feature the most affordable cuts of meat and produce and how to make the most of your shopping and cooking.

And - my favourite part of the book - it has ideas for how to repurpose your leftovers into another exciting and delicious dish! Leftover pot roast from page 48 can be used for beef perogies on page 49! I love that.

This is a great book for households on a budget (and really, who isn't these days?) who still want great taste, fun, and variety at the table. 

THE CANADIAN LIVING TEST KITCHEN creates and tests thousands of recipes every year to ensure that they turn out as perfectly in your home as they do in our kitchen. We develop each recipe with you in mind by using everyday ingredients and only the most common cooking equipment found in households across Canada. This makes cooking easier on you, leaving you more time to share good food with family and friends.

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Crab and Chipotle Aioli Deviled Eggs

We took a month off of The Secret Recipe Club, but we're back!

This month I was assigned to the amazing blog, Authentic Suburban Gourmet. I've been a long time follower of Lisa's blog for forever now, and already had plenty of her recipes bookmarked to try. But it was so going through her archive and finding tons more. I seriously have about 50 recipes of hers to try! Not kidding. That means you need to go check out her blog right now!


















Since I couldn't choose between tempting recipes like Pumpkin Seed Brittle, Brown Butter Nuts with Rosemary and Thyme, and Guinness Braised Short Ribs, I let PJ choose. 

Bam! He chose her Crab and Chipotle Aioli Deviled Eggs.  

 I'd say he chose well.

Crab and Chipotle Aioli Deviled Eggs
from Authentic Suburban Gourmet

Eggs

• 8 eggs
• 4 tablespoons mayo
• 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
  

Hard boil the eight eggs and let cool to room temperature. Cut in half lengthwise and remove the yolk. Place into a bowl and break up with a fork until lumps are gone. Add the mayo, mustard and salt. Whisk with a fork until creamy. Taste and adjust seasoning if desired. Chill for one hour if desired.

Chipotle Aioli

• 1/2 cup mayo
• 1 tablespoon chives, finely chopped
• 1 garlic clove, finely minced1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
• 1 large adobo chili
• Salt and pepper

Add all of the above ingredients into a food processor until smooth. Taste and adjust seasoning as desired. Place into a container with a lid and refrigerate until ready to use.

Toppings

• 1/3 cup lump crab meat, or 16 slices of imitation
• 1 tablespoon chives, minced
  

To assemble:

Place the egg halves onto a platter. Put the egg yolk mixture into a piping bag and pipe into the egg halves. Then top each one with a pinch or slice of crab. Add a tiny dollop of the chipotle aioli and garnish with a pinch of chives. Refrigerate until ready to serve.


Printable Recipe

We used imitation crab because we're cheapos. I sauteed the crab in some butter to give it some flavor and so it wasn't just cold crab. Next time I think I'll splurge and try it with real crab. PJ was nervous about using it this time because sometimes it can be too fishy for him, he says. That boy! This time though I felt it could use more of a crab taste. So if you can, go with the real crab and not the imitation stuff.

The chipotle aioli was amazing! I'm trying to find other things that I can smother with this sauce.

Basically. Make these. Super Bowl is coming up and I'd say these would be a great item to add to your menu. 

Linking up here.


Peace, and bacon grease!

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Roddy Doyle sits down with the Hazlitt team to discuss his new book Two Pints.

 "Three Mennonnite girls in an empty field, one bare-chested, one bewildered and one on the run"

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Sneak Preview: Loteria Grill's DineLA Menu

DineLA Restaurant Week is upon us once again, and Loteria Grill had invited the media to preview their DineLA menu so that we can tell you what's in store and what to order.

Order this one!

I went to their Studio City location. There are still the cards adorning the top of the walls, but thanks to the distinct crowd this location is not as loud as the Hollywood one and seemed brighter.

The chef/owner Jimmy Shaw was there to explain to us his inspirations behind the menu while we sip tequila infused with kiwi and a hint of Chili.

There are three options for each of the three courses. Unfortunately, I can't show you all of the three appetizers since our whole table went with the Tostadita de Salpican do Jaiba.

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Creamy Fruit Dip

It's like a must that I have some kind of fruit dip with my strawberries. 


















But Kroger charges so much for a tiny cup of theirs!

So one day I took a glance at the ingredient list on one of those cups and saw some strange words starting with x and z or something like that, but the main ingredients that stood out to me where marshmallow creme, sugar, and cream cheese. So to the internet I went!

 





 











 I came across this super easy fruit dip recipe. 3 ingredients. Marshmallow creme, powdered sugar, and cream cheese. 

Cha-ching!

Creamy Fruit Dip
from Simply Real Moms

• 8 oz package cream cheese, softened
• 7 oz jar marshmallow cream
• 1 cup powdered sugar

Mix together marshmallow cream, softened cream cheese, and sifted powdered sugar in a bowl. Serve with fruit.

Printable Recipe


















Next time I need to sift the powdered sugar to prevent lumps because mine isn't as smooth as it should be. But it tasted delicious, lumps and all!

Of course I find a way to make fruit less healthy :)

Eat up!

Linking up here.

Peace, and bacon grease!

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