stetted » Reviews http://www.stetted.com editing toward a well-fed life in Austin, Texas Fri, 20 Jan 2012 16:38:06 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 Review: The Complete Quick Cook http://www.stetted.com/index.php/2011/12/14/review-the-complete-quick-cook/ http://www.stetted.com/index.php/2011/12/14/review-the-complete-quick-cook/#comments Wed, 14 Dec 2011 16:04:05 +0000 Megan http://www.stetted.com/?p=2443 I’m not one of those who learned how to cook at their grandmother’s knee – the only thing I remember my grandmother cooking was the mashed rutabaga that everyone refused to eat, every single Thanksgiving. My interest did begin early on, with clipping recipes from the coupon circular and flipping through our stained Betty Crocker [...]]]> I’m not one of those who learned how to cook at their grandmother’s knee – the only thing I remember my grandmother cooking was the mashed rutabaga that everyone refused to eat, every single Thanksgiving. My interest did begin early on, with clipping recipes from the coupon circular and flipping through our stained Betty Crocker binder, but I didn’t really learn how to cook until I was an adult, and almost married.

I didn’t know where to begin, so I turned to Cooking Light. To me, Cooking Light has always been the most accessible of the cooking magazines, and the sheer volume of recipes in each issue was enough to create tremendous value.

I was really pleased to see that value duplicated in the new book put out by Cooking Light, The Complete Quick Cook by Mark Scarbrough and Bruce Weinstein. The recipes included are easy to follow with standard ingredients, and beautiful photos accompany more than half of the recipes. But it’s not just the recipes that make the book worthwhile – there are pages and pages of useful tips, from stocking your pantry, to creating recipe variations, to how to properly sauté. This is a wonderful cookbook for the beginning cook or busy family.

Complete Quick Cook

I made two recipes from the book for dinner the other day: Shallot & Grapefruit Dressing and Sauteed Carrots with Sage. Both of these recipes are great ways to showcase the flavors of the season, as here in Texas our juicy grapefruit and sweet carrots are coming into season. Carrots often get pushed aside in favor of more showy side dishes, but with the addition of sage they can really hold their own against that glazed pork tenderloin or sous vide steak.

Salad dressing is one of those things I often take for granted – I confess I buy it more often than make it, simple because I really like the certain flavor I get. However, every time I mix up a homemade batch it’s like I’ve newly discovered the possibilities.

Shallot & Grapefruit Dressing

Shallot and Grapefruit Dressing

Reprinted with permission

1 teaspoon olive oil
1/2 cup chopped shallots
2 cups fresh grapefruit juice (about 3 grapefruit)
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
2 teaspoons sugar
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil

1. Heat 1 teaspoon oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add shallots; cook 5 minutes or until golden brown. Stir in juice. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat; cook until reduced to 1 cup, about 6 minutes. Remove from heat; cool to room temperature.

2. Place grapefruit juice mixture, cilantro, sugar, and pepper in a food processor; process until smooth. With processor on, slowly pour 2 tablespoons oil through food chute; process until smooth. Store, covered, in refrigerator for up to 1 week. YIELD: 1 cup (serving size: 1 tablespoon).

CALORIES 35; FAT 2g (sat 0.3g, mono 1.5g, poly 0.2g); PROTEIN 0.3g; CARB 4.2g; FIBER 0.1g; CHOL 0mg; IRON 0.1mg; SODIUM 1mg; CALC 4mg

Sauteed Carrots with Sage

Sautéed Carrots with Sage

Reprinted with permission

1 teaspoon butter
1 teaspoon olive oil
11/2 cups diagonally cut carrot
2 tablespoons water
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 teaspoons small fresh sage leaves

1. Melt butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add oil to pan; swirl to coat. Add carrots and 2 tablespoons water. Partially cover pan, and cook 10 minutes or until carrots are almost tender. Add salt and pepper to pan; increase heat to medium-high. Cook 4 minutes or until carrots are tender and lightly browned, stirring frequently. Sprinkle with sage. YIELD: 2 servings (serving size: 1/2 cup).

CALORIES 75; FAT 4.4g (sat 1.5g, mono 2.2g, poly 0.4g); PROTEIN 0.9g; CARB 9g; FIBER 2.6g; CHOL 5mg; IRON 0.3mg; SODIUM 224mg; CALC 35mg

Photos courtesy of Oxmoor House/The Complete Quick Cook

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book for the purposes of review. I was not otherwise compensated for my review, and as always, all opinions are my own.

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]]> http://www.stetted.com/index.php/2011/12/14/review-the-complete-quick-cook/feed/ 0 Creminelli Meats – Review & Giveaway http://www.stetted.com/index.php/2011/12/07/creminelli-meats-review-giveaway/ http://www.stetted.com/index.php/2011/12/07/creminelli-meats-review-giveaway/#comments Wed, 07 Dec 2011 15:37:06 +0000 Megan http://www.stetted.com/?p=2426 For me, a big part of the holidays is the nibbles we had leading up to the big meal of the day. Growing up in Wisconsin, that meant sliced cheddar, Owl’s Nest or Swiss Colony cheese spreads, Ritz crackers, and plenty of summer sausage.

Over the past two years I have expanded my cured meat [...]]]> For me, a big part of the holidays is the nibbles we had leading up to the big meal of the day. Growing up in Wisconsin, that meant sliced cheddar, Owl’s Nest or Swiss Colony cheese spreads, Ritz crackers, and plenty of summer sausage.

Over the past two years I have expanded my cured meat horizons thanks to local artisans Dai Due, Kocurek Family Charcuterie, and Salt & Time. I’ve also tasted fantastic salamis from Creminelli, the glory that is njuda from Boccalone, and porchetta di testa at Contigo. As far as I know my cholesterol has not suffered from the onslaught. (Please no health police here – I don’t eat cured meat every day!)

When I found out Creminelli had a couple of new items for the holidays, I jumped at the chance to try them out. Wild boar mortadella and cotechino soon arrived at my doorstep. I’ve had mortadella before, in the form of hot dogs, but this version came in a large round, ready to be sliced for sandwiches or a charcuterie plate. Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to find a local place willing to slice a hunk of not-from-their-store meat for me, so I had to be creative. As it turns out, a cheese plane worked fairly well for creating thin, if not perfectly uniform, slices!

Creminelli holiday meat

The mortadella is mild and creamy, and a great meat to put on a sandwich. I enjoyed it on crackers with a little goat cheese. I also tried the mortadella chopped and scattered across a salad, and it went really well with the slightly sweet dressing we use. I liked that it didn’t make the salad feel heavy, like other meats sometimes do when you add them to greens. I still have some left, and I plan on serving it at our holiday open house.

Cotechino is a pork sausage that is traditionally served for the holidays in Italy with lentils. I had a bit of user error when it came to my lentils, and we ended up serving the cotechino with green beans. The incredible softness of the sausage made the flavor very interesting – it is quite luscious and a little goes a long way. I did find it was a little saltier than I like, but I am extremely sensitive to salt. I think pairing the cotechino with roasted winter squash could make for a really lovely winter meal.

Creminelli holiday meats

The fine folks at Creminelli are offering up a salami gift set for one of my lucky readers. This set includes their Barolo, Tartufo, and Wild Boar salamis, all of which are delicious and the perfect accompaniment to your holiday party cheese plate.

Giveaway Rules:

  • Open to US residents only
  • Entries must be received by 11:59 pm CST on Saturday, December 10. Winner will be drawn on Sunday, December 11, and notified by e-mail. Winner must respond within 24 hours; after that a new winner will be drawn.
  • To enter, leave a comment on this post.
  • Winner will be drawn via Random.org.

Giveaway is now CLOSED. Congratulations to Darius M. for the win! Thank you to all who entered.

Disclaimer: I was contacted by Creminelli and provided samples. All opinions are my own. I like meat.

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]]> http://www.stetted.com/index.php/2011/12/07/creminelli-meats-review-giveaway/feed/ 26 The Hip Girl’s Guide to Homemaking {giveaway} http://www.stetted.com/index.php/2011/04/19/the-hip-girls-guide/ http://www.stetted.com/index.php/2011/04/19/the-hip-girls-guide/#comments Tue, 19 Apr 2011 22:01:34 +0000 Megan http://www.stetted.com/?p=2114 Last month I shared a little bit about gluten-free baking with my friend Kate Payne of Hip Girls’ Guide to Homemaking. I’m very excited to announce that her book of the same name is now available in stores! I was lucky enough to receive a copy of the book in advance, and I spent [...]]]> Last month I shared a little bit about gluten-free baking with my friend Kate Payne of Hip Girls’ Guide to Homemaking. I’m very excited to announce that her book of the same name is now available in stores! I was lucky enough to receive a copy of the book in advance, and I spent an hour poring over it as soon as the delivery truck drove away.

Hip Girl's Guide

It’s fitting that Kate and I became friends through last year’s Can Jam, a yearlong project where we canned seasonal produce. Generally, people who put up produce are those looking to get back to their roots of a more simple and less expensive life. This theme prevails in what might now be my favorite how-to book (and I’m not just saying that ‘cuz she’s my friend).

The book is divided into three main sections (decorating, DIY, and food) and each section is chock full of tips for bringing out your hip home. Even though the book is geared toward the 20-something just making their first home, there is plenty of information that can be used by everyone, from creating your own drapes to container gardening to eating on the cheap. Kate not just tells you how to do something, but jumps into the why of it all. She recognizes that the DIY life is hard for some people to transition to, and makes a case for it through her research on chemicals and waste, as well as through her step-by-step guides that make the task at hand seem undaunting for even the least hip homemaker.

Kate’s personality really shines through in the book. Her fun attitude, easygoing style, and little bit of cheekiness are all displayed in the book. I’ve said before that Kate is who I’d like to be when I grow up (though I think she is younger than me) and I’m not kidding. If you’ve ever checked out her blog, you’ll recognize that same blend of wit and down-to-earth practicality throughout the book.

The fine folks at Harper Collins are allowing me to give away a copy of The Hip Girl’s Guide to Homemaking to a lucky reader! All you have to do to win is leave a comment sharing your favorite hip home tip.

Need inspiration? Here’s a tip from the book:

Tear a cotton ball in half, dot it with real vanilla extract (not the faux stuff), and suck it up like regular debris the next time you use your vacuum. You’ll infuse the house with a sweet smell while you clean!

I’ll draw a winner for the giveaway via Random.org on Saturday, April 23, so get your comments in before midnight Friday!

Feel free to share as many tips as you’d like, but one comment per person, please.

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]]> http://www.stetted.com/index.php/2011/04/19/the-hip-girls-guide/feed/ 104 The Backspace http://www.stetted.com/index.php/2010/12/14/the-backspace/ http://www.stetted.com/index.php/2010/12/14/the-backspace/#comments Wed, 15 Dec 2010 03:15:04 +0000 Megan http://www.stetted.com/?p=1678 Whenever anyone from out of town asks me about my favorite restaurant in Austin, I immediately jump to Parkside. The fantastic raw menu, inventive flavor combinations, and cozy atmosphere make it the perfect spot for large groups of friends, romantic dinners, and dare I say it, even family meals. Granted, my son spent most [...]]]> Whenever anyone from out of town asks me about my favorite restaurant in Austin, I immediately jump to Parkside. The fantastic raw menu, inventive flavor combinations, and cozy atmosphere make it the perfect spot for large groups of friends, romantic dinners, and dare I say it, even family meals. Granted, my son spent most of the time climbing on my husband’s back and only ate the table bread and of course the fresh dessert doughnuts – but you have to start somewhere.

The Backspace might be the perfect place to help ease my son into a lifelong love of non-nuggetized foods. I had the good fortune of attending a preview dinner, and I was impressed by both the food and the space.

The place is reminiscent of Parkside, with its high ceilings and raw feel. But at The Backspace, the clear focus of the space is the custom wood-fired pizza oven. It’s beautiful and awe-inspiringly hot – 900 degrees is the perfect temperature for cooking Neapolitan style pizza in a matter of minutes.

(...)
Read the rest of The Backspace (209 words)

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]]> http://www.stetted.com/index.php/2010/12/14/the-backspace/feed/ 2 Review: urban http://www.stetted.com/index.php/2010/09/18/review-urban/ http://www.stetted.com/index.php/2010/09/18/review-urban/#comments Sat, 18 Sep 2010 19:10:17 +0000 Megan http://www.stetted.com/?p=1469
On Wednesday I had the pleasure of attending a special tasting event with my friend Laurel at urban. We were there to try selections from the new menu that will be debuted on October 1, created by chef Mizael Saucedo. We chatted with Chef Saucedo for a little bit and he told [...]]]>

On Wednesday I had the pleasure of attending a special tasting event with my friend Laurel at urban. We were there to try selections from the new menu that will be debuted on October 1, created by chef Mizael Saucedo. We chatted with Chef Saucedo for a little bit and he told us that he is trying to get as much local as possible in the kitchen and loves how much more is available these days. He said his produce is 90% locally sourced, and the eggs and some of the meat is local. Overall he estimates the entire menu to be at 60% local, but he is hoping to improve that.


We arrived slightly early and enjoyed a couple of cocktails in the bar. Urban has a “My 512″ happy hour that features beer and cocktails made with local ingredients. This was the Rum Ramble, featuring Treaty Oak rum, blackberries, and orange.


Our first course might have been my favorite. Sweet corn bisque with pico de gallo. Creamy and not too spicy, this was a great way to wake up the tongue in preparation for the meal to come.


Grilled crab cake with avocado, micro cilantro, and dynamite sauce. This was full of tender chunks of crab, and not lots of filler like breadcrumbs, as it is in many other restaurants.


Texas quail with green tomato chow chow, grits, and Guajillo honey. Can you believe I’ve never really had grits or chow chow before? The idea of both kind of scared me away, but if they were always prepared like this I could eat it all the time. Overall this dish was a little on the sweet side, but not overly so. Because the chow chow was fresh, it added a nice crunch to the dish to play off the quail and grits.


Texas spinach salad with warm bacon vinaigrette and sunny-side-up egg. This was just OK for me. It’s hard for me to get excited about salad at a restaurant. I didn’t think there was much bacon flavor in the dressing, but people who were eating from other dishes of it said the bacon was strong, so maybe we just got the less-bacony portion.


Steak with butter lettuce, candied pecans, and achiote vinaigrette. I really liked this – the achiote vinaigrette was interesting and I thought it paired really well with the steak.


Strube Ranch flat iron steak, fries, and chile arbol chimichurri. Delicious, although if I was choosing between the two steak dishes I’d pick the previous.


Berkshire prime rib of pork with sauteed apples, pearl onions, and squash puree. I was hesitant about this because I’m not really a fan of beef prime rib, but this was extremely tender and flavorful. The apples, onions, and squash puree made this a perfect dish for fall. If it wasn’t 90 degrees outside.


Butternut squash risotto with wild mushrooms, sage, and wilted chard. Yum. Yum yum yum. Actually, what I said when I was live-tweeting the event was, “Hello, lover.” Butternut squash might be my favorite produce item, and risotto is my favorite thing to make. Creamy and tender but not mushy, flavorful throughout.


We finished out the night with avocado tres leches served with sundried tomato creme fraiche. I’m a fan of tres leches in any form, and this was lovely. I really liked the creme fraiche too, even though others didn’t. I would have liked to see more avocado flavor, however, as it wasn’t very evident.

Thank you to urban for the great night! It was really fun to experience the new menu with old and new friends.

urban: an american grill
11301 Domain Drive, in the Westin at the Domain
Serving breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and brunch on Sundays

Urban an American grill on Urbanspoon

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]]> http://www.stetted.com/index.php/2010/09/18/review-urban/feed/ 2 Stuff I Love: September 17 http://www.stetted.com/index.php/2010/09/17/stuff-i-love-september-17/ http://www.stetted.com/index.php/2010/09/17/stuff-i-love-september-17/#comments Fri, 17 Sep 2010 12:44:29 +0000 Megan http://www.stetted.com/?p=1363 I work in a large office building near many tempting places to eat. I’m only a short drive away from burritos, pho, curry, bahn mi, and plenty of other to-go items. Of course, my waistline and my wallet don’t really appreciate this, and I try to bring my own food in as often as I [...]]]> Built bagI work in a large office building near many tempting places to eat. I’m only a short drive away from burritos, pho, curry, bahn mi, and plenty of other to-go items. Of course, my waistline and my wallet don’t really appreciate this, and I try to bring my own food in as often as I can.

I’m always looking at reusable lunch containers. Apparently they fall into the same category as office supplies for me – completely irresistible. That’s why I have a Laptop Lunch, a Mr. Bento, and a lunch tote. In fact, I already had a lunch tote I liked pretty well when I won goodLifeEats’ Eco-Mom giveaway, which included a Built lunch bag in a cool Alexander Girard print.

Trust me, not all reusable lunch bags are the same. I’ve found that this bag actually keeps food cold until lunchtime even if I don’t stick it in the refrigerator (which I often forget to do…). The Neoprene fabric is a bit stretchy, so on the days when I’m really hungry I can cram a lot of food in there!

Over in my OpenSky shop you can buy the Built Gourmet Getaway lunch tote in always-stylish black. These lunch bags are built (ha) to last, and can be tossed right in the washing machine. And hey, the kids got to go back to school with new lunch boxes, so it’s a good excuse to upgrade your own, right?

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]]> http://www.stetted.com/index.php/2010/09/17/stuff-i-love-september-17/feed/ 0 Annie’s Cafe & Bar http://www.stetted.com/index.php/2010/06/01/annies-cafe-bar/ http://www.stetted.com/index.php/2010/06/01/annies-cafe-bar/#comments Tue, 01 Jun 2010 14:09:42 +0000 Megan http://www.stetted.com/?p=1122 For my 30th birthday, I wanted to go to some place new for dinner. Granted, it has been hard for us to get out since the boy was born, so at least half the restaurants in town are “new” to me. I decided to try Annie’s on Congress, and not only because I had [...]]]> For my 30th birthday, I wanted to go to some place new for dinner. Granted, it has been hard for us to get out since the boy was born, so at least half the restaurants in town are “new” to me. I decided to try Annie’s on Congress, and not only because I had recently purchased a Groupon for it.

Beforehand I met with friends at Max’s Wine Dive for their birthday celebration (how could I pass it up since it was on on the same day?!) where we had a few snacks along with multiple glasses of sparkling wines. Once it got too crowded, we headed to what is fast becoming my go-to spot for drinks, Peche, where the sweet bartenders hooked up Amanda with an amazing non-alcoholic blueberry basil milkshake. It was a short walk from there to Annie’s, and we arrived just as it was starting to get dark.

We decided to sit outside on the streetside patio, and I still can’t decide if this was a good choice. I love dining outside, but we were sat at one of the two tables that is literally next to the street. The other tables are close to the restaurant, while we were treated to the traffic whizzing by. Thankfully on a late Tuesday evening there isn’t much traffic, but still… odd.

We didn’t order any appetizers, which turned out to be a good thing because our dinner portions were enormous. I ordered another glass of Prosecco to have with the dinner, which at that point I drank s-l-o-w-l-y due to our pre-dinner events.

I had the Pan Roasted Rabbit, which comes with spaetzle, haricots vertes, and carrots, served with a whole grain mustard sauce. I thought this was fantastic. I was worried that the mustard sauce would be too powerful, but it was very mild and along with the rabbit juices served as an amazing accompaniment to the spaetzle. The vegetables were cooked, but still crispy, just the way they should be. I only made it about halfway through the plate, and the rest was a nice lunch the next day (reheated perfectly, by the way).

Rabbit at Annie's

Amanda ordered the Moules Frites, a gigantic plate of mussels and another of fries. I can’t comment on the taste as I’m leery of mussels, but Amanda was putting away as many as she could. This really seemed like a dish to share, especially because mussels don’t reheat. So many mussels had to remain uneaten that night.

Mussels at Annie's

As it was my birthday, of course I had to order dessert! I decided on the espresso creme brulee. Now, creme brulee is pretty much my favorite dessert, although I don’t order it all the time. The flavor of this was good, but I felt like the cream should have been a little thicker or set than it was. Also, it was quite large, which I suppose should have been expected after our dinner plates!

Creme Brulee at Annie's

It was an enjoyable night and I do plan on returning to Annie’s. I’m still sad I didn’t get to try the tomato brie soup, so at least I’ll have an excuse!

Annie's Cafe and Bar on Urbanspoon

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]]> http://www.stetted.com/index.php/2010/06/01/annies-cafe-bar/feed/ 1 Antonelli’s http://www.stetted.com/index.php/2010/02/16/antonellis/ http://www.stetted.com/index.php/2010/02/16/antonellis/#comments Wed, 17 Feb 2010 01:38:13 +0000 Megan http://www.stetted.com/?p=811 If you live in Austin (and aren’t lactose intolerant) you need to get yourself over to Antonelli’s Cheese Shop in Hyde Park.

Antonelli’s, nestled in between Hyde Park Grill and Dolce Vita, is small, but they make up for their size in enthusiasm and knowledge of cheese. John [...]]]> If you live in Austin (and aren’t lactose intolerant) you need to get yourself over to Antonelli’s Cheese Shop in Hyde Park.

Antonelli's

Antonelli’s, nestled in between Hyde Park Grill and Dolce Vita, is small, but they make up for their size in enthusiasm and knowledge of cheese. John and Kendall Antonelli and Kelly Sheehan are ready to talk your ear off about cheese, and make sure you taste as much of it as possible. I actually felt a bit guilty that I only tasted a few of the cheeses due to time, but I vow to do better next time. Especially after Kendall and I shared a bit of love about Cowgirl Creamery, whom Kendall called one of their mentors.

Cheeeeeese

They also sell olives, chocolate, salami, crackers – pretty much anything you need to throw an amazing cheese party is available right here. Although I won’t blame you if you keep all your purchases to yourself.

I was so excited to be in the shop that I completely forgot I was supposed to get gorgonzola and came away with gruyere instead – a delicious mistake! I also picked up a small piece of ossau-iraty, a fanastic sheep’s milk cheese that I’ve been snacking on this week, and a few Askinoise Nibble Bars in varying levels of dark chocolate that they conveniently have right on the checkout counter. Who can resist that?

I’ll definitely be back to Antonelli’s soon. Especially since I found out they have guanciale. Can I blame them for my impending weight gain?

Antonelli’s Cheese Shop
4220 Duval St, Austin
www.antonellischeese.com

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]]> http://www.stetted.com/index.php/2010/02/16/antonellis/feed/ 4 Parkside http://www.stetted.com/index.php/2010/02/13/parkside/ http://www.stetted.com/index.php/2010/02/13/parkside/#comments Sat, 13 Feb 2010 20:42:45 +0000 Megan http://www.stetted.com/?p=798 For Valentine’s Day this year, we decided to celebrate early, avoid the crazy crowd, and head to Parkside.
I had been wanting to go to Parkside for a while, but with a strict budget and a toddler, we don’t get out to restaurants without kid menus very often. We splurged precisely because [...]]]> For Valentine’s Day this year, we decided to celebrate early, avoid the crazy crowd, and head to Parkside.
I had been wanting to go to Parkside for a while, but with a strict budget and a toddler, we don’t get out to restaurants without kid menus very often. We splurged precisely because of that – who knows when we’ll get to do it again? – and had a fantastic meal.

I’m one of those people who researches the menu before I go to a place, so I already knew what I wanted to order. Our waiter Mo did a great job of telling us about the menu, confusing me on Prosecco, and overall being jovial and attentive. It probably didn’t hurt that I purposefully made the reservation for 6:30, before the crowds would be showing up.

Starting off we had two incredibly strong cocktails: the Dirty Tito (Tito’s Vodka, olive juice, dry vermouth) and the Wild Basil (Leblon Cachaca, Pernod, grapefruit, and basil). They were good, but because they were so strong we moved on to Old Speckled Hen beer (for him) and Prosecco (for me) when our cocktails were finished.

(Apologize in advance for not having photos of my husband’s food, and the poor picture quality. I need to learn how to take photos better in low-light situations!)

Salmon belly @ Parkside

My first course consisted of diced raw salmon belly, pineapple, and mint, topped with a caramelized pineapple chip and green onion shavings. It was a little sweeter than I had expected, but it was a very light and refreshing way to start off the night. In contrast, my husband had braised baby back ribs served with sofrito (tomato and onion sauce) and a cilantro-onion salad.

Butternut squash soup @ Parkside

Next up was a surprise – the chef sent out butternut squash soup with brown sugar (brown butter? I can’t remember!) swirl, topped with a bacon marshmallow. Now, I adore butternut squash, so I might be a teensy bit biased, but this was my favorite dish of the night.

Braised pork jowl @ Parkside

For my main course I chose the braised pork jowl with ras el hanout spices, polenta, and micro greens. The pork was so wonderfully tender and buttery that I had no problem eating the entire thing. It did seem a little heavy on the salt, but that was easily cut with the simple polenta. My husband had what my other choice would have been the venison steak served with brown lentils and bacon lardons. We each tried the other’s dish and declared our own the best. Also not pictured were the Brussels sprouts with bacon, which came in a completely adorable mini Le Creuset cassarole. The thing I appreciated most about the sprouts is that they came late. Why is that a good thing? Because our original order was held back – they weren’t up to the chef’s standards. And for something as simple as Brussels sprouts, I think that says a lot about the quality of the kitchen.

We ended with dessert consisting of a chocolate-peanut butter concoction (I can’t remember the name, sorry!) and milk sorbet. Chocolate and peanut butter are a favorite combination, and this didn’t disappoint. It was a great finish to one of the few and far between date nights we get. I definitely plan to return.

Parkside on Urbanspoon

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]]> http://www.stetted.com/index.php/2010/02/13/parkside/feed/ 5 Product Review: Demy http://www.stetted.com/index.php/2010/01/23/demy/ http://www.stetted.com/index.php/2010/01/23/demy/#comments Sat, 23 Jan 2010 23:10:28 +0000 Megan http://www.stetted.com/?p=620 I’m one of the seemingly few people who doesn’t have an iPhone. While this is probably a good thing in terms of time management, it means I don’t have all those fancy apps that are actually useful, especially in the kitchen.

What I do have is a Demy.

A Demy is a recipe reader, [...]]]> I’m one of the seemingly few people who doesn’t have an iPhone. While this is probably a good thing in terms of time management, it means I don’t have all those fancy apps that are actually useful, especially in the kitchen.

What I do have is a Demy.

A Demy is a recipe reader, and (after months of prodding) my husband got one for me for Christmas.* I’ve used it every time I’ve needed to refer to a recipe since then. No more wasting paper to print out a recipe. No more putting my laptop on the kitchen island and hoping I don’t get sauce all over it!

Demy screenshots

The size is great – I can easily move it from the island where I do my prep work to next to the stove while I cook. I actually haven’t spilled anything on it yet, but the pamphlet it came with says that it is easily wiped clean. Which is good, considering the potential for messes on the touch screen. It’s pretty sturdy too, with a rubber base that won’t slide around while I’m using it.

I was already a member on Key Ingredient, and once I downloaded some simple software and I hooked up the Demy to my computer, it quickly synced the recipes I had saved, into their own category. Since I plan my meals in advance, I take a little bit of time each week to add the recipes to my KI profile so I can sync them. Once they are on the Demy, the recipes are listed in alphabetical order. It does get a little tiresome to cut and paste so much, but if you happen to use a lot of recipes from Martha Stewart or Allrecipes, a little widget added to your browser will instantly add them to your KI profile with a simple click. The hard drive is very spacious, with the capability of having 2,500 recipes, an impressive amount for any collection.

Demy screenshots

It does come preloaded with 250 recipes selected by the Key Ingredient team, and to be honest, I’m not sure how I feel about this. The recipes were chosen from the user-submitted recipes on the KI site, and unfortunately it looks like not all the recipes were edited. It’s frustrating for an ingredient list to have “(I think)” next to something. Also, recipes are often accompanied with a photo – normally a great idea, as it’s good to know what your final product should look like. However, and this might just be my pet peeve, some of the photos just don’t sell the recipe. They don’t look appetizing. Apologies to anyone who thinks I’m a food photo snob! (You’re probably right, though.) Plus I feel like the recipes provided lean heavily toward sweets. There are countless recipes for cupcake variations, and while I understand the cupcake fad, just a couple recipes would have been fine. The other unfortunate thing is that selections for vegetarians are lacking. According to the FAQ online it is possible to remove them, but you need to contact customer service to do so. But of course, scrolling is so easy that it’s not a feat to ignore them.

Aside from the recipes there are a few other features I really like. There’s a 3-way timer, a measurement converter, and maybe my favorite thing: an ingredient substitution list. I never knew peanut butter and sesame oil could be used for tahini! There’s an index, but you can only search by the first letter of each recipe. It would be handy to be able to do keyword searches, but I’m not actually sure if that would be possible considering all the user-uploaded content.

Demy screenshots

If you cook a lot and do a lot of recipe referencing, the Demy might be for you. It is pricey, but considering how much I’ve already used mine since Christmas, I think it is worth it. Plus, as with any new electronic gadget, the later generations should be cheaper.

The Demy is available on Amazon.com and mydemy.com. It was at Costco for a while (with a larger harddrive and different recipes) but is currently off their website. It might be available in-store.

* Disclaimer: My husband works part-time for Key Ingredient, and he did get the Demy at a discount, but not for free.

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