Holy Crepe!

If any of you have ever been to France, you will know the beauty of the crepe. There they are pronounced "crepe" (rhymes with schlep), but I guess that sounded too much like a Frenchman saying "crap," and we pronounce them "crape."

The problem with crepes in the U.S. is that they come in two varieties. First there are the IHOP breakfast-style crepes that taste like they've been refrigerated for a week and are filled with cream cheese and a filling that is berry-like only because it resembles the same color as berries.

The other variety are authentic and usually very good. The problem is, they are also expensive. The sweet crepes are traditional and have nutella or jam fillings. The savory crepes are often very gourmet and are filled with things like "goat cheese, sage, duck and fig." They are good, but don't seem authentic. From my experience in France, crepes are street food and are usually simple. The savory crepes are hardy and filled with ham and cheese.

The problem with the authentic crepes, is that they're usually expensive. You splurge and pay $4-5 per crepe (at a cheap place) and usually can't fill up on two.

I found this recipe in the joy of cooking. It seemed perfect for the hardy, savory crepes I remember from France. This was a total home run. We did ours with some ham we had frozen after Easter and Jarlsberg cheese. We couldn't believe how good these were and it was so nice to just keep eating them.

Here's the recipe:

1/2 cup buckwheat flour (I bought this at Whole Foods in the bulk food section, it was surprisingly cheap)

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1 cup milk

3/4 cup water

3 large eggs

2 tbsp. vegetable oil

1 teaspoon salt

Blend everything together, make sure it's mixed well. Let stand for an hour, according to the recipe, this is very important.

When you cook the crepes, butter the pan each time and pour 1/4 cup batter and spread around the pan. Even though these are thin, they cook longer than you think. When it starts to curl on the edges, it's ready to flip and it should be easy to flip if it's done.

Once it's flipped, put the ham and cheese inside. When the cheese is melted, fold it over.

This may be a little unorthodox, but we put it in the microwave for 10 seconds out of the pan. The crepe stayed crispy, but the ham and cheese were the perfect temperature.

Spices and Silks, the Likes of Which Ye've Never Seen

So, I've started going to a Chinese market in Salt Lake City called Super China or something like that. I've lived in Taiwan and when I walk into this place it smells just like Taiwan.

They have everything you need for asian cooking at about 1/4 of the price of the grocery store. The thing that blew my mind were the fresh herbs. At the grocery store you pay $4 for 4 basil leaves. Here, you can get a huge bunch of fresh basil or mint for $1.

You can also buy pounds of chicken feet if you need them.

One Night in Bangkok

Full disclosure, I have never been to Thailand, although it is a lifelong dream. Where else can you scuba dive, eat delicious food, ride an elephant and see a man wrestle an alligator?

I love Thai food and found a winner of a recipe. It's with a spicy Thai Basil Sauce.

Here's the recipe for the sauce:

1 cup chopped basil leaves, chopped course
3/4 c. low sodium chicken broth
2 tbsp. fish sauce (I used oyster sauce)
1 tbsp. Asian chili sauce (I used half to make it less spicy)
2 tsp. brown sugar
2 tsp. corn starch

For the stir fry:

1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts cut into 1 inch chunks
2 tsp. soy sauce
2 tbsp. penut or vegetable oil
spicy basil sauce (see above)
snow peas
1.5 cups julienned carrots
1 bell pepper, cored, seeded and sliced
3 cloves garlic minced
1 tbsp. fresh grated ginger

Toss chicken in soy sauce and cook in oil until browned
Add more oil to pan and cook carrots and peppers until lightly browned, 5-6 minutes
Add snow peas and cook 1-2 minutes
Clear center of pan and add more oil and garlic and ginger, cook, mashing into pan with spatula about 30 seconds
Stir in chicken and thai basil sauce, cook until sauce thickens

Serve over rice

Having Naan of It

Let me apologize to you, dear readers, for not updating the blog in a long time. I wish I had an excuse, like I had traveled around Europe and the middle east trying to find the perfect kebab, but, alas, I have nothing that good.

For those not familiar with naan, it's a delicious Indian flat bread that is overpriced at restaurants. I keep thinking that there is not much to naan and that it can't be very hard to make.

I tried this recipe which had a great taste but did not exactly have the right texture. I want to give it another try, but I want to try to cook these on the bbq at a really high temperature. Even with the oven at 500 degrees, these took a little too long to cook. This is a bread that is best if it cooks really fast at a high temperature.

Some other pointers:

-The recipe has everything in ounces, 9 ounces of flour is 1 cup and 2 tbsp.

-I used 4 ounces of milk, it calls for 3.5 to 4.5, why do recipes do that?

-It did not rise much, but I think the kneading is more important, it's easy if you have a machine that will do the kneading for you.

Hibiscus Heaven

Those not familiar with hibiscus, it's a flower that people around the world make into herbal tea. It supposedly has a lot of health benefits, but I think that it tastes good.

I tried this recipe and was very impressed. It was a little too tart for me and I ended up adding another 1/4 cup of sugar. It tasted like a very good raspberry lemonade with a little twist. Give it a try, I was to try some more hibiscus ice tea recipes.

Super Skillet

Last Christmas, I got a cast iron skillet. This thing weighs more than my two-year-old son and could easily deflect heavy artillery. Oh yeah, and it was under $20. Hopefully this post won't yuppify the skillet and send the price through the roof.

So, people kept telling me that I needed to "season" the skillet and I had no idea what that meant. Well, it means that when you cook with it, you scrub it out (no soap) and then rub it down with oil and heat it on the stove until the oil smokes. Once you do this 8-10 times, the pan is amazing.

It gives things a great flavor. We cooked steaks in the skillet and I was amazed. You heat the oven to 500 degrees, and put the skillet in the oven while it heats. Get the steaks at room temperature, coat them with oil, salt and pepper. Turn the heat on high and take the skillet out and throw the steak on, while the stove is on high.

Cook the steaks for 3-4 minutes on each side, flip once. You will get a nice brown crust and unbelievable flavor that will compensate for the smokey mess in your kitchen. These were the best steaks I'd ever cooked at home.

The skillet is also great for frying onions, potatoes and chicken.

In Search of Falafel

I am a big fan of something called a falafel. For those of you unfamiliar with this food, when I explain it, it will sound disgusting. It's ground chick-peas fried and served in a pita with toppings and a garlic/yogurt sauce.

Trust me, it's delicious. When I lived in Washington, DC, there was an amazing falafel place in our neighborhood called Amsterdam Falafel. The falafels were great and you could put tons of toppings on them. They were a little pricey. I would love to find a falafel stand where you could get one to go, wrapped in paper for like $3. Alas, I may be living on the wrong continent, I may have to settle for good $6-10 falafels at sit-down restaurants.

Go Make Yourself a Dang Quesadilla!

The cheese quesadilla was the first thing I learned how to cook and I think I made one for lunch everyday of summer vacation when I was in 4th grade (smart Mom, huh?).

We ate at a great Mexican restaurant near DC in Arlington, VA called El Paso Cafe. Probably the only good Mexican food in the DC Metro Area (prove me wrong people!). My lovely wife ordered quesadillas one time and they were amazing. Made with mushroom, fried onions and with avocados and fresh tomatoes on top.

We have made similar quesadillas. We use the tortillas from Costco that you cook yourself. We do two tortillas on top of each other with monterrey jack, pan-cooked chicken and fried onions inside. The key is to get the tortillas fairly crispy while you are cooking the quesadilla in the pan. Put fresh avocados and tomatoes on top. Voila! The best dang quesadilla you've ever eaten.

The Gold Standard of Cola

So, I'm always on the hunt for a good cola. I've found some great ones, Mexican Coke, Boylan's and Pig Iron Cola are some of my favorites. Virgil's Cola was a major disappointment (although they're root beer is one of my top two).

Recently I decided to try Fentiman's Curiosity Cola, which comes from England. The bottle is very cool and looks like an elixer Sherlock Holmes would drink at the apothecary's before going out to solve a caper.

This was the best cola I've ever had. It had a hint of spice, a slight bitterness and a very bold, clean taste. I would definitely recommend you pick one up from the apothecary or World Market.

For the Halibut

I don't know how all of you feel about halibut, but I am kind of lukewarm about it. I will eat it, but it doesn't really do that much for me. I'm talking about the kind of halibut steak that is usually baked and served with potatoes and parsley.

We had some halibut in the freezer and I really wanted to try some fish tacos. We found this recipe and it was really good.

The batter calls for beer. I don't drink alcohol, but I feel fine about cooking with it. I was out and about and stopped at a gas station to pick up a can of beer for the batter. I took my almost-two-year old son in with me and felt very awkward buying a 24 oz. slam can of Budweiser. I was sure someone from my church congregation would walk through the door and I would be left mumbling something about a fish taco recipe.

12 (6-inch) corn tortillas
4-5 cups vegetable oil
1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon chili powder
Salt and pepper
1 cup (gasp!) light colored beer
1 1/2 pounds skinless cod or halibut cut into 4 by 1-inch strips
2 tablespoons minced chipotle chilis in adobo
3/4 cup mayonaise
1/4 pound shredded green cabbage
1 tomato cut and diced

Pour oil into a dutch oven until it measures 1 inch deep and heat 375 degrees over medium-high heat. While oil heats, whisk flour, chili powder, 1 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper together in large bowl and set aside. When oil is almost ready, whisk beer into flour mixture until completely smooth.

Pat fish dry with paper towels, soak in batter and place into oil. Fry until golden brown and pat dry.

Mis mayonaise and chipotle together with salt and pepper and season to taste. Smear each warm tortilla with mayo mixture, add fish, cabbage and diced tomato.

Best Thing Since Crystal Pepsi

When I first heard about Pepsi Throwback, I was a bit skeptical. I thought it was a sorry attempt at jumping on the cane sugar bandwagon and that it was lame it wasn't made in bottles.

I decided to try a 12 pack. I have been surprisingly impressed. Good taste, sweeter than Coke and it definitely has the "clean" taste that we cane sugar nuts go for.

I also like the old logo on the can. It reminds me of my childhood. I think the new Pepsi logo looks like something from great lakes sailing club and is terrible.

No Beef With Stew, But Stew With Beef

This is one of my all-time favorite beef stew recipes. There is nothing better in the winter and there is something very wholesome about it as well. I always imagine myself wandering in a blizzard and happening upon a cottage where they serve me beef stew from a cauldron on the fire.

Anyways, back to reality . . .

Most beef stews sit very heavy, this one is lighter and has balsamic vinegar which gives it great flavor. This recipe is courtesy of Martha Stewart, who made this stew with horse meat for thousands of prisoners when she did time a few years back.

Egg-Kai-Shek

So, this weekend I tried something that has been a long time in the making. When I was in Taiwan, these were a breakfast staple. They were cut by scissors and served in plastic bags. I was wondering if the big noses (Taiwanese slang for white people) at my house would like them.

I got a package of frozen "thin onion pies" at my local Chinese market. These are easy to make, but flipping the egg and pie is tricky. I found that what worked was cooking the pie on one side of the griddle and the egg mixture on the other side. I just combined one egg, green onions, salt and pepper and water and beat them together.

When the egg mixture was mostly cooked, I slid it on top of the tortilla-like pie. You then roll it up, cut it in strips and drizzle sauce on top. I combined chili sauce (sriracha), oyster sauce, teriyaki and soy sauce.

It may sound weird for breakfast, but trust me, big nose, you will like these.

Cutlet Supreme

Get it? This is a picture of a Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme and the post is about a CUTLET supreme. It's a play on words, very popular with experienced humorists.

This weekend we experimented wtih cutlets. We've tried several times and they haven't turned out great. Either the breading did not stay on, or they turned out too crispy. This weekend we nailed it.

Good cutlets can be made with chicken, pork or veal. First, use a tenderizing mallot to pound out the meat and get it thin and tender. Then get three shallow dishes and put all-purpose flour in one, two eggs in another and bread crumbs in the third. You pat dry the cutlet, salt and pepper it, dredge in the flour, then in the eggs, then in the breadcrumbs.

You need a skillet filled with oil (we used olive oil) that is just full enough to fully cover the bottom and sides of the cutlets. Get it hot and throw them in the pool. turn them when they are golden brown and enjoy!

These are great with fresh lemon and would also make a great chicken or veal parmesan.

Why I Need A Trader Joe's

I'm going to say some things that I'm sure everyone agrees with: 1. Trader Joe's is great; 2. We need a Trader Joe's in Utah.

For me Trader Joe's is great for two reasons: 1. They have great TJ products like frozen pizzas, marinara sauce, mochi balls, to name a few; 2. They have specialty items at really low prices. The produce and bread products are hit and miss.

After moving back to Utah, I do miss not having a Trader Joe's and will join the other thousands of Utahns who have created facebook pages and lobbied the company to come here.

A Final Word About Grape Soda

This is a follow up to my earlier post about grape soda. I recently bought some Boylan's Grape and ended up being a little disappointed. It was good but tasted like melted Otter Pops, just a bit too much.

I've been wanting to try NuGrape Soda and finally picked up a bottle. I was very pleased. It tastes very similar to Nehi and has more of a subtle grape taste. So, if you're in the mood for the purple stuff, pick up some NuGrape.

Great Breakfast . . . After 10:30 AM

I have had a love/hate relationship with McDonalds. Until age 8, I adored the place. I dragged my parents there to enjoy playground equipment, Happy Meal toys and half of a hamburger and most of my fries.

After that, I lost my taste for it, to my parents' delight. When I lived in Taiwan for two years as a missionary, McDonalds was one of the few places I could get American food. I estimate that I consumed over a hundred Big Macs in a two year period and have only had one since I've returned to the U.S. (which has been almost 10 years, yikes).

I've always loved McDonald's breakfast, especially the Egg McMuffin. How many times have you felt like one and it's been past 10:30 AM? I've found that they're very easy to make. All you need is english muffins, cheese, canadian bacon and cheddar cheese. My good friend in Ohio taught me the secrets of mcmuffin manufacturing.

You pan fry the canadian bacon, scramble some eggs, toast the english muffin and put the cheese on top. You will be amazed. This weekend we tried them with homemade biscuits and actually liked the english muffin better.

Even More Rootbeer Reviews

This week I sampled two rootbeers that I've been wanting to try. I picked them up at World Market, which usually has a decent soda selection, but sometimes the stock gets low.

As you can probably tell from this blog, bulldogs are another passion of mine. A bulldog brand soda? What could be better? The notoriously harsh soda critics rate Bulldog Root Beer as one of the best on the market. I agree. It's made with cane sugar and honey and is brewed. It has a brewed taste and combines a lot of flavors. It has a little bit of a bite, which I like. When I was done I wanted to crack open another bottle.

Abita is from Louisiana, which apparently is not only known for drunken debauchery, but also known for root beer. Abita was definitely more of a traditional root beer. Very smooth with a hint of vanilla. It was also very good. I think if I had to chose between the two, Bulldog would get my vote.

Airport Security Hazard and Delicious Taco Garnish

Those of you who have seen Spinal Tap will know that even a cosmetic cucumber wrapped in tinfoil can be a problem for airport security.

If your family is anything like mine, taco night is a regularly occurring family activity. Tacos are cheap, good and easy to make. The cucumber is often overlooked as a garnish for tacos. They are delicious and add another flavor and crunch that is sure to make your taco nights a success.

Snob Salad

So the cobb salad is apparently the signature salad of snobby country clubs across the country. I've always wanted to join a country club, but tragically, I have significant school loans and have to worry about trivial things like food, clothing and shelter before enjoying the finer things in life.

The good news is, you can still enjoy a cobb salad without joining a country club. Some restaurants make it difficult to eat the cobb salads they serve. I've been to places where they bring out half hard boiled eggs, half avacados and huge strips of bacon on top of lettuce. In the words of our country club friends "send it back!" I say.

I prefer things to be well chopped and a lighter dressing for so many heavy ingredients. Normally I'm not a huge advocate of chain restaurants, but the Cheesecake Factory has one of the best cobb salads I've ever had. It's big enough for two people, so you can split it with your lover.

Splitting a salad with my wife at the Cheesecake Factory, who says I don't know how to live large?

Healthy Fatty Food

For our Super Bowl festivities, we used this wing recipe from Alton Brown. These wings are steamed and then baked, locking in the moisture. They were good, my only complaint is that they aren't as crispy as the ones I usually do (see my earlier wing post).

Still, a good solid recipe, I probably should have let them roast a little longer. It's a lot healthier than the other wings and much healthier than frying.

Steamed Milk

I've noticed that since I've been married I've been obligated to watch a lot of old black and white movies. I am a classic film fan and enjoy Casablanca, Psycho, and On the Waterfront in black and white. The 1940s versions of romantic comedies with Doris Day and Cary Grant are what I don't so much enjoy. Oh, the things you endure for love. I've sat through more of these than I'd care to admit.

That being said, have you ever noticed that women in these movies always have a glass of warm milk before bed or to soothe frazzled nerves? I always thought this was strange, but am a big fan of the steamed milk you get from coffee shops.

I did a previous post about a hot chocolate maker that we got for Christmas. You can also use this contraption to make steamed milk. We added Torani caramel syrup and it was very delicious.

The Good Ice

Crushed ice is the greatest. It seemed like all my favorite fast food joints growing up had crushed ice in the drink cups. Now it seems to be dissappearing, which is a tragedy.

It makes your drink a slushy mix of delicousness and the cubes are easy to chew. It also makes blending frozen drinks and smoothies very easy. When I am finally rolling like a big shot, I want to buy a fridge with a built-in crushed ice machine.

Hawaiian Mudslide

This weekend we tried an experiment to replicate a mud pie we had in Kona, Hawaii similar to the one pictured above.

This is a very easy thing to make and will get the same reaction as the volleyball scene in Top Gun from the women in your life. You will need:

1/2 gallon of coffee ice cream
one Jello no bake oreo dessert
one jar of Grandma Richardson's hot fudge sauce

The jello no bake dessert will have both the oreo crumbs (for the crust) and the chunks (to mix with the ice cream).

Soften the ice cream in the refrigerator for about 20-30 minutes.

Melt 4 tablespoons butter (directions on jello container) and mix them with the oreo crumbs. Press crust into bottom of pie dish to form your crust. I used a 9" spring form pan. This made it really easy to cut and serve.

Put your crust in the freezer for 20-30 minutes. Mix the ice cream with the oreo chunks, then spread over crust.

After ice cream has been in freezer for 2 hours, spread the room temperature hot fudge sauce over the top of ice cream. Let it freeze another 2 hours.

Cut and serve. It was delicious just like this, but if you want to make it even more decadent, add whip cream and heated hot fudge over the pie. Even if you don't like coffee flavor very much, the flavors blend together really well with just a hint of the coffee flavor.

Omelette Perfection!

I am an omelette fanatic. When I go to a nice restaurant for breakfast, it's usually what I order. It seems like a relatively straightforward thing to make yourself, but I have tried and failed several times.

The way I've always tried is putting your beat eggs into a pan and trying to get the top part cooked before the bottom burns--it never works. The result is a chewy, crispy crust with a runny middel. With most foods a little crispy is good, not with eggs.

I found a brilliant idea online. First, get everything ready to go in your omelette (I did sauteed mushrooms, peppers and onions, canadian bacon and cheese) and turn on the broiler. Second, beat the eggs with a little milk and salt and pepper. The blender will make them really fluffy. Third, greas the pan. Fourth, put in the eggs THEN turn on the heat. Let the eggs cook gradually until the bottom of the omelette has the perfect consistency. Fifth, turn off the heat and stick the pan in the oven under the broiler. You will be able to tell when the cheese is melted and when the eggs on top look done.

Then you slide it out of the pan, fold it over and enjoy a perfect omelette. No flip, nothing too complicated.

Poor Man's Cheerwine

For those of you who are still reading this blog, you may remember that Cheerwine is my favorite soda. Unfortunately my supply is dwindling and it's expensive to buy a case and have it shipped.

I've been wanting to try Dr. Pepper Cherry to see if it cuts the mustard. I was a bit skeptical because I am a snob about soda and turn up my nose at anything not in a glass bottle and not made with cane sugar.

Cut the mustard it does! I was surprised how similar it is to Cheerwine and what a great taste it has. Just enough cherry, just enough Dr. Pepper. You might even see me sneak a 12 pack of cans into my cart at the grocery store.

Purple Stuff

So, I'm sure all of you remember the classic Sunny D commercial where the kids look in the fridge and turn up their noses at the "purple stuff" and rejoice at discovering Sunny D.

I hate Sunny D and like the purple stuff. Every once in a while I go on a grape soda kick, which seems to really confuse my wife. I think she is puzzled by the whole soda obsession in general. Nehi grape, pictured on the right, is my favorite grape soda. It's unfortunately hard to find and I've only seen it in the south.

Boylan's makes a good grape soda. I still need to try NuGrape, another classic vintagy brand. It has to be bottled and served ice cold. It also tastes great on a hot day.

Something for Nothing

Let me begin by saying that I am a walking contradiction when it comes to grocery shopping. I love specialty stores with hard to find items and beautiful meat and produce sections. I also love places like Winco pictured above with decent variety and rock bottom prices.

We usually end up going to 2-3 grocery stores to get what we're after. They just opened a Winco here in Salt Lake and their prices are ridiculous. Everything is seriously $1-2 cheaper than other grocery stores. If you've ever seen Raising Arizona, it reminds me of the grocery store where they chase down Mr. H.I. McDonnough and shoot at 2 liter bottles of soda and cans of baked beans.

Their selection is pretty good, way better than Wal-Mart. The depressing factor is definitely lower than your average grocery store but not nearly that of Wal-Mart. I judge the depressing factor by the general ambience and the looks on the faces of the employees and the customers. For me shopping at Wal-Mart makes me feel like I'm in a refugee camp fighting for rations. There is something Soviet about the surly employees, bare shelves and long lines, but the all-American low prices keep people coming back.

Winco is definitely a good place to do your stock-up grocery trips, but I'll still have to pay sky high prices for certain specialty items at the nice stores.

World's Ultimate Meatball

For those of you who are familiar with the film Rocky 3, you will understand this reference. Rocky fights Hulk Hogan who labels the contest "the world's ultimate male vs. the world's ultimate meatball!"

This weekend I tried to make the world's ultimate meatball. I used this recipe from our white-haired friend who hosts Diners Drive-ins and Dives. WARNING! This recipe is time consuming and calls for a lot of ingredients that you probably don't have around the house.

It was amazing though. I only used fresh basil and didn't use the other fresh herbs. Also, I just used crushed tomatoes and not the San Marzano tomatoes. It was really good, I held back the red pepper flakes and just did 1 teaspoon, it gave them a good amount of kick but not too much.

These were really good, enjoy with a nice frosted mug of birch beer.

Beware of the Soggies!

If your family was anything like my family, sugar cereal was not allowed. We could get it on vacations and that was it. There must have been a lot of parenting literature circulating on the subject in the early 80s because my wife's family had the same policy.

Or, then again, maybe it was because the parents did not think that a mixture of processed corn, sugar and chemicals was a great way to start the day.

Cap'n Crunch was my favorite childhood cereal (with crunch berries of course). What about you? I loved the way the yellow bricks tasted with the crunchberries (and didn't really notice the greasy film it leaves in your mouth). When I was a freshman in college and liberated from the oppressive cereal policies of my parents, I ate many a bowl. I haven't had it for a long time and may pick up a box next time I'm at the grocery store, just for old time sake.

Crazy Dogs

For those who don't know, let me just get it out of the way, I'm a huge Brigham Young University fan. It's where I went to school, it's where I met my wife and I love to cheer for the sports teams. So all you haters out there, deal with it!

Being back in Utah is great because I can go to BYU games. I'm a little bitter that I was a student there when the sports teams had mostly mediocre seasons and now they are good. One thing that is now a Provo institution which was missing while I was there is J Dawgs.

In fact, J Dawgs is along the route where I walked to school every day, ah what could have been . . .

I've been on the lookout for a good hot dog since I moved back to Utah. Washington DC had the world famous Ben's Chili Bowl, which had it's signature chili half smoke, beloved by Obama and Bill Cosby. I've been feeling the void in my life since I moved back.

My friend and I hit up J Dawgs before seeing the #13 ranked Cougars trounce the Wyoming Cowboys. The game was great, and so was J Dawgs. It was everything I like, simple menu, great food, low prices and prepared quickly. What more can you ask for? J Dawgs has a signature sauce that really brings all the fixins in the dog together.

Hats off the J Dawgs, it ill be my new pre-game go to place . . . even better than the BYU food service heat lamp hot dogs available at the game.

Mile High Meal Club

Let me start off by saying that flying first class is one of the worst things you can do as an airline passenger? Why? Because you learn how much better it is and will never want to fly coach in the future.

Airplane food is notoriously bad and now it's a little better, but you have to pay for it. My best airplane food experience was, ironically, with a meal I brought on-board myself. I was in 9th grade and we'd gone on a trip to New York. I had a leftover half a cornbeef sandwhich from the Carnegie Deli in New York. While everyone else had their scalding hot microwaved pasta, I dined on a world class sandwich.

What are some of the best and worst airplane meals you've had dear readers? Do we have any first class flyers out there who can gloat about terrific meals they've had sitting up with the big shots while the rest of us choke down soggy processed meat sandwiches in coach?

My Own Private Idaho

So yesterday, in honor of civil rights, we had our annual civil rights breakfast. On the menu was french toast and hash browns. This was our first attempt at hash browns and they turned out much better than expected.

We used this recipe:

4 medium sized potatoes peeled
2 tablespoons finely chopped onions
1/2 teaspoon salt
ground pepper

First, you put the potatoes through a food processor or grade them in a cheese grater on one of the larger settings
Second, boil the potatoes (shedded) until they can easily be penetrated with a fork

Mix all the ingredients together in a bowl
Put in a non-stick skillet with three tablespoons of oil (recipe recommends vegetable oil, we used olive oil)
Make into a large cake in the skillet, press down with spatula
Cook 15 minutes, when the cake starts to get a nice crust on the bottom, split it in half. Use two spatulas to turn each side over. (We at least tried to do that, but some of it turned into more of a "hash". I guess that's a good thing).

These were as good or better than you would get at your favorite breakfast place.

Daddy Issues

I remember liking Dad's Root Beer when I was younger. Since I've gotten into soda and become a certified expert, I wanted to revisit my childhood and try it in the classic bottle. A local grocery store had the bottles on sale for 50 cents a pop, so I bought a bunch.

Dad's is made with cane sugar and has been around since 1937. It was a major dissappointment. It was flat and fairly bland. It also had a watered down taste, not at all what I was expecting. It was too bad because I wanted so badly to like it.

My top root beers so far are Virgil's, Sprecher's and Sioux City Sarsparilla. I've been wanting to try Abita and Bulldog and should have reviews of those brands shortly.

Paying the Price for Bad Meat

Good meat is something I usually take for granted. We usually buy our meat from Costco, and have generally been satisfied.

Occasionally we'll go to a fancy butcher shop or Whole Foods and it's usually worth it, you can taste the quality.

This weekend we bought some meat on sale at Fresh Market, which recently bought Albertsons. The idea of meat going on sale is a little gross, mainly because it's probably pretty old and about to go bad. We got a roast on sale that tasted just like that. Our roasts usually turn out great, but this one tasted like it was from a college cafeteria.

Word to the wise, save money elsewhere and invest in good meat.

Auspicious Beef

Now that Mrs. Fabulous is expecting a baby fabulous, all she wants to eat is red meat and ice cream . . . it's awesome.

We tried this recipe and it was a real winner of a beef dinner.

2 pounds top blade steak sliced thin (we couldn't find blade steak and used flank steak instead)
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1/2 c. soy sauce
1/2 c. sugar
2 tablespoons mirin, sherry or white wine
2 teaspoons cornstarch
2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger
1 garlic clove minced
1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes
2 scalions sliced thin

Make sauce while beef browns

1. Brown Meat: Pat steak dry with paper towels and season with pepper. Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until just smoking. Brown half of the steak on both sides, about 5 minutes total. Transfer steak into a clean bowl. Repeat with remaining steak, then transfer to bowl.

2. Assemble and Simmer Sauce: While steak cooks, whisk soy sauce, sugar, mirin, cornstarch, ginger, garlic and red pepper flakes together. Add sauce to skillet, return to medium-high heat, and simmer, scraping up any brown bits, until thickened, about 2 minutes.

3. Simmer Meat with Sauce: Add steak and any accumulated juices to skillet and continue to simmer until steak is heated through and sauce has thickened, about 1 minute. Transper to platter and sprinkle with scallions, serve over rice with toasted sesame seeds on top.

Manly Seafood

For some reason, raw oysters seem like a very manly food to me. There is something about eating them that feels very much like doing shots, which, when you don't drink like me, is something you need more of in your life.

The last time I had raw oysters I was a teenager and tried one with my grandpa. This weekend we went out to Market Street Grill (the only legit fish restaurant in Utah) and I decided to try a few. I couldn't believe how much flavor they had and how fresh they tasted. I felt like I dunked my face in the ocean and took a bite.

I only had three (pretty weak I know) but felt like I could have easily eaten a couple dozen. I thought of buying my own and trying to make them at home. But shucking them sounds shucking hard, if it's anything like what I've seen on TV. If anyone has done it or has any pointers, speak up!

Singing the Praises of Cheerwine

So, as most of you know by now, I am obsessed with soda. There are still a lot that I would like to try, but I think that Cheerwine is definitely my preferred brew.

What's Cheerwine? If it's so good why have I never seen it in a store and why have I never heard of it?

Cheerwine is a soda that has been around since 1917 and is primarily available in the south (North and South Carolina to be exact). I describe the taste as a combination of Cherry Coke and Dr. Pepper. For me it has just the right amounts of cherry, cola and other flavors. They sell it in cans with high fructose corn syrup or glass bottles with cane sugar (bottled is the way to go).

I am so passionate about Cheerwine that last year when I was living in Washington DC, I found a place that was a 45 minute drive where I could buy cases of bottles. Before I moved to Utah I bought 4 cases and packed them in the moving van with our supplies.

I think Cheerwine should definitely be available all over the country, in the meantime, I'm down to my last case.

Pinch Some Pennies

I've debated actually doing this post. There's a fine line between frugal and cheap and I try to stay on the frugal side without crossing it. I occasionally use coupons, but try to stay far away from the hardcore coupon-clippers; not the ones who occasionally do it to save their family some cash, but the ones who do it as a full time job and get paid 10 cents for each of the 36 packages of chili cheese Fritos they buy. When you talk to those people, you always feel like a chump for actually paying for groceries--even if their freezer is stocked with Western Family fish sticks and Red Barron pizza.

Coupons are a whole different ball game in restaurants. When you use a coupon at the grocery store, the cashier always gives you a look of approval, like you've played your hand well. Restaurants are a different story. They send out tons of coupons in the mail. When you actually try to use one, there is always an awkward moment. The waiter gives you this look like "you've shown your true colors, I should have known when you didn't order a drink."

Recently we went with a big group to Bucca di Beppo. I'm not usually a big fan of restaurant chains, but I think their food is actually pretty good. We had several awkward moments with our waiter, like when we tried to remove the bust of the Pope that was in plexi-glass in the middle of our round table. We were told that it was corporate policy that the Pope cannot be moved. Everyone in the group tried to use a $10 off coupon from the mail. The waiter looked at us with disgust seeming to say "just what I expected from this group." We could only use one per table.

This brings me to the point of my post. Their marguerita pizza was actually really good. I also like their mixed green salad. So, go to Bucca di Beppo and get the small pizza and small salad, which ends up being $21.00 and you can use your $10.00 off coupon. Use it . . . if you can endure the shame.

Porktastic!

If you're anything like me, one of your New Year's resolutions is to eat more pork. Before you knock pork, I'll have you know that my great uncle lived to be 95 and ate pork every day of his life. He also drank booze and chased dames, neither of which I endorse. The pork, however, is something that I think could really help you achieve all of your health goals this year.

Last night we tried this recipe for carnitas tacos. These are easy because they cook all day in a slow cooker. They are also delicious, because they cook all day in a slow cooker. We garnished ours with avocados and monterey jack cheese. It needs a little spice, so I'd recommend tabasco or some spicy salsa.

Blue Bore

On New Years Eve, I went with my whole family to the Blue Boar Inn for an early prix fixe meal and celebration.

The Blue Boar has spectacular atmosphere. Everything from the decor on the outside to the interior antler chandeliers looks like an Austrian Inn. They had cool pewter plates with the restaurant logo and lots of cool paintings and stuffed boars.

The only problem was . . . the food. It was mediocre at best and hinged on being bad. They had five courses and I kept waiting to be impressed and did not especially enjoy anything until dessert. My parents had eaten there a few months earlier and said the food did not even resemble what they had previously and cost twice as much.

They tried to serve a gourmet meal and did not pull it off. The dishes were fancy, with truffle soup, duck and venison. But none of it was very good. Part of the experience of going to a nice restaurant is having food you wouldn't normally eat that is surprisingly delicious. This meal consisted of bland, lukewarm food that I found lacking.

That's what you get for going out on New Year's Eve, you say. True, perhaps restaurants don't shine brightest on Valentine's or New Year's. However, there is a difference between the food being an 7 instead of an 8 or 9 and it being a 3 instead of an 8 or 9. Also, restaurants can't really afford to let people down these days, even the most asinine and unsophisticated can get online and review a restaurant, just look to this blog.

The worst dish was a fish called sable, it was under cooked and sitting on top of some kind of grain dish, which tasted like a Kashi bar. I could barely choke it down and seriously regret not saying something.

Well, there it is, my skewering of the Blue Boar.

How to French Toast

Is there anything better than french toast in the morning? It depends on the french toast.

Are they thick slices of buttery, fluffy, golden brown with powdered sugar and syrup, or thin dry slices of wheat bread coated with burnt egg on the outside and soggy, uncooked egg on the inside?

I may have found the key to delicious french toast that can rival most restaurant french toast. I used this recipe, but did several key things differently, which I think made it so good. Use this recipe for the batter, but follow my way for the rest of the recipe (or I will hunt you down and break your thumbs).

First, buy Wonderbread (or some other low-nutrient, unhealthy brand) texas toast. This comes in really thick slices. Second, lightly toast the bread in the toaster before you cook the french toast. This makes it so the inside does not become a sea of uncooked egg.

A lot of recipes tell you to soak the bread in the batter for 30 seconds, I just have the bread dive in, get wet, then I flip it over and throw it on the griddle until it's golden brown on each side.

Coat with powdered sugar, butter and maple syrup and you shant be disappointed.