Pantry Clean Out Recipe: Beef Stroganoff

As I get them, I'll pass them along. Thanks for sending the recipes my way! Pantry items are in bold.

Beef Stroganoff
1 pound ground beef
1 cup sour cream
1 can cream of celery
1 onion
1 bag elbow macaroni
1 envelope onion soup mix

1. Boil macaroni and set aside.
2. Brown ground beef with chopped onions.
3. Add sour cream, cream of celery, and onion soup mix to ground beef. Mix together for a few minutes.
4. Combine the macaroni and mixture.
5. Serve.

Happy Hour

Every Thursday I'll get you ready for the weekend with a tasty drink recipe.

White Russian
2 parts whole milk
1 part vodka
1 part Trader Vic's Kona Coffee Liqueur

I'll admit it...back in the day I went through my Big Lebowski White Russian phase. With this recipe, I put my little twist on it. The Kona Liqueur adds a nice touch. One of these will do you...not so much the alcohol, just a heavy drink in general. Enjoy!

Unique Randomness

My random thoughts...brought to you once a week.

The Houston Press recently came out with an article about their Top 10 places to eat in the Oak Forest area. Thought I'd give my own version since I've lived here most of my life. My apologizes for alienating my "unfamiliar with Houston readers".

10. China Doll-Gotta keep it real with this one. China Doll has it's fair share of loyalists and critics. I grew up less than a mile from the restaurant and I've eaten here more than any other place. The fried rice, egg rolls and Pork Egg Foo Young are still spectacular.

9. Yo Mama's Soul Food-You will not find better mac n' cheese, sweet potatoes, and stuffing anywhere in the vacinity. Oh, and I almost forgot the meat loaf...awesome.

8. Tia Maria's-I know this place is a run-of-the-mill Mexican restaurant, but it is definitely special to me. Although most of their food is average, the beef fajitas are tops in my book. The charred onions and bell peppers are what seal the deal.

7. Simo's-This blue-collar diner located right off Shepherd scores big points. They do a solid breakfast, but I generally find myself their at lunch time...consuming a gyro and fries. Can't beat it.

6. El Rey-Just great Mexican and Cuban food. I love the pastor tortas and the traditional Cuban sandwiches. Give the Key Lime Pie a try...very underrated.

5. Mi Sombrero-Speaking of underrated...I've got Mi Sombrero on my list. They serve a fabulous breakfast. For lunch or dinner, I usually get the shredded chicken nachos. My goodness they are great! How this place doesn't get more pub is beyond me.

4. Supreme Sandwiches-What??? You know that little place off TC Jester next to the other mega-sandwich chain? This place is far better and much cheaper. I love running in for lunch and grabbing one of their sandwiches off the counter. Love the chicken salad.

3. Miller's Cafe-How in the world did this not make the Houston Press list? This place serves one of the top burgers in all of Houston, much less Oak Forest. You walk up, you order a burger and fries, you sit down, you eat...you happy.

2. Cafe Red Onion-Seems too nice for a neighborhood restaurant and the prices are a bit high, but one can't deny the food quality. I love the chicken pupusas. Great margaritas...some of the best in Houston.

1. Olde Towne Kolache-And speaking of the best...right across the freeway from Red Onion, you'll find the best kolache in Houston and possibly the country at Old Towne. The tradional sausage and cheese is outstanding, but my usual choice is the sausage, egg and cheese rancheros. Just a hot pocket of cheesy, eggy, sausagy goodness...with just enough spice.

Crazy random fact for my sports lover:
June 16, 1986...my one and only experience going to Wrigley Field. Cubs beat the Phillies that day. I was 8. Making his major league debut for the Cubs was a youngster named Jaime Moyer. He just 3-hit the Yanks tonight. I am almost 33.

Mighty Good Recipe

It's Tuesday...time for a Mighty Good Recipe!

Giant Ding Dong Cake
http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Giant-Ding-Dong-Cake/Detail.aspx

I'll spare you the crude, childish humor. That's not why I posted this recipe. I made this cake a few years back, and it really does taste like a Ding Dong. I know those aren't everyone's favorite, but if you are like me and enjoyed this tasty treat as a child...this recipe might be for you. It's fun to make, and let's face it...a decent conversational piece.

City Jewel: Cleveland

We're switching some things around this week. I made mention of a City Jewel Denver...but instead, we'll go north to Cleveland. Thank you to Rachel for submitting this fabulous piece.

The Greenhouse Tavern
2038 East 4th Street
Cleveland, OH
http://www.thegreenhousetavern.com
Reservations recommended

AWESOMELY COOL DISTINCTIONS:

*Just rated as being one of Bon Appétit Magazine’s Top Ten Best New Restaurants in America

*Food and Wine Magazine’s Best New Chefs 2010 Award for Jonathon Sawyer

*First certified green restaurant in Ohio – created in collaboration with the Green Restaurant Association.

*Gravy Frites celebrated on the Food Network’s “The Best Thing I Ever Ate”

The Review:
Let’s just get it out... I’m a bad person. I was not looking forward to going to a ‘green’ restaurant. I thought that the theme of green would lend itself to rabbit-eating, non-tasting, small portioned food. I was so wrong that it is unbelievable! This restaurant is spectacular, and I definitely didn’t leave there hungry or my palate lacking from a flavorful meal. The Greenhouse Tavern is a real treat, offering French inspired dishes while using all local ingredients. The belief of the genius chef is that the proximity of farm ingredients and the restaurant directly correlate to the quality of the food.


The Details:
My husband and I have been there on three occasions since I’ve moved to Cleveland. Each time has been nothing short of spectacular. It’s a little pricey on Cleveland standards (which are low in comparison to other cities). But, for $35, you can do the chef’s tasting menu – a combination of any 4 items, each from a different course. I believe the first time that my husband and I went with our friend David, we all decided to do this and made sure that we all grabbed something different so we could try each other’s food. For our appetizer course, our three selections were a combination of an olive tapenade, house-made fromage blanc with fresh thyme, olive oil and grilled bread, and a tasty beef tartar. The “seconds” course consisted of Crispy Chicken Wings Confit (this was one of the most amazing parties in my mouth EVER with roasted jalapeno, lemon juice, scallions and garlic in the sauce), pumpkin ravioli (it was November), and Lamb Shank. Our “thirds” course (mind you, I’ve already eaten enough and am barely still hungry) was a dry-aged Ohio beef burger (with raclette cheese on top, served with pommes frites), a pork chop saltimbocca (spectacular gravy served on top), and a fresh fish of the day. Our final course, which is called a ‘half course’ and served simultaneously as the third was the gravy frites (this is a meal in-of-itself with mozzarella cheese curd and brown gravy), the egg frites (a beautifully presented meal with a 2 minute egg still in the shell surrounded by French fries), and something that I can’t seem to remember – but I’m sure it was fantastic.


The Wrap-Up:
Needless to say, we went home with massive amounts of food. Since we’ve returned, our food options changed slightly (though the gravy frites and chicken wings confit will always be on my menu choice), and we can both gladly say that all of the food has been spectacular. The menu changes with the seasons and ingredients available. Likewise, there are spectacular vegetarian and vegan options. The service has been ideal each of the three times we went. The first time, as mentioned with our friend Dave, unfortunately a glass of wine was spilled on his shirt. Our waitress not only reduced part of our meal but also gave Dave a dry-cleaning coupon for his shirt to be fixed. We were impressed. And we always have been. We can’t wait to go back.

***Follow-up Note:
We were really disappointed with our last visit there (as were some other friends of ours). We think that they either have expanded too much and can't keep up the fine quality or have gotten too bog for their britches.... The prices have increased greatly and the quality has decreased.

Tip Jar

Each week I'll give out a tip...take it or leave it.

Gooey Cinnamon Rolls

Want do learn how to make delicious cinnamon rolls the old fashioned way? Tough sh*t. Go to Martha Stewart's web site for that. You ain't finding it here. The amount of time and effort to accomplish such a task leads me to the Tip Jar. Head on over to Costco and plunk down $7.99 on the ol' AMEX for the most delicious treats imaginable. I'm told they taste just as good as the corporate giant's version located in your nearest mall. Wouldn't know...I've never had one. There's just something very unappealing about eating massive amounts of dough while shopping. Anyway..it's a fraction of the price as well.

Heat for a few minutes in the oven and enjoy!

Test Kitchen

Every Saturday I'll try out a new recipe...you'll see the good and the bad of it. I got the craving for some onion rings...went to a few sites and found this one.

The Absolute Best Fried Vidalia Onion Rings
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/cooking-live/the-absolute-best-fried-vidalia-onion-rings-recipe/index.html

Description: I like my rings super crispy. These turned out a little softer (breadier..is that a word?) than I favor due to the batter. I cut the onions pretty thick so they wouldn't fall apart. Everything remained intact.

Recipe Difficulty (Scale of 1-10): 5
Anytime I fry something I deem it somewhat difficult. It always makes a mess and you better have that oil at the right temp. If you don't....it's gonna suck. The difficult aspect of this recipe is those darn rings fry up so fast...like a minute for each side. Getting a good dipping rotation going is essential. I guess another set of hands wouldn't hurt.

How it turned out: Not bad
I know this isn't a glowing endorsement, but it is what it is. They were tasty. I just like my rings extra crispy and this batter recipe just wasn't going to allow that.

Would I make again: Probably not
If you favor this type of onion ring, this recipe is for you. It's just not my style. I also have a problem when someone puts "Absolute Best" in the name of the recipe. They d*mn well better be the absolute best...and these aren't. There's a million ring recipes out there. I'll probably seek another one if I get in the mood again.

Back to Basics

Simple Strawberry Sauce

Each week, Fridays are dedicated to the beginner cook. Anytime the word "Simple" is in the title, things are looking up. A strawberry sauce makes everything taste better.

1. Wash and chop up 1-2 pints of fresh strawberries.

2. Take a large pot. Add 3/4 cup of sugar and 2/3 cup of water. Bring to boil and let boil for 8 minutes.

3. Add strawberries...bring back to boil.

4. Let mixture boil for 2-3 minutes. Take off burner and let cool to room temp.

Doesn't that look good? Don't you just want to jump through your monitor and take a bite? Kids love it, adults love it...h*ll anorexic people love it.

Happy Hour

Atomic Lokade
http://www.barnonedrinks.com/drinks/a/atomic-lokade-334.html

This is no earth-shattering drink. I was inspired to find a cool drink recipe after spending an hour at Nat's swim lesson. It was hotter than a mofo outside. I got home, went online and came upon Atomic Lokade. I had all the ingredients and went with it. I know...from the looks of the picture, I'll probably be forced to turn in my man card for posting a blue drink. In short, it was cool, refreshing and not bad for a summer drink.

Unique Randomness

I decided to focus my thoughts for this week's Unique Randomness. I’ll take a closer look at my five best and worst fast food items.

Let’s start with the POSITIVES:

McDonald’s Big Mac
I just had to start out with a classic. There’s no middle ground with the Big Mac, you either love or hate it. I partake in the gluttony about twice a year.

Sonic’s Strawberry Limeade
Little known fact regarding me and Sonic...I have never eaten actual food from there…just drinks. Don’t plan on changing.

McDonald’s Chicken McNuggets
I'll save you the speech. I know they are vile. But I still love them. And if it wasn’t so frowned upon by society, I bet I could take down a 50 piece…just saying.

Murphy’s Deli’s Supreme Club
I probably shouldn’t technically qualify this as fast food, but there is no way this is healthy for you.

Taco Cabana’s #4
Oh yeah, sucks if you don’t live in Texas and can’t experience this. I am not the biggest fan of TC, but I am of their #4…Shredded Chicken Burrito with chips and a Diet Coke.

And now...the NEGATIVES:

Arby’s Seasoned Curly Fries
It’s been about eight years, but never again. Stopped there out of desperation (nothing else for miles). About ten minutes later I had to stop at the nearest trash can. Why? The fries smelled like a pack of construction workers after a ten-hour shift. I could barely drive with those in the car.

Anything Burger King
I hate to blanket an entire establishment. It’s been 14 years since my last visit. Overdosed on BK freshman year in college. On a side note…have you seen their new commercial? They now sell ribs. Although you may be fooled. Looks like someone took a mold of a rib and filled it with dog sh*t. At least it would smell better than Arby’s fries.

Jack in the Box’s Ultimate Cheeseburger
Just bad feelings here…got violently ill after downing one in high school. Another little known fact about me. Did you know I’d rather starve than eat anything from Jack in the Crack? It’s true.

KFC’s Family Meal
I spent my Christmas 1998 in Louisville for the big basketball game between the Cardinals and Wildcats. Only thing open was a KFC. I figured…when in Rome. Never in my life have I gotten so sick. Thought I was gonna die. Have not eaten KFC since (nor will I ever).

Pizza Hut’s Pan Pizza
This shouldn't even be legal to sell. The health ramifications must be worse than chain smoking. I gotta admit…love the taste. But after three pieces you just want to die. It’s crippling. And this was in college. I shudder to think what it would do to me now.