I’m sure this won’t come as a surprise, but we’re not big fans of Mexican food in the OCF house. The Mister can’t eat anything spicy, and I just don’t really like it much. Too many weird ingredients that I don’t like. I’ll eat a soft taco or a taco salad, but you can keep the salsas, refried beans, black beans, pinto beans, cilantro and guac to yourselves. But sometimes you just want to make something different and just do it your own way so that you do like it. So that’s what I did with Enchiladas. I’d see recipes for them but I didn’t like anything in it. That green sauce? Ewww, what’s up with that? So I decided to make up my own. Do it the way we’d like it. And I’m pretty happy with how it turned out!
Shredded Pork & Pineapple Tacos
May 14, 2012 by 2 Comments
One Saturday afternoon I actually had a free moment to watch a non-sports related program on TV. Whenever I watch TV these days it seems to be for some sporting event (which I LOVE!) so this was a nice little change. I miss the days of sitting around on the sofa and watching cooking show after cooking show on TV. I really enjoy Kelsey Nixon’s Cooking Essentials show on the Cooking Channel. She’s always making something that looks so good, yet so easy to make. This particular day she was making a Slow Cooker Shredded Pork that she was using for Shredded Pork & Pineapple Tacos. I’ve been getting tired of eating the same things for dinner so it was nice to welcome something different to the table.
The Cupcakery at the Monte Carlo Resort & Casino in Las Vegas
May 4, 2012 by 4 Comments
So when I was in Las Vegas I had to check out at least one cupcake joint. We were staying at the MGM Grand and I saw that there was a cupcake place called The Cupcakery in the Monte Carlo. That Casino wasn’t too far away from where we were going that night so we decided to check it out. You know I’m always down to try out a cupcake. Since it wasn’t Mr. Curly Fry and I taste testing cupcakes, my friend and I only got two. Yes, I was sad about that but my friend isn’t into cupcakes like I am.
I have to say that I wasn’t really all that impressed with the choices of flavors. I thought for “…the best little cupcakes in Vegas!” that they didn’t have enough of a selection. Now, we went on a Monday evening, so maybe they sold out of a lot of flavors? I don’t know. Maybe I should give them the benefit of the doubt? So I guess I wasn’t too bummed to only try two flavors since there really weren’t all that many that I wanted to try.
I’m a huge fan of Peanut Butter…so that’s up first.
Chocolate Peanut Butter Cup™
Rich chocolate cake topped with a fluffy peanut butter frosting
and sprinkled with peanuts and mini chocolate kisses
Well where do I start? I was really looking forward to this one and I have to say I was let down. The cake wasn’t moist at all. It had a bit of chocolate flavor but it wasn’t as rich as I was hoping for. It pretty much became a crumbled mess, and I’m definitely not a fan of that. The Peanut Butter frosting was anything but fluffy. It was actually quite hard. It almost tasted like a cream cheese peanut butter frosting to me… you know cream cheese frostings kind of firm up a bit? I also didn’t think there was quite enough peanut butter in there, but that was the least of my concerns.The biggest disappointment though was that it wasn’t fluffy. Who likes a hard icing? Definitely not me. So I have to say this was a let down.
Chocolate Passion™
Our rich chocolate buttercream frosting paired with
our moist vanilla cake or decadent chocolate cake
My friend picked out this flavor. I was just kind of “eh” on trying it because it’s so basic, but it actually turned out to be better than the Chocolate Peanut Butter Cup one. The soft, vanilla cake was definitely moister than the chocolate cupcake that we had already tried, and it had a much better consistency. The chocolate buttercream wasn’t bad – it tasted more along the lines of the frosting in a jar than true buttercream. It was kind of thick and heavy if you know what I mean. So I really can’t complain about that. It just wasn’t light and fluffy like I was anticipating.
So overall I would have to say that I wouldn’t run back to The Cupcakery for cupcakes on my next trip to Vegas. I’d rather go to Serendipity 3 for a Frrrozen Oreo Hot Chocolate or Jean-Phillippe Patisserie in the Bellagio for some Gelato or other desserts.
Monte Carlo Resort and Casino
3770 Las Vegas Blvd, South
Las Vegas, NV 89109
(702) 730-7777
Viva Las Vegas!
April 30, 2012 by 7 Comments
So you may have noticed that I wasn’t around much last week. I was just in Vegas for a little bit of a getaway. I have to say it was so nice to get away, and I had the opportunity to sit at the pool with some cocktails as well as try out some wonderful restaurants. It’s funny though – we decided to go in April because it’s usually not that hot. We wanted to be able to enjoy the pool and be outside without sweating. Well what do you know? It was like 100 degrees almost every day that we were there. No joke. But we still had a blast.
Can’t really complain about this view at dinner…
While drinking this at The Sugar Factory…
Stopped in the Bellagio to check out Jean Phillippe Chocolates
All of these desserts looked amazing
I couldn’t leave without trying the Gelato. I got Cappuccino and Oreo (on the bottom)
And you better bet I ate it all
Although I wanted to stick my tongue under the Chocolate Falls
A delicious drink from Trevi in the Caesars Forum Shops
We loved breakfast at Mon Ami Gabi in Paris. Too bad it wasn’t the real Paris.
But the BEST brunch in Vegas is Bouchon. I’m still thinking about it.
This was the best Cheese Danish I’ve ever had in my life.
I’m still dreaming about it. Seriously.
The main part of my breakfast was good too. Lots o’ bacon.
We went to Serendipity 3 for Brunch.
But really only so I could get one of these…
Frrrozen Oreo Hot Chocolate
And it was amazing.
BUT – I didn’t appreciate that the waitress asked me if I wanted Marshmallows (and proceeded to tell me that it’s so much better with them) – and didn’t tell me they cost extra. Seriously lady? At least be up front about it. I wouldn’t mind spending the extra money if I was told about it first, ya know? But for me to find out when I get the bill? That’s shady.
This drink from Wolfgang Puck Cafe in MGM was amazing.
I had that after we went on a Scoot Car Tour of Red Rock Canyon.
We rode around in these…
And we got to see some beautiful sites
Seriously…how beautiful is that?
I highly recommend trying this out. The two leaders were awesome. And we had so much fun!
And driving around in those little cars was so much fun! Can you believe they go like 60 mph?
It was hot that day, but with the breeze in that little car it didn’t feel that hot.
Which is a good thing.
Because it got HOT there.
So we spent a lot of time here:
And the drinks were refreshing
Even at Happy Hour!
You can’t beat $5 Sangria
And we went to Holstein’s at the Cosmopolitan so I could have this:
And let me tell you – I LOVED IT! I’m going to recreate it at home.
It was so good.
I could’ve had one every single day.
Even Freddy Kruger was out!
We got to see Kevin James & Ray Romano. They were funny.
I love Kevin James. The King of Queens is our favorite show!
What are your favorite things to do in Vegas? Any favorite restaurants?
The Philadelphia Sandwich Experiment
April 23, 2012 by Leave a Comment
Last year it was Cheese. This year it’s Sandwiches. You just can’t go wrong. I had an opportunity to go to the event last year and it was so much fun! The creations that people come up with are amazing, and you get to taste them all and vote! As an added bonus you even get some Brooklyn Brewery Beer!
Sixteen cities. Four hundred amateur chefs. Only ONE national champion. On the heels of a successful 5-city tour in 2011, The Food Experiments, the nation’s leading cook-off organization, is back with a 16-city National Tour sponsored by Brooklyn Brewery. The sixth stop on the tour is The Philadelphia Sandwich Experiment on May 6th, 2012 at the Underground Arts Theater from noon – 3pm.
Since its inception, almost every single Food Experiments competition has been met with a sold out crowd, including last year’s event in Philadelphia. This year’s judges consist of a high profile line-up including Emilio Mignucci of Di Bruno bros. Winners will be competing for Cookware, Bakeware, Knives, Cash and culinary glory. Sponsors include Brooklyn Brewery, Le Creuset, Anolon, Microplane and Wusthof knives.
The Experiment will have around 25 local amateur chefs who have prepared a unique creation incorporating the food theme, sandwiches. Dishes will range from the savory to the sweet, from the Club Sandwich to Grilled Cheese to the Ice Cream Sandwich and every possible experiment in between! Remember, there is always room for a little experimentation and one last bite. As long as there’s some kind of layers to it, it can represent. You may never look at Sandwiches the same.
Samples will be served to the 350 food enthusiasts in attendance as well as celebrity judges, and everyone will have an opportunity to choose which “cheftestant” will gain bragging rights. That is, until the National Championship on December 16. The winner from each city’s Experiment will be flown in to Brooklyn courtesy of Brooklyn Brewery to compete with the best of the best to become The Food Experiments’ 2012 reigning champion. Victory has never tasted so good!
WHAT: The Philadelphia Sandwich Experiment
WHEN: Sunday, May 6th, 2012
TIME: Noon – 3pm
WHERE: Underground Arts at Wolf Building, 1200 Callowhill St., Philadelphia, PA 19108
JUDGES: Emilio Mignucci of Di Bruno bros
COMPETE: Click here to sign up or compete!
TICKETS: $12 – includes tasting samples and a Brooklyn Brewery beer. A portion of the proceeds will go towards charities that promote sustainability and local culinary education for disadvantaged children and teens.
Click here to purchase tickets!
ABOUT THE FOOD EXPERIMENTS
Nick Suarez and Theo Peck, New York City’s “cook-off royalty”, created The Food Experiments in 2009. The Experiments are a series of cooking competitions that challenge amateur chefs to create around 300 samples of a dish featuring an “experimental” ingredient or theme. Eight sold-out Experiments have taken place in Brooklyn involving beer, cheese, chocolate, tacos, brunch, Brooklyn roots, holiday and booze themes. Brooklyn Brewery sponsored their first national tour in 2011 featuring Experiments in Austin, New Orleans, Boston, Philadelphia and Washington, DC.
For further information, click here.
Cake Batter Doughnuts
April 16, 2012 by 1 Comment
Who doesn’t love a good doughnut? I know I’m a fan. Cake Batter Doughnuts? Yes, please. I’m totally there. And they are super simple to make. Baked, not fried, so they are fine for your waist line!
I felt like making some doughnuts in my doughnut pan and I had a box of funfetti cake mix open from when I made the awesome Cake Batter Pudding. And I knew that I couldn’t possibly have been the first person to come up with this idea, so I did a little bit of Googling! Stephanie Cooks had a pretty good recipe that look super simple. So I figured I’d give it a try.
[Adapted from Stephanie Cooks ~ I made a few changes]
INGREDIENTS
-
1 cup all purpose flour
-
2/3 cup yellow cake mix
-
1/4 cup sugar
-
2 teaspoons baking powder
-
1/2 teaspoon salt
-
3/4 cup milk
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2 eggs, beaten
-
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
-
2 tablespoons rainbow sprinkles
- non-stick cooking spray
INSTRUCTIONS
First things first. Preheat your oven to 325 degrees. Spray your doughnut pan with nonstick cooking spray. Combine the flour, cake mix, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl. Mix well. In a measuring cup, beat the milk, egg, and vanilla together. Add the milk and egg mixture to the flour mixture. Stir until well combined making sure not to overwork it. Stir in the sprinkles.
If you have a wonderful Pancake Pen like I do, pour the batter in that. If you don’t have one, go to Williams-Sonoma and get one! Or you can just pour the batter in a large Ziploc bag and cut the tip off. That also works.
Fill the doughnut pan about 2/3 of the way full. It should look something like this:
Bake for 10 minutes. Allow to cool in pan for a minute or two.
Then transfer the doughnuts to wire rack so that they can cool completely.
Now in the original recipe they used some frosting in a can to put on top of the doughnuts. I would’ve done this, but I don’t really keep frosting in a can in the house. I usually prefer to make my own buttercream. But for these doughnuts I wanted to go with just a glaze-like topping.
For the the vanilla glaze I just used 1/2 cup powdered sugar + 1 teaspoon vanilla + 2 tablespoons milk.
For the chocolate glaze I used 1/2 cup powdered sugar + 1 tablespoon of cocoa + dash of vanilla + 2 tablespoons milk.
Doesn’t that look amazing?
And you can eat them plain if you want. But make sure you eat them before they fall over!
Enjoy!
Cupcake Smash!
April 12, 2012 by 1 Comment
So we all know that I’m all about Cupcakes. That’s definitely no secret. So when there’s something going on in the city that involves cupcakes, I’m there. I volunteered this past year at Philabundance with some of my colleagues and it was such a rewarding experience. It felt so good knowing that I was making a difference in someone else’s life. We not only hosted a food drive, but we also went to their facility and volunteered our time. We packaged up vegetables and other foods to go to families in need. So please come out and support Philabundance. It’s sure to be a fun time and it’s supporting such a great cause!
Philabundance, the Delaware Valley’s largest hunger relief organization, is throwing the second annual Cupcake Smash at The Piazza at Schmidts on Saturday, April 28th from 1- 5pm. This year, Philabundance and PYT are joining forces with The Piazza to raise money for our neighbors in need of food in the Delaware Valley. Professional and amateur bakers alike will vie for the tastiest PYT themed cupcake to be deemed #1 by celebrity judges and the “People’s Choice”. Advance tickets are on sale now for $20 and can be purchased here. There will also be tickets on sale at the door for $25.
This year, Cupcake Smash will be held in the middle of The Piazza and Tony Luke Jr. of Tony Luke’s will emcee the event. Celebrity judges include Tony Luke Jr., Drew Lazor, editor of Meal Ticket for Philadelphia City Paper, Wendy Rollins, Radio Host on Radio 104.5, Tommy Up of PYT, and Michael Klein, editor of Philly.com/Food. Judges will vote on the best cupcake for the amateur category and professional category, while attendees will vote for the “People’s Choice”. The winning cupcakes will be featured on PYT’s menu through May.
DJ Jay Yo will be on the ones and twos while complimentary beverages will be provided by Pabst Blue Ribbon, FUZE, St-Germain Liqueur and Bare Foot Wine and Bubbly. Root 222 Crew will be doing a live painting onsite and attendees will have an opportunity to grab something to eat from a number of outdoor vendors like Mompops, who will be donating 50 percent of proceeds back to Philabundance.
Tickets to last year’s Cupcake Smash sold out before the event and raised $3,400 for Philabundance helping them provide 6,800 meals to people in need. The goal for the second annual Cupcake Smash is to raise enough money to provide 10,000 meals for people in need.
Sponsors include The Piazza at Schmidts, Pabst Blue Ribbon, FUZE, Philadelphia Chocolate Tours, Radio 104.5, St-Germain Liqueur, Mompops and Barefoot Wine and Bubbly.
For more information, please call 215-339-0900 or visit www.philabundance.org.
So here’s the rundown:
WHEN?
Saturday April 28, 2012
1pm – 5pm
WHERE?
PYT
In the Piazza at Schmidt’s
1050 N. Hancock St.
Philadelphia, PA 19123
TICKETS
$20 in advance
$25 at the door
ALL AGES are welcome to attend
*Must be 21 and older to drink, ID’s will be checked
100% of the proceeds will go to Philabundance (this is AWESOME!!)
CLICK HERE TO BUY TICKETS!
About Philabundance
Philabundance reduces hunger and food insecurity in the Delaware Valley by providing food access to people in need in partnership with organizations and individuals. Philabundance provides a full plate of services through direct service programs and a network of close to 500 member agencies in 9 counties. Philabundance serves approximately 65,000 people per week at a cost of 50 cents per meal. There are more than 900,000 people in the Delaware Valley who are at risk for chronic hunger and malnutrition. In 2011, Philabundance distributed 21 million pounds of food. For more information about Philabundance, visit www.philabundance.org or call 215-339-0900. Visit us on Facebook, Facebook.com/Philabundance and follow us on Twitter, Twitter.com/Philabundance. If you or someone you know is in need of food assistance, please call Philabundance’s Food Help Line, 800-319-Food (3663).
Maple Brined Pork Cutlets with Honeyed Mission Figs
April 9, 2012 by 2 Comments
Have you ever gone to a restaurant and had a dish that you absolutely love and want to re-create yourself? Well this happened to me after we went to a restaurant here in Philadelphia called Twenty Manning. I had this Wild Berkshire Pork Chop and it was to.die.for. Now I’m not usually one to order a Pork Chop dish in a restaurant, but when I read the description I knew I had to order this. I mean seriously – does it get any better than this?
Wild Berkshire Pork Chop ~ maple brined, honeyed-mission figs, melted gorgonzola, seared brussel sprouts
Skinnytaste’s Garlic Dijon Herb Salmon
April 6, 2012 by 1 Comment
Since we live in apartment in the city, we don’t have a grill. This kind of makes me sad because I loved grilling when we owned a house in the suburbs. I had this awesome grill and I used it all of the time. Now I have to rely on my Cuisinart 5-in-1 Griddler when I want to “grill” something. And I gotta tell ya; as much as I love that thing, it’s just not the same. But I got that sucker out when I wanted to make Skinnytaste’s Grilled Garlic Dijon Herb Salmon. Now I’m not much of a Salmon person, but I gotta tell you that when I saw her post on it she made me want to try it.
Insomnia Cookies – Center City Philadelphia
April 4, 2012 by 3 Comments
A while ago Mr. Curly Fry’s brother told us that we have to try Insomnia Cookies. That they’re really good and that we would love them. So I looked them up and at the time they only had locations in West Philly and one out near Temple. I’m willing to travel distances for cupcakes, but not cookies. So I kind of forgot about them and went on about my business.
Fast forward to yesterday. I saw something on Philly.com about this new Insomnia Cookies store that opened up in Center City. I was intrigued. So I looked up the location and what do you know?! They are located not even a full block from my office. Uh oh. This could get dangerous! So I knew that I’d have to make a pit stop on my way home from work to pick up some cookies. How could I not? As I was walking down the street I could literally start to smell the cookies. So I followed the scent of freshly baked chocolate chip cookies and I ended up in their store!
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