Some Voodoo and Wine

I had a wonderful evening with my best friend eating dinner at Bin 119 and then attending the Christmas concert for Big Bad Voodoo Daddy.  Bin 119 is the Billings area wine bar and was packed for the BBVD concert.  My only qualm with the wine choices available is that their selection does not include Port due to liquor license restrictions.
 

I have eaten at this restaurant when they first opened and enjoyed their Angus Crab, which is no longer on the menu.  My best friend and I ordered two dishes to share, lobster mac & cheese and a tenderloin filet.  The lobster mac & Cheese was delicious.  Perfect combination of lobster and creaminess.

 

 The tenderloin filet was cooked to medium rare perfection.  A restaurant offering steak will not survive in Billings if they can not prepare a perfect medium rare steak. I enjoyed my steak with a glass of Kaiken (Malbec).

After the concert we returned to partake in some very yummy looking desserts.  The Chocolate Flite (Dutch chocolate cups filled with milk chocolate mousse & fresh berries) was sinfully delicious.  The chocolate mousse was decadent and smooth.  It was perfectly paired with a glass of Layer Cake Primitivo.

The cheesecake of the day was peppermint.  I enjoyed the dark chocolate crust that offset the peppermint sweetness of the cheesecake.

What's in a name?

While traveling through the FL Keys I wanted to find the No Name Pub on Big Pine Key. I had heard about this place on a special about "hidden treasures" on the Food Network. After roaming around Big Pine Key trying not to hit any of the protected "key deer", I finally came upon No Name Pub. There was a line wrapped around the building, which had to be a good sign right?

The atmosphere is something that you can easily get involved with, since you are surrounded by hundreds or thousands of dollar bills. There are crayons and markers in the pub to use to sign & decorate your own $$ to leave up on the walls or ceiling.

The pizza is good enough for Northern pizza lovers and since I spent part of my childhood in my grandparent's pizzeria, I can be a pizza snob. I order the Royal Pizza and the crust was great and the toppings were fresh.

For being a tourist landing spot, No Name Pub's service was very attentive. There is only one complaint that I have...the microbrew. The No Name Amber Ale was not good at all. I have only drank a Bud once because I didn't like it and the No Name Amber Ale reminded me of the Bud. If No Name improves on their microbrew technique this place will be on point.

Key West at it's Best

My one and only time experiencing Key West and I had no interest what-so-ever in dealing with drunk college students heading south for a warm weekend. I wanted to experience why my friend's who love the Keys...for the relaxation. Well, needless to say by the time I made it down through the FL Keys to Key West, there was no relaxation to be had. A bitter rain and wind storm rolled in. I was cold, wet, and very hungry. So I sought cover at The Commodore Waterfront Restaurant.


Imagine if you will Hemingway's version of the Key West- sea breezes, elevated above the water, wooden interior with a majestic view of the harbor. That's what you feel when you dine on the 2nd floor of the Commodore (bad weather or not).

The menu is excellent. I enjoyed a halibut with a cream sauce and sauteed vegetables. The waitstaff was good. Everything is laid back in Key West (even at 4 Star restaurants) so don't get too excited over the slow pace...relax.

Since I was not able to truly enjoy Key West, I plan on going back for that much needed relaxation. I also plan to include dining at the Commodore again.

Ciao Bella

I had the pleasure of having dinner with my best friend at a place called Ciao Mambo. The location in Downtown Billings reminds of something you would find in the downtown area of a larger city like Washington DC, Chicago, or Denver. It is great to see the Downtown area being revitalized with places like Ciao Mambo. The atmosphere is great. The artwork and the Rat Pack music really brings it all together. I love the wine canvass art from Leanne Laine. I believe that I will be purchasing a few pieces for myself (these are two of my favorites).

My best friend ordered her standard Fettuccini alla Rustica. I was not terribly hungry (and this place definitely has large portions) so I ordered something I knew would reheat well...Spaghetti & Meatballs Salvatore. The bread brought to the table is wonderfully topped with fresh garlic. All dishes are made to order so you can make adjustments to your liking. We were caught up in conversation and my best friend forgot to ask for "no shrimp" but her forgetfulness was good for my tummy. 

If you ever make it to Montana, Idaho, or Washington I recommend pleasing your tummy with some great Italian food at Ciao Mambo.

Doner Kebab meets the Southwest Border

One of my colleagues was having a bad day at work today and wanted to head out for lunch. We needed to go someplace near by but would put a smile on his terribly gloomy face. I did a quick Google Maps search on my phone and found Döner Kebab. I said, "Hey Dave, there is a Döner Kebab in El Paso. I've never had one but you were always raving about it when talking about your time stationed in Germany."

My colleague literally couldn't speak. I looked at him & he had a huge smile. So off we went to find the Döner Kebab. Dave explained to me as I drove that Döners are the quintessential street food in Germany, apparently up there with Currywurst and Brats. We arrived at Döner and Dave walked me through the order process and what goes best with what. The staff was also very helpful since it was obvious that I was a novice and Dave was WAY excited to eat.

I ordered a standard kebab with fries which had German Ketchup. Both were very tasty. It was just what Dave needed to brighten his day. And it brought back memories of his time in Germany and I got to listen to stories about that time that I may not have otherwise learned about. I highly recommend this place to anyone wondering what a Döner Kebab. Also this is a perfect place for all those Ft. Bliss-ers who have been stationed in Germany and want to taste a bit of yumminess from that time.

Kabul on my mind

Today I am writing about a past dinning experience because today I was remembering dear friends of mine who are originally from Afghanistan. One of my friends from work was excited when I finally moved to the DC area. A few weeks after moving, I got a phone call telling me that he was picking me up and we were going to dinner at Bamian (which was the first place that I experienced Afghan food a few years prior with this same friend). He also informed me that he had a surprise for me.

Needless to say I was excited for a many reasons:  I hadn't seen my friend in a few years, I loved Bamian's food, and who doesn't love good surprises. Well, it turns out the surprise was the best part of the night. The surprise was his favorite cousin. He always raved about her and her crazy antics. She was in from Kabul for about 24hrs before leaving for a work meeting. We had such an amazing time that after dinner the three of us stayed together until we put her on a plane the next day. To this day she is one of my best friends.

At Bamain I learned about Boolawnee (clay oven-baked pastry stuffed with scallions, chopped leeks and potatoes, and served with a side of homemade yogurt). I asked if it was similar to an empanada but neither of them had had one of those. So when the Boolawnee arrived I enjoyed being able to talk about when my grandmother would make me empanadas as a child. Both are very similar and very tasty.


We ordered all sorts of food and shared it family style. One of my favorites was the chicken kabobs. The chicken was grilled and seasoned to perfection. Everything was served with a side of Nan-e Afghan (Afghan Bread) and rice. We talked about how if we weren't in a nice restaurant we would be eating with our hands a bit more. I found that interesting because that is how I wanted to eat the food. Using the nan like I would a tortilla or fry bread, constructing something like an Afghan taco using the rice, roasted vegies, yogurt sauce and grilled meat.

When I was recently deployed and spent time in Kabul, I made sure to enjoy local food fare. Remembering the stories my friends told of how they missed the food of their childhood...this was their "Comfort Food". It made me smile with happiness to break nan and share chai with the locals and eat all the wonderful food with our hands. I was complimented on my technique and was then able to explain how in my culture we eat certain foods very similarly. Later on in my deployment I was even able to learn how to make nan and I shared how to make tortillas (one of my comfort foods). 

It was a blessing to be able to bring my food exerperience full circle while in Kabul. I just wish that my friends were there to share the experience with me. Unfortunately, I haven't been able to see either of them in over a year. We couldn't even coordinate to see each other when all three of us were deployed to Kabul at the same time. But we will meet again soon. We will break bread (or maybe nan) and share wine (or maybe chai).

What have we lost?

Ever wanted to do something more?

Be someone better?
 

Have you ever thought, who am I?

Why am I here?

I ponder these questions and that is that is what I am doing today...pondering. So what does that have to do with food?  Those of you that follow my blog know that I haven’t been doing this for very long. But you do know that the reason why I love food and cooking is because it is a universal way of sharing life. Your life. Last summer I lost one of the most influential people in my life. I grew up with him as a mentor. He was an artist, an athlete, a philosopher, and a great family man. He was so influential in my life that my own father considered him a father figure to me as well. I loved him and his wife like family. I was lucky to eventually be able to call him and his family friends as well. During his funeral one of his loving daughters implored us to always say “I love you” to those you hold in your heart. This habit is part of my philosophy of life but there are some people who aren't ready to hear the words "I love you". I have seen first hand when people become a bit freaked out. Something I don't want in my friends and family are unsettled emotions. Since childhood one of the main ways that I show that I care for someone is through my cooking or sharing a meal with them. People can still feel my "love" for them without getting wrapped around some emotional axial. 

I am new to this blog thing and I am not trying to get a bunch of readers to go to the restaurants I have enjoyed. I created it as an extension of me and my thoughts. I created it so that those who read it could feel something deep inside of them. I want to be able to share pieces of my world with others. I can’t cook for everyone whom I want to know that I care for, but maybe this blog will be some way to show that I care.

As a nation I think we have forgotten how to break bread. Many people I know view food as fuel and nothing more. They prefer it to taste good but its still just something to fuel their machine. Believe me I get that view. I have spent plenty of my life opening up MREs to fuel my machine. But I want to change the thoughts of people across our country to view food as fuel for the soul. Have we forgotten how to sit down and break bread? Or have we just gotten to busy to care to do so.  How to sit down and have meals as a family? How to have meals with friends? We no longer have meals as a community. This is a mistake. We should not have stepped away from the table.

Look around, do you see the impact.? It is tangible. It impacts our behavior towards other people. It impacts the children of our nation. It changes our sense of self. It destroys our health. It is impacting our joy. Most of us have forgotten that a meal is a ritual. It is a ritual that honors the food we eat, how it is prepared (from farming to the way its cooked), the people we are eating with, and frankly the person that took the time to make the meal. Sharing a meal is a ritual to fuel our bodies, enriching our families & friends, and spreading love. Love. Sigh….and I am back to missing my mentor. I am grateful to have spent at least one dinner with him, his family, and my family at our favorite local restaurant whenever I was back visiting in my home town. But I have missed too many meals with others because we (many times it was just me) were “too busy.”

My life is very busy, to the point that I rarely in the same place for longer than a few months. But I am hopefully going to be in one place for more than that now. I am looking forward to becoming more involved in my community. I don’t want to forget the ritual of a breaking bread and sharing wine. By forgetting this, our lives and our world are substantially less rich. We need to get back to the ritual of breaking bread...of sharing a meal and sharing our lives. In that spirit, I will continue to share my food adventures and will begin sharing more recipes, as I hope to be making meals for others in the very near future. I look forward to giving more of myself to others. What good are we, if we don’t give our greatest gift? Our time, our love, and ourselves.

Crush into me

I was reading through some old Food & Wine and Bonappetite magazines that I had in my cooking bookshelf (Yes, I have a whole bookshelf dedicated to cooking, wines, and bartending). While reading through a Food & Wine, I came across an article about Dave Matthews and his love for organic farming and his love for his vineyard. The Dave Matthews Band became active in Farm Aid (non-profit concert that raises awareness about family farms) and it was through working with Farm Aid that he found a deeper concern the way our food is produced. Mr. Matthews has been a rock star for the ages but is certainly now a rock star in the farming and vinting community.

Mr. Matthews bought land just outside of Charlottsville, VA near where he and his family moved to in his late teens from South Africa. Two decades ago at the Earth Day Festival in the City of Charlottesville, the Dave Matthews Band was publicly launched. Over the last decade Matthews, his brother Peter, and his close friend Brad McCarthy spent years bringing the soil to organic farm standards so that they could begin the farm and vineyard.

I became increasingly interested Matthews wine, Blenheim Vineyards, so I went to a nearby store and went to the local section. I lucked out and there was a 2009 Cabernet Sauvignon at the store. While I was drinking my glass of wine, I looked up the site and found out that Matthews is venturing out again into wine country. Matthews is launching another collaboration in wine making with Steve Reeder of California called The Dreaming Tree Wines, named after the song. So that is next on my list to try.

The 2009 Cab was very good. The mouthfeel is balanced and the wine has great depth that runs through the long finish. It is also very affordable. The majority of Bleinheim’s wines are priced under $21.

Halloween Tex-Mex Style

A friend and I hadn't seen each other in over a year. It seems we can never coordinate our work schedules properly. Finally,we were able to meet for Happy Hour and dinner at Alero on U Street. This was my first time at Alero even though I have seen the restaurant at various locations throughout DC. We walked into Alero that it was obvious my friend was a regular of sorts. But throughout the night I could see that the wait staff is almost always hustling and eager to please everyone in the restaurant.

The decor was appropriate for U Street, modern with oil paints surrounding a large bar and lounge area. I like the modern art as it reflects the history of the jazz roots of the U Street area. Alero seemed to find a way to combine Latin Jazz and local Afro-American Jazz in the art and the music being played.

There was a wide range of options on the Happy Hour food/drink menu and the regular menu. The menu prices are normal for what you see in the DC area. However, after spending years growing up with traditional southwestern and Mexican food (as well as living in Southern California and Texas), I have a problem paying $10 for a burrito. The chips and salsa are very tasty and went very well with the Happy Hour Modelo :-) The best value on both menus were the steak fajitas but I was in the mood for more steak than the fajitas offered. Maybe it was because I had channeled my inner Vampire all day in honor of Halloween but I went with the filet mignon. The filet was perfectly cooked to my medium rare taste.

I couldn't pass up the fried ice cream. I am happy that I didn't, it was delicious! Halloween, Happy Hour, and catching up with a great friend all were able to be enjoyed at Alero.

 

Soup to warm the heart and the body

With Fall finally hitting the area (actually it started snowing just as my soup finished cooking), I decided to try creating a soup full of fall flavors. I had an acorn squash, butternut squash, and a banana squash that were delivered in my weekly vegi crate. I also needed to use up a bunch of carrots (baby and heirloom).

I roasted all the vegetables first, to add an additional dimension of flavor, added a bit of heavy cream, and finally some citrus to punch it up a bit.

Roasted 3 Squash and Carrot Soup

1 acorn squash cut in half & seeded

1 butternut squash cut in half & seeded
1 banana squash cut in half & seeded
8 large carrots, peeled and cut into 3 inch sections
1 small bag of baby carrots
1 clove of garlic
1 large onion, peeled and cut into 4ths
1 orange, the juice of
Olive oil
Fresh thyme sprigs
1/2 cup of Heavy Cream
1 can low sodium chicken broth
1 soup can water
Salt and pepper to taste
1/2 to 1 tsp nutmeg
Heavy shake of ginger
Small shake of chili powder
Small shake of allspice

You must first roast your vegetables, place them on a heavy sheet pan and drizzle with a bit of olive oil, salt, and pepper and thyme and toss.

Roast at 350 degrees for about 1.5 hours, moving veggies occasionally (I had to do it in 2 batches)

Remove and let cool, you can then dig the pulp out of the squash and put it directly into the soup pot with the remaining roasted vegetables.

Add the broth and the can of water, and the spices, go easy at first you can add more later. Puree in a blender our use your handy immersion blender, heat soup up to serving temperature.  Add your orange juice and heavy cream, taste and re-season as you like.

Arganica Farm Club

Thanksgiving Appetizer Recipe Testing

This weekend is supposed to be cold and rainy on the East Coast. We may even get some very lovely snow. So I figured I would get into the cold weather spirit and try out some recipes that I am debating on making for Thanksgiving this year. Thanksgiving is THE food sharing holiday of the year. The holiday is to honor the good-will sharing of food and building relationships with people, which is the whole premise behind my blog. So I am trying out an appetizer recipe today that I think my father will love, Bacon-Wrapped Jalapeno Chicken Bites. And I am making a squash and carrot soup to keep me warm in this Fall weather. I am currently roasting the squash and carrots in the oven for the soup so I will post that recipe later...once I figure out what I am going to put in it :-) Below please find the recipe for the jalapeno bites.

Bacon-Wrapped Jalapeno Chicken Bites

8 chicken tenders, flattened and cut in two (I prefer breast meat)
3-ounce package softened cream cheese
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and finely chopped
8 slices favorite bacon (mine is peppered bacon but I couldn't find any at the grocery store), cut in half

1. Dab 1/2 teaspoon (more or less) of cream cheese on top of each chicken tender. Sprinkle a scant 1/4 teaspoon of peppers over cream cheese. Fold or roll chicken to enclose cream cheese mixture. Wrap each roll with one piece of bacon and secure with a toothpick.

2. Grill until bacon is brown and crispy on both sides.

 

Casa de Pizza

Today I am not going talk about a place I went to but I am going to try something different and share with you something that I made. As you know I love sharing the world through food. So today I will begin to share some of my world through my cooking. I used a family recipe for pizza dough. If I give you that recipe I will be disowned. So when I am not making my own I use a pre-made pizza dough & my favorite is ordered from Arganica Farms. Add fresh mozzarella, mushrooms, turkey pepperoni, combo of shredded Italian cheese, olives, onions, green pepper, fresh basil, tomato sauce and diced tomatoes and thinly sliced garlic. So easy & yummy.

A Happy Birthday

So I have had a pretty bad history with my birthdays in the recent year. And by bad I mean REALLY bad. I didn't make any plans as I was supposed to be out of the area again this year. Well, unbeknownst to me I was back in the U.S. earlier than I had expected but still made no plans. I was tired and the place I was looking forward to calling home got damaged during the summer's crazy weather. So instead of celebrating my birthday I planned on spending the day cleaning my apartment. A few days before the big day I got a text message from a good friend asking my plans for my big day. When I returned with, "A massage at the spa and then cleaning up my apartment. Why?", I was not surprised when he responded in typical smartass fashion, "that is dumb."

As I was sitting on my couch thinking, "Well no shit it's dumb but I need to get my apartment together and unpack my bags from my last work trip.", my phone rang. It was the smartass...I mean friend. He asked where I wanted to go and what I wanted to do for my big day because he was driving up. I was not shocked that he came the the friend rescue because he has a big heart. But I was caught off guard and surprised (which is probably what he was looking to do). I have barely "lived" in my apartment over the last few years I had no suggestions. He told me not to worry and took the reigns. I told him that I trusted him. I trust few people but after working together while deployed and knowing that he is also an adventurous foodie, I can truly say that I trust this friend.

He pulled off an amazing birthday of food and friendship. We spent dinner at Texas de Brazil catching up and enjoying amazing food. I have never been to a churrascaria before and this was a great introduction. The all you can eat barbequed meat was amazing. There was leg of lamb, bacon wrapped filet mignon, and great variations of chicken.

The desserts were amazing as well. I couldn't make up my mind on what I wanted so we decided to share two desserts. 

I am blessed to have friends in my life that are of this caliber. I was able to spend the evening making birthday memories that will make me smile for a lifetime. I wrote in my first posting about being lucky to have people in my life that I can go years without seeing and then be blessed to be welcomed back as if years have not passed. I have not seen this friend in over 2 years. We broke bread (ate lots of meat) and shared shared wine. We made our reunion and my birthday one to remember. And I am thankful for that.

Ben's Chili Bowl

I pride myself in taking in the best of a city's food culture. All the times that I have traveled to Washington DC, I am disappointed to say that I have continually missed eating at Ben's Chili Bowl. The history of Ben's Chili Bowl speaks to the history of Washington DC back when it was truly "Chocolate City".
The U Street corridor (where Ben's Chili Bowl is located) was known as "Black Broadway". Top performers were found playing sets in clubs along the corridor & just hanging out at Ben's enjoying a half-smoke. The greats that frequented Ben's include Duke Ellington, Miles Davis, Bessie Smith, Ella Fitzgerald, Cab Calloway, Redd Foxx, Nat King Cole, Bill Cosby, & Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Ben's stayed open through riots in DC after the assassination of Dr. King. Ben's remained open in the 70's when the open-air drug market ravaged DC. When the DC Metro Green Line was being built other businesses closed in the area but Ben's fed the Metro workers & regulars through the almost 5yrs of construction.
POTUS Obama ate at Ben's before his swearing in. Ben's has expanded to an online store, upstairs to a gift shop, & into the National's baseball stadium. Most recently Ben's expanded to the area next door & opened a restaurant/bar called "Ben's Next Door."
Whether you enjoy Chili dogs, half-smokes, chili fries or not...visit Ben's for a taste DC history. You won't regret it.

Half-smoke with chips

Hill Country

BBQ is a topic similar to politics and religion, if you decide to discuss your beliefs you better have a sound reasoning to back them up. Hill Country in Washington, DC is a new Texas BBQ place. The portions are HUGE and they are tasty. If you like brisket the moist brisket is very good. The ribs are good but a little expensive. Be prepared to eat when you go to this place. I enjoyed dinner with a wonderful friend of mine who was more than willing to share all the yummies. Everything is a la carte but overall the price is decent, especially for the DC metro area. Collard greens and the mac&cheese are my recommendations for the sides not to miss!

Eat, Shop, & be Merry

Pros Ranch Market was one of the first places that I was taken to when I moved to El Paso. I need to fill my fridge, my freezer, my cupboards, and my tummy. When I walked in the place reminded me of the Vietnamese Market I shopped at in Los Angeles. It has the same set-up with grocery, butcher, fresh produce, and places to eat on the outer ring of the market.

I was most excited by an aisle full of fresh chiles (Anchos, Hatch, Jalapenos, Pasillas). I bought at least 6 pounds of each. I got them fire roasted just outside the market, which is so much easier than doing that myself!!

La Cocina is full of all sorts of tasty goodies that anyone who likes Mexican or Central American food will be pleased with. There area aguas frescas, tacos al pastor, tortas, buche and even ceviche. The food is authentic and affordable. My friend who took me to Pro's Ranch loves the salsa and fresh tortillas. I tasted tested all of them. If you can't make your own salsa or tortillas or don't know how, come here and get some.

I was hungry and saw the tacos al pastor and tacos carnitas. I can't help it...I love deliciously prepared pig. My friend has only have pork twice in her life and she hated it. I was shocked...appalled even. Then I asked her if her mom prepared pork chops or something growing up and that was what she was exposed to. Sure enough I was right. I told her in the most loving way possible that a Jewish woman was probably not the person you wanted to introduce you to pork. If I was anywhere else I probably would have suggested bacon as the new introduction to pork, as no one hates bacon :-) But today I went with carnitas. Needless to say she loved it and ordered her own tacos carnitas. For the more adventurous American foodie or for those who have have grown up eating all sort of pork; you can get your heart's desire of pig parts.

Stacks

I love pancakes & waffles.  A tradition on my father's side of the family is to cook fried bacon into fresh buttermilk pancakes or waffles.  I am a fan of bacon but not in my pancakes.  When sitting in a hotel trying to figure out what my tummy was craving & nothing looking good, I finally saw them.  Pancakes but not just any pancakes.  They were baked apple pancakes.

Stacks of cakes w/ fresh granny smith apples inside covered w/ Sugarman Vermont Maple syrup.  They were amazing & hit the spot.  I took this picture to send to my grandfather as he was enjoying his own bacon stuffed pancakes 1500 miles away :-)

Memorial Day Memories

I traveled to Washington, DC for Memorial Day. A time to honor & remember those who have served this great country and the world to keep us safe. I have lost family & friends to war. Many people spend the long holiday weekend enjoying BBQ. I spent this year at grill that gives an amazing view Washington's memorials.  I enjoyed a dinner w/ my mother and a wonderful friend of the family.
We shared fresh french bread & amazing homemade pesto. We toasted to my aunt who recently passed away, as this was her favorite place to eat in DC. She spent many Memorial Days in DC and would eat at this grill every time she was in DC.

It will not be the same without her. 

I will keep her tradition to enjoy bread with pesto and the famed crab cakes. I will honor & remember all that she lived & fought for. I will remember all she taught me about cooking and culture. And especially in DC, I will never forget that politics are best discussed over great food & drink.