A Toasty Event

OK. It's not really toasty, more a "grilly" event that will be held in Los Angeles April 25th.

The 1st 7th Annual Grilled Cheese Invitational will be held in downtown Los Angeles this year, organizers said Monday.

The cheese-lovers' Mecca will be held at Los Angeles State Historic Park (map) on Saturday, April 25.

The Grilled Cheese Invitational "is the largest, craziest, and most exciting grilled cheese cooking contest in the country and is the best thing to happen to sliced cheese since sliced bread," according to the event's website.

Doors open at noon, and admission is only $5.

However, if you think you got the chops to make a top-shelf grilled cheese, the competition fee is $10. The cook-off goes from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. Competitors can register at grilledcheeseinvitational.com.

An event like this could almost make me want to go out to California to attend or compete. Almost. It sounds like a load of tasty fun! I can't help but wonder if we couldn't organise a like event in my area? Mmmm...grilled cheese.

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Food, Grilled Cheese, California

A Parting Shot

It looks like now ex-President George Bush gave a parting shot at the EU and American foodies. He increased the tariff on Roquefort cheese by 300%. That's rough. And it's a decision that will probably be allowed to stand by the incoming Obama regime.

ROQUEFORT, France (AFP) — People in the southern French district of Lozeyron are having a hard time swallowing US President George W. Bush's parting gift:a tripling to 300 percent in import duty on their world-famous Roquefort cheese.

"Tonnes of produce are going to go up in smoke," protested one of the seven local producers of the distinctive soft blue cheese. It was a hammer blow to the local region, he said.

The swingeing tariff increase, part of a longstanding trade row between the United States and the European Union, has effectively priced them out of the US market, say producers.

"The aim of the Americans is that there is not a gram of Roquefort sold in the United States," said Philippe le Guen, who handles sales at Papillon, one of the best-known brands of the cheese.

His mark alone accounts for nearly 10 percent of total production, exporting 50 tonnes of Roquefort to the United States of a total 1,700 tonnes produced.

And with the world economy in trouble this latest US move has raised the spectre of a trade war.

As a fan of Roquefort cheese I must say that I am dismayed by this blatant attack on the free market and free trade. I guess I'll just venture out and get a taste of the current stocks before they run out. It's a sad day in Foodville.

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Food, Cheese, Politics

Eatin' Bad In The Neighbourhood

As my wife is wont to point out, "There are times when you have to eat at a restaurant just to remind yourself of why you don't eat there". This has never been proven more true than during the return journey from our recent vacation to the Outer Banks. We pulled off the road reasonably early in order to secure a nice room and relax after a long day of traveling and chose Beckley, West Virginia as our stopping point. We acquired our room and then went in search of dinner. Now, Beckley doesn't really have much to offer in the way of fine dining, or even mediocre dining for that matter. What they do have are lots of "off ramp" restaurants, like Outback, Cracker Barrel, Chili's and Applebee's. Unfortunately, we chose Applebee's, a place we had not graced with our presence in well over a decade.

Now, for those of you who have failed to see the many commercials for Applebee's, I'll clue you in on what they are doing. Currently, they are offering a menu based around the cuisine of celebrity Chef Tyler Florence. I imagine this is a lucrative side business for Chef Tyler. Unfortunately, the recipes leave a great deal to be desired. My wife and I both had "Tyler's New Yorker"- "A juicy strip steak with garlic butter and thick steakhouse-style onion rings served with a Hearts of Romaine appetizer salad."

We should have known what we were in for when the service started going bad and our waitron disappeared. After an interminable wait and multiple excuses our "food" did finally arrive and I wasn't overly impressed, to say the least. The salad was mediocre, at best. (Hint: Croutons should be crunchy, not hard.) Then came the moment of truth . The Select grade New York Strip Steaks arrived. While they were cooked close to the requested degree of doneness, the "aroma" which wafted from the food was a precursor of the horror to come.

The onion rings were not the best I have had by a long shot. They actually had a hard crust, rather than a crispy exterior. And having only 3 of them was a sure sign of stinginess on the part of the restaurant. The steak was slathered with a ball of "garlic butter" that managed to do to that steak what should never be done to meat. It changed the flavour completely from grilled beef to something that approximated a garlic sausage. The steaks literally tasted like a sausage. It was disgusting, to say the least. They were not finished, as they were nigh on inedible. I would be ashamed to serve such a dish to someone.

Applebee's and Chef Florence are pushing the envelope...of inedibility and bad service. Tyler Florence's recipe for a NY Strip steak leaves a great deal to be desired. Taking a mediocre Select grade steak and making it taste like sausage might be a great feat for some, Chef Florence and Applebee's do it with great ease. Frankly, I could have had a better tasting meal if we'd killed a cat and roasted it over a flaming turd. That's just how bad it was.

Perhaps, in another decade we will return to Applebee's to remind ourselves of what we haven't been missing. Then again, as bad as this meal was it's doubtful that the passage of ten years will suffice.

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Road Food, Applebee's, Food

Sam And Omie's - Finest Kind

Just off the main drag in Nag's Head, North Carolina is a small joint called Sam and Omie's. It has a 70 year history in Nag's Head, so the folks there must be doing something right. We stopped in for a quick brunch on our way to Avon, in the Outer Banks and got there just in time for the beginning of lunch. Perfect timing, since it switched us from a breakfast mood to a lunch mode. The waitress was nice and friendly and was right on the spot when we needed her.

As is my usual M.O. when I get to eat out in the OBX I started with a cup of chowder. No disappointments here. That cup was brimming with clams, potatoes, carrot, onion and bacon. The broth was slightly salty, so it needed nothing other than a touch of pepper and it had an nice herbal flavour to it. Pretty yummy stuff and I'll be sure to get it again when I go back.

I treated myself to a combination seafood platter that had fried Shrimp, Scallops, Flounder, Onion Rings and Slaw. The Flounder and Shrimp were excellent and well seasoned. The Scallops were OK. Not great, just OK. A little too moist and the batter coating had no crunch to it. The Cole Slaw was not the best I've had (or made), but it wasn't the worst by any means. Sam and Omie's does have a decent Onion Ring, tho. That goes a long way. Their sauces (Tartar and Cocktail) are a wonder, too and have a nice homemade taste to them. If these are commercial I'd love to know the brand, they taste homemade.

The highlight of the meal was when I got a taste of my wife's Crab Cake. Folks, this may well be the best danged Crab Cake in America. The outside is crisp and the inside is a juicy, crab filled culinary wonder. Every bite is a delightful taste of crab goodness, with little interference from any filler that might be there. It's simply the best Crab Cake I can remember ever eating and I have yet to find another Crab Cake that is its equal. The only drawback to my meal was that their Sweet Tea wasn't quite strong enough or sweet enough for my taste and that's not reason enough to keep me from returning.
We will certainly make Sam and Omie's a stop on our future excursions to the Outer Banks and I highly recommend them to anyone who likes a good Crab Cake.

The rest of the family enjoyed their fare, as well. Club Sandwiches for the kids were a big hit and my wife's Flounder was also well received. Good eats all around!

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Sam and Omie's, Seafood, Outer Banks, Road Food

Not So Hot Hot Shotz

The family and I decided to try out a new place in Indianapolis this past week. Hot Shotz, a beer and food restaurant much admired by the local home brewing and beer connoisseur community. They do sport an admirable selection of micro brewed beers, both bottled and on tap. My wife, the home brewer and connoisseur of beers in the family, was suitably impressed and delighted by their list of draft and bottled beverages. I contented myself with a bubbly lemon lime soda, like the kids.

It was a rainy Friday and the place wasn't crowded at all, so the service was really good and our waiter was right there. No abandonment issues ever arose during our dinner. We ordered our drinks and appetisers (my wife had a card for a complimentary appetiser). We ordered their smoked Hot Wings and I treated myself to a pair of Virginia Oysters on the half shall, (the manager brought an additional oyster to me at no charge. A truly nice gesture). The oysters were what you would expect, being as far inland as we are. They were nice, but not ocean fresh.

The wings....well, the wings were a different story. I like Hot Wings and the flavour in these wings was good. They are smoked for awhile then fried and drenched in a Frank's based hot wing sauce that is kicked up by adding additional heat via jalapeño sauce, according to our waiter. These wings have a unique flavour and a sneaky kind of heat that would make these a winner in any category. But....there was one problem. They were underdone. Still showing some pink at the bone. When I mentioned this to our waiter I was told that it was the result of the smoking. Perhaps some people might buy that. I'm not one of them. As someone who enjoys smoking their own meats I can tell you one fact, vis a vis the smoke rings. Smoke penetrates and colours from the outside in, not from the bone outward. If you order the wings, at Hot Shotz, check for doneness.

As an entree I ordered the Chili and Cheese Pie, a casserole of chili, topped with a cornmeal and three cheese topping. The chili is made from smoked brisket pieces with dark red kidney beans. There was no true spiciness to this dish and no heat to speak of. The overriding taste was one of sweetness that really didn't do a lot for me. I spent most of my time picking out pieces of brisket to eat and avoided the overabundant cap of cheese and the way too sweet chili. Even adding a good dollop of tasty jalapeño sauce couldn't save this dish. The Chili and Cheese Pie gets crossed off my list as too sweet and too overladen with cheese.

My son made a slightly wiser food choice in ordering the Pulled Pork Sandwich. This smoky pork sandwich was really quite tasty, (thanks for letting Dad have a taste!). While it's certainly not a BBQ joint style sandwich it was better than I expected. Sadly, Cole Slaw is an additional side and not the standard which we Southerners use in place of the lettuce, tomato and pickle Hot Shotz uses as condiments. The BBQ Sauce was a bit of a disappointment. It was just a small container of K.C. Masterpiece and not a signature house sauce. That's something they should definitely work on. The thick cut Brew Fries they serve with their sandwiches are thick wedges of potato goodness. Quite nice.

My wife had the Monster Burger and was happy with it. I didn't taste it so I cannot comment on it. Hot Shotz also offers a variety of hot sauces for those who like something a bit spicier in a condiment. They even have a sauce that's almost pure capsaicin at 1 million Scovile units for the truly brave. I'd love to see a larger selection of hot sauces on their rack, tho. Given the numbers of sauces out there I expect that selection to grow.

Even given the quality issues we experienced I would likely be willing to give Hot Shotz another chance. Of course I'd be choosing different menu items and avoiding the wings.

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Hot Shotz, Food, Indianapolis

A Taste of Ireland

Fishers, Indiana has many places to eat and one of them stands out from the crowd. Fionn MacCool's Irish Pub is an outstanding dining destination and has rapidly become a favourite with my family. MacCool's is much more than a neighbourhood pub offering Irish music and a themed atmosphere, it is a fine dining establishment with a talented kitchen crew.

The first time we dropped in we had some of the standard fare you'd expect in an Irish restaurant. Fish and Chips, Shepherds Pie and kid plates of the same. The Shepherds Pie was served in a ceramic serving dish and sported a decent sized scoop of Champs (Irish style mashed potatoes). It's a nice meaty dish with a well seasoned sauce. The Fish and Chips come in 2 sizes (1/2 pound and full pound) and both are sure to please. The batter crisps up perfectly and the Cod is done to perfection. MacCool's serves their own signature thick cut pub chips with this and they are good! I was impressed by our first foray there and looking forward to our next visit.

We've been back a few times since that first outing, (I even scheduled a dinner meeting there last month) and the food has been a consistent winner each and every time. During the summer months Fionn's added a special summer menu that sported a few new items. Our favourite item off this seasonal menu has been the Irish Quesadilla. Fionn's Irish take on this favourite is "Rashers with melted bleu cheese, sauteed mushrooms, cheddar cheese, green onions and baby spinach in a large tortilla with sour cream, house made salsa and guacamole". This single item makes any trip to Fionn's worthwhile. The unique blend of tastes, especially the bleu cheese and rashers make this a wonderful starter. It runs $9.50 and while it is on the upper end of the scale for an appetiser like this it's worth the price.

Another of their Traditional Irish Fare dishes is the Big Irish Breakfast. It's just what it says it is; a typical Irish breakfast on a reasonably sized plate. It consists of "Galtee Bangers and Rashers, Galtee Black and White Puddings, Two Eggs (any style), grilled tomato, Heinz Baked Beans w/ Irish Soda Bread". If you've never experienced a typical Irish breakfast like this then take the time and treat yourself to a truly yummy experience.

The Puddings are just melt in your mouth good and too darned small by my standards. They were cooked just right and have a nice fennel and spice taste that complements everything on the plate, I only wish there had been twice as many pieces of it. Fionn's breakfast bangers were spot on! Crisp on the outside with an almost creamy textured meat on the inside that was lightly spiced. The rashers (bacon) were meaty and just plain great. Not overcooked in the least and with little fat compared to American bacon. I hadn't realised how much I missed having rashers until I had them with this wonderful "breakfast". The soda bread was nice and dense and was a good addition to the meal. While I'm not a great fan of pork and beans these cold little morsels went right along with the meal. The tomato was grilled just right and added a nice touch, along with my over medium eggs. This is a meal I will definitely have again.

If you're planning a night out in Fishers, or just passing through and want some excellent dining then drop into Fionn MacCool's. I don't think you'll be disappointed.


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Fionn MacCool's, Food, Fishers, Indiana, Road Food

Sharing Can Be Good

As kids we all learned the axiom that it is nice share and I believe that's true, when it's voluntary sharing. So, I thought I'd share a couple of recipes before I reviewed a couple of places around the Indianapolis area. First up is the recipe I've been using for bread the last couple of weeks. I finally gave up on finding any bread that doesn't have High Fructose Corn Syrup in it. Even many of the whole wheat and so-called "healthy breads" have it in them. Enough is enough. Baking sandwich bread doesn't take an enormous amount of time or effort, especially if you have a Kitchen Aid mixer or even a food processor. I made a batch yesterday while making breakfast for my youngest.


Sandwich Bread:

3 cups All Purpose Flour (King Arthur is the absolute best)
1/2 cup milk
2/3 cup hot water (perhaps less depending on conditions)
4 Tablespoons canola oil
2 Tablespoons sugar (1 in your dry mix, 1 in the liquid you put your yeast in)
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 package active dry yeast (dissolve in your milk)

Combine all ingredients in bowl and mix till it all comes together and leaves the side of the bowl. Transfer to a lightly oiled surface and knead for 8 minutes or so. If using a mixer with a dough hook knead at medium speed for 8 minutes.
Transfer to a lightly oiled bowl. Cover and allow to rise in a warm place for about 1 hour.
Remove from bowl and shape into a log about 8 inches long and place it in an 8 1/2 x 4 1/2 inch loaf pan. Cover the pan loosely with lightly oiled plastic wrap and allow to rise for about 1 hour or until the bread has risen an inch or so above the rim (more if you like big bread!).
Once bread has risen place in a 350 degree oven for 35-40 minutes. Cool your bread on a wire rack and enjoy! Store it wrapped in plastic or bagged once it has cooled so no moisture will form on the surface.


And, while I'm at it let's make some marshmallows. Using this recipe you will insure you never buy marshmallows again! This recipe uses metric measures, if you do not have metric measures...get some. A set of measuring spoons costs about $1. And cups not much more. Or use this. This recipe is also free of Corn Syrup and uses Lyle's Golden Syrup which taste 1000% better!

Marshmallows:

400 grams sugar (500 ml)
pinch of salt
12.5 ml Lyle's Golden Syrup
250 ml water

20 grams gelatin (30 ml) soaked in
100 ml cold water

2 eggs whites (beaten stiff)
3 ml vanilla extract

100 ml powdered sugar
50 ml cornstarch

Mix sugar, salt , syrup and water. Heat slowly without boiling, stirring constantly until sugar has dissolved completely.
Increase heat and boil to softball stage 115 degrees C (239 F).
Stir in the gelatin.
Pour the hot syrup mixture onto the stiff egg whites, beating constantly until mixture is thick and creamy.
Add vanilla, (you may also add colouring at this point if you wish). Beat with a wooden spoon until the mixture is stiff enough to hold its shape.
Mix powdered sugar and cornstarch together and sift a layer into a greased 8 x 8 inch pan. Pour the marshmallow mixture into the pan. Dust with cornstarch and sugar mixture. Let sit till firm.
Dip a knife into warm water till blade is warm. Dry knife and cut the marshmallow into strips 25mm wide. Using scissors or a warmed blade cut the strips into 25mm pieces. Dust with sugar/cornstarch mixture. Store in an airtight container and enjoy!!!

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Bread Recipe, Recipe, Marshmallow Recipe, Food, High Fructose Corn Syrup