Emily - - Page 31

by Emily

Japanese Quinoa Salad

I know quinoa has been somewhat of a divisive subject here on the ol’ Simmer, but that only makes me want to write about it more. So, here’s this! A recipe that my roommate Dayna actually whipped up and I have stolen from her, because it is sooooo good. Healthy, light, and packed with protein (edamame plus tofu plus yep, quinoa), this has become one of my favorite post-workout snacks and a lunch-on-the-go staple. It’s super easy to throw together and keeps well in the fridge for up to about a week.

Japanese Quinoa Salad

by Emily

Croque Madame Breakfast Hot Dogs

So, I have to run something by you guys. Apparently, in Texas, hot dogs are classified as a breakfast food. Usually in the form of pigs in a blanket. Don’t get me wrong, they’re also welcome at tailgates and evening barbecues, but if you want to start the morning with a dog, it’s all good down here. What is this?! Have y’all heard of this? I really thought I was being tricked at first.

I first heard of this phenomenon from my boyfriend, Rob, a born-and-bred Austinite who wanted me to make lil’ smokies for brunch one morning. I thought he was just being a funky meat-loving dude, but turns out he was onto something, because a few weeks later, someone brought a pastry box into work and told everyone to help themselves to breakfast. I assumed it was a box of doughnuts, so imagine my surprise… pigs in a blanket! So the stories were true! Rob explained (after a respectable amount of “I-told-you-so” banter) that Czech kolaches are quite popular in Central Texas. I still had my doubts (and had actually never heard of kolaches before moving here) but the Internet confirmed his story. Kolaches started in eastern Europe as a sweet, fruit-filled pastry, but over here they’re more likely to be stuffed with sausage and/or cheese (Wikipedia calls savory types klobasnek, but they’re all called kolaches here.)

Okay! Now you know how I learned to stop worrying and love the morning hot dog. It didn’t take much effort to accept it– in fact, I wanted to embrace it wholeheartedly and really kick up the breakfast aspect. One of my favorite, most indulgent brunch dishes is also bread stuffed with meat and cheese: the croque madame. Why not combine Czech with French to make the ultimate cheesy, meaty masterpiece? Thus, my monstrous hot dog creation was born. Kolache expert (and fellow croque madame lover) Rob gave it an A+, so I figure I must be onto something.

Croque Madame Breakfast Hot Dog

by Emily

ReviewerCard: Douchiest Blog Trend Ever?

Sometimes I’m embarrassed to tell people I am a food blogger.

Weird, right? I mean, clearly there’s no inherent shame in it. I love to write, I love social media, and I absolutely love cooking, developing recipes, and going out to eat. It’s natural that these interests would drive me to share my culinary experiences on the Internet. I’ve been lucky to be incorporated into Endless Simmer—the writers here are personable, hilarious, and truthful (to the point of offending people with our various opinionated stances and language, which I think is funny). What we are not is unethical, entitled or pretentious. I will just as happily proclaim my love for Taco Bell as I will for rare farmers market produce. We’re not too cool for anything here and we love to make fun of ourselves.

If I receive a product to review, I mention in my post that I received it to review. If I go to a new restaurant I plan on writing about, I do NOT heavy-handedly announce to my server that “I’M A FOOD BLOGGER” and make a big deal of setting up my laptop and camera while whining about wanting perfect service and free dessert and better lighting so I can take a million artsy photos of my glass of wine. I pay for everything and I don’t try to namedrop my blog to every staff member within earshot. Let’s keep it real: writing about novelty hot dogs on the internet should not be cause for restaurants to grovel at my feet.

Not everyone shares my sentiment, though. While there are plenty of wonderful food writers and reviewers on the internet, as you know there’s also a disturbing amount of self-important buffoons. These days, every hack with a free Yelp account thinks they’re the next Ruth Reichl, when in truth they are anything but. Which is why I hate, hate, HATE the idea of this ridiculous ReviewerCard.

Here’s the backstory behind the creator of this completely superfluous new “membership card and community”:

in Rants & Raves 4 comments

by Emily

Super Snacks: Baked Garlic & Swiss Cheese Dip

Ugh…. no Seahawks, no Saints, no Chargers, no Cowboys, no Texans… remind me again WHY I want to watch the Superbowl this year?!

Oh yeah, duh–the day-long bounty of indulgent dips, deep-fried apps, and beer. That’s right.

I love football and I love TV, and obviously I love cooking, eating, and drinking, so it should come as no surprise that Superbowl is one of my favorite days of the year. For me, it’s not a true celebration unless there are copious amounts of chips and dip involved. There is no other day in the year when dip gets the respect and attention it deserves. So when my friends at Kashi sent me some of their newest products and asked if I could dream up a delicious Superbowl recipe incorporating their tasty new garlic pita chips, of course I was more than eager to comply.

What goes better with garlic than more garlic? I was inspired by one of the best soups in Seattle, the amazing, rich garlic swiss soup at Hopvine, which was my fall and winter staple when I lived there. This is kind of a fondue version of that idea–a thicker, cheesier, more amped-up version that is straight-up addictive. I used elephant garlic because it adds a sweeter, mellower taste than regular garlic and mushes up nicely, but if you can’t find it in your area, no sweat. Just roast 3 large cloves of normal garlic and you’ll be fine.

Baked Garlic & Swiss Cheese Dip

in Cheese / Recipe 1 comments

by Emily

Artsy Photo of the Day

Earlier this week, Mexico met Japan in an artsy cocktail, and in round two, Mexico meets Japan in this artsy ramen:

This Chicken Tortilla Soup Ramen hybrid is made with bacon dashi, chicken-tortilla-Tom-Yum paste, shrimp paste, chicken thigh, soft soy egg, avocado, corn, fried tortilla, pickled yellow onion, jalapeño, cilantro, garlic, and lime. Talk about fusion.

It”s from East Side King at Hole in the Wall, Top Chef winner Paul Qui’s newest Austin venture (for now–He”s working on some other new exciting projects too, so expect a stream of PQ food pics from me in 2013-2014, you’re welcome).

Oh, by the way, it’s amazing.

in Photos / Restaurants 0 comments

by Emily

Don’t Mess with the Classics: Beef Stroganoff

Certain chilly winter days call for rich, comforting dinners. Usually I try to mix it up and make funky new recipes, but sometimes resorting to the classics just feels right. This is where one of my personal home cookin’ favorites, stroganoff, comes in.

I don’t have any grand introduction for this dish. Really, what more can you say about beef cooked in a rich, creamy mushroom gravy?

Just a few pointers: Don’t skip the addition of the peas. I guess it’s an individual preference, but I LOVE the sweet pop they add to this dish. Also, I know you can serve this over any type of noodle or even rice, I guess, but I can’t imagine my stroganoff smothering anything other than egg noodles. Like I said, this is a classic, and that’s how my family has always made it! Finally—this is a no-brainer—don’t skimp on the sour cream. Nobody said you were cooking this to be especially healthy. Adding a splash of skim milk is not gonna cut it here. I always end up adding way more sour cream than other recipes recommend, and I’m okay with that.

(My) Classic Beef Stroganoff

in Recipe / Red Meat 0 comments

by Emily

Artsy Photo of the Day

What did you have for breakfast today? Cereal? Banana? Granola bar? Sorry, I’m about to ruin any satisfaction you might have obtained from your measly meal, because for some lucky people, breakfast could be THIS:

A perfect Croque Madame sandwich smothered in creamy mornay sauce and topped with a rich, runny egg. With frites and black coffee on the side, of course. Go big or go home. Or as the French would say, I guess, rentrer à la maison ou grand feu?

(This exquisite sandwich can be found at Épicerie Café in Austin, Texas.)

in Breakfast / Eggs / Photos / Sandwich 0 comments