Epicurean Enthusiast

Wednesday, February 29, 2012

What's for Dinner?

I'm having an Italian Bread Salad. Recipe coming soon!!

Tuesday, February 28, 2012

My Food Answers

I was asked what my answers would be to my Fellow Foodie Fun questions. So I thought I'd go ahead and post them here. :)

#1 Spinach

1. What food did you once hate (as a child or even more recently) that you have found an appreciate for and now enjoy? The first thing that came to mind was spinach. I hated spinach growing up, but mostly because of HOW my mother would prepare it. She loves it sauteed and wilted with no life left in it and bathed in butter and salt. I remember just swallowing it whole to get it down. Now, however, as an adult I've realized I like FRESH spinach. Spinach salads, on sandwiches, even slightly wilted in pastas. I still can't do the "creamed" spinach my mother loves though.

#2 Eggs Benedict

2. What do you normally order when going out to breakfast/brunch?That's an easy one. Eggs Benedict. I'm a sucker for properly poached eggs and you can bet if Eggs Benedict is on the menu I'll order it.

3. What is your favorite late-night snack? It really depends on if I am craving something sweet or salty? But if it's just a matter of not full from dinner and want a little something it'd either be peanut butter toast or a bowl of cereal.

#4 Pasta

4. What is the one dish you wish you could cook, but haven't yet mastered? I'd love to learn how to make fresh pasta. Right now though I have such a tiny kitchen and no real counter space it's kind of difficult.

5. What is your favorite restaurant? Where is it located and what is your favorite dish on their menu? I'm not sure if I have one ultimate favorite....I have favorites based on where I am/was living. When I lived in San Diego my go-to place was Spread, in North Park, they had a savory french toast that was killer. When I was in school it was Cuca's and their chicken rice burritos; I am still such a fan that when my aunt came up last summer we made her bring some with her. Now, living in Portland, I don't know if I have a "favorite"...I have a couple places...Departure and Ping would be the two if I had to pick (and I've blogged about Ping before).

#5 Ping

6. Who taught you how to cook? My mother (mostly) and both my grandmothers. The women in my family can cook and ever since I could stand on a chair to reach the counters they put a spoon in my hand to help. Best way to learn.

7. What is the worst cooking disaster you've ever caused? I remember once, I was maybe thirteen, I was asked to make jello and didn't put nearly enough water in. The whole thing was maybe an inch think and way gross. As an adult...nothing I would consider a disaster just things that didn't come out right. Like the Honey Cupcakes.

#8 Fish Tacos

8. What did you have for dinner last night? Homemade fish tacos.

9. What restaurant do you want to eat at and haven't? Okay, if we're talking dream meal I'd have to say I'd love to go to the French Laundry and eat anything Thomas Keller put in front of me. ::drooool::

#10 Gorgonzola Fries

10. What is your guilty-pleasure food item? Oh, normally I'd probably say "chocolate" in any shape or form. But the other night my mother and I had dinner at the Portland Seafood Company and we ordered their Gorgonzola Fries...HOLY CRAP! I wanted to LICK. THE. PLATE. Amazing. I've even gone out and bought fries to make my own at home (of course though I forgot the Gorgonzola.)

#11 Dim Sum

11. What food item/dish do you just love that your family/friends can't/won't try? Either sushi or dim sum. When I'm craving sushi I have to go out with coworkers because I can't get my family to eat it at all (although I did find out my sister's boyfriend is a fan, so we're going to find a Japanese restaurant that serves sushi and or teriyaki something for the haters). And then there's dim sum. I've taken my mother once and she hated everything we got - except the sticky rice and fried spring rolls.

#12 & 13 Chocolate Cream Pie

12. Cake or Pie? What kind? I think I'm going to have to go pie....but I like cream pies mostly. Chocolate cream. French silk. My favorite cake is Boston Cream "Pie" haha.

13. If you knew you were going to die tomorrow, what would be your last meal? Probably my grandmother's fried chicken, a side order of biscuits with gravy and a slice of chocolate cream pie for dessert.

Monday, February 27, 2012

Fellow Foodie Fun

Recently there has been a wave of "Getting to Know You" type blog-chains going around. And I thought, even though I did one on my other blog, that it'd be fun to do a Food-Themed one here and tag my favorite food bloggers (some are DIY bloggers or just foodies but it'll still be fun).

The idea is come up with 13 (a baker's dozen) questions and then tag 13 fellow foodies to answer these questions. They post the answers on their blog, come up with a new 13 questions and tag 13 foodie-friends. Simple. (Just don't forget to tell the tagged people they've been tagged).

So the 13 Fellow Foodies I'm going to tag are:

Gorgonzola Fries -
My latest guilty pleasure

Cookies & Cups

For the Love of Cooking

I Like Ginger Biscuits

Scrumptious Saturdays

Spanish Recipes

Sugar & Spice by Celeste

Sugar Plum

You Say it Best

Now for some food-fun questions.

1. What food did you once hate (as a child or even more recently) that you have found an appreciate for and now enjoy?

2. What do you normally order when going out to breakfast/brunch?

3. What is your favorite late-night snack?

4. What is the one dish you wish you could cook, but haven't yet mastered?

5. What is your favorite restaurant? Where is it located and what is your favorite dish on their menu?

6. Who taught you how to cook?

7. What is the worst cooking disaster you've ever caused?

8. What did you have for dinner last night?

9. What restaurant do you want to eat at and haven't?

10. What is your guilty-pleasure food item?

11. What food item/dish do you just love that your family/friends can't/won't try?

12. Cake or Pie? What kind?

13. If you knew you were going to die tomorrow, what would be your last meal?*