Girl Likes to Eat

Caramelized Lace – For any dessert!

Posted on by Jenny MacBeth

For my Mother’s Day dinner, I served baby back ribs and shrimp scampi along with this sweet delight for dessert.

This idea came to me when I heard the story of Glen and his mom loving a dessert, they once shared, with a crunchy lace topping. They tried to explain it several times to me, but I turned to a friend for advice. It’s not exactly what they once shared, but I’m told it’s pretty close.

I wasn’t sure what to call it because you can use it in many dessert recipes. It is definitely caramelized and has a lace texture to it. So, as clever as I am (haha), I’m calling it caramelized lace.

Let’s get started…

You’ll Need:

4 3/4 cup of Special K Oats and Honey
1/4 cup of dark brown sugar
1 stick of unsalted butter (do not use salted butter)
A small pinch of kosher salt
2 container of Dolci Frutta (sold with four small containers)
Parchment paper

To Do…

Preheat oven to 275.

Gently crumble cereal in a mixing bowl.

Toss in your brown sugar, salt and melted butter. Mix it all together.

Place the parchment paper over a cookie sheet. The mixture will stick to your pan if you do not use parchment paper. Trust me. I learned the hard way.

Spread the yummy mixture over it. Don’t worry if it doesn’t spread out evenly. – As it cooks, the butter will do that for you.

Cook for 15 minutes. Once cooled, you can start to pinch off chunks.

You can serve it this way, or…

I loved dunking it in dark chocolate, but it’s not necessary. The caramelized lace can stand alone.

Glen found Dolci Frutta at Sam’s Club. It’s advertised to use on fruit, but I thought why not add it to the lace. Just follow the instructions on the box. Hint: You have too work fast, it hardens quickly.

Crumble a few pieces of the lace in the bottom of your serving dish then top with ice cream. I served it with Breyers Pure Vanilla ice cream. Heat another Dolci Frutta and drizzle a spoon full over the ice cream. The chocolate will harden even faster over the coldness of the ice cream. Add in your caramelized lace.

It’s a sweet and salty dessert. Tastes like chocolate caramel turtles. Enjoy!

Any cool tricks or recipes you want to share? Let me know because this girl likes to eat.

use crushed potato chips for all sorts of toppings

Potato Chip Topping

Posted on by Jenny MacBeth

As I mentioned in one of my muffin recipes,

I use potato chips as my topping for just about all my muffins. Some people use cornflakes, but if you are like me, I always have a bag of chips in my cupboard. Rarely, do I have cornflakes.

Here I’m using the crushed chips mixed with Havarti cheese as a muffin topper.

I use crumbled potato chips on muffins, casseroles, macaroni and cheese, soups, breads, cakes, or any other recipe I want to add a little crunch and salt.

What foods do you use potato chips as a topper? Please share because this Girl Likes to Eat.

Bacon, Egg and Smoked Gruyere Sandwich

Posted on by Jenny MacBeth

Who doesn’t love breakfast for dinner? I was craving a good bacon, egg and cheese sandwich. After work, I headed over to the grocer and saw, “Apple Smoked Gruyere.” Boy, did that pull me in. -Snatched it and tossed it in the cart without a second look.

This is such a simple sandwich, yet you can do so much with it. Everything taste delicious with bacon.

Side note: Did you know that Bacon, Egg and Cheese has its own Wikipedia? It’s a popular food group.

A Cast Iron skillet is the secret ingredient to making yummy eggs and bacon. I love the bubbly-crispy edges you get around the egg white. It’s perfect every time.

For my bacon, I love apple smoked, or peppered, thick-cut bacon. I like all bacon, but I seem to buy those two flavors the most. I must be sucked into the marketing gimmick of “Apple Smoked.” It just sounds so heavenly, right?

You can make your sandwich anyway you want. Top it with all your favorites, but this is what I did.

For the bread I used leftover Pain de Campagne from the weekend. Whatever you use, make sure it’s nice and crusty. – A rustic bread helps make a plain sandwich gourmet.

Instead of lettuce, I used basil leaves and chopped up some chives. Using fresh herbs also helps make a plain sandwich pop.

And, the obvious…Bacon, eggs and grated Gruyere. – I just love saying Gruyere. I’m a big cheese fan, but this cheese is one of my all-time favorites. It melts so well, especially, freshly grated on top of the egg.

Just look at the edges of the egg start to bubble and get crispy. Moan-worthy.

Toast your bread and lightly butter. I used a normal toaster, but you can butter the bread and toss in the skillet, or even grill it.

Layer on your basil, tomato, bacon, egg and sprinkle with chives. Add your ‘cherry on top’ the grated Gruyere. Done!

This is dinner and not breakfast, right? I’d pair this Apple Smoked sandwich with a cold Woodchuck Cider. It has a light apple flavor that’s just the thing to wash it down. Enjoy!

How do you like your bacon, egg and cheese? Please share because this girl likes to eat.

Thanks for reading.

The Porch at Schenley Pittsburgh

Posted on by Jenny MacBeth

What can I say? The Porch is amazing. Before you even read my post, I recommend you get there and experience it for yourself.

The Porch was recommended by my niece, but I was a little apprehensive about it. I had heard that it is, “College student food.” So, I’m thinking burgers, noodle soup, and french fries. – The Original Hot Dog Shop (aka The O) kind of food. It is centered in college town of Pittsburgh, but I would not call this student food. It is affordable, but I don’t think students eat that well. I consider this casual fine-dining.

The Porch opened in November 2011. When I first walked up to the newly constructed building, I was transported in by its open window design and contemporary style. The Porch is located at 221 Schenley Drive, Pittsburgh, PA. The building gives Schenley Plaza a facelift.

My niece and nephews Birthdays are all within a month of each other, so I decided to take them out to dinner to celebrate. And, mostly to spend much needed quality time with them. I hope you enjoy our celebration…

It was about 6:30 on a Saturday, the beginning of prime-time dinner hour. I was a little concerned there might be a wait. The Porch does not take reservations, however, they promote on their web site a wait list. You give them your cell phone number and The Porch will text you when a table is ready. They also post on their site the average wait time, so you can use your smartphone to check before even getting there. We walked in the door and was greeted by our friendly hostess and was seated.

They also have outdoor seating, and the side walls (garage doors) open up to the plaza. Once the weather gets warmer, I’m going to have to plan a lunch outing with my co-workers. They are going to love this place.

The interior is very clean and environmentally green. The windows surround The Porch filling the room with warm natural lightening.

The kitchen is partially opened to the dining area. The sound does not interrupt your experience. From the outside you can gaze into the kitchen from the big picture window; lined with fresh baked bread and homegrown spices.

I really appreciated the style. You are surrounded by cool elements that are soothing to your sense of sight.

About the design:

The Porch at Schenley is a final piece of the plaza’s decade-long revitalization project. Created by Eat’n Park Hospitality Group, it is the first full-service restaurant in the area. Mark Broadhurst, director of concept development, wanted The Porch to have an “at-home” feel, so he called upon international design firm WD Partners, known for its environmental sensitivity, to create the building’s green design.

– By VALENTINA, Pittsburgh Magazine

Homemade farm bread ($4) served with homemade honey butter and jams. The butter and jams were just the perfect touch of sweetness, and the bread was better than Mancini’s. Shhhh.

Alligator soup ($6). Odd for most, but it tastes like bacon. You thought I was going to say chicken, didn’t you? Little chunks of potatoes, alligator, and Nicole said, “It’s just like tortilla soup.” You can’t even tell you’re eating alligator.

I of course had to have one of their specialty beverages. This bad boy is their Pineapple Sage Margarita ($8). The pineapple is so subtle, it tasted just like a regular margarita with sage. – Still very good, but I was expecting something different.

The Porch also has homemade seasonal soda; which was very tasty.

The menu has a lot of variety. It truly is hard to pick something. Thank goodness we had a party of four. We all tried to order something different. They have five different pies and we ended up with three.

This is the Verdure Al Forno ($11). Our tables favorite. The pizza has roasted mushrooms, roasted red pepper, oil cured olives and fresh oregano. By far the best fire cooked pizza I’ve had since my chef friend, Jess, cooked Glen and I a pie. Outstanding!

Nicole and Brandon trying to decide what to get. We wanted it all. I think our waiter had to come back three times before we could decide.

Calamari ($10) served with crispy zucchini and a spicy marinara sauce. Again, this was high on my list of bests.

The BBQ Chicken ($12). This is delicious if you like BBQ sauce, but I’m not a fan. The pizza is topped with roasted chicken, red onion, pineapple, cilantro and drizzled with BBQ sauce. I’d really love this pie if they put the BBQ sauce on the side. – I’m sure I can request that next time.

Who wants to join me for happy hour? $3 drafts! I’m there! Since I had a margarita, I’m not sure of the beer selection.

What? 1/2 off pizzas. I still need to try the Bianca: Fig jam, goat cheese, mozzarella, arugula, and truffle oil ($13). I’m thinking that the Bianca is going to be my all-time favorite.

Dillon and me. I see a slight smile. He’s still a teenager, so he’s just learning.

Can I do all caps here? THIS IS THE BEST DUCK. The best! Blown-away. We all agreed on this one. Duck Legs ($20) are charred ramps served on fava bean (a Hannibal Lecter favorite) salad, foie gras, and a blueberry-champagne sauce. All I needed was a nice Chianti. Demons sing.

This is the Piggie Pie ($14). The pizza is topped with house-cured meats, mozzarella and basil. It faired well with us, but not our favorite.

Hats off to The Porch. We were blown away. Dillon walked away saying, “Wow! This was really nice. Thank you.” I loved it so much that The Porch is the first restaurant making my “Pittsburgh Favorites” List. I will definitely be heading back again and again. – I want to try everything on the menu.

Indian Cooking Class 1 – Khichari

Posted on by Jenny MacBeth

My friend Margaret and I attended a free Indian cooking class at Northland Public Library. I highly recommend it.

The Indian cook, Ann Manchella, prepared Kichidi (that’s the way she spells it. Most common is Khichari), a rice dish widely known in India as a comfort food. Ann demonstrated the preparation of the dish and served us tasty samples. – Reward without the effort. The only thing that would have stepped up this class is some Indian beer <wink>.

Here is the recipe and a few photos from the evening.

Split moong dal. This can be used in place of split red lentils. Either work well.

Done!

Ann and her team (husband), served the dish with plain yogurt and two spicy sauces. Love the spices in Indian food. I must get this.

The audience moaned when they were eating it.

We are headed back where Ann will make Puri, an unleavened Indian bread, to accompany Aloo Sabji, a potato curry; which I absolutely love.

Here is Ann’s recipe…

Ingredients:

1/3 cup of split red lentils, or split moong dal

1 cup basmati or other long-grain rice or brown rice

3 tablespoons of ghee or oil (ghee is easy to make. Click link for recipe)

1/3 cup of unsalted cashews

3 teaspoons of cumin seeds

1 tablespoon of fresh hot green chili, minced

2 tablespoons of minced fresh ginger

2 teaspoons of turmeric

1 teaspoon of yellow asafetida powder

3 cups of mixed vegetables: Chopped green beans, carrots, cauliflower, spinach (Ann says that you can use whatever veges you like)

5-6 cups of water (if needed)

1 1/2 teaspoons of salt

1 tablespoon of butter

1 cup of tomatoes, chopped

1/2 cup of chopped coriander leaves

1 bunch of curry leaves

Instructions:

Boil water and add lentils or dal. After they are half-cooked, add rice and vegetables.
In a separate saucepan, heat the ghee over medium heat. When the ghee is hot, put asafetida followed by cumin seeds. Then add curry leaves, chilies and ginger. Add cashews and saute till they turn slight brown. Add tomatoes and spinach and cook them till the water from the tomatoes is gone.
Stir in the lentils and rice to they curry (once lentils and rice is 90% cooked). If the Kichidi dries out too much, add up to 1 cup warm water.
Garnish with coriander leaves and serve hot with yogurt, Lime Pickle and Bedekar Mango Chili sauces (pictured above).

All this was free, so click to register for upcoming programs or by calling the adult services reference desk at 412-366-8100, ext.113.

Thanks Ann! I really enjoyed your class.

Belgian Ale Cupcakes

Posted on by Jenny MacBeth

Moan-worthy! I was doing a little dance in my kitchen when I was done. Soooo nom nom. – Words can’t even begin to explain it. I was so excited that when Glen was done exercising, I shoved a cupcake in his face saying, “TRY THIS.”

If your reading my blog, you know I’m not a baker. I’m more a salty and spicy kind of girl. However, if you mention beer in a cupcake, I’m definitely going to try it.

There are all kinds of beer cupcake recipes out there if you just Google it. I, however, can not begin to tell you that when it comes to baking sweet nothings, I screw up some part of the recipe. I’m not sure why. I just do. It makes me sad inside.

Anyhow…

I’d like to think that I simplified a complicated recipe. Go buy a box of Betty Crocker white cake mix, and follow the instructions on the back. ONLY – you will replace the water with an orange-citrus Belgian white ale. You can use Bluemoon, the popular choice, but when I was shopping at my local beer emporium, 1 For the Road, they recommended I try Shock Top. I just love saying, “Beer emporium.” It just makes me tingle, and I absolutely love having one close by. Pennsylvania needs to bend the laws to allow more establishments to sell beer by the bottle. There is no fun in buying 24 bottles of the same beer. Sorry! A little rant. Back to the recipe…add in the zest of one large navel orange. It gives it a boost in flavor and color.

Not good with separating the egg whites? Neither am I. Get some All Whites by Crystal Farms.

Pour in your batter 3/4 full – allow for the cupcake to swell up. Put in your already preheated oven by following the box instructions. The box says 18-23 minutes, however, mine took about 25 minutes. So, make sure to keep checking it with a toothpick.

While your cupcakes are brewing…

Start your frosting.

Now for the topping, I’m pretty picky. I followed an old recipe I had on hand that is perfect.

This takes quite a bit of time. I suggest using a standing mixer, so you can do other things, and your arms don’t get tired.

Start beating 2 egg whites, 1 teaspoon of vanilla, and 1 tablespoon of orange juice. Mix for 10 minutes until soft and fluffy.

While that’s mingling…

In a saucepan, mix 1 cup of sugar, 1/3 cup of Belgian white ale, and 1/4 teaspoon of cream of tartar. Cook on medium heat until…

Nice and bubbly. Doesn’t that just look like a fluffy cloud of all things heavenly?

Slowly add hot sugar mixture, beating continuously for another 10 minutes until it’s so stiff that you can’t get it off the spoon without serious effort. – Exactly like marshmallow creme.

The batter is easily manageable for the not so neatly creative bakers. I love this frosting because you can scoop and top allowing each cupcake to look divine.

Take the zest from another large navel orange for garnish. Serve with a Belgian White Ale. Done and delicious!

See! I suck at this and it looks awesome. If I do say so myself.

I had a few parties this weekend, so I doubled the recipe. It really didn’t take me long to prepare and bake; all the while taking pictures.

Tip: Keep these bad boys refrigerated. The frosting will start to melt on you, not to mention, it has egg whites in it.

Have any cool cooking tricks, let me know because this girl likes to eat.

Thanks for reading.

Del’s Bar & Ristorante DelPizzo

Posted on by Jenny MacBeth

Del’s is located at 4428 Liberty Avenue in the Bloomfield section of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Del’s Italian Restaurant is owned by third-generation Delpizzo family. They have been on Food Network’s Restaurant Impossible. Seems that Del’s is pretty famous, and I can’t believe I’ve never heard of it.

Last week, a few of us went for their lunch buffet. When you first walk in, you think it’s small, but it continues from one room to the next. Each area has a different look. We are greeted by our waiter, Rocco. Rocco ROCKS! Loved him. He pointed out a flyer on the table talking about Restaurant Impossible. The reruns are on April 28 and 29, 2012. My DVR is set.

Why is it when you eat at a buffet, you feel the need to pile it on?

Being a bit of a germ-a-phobe, buffet’s can make me quiver. However, I talked to my inner self and said, “Self. It’s $7.95 all you can eat Italian food.” – I got over it quick. You can order off the menu if you can’t handle it, but it’s $7.95. Unheard of.

The buffet had lasagne, meatballs, chicken parm, fish, hot sausage, a few different pastas, pizza, green bean Alfredo, and salad. I skipped right over the salad and went straight for the heavy. I tried a little of everything. If you’ve been reading my posts, then you know that Italian food using red sauces have to be really yummy for me to eat it. Well, I loved their lasagne. Delicious.

A big meatball fan – Del’s meatballs are pretty good. Still, my favorite meatball is Monroe Hotel in Butler.

Rocco told us to make sure we try their green bean Alfredo. I’m glad I did. Yummy!

The fish was nom nom too. It had a lemony taste in the breading. Perfect.

On their excellent customer service…

As I mentioned, each room has a different look. My friend Wiv, loved the butter-cream color of this room. She inquired with Rocco for the name of it. Rocco brought out the owner. The lady was super sweet. She said that she might still have some paint upstairs and would check on the name. A few minutes later…

She gave a can to Wiv to take home and use. Now that’s what I call a doggie bag.

I highly recommend trying Del’s. Great customer service. Fun staff. Good food.

We did not have an issue with parking, but I could see it being a problem during rush hours.

Meatloaf Twist

Posted on by Jenny MacBeth

A few months ago, I was watching Rachel Ray make a fabulous cob meatloaf. She finished it off with wrapping it in bacon. Since I love my meatloaf recipe, I simply stole the bacon idea, and added it to mine. It’s a great addition.

Try it!

Savoy

Posted on by Jenny MacBeth

Since starting my food blog, I’ve decided once a month to choose a restaurant on our Bucket List, and invite friends to join in. – The Posh Dinner Club.

Party of six. Nicole, Carey, Hector, Karen, Glen and I visited Savoy located at 2623 Penn Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA in the Strip. As you’ll see throughout the photos, Savoy’s food has a rich Louisiana-style flare.

First things first…

They have free valet parking. A big plus in Pittsburgh.

You are greeted at the door by a gentleman who takes you to the hostesses. – Giving you that feeling, “I’ve arrived.”

Feeling like I just arrived, we had a small wait for our table; even with a reservation. However, Savoy has a lovely sitting area to talk with friends before dining.

As soon as the door opens, you are transformed into a small contemporary space. – Very pleasing. I really love the glass fireplace above the bar.

The staff are amazing. Excellent customer service. You go to the bathroom, they fold your napkin. Your water is empty, they pour it. – Even though a bottle of water is on your table, if you go to pour it yourself, they will apologize.

We experienced a three hour meal. There’s a loll between courses, however, the friendship made it enjoyable.

Karen and Carey shared a bottle of wine. Not much of a craft beer selection, so Nicole and I opted for…

A Jali-Berry. A sweet berry martini fused with Jalapenos. Very good. Very strong. Quote of the night, “When you put it to your mouth, it smells like jalapeno.”

Cheers!

“Food is our common ground, a universal experience.” – James Beard

Because it was our first visit to Savoy, we wanted to experience as much food as possible without bloating. No such luck. – Bloated. Portions are big.

Appetizers average $10…

The chili has a hint of curry which I love. However, it was lukewarm, and looked as though it had been sitting for a bit of time. All-in-all, it was still a good chili.

The Crab and Chicken Andouille Gumbo is a smoked-flavor gumbo with pepper, onions, wine, and seasonings. I love a good gumbo, but thought the smokey flavor was over-powered by the numbing taste of salt.

The Cornbread was served with the soups. It was light and fluffy, and just perfect.

Pan Seared Tilapia Tacos served with avocado, lettuce, tomato, red onion and spicy mustard remoulade. I’ve only recently tried fish tacos, and find this taco to be an excellent appetizer, or even a meal; if you don’t want to share.

Wild Mushroom Tart is assorted wild mushrooms sautéed in a flaky tart shell with Madeira wine demi sauce. It too, was a bit salty.

Entrees average $30…

If lamb chops are on the menu, it’s a must try. Savoy’s Lamb Chops is Elysian Fields Lamb served with a mint demi, accompanied by spinach risotto and baby carrots. The chops melted in your mouth.

A big trend it seems is Fried Chicken and Waffles. Rumor has it that chicken and waffles first gained popularity in 1930s Harlem, when the after-hours’ crowd was looking for something to eat that satisfied both their dinner and breakfast cravings. Whatever the truth, this southern comfort combo is exploding all over the Pittsburgh area, so I had to try it.

It’s simply that. Boneless breast, leg or thigh, with corn pudding and Pennsylvania maple syrup. This dish was delicious. I absolutely love the chicken breading. It was perfect. The corn pudding had a slight hint of something artificial to it. Not sure exactly what it was, but definitely not my favorite. A few friends tried it and thought it was okay.

Beef Two Ways is a beef brisket cube and grilled bistro filet steak with compressed mushrooms, haricot verts and cauliflower silk. This dish was acceptable. The brisket cube was a bit fatty making it chewy, but the filet steak was perfect.

Filet Mignon is a center cut, Yukon whipped potatoes and haricot verts. An excellent choice. It was perfect, and melted in your mouth.

Tilapia Piccata with capers, shallots, fresh lemon, Italian parsley, pappardelle pasta and haricot verts. The dish was nothing spectacular, but all-in-all decent.

Desserts average $12…

Savoy has a large selection of desserts. A good thing when this is Glen’s favorite part of the meal.

We were told that the dessert chef worked at Eleven, so we were excited to get a little taste of everything.

Apple Beignets and Funnel Cake with a choice of caramel or chocolate sauce. We opted for caramel. The beignets are fried fritters, filled with apples, and covered with a coco powdered sugar. Delicious!

Fudge Brownie Sundae. Normally it’s served with butter pecan ice cream, but Nicole substituted it with dark chocolate ice cream. It has caramel, mini chocolate chip cookies, and a S’more-like whipped topping. Oh so yummy.

Red Velvet Lava Cake served with mini scoops of ice cream drizzled with chocolate and raspberry sauces. It not only had the best presentation, Carey is still talking about it today.

And, as you can see, it’s a must have.

A few idiosyncrasies I had were the salty foods, loll in time, and our waiter, at one point, smelled like smoke when I asked him about the desserts. A bit of a turnoff when you’re thinking of sweet-nothings.

For the price, we found the food adequate. I was more blown away with the atmosphere, the service, and our good friends. This doesn’t mean we won’t try again.

On another note: Feeling like a rock star, a lovely woman who was dining next to us inquired about our photo taking. After Glen explained that we were there for a food blog review, she came over to ask me about GLTE. Her and a friend pulled up my blog on their phones. How sweet. She made my night. She too loves food blogs and follows a few. I hope I’ve gained a new foodie fan. Thank you.

Pineapple Habanero Tilapia

Posted on by Jenny MacBeth

This is great during the work week. Between prep and cooking time, you can have a fabulous meal on your table, or couch (where we usually eat), in less than 20 minutes. I always have frozen fish on hand. I usually take the fish out of the freezer the night before and place in the refrigerator. Or, you can swing by your grocer and get it fresh.

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees to get it nice and hot. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil (makes for easy clean-up later) and spray with PAM or use a Misto. Sprinkle lots of sea salt and ground pepper on the fish. Spritz the fish with the Misto. Turn oven to broil and place fish inside. Cook for about 10-12 minutes, or until fish is white and flaky.

I love this stuff. I keep a bottle or two in my cupboards. Love it. Love it. Love it. I use it in dips, on chicken, on pork. OMG this stuff is perfect for fast-yummy meals. You can find it in most gourmet kitchen stores, or online.

Add a tablespoon to each piece of fish.

While your fish is cooking, zap a bag of your favorite frozen veges and rice, and BAM! You’re done! The Boy loves this, and it makes me look like I know what I’m doing. Ha Ha!

Steamfresh is a great brand for frozen vegetables and even brown rice. Quick and easy.

You know what else would make this fish perfect? Wailua Wheat Ale. But of course, any wheat beer will do.