Around the web in foodie posts: Halloween

Oh so fabulous foodie posts about All Hallows Eve. . .

• Some creepy treats. Shudder
• Pumpkin bread pudding? Oh yes!
• 30 minute Apple Turnovers. . .
• Using Halloween Candy--Smart(ies)!
• Vegan Marshmallows (Ghosts, people, ghosts!)--watch the short at the end, cute!
• A cake-wrecks Halloween
• What fall looks like
• Recipe Zaar's list of Halloween snacks.
• B found these gorgeous Fall Leaf Tortilla chips--perfect with a ghoulish guacamole!

Have an eerie, entertaining, edible evening, my fellow ghouls and goblins!

Chicken Soup & Apples for K

Every so often my friend K will need a recipe, and I will get an email that allows me to be a superhero sans tights. But hey, why wouldn't you love a friend who puffs up your ego just a bit?

In September it was Chicken Soup (she loved the Mexican Lime Chicken Soup):

• http://busycooks.about.com/od/chickensoupsandstews/Chicken_Soups_and_Stews_Recipes.htm
• http://www.thecrockpotblog.com/cheesy-chicken-soup/
• http://www.busymommy.us/cooking/chicken/715-crock-pot-chicken-and-dumplings
• http://www.thecrockpotblog.com/stew-that-chicken-slow/
• http://www.thecrockpotblog.com/oriental-noodle-chicken-soup/
• http://diningwithdebbie.blogspot.com/2009/08/mexican-lime-chicken-soup-adapted-for.html
• http://www.netwellness.org/healthtopics/diabetes/diabeticrecipes3.cfm

Today it was apples:

• Betty's Apple Crisp (I will admit that ever since I got my first red Betty my sophomore year of college, I hate being without her--she is my most consistent cooking instructor/buddy): http://www.bettycrocker.com/recipes.aspx/apple-crisp
• I know, don't look at the wallpaper, but it really is amazing for something from a chain restaurant: http://recipecircus.com/recipes/gijane/DESSERTS/Maggiano39s_Warm_Apple_Crostata.html
• I love a good apple pie that you don't need a pie plate for--have it with cinnamon or dulce de leche ice cream and you are set! http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/apple-crostata-recipe/index.html
• Southern Apple Pie: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/paula-deen/paula-deen-savannah-high-apple-pie-recipe/index.html
• This is a bread, but boy is it tasty: http://www.fostersmarket.com/recipes.php?recipe_id=47
• How can you go wrong with apple dumplings? http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Old-Fashioned-Apple-Dumplings/Detail.aspx
• Or, see what you like (the apple salsa looks cool): http://allrecipes.com/recipes/fruits-and-vegetables/fruits/apples/top.aspx

What have you been dying for a recipe for? Should we have a "Dear Prudie"-like post that answers everyone's food dilemmas or recipe needs every month? It is definitely something to think about.

Around the Web in Foodie Posts

A tour of the Interwebs with an eye to good food

• Slate asks about making your own staples--I can't wait to try the bagel recipe!
• Check out a bread cookbook I may just have to get. No kneading?!? Awesome!
• Once again, Chou outdoes herself!
• And then she gardens! Sheesh. There is no living up to her...
• Smart ways to use coupons.
• The Worldwide Ward Cookbook
• Kitchen Cleaning Tips
• Looking for Cinco De Mayo recipes? Travel South of the Border without getting the flu.
• Yes, please. Stephanie Plum would be proud.
• A recipe to make your tastebuds tingle. . .
• Bizarre Kitchen Pictures/Nightmares? - though I can totally see my death by Nutella.

Dining Out Decisions

Okay, foodies, it is time for you to vote. . .

Dining Out is Saturday, April 4th at 7:00 pm, but a restaurant is still in limbo. If there is a specific basketball game on, we may switch locales, but as of now, we are still on.

Please choose one of the following for dinner:

1. Carrburritos--parking is a little iffy (especially if one of those basketball games is on, but the food more than makes up for it).

2. Nantucket--not always too crowded, also great outdoor seating. And the cake. . . Wow (It is a Stephanie Plum dream).

3. The Melting Pot--a little pricey, but if we just get cheese and dessert, it could be perfect.

Please leave your vote in the comments section! Or, if you have a better suggestion, add it!

I dare you to eat it

We've been counseled for a very, very long time to "prepare for adversity in life by having a basic supply of food and water and some money in savings" (Church pamphlet, All is Safely Gathered In). But as members of a YSA ward, most of us being in rather temporary housing situations, it has sometimes felt like a stretch to have a week's supply of food, let alone a year's supply. But the leadership of the church has also encouraged us "to store as much as circumstances allow."

I found a great website this week that has, for the first time in my life, helped me realize not only that my circumstances really do allow me to store a year's supply of food (it really doesn't take up that much space), but also that I can use that food to eat on a daily basis. The website is http://www.idareyoutoeatit.com/. Once there, go to the "strategies" section to understand how easy it really is to have a year's supply and eat it too. I have a copy of the author's book, so if anyone wants to learn more or see more of her recipes, just let me know.

I tried two of the recipes this week, and loved them. I even fed tacos covertly laced with wheat to the elders, and they had no idea until I spilled the beans. Here's the recipe for Hippie Tacos, as found on http://www.idareyoutoeatit.com/. They were delish.

HIPPIE TACOS

Fresh Ingredients

1 lb. ground beef
15 10″ tortillas

toppings: baby spinach leaves, grated cheese, diced tomato, avocado, cilantro, and Ranch dressing

Storage Ingredients

2 c. cooked whole wheat berries
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
1 tsp. paprika
2 tsp. chili powder

* 1 packet of taco seasoning may be used as a substitution for individual spices

Brown ground beef and drain fat. Stir in the cooked wheat berries and spices. Spoon meat mixture onto warm tortillas and top with fresh baby spinach, grated cheese, diced tomato, avocado, cilantro, and Ranch dressing.

Good luck food storaging!

Cafe Rio!

Many of us here in D3 have spent some time living in the Beehive State. A love of many a Desereter is Cafe Rio (now with 17 locations within Utah and a few in Arizona and Nevada). My sister so loves Cafe Rio that she recreates several of their fresh and flavorful fares each year for her birthday. With a dear friend celebrating her birthday recently...I offered to try my hand at these famous recipes. After some Internet researching, personal tweaking, and several phone calls to my wonderful sister, here's what I came up with:

Cafe Rio Chicken:

8 oz Kraft Zesty Italian Dressing (it really does have to be this brand and flavor)

chili powder

cumin

3 cloves garlic - minced

5 lbs chicken breasts

Put a layer of chicken in bottom of crock pot. Sprinkle with chili powder and cumin. (More spices = hotter). Repeat with each layer of chicken. Add garlic and dressing over top. Cook all together in a crock pot for 4 hours, shred meat and cook 1 additional hour.

Cafe Rio Pork:

5 lb pork roast

1 bottle taco sauce (8 oz) (I used mild)

1 clove garlic - minced

1 T cumin

1 tsp dried mustard

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

1 C brown sugar

20 oz Coke (not diet)

7 oz can chipotle chilies in adobo sauce

Cook pork in Crockpot on low for 6 hours (cover roast 1/2 with water. When you add the other ingredients, take out some of the water, leaving only about 1/2" in the bottom.) Add other ingredients to pork and cook for another 4 hours. (Shred an hour or two before you serve)

Lime Rice:

In a saucepan, saute:

1 T butter

1/2 yellow onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic - minced

Add to a large pot, and bring to a boil the following:

3 cups water

4 tsp chicken bullion

1/4 bunch cilantro - chopped

1 tsp cumin

1 sm can diced green chilies

1/2 T lime juice

1/4 tsp pepper

1.5 C uncooked rice

Cook, covered, for 30 minutes or until rice is done.

Black Beans:

1 can black beans - drained and rinsed

1/3 C tomato juice

2 cloves garlic - minced

1 tsp cumin

2 T olive oil

2 T cilantro - chopped

In a nonstick skillet, cook garlic and cumin in olive oil over medium heat until you can smell it. Add beans and tomato juice. Continually stir until heated through. Just before serving stir in the cilantro.

Cafe Rio Tomatillo Dressing:

1 buttermilk ranch dressing packet (make per recipe)

2 tomatillos

1/2 bunch cilantro

1 clove garlic

juice of 1 lime

1 jalapeno

Use a food processor to blend all the ingredients well. Refrigerate.

(Sorry I didn't get a pic before it got devoured!)

Other ingredients:

Tortillas

Red and green leaf lettuce, shredded

Grated cheese - cheddar (I also like Parmesan)

Sour cream

Cilantro - chopped

Pico de Gallo

Limes - quartered

Crunchy corn strips

Round foil cake pans - to serve

Serve in the following order: (This is how I do it anyway... in a round foil cake pan)

Tortilla

Cheese

Shredded chicken or pork

Black beans

Lime Rice

Lettuce

Cilantro

Crunchy corn strips

Sour cream

Dressing

Pico de Gallo

Grated Parmesan cheese

Squeeze lime over all of it

Pastel de Tres Leches:

1.5 C all-purpose flour

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 unsalted butter

1 cup white sugar

5 eggs

1.5 tsp vanilla

1 C whole milk

1/2 of a 14 oz can Sweetened condensed milk

1/2 of a 12 oz can Evaporated milk

Preheat oven to 350F. Grease and flour a 9x13 cake pan.

Sift flour and baking powder together and set aside.

Cream the butter and sugar together until fluffy.

Add the eggs and vanilla. Beat well.

Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture, 2 tablespoons at a time, mixing well until blended.

Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake for 30 minutes. (As you can see, the above recipe is for a simple yellow cake...I'm sure a box cake would work just as well)

When cake has finished baking, pierce it with a fork all over and let it cool.

Combine the whole milk, evaporated milk, and condensed milk and pour over the top of the cooled cake. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving. Because of the milk in the cake, it is very important that you keep the cake refrigerated until ready to serve. Serve chilled. Serve with sliced strawberries and whipped cream. You can make your own whipped cream by beating 1 cup sugar and 1.5 cups heavy whipping cream.

You may no longer live (or never lived) in Utah, but now you can enjoy this Utah classic anytime. Make sure you invite lots of friends cause these recipes serve a lot of hungry folks!!

T's Chapel Hill (and Carrboro) Top 5

I have been dining in and around Chapel Hill's Franklin Street now for five years (well working on West Franklin for that long). Here are my top 5 on Franklin Street (and a few on Weaver/Main St.). . .

1. Peppers - Best Franklin Street Pizza, hands down. Add artichoke heart and feta or chicken and bacon. Try a white or pesto slice. The spinach calzone is to die for, and I love the stromboli. I've even heard their salads are good. As a plus, you can even get pizza dough to go! Say, "Hi!" to Hannah if she is your server--she's awesome!

2. Sandwhich - Eclectic, European-feeling, Sandwhich is the restaurant that has made me like sandwiches again. Order a change-your-life Tuna or an O.B.L.T. (O stands for Outrageous - A BLT with jalapenos and avocado), and you'll never know what hit you. Stop by the bathroom for a cool spacial experience. As an added bonus The Courtyard also has a LocoPops and the succulent delights of the new Bliss Bakery--try a chocolate bliss cupcake and let your taste buds take you to heaven.

3. The Spotted Dog - Just order the Spinnin' Dip. Order it and die happy.

4. Trilussa - Just a fresh, little, Italian slice of heaven. Tiny, out of the way, delicious, enjoy!

5. It's a toss up, Med Deli? Acme? Can't decide. . .

Experience one or all of these Chapel Hill or Carrboro treasures, and you'll have many mouth-watering moments. There are a bunch of others I haven't been to on East Franklin (price is also a factor), but any one of these will be a great dining experience. I keep threatening a take-out party where I send a bunch of people to pick up my favorite dishes or appetizers from many places around the Triangle. Maybe it will be the result of a blog post.

ETA ("edited to add" for future reference): I take it back. #5 is Carrburritos. Have the nachos. Add the sweet potato puree--I know, I said it, too. "Sweet potatoes on nachos???" with a look of incredulous derision. Don't knock it--it is amazing!

Tortillas/Flatbread

So last night I tried to make tortillas (unleavened bread, anyone?). They turned out more like flatbread, but they tasted great (so I don't care--mostly). We filled them with taco meat, refried beans, cheese, tomatoes, avocado, sour cream, and romaine. I got nine pieces out of the following recipe even though it says eight. It takes some practice to get them flat enough, and luckily I have a press; but I think it will take a few more times to get them thin enough. I found this on a recipe website (you can find the original post by clicking on the recipe title).

Chewy Flour Tortillas
These tortillas have real body and taste; they are perfect for gorditas, fajitas and eating out of hand.

2 cups all-purpose flour
1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons vegetable oil
3/4 cup lukewarm milk (2% is fine)

Stir together the flour and baking powder in a large mixing bowl. Add the salt and vegetable oil to the lukewarm milk and whisk briefly to incorporate. Gradually add the milk to the flour, and work the mixture into a dough. It will be sticky.

Turn the dough out onto a surface dusted with flour and knead vigorously for about 2 minutes (fold and press, fold and press). The kneading will take care of the stickiness. Return the dough to the bowl, cover it with a damp cloth, and let it rest for 15 minutes. (This dough will not rise, but it needs a rest.)

Divide your dough into 8 balls of equal size, cover them, and let them rest again for about 20 minutes. Avoid letting them touch, if you don't want them to stick together.

Dust your work surface with flour. Working one at a time, remove each piece of dough and pat it into a 5-inch circle. With a rolling pin, roll out the tortilla, working from the center out, until you have a 7- or 8-inch tortilla a little less than 1/4 inch thick. Transfer the tortilla to a hot, dry skillet or griddle. It will begin to blister. Let it cook for 30 seconds, turn it, and let the other side cook for 30 seconds. Remove the tortilla, place it in a napkin-lined basket and cover with aluminum foil. Repeat for the remaining tortillas.

Although flour tortillas, like corn tortillas, are best if eaten right after they are made, these tortillas will freeze well. Wrap them tightly in plastic, and they will keep, frozen, for several weeks. To serve tortillas that have been frozen, let them thaw and come to room temperature, then wrap them in aluminum foil and heat them in a warm oven. Microwaving tends to toughen them.