6 March 2017 Easy Slow Cooker Chicken Tikka Masala

Easy Slow Cooker Chicken Tikka Masala

March 6, 2017 By

I love Indian food and the deep flavors of the various dishes I’ve tried thus far. Over the years, I’ve fine-tuned my recipe for Chicken Tikka Masala that’s slow cooked and delicious, but this past weekend, I decided to pull the old Crockpot out of the attic and make this comforting recipe in it. So perfect for a cold winter day!

Nothing could be simpler to make, as long as you have the necessary spices. All are easy to find at local grocery stores, but if you live very remotely, perhaps the Garam Masala might give you a bit of trouble to find. Luckily, there’s Amazon to the rescue!

There’s just one issue with this recipe – your house will smell intoxicatingly amazing all day long….it’s best to make this recipe on a day you’ll be out of the house or else you’ll be salivating (like we did) most of the day!

If you want to make this vegetarian – simply replace the chicken with a 29-ounce can of rinsed chickpeas! 

Long Simmering Ingredients:

  • 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1½-inch chunks
  • 1 large onion, chopped
  • 4 garlic cloves, minced
  • 2 Tbsp. fresh ginger, minced
  • 1 29-ounce can of tomato purée
  • 2 Tbsp. olive oil
  • 1 Tbsp. Garam Masala
  • 2 tsp. ground cumin
  • 2 tsp. ground coriander
  • 2 tsp. paprika
  • 1 tsp. turmeric
  • ½ tsp. ground cinnamon
  • ½ tsp. cayenne pepper (if you don’t love spicy food, make this ¼ tsp.)
  • ½ tsp. ground black pepper
  • 1 tsp. salt
  • 1 Tbsp. granulated sugar
  • 2 bay leaves

Finishing Ingredients:

  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • 2 Tbsp. corn starch
  • 2 Tbsp. lemon juice
  • Chopped cilantro, optional (could also use flat leaf parsley)

Directions:

  1. Coat the inside of a slow cooker with cooking spray (or rub with olive oil).
  2. In the slow cooker, combine all the “Long Simmering Ingredients” and stir well to coat all the chicken pieces with the spices and tomato puree. Cook on low for 8 hours or on high for 4 hours.
  3. In a bowl, whisk together the cream and the corn starch until smooth. Add to the chicken mixture, stir well to incorporate and cook for 20 minutes.
  4. Add the lemon juice, stir to incorporate.
  5. Serve with Easy Basmati Rice and chopped cilantro, if using.

Makes 6 servings.

Enjoy!

Veronique

 

Recipe inspired by this.

Filed Under: Chicken, Entrees, Indian, Slow Cooker Tagged With: , , , ,
18 February 2017 The Absolute Best Texas Style Beef Chili

The Absolute Best Texas Style Beef Chili

February 18, 2017 By

Texas Style Beef ChiliI’ve been using my “Beef Chili for a Crowd” recipe for as long as I can remember. It’s flavorful, a bit spicy and feeds an army. I never saw a reason to use a different recipe until I judged a chili competition when this elderly gentleman made the absolutely best Texas-style chili I’ve ever had. For those not familiar with Texas-style chili – it contains no beans (blasphemy) and it typically featured hand-chopped beef instead of the common ground beef style that’s so popular here in the northeast.

This chili is hearty, rich, and earthy with just the right level of spice. I won’t lie – cubing the beef into small pieces pretty much sucks, but the final product is so worth it.

While many grocery stores now carry dried chiles, I visited my local Mexican grocer to find the requisite guajillo chiles.

I know it’s a multi-step recipe, but it freezes beautifully for a month, so make it, have a bowl and freeze the rest!   

I serve this chili with tortilla chips for dipping, guacamole, cheddar and sour cream. Use whatever garnishes you enjoy.

Ingredients:

  • 8 dried chiles, either New Mexico or guajillo
  • 2 tsp. ground cumin
  • 1 tsp. kosher salt
  • 1 tsp. ground black pepper
  • 6 Tbsp. vegetable oil, divided
  • 2 – 2½ pounds boneless beef chuck roast, cut into ½-inch cubes
  • ½ yellow onion, diced
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 cups beef stock
  • 1 cup dark beer
  • 3 Tbsp. yellow cornmeal
  • 1 Tbsp. white vinegar
  • 1 Tbsp. brown sugar
  • Sour cream, for garnish (optional)
  • Sharp Cheddar cheese, grated, for garnish (optional)
  • Diced avocado, for garnish (optional)
  • Lime wedges, for garnish (optional)

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
  2. Lay out dried chiles on a baking sheet lined with foil and roast in the oven for 8 minutes, until fragrant. Add the roasted chiles to a bowl, cover them with hot water and allow to soak for 30 minutes. I use a bowl to weight down the chiles in the water – SEE IMAGE OF THIS TRICK.
  3. Drain the chiles (reserve the soaking water), cut off stems, remove seeds and roughly chop them. Add the chopped chiles to a blender along with the cumin, the salt, the pepper, 1/2 cup of the reserved chile soaking liquid and blend until the mixture is very smooth, about 2 minutes. Set aside.
  4. Place a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Season beef cubes with big pinches of salt and pepper. Add 3 tablespoons vegetable oil and brown beef in 2 batches until browned on all sides, 8-10 minutes per batch. Remove beef and set aside.
  5. Lower the heat to medium, add the remaining 3 tablespoons vegetable oil to the pot and add onions – cook for 4 minutes, stirring frequently then add the garlic and cook for another minute.
  6. Add the beef stock, 1 cup of the reserved chile soaking liquid and the beer to the onions and garlic and scrape up any bits on the bottom of the pan. Add the beef back to pot with any cooking juices along with the pureed chile paste and the cornmeal. Turn the heat to low and simmer the chili, covered, for 90 minutes. Uncover the chili and cook for 15 more minutes.
  7. Add the vinegar and the brown sugar to the pot, remove from heat, and let sit for 30 minutes for the chili to thicken. The chili can be made a day ahead of serving, up until this point. Simply cool, cover and refrigerate.
  8. When ready to eat, gently reheat chili over low heat, adding more beef stock if the chili is too thick. Give a final seasoning of salt or pepper, if needed.
  9. Serve chili with any/all preferred garnishes.

Yields 4 hearty portions.

 

 

Adapted from this recipe.

Filed Under: American, Appetizers, Beef, Entrees, Mexican, Soups Tagged With: , ,
13 February 2017 Linguine with Clams and Confit Garlic Sauce

Linguine with Clams and Confit Garlic Sauce

February 13, 2017 By

I was watching an old episode of The Best Thing I Ever Ate – SAUCED last weekend where Chef Michael Psilakis talked about the linguine and clam sauce at Don Peppe in Queens, NY (watch the mouth-watering episode here). That’s basically all I could think of this whole past week so I decided to try to recreate the simple yet delish dish.

First, please use good quality pasta – my favorite is Delverde. Next, buy your clams from a reputable source. Last, take the time to really confit (slow cook for a long time) the garlic – it’s key in this recipe.

If you want a slightly thicker sauce, you could create a slurry of ¼ cup water and 1 teaspoon of cornstarch and add right before step 4. I don’t think it’s necessary and some, I’m sure, would find this sacrilegious.

Ingredients:

  • 1 pound of linguine or fettucine, cooked 1 minute less than package direction, with ½ cup pasta cooking water reserved
  • 1 cup olive oil
  • 10 whole garlic cloves, peeled
  • 1 cup dry white wine
  • Juice of ½ lemon
  • 1 tsp. red pepper flakes
  • ½ tsp. each salt and pepper
  • 2 dozens little neck clams
  • 3 Tbsp. butter
  • Chopped Italian parsley, optional

Directions:

  1. In a small heavy saucepan over medium-low heat, warm the olive oil. Add the garlic cloves and allow to cook for 20 minutes. If the cloves are smaller and they begin to brown early in the cooking process, lower the heat to low – make sure the cloves don’t burn!
  2. Add the garlic cloves and the cooking oil to a large sauté pan that has a lid. Turn the heat to medium and add the ½ cup pasta cooking water, wine, lemon juice, red pepper, salt and pepper to the oil. Bring to a simmer and whisk to combine.
  3. Add the clams to the sauté pan, cover with the lid and cook for 3-4 minutes until the clams have opened. Discard any clams that didn’t open (unopened clams = bad clams). Remove the clams to a large serving bowl, leaving the sauce in the sauté pan.
  4. Lower the heat to low and add the butter, swirling until fully melted.
  5. Add the pasta and gently stir to coat in the sauce. Add the parsley, if using, then add the sauce and pasta to the serving bowl with the clams, tossing gently to combine.
  6. Serve with crusty bread.

Makes two VERY generous portions.

 

Filed Under: American, Entrees, Italian, Sauce, Seafood Tagged With: , , ,
10 February 2017 Baked Pepperoni Pizza Dip

Baked Pepperoni Pizza Dip

February 10, 2017 By

Baked Pepperoni Pizza DipWe were just going to order pizza while watching the “big game” since it was just the two of us, but then I decided to make the next best thing – pepperoni pizza dip!!

The dip would be great with potato chips but I served it with toasted baguette slices. You’ll want a sturdy vessel to run through all the layers of gooey yumminess (see what I mean by gooey and perfect).  

Ingredients:

  • 8-ounce block of cream cheese, softened
  • ½ cup sour cream
  • ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
  • 1 tsp. dried oregano
  • ¼ tsp. ground black pepper
  • 1 cup pizza sauce
  • 1 ½ cups shredded mozzarella cheese, or Italian blend cheeses
  • 20 slices pepperoni
  • Toasted baguette slices.

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
  2. In a medium bowl, combine the cream cheese, sour cream, Parmesan cheese, oregano and black pepper. Spread the cream cheese mixture on the bottom of 9″ round pie plate or other baking dish.
  3. Top cheese mixture with the pizza sauce.
  4. Top the sauce layer with the mozzarella cheese.
  5. Top the Mozzarella cheese with the pepperoni slices.
  6. Bake the dip for 25 minutes, until the cheese is melted and the dip is bubbly.
  7. Serve warm with toasted baguette slices.

Yields 8 appetizer portions.

 

 

Adapted from this recipe.

Filed Under: American, Appetizers, Cheese, Italian, Snacks, Starters Tagged With: , , ,
6 February 2017 Baked Feta Cheese Dip

Baked Feta Cheese Dip

February 6, 2017 By

Baked Fetal Cheese DipI love any type of baked cheese dip. I’d been fortunate enough to find Dodoni brand Feta cheese at my local grocery store a couple weeks ago and really enjoyed it as part of a Greek salad, but I had a lot left that I wanted to be sure to use.

Since the “big game” was coming up and I’d be doing a bunch of appetizers to munch on during the game, I opted for a baked Feta dip that was out of this world. Note that the cheese gets marinated for 12 hours, so remember to start the day before you want to serve this dish.

The dip would be great with baked pita chips but I served it with toasted baguette slices. You’ll want a sturdy vessel to run through the flavored oil created from the marinade and the gooey cheese (video: see what I mean by gooey and perfect).  

Ingredients:

  • 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 tsp. grated lemon zest
  • ½ tsp. red pepper flakes
  • 2 tsp. minced garlic
  • ¼ tsp. black pepper
  • 2 tsp. dried oregano
  • 8 ounces Feta cheese in a block, rinsed (I highly-recommend Dodoni brand if available)

Directions:

  1. In a small bowl, whisk together olive oil, lemon zest, red pepper flakes, garlic, black pepper and dried oregano.
  2. Place Feta cheese in a resealable bag. Pour the marinade over the Feta and allow to marinate overnight, or at least 12 hours, in the refrigerator.
  3. Preheat oven to 375F.
  4. Place the Feta and its marinade in a small baking dish. Bake for 20 minutes, until the Feta is melty and bubbling.
  5. Serve with sliced baguette or baked pita chips.

Yields 6 appetizer portions.

 

 

Adapted from this recipe.

Filed Under: Appetizers, Cheese, Greek, Snacks, Starters, Vegetarian Tagged With: , , , ,
29 January 2017 Buffalo Shrimp – Hooters Copycat

Buffalo Shrimp – Hooters Copycat

January 29, 2017 By

Buffalo ShrimpThe “big game” is next weekend and I’ve been trying to come up with a couple appetizers to make while we watch the game. Chicken wings are always a winner, but my all-time favorite Buffalo anything is by far Buffalo shrimp. I know I’m not supposed to like chain restaurants as a discerning foodie, but the Buffalo shrimp at Hooters at the greatest. I’ve used the breading and Buffalo sauce that my sister’s come up with in terms of Hooters wings copycat but simply used large shrimp in place of the chicken.

These are absolutely fabulous with the right amount of heat – tangy but not scorching. Pair these with the typical carrot and celery sticks and a pool of chunky blue cheese dressing.

Don’t like seafood? Use chicken tenders! Don’t like a heavy saucing like I do (see image below)? Add half the sauce!

Shrimp Marinade Ingredients:

  • Vegetable oil for frying
  • 1 large egg, beaten
  • 1 Tbsp. yellow mustard
  • 2 tsp. each creole seasoning, garlic powder, onion powder and black pepper
  • 1 pound large deveined peeled shrimp (I used 21-25 count)

Buffalo Sauce Ingredients:

  • ¼ pound butter (1 stick)
  • 1 cup hot sauce (I use Frank’s)
  • 1 tsp. garlic powder
  • 2 Tbsp. lemon juice

Coating Ingredients:

  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup yellow cornmeal
  • 2 tsp. creole seasoning
  • 1 tsp. black pepper

Marinade Directions:

  1. Heat the vegetal oil in a large, heavy saucepan (or use an electric fryer) until deep-fry thermometer reaches 350 degrees.
  2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the egg, mustard and spices to create a thick marinade. Toss the shrimp in the marinade to fully coat and set aside for about 15 minutes.

Buffalo Sauce Directions:

  1. Melt the butter in a small saucepan over high heat. Add the hot sauce, garlic powder and lemon juice – whisk to combine. Pour the hot liquid to a heat-proof bowl.

Coating Directions:

  1. Add all the ingredients to a large ziptop bag, shake well.
  2. Toss the shrimp in the corn flour in the bag to coat well.
  3. Working in batches (I did three batches), shake the excess corn flour coating off the shrimp and carefully place in the hot oil. Cook each batch of shrimp for 4 minutes then drain on paper towels.
  4. Immediately toss shrimp in buffalo sauce.

Serves 4 as appetizer portions.

Filed Under: American, Appetizers, Seafood, Snacks, Starters Tagged With: , , ,
23 January 2017 Vegetarian Black Bean and Butternut Squash Chili

Vegetarian Black Bean and Butternut Squash Chili

January 23, 2017 By

Chili CookingWhile winter’s been mild here so far in New Jersey, I’m still craving hearty, comforting food. In my continued effort to ‘prep Sunday – eat throughout the week’, this week, I’ve made a meatless chili that was uber satisfying and can be used in various ways during the week. I used it as dip for chips during the football game and topped a baked sweet potato with it for lunch (see photos).

This chili can be made in the slow cooker too – just throw all the ingredients in the crockpot (except for the toppings) and cook on low for 4-5 hours.

Ingredients:

  • 2 Tbsp. olive oil
  • 1 medium Spanish onion, chopped
  • 1 red bell pepper, cored and diced
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 butternut squash, peeled and cut into small cubes
  • ½ tsp. each salt and pepper
  • 2 Tbsp. chili powder
  • 1 tsp. ground cumin
  • ½ tsp. cayenne pepper
  • 1 cup vegetable broth, then more if the chili gets too thick
  • 1 28-ounce can of diced tomatoes
  • 1 28-ounce can of crushed totatoes
  • 1 cup corn kernels
  • 1 28-ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed
  • Toppings (optional) – fresh cilantro, lime wedges, diced avocado, sour cream and cheddar/jack cheese

Directions:

  1. In a large heavy Dutch oven, heat olive oil over medium-high heat.
  2. Add onion and bell pepper and cook for 4 minutes, stirring frequently.
  3. Add garlic and sauté 1 additional minute.
  4. Add the butternut squash, the salt and pepper, the chili powder, cumin and cayenne pepper. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring frequently.
  5. Add the vegetable broth, tomatoes, corn and black beans.
  6. Bring to a light boil then reduce heat to low, cover and allow to simmer for 45 minutes, or until the butternut squash is completely tender.
  7. Thin with an additional broth if needed.
  8. Serve with desired toppings, if using.

Serves 8.

Filed Under: American, Appetizers, Cheese, Entrees, Mexican, Slow Cooker, Snacks, Soups, Starters, Vegetables, Vegetarian Tagged With: , , , ,
9 January 2017 Hash Browns Vegetable Frittata

Hash Browns Vegetable Frittata

January 9, 2017 By

frittata-cutOn Christmas morning, my mom went all fancy on us and served this delicious frittata. A frittata is an Italian egg-based dish alike an omelet or a quiche without a crust. It was a perfect, comforting dish on a snowy Quebec morning.

I like that it’s vegetable-packed and unlike a quiche, it doesn’t require a pesky crust that needs to be painstakingly rolled out. Mom used bacon (6 slices chopped) and breakfast sausage (6 links chopped) in her version, but meatless is great too!

Feel free to play around with the veggies you use. Asparagus, artichoke hearts and roasted butternut squash would be great and replacing the spinach with kale or arugula would also work. It’s a great way to empty out the fridge!

This frittata was served hot at mom’s house but could easily be served at room temperature if featured at a brunch or breakfast buffet.

Note that if grating your own potatoes, the starchier the potatoes, the crisper the “crust”. Baking potatoes would be the starchiest, followed by Yukon Golds and boiling potatoes as the least starchy. All three would work.

Ingredients:

  • 15-ounce package of hash browns or 4 cups freshly-grated potatoes, dried very well
  • 2 Tbsp. vegetable oil
  • 2 Tbsp. butter
  • 2 red bell peppers, diced
  • 1 large onion, diced
  • 8 ounces cremini mushrooms, sliced (could use white button mushrooms)
  • 2 cups baby spinach
  • 1 ½ cups grated sharp Cheddar cheese
  • ½ cup grated Mozzarella cheese
  • 1/3 cup heavy cream
  • ½ tsp. each salt and pepper
  • 1 Tbsp. fresh tarragon
  • 10 large eggs, beaten well

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
  2. Butter or coat with cooking spray a 10-inch oven-proof skillet. Spread the hash browns on the bottom and walls of the skillet, creating a “crust”. Bake for 25 minutes or until the edges of the hash browns have…browned! Set aside to cool slightly.
  3. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, add the oil, the butter, the peppers, onion and mushrooms. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring frequently, until the vegetables have softened. Add the spinach and cook for 2 more minutes. Drain excess oil/moisture.
  4. Place the cooked vegetables over the baked crust.
  5. In a large bowl, add the cream, the salt, the pepper and the tarragon to the beaten eggs – whisk for a minute then pour over the vegetables, in the skillet.
  6. Top the eggs with both cheeses.
  7. Place the skillet on a baking sheet (to help with any drips) and bake for 40 minutes, or until the frittata is set in the center.
  8. Cool for 5 minutes and serve, or, cool completely, wrap in aluminum foil and store in the refrigerator for a day. If serving the next day, allow the frittata to come to room temperature and reheat in a 250 degree oven until warmed through, about 10 minutes.

Serves 8 generously.

Filed Under: American, Breakfast, Cheese, Entrees, Italian, Mushrooms, Potatoes, Vegetables, Vegetarian Tagged With: , , , ,
3 January 2017 Healthy Chicken Fiesta Bowls

Healthy Chicken Fiesta Bowls

January 3, 2017 By

chicken-fiesta-bowlsIt’s a new year and I’m making all efforts to use meal prepping more so I can cook on Sundays and have delicious, healthy lunches during the week. I did pretty well with this in 2016, but since I travel over 50% of the time, meals at home weren’t very frequent. This recipe makes four lunch since bowls that are easy to take to work and reheat in the microwave. Corn would be a nice addition to this recipe, so feel free to add if you’re not trying to cut down on carbs a bit. Ingredients:

  • 2 skinless, boneless chicken breasts cut into three pieces each (6 pieces total)
  • 2 red bell peppers, julienned
  • 1 large onion, chopped in medium pieces
  • 1 Tbsp. creole/blackening seasoning (could use taco seasoning)
  • ½ tsp. each salt and pepper
  • 2 Tbsp. vegetable oil
  • 2 cups cooked brown rice
  • 1 cup canned black beans, drained and rinses
  • 1 cup fresh salsa (don’t want to make your own, check out the produce section of your grocery store for fresh salsa)
  • 4 Tbsp. cilantro leaves (optional)
  • 1 lime cut into 4, optional

Directions: Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

  1. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil (to make cleanup easy). Place the chicken, peppers and onions on the baking sheet then sprinkle with blackening seasoning, salt and pepper. Drizzle the oil on the veggies and chicken and toss to coat with oil and spices evenly. Bake for 25 minute then turn oven to broil and broil for 3-4 minutes, until lightly charred. Allow to cool, then chop the veggies and chicken in bite size pieces.
  2. To assemble, divide the rice, black beans, salsa, chicken and cooked vegetables among 4 microwave-safe storage containers. Refrigerate until ready to eat, up to 5 days.
  3. When ready to eat, microwave partially-covered for 3 minutes. Garnish with cilantro leaves and, if using. Can also serve with additional salsa and lime juice.

Makes 4 lunch entrees.  

Filed Under: American, Chicken, Entrees, Mexican, Vegetables Tagged With: , , ,

Best Dishes 2016

December 31, 2016 By

My job had me on the road more than not in 2016 and while I’ve had many, many unforgettable meals this past year, I’ve tried to narrow down the 15 best dishes I enjoyed during the past year. Here’s the list in restaurant name alphabetical order.

Ai Fiori – New York, NY. Eating at this Chef Michael White restaurant is a luxurious treat and lobster seems to be an appropriate ingredient to have in the beautiful dining room. The Lobster with Asparagus and Morels was one of the best lobster dishes I’ve had.

Buca Yorkville – Toronto, ON. Branzino is my favorite fish and at Buca, the Cyprian sea bass is expertly-carved tableside in its pure raw state and topped with Prosecco, olive oil and lemon.

Escape – Montclair, NJ. The seafood grits with a giant portion of sea urchin was just a fabulous dish at the now defunct Escape.

FLX Table – Geneva, NY. Very cool dining experience at Chef/Master Sommelier Christopher Bates’ new chef’s table restaurant in the Finger Lakes. The multi-course dinner showcases locally-sourced ingredients and the dish I thought stood up among the winning lineup was the Uber B.L.T. consisting of tomato, sweet summer corn and lamb bacon. The presentation was glorious with a pool of tomato water in the bowl of the plate and beautifully-arranged raw and dried tomatoes, the bacon and corn then avocado and Thai basil.

Grace – Chicago, IL. I treated myself to Grace this year and wasn’t sorry for the splurge. The Alaskan King Crab dish was gorgeous, light yet flavorful. It’s served artfully with char roe, cucumber, floral cream and tangerine lace. The king crab salad is positioned at the bottom of a v-shaped glass filled with herbs and flowers then a flavor-neutral tuile seals the salad. Crack the tuile with a spoon and the crunchy bits add an unexpected texture to the delicate crab.

Heirloom Kitchen – Old Bride, NJ. Chef David Viana cooked up perhaps the best duck I’ve had. The masterly-seared duck breast is served with sherry herbed barley, granola, parsnip, date purée, maitake mushroom and duck jus. The earthiness of the roasted maitake and the sweet/savory date purée compliment the rich duck perfectly.

Hot & Soul – Ft Lauderdale, FL. My year-end best dishes compilation wouldn’t be the same without an entry from my favorite Ft Lauderdale restaurant. The Mushroom Manchego Toast is a must to start off a meal at Hot and Soul. The shareable dish with its creamy sherry sauce is a winner.

Kalofagas – my home in NJ. Toronto-based chef and cookbook author Peter Minaki prepared a dish of spaghetti with uni (sea urchin) sauce at my home this year that was simply outstanding. Briny uni-tomato sauce coated the al dente pasta perfectly.

Lorena’s – Maplewood, NJ. Meals at Lorena’s are never less than stellar and this year, my favorite dish at the popular restaurant was the Cavatelli Carbonara. Instead of the eggs being incorporated in the sauce in a traditional way, Chef Campos serves it poached with a runny yolk to coat the pasta.

Razza Pizza Artigianale – Jersey City, NJ. While it’s best known for its outstanding pizza, my favorite dish at Razza is the Bread and Butter service featuring house made butter that has the right funky flavor and crusty, pizza oven-baked bread.

Redux – Madison, NJ. Chef Ubhaus serves up delicious, comforting food and calling out Disco Fries as my top dish at his restaurant undersells his culinary talents. Having said that, this dish is pure decadence with SLABS of St Andre cheese over properly-made fries and rich veal gravy.

Square Root – New Orleans, LA. The meal I had at Square Root was one of the finest I enjoyed this year. The Red Fish with Horseradish Bubbles was THE dish in the long list of dishes we were served. The red fish was properly-cooked and bubbles made from horseradish were blown in the open kitchen, right in front of us.

Stages at One Washington – Dover, NH. Yes, two of my favorite dishes were enjoyed at Stages this year: Lomo and Egg and Cabrales-Stuffed Raspberries. Chef Evan Hennessey is simply brilliant and raspberries and blue cheese are now a favorite.

The Bachelor Farmer – Minneapolis, MN. Pork Meatballs, Spätzle in Lobster Broth was one of the several outstanding dishes I had at this Minneapolis gem. Pork and lobster? Yes, it totally works.

I’m looking forward to 2017 and the food adventures I’ll enjoy.

Happy New Year!!

Veronique

Filed Under: American, Culinary Travel Tales, Food & Wine Events Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
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