Knapkins

This is my new favorite foodie addiction: Knapkins.  A simple either/or foodography photo blog that filters foodie photos to ask you one simple question, "Which dish would you rather eat?"

The best part: There's an option to click-through to read the recipe!

Here's Knapkins.

You're welcome.

Brunch @ Capitol Pub

Capitol Pub is one of my favorite places to go for brunch on the weekend.  They offer bottomless mimosas and some of my favorite brunch options.  One of my favorites is the Bagel & Lox.  Every time I've ordered it, my bagel has been perfectly toasted and is still warm.  The salmon always tastes super fresh, as do the capers and minced onion.  I usually don't make it to the potatoes, but they are always great too.  They're slightly crunchy and seasoned just right. 

What The World Eats

A friend showed me this photographic report of what families from different countries eat.  Each family was asked to buy a week's worth of groceries.  It was interesting seeing the cultural differences.

This is Japan...

Here's Texas...

...and here's Chad.

Go here to read the article and see the photos for the other countries.

Sangria Tapas y Bar

`oSangria is one of my absolute favorite places to go for Mediterranean style tapas.  It's owned by the Lombardi restaurant group, who also claim Lakewood's Penne Pomodoro and Cibus at Northpark Center, to name a couple. 

Here's what Ryan and I got last time we went...


First, we ordered the Cheese Croquettes and the special, Toasted Beef Ravioli.  I also had the Tomato Gazpacho that was served with Avocado Relish, Basil and Croutons. 

These raviolis were delicious.  They were filled with "spicy" beef, jalapeno, and cheese, and were topped with a sweet chili sauce.  I was wishing they had more of a kick and so was Ryan,  but then again, we both love really spicy foods.

We also ordered the Gnocchi "Parisien".  It's covered in a bechamel sauce that is flavored with Mediterranean cheeses.  A pistachio-walnut pistou is drizzled on top.

The gnocchi were soft and buttery, and melted in your mouth.  The nutty pistou was a tasty change of pace from the usual herb pesto you see on lots of gnocchi dishes.

This is the Spanikopita in country phyllo dough, with spinach, feta, and tzatziki sauce.  The textures of this yummy spinach pastry were on point.  The presentation was beautiful.  The flavors on the other hand, were a bit salty for my taste.  I'd probably give it a 4/5.

I love tarts, and frangipan.  When I was in culinary school, we made lots of pastries in baking class, and frangipan was always my favorite.  It's a pastry filling made of or flavored with almonds.  

So for dessert, we ordered the Apple Frangipan Tart.  It is served with an Apple Cider Caramel Sauce and Dulce de Leche ice cream.  I just realized I haven't talked much about desserts yet here on Devour Dallas, and this tart is definitely worth talking about.  It had a great balance of apple and almond flavors, and the ice cream with the apple cider caramel sauce added the perfect amount sweetness.
 

We went on a Thursday night and I wasn't aware that Thursday night's are ladies night.  When we were eating Ryan pointed out that he was the only guy in there!

I've heard the brunch on the weekends is fantastic, and they offer $1 Mimosas and Sangria.  I also learned that Mondays are Service Industry Nights and the entire menu is half price!  I think I'll go on a Monday next time!

St~ Germain Elderflower Liqueur

I am absolutely in love with St. Germain.  I caved and bought a bottle for myself the other day.  In case you didn't know, it is an Elderflower Liqueur from the French Alps.  Each bottle is carefully crafted, and the Elderflower blossoms are picked over a 3-4 week period, once a year for the entire year's worth of St. Germain.  This small window of harvesting the blossoms makes this liqueur very special and limited.

When I first started drinking St. Germain I didn't really know much about it.   I knew it was an Elderflower liqueur, but that's about all... I didn't even know what an Elderflower was.  I knew that I liked it, so when I see it in a cocktail, I order it.   The flavor reminds me of the lychee fruit, but it's one of those things that everyone experiences differently.

I did a little research and learned a lot about everything that goes into producing a bottle of St. Germain, and it's kind of a romantic process.  During peak Elderflower season, a French man goes into the French Alps and carefully plucks each Elderflower bunch of blossoms by hand.  He gathers them in large linen sacks, straps them to his bicycle and rides down the Alps to the market.  They even label each bottle with the date on which the flowers were picked!

Here's a recipe for a cocktail off the website:

St. Germain cocktails are fantastically fruity with just the right amount of sweet floral notes. When I've had one in bars or restaurants, I've usually had it with champagne or gin.  It's also very versatile, and I found a recipe for St. Germain Sangria that sounds awesome.  I'll have to post a picture when I try it out. Try St. Germain next time you come across it... think of the cute little French men plucking flowers for your cocktail.

The Cedars Social

My friend Laurel and I decided to try out The Cedars Social for drinks and lunch one afternoon.  It is located on 1326 South Lamar, near The Loft & Palladium Ballroom.  We went around 3 or 4 o'clock on a Thursday, so needless to say, it wasn't very crowded.  We had our choice of seating, and chose a half booth, half chair table located in the middle of the "cocktail den" near the fireplace (obviously not burning because of the extremely high temperatures).  After a few minutes we noticed a cozy nook near the back of the restaurant where you could have a little more privacy.  I hate comparing Dallas to Austin, but the place did have a bit of an Austin vibe to it.  It is certainly a leisurely, make-yourself-at-home type of establishment, and I loved that about it.  The mood is very relaxed and laid back.  The dining area had a mid century modern library feel to it.  It was nice, without making you feel uncomfortable. 

When we were seated, we were left with what looked like top secret files; a file folder containing a bracket bounded stack of paper that was our menu.  I was shocked to realize that the bulk of the menu was made up of just cocktails!  We were both overwhelmed, and needed to peruse the menu before making an ultimate decision.  I had a hard time deciding if I wanted the London Summer (Plymouth Gin, Lemon Juice, Orange Juice, Cane Syrup, and Muddled Cucumber) or the Mexican Monk (Milagro Silver Tequila, Green Chartreuse, Serrano Pepper, Lime Juice and Agave Nectar).   The waitress said the Mexican Monk was really spicy so I decided to go with the London Summer.  Laurel got a similar drink that was on special called a Cucumber Rickey.  We both really enjoyed our drinks.  Mine was light and refreshing, it started off citrus-y and then finished with the cucumber and piney gin flavors.

Since it was our first time at The Cedars Social, we decided to try a couple of the small plate offerings and one entree and share.  I ordered the Iceberg Wedge with Maytag Blue Cheese, Crumbled Roquefort, Toasted Walnuts, Crispy Bacon, Marinated Cherry Tomatoes and Chives.

We decided to share the Fried Oysters and Deviled Eggs.  Both were good, but nothing to write home about.  I found the fried oysters to be a little bit too battered in corn meal for my taste.  The deviled eggs were just that, nothing spectacular.  Both were average but were done well.

Laurel ordered the Cedars Social Burger.  It is served basically American style, with Lettuce, Tomatoes, Onions, Cheddar cheese, Applewood smoked bacon, and House Made Pickles.  Despite not liking pickles, Laurel pointed out it was nice that they gave you three different types of pickles; Dill, Sweet and Bread and Butter.  She let me try a bite of her cheeseburger and it was juicy, meaty and delicious.  The fries were excellent, perfectly hot and crispy.

Instead of dessert, we opted for another cocktail.  This time I went with the Bay City Roller, which is made with Porton Pisco, Housemade Berry Cordial, Demarera Syrup, Lime Juice, Bitter Truth Aromatic Bitters and Egg White.

It may have been because this drink felt like dessert, but it was by far my favorite part of the meal.  It was silky smooth and just burst with berry flavor.  I love a good Pisco Sour, so when I saw this drink I had to order it.  I used to be afraid to order drinks with egg whites, but when I first tried one at La Duni, I was hooked.  Try one next time, you'll be surprised.


Our experience at The Cedars Social was fun, and we left with full bellies.  I definitely recommend the place for afternoon cocktails.  The decor was fabulous, the drinks were amazing and the food was great.  I'll certainly be dropping in the den again soon.

Cheese Board + True Blood

Ryan and I are addicted to the show True Blood on HBO.  A few episodes ago we put together an amazing cheese board to snack on while we watched the newest episode.  The cheese was so great I just had to share. 

Here's what I bought at Whole Foods and Central Market.  Although,  I've been dying to go to Scardello Artisan Cheese to pick up some wedges and wheels.  All I've heard is great things about the place, plus they recently won D Magazine's Best Cheese Shop.
 

Clockwise from the top: Saint Angel Triple Creme Brie, Boschetto with White Truffles, Beehive Lavender Coffee Cheddar, Comte, and Drunken Goat.

I cut smaller portions of the cheeses so I could fit everything on the board (and so I could save some for later).  I thinly sliced some cucumbers, red onions, and apples, and I served it all with salami, crackers, olives, sliced baguette, pecans, and dried cranberries.

All of the cheeses were amazing!  My favorite surprised me- the Beehive Lavender Coffee Cheddar.  It was slightly floral with a smoky coffee finish. I never knew it, but lavender and coffee are great paired together.  The Saint Angel Triple Creme was certainly heavenly as it melted in your mouth.  Ryan's favorite surprised me too- the Boschetto with White Truffles.  I didn't know he was a truffle person, but then again, who doesn't love truffles?  The Comte reminded me of parmesan, it is a nuttier, firm cheese.  I was thinking it would be great grated over some pasta.  The Drunken Goat cheese is a staple on our cheese boards at home.  It's a semi-soft goat cheese that is aged in red wine.  We both love it, and I highly recommend it if you haven't tried it.  We paired all of these with a bottle of Chardonnay from Times Ten Cellars.  Everything was delicious!

The next time you get the munchies, don't run to Jack in the Box.  Rummage through your fridge and pantry and put together a cheese board!  It's perfect for a quick and easy dinner or snack.

Steak Dinner

Last Sunday my boyfriend Ryan and I celebrated our dating anniversary.  So, in honor of the past 3 years of our relationship, I decided to cook us a simple steak dinner.  My first thought was to go to an overpriced, high-end 5 star restaurant, but sometimes that just isn't us.  I wanted to have the same feel of going out for a nice dinner, but at our kitchen table so we could eat in our pajamas.

Here's what you'll need:

• 2 Filet Mignons
• 1/2 Head of Broccoflower
• A Handful of Baby Rainbow Carrots
• Butter
• 3-4 Cloves of Garlic
• 1 Shallot
• 1 c Red Wine 
• 1 c Beef Stock
• 3-4 lbs. Yukon Gold Potatoes
• Salt and Pepper
• Chives
• Blue Cheese crumbles
• Sour Cream

Go ahead and get all of the ingredients out of the fridge and pantry, and clean off your workspace. This makes cooking so much easier and safer!

First, peel the potatoes and put them in a pot of generously salted boiling water.

While the potatoes are boiling, go ahead and prep the veggies.  Wash them first, then cut up the broccoflower, peel the carrots, thinly slice the shallot into rings, and finely chop any herbs you might have on hand that you would like to add to the mashed potatoes or red wine reduction.  I chopped up some chives and garlic.  Now that I think of it, a sprig of rosemary would have been amazing thrown into my reduction... next time.

Check out this broccoflower! Isn't it pretty? I love the vibrant green color!

It was almost sad cutting into it...

I found these awesome carrots at CM and couldn't pass them up. They're adorable and add a great splash of color to your plate. Aren't they pretty?

The sharper your knife, believe it or not, the safer it is.  You are less likely to cut yourself!  Imagine having a dull knife, it's a struggle to cut through something... because you have less control of the blade, meaning more resistance.  Makes sense, doesn't it?  So be sure to keep your knife sharp, and you will get nice, precise, easy flowing cuts.  There's a saying that a chef is only as good as his (or her) knife! 

I always try to cut my vegetables in order of least pungent to most pungent, so that the flavors don't seep into my other vegetables.  Members of the Allium family like onions, garlic, scallions, and shallots definitely leave behind their juices after cutting, especially if you are using a wooden cutting board.  So cut the milder stuff first, then the stuff that will make you cry.

Once the broccoflower and carrots are prepped and ready to go, blanch them.  Blanching allows the vegetables to develop their flavors and slightly cooks them without making the veggies mushy or discolored.  It gives you that perfect crisp, tender bite, and it even brightens the colors!  To blanch, simply partially cook the vegetables in a pot of heavily salted boiling water for about 2 minutes.  BUT overcooking the vegetables can be a very, very sad thing, so do not walk away once you drop them into the boiling water.  After boiling the veggies, shock them by dropping them into an ice bath (a bowl of ice water).  They will be okay resting in the water until they are ready to be sauteed.

Now that you have your vegetables prepared, you can move on to seasoning your steaks.  Many people have varying opinions on the best way to prepare a steak, but I like to season nicer cuts of beef with just a generous amount of sea salt and fresh cracked black pepper.  Season your preferred way, and set aside.

At this point, the potatoes are probably close to being done.  Check them by poking a fork into the biggest one.  One time I was making mashed potatoes, and checked a couple of my potatoes and thought they were done, and then low and behold, the biggest potato was undercooked.  Once you are sure that they are cooked through, remove them from the heat, and drain the water from the pot.  In the same pot, toss in some butter and season with salt and pepper.  Cover with aluminum foil, and set aside.

Get out an oven-proof grill pan (or fire up the grill), and a small skillet.  It's over 105° outside, so I opted for the grill pan and the oven instead of braving the heat.  Preheat your oven to 350°.  Go ahead and put your grill pan over the burner on high heat.  You want it to get nice and hot so you can get a nice sear on your meat before it goes in the oven to finish cooking.  Once your grill pan is heated, melt about 2 tablespoons of butter.  It will melt fast, so be ready to follow with the steaks.  Gently place the steaks on the pan on a bias.  Let them grill for about a minute, and then turn the steaks slightly to create a cross hatch pattern for the top of your steak.  Wait about another minute, and then flip the steaks.  When there is a nice char on both sides of your steaks, go ahead and put them into the 350° oven.  They will cook in the oven for about 15-20 minutes, depending on how you like your steak.

While the steak is cooking, go ahead and mash the potatoes.  Add butter, sour cream, chives, blue cheese... basically whatever sounds good to you.

I like to get out my hand mixer and mix my potatoes to give them a smoother finish.  Some people like them chunky.  Again, it's all about preference. Re-cover the potatoes with foil to keep them warm.

Now go ahead and throw some butter into the skillet you pulled out earlier.  Add garlic and coat in the butter and cook until it starts become fragrant and slightly transparent.  Then add your broccoflower and rainbow carrots and saute for about 5 minutes.  Remove the veggies from the skillet and put them in a serving dish and cover with foil.

At this point it should be time to take your steaks out of the oven.  Check and make sure that they are cooked to your liking, if not, put them back in the oven for another couple of minutes.  When the steaks are ready remove them from the pan, set aside on a plate, and cover with foil to rest.  Deglaze the grill pan by adding the beef stock to the pan over low heat.  Be sure to scrape up any bits that were left behind.  Simmer.  Now we'll make the shallot red wine reduction sauce.  Add about 1 tbsp of butter to the skillet (the same one you sauteed the veggies in) and add the shallot rings, and saute until the shallots become semi transparent.  Add red wine gradually and reduce.  After the wine has reduced by about half, add the deglazing liquid (the beef broth and steak juices).  Then simmer over low heat, stirring often.  Remove from heat to allow sauce to thicken.

Everything is ready.  Place filet mignons on top of the mashed potatoes, and pour the shallot reduction on over the steaks.  Serve with the vegetables and enjoy!

I forgot to mention I also bought this cheesy parmesan artisan bread at CM too, so we sliced that up and served it with some European butter.  I got a piece that had a pocket of cheese in it! I told Ryan I forgot how good just plain bread and butter can be.  I also whipped together an herb salad drizzled with a raspberry vinaigrette.  Yum.

Here's a quick snapshot of our dinner table. It was a great, scrumptious meal, and probably cost us less than going out for an expensive steak dinner!

Cheers!

Falksalt

While grocery shopping at Central Market I noticed a special on Falksalt.  I have tried Maldon salt, but not Falksalt.  They seemed very similiar, both being flaky salt crystals. The Falksalt on the other hand, came in a variety of flavors.  The one I was most intrigued by was the Black salt.  I just imagined using it in a sweet caramel sauce and pouring it over vanilla bean ice cream.  Before buying the salt I wanted to go home and do a little research so I knew what I was getting into.  Falksalt's website recipe with the Black salt takes it a step further by creating a Dark Side Ice Cream with Raspberries.  Apparently the black variety still holds it's color so it can add some beautiful dark hues to your dish. I'm sold.  Next time I go in I'm going to pick some up and try one of the recipes from the website!

Other flavors include Smoke, Lemon, Wild Garlic, Chipotle, Wild Mushroom, Chili, and Rosemary.

Visit Falksalt online to learn more and explore yummy recipes, and even new ways to liven up your next cocktail!

Charlie Palmer at The Joule

Last Thursday my dad and I went to have dinner with a couple friends at Charlie Palmer's restaurant located in The Joule hotel downtown on Main Street.  I have been dying to go here ever since I read a review on Fearless Critic a couple of months ago.  Our reservation was for 7 o'clock, but honestly, we didn't need one.  I was surprised that the restaurant wasn't as busy as rumors suggested.  We were seated in a centralized table, so I was able to do a lot of people watching.  I always like to notice what other people order for appetizers, entrees, desserts, wine... then I can base what I order off of their choices.  Haven't you heard we eat first with our eyes?  I suppose it is the voyeur in me.  I noticed the other patrons selecting their wine from a iPad-like tablet.  Futuristic, huh?  As I my eyes were wandering, our waitress returned with our drink orders and I remembered I needed to order appetizers!  I scanned over the small plates portion of the menu noticing items like Grilled Octopus with peas, castelvetrano olives, and house-cured prosciutto, and Ramen with pork belly and green onions knowing the others at my dinner table weren't as adventurous.  We ended up ordering the Crisp Oysters served with arugula, corn, avocado, and peppadew peppers, the Balsamic Beef Skewers with carmelized onions, shaved creminis, and mushroom soy, and the Gougères.  I also ordered the Jersey Corn Soup (I'm a soup junkie).  A few minutes after we ordered our appetizers, the amuse bouche arrived.  A little lobster corn dog sitting on dijon crème fraiche was served a clear glass plate to stimulate our palates.  Let's just say it certainly delivered.  It was crisp on the outside, yet the lobster in the center was still succulent and buttery, finishing with a spicy kick of dijon.

Just as we finished our amuse, our appetizers were presented.  Yes, presented.  The waitstaff goes through the trouble of removing the beef from the skewers for you, so you don't have to struggle with getting your meat off of the stick.  The beef skewers were tender, flavorful, and the perfect size for sharing.  They had to be filets because they were crazy melt-in-your-mouth good.  My corn soup arrived in a fairly large bowl with three or four ricotta filled agnolottis centered on my plate, and I knew they were going to pour the soup on top. I love this method of presentation. It maintains the soup's integrity and lets your mouth experience bold yet simple flavors blending together. This was the best corn soup I've ever had. It was a great salty-sweet-savory experience. The sweet, fresh corn base was silky and smooth and the agnolottis exploded with salty ricotta cheese after each bite. This was my first time having gougères, and in case you didn't know, they are delightful, light as air puff pastries baked with gruyère cheese. Charlie Palmer adds cayenne pepper for added depth of flavor, and they were irresistible dipped in my soup. The crisp oysters looked beautiful and delicious, but I had to save room for my main course.

As you will come to learn, I rarely will turn down an offer to eat anything with truffles, so naturally I ordered the Sauteèd Chicken Breast with summer truffles, patty pan squash, bing cherries and chicken jus. I also would like to mention how great and attentive the waitstaff was. Every time my drink was getting low it was refilled quietly and appropriately. If you get up to go to the bathroom, you don't get your old napkin folded and put back on the table, you get a brand new napkin, ready for your disposal. When my chicken was served I could smell the strong scent of truffles steaming off of my plate, and the bing cherries looked plump and juicy. The skin was left on to create a golden brown crisp layer on the outside, keeping the inside juicy and tender. The jus was decadently infused with paper thin slices of summer truffles, creating an amazing flavor profile for this dish.

By the end of our meal, all I could do was dream about the desserts. I read the menu and there were so many delicious sounding options, but I was already so full. That just means I am going to have to find an excuse to make it back to Charlie Palmer as soon as I can.

Click here for reservations!