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.