Tailgate, take four

For the majority of our tailgates, I let the decisions of what to make be made by my brother, Scott. This time he did not disappoint! Inspired by a sandwich he had in a hospital cafeteria, of all places, this panini is not normal tailgate fare. Then the question was, how do you grill a panini in a parking lot? Foil covered bricks, of course!

Inside that sandwich is salami, pepperoni, ham, provolone and a good slathering of Italian dressing. A few minutes on each side, and it turned into a crusty, melty sandwich of goodness. Serve it up with some of Tammy's homemade potato salad, and that is one filling meal...enough to carry one from pre-game to post-game!

What did we name this lovely concoction??? The FININI!!!! Get it? lol!

And to wash it down? Jello shots, of course!

All in all a great tailgate! The outcome of the game was not as good, but (and I am getting tired of saying it) at least the food was good!

Pocket full of Sunshine

You may remember this post about a gadget I was coveting- a dumpling press. Well, I did one better, actually five times better- because I got this lovely 5 pack of dough presses! So, now what? Well, I had a ball on Sunday trying some of them out. Check out the sampling of the treats:

Pepperoni Pizza pockets with Marinara dipping sauce

Potato/Chorizo empanadas

Steak Fajita pockets with homemade salsa

Apple Turnovers

Sweet Potato Empanadas

Mmm Mmm Mmm! Mouth watering just thinking about it! So, the presses didn't work as well as I hoped, partly because of the the dough being room temperature and the filling being hot, but I will give them another shot. I have three other sizes to try, I am thinking potstickers and dumplings in my future! :)



Baba, oh baby!

Some of you may recall the post I wrote about Talia's Tuscan Table a few months back. Well the genius behind that lovable and addictive Italian restaurant has now expanded and opened Baba's Shrimp Shack right next door.  Finally, fresh, affordable seafood in South Florida! They had their grand opening party on Saturday, and boy was it party for the ages! I have never seen such a crowd for such an event. A true testament to Chef Andy and his reputation for good food and fun! Just look at the crowd, spilling out all over the parking lot:

That's me with Chef Andy in the Captain's hat and bell...told he was was fun!

There was even a band rockin' the house!

The party continued inside as well:

The place was so packed, that I only got to sample a few bites of food, but what I did try was tasty. You may know that I am not a huge seafood fan, so for me to say it was good, it another true testament to Andy's expertise. Everyone seemed to really enjoy it and had a great time! This happy customer says it all!

Best of luck to you Chef Andy! If this party is any indication of your success, then you have a lifetime of busy days ahead of you!

I Relish the thought

I have heard so much about the new hamburger spot, Relish in the last few weeks, I just knew that it was a place I had to check out for myself. I did my research and was very excitied! Very simple concept- Pick your protein, pick you relish (topping) and make your own creation. I have to say though, I was a little overwhelmed by the menu upon arrival. They have every protein you can imagine (lobster anyone?), and an array of delicious relishes. How does one pick just one of each?? Well, I already know I will be returning to try other tasty options! On this visit, I went with the beef burger, cheddar cheese and the sweet&salty bacon relish (chunks of smoky bacon in a sweet jam). I also went with the polents fries with the parmesan romano salt. Yes, you get to design your own fries too!

They forgot my cheese, and was cooked waaaay past the medium I asked for, but it was still yummy, and I definitely couldn't finish it all. The polenta fries, by the way, are the bomb!

My friend Matt went with the black bean burger with the guacamole relish and the polenta fries with the chipotle salt.

You thought my burger was big? Check out the size of that this thing! Spicy, moist and delicious, his burger was a definite hit!

Also on the menu but I didn't get to try are milkshakes that sound heavenly: Fluffer Nutter, Chocolate Truffle, Salted Caramel...yes please! I'll make sure to save room next time. Although my order get a little messed up, I still really enjoyed my visit to Relish, and look forward to going back soon!

ooh la la!

I love when I stumble across something by accident and then completely fall in love with it. Case in point, when I stumbled across Bakery of France last week.  Totally meant to grab a quick lunch from Quiznos, it happened to be closed, but the lovely french bakery next door was very much open. Upon entry, it looks and smells like everything a french bistro should. I decided to enjoy one of my favorite french staples, A Croque Monsieur- a grilled ham & Gruyere sandwich, coated in béchamel sauce.

Served with a lovely house salad on the side, the perfect combination of sweet, salty, soft and crunchy.

Of course I cannot get anywhere near a french bakery without getting one of my other favorites...a Chocolate Croissant!

Flaky, buttery, delicious, and the perfect amount of chocolate 

As I was getting ready to leave, I asked why no crepes on the menu? I was informed that indeed they do have them, and there were some being made right now...by an adorable little French woman who spoke to me in French (and had to be translated, since I have forgotten ALL of my 3 years of high school French!).

Enough said! I will definitely be returning! With the great service, delicious food, and very good prices, I say go visit now! Allez!

Tailgate, take three

What do you get when you mix a high energy atmosphere, a warm, sunny afternoon and a grill? Answer: Total happiness! And we're not talking burgers and dogs here people! I'm talking Italian sausage with peppers and onions!

Wanna know what's inside that foil packet???

Again, my SIL spoiled us! She pre-chopped the onions and peppers in 4, yes FOUR colors for us! I don't know what I did to deserve this, but I sure enjoyed it!

Add a soft roll and I'm in heaven!

I wish I could say the outcome of the game made me happy, but at least the food was good!  

Bang Bang, Love Love!

Today I tried out another copycat recipe from Food Network Magazine; the Bang Bang Shrimp from Bonefish Grill.  For those not in the know, Bang Bang is a crispy shrimp tossed in a spicy sauce that is so addictive! I served up a few batches today to a group that has never had it before, and the consensus was..."delicious", "winner, winner chicken dinner", and "can I have that recipe?" Just check out this plate of addictive deliciousness:

For those who do not like the heat, I even made a batch without the sauce.....still delicious!

If you can't make it to Bang Bang Wednesday's at Bonefish Grill, the definitely try this recipe for yourself...you'll be glad you did. (And so will your friends!!) :)