I came, I tasted, I conquered.

I had the extreme pleasure of attending the Taste of The Nation Broward, an all out culinary affair raising money to end childhood hunger in America. In it's 20th year, only the most renowned chefs, restaurants and mixologists are invited to hand out samples of their tasty bites, and it is totally a sensory overload! Every booth was as exciting as the next. I couldn't quite taste everything, but I got quite close. After I had made my way through the throws of hungry attendees, I was ready to declare my favorite: Tenderloin Beef tips from Don Shula's (SHOCKER!) and then someone behind a table literally yells at me to go try the guacamole from Dos Caminos, and O.M.G. The.Best. Guac. I have ever had! (The chipotle chicken quesadilla from there was also good). Coming in at a veryclose 3rd was the BBQ Short rib Bao from STK (even stamped with the STK logo!).

Clockwise from left: Guacamole from Dos Caminos, Tenderloin Beef Tips with mushrooms and Boursin cheese from Shula's, and Braised Short Rib Bao from STK.

Does that photo of the guac do it justice? No, you should totally go to Dos Caminos to try it yourself. And you should definitely take me! ;)

By the way, did you know that one in six Americans (mostly elderly and children) go hungry everyday? June is National Child Hunger Month, so make sure you do your part in supporting the cause. Do as I did and attend a Taste of the Nation event, or take a tour of Feeding South Florida. You'd be amazed at what one person and one dollar can do to help.

Thank you,
H

There's something in the water...

Funny how life happens, isn't it?  

I have been carrying around an article from the Food Network Magazine since March 2010 about a great Delray Beach bagel shop called The Original Brooklyn Water Bagel Company, meaning to go there. I love a good bagel as much as the next one, but wasn't going to go out of the way to hit up this place.

Well, the other day a coworker brought in bagels for the office. After I had inhaled the first one and went back for *just* another half, I had to ask where they were from. Imagine my surprise when she told me they were from the Brooklyn Water Bagel Co! Wow, now I know what the fuss is all about.

Imagine my surprise AGAIN when 2 days later I am getting a manicure, and what is next door??? That's right... The Brooklyn Water Bagel Co! I was happy to have a look around, and of course, get a bagel!

The shop itself is like a museum. They ACTUALLY have a water treatment plant there that replicates Brooklyn Water, and that's what makes the bagels so good! They have other great items on the menu there too, like the iced coffee that everyone raves about. The geniuses there make the ice cubes out of the coffee, so when they melt in this FL weather, it doesn't dilute your coffee...brilliant!

Another exciting tidbit I found out? There are now Brooklyn Water Bagel locations all over the place now, from Palm Beach Gardens to Miami, and even in Beverly Hills. Now even all my West Coast friends can try it out for themselves, instead of coming to visit me (although that is totally fine!).

Funny how life happens, isn't it?

Self Proclaimed Queen of Burgers

Rachael Ray describes herself as the "Self-Proclaimed Queen of Burgers", and for good reason! She will put anything and everything on a burger...and the messier the better!Well, I too love a good burger, and am a sucker for anything spicy, so I had to try this recipe for Poblano Popper Sliders! For lack of patience, I made them in to full size burgers, but that just means more goodness in a serving!

These burgers have it all: moist, spicy, crunchy, ooey gooey and delicious!

I dare to not lick your fingers when eating these!

Way to go, Rachael, you've done it again!

Mama said there'd be days like this

What do you do when your mother says she wants "Brunch or Asian" for Mother's Day? You get the suggestion of a foodie friend, and take her to an Asian Mother's Day Brunch! Enter Buddha Sky Bar. 

We enjoyed traditional brunch items such as omelets and croissants, sushi, dim sum, Buddha's signature Asian fare, and the.tastiest.pastries.ever! I don't know what kind of crack was in those pastries, but I was just as into those as the dim sum...and I really liked the dim sum!
The price was just right (even if they did rip us off on the tea), the atmosphere was pleasant, the service friendly. All in all a lovely Mother's Day feast! I would definitely like to try Buddha again, maybe for Happy Hour next time.

Hot in Cleveland

So, I don't care that it's 90 degrees out, and not cold & gloomy (sorry for those NOT in FL!) but I have been dying to try this recipe, and didn't want to wait for a rainy day to do so. I saw this recipe in the Everyday with Rachael Ray Magazine and knew it was right up my alley! A Smoky Buffalo Chicken Chili? Yes please! A chili that tastes like a buffalo wing can't be bad! It was super easy to make and full of flavor packed into one pot.

It may sound like it will blow your head off with spice, what with the chipotles, pepperjack cheese AND jalapenos, but it only had a nice, smoky heat. I was surprised that the ground chicken did not dry out either.

If I had more patience, I would have simmered it longer to thicken it up to look for like Rachael's

But the leftovers were nice and thick like I like it! It ate almost like a dip! As rachael would say...Yum-O!

Highly reccommend!

Question of the Day

Just stumbled upon this post I started way back when I got back from South Beach Wine & Food Festival. Sorry it took so long, but I have been slacking on my little blog lately. Forgive me?

Meatless Monday

What do you get when Rachael Ray turns your favorite dip into a pasta dish? The most downloaded recipe from her site, is what! That's right, a Spinach & Artichoke Macaroni & Cheese! I have seen this on her show a few times, and I finally downloaded it myself. All I have to say is...what was I waiting for??

A bubbly dish of cheesy, ooey, gooey pasta? Yes please. Throw in some veggies and you have one magnificent meatless meal! Of course it took more than the requisite 30 minutes, but it paid off cause this is ONE.HUGE.DISH. The recipe says it serves 4, but they would have to be 4 linebackers! I say it serves more like 8...or maybe 4 if everyone goes back for seconds, which you'll want to! ;) The only downside is I like my mac &cheese a little more saucy than it came out, so next time I'll make extra sauce, but that's just me. Otherwise, highly recommend!!