Sunday
Jan182009
the way food should taste
01.18.2009
Last night the hubb and I indulged ourselves with a decadent dinner at a local French tapas restaurant, Zinc. We'd never been before, but heard from a friend that their food was delicious and we should really try it out. We weren't disappointed. We ordered 4 small dishes to share, along with 2 desserts (we were at a French restaurant...who can resist?!?). The first to come out was a roasted beet salad. Beautiful roasted beets tossed with gorgonzola and red onion in a tasty French vinaegrette over baby mesclun greens. Delicious for sure, but easy enough to replicate at home. Second up was the Endive Gratin, perfectly ripe endives smothered in a bechamel sauce and baked. Good in concept, not remarkable in reality. Third, Grouper with a Lemon Caper Beurre Blanc...oh.my.goodness. Thats all I have to say about that. And forth, Croque Madame. At this point in the meal I almost melted under the table. Yum. For dessert, a Lavender Crème Brûlée and a Poached Pear filled with Mascarpone and smothered with Chocolate Sauce. Does anybody else hear angel's singing?!? Both desserts were delicious, and I was excited to try the crème brûlée because I've been thinking about incorporating lavender into some of my baked goods. It was lovely and subtle...just like lavender. :)
Our personal favorite was absolutely the Croque Madame. While thoroughly enjoying his cheesey, eggy, hammy, doughy dish, the hubb looked at me and said "why don't we cook like this at home more often?". To which I replied "because its not very good for you, all the cheese, cream etc." to which he nodded and said "yes but, its the way food should taste!". :)
I woke up this morning still on a high from our decadent meal and feeling inspired to make crêpes for breakfast.
I received this little crêpe pan, along with a crêpe-making lesson, from my stepfather for Christmas many years ago. Surprisingly, it hadn't been used in a few years and I decided that this was the morning to take it out of retirement.
Crêpes are really quite easy to make and can be filled with either savory or sweet combinations. We chose sweet this morning. I'm inspired now to make one of my dinner crêpe recipes soon though... I used this Alton Brown recipe for the batter.
Breakfast: 2 french crêpes filled with PB & Co Dark Chocolate Dreams peanut butter and beautiful sliced strawberries.
After my lovely french breakfast I went to my favorite Vinyasa Yoga class at Studio 206. Class was fabulous as usual, and I left feeling all gushy and dreamy. :)
Lunch: the last of the leftover roasted squash + potatoes on bulgur, along with 3 Back to Nature Multigrain Flax flatbread crackers.
The Back To Nature crackers are REALLY tasty...this was my first time trying them and I'll be buying them again.
For dinner tonight we went over to our friend Amy's house where she had whipped up a fabulous pot roast. We brought some homemade veggie soup (similar to this post) that my hubb made along with some hearty oat biscuits that I made. At the end of the evening we traded leftovers so that we'll all have some variety instead of eating the same thing for days. It worked out quite well!
Dinner: 1 small bowl of pot roast, 1 small bowl of veggie soup, 2 hearty oat biscuits.
I used Erica's recipe for the hearty oat biscuits, but made a few modifications.
Hearty Oat Biscuits
Ingredients:
Method:
This recipe is really great and so fast to whip up. Like I mentioned above, next time I will add a bit of salt. I also think that adding rosemary or chives would be really tasty, and maybe a bit of sharp cheese.
Alrighty, I'm exhausted and have to work tomorrow. :( So sad. I hope you all had a fabulous weekend!
Our personal favorite was absolutely the Croque Madame. While thoroughly enjoying his cheesey, eggy, hammy, doughy dish, the hubb looked at me and said "why don't we cook like this at home more often?". To which I replied "because its not very good for you, all the cheese, cream etc." to which he nodded and said "yes but, its the way food should taste!". :)
I woke up this morning still on a high from our decadent meal and feeling inspired to make crêpes for breakfast.
I received this little crêpe pan, along with a crêpe-making lesson, from my stepfather for Christmas many years ago. Surprisingly, it hadn't been used in a few years and I decided that this was the morning to take it out of retirement.
Crêpes are really quite easy to make and can be filled with either savory or sweet combinations. We chose sweet this morning. I'm inspired now to make one of my dinner crêpe recipes soon though... I used this Alton Brown recipe for the batter.
Breakfast: 2 french crêpes filled with PB & Co Dark Chocolate Dreams peanut butter and beautiful sliced strawberries.
After my lovely french breakfast I went to my favorite Vinyasa Yoga class at Studio 206. Class was fabulous as usual, and I left feeling all gushy and dreamy. :)
Lunch: the last of the leftover roasted squash + potatoes on bulgur, along with 3 Back to Nature Multigrain Flax flatbread crackers.
The Back To Nature crackers are REALLY tasty...this was my first time trying them and I'll be buying them again.
For dinner tonight we went over to our friend Amy's house where she had whipped up a fabulous pot roast. We brought some homemade veggie soup (similar to this post) that my hubb made along with some hearty oat biscuits that I made. At the end of the evening we traded leftovers so that we'll all have some variety instead of eating the same thing for days. It worked out quite well!
Dinner: 1 small bowl of pot roast, 1 small bowl of veggie soup, 2 hearty oat biscuits.
I used Erica's recipe for the hearty oat biscuits, but made a few modifications.
Hearty Oat Biscuits
Ingredients:
- 2 cups of rolled oats
- 2 cups of white whole wheat flour
- 4 tsp baking powder
- I'll add 1/2 tsp salt next time too
- 4 tbsp honey
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil
- 2 cups soymilk
Method:
- Preheat oven to 450*.
- Grind oats in food processor. Add the flour and baking powder and pulse for 10 seconds.
- In separate bowl, dissolve the honey in the vegetable oil. Add the milk and whisk to combine.
- Add dry ingredients to wet and stir with a fork until a soft dough forms.
- Drop biscuits on a greased cookie sheet. You should get 8-10 palm-sized biscuits.
- Bake for 15-18 minutes.
This recipe is really great and so fast to whip up. Like I mentioned above, next time I will add a bit of salt. I also think that adding rosemary or chives would be really tasty, and maybe a bit of sharp cheese.
Alrighty, I'm exhausted and have to work tomorrow. :( So sad. I hope you all had a fabulous weekend!
Reader Comments (38)
Your descriptions of the tapas sound so, so delicious! And your crepe pics are awesome too. I love making crepes but I haven't done it in awhile either - I used to make them for an ex-bf and he would eat them as fast as I could make them. Literally he'd eat the last crepe as it came off the pan and there'd be no more left! ha.
Mmmm...beet salad, yum!
Your crepes are lovely! I kid you not, crepes are on our dinner menu for the week, but now I am intimidated because your crepes will mock and ridicule my crepes. And my crepes will cry like the sissies they are.
"the way food should taste" <amen to that!!!! My husband made a similar comment a week ago... guys are so smart! hahaha
Dinner sounds yummy!!
those biscuits look insane!!! send some this way! :)
happy monday!!!
holy cow, that restaurant sound A-MAZING!!!!! and those crepes, delightful :) biscuits look great, too!
Yay! you know how to make crepes! That is awesome! Hubby and I had ORGASMIC Nutella crepes for breakfast on our honeymoon - it was basically nutella mixed w/ a sweet cream cheese mixture stuffed inside the crepes & drizzled with caramel sauce - you need to try this at home! I suggest maybe valentines breakfast for your hubby :-p hehehe.
Oooh I'm going to have to make those hearty oat biscuits sometime! They're vegan (I still eat honey)! yay!
That was such a great idea to trade leftovers!
dang girl, you eat some GOOD food!! i'm super jealous! Croque madames are SOOO yummy... and those crepes look amazing too. Lovin' the photography!
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOH holy yum.
Hang in there with work!!
That dinner sounds divine! Love the hubs comment ;)
BEAUTIFUL crepes! Thanks for the biscuit recipe as well!
Your french meal looks incredibly. Ah, yum!
The crepes are gorgeous! Now that is a Sunday breakfast!!!
HOLY FREAKIN YUM!
I used to make crepes all the time but never with DCD PB! I need that breakfast right now!
Love that biscuit recipe as well =)
your pictures are always so beautiful! - this post is no exception!
that dinner at Zinc sounds UNBELIEVABLE! :)
Ooo your crepes and biscuits look fantastic! I might go whip up those biscuits right now :D
your crepes look perfect! you seriously did such a wonderful job! it doesn't even look like you haven't made them in a few years.
Crepes? I am totally impressed. That breakfast looks out of this world beautiful. Honestly - and the eats that follow throughout your Sunday also look great!
i wrote down the biscuit recipe :) they look great! and those crepes.... i have got to have some!!
Those oat biscuits look so good. And so easy! The crepes look equally delicious. I've never made them before, but they look like they'd be tricky to flip!
look at those crepes!!!! so yummy! : )
so i was going to compile a list of places to go eat for my boss.. he and a couple of my co-workers are going to C-ville next week.. what do you recommend for GOOD food? they are burgers and soda kind of guys, so i would love to send them to a great pub or something..
i wish i was going with them!
crepes!!!! YUMMMM.
Mmmm....I haven't made crepes since 11th grade French class. I need to try my hand at those!
ahhh the Croque Madame- by far, one of my most favorite parts of my trip to Paris last year. They are so perfect- the crunch of the bread, the goop of the egg, ahhh the cheese and ham.
Yum.
Oh, and Crepes! I ate them so much in France. They are the best when you get them freshly made from the crepe stand on the side of the road! With nutella, bananas and chantilly. Ahhh!
I haven't figured out the best way to make them at home. I may have to try that recipe and get a crepe pan and try to get it right!
yum.
So good! I love crepes.
Wow ... those crepes are perfect! And I love love love lavender-infused food. Last time I was visiting my parents, I found a bottle of lavender syrup and mixed some into my oats -- it was sooo good.
Trading leftovers is such a good idea!
hubby would love those crepes and biscuts I am on it! I have the same camera as you I just need to learn all the tricks, cant wait to hear your photography post!
Those crepes look wonderful! And the creme brulee sounds so good!