Culinary adventure #2...Crab Cakes

Happy New Year!!  Hopefully everyone had a wonderful time celebrating the end of 2010 and all that 2011 has in store.  While many of you headed out on New Year's Eve to restaurants, bars, and parties, I for once opted to stay in.   Yes, there were plenty of options in Cleveland we could have chosen from, but  my boyfriend and I decided we would ring in 2011 by doing one of our favorite activities, cooking together.  Maybe it was the fact that both of us have been very overwhelmed between working and the holidays that we needed a night in, just us two.  As I titled this blog, I also realized that I haven't been that great at including things I cook, and I apologize for that.  For our New Year's Eve dinner, we decided on crab cakes, with twice baked potatoes and roasted asparagus with rosemary infused olive oil.  I will take no credit for the asparagus either since all I did was eat and enjoy it.

For my crab cakes, I first caramelized onions with garlic, thyme, rosemary, and basil (all fresh).  Next, I took a pound and a half of lump crab meat and mixed in breadcrumbs, 1 large egg white, a dash of mayo, fresh squeezed lemon juice, and the onion and herb mixture.  After seasoning the mixture with cracked black pepper and sea salt,   I ended up forming 5 large and one baby crab cake.

I refrigerated them for about a half hour while the potatoes and asparagus were cooking.  Meanwhile, we found a recipe for a simple garlic aioli and put our own twist on it.  If I had the link, I would have included it, but since we are both addicted to our smart phones, it is not saved in my email or recipe file.  When the potatoes were fully baked, we halved them, scooped out the insides, mixed in sour cream and cheddar, and popped them back in the oven to twice bake while the crab cakes were cooking.  I cooked the crab cakes in olive oil over medium heat, three at a time.  The first three came out PERFECTLY and I think I jinxed myself there.  The last three all fell apart and ended up looking more like crab cake hash. Finally, with about four and a half hours remaining in 2010, we sat down to enjoy this delicious meal.  It paired really well with our homemade strawberry wine too.

Overall, it was a perfect New Year's Eve proving all you really need is great food, champagne, and someone to enjoy it with.  And since we did not dress up and go out for New Year's Eve, tonight we will be dining at Michaelangelo's in Little Italy.

Until next time...follow your heart, fulfill your hunger.

Hungry in 2010

I hope everyone had a very Merry Christmas filled with family, friends, and food.  As we now look forward to they new year, I would like to take a moment to look back on 2010.  I would love to do a Hungry in Cleveland Best of but since the blog is only 4 months old, I figured this would be a better option.  2010 had its fair share of downtime.  We prayed for the earthquake victims in Haiti, trapped miners in West Virginia and Chile.  We looked on in horror as oil spewed into the Gulf of Mexico devastating beaches and wildlife, and felt betrayal as a wannabe "king" took his "talents" to South Beach.  We mourned the passings of Tony Curtis, Lena Horne, George Steinbrenner, and Cleveland Indians legend Bob Feller to name a few.

However there were moments of joy and celebration.  We saw hope for the Browns when the New Orleans Saints went to and won their first Super Bowl. We cheered on victorious Americans in the 2010 Winter Olympics, and "honked" our vuvuzelas while watching the World Cup.  We may have caught a bit of "Bieber Fever", went goo-goo for Gaga, and fist pumped along with the Jersey Shore.  Through it all, we remained Hungry in Cleveland.

2010 welcomed many new places to the ever growing Cleveland food scene.  The East Fourth Street Neighborhood welcomed Zack Bruell's fourth Cleveland restaurant, Chinato, and  Zinc.  Around the corner on Prospect, R. J. Bolands and the Caddyshack Lounge offered more options for a pregame drink before heading the "The Jake" or "The Q".  Zdara added a bit of Mediterranean flair to the Warehouse District.  Tremont became more of a foodie destination with the additions of Bac, Istanbul Grill, and the reopening of Dante.  East-siders rejoiced when the second Melt opened in Cleveland Heights.  Dim and Den Sum took to the streets parking throughout the city for lunch and late night eats.  Little Italy welcomed Mia Bella and Washington Place Bistro and Inn to the family of great places to "mangia mangia!"  The every growing and changing Detroit-Shoreway neighborhood added Roseangel and Battery Park Wine Bar, along with the reopening of the legendary Big Egg.  In the suburbs, Deagan's Kitchen found a home in Lakewood, Rocky River welcomed Market, and Palate will be opening its doors in Strongsville this week.  I cannot wait to see what 2011 will bring, especially in Ohio City with the opening of Dim and Den Sum's Restaurant and the addition of Market Garden Brewery.  Happy New Year!!!

Until next time...follow your heart, fulfill your hunger.

For the Holidays, You Can't Beat Home Sweet Home!

Merry Christmas Week all!  Hopefully, the tree is trimmed, gifts are bought and maybe wrapped, and your holiday food plans are coming together.  Christmas is a season rich in family traditions, and my family is no exception.  My family's ethnic background is Hungarian and Slovak.  Our main Christmas meal is on Christmas Eve before heading to Midnight (ok, 10 p.m.) Mass at St. John's Cathedral.  I would have to describe the meal itself as a nice blend of both old and new traditions.  The menu changes slightly with each year by taking a bit of the old and adding in something new.  Dinner starts with a traditional bowl of mushroom soup, which is made from dried mushrooms and sauerkraut juice.        

Nana would be so proud we are carrying on this tradition, despite the jokes and comments from the sour taste.  To counter the sour soup, we have the oplatky wafer with honey on it.  Oplatky are Christmas wafers usually with an image of the Nativity on them.  They are very similar to the Communion wafers used during Catholic Mass.  We also have shrimp cocktail with our homemade "octopus sauce".  Octopus sauce has nothing to do with octopus, it is just a name I came up with as a little girl for the shrimp cocktail sauce Nana made for Christmas Eve.  We have shrimp because Christmas Eve was my late Uncle Jack's birthday.  Growing up, Nana would prepare whatever my mom and uncle wanted for their birthdays, but Uncle Jack had limited options since Catholics would not have meat on Christmas.  
The main dish is always some form of breaded fish.  In past Christmases, Nana would deep fry ocean perch, however our new tradition is making an oven-fried tilapia, coated in panko and herbs.  I am looking forward to going to the West Side Market with my brother Friday morning to get the fish.  We also would have homemade french fries, cole-slaw, and bobalky which are little bread balls cooked in either sauerkraut or honey and poppyseed.  For dessert we have Christmas cookies and Malley's chocolates.  Overall, that is my traditional Cleveland Christmas, and I would not trade it for anything, even and Italian Christmas Eve with the seven fishes.

One of many things I love about Cleveland is how we exemplify the idea of a Melting Pot.  At Christmas and many other holidays, age old traditions are celebrated and made new again.  And now I will take this moment to ask you: What are your family Christmas/holiday traditions?

Until next time....follow your heart, fulfill your hunger.        

Pot Luck = Jackpot!

Tis the season for office holiday parties!  My place of employment is no exception.  Every place seems to have a different take on the workplace celebration ranging from extravagant feast to a simple at home dinner.  Here, we do a pot luck lunch and for the past three years, I have had the joy of organizing it.  Since my place of employment has a very diverse group of people, one could only imagine the variety of dishes brought to a pot luck.  I enjoyed everything from traditional Indian and Korean dishes, to Southern corn bread, and a Russian fruit cake which I was told took about three weeks to prepare.  I have to thank fellow blogger The Daily Balance for my contribution,orange spice holiday cookies.  They turned out AH-MAZ-ING!!!!  Nevertheless, no one leaves hungry from our holiday pot luck.  So now I ask you What is your "go-to" dish for a potluck or are you one to try something different?


Until next time...follow your heart, fulfill your hunger!

A Hidden Gem on Detroit Ave.

One great thing about Cleveland and it's surrounding suburbs would be the wide variety of small businesses and restaurants.  Lakewood would have to be the epitome of this statement.  Driving (or going for a nice run) up and down Madison and Detroit Avenues, one cannot help but be distracted by the large number of storefronts ranging from boutiques to bakeries to bars to restaurants.  When most people think of restaurants in Lakewood, two more then likely come to mind Melt  and Three Birds.  However, Lakewood is filled with hidden gems and I was lucky to finally try one this past weekend, that being 56 West.

Located on the corner of Detroit and Westlake Ave, 56 West is one of those places you may pass by unless you are specifically looking for it.  I have heard nothing but good things about it and was very excited to finally try it.  The menu is fairly simple, mostly being entree salads, sandwiches, and burgers but their is an option for everyone including vegetarians.  Also, the names of all the dishes are quite fun (i.e.: "The Italian Lover", "Pure Pleasure", and "One Hot Chick").  Since I was feeling creative, adventurous, and a bit indecisive, I went with the Build your Own Burger option.  This ended up being a veggie patty on a whole wheat bun, with chipotle honey glaze, wildgreens, tomato, Vermont Cheddar, bacon (yes, I love bacon on veggie burgers), and avocado.  I have had my fair share of veggie burgers/back bean burgers, and I am going to say this particular one is one of my favorites.  Upon asking our server (who was very friendly and helpful), I found out it was a puree of veggies, with black beans and quinoa.  Quinoa is a something I have been hearing more and more about.  It is a grain with a higher protein and fiber content in comparison to rice and wheat.  I have been finding it to be a good alternative to using rice in recipes too.  Maybe a future blog will be 101 fun delicious ways to enjoy quinoa.  (Ok, maybe 10.  This one will take some research).  Anyways, the veggie burger was excellent and it would be safe to say it is my new standard for comparison.  The portion size also was great.  I like a sandwich/burger where the main ingredient is not hidden under the bread.  The veggie burger and other toppings were overflowing from the just right size whole grain bun I chose.  Instead of getting fries with the sandwich, my boyfriend and I shared the bucket of fries which included housemade ketchup infused with cinnamon (fabulous) and roasted garlic aioli.

I also must note, 56 West has a nice selection of craft beers to enjoy with your meal.  I personally opted for the seasonal favorite being Great Lakes Christmas Ale.  Another point to mention, the dinner was very reasonably priced.  I would highly recommend checking out 56 West especially if you are not sure what you have a taste for.  The variety and high quality of the food along with wonderful service and very reasonable prices truly makes this one of Lakewood's hidden gems.

Question of the Week:  What are some other neighborhood favorites you cannot get enough of?

Until next time...follow your heart, fulfill your hunger.        

Raise a Glass of Christmas Cheer!

I hope everyone had an enjoyable fulfilling Thanksgiving shared with great food and loved ones.  I was very pleased with how my feast turned out and will post pictures once I figure out how to add pics to a blog entry (yeah, the joys of being a rookie blogger)  Anyways, Friday and Saturday also had their fill of good food.  There was no better way to finish off a successful Black Friday shopping spree then a BLT and Christmas Ale from B-Spot.  Saturday included a trip and lunch at a true Cleveland food landmark, The West Side Market.  However, my holiday cheer was brought out in full force at the first annual Winter Wine and Ale Fest on Saturday evening.  

This event was held as a part of Downtown's Winterfest which highlighted the lighting of Public Square.  For $40/person, guests were able to sample 20 craft beers or wines of their choice from 19 different Ohio breweries and wineries.  My approach was simple, do not taste anything you already had and know you like.  This provided me the opportunity to sample other brewery's Christmas Ales since every time I go out, I remain loyal to Great Lakes Christmas Ale.  Also, there were appetizers and deserts to enjoy with the winter libations.  While tasting, we were able to rate our drinks on a scale of 1-5 (I did mine as 1 = lowest, and 5 = highest).  Now, I am not going to present everything I rated, just the 4's and 5's  Please keep in mind, these are based on my personal preferences.

Beers:

My overall favorite was the Cleveland Chop House's White Chocolate Brown Ale.  I love a good chocolate stout (I mean, it is a combination of two things I love...beer and chocolate).  I think if I had this as the first brew of the night, the remaining 19 tickets I had would have been used on this beer.  It was not the bitter stout that most people would think of, and there was a chocolate flavor throughout, not just at the end.  Next time I am near by the Chop House, I must stop in for a White Chocolate Brown Ale.

My second favorite is Hoppin' Frog Brewery from Akron's "Frosted Frog".  This is their Christmas ale which features my favorite Christmas flavor, gingerbread.  I would be up for a trip to Akron to sample their other brews.    

Other beers worth mentioning: Cellar Rats "Field Rat Wheat", The Brew Kettle's "Blackjack Porter", and Buckey Brewing Company's "Witless" (maybe I should get some for Thursday's Cavs/Heat game)

And now for wines:

My overall favorite was Firelands' Pinot Grigio.  Would love to enjoy with a pesto dish since I love pinot grigio with pesto.  

For something easy to drink and fruity, I would recommend any of the Virant Frosts (I sampled strawberry and blackberry).  They were a little thicker then most wines, but enjoyable if you are looking for a fruity wine.

I also want to mention the carephilly cheese I enjoyed from Great Lakes Creamery.  If you enjoy parmesan and provalone, I would recommend looking for this particular cheese.  It would be a great addition to your holiday cheese platters.

I am looking forward to many more holiday culinary adventures.  The Christmas cookie list has been started, and the holiday party invitations are starting to pile up.  It truly is the most wonderful time of they year.  With that being said, I am going to start something new on the blog, "Question of the Week".  Feel free to comment below.  

What food/drink really makes it feel alot like Christmas?

Until next time...follow your heart, fulfill your hunger.

 

Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving to all of my loyal readers!  With it being the BIGGEST food holiday and all, I decided to give you an overview of what I will be prepping and serving tomorrow.  It will be my second year preparing it solo since I used to cook with my grandma.  She is now my personal culinary guardian angel (amongst other guardian angels too).

Roast Turkey (of course).  I don't brine.  I stuff it with citrus, herbs, and butter and cover it with butter soaked cheesecloth.  Now, the most important part to ensure your bird is not dry would be basting.  I may have mentioned in an earlier cooking blog I am not one for timers.  Roasting turkey would be my exception.  I religiously baste every 15 minutes and with everything else going on, I have to set the timer.  I remove the cheesecloth about a half hour prior to dinner to give the bird a nice golden glow.

Cranberry Cornbread Stuffing (I may attempt Michael Symon's cornbread stuffing recipe he tweeted earlier today and just add the cranberries)

Candied yams, complete with brown sugar reduction and marshmallows: Make sure to remember the marshmallows will plump upon roasting.  If you squeeze too many on, you will have one sticky mess to clean up

Sweet potato boats: This is a family recipe not too many people have heard of.  Cook the potatoes then cut in half.  Hollow out and mix the potato with cranberry relish.  Top with walnuts and a brown sugar cinnamon blend.

Homemade cranberry relish grinded with a 100+ year old grinder (one of my favorite kitchen tools for sentimental reasons)

Mashed potatoes, steamed green beans, steamed cauliflower, homemade dinner rolls, gravy

And of couse pumpkin pie (Nana's recipe of course)

To drink: Elena Walch, 2009 Gewurtztraminer (highly recommended for Thanksgiving by Little Italy Wines, one of my favorite wine shops) and of course, Great Lakes Christmas Ale!


So now, all I have to do is prepare this lovely feast, sit down, raise my glass and be thankful.  And I am NOT ashamed to admit I ALWAYS clean my plate on Thanksgiving.

Until then...follow your heart, fulfill your hunger (and gobble till you wobble)