Crab boil, at Jax Fish house in Boulder Co.

Creme Brulee Trio: original, vanilla, and raspberry with salted carmel ice cream.

Happy hour

Recently went to Brasserie Ten Ten for happy hour! I had been there previously for brunch and dinner but never managed to make it there for happy hour but let me tell you i was very glad that i finally did! The menu was great and awesomely priced. One of my biggest pet peeves are hour menus that only feature there "less desirable" items, Brasserie stayed away from that and featured some of my favorite items from the brunch and dinner menus in smaller but reasonable portions.  

from left: Charcuterie, with peppers and dijon & our choice of: Jambon Serrano, Saucisson Sec or Rosemary whipped pate. middle plate: Fromage, with apricot-sage chutney & your choice of: Pleasant Ridge, F'ourme D'ambert or Brie Tour De Marz. Right plate: Shrimp cocktail: poached Shrimp & cocktail sauce.�

Check out the rest of the menu at: http://www.brasserietenten.com/assets/menus/BrasserieTenTenHappyHour.pdf

spring break eats

i recently returned from my last college spring break ever! So sad for me. Anyway it was one of the best trips I've ever been on me and my girlfriends went me oh my Miami! Lots of beautiful people, weather, and amazing food! unfortunately i didn't have much time to capture all the good eats I indulged in but here are a few pics of some of the delicious seafood i got to eat.

 

first pic: snow crab claws

second pic:  seared scallops with grapefruit and in a light butter sauce

pina -coldas bigger then my head yum yum, took me about an hour to finish this!

French Press

Mondays stink but French pressed coffee can help push through these tough mornings 

I just recently learned from a friend that the perfect temperature for the best quality french press coffee is 140 degrees F. Make sure to use corse ground coffee with the press and always let brew for at least 5 mins before serving. Enjoy and happy monday!!   

Crispy kale chips

This is an awesome snack i came across it while reading the food network magazine. I was a bit skeptical that this would be a boring treat but instead i was pleasantly surprised how well it tasted and its very healthy and win win snack gotta lov it!

1 head kale, washed and roughly dried

2 tablespoons olive oil

sea salt for sprinkling

1 tablespoon paprika

preheat oven to 275 degrees

remove ribs from kale and cut into 1 and 1/2 inch pieces

lay on baking sheet and toss with olive oil , salt and paprika

bake until crisp turning leaves halfway through about 20 minutes.

Matzo Ball soup

 I found this recipe in fine cooking magazine april issue and  really enjoyed it quite delicious!  

4 large eggs 
1/4 cup rendered chicken fat or fat reserved from the chicken broth, at room temperature 
1 tsp. kosher salt 
1/4 tsp. freshly ground white pepper 
5 oz. (1-1/4 cups) matzo meal 
7 cups Golden Chicken Broth 
1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs and 1/3 cup cold water. Add the rendered or reserved chicken fat and whisk until the fat blends in. Mix in the salt and pepper. Gradually but quickly stir in the matzo meal with a spoon; the mixture will be thick and stiff, like muffin batter. Don't overmix. Chill for at least 1 hour or up to 3 hours.

Line a baking sheet with parchment or waxed paper and fill a bowl with cold water. Dip a large soupspoon in the water, and gently scoop up the chilled matzo mixture and shape it with your hands into 12 medium balls (about 1-3/4 inches in diameter) or 18 smaller ones (about 1-1/4 inches in diameter), being careful not to compact them. Put the matzo balls on the lined baking sheet. Cook immediately or refrigerate for up to 1 hour.

To cook the matzo balls, bring 1 or 2 large pots of salted water to a boil. Drop in the matzo balls, cover the pots, and reduce the heat after the water returns to a boil. Simmer, covered, until the matzo balls have doubled in size and have lightened all the way through (cut one in half to check) 30 to 40 min.; drain. Cooked matzo balls can be held at room temperature for several hours.

To serve, bring the chicken broth to a boil. Taste for salt and pepper. Add the matzo balls and heat until they're hot in the middle, 8 to 10 min. With a slotted spoon, put 2 medium or 3 small matzo balls in a warm soup bowl. Ladle in hot broth and sprinkle generously with the parsley. Serve right away.