Food – Page 6 – Tiny Tales

The Pittsburgh Food Diaries: Go ‘Head and Go Ham Sammich.

August 23, 2014August 3, 2017by Abigail Hunt1 Comment

Another weekend, another picnic. This time, the theme was #teambonding. My boss wanted to gather our team together to celebrate the success of our Global Leadership Conference, and to rally the troops before we head into the madness of the holiday season. Again, I found myself in the midst of a what should I make dilemma. So, I turned to Pinterest.

I scrolled, scrolled, scrolled through the pages of appropriate side dishes, and nothing caught my eye. I had almost decided on an easy plate of crudités when a delicious looking crescent roll kind of thing appeared on my screen. I took a quick glance at the necessary ingredients and darted off to the grocery store.

As soon as I got home, I quickly started assembling the crescent roll things – I’m still not sure what to call them – getting excited at the simplicity of it all. To me, each ingredient was as simple as a letter. But letters, when assembled correctly, create words and words create stories and the possibilities are truly endless.

15 short minutes later, my things were done and my mouth was watering. Crispy golden crescent rolls swaddled slices of honey-baked ham, bright green spinach and creamy garlic and herb cheese. I popped one into my mouth, threw the rest into a container and made my way to the picnic.

My crescent roll things, along with my boss’ ribs and my coworker’s homemade macarons, were fingerlickin’ good. Almost as good as the team bonding. Flong, anyone? (Special shoutout to our team mascot: Vinnie Lambo.)

Ingredients: 1 Lb. Fresh sliced honey-baked ham / Fresh Spinach / Spreadable Cheese (like Laughing Cow’s Garlic and Herb Cheese) / 2 Packages of Pillsbury Crescent Rolls

Directions: Preheat oven to 400˚. Grease baking sheet. Spread cheese on unrolled, uncooked crescent roll. Layer ham and spinach. Roll crescent roll, and place on baking sheet. Continue until you’ve assembled all of the crescent rolls. Bake for 12 minutes, and enjoy.

Dining In, Food

The Pittsburgh Food Diaries: Picnic Perfect Pasta Salad.

August 21, 2014August 3, 2017by Abigail Hunt1 Comment

As summer slowly creeps to an end, I find myself on the receiving end of an increasing number of picnic invitations. And, as a good and thoughtful guest, I start thinking about what kind of dish I can contribute. It’s a tricky thing, picnic foods. Should I choose a hot plate, or something cold? Homemade (always) or store-bought (never)? Sweet or salty? Will 7 other people bring the same thing? It’s really way more difficult than it should be.

So, a few weeks ago, I decided that my contribution to a friendly game night would be a pasta salad. A safe choice, but something I knew I could have a little fun with. I hopped in the car, no recipe in mind, and headed to the grocery store. Before I could even realize it, I found myself mindlessly throwing myriad produce into my basket. Onions, sure. Peppers, definitely. Cherry tomatoes, why not. Cucumbers, heck yeah. Fresh mozzarella, absolutely. Some salami, alright.

Then came the dressing. Creamy or not? I threw open the door of my refrigerator and stared into its bleak contents. I didn’t have any salad dressing that could acceptably pass as a pasta salad dressing. I only had mayonnaise. Ding! Mayonnaise was all I needed. A little bit of Trader Joe’s organic mayo, some white vinegar and a sprinkle of Italian spices. Voila. The creamy Italian flavor perfectly complemented the mozzarella and salami.

Game night (and my pasta salad) turned out to be a huge success. A lovely gathering of wonderful friends – and pretty decent food – simply can’t be beat. Not to mention, Chinese lanterns and sparklers make any occasion a special one.

Ingredients: cooked tortellini, whatever the heck else you want

Directions: Mix together, enjoy. Simple as that.

Dining In, Food

The Pittsburgh Food Diaries: Cooking a Casserole.

July 23, 2014August 3, 2017by Abigail HuntLeave a Comment

Casserole. It’s not really an attractive word. In fact, it often conjures up memories of horrible family dinners shared over meals gone very, very wrong. Well, Monday night, for some reason, I decided to make a casserole. (Actually, I do know the reason. I wanted something inexpensive and simple to make, and something that would leave few dirty dishes behind. In case you were wondering, this meal was neither simple – my own fault – or easy on the dishes.)

Here comes Pinterest to the rescue. Again. I decided to make a chicken and rice casserole, but with a little bit of a Mexican twist.

Ingredients: cooked brown rice, shredded chicken, corn, black beans, Greek yogurt or sour cream, green chiles, chunky salsa, grated cheddar + Monterrey jack cheese, and cilantro.

Directions: Preheat oven to 350. Combine all ingredients (except for cilantro) in a large bowl. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Transfer to casserole dish and top with extra cheese. Bake for 20-25 minutes. Garnish with chopped cilantro. Enjoy. Preferably with a margarita on the rocks, no salt.

Serve With: A fruity and spicy Rioja or Tempranillo.

Now, for the entertainment value. The recipe calls for 4 cups of cooked brown rice. It took me only a few moments after I dumped 4 cups of uncooked rice into (non-boiling) water to realize my grave error. Not only did I end up with approximately 12 cups of brown rice, but it took forever since I didn’t have the patience to wait until my water had reached a rolling boil. Long story short, I burnt a significant portion of the rice. Good thing I made extra. Next time, I’ll be using Uncle Ben’s instant brown rice. I should also note that the mountain of dirty dishes is still sitting in my sink. Oh well, at least dinner was delicious!

Dining In, Food

The Pittsburgh Food Diaries: Grill Master Edition.

July 22, 2014August 3, 2017by Abigail Hunt1 Comment

I live with four men, and a woman who knows a lot more about stereotypically male things than I ever will. That means I am the only one in the house that doesn’t know how to operate a grill. That also means, however, that I have an incredibly deep appreciation for grilled cuisine.

Recently, I have been dining in much more than usual, in an attempt to prepare for some potential upcoming life changes. (More to come on that later, I’m sure.) This new method of dining has been directly proportional to the increased amount of time I’ve spend browsing the Food & Drink page of Pinterest.

One warm, bright day last week, I had a craving for something new. I directed my friends to my Pinterest board of pre-selected mouth-watering recipes, and we chose the Buttermilk Rosemary Ranch Chicken Skewers. A wordy name for a primitive dish. On the way home from work, I picked up the necessary ingredients and our cooking adventure began. I crafted the marinade, and he, as Grill Master, handled the meat.

A short time later, we were relishing the savory flavor of the chicken, with a simple side of buttery noodles lightly seasoned with garlic.

Ingredients: chicken breast, buttermilk, extra virgin olive oil, Worcestershire sauce, ranch dressing mix, pepper, salt and rosemary.

Directions: Dice the chicken into cubes. Combine the remaining ingredients. Thread chicken onto skewers, and soak in marinade for 30 minutes. Remove from marinade, and pass off skewers to someone who knows how to grill. Then, enjoy. And thank me later.

Dining Out, Food, Travel

The Pittsburgh Food Diaries: Boston Edition.

July 17, 2014August 3, 2017by Abigail HuntLeave a Comment

Ah, Boston. Another city on the quickly growing list of places that I adore. While on vacation, my family decided to take a day trip into the city. My dad, at the ripe ol’ age of 45, has never been there, nor have my brothers! So, off we went.

Sarah and Evan are huge history buffs, I’m a huge foodie, and my dad wanted to see as much of the city in one day as possible, so walking the Freedom Trail was a natural choice, as it calmly winds through 2.5 miles of the historic sites and top-rated eateries. We started at Faneuil Hall, as most tourists do, and slowly began meandering through the city. About two minutes into our walk, we came across The Bell in Hand, a tavern that has been open since 1765. (In case you’re bad at math, that is 249 years of serving beer. Awesome.) We collectively decided that this would be our lunch spot, and continued to follow the distinct red brick path of the Freedom Trail to our next destination.

We briefly toured Paul Revere’s house and admired the gardens and old pews of Old North Church, then headed back to Union Street for lunch. I was already drooling. When in New England, I do as New Englanders often do… which is order seafood. A lobster roll, to be exact, with a tall, refreshing Alagash White. (Shoutout to Megan on that one!) Sarah ordered the Clam Chowder, another New England staple.

Author Joseph C. Lincoln once wrote, “A New England clam chowder, made as it should be, is a dish to preach about, to chant praises and sing hymns and burn incense before. To fight for. The Battle of Bunker Hill was fought for–or on–clam chowder; part of it at least, I am sure it was. It is as American as the Stars and Stripes, as patriotic as the national Anthem. It is Yankee Doodle in a kettle.” This chowder embodied exactly what he was talking about. Creamy and hearty, delicate and fresh. Quite simply to die for.

My sandwich was also a thing of wonder. The lobster was tossed lightly in mayonnaise, and mixed with finely diced celery and onion. Then, it was quite literally piled onto a bed of crisp lettuce that sat gracefully on top of a softly toasted bun. The epitome of New England cuisine lasted on my plate for less than 10 minutes. (I really should focus on eating more slowly.)

After lunch (and after the US lost to Germany in the World Cup), we continued our journey through Boston. We hit Copp’s Hill Burying Ground, the USS Constitution and Bunker Hill. (I managed to work off a small portion of my lunch when I climbed the 294 steps to the lookout atop the Bunker Hill Monument.) We ended our whirlwind, touristy day in Boston at Cheers, sipping on cool, crisp drinks where everybody (nobody) knew our names.

Dining Out, Food

The Pittsburgh Food Diaries: Coca Café.

July 16, 2014August 3, 2017by Abigail HuntLeave a Comment

A little over a year ago, I fell in love with Coca Café, a hip little café on Butler Street in Lawrenceville. It’s small and always bustling, but never overwhelming, and the menu offers myriad unique and exciting dishes for both breakfast and lunch. The vintage décor is obvious, but not overbearing. If you were to turn my personalities into a café, it would be this one.

The day before we left for vacation, we were pleasantly surprised to find out that, after a series of unexpected events, we had a full day off. (Together. At the same time. This never happens.) We both woke up early that morning; he had an early call time and I needed to start the process of laundry and packing for our 15-day vacation. But he soon called me to say that his shoot had been cancelled, and he’d like to do breakfast at Coca Café. Within two minutes, I was presentable enough to be seen in public, and had already begun drooling over the breakfast I would soon enjoy.

I ordered my usual, Fried Eggplant Benedict and a coffee, while he ordered the Challah French Toast with fresh-squeezed orange juice. When it arrived, my taste buds were dancing with happiness. The poached egg and fried eggplant sat lightly on top of a toasted English muffin, and basil pesto hollandaise danced across the plate. His breakfast was the sweeter option, with Brie and fig jam smeared generously on top and mixed berries as tangy decoration. We’re always silent at Coca Café because our mouths are preoccupied with eating.

There’s nothing that I don’t love about this place, aside from the inevitably long wait on the weekends. Still, the wait is worth it. Few places successfully combine surprising, yet refined food choices and vintage décor into a place that looks like your very own kitchen. Without the unwanted piles of dirty dishes waiting for you, that is.

Disclaimer: Coca Café is not on the Best Restaurants 2014 list… but I totally think it should be.

Dining Out, Food

The Pittsburgh Food Diaries: Butcher and the Rye.

June 4, 2014May 24, 2018by Abigail HuntLeave a Comment

As soon as I walked in the front door of Butcher and the Rye, the energy was captivating. The first floor bar was humming with young professionals stopping by for an afterhours cocktail, as a bartender scaled a ladder up the 2-story bar to reach a bottle of whiskey. The hostess led us up a winding staircase to a dimly lit and quiet third floor table. I ordered a cocktail: Lost In Thought, a vodka concoction mixed with Meyer lemon cordial, lemon, green chartreuse and fee walnut bitters. I’m not much of a cocktail girl, but it was sweet and tangy and perfectly refreshing on a hot day.

Then, because I consider myself a brusselaholic, I ordered sprouts as an appetizer. Cooked in brown butter, seasoned with dill, topped with parmigiano reggiano and drizzled with preserved lemon aioli, the brussel sprouts were decadent and I swear, I spoke maybe five words as I shoveled them into my mouth.

For dinner, I decided to take a slight step outside of my comfort zone, and I ordered the pan-roasted trout with a glass of Sauvignon Blanc. The best part about Butcher and the Rye, in my opinion, is the décor. The walls were adorned with antique handheld mirrors, stuffed and mounted game, and a kind of Prohibition-esque wallpaper. Chandeliers made of antlers hung from the ceiling, and the entire restaurant reminded me of the cabin in the woods I never had as a child. It was calming and quaint and unlike any other place I’ve been.

When dinner arrived, I dug in. The scallops sat on a bed of blue crab risotto, asparagus, chanterelles (which he quickly brushed to the side) and capers. It was creamy and light and perfectly balanced by the saltiness of the capers and asparagus. A cauliflower steak, capers, golden raisins, almonds, parsley and beurre noisette accompanied by trout, and created a perfectly composed dish. The trout was soft and flaky, but the almonds added the perfect amount of crunch to every bite. I expected the fish to be, well, fishy, and was pleasantly surprised when the butter and cauliflower brought out only the best flavors in the trout.

For dessert, I chose the perfect summer sweet: s’mores… with a twist. The waiter placed a giant bowl of brown butter friend ice cream, bourbon marshmallows, chocolate rope and graham cracker soil in front of us. I mean, COME ON. I was on that fried ice cream like white on rice.

So, with the second restaurant of The Pittsburgh Food Diaries challenge under our belt, I’m so excited to see what else this city has in store for me… and my belly.

Dining Out, Food

The Pittsburgh Food Diaries: Grit & Grace

May 29, 2014August 3, 2017by Abigail Hunt1 Comment

Yesterday was the perfect storm of inspiration.

I stumbled upon the list of Pittsburgh Magazine’s Best Restaurants of 2014 first thing in the morning, and it just so happened to be a Wednesday, my weekly night out. It didn’t take long to decide that we should try to eat at every restaurant on the list before the end of the year. A few hours later, I was on set at work, telling our director about the challenge I had given myself. He casually responded, “You should blog about it.” And there it was, the beginning of a series: The Pittsburgh Food Diaries.

Our first stop was Grit & Grace, a new restaurant located on Liberty Avenue downtown. It’s long and narrow space offers diners an intimate atmosphere, and the menu captures the essence of cuisine from all around the world.

We sat down at our table, a quiet little booth towards the back, and ordered drinks. A crisp Reisling for me, a hoppy beer for him. The waitress introduced to us their Dim Sum offerings, and we decided we’d try a few as our appetizer. As soon as the plates came around, we quickly grabbed the Hangar Steak Tartare and the Mortadella Congee to share. The tartare was topped with an egg yolk, and accompanied by sourdough crisps and caper berries. It was buttery and smooth and meaty and we devoured it in approximately .5 seconds. The Mortadella Congee sat on a bed of risotta, with broccoli rabe and kimchi. The marriage of creamy risotto, salty mortadella and acidic kimchi was to die for. This one only took us about .3 seconds to inhale.

Then, the main course. I ordered dayboat scallops with shaved brussel sprouts, crispy pepperoni, buttermilk, pickled banana peppers and garlic croutons. With my first bite, I understood the whole idea of Grit & Grace. Opposites. The acidic flavor of the banana peppers and brussel sprouts and the saltiness of the pepperoni were perfectly balanced by the soft, creaminess of the scallops and buttermilk.

For dessert, we enjoyed salted caramel mousse with rhubarb jelly, topped with rosemary. (Unfortunately, we dug in so fast that we didn’t even get to take a picture.) Again, the balance of the tangy fruit and the sweet and salty caramel had us wishing for more.

I think we can agree: Grit & Grace rightfully earned their place on the list of Pittsburgh’s best restaurants. Tune in next week to read all about the eatery on our list!

Food

Fierce Foodie.

September 20, 2013August 3, 2017by Abigail HuntLeave a Comment

It’s Friday night, and I’m sitting in my living room watching Chopped, with my brand new Julia Child cookbook at my side. There is no hesitation when I say, “I’m a foodie.”

Here are a few of the foods that I just cant get enough of!

1. Trader Joe’s Speculoos Cookie Butter. Trader Joe’s describes it as “a deliciously unusual spread reminiscent of gingerbread.” Food bloggers describe it as “spreadable cookies” and “Christmas in a jar.” None of these descriptions are more accurate than the other in describing this incredibly delectable treat.

2. 34˚ Rosemary Crispbread. I have to admit, I first taste these crackers only one week ago. I was spending time in Maryland with my family last weekend, and my aunt had packed these for my young cousin to snack on. Later that evening, she served them to me with goat cheese. I have always been a fan of plain ol’ cheese and crackers, but the delicate flavor of rosemary shines through for a little extra oomph.

3. Kale. A supertrendy superfood, kale is one of the healthiest vegetables around. I enjoy mine most sautéed in a salad with dried cranberries and almonds.

4. Grape Leaves. Grape leaves are used in the cuisine of number of cultures, from Greek to Arab to Romanian to Bulgarian. They’re best when stuffed with a mixture of rice, meat, and spices, and spritzed with a bit of lemon juice.

5. Butternut Squash Soup. When fall comes around, my adoration for soups grows stronger. Last year, for the first time, I made my own version of this savory soup, and I fell in love. Top with sour cream and salted seeds, and voila, a comfort food for fall.