Tag: pittsburgh

Dining Out, Food

The Pittsburgh Food Diaries: Piccolo Forno.

by Abigail HuntLeave a Comment on The Pittsburgh Food Diaries: Piccolo Forno.
The Pittsburgh Food Diaries: Piccolo Forno.

So far, 2015 has been exhausting. I’m just two weeks in to the new year and the inspirational this is my year feeling hasn’t kicked in. In fact, it’s been more like a you’ve got to be kidding me kind of feeling.

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(Reader’s Digest version: work has been a little frustrating, my car was completely totaled three weeks after it was paid off, and Buxton — God bless her sweet, feline soul — will absolutely not let me sleep through the night. Not to mention, it’s winter, which means it’s cold and icy and I rarely see the light of day.)

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So, when last Wednesday rolled around, I was desperate for a night out. My brain genuinely needed a break from thinking about work and life, so I decided on an evening at Piccolo Forno, one of my favorite Italian restaurants in the city. (Bonus points for being in Lawrenceville, too.) The Big Man Upstairs must have known how much I needed something to go right, and we were seated right away in this small, quaint, usually-a-two-hour-wait restaurant. Thanks, dude.

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We ordered the bruschette to whet our appetites, and were served two pieces of wonderfully toasted bread topped with creamy goat cheese and sweet roasted tomato compote, two covered in an earthy cannelini bean spread, drizzled with arugula pesto, and one adorned with a mouth-achingly salty olive tapenade.

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For dinner, we ordered the Tortelloni di Zucca, a mouth-watering dish of creamy butternut squash filled tortelloni with toasted almond brown butter and amaretti and topped with parmesan cheese. I’ll admit it. Usually, I’m confident that I’ve ordered the best dish of the two of us, but this time, the tortelloni won. Hands down. I kept sliding my fork over to steal little nibbles.

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That’s not to say that my dinner wasn’t good, too — it was! Great, even. Braised rabbit and roasted vegetables sat atop a bed of pappardelle pasta, topped generously with parmesan cheese. (What can I say, I love cheese. The more, the better.) My first bite into my dinner was a bone, which gave me the heebie-jeebies and put a slight damper on the whole thing. But, bone aside, the rabbit was tender and gamey and the pasta was cooked to absolute perfection.

The wine, the food, and the company was exactly what I needed to calm my soul in the midst of a maddening week. A few days later, I bought a new car (and named her Jane), and things at work have started slowing down… slightly.

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We built the rest of the shelves in our living room, so we’re no longer living in a small construction zone, and the fun of redecorating a new space is invigorating. And — drum roll, please — we got a KitchenAid mixer! Bring on the baked goods!

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Dining In, Food

Zuppa Toscana.

by Abigail Hunt1 Comment on Zuppa Toscana.
Zuppa Toscana.

In just under six hours, the clock strikes December. Winter is here, loud and clear. The scattered snowfall and quickly dropping temperatures are here to stay for the next 3-4 months.

With the onslaught of cooler temperature comes my desire for warm, hearty soups. Today, I decided to throw together a simple, but delicious 7-ingredient Zuppa Toscana. (Bonus: I bought all of the ingredients at Trader Joe’s for $17.00! Score.)

Ingredients: One pound of ground hot sausage (I chose a spicy chicken sausage for a lighter soup.) / One small, diced onion / Four cups of chicken stock / One red pepper, diced and roasted / One bunch of kale, chopped and destemmed / One package of gnocchi / Half cup of heavy cream

PicMonkey CollageDirections: Dice the red peppers and roast them. / In a large stockpot, cook the sausage with the onion until both are cooked through. / Remove as much of the grease from the sausage as possible. / Add the chicken stock and roasted red peppers and bring to a simmer. / Reduce the heat to low, and add the kale and gnocchi. / Cook for about five minutes, or until the gnocchi has cooked through. / Add the heavy cream and stir together. / Season with salt and pepper. / Serve and enjoy.

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Dining In, Food

Blue Apron: Crispy Salmon & Barley-Fennel Risotto

by Abigail Hunt1 Comment on Blue Apron: Crispy Salmon & Barley-Fennel Risotto
Blue Apron: Crispy Salmon & Barley-Fennel Risotto

I’ll be honest. This meal was the one I was looking forward to the least out of our most recent Blue Apron shipment. Crispy salmon, sign me up. Barley Risotto, sure, why not! But fennel. Eh. Fennel. I have never liked the taste of anise, which is, unfortunately, exactly what fennel reminds me of. It’s been around forever — literally before the beginning of written history. Just ask Prometheus.

Anyway, I put my faith in this perfectly package meal, and started prepping the ingredients. While thoroughly working through this step, I learned that fennel would be used four different ways in our dinner. One little flowering plant, served in four different ways.

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I threw two of the four parts of the fennel into a pot with some olive oil and diced onion, and stirred until they were fragrant. Then, we added in the barley and water, and let it simmer until it turned into, well, risotto. Meanwhile, I toasted the chopped walnuts, and mixed them with fresh parsley, tarragon, fennel fronds (fennel #3) and lemon juice to create a fresh herb and walnut salad.

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Then, the salmon. We added salt and pepper to each side, and simply cooked it in some olive oil. When the barley had turned into risotto, we added the leaves of brussel sprouts, lemon juice, and generous amounts of salt and pepper. We topped the dish with fennel pollen (fennel #4) and then, we dug in.

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The two parts of the fennel that were cooked in the risotto — the stems and the bulb — lost most of their anise flavor. Unfortunately, I didn’t dice the bulb into small enough pieces, so it was still a little much, but the barley risotto was inventive and, due to my heavy hand, perfectly salted. The salmon was expertly crisped, and simple in flavor, accented only by the soft, herbaceous flavors of the parsley, tarragon and lemon.

This dish wasn’t the best of our Blue Apron experiments (I mostly blame the fennel), but hey – it sure does look pretty on a plate, and that’s just about half the battle.

Dining In, Food

Blue Apron, Take 2: Flank Steak and Creamed Kale With Sunchokes Two Ways.

by Abigail Hunt2 Comments on Blue Apron, Take 2: Flank Steak and Creamed Kale With Sunchokes Two Ways.
Blue Apron, Take 2: Flank Steak and Creamed Kale With Sunchokes Two Ways.

Our second Blue Apron shipment arrived last week, and we were so excited to dive in. The first meal we cooked was a spicy little number with turkey meatballs, red coconut curry, wilted bok choy and rice noodles, and – despite it’s spice level – it was delicious.

Last night, we tackled meal #2: Flank Steak and Creamed Kale with Sunchokes Two Ways. For anyone who is wondering, I should note that before yesterday, I had literally never even heard of a sunchoke, let alone seen one, cooked one, or eaten one. In fact, it quickly became a running joke between me and my friends, and we learned that the word sunchoke can easily be mistaken for the word sunstroke to a Brit. (However, Blue Apron did mention that sunchokes are the edible root of the North American sunflower.)

Anyway, I spent nearly 30 minutes prepping all of the ingredients for our dinner: I roughly chopped the kale leaves, peeled off the mint leaves, minced some lemon rind, quartered a lemon, cut 1/4 of the sunchokes into matchsticks and tossed them in lemon juice, and diced the remaining sunchokes.

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I followed the rest of the perfectly spelled out Blue Apron directions, slowly working my way towards a complete meal, loaded with a food I still knew nothing about. Sunchokes.

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A short while later, I plated our dinner. I looked at it quizzically. I know that I enjoy flank steak. I had the best flank steak of my life at my aunt’s house earlier this year. I’ve never had creamed kale, but it was kale and cream, butter and parmesan cheese, all ingredients I knew would make a fantastic combination.

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But sunchokes. They look sort of like ginger root, with an earthy brown color and a crisp texture, yet I had no idea what to expect in the taste. We hunkered down at the table with our beautiful looking dinner and cautiously dove in.

The salad that accompanied our flank steak included the raw sunchokes, the baked sunchokes, sunflower seeds, mint and minced lemon rind. The raw matchsticks tasted mostly of lemon, as they had been soaking in the acidic fruit for almost an hour. The baked sunchokes, however, had just been removed from the over, after being doused in olive oil, salt and pepper. The warm, nutty and savory root was hands down incredible. It reminded me of the look and taste of a roasted potato, but had a slightly stringy texture, reminiscent of an artichoke – which, by the way, is the culinary cousin to the sunchoke.

We slurped down our dinner, agreeing that we would incorporate sunchokes into our routine more often. I mean, come on, they were so delicious! (And, by the way, the majority of this post may be about the sunchokes, but let’s be honest: the creamed kale was the real winner.)

After our hilarious night full of – ahem – noisy bodily functions, I decided to look a little deeper into sunchokes. Because I couldn’t morally tell you about the incomparable, incredible, earthy flavor of sunchokes without mentioning their one small drawback, I leave you all with this:

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Just saying. I warned you. Thanks, Blue Apron.

Dining In, Food

Discovering Blue Apron.

by Abigail Hunt1 Comment on Discovering Blue Apron.
Discovering Blue Apron.

I’ll admit that I really appreciate convenience. Example: Today, I ordered a Christmas present from a store that has a brick and mortar location less than 12 miles away from my house. But it will be shipped directly to my doorstep (for free), and with the ease of a few clicks of a button. No heinous traffic involved. My generation is all about convenience.

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My dad and Sarah recently gifted me a free week of Blue Apron, a food delivery service that provides you with recipes and exactly the amount of ingredients you need to cook 1-3 meals for 2-6 people each week. So, we took the bait, created an account and ordered 3 meals.

The delivery arrived at work in a refrigerated box, with the ingredients for three complete meals neatly organized inside:

  • Congee and Carmelized Pork with Crispy Shallots and Black Garlic
  • Greek-Style Braised Chicken Thighs with Fingerling Potatoes
  • Pan-Seared Salmon with Arugula, Candy Stripe Beets and Horseradish Sour Cream

We decided to tackle the pork first, but we totally messed it up. Still delicious, but definitely not how it was supposed to turn out. We weren’t off to a great start, so I wanted to cook the chicken thighs one night while I had the house to myself. If it was a success, dinner would be ready when everyone got home. If it wasn’t, no one would ever have to know.

IMG_9412I followed the recipe that was provided much more closely than I did with the pork dinner, preparing all of the ingredients before they were needed. This is an important step that I (unsurprisingly) missed in the first round.

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Admittedly, I was grossed out by the bones and innards of my chicken thighs. Home alone with blood on my fingers (literally), I was ready to send my parents a text message saying that I didn’t think that Blue Apron was for us. In fact, I’d much rather prefer the kind of chicken that you can buy in the grocery store. (You know, the chicken breasts that come in pre-packaged plastic wrapped packs of three, even though there are only two of us, and we always put the extra one breast in the freezer and forget about it for a year, and then we throw it away. Every. Time.) So, with this waste of food in mind, I kept cooking, following the fool-proof, picture-by-picture recipe.

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It wasn’t a failure. It was delicious, and I made it. With my own hands. No, I didn’t use my incredibly imaginative mind to put the recipe together on my own. But I executed it flawlessly, and it was incredible.

More often than not, when I’m in the kitchen on my own, I choose a simple recipe. Like I said, I enjoy convenience. This dinner was more complex than simple, but it was delicious, and worth the complexity, and something I would not have necessarily chosen for myself from the aisles of the grocery store. And to be honest, the price is much less than I would have spent in the grocery store to make the exact same meal. In fact, I did my research. I would spend $47.56 to duplicate this meal. I would have leftovers of a few random ingredients, and I’d have only a few days to use them before they would begin to go bad. With our busy schedule, it just wouldn’t happen. We would have increased our cost almost 150%, only to throw away a portion of it.

Blue Apron fits our lifestyle. Pittsburgh is an ever-growing city, meaning it takes longer to get everywhere. Specifically, the grocery store. So, every once in a while, having our meals delivered to the office is nice, and stepping outside of the box of our own taste is even better. What’s on next week’s menu?

  • Flank Steak and Creamed Kale with Sunchokes
  • Thai Chicken Meatballs with Red Coconut Curry, Bok Choy and Rice Noodles
  • Crispy Salmon and Barley Fennel Risotto with a Fresh Herb and Walnut Salad

Do you use Blue Apron or a different food delivery service? Tell us about experience!

Dining Out, Food

The Pittsburgh Food Diaries: E2.

by Abigail Hunt1 Comment on The Pittsburgh Food Diaries: E2.
The Pittsburgh Food Diaries: E2.

For 365 days, I lived just a few short blocks from a well-known Highland Park restaurant, e2 (pronounced e squared). In Pittsburgh, they’re infamous for their homestyle vibe — literally,  meals are served in the first floor living room of an old home — as well as their commitment to locally sourced food products. It’s small and quaint, and for the 365 days that I lived right around the corner, I never stepped foot inside.

Last Tuesday, we made our way back to my old stomping grounds. He parked where he always used to when he’d come visit me; I even ding-dong-ditched my old roommate, who still lives in that great ol’ apartment. (Sorry, Suze.) We walked down the familiar street, taking in the overwhelming scent of the Thai cuisine wafting from the building across the street, to meet our friends Dani and Brandon for dinner.

We were quickly seated on the left side of what used to be the living room — and, to be perfectly honest, I use the term “quickly” loosely; we were late, so we happened to miss the ten minute wait that Dani and Brandon endured — and the specials were explained to us by the rather clueless hostess. It didn’t matter so much to me that she had no idea what she was talking about — they sounded delicious on their own — but I’m sure someone was mad about ordering goat cheese, only to find out that it did, in fact, come from a cow.

I popped open a bottle of Tempranillo, and Dani and Brandon ordered an appetizer of carrots, goat cheese, sausage (from Penn Mac!) and toasted bread. I truly didn’t pay much attention to the details of the appetizer they ordered because I was so wrapped up in how delicious this random bottle of Tempranillo was, but I really should have, because it was impeccable. 

For dinner, I ordered Campanelle with Sage Butter, served with pancetta, melted onion, roasted corn and chicken. He chose Ricotta Ravioli, accompanied by corn, beet greens, jalapeños and hot sausage.

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My dish was incredible, and it didn’t take me long to understand how e2 made it’s way onto the list of Pittsburgh’s Best Restaurants for 2014. The sweet corn and the salty pancetta, when paired together in one bite, were a force to be reckoned with. The soft, gummy pasta stood out against the crunch of the bread crumbs that seasoned the top of each bite. Even after I was full, I couldn’t stop nibbling. The other food was delicious, I’m sure. However, spicy foods are not my cup of tea, so I didn’t venture a taste of my own.

For dessert, I opted for a bottle of Syrah for the table and some sort of forgettable seasonal something-or-other. My boyfriend, however, chose beignets, lightly dusted in powder sugar, and they were almost – almost – Cafe du Monde level beignets… which is pretty darn great, if I do say so myself.

Something about dinner that night reminded me of being home. Highland Park is where I lived when I graduated college and officially entered the “real world.” And in those 365 days, it’s where I learned a lot of lessons. We ate dinner in the living room of an old home, with friends who have known us for years. So, something about dinner that night reminded me of being home.

Dining Out, Food

The Pittsburgh Food Diaries: Waffles, INCaffeinated.

by Abigail HuntLeave a Comment on The Pittsburgh Food Diaries: Waffles, INCaffeinated.
The Pittsburgh Food Diaries: Waffles, INCaffeinated.

There’s something wonderful about starting your day off on the right foot. Sometimes that means a hot cup of coffee, a good book and a cozy blanket. Other times it means having a good hair day and not being rushed for work. Today, it meant a breakfast date.

 

When the sun started to peak through the window and Buxton started biting at our toes, we finally cracked open our eyes and started our day.

We put our name on the list for a table at Waffles INCaffeinated, a new-ish waffle shop in Southside, then walked down the street for a cup of coffee from Peet’s.

30 minutes later, we took our seats in the small, bustling restaurant. There’s not much to say about their speed of service or atmosphere, but the Croque Monsieur I ordered is a slightly different story.

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In traditional French culture, a Croque Monsieur is a simple grilled ham and cheese sandwich, whose name loosely translates to Mister Crunch. Cute, right? Waffles INCaffeinted transformed this traditional sandwich by pulling it apart to create two open surfaces, where they topped the ham and cheese with roasted asparagus, greens, a fried egg and béchamel sauce. The meeting between the crunch, earthy asparagus with the creamy sauce, and the savory ham with the smoky Swiss cheese, created a well-rounded sensation of flavors in every bite.

After breakfast, we went back to our daily grind, but like I said, there’s just something wonderful about starting your day off on the right foot.

Dining In, Food

The Pittsburgh Food Diaries: Pulled Pork Sandwiches.

by Abigail HuntLeave a Comment on The Pittsburgh Food Diaries: Pulled Pork Sandwiches.
The Pittsburgh Food Diaries: Pulled Pork Sandwiches.

Labor Day weekend is here and in full swing. All across the country, summer-lovers are mourning the end of the favorite warm and care free months, while others excitedly await the arrival of fall, a crisp, cool, pumpkin-filled period of time.

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I’m fortunate enough to be spending the weekend with my best friend since high school. I’m so excited about my time here in Music City, but for anyone planning a BBQ celebration this weekend, I think you should definitely check out this new recipe.

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Last week, we invited our friends Alex and Katie over for dinner. As usual, I was stressing out over what to cook. I wanted something simple, so I wouldn’t be rushed in the one-hour window of time between getting home from work and their arrival, but I also wanted to try out something new. I was – again – browsing through Pinterest, and decided on a crock pot pulled pork concoction.

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A few hours later, I’d say our mission was a success. We took the time to throw everything together in the crockpot before work, and I took over when I got home. The food was good, and the company was great. Not to mention, I even won a game of Catan. Score.

Ingredients: (For the Pulled Pork) 2 Lbs. Pork Boneless Shoulder / 1 Onion / 1.5c BBQ Sauce* / .5c Water / 2 Tbsp. Dry Minced Onion / 1 tsp. Allspice / 1 tsp. Ground Mustard / 1 tsp. Crushed Red Pepper Flakes / .5 tsp. Garlic Powder / .5 tsp. Cinnamon (For the Broccoli Slaw) Bagged Broccoli Coleslaw / .25c Slaw Dressing / .25c Sunflower Seeds

Directions: In a bowl, mix together the spices, and rub the mixture into the pork shoulder. / Place the shoulder into the crockpot, adding the water and the sliced onion. / Cook on low for 8-10 hours. / When the pork has cooked, remove from the crockpot, saving one cup of the juice. / Shred the pork using a fork. / Place the pulled pork back into the crockpot with the cup of juice, and add barbecue sauce. / Cook on low for another half an hour. / Meanwhile, mix the slaw dressing, sunflower seeds and broccoli coleslaw together in a bowl. / Refrigerate for half an hour. / We recommended serving the pulled pork and slaw on toasted buns with a side of grilled corn on the cob. / Enjoy!

*Feel free to use absolutely any kind of BBQ sauce you’d like, but we used Trader Joe’s Kansas City Style Smoky Barbecue Sauce. Unlike most sauces, this one doesn’t use any artificial sweeteners! Its only ingredients are tomato paste, sugar, molasses, vinegar, salt, hickory smoke flavoring, onion and garlic powders, and caramel color. It offers the perfect balance of smoky, sweet and vinegar flavors. You’ve got to try it out!

Dining Out, Food

The Pittsburgh Food Diaries: Franks Who Brunch.

by Abigail Hunt1 Comment on The Pittsburgh Food Diaries: Franks Who Brunch.
The Pittsburgh Food Diaries: Franks Who Brunch.

We love Franktuary. I’ve raved about it before. We love the creative thought process behind each of their hot dogs, we love their one-of-a-kind cocktails, and we love their unique decor. But most of all, we love their brunch.

This past Sunday, we both woke up slowly. It was one of the few days that neither of us had a pressing commitment first thing in the morning, a beeping alarm rudely yanking us out of a sweet sleep. We were quiet and still, soaking up the sunlight streaming through the window and listening to the calm chirping of the birds outside, when he sleepily croaked, “Want to go to Franktuary for brunch?” I answered with a resounding yes. (Okay, so maybe it was more like a slow nod.)

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First thing’s first: order a cocktail. I went with a little concoction called Snoop Lion, and I have to admit, I chose it based solely on its name. Luckily for me, the combination of gin, grapefruit, cucumber and champagne was on point. It was sour and tangy and subtly sweet – a familiar taste of every grapefruit I’ve ever eaten – but it was cooled down by the bubbly brut and crisp cucumber. Delish.

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Then, our pre-brunch appetizer. Each Sunday, Franktuary serves up a signature donut. This time, the zebra donut holes came in two flavors: a vanilla donut, coated lightly with a mocha glaze, and a chocolate donut, accompanied by a rum glaze. As someone who much prefers salty to sweet, these bite-size donuts perfectly satisfied my early morning sweet tooth.

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Then, our main dishes arrived. He had ordered their waffle sandwich, a pile of sausage, fried egg, greens and cheddar cheese surrounded by a garlic waffle, and accompanied by maple aioli and herb roasted potatoes. Here’s the thing about this dish. It’s pretty much a rule that you dip each bite of your sandwich into the aioli (or get wild and douse the sandwich in the aioli – whichever suits you), so that the sweet and creamy sauce can complement the salty, meaty, herb-filled taste of the sandwich. It’s the best of both worlds, and as soon as he dug into his food, there were nothing but happy grunts of satisfaction coming from his side of the table.

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I ordered my Franktuary brunch usual: poutine. Poutine is a classic Canadian dish, traditionally consisting of a giant pile of french fries, cheese curds and gravy. This has always been one of my favorite dishes, but when you transport it from a Canadian dinner table to a Yinzer brunch table, it gets even better. (Disclaimer: I know it looks like a pile of dog food. Just trust me.) A base of salty, herb roasted potatoes hold a pile of fried egg, crispy bacon, and creamy cheese curds, all soaked in a house made brown gravy. Each bite is like a little taste of heaven: it’s all of the most wonderful things that exist in the culinary world. It’s indulgent and gluttonous, and every bite is better than the last.

Spontaneity has always been my thing. I’m exhilarated by the unexpected, even if it’s just something small, like brunch at a joint down the road. Sometimes it’s the smallest moments, like a quick smile as our mouths are stuffed with food, that remind me of some of the best things in life: loved ones, unforeseen moments and incredible food.

Dining In, Food

The Pittsburgh Food Diaries: Roasted Pacific Cod.

by Abigail HuntLeave a Comment on The Pittsburgh Food Diaries: Roasted Pacific Cod.
The Pittsburgh Food Diaries: Roasted Pacific Cod.

Just call me Martha. Just kidding, don’t do that. I don’t look anything like a Martha. But, I have to admit, last week, I sure was cooking like a Martha.

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As you may know, I have really tried to spend more time in the kitchen. I’ve got some big things on the horizon and I really love cooking, so this seemed to be a natural choice. This dish, in particular, was my decision. The picture in Real Simple just looked so good. I stopped by the grocery store on my way home from work, crossing my fingers that they would offer fresh Pacific cod. (Say what you will, but for us, frozen is rarely an option.) As luck would have it, they not only had a ton of cod, it was also on sale. Score. I grabbed the rest of ingredients, and headed back home.

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Sauvignon Blanc in hand, I got to work slicing and dicing and becoming Martha. Within an hour, our kitchen smelled like heaven, and dinner was ready to go.

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Nights used to be about finding the best restaurants. While we still love going out and trying new things, I’ve found a new appreciation for the simplicity of being home. Life has pulled me in a million different directions each and every day, so the calm and quiet of my very own living room, and the work and love that is found in a homemade meal is sometimes better than any 5 star restaurant.

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Ingredients: 1 Lb. Fresh Pacific Cod / White Wine (Sauvignon Blanc) / Mixed Olives / Lemon Zest / Olive Oil / Salt and Pepper / Red Pepper Flakes / Parsley / (Optional) Spinach / Garlic / Onion / Sliced Almonds

Directions: Preheat oven to 400˚. / Place the fish into a roasting pan. / Add enough wine to reach halfway up the sides of the fish. / Scatter mixed olives and lemon zest into the pan. / Drizzle with olive oil. / Generously season with salt, pepper and red pepper flakes. / Bake for 20-25 minutes. / Meanwhile, sauté onions and garlic in pan. / Add spinach and cook down. / Add sliced almonds to sautéed spinach, and plate with roasted cod. / Enjoy!