Mango's in Branford, CT

Mangos in Branford, CT is a Key West style restaurant.  It is nestled in a little courtyard just off Main Street in the center of town.  My wife and mother took me there for my birthday.  The wife and I love Key West and have been there several times.  I was really excited to be swept away back to the island by the food at this establishment.  Unfortunately, I was disappointed. 

The meal started with drinks (of course).  Sam Adams Octoberfest was sounding good to me.  I read the menu over and over, trying to decide what I wanted.  So many thinks sounds amazing.  I finally settled on the Mangos Burger.  I know it sounds boring, but check this out. 
 

There was the burger (obviously) topped with fresh avocado slices, cheddar cheese, fried onions strings, and jalapeno barbeque sauce.  Before I even got to taste my food, disaster strikes!  We all got our meals; I cut my burger in half for the picture and all I see is red.  As in, UNDERCOOKED meat.  The wife’s was undercooked as well.  Everyone else got chicken or vegetarian meals.  So I ask the waitress if they can cook me another burger because this one was too rare.  She fully agreed with me and took it back to the kitchen.  (Side note: This restaurant has a small open kitchen and I was within earshot of the chef.)  I hear the chef yell something about the Mango burger and a few minutes later I have my dinner in front of me.  I was amazed at how little time it took to fire up another burger.  So, again I cut my dinner in half for the picture and I’m amazed to see my burger is already cut in half.  They scraped the topping off my burger, threw it back on the grill, then put fresh toppings on and a new roll and sent it back out to me. 
 

Now, if I was truly a professional, I would not have stood for this.  I would have complained to the waitress, demanded to speak with the chef and/or the manager, and I would not have eaten that dish OR paid for it.  However, I was with my family, it was my birthday, and they were already eating.  Instead of making a scene I choked down my now overcooked twice grilled burger with “fresh” toppings.  At least they didn’t spit in it…I hope. 

The avocado was indeed fresh as I could tell from the bright green/yellow color and its creamy texture.  The flavor was totally lost under the sharp flavor of the barbeque sauce.  The sauce was tangy but did not have any hint of jalapeno and actually tasted like it was off the shelf; not made in house.  The onions were very thinly sliced onion rings which added a nice texture to the meal.  And the cheese was just plain old orange cheddar.  My side was fries which were fresh looking (skins still on) and tasted like they were twice fried.  First they were par fried, then fried again to crisp them up when someone ordered them.  

I have eaten at this restaurant before and I had enjoyed it.  I’m not sure if they changed chefs or just stopped caring about the food they serve.  Either way, I will not be rushing back to Mangos anytime soon.

Eli's on the Hill

Eli’s on the Hill is a new restaurant in Branford, CT and is the sister restaurant of Eli’s on Whitney in Hamden.  When I first walked in my attention was drawn to the bar area.  The bar was large and surrounded by bistro tables and stools.  There were more LCD televisions than I could count both on the inside and outside of the soffit above the bar.  At first I thought this was going to be another typical sports bar wanna-be.  Once we were seated I glanced at the menu.  The choices were astounding.  The appetizers seemed to be your typical pub variety, but the dinner choices ranged from burgers to gourmet pasta dishes and more.  

We started with the loaded nachos.  A heaping pile of tortilla chips topped with cheese, tomatoes, beef chili, scallions and jalapenos.  The cheese was thoroughly melted and the chips were crispy and not too salty.  The chili seemed to be made in house, but I’m sure the chips were not.  I do have to mention that this appetizer took a long time to come out.  However, the restaurant it new and I will chalk that up to the staff still getting used their new digs.  My pint glass was kept full which in turn kept me a bit happier.

My main course was the Chicken Eli, listed on the menu as chicken breasts marinated in a light white wine sauce accompanied by cherry peppers, sweet bell peppers and potato hearts.  When it arrived, I was amazed at the size of the portion.  I ended up getting three meals out of it.  There were four large pieces of chicken breast swimming in the mix of peppers and white wine sauce.  The potato hearts were russet potatoes shaved down a smaller size and sliced in half.  The entire dish was overcooked but the flavor was all there.  The potatoes fell apart, the peppers were soggy with absolutely no crunch and the chick was a bit dry.  On the other hand the sauce was nicely assembled with just the right amount of hot cherry peppers and sweet bell peppers.  I enjoyed the kick that the cherry peppers added throughout the entire dish.  Then there was the garlic.  I’m Italian and I love garlic.  With the amount of garlic that was in this dish it should have been listed in as one of the main ingredients.  Large half cloves of garlic appeared on almost ever fork full I ate.  After the first few enjoyable bites, the garlic started to overpower the flavor of the pepper wine sauce and the dish quickly turned to garlic chicken in a white wine sauce.

The menu options all sounded good and there are several other dishes that I would like to try.  Most likely I will return to Eli’s on the Hill and try a different menu option.  Hopefully by then the cooks are used to the new menu, the wait staff is a bit more trained, and they run out of garlic.

Thanksgiving Day 2008

Thanksgiving is a great time of the year.  Most of the leaves have dropped from the trees in New England.  People fill their calendars with time off from work.  Family comes to visit. Every store in town has a sale.  Oh yeah, and food.  Enormous amounts of food.  The average American eats upwards of 5,000-7,000 calories on Thanksgiving.  I ate my fair share, and then some. 

Dinner this year was at my in-laws house.  I arrived early to help with the turkey and left the wife behind at home making mashed potatoes.  To my defense, I did peel five pounds of potatoes before I left.  I had also made herb butter from the night before seasoned with fresh chopped sage, thyme, rosemary, salt and black pepper.  I wrapped it in cellophane, formed into a log, and froze overnight.  Once the birds were prepped and cleaned I sliced the herb butter into chips and placed them under the skin of the turkey, making sure to evenly distribute them.  I also made a few small cuts into the meat of the turkey and jammed some butter into the meat.  Once that was finished I massaged the remaining butter on the outside of the bird and seasoned with salt and pepper.  The oven already preheated to 325º, the birds went in and the timer went on.  

After picking up the wife (she had prepared the mashed potatoes and an antipasto dish) we headed back to the in-laws.  My mother-in-law was preparing the sides when I returned.  Her stuffing was reinforced with fresh celery and onions that had been sautéed in a large skillet before being mixed with the bread and seasonings.  Green bean casserole was assembled in Corningware with those little fried French onions layered on top.  A vegetable medley was seasoned with a simple mix of butter, salt, and pepper.  Trust me, it’s all it needed.

While we were putting the finishing touches on all the dishes the family was devouring the antipasto tray the wife had made.  I probably ate half of it.  It consisted of two different types of cheddar, Pepper Jack, sharp provolone, pepperoni, marinated eggplant, pepperoncinis, marinated artichoke hearts, giardiniera salad, and crackers.  I could have eaten just that for my meal and been satisfied.

After several bastings of the turkey (and three hours of cook time) the turkey was removed from the oven, basted one last time, and flipped breast side down to rest.  This was also the best time for me to mix the drippings with the *cough* jarred gravy.  This was a trick my wife saw on TV to make your store bought gravy taste more home made.  It definitely did the trick.  Most jarred gravies are too think and plain.  Adding the drippings (which include some fat, butter, and seasonings from the birds) adds layers of flavor to the usually flat jarred stuff and thins it out to a more home made consistency.  

Being my in-laws house, my father-in-law had the honor of carving up the turkeys.  Yes, that is an electric knife circa 1980 that he’s using.  I don’t want to talk about it.  Once everything was ready we rang the dinner bell and the hordes came charging towards the food table.  It was a whirlwind of food, family, drinks, and yelling; like a family of Tasmanian devil’s at an endless feast.  After the commotion quieted down I helped myself to a plate.  At this time I also realized that I had tasted everything we had made so far and I was already full.  What the heck, it’s the holidays, right?

I ate it all.  I finished my plate.  The herbed turkey was perfect.  You can taste the traces of fresh herbs throughout the meat and skin.  I was lucky enough to get a piece that had one of the pockets of herbs I made.  The potatoes were rich and creamy and the stuffing was perfectly seasoned with just the right textures of crunchy vegetables and slightly soft but not soggy bread cubes.  The vegetables and of course cranberry sauce were also present on my plate, if only for a brief amount of time.  I was so excited to eat, I didn't even get a picture of my plate.  Here is a shot of some of the dishes.  (I must apologize to my Mother-in-law for not getting a full picture of her "tablescape").

All in all it was a good meal.  I was content.  Filled to the limit with what our forefathers supposedly ate on their Thanksgiving Day with the Native Americans.  I was happy, almost euphoric with so much amazing food jammed into my digestive system.  I could have died a happy man.  Then I was reminded of dessert.  You’ve got to be kidding.

Five pies.  You’re NOT kidding?  How am I ever going to make room?  There was the ever present apple, two pumpkins, a chocolate lemon, and a blueberry crumb.  Oh.  My.  God.  I opted for a small slice of apple and a slice of blueberry crumb.  No cool whip, there’s not enough room.  I know the pies were store bought but it didn’t matter. After the pounds of savory salty foods I had just consumed I required something sweet.  And boy was this pie sweet.  The apple was tart and sweet, laced with cinnamon and brown sugar.  The blueberry was topped with large chunks of tightly packed crumbs consisting of butter, sugar, cinnamon, and who knows what else.  It was heavenly, until I got to the end.  Then I felt sick.  I had eaten more than my capacity.  More than any human should eat in one sitting.  So I did what all men do when they eat too much.  Watch football and fall asleep.

*Balloon art by Kurt Beckley of Balloonbenders.com

Miami/Homestead Race day (Pre-Thanksgiving Practice)

A few friends got together on Sunday for the Miami/Homestead NASCAR race.  The last race of the season.  Being so close to Thanksgiving (and Chris needed to practice cooking for a group) we decided to have a “practice” Thanksgiving dinner.  We needed to see if Chris’ cooking would qualify for the big Turkey Day.  

Once we were all gathered at the house and the beers were flowing freely, we fired up the deep fryer.  Chris decided he knew how to roast a turkey and only needed practice with the frying.  No complaints here.  We got the oil on the flame (Note: Please follow all safety precautions when frying a turkey).  To prepare, Chris had soaked the turkey for 24 hours in a brine of water, salt, sugar, and fresh herbs and spices (He wouldn’t tell me, which means he couldn’t remember what he used).  After soaking, he removed the turkey from the brine and thoroughly dried it.  If the bird is still wet when you put it in the oil it can be very dangerous.   Once the oil was up to temp (350º) we slowly lowered the bird into the fryer.  Once fully submerged, we set the timer for 1 hour.  Then we returned to the kitchen to prepare the sides.

The side dishes included home made stuffing, corn casserole, and mashed potatoes.  All three were Chris’ own home made recipe.  Once the sides were complete and the bird was done it was removed from the oil and allowed to rest breast side down for 10-15 minutes.  Then the carving began.  Two guys worked feverishly over the turkey to get it carved up.

Once the turkey was carved and the sides were completed, the plating began.  Here is my plate with a dusting of black pepper over just about the entire plate.

The turkey was perfect.  The skin was nice and crispy with an earthy underlying flavor of fresh herbs from the brine.  Every bite was juicy and full of flavor.  The corn casserole was unique, and very tasty.  From what I can tell it was a mixture of corn and cheese (possibly several different kinds) and some seasonings.  The cheese was mild and creamy and every bit of corn burst in my mouth adding both texture and flavor.  The stuffing was made with toasted bread cubes, ground sausage, home made chicken stock, and seasonings consisting of salt, pepper, and herbs.  The stock was just poured over the top of the uncooked stuffing and not stirred in.  It was then baked until the top started to brown and it was hot all the way through.  Then it was stirred before serving.  This method added a very nice texture to the stuffing as some cubes of bread were soft from the stock and some were more toasted from the heat of the oven.  It was delicious.  Finally, the mashed potatoes.  They were smoother than I usually make them and the skins had been removed.  They were still very tasty, especially after topping them with some turkey gravy.

All in all, it was a good practice lap for Thanksgiving.  Even Sparky got to eat some! Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

The Chowder Pot III - Branford, CT

The wife and I went out to the Chowder Pot III in Branford, CT for dinner.  We were joined by my mother.  I have worked at this restaurant in the past, so maybe my opinion is a bit biased.  But, I do have to say these few things before I get into the food.  First, this is one of the cleanest kitchens I’ve worked in.  Granted I did not work too many Friday/Saturday dinner shifts when the kitchen was the busiest.  Second, the wait staff here always seems friendly, although not too swift.  And third, you get what you pay for.  The prices may be a tad high, but you get extremely generous portions.  Some dishes are almost “family style”.

Now to the best part of eating out, the food.  Every sit down meal at the Chowder Pot III starts off with a loaf of freshly baked honey bread.  These loaves are baked fresh every day (from what I remember).  They are glazed with a sticky honey butter that is to die for.  They should give you a side to dip your bread in rather than butter.

We skipped appetizers and went straight to dinner.  My mother got the fried clam strip platter.  In case you can’t tell, that’s just a gigantic plate of clam strips.  These clams are not your run of the mill prefab frozen clam strips.  They are freshly breaded and fried to order.  As are the oysters, whole bellies, etc…  And of course, the baked potato and vegetable medley for sides. 

The wife got her usual chicken teriyaki.  We don’t go to this restaurant often, and she claims this to be the best chicken teriyaki in town, so when we go, she gets it.  You get two large breasts of chicken grilled to perfection and topped with a sweet and salty teriyaki sauce, fresh green onions, and an orange garnish.  And, the same sides as Mom.  The chicken was perfectly cooked with no pink in the center, yet was still extremely juicy and tender.  I don’t think they make the sauce in house, but it is 10x better than anything you can buy in the store.  It is thick, more like a glaze than a watery sauce.

As for my dish, I went with the Cajun catfish.  This dish was awesome.  The catfish was nice and fresh.  They pan sear it on the bottom of a cast iron skillet which gives it a unique flavor, almost like fire grilling, but doesn’t fall apart.  Chowder Pot uses a house blend of dry spices mixed with a touch of oil to create almost a paste.  They slather the Cajun paste on the fish and then cook.  Due to the high temperature of the cast iron, the spices form a crust on the fish, yet seal in the natural juices so the fish doesn’t dry out.  The more you chew it, the more flavor bursts into your mouth.  

I also got the same sides. The potato was your run of the mill potato.  Nothing special.  The vegetable medley, while good in flavor (can’t go wrong with butter), was over cooked.  The vegetables were soggy and had little consistency to them.  And, I didn’t get any broccoli.  

Over all, a good experience.  I realize that these pictures make the presentation look slightly unappealing.  Up close and in person the plating of these dishes are more appetizing.  Chowder Pot III in Branford, CT is a great place fora nice sit down seafood meal.  They can accommodate large parties, and even have live music a few nights a week.  To me, it’s a good “once in a while” place.  

Mediterranean Pt VI (Final)

This was the last stop on our trip and let me tell you, we saved the best for last.  The entire trip both the wife and I were looking forward to seeing (and tasting) Tuscany.  “Under the Tuscan Sun” is one of her favorite movies.  Wine and dried cured meats are some of my favorite foods.  Tuscany embodies everything I expected out of Italy.  At first I thought to myself “All those beautiful pictures you see of vineyards and endless hills must be the nice part of Tuscany.”  From what I saw (we drove for hours through the countrywide) it ALL looks like that with a vineyard visible on every hillside.  The beautiful farmhouses nestled in the hills amongst the cypress trees and fields of wild poppies filled the hillsides.  We passed by Andre Boccelli’s house and an outdoor amphitheater with posters announcing his show the following week … I love this place.

We started our Tuscan adventure in San Gimignano which is the home of the world’s BEST gelato.  Or, so the sign says.  We will get to that in a second.  Our first stop was at a café for a cappuccino and a cannoli.  I did not get pictures of them but this is the display case in the café filled with premade ready to grill paninis.

We walked around for a while trying to find places that my wife and Pam would recognize from the movie.  After searching we found a place called Pluripremiata Gelateria.  This was it!  This is what I had heard rumblings about on the trip here.  I thought Venice was supposed to have the best gelato but it turns out that it is right here in San Gimignano.

Being the food connoisseur that I am, I wasn’t going to take their word for it.  The flavor choices seemed endless.  With our friends Tom & Pam anxious to explore the tastes and smells of our discovery, Tom decided on the Nutella gelato, and so did I.  I had just eaten a Nutella crepe in France, but you can’t go wrong with chocolate and hazelnut.  Gelato is very similar to ice cream.  The difference is that it is not whipped so there is much less air in it making it a much more dense (read: heavy) dessert food.  Since I was sharing with my wife, I went for the medium.  It was an overcast rainy day but that didn’t stop me from eating this amazingly delicious frozen treat.  

Full hazelnuts were covered in fudgy dark chocolate and large chunks of chewy chocolate all throughout the dish.  Almost every bite had a hazelnut in it.  The ones that didn’t were filled with chocolate.  It was a remarkable midmorning snack.

As we headed to our next destination (a farmhouse in the countryside of Livorno), we passed several more vineyards and a prison.  If I were incarcerated this is where I would want to go.  The views were spectacular.  When we arrived at our meal location we were introduced to the owner and his family.  We sat at a family style dining table and were served fresh olives.  We then did a little wine tasting with three distinct wines made on the premises.  The first was a fruity Chardonnay.  It was very light and had a very nice slightly tart and very sweet aftertaste.  The next two were Cabernets.  The first was younger than the second one.  They were both full bodied and smooth, with the older one having a slightly earthier and deeper finish.  Then one of the most delicious meals I’ve ever eaten was served to me.  First came the pasta ragu, fresh penne rigate with a thick meaty sauce.  This is not your mothers meat sauce.  The ragu was mostly ground meat with very light tomatoes and fresh seasonings.  Next was the salad consisting of freshly grown lettuce (I believe it was from the family farm) with light vinaigrette dressing.  We were then served fresh bruschetta and Tuscan garlic bread.  The bruschetta tasted like I was eating it in the garden.  The vegetables were so fresh and full of flavor; I’m pretty sure they were picked that morning.  The Tuscan garlic bread was grilled fresh bread rubbed with garlic and olive oil.

Following that came the main course.  Although I was stuffed full of gelato, olives, pasta, and bread, I started to salivate when this came out.

The cheeses are two different aged pecorino cheeses made from goat milk.  They were aged 9 months and 18 months.  They were rich, creamy, and paired perfectly with the local prosciutto and salami that was served beside it.  These dried meats were by far the best I have ever had.  The owner of the vineyard worked with a local farmer who made the prosciutto and salami a few miles down the road.  The prosciutto was dry and salty, just like it should be.  The fat melted away in my mouth giving every bite of food a burst of flavor.  The salami acted in similar fashion.  The peppery seasonings hit the tip of your tongue as the fat dissipated into a flavor wave over my entire mouth.  I had found the most amazing food I had ever eaten in my life.  Maybe I’m a little biased because I am Italian.  Maybe I hyped up Tuscany in my mind so much that no matter what I ate, it would be amazing.  I don’t care.  I want to go back.

After the feast we were served an almond biscotti and an aperitif wine made from honey.  It was similar to mead but not milled with spices.  It was also much thicker and more concentrated.  As people were leaving the dining room to go and walk off the meal Tom and I went back for wine.  

The rest of our day in Tuscany was filled with excitement.  We went to Volterra and saw some guys dressed up as knights preparing to reenact some important historical event.  Tom and I both got shit on by pigeons and were told its good luck.  I could write a book on what I saw and learned in Volterra.  Churches, towers, wars, foot races, vampires, etc… Volterra is a very old settlement dating back to the Neolithic era.    The ruins date back to 700 B.C.There’s a lot that has happened here.  Let’s just leave it at that. 

Sadly, our Mediterranean vacation was over.  We headed back to Rome, hopped on a plane, and flew back to the States.  The memories that were made during this amazing trip will last a lifetime.  We met new friends, saw spectacular places, and ate some of the most amazing foods I have ever put in my mouth.  We hope to be able to travel like this again sometime in the near future.  Until then, I guess I’ll have to deal with American food.

Mediterranean Part V: Cannes, France

I’ll admit I was not too excited about going to France. I have heard that the food is very rich and usually over the top gourmet. Foie gras, escargot, and rich meaty dishes cooked with heavy amounts of red wine? Actually, the last one sounds delicious. Having already spent enough money this trip, I was hoping I would be able to find some decent street food. It was an overcast and windy day when we arrived in Cannes.


There’s not much going on in Cannes when the film festival is not there, but there is still a lot to see and eat. We saw the famous theater, Chuck Norris’ hand print, and some fancy hotels. Then we walked a couple of blocks in and strolled down the back streets and alleys. We stumbled upon a farmers market that was closing up (we missed the good early morning rush). Since we didn’t have any way to prepare fresh food if we bought it, we moved on to bigger and better things. Like fresh crepes.


This crepe was one of the most delicious morsels of food I ate the entire trip. The fact that I stood there and watched a guy make my crepe from start to finish was amazing. Real French crepes are big and thin. As you can see by the picture the crepe maker is approximately 18” across. The light batter of egg, milk, butter, sugar, and wheat flour is poured onto the middle of the flat iron and spread around by a little wooden dowel contraption that evenly spreads the batter across the entire iron. The wooden tool is dipped in water first so the batter doesn’t stick to it. It is then spread so thin it becomes translucent. Once the first side is done, he effortlessly flipped it over and asked what I wanted inside (I think. I don’t speak French). With a choice of fillings, the wife and I went with our favorite. The crepe man then produces a large jar of Nutella (just like the ones in Venice) with what I thought looked like a basting brush in it and proceeded to coat my crepe with a thin layer of the chocolate hazelnut spread. Since the dough is so thin he did not brush the filling on. Rather he sort of rolled it on. A few seconds later he folded the crepe in half three time to create a pie shape and handed me my first French food. Here is a picture of me scalding the roof of my mouth since I couldn’t wait to eat it.


The crepe was hot and doughy and sweet. The dough had more of an egg taste to it than I expected, but not in a bad way. The sweetness of the melted Nutella was out of this world. I could have scarfed down several more of these. As I sat there eating and pondering what my next crepe would be filled with (a little Grand Marnier perhaps) I saw some place else that I had to go to my first time in France. I am a big movie buff and I *had* to find out what they called it here.

Yup, McDonald’s. And it really is the Royal with cheese. We didn’t eat here.


After more strolling around Cannes we decided to stop for lunch. There were two stands very similar in menu almost right next to each other. One had a person in almost every chair. The other had almost all open chairs. We went to the first one.



For lunch we went with a Roma Panini (It had been three days since we were in Italy and we missed it). Prosciutto with Roma tomatoes and fresh mozzarella on a grilled baguette. We have a panini maker at home, but ours don’t even compare to this one. The sandwich was grilled for so long and the tomatoes were so sweet they almost melted into a sauce on the bread. The cheese was fresh and bright white and the saltiness of the prosciutto balanced everything out. The bread was very fresh tasting. Nice and crunchy n the outside and warm and slightly chewing on the inside. The panini was pressed in the grill so most of the air pockets in the bread had collapsed which added to the textures of the food. The wife burnt the roof of her mouth on the cheese. And (here’s the best part) they served beer. We ordered up a couple of Stella Artois (Belgian beer) to go with our Roma Panini while we were in France.

We still had time to kill so we walked back towards a candy shop that the wife had seen earlier. Both being the huge fans of candy, we stopped in and bought a kilo or so. It all looked good but nothing was really familiar. The wife is a huge gummy fan so we got a bunch of brightly colored, sugar coated chewy gummy candies. Oh my GOD were they horrible. There was no name brand or even any flavors listed. We picked our selection purely on looks. Bad idea, by the way.


On the way back to the ship we picked up a bottle of champagne and walked past this place. Chink’s Thai Restaurant. With a chef named Puki, you can’t go wrong.



That night on the ship I tried escargot for the first time. I don’t have any pictures so I’ll just say this. The snails in this dish acted purely as a carrier for butter and garlic. And it was good. Not chewy or rubbery like I had expected them to be. They were in fact quite smooth and almost melted away into the garlicky butter sauce that they swam in. Next stop, Tuscany. I’m drooling just thinking about the food I ate there.

The Eastern States Expo 2008

Ahh … The Eastern States Expo, the Northeast’s largest harvest festival.  Also known as The Big E.  I try to make it to the Big E every year but I have unfortunately missed the last two years.  This year we attended with our friends Christine and Justin.  The Big E is a haven for agriculture, entertainment, arts, crafts, and most importantly, food.  Once again I had to rely on my trusty BlackBerry for the pictures.  One of these days I’ll actually remember to bring the good camera, I promise.

Our 2008 trip to the Big E started off with beer and fried vegetables.  We got the sampler platter that included: onions, broccoli, cauliflower, mushrooms, and potatoes.  We also splurged the extra $.50 for the dipping sauce (ranch I believe it was).  Like most fair foods this tasted better than it looked.  The batter the vegetables were dipped in was unflavored but stuck really well to the veggies, which is a big plus in my book.  The sauce reminded me of a thick salad dressing but not quite as potent of a flavor.  I assume this was due to less vinegar than normally used.  Also, notice the 4 cups half full (or empty) of beer.

Next we moved on to my favorite fair food ever … Corndogs!  I go to the same stand every year to get my “first corndog of the season”.  Usually we go to the Big E the first weekend it is open with visits to several other smaller more local fairs for the remainder of the season.  This years scheduling got a little out of hand and this was my ONLY corndog of the season.  *sob*  The wife gets a little grossed out when it comes to hotdogs on a stick dipped in corn bread batter and deep fried so I got two for myself and one for Justin.  Yeah, his wife doesn’t like them either.  Anyway, what can I say about a corndog?  They’re delicious.  Corndogs are like the comfort food of fairs.  If you’ve never had one, you are missing out on a huge piece of Americana.  And the only, I repeat, ONLY condiment that should ever see a corndog is plain yellow mustard.

Next we decided it was time to drink more beers.  These came from the Guiness/Harp/Smithwick’s booth.  Justin is modeling our 2 Harp’s and 2 Smithwick’s.  This was round one.  Another followed.  

After a parade including the Budweiser Clydesdale horses pulling the cart with the signature Dalmatian on top, we moved on to my wife’s favorite fair food, fried dough.  I attempted to take a picture of it, but she had inhaled most of it before I even got my phone out of my pocket.  So for your viewing pleasure, this is all I got.  Fried dough is definitely a harvest festival “delicacy”.  You may be able to find it elsewhere, but it does not come close to ones you can find at New England harvest festivals.  I don’t know if it’s the water, the air, or the old dirty oil.  The dough is fried perfectly to the point of crispiness on the outside and chewy on the inside.  The sauce (most likely from a jar) was very lightly seasoned.  The cheese, Parmesan from a jar, is loaded on to the amount of your liking.  In my wife’s case that’s a lot.  I know it’s not gourmet but it doesn’t have to be fancy to be good.

After wandering around a bit, drinking more beers, and stopping off for a cheeseburger (it was nothing special so we’ll skip over that) I found another stand selling another great fair food.  You can make pierogis at home, but mine never come out tasting this good.  By this time I was pretty stuffed so I just went with a small plate of kielbasa & cheese.  I even skipped the dipping sauce (which is just sour cream).  These pierogis are doughier than the store bought ones and filled with much more filling.  They are boiled then fried on a flat top griddle.  The frying gives them a nice carmelization on the outside and adds a nice, almost crunchy, texture to the chewy outside and soft creamy inside.  

Just after this the wife and I got a veggie filled potato.  I can’t seem to find the picture of it but it was loaded with all sorts of steamed vegetables like broccoli, carrots, squash, and others.  It was then topped with a liquid molten cheese product.  It was insanely hot and we had to wait for it to cool down before we ate it.  To me it was a little plain.  Nothing really had any flavor to it, not even the cheese.  I prefer my baked potatoes with bacon & cheese (at least my fair potatoes).  

Each of the states that participates in the Big E has a state building.  The only one we made it to this year was Vermont.  It's chock full of maple syrup products and amazing cheese.  I headed straight for the Ben & Jerry's stand and got me a maple syrup milkshake.  Yes, it's as good as it sounds.  I didn't bother to take a picture because...to be honest I love these shakes so much I didn't want to share, so I had to suck it down as fast as possible.  Since karma is a bitch, my stomach went south after gulping down the large, heavy, thick, creamy milkshake.  It was delicious, but I paid for it afterwards.  

I’m pretty sure I missed a few small things we ate along the way, but it was a fairly warm day and I had to keep drinking beer to stay cool.  At one point I just forgot to take pictures.  For that, I apologize.  I’ll behave more next time so I can provide you with a more detailed story of my experience.    

Mediterranean Pt 4

As you have seen by our pictures so far we love to eat healthy.  So when we got to Barcelona we knew we would have a spectacular meal of tapas.  Tapas are similar to our version of appetizers in that you order several plates for the table and everyone shares.  Tapas are a foodies dream come true.  A cornucopia of food served in small portions making the sampling of exotic dishes easier on the waistline.  As soon as we got off the ship we headed towards Las Ramblas (a.k.a. La Rambla) in downtown Barcelona.  We had heard from several of our friends that this was the place to go when in Barcelona.  It was a bit more run down than I expected, but there were some highlights, such as street performers and shops like this (The wife wouldn’t let me go in)

After browsing the streets, we got hungry, so we headed down to the newest part of Las Ramblas, known as Rambla de Mar.  It is a beautiful wooden dock open only to foot traffic that crosses over the channel for the town marina.  There is even a “draw bridge” that swings open like a gate to allow sail boats passage.  

After browsing a few menus, we ended up at Tapasbar.  (Side note: This is a chain restaurant of sorts.  I assume the menus at the other locations are similar, as with the food quality.)  The menu selection was rather large.  We started off with a few beers (of course).  This time we were served Estrella.  It was very crisp, similar in color to American lagers but with a more bitter after taste.  After downing the first one we ordered a second round along with some lunch.  We ordered some fried peppers, meat skewers, and potatoes.  

The fried peppers were not spicy but did have a slight kick to them.  They were deep fried with no breading and lightly sprinkled with sea salt.  They had a unique flavor to them, almost similar to a char grilled flavor.  They were very soft and the skin was not as papery as it looked.  

The potatoes were simple white potatoes cut into chunks and deep fried.  They were coated with two sauces.  The white sauce is a simple cheese sauce.  The red/orange sauce was a spicy chili based sauce.  It was a nice balance between the richness of the alfredo-like cheese sauce and the pepper sauce.  The pepper sauce was not *hot* like a hot sauce, but rather full bodied and earthy with a nice, back-of-the-mouth spicy aftertaste.  The flavor was all there, but I would have liked it spicier.  

As for the skewers…well…we ordered the beef skewers.  Although I have my doubts that the type of meat we received was actually beef.  It was dry and tough.  The color did not scream out beef to me, but rather…I have no idea.  It was a tannish grey.  At first I thought veal, but veal would have been tenderer and had more flavor.  It may have been pork as it did resemble an overcooked pork chop.  Whatever it was, we ate it, but it was not that enjoyable.  However, after a few of those large Estrella’s I didn’t really care.  

After enjoying my first true Spanish tapas, we strolled back up Las Ramblas and stopped into a little coffee shop for a cappuccino.  I realize that we had left Italy, but I couldn’t wait to get back.  Next stop, Cannes, France.  

Darbar India - Branford, CT

The other night, for no apparent reason other than the fact that I didn’t want to cook dinner, the wife and I headed out to our favorite local Indian restaurant, Darbar India.  We usually get take out and usually get the same thing every time.  This time, I decided to try something different.  The non-vegetarian smorgasbord meal.  When this thing came out, all I could think was “How the HELL am I supposed to eat all that?”  A large metal dish with a pile of saffron infused basmati rice surrounded by multiple interesting dishes.  Each just a few mouthfuls, but more than enough to fill my stomach.  Luckily, I had the wife to help.  Which also meant I got to take her chicken tikka masala home for lunch the next day.  So, here is what I got, with a brief blurb about each.  The first two I don’t have pictures of.  The others, I only have one.  I’m sorry it’s a crappy picture, but it was dark and the flash was lighting up the dining room and glaring off the shiny metal plates.  

Non-Vegetarian Thali

Choice of soup – Vegetable Dal - Lentil soup with vegetables, wild spices and a twist of lemon.  This was a basic soup.  Think, but not chunky, and the seasonings were very earthy.  It was not too heavy, and actually readied my pallet for the onslaught of flavors to come.

Lamb Samosa - Turnovers stuffed with minced lamb and spices, deep fried in vegetable oil.  One word.  DRY.  Not nearly as good as the vegetarian version.  The meat was like dry seasoned ground beef.  It would have had more flavor if all the saliva in my mouth wasn’t absorbed into it.

The following are on the plate.  Starting with the white dish at about 11:00 and going clockwise…

Dal, Raita, rice, papad, onion chutney – Dal=lentils.  Raita=Cold salty yougurt dish.  Papad=Indian lentil chips.  I’m pretty sure this was the cold white dish, since nothing else matches that description.  First of all, they should have warned me that it was cold.  It tastes like milky yogurt with cucumber in it.  I did not care for it.  Maybe I should have eaten it first, like a second appetizer.  Maybe I should have eaten it last, like a pre-dessert.  Either way, this dish stayed almost full.

Chana Masala – Potatoes and chickpeas cooked with herbs and Indian Spices.  This dish was OK.  I’m not sure I got any potatoes, just chickpeas.  I’m not a huge fan of plain old chickpeas, but the sauce on these was thick and flavorful.  It had a touch of earthy sweetness to it, which I believe was cardamom.  

Dal Makhani – Lentils flavored with freshly ground spices and sautéed in butter.  These were like Indian refried beans.  They were thick and chunky.  They were lightly spiced and not over-bearing with flavor.  To me this seemed to be more of an accompaniment than a stand alone dish.  

Saag Paneer - Fresh chopped spinach cooked with homemade cheese and spices.  I did not care for this at all.  I tried several fork fulls.  The spinach was in a creamed state, except it wasn’t creamed.  There were these chunks of home made Indian cheese.  I’m sure this dish could have been good if it tasted less like thawed out frozen chopped spinach.  Add some salt, a little white pepper, maybe even some garlic.  Then you got yourself a dish.  

Piece of Tandoori Chicken - chicken marinated in yogurt, fresh garlic, and ginger then tenderly spiced.  Baked in a tandoori oven.  If you’ve never had tandoori chicken, or any type of meat, you are missing out.  A tandoor is a cylindrical clay oven used in cooking and baking.  Temperatures in a tandoor can approach 480°C (900°F).  The meat that is cooked in these ovens usually takes on a reddish color and are delicious.  The outside is almost crispy, and the inside is still juicy and seasoned all the way through.  You can get chicken, lamb, shrimp, and several other types of meat prepared this way.  

Seekh Kebab - Minced lamb mixed with green peppers, delicately flavored with ginger, and barbecued on skewers.  This was like an elongated minced lamb meatball.  The spices were a little overpowering, but that seems to be the norm with lamb and middle eastern food (in my experiences so far).  It was a bit on the dry side, but not nearly as dry as the samosa.

Chicken Tikka Masala - Tender skinless and boneless chicken marinated in a blend of ginger, garlic, yogurt and various spices, baked in the tandoor and sautéed with tomatoes, butter and creamy sauce.  This is my favorite dish at this restaurant.  I almost can’t find the words to describe it.  It’s rich, flavorful bright orange sauce with chunks of white chicken meat swimming in it.  Put a few spoonfuls of this over some of the basmati rice and dip your naan bread in the extra sauce.  It’s a full, somewhat earthy flavor.  You can pick out the curry, garlic, ginger, and many more layers of spices and flavors as the food travels from the tip of your tongue to the back of your mouth and finally, down your gullet.  Great, now I’m hungry.

Baigan Bhartha - Eggplant cooked with green peas, onions, and tomatoes; flavored with fresh ginger and spices.  The wife loved this dish.  I should let her write this section since she had more of this that I did.  By the time I got to this dish, my pallet was overrun by flavors.  This dish was sweet and spicy and full of flavor.  It had the normal earthy flavors of the freshly ground spices that is common in Indian cuisine.  I'm pretty sure I tasted some of that cardamom in this dish as well.  

Lamb Curry - Tender cubed lamb cooked in our mildly spiced curry sauce.  This dish seemed to me to be an Indian version of beef stew, except with lamb.  The meat was tender and practically fell apart on my utensil.  It was surrounded by a thick gravy of a chunky curry sauce.  Picture Mom’s beef stew, without the vegetables, and heavily seasoned with exotic spices.  And replace the beef with lamb.  This was the only lamb dish that was not dry.

Choice of bread (Poori or Naan) – Naan.  Unleavened bread that is slapped on the side of the clay oven and baked.  The plain naan is doughy, kind of like a baked version of fried dough, without the sauce and cheese.  It is perfect for sopping up the extra tikka masala sauce.  They also make flavored versions, like garlic.  THis is pictured off to the left.

Dessert (Gulab Jamun) and tea or coffee – Gulab Jamun is some sort of pastry/dough ball fried and smothered in syrup/honey.  It's good.  Sweet and sticky and a nice light end to the bombardment of flavors that is Indian food.  However, they forgot my tea.

Mediterranean Pt 3

The next stop on what was quickly becoming our gastronomic tour of the Mediterranean was Sicily.  Home of the cannoli and the Mafia.  I wasn’t sure what to except when we got there.  All I could picture in my head was a bunch of really mean goombas all wearing Gucci suits and dark sunglasses.  Boy, was I wrong.

We docked in Messina and were promptly shuffled on to a bus headed for Taormina.  It is a quaint old hilltop commune whose origins date back to sometime B.C.  Once there, you enter in to the town through and old stone archway.  First stop, the first place I can find that sells cannolis.  And I didn’t have to walk far.  Taormina is known to tourists for two things: cannolis and its close proximity to Mt. Etna.  So, there were two basic types of shop.  Those selling little trinkets made out of lava rock from the volcano and pastry shops, which had fronts that looked like this.

So, we stopped and got a cannoli.  Sicilian cannolis are similar to the cannolis I was raised on, but better than I could have ever imagined.  For those of you who don’t know, a cannoli consist of tube-shaped shells of fried pastry dough, filled with a sweet, creamy filling usually containing ricotta cheese (or alternatively, but less traditionally, sweetened Mascarpone).  The filling is blended with some combination of vanilla, chocolate, pistachio, Marsala wine, rosewater or other flavorings. Some pastry chefs add chopped succade or chocolate chips. They are typically made in several varying sizes, from the "cannulicchi", no bigger than a finger, to the fist-sized proportions typically found in Piana degli Albanesi, south of Palermo, Sicily.  The ones we got had a small amount of succade mixed into the filling, but no chocolate, and were middle of the road in size.  These were the best cannolis I have ever had.  The shell was fresh, flaky and crunchy, yet did not shatter upon first bite.  The pastry seemed to be resilient against the usual sogginess of the filling, not like most of the ones you can get in the States.  The filling was velvety smooth, rich, and creamy.  I never knew any kind of cheese could be so sweet.  I could have sat there eating these sweet Sicilian treats all day.

After the wife had to pull me away from getting another one (and thereby possibly ruining my appetite for more treats to come), we headed down the pedestrian street to check out the rest of the city.  It was an overcast rainy day, so we dashed in and out of several store fronts.  Coincidentally, shopping makes me thirsty.  So, we stopped to get a beer.  We found a nice and somewhat busy outdoor café right next to the main entrance to the town.  We grabbed a table right next to the street, and ordered two beers.  Here is what we got.

Two beers, aptly named Baffo D’oro, or the “Golden Moustache”, and three tiny plates of food.  Something about the name of the beer and the fact that I had facial hair seemingly amused our waiter, as he put the beers down, pointed to the label, looked and me, and began to laugh.  At first, I thought he may be playing a joke on me and that the beer was going to be horrible.  It was, in fact, rather refreshing.  It was slightly bitter, but very malty, which balanced the final flavor of the beer very well.  The dishes we received were extremely crunchy (probably several day old) seasoned croutons, some sort of Sicilian style “bar mix”, and the greenest, briniest olives I have ever tasted in my life.  And, in fact, the only olives I have ever actually enjoyed eating.  I know.  I’m Italian so I should LOVE olives, right?  Well, my family stems from the Calabria region of Italy, which is a stones throw across the straight from Sicily.  And these are Sicilian olives.  So, I like the olives of my ancestors.  And they paired great with the croutons.  The slightly crunchy outside of the olive popped between your teeth releasing a rush of salty, almost tart liquid into your mouth.  At first, it caused me to pause mid chew and actually ask myself “Do I really like the way these taste?”  After a few more, I was certain. Yes, I liked them.  So, I polished off the rest of them, and ordered more (with a few more rounds of Baffo D’Oro, of course).  We sat there eating olives, drinking beer, and waited out a rainstorm.  Then, we grabbed a few more cannolis (with pistachios this time) and a cappuccino before heading back to the ship. 

As we left the port of Messina, we cruised past their patron saint, Madonna della Lettera.  Standing tall in all her glorious splendor, she states "Vos et ipsam civitatem benedicimus".  She even seems to follow you with her hand as you leave port.  It was a beautiful end to a beautiful day.  

Mediterranean Honeymoon Part 2

After a wonderful day in Croatia, we cruised overnight to Venice.  I was going to write about our horrible experience with our assigned tables, but it was way to boring to even write.  Let’s just say we were extremely happy to meet Pam & Tom while in Venice.  We ended up dining at their table with two other couples the rest of the trip.  In this dining room.

 

Yup, that is snake skin décor.  And it was all over the dining room.  On the walls, in the ceiling panels, even on the wait stations.  I tried to figure out how it all tied in, but gave up after the first few days.

Anyway, the next day was on to Venice.  Now, for some reason, I didn’t take many pictures of food in Venice, though I remember scarfing down several gelatos.  The one picture I can find of our trips is this one below.  This was taken at the Art Blu Café in Venice.  Pictured are my wife and our new friend Tom and the difference between ordering a small and a large beer in a café in Venice.  As in Italy, Tom, not friggin Oktoberfest.  We also all shared in the joy that is Italian pizza.  It was OK.  Nothing spectacular and I didn’t even get a picture. The crust was thin, just like I like it, but could have used more salt. The sauce was very fresh tasting, not overpowered with spices like we tend to do in the US.  You could actually taste the sweetness of the fresh tomatoes.  The cheese was perfectly melted, not so hot it would scald the roof of your mouth, but hot enough that it almost swallowed up the topping. Ah, the topping; ham.  The ham was just that. Little bits of thinly sliced ham chopped up and topped on our perfectly sized Venetian pie.  I also recall that the beer was cold, and the conversation was filled with laughter.  We had just met our new cruising friends.  We even switched our tables on the ship and ate with them for the remainder of our cruise. 
 

Oh yeah, and huge jars of Nutella.

 

Average Food Guy's Take on Home made Pizza (Thin Crust!)

Home made pizza is a challenge for most people.  I'll admit that I stuggeled with it several times.  Pizza is a complicated food, with several parts all assembled on top of the single item that is most important to making or breaking a good home made pizza.  The crust.  I was born and raised in New England, so I am a big fan of thin crust.  I'm not going to get into the debate of NY style vs. Chicago style.  Everyone is entitled to their opinions.  Plus, neither are my favorite.  I prefer New Haven style pizza.  What is that you ask?  It's similar to New York style, except perfected, and a hell of a lot closer to home.  Here is my quick and easy version.

Ingredients:

Fresh dough (buy from local grocer or Italian deli)

Flour

Olive Oil

Garlic, chopped

Sauce (jarred or home made)

Shredded mozzarella (or fresh if you prefer)

Stick pepperoni, chopped into chunks

Green/Red bell pepper, sliced

Yellow onion, sliced

Italian seasoning (basil, oregano, rosemary, thyme)

Fresh basil (for garnish)

Parmasean Reggiano

So, to start, preheat your oven to 450 with the rack in the middle.   Lightly oil a cookie sheet with olive oil.  Flour your hands and the outside of the dough.  Do not use too much as you will make the dough stiff and chewy.

Starting from the center, knead the dough towards the edges, being careful to keep a consistant thickness.  This is the hardest part and will take some practice.  Try to cover the whole cookie sheet with your dough.  Once satisfied with the dough, stab with a fork all over the surface (to prevent bubbles).  Lightly oil the top of the dough and sprinkle with Italian seasonings.  Bake for 10 minutes.

After 10 minutes, you dough should start to brown slightly and be stiff, but not dry and crunchy.  Remove from oven.  Spread sauce over dough.  Then evenly distribute garlic and pepperoni.  Add cheese, peppers, and onions to the pizza.  Feel free to add any other toppings you like at this time.  Bake for 12-15 minutes.

Once all the cheese is melted and peppers are slightly soft from baking, remove from oven.  Sprinkle with grated parmesean and broil until cheese is melted.  I like mine just when it starts to brown.  Remove from oven and let cool for 5 minutes.  

Slice and eat!