The Black Sheep: through the eyes of a first-timer

My class schedule this term is, well, insane as usual. Except now, two days a week, I get out of class at 7pm instead of 2pm. Just imagine how it feels to be learning biomedical topics for 8 hours in a row- or maybe don't...The point is, a friend of mine suggested we go out for dinner after our night exam the other day and I was very excited at the prospect of spending my first school night trying the local cuisine. We decided on Black Sheep since I've been hearing left and right how good it is. I know the standard is to go there for brunch, but their dinner menu looked delicious as well, so off we went.

Let me just say, I was not exactly prepared for how cozy it was. I kind of imagined a more mainstream restaurant vibe, not a little nook with dimmed lighting and wooded benches. It was very sweet and I'd definitely suggest it as a date night spot. I was also unprepared for how small it was. Just us opening the door made the whole place cold for a few minutes. The waitresses were pretty laid back and - oh! can't forget: the salt and pepper shakers are THE CUTEST things ever.

But on to the food. I wasn't in the mood for a sandwich - I wanted something hearty and comfy...so I suppose the atmosphere whet my appetite because my stomach was telling my brain to ignore the prices and go with whatever I wanted. We started by sharing the sweet potato samosas and I will say that the pastry dough was perfectly flaky and amazing. The filling had a good flavor, but I like my samosas spicy, which these were not. The kicker, though, was the apple chutney. It was like a curried applesauce and I could it it straight up any day. My friend was going to ask if we could buy it to go.

For my main course I was debating between the focaccia with goat cheese and the pot roast - until the waitress told us the special for the evening: pork chop with pumpkin and artichoke heart orzo. At $13, it really was a steal. The flavors were wonderful - the chop had an apple smoked flavor to it and the orzo, although a tad over-cooked, was sauced nicely. The pumpkin added a certain richness to it and I very much enjoyed the fact that they didn't skimp on the artichoke hearts and had taken the time to de-brine them a bit. I also ordered a side of their corn pudding. A little on the sweet side for me, and the custard had broken because there was too much liquid. I should probably mention, also, that the chop was cooked perfectly! It was still juicy and succulent, which isn't easy with pork. And the cut was nice and large with a gorgeous frenched bone.





While dining we saw one of the infamous "battleships" the place is known for. If you are unfamiliar, they are basically enormo subs. I am going back for sure to try one of those - but I need some people to join me; if interested, just write me a comment! The gentleman seated next to us ordered the pot roast so I was able to see that it looked rich and delicious with a nice hearty sauce. Their banana pudding also seemed to be quite popular, so I'll have to try that as well.


All in all, the ambiance was excellent and the food did not disappoint in neither its flavor nor its creativity. I left Black Sheep with yet another excellent restaurant to recommend to others and, for the first time since I've moved here, feeling like a local.

Homemade Everything: This You Gotta See to Believe

While on break (thank you VCU for your monstrous, rejuvenating winter breaks) Weston returned home from work positively flushed with excitement over his latest cooking idea: homemade Snickers. These things are the real deal and here is a little photo documentary...

First we made the nougat...

Foam the egg whites

Use obscene amounts of sugar...

Heat the sugar to a bubbling 230

Mix the cocoa powder with, more sugar, I believe

Gently drizzle in the boiling HOT sugar (thankfully, Weston was very careful not to burn me)

Beat until a beautiful snowy white

It gets SUPER STIFF, though!

Fold the egg white/sugar mixture into the cocoa - very difficult since the nougat is already pretty stiff at this point

Spread into a Pyrex to let harder

The recipe doesn't say this, but I buttered my palm and used my hands so it wouldn't stick

So, we only had natural Spanish peanuts, so we had to roast and shuck them ourselves

Then we layered...

First the peanuts

Then the caramel, heated in the microwave until spreadable

Finally, the chocolate and a few bits of Heath brittle to make it "Sheston approved"

You'll find the recipe for Homemade Snickers here, but it was a very laborious process with not a very satisfying result. We tried making the caramel homemade but it boiled over and didn't set properly so we went to the website and saw about 50 comments saying the same thing, so there was something wrong with it. Hence the store-bought caramels. If I were you, I'd just buy a Snickers... learn from our mistakes :)

I quite appreciated an evening spent with Weston, but it being our last night together before I returned to Virginia, I would have been happy with a take out pizza and an old movie.

Pesto with a Pop!

Dear Readers,

For the longest time I thought I didn't like pesto. Perhaps because I was confused about what exactly was in it: I just felt it was so unhealthy - I mean, a little olive oil is fine, but people were telling me they used two cups worth, and I am sorry, but that does NOT sound appetizing to me. I decided that I'd have to try to make the stuff eventually, but I could do it on my terms. Here is my recipe for pesto - it's an affordable version, too, because I used walnuts instead of pine nuts. And be sure to read the "Tips" section because I've got a handy way to make the flavors pop.

What You Need

2 cups fresh basil: we got the tender, tiny-leaved type at Whole Foods. They were sooo cute...

1/4 cups nuts: walnut or pine nuts will work - and I didn't do this at the time, but I imagine toasting them would be delish

1/2 cup olive oil, plus a little more when serving/storing

salt, pepper to taste

2 cloves garlic

squirt of lemon

2 to 3 oz parmesean (a block or already grated), optional

What You Do

In a grinder, or food processor, pulse the garlic and salt to make a little paste

Add the nuts and pepper and grind them roughly (if using parmesan cheese, you can add it now)

Add the basil and lemon juice, turn the processor on, and slowly pour in the olive oil till it forms a nice emulsion - DO NOT over-process, chunks of basil are just fine.

Finis!

Tips from the Chef

• I didn't use cheese in mine and I didn't really miss it, but some people really, really enjoy cheese on their pasta, so if you want, add it to the pesto directly or grate some on top before eating
• don't pulse the basil too much - otherwise you break down the enzymes in the leaves and you'll have a really brown-looking pesto, not a bright green
• serve pesto over something that can grab it - like fusilli or some other swirly, ridged pasta
• when serving, add the pesto to your cooked pasta and drizzle over a little bit more olive oil and salt - this makes the mixture pop
• you can actually freeze pesto! just cover it with a little olive oil to retain freshness and use within 4 weeks

A Chronicle of Food in Chicago

Today let's just reminisce about the fabulous trip Weston and I took to Chicago for New Year's Eve/New Year's 2011!!!

We kicked things off with a little car snack of - get this - wild meat sausage and a Wisconsin cheddar log encrusted with cracked pepper. No, we did not buy said delicacies... they were passed on to us by my aunt who was determined that we not go hungry in the car. Thanks, Aunt Mondi!

We kicked things off with a monstrous banana split at my all-time favorite ice cream parlor, Ghirardelli. Here's a tip that I don't think enough people realize - a banana split traditionally comes with vanilla, chocolate, and strawberry BUT you don't have to keep them! So at the counter I asked for the following upgrades: chocolate chip cookie dough, Rocky Road, and strawberry cheesecake. Perfetto!

Another of our favorite places to go is the Grand Luxe Cafe - a perfect spot for someone on a budget, with an uncertain-what-I-want-for-dinner appetite, and who is looking for a great atmosphere. Really, this place truly does have it all, and I'm going to break it down for you.

1) Budget: Portions here are ENORMOUS, so you'll probably come home with leftovers. Try to split an entree (pasta is an easy one) and possibly a side (salad or mashed potatoes, etc) if you don't want leftovers. You'll want to save room for dessert, so ask the waiter to box half your portion before they bring it to the table (this will stop you from over-eating), then you can eat your dessert with a little less guilt...

2) Variety: Here is where the restaurant can be a tad daunting - the menu is pages and pages long. I would say take your time and read it over. The menu is online, too, I believe, so you can look at it beforehand if you are really serious about not missing your options. But their Max Burger is always a standard for us, as is their salmon two ways with mashed sweet and regular potatoes. I've had the pot pie before, but it was a bit too soupy for me on the inside. Their pastas are probably the best deal for the amount you get - about 3 healthy servings worth. As I said, the desserts are where the restaurant really shows it's stuff. Everything is good. Trust me. My personal favorites are the Molten Chocolate Cake (it really does seem to gush with chocolate lava) and the Sticky Bun Bread Pudding with Caramel Sauce - made to order. The 7 layer chocolate cake, I will say, needs to be warmed up a little because it comes from the fridge, but that's the only possible not- great thing I can say.

This is the Max Burger...told you it's amazing

Calamari

I asked for a taste of their banana pudding parfait and they made me a mini one - too cute :)

and finally...

Sticky Bun Bread Pudding!!!!

Lastly, atmosphere: Grand Luxe is a chain, but don't let that set you off. I believe it has ties with the Cheesecake Factory. Actually, I know because my mom, ever the interior designer (not professionally, but she should be) asked about the decor and they told us that the two restaurants are sisters. Big, over-the-top golden swirls line the balusters, the comfy seats are covered with plush velvet, and gorgeous sconces hang from the ceilings. It's really a lot to take in. Ask for a window seat, too, if you want to make the trip worth it - especially at night - because then you can see the city from above and NOT pay a pretty penny for it.

Now, no pictures are available for the next place I want to mention because, well, I was having such a good time that I didn't take any. It's called Mercat al la Planxa (http://www.mercatchicago.com/) and it's Iron Chef Garces's restaurant. They serve tapas here, but believe me, if you order 6 plates for two people, you'll be pleasantly plump. Eight and you'll be busting. We chose 8 and could barely walk home we were so full. Even Weston, the man of many stomachs... But in terms of quality, the restaurant lived up to it's name. It's pricey for sure, but for a special occasion, worth it. We made it a point to try things we knew we couldn't make at home or couldn't normally afford: things like homemade saffron noodles with calamari and muscles, white anchovy and pine nut flatbread, and honey glazed pork belly. If you want a quiet atmosphere, this is probably not for you because things were hopping and we were sitting really close to the people next to us. But we like that sort of craziness and I for one, was happy to be able to ring in the New Year in such wonderful company.

So there you have it. A little travel through one of my all-time favorite cities. If there are any places you like, please share because I'd love to try them!!!