Vegas gets the Cake...topper!

I just love this ad. No need for words!

Triangle Food Tour

If you are new to any area I suggest trying a foodie tour. A good tour guide will take you to the best places to eat. And you will gain an over whelming knowledge of the area.

For around 30-40 bucks per person, you will get to sample food and beverages at over 11 restaurants and bakeries.

I recommend taking the tour on Saturdays when most of the restaurants are open. The group on Saturdays are also much larger. With a larger crowd, this may mean a larger variety of food.

Our tour guide was very well versed in the history of RTP and culture. On the tour my extended family was in town and we had a great afternoon learning about downtown and eating glorius food! Here are our favorite picks:

Morning Times Coffee Shop - excellent iced chai

Pharaoh's American Grill- I love to go here for lunch. Always good and reasonably priced fast food.

Big Ed's - Everything is made fresh. My favorite is their banana pudding.

The duck and dumpling- A bit pricey but fabulous and beautiful food crafted to perfection.

The Square Rabbit- Forget posh decorations. It's all about a bakery with excellent sweets and good eats.

BBQ in NC

I love BBQ!!! Since we moved to North Carolina, I have had the pleasure of trying out NC style BBQ. The sauce is commonly prepared with a vinegar base. I prefer Texas BBQ which is prepared with a tomato brown sugar base. I have to admit I am not a fan of dry ribs or the foreign vinegar sauce. There was only one place that made the best ribs and has closed down. http://hawgwildsmokehouse.com/default.aspx Hawg wild smokehouse I will miss your sweet potato pie, tender chicken and sweet wet Texas style ribs!

Coopers BBQ: This may be the best place to go if you like pulled pork with vinegar BBQ sauce and don't mind the casual dining atmosphere. My only complaint is the restroom is in the kitchen and well; I don't like vinegar style BBQ sauce. We have eaten this of style BBQ in several places around NC. The meat at Coopers' is definitely the juiciest. However, since I am not a fan of vinegar BBQ sauce so we won't be going back. But if you like pulled pork, eat here. And their staff is always super friendly.

Holy Smokes BBQ: This restaurant is located in Raleigh in an old diner. They offer ribs with a dry rub, brisket and much more. While you wait in their cafeteria style line, you may receive a small sample of meat. I received a sample of their brisket. It was fatty, tender and overall delicious. Please be warned that you may not receive quality service here if you order over the phone or order take out. Thus, I recommend your visit to Holy Smokes be a dining in experience. There is a foodie culture here you must adhere to when it comes to ordering your food. In other words, order your food exactly to what the menu reads. Adym and I really loved their potato salad. It was the best potato salad we have ever eaten. It tasted very fresh and delightfully seasoned. My quest for good BBQ is never over. So please feel free to comment if you think there is a place we should try in the RTP.

Chapel Hill Adventure

There are two places you must try when in Chapel Hill:

The first is http://www.topofthehillrestaurant.com/. They brew their own beer here. Our favorite is their blueberry beer. I love to eat their brunch salmon and bagels. However, any thing you order will be fresh, delicious and delivered with friendly accurate service.

For desert you must go to http://www.sugarlandchapelhill.com/.

This bakery has the best sweets and awesome gelato. This is actually where my brother's girlfriend, Sarah had her internship.

Perhaps when she is a famous food network star I can say that we were there in the beginning. :)

Until next time, Cheers!

Abbey Road Bar and Grill

Abbey Road and Grill is hands down the best burgers in Cary. The atmosphere is a rock 'n roll bar dive feel with down right good food. Adym and I like to order their burgers with a side of cheesy fries.

They mean business when it comes to how rare you want your burger cooked. So if you want a rare burger, your best bet is to ask for medium rare. They never over cook our burgers. Thus, I equate this to good service. Their burgers are Juicy and greasy.

These burgers are big and filling. Adym and always say we should share a burger but we never do. Our eyes are bigger than our stomachs!

And lastly, I reccomend you down all the yummy food with Ace Apple Cider.

Until next time, Cheers!

Biltmore House

A few months ago my friend Elizabeth came to NC to visit. She is a history buff. So this adventure Takes us to the Biltmore house in Asheville, North Carolina. http://www.biltmore.com/










Ticket prices range from 12 to 50 per person depending on the kind of tour. Since it took us four hours of driving to get from RTP to Asheville, we decided to go on the full house tour.










There are several restaurants on the land as well as a winery. We ran out of time and did not get a change to visit the winery. However, we did have time for a lovely dinner at the Bistro. Their website is: http://www.biltmore.com/visit/dining/bistro/

I ordered the duck. I have had duck in many places (from New York, Texas and North Carolina). My brother and I believe that if a restaurant can not make decent duck, then the chef should be retrained! This goes on my list as one of the best prepared ducks I have ever eaten! The skin was crispy and the meat itself was pink in the center. Cooked to perfection! For dessert I drank Riesling recommended by our server and ate creme brulee. The service was friendly, informative, accurate and the food was excellent.

This was definitely an expensive trip for us. If you plan visiting Biltmore, be prepared to spend a lot of money. However, it is well worth the experience! You have got to see the breathtaking views, artwork, lush grounds, and all the other wonderful things Biltmore has to offer.

It was a fun day for Elizabeth and I! Hopefully in the near future I can take Adym to the Biltmore house. Not only is it a nice place to take your friends and kids, it is also great place for romantic get away.

Chatham Hill Winery

This foodie adventure takes us back to the Chatham Winery with Sarah. We visited a few months ago.

The first thing you will see when you walk in is the bar. Go striaght to it for your wine tasting. For more details click on the logo of go to
http://www.chathamhillwine.com/

They will give you a wine list with the prices.

You will get to try what they have availiable that day.

Here are a few things that we tasted and liked:

Prices are resonable ranging from 12 to 20 a bottle. They also sell by the case.

2005 Merlot -medium body and not heavy

Pomegranate - light and fruity

Blackberry,

Blueberry -sweet and tangy, nice blueberry tone

Rasberry - sweet and fruity

2006 Viognier - Wonderfully buttery white wine

Hope you all get a chance to go for a tasting if you live in the area. It certainly is a treat to be had. Until next time, Cheers!

Veitnamese & Chinese Food in North Carolina RTP area

Vietnamese Food

As I am from more of a Vietnamese background, Adym and I have been on the search for really good Vietnamese food. Everything I have ordered at these two places have been moderately priced.

I definitely can’t give you any sort of star ratings because these are mom and pop places which I consider yummy hole in the wall food fair.

Pho Cali
3310 Capital BlvdRaleigh, NC 27604(919) 862-8900

Pho Cali is the best for authentic Vietnamese food in the area. Everything I have eaten here has been the best in RTP. If you have eaten Vietnamese food in New York, San Francisco or Houston you will find that it is not up to par. However, everything I have eaten on their menu is really good. I love the Bo Kho and Com Suong.

Dalat Oriental Restaurant
2109 Avent Ferry Rd # 110Raleigh, NC 27606(919) 832-7449
Adym and I haven’t eaten here in a few months but I would definitely recommend you order all foods as take out and enjoy at home. Their food is pretty good and at a fair price for the area.

----------------------------------------------------------------
Dim Sum (Brunch)

The best place to eat dim sum that we have tried is http://www.neo-china.com/.
If you have eaten dim sum in New York then you may not think this is up to snuff as a competitor. However, if you live in RTP this is definitely the place to go. They make everything a little different than you would expect. However, it will definitely cure some cravings for dim sum dishes. Also I love to eat the egg custard dessert. Their egg custard is just as good as the egg custard I have eaten in New York. It makes me feel like a kid again.
----------------------------------------------------------------
Chinese Food
And finally for the best Chinese Food I STRONGLY recommend The Duck and Dumpling. This place is not a hole in the wall and a bit pricey. It is fusion food. So do not expect traditional Chinese fair. The cucumber soup, squash soup, dumplings and scallops are roll your eyes in the back of your head good. Everything is always plated beautifully and made to perfection! It's so good, I have to compare it to the best Chinese food I have eaten in New York as a kid. There service here is friendly and prompt. This is a 5 out of 5 for everything!

Thanksgiving

This thanksgiving we had a quiet dinner with Sarah and Adym. Sarah was in town for an internship.

I would like to thank her for coming over cooking and joining us on our first Thanksgiving away from home.

My turkey turned out a little dry on top. But the bottom parts were so moist.

This is Sarah in the Kitchen cooking up a wonderfully, flaky cheese stuffed baked Brie.

Sarah also made a yummy pumkin pie which took us less than four days to eat!




Adym made some green beans with garlic. It was seasoned to perfection. Adym also made a really delicious turkey Gravy.

It was a lovely dinner. My mom kept telling me my turkey is better than the one they ordered. And I missed Adym's mom's dressing. Boy I miss their home cooking! It makes me a bit homesick. However, we will be home for Christmas.

Happy holidays everyone!

Just call me "Ice Cream"

I used to work for a home builder and my supervisor and I would sometimes chit chat about his great hometown in North Carolina. Among the places he said I should definitely go eat was Goodberry's frozen custard. He also informed me that it's not ice cream, it's frozen custard. Being the foodie that I am, I informed him that most ice cream begins from a custard base. He merely looked at me like, "you just don't know."

I have been wanting to go to the Goodberry's location in Cary. It's a pretty small location. The size of the building is pretty small like that of a Sonic. You walk up to the window and order. There are about 5 tables on the outside. Besides ice cream, they also so serve meal items like hotdogs.

Finally, on a day I was feeling pretty low I asked Adym to accompany me to Goodberry's. I thought about my supervisor at my old job and said out loud to myself, "I now know." I now know that another form of bliss comes in four different cup sizes. I now know that my favorite ice cream brand is no longer Marble Slab. I now know that I am addicted to Goodberry's creamy, rich, and smooth frozen custard! Adym and I have eaten there at least three times a week for the last two weeks. Yes, this is now a habit. But Goodberry's is so yummy! I like it so much that Adym's new nickname for me is "Ice Cream".

Breakfast on a Sunny Saturday at Brigs

This last weekend Adym and I ate at Brigs in Cary, NC. It was good food for a good price. They were pretty packed, which is usually a good sign that we may be in for a tasty meal. This is what we ate:
I ordered the eggs florentine. There was evidence of separation in the hollandaise sauce. It was not as smooth as it could have been. However, the balance of spinach and cheese was suprisingly good. I really liked the way their hash tastes. It has red onions and just the right amount of seasoning in it.

As is often the case, I thought Adym's plate was better! LOL!

Adym ordered their monthly special which was a sausage eggs benedict. It was a meatlover's dream!
The meal came with a serving of grits which were not as soft as I would have liked them to be.

My overall rating is a 3.5 out of 5. Why? For such a small footprint with lots of patrons, the flow of the restaurant is awfully chaotic. Our table was located in a high traffic area. Their kitchen is in the back of the restaurant. The bathroom is in the middle, down a narrow hall that opens up right in the highest traffic path, around a blind corner. The bathroom traffic causes potential collisions with the flow from the kitchen. It is an accident waiting to happen!

The food itself is worth the price that you pay. Since this is the first time visiting, I would like to continue trying other things on the menu and give them a second chance. I am looking forward to trying their wheat blueberry pancakes.*

Giada's Baked Orzo

After watching the 'A Cut Above the Rest 'episode I could not resist attempting to cook Orzo with Marsela wine. I paired it with a nice rib eye steak.

I am very happy with the results of the Orzo. It is a very rich dish.

The recipe is below.

Baked Orzo with Fontina and Peas Recipe courtesy Giada De Laurentiis Show: Everyday Italian A Cut Above the Rest

4 cups chicken broth 1 pound orzo pasta 3 tablespoons butter, plus more to grease the baking dish 1 onion, chopped 8 ounces mushrooms, sliced 1 cup Marsala wine 1/2 cup heavy cream 4 ounces shredded fontina cheese (about 1 cup) 4 ounces diced fresh mozzarella cheese (about 1 cup) 1 cup frozen peas, thawed 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper 1/2 cup bread crumbs 1/4 cup grated Parmesan 1 teaspoon dried thyme Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Butter a 9 by 13-inch baking dish. Bring the chicken broth to a boil over medium-high heat in a medium saucepan. Add the orzo and cook until almost tender, about 7 minutes. Pour the orzo and the broth into a large bowl. Set aside. Meanwhile, melt the butter over medium heat in a medium skillet. Add the onions and saute until tender, about 3 minutes. Add the mushrooms and continue to saute until the mushrooms are beginning to turn golden around the edges, about 7 minutes. Add the Marsala. Scrape the brown bits off the bottom of the pan and cook until the Marsala has reduced by half, about 5 minutes. Add the mushroom mixture to the orzo in the large bowl. Add the cream, fontina, mozzarella, peas, salt, and pepper. Stir to combine. Pour the mixture into the prepared baking dish. In a small bowl combine the bread crumbs, Parmesan, and dried thyme. Sprinkle the bread crumb mixture on top of the pasta. Bake until golden, about 25 minutes.

William B Umstead State Park

One of the greatest things about living here is the scenery. Sometimes I feel like we are on vacation because it is so beautiful. William B. Umstead State Park is less than 15 minuets away. We can go fishing any time we want.

So on a weekday, we went fishing! Adym has been trying to catch crappie for sometime now. I found that the best place to catch these fish is right under this bridge at Big Lake.

The other two times I went fishing with Adym, I was pretty disappointed because he didn't catch anything.

But this time was a success!

Adym caught 8 crappie!! I admit some of them were way too small to keep. This was our first experience filleting fish so we went to youtube.com to see how it's done. It took us a good two hours to fillet and clean all the fish.

We had a cucumber salad with herbed butter rice and I came up with a recipe for fried crappie.

Le's Fried Crappie:

In a deep pan, heat up a some vegetable oil to around 300 F (about two inches deep).

Put two sheets of paper towel on a large plate.

I prepared a bowl with two whisked eggs, a plate with flour, salt, pepper and dried basil.

Dipped the fish meat in the eggs and lightly dust with flour mixture. Add to hot pan.

Repeat until all fish is in the pan.

Let the fish cook until golden brown on each side. When a piece of fish has reached it's doneness place on top of the plate with paper towel.

Tips: flip the fish with metal tongs. Do not let water touch hot oil

I have to say that making this meal is very labor intensive. The crappie is very flaky and white. Adym and I really enjoyed preparing and cooking this meal together.

My dad loves to fish and I can't wait till my parents come to visit. I really enjoy fishing now and would like for them to experience a successful fishing excursion.

La Farm Bakery

From their website:

La Farm Bakery is a realization of that lifelong dream a modern bakery that continues the centuries-old baking traditions and techniques, honoring the ordinary yet extraordinary boulangeries that once flourished in every little town in France. The La Farm Family welcomes you into our shop and into our kitchen, where we take pleasure in sharing our recipes and our secrets. Watch us in forming dough, toasting granola, decorating tarte aux fraises. Then taste our artisan breads, tarts, pastries, sandwiches and specialty products and experience the taste hundreds of years of French cuisine.

Bienvenue a La Farm

When you walk into the store, you will be pleased to see all the newspaper clippings tapped to the windows. I was drawn to this store. It reminded me of a place I went to in Kansas City.

Everything is so fresh and delicious.

The best time to be here is at 7am in the morning. But I am on my last week of "Freedom" before I start my new job so I opt to sleep in these days.

I am really pleased with this place, they offer cooking classes to kids and adults. You can also order their fair online.

With Serendipity in the back of my mind, I bought two croissants

to make sandwiches. I bought a Rasberry, Blueberry Creme Tart to share with Adym for dessert.

I made two versions of these sandwiches:

Tuna Cranberry Spinach Dill Croissant Sandwich

Miracle Whip, tuna, bread and butter pickles (chopped), dill, cranberries, few drops of lemon, salt, pepper and spinach.

Spinach Tuna Salad Croissant Sandwich

Miracle Whip, tuna, bread and butter pickles (chopped), dill, dash of olive oil, mustard, few drops of lemon, salt, pepper and spinach.

Everything turned out really well. Of course, the star of the meal is the Croissants. I love how perfectly flaky each bite is.

The inside was soft and perfectly baked.

The Creme Tarte tastes like a cheese cake with berries inside. I love it. So tasty.

LaFarm has so much to offer with the feel of a quality french bakery, lots of free tastings, and super friendly service, I rate La Farm a 5 out of 5.

I like LaFarm so much, I went back the next day for some Cinnamon rolls. They were out so I bought a yummy apple tarte.

Cafe Carolina and Bakery

We were out of coffee so Adym and I decided to go to Starbucks and then cafe carolina. They are located in the same shopping center so we figured it would be a good plan.

My favorite thing to drink at Starbucks is a White Chocolate Mocha with extra whip. But my barista mis-understood me and gave me a White Chocolate Mocha with extra mocha. I have never had it this way before. It was soo good, my thighs yelled, "Trouble in a cup!!"

I answered, "wait till we go to Cafe Carolina!"

Cafe Carolina is actually a chain of restaurants. The one we go to is in a nice shopping center. It's interior is fresh and vibes of a chain fast food restaurant with a touch of upscale country.

If you ever go eat at Cafe Carolina, you must have the Spinach and Bacon Quiche served with a complimentary fruit bowl. To me, that is the best thing on the menu. And at this juncture, I wish I had ordered it.

Instead, I ordered (descriptions from online menu):

French Toast Sandwiches with Ham & Cheddar

a deliciously unique approach to a classic favorite! french toast made with slices of our freshly baked parisian baguette, then filled with thinly sliced ham and sliced cheddar and served with maple syrup

Three sandwhiches in one order. Wow. That's alot of food. I love french toast. I love cheese. I do not like the two together. It was too cheesy! I scared Adym because in his wildest dreams I would never say something is too cheesy, but it was. And dipping this all in maple syrup was too much for my senses! I needed to come up for air.

Next time I'll have the Quiche.

Adym had:

Mexican Flatbread

inspired by huevos rancheros, featuring a blend of cheddar, monterey jack and mozzarella cheeses, with eggs, sausage, green peppers and onions, topped with salsa on our crispy thin flatbread crust

It was good. After having a piece of this, I realized they just cannot go wrong with Flatbread here.

I just want to tell the world that I really like Carolina Cafe. I have had a lot of items on their menu. It was just this one time where I actually had something I did not like. I really like their pastries, fresh bread, flat breads, and sandwiches. This is a 4 out of 5.

Serendipity Gourmet Deli

Serendipity is a deli located in the heart of old downtown Cary, NC. This building has been in Cary for sevral decades. Our waitress informed us that the city has plans to dimolish their store and many others due to rennovation plans for downtown Cary.

It is sad to see the building go. I would like for the businesses to stay and have the city give some businesses funding to rennovate to keep the old world charm.

Serendipity's interior is very old and smallish. The walls are covered with old green viney wall paper. I derive that their interior is an attempt at old and stale country charm. The decor has been there since the 70's and needs an update. The kitchen is uncomforably far away from the prep area.

There are few establishments that could care less about their interior dressing and more about the food. Here, I found good food that brings me back memories of mom's croissant sandwiches, and desserts that make me forget my woes.

Please forgive me for I can not recall the names of the sandwiches.

I had Mexican Croissant sandwich. From what I can recall, it consists of sour cream, turkey, monterrey jack cheese, and lettuce.

Adym had a beef sandwich.

For dessert we both shared this warm and delicious carrot cake.

Adym watched a staff member make the icing fresh.

I have to say that this is the best carrot cake I have ever had. The raisins they added to the cake is an excellent touch.

I would come back for the super friendly service and good food. My overall rating is 3.5 out of 5.

KANKI in Raleigh

On Friday night Adym and I went to have sushi at KANKI.

This restaurant is located inside the Crabtee Valley Mall. I relate this mall very similar to a Galleria you would see in Dallas or Houston.

I was surprised to see how big it was from the inside. The decor was very jap american flashy. Lots of neon lights and a huge sushi bar. They also have a full service liquor bar and another section in the back for steak lovers. They seemed pretty busy, which is always a good sign.

We sat at the bar so we could watch the chefs prepare all the food. I enjoyed watching one chef stress to a trainee how important it is to plate sushi properly.

For starters, we had cold rasberry moonstone sake. The first thing I tasted was a sweet rasberry nectar. As it rolled past the sweet part of my tongue the gentle flavor of sake swept in. A very enjoyable smooth taste.

We had Unagi, Butter fish, Hotategai(scallop), Salmon, Tuna and the KANI roll.

The Kanki roll is there house special made with shrimp and crab. I was let down a little because they used imitation crab meat.
But I did enjoy the sweet and savory flavor of sweet sushi rice with red roe.

Unagi is very similar to Fish in Clay pot (a Vietnamese dish). The sauce on the Unagi was just right. It was also had a lovely fresh charcoal taste that goes really well with the sushi rice. My only issue was that is was hard to eat. It was rather bony. Had it not been bony, it would be just like the unagi Adym and I had in Hawaii (on our honeymoon).

The Hotategai and Tuna was fresh and edible.

The cut of Salmon we had was stringy and firm. It was not the best Salmon we have had. The best Salmon we have had is somtimes fatty, soft, fresh and buttery.

We really enjoyed the Butter Fish. It was something new that I have never had before. The flavor was very delicate and smooth.

This is the best sushi we have had so far in NC. I also felt healthy the next day. Which is always a plus when you take that chance of eating raw foods. LOL.

The service was ok. Our waitress and other staff came by the bar to make sure we were taken care of. However, the sushi chef was not playful like the pros we have met in our years eating at the bar. I would come here again. However, we are still on a search for our favorite place for Nigri and Sashimi. I recommend KANKI with a 4 out of 5.

Pork Chops and Apple Crumb Crisp

Last week we ate pork chops with savory rice and cheesy peas for dinner. I was in the mood for quick, savory and fast. This whole meal took about 30 minuets to make.

A side note for photographer in you: the star of this image was the porkchops and not cheesy peas. I will need to turn my plate next time. I am not a food stylist yet!

For the pork:

In a glass baking pan I generously covered the bottom with olive oil. Note I didn't grease it.

I just poured about three tablespoons in the glass container. Next, I neatly placed four pork chops on the bottom of the pan.

Generously sprinkle pepper and salt on the top. Then turn them over and

sprinkle salt and pepper once again.

Slice half an onion (keep them as long strips)a nd spread over the top of the

chops.

Mince up a small garlic clove and spread over each chop.

Next, drizzle about 1 1/2 tablespoon of olive oil over the chops.

Add half cup of baby carrots. You can randomly place them anywhere on the bottom of your pan.

Lastly, sprinkle 1/4 cup of brown sugar.

Sprinkle cold pea size bits of butter (Optional).

Savory Basmati Rice:

I used basmati rice. Follow the instructions on the bag.

After you have cooked your desired amount, toss warm rice with butter, olive oil, dill, basil, and a pinch of garlic powder. You can add other spices if you desire.

Cheesy Peas:

In a heat proof bowl add:

1 can of drained and rinsed peas.

1 teaspoon of milk

1 tablespoon of butter

4 slices of american cheese

Microwave in the oven for about 30 seconds or until cheese is slightly melted.

Carefully remove from microwave and fold the ingredients in the bowl (must be done while ingredients are hot).

Adym actually made the cheesy peas and his additional ingredient is love. Aw!

Apple Crumb Crisp: I threw this together with no recipe. But if you want to try it on your own,try out this recipie:
http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Best-Apple-Crisp-Ever/Detail.aspx

Adym Cooks

Tonight Adym cooked dinner for us. We had steamed dumplings over a bed of french green beans. The green beans were sauteed in bacon bits, garlic, onions and other spices. It was tasty!

This last weekend we went to the Chatham Hill Winery in Cary, NC. They are having a re-grand opening for three weekends in a row. Lots of free tastings and free tours. It's only eight dollars for a tasting and some of the proceeds are donated to charity. Thus, we also did the full tasting.

We bought the Peach wine and the Viognier. The peach wine is a sweet wine with a hint of bitterness at the end. The Viognier is this fantastically buttery wine. It is smooth and rich. Fantastic. I am not sure what I will pair these wines with. Perhaps that is another blog posting!

Mexican Food in NC-Toreros

Yesterday Adym was craving Mexican food so we decided to give Torero's a try. The restaurant looks a lot bigger on the inside, and the ambiance made me feel like we were in a TexMex Restaurant in Texas.

The first thing we received was our salsa and dip. The baked chips were a little different than I am used to. It was good. The salsa tasted like a store brand that was spiced up a few notches with fresh herbs and tomatoes.

As we wait for our food, I look out the window and take a snapshot of their outdoor Arena. They offer live music on the weekends. In fact, our waiter informs us that there will be a live band on Friday night.

We both ordered Margarita with a shot of sangria.It was very good! Definitely order this drink when here!

Adym ordered Carne Asada. It was really good! Very juicy and tender. Once again, I wish I had ordered what he did. LOL!

I always order beef fajitas when trying a TexMex place (or should I say NCMex) for the first time. I liked the presentation and that sour cream came with the sides. However, the beef was really salty and had a taste of shrimp paste. I also would have liked to see the onions a little more carmelized. I have had fajitas everywhere. I have been to Mexico several times so I know what real fajitas taste like. Although it looked good, the taste was not pleasant. I do not recommend this dish.

Overall, I might come back to try other things on the menu. The service was very friendly and helpful. With large serving sizes and reasonable prices, we got a bang for the buck. Grand total is a 3.5 out of 5.

Southern Season

Southern Season in Chapel Hill is a spectacular place for foodies. You don't have to live in NC to shop their goods. They have an online store. It is a diverse place that even offers cooking classes.


There are many entrances into the store since it is connected to University Mall. If you enter on the cafe side, you will be greeted by the warm of aroma of coffee beans. Your eyes will be pleased as you pass by the coffee section of the store gawking at the many choices.


We were beside ourselves on the first visit. The isles and isles of specialty foods is bound to make any foodie tear up with joy. They have a vast selection peppers, a gourmet bakery, fresh selection of meat from a knowledgeable butcher, teas from all around, gourmet candies, stationary, cooking gadgets and supplies, a section of the store devoted to specialty liquors and spirits, a cafe and restaurant called The Weathervane.

Two months ago was our second visit to NC and we ate at Southern Season's Weathervane. When we walked up to the hostess we were greeted and taken to our seat immediately. It was service with a smile. We were seated about 11:30 am, which is little before lunchtime. The restaurant had few patrons. However, by the 12 o'clock hour the restaurant was packed.




For an appetizer we ate Fried Chicken Livers with goat cheese cream, crumbled bacon, basil pesto, and diced tomato. It looks like a small portion but each one was the size of my hand. I have to say this delicious appetizer is a meal within itself.

Adym had Classic Club rosemary ham, honey-roasted turkey, applewood-smoked bacon, smoked Gouda, pesto aïoli, tomato, and lettuce on toasted sourdough bread with fries.








I had a Roast Beef Sandwich with grilled spring onion, watercress, and wasabi aïoli on sesame seed bread and a side of Moroccan Carrot-Raisin Salad.

Although the sandwich was really good, it was a little hard to eat. I also was not impressed with the presentation.

The restaurant decor has a sense of modern country charm. The restroom is connected to the store which needs a design update.

Everything was tasteful and the service was excellent. My favorite was the Moroccan Carrot Raisin Salad. We will definitely eat here again. I give it a 4.5 out of 5.

Yummy Snacks

Last week on Tuesday Adym and I went to Grand Asia Market.
We bought Bun Boa which is muffin with meat, quail egg and Chinese sausage cooked inside. The bun is not as sweet as I am used too.
The steam them up and keep them warm in a wooden steamer. It was a surprise to eat a quail egg. My mom makes chicken eggs and that is the way I have always eaten it. However the Grand Asia Market made it up fresh and very delicious.

When you walk in the store, take a look to your left. Oh the glorious sweets.
Someday I am coming back to take advantage of this Asian bakery. Adym had to pull me away from the glass display to prevent me from drooling on the sweets.

We bought a bunch of snacks. Including this apple gummy candy.

I have to share with you the message on the bag:

"Every drop of fresh apple juice, carefully pressed from the reddest apples, shining in colors of the cheeks of a snow-country child, is yours to enjoy in each soft and juicy Kasugai Apple Gummy."

What a fantastic analogy. The cute pink cheeks of cold country children being compared to the red hue on an apple.

Here's the funny thing: At first glance I thought it read: "carefully pressed from the reddest apples, with cheeks of a snow-country child!"

LOL!!! You can imagine surprise. After I reading it again, I realized it was an analogy. I told Adym what I thought it read at first. We had a good laugh.

Food at home

Just sharing end results. After cooking for a long time you realize that the best meat is cooked to temperature. You watch Alton Brown with his fancy thermometers. Finally you get one (well actually two and they were both free thanks for birthdays and Christmas.) and your meat comes out to perfection everytime.

---

Le's new cooking idea:

Chop up a large onion. Keep your strips long. Half of a garlic, minced. Put 1 tsp butter in a hot pan on medium heat. Place the chopped onion in the pan and simmer with lid until the onion strips are translucent. Remove lid and Sprinkle brown sugar and add the garlic. Stir occasionally. Simmer ingredients until the onions are slightly brown and caramelized. Transfer into a heat proof container. Let onions cool off and refrigerate for later use.


I have been cooking a large onion and using it on almost everything. It's really convenient.
This is what I have made:

Memorial weekend Cheese burgers. I cooked it on our grill that the apartments here have at poolside.

What you see here:
Lipton Tea with lemon garnish

Potato bread

Grilled squash glazed with EVOO and pinch of salt and pepper

Char grilled cheeseburger made with carmelized onions, sugar, vegetable oil, ritz crackers, salt, pepper, pinch of sugar, and garlic.

Cheeseburger topped off with bread and butter pickels, carmelized onions, fresh red tomato, lettuce, and american cheese.

Dinner from last week:

Caramelized onions covering a (beef) fillet mignon.
My fillet is over a bed of blanched tomatoes and spinach.

Zucchini and summer squash covered in a buttercream with pinch of salt and pepper.

My delightful blueberry drink which is two parts gingerale, and one part whitecranberry peach. For ice cubes I use a handful of frozen blueberries.

The spinach is soggy due to the fact that I waited too long to take the picture. I was also baking at the time. The cupcakes turned out really good. But it's not worth posting since I cheated and used a box mix! (oh, I am so ashamed for not cooking from scratch! LOL)