Giouvesti with Keftedes (from Kalofagas)

While going through my Google Reader entries recently, I was stopped in my tracks by this recipe by Peter Minakis on his blog Kalofagas. The most appealing part of this recipe is that we only had to buy 3 ingredients (orzo, tomato sauce, and chicken stock) in order to make it - we had the rest!!

I followed the recipe almost to a T, but I couldn't help myself - I added some feta to the meatball mixture before frying them up. The recipe was really easy to follow (and easy for someone like me to stick to) - you cook the meatballs, then saute the veggies and the paprika for the pasta in the leftover oil and meaty bits in the pan. Then you add the orzo and toss it with the oil and veggies. When everything's coated, add the tomato sauce and the stock, then pour it into a casserole dish (or two, if you're me), add the meatballs, and let the oven do the rest.

Here's what it looks like when it comes out of the oven...
The result? The pasta is incredibly creamy and flavorful. The meatballs are savory and are delicious with that little bit of feta added in. The dish is like a big hug in a bowl - comfort food at its best.

Restaurant Week

On our mutual vacation week, my guy and I visited a number of local restaurants. We tried to target places we hadn't been yet, and the places featured in this write-up were the results of a bizarre selection system that I'm pretty sure we couldn't repeat if we tried. These reviews are a combination of both of our thoughts.

Two Thumbs Up

The best meal we ate that week was, without a doubt, at Kong Chow in Shelburne. We were greeted enthusiastically by our awesome server Josh and the owner. We chose a table in the dining room (there's outdoor seating on the patio, too), and were presented with a dish of housemade fried noodles (Josh informed us that nearly everything -- sans soy sauce -- is housemade at Kong Chow), a sweet dipping sauce (similar to duck sauce), a pot of delicious tea, and of course, ice water. We started with an order of the Hot Oil Wontons, which are not fried, but steamed, and come drizzled with chili oil. My guy ordered the Tangerine Chicken, which was spicy, sweet, and perfectly cooked, and I ordered the Black Forest Shrimp. The shrimp was also perfectly cooked, came with a delicious array of veggies, and was covered in a fantastic black bean - based sauce. The portions were great -- the perfect amount for my guy, and just enough so that I could enjoy my shrimp for lunch the next day (when I asked for a box to take home my leftovers, Josh said "Actually, we try not to let the food leave the building..."). We were visited multiple times during the meal, both by Josh and the owner, both of whom contributed greatly to our enjoyable experience. The delicious food, comfortable atmosphere, and great service (not to mention the added entertainment -- both Josh and the owner are pretty funny) combined to create an overall positive feeling about Kong Chow. We highly recommend it (and wish we lived closer to it)!

We enjoyed another great meal at Papa Nick's Family Restaurant in Hinesburg. Their menu includes a mix of American, Greek, and Italian specialties, and they serve Greek dinner specials every Thursday night. We sampled quite a bit of food at Papa Nick's -- my guy was dying to try the wings, so we got an order of hots, and they were delicious! My guy got fried clams, which came with delicious fries and a house salad. I ordered the Broiled Stuffed Halibut special, which was perfectly cooked, stuffed with spinach (and artichokes?) and topped with a delicious Newburg sauce. Since it was a Greek special, it came with an assortment of Greek appetizers, a Greek salad, and rice pilaf. Both of our meals came with freshly-baked rolls. The servings are generous, and we had no complaints (while the place was packed, we waited only about a minute to be seated). It was a meal to remember!

Two Thumbs Down

The positive reviews on Seven Nights drew us to Rozzi's Lakeshore Tavern in Colchester. In hopes of finding delicious burgers, we entered Rozzis... It was a bit confusing at first, since we seemed to enter a bar, rather than a restaurant. The restaurant seating area was separated from the bar with a handful of stairs, and no wall, which we found a bit strange. The tables were very close to each other, which led to feeling crowded, even though there weren't many other customers in the dining area. We started with mozzarella sticks, which were pretty standard (aka tasty) and came with plenty of marinara sauce. My guy ordered the Western Burger -- well done, which came with bacon, cheese, and BBQ sauce. I ordered the Jamaican Jerk Burger -- medium well, which I expected to be spicy. My burger was decidedly un-Jerk-like, and overcooked to the point where it had an outer layer of charcoal. Our burgers were very similar in taste and texture, regardless of toppings. Our fries, unfortunately, were a bigger disappointment. They were salt-less, and only partially cooked. We could not finish either of our meals. My guy suggested we give them the benefit of a doubt and try dessert -- after all, we were already there -- so we ordered the "strawberry shortcake with local strawberries," the dessert special. My guy and I were joking about what would be on the plate... He guessed that it would be a storebought shortcake sponge base (the kind you can find at the grocery store -- pack of 6 for $1.99), frozen strawberries, and whipped cream from a can. Unfortunately, he was not far-off in his guess. Storebought sponge, un-fresh strawberries (and I'd wager they weren't local unless Price Chopper counts), and canned whipped cream. Pretty unimpressive when you're being charged $4.99 for each serving. Good thing we shared dessert. I have to add that the crowding issue reappeared when we were leaving -- we nearly had to climb over a couple to get out of the place.

We consumed another disappointing meal at The Rotisserie in South Burlington, which also got decent ratings on Seven Nights. They're famous for their prime rib, so we both ordered a dish that included it. My guy ordered the Prime Rib with a side of fries, which was tender, but unseasoned, and I ordered the French Dip Sandwich. Although the meat was sliced quite thinly on the sandwich, it tasted like the color grey. The "au jus" portion of the meal was beefy, but like a liquid salt lick. The fries here were better than those of Rozzi's, but not fantastic. Our service was less-than-stellar (we tried multiple times to get our server's attention, and were not the only ones waiting for our check), and the tablecloth (which was under glass) was dirty, which was a turn-off. We will not be patronizing this establishment again.

smokin' time

In all honesty, this is a flashback-type post. A while back, I was tooling around with my borrowed (now owned) stovetop smoker. All in all, I smoked some skewered shrimp, some potatoes (all over mesquite chips), and later made a wrap sandwich with lettuce, tomato, and a lightly-smoked slab of haloumi. My favorite so far is still the haloumi wrap. Soooo good!

On being a curd nerd...

I'm back at work in the cheese plant, so naturally I've had cheese on my mind. Over the past few years, I have come to understand that there are many misconceptions about dairy and cheese out there... I've often been faced with the task of explaining that not all bloomy rind cheeses are bries, and that sheep are NOT, in fact, the same as goats.

The problem is, many of us Americans have grown up eating only cheddar, Kraft American Singles, string cheese, and Velveeta. So when coming face-to-face with a runny camembert at a Christmas party, or with a washed rind at a wine- and cheese-tasting, the whole experience can seem a bit daunting. I have often observed that many people, no matter their age, are hesitant or may even refuse to try new foods, and cheese can be especially tough. Part of the deal is the mold...

People can get freaked out by mold! We have been taught that everything in the fridge that is moldy is bad! This is just not true. In fact, a lot of the cheese that we eat had mold in/on it, and on purpose! Some mold cultures can affect the taste of cheeses and the way they age. On the other hand, some are just "cosmetic", meaning they affect the appearance only and not the taste. So, sometimes, a cheese may not look "pretty" but it could be the tastiest morsel you've ever eaten.

I strongly urge you to sample new cheeses whenever you have the chance; at wine or beer pairings, holiday parties, or at restaurants (check out their cheese plate, especially if it showcases local cheeses). Also, don't shy away from the cheese section of your local healthfood store (I recommend Healthy Living -- new location and great cheese area!!) or gourmet market. Many times, you can find small cuts of cheeses for reasonable prices, so don't be afraid to test the waters (or the whey, if you will). =)

I absolutely love cheese. It's great for adding to salads or sandwiches or wraps, or for just plain snacking. If you have a favorite wine or beer, do some research online to see what cheeses pair with it best (or vice versa). I love testing out new flavor combinations. In addition to eating cheese as-is, it can also be a great ingredient. Cooking cheese can intensify the flavor or even change it. Try grating a tomme into a fondue or stuffing chicken breasts with soft sheep cheese or chevre. Feta is great on pizza, smooth ripe buttery bloomy rinds are great for making mac & cheese, and the list goes on and on...

Bottom line-- the world of cheese is filled with endless possibilities. Just get out there and explore it! And to all of you cheese-haters out there--"Quit yer uncurdly ways!"

Some cheeses I've been obsessing about lately:

LOCALS

• Willow Hill Farm's Butternut -- a cousin of the late Mountain Tomme, Butternut is made only with cow's milk (the MT was made with sheep-cow mix).
• Boucher Blue from Green Mountain Blue Cheese (Boucher Family Farm) is tasty and makes a great cobb salad...
• Doe's Leap goat feta is zesty, citrusy, and satisfies my feta addiction
  
• Grafton's Maple Smoked Cheddar is creamy and delicately smokey -- delicious when paired with Miguel's Reserva "Everything" chips

SPANISH

• Manchego -- Pasamontes or Ojos de Guadiana -- nutty and delicious, as always
  
• Tetilla -- smooth, buttery, creamy paste
  
• Prebat de Ossera -- utterly delicious soft goat cheese
  

GREEK

• Halloumi -- very versatile... Great in salads, grilled and served in a pita, or even lightly smoked

Wagaboo, take 2!

Went to Wagaboo again... Definitely loving their Pizza Mikonos (see earlier post for description). Delicious... =)

Wagaboo

Excellent dinner last night! We ate a Wagaboo (General Martinez Campos, 26 -- check out the site for their other locations). Talk about "fun eating"! The atmosphere is really chic and fun, with low-hanging lighting and brightly colored everything. The food was really delicious. I had a the pizza Mikonos -- super thin crust with pesto, topped with raw halved cherry tomatoes, raw arugula, chunks of feta ("feta" here is not really the salty feta I know and love, but it was delicious anyway), and a few curls of parm. Ended the meal with a few scoops of light mango sorbete. The food was great, service was quick (to say the least), and you can watch them make your food (the kitchen is enclosed only by glass). They have a number of locations in Madrid... Pick one and check it out!