Lemon Curd

It seems like all over the foodie blog world Lemon Curd is all the hype the last few weeks. Maybe its because lemons are in season and cheaper or people are wanting more spring flavor, I'm not sure but I decided to find out for myself what the big deal was. I've never tried Lemon Curd before but the word curd just has negative connotations for me. Apparently, it has negative connotations for others too because when I told Josh what I was making he gave me a strange look and said I should change the name before blogging about it. Well I don't think I can just change the name but here are some alternatives, none of which sound much better: Lemon Butter, Lemon Crème, or Lemon Spread. Your thoughts? Anyways, if you can get past the name and try the stuff I promise you'll love it unless you don't like sweet lemon buttery goodness.
Some things you can do with Lemon Curd: spread onto toast, drizzle over a scone, mix into whip cream for a lemony mousse dessert, spoon over some ice cream, or use in between layered cake. Lemon curd could have many uses I'm sure so you can use your imagination. I made a Lemon Icebox Cake with it. I'll post that recipe also.

Lemon Curd
adapted from No Recipes

INGREDIENTS
1 stick unsalted butter
2-3 Meyer lemons zested
1/2 C Meyer lemon juice
3/4 C sugar
2 extra large eggs separated
*If you can't find Meyer lemons any ol' lemon will work. Right now Sunflower Market is selling lemons 3 for $1!

DIRECTIONS
Drop the whole stick of butter into a heavy bottomed saucepan over low heat and let it melt (the pan should be just warm enough to melt the butter). Once it’s mostly melted turn off the heat.

In a medium bowl, add the sugar and zest a few lemons into it. Then squeeze about 1/2 C of juice and add it to the sugar.
Separate the eggs, dropping the yolks into the pot of melted (but not hot) butter and the whites into the sugar mixture.

Whisk the yolks and butter together until well combined. Careful not to overcook you don't want to scramble the eggs! Then take the whisk to the sugar mixture until well combined. Pour the sugar mixture into the pot with the butter and whisk it all together.


Turn the heat back on to low and use a heat-proof silicon spatula to constantly stir the mixture, scrapping the bottom and sides of the pan to make sure nothing burns. If you have an instant read thermometer, just get the temp up to 170 degrees and you should be golden. Otherwise, just keep stirring until the curd thickens enough to coat the spatula. Make sure you don’t over cook it!

As soon as it’s done, take it off the heat and pour it into another container.

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Spring at the local Parks

Even though its a bit chilly today its definitely Spring outside! My flowers are in full bloom, birds are chirping outside my bedroom window (a bit annoying if you're trying to sleep in but none the less the birds are cheerful), and the city parks are crowded. My job free morning consisted of a nice workout at the gym then a walk at Sugarhouse park with a good friend and her cute kids, then I met up with another friend at Liberty Park for a picnic lunch. Lots of parks for one day but I can't imagine a better place to be instead of in front of a computer! What you'll find a Sugarhouse Park: cute moms in full work-out wear with their kids around the play ground, lots of runners around the park loop (great runner spot if you're okay with running a few hills), groups playing volleyball and picnicking, and love-birds laying in the grass under the trees. A very normal park image if you can envision. And for a bit of a contrast..here is what you might see at Liberty Park: rollerbladers and the occasional hockey player (in full gear) blading around the park, lots and lots of kids some without clothes on in the fountains, random paddle boats, an even more random ferris wheel, the tie die shirt vendor, glass sculptor vendor, food vendors, vintage cars cruising, tight rope walkers, and if you're lucky, the flame thrower. I think I prefer the latter, never being able to predict what I'll see at the park is always exciting! But even with my love for Liberty Park but I can't help but feel a bit out of place sometimes, like today when I couldn't decipher the food being sold by a street vendor. It looked like a mango on a stick but with paprika sprinkled on top?? When I asked what he was selling I discovered we had no common language so we just smiled and laughed. There was also some cheeto looking things shaped like the core of a fruit being handed out in clear plastic bags...where am I? Maybe next time I'll just go for it and taste for myself. I mean it can't be bad right? Liberty Park also has a cafe that is pretty nice for brunch on the weekends. And they have a concession stand with some pretty sweet options for a casual lunch. On your way out of the Park pick up a tasty shaved ice on the North end of Liberty.

This weekend we started on our garden in the backyard. We picked up some old railroad ties so that it can be above ground with quality organic soil and I'm still tending to my stubborn seeds who don't want to grow much. We'll see how this whole gardening thing goes. Meanwhile, my plants in the front yard are in full bloom.

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Cafe Terigo, Park City UT

A bitter sweet ending to my job in Park City. I have known for several weeks now that the company I work for was going through a huge financial crisis. As one of the largest employers in Park City we've gone through 3 rounds of layoffs. Weeks and weeks of the unknown has been excruciating, not knowing if the company would get financial backing or not. At this point we still don't if there will be 'bailout' but the leaders of the company decided to give an 'unpaid business leave of absence' to lots of employees today, me included, with a rehire date of June 1st. So, as of today there is only one person left in the marketing department a few corporate employees, and enough staff for the business to operate. The company is going through a similar situation as General Motors but on a smaller scale. So, what does a foodie do when they get laid off, well of course, I go to my favorite Park City spot for lunch with some good friends. They treated me to my favorite meal at Cafe Terigo on Main Street- Risotto with Roasted Chicken, Asparagus, and Sun Dried Cherries and a glass of Sauvignon Blanc.

For those of you who haven't been to Cafe Terigo- its an absolute must, especially if you are there during the lunch hour. They are one of the only fine dining spots open for lunch and they have an excellent lunch menu with salmon salad, chicken pesto panini, Asian chicken salad, artisan pizza, and of course the risotto! The patio is open so, you can enjoy the Main Street and mountain views as you sip on a glass of red wine or their special Arnold Palmer. Cafe Terigo is the perfect comfort or the perfect celebration spot.

I decided to view all of this in celebration, excited to see what's next and glad for the experience and friends I've made along the way. I’m not sure what's next but I'll keep you posted for sure!

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Falafel and Homemade Tzatziki

Greek food is my absolute favorite, even before visiting Greece, I was always on the lookout for a good Greek restaurant or recipe. After visiting Greek Express last week I was motivated to cook more Greek food. I found a recipe for falafel, a Egyptian dish that resembles many Greek dishes. I've never really ventured towards falafel but thought it would be worth a try. I pulled out my recipe for tzatziki that was in an old Gourmet magazine, then some lima beans on the side and I had a delicious Mediterranean meal! All I need is some Ouzo.

Tzatziki
adapted from Gourmet magazine

INGREDIENTS
1/2 seedless cucumber (usually plastic-wrapped), peeled, seeded, and chopped (1 cup)
1 cup plain whole-milk yogurt
2 T olive oil
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
1 small garlic clove, minced
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black or white pepper

DIRECTIONS
Chop cucumber and drain for 15 min. While cucumber is draining mince garlic then mix in yogurt, olive oil, and lemon juice. Add more garlic if you like it with more of a kick. Add salt and pepper to taste. (Use white pepper if you prefer to not have the black flakes in your sauce). Squeeze out remaining juice from cucumber then add cucumber to mixture. Use as a sauce for Gyros, Falafel, Pita Chips, or Kebabs.




Falafel
adapted from Kalyn's Kitchen

INGREDIENTS
1 can chickpeas OR pinto beans (I tried the pinto bean version)
1/2 cup chopped onion
2 T chopped fresh parsley
2 T chopped fresh cilantro
1/2 tsp. salt
2 cloves minced garlic
1 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. baking powder
4-5 T whole wheat flour (or more, if the balls don't stick together well enough)
Olive oil, for spraying baking sheet

DIRECTIONS
Drain chickpeas/pinto beans. Place chickpeas/pinto beans, onion, parsley, cilantro, salt, garlic, and cumin into bowl of a food processor with the steel blade attached. Pulse until mixture is well-chopped and combined, but not pureed together. Sprinkle over baking powder and flour and pulse a few more times to combine. Test one ball to see if mixture holds together, and if not add more flour until it does. (I had to add a bit more.) If you're not cooking immediately chill the mixture several hours or overnight.

When ready to bake Falafel, preheat oven to 400F. Spread 1/2 T olive oil onto baking sheet to get the outside of the Falafel extra crisp.

Shape the mixture into 6 balls, pressing each one flat with your hands and forming into a patty not quite 1/2 inch thick. (Even if the mixture doesn't hold together that well it will form as it bakes). Put patties on pan and bake until lightly browned and cooked through. Bake for about 22 minutes turning after 13 minutes. Serve on pita bread with tzatziki sauce.

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City Greek Express, Salt Lake City, UT

After some advice from Kathy Stephenson, the Salt Lake Tribune Food Writer, and some other twitter folks, I visited City Greek Express, Salt Lake's newest Greek Cafe. It's located at 660 S. State Street across from the Bayou and near a new concert venue called The State Room- a great location since their open late.

The rumor is the Buffalo Chicken Gyro is the thing to order...sounded a bit strange to me but I went for it, and it was much better than expected. I am not a big wings fan but the wing sauce on this Gyro was freshly made and pretty tasty. It was even still warm once I made it home. I also ordered a small Greek Salad, for a grand total of $5!

Their mini Gyros are only $2 and they come in several varieties from traditional to more fusion. They make all of their sauces from scratch and their vegetables and salads are very fresh.

I would say Greek Express has traditional Greek roots but with a modern American twist. I was told that the owner used to be in charge of the Greek Festival for many years. If you haven't been to the Greek Festival, it is a must if you live in Salt Lake. We go every year and are never disappointed even as we wade through the crowds. It is every October and is at the Greek Orthodox Church downtown.

So, needless to say this new Cafe has a great foundation if it has roots in the Greek Festival. The casual bar-like atmosphere is great, with beers on tap, and late open hours. They had some of the friendliest service I've experienced in a long time and I work in the hospitality industry! They were especially kind seeing as I came it right as they were closing. I was mega impressed by this place and will be coming back to try another version of gyro and maybe some homemade baklava!



City Greek Express
660 South State Street
Tues-Fri 11:00am-9:00pm Sat- 2:00pm-9:00pm Closed Sunday/Monday



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Blue Lemon Bistro, Highland UT

So, I've never been to Highland Utah before... nor could I really recommend it, unless that is if you're in the area and need a place to eat. I have a dear friend to lives in Provo and we decided to meet half way to catch up on each others lives and try out a new restaurant, that we had heard a lot about on Twitter. Several folks have been to Blue Lemon Bistro because of the publicity that they have gotten from Twitter. They also actually have their own Twitter account and are a great example of marketing your small business through social media. They post their daily specials and they engage with their consumers and potential guests about their product. They were one of the first Utah restaurants to join twitter and I think they have highly benefited from it as a viral marketing tool. Now, there are several restaurants on Twitter: Jvdge Cafe, Sun and Moon Cafe, Guru's Cafe, Bevalo Coffee, Z Tejas, Maggie Moos, Marble Slab, Costa Vida, and I'm sure many others. If you’re on twitter you can follow these restaurants to get special offers etc.

Because of all of Blue Lemon's buzz online when we were trying to think of a place to meet half way between Salt Lake downtown and Provo, we decided to try out this new cafe. Well first of all, its not right off the highway so if you're interested in trying it out and you live in Salt Lake allow yourself at least 40 minutes to get there. It's located in a strip mall across next to a sewing company (now you're really in Utah County)! But once you get past the location it definitely lives up to the hype. There are two sides to the restaurant, a bakery/coffee side and a dining area. The bakery side has cakes, muffins, tarts, and cupcakes and to drink: smoothies, coffee drinks, and coffee free but coffee-like drinks. The dining side has breakfast, lunch, and dinner items depending on the time of day. We decided to order a few side items so we could try some different things. We ordered a fruit salad with mint vinaigrette, sweet potatoes fries, and two soups- Butternut Squash and Cream of Asparagus. We loved the mint vinaigrette sauce on the fruit and the Cream of Asparagus soup. The butternut squash soup was really sweet, almost dessert-like and the sweet potato fries were a bit cold and not crispy but the taste was good. I'd come back for the Cream of Asparagus Soup for sure but it is not offered daily; it was their special of the day. Overall, it was a pretty cute place with a posh environment and a fun menu. Try it out if you're in the area, on your way to Sundance or if you go for a summer drive into the canyons.

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Curry Chicken with Cashews and Cauliflower

Thanks to the lovely Heather who blogs at Twine and Twig I have a stylin new blog! And what a beautiful day to launch a new design on my blog..HA! It's a rainy day here in Utah - very fitting for what's going on in my life right now. The company I work for is in financial crisis, like many companies across the nation, so I am officially looking for another job. I'm sure many people are in the same situation as me right now and much worse! I still have a job for now but it's not looking so good since my boss resigned yesterday. I'm hoping to find another Marketing job in Travel and Tourism or maybe venture into the professional culinary world. I would really love to be a food journalist...maybe someday:) It's a bit scary not knowing what's next but I am staying hopeful. A friend shared this with me and it really struck a chord with me as I enter into the unknown- Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not into your own understanding, in all ways acknowledge him and he will set your paths straight (Proverbs 3:5-6) I hope it encourages you as it did me and I hope this spicy dish warms up your soul as it did mine.

Curry Chicken with Cashews and Cauliflower
adapted from 101 Cookbooks

INGREDIENTS
1 cup whole coconut milk
1 - 2 tablespoons curry powder*
scant 1/2 teaspoon fine grain sea salt
1/2 large red onion, chopped
1 medium garlic clove, chopped
1/3 cup water
2 chicken breasts cooked and cubed
1 cup green beans, cut into 1-inch segments
1 1/2 cups cauliflower, cut into tiny florets
1/3 cup cashews, toasted
1/4 cup green onions

DIRECTIONS
Bring half of the coconut milk to a simmer in a large skillet or pot over medium-high heat. Whisk in the curry powder and salt, working out any clumps. Now stir in the chopped red onion and garlic and cook for a minute. Stir in the remaining coconut milk and the water, and then the chicken. Cook down the liquid for a couple minutes before adding the green beans and cauliflower. Cover and simmer for just about one minute, maybe two - or just until the cauliflower and beans lose their raw edge and cook through a bit. Remove the pot from heat and stir in the cashews. Taste and adjust the seasoning (salt / curry powder) if needed. Serve with a bit of green onion topping each serving.
Serves Serves 2-3.

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Buttermilk Fantails

For Easter I decided to try out one of the rolls on the February cover of Gourmet magazine that I'd been drooling over for the last month. I have made homemade bread or rolls much so I carved out most of the day Saturday to making these. Lots of rising and kneading that was going to be done. During the rising part I met a good friend at Blue Lemon Bistro in Highland, Utah (I’ll be posting that review soon). The rolls turned out pretty great! The only tip I would give is to pinch the end of each roll so that the layers mold together more. Here is the recipe.

Buttermilk Fantails
from Gourmet Magazine

INGREDIENTS
1 stick plus 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted, divided
2 teaspoons active dry yeast (from a 1/4-oz package)
1/4 cup warm water (105–115°F)
1 tablespoon mild honey or sugar
3 cups all-purpose flour plus more for kneading and dusting
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
3/4 cup well-shaken buttermilk

DIRECTIONS
Butter muffin cups with 1 Tbsp melted butter.
Stir together yeast, warm water, and honey in a large bowl and let stand until foamy, about 5 minutes. (If mixture doesn't foam, start over with new yeast.)
Mix flour, salt, buttermilk, and 6 Tbsp melted butter into yeast mixture with a wooden spoon or rubber spatula until a soft dough forms. Turn out dough onto a well-floured surface and knead, dusting surface and your hands with just enough flour to keep dough from sticking, until dough is elastic and smooth, 6 to 8 minutes. Form dough into a ball.
Put dough in an oiled large bowl and turn to coat. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and a kitchen towel and let dough rise in a draft-free place at warm room temperature until doubled, 1 1/2 to 2 hours.
Punch down dough (do not knead), then halve. Roll out half of dough on a lightly floured surface with a floured rolling pin into a 12-inch square (about 1/8 inch thick; keep remaining half covered with plastic wrap). Brush dough with 1/2 Tbsp butter and cut into 6 equal strips. Stack strips, buttered sides up, and cut crosswise into 6 equal pieces. Turn each piece on a side and put into a muffin cup. Make more rolls with remaining dough in same manner. Separate outer layers of each roll to fan outward. Cover rolls with a kitchen towel (not terry cloth) and let rise in a draft-free place at warm room temperature until doubled and dough fills cups, 1 to 1 1/2 hours.
Preheat oven to 375°F with rack in middle. Bake rolls until golden brown, 20 to 25 minutes. Brush tops with remaining 2 Tbsp butter, then transfer rolls to a rack and cool at least 20 minutes.

Note: Rolls are best the day they’re made but can be frozen (cool completely, then wrap well) 1 month. Thaw, then reheat on a baking sheet in a 350°F oven until warmed through, 5 to 10 minutes.

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Planting a Garden

I'm planting a garden in my newly fenced backyard this year and have no idea what I'm doing! I've heard that you can start by planting seeds in planters inside and then transfer them outside once it gets cold...so that is what I did. I picked up some little tumblers at IKEA, some organic soil from Home Depot, seeds from Sunflower Market, and pebbles from our back alley-way. (The pebbles are for the bottom of the planters because they don't have holes for the water to leak out. Thanks mom for that tip!) So, I planted broccoli, zucchini, basil, and cucumbers. In hopes of fresh pesto, homemade tzatziki sauce, and garden vegetables- but we'll see if I even get a sprout. So far, only two very small sprouts from the broccoli. I also picked up seeds for carrots and edamame but the packaging recommended not to plant those in doors. Our plan is to get some railroad ties and have a large rectangular plot for our garden in the back-yard. Again, I have no idea what I'm doing so I'll let you know how it goes but don't expect much! If you are an expert gardener or have any garden knowledge tips would be greatly appreciated!

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Locally-Made Cinnamon Infused Honey

Last weekend, with the tip of a fellow food blogger, Two Peas and Their Pod, I found out that Tony Caputo's was having a small farmer's market inside their store. My friend Traci and I forged through the downtown crowds attending General Conference and made it to Caputo's to sample and find some local products. For those of you who don't live in Utah, General Conference happened twice a year and people from all over come to listen to the Apostles of the LDS church address the congregation. If the church members don't come they usually watch this on TV or listen to it on the radio. Its a pretty big deal for their religion. To get to this cute market we had to pass through the downtown area near temple square and it was interesting to see flocks of people gathering to attend the conference as well as protestors and pretty much anyone you could imagine. As for Traci and I we were going to the Farmer's Market to taste the best locally made honey, cheese, olive oils, and chocolate...a spiritual experience in itself! They had the Beehive Cheese company selling lavender and espresso flavored cheese, a chocolatier selling 70% pure cocoa bean chocolate straight from one farm in South America, and my favorite, the honey man from Slide Ridge Honey, selling flavor infused honeys like, Chamomile, Butterscotch, Mahogany, and Cinnamon. The honey is made in high altitudes and is not blended or altered in any way. The amazing variety of texture, color, low moisture content and unique flavors found in the honey are obtained by the altitude, flora, sustainable agriculture practices and their healthy bees in concert with Mother Nature. Slide Ridge Honey is extracted straight from the honeycoumb to the container. Although the honey was a bit pricy I decided to get the smallest jar of the Cinnamon Honey. Oh the plans I have for you honey...to add you to hot tea or coffee, to top off my morning oats, to drizzle you over some creamy Greek Yogurt! I became a lover of honey after visiting Greece last year. I brought home with me a few traditions from Greece and this was one- Greek Yogurt with honey after a meal. They would serve a very small portion of this after every meal. Some times with candied fruit on top as well. It was the perfect ending to every delicious meal we enjoyed there! I've found the best Greek yogurt at Sunflower Market or at The Greek Market on 3205 S State St. Also, you can find this local Utah honey on the shelves of Toney Caputos and create a Greek dessert of your own.

Milos, Greece.

Slider Ridge Honey

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Nuch's, Salt Lake City Utah

A few friends suggested I try out this new place in town call Nuch's that just opened mid-March. I'm still confused at how to pronounce the name but the food makes up for all randomness in the name and location. It's located right off I80 on 2300 East and 2800 South and I found out later that the name comes from the chef's uncle, Nuch. It’s a tiny restaurant with just about 8 tables. The owner/chef used to be in the pizza business in the area and then decided to go a different direction until recently when he and his wife traveled to Italy on their honeymoon and rediscovered their passion for true Italian pizza and fresh ingredients. They brought their passion back with them and found this little storefront to create an Italian experience right in Salt Lake. Fresh tomato sauce made to order, homemade ricotta cheese, fresh dough for calzones and pizza, and homemade cheesecake and other desserts. We arrived at the perfect time, around 7:15pm, to enjoy the sunset while we devoured every bite of our calzones. Let me suggest the one table by the window (if its open) and you might want to go ahead an order extra tomato sauce on the side, because it that good, and it's only a dollar extra. We tried the cheese calzone with pepperoni and the chicken, broccoli, mushroom calzone. For dessert we ordered strawberries with mascarpone! Finally a great place for calzones in Salt Lake! We'll be back to try their pizza, that is if we can resist ordering a calzone!





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Pasta Primavera

I found this recipe on The Pioneer Woman's blog and we used it as one of our 'marathon meals' to freeze. The creamy white wine sauce is amazing! I added chicken and asparagus and used a little more olive oil and less butter. I also picked up some fresh rolls from Tony Caputo's downtown and toasted them a bit. It was absolutely a perfect meal.

Pasta Primavera

INGREDIENTS
Butter
Olive Oil
3 to 4 cloves garlic, minced
½ to 1 small onion, finely chopped
1 cup broccoli, cut into bite-sized florets and stem pieces
2 carrots, peeled and sliced on the bias
2 zucchini, sliced on the bias
1 yellow squash, sliced on the bias
½ red bell pepper, cut into strips
1 package white or brown button mushrooms, sliced
1 cup frozen peas
1 cup whipping (heavy) cream
1 cup half and half, plus a little more for thinning sauce
1 small wineglass of white wine
Low-sodium chicken broth as needed
6-8 fresh basil leaves, chiffonade
Grated Parmesan Cheese
Salt
Pepper
Penne pasta (1 box)

DIRECTIONS
In a large skillet, melt 2 tablespoons butter with 2 tablespoons olive oil. Add onion and garlic and cook until translucent, about 2 minutes. Now begin sautéing the veggies in batches, cooking only 1 or 2 minutes (at most) each. To begin, add broccoli and carrots to onion & garlic. Cook only for a minute, then remove to separate plate. Add another tablespoon of butter to pan and add red pepper strips. Cook for one minute, then remove. Repeat with remaining veggies, being very careful not to overcook; veggies at this point should still be somewhat raw/crunchy. When all
veggies have been removed and skillet is empty, pour ½ to 1 glass of dry white wine to pan. With whisk, begin to scrape the bottom of the pan to loosen all the nice, flavorful bits from the bottom. Cooking over medium heat, add ½ cup low-sodium chicken broth, 1 tablespoon butter, 1 cup whipping cream, and 1 cup half and half. Add ½ cup grated Parmesan. Stir together and cook to thick, adding salt & pepper to taste. Taste sauce as you go; don’t over salt, but don’t under salt either! Chiffonade (slice into long thin strips) fresh basil leaves, and stir into sauce. Now add all the veggies, including frozen peas, at once. Stir gently to combine; if sauce seems to thick, add equal parts half & half and chicken broth to thin. Cook over low heat until warm, just a couple of minutes. You don’t want soggy veggies! Taste & check seasoning; add more salt & pepper if needed. Dump in al dente penne pasta, stir to combine thoroughly, and pour onto a large platter. Garnish with more basil leaves, throw on some more Parmesan, and enjoy!

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