A Few of My Favorite Things: Tin Angel's Spinach Fontina Soup

Tin Angel, a gourmet restaurant in downtown Salt Lake City, is a spot for great food and specialties but their infamous soup keeps me coming back again and again. Anytime I bring up Tin Angel in conversation someone brings up this soup. Their menu prices are pretty high, so I could go just for a bowl of soup and be completely satisfied.

I hope to someday come up with a recipe that resembles this favorite soup of mine. Until then, you must go and have a bowl at Tin Angel to see for yourself.

Honorable mentions for good soup in Salt Lake City:
Lemon Rice Soup at Aristos (I've come up with a similar soup at home: Lemon Rice and Asparagus Soup)
Tomato Basil Soup at Paradise Bakery
Split Pea Soup at The Soup Kitchen
Wisconsin Cauliflower Soup at Cafe Zupas

Spinach & Fontina Zuppa
Organic Baby Spinach, Fresh Cream, Garlic and Fontina Cheese
Cup &4.50 / Bowl $6.50

Tin Angel
365 West 400 South, Salt Lake City, Utah
Monday - Saturday 
Lunch 11:00 AM - 3:00 PM

Dinner 5pm-9pm Open 'til 10:00 PM on the Weekends


Here is a link to a blog of friend who has come up with a similar recipe at the FoodFinery blog.

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Haiti American Apparel T-shirts

I ran across this on a local blog, Black Eiffel, and thought it was worth reposting. The T-shirts are American Apparel, who makes my favorite t-shirt, the Track Shirt, which is a Tri-Blend (50% Polyester / 25% Cotton / 25% Rayon)- super soft shirt. All proceeds for these Haiti shirts go directly to Haiti. The Haiti shirts are $15 and you can pick them up at Fretto Prints.

I also found a list of 11 trustworthy companies that you can donate money for Haiti to here.

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Eva's Brussels Sprouts

On a recent trip to Eva, one of my favorite restaurants in downtown Salt Lake City, I discovered the best tasting brussels sprouts. Many agree, this special veggie tapa is worthy of daydreaming. The Salt Lake Tribune and City Weekly have both highlighted it. Check out this review in City Weekly for the 10 best Utah dishes, which calls attention to some of the best local fare around.

Why are these Brussels Sprouts so great? First they are sliced in thin little ribbons (chiffonade) sautéed with oil and flavored with cider vinegar. To top it off they add a healthy handful of deeply roasted hazelnuts.

Since my last visit to Eva, I have tried to recreate them at home and now have a recipe that I think you'll enjoy. Even if you aren't a brussels sprouts fan please try this once.

Eva's Brussels Sprouts

INGREDIENTS
2 cups of raw brussels sprouts washed
handful of hazelnuts or almonds (if you can't find hazelnuts) chopped
1 TB olive oil
1 TB butter
3 TB (a splash) of apple cider vinegar

DIRECTIONS
Roast nuts in oven at 350 degrees for about 10 minutes. Meanwhile, cut the bottoms off of the brussels sprouts then chiffonade the heads of the sprouts. Heat butter and oil in pan over medium heat. Feel free to use whatever ratio of oil to butter - I usually use a little butter for flavor but mostly oil to make the dish healthier. Add the brussels sprouts and saute over medium heat for about 10 minutes or until the preferred amount of crispness. Add hazelnuts to the mixture during the last few minuted of sauteing. Add a splash of apple cider vinegar right before serving.

I served these with spicy pulled pork and baked potatoes. I also have another recipe for Brussels Sprouts that is pretty tasty: Pan Browned Brussels Sprouts. And another restaurant who serves up great Brussels Sprouts locally is Purple Sage Cafe in Park City.

My full review of Eva, a Salt Lake tapa bar and Mediterranean Restaurant.

Eva
317 S Main St

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Long Distance Dinner to Communal in Provo

Back in college my friends and I used to love to find a fun restaurant that was close enough to drive but far enough away that it would make for a whole evening event. I loved exploring new places. In Oklahoma, where I went to school, there were a few less choices but we found a few restaurants that were worth the drive. For these, we went on long distance dinners. We piled in cars and drove to our destination together. We became better friends through the evening. Plus, we got to try some new food.

I recently took a long distance lunch with a fellow foodie friend to Provo to check out Communal, a new restaurant in Utah County. I've heard a lot of hype about this new restaurant so we had to see for ourselves.

Communal offers fresh ingredients and a dining experience bound to bring people together. Guests sit at long wooden tables and the food is served more like a high-end Sunday afternoon meal. Although the portions may not be as large as one would hope for as 'family style', the flavor more than makes up for it.

Their menu changes seasonally, so we enjoyed the wintry ingredients such as butternut squash, apples and sausage. I hoped that the waiter would have been more knowledgeable about what he was serving. At this type of restaurant I want a waiter or waitress who will be able to tell me in some measure of detail about the food and the establishment. Lucky for him we sat next to the open-air kitchen, so the chef talked us through the menu.

Communal, along with Eva and Forage in Salt Lake, define what I love most about a dining experience. I treasure a shared meal with good friends. I see a few places that are going back to the roots of creating special evenings around special meals.

The owners of Communal also owns Pizzeria 712 in Orem and desires to open more restaurants in the area. They chose Utah because they felt the big cities around the country already have great fine dining restaurants. The believe Utah's opportunity centers around its growing foodie population.







Communal Restaurant
102 North University Avenue
Provo, UT
(801) 373-8000
Dinner..Tuesday through Saturday..5:30 pm to 10 pm
Lunch..Tuesday through Friday..11:30 am to 2:30 pm

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Sign up for Daily Skweez to get Restaurant Discounts

I found Skweez this week and had to share it with you. It was created by a local entrepreneur and through it you can get discounts on local Salt Lake City restaurants by way of texts.

Skweez sends text message coupons to its database of opt-in subscribers. The actual service, known as the "Daily Skweez," consists of one text message per day, informing you of a killer deal in your area. Although the minimum discount is 25 percent off, the vast majority of the texts are "buy one get one free" or 50 percent off. To redeem the coupon, a subscriber must simply show the text message to the waiter, waitress or cashier. It takes about 10 seconds to subscribe and it's free (standard text message rates apply). Just head to www.skweez.com to sign up (you may also send a text message containing your zip code to signup@skweez.com -- yes, all phones can text an email address). Once subscribed, you can unsubscribe at any time by replying "no" or "stop" to any of the texts and you will be deleted from the database. Some previous deals include "50% off wings at Wing Coop," "Buy 1 sandwich Get 1 Free at Jason's Deli," "Buy 1 Jamba Juice Get One Free" and "50% off Select Sushi at Pagoda."

Daily Skweez on facebook
Daily Skweez on twitter: @thedailyskweez

I've been told that the more people they have sign up, the better the deals will be.

Happy eating!

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These are a few of my favorite things: Green Tea Chai from the Beehive Tea Room

Around the greater Salt Lake City area I have restaurants or cafes that I frequent for specific items on their menu. These are the things that make a restaurant stay in your mind. The restaurant would probably admit, though not in public, that they too have favorites on their own menu. It only takes one good item on the menu to call us back again and again.

My favorite drink splurge is a Green Tea Chai from the Beehive Tea Room in downtown Salt Lake. Yes, parking is atrocious, but every frustrated turn around the block to find a spot is worth it once you have this drink in hand with a few friends around the table. It's perfectly creamy and sweet with all the flavor and love of green tea. It sounds random, but try it for yourself. Soon.

And starting this weekend the Beehive Tea Room will be the official 2010 Sundance Film Festival Cafe in Salt Lake. From January 22 through January 30, the small cafe will feature live music, from 7PM to 9PM nightly. This posh tea room is the place to be and be seen this week.

The Beehive Tea room is a great place for a lot of teas and small bites, but, for today, I will just leave you thinking of this special concoction that keeps me motivated to navigate downtown parking.

Beehive Tea Room
12 West Broadway
(801) 328-4700

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New York Times' Best Chocolate Chip Cookies

If I'm going to take the time to make chocolate chip cookies from scratch they better be good. And why stop at good when you can make the best chocolate chip cookie recipe. I recently found this recipe on the New York Times website.

New York Times Chocolate Chip Cookies
Time: 45 minutes (for 1 6-cookie batch), plus at least 24 hours’ chilling
Yield: 1 1/2 dozen 5-inch cookies

INGREDIENTS
2 cups minus 2 tablespoons
(8 1/2 ounces) cake flour
1 2/3 cups (8 1/2 ounces) bread flour
1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons coarse salt
2 1/2 sticks (1 1/4 cups) unsalted butter
1 1/4 cups (10 ounces) light brown sugar
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons (8 ounces) granulated sugar
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons natural vanilla extract
1 1/4 pounds bittersweet chocolate disks or fèves, at least 60 percent cacao content (I use good quality chocolate from Tony Caputo's)
Sea salt

DIRECTIONS
1. Sift flours, baking soda, baking powder and salt into a bowl. Set aside.

2. Using a mixer fitted with paddle attachment, cream butter and sugars together until very light, about 5 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Stir in the vanilla. Reduce speed to low, add dry ingredients and mix until just combined, 5 to 10 seconds. Drop chocolate pieces in and incorporate them without breaking them. Press plastic wrap against dough and refrigerate for 24 to 36 hours. Dough may be used in batches, and can be refrigerated for up to 72 hours.

3. When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a nonstick baking mat. Set aside.

4. Scoop 6 3 1/2-ounce mounds of dough (the size of generous golf balls) onto baking sheet, making sure to turn horizontally any chocolate pieces that are poking up; it will make for a more attractive cookie. Sprinkle lightly with sea salt and bake until golden brown but still soft, 18 to 20 minutes. Transfer sheet to a wire rack for 10 minutes, then slip cookies onto another rack to cool a bit more. Repeat with remaining dough, or reserve dough, refrigerated, for baking remaining batches the next day. Eat warm, with a big napkin.

More favorite Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipes:
A few of my food blog friends have also posted their favorite Chocolate Chip Cookie recipes recently. I guess we have cookies on the brain. Check out some other favorites below:
The Table Runner Sweet and Salty Chocolate Chip Cookies
Two Peas and Their Pod Chocolate Chip Cookies

For a full list of VintageMixer recipes click here.

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Chocolate Tasting at Tony Caputos

exterior Photo by AmyLashelle
One of the great things about Salt Lake City is the growing number of people interested in fine foods. Recently Matt Caputo started teaching classes on Fine Chocolates at Tony Caputo's Deli and many people are coming to see what the art of chocolate tasting is all about.
Honestly, before this class I was ignorant to the culture surrounding fine chocolates. It was eye opening to me to learn more about the cocoa bean and the different processes used to make chocolate. Also, I learned that Amano Chocolate in Orem, Utah won gold in the 2009 London Academy of Chocolate awards. Amano is America's most highly acclaimed chocolate producer.

We learned about fermenting, harvesting, roasting and conching . We learned why you should not eat Hershey's (I'll let you come to a class to find this out for yourself). And best of all we tasted many chocolates, some with notes of fruit, some of leather and others of roses. I never knew the diversity of chocolate was so grand.
Much like the wine tasting scene, much goes into tasting chocolate. But fortunately, you can buy the best chocolate in the world for less than $20. Wine connoisseurs are envious of the soft blow to the chocolate gourmand's pocketbook. It is perhaps the most affordable indulgence for those interested in the world of fine food.

I imagine the rule is the same with chocolate as it is with wine. You shouldn't cook with it unless you could enjoy it on its own. So, after the class I purchased some high end chocolate to make chocolate souffles. Matt Caputo recommended Valrhona Tainori for baking hot chocolate. By the way you can buy chocolate in bulk at Caputo's. I'll let you know how my baking adventures with fine chocolate turn out.

A tip for how to tell a good chocolate from a poorly made one: the texture should have a luster (almost shiny), and it should make a sharp sound when you break off a bite.

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Ruth's Diner in Salt Lake City

The winner of a $20 gift certificate to Ruth's is Dee Dee, who writes as, Whatever Dee-Dee Wants. Congratulations!

Ruth's is an all-time favorite of mine. The service is not the best but its made up for by the food and atmosphere. Located in a old train cart up Emigration Canyon, Ruth's is all about character and home cookin'.

Ruth bought a train cart and moved her restaurant up the canyon after the city demolished her burger joint downtown. From there it turned into a landmark for dining in Salt Lake City with people coming for the comfort breakfast foods on the weekends and the barbecue and burgers on nights.

Ruth's diner, usually packed, somehow allows for intimate conversation. Maybe it's something about the design of the room. It's easy to hear everyone at your table no matter how many conversations are competing in the room. Last time I went, we stayed another 30 minutes after our meal to continue talking. Though the wait was out the door, they didn't rush us out at all. Our friend David was with us. He is the king of conversation starters. His question for the morning was, "If you knew you were going to take over the world tomorrow what would be your first step after leaving here?" What's your answer?

Any choice at Ruth's is a good one. I've personally enjoyed their Thursday night barbecue on a summer evening while listening to the live music. Lately, most of their attention comes from their breakfast menu. Salt Lake Magazine awarded Ruth's the best breakfast of 2008. In the morning hours, I love their Spinach Omelet with fresh spinach, monterey jack cheese, mushrooms, tomato, bacon and sour cream. If I'm in a sweeter mood I order the Banana Walnut French Toast. But you can't pass up the Mile High Biscuits that they serve every table for breakfast. They, alone, are worth the trip up the canyon.

Over several trips to Ruth's we've tried lots of different dishes. A friend of mine who is from Texas and specializes in cooking Chicken Fried Steak, has said that Ruth's offers the best Chicken Fried Steak in the state. Our Texas foodie friend said the breading was especially good and she could tell that the gravy was made fresh that morning.

If you are there for dinner, you must order the Chocolate Malt Pudding. No matter how full you are, you can make a bit of room for this dessert. My Taiwanese friend once told me that all women have two stomachs, one for the meal and another for dessert. In this case, it is absolutely true.

I took a few photos of our brunch at Ruth recently that I will share with you. Take a drive up Emigration Canyon to Ruth's as soon as you can.



More Salt Lake City Restaurant Reviews by VintageMixer.

Ruth's Diner
2100 Emigration Canyon
Winter Hours:
Sunday - Thursday 8am to 9pm
Friday and Saturday 8am to 10pm

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My Grandma's Boots

I had a request to tell about my boots from the picture in the previous post, so I thought I would give you a little background. My grandmother, wife of a Texas oil man, loved shoes. I was lucky enough to inherit many of her shoes in her collection when she passed away. She had an extra thin foot so she only ordered or bought shoes from the best designers. Italian, French, or whatever top quality shoe was out there she found it, high heals and boots mainly. I think she wore heals until the day she died.

These specific boots are Salvador Ferragamo, a Florentine and Italian shoe designer. He apparently made the best fitting shoes because my grandmother had several of his designs. He was very popular in the 1920's and even created hand made shoes for may Hollywood stars. Being an innovator, he created the wedge and cage heel. He made his first pair of shoes at the age of 9!

I'm sure these specific boots have a story of their own. Maybe bought in Italy or special ordered by her lavish husband. I'm not sure, but I am thankful because I could never afford such a beautiful pair of boots.

Many of my grandmothers boots and shoes came with accessories- the boots come with inserts to hold their shape, and the heels come with handmade booties to cover them while they are not being worn. The red inserts make me laugh but they serve their purpose.

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2010 Salt Lake City Restaurant List

Photo by AmyLashelle
My desire for 2010 is to help you encounter some of the best food Salt Lake City offers while giving you some highlights of the beautiful community and culture this city offers. Experiencing a meal is beyond the taste of food. It's about the whole atmosphere and conversation. I hope this blog provides you with a worthwhile experience. Here's to our our journey together in 2010 - I'm raising a mimosa.

Leave a comment on this post for a chance to win a gift certificate to Ruth's Diner. The winner will be announced at the beginning of next week.

There are some fantastic new restaurants in Salt Lake City as well as some legendary spots that you must visit if you have not already. This year I have made a list of a few places I haven't visited yet. I want to help you form your list as well. Here is my list and some recommendations that I have for you and yours.

My 2010 SLC Restaurant List:
click on links to visit the restaurant websites
Red Iguana's new location: Salt Lake City's favorite place for Mexican (actually Aztec) food now has a new location
Tipica : Tony Caputo's farm to table restaurant (no longer available...check out Tony Caputo's new casual dinner service in their deli)
Mini's Cupcake Cafe : sandwich/salad cafe with specialty cupcakes
Red Moose Cafe : a new coffee and lunch spot on 900 East 1700 South
Cucina Toscana : I am a bit embarassed I've never been here but it is on my must try list for sure.
Le Madeleines Cafe: Another place I can't believe I haven't visited yet. The photos online of their baked goods look divine.
Cafe Normandie : I've heard they have fabulous lunch and brunch, located in Holladay.
Frida Bistro : a fine dining restaurant recently opened by Jorge Fierro, founder of the Rico brand.

If you have any additions for my list please let me know. I am always looking for new places to visit.

Recommendations for your 2010 Restaurant List
click on the links for full reviews
Eva's: a fun tapa bar on Main Street, great place to bring some friends to and share a few different items
Ruth's Diner: a classic Salt Lake City hot spot up Emigration Canyon, if you haven't been here yet you should be ashamed of yourself

Forage: Salt Lake's newest hot spot for local foodies. Serving several courses that take you on a delicious food journey throughout the evening

Bayleaf Cafe : Southern Comfort food in the heart of downtown Salt Lake City

Purple Sage - a twist on American Western food located in Park City. This is my favorite Park City restaurant and well worth a drive to Park City. And an opportunity to escape the inversion and see the new museum in Park City.

Takashi : Simply put, the best Sushi in Salt Lake City.

Click here for all my Salt Lake City Restaurant Reviews.

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