It's a Babe's Brunch Volume II

On To The Real Courses



After making the most delicious gluten-free snack, I could still hear complaints of hunger and need for real food.  For this delicious "appetizer" I used some of my summer favorites.

Ingredients:

Bakery Fresh Bagels
Mascarpone
Fresh Tarragon
Fresh Basil
Tomato on the Vine

How to Make

1. Toast up a bagel (preferably an everything flavor)
2. Wait until the bagel cools slightly, give it 1 minute (Don't ignore, I know you'll want to). Blend Mascarpone, Tarragon and Fresh Basil and smear it on top.
3. Top with Fresh Tomato, add salt and pepper to taste.


The Main Event:

For the final portion of brunch I wanted to highlight some of my favorite August vegetables.  I decided to make an omelet, and if I do say so, this is the best I've ever made.

Garden Party Omelet

Ingredients:

1 whole egg, 3 egg whites

Corn off the Cobb (corn of 1 husk)

Baby Bella Mushrooms, washed and sliced

Sweet Onion

Tomato on the vine

Fresh Basil

Fresh Tarragon

Chili Blend Flakes

Pepper Jack Cheese

Extra Virgin Olive-Oil or Butter

How To Make:

1. Get 2 Saute pans ready.  Place the first on medium heat with olive oil or butter.

2.  The key to making this omelet great is roasting all of the main ingredients first. Place onion,  mushrooms and corn (after you've washed it and sliced it off the Cobb) into a saute pan.  Let the vegetables heat up until they are cooked evenly and well.

3.  Heat up your second saute pan on medium heat with olive oil/butter/spray.  Add your egg mixture to a medium low heat pan.  

4. While the eggs are heating up, add tarragon, basil, chili blend, salt and pepper to taste.

5.  Add roasted vegetables to omelet.

6. Once the sides of the omelet are starting to get firm, fold them over.  If you have a large pan you can fold each side toward the center.  For smaller omelets, fold once over (length wise).

7. Add slices of pepper jack cheese on top to melt.

8.  Once the omelet has cooked through (if you're seeing brown take it off it's starting to burn) place on a plate.

9.  Add slices of fresh tomato and basil, salt and pepper to taste.

Hope you enjoy these summer brunch recipes!

It's a Babe's Brunch Volume 1

The BABE
For this cooking extravaganza I decided to dedicate it to my favorite faux celebrity Babe Walker (click the link if curious).   She's fabulous, self-absorbed, dripping in designer, and mostly ridiculous.  The reason she became my inspiration is because of her incessant "problems".  I can relate after several shopping trips, missing ingredients, failed planning and lots of complaining.  So cheers to her and to brunch.

The Babe Ingredients:
Blanc de Blanc (I used Sofia Coppola's version)
1 Pluot
1 burgundy gem
1 Lime
3 Tbsp of simple syrup or confectioners sugar

How To Make:
1. Place slices of pluot, burgundy gem, sugar and lime juice (be generous) in a food processor.  Pulse until a puree is formed.
2. Place 2 spoonfuls into the bottom of a champagne glass.  Pour blanc de blanc, garnish as you please.

SPICED CHAI DONUTS:

For the start of this meal I decided to make a new gluten free recipe that would create a guilt free version of my favorite.  For the full recipe and directions check out Healthful Pursuit Blog (click link).  Leanne Vogel has tons of gluten-free and organic recipes to make skinnier versions of your favorites.  You can also substitute some of the gluten free ingredients I've shown below to make a more sinful treat.

FYI:  Blanc de Blanc is a type of sparkling wine made of white grapes.  It's usually fruitier in flavor and can be found in very moderate prices.

 ALSO did you know that  Master Sommeliers even have difficulty distinguishing between high and low end sparklers?  The carbonation makes it difficult to discern on the palette, so you can fool your most pretentious guest.

Light Tiramisu

I get asked to make desserts and "guilty pleasures" on a regular basis.  My co-workers, boyfriend and friends are always looking for something delicious to indulge.  A new recipe that I adapted and have truly enjoyed was for a skinny version of tiramisu.  Listed below are the ingredients and recipe adapted from Cooking Light.

Ingredients:

2/3 Cup Powdered Sugar
Fat-Free Cream Cheese
1 and 1/2 cups Light Whipped Topping
1/2 cup and 2 tbsp Sugar
1/4 cup Water
3 Egg Whites (Room Temperature)
Lemon Slice
1/2 cup Instant Espresso or Extra Dark Coffee (both should be prepared with water)
2 tbsp Kahlua, Godiva Liquor, Bailey's Irish Cream (can be combined or choose one)
Chocolate and Vanilla Ladyfingers
Unsweetened Cocoa powder sifted


How To Make:
1. Combine powdered sugar and cream cheese in a bowl; beat at a low speed in mixer until blended.
2. Gently fold in light whipped topping, 1/2 cup at a time.
3. In a fresh bowl separate 3 egg whites from their shells.  Make sure eggs are at room temperature to ensure ability to whip.  Add a few squeezes of lemon.  Blend egg whites until stiff peaks are formed.
4. Gently combine whipped egg whites to cheese mixture, a cup at a time.
5. In a saucepan place 1/4 cup water and 1/2 cup of sugar.  Heat mixture at medium-low temperature until a simple syrup is formed.  BE CAREFUL watch saucepan until mixture is melted, if it melts too far it becomes caramel.   Let mixture cool when it is done (you don't want to melt egg whites or scramble them).
6.  Once simple syrup has cooled combine it to cheese/whipped topping/egg white mixture.
7. In a fresh bowl add espresso (or dark coffee), liquor, 2 tbsp sugar, 1 tbsp cocoa powder.
8. In final pan place ladyfingers at the bottom.  You can switch off between chocolate and vanilla cookies as preferred.
9. Spoon coffee mixture over cookies (careful not to get them soggy).
10. Add a layer of the final cheese/whipped topping mixture.
11. Complete more layers of cookies, coffee mixture,  whipped topping until you have filled the pan.  On the top of the pan smooth over the regular light whipped topping and add cocoa powder to taste.
12.   Place pan in the fridge to set.  Tiramisu gets better over time, so it can be served up to 2 days after completion!

I hope you enjoy!  The ingredients listed can be substituted with healthier and organic materials if preferred.  Swap out the fat-free cream cheese and light whipped topping for the real deal and you have yourself a delicious treat!

J&L Grille New South Side Opening

I Believe In a Thing Called The Burger.


There's a new sports bar/grille in town.  Located in the South Side Works it is cleverly named after the original J&L Mill that previously occupied this city space. The bar/grille is geared toward the beer drinking variety and serves up "homespun" burgers, shakes and comfort food.  As a red blooded American, I am excited about meat, especially the chuck variety.  I had to check this place out.

The bar itself shows a lot of promise. There are plenty of shiny new plasma flat screen televisions, there is a fancy new touch screen jukebox and there is a big wide open space for people to crowd around when something of sports importance is happening.  They have also added space for live entertainment.

FOR YOU BEER DRINKING PEOPLE:

I want to note that there are over 120 bottles of beer available including Troegs Dream Weaver, Victory Golden Monkey and Wells Banana Bread, just to highlight a few.  They also have 36 beers on tap, with most noteworthy (to me) being Church Brew Works Pious Monk.

About The Food:

What did I think?  Unfortunately it's middle of the road.  I had no intention of this place being gourmet, however they have a lot of kinks to work out in terms of prep.  I ordered from their lunch menu which is the best deal since the main dinner menu forces you to order their sides separately (10oz burgers hover around $10).  The first thing I ordered was the tuna bites salad.   I received a large salad with a very fair portion of blackened tuna.  The only hitch was that the lettuce mix was borderline almost old.  The next thing I ordered was the burger, I chose the "Lil' South Sider".  For $7.00 this was relatively a good deal.  Again, the ingredients were fairly middle of the road.  For a place that stakes its claim around this item it should be the star.  I didn't really see that.  This may also have to do with me ordering a very plain item.  I regret not being able to order the heavier burger with extra cheese and bacon but I'm getting a little soggy around the middle.

All in all?  This place is an exciting new sports bar spot.  With a long list of beers, plenty of space and televisions it will be a great hang out for a Saturday night or a game.  Go for the beer, stay for some food, it's what the South Side wants.


Check in to their Facebook page. This Saturday is the grand opening and they will be having specials all next week.  Cheers!

Legume Bistro: A Review

Legume.  In with the New.

Last evening I finally had the chance to dine at Legume Bistro located in Oakland.  This restaurant has been on my radar for ages it seems.  I always heard wonderful things about their location in Regent Square, however I never had a chance to try it.  Since they have opened at their new North Craig St. location their buzz has only grown.

In the past month I have been hard pressed to show my dining companion a new, classy restaurant in the city.  I have searched high and low for that magical place that offers upscale, gourmet food with a nice ambience and limited hassle.  My significant other is old fashioned in that he wants there to be parking, a full bar, and a talented chef. I have failed before, and met my sore “I told you so” demise.

This time around, I hit the mark.  Legume’s new location does better than just easy parking, they offer valet (at a very affordable cost).  The new space is large with plenty of room to seat us at a comfortable table.  The ambience is wonderful with good lighting, tasteful and local artwork, and the beautifully restored terrazzo floors.  The ONLY complaint I could hear from my partner was that it was warm.  If you’re one of those diners that prefer that white washed air conditioner effect when you walk in, you won’t have it here.

    The meal we shared was wonderful.  I was expecting it to be great and simply: it was.  The meat was fantastic and prepared perfectly.  The flavors were complex and well developed. A list of the things we tried:

·      Pork, Pistachio and Cajun Ham Pâté,

·      Watermelon, Sishito Pepper and Roasted Corn Salad with Feta, Spelt, Spicy Peppers and Chili Vinaigrette

·      Clarion River Organics Pork Chop with Carolina Gold Rice, Green Beans and Roasted Tomatillo Sauce

·      Grass-Fed Cowboy Steak with Red Wine Sauce, Parsley Butter, Green Beans and French Fries

·      Chocolate Truffle Cake with Whipped Cream

      We tremendously enjoyed everything.  I believe my partner was sold when he tried his cowboy steak. It was beautifully cooked with a great char on the outside and the freshest, juiciest center that every meat lover craves.

Before we left I also convinced my partner to try their “famous” truffle cake. It also didn’t disappoint.  It has a great dense texture and comes with your mother’s old-fashioned whipped cream.

      To review the entire restaurant and experience I would say simply it was wonderful.   If I had a better adjective that describes, casual, gourmet, delicious, laid back, upscale I’d say that. It lacks certain notes of pretention and polish that other establishments will boast, but that is precisely what makes it fantastic.  It’s authentically Pittsburgh cuisine.  If you’re looking for a new upscale destination, this is your place.   And yes, I will be returning.

For a great article about Legume Bistro and being named “Best New Restaurant of 2012” check out Pittsburgh Magazine.

Click Below:

Pittsburgh Magazine

* I didn’t take pictures at this venue because my phone died.  My apologies*

Hits and Misses (Corporate Problems)

Review on Marty's Market

This past weekend I was in the mood for a healthy, organic, sustainably sourced, trendy lunch.  I'm not always healthy, but when I am I want to do it right.  I stopped into the Strip District to check out the new market pantry that has opened. 

        Marty's Market is aimed to sell sustainably sourced, organic grocery items similar to the Right By Nature that occupied the space before it. It has also added a barista and a cafe with outdoor seating space.  

It pains me to say so, however I was tremendously underwhelmed.  Opening a new grocer with organic, vegan, and consciously minded foods really excited me.  However with prices that average $.50 to $1.00 more than Whole Foods and on average $2.00 more than say Trader Joe's the store is missing its mark. Also what disappointed me about the limited selection was that they omitted prepared foods.  Having the cafe has distracted them from the entire section of foods that busy folks like me enjoy.  I was able to find a salad on the menu at the café, however it was $12.00 and sadly I didn't have a chance to try it.  

With as many corporate chain grocers that are available in Pittsburgh, it has shown to be an extremely difficult task to create a space that is fresh, organic, different, and fairly priced.  If I am able to compare and say that I had an amazing, delicious, organic, vegan salad that was pre-made and priced at $8.00 instead of being forced to sit down and pay more, I will go somewhere else.

I commend the owners of Marty's Market for creating a new space and continuing with the area's growing mission of eating healthy.  All the interactions I had with staff while there were tremendous.  For me however, they are going to have to do some serious overhaul to get me excited for coming back.

For more information and pictures of the locations, feel free to check out the Pittsburgh Business Time's article:

http://www.bizjournals.com/pittsburgh/slideshow/2012/07/13/photos-inside-martys-market-in-strip.html