Archives For November 30, 1999

The secret to the best burger and fries, just like any dish, is in the ingredients. With an American staple like a cheeseburger, it’s easy to slap meat on a bun and call it good. But with a little extra effort, what ends up still being a very easy meal can be lightyears better. So, here are some suggestions.
When we travel, our vacation largely centers around food. We think a big part of exploring and experiencing a city is tasting it. So, before traveling, we research online, compare menus, and collect restaurant recommendations from friends. A good buddy of mine (jetsetter that he is) sent us in search of crazy delicious french toast. He led us to one of Boston’s most-loved breakfast spots: The Paramount.

Chicken Divan

Ashley Walton —  June 8, 2012 — Leave a comment

In reality, this isn’t quite chicken divan; it’s our more delicious version of chicken divan.

What you’ll need:

3 pounds chicken breasts
3 C fresh broccoli (or frozen broccoli if you prefer)
1 box quick rice (we use Rice-A-Roni chicken and broccoli)
1 C mayonaise
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 can cream of chicken soup
1/2 C dry white wine (we use pinot gris)
1 C grated cheddar
2 Tsp lemon juice
Dash of curry powder
Salt and pepper to taste
1/2 C breadcrumbs
1/2 C fresh grated parmesan
Butter for greasing pan

Continue Reading…

Ashley’s grandmother was very Swedish, and she inherited the stereotypical rosy cheeks, blonde hair, and blue eyes. But she also inherited some Swedish recipes– ones that we’ve tweaked and made easy peasy. We love this recipe because we can usually make it from stuff we already have on hand.

What you’ll need:
1 pound ground beef
1 egg
1/2 C bread crumbs
2 Tbsp milk
1 medium onion
3 C water
1 box quick rice (or white, if you prefer)
1 envelope Liptons onion soup mix
1 clove garlic
1 1/2 C flour.

For the spinach all you need is
1/2 bundle of fresh spinach
2 cloves garlic
2 Tbsp olive oil

Continue Reading…

Whenever we make homemade spaghetti, it reminds us of Goodfellas, and we’re pretty sure this recipe would make any Italian grandmother proud. It just so happens that this recipe is insanely delicious and pretty healthy: 400 calories per serving (4 servings per recipe).

1 pound lean ground beef
3 portobello mushroom tops, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, chopped
1/4 C parsley leaves
3 fresh sprigs thyme
1 small bunch fresh basil
1 egg white
1 28-oz can tomatoes
1/2 C low sodium beef broth
2 Tbsp olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
12 oz whole wheat spaghetti
Parmesan

Continue Reading…

Eggs Benedict

Ashley Walton —  May 22, 2012 — Leave a comment

After throwing out the hollandaise sauce and several failed eggs on the first try, we made some pretty awesome eggs benedict. It’s funny, because on Archer, he yells at his lovers and butler alike, “Seriously, how hard can it be to poach an egg?” as he throws their clothes over his balcony. Upon viewing this, we laughed. But it turns out poaching an egg is pretty damn hard. You gotta get a system down.

Continue Reading…

Community Food Co-op

Ashley Walton —  May 21, 2012 — 3 Comments

We started doing a thing. We’re now participants in the Community Food Co-op of Utah. Their website is here. But their website pretty much sucks and doesn’t do the thing justice, so allow me to explain it to you. Through the Co-op, every two weeks you can fill out an order form and pick up food at various locations all over Utah. This food is good and this food is cheap. Essentially, you’re buying produce, meat, and other foodstuffs straight from the producer, so it’s fresher and cheaper than a grocery store. You don’t have to order every time, and you don’t have to pay a membership fee (though a $10 donation once a year is encouraged– our total price below includes a $5 donation and we plan to pay another $5 on our next order). You’re also encouraged to volunteer your time to the program.

Continue Reading…

 
We’re huge fans of Greek food, but we’ve both had dishes at Aristo’s that have left us disappointed with humanity. Their pastitisio makes us sad (they go overboard on the nutmeg), and we hate to brag (not really), but we make a better version of the dish at home. However, Aristo’s has a couple of really shining dishes. 
 
Their dolmathes (lamb, beef, and rice wrapped in grape leaves) is excellent and so is the tzatziki (sauce consisting of yogurt, cucumbers, and garlic) that comes with it. Om nom nom.
 
(dolmathes)

Okay, it isn’t so much “world-famous” as much as it is famous amongst our family and friends. But still, that’s quite a feat. We have very discriminating peers. They would tell us if it sucked (probably).

The secret: this is waaaay easy to make. This blog post might as well be an ad for Bisquick, which we use for an awesome crust. Dudes, you may think you’re not a true cook unless you’re making all the things from scratch, but there are some things that usually turn out better from a pre-packaged mix (unless you’re Wolfgang Puck), so let your inner turmoil go and give in. We live in an age of delicious mixes, just begging to be taken advantage of.

Cucina

Ashley Walton —  May 4, 2012 — Leave a comment

This is the secret of The Avenues. We went to Cucina on a whim and were blown away. Although, we made the mistake of ordering side dishes with our main course– the portions are huge and these photos don’t really do them justice. Everything was delicious, the service was lightning fast (although we were there for a late lunch, not peak hours), and we have zero complaints.

The winner of the day was a ham, cheese, and squash pie in a flaky, golden crust. This was to die for, though it was a special and not necessarily always on the menu. When you walk in, there’s a counter gleaming with all sorts of beautiful dishes made daily, and these rotate.

(ham, cheese, and squash pie, with caprese salad)