The Perfect Wedge Salad

We've all had those yummy wedge-style salads that are so popular at steakhouses. Mike and I have some very special guests coming to dinner in a couple of weeks and a wedge salad is on the menu. So we wanted to perfect our recipe before we serve this to our guests.

Here's what we came up with:

Homemade Bleu Cheese Dressing (four to six salads)

1 cup of good mayonnaise

1/2 cup sour cream

1/2 cup of half and half

1 Tbsp of citrus champagne vinegar

1/2 to 3/4 cup (depending on preference) of your favorite bleu cheese, crumbled 

Season generously with salt and fresh ground pepper

Combine all ingredients and let rest in fridge for a couple of hours before serving.

For the salads we used one head of iceberg lettuce and cut it into four wedges, these made huge salads and we could have easily made 6 salads... but in true steakhouse style, go big or go home.

Make sure your lettuce is fresh, chilled, and very crisp.  

Arrange wedges on plates.

Spoon dressing generously over wedges.

Garnish with more bleu chees crumbles, crumbled bacon, sliced baby heirloom/grape/cherry tomatoes, and finish with a drizzle of balsamic vinegar.

Notes: If you want a lower fat option use reduced fat mayo and fat free half and half. Don't use reduced fat sour cream as the flavor is simply not there.  Use top quality bleu cheese, we used Maytag.

Devils Food Bakery and Cookery

Devil's Food Bakery and Cookery was our Saturday night stop on our continued quest to take in as many restaurants as possible during restaurant week in Denver.

Turns out Devil's Food is actually quite heavenly!  We were shocked to find the chef running this diabolical establishment was a classically trained 26 year old from North Carolina.  After tasting the incredible dishes I wasn't surprised to learn that he received his training from colleagues and mentors of Thomas Keller; possibly the best chef in America, if not the world.

What's more, chef Mike Sullivan likes to use "unconventional" appliances in his kitchen like a Big Green Egg (if you don't know what that is Google it.)  The flatware and stemware on not matched sets but rather a collection of antiques the owner finds at local flee markets and perusing the antique listings on Ebay.

All of this makes for one of the best dining experiences you will find in the Denver area!  Here's what we had:

Amuse Bouche - A fingerling potato hollowed out and stuffed with roquefort, bacon, and garnished with fresh chives.  A perfect little bite to kick off the evening.

Southern Style Crab Cakes - Out of all the appetizers at the three restaurants we went to for Restaurant Week, the Southern Style Crab Cakes were definitely our favorite! Jeran and I love crab cakes and this was the sweetest, most succulent crab with just enough other ingredients to hold it together. A light crisp coating and silky smooth inside was accompanied by the most amazing smoked tomato butter sauce.....  out of this world! It was rich, but not overpowering, almost like a a creamy smoky tomato bisque. Words truly cannot do this appetizer justice, it was a whole meal in and of itself!

Pistachio Crusted Brie -  A nice wedge of brie crusted with ground toasted pistachios... that alone would be fabulous; but Devil's Food garnishes this with a dollop of fresh orange marmalade, spicy arugula leaves and serves along side two lightly toasted and buttered crostini slices.

Grilled Shrimp 'n Grits - Crunchy grilled shrimp, creamy grits, tomatoes, jalapenos, tender belly bacon, and a cheddar cream sauce all work together flawlessly in this dish.  I really liked the contrast of the southern style creamy grits and grilled shrimp with the bright burst of jalapenos and fresh tomatoes.

Coq Au Vin - Jeran and I had both been wanting to try the Coq Au Vin for quite some time. They started with a fluffy cloud of smoked gouda mashed potatoes and topped it with red wine braised chicken legs that had been slow-cooked for hours and the meat was truly falling off the bone. Topped with roasted crimini mushrooms, bacon lardons, and caramelized pearl onions it was a savory dish that could be your Mom's best recipe (assuming your Mom's an amazing chef) merged with a five-star NY restaurant chef's personal touches. No devil here, just heaven in every bite!

Devil's Food Cake - The Devil's Food Cake was the perfect end to a delicious meal. The cake was a dark chocolate sponge cake that was light and fluffy. In between each layer, was a whipped chocolate mousse and all of this was topped with a decadent ganache and served along side a bourbon chocolate sauce.  Although the flavor was rich, the cake was light and amazing and the perfect way to finish up our amazing experience at Devil's Food. (This was Mike's favorite.)

Layered Cake - White chocolate Grand Marnier cake, yellow butter cake, white chocolate mousse, fresh raspberries and raspberry sauce. Need we say more?  (This was Jeran's favorite.)

Friends, do yourself a favor and make a date with this Devil!

Old Blinking Light

Restaurant week continues in Denver with a Friday night visit to Old Blinking Light.

When the menu for Restaurant Week was first released, I probably spent two hours scouring the menus for places that looked unique and delicious that we had never been to. One of the places at the top of the list was Old Blinking Light (OBL) Kitchen. The menu looked fantastic, so we made our reservation. The week before we actually went, a friend of mine stopped by my work and we started talking about restaurant week. As soon as I said we were going to the OBL, she asked if I knew the story. She said it's family-owned and that the family moved here from Taos, NM. Taos is a fairly small town and there is only one 'old blinking (traffic) light' in town, hence the name for this really unique restaurant. Tons of New Mexican art, quartz crystal, straw bale benches, and custom-made fire pits greeted us as we walked in the door. We knew this was going to be special! 

Here's what we had;

Sweet and Spicy Shrimp - You probably can't see from the picture, but this was served on bed of baby field greens in a martini glass.  The shrimp were firm and fresh and the mix of sweet and spicy was just right.

Fried Avacado - when looking at menus for Restaurant Week, I like to find things that are unique and look delicious. The Fried Avocado definitely caught my attention! I love avocados, and I love anything fried, so why not put them together? The presentation was stunning! A corn tostada with practically a whole flash friend avocado topped with pico de gallo and creme fraiche. The avocado was rich and creamy with a crisp outer crust and warm gooey goodness inside. The creme fraiche and pico de gallo made it like a homemade warm guacamole served atop a crispy tostada. Spectacular!

Butternut Squash Bisque - I thought this tasted like Thanksgiving in a bowl. Pureed butternut squash, cream, white wine, garlic, cinnamon, nutmeg, and garnished with parsley and pumpkin seeds.  I was sad when I got to the bottom of the bowl.  Delicious!

OBL Salad -  three of the four of us got the Butternut Squash Bisque so I had to go rogue and get their signature OBL Salad. Many of the ingredients you'd come to expect on a great dinner salad: spring mix, croutons, tomatoes, red onion, but they took a great base and spruced it up with avocado, walnuts, cotija cheese and a lemon thyme vinaigrette. The most amazing part of the salad and what really made the dish for me, was the additional of dates. If you've never had dates on your salad, I highly recommend it! They added a soft but chewy sweetness that really turned an above average salad into an exceptional one. 

King Ranch Casserole - The "King Ranch Casserole" was a combination of cheesy enchiladas and chili rellenos all stacked together with extra green chili, white cheddar cheese, guacamole, creme fraiche, pico de gallo, cilantro green rice and more! It was like all the best New Mexican flavors in one delicious, cheesy, gooey casserole! It was absolutely delicious! 

Achiote Marinated Pork Loin - Achiote is a Mexican blend of spices, I've never had it before, but it was rich, robust, and had a unique roasted red chili taste to it.  I thought it added an amazing depth to the perfectly cooked and moist pork loin. The chimichurri sauce was a nice addition that didn't over power anything and underneath all of this southwest deliciousness was a giant dollop of creamy mashed potatoes.

Old Blinking Light Mud Pie - The OBL Mudpie was a fairly traditional mudpie but on steroids! Oreo cookie crust topped with about a pint of delicious coffee ice cream and even more Oreo cookie crumbles, toasted walnuts, chocolate sauce, whipped cream and of course a cherry! It was so divine and the coffee\chocolate combo just melted in your mouth. It was such a treat and really top quality!

The Works - Here's the description from the website; homemade banana bread flash fried and topped with bruleed bananas, caramel sauce, chocolate sauce, homemade peanut butter, walnuts, banana chips, whip cream and a scoop of vanilla ice cream.  I love trying things like this, and by that I mean things that I would never think of making at home.  The flavors of the banana bread, peanut butter, ice cream and everything else mixed together sent my taste buds to heaven!

Overall OBL was one of the finest dining experiences we have had in the Denver area! This place is not to be missed!

Restaurant week kicks off with Zink

Denver Restaurant Week is a growing annual tradition in Denver where over 350 restaurants serve the best three-course meal they have to offer for the mile high price of $52.80. This year is especially great because Jeran and I are celebrating our one-year Anniversary! We wanted to go somewhere for an amazing meal and Zink certainly provided that! We were beyond impressed and the food was simply incredible!

We started off with freshly baked bread served with creamy butter garnished with Himalayan Sea Salt. We both said we could have filled up on this alone it was so delicious!

For the appetizer course, Zink let us pick two rather than having to share one. So of course, we shared two!  Appetizer one....Mini Lobster & Rock Shrimp Corn Dogs!  How could that possibly be anything but delish?? A gooey cheesy lobster and rock shrimp center surrounded by a crispy polenta presented on a cute little corn dog stick and served with a tarragon creme fraiche dipping sauce.

Appetizer two was the Warm Pecorino Crème Brulee with King Trumpet Mushrooms and Anchovy Toasts. Jeran and I have noticed a trend in dessert items becoming savory appetizers (see our Gorgonzola Cheescake post at Pesce Fresco) and that's what they did here to smashing success! The Anchovy Toasts were cut perfect for bite sized morsels and the hint of Anchovy added just enough salt and delicious flavor without being overpowering. The mushrooms were so tender and marinated to perfection and we piled them on top of the toast after covering it with the warm pecorino creme brulee.  Rich, creamy and gooey!

We rotated bite for bite between these two fabulous appetizers!

Jeran and I are both are huge steak lovers, but we thought we should step outside our comfort zone. I have to be honest and say we've done this a few times before to mixed success. But this time, we're glad we did!

Jeran went with the house made lamb sausage with eggplant caponata, buffalo peaks feta, saffron aioli, and natural jus. I have to admit I was a little nervous about having lamb.  I've had some delicious lamb chops before and some terrible mutton roast, so I wasn't sure what to expect.  I was thrilled!  The lamb sausage was moist, delicious, and flavorful.  I thought the flavors were light and balanced and there was no evidence of the strong "gamy" taste I was worried about.  The eggplant caponata was nothing short of a flavor explosion on my palate.

Mike ordered the Crisp Skin Duck Confit.  We had to ask about this as we weren't sure what "Confit" meant. We liked the answer.... confit means fat! So basically all the flavor and richness of the duck was used as a marinade to cook the duck.  I felt like it was Thanksgiving on steroids for the sophisticated palate! Pine Nut Risotto, Charred Sweet Potatoes and Apricot Sherry Glaze accompanied this rich and succulent piece of duck. It was so juicy and full of flavor, I would recommend this to anyone! 

Dessert course one; Salted caramel pie served with cardamon cider reduction, bourbon gelato, and garnished with a sesame seed brittle.  OH MY GOD!!! This was seriously one of the very best desserts I have ever had! I tore in to it before I remembered to take a picture, and it was hard to put the spoon down long enough to snap a pic!  The pie was rich and decadent, the bourbon gelato was light and creamy, and the sesame brittle balanced out the flavors.  A touch of the Himalayan Sea Salt made this dessert pop and I would eat this every day if I could!

For our second desert, we had the Spanish Coffee. While the presentation was incredible...various liquors lit on fire and poured between glasses.... the taste made this item our least favorite. It tasted like a hot boozy blend of too many different types of alcohol. (Spiced Rum, Grand Marnier, Kahlua, Cream, Burnt Orange.) Maybe it was the wrong ratio? Maybe the wrong combination of liquors?

Overall it didn't matter, because our experience was so incredible and the food was so out of this world! We would go back in a heartbeat, and highly recommend this hidden gem to anyone!

Jerusalem Restaurant Denver

Jerusalem Restaurant in Denver

One of Denver's oldest and most prized treasures is Jerusalem's, located right next to the University of Denver campus.  Open into the wee hours, college students know it well, but it is also extremely popular and known for its' authentic middle-eastern food.  I've always loved Gyro's, and I know they're popular in many culture's so here I will just call them middle-eastern. 

My friend Jocelyn works at DU and is a Jerusalem connoisseur, and when I went with her for her birthday, I knew I immediately had to share this culinary find with my better half!  And now I can pass along the inner secrets of this amazing restaurant.  First, get the #14, the ultimate platter.  This gives you a sample of practically everything on the menu including: baba ganoush, hummus (quite possibly the best in the world!), grape leaves, Gyro meat, falafel, chicken and beef shawarma, two types of salads, jasmine rice, and more!  Fresh homemade pitas are served table side and you just stuff all the goodness you can and enjoy!

No trip to Jerusalem's would be complete without sampling one of their amazing desserts!  My personal favorite anytime I see it on a menu is baklava so why change things up now!  The honey, phyllo dough, pistachios, and spices make this melt in your mouth goodness. 

Jerusalem's is a Denver treasure that's perfect for any meal, any time.  You won't be dissapointed!

Potato and Kielbasa Chowder

A nice recipe for a chilly stay at home night.

Ingredients for a winter's night.

Stick of butter.

2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil.

3 large carrots.

5 stalks celery.

1 white onion.

3 cloves of garlic.

5 large russet potatoes.

1 box chicken stock.

Fresh thyme.

3 tbsp flower.

1/2 box Velveeta.

2 cups milk.

2 cups water.

2 packages of Kielbasa.

Salt and pepper to taste.

Potato and Kielbasa Chowder

Chop carrots, celery, and onion and saute in butter and olive oil over med-hi heat until soft (10 mins.)

Add minced garlic cloves and leaves from three or four sprigs of thyme.  Saute an additional two mins.

Add flour, stir forming a rue. cook until flower is toasted, stirring constantly as to not stick to bottom of pan.

Add chicken stock, water, and potatoes.

Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 30 mins, stirring every so often.

Add milk, velveeta, and sliced kielbasa.

Stir to combine ingredients and melt cheese.

Simmer and additional 15 minutes and serve.

Garnish with hot sauce, thyme, and freshly grated parmesan cheese.

I shaped the hot sauce garnish into a crab :) makes no sense but that's just the way it turned out.

Notes; I wanted to make a healthier alternative so I used turkey kielbasa, skim milk, and 2% velveeta.  For a richer chowder use whole milk, regular kielbasa, regular velveeta and substitute the 2 cups of water for additional chicken stock. Also make sure you are seasoning with plenty of salt of pepper as you go.

Squash, pear, and onion au gratin.

Mike found this recipe in the Better Homes and Garden cookbook.  I love that cook book!! You'll find a ton of classic and traditional recipes. Reminds me of my grandma's cooking.

Click on the link here to find it.

My notes;

the recipe calls for one medium pear, I would get two.  I would get whatever looks firm and ripe and smells like a fresh pear.  We used bosc. I would also sprinkle or grate a hint of  fresh nutmeg over the squash and pear layers.

We also modified the topping with a little extra parmesan cheese, a little extra butter, and all we had were Italian seasoned bread crumbs.  I liked the extra kick these provided.

Finally, I would cut back from one whole onion to half an onion.  The onion over powered everything else.  Get a white onion or the mildest you can find.