Mixin' It Up - Crowjito Style

I know, I know.  I keep talking about it but I haven't written a post for it.  Well here ya go! 

Let me begin by saying I have been a bartender for 13 years and I just now really started putting together my own concoctions.  Why? I don't know.  Maybe because no one wants to bring their job home or to a party.  "Make me something" - I can't tell you how many times I've heard this from friends and family members.  It's not that I don't want to, it's more like I freeze, my mind goes blank and I don't want to disappoint.  It's like asking a comedian to tell a joke, "Common funny guy, make me laugh".  Also, you've got to remember that I've always worked in chain restaurants where I've made basically the same 40 drinks over and over and over and I don't have the necessary ingredients at my disposal.  With that rant said and done, I have finally come up with a cocktail that I will put the Croissant stamp of approval on. 



2010 Bartending Competition - Making my "waterfall" glass stack



Now, in this day and age everything has been invented.  Every food recipe, every drink recipe.  Someone somewhere has made it, which is why the better, more modern thing to do is improve on an existing recipe, give it your own spin.  Before I give you the drink and the recipe I will go into one more informational section on where the name comes from.

Cro issant = Cro = Crow

This nickname was given to both my husband and my brother-in-law Adam ages ago.  Needless to say it's pretty darn cool so they've both held on to it and we shamelessly use it as often as possible.  Adam even went so far as to get a very large Crow tattoo (much to the chagrin of his mother). 

Being married into the Crow name, I feel an attachment to it and cleverly twisted it in naming my drink:

The Crowjito

My friends are all quite aware of my love affair with the Mojito and this is the one drink I will make them.  There's nothing not to like about it.  It's sweet and tart and refreshing and light and you can do a million things with it.

For my version I have chosen to swap out a few ingredients.

Recipe
2 oz. Captain Morgans Spiced Rum
7-10 mint leaves whole
4 oz. lemonade
splash soda water

In a shaker tin combine first 3 ingredients with a pint glass amount of cubed ice.  Shake like hell until the mint leaves are broken up. Pour into pint glass. Top with soda water and enjoy!

*Helpful hint* - Use a straw, it will cut down on mint-in-the-teeth.

Now here is why my version rocks! I have not only cut the ingredients down but I have also cut the preparation time and cost.  I replaced the regular rum with spiced rum and also replaced several fresh limes (or limeade, not as good) with lemonade.  Using a frozen concentrated lemonade will also eliminate the tablespoon of sugar used in a classic mojito because it is more sweet, less tart than limeade.  Don't skip the soda water! 
It's the final touch, giving the cocktail it's signature light fizzy goodness.

*Helpful hint #2* - If you use a Crystal Light Lemonade your drink will be almost carb free!

Try it for yourself and let me know what you think! Or just stop by my house any day after 5pm and chances are I'll be sipping on one. Cheers!

Team Boccismo

As you know, Cory and I do our best to seek out different, fun things to fill our weekends.  So when he came across a Bocce Ball Tournament, a game we've been playing for years, he was crazy excited to form a team and gather the entrance fee which is how Team Boccismo was born.  Not only was this a fantastic way to spend an afternoon but it was also for a good cause, The Special Olympics.

Bocce - (boch-ee)

- noun

   An Italian variety of lawn bowling played on a dirt court that is shorter and narrower than the rink of a bowling green

Machismo - (mah-cheez-moh)

- noun

A strong or exaggerated sense of manliness; an assumptive attitude that virility, courage, strength, and entitlement to dominate are attributes of masculinity

Behold

Team Boccismo





Dennis, Jeff, Cory & Brian

Dennis made the shirts (super awesome job Dennis!) and even added a special touch on the back representing each members last name.  From L to R: 
Dennis = Dot R R - Dotterer
Jeff = A heart with blood vessels -Vessell
Cory = A Croissant (do I need to explain?)

Brian = Turtle - Mertel

They began very early, 8:30 am, with a round robin consisting of 52 teams.  I received regular text messages with updates.  First game won...second game won...third game won!! They earned their way into the actual tournament beginning with 16 teams.  With about 9 beers and 4 sandwiches each in them, they were ready to start the real competition.  I made my way to Legacy Park to see the action first-hand.

I was very excited for the guys! Here they went, the first single elimination game against a team they barely beat before.  I stood by like a good little wifey, rooting them on...and then oops, they started to falter.  My heart stopped.  "Oh my gosh", I thought.  "It's my fault!"  What you don't know is that I am a perpetual jinx to my husband.  Whatever game he's involved in, the moment I come around he instantly starts a downward spiral.  Be it bags or poker, blackjack or darts...it doesn't matter.  We've actually had lengthy conversations regarding this topic.  I assume this is because I am so breathtaking that he can't help but be distracted...right?  Well I certainly didn't want to claim responsibility for this one so like the good little wifey I mentioned before...I hid.  See below.

I literally found a seat on a rock and hid behind the brush.  And guess what?  They won!

Elite 8!  Learning my lesson I found my way to the playground to join the kiddos as the next game was beginning.  Alas, they lost that game due to a very bumpy court, but at least they couldn't blame it on Delane (insert Milli Vanilli song here).  Out of 52 teams they finished 5th! Not bad for one day of practice!

They all had the best time, got to drink many pints of beers and consume lots of awesome BBQ, received countless compliments on their shirts and raised a good bit of money for charity.  A day well spent.

Long live Team Boccismo!

**I think next year I may gather a ladies Bocce team :)**











The Nose Dive...Again!

Recently I had some out-of-towners passing through (Hi Chelsea! Hi Alyssa!) and I took them for a tour of beautiful downtown Greenville.  The hosting duty afforded me a great opportunity to revisit my favorite restaurant Nose Dive.  Here is a review of the interesting tasty bites we tried.

*Please note - While you all know I worship unique food, these girls are young college students who would be more apt to dine at Applebees so they were very brave to join me on this culinary experience and I thank them for it*

The Beer

I tried a Bear Republic Ryevalry - American-Belgo-Style Double IPA

It was super good.  Light in color.  Cloudy in consistency.  Tons of citrus followed by a very herb-y taste, I'd say like basil.  It wasn't too heavy but one was enough for me.  Bear Republic Brewery hails from CA - you can "like" them on FB here: http://www.facebook.com/bearrepublic

Side note alert!

For those of you in Greenville, there is a small craft beer store The Community Tap where they specialize in having rare and craft beer on their growler pouring station.  What's a growler you ask? It is a 64 oz. refillable glass jug used for draft beer takeout.  They change the selections daily.  They had the above mentioned Ryevalry just yesterday!...and I missed it.  Like them on FB here: http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/The-Community-Tap/104211012961122 or visit their website here: http://www.thecommunitytap.com/

Back to the food! I am determined to try everything on this menu, so here are four new dishes I can scratch off my list.

The Appetizer

Prince Edward Island Mussels in a Lemongrass and Chili broth served with crusty bread.

Broth was amazing. Fragrant, spicy, I almost asked for a spoon.  The mussels were...hmmm...ok.  I hate not giving a stellar review to my beloved Nose Dive but I admit I lost a little faith in the food this trip.  They were a little overdone and rather stringy.  Don't get me wrong, I sopped up all the goodness at the bottom of that bowl with the bread.

The Main Course(s)

First up, I had another appetizer, a Scotch Egg.  A scotch egg is a classic pub dish containing a hard boiled egg wrapped in a ground meat mixture (in this case pork) and deep fried.  They are commonly eaten cold, although mine was more room temperature and they elevated the dish by pairing it with a celery remoulade, roasted red pepper puree and a little slaw.  Sigh...it was just eh.  Rather dry, pretty bland.  But it too, is scratched off of my list...forever.

Next comes Alyssa's Chicken Sandwich.  This leans toward the more normal side of their offerings but it was magic just the same.  Tender chicken served on a french baguette with caprese salad fixings in the middle (basil puree, fresh mozzarella, roasted cherry tomatoes and arugula).  She of course got it with the duck fat fried sweet potato fries which may be the only item I revisit over and over again.

On to Chelsea's meal, the Croque Madame.  The Madame is the female counterpart to the Monsieur, a fancy grilled ham and cheese.  What makes it a Madame is when you add an egg on top - delish!!! It was pretty ridiculous.  Ham, Gruyere, Lusty Monk mustard, Mornay sauce and a fried egg.  Rich, creamy, bread-y...an Atkins nightmare.  Paired with the ever popular sweet potato fries it was a feast worthy of 3 extra days on the treadmill.

The Dessert

Ok, I have to apologize to the girls on this one because before the waiter could even ask us if we wanted dessert I was foaming at the mouth as he crossed the room towards us and I verbally tackled him with my order.  Dark Chocolate Candied Bacon Brownie with Oatmeal Porter ice cream.  It was....well...different.  Some bites had very little bacon which gave you intense chocolate flavor but other bites were chock full of very smokey crunchy bacon bits, which, when mixed with the soft brownie tasted like a little acrid campfire in your mouth...but in a good way.  Then when you paired it with the sweet, bitter ice cream it was a confusing tangle of tastes.  It was like The Matrix.  I didn't really understand it, yet I know I liked it, but yet I wasn't sure why.  Will I have it again? Probably not any time soon...unless I get more visitors :)

I tried something new #2. Grade: A-

So it's 9:00am.  The twins have been sent to school and Quinn has been fed, cleaned, clothed and sent to school as well.  I find myself alone at home (insert relaxing sigh) and I'm hungry.  I start to search the cabinets but there isn't too much to find.  No cereal.  No pop-tarts.  No frozen breakfast sandwiches.  Those of you with kids older than 5 will surely appreciate this next reference.  You know the Nematode's from Spongebob? For those of you not familiar, they are a group of ocean organisms that travel in fast moving herds consuming everything in their path...well...that's what my family is like.  I buy food, the food is gone. Sure I have eggs but they're not suiting my mood.

I reluctantly get out the box of frozen waffles.  Eh.  I need something better than this.  Hmmm...I have banana's.  And strawberries.  And brown sugar! So this is what I did for a "something new" breakfast.

I melted a Tbs. (or two) of dark brown sugar in a small sauce pan with a few teaspoons of butter margarine making a "sort-of" caramel.  I then added a half of a sliced banana and sauteed for a quick minute.  I sliced a few strawberries fan style and toasted my waffles.  I then topped my crisp waffled with the banana's and the sliced strawberries and drizzled the dark caramel over the top.  Yum!! No syrup needed here!

I give it an A- because I overcooked the banana's just a bit and some fresh whip cream would've made it that much more special (and made me have to stay an extra 15 at the gym today). 

Next I Tried Something New: Fruit salad with fresh basil and mint.

Short and Sweet Book Reviews - Book #1

Apologies for the lapse in time between postings, it's been a busy week.  To make up for it here is number one in a series of Short and Sweet book reviews I will be doing. 

Book #1
 Are You There, Vodka? It's Me, Chelsea

by Chelsea Handler

Grade: B+

You love her, you hate her.  It really doesn't matter because clearly she doesn't care what you think, but I personally love her.  I want to be her. 

Chelsea was born in Jersey as the youngest of six children to a rather dysfunctional family and she's willing to tell you every hilarious, if not uncomfortable, moment from her childhood to now. 

The book is a series of tall-ish tales beginning when she was about 10 that seem to be a little much to believe, but if you've ever read her or seen her show you know it's all true. 

Her antics begin in elementary school when she convinces her class that she will be playing Goldie Hawn's daughter in the sequel to Private Benjamin.  They continue into her teen years and early adulthood where she ended up in prison.  They then conclude in her 30's where she basically spent her days and nights drinking, doing stand-up, engaging in gratuitous one night stands and ending up famous. 

Excerpt from pg. 65 (A few hours after sitting in jail, arrested on DUI suspicion)

My name was called rather quickly and I went into the office, sitting down across from a Latino woman in her forties. "Hi," I said, with a bounce in my step. "Hi, Miss...Handler?" she said, looking up at me with what I took to be sympathy.  Finally.  "Yup, that's me," I said, shaking my head at the injustice of it all.  "Okay, there are a couple options. Do you have any special skills?"  "Skills? Not really, no.  I'm good at reading, I can type pretty fast...I'm not sure what you're asking me?" i asked confused.  "Well, you're here for work placement, so there are different things to choose from: You could work in the kitchen, or anything from license plate to wooden wind chimes, or you can enroll in school and get your GED."  "What are you talking about? No, no, no...I'm not working here, you don't seem to understand.  First of all, I am supposed to be getting bailed out this morning.  I do not want a job making wind chimes or fixing cars and I already graduated from high school...barely, but I did, so I don't need a GED! I want to go home! I just want to go home! What exactly is the problem with you people?" "Listen, Miss Handler, everyone thinks they are going home.  But the reality of the situation is that eighty-five percent of the inmates booked end up spending a minimum of six months here, and if you want to start earning money, the thing for you to do is get a job."  "That was it.  I stood up and placed my hands on her desk.  "Listen up, miracle ear," I told her. "I spoke with my aunt last night , and she has already paid the money to get me out, okay? I am waiting for them to release me any minute. That is the situation.  So for all I care, you can put my name down to plant prison flowers, or style inmates' hair, or head up the womens' f*cking field hockey team.  I am not staying here!"  "Next." she said.  I looked up at the ceiling.  "Are you there, vodka? It's me, Chelsea.  Please get me out of jail and I promise I will never drink again.  Drink and drive.  I will never drink and drive again.  I may even start my own group fashioned after MADD, but I'll call it AWLTDASH, Alcoholic's Who Like To Drink and Stay Home."

I will sum it up like with an analogy.  The beginning was like the waiter forgetting to ring in your appetizer so your entree comes and it's really good so you forgive him.  The middle was like an amazing dessert, rich with character.  The end was like getting that appetizer your waiter forgot about but now you're full and you don't want it anymore. 

 The funny just wasn't balanced throughout.  It's like she had stroke of comic genius days writing and then "it'll do" days writing.  I will say her 80's pop-culture references were probably the best part because I completely identified with them and could place myself in the scene with her as she told her stories.  Which brings me to my last and final point.  It has nothing to do with the book but when I looked up some facts of imdb.com I found out her birthday is 1975.  That means she's only 1 year older then me.  Huh? 

Birthday: Sept. 21, 1976

Birthday: February 25, 1975

Ok, ok.  Maybe that was my senior year high school yearbook picture but common! Am I that wrinkly???

Next Short and Sweet Book Review: Kitchen Confidential by Anthony Bourdain

I Tried Something New. Grade: D-

I guess they all can't be winners.  But I had really high hopes for this one.  Quinn found this recipe at Bloom (our local grocery store) and asked me to make it.  Angel Food and Grapefruit Lush Cake.  It sounded intriguing, the ingredients were few and simple and the calorie count was pretty darn good.  Here is the recipe and a picture of what it was supposed to look like >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Ingredients
+ 5 cp Grapefruit
+ 8 oz vanilla flavor instant pudding and pie filling
+ 2 cp non dairy whipped topping
+ 10 in angel food cake
+ 5 Strawberries

Preparation

• Mix grapefruit sections and dry pudding mix in medium bowl.
• Gently stir in whipped topping.
• Cut cake horizontally into three layers. Place bottom cake layer, cut-side up, on serving plate. Top with one-third of the pudding mixture.
• Repeat layers two times. Refrigerate for at least 1 hr.
• Top with grapefruit sections and strawberries just before serving.

Here are my pictures as we went and my end result:

We started off good....





Cooling...

 



Looking good...

 



Uh oh.  It's leaning.  This was the beginning of the end.





The filling looked "ok".





Oh geez.  It was so ugly.  I actually took this pic from the good side.

Look at mine next to what it was supposed to be.  Shameful.








 
                                                       I thought, "Maybe it will still taste good."   Nope.  The kids each took a bite and after a moment of yum, their little faces squished up they were like, "What is that taste?!"  It seems the grapefruit took on a metallic, soapy flavor after being mixed with the other ingredients.  Abby said it tasted like hand sanitizer.  So alas, it's in the garbage now which means the quest continues to find another beautiful, delicious, healthy dessert for my family.  

Kitchen Tips #1 - Little Touches Go A Long Way

I love to cook.  And so do you I bet.  I like to try and make things outside of the norm but there's one problem.  I have this romantic notion in my head that I'm going to look like Giada and don my pastel v-neck blouse with my costume jewelry, hair perfectly coiffed and not a single smudge or smear of any type of sauce on me.  I'm going to slowly and beautifully chop and slice just like a pro all the while narrating how luscious the marscapone (and I'm going to pronounce it mer-SCA-pone-eh) sounds as I fold it into my cavattapi.  But we all know that's not how it's going to go down.

The reality is that I'm going to scramble for ingredients, loose my recipe countless times and dirty up more pots, pans, spoons and utensils then I care to clean.  My kitchen and myself will look like a bomb blew up and the end result will just be "ok" since it takes many times making a particular recipe to really get it right.  So now I've spent more money on groceries then I would've to go out to eat AND I'm stuck cleaning up the mess.  But with a few encouraging words from Cory (ALMOST every time I make something new.  If he's quiet I know to throw that one out.) I feel proud that at least I tried.  With that said, I'm going to reference yet another Food Network "chef" (used loosely for her, sorry) but Sandra Lee has the right idea with Semi-Homemade.  On this night I needed a short-cut. 

Do you ever eat in restaurants and wonder, "Why doesn't my food taste like this?"  Simple.  Fresh ingredients and special touches make all the difference.  Here is an example of how I put that into practice just the other night.

I purchased a pack of Grilled Chicken and Mozzarella Ravioli from Costco.  I boiled it.  I opened a jar of marinara. I nuked it in the microwave.  But here is how to turn an ok dinner into OK It's Dinner!

 Alongside my beloved mint plant stands my basil plant. 
If you've never grown basil it's simple and it takes off like a mofo.  I plucked a few basil leaves off and cut them into a chiffonade. >>>>>

I then took a wedge of delicious Parmesan cheese (not the powder you buy off the shelf people) and grated it finely.

Whallah! These two minor touches on top of my 5

minute dinner elevated it to restaurant quality. It looked professional and tasted heavenly.  Home-grown basil is so fragrant and fresh and the parm is salty and nutty and wonderful. 

Tip: If you don't want to grow your own herbs you can find small packages of them in the produce section of your grocery store.

Sadly I was eating alone this night but I were to serve this to company I would pair it with a classic crusty garlic bread and Pinot Grigio.  I hope this inspires you to try adding a special touch to your next meal!  PS - If you want to borrow some basil, come snip it off my patio :)

Eggs and Helicopters and Beers! Oh My! Part 2 - Duck Fat and Krispy Kreme

...I take you now outside our egg adventure and into our culinary quest of the day...

The egg scavenging was done and after the exhausting 3 minutes it took to get our eggs we were all famished.  I cannot wait to introduce you to my new all time favorite restaurant.  I can't explain it.  It just screams ME! I am on a quest to try every single item on the menu and write about it all!  

Behold - The Nose Dive

NOSE: With all things food and drink - the first sense involved is the sense of smell.

DIVE: A rare place where high and low rub elbows - bums and poets, thieves and celebrities.

Chef Joey rocks and I know first hand.  Not only have I had the pleasure of sampling a few things this past weekend, Cory and I were also guests at the Thomas Creek Beer Dinner which will receive it's own blog.



L: Thomas Creek Pilsner  R: Ballast Point Big Eye IPA



So what did we eat?  Try to not short out your computer by salivating on the keyboard.  Let's start with some beer.  We began with a Thomas Creek (a local brewery, literally right up the street) Pilsner and a Ballast Point Big Eye IPA which hails from San Diego.  All their beers are named after fish. 

The Pilsner hit the spot after sitting in the sun for a few hours.  Cold, malty and a little skunky, but in a good way.
The IPA was also tasty.  It had a really nice reddish carmelly color with lots of citrus notes and that distinct hoppy twang that makes an IPA an IPA.

They have a magical assortment of appetizers and just as I'm about to order something unusual Cory busts out with "We'll have the calamari."  I roll my eyes and mutter "Oh geez" under my breath knowing full well I can order boring calamari in any bowling alley, let alone restaurant.  Well, the actual calamari isn't much to write about.  It was a little pale in fry color and a little chewier than I like.  But the sauce! Gasp! The sauce is something to write about!

It came with a drizzle of what I thought was a balsamic reduction but no! It was sweet soy - delightful surprise!  And then there was a ramekin of a speckled orange-y sauce that turned out to maybe be the best thing about the whole meal.  It was a spicy aioli and it was amazing.  Creamy, salty, sweet, spicy.  Which brings me to maybe the most decadent thing I've ever eaten (maybe even better than the Duck Pizza at The Lazy Goat).

Sweet Potato Fries Cooked in Duck Fat

You read it right.  These fries were a cross between heaven and a funnel cake which are almost the same thing.  I'm not kidding.  They were so rich it was like eating dessert.  The deep sweet and savory flavor of the potato enhanced with the sprinkle of salt were like all the smells at a state fair on the most beautiful day...minus the carnies.  And the best part? Like uncivilized cavemen we dipped the fries in the spicy aioli!! Stop it!  I'm pretty sure I invented the 8th wonder of the world.

What did we get the fries with?  Something (some of) you never heard of.  We had a Vietnamese Banh Mi (baan - mee).  It was in one word - ridiculous.  A banh mi is a sandwich on soft bread with pork, pickled vegetables and cilantro. I feel as if there is a little part of me that is complete now that I've had this perfect partnership of meaty, tangy, fresh goodness.

On to the lobster roll! Yeah I said it.  We had a lobster roll too.  So?  Don't judge us, I told you I was on a mission.  It was delish.  Totally authentic toasted square hoagie roll, lots of fresh lobster barely dressed with a touch of mayo and served with a lemon wedge that I squeezed the heck out of.  I don't have a picture of it because I was so excited and I've been waiting so long to have one that Cory and I couldn't get our faces on it fast enough and before we took a breath it was gone. 

And then came dessert.  Try not to squeal with delight as you read:
Krispy Kreme Creme Brulee with Espresso Chocolate Chip Cookies

Oh my goodness.  Are you kidding me?  I read it and had to have it too.  Creme brulee is easily in my top 5 favorite desserts and this one was no disappointment.  I literally took notes on it at the restaurant.  Here is what I wrote: Super satisfying.  Rich, creamy, sweet. My only complaint was that the hard sugar shell on top was compromised by them jamming the cookies in but I guess I would've ended up dipping them in there eventually.  But I do hold cracking the sugar and having a little crunch on it very sacred.  The cookies were stoopid good.  A light espresso flavor which made them a little more special but not so much that the kids wouldn't eat them.



View from the Liberty Bridge at Falls Park




Come visit! I'll take you here and to all my favorite joints.



After a little stroll downtown to view the falls and digest our coma inducing lunch we hit the Carolina Ale house.  I enjoyed a Sweetwater Blue (a blueberry beer from Atlanta, GA)and Cory got something that was around 10% alcohol and smelled awful, yech.  He's welcome to write about his beers that smell and taste like dirt.

That completes one 3000 calorie food adventure around town.  I'll be putting my gym membership to good use this week getting ready for the next.  Cheers!