Puerto Rican Cuisine Done Right: La Isla Restaurant Review

Posted by Monica Edwards Categories: Dinner, Lunch, Restaurants, Product Reviews, America, Carribean, Tropical

Over the years, my husband and I have eaten at a lot of restaurants, I hesitate to say hundreds because it makes it sound like I never cook at home, but I would not be surprised if it were true. We love food. From shopping for quality ingredients, to preparation, and execution of a great dish. It is all so fascinating, not to mention delicious if said recipe turns out as it was intended. So in order to share my love or hate for a particular restaurant, I will be reviewing these establishments now and then so that the everyday person can go in knowing what to expect and what to order and what not to order should you walk away in disgust.

Today, I will be writing about one of my favorite restaurants in the Seattle area, La Isla, located in Ballard. It is not the easiest place to get to as far as easy freeway access, but so worth the drive. I love Puerto Rican food, as my husband does, and we don’t have any other restaurants in this area, for that matter anywhere in this region that we have heard of that offers the dishes that one must have to call themselves an authentic Puerto Rican restaurant. Why is that I wonder? I hope many more will open in this area following in the footsteps of La Isla, but they will have big shoes to fill.

Click to continue reading Puerto Rican Cuisine Done Right: La Isla Restaurant Review

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Cinco de Mayo: Mexican Flag recipe

Posted by Jenny Lewis Categories: Beverages, Cocktails, Spirits, Holiday Cooking, Recipes, America, Festivals, Parties

So, in case our horchata recipe wasn’t strong enough for you, we’ve got something with a little more kick for your Cinco de Mayo party. Usually if I’m imbibing tequila, it’s in margarita form and I am just fine with that. But the Mexican Flag is consistently great just as it is.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup of tequila
• the juice of 2 1/2 limes
• 3 tablespoons powdered sugar
• Maraschino cherries
• Green seedless grapes
• Banana

Preparation:
Dissolve the sugar into the lime juice and then mix with the tequila. Pour over ice and garnish with a cherry, a grape and a slice of banana.

Next up in our Cinco de Mayo recipes series, a trio of tasty toppings for tortillas. Okay, really it’s three dip recipes, but I love alliteration.

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Video: Diddy on KFC vs. Popeye’s fried chicken

Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Dinner, Lunch, Side Dishes, Product Reviews, Poultry, America

Just leave it to Diddy, hip-hop star, fashion mogul, and leader of Bad Boy Records, to bring such a scientific experiment into the forefront of our minds. Why the final word between KFC’s fried chicken and that of Popeye’s has taken so long to be settled is beyond me, but we need to thank the heavens above that Diddy was able to bring this important issue into light.

Now we won’t ruin the results, but we will say that we have to agree with his assessment that says KFC mashed potatoes and gravy beat Popeye’s version, while Popeye’s beans destroy those of KFC. But really, this is all about the chicken, is it not? Hit the video above for the results - we’ve kept you waiting long enough.

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Recipe: Coconut Crunchy Shrimp

Posted by Vicky Lane Categories: Appetizers, Dinner, How To, Quick Meals, Recipes, Summer Cooking, Shellfish, America, Carribean, Broiling

Yesterday in Chicago the weather was sunny and 65… in the middle of February!  It was spectacular.  I was inspired by the warm weather to create something that reminded me of summer or my favorite warm weather place, the Caribbean. 

The first time I ever tried coconut shrimp was at a restaurant I worked at in college.  They fried them up and served with a sweet plum sauce.  I absolutely loved them and ordered them almost every shift I worked.  My version requires no frying and it so easy and quick to make.  I also borrowed a great broiling technique from Ellie Krieger from the Foodnetwork, which works every time.

Some people say they are not fans of the texture of coconut, which I can kind of understand.  A great tip for flaky coconut is to throw it in the blender or food processor before using, this helps the coconut blend in well with the breading. I did not do this as me and Husband love coconut in any form.

Prep Time : About 15 minutes
Cook Time: 5 minutes
Serves 4

Ingredients

1 pound peeled and deveined shrimp (this just makes life easier)
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup shredded coconut, I used sweetened and used a heaping 1/2 cup
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
3 egg whites
3/4 panko crumbs (japanes style breadcrumbs, found in almost every grocery store in the Asian section)
1 teaspoon ancho chili powder (which is a milder chili powder)
2 tablespoons canola oil
Nonstick cooking spray

Click to continue reading Recipe: Coconut Crunchy Shrimp

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Recipe: Lobster Macaroni and Cheese

Posted by Vicky Lane Categories: Cuisine, Cheese, Fish, Shellfish, Dinner, Lunch, Side Dishes, Comfort Food, How To, Product Reviews, Recipes, America

As a Foodnetwork addict I am constantly experimenting with great recipes from from my favorite shows.  On Easy Entertaining with Michael Chiarello on an episode entitled “Pot luck challenge”, Jan Birnbaum, chef and restaurateur, caught my eye with an upscale, hearty mac n’ cheese.

The original recipe called for shrimp, which I was all about, but after visiting the seafood counter at Whole Foods, husband and I couldn’t resist the lobster meat (shrimp vs. lobster? no contest). So we splurged justifying that this would be our Superbowl Sunday feast.

Here is my adaptation of Jan’s recipe:

Ingredients

• 1 box medium shell pasta
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 cup tasso ham or bacon (I used bacon)
• 5 large shallots, minced
• 1 clove garlic, mined
• 1 1/2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 cup white wine (see review below)
• 2 cups cream
• 1 cup grated fontina
• 1/2 cup grated Cheddar (I prefer mild but sharp would be great too)
• 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan
• 6-8 oz lobster meat cut up in good bite size chunks (we bought the precooked tub at the seafood counter)
• 2 cups gently packed spinach
• Kosher salt and ground white pepper
• Hot pepper sauce, to taste (recommended: Tabasco)
• 1/2 cup bread crumbs ( I used panko, my new favorite thing)
• 1/4 cup chopped Italian parsley leave

Click to continue reading Recipe: Lobster Macaroni and Cheese

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Schlitz to Resume Brewing

Posted by Jenny Lewis Categories: Trends, Food Trivia, History, America, Midwest, Beer

After a number of unsuccessful changes to the brand, the Schlitz brewery (one of the oldest of the old school breweries) closed in 1981. First brewed in 1849, Schlitz beer was successful for over 100 years before changes in production (and the overall quality of the final product) killed the product’s popularity and, therefore, sales.  The brand changed hands twice - once in 1982 to Stroh and earlier this year to Pabst - and is now being brewed again and is in such high demand that stores are reportedly limiting the numbers of cases customers can buy at one time.

Though brewing operations are on the east coast, Schlitz is currently only available in Milwaukee, Chicago, Minneapolis and Western Florida.  Pabst is hopeful that the new old brew will be more widely available as brewing operations ramp up.

Read More | MSNBC

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In Brief: Ruby Tuesday’s to Demolish Last “Old” Restaurant

Posted by Jenny Lewis Categories: Events, Closings, News, Business, Restaurants, America

As part of a huge makeover and the accompanying advertising campaign, Ruby Tuesday will be demolishing their last “old” restaurant on Tuesday August 5 - and they’ll be webcasting it live at 3:00 PM Eastern.  Whatever your reason for being excited about this, if you want to catch it live take a coffee break and head on over to their website.

Read More | Ruby Tuesday

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Recipe: Birthday Brownies

Posted by Jenny Lewis Categories: Dessert, Comfort Food, Chocolate, America, Baking

I have a friend who requests one thing for his birthday every year - brownies. After a few trial and error batches with various recipes, I discovered this recipe two years ago and have never looked back - the combination of easy preparation and a texture that falls somewhere between a cake and a piece of fudge make this recipe a winner.

Ingredients:

• 6 oz 70% bittersweet chocolate, chopped
• 3/4 cup cold butter, cut into chunks
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 3 eggs
• 1 t vanilla
• 1 cup flour
• 1 cup chopped nuts (optional)

Click to continue reading Recipe: Birthday Brownies

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Recipe: Sauteed Corn, Spinach, and Green Beans

Posted by Monica Edwards Categories: Dinner, Side Dishes, Recipes, Salad, Vegetables, Vegetarian, America

I prefer to have vegetables prepared with every dinner that I serve my family, so it is nice to come across a recipe that is easy to prepare while the entree is cooking away. True, the kids may pick and choose which veggie is their favorite, as my 4-year-old would, but I enjoy all three as I hope your family will. This recipe calls for frozen vegetables to save time, but I always love to use fresh when given the choice…up to your preference.

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 pkg. 10 oz. frozen corn kernels
• 1 pkg. 10 oz. frozen cut green beans
• 5 oz. fresh baby spinach
• 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
• 2 teaspoons white wine vinegar
• coarse salt and ground pepper

Preparation:
Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high, add corn and green beans, and cook about 4-6 minutes, until green beans are warmed through. Next add the thyme and spinach, seasoning with salt and pepper. Toss until spinach is wilted, about 1-2 minutes, then stir in the vinegar. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve in a bright dish for added pizazz.

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Recipe: Tomato, Chickpea, and Arugula Salad

Posted by Monica Edwards Categories: Dinner, Lunch, Side Dishes, Quick Meals, Recipes, Salad, Vegetables, Vegetarian, America

I absolutely love salads, so when I come across a new recipe, I have to share it with everyone - we all could use more veggies in our diets. This recipe is quite simple and tasty, as well as pleasing to the eye—because I am a huge believer in that we first eat with our eyes, before our mouths.

Ingredients:

• 3 ounces baby arugula
• 2 scallions, thinly sliced
• 1 15 oz. can of chickpeas, rinsed and drained
• 1 cup halved cherry tomatoes
• 1/4 cup walnuts, toasted if desired(my preference)
• 2 TB red wine vinegar
• 2 TB olive oil
• coarse salt and ground pepper to taste

Preparation:
In medium bowl, layer the first 5 ingredients and set aside. In separate tightly lidded container, combine vinegar, oil, salt, and pepper; shake until blended. Pour directly onto salad and toss.

Enjoy a fresh, quick salad.

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