2009 June | Think Tasty

Archive for June, 2009

Vegtable Cream Cheese

by TT Jr. on May 14th, 2012 | Recipes, Spreads & Sauces

I love bagels. I just love them, specifically toasted. And with cream cheese. They are so delicious when they are still hot and the cream cheese starts to melt on them. My favorite flavor is salt bagels, and they are delicious with plain cream cheese, but sometimes that gets a little boring. So, I decided to make a vegetable cream cheese to see how it tasted with my mom's yummy salt bagels. It tasted like heaven on a hot bagel. The sweet crunchy carrots with the tangy, slightly spicy chives against the salty, hot, soft, crunchy bagel is incredible.

A

Leek & Goat Cheese Mini-Tarts

by TT on March 29th, 2012 | Appetizers

Although the sources of inspiration for my cooking may vary, I think the inspiration for this dish was unique. Over the weekend I made lobster newburg for my husband's birthday. As this was a dish I'd never made, I reviewed many recipes, seeking what seemed like the perfect combination of ingredients. In the end I debated between two recipes, finally choosing one that utilized a roux.

After our dinner on Sunday evening, our 15 year old asked why we had leeks in the refrigerator. I then realized that while shopping I had purchased all of the ingredients for the recipe

Feta Sauce

by TT on March 22nd, 2012 | Recipes, Spreads & Sauces

As I was planning the menu for the most recent Tapas Monday, I asked my daughter what she would like. The carb-loving girl that she is, she requested pasta. I asked if she wanted it plain with grated parmesan. She asked if I could make a parmesan sauce. I explained that this dinner would be just for her, as her brother was having meat sauce, so it seemed like a lot of work. She looked at me and said, "All you need to do is make a roux, add some milk and parmesan."

I must note that she said that

Blue Cheese & Dates

by TT on March 19th, 2012 | Appetizers

As I mentioned in my Maple Apple Mustard recipe, last Tapas Monday was not one that allowed for a lot of cooking time. Instead I worked on pairing each of the cheeses with a simple condiment: sharp cheddar with maple apple mustard, truffle cheese with pinot grigio sausage. I had a wedge of gorgonzola that was begging to be paired.

I personally love the combination of pears and blue cheese, but we were without pears. Looking for something sweet to contrast with the salt and bite of the blue cheese, I remembered that we had a package of dates.

Maple Apple Mustard

by TT on March 15th, 2012 | Spreads & Sauces

I know I've written about it many times, but I thoroughly adore Tapas Mondays. Even though it means not eating dinner until after 9:00, it is such a wonderful way to start the workweek. The kids are in bed, working on homework, or entertaining themselves on a different floor of the house. The dining room is lit by candles, and my husband and I sit down to a delicious dinner and some prosecco.

Many of these nights involve a fair amount of cooking. While the kids eat their dinner, I am working on that night's menu. However, sometimes there are

Chocolate Stout Cupcakes with Grasshopper Icing

by TT on March 14th, 2012 | Desserts, Recipes

To end our St. Patrick's Day recipe series, a dessert seemed like the perfect fit. What we found was a recipe that is the perfect combination of sweet dessert and Irish beverage. With a stout, such as Guinness, and dark chocolate in the batter, this cupcake is sure to please the majority of your holiday crowd. A grand finale of mint-flavored frosting should provide a bit of sugary brightness.

Make these cupcakes early in the day (or even the day before), and you will have a dessert that requires no last minute work. Once you're ready for dessert, it will

Coconut Shrimp

by TT on June 11th, 2009 | Appetizers, Main Dishes, Recipes

When I was planning the week's menu, I asked the kids for some input. Our 13 year old son requested shellfish for dinner one night. However, he wasn't certain how he would want it prepared. With a week of rain and cool temperatures forecast, I suggested soup. That wasn't quite what he had in mind. My next suggestion was coconut shrimp, and that sounded perfect to him.

I had made coconut chicken tenders a couple months ago, and the recipe was a hit. They were easy to make and had a decent amount of crunch even though they were baked instead

Review: Washington Street Ale House, Wilmington, DE

by TT on June 8th, 2009 | Restaurant Reviews

On a weekend trip to Delaware, we were seeking a restaurant near our hotel that would please adults and kids alike. Thankfully, the concierge at our hotel recommended the Washington Street Ale House.

Entering the restaurant, we were greeted by the hostess and seated at one of the available tables on the restaurant side, which was sparsely filled. The lounge portion of the restaurant was fairly packed. Our waitress, Shannon, greeted us and asked to take our drink orders. As we had had a moment to check out the menu, my husband also ordered an appetizer at this point.

Shannon returned

Lemon Vinaigrette

by TT on June 3rd, 2009 | Recipes, Salads

As both my husband and I are foodies, our children are exposed to a variety of food experiences. New recipes and ingredients are regular parts of our meals. Interesting restaurants (meaning places that don't offer chicken tenders on its menu) are visited. Television shows that have cooking, restaurant reviews, or food travel are watched often.

So, last Saturday morning after an hour of mindless children's cartoons, we switched to a cooking show, a real cooking show in which the chef made everything from scratch. Our 11 year old daughter was watching with us, and upon seeing homemade salad dressing announced, "I

Goat Cheese and Nectarines

by TT on June 1st, 2009 | Appetizers, Recipes

Last Friday night was a typical weekend night for us. Our 13 year old was headed to the movies with a friend, and our 11 year old had 2 friends over for dinner. The three girls were thrilled with the idea of take-out pizza for dinner, although my husband and I were less excited. To please everyone, we ordered pizza for the girls and decided that the adults would enjoy some munchies later.

After a day of work and an evening of bringing different kids to different places, we wanted appetizers that were simple to prepare. We had a package of

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