Dining Out in Chicago - Giordano's Pizza (Rush and Superior)

We got a stuffed pizza at Giordano's with bacon and sausage on it. It took about 30 minutes to complete and give us the pizza, but... The sauce on the pizza was excellent. It didn't completely overwhelm the flavor of the pizza, but your taste buds knew it was there. 

The cheese was extra stringy and delicious. The bacon was just the right texture and the sausage was properly seasoned. 

Overall, I give it a 5 all day.  Paw Paw also gave it a 5.

 

Dining Out in Chicago - Ditka's

Sunday night's dining experience was at Dika's.  You can click on the link to go directly to the menu.

I got the Tasmanian King's Salmon, orange glazed and served on a bed of sticky rice with stir fried vegetables. $32.95

Paw Paw got #1 Hawaiian Big Eye Tuna, which came with soy sauce, cucumber onion salad with a vinegar dressing, ginger, and a wasabi sauce.  $31.95

 I rated my food 4/5 fish hooks.  And Paw Paw rated his 4.5/5 spoons.

Dining Out - Chicago -- Five Guys Burgers and Fries

Five Guys is a chain burger and fry restaurant with franchises across the country.  This review is of the location at Roosevelt and South Wabash.  http://gofiveguys.com/menu/southloop 

The choice of toppings is up to the individual. I had bacon and cheese on mine and my paw-paw had lettuce, tomato, mustard, and pickles on his. The fries had the perfect crisp to them and just the right amount of salt.

I give it a 5/5.  Paw-Paw gives it a 4/5.  

Guest Blogger who is visiting Chicago

Very soon I will begin posting pictures and reviews from a young friend of mine who is on vacation in Chicago with his Paw Paw.

It's his first visit to Chicago and he has plans to dine at "joints" and also enjoy some very fine dining establishments. 

Trust me, you will thoroughly enjoy his honest take on the Chicago restaurants he visits.  Stay tuned!

Dining Out - New Orleans - Parran's Po'Boys

We ordered take out from Parran's Po'Boys in Metairie. Mixed reviews on this order.  The red beans and rice were delicious and perfectly seasoned.  

The onion rings, while thin and probably crispy when they came from the fryer, didn't make the 7 minute trip home well at all.  The dipping sauce was nice and zesty which the somewhat bland onion rings needed.

Fried pickles were next....Batter a tad thick for my taste and once again, some seasoning (even salt) would have helped the batter tremendously.

Sweet Harold chose the blackened shrimp po'boy.  Now look at the picture....do these shrimp looked blackened?  Do they even look seasoned?  

I went with the fried shrimp po'boy.  Once again, no seasoning.  At all.  I don't think they even used salt.  A healthy dose of hot sauce helped.

Dining Out in New Orleans - Don's Seafood Hut

We enjoyed great meal here a few months ago and decided that we had to go try some new menu items on this trip.

Sweet Harold enjoyed his catfish and shrimp platter.

I started with a Caesar Salad.

I absolutely adored the Crawfish Bisque complete with stuffed heads.  This was rich, decadent and beyond delicious.

Dining Out in NOLA - New Orleans Coffee and Beignet Company

We had our goodbye breakfast with the kiddos at New Orleans Coffee and Beignet Company.  Instead of beignets, we all chose breakfast casseroles.  We chose wisely!

Four Cheese and Tomato Breakfast Casserole

Eggs Benedict Breakfast Casserole

Arugula and Feta Breakfast Casserole 

Turkey, Pepper Jack and Egg White Breakfast Casserole

Jim 'n Nick's - Trussville, Alabama

As regular readers of the blog know, I adore BBQ.  And yes, my personal preference is that MY BBQ oinks instead of moo or clucks.

Jim 'n Nick's BBQ is at the top of my list for BBQ restaurant.  Plus, it meets Lolly's three criteria for an authentic BBQ joint:  1) Piles of hickory wood outside the restaurant; 2) Smoke wafting around the surrounding area; 3) that delicious aroma as soon as you open your vehicle door that pulls you inside.

We were greeted and seated promptly.  Catherine was our server and she was perfect.  She was very knowledgeable of the menu and pointed out new items that had recently been added.  

Here's what we enjoyed yesterday:

Cheddar Cheese Biscuits are delivered to the table almost immediately so you can enjoy a little nibble while checking out the menu.

One of the new menu items is their version of Nashville Hot Chicken.  These little bites of SPICY HOT chicken are served with pickle slices and white bread.  Hot, yes, but not so hot that you can't enjoy them.

Sweet Harold chose the BBQ Brisket Sandwich.  A new menu item is the homemade chips with BBQ seasoning.  He loved both.

My choice was the Loaded BBQ Baker:  A large baked potato topped with our smoked meats, bacon, cheddar, scallions, butter, sour cream and bar-b-q sauce.  Doesn't that look DELICIOUS???

I chose the Chocolate Pie for dessert.   All pies at Jim 'n Nick's are made under the direction of Mable Washington.  Miss Mable, this chocolate pie is as close to my grandmother's as I've ever had.  Thanks for taking me back to my childhood with this delicious slice of pie.

And Sweet Harold devoured his Coconut Cream Pie.  

My goal is to enjoy every item on the menu....Yum.

Palace Cafe, New Orleans, Louisiana

I had a lovely lunch today with my daughter in law, new grandson and a very dear friend at Palace Cafe.  I had never been before and was so glad to share this new experience with loved ones. 

From the moment we walked in, we were treated as if we had been there many times before.  We were promptly seated and almost immediately water, bread and butter were placed on the table. 

I selected their special Watermelon Tea as my lunch time beverage.  Cool, refreshing, tasting of watermelon and very sweet.  It was delightful!

I started with the Caesar Salad and chose the option of having fried oysters added.  As you know, I enjoy oysters in every form.  These were quite simply the best friend oysters I've ever eaten.  Anywhere.  Kudos to the oyster fryer at Palace Cafe today!

During the summer months, Palace Cafe offers a summertime menu.  And, as soon as learned what today's special was, I knew that was my selection.  Pulled pork with a strawberry BBQ Sauce with Creole Coleslaw.  Two slices of watermelon rounded out the dish.  The pork was perfectly cooked and shredded.  The BBQ sauce was not overpowering in the least and the sweetness from the strawberries was a perfect accompaniment.  The coleslaw was cool, crunchy and had a nice "zing."  A gorgeous and delicious lunch.

And here are some interior shots of this beautiful restaurant.

Tijuana Chicken Bake

Another delicious meal that was cooked from freezer and pantry items!  If you have a well stocked freezer and pantry, anyone can come into your kitchen and play their own version of "Chopped!"  

My "mystery box" included chicken, yellow rice, tomatoes with diced chilies, black beans and taco seasoning.

You can use whatever pieces of chicken you like.  My choices were two large chicken breasts, chicken thighs and drumsticks.  

I preheated the oven to 350 degrees and knew I needed to cook the chicken breasts longer because of the difference in size of the thighs and drumsticks.  

I sprinkled them with some of the taco seasoning and put them in to bake for about 30 minutes.  Then I seasoned the thighs and drumsticks with the taco seasoning and added them to the casserole dish and baked about another 25 minutes.

In a medium bowl, I combined about 3/4 cup yellow rice, the drained and rinsed black beans and the tomatoes with their juice along with about 1/4 cup water.

Then I carefully spooned the rice/bean/tomato mixture around the chicken pieces and returned it to the oven.  When the rice had absorbed all the liquid, I tasted to make sure the rice was completely cooked.  

It was, but you can always had a little more water or chicken broth for the rice to absorb to finish cooking.

Sprinkled a little cilantro on top and we were ready to dine!

Summer Vegetable Medly

I used the veggies on hand to make this dish.  Use your favorite summer vegetables, broccoli, bell peppers or diced eggplant would have been great additions.

2 T. olive oil

1 medium yellow squash, cubed

1 medium zucchini, cubed

1/2 yellow onion, thinly sliced

Cherry tomatoes, sliced in half lengthwise

Asparagus spears

Haricot verts

Salt and pepper

Heat olive oil over medium high heat in a large skillet or wok.

Add vegetables and stir fry until tender/crisp.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Ground Turkey Pasta Bake

 

I'm at my son and daughter in law's home for a few days to help out with the newest addition to the family.  Yesterday, I went through the freezer, fridge and the pantry and came up with this delicious comfort food meal for our dinner.

1 pound ground turkey

16 oz. elbow macaroni noodles

32 oz. or 45 oz jar of your favorite spaghetti sauce 

2 cups Italian blend cheese, divided

3 T. Italian bread crumbs

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Brown turkey in a medium skillet over medium heat.  While turkey is browning, cook noodles according to package directions.

In a large bowl, combine noodles and sauce.  Spray a 13 x 9 casserole dish with nonstick spray.

Layer half the sauce/noodles.  Spread the cooked turkey over the noodles and then add half the cheese over the turkey.

Top with remaining sauce/noodles.  Bake for 30 - 35 minutes until bubbly.

Remove from oven and add remaining cheese and sprinkle with bread crumbs.  Return to oven for about 5 minutes until cheese melts.

Cookbook Contest Ends Tonight at 6 p.m. CST!

Very easy to enter the contest.  Just do these three things:

1.  Be a friend of Fleur de Lolly on Facebook
2.  Like the contest link.
3.  Share the contest link on Facebook on your Facebook page


Good Luck!

Spanish Frittata with Potatoes and Onions

I am beginning to believe I should change "Tapas Thursdays" into "Tapas Everyday!" These small plate dishes are absolutely perfect for summer dinners. With no cheese, this frittata was light and satisfying and, on top of that, just beautiful to plate. We eat with our eyes first, you know!

These frittatas are found in almost every tapas bar in Spain. They cut them into 8 or 12 serving pieces. Use your own judgment for your family!

1 pound potatoes, peeled and sliced into thin slices (I used the food processor)

1 onion, medium size, sliced into thin slices

4 eggs,

dash of heavy cream

3 T. olive oil for cooking potatoes and onions

1 T. olive oil for cooking frittata

1/4 t. salt

freshly ground black pepper

1/4 t. Spanish paprika (plus a little more for garnishing)

Chopped Chives for garnish

In a medium skillet, heat 3 T. olive oil and softly saute the potato, onion, salt and pepper for approximately 12 - 15 minutes until the potatoes are just done. Keep stirring the mixture regularly so that the potatoes and onions are golden, but not browned.

Remove from heat and carefully put the mix into a colander set over a bowl and let them cool until lukewarm.

Whisk the eggs and add the cream and paprika and a little salt and pepper.

Gently add the potatoes and onions to the egg mixture and carefully stir until you are sure that all the potatoes are covered by the egg mixture. Leave it to rest for a minute or so.

Heat the remaining olive oil in a 8 - 10 inch skillet over low heat.

Slide the egg and potato mix into the skillet. Use the backside of a spoon or spatula to press any pieces of potato protruding from the mix back down making sure everything is covered by egg.

Do not stir. Bake the frittata for a few minutes until the bottom and edges begin to set. Lower heat to the lowest setting. It may take 5 - 6 minutes for the eggs to cook through.  

When it is almost finished cooking, put under broiler for a few minutes to brown the top.

Place on serving plate and sprinkle with paprika and chives.

adapted from www.tapasbonitas.com

Tapas Green Beans with Tomatoes and Garlic

The green beans from the garden are supplying a wonderful bounty this year. There is nothing better than being able to enjoy freshly picked vegetables this time of year.

1 lb. green beans, washed and ends trimmed

1 T. olive oil

2 cups halved cherry tomatoes

1 T. chopped garlic

kosher salt

Steam the green beans until tender. While the green beans are steaming, heat olive oil in a medium skillet over medium high heat.

Add tomatoes and, stirring occasionally, let them cook for a few minutes until they begin to soften and break down. Lower heat to low.

Add steamed green beans to tomatoes in skillet, and using tongs, toss them together. Add garlic and toss that in as well. Let the tomatoes, beans and garlic cook for about a minute. Add salt and serve immediately.

Italian Macaroni Salad with Ham and Vegetables

Some nights are more hectic than others.  Some nights you're more exhausted than others.  Here's a great solution for those nights.  Especially if those nights are in the middle of summertime.

While the pasta cooks, you can prep the veggies and ham.  An added bonus is you can simply start with a boxed pasta mix.  I used the Homestyle version.

Prepare the pasta as directed on the package and rinse well under cool water. Let drain.  Listed below are the ingredients I added.  You could certainly used cubed, cooked chicken instead of ham and adjust the amount and/or types of vegetables you like.

1/4 cup green peas 

1/4 shredded matchstick carrots

1 medium green bell pepper, diced

1/2 cup chopped ham

10 grape tomatoes, quartered
1/4 t. red pepper flakes

2 T. chopped fresh basil

1/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

Dulce de Monkey

This is a decadent dessert, one of those "special occasion" treats.  But it is sublime.  I was very pleased with this recipe. 

8 oz. package cream cheese, softened

1 can (13.4 oz) dulce de leche*

5 or 6 ripe bananas, sliced

6 egg whites

12 T. sugar

In a medium sized bowl, mix the cream cheese and the dulce de leche until it's all incorporated.  Arrange on the bottom of a 10 inch ovenproof dish.

Place the sliced bananas over the cream cheese and dulce de leche mix.

Preheat the oven to 275 degrees.

Beat the egg whites until firm, then slowly add the sugar, constantly beating until it doubles in volume and it looks fluffy.  Gently spread on top of the bananas.

 

Bake for 10 - 15 minutes or until is nice and golden and the bananas start to caramelize.

Place in refrigerator for 3 to 4 hours or overnight.  Serve with vanilla ice cream on the side, if desired.

*You can find the dulce de leche at the Latin section of your grocery store or next to the condensed milk.  If you'd like to make it at home, place a can of condensed milk in a large saucepan and cover with water.  Bring to a boil, turn heat down to medium and cook for about two hours.  Make sure to cool it completely before opening the can to avoid any burns.

From www.cynthiapresser.com