FrankenFood Friday: S'mores M&Ms

One of my all time favorite things in life is a good s'more. So when I saw the Crispy M&M S'mores, I knew I had to try them for a FrankenFood Friday.

My instinct when I first opened the package was to try all three colors at once, and they did taste... not unlike a s'more, though there was a more gingerbread sort of note to it that was a little too strong. I tasted the colors separately and was pleasantly surprised to realize that the different colors seemed to have different flavors, which corresponded to their color (white tasted a bit like marshmallow, brown tasted like a normal M&M, tan tasted like weird gingerbread). So for the full s'more effect, you have to taste all three in the same bite. It kind of carries the fun, "some assembly required" aspect of s'mores into the M&M world in a whimsical way.

Still, that said once again this FrankenFood did not meet my most valued criteria of making something better than the inspiring individual elements. I could see some people who happen to have a taste for gingerbread lattes finding this an improvement on M&Ms, but there is no way this is an improvement on S'mores, and the tan flavor is too odd. The real test of a FrankenFood is whether I want to finish it off. It's so strange that FrankenFoods are the only sweets that enter my home that ever don't get finished off for weeks. I know I wasn't too impressed with these because although I liked them fine for the taste test, I haven't gone back to eat any more in over a week. I do like the white ones, though, I think they should do a chocolate and marshmallow one without the weird spiced flavor. Over all, I think this is an inexpensive enough experiment that it's worth trying if you are the sort of person who tends to like gingerbread or pumpkin spice lattes- it might be the best M&Ms you ever try!

If you do try these, or if you already have, please let me know what you think in the comments!

Henry's Ice Cream: The Best Ever?

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My husband has been really getting into helping me come up with new places to review, and one of the first places he mentioned was Henry's Ice Cream.

The first thing I noticed was the nostalgic, old fashioned feel of the place. I felt like I had just walked into like Pop's from Archie comics or something, an unadulterated chunk of timeless innocence. But sentimental prose aside, this place was AUTHENTIC and beautifully unpretentious.

The second thing I noticed, as it was impossible to ignore, was that the line wrapped around the room and every table was full. It was an exceptionally hot evening, and the air conditioning was struggling to keep up with the shoulder to shoulder body heat of the patrons and the nonstop opening of the doors as more people streamed in, but that didn't deter anyone from waiting in the long line for their icy treats.

Whether it was intended to provide a pass-time for people in line or just a reflection of the owner's sense of humor, I found myself chuckling at the various signs around the place. I'd never thought about an ice cream cone being a completely eco-friendly vessel.

The flavors of the day were listed on a handwritten menu sign, and I was intrigued by the "Dino Egg" flavor, wondering why it was specifically "Dino Egg" and not just "Dino". Are dinosaur eggs known to be bright blue?

 I nearly ordered that flavor just to find out, but then I got a taste of the Vanilla/Chocolate Sprinkle Cake and couldn't resist it. 

Little side note, even their tasting spoons are eco-friendly!

I regret to say I noticed the pretzel cone after I had placed my order, but now you and I are both prepared for that option next time we're there, so the speed of the line won't deprive us of such a unique, salty confectionary twist.

I felt I would be depriving you of a truly extensive review if I didn't try at least two flavors, so I took one for the team and got a double scoop with the "Henry & Caroline's Wedding Cake". It may have been two flavors, but it looked like 3 scoops to me:

My husband was going to try a third flavor, but he, too, succumbed to the Vanilla/Chocolate Sprinkle Cake's siren call. Something about those rainbow jimmies is just totally irresistible!

What it all comes down to, though, is the ice cream. This is one of those moments where my positive impression of the product exceeds my vocabulary. This ice cream was perfectly balanced, with a permeating flavor of fresh heavy cream and a subtle sweetness that didn't overpower my palate. The creaminess was so authentic and fresh it left a slight layer of pleasant butteriness coating my mouth for a minute or so after I finished it. My exact words when giving my first impressions to my husband were "like it was taken directly from the udder of an Arctic Cow 5 minutes ago", which is gross but vividly embdies the freshness of the flavor. The cones tasted freshly made, and the smell throughout the shop confirmed my suspicions. Keep in mind that fresh, in-house-made ice cream cones often leak out the bottom, so pay attention to the bottom of your cone so you don't lose a single drop of Henry's excellence. 

I hope my overall foodiness, sugar addiction, and credentials as a Four Seasoned Pastry Chef sufficiently amplify the significance of the following statement when I say:

This is the best ice cream I have ever eaten, PERIOD. And ice cream is my favorite dessert. It is even better than the best ice cream I have ever made, and I am sinfully prideful about my own ice cream recipe.

YOU MUST TRY THEM! The quality and standards at Henry's Ice Cream is singular.

And bonus, if you need something more savory, Henry's sells super affordable and high quality hot dogs from local deli/butcher Hirsch's Specialty Meats, who I look forward to reviewing sometime in the next few weeks.

Pie Five

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I've been seeing Pie Fives popping up all over the metroplex, so I had to check it out. 

What immediately surprised and impressed me was the prices. I think for the most part we have come to expect customize-able sandwiches and salads at a reasonably low price, but, maybe it's the baking step or something, I kind of expect a personalized pizza to either be a little on the pricey side (at least $10) or to be insatiably small.

This was not the case, however, at Pie Five.

The first step is to select your pizza crust, which can come in Crispy Artisan Thin, Whole Grain Thin, Classic, or Gluten Free. Next you select from one of 6 sauces or plain olive oil. Then you have a choice of cheeses, including a vegan option, and any combination of 8 meats and 17 veggies and fruits.

You also have the option of making a salad.

While you wait for your pie to bake, you'll be strategically placed in front of the dessert display case with several tempting and decadent, mostly brownie-based desserts.

Then you get to add any cold toppings, sauces such as pesto, or just pile on the magic dust. I took this opportunity to ask the... pizza artist? to drizzle my pizza with the basalmic reduction offered for the salads. It really enhanced the flavors of my pizza.

I also found that they allowed me to do a half and half pizza so that I could taste more of their offerings in one sitting. On one half of my pizza, I got the alfredo sauce, chicken, tomato, basil pesto, shredded fresh basil, and basalmic drizzle. on the other half of my pizza I tried the buffalo sauce, chicken, and jalapenos.

I was also asked to order something for my grandmother because she was on her way, so I chose the alfredo sauce for her as well, and went for a more pork-themed pie with ham, bacon, chicken, and tomatoes. I also had them drizzle her pie with the balsamic reduction to offset some of the saltiness.

I was visiting with my husband and family, so here are some of their creations:

My husband tried the spicy marinara sauce and was really happy with his choice- he said he was surprised at how particularly well they balanced the heat in with the flavor of marinara.

All in all, I was impressed with several things. First was their ability to quickly service our group of 8 people. Second was the quality of the crust! It was delicious, and cooked to soft in the middle but not doughy at all. The combinations were excellent, but I take some credit for that! However if you aren't culinarily inclined, don't panic! They offer a whole menu of tried and tested pizza recommendations.

I recommend you go try Pie Five if you haven't been before, and whether it's a new experience or you go every week, let me know YOUR favorite pie recipe in the comments! Or Tweet them to me @WritingChef and I'll retweet your recipe to my followers!

Homecooked: Simple Pleasures

I try to let y'all know about not only the great places I visit for a meal out, but some of the meals I make at home, too. 

Whether it's just a fresh or forgotten easy meal idea for your family, or merely reassurance that chefs aren't eating much fancier at home than you are, I like to record my extremely low budget culinary adventures on the home front. But let's not kid ourselves- some meals just don't merit their own post. So today you get a BOGO blog deal!

My first "recipe" was on a night when I was really wrapped up in a project and didn't have a lot of time, energy, or clean dishes for preparing an extravagant meal. So I thawed a few chicken breasts in the microwave, seasoned them, and cooked them, pretty much exactly the same way I did for my Asian Chicken Salad but with a little more garlic pepper and no soy sauce. Then I washed and chopped a "heart of romaine", sliced up the chicken, and tossed it all with bottled Caesar dressing. While the chicken was cooking, I took some sliced cheddar and made cheesy toast.

It was a super simple meal, maybe 10 minutes total prep, but it was hearty and satisfying, & cleanup was minimal.

Another night I had my dad and a friend over for dinner really last minute, so I decided just to make hot dogs. I was inspired by the 4th of July party we went to this year, because the host had found Hawaiian bread hot dog buns. When I tried it at the party, it was like when that last piece of a huge puzzle clicks into place and now you couldn't find where it went if you wanted to- HOW could something so obvious as hot dogs and Hawaiian bread have alluded me all these years? The sweetness of the bread with the cured porkiness of the hot dogs go together better than sweet potato latkes and applesauce! So I made a point to look for Hawaiian bread hot dog buns, but the store didn't have them- I'm not sure they're a very common item. So I just bought a package of Hawaiian rolls and left them attached in pairs, then cut them like buns. Worked perfectly! I also served steamed corn on the cob, which I get in a frozen package at Walmart. It's great because there are 4 cobs to a package and I have a convenient "vegetable" (grain) to serve even when I haven't bought fresh produce in a while.

So there's your homemade inspiration for the week! Nothing too special, but darn good staples. What do you make when your budget is small and your time is short? Let me know in the comments!

Salata

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The friend I went to Bread Zeppelin with kept comparing the experience to her recent favorite salad bar, Salata. And funnily enough, my grandmother had just been talking about wanting to check it out because there was a fairly new location in her area.

My first impression upon walking in the door was that the colors, branding, and dining room were really beautiful. I felt like if I was to walk in to the same dining room to lunch with some ladies at a Neiman Marcus it wouldn't be out of place at all.

The salad bar itself was impressive. It was extremely expansive. If you look at the photo above, that's not even the whole length of it!

Like most salad bars, you start by selecting your lettuce. The pricing and menu are super simple and clear at the beginning of the line- you pick a salad or a wrap, one price, as many toppings as you want.

While this isn't intended to be a full side-by-side comparison to Bread Zeppelin, I did eat at Salata just a day or two after at the recommendation of the friend I took to Bread Zeppelin, so comparisons are unavoidable. 

A few differences in particular struck me most. First, the number of options at Salata is unbelievable. The thing is, the prices at Salata and Bread Zeppelin are comparable. So it makes me wonder how it's possible for Salata to be able to afford to have such a variety of ultra fresh ingredients available, and have no limits on how many you can put in your salad for the same price, and not have at least unlimited toppings at Bread Zeppelin since they have significantly fewer toppings to keep stocked.

The other big difference between Salata and Bread Zeppelin is the amount of protein added to your salad or wrap. Like Bread Zeppelin, Salata does charge extra for meat, but the price is lower and the amount of meat is much greater.

Additionally, the meats are seasoned so that you can create a flavor profile and really feel like you're eating an assembled meal, not just a salad or wrap.

They also allowed me to taste as many proteins as I wanted before I selected the Thai flavored chicken. I tasted several and they were all really good- they are served cold, though, so expect that. There are also several more options as far as salmon and crab, which makes it kind of special and makes me feel like I could eat there really frequently and still enjoy a genuinely varied diet.

At Salata, you actually select your dressing before you select your protein, so it may take a few trips to learn the proteins to expect before you know the best dressings to pick.

However, the variety is noteworthy and the flavors are outstanding. After tasting several impressive and unique salad dressings, I eventually landed on the ginger lime vinaigrette, which inspired me to trend my wrap towards an Asian flavor theme. I am not exaggerating when I say I have plans to go back soon and find out if I can purchase the Ginger Lime Vinaigrette in bulk to keep at home.

After selecting the proteins, there are still nuts, seeds, and dried fruits, again at no additional charge.

Salata offers 3 soup options. I tasted a sample of the broccoli soup and found it tasty but more healthy tasting than say a super creamy or cheesy broccoli soup. This is nice because it would still be good to eat but wouldn't make you feel like you just un-did the virtue of your salad.

The final choice you have to make if you get a wrap is which kind of tortilla you'll get. I was sincerely impressed with the options available, as I have never seen 4 of the 5 options before. I selected the Thai Ginger Tortilla to go with my Asian themed wrap, and I'll jump ahead a little to say that it was AMAZING. The tortilla had such a subtle almost fragrance of spices and ginger, the flavor enveloped the acid and brightness of the fillings both literally and as I chewed.

You also get to select a roll as a side. I opted for the cheesy bread.

In lieu of a soda fountain, Salata features a "Tea Tap" with several original lemonades and iced teas. I took the opportunity to sample every one of them, and found that all of the limeades and lemonades were really excellent, and all but one of the teas were great. The one tea that wasn't my favorite tasted like it might've been in the tap too long, & I told an employee who immediately changed it out.

All in all, the Tea Tap is a beautiful fixture, a clever idea, and worth tasting all of them to find your personal favorite.

I know you're dying to see the final product of my wrap, so here it is:

I got the following fillings on mine: spring mix, pickled beets, jicama, green apple, avocado, sunflower seeds, asian chicken, ginger lime vinaigrette, almonds, and shredded cheese on a thai ginger tortilla. It was outstanding. I can not sing this wrap's praises enough. It was hearty, satiating, satisfying, delicious, and full to the brim with well cooked, seasoned chicken.

My grandmother tried the salad, and she put together a salad full of mostly fruit, with a lemon dressing:

She ate every bite! I'll also mention that while the dining room was pretty full, the ambient noise was at a  pleasant, unimposing level. This always gets an extra plus from me, because I do eat out so often with people who have hearing aids, and I've become rather sensitive to whether a restaurant seems to have accounted for acoustics.

I 100% recommend that you go try Salata! It will inspire you to eat well, be healthy, and you will feel FULL. If you are like me and you struggle sometimes to start a healthier eating routine because every time you start you just find yourself feeling so crazy hungry, I suggest you try starting your new diet at Salata. You could eat there 20 days in a row and never eat the same thing twice, and you will feel truly satiated without being naughty.