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Why Did You Eat That: Game On!

By |September 20th, 2011|Recipes, Why Did You Eat That?|

While the days of backyard barbecues and beach volleyball may be dwindling, there’s no need to fret.  The world is not ending, my friend.  Nothing warms the heart (or the home) like entertaining close friends in your very own cozy abode.  The temperature is dropping and it seems to get dark by the time you’ve arrived home from a long day at the office, so it’s easy to become a bit of a homebody.  But maybe being a homebody isn’t such a bad thing.

The Plan:

Gather a group of your most playful pals for a rousing and raucous game night complete with old school board games, yummy snacks, and silly prizes.

The Invitation:

Start things off and set the tone for the evening by sending out a personalized Mad Libs invite.  Be sure to include all of the relevant information (date, address, time, etc.) and leave blanks for silly adjectives and nouns.  Get creative and be sure to ask guests to share their Mad Libs creations.

The Menu:

 

Game night isn’t the type of gathering that requires a fancy sit down dinner.  Keep things casual by setting up a “self serve” table with bites that are easy to eat while rolling the dice with one hand.  Mini quiche, delicious dip, and tiny desserts are great options for fun finger food. Arrange your no fuss fare on gameboards and embellish with gamepieces to keep the festive theme consistent.

For the rest of this post– and the party perfect recipes click here and read on.  Also, please take a moment to vote for my entry in Lucky Magazine’s Lifestyle Contributor contest.  It will require you to “register” but it only take a few moments and my appreciation will be exponential! 

xx,

WhyDid

Why Did You Eat That: Put Some Pep(peroni) In Your Step

By |August 29th, 2011|Recipes, Why Did You Eat That?|

20110829-111010.jpgYou might have noticed that I’ve been a bit slow with my blogging lately. Well, that’s because I’ve returned to my birthplace. My roots. My home away from home. Wheeling, West by God Virginia. And while I do enjoy laying around lackadaisically, I do not enjoy the fact that my sweet, sweet mother has yet to set up her wireless Internet making me feel as if I am, in fact, in the boondocks.

Anyway, I thought I would share the recipe a little local delicacy known as the pepperoni roll. Here’s the funny thing- I never realized this was a regional delight because while I was born in West Virginia I grew up in Florida. My mom made pepperoni rolls for our school lunches (lot better than a turkey sandwich, eh?) and so I spent my formative years thinking this was a normal thing and everyone’s mom had made them pepperoni rolls at one point or another. That is until I headed to the Big Apple and got the same looks as a person saying, “please” when I mentioned this tasty treat. Upon further research I found that the rest of the world was not privy to pepperoni rolls and so today I’m going to share a wonderfully simple recipe.

Ingredients:

  • 1 8 oz. can of Pillsbury Crescent Rolls
  • Approximately 5 oz. pepperoni sliced
  • 1 cup marinara sauce
  • 3/4 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees and separate dough into triangles on non-stick cookie sheet.
  2. Drizzle center of triangle with sauce and arrange pepperoni and cheese on top of sauce.
  3. Roll into a crescent.  Repeat for all dough.
  4. Bake in oven for 10 to 15 minutes.

Now, I’m aware there are probably some pepperoni roll purists out there shaking their heads and scoffing at my simple recipe– but it’s all I got and it’s pretty damn tasty (in my humble opinion).  So, the next time you’re traveling through the great state of West Virginia (HA!) be sure to stop for a snack and make sure it’s a pepperoni roll.

xx,

WhyDid

Why Did You Eat That: Mamacita

By |August 25th, 2011|San Francisco (The Bay), Why Did You Eat That?|

I know I give San Francisco a bad rap, but I guess it’s not all bad. The do have delightful Mexican food, afterall (and I love some good Mexican food). A friend suggested we try out Mamacita in the Marina, so we obliged and were happy we did so. The place is a bit crowded on a weekend and you will probably have to wait if you don’t have a reservation. So, you’re probably going to want to go ahead and get the party started with a pitcher of pomegranate margaritas (made with pomegranate infused tequila) and a bit of the guacamole while you wait for a table. I’ve had a lot of good guacamole in my day, but never have I had any so creamy. I would love to know what they put in there to get that smooth consistency. So far, so good.

We actually didn’t have to wait as long as we’d thought and started things off with Tamales de Elote (sweet corn tamales) and Crudo de Atun (tuna tartar). Both were out. of. this. world. After gorging ourselves on appetizers , we each opted to try a different type of taco- Chuleta de Borrego (lamb), Callos de Mula (scallops), and Carnitas Cerditas (pulled pork). I would say I was the “loser” of the bunch with the pork tacos. They weren’t awful, but compared to the rest, they fell a bit flat. The word that kept coming up when testing out the other tacos was “smooth.” We were so happy with our meals that we had no room for dessert and I would absolutely head back here for my next taco fix.

So what does one wear when munching on Mexican in the Marina? This area is a bit “preppy” or maybe even “yuppy” so, most of the patrons were pretty conservatively dressed. But when’s the last time you felt the need to fit in? Keep it casual with a bit of a twist with a silky blouse, skinny jeans, and funky accessories. You’ll stand out without looking like a total outcast.


1. Ya Ya Fisher Nom De Plume Blouse, $69, 2. 7 For All Mankind Gwenevere Mid-Rise Skinny Jeans, $170, 3. Jimmy Choo Peep Toe Patent Platform Pump, $695, 4. House of Harlow Val Studded Clutch, $195, 5. Kendra Scott Nasha Necklace, $145

Bonita mamacita!

xx,

WhyDid

Why Did You Eat That: The Easiest (Most Delicious) Lasagna You’ll Ever Make

By |August 15th, 2011|Recipes, Why Did You Eat That?|
I know many blogs have all kinds of fancy pants couture culinary treats, but I like to keep things much more simple.  Call my palate unsophisticated, but I like to think that I know what type of food pleases people.  I also like recipes that are easy to make (with ingredients that are easy to track down).  So when you combine Italian with comfort food, I’m sold. Who doesn’t like lasagna?  No, really, who?  Below is the easiest, yet most impressive lasagna recipe under the sun.  You’re welcome!
Ingredients:
  • 1 box of Barilla no-boil lasagna noodles
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 (15 ounce) container ricotta cheese
  • 4 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
  • 1/2 cup parmesan cheese
  • 1 lb browned ground beef
  • pasta sauce (I love Rao’s if you can find it)

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 375.
  2. In a medium sized bowl, combine beaten eggs, ricotta cheese and TWO cups of the mozzarella cheese and parmesan.
  3. Set aside.
  4. In a 13x9x3 pan, spread 1 cup of pasta sauce on bottom of pan.
  5. Layer 4 uncooked lasagna noodles (it’s okay if they overlap), then 1/3 of the ricotta cheese mixture, half the browned meat, 1 cup mozzarella cheese, and 1 cup of spaghetti sauce.
  6. Next layer, 4 uncooked lasagna noodles, 1/3 of the ricotta cheese mixture, and 1 1/2 Cups sauce.
  7. Next layer, 4 uncooked lasagna noodles, remaining ricotta mixture, remaining meat, and 1 cup of sauce.
  8. For top layer, 4 uncooked lasagna noodles, remaining sauce, and remaining 1 cup mozzarella.
  9. Bake covered with foil for 50-60 minutes.
  10. Uncover and continue cooking until all the cheese is melted on the top (about 5 minutes).
  11. Let stand 15 minutes before serving.
  12. If you are using a shallower pan, make 3 layers rather than 4 to avoid boiling over.

How easy was that?

xx,

WhyDid

Why Did You Eat That: Wine Time

By |July 18th, 2011|Recipes, Why Did You Eat That?|

This past weekend, I was lucky enough to be whisked away to a “destination unknown” in celebration of our anniversary.  I may have had an inkling where we were headed once I figured out we were driving.  And just like all my inklings… I was correct.  In just under two hours, we were in beautiful Napa Valley. Granted, it was pretty dark by the time we got there, but I could just tell it was beautiful.  We checked into the historic Napa River Inn (um, hello, our room had been part of a roller skating rink at some point) and headed off to dinner.

Now, I know that Napa is known for the wine alone, but did you also know that Napa Valley (specifically Yountville) actually has the highest concentration of Michelin star restaurants in the world?  You read that right.  So, what I’m trying to say that the food is delicious.  We were lucky enough to score reservations at Bottega, Bouchon, and Rotisserie and Wine.  Each one better than the next.

So anyway, back to what you really care about.  Wine.  Saturday, we were up and at ’em with a wine tour at the beautiful Duck Horn winery.  The vineyard is beautiful.  We had a tasting and headed on to our next destination, Opus One.  Now, you may think to yourself, “That sounds familiar.”  Probably because you remember that fine fellow, Sean Carter (Jay-Z), rapping about it.  First and foremost, the vineyard looks crazy.  It sort of looks like a cult or spaceship- just doesn’t look like it belongs on this planet.  After entering, you can score yourself a glass of wine for $30 and sip it on the terrace.  A stop by Alpha Omega and we had to head on home for a nap.  It became clear to me that Napa is just a sophisticated bar crawl.

The next day, after breakfast we were on our way to my mothership, Domaine Chandon.  Now, let’s be serious, I like all wine, but my favorite wine is that of the “bubbly” sort.  Domaine Chandon is a beautiful property and the winery is totally unassuming.  It is also home to one of those Michelin star restaurants (Etoile) that I was talking about – not to mention one of the youngest chefs, Perry Hoffman,  to receive a star.  Another fun fact?  It is and will always be the only winery in Napa to have a restaurant.  Another fun fact?  It’s the American baby sister to Moet (part of the LVMH group).

Needless to say, this was my favorite stop on our wine tour.  We did not have a chance to eat at Etoile, but they do have a delightful cookbook and I wanted to share a couple of fun (easy) recipes that you might actually be able to make.  The majority of them are a bit (ahem- six hours) time consuming.

Truffle Popcorn:

Ingredients

  • 6 tbsp unsalted butter
  • 1 tbsp minced black truffle (optional)
  • 1 tsp white truffle oil
  • Salt
  • 3 tbsp vegetable oil
  • 1 cup popcorn kernels
  • Freshly ground pepper

Instructions

  1. In a small saucepan, melt the butter over low heat. Stir in the truffles, truffle oil and a pinch of salt; keep warm.
  2. In a large, heavy pot, heat the vegetable oil. Add the popcorn kernels, cover and cook over moderate heat until the popcorn starts popping. Continue cooking, shaking the pan continuously, until the popping has almost stopped.
  3. Carefully pour the popcorn into a very large bowl, add the truffled butter and toss well. Season with salt and pepper and serve right away.

Microwave Instructions

  1. In a cup or small bowl, mix together the unpopped popcorn and 2 tablespoons oil. Pour the coated corn into a brown paper lunch sack, and sprinkle in the salt. Fold the top of the bag over twice to seal in the ingredients.
  2. Cook in the microwave at full power for 2½ to 3 minutes, or until you hear pauses of about 2 seconds between pops.
  3. Carefully pour the popcorn into a very large bowl, add the truffled butter and toss well. Season with salt and pepper and serve right away.

Chandon Ginger Mojito

Ingredients:

  • 1 lime cut into wedges
  • 1 bunch of fresh mint
  • Agave nectar
  • Ginger juice
  • Domaine de Canton ginger liquer
  • Domaine Chandon Brut Classic
  • Ice

Instructions:

  1. In a highball glass, muddle 2 lime wedges with 10 mint leaves and 1 tablespoon agave nectar.
  2. Add ½ teaspoon ginger juice and 1 ounce ginger liqueur.
  3. Fill with ice and top with 2 ounces of champagne.
  4. Garnish with a sprig of mint

And now, I need a Napa.

xx,

WhyDid