Sprint 2 the Table

Appetites and Adventures

Weird Holiday Flavors + WIAW

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40% of the items in a grocery store are new each year.

I’d rather have an actual Oreo Blizzard

According to what Michael Pollen found in his research.  I doubted this until I realized that new flavors and formulas count.  Think about all the variations done on Oreos – peanut butter, mint, 100 calorie packets… it’s endless.

An article on So Good Blog called out food-makers for going too far on the holiday variations.  Specifically cited is Chocolate Eggnog (agreed – but I don’t like nog) and Pumpkin Cream Cheese (he’s crazy… pumpkin was practically born on a bagel).

On my list is peppermint-flavored items.  I like peppermints, but please don’t add the flavor to perfectly good food.  Like coffee.

 

Enough about bad foods.  It’s What I Ate Wednesday!

 

Pre-Workout Breakfast:

When I workout first thing in the morning I usually don’t eat anything more than a nibble of peanut butter or a date.  That is unless I wake up STARVING!  After the killer workout yesterday I must have been burning food like a mad man woman in my sleep!

I heated a Van’s Organic Blueberry Waffle in the oven and topped it with banana, cinnamon, and sugar-free syrup.

Perfect for my needs… I did a solid hour with some heavy weights.

Post-workout snack:

Since the pre-workout was only a waffle, I was ready for more after I finished in the gym.  My post-workout 20g of protein (must-have to build muscle!) came in the form of a (green) sweet potato protein shake.

Sweet Potato Protein Shake

  • 3 T sweet potato puree
  • 1 C spinach
  • 3/4 C unsweetened vanilla coconut milk (a la So Delicious)
  • 1 scoop vanilla protein powder
  • 2 tsp ground flax seeds
  • 1 tsp maca
  • 1/4 tsp cinnamon
  • Pinch of guar gum (to thicken)
  • Shake of salt
  • Ice + water, to taste

*Normally I add Stevia or banana to sweeten my shakes, but the So Delicious and the sweet potato provided enough sweetness on their own!

Lunch:

If you read my post yesterday you may have seen a lovely salad.  So lovely that I had a repeat for lunch today.

 

Those carrot patties are really incredible (hot or cold) and I love having my Basil Walnut Pesto creation (also on yesterday’s post) in the salad mix.  The sweet bursts from the pomegranate seeds make for a fun salad.  (Read: Trying to avoid staining the shirt I wore to work.)

Dinner:

This barley-based “risotto” was even better than I expected!

This recipe will come tomorrow, along with a special feature –

I scored an interview with Chef Cindi Avilia, who works in recipe development for Lightlife!

Snacks:

I had a little biscuit-baking fail… and snacked on my misery while deciding that yes, they really were un-servable (is that a word?).

There was also a citrus Kombucha involved.  I love Kombucha.

Old pic… same drink, sans jerky

I made 100 Sparkling Cake Balls (cake balls made with sparkling wine, in case you missed it) for orders received (so exciting – people are BUYING my food!)… which called for a little pairing experiment. 😉

***

Head over to Peas and Crayons to celebrated the Humpty-Hump on Jenn’s What I Ate Wednesday.

Have you seen any crazy holiday flavors?  Which ones do you like or dislike?

What’s your best holiday baking fail?

Basil Walnut Pesto (and Carrot Patties)

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Variety is the spice of life.

 

 

I’ve mentioned before that my workouts change in the winter – less running, more indoor activities.  Thankfully I have found some friends to work out with to help shake things up.  This weekend was spin class, today was a circuit workout… both were things I never would have done without a friend.  Friends = variety.

Another benefit of a workout buddy is that you can’t get lazy.  I almost ditched the post-circuit cardio, but didn’t want to look like a wuss in front of my friend.  It’s so true what they say – you never regret doing a workout.

 

Here are a few ideas if you’re looking to shake things up too:

 


Of course, we all want to work off the cookies… but truth be told I’m legit on a sweets overload (sorry – it’s about to get colder now that hell has frozen over).  I’ve been craving straight up VEGGIES.  This is where it’s nice to have blog friends.  There are SO many great ideas for winter veggies floating around the interwebs.

 

Great idea #1:

Curried Carrot Patties by  Irina @ Nutty Crunch

 

 

 

Of course I made a couple ingredient modifications:

  • Used 4 HUGE carrots rather than small to medium (go big or go home!)
  • Subbed Herbamare for salt
  • Increased curry powder to 1/2 tsp
  • Added 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
  • Turned a slice of Ezekial bread into small toasted bread bits rather than “crumbs”

 

I also prepared mine a bit differently because I didn’t fully read the directions due to my genius creativity.  Rather than coating the patties with some of the chia egg and dipping into bread crumbs, I mixed the whole shebang together in one bowl.  The power of chia eggs must be fierce, because the carrot-heavy patties miraculously held together!

 

My result looks totally different from Irina’s, but they were delicious!  Even more so with a big glob of this on top:

 

Great idea #2:

 

Basil Walnut Pesto.

Using walnuts rather than pine nuts has a few benefits: it’s cheaper, has better nutritional content, and you don’t have to worry about palate-destroying conditions caused by Chinese exports.

 

While I do love walnuts, what made this pesto possibly the best I’ve made yet was the bit of sun-dried tomato.  You can barely detect the flavor, but it adds depth and a pleasant sweetness to the spread.

 

 

I enjoyed the pesto many ways, but it was particularly good atop the carrot patties over a bed of spinach, bean sprouts, and pomegranate seeds.

Festive and healthy.  Just what I needed to ready myself for more Christmas cookies.

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Walnut Pesto

Adapted from Saveur

  • 1.5 C packed basil
  • 1/2 C olive oil
  • 1/3 C toasted walnuts
  • 1/4 C yellow onion
  • 1/4 C grated pecorino
  • 1/4 C grated Parmesan
  • 2 T sun-dried tomatoes, re-hydrated and chopped
  • 2 T reserved water from sun-dried tomato re-hydration
  • 2 T freshly-squeezed lemon juice
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • S+P, to taste

 

Place all ingredients except olive oil in processor and begin to blend.  Gradually add olive oil, blending until finely chopped.

Store refrigerated for up to one week or much longer in the freezer.

Makes ~1.5 cups.

***

Baking season and I are developing a love-hate relationship.

Are you a victim of sugar-overload yet?

Do you prefer to workout alone or with a partner/trainer?  A little of both?

 

Pumpkin Tempeh Chili

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I am a wuss.

 

There is a reason I live in the South – cold weather and I are not friends.  I showed up to run the Thanksgiving Half Marathon wearing fleece-lined running pants, a long sleeve shirt, a jacket (with thumb holes!), a fleece scarf, fleece gloves… and a body warmer attached to the inside of my jacket.  I couldn’t feel my toes until mile 4.

 

 

Suffice it to say that my soup cravings are now out of control.  Kind of like my pumpkin obsession.

The logical conclusion is to make soup with pumpkin.  Wait.  It’s too cold for a simple soup.  I need a bone-warming chili.  Pumpkin chili!   (No, I haven’t actually tuned orange.  Yet.)

 

 

This was my first time ever making chili, so the recipe evolved as I went.  I thought the black and white photo would hide the fact that is was dark and I have poor kitchen lighting make me look classic like Julia Childs.

 

This chili is vegan – using tempeh rather than ground meat.  Even if you are accustomed to tempeh, I strongly advise you to steam or boil it before you use it in chili.  It removes the bitterness, allowing the other flavors to shine.

With the tempeh and black beans, this is one helluva a fiber-rich, protein-filled meal!

 

Bad lighting combined with brown food = picture of the year.

 

I like strong flavors in chili, and the slight sweetness combined with heat.  When creating my chili, I wanted to really feel the heat and the warmth from the cumin and cinnamon.  Cinnamon may seem like an odd choice, but try it out!  It gives savory dishes a fantastic depth and brings out the subtle fruitiness of the tomato.

Cinnamon also works well with pumpkin.  I had about 1/2 a cup of the canned stuff  leftover from my Pumpkin Rum Bread Pudding, and into the pot it went!  I loved the creamy texture it added… next time I may try using even more!

 

 

Cocoa also went into the post.  It was almost an afterthought… I tasted the cumin with the black beans and thought a mole twist would be just the thing to make the dish pop.

 

Top it all off with avocado and – if you really love fire – Sriracha.

Guaranteed to warm you right down to the toes!

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Pumpkin Tempeh Chili

  • 1 T extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 package (8 oz) tempeh
  • 1/2 large yellow onion, chopped
  • 1 red pepper, chopped
  • 1 celery stalk, chopped
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 2 dried arbol chili peppers, re-hydrated and minced
  • 2 tsp cocoa powder
  • 1.5 tsp ancho chili powder
  • 1 tsp oregano
  • 1/2 tsp cumin
  • 1/2 tsp turmeric
  • 1/2 tsp cinnamon
  • 1 T apple cider vinegar
  • 1.5 C (1 can) black beans, rinsed and drained
  • 1.5 C diced tomatoes (I used fire-roasted)
  • 1/2 C pumpkin puree*
  • 1 C vegetable stock
  • 1 tsp Xylitol (or sweetener of choice, if needed)
  • S+P, to taste
  • Optional toppings: avocado, sriracha, sour cream, cilantro

 

Steam tempeh 10-15 mins to remove bitterness.

Meanwhile, saute veggies over med-high in large pot (~10 mins).  Add garlic at the end to avoid burning.  Next add in spices, stir to combine, and saute another 1-2 mins.  Stir in apple cider vinegar to deglaze.

Add tempeh, beans, tomatoes, and  pumpkin.  Stir to combine.  Cover and allow to simmer for ~20 mins, stirring occasionally.

Remove cover and stir.  Taste and adjust flavors.  This is where I added Xylitol.  Allow to simmer 15-20 mins more until liquid is reduced and flavors have melded.

Makes 4 servings (4 cups).

Note: If pumpkin in chili creeps you out isn’t available, try using a winter squash or sweet potato puree.  You could also omit.

Approximate nutrition: 320 calories, 9.5g fat, 36.2g carbohydrates, 13.6g fiber, 5.9g sugar, 17.1g protein.

***

I want to try white bean next.  Possibly orange white bean with pumpkin…

Are you a white or black bean chili person?

Do you make large pots of food to eat throughout the week?  What is your staple?

 

Chili Time + WIAW

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Three days ago it was 70 degrees.

 

 

Yesterday morning I braved the airport amidst snow flurries.  Ok, ok, it was more like slightly freezing drizzle.  I hope this doesn’t mean we have a crazy, ice-filled winter!

 

Today I’m lucky because not only is it my favorite What I Ate Wednesday:

 

It’s also Spicie’s Foodie‘s November Your Best Recipe reveal!  Click here to check out my Red Wine Cake Balls and everyone else’s best dish of the month on her blog.

On to the eats!

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Pre-Flight Breakfast:

I love to make muffins, but never am able to eat a dozen alone while they are fresh.  My solution is the freezer.  You can always bet I have 3-4 muffins varieties just 30 seconds away from being breakfast-ready.  Perfect for those of us who aren’t morning people.

 

 

My pre-flight rush breakfast involved these Pumpkin-Zucchini Muffins (low sugar!) and my recently concocted Cinnamon Cacao Nut Butter.

Scarfed down in the car to fuel a morning jaunt through Concourse A. 🙂

 

The beverage portion of my breakfast happened in the airport – my traditional Starbucks coffee treat and some water.  Flying dries me out!

 

 

 

Lunch:

Having landed wayyyy before our meeting was to begin, my boss and I stopped in a Starbucks (this time I had an unpictured Orange Blossom tea) to get some work done… followed by a surprisingly delicious lunch near our destination.

Bocci is a new Italian spot in Clayton, MO (a suburb of St. Louis).  Their northern Italian-style soups hit the spot after walking through some serious cold St. Louis wind!

 

 

I ordered the Aquacotta – a tomato soup with mushrooms, onions, basil… and a poached egg!  Italian egg drop soup?!  I broke the egg and the yolk ran out, adding a wonderful creaminess to the brothy tomato.  With copious amounts of Bocci’s crack foccacia-like bread sticks dipped in olive oil, balsamic, and parm.

Moment of Boss Appreciation: You’ll notice I got a pic.  My boss didn’t even flinch when I whipped out the camera to go paparazzi on my food.  My job satisfaction went through the roof today.

 

 

Dinner:

I made my first chili!  It is a vegan tempeh chili… with 2 “secret” ingredients.  I could have made it hotter, but that’s nothing a little Sriracha didn’t fix!

 

 

Short on time so the recipe will come tomorrow!

 

 

Snacks:

We landed right at dinner time, but I wanted to get a workout in.  I downed a Sweet Tango Apple to tide me over until chili-time.  Sarah introduced me to this variety – if you ever see one grab it immediately!  Of course I had my pretzels on the plane too.

I also had a late-night protein shake for dessert:

 

 

Strawberry-Banana Shake

  • 1 C spinach
  • 1/2 banana
  • 1 Strawberry EAS
  • 1 tsp ground flax
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla
  • 1/2 tsp cinnamon
  • Ice

 

***

Check out Peas and Crayons to see how everyone else celebrated Hump Day on Jenn’s What I Ate Wednesday.

Did you get any snow?

What is the best thing you’ve eaten post-Turkey Day? (P.S. Quit eating leftovers!  6 day post-meal that meal is growing bacteria!)

 

Pumpkin Rum Bread Pudding

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One Thanksgiving meal isn’t enough.

It only comes once a year – why limit yourself to just one wonderful meal on that day?  Especially if you’ve just run 13.1 miles.

Friendsgiving part 2 occurred at one of may favorite local haunts – Diesel.  It’s more of a bar, but does serve up some tasty food.  Except on Thanksgiving.  This holiday they were serving drinks and the feast was a potluck.  BYOF.

Potluck Thanksgiving in a bar = BEST idea ever.

We had 21 feet of food (yes, measurements were taken).  3 turkeys (the spicy dry rub was wonderful), a duck, soups, stuffings, collards, mac ‘n cheeses, desserts… if you could imagine it, someone had brought it to share.

Those Tostidos didn’t get opened

Incredibly, most of the food was homemade and quite good.  Better than average, in fact.  I went back for seconds thirds.

The most fun to look at dish of the night:

Mac ‘n Cheese with a Bacon weave

Despite being totally stuffed, dessert remained my weak spot.

Let’s pretend I didn’t sample all of this

My contribution was pretty tasty, if I do say so myself.  In fact, I made it twice over Thanksgiving.  Both times to an enthusiastic reception.

As soon as I laid eyes on chocolate chip Panettone I knew it was going into bread pudding.  Pumpkin bread is better with chocolate chips… why not pumpkin in chocolate chip Panettone pudding?  In the bar-potluck spirit, I added some booze – dark rum was made for sweets, IMHO.

Pre-bake photo opp

Half-baked

The pumpkin made this pudding especially creamy and the dark rum brought out the sweetness of the Panettone.  Because it is a sweet bread, you don’t have to add a ton of sugar to this recipe – just 1/2 a cup in total.

I’ll even go out on a limb and say this is one of the best dishes I’ve ever made.  I don’t say that about just anything!

My dish on display at Bargiving:

It’s all I can do not to make it again right now…

Pumpkin Rum Bread Pudding

Pumpkin Rum Bread Pudding

by Laura Hall

Prep Time: 20 mins

Cook Time: 45 mins

Keywords: bake dessert Panettone pumpkin rum Christmas Thanksgiving fall winter

Ingredients (16 servings)

  • 1 chocolate chip Panettone, cut to ~2 in cubes (~7 cups)
  • 1 C heavy whipping cream
  • 1/2 C milk
  • 1/2 stick salted butter (melted)
  • 3 eggs
  • 1 1/4 C pumpkin puree
  • 3 T dark rum
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 1/4 C brown sugar
  • 1/4 C sugar
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/4 C chocolate chips (optional)

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place cubed bread in 9 x 12 pyrex.

In large bowl, whisk together wet ingredients. Add sugars and cinnamon and stir until combined. Pour evenly over bread and toss to ensure cubes are all covered.

Place in oven and bake for 40-50 mins, until pudding is set and top is beginning to brown. Allow to cool ~10 mins before serving.

Notes: You can use other types of breads, though you will want to increase the amount sugar (Panettone is a sweet bread). If you don’t like rum, you can cut back or omit it entirely.

Powered by Recipage

***

Coming back to work this week was a terrible shock after 4 days off!

Are you still eating leftovers?

What is your favorite variety of bread pudding?

Gobbling Up 13.1

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If I don’t like turkey, what exactly am I earning?

Wine is more like it!

By the time you are reading this, I will (hopefully) be done with Atlanta’s Thanksgiving Half Marathon.  I am starting in the first group at 7:30am and – if I manage to stay with my pace team – I will be done by 9:15am.

Forget turkey; I’m earning Waffle House!

Rather than wax poetic about the millions of things I’m thankful for (really, I am), I thought I’d offer you something a bit different.

3 Tips for Thanksgiving:

1. Don’t sit in you great aunt’s chair.  Trust your instincts (and your nose).  That can’t be clean.

Source: happyplace.com

2. Watch out for the beans.  You don’t want to be mistaken for that chair, do you?

3. Don’t make yourself miserable.

Bite #367 of that pie will not taste any different than bite #1.  You’ll be trying to get rid of those leftovers for days anyway.

Click here for a few tips on keeping the gluttony under control… and an idea for using some of that leftover pumpkin puree. 😉

In conclusion…

***

Happy Thanksgiving!!

How did all the runners do?

What is/was the BEST dish of the day?

Rockstar Riff On Spaghetti + WIAW

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My sister is a rockstar.

Which is the goose and which is the fox?

Alli played a local venue on Monday night with her boyfriend, Noah.  It was an open mic contest (well-known for launching John Mayer’s career).  They didn’t win but I think they were one of the best.  There is just SO much talent in Atlanta.

Alli and Noah’s band is called Goose & Fox.  Check them out on YouTube!  Shameless plug of one of my favorite songs:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D-gxzyUd51U

 

Given that we have a huge food-focused holiday one day away, it seems funny to be posting a tame WIAW… but at least it involves balls!

Check out Peas and Crayons to see how everyone else pre-gamed Thanksgiving on Jenn’s What I Ate Wednesday.

Pre-Breakfast:

I made a late-night post-concert trip to Kroger for melting chocolate so I could coat more Red Wine Cake Balls!  They looked so pretty and smelled so good… they were calling my name!  So I may have pre-gamed breakfast with balls…

Don’t judge me.

The winner so far has been these Red Wine Balls, but the Sparkling have received a ton of votes.  It comes down to preference.  Do you prefer your… desserts… sweet and white or dark and rich?

Pass the dark and rich over here.

Breakfast:

In preparation for the Thanksgiving Half, I’m loading up the carbs and protein.  This morning’s oatmeal with egg whites hit the spot.

Check out that nut butter good-ness!

In my Oats:

  • 1/2 C oatmeal
  • 1/2 C unsweetened almond milk
  • 1/4 C water
  • Shake of salt
  • 1/2 tsp cinnamon
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 1 egg white
  • 1/4 C blueberries
  • Scoop of Cinnamon Cacao Nut Butter

Prepare oatmeal according to package instructions.  When almost done, quickly whip in the egg white.  Add blueberries.  Transfer to bowl and top with nut butter – I used Cinnamon Cacao Nut Butter I made yesterday.

Delicious and super filling thanks to the protein and “good” fat.

Lunch:

Just before lunch, I jogged to the Thanksgiving Half Expo to get my number.  Only 1 more day – eek!  I signed up with the 1:45 pace team.  In hindsight, that may be a little ambitious.  Guess I’ll find out tomorrow.

On the way back I passed Evos, a small chain that claims to make a healthier burger.

Their fries are air baked, burgers are made with naturally raised beef, milkshakes use organic milk and sugar – they even offer fruit shakes!

I settled on a Veggie Garden Burger.  The vegetarian patty was pretty good (they also offer a vegan variety) – plenty of veggie and bean chunks in it (a must IMHO).

I really enjoyed the avocado spread, but the BEST part was the ketchup.  They make their own flavors – Original, Cayenne,  Mesquite, and Garlic.  The garlic was pretty fantastic. 🙂

The problem was the bun – it was one of those sticky, chewy grocery store buns with the sesame seeds on top.  Change the bun and I’ll come back, Evos.

The lady at the counter was really patient nice and let me sample an air baked french fry.  I didn’t order my own, but they were pretty good!  They tasted a lot like McDonald’s (which I haven’t had in years… but they remain my favorite)  but only have 170 calories and 5g of fat.  No, it’s not a health food but it is a healthier option when you want to indulge.

Dinner:

One of the most creative bloggers I know, Sarah @ The Smart Kitchen, created this vegan, “adult” version of Spaghetti-O’s.  Sarah is also the queen of repurposing items to create the coolest dishes (airplane bottle of V8 –> tomato-vegetable soup?!).

Eying the last of a carton of Trader Joe’s Tomato and Roasted Red Pepper Soup, I channeled my inner Smart Kitchen and went to work.

See my bastardized modified version at the end of this post.

Snacks:

Lucky (pre-race moment of brilliance?) me scheduled a late-afternoon massage!  It was one of the best I’ve had in a loooong time.

I made a quick pre-massage protein shake to tide me over until dinner.  It was my basic: spinach, protein powder, almond milk, almond extract, and banana (trying to get the potassium in).

This is all that was left when I remembered to take a pic.

A massive Asian Pear and pomegranate made up a great “dessert.”  I cut the pear into bite-sized pieces and sprinkled it with fresh pomegranate seeds, freshly ground cinnamon, and a teensy bit of paprika.

Normally I scoff at the idea of fruit for dessert, but this was shockingly satisfying.

Saucy Soup & Spaghetti

  • 1.5 C TJ’s Tomato & Roasted Red Pepper Soup
  • 2 T nutritional yeast
  • 1/2 tsp garlic powder
  • 1/2 tsp ancho chili powder
  • 1/4 tsp dried oregano
  • 1/4 tsp dried basil
  • 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
  • Freshly ground black pepper
  • 2 servings pasta (I used a veggie-laced fettuccine)

Prepare pasta according to the package.

Meanwhile, combine first 6 ingredients in small pot and warm over med-high heat.

When pasta is cooked, drain and pour into 2 bowls.  Top with soup-sauce, garnish to taste with red pepper flakes and fresh black pepper.

Makes 2 servings.

***

Things will probably be slow going in the blog world over the next few days.  I hope everyone has a wonderful holiday filled family, food, and fun.  Safe travels and successful turkey runs!

What are your holiday plans?  Travel?  Races?

What dish are you most excited about tomorrow?

Game Day Inspired Dinner

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Underground dinners are my favorite.

 

The “secret” suppers have exploded in Atlanta and – from what I hear – across the country.  They are meals prepared by local (mostly) aspiring chefs for a small group of people lucky enough to catch wind of the event.  I’ve been to quite a few and always come away inspired and with several new friends.

 

Push Start Kitchen has been my favorite so far.  I’ve only been to two (click here for the details of that event), but hope to have the opportunity to attend more.  Atlanta local Zach Meloy and his Costa Rican wife Christina prepare a thoughtful menu full of unique flavor combinations.  (Think Southern meets Latin).

When I received the email about Zach’s November dinner, I knew I had to go.  He was preparing a menu inspired by stadium traditions!  You guys know I love my football.

 

It happened to be held on my friend Jessica’s birthday (check out the gluten-free meatball guest post she wrote for me here), and I was excited to share the experience with my friend.

 

The evening began with a delicious tequila and pear cocktail, accompanied by Zach’s take on corn nuts.  These were tossed in an addicting sweet-spicy sauce.  I may have eaten more than my share.

 

Next up was the soup course.  We were given bowls with granola (he uses Trader Joe’s), pickled carrot, buttermilk panna cotta, and chipotle molasses.  That alone was a gorgeous showing!

 

Zach then circled the table, pouring celery root soup atop each plating.  It was a perfect combination of textures and flavors – crunchy granola, vinegar-laced carrots, subtle sweetness of the panna cotta, and the fantastic smoky heat from the chipotle molasses were all tied together with the earthy, rich celery soup.  He needs to start serving seconds!

I could have died happy after this, but we still had the main course to come!

 

Slow cooked chicken, with crispy onion, grain mustard panade, roasted red cabbage, and pretzel puree.  Yes it was as good as it sounds.

Zach’s chicken was the most perfectly cooked meat I’ve ever put in my mouth.  That’s no small feat. The grain mustard had just the right amount of tang with the ballpark-salty pretzel puree.

Some people turn up their noses at the idea of ordering chicken in restaurants because it’s so “pedestrian.”  I always argue that – like eggs – if a chef can prepare it perfectly, it’s the sign of real talent.

 

You know when you don’t want to finish a dish or drink because it’s so good you don’t want  it to end?  Our stadium meal was one I was sad to see end.  Alas, it was time for dessert.

Mexican hot chocolate cake with malt ice cream, dulce de leche with black salt, and kettle corn.

 

The cake was good, but he could have made the dessert entirely of the homemade ice cream, popcorn, and the smoky black salted caramel.  Lately I’ve posted a lot about my love of sweet-salty or savory combos and this hit the spot!  I swear I didn’t make special requests.

Unfortunately I didn’t get a picture of Jessica’s dessert.  She is gluten-free, so Zach prepared a caramelized banana dish for her that looked fabulous.  She didn’t offer to share.  He even put a candle in it!

 

The meal ended with a thick berry cordial and a sweet Latin candy rolled in crushed almonds, dipped and coated on the spot.  Two desserts = just my style.

 

The night didn’t end there, but this post does!

***

Thanks to all for a second Top 9 this week!  Check out my Sparkling Cake Balls on FoodBuzz by clicking here.

What is your favorite stadium food?

What chef would prepare the meal at your dream supper club?

 

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