Early Thanksgiving

by Emily

Early post because my extended family is coming into town for Thanksgiving and I am taking a three-day weekend to spend time with my parents! I’m working the holiday (today) and then I am free until Monday. Early Thanksgiving because I already managed to cram five holiday meal flavors into a short week of eating. <– good thing too, I spent yesterday evening baking my contributions for today’s meal and I did so much taste-testing that I may actually still be full this afternoon!

Eggnog (1) in my coffee. I’ve moved on from the soy nog, I just wasn’t a fan this year.

Pie (2) in my breakfast bar. Betty Lou’s cherry. I know cherry isn’t strictly a Thanksgiving flavor but I’m still counting it.

Stuffing (3) with roasted brussel sprouts (4). I actually made something of a stuffing-dressing/strata hybrid, with several eggs stirred into my stock. Plus roasted celery and onion, hunks of raisin pecan sourdough, fresh sage and parsley, and turkey breakfast sausage.

With a local cranberry (5) gose and maple brown ale for some thematic booze.

I hope all of my American readers have a wonderful Thanksgiving.

19Nov2018

A New York Weekend

by Emily

Adam and I went on a quick vacation and just had the best weekend in NYC! We got super lucky with weather that was warm/dry enough for a long day of walking (including two trips across the Williamsburg Bridge and a spin around Washington Square Park). We tried a some new spots that totally knocked our socks off (see below). We met up with friends for a fantastic dinner at Bellwether (highlights included duck liver mousse with ramp mustard, strawberry preserves, and crostini and a Oaxacan Sour cocktail with mezcal, luxardo, agave, egg white, and lime).

The best Thanksgiving item and the entire impetus for this trip = Milk Bar‘s Thanksgiving croissant stuffed with turkey, stuffing, and cranberry sauce.

The best coffee = a quad, non-fat, iced latte of Stumptown at Black Brick.

The best doughnut = Alimama‘s sweet and savory mochi doughnut. It was topped with salted caramel and Nutella and was unbelievably, perfectly chewy. Plus we had a great ube cream puff.

The best brunch = Bricolage. There were so many things that sounded amazing we ended up ordering/sharing three entrees! Duck bahn mi with chicken liver pate, shallot mayo, pickled daikon, carrot, and herbs // five-spice fried chicken and waffles with red cabbage and fennel slaw, sriracha butter, and maple syrup // croissant french toast topped with Vietnamese coffee whipped cream, condensed milk creme anglaise, and blueberries.

The best ice cream = Morganstern‘s papaya guava ice cream alongside a scoop of American egg. P.S. the new location was beautiful and the line was far less out of control.

I ♥ New York.

16Nov2018

Soup’s Up

by Emily

There was no post last weekend because I worked on Sunday and it totally knocked me out. It was a busy day and I was basically still recovering most of this week, which is why there’s not much substance to this post either. Hopefully I am well-rested now because we have some really fun plans for this weekend!

It’s beginning to taste a lot like the holidays…. This is my current themed flavors stash.

Coffee with ‘nog is my favorite time of year.

Snapdragon apple with a cinnamon protein bar.

Plus I made two dinners that would be good any time of year. Bon Appetit’s chicken soup with charred cabbage.

Giant salad bowls. Butter lettuce / maple syrup, Sriracha, and Kewpie / shredded rotisserie chicken / chopped fresh sage and parsley / fried halloumi cheese. Plus a hunk of buttered walnut raisin sourdough.

9Nov2018

Chili When It’s Chilly

by Emily

It was a great week in packaged coffees. Grady’s Cold Brew = 11/10 (it’s my very favorite!). P.S. how great are our flowers??!

Black Hands can = 9/10.

Blanchard’s can = 7.5/10.

Other beverage fun included Polar hibiscus cloudberry seltzer.

And this killer cocktail combo – cinnamon hibiscus tea, Goldschläger, and club soda.

Snack attack. Strawberry sage kombucha, a caramel chocolate granola bar, and an Autumn Glory apple.

Can you believe I didn’t try a Coolhaus ice cream sandwich until after I left New York? We were super impressed with this.

Our dinners this week were definitely on a theme. Chili. Ground turkey / black beans and baked beans / sweet onion and poblano pepper / tomato paste and crushed tomatoes / clove, cumin, smoked paprika, brown sugar, fish sauce, liquid smoke, and gojuchang. Topped with cheddar, plain Greek yogurt, and jalopenos.

Bacon and cheese wrapped hot dogs. Turkey hot dogs and halloumi cheese wrapped in turkey bacon on a whole-wheat bun with ketchup. With a side of green bean fries.

Bacon chili cheese hot dog casserole. Double layers of cauliflower rice / turkey bacon / sliced turkey hot dogs / green onion / leftover chili / and sharp cheddar. Topped with plain Greek yogurt and hot sauce.

Yum!

5Nov2018

Fire, Flour, & Fork; A Foodie Weekend In Richmond

by Emily

Adam and I spent a fun weekend in Richmond with some of our favorite people doing our favorite things – eating and walking! My family invited us for a few days of edible entertainment at Fire, Flour, & Fork.

We did a street art and food tour.

The highlight was definitely Greenleaf’s Pool Room, we got a fantastic demonstration and a 99% house-made grilled cheese, tomato soup, deviled egg, and pickle.

Plus we went to Smoke on the Water, a nighttime event of tents filled with all you could eat local foods and all you could drink cocktails. On the water, natch.

My favorite bites were the apple pie old fashioned with a rice krispie treat garnish and a plate of fish cake with remoulade and slaw. But the best things we ate all weekend were off of the FFF path on the favorite spots “tour” my cousin took us on.

Kuba Kuba, the best Cuban food we’ve had outside of Florida. I had cafe con leche and huevos rancheros – two eggs over red beans and kuban bread, topped with monterey jack cheese, enchilada sauce, and lime sour cream.

Perly’s, the best deli we’ve been to outside of New York. We had housemade pickles, and I had a Rachel – a turkey reuben with cole slaw instead of sourkraut.

It was a perfect weekend!

2Nov2018

All Hallow’s Eats

by Emily

Pumpkin Noosa for breakfast. I sprinkled some crunchy granola from the cafeteria on top and it was fantastic.

Maple glazed doughnut with a maple pancake iced latte from Sugar Shack.

Snack attack. Is it even Halloween week if you don’t make yourself sick eating too much sugar? None of fun-sized candy at work was exciting to me and I had to drive myself to Wegman’s to buy my own chocolate.

Crispy honey garlic tofu bites served on top of roasted broccoli and cauliflower. The tofu recipe was perfect, I couldn’t believe how crispy it came out. After I took that photo I smothered my plate in Kewpie and Sriracha!

This Pumking version was toooo much bourbon for me.

Sweet potato hash success. Crispy sweet potato (cooked similarly to this method) / sauteed red bell pepper and spring onion with tumeric and smoked paprika / garlic chicken sausage / topped with a fried egg / and copious amounts of Cholula hot sauce.

Our Halloween dinner was perfectly on theme – vampire killer pumpkin pasta. Pumpkin shaped pasta / garlic chicken sausage / sauteed spinach with tons of garlic / tossed in aioli / topped with pan-fried haloumi.

Plus the best pumpkin beer of the year and a chai pumpkin ale.

26Oct2018

Meals In Three States

by Emily

I have no photos/post for this week(end) because things have been a bit crazy. We had a family emergency and Adam and I actually spent most of the week in Pennsylvania at my in-laws. And today I left to Ohio on a planned trip to visit my grandma. I flew in the cheap seats and have only a purse for my three-day trip, so no space for a camera.

I will be back next Friday! And I’m very excited about our meal plan for the week so hopefully I’ll have some tasty things to share.

22Oct2018

Booze In The Blue Ridges

by Emily

Adam and I had a really fun weekend exploring some of the towns around C-ville. Primarily we checked out Crozet and Waynesboro, both spots that are known for having fantastic breweries and wineries.

Highlights included – learning that while I dislike IPAs it turns out I adore double IPAs (especially the two at Pro Re Nata) // discovering Wild Wolf‘s super smoky Scottish ale // playing ping pong and skee-ball at Basic City // sipping espresso blended with sweetened condensed milk and mocha at Farm Haus