My Kitchen View

It's been awhile since I've posted generally about the food things going on in my kitchen and beyond. I hosted Easter Dinner (well, it was more brunch-like) for 13 yesterday and it gave me a great excuse to develop a couple of cupcake recipes - carrot with a cream cheese filling baked in them and cream cheese frosting and lemon with a lemon curd filling and raspberry cream frosting. I was pleased overall with both and will share the recipes soon!

Otherswise, here was the menu:
-Ham (a traditional food for every holiday on my dad's side of the family)
-Bacon, Spinach, Mushroom, & Swiss frittatas
-Sausage, Pepper, Onion, & Cheddar frittatas
-Kazakh Cheese Pastries
-Strawberry Spinach salad w/Candied Pecans & Creamy Balsamic Dressing
-Asparagus & Tomato Salad
-Fruit Salad
-Challah Bread (my mom made this!)

My boys helped to make these cute Rice Krispie Treat nests as favors. I packaged them with tags and ribbon so they also doubled as place cards. They were so easy and the kids were so proud to tell our guests about making them.

 

In March, Heather and I visited a lovely tea room in Irvington. We enjoyed their special monthly tea event. Is was quaint, the staff was friendly, and the food was delicious. We hardly knew where to start on our two tiers of tea delicacies with several different types of sandwiches, gorgeous scones, and delightful sweets.

My family visited Cinncinnati a few weeks ago and found a place featured on Diners, Drive-ins, & Dives (Food Network). Terry's Turf was a hole-in-the-wall burger place with tons of character! We went at 5 on a Saturday and had to wait for about 30-45 minutes for a seat - by the time we left, I'm certain the wait was much longer. If your party doesn't fill the table, you will likely be seated with strangers - with five of us, we filled our spot. :) Peanuts shells littered the floor and added to the ambience - my boys loved it! The burgers are huge but absolutely delicious and the Black Currant elixir (house made) added to fresh lemonade was fabulous! Terry, himself, came out and brought our boys mini candy burgers and chatted with my husband and me. He was jovial, humble, and kind. We all agreed, we would definitely go back!

It's been a busy couple of months with some great eating experiences. We continue to expand the palates of our sons and discovered quite recently that they all LOVE sushi. A fun (though pricey :)) discovery. We enjoy foodie adventures as a family - both in our kitchen and out! What's been happening in your foodie world - any great new recipes, dining experiences, new obsessions etc.? I'd love to hear them!

Restaurant Review: R Bistro

I've been meaning to write this review for awhile. We visited R Bistro in early March for our anniversary weekend! The quaint and modern restaurant has been located on Massachusetts Avenue downtown Indianapolis for about eight years. The talented owner and executive chef is Regina Mehallick; she is a James Beard Best Chef semi-finalist this year which is a high honor.

We made a reservation for a Friday lunch. The service was excellent and our server very knowlegeable. He answered our questions and gave us some of the history of the restaurant, building, and surrounding area. We were very impressed. The winter lunch menu was unassuming but everything sounded delicious. The lunch menu changes quarterly to reflect the seasons and features local ingredients. While it's a pricey lunch, we felt it was worth every penny.

I ordered a panini which highlighted a local kielbasa sausage made just down the street, saurkraut, and horseradish. It was bliss...absolutely delicious and very likely the best sandwich I've ever had! My husband ordered a panini that had a sweet tomato chutney, bacon, avacado, and watercress. It also exceeded our expectations and was wonderful! Each sandwich came with a small mixed green salad which was a light and delicious accompaniment. After such delectable cuisine, we had to try dessert - it was our anniversary after all! I ordered the sticky toffee pudding (a British dessert) and was not disappointed. It was buttery, sweet, and divine. Andrew ordered the buttermilk pie which he liked but didn't love. We didn't want to reach the end of this meal - it was delightful.

R Bistro rocketed to the top of our favorite Indy restaurants. We will definitely go back for a special occasion! We would also enjoy trying their dinner menu which changes weekly to ensure the freshest seasonal and local ingredients. And we have it on good authority that recipes are not usually repeated for at least three years. I cannot imagine the exciting challenge of coming up with new and original items every week! You can sign up to receive their weekly menu via e-mail.

If you live in Indy or find yourself visiting our city, take the time to visit this excellent restaurant!

**Very unfortunately, I did not bring my camera and the attempt at phone photography just didn't work with the restaurant lighting.**

Cupcakes, Coffee, and the Butcher

Yesterday my sister took me on a whirlwind tour of a few foodie places in town (Indianapolis). Our first stop will have to remain anonymous until the 6th of February, and you won't want to miss it!

Passing Fresh Market on the way to our next destination we couldn't resist stopping and going in for a peek. I've never been before. It definitely lived up to its reputation -- such a lovely, pleasant supermarket experience filled with beautiful and exotic food. The fact that mangoes were on sale for 50 cents each means I actually bought something!!! :)



Our next stop was The Flying Cupcake at 5617 N. Illinois Street. I think I was most enamored with the adorable way the shop had been decorated -- shabby chic with plenty of pink. I left the choosing to my sister and she picked a Salted Chocolate Caramel cupcake. Although seating was available, we opted to go down the street to Starbucks so we could enjoy coffee with our treat.



I think we all agreed that the cupcake was not something one eats and says "wow." Rather, it was more like down-to-earth comfort food. We decided it was the perfect little shop to take your child or grandchild to after school, instead of a place you seek out for gourmet delicacies.



To my surprise, I discovered a butcher just down the street from the cupcake shop! Butchers are rare these days, so I had to go in and take a peak. L. E. Kincaid & Sons is located at 5605 N. Illinois Street.



Inside you will find a bright and busy shop with friendly staff who are willing to help you find just the right cut of meat for what you need. I saw signs for quail, and viewed all sorts of lamb, beef, chicken, pork, and even venison in their meat cabinets. They also had a large stock of local, free-range eggs. I felt instantly transported back to small-town Scotland.



And thus our outing came to an end and we headed back home where Black Bean Soup awaited us in the crockpot. And now I'm spending much of the day in the kitchen, cooking up some delicious dishes which shall appear here shortly!