Columbus Foodie

Well, it looks like I’ve finally made the big time. (j/k) I’ve joined such illustrious bloggers like Pim and Haalo (two of my favorites, btw) in getting my content stolen by one “Chef” Jasper J. Mirabile Jr. I don’t know whether to be pissed or flattered, really. I mean, it’s not even a good picture, compared to some others on my site. I checked his site closely after Haalo made a post about 4 or 5 other instances of his fraud/theft.

He stole my picture of the rum cake I made last year, from this post. And the funny thing? After I made a comment about the pic on Haalo’s entry, my pic disappeared off of his site (without even a “by your leave” or apology - it’s OK since I hate insincere apologies anyway, and since he’s a serial content thief). Too bad for him that I took a screen shot of the offending entry on his site before posting the comment:

While I would expect this kind of nonsense from your run of the mill Google Ad spammer, I hate to say that I expected more from someone who is supposedly a Kansas City institution, and who obviously has more training than I do. You have an entire restaurant and staff at your disposal, ingredients to make your own awesome dishes, and you resort to stealing a recipe for rum cake that uses a boxed cake mix? Really?

With so much to lose (a restaurant, work w/ the media (a radio show, regular media coverage), I wonder about his motivations - is ganking a bunch of pictures from food bloggers really worth if it costs you your reputation, that you’ve obviously put a lot of work into building? I guess the one thing Jasper doesn’t realize is that us bloggers communicate virally - and in an industry where your business is affected by public perception, do you really want to earn a reputation as a talentless hack who can’t generate their own content? I didn’t think so.

So, to be honest, I’m more confused than pissed. And just wanted to give a heads up to any of you other food bloggers to check his archives and see if any of your pics have been ganked as well. I never thought mine would be, let alone be among the most excellent (and professional looking) ones he took from others.

PS - I guess fraud runs in the family, according to this document. Judging by the date, I can see the apple doesn’t fall too far from the tree (looks like it’s dad, not Jr.) and he comes by his dishonesty honestly.

PPS - He’s made his blog “invite only” now - guess he wanted to get that baby offline before more examples of his photo theft came to light. Too bad there are cached pages floating around the internet, huh?

Well, today’s trip to the farmer’s markets was interesting, to say the least. We got another early start, and got to the North Market a little after 8am. We brought our beagle Sadie with us this morning, as she needs the exercise and we thought she’d enjoy it greatly. She sucked up to everyone who gave her a second glance. But then again, she’s a cuddle slut, so what should I have expected? I did run into Daniel (of Pure Imagination), who I haven’t seen for MONTHS, and we took a few minutes to catch up.

Wish Well Farms had morels again, probably the last week they will have them. I picked up about a half a pound, because I love them so and won’t be able to enjoy them again until next year ::sigh::.

Sadly, my main mushroom source at Toby Run wasn’t there today, so no shiitakes for me (although I did eventually find some at the Worthington market). Freshwater Farms was there (yay!), but no picallilly sauce, so a trip to Urbana is still in order.

Little did we know that today was the Race for the Cure, and we got stuck in the perimeter with no way out until the racers were past. So we got this view for 20 minutes:

Heartening to see so many people out there running/walking for themselves/loved ones/in general, but annoying from the point of view that the time I spent in the car was time I could have been using to get up to Worthington. I just wish they had left ONE road accessible in the downtown area.

But can I just take a moment to rant about Columbus drivers and what jerks some of them are? Originally, there was a guy in a Hummer in the lane to the right of us, and when he got to the road and saw he couldn’t get through, he got out of the car and started gesturing wildly at the cop who was standing there. So he gets back in his car, does a u-turn back on Spring Street (which for you non-Columbusites, is a one way street - he was going the wrong way), goes tear-ass speeding up the street, and then nearly hits someone who was driving the right way on the street. Nevermind that none of the roads out of downtown were open, and that we were situated at the intersection that would see the end of the procession first. And then there was the guy behind us, who started honking as if we had the option to go. And don’t even get me started on the passive aggressive jerkoff in Grove City, who cut us off mid-turn, so we honked at him. So here he is in front of us, and at the next red light, after it turns green he refuses to move. We decided not to play the game and tried to get in the other lane to get around him, and he starts backing up so we wouldn’t have room to change lanes. The light turns red again. Green light and he does the same thing. I’m telling you, it shows a lot of growth on my part, because 10 or 15 years ago when I was young and stupid, I would have let my inner trunk monkey out and opened up a can of whoop-ass on him. So yes, I did get the road-ragey adrenaline rush, but I didn’t act on it.

But I digress. We made it to Worthington about 40 minutes later than we originally intended (due to being stuck downtown for 30 minutes extra), but still had no trouble finding parking or the items we were looking for. I think as far as marketing season goes, we’re still in the early stages and the crowds aren’t super-heavy yet.

I did see some rhubarb (which I need for an event this week), but had already picked up some local rhubarb at the Greener Grocer in the North Market as I didn’t know if there would be any at Worthington.

New to me (and to the market too, I believe) is Betsy’s Brittle, who has delicious cashew brittle. I picked up a bag because if there’s something I can’t resist, it’s cashew brittle.

I was hoping that Mockingbird Meadows would have some of that lovely lavender-infused honey that was so delicious on pears the other night, but was informed that it would be the beginning of July at the earliest. I’m really looking forward to it. Here’s a picture of their lemon-balm infused honey.

And most of what else was to be found was herbs. I just planted one hell of a herb garden, though, so I didn’t need any.

Well, so much to do today. Right now, Paul is putting together my raised beds for my garden (I’ve got my herbs planted, still have my peppers and tomatoes and annuals and veggies to go), we may grill out in a couple of hours if it doesn’t start raining, and tonight is the Apron Gala at the North Market. Anyone else going?? I donated a gift basket full of my favorite products from area vendors (and a couple of other surprises) for the silent auction, so keep an eye out for it and bid on it if it appeals to you. It all goes to a really good cause.

As is obvious by now, we made it home on Monday, driving through 8 hours (the trip should have taken 6) of rain, sometimes torrential. My husband is not a good driver in bad weather, so I drove the bulk of the way home, and got in well after dark on Monday night.

But I just wanted to take a couple of minutes to mention a few other things about our trip that don’t warrant their own entry, but that are definitely worth remembering.

On Friday night, after our dinner at Good ‘n Plenty we stayed in a carriage house at The Osceola Mill House, which was very charming and quite rustic. Although a bit uncomfortable due to our size (the stairs were very steep, the bed was a full, etc), it had a lovely view, a nice little kitchen (I’d come here again if I were staying longer), the location was right near where we wanted to be, and the breakfast in the morning was awesome! (especially the Fruit Soup, which I plan to find a recipe for and make this weekend).

We spent early Saturday making our rounds in the Intercourse area, stopping here and there - Paul got some delicious homemade root beer and fudge from an Amish roadside stand, and in addition to our trips to Stoltzfus Meats and Kitchen Kettle Village, we also stopped at the Intercourse Pretzel Factory where we got hard and soft brown buttered pretzels, and the Bird-in-Hand Farmer’s Market, which was so crowded that I only bought some apple cider and got myself a funnel cake. It kind of makes up for missing The Ohio State Fair this year, because I love fair food, and funnel cake is about as fair food as you can get.

We had planned to eat lunch in the area, but we were so full from the scrapple, egg and cheese wrap, breakfast at the bed and breakfast, and funnel cake that we decided to head right to New Jersey without stopping to another smorgasbord first.

The trip to New Jersey was pretty uneventful. The navigation system in my car took us on a route that avoided tolls that I was unfamiliar with, and we got stuck in some pretty gnarly traffic on the Surekill Expressway that we would have run into either way. We got into New Jersey around 2:30ish, still too early to check into our hotel. We were going to head over to Jim’s Lunch so Paul could try the burgers, but it completely slipped my mind that Jim’s closes for the summer, so our plans for beefy goodness were thwarted. We still had a bit of time to kill, so we stopped into Haar’s Natural Foods and Gourmet Imports on Delsea Drive, a little store that sells mostly health foods (including a huge selection of gluten free stuff, I was happy to see) but has this deli in the back that sells imported German meats. I used to go here all the time with Oma when I was really young, and the place hasn’t changed a bit in 30-odd years. Amazing. We made a mental note to make a stop here on Monday morning on our way out of town.

We finally checked in to the hotel, and then went out driving around for a while (I gave him a mini-tour of East Vineland), and ended up at Crown Market for cheesesteaks. I don’t know if it changed ownership since April (I honestly think it did, based on what they said and who was in there when I went in), but the cheesesteak was very underwhelming this time around (spices were way off, a lot less meat and everything else, the bread overwhelmed the meat and cheese, etc), plus they raised the prices. I don’t think we’ll be going there again.

Sunday morning was a bit rainy, and we were bored, so after a tasty breakfast at the Golden Palace Diner (whatever happened to all the diners? They’re hard to find these days), we decided to drive down to the shore. Paul couldn’t decide where he wanted to go (plus everywhere except the Wildwoods and Atlantic City require beach tags now, blech!), so we drove into Wildwood (on the way I passed a ton of roadside farmer’s markets, I really should have stopped at one!), and then made our way up the shore through Stone Harbor, Avalon, and Sea Isle City. We were going to stop at Mike’s for seafood, but I couldn’t find the free parking they advertised, and there wasn’t anywhere else to park either. So we got on the Garden State Parkway and the AC Expressway and made our way over to Crabby’s for lunch.

Let me just rant for a moment. I spent the first 23 years of my life in New Jersey, drove there for at least 6 years, and cannot for the life of me remember drivers being so friggin’ rude as they were this weekend. Aggressive, nasty, belligerent drivers that expect you to break traffic laws left and right for their convenience. Drivers that like to drive 5 feet off your bumper when you’re already 5-10 miles over the speed limit with out of state tags and have cars in the lane to the right of you so you can’t get over at the moment they crawl up on your rear. Cars who weave back and forth fruitlessly when traffic isn’t moving quickly expecting to make headway but instead just making asses of themselves and pissing off everyone in the process. Cars who don’t obey the “yield” signs and get pissed off when you do. Let’s just say my middle finger got a good workout this weekend. And I’m not usually one to shoot the bird. I’m glad to be back on Ohio roads, that’s for sure!

But I digress. We made it back to Vineland, and dinner that night was at Esposito’s Maplewood 3, which was my favorite stop last time around. The food was good, but not as good as it was in April for some reason. But every restaurant is entitled to an off night, and I’ve had more good experiences there than bad.

We got a really good night’s sleep, and on Monday morning, we ran our last few errands (mostly food to bring back to Ohio) - we got subs for later and Conte’s pasta at Giovanni’s Deli, a bunch of Puerto Rican food from Penalvert’s, checked out the new Polish American Deli on the Boulevard by Park Avenue (NJ locals, if you haven’t checked it out yet, please do - it’s worth a stop!) and got some sausage and pierogies to take home, stopped at Haar’s for German deli meats, stopped at the new Shop Rite for some Jersey tomatoes (the craving of which was the impetus for the trip in the first place). One of the places I really wanted to check out but wasn’t able to is The Sweet Life Bakery near Sixth and Landis. Unfortunately, they’re not due to open until Labor Day, so I’ll miss out on the goodies. But if you’re local to the area, make sure to drop in - I really respect what they’re doing to revitalize that area, and they could use all the support and business you can give them.

The rest of Monday was a blur of driving. I honestly can’t remember if we stopped to eat. I don’t think we did, actually. All I remember is rain, lightning, and more rain. But we’re home now, the air conditioning is fixed, and life is once again back to normal. And as much as I love travelling, there really is no place like home.

I’m really, really late getting June’s roundup out, because Bloglines had a major burp in July that ended up resetting pretty much everything, and with 1,800+ feeds, it meant I had to make my way through about 20,000 posts just trying to find the ones for June and July, and then I wasn’t able to sort them out until the end of July. Things are finally back to normal, though. Expect July’s roundup later today, once I’ve had time to format it. So let’s get going…

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In savory recipes, I’ve bookmarked Dirty Risotto from Cooking in Kansas City, Orecchiette Fresche e Semplice from Is That My Bureka?, Fennel, Cherry Tomato Tartlets on Balsamic Crust from La Tartine Gourmand, Salmon with Brown Sugar Mustard Glaze from Cooking in Kansas City, My Creamy Spanish Risotto from Sweet Cherrie Pie, Maple Sausage and Waffle Breakfast Casserole from What Did You Eat?, Blue Smoke Deviled Eggs from Serious Eats, Balsamic Chicken from A Taste of Home, Deviled Eggs from Annie’s Eats, Cauliflower Cheese Pie with Potato Crust from The Barmy Baker, Sweet Lil’ Smokies from Carries Cooking Adventures, Aracini di Riso from All Things Dolce, Spaghetti with Sausage from Cook (almost) Anything at Least Once, Sweet and Tangy Balsamic Grilling Sauce from Cooking in Kansas City, Easy Salsa Dressing from A Veggie Venture, Spinach-Cheese Bake from Culinary in the Country, Huevos Rancheros with Salsa Verde from Food “Blogga”, Cherry Chicken from Food Mall, Salad with Cherries and Queso Fresco from Food On the Food, Garlic Israeli Couscous from Fueled by Popcorn, Smoked Salmon and Asparagus Linguine from The Humble Housewife, Kasha and Bowties from Is That My Bureka?, Mafalda with a Goat Cheese Baby Spinach Cream Sauce from Kirsten’s Home Cooking, Egg Flan with Purpole Potatoes and Green Vegetables from La Tartine Gourmande, Chorizo Frittata from Leite’s Culinaria, Healthy Oven Fried Sausage, Onions and Potatoes from Mixed Salad Annie, Creamy Farfalle with Smoked Salmon from Once Upon a Tart, Twice Baked Cauliflower and Gorgonzola Souffles from stonesoup, Blinis with Smoked Salmon from Sweet Sins, Melt in Your Mouth Beef Ragout from What’s For Lunch Honey?, Go-to Pasta with Onions from the way the cookie crumbles, Angel Hair Pasta with Fresh Tomatoes from What Did You Eat?, Egg Salad with Shallot and Fines Herbs and Ancho Chile, Pork, and Black Bean Chili with Poached Egg and Crumbled Roquefort from Well Fed, and Baked Eggs from Tastes Like Home.

In sweet recipes, these look excellent:Challah French Toast with Strawberries and Honeyed Yogurt by Chalk & Cheese, Chocolate Pecan Pie from Confabulation in the Kitchen, Small Batch Black Forest Cookies from Cookie Madness, Kettle Corn from Besides Pizza, Lemon Curd Cheesecake from Culinary Cowgirl, The Joy of Cooking’s Cherry Clafoutis from Dinner in the Yellow House, Molten Chocolate-Cherry Cakes from hogwash, Buttermilk Pound Cake with Fresh Strawberries and Whipped Cream from Home Cooking is What I Like, Green Tea Cheesecake White Chocolate Brownie from Nook & Pantry, Lemon Drizzle Cake from Once Upon a Tart, Strawberry Shortcake with Meyer Lemon Cream from Paper Palate, Espresso Brownie Mousse Cake from EAT DRINK LIVE, Chocolate Mint Bars from yumsugar, Boca Negra Birthday Cake from Alice Q. Foodie, Strawberry Tart from Cafe Fernando, German Chocolate Cake from a whisk and a spoon, Cappuccino Cheesecake from Annie’s Eats, Extra Thin, Extra Crisp Oatmeal Cookies from Confabulation in the Kitchen, Margarita Tart from Confections of a Foodie Bride, Apple Pudding Pie from The Cuis-Zine, Gateau Basque from Culinary Concoctions by Peabody, Strawberry-Mascarpone Tart from EAT DRINK LIVE, Norwegian Apple Tart from Bunny Pie (via everybody likes sandwiches), Blueberry Hand Pie from Food Mall, Pains aux Raisins from Kitchen Wench, Chocolate Cherry Clafoutis from La Tartine Gourmande, Snack Size Apple Pies from The Laughing Gastronome, Cranberry Nut Bread and Gateau Surprise Chocolat Pistache from Milk and Cookies, Ricotta Tart with Vermicelli Pasta from Once Upon a Tart, Toll House Pie from Pie Day Friday, Summer Pudding with Rum Whipped Cream from pinknest, Chocolate Pear Cake from Egg and Soldier, Deadly Blondies and Beer and Apricot Clafoutis from Rosa’s Yummy Yums, Lemon Raspberry Bars from Something Sweet, Lemon and Cherry Posset from spittoonextra, Claudia Roden’s Apple Cake from Writing At the Kitchen Table, and Raspberry Creme Brulee from wannabeTVchef.blog.

In informative posts, learn how to sear scallops at Beyond Salmon, learn how to grow garlic at home and how to use a Japanese mandoline at A Veggie Venture, find out how to keep brown sugar soft at Baking Bites, read about six things to do with the exotic condiments in your cupboards by Kitchen Exhibitionist, and learn how to dry herbs with Wandering Chopsticks.

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There’s been a back and forth exchange about food community and food snobbery, that I’ve been reading with great interest. And, as usual, I’ve got my own two cents to put into the discussion as well.

In her original post, Kate talked about Asheville, and its vibrant local food scene, and the lack of chain restaurants, mostly due to the hard work of its residents. She noted that a community gets the food culture it deserves.

While she makes some good points, I disagree somewhat with her initial premise. In the grand scheme of things, your normal citizen has absolutely no say about what restaurants are located in a particular neighborhood. In a small city such as the one I originally came from, which 10 years ago was almost completely local fare, the big chain restaurants mean tax ratables and growth to them. In this day and age, many residents of small to mid-sized cities expect big city culture and services for their tax dollars, and short of raising taxes all around, bringing commercial tax revenue in the form of a TGIF or Chili’s is common sense to city planners. Granted, this leads to a homogenous landscape across the country, but it is what it is. So with that in mind, I think the spread of big business is inevitable.

And don’t get me wrong - corporate chains have their place in food culture as well. I know I can go to my local TGIF’s and get edible food prepared consistently well and the same way every time. Although I love to support my local food culture, I don’t feel I’m “slummin’ it” if I go into Olive Garden rather than a locally run place. For a lot of people, Olive Garden is fancy enough, and local places are a scary unknown (and no, I’m not exaggerating - I actually know people who think Olive Garden is fine dining).

I think a happy compromise is for corporate chains and locally run gems to happily coexist in a diverse food culture. Here in Columbus we can get anything we want, literally. We have no shortage of either chains or local establishments. Given a choice, I go to the local place first. Does this mean that since I’m not going above and beyond to erradicate the chains, I deserve to spend the rest of my days choking down Applebees (which admittedly, I do loathe)? I’m not so sure about that. I hopefully do my small part by reviewing local places and talking about the great farmers markets and local ingredients and artisans we have here in town.

But I digress. In response to Kate’s original post, Laura accused her of food snobbery - that food is food, and it shouldn’t matter where it comes from. That we use our food and love for it to divide among class lines. That we’re somehow better than someone else because we support local establishments rather than the chains. And I have to admit, she also makes valid points. Food can divide people - case in point is my family, who thinks I am nuts for eating cheese that is not Munster, Cheddar, or American, or that I’ll spend extra money for grass-fed organic beef or local food or going to a nice restaurant. Although many people can try to argue otherwise, it does cost a pretty penny to eat organic/local/non-processed food. Why do you think there’s a high level of obesity among those in lower income brackets? When you’re eating heavily processed food because it’s all you can afford, a meal out, even at McDonalds, seems like haute cuisine. Why spend $10 on appetizer when you can get your entire meal at McDonalds for $3? And although I recognize the disparity about how I eat now vs. how I ate then, I don’t look down on people who do eat processed food/eat at chains regularly, although that’s not me anymore - it has its place, the hard reality is that these chains fit a niche, and they’re not going away any time soon. I’d be very interested to see the economic breakdown of Asheville’s residents. I’d be willing to put money on that the house values/average income is probably higher than the national average. For many, food isn’t about enjoyment and an experience to savor, its about not starving to death. I’ve been there, eating rice with pork and beans spooned over it just to survive. It tasted like ass, but it kept me from passing out from hunger.

So Kate responded with a essay on the economics of franchises, and about the importance of investing in your own community. While I do agree with her 100% on this, and it is important for me to do that, it *would* be snobby for me to impose my values regarding food on the other 1,000,000+ people who live in this metro area. I’m more than happy to inform and educate (via this blog and talking to other people), but I don’t feel that it has to be an either/or choice. Both can co-exist peacefully. Columbus, Ohio is proof of that.

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More to come…

Bringing up the rear as always (I was supposed to post this yesterday, but procrastinator that I am, once again I’m a day late and a dollar short), just let me preface this rant by saying: I officially *hate* Martha Stewart.

Lucky enough to be accepted as one of the lovely and talented Daring Bakers, I was so ready to jump into this month’s challenge and totally rock the results. Nevermind that this would be the most complicated recipe I ever attempted in my life - I can do it!

Or not. Two piles of ruined crepes and a burnt Le Creuset saucepan later, let me just say - I’m not worthy! I will, at this point, readily admit that this recipe kicked my ass. I don’t know if it’s just that it’s a bad recipe, or a lack of skill on my part (most of the women had spectacular results after one or several tries), but I didn’t have the patience and/or funds to give this one another try. So no pics, no pretty yummy cake here at Columbus Foodie. Instead, check out the Daring Bakers links on the sidebar for some more spectacular results. And as gracious as the lot of them are, they’ve allowed me to give next month’s challenge a try.

For those of you brave enough to give this one a try, here’s the recipe, from the Martha Stewart website. Use it at your own risk, no refunds will be given if the recipe doesn’t work out for you (laughing):

Darkest Chocolate Crepe Cake

3/4 Cup (1 1/2 sticks) cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces, plus melted for pan
8 Ounces semisweet chocolate, finely chopped
1 1/2 Cups all-purpose flour
1/3 Cup sugar
1/2 Teaspoon salt
2 1/2 Cups whole milk, room temperature
6 large eggs, room temperature
1 Tablespoon pure vanilla extract

Directions :
Bring 1/4 cup water to a rolling boil in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Add butter, 1 piece at a time, whisking to combine after each addition. Remove from heat; stir in chocolate until completely melted.

Set aside. Whisk together flour, sugar, and salt in a medium bowl. Whisk together milk, eggs, and vanilla in another medium bowl. Gradually add milk mixture to flour mixture, whisking until smooth. Add chocolate-butter mixture, whisking until smooth.

Pour through a fine sieve into an airtight container; discard lumps. Refrigerate at least 2 hours or up to overnight.

Lightly coat an 8-inch crepe pan or nonstick skillet with melted butter. Heat over medium heat until just starting to smoke. Remove pan from heat; pour about 2 tablespoons batter into pan, swirling to cover bottom. Reduce heat to medium-low; return pan to heat. Cook, flipping once, until edges are golden and center is dry, about 30 seconds per side. Slide crepe onto a plate. Repeat process with remaining batter, coating pan with butter as needed. Crepes can be refrigerated, covered, up to 1 day.

Place a crepe on a wire rack set over a rimmed baking sheet. Spread with about 3 tablespoons hazelnut filling. Top with another crepe. Continue layering with hazelnut filling and crepes, using about 32 crepes and ending with a crepe on top. Refrigerate until firm, about 15 minutes. Spoon 1/2 cup glaze on top of the cake, spreading to edges. Spread remaining glaze around sides of cake, coating completely. Refrigerate until glaze is firm and set, about 20 minutes. Cake can be refrigerated up to 3 days. Garnish with toasted and candied hazelnuts.

Hazelnut Filling
Makes about 8 cups

2/3 Cup heavy cream
6 large egg whites
1 2/3 Cups sugar
1 3/4 Cups (3 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into pieces, softened
1 Teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/3 Cup hazelnut cream, (available from Whole Foods Market, www.wholefoods.com)
1 (tsp?) salt

Put cream into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment; beat on medium-high speed until soft peaks form, about 4 minutes. Transfer to a medium bowl. Refrigerate 1 hour.

Whisk egg whites and sugar in the clean bowl of mixer set over a pan of simmering water until sugar has dissolved and mixture registers 160 degrees;, 2 to 3 minutes.

Attach bowl to mixer fitted with the clean whisk attachment; beat on high speed until slightly cooled and stiff (but not dry) peaks form, about 5 minutes. Fit mixer with paddle attachment. With mixer on medium-low speed, add butter, several pieces at a time, mixing well after each addition (meringue will deflate slightly as butter is added). Add vanilla, hazelnut cream, and salt; mix until mixture comes together, 3 to 5 minutes. Fold in whipped cream with a rubber spatula. Use immediately.

Chocolate Glaze
Serving: Makes about 2 cups

1 1/4 Cups heavy cream
1 Tablespoon light corn syrup
1 (tsp?) salt
10 Ounces semisweet chocolate, finely chopped

Bring cream, corn syrup, and salt to a boil in a medium, heavy saucepan over medium- medium-high heat. Remove from heat. Add chocolate; swirl pan to cover completely with cream. Let stand about 5 minutes. Stir until smooth. Let cool completely.

Candied Hazelnuts
Serving: Makes 9

9 hazelnuts, toasted and peeled
1 Cup sugar

Thread each hazelnut onto tip of a long wooden skewer; set aside. Place a cutting board along the edge of a countertop; set a baking sheet on floor next to edge.

Cook sugar and 1/4 cup water in a medium, heavy saucepan over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until sugar has dissolved. Continue to cook, without stirring, until syrup comes to a boil, washing down sides with a wet brush to prevent crystals from forming. Let boil until syrup turns light amber, about 5 minutes; remove from heat.

Let stand until slightly cooled, 8 to 10 minutes. Dip 1 skewered hazelnut into syrup, coating completely and letting excess syrup drip back into pan. When dripping syrup becomes a thin string, secure end of skewer under cutting board, letting caramel string drip over edge onto sheet. Repeat with remaining hazelnuts. Let stand until caramel has hardened, about 5 minutes. Break strings to about 4 inches. Carefully remove skewers.

I’m in a bit of a quandry. Normally, if I have a bad experience at a restaurant, I’ll visit a second time before writing a bad review. After all, they could be having an off night, and it wouldn’t be fair for me to pan them based on that, right??

However, I had an experience at a restaurant tonight that was SO bad, SO abysmal, SO atrocious, that my husband and I ended up walking out before we even got an opportunity to place an order. Bad sign #1 was when the hostess told us, when she seated us, that they were out of half of the items on the menu. This is less than an hour after dinner service started - after a 3-hour period after lunch when they were closed, presumably, to prep for dinner. Bad sign #2 is when said hostess comes back after a couple of minutes to tell you that your waitress will be with you “once she gets here” - meanwhile people coming in after us were being waited on by another waitress. Bad sign #3 was when the bread that they served us was so hard from toasting that it cut my gums. A half hour later when we still hadn’t been asked for our order, we left for greener pastures because we were ready to gnaw our own arms off from hunger.

The bad thing was that I *really* wanted to like this place; after all, it’s the only restaurant that serves this particular type of ethnic cuisine in town. Ethnic cuisine that I miss dearly and would drive 500 miles back to my hometown to eat. But I honestly can’t see myself going back there. I can’t attest to the food because I never got to eat any, but based on the toast and Shedd’s Spread we were served, and what we saw coming by on the way to other tables (small, overpriced portions), it didn’t look promising.

Here’s the dilemma - the place is fairly new, and I can understand some minor hiccups, but if they continue running this place in that manner, it will run itself into the ground in a matter of months. Do I keep my mouth shut, and pretend that this experience never happened, since I don’t plan on going back, OR do I write a negative review without even having tasted the food? I’m torn on this one.

Is it just me or did February fly by? I know it’s the shortest month and all, but still….

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Dispatch readers voted Katzinger’s as the best corned beef sandwich in town. While there are others that give you much better value and meat quality for the price (Barry’s in the North Market, for instance), I grudgingly have to agree that Katzy’s has the best tasting overall. Before I went to New York, I thought their prices were outrageous, but after seeing $25 Reubens on the menus in Manhattan, $11 doesn’t seem quite as bad anymore. They’re the closest I’ve seen in town that compare to New York style sandwiches. Of course, it’s not like we have a ton of delis in town, right? And it looks like that wrapped up their weekly surveys! They’ve posted a list of all of the winners, if you’re curious.

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Lorence from Lorence’s Kitchen posted a very nice tribute to the first ever Wendy’s, which will be closing soon due to lack of business. While I can understand the reasoning behind the closing, it’s still kind of sad when you see a piece of history fall by the wayside.

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Recipes from around the blogosphere that I’m adding to my recipe file to make in the future: Deliciously Trashy Mac and Cheese, Cheesecake Factory White Chocolate Raspberry Truffle Cheesecake, and Cream of Reuben Soup from the Columbus Dispatch, Black Bean Pie from 28 Cooks, Soupe a l’Oignon Gratinee from a good american wife, Shiitake and Saffron Risotto from Aidan Brooks: Trainee Chef, Nutella Cheesecake Brownies from alpineberry, Claudia’s German Sauerbraten from appetitive behavior, Rosie’s Its Too Damn Cold Outside Chili from Bitchin’ in the Kitchen with Rosie, Cauliflower and Poblano Chile “Jackpot” Gratin from Blog Appetit, Frangipane Apple Pies from Cafe of the East, Apple Torte and Sweet Potato and Goat Cheese Muffins from Cook (almost) Anything at Least Once, Sesame Seed Balls from Dessert First, Italian Cheese Bread from Dine and Dish, Show Cooker Onion Soup from A Veggie Venture, Creamy Chicken and Vegetable Soup from everybody like sandwiches, Maple-Glazed Bacon on Gorgonzola Polenta Squares from Fancy Toast, Crab with Brie, Parmesan and Artichokes from Ideas in Food, Beef in Red Wine and Potato, Cheddar and Chive Soup from Kuchenlatein, Brown Sugar Bundt Cake from La Mia Cucina, Baked Hot Chocolate from Lovescool, Potato Salad from M3rNi3, Pancetta-Ricotta Crostini from My husband cooks, the most mouth watering burger I’ve ever seen from Off the Broiler, Cream-Braised Brussels Sprouts from Orangette, Microwave Chocolate Pudding from thepassionatecook, Brie-stuffed French Toast with Maple Syrup and Sliced Apple from tomsaaristo’s Xanga, and Cannelé Colossus from The Traveler’s Lunchbox.

In informative posts, learn all about chocolate in the Columbus Dispatch, we are instructed on how to cook Dungeness crab from Daily Unadventures in Cooking, and chili basics from Kitchen Chick.

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There was an interesting, yet controversial post over at An Exploration of Portland Food and Drink about fine dining - and the annoying things one encounters at fine dining establishments that makes the evening uncomfortable for some, such as the “thousand yard stare” when you walk in, decrumbing, etc. Now, I’m the first to admit that I’m not one for fine dining because I loathe the pomp and circumstance that goes along with gourmet eating. Give me casual grub any day - for me, it’s more about the preparation than the ambience. However, I’m sure that there are those who enjoy the whole experience (and can afford the cost that goes along with it). I’ve heard people rave about The Refectory (here in Columbus), or The French Laundry in CA, and look forward to it as the experience of a lifetime. I’d be too busy sweating the small details to enjoy the experience. I’d be uncomfortable because of all the rituals that come with “good service”, and agree wholeheartedly with the original poster that the definition of good service is making your customer feel comfortable.

I can remember back in my early 20’s, my roommate at the time and I went to try out a German restaurant (now gone, unfortunately) in town, not knowing it was upscale. We got there before the dinner rush, he in scruffy jeans and a wifebeater, I in scruffy jeans and a metal t-shirt. I realized we were a bit underdressed after we were seated and saw white cloth napkins and fine china, and really realized we were underdressed when others started filing in with upscale business casual/dresses/suits. By that time, we were halfway done with our meal anyway. My point is, not once during our visit there did we ever feel inferior or unwelcome. The service was exemplary, despite our appearance. And this type of attitude isn’t limited to just fine dining. There’s the potential for obnoxious waitstaff at all restaurants, upscale or not. My advice? Treat all of your customers equally well, and read their body language. If they are feeling uncomfortable, it should be obvious. You’d be surprised. I’m sure that our server was - we left a 30% tip for impeccible service. Don’t judge a book by its cover.

And while I’m on the subject - why do servers treat you differently if you don’t drink wine and just ask for water instead? I’m not cheap - I just don’t like much anything to drink other than water.

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Another post that caught my eye was Culinary Muse’s Why I Didn’t Buy the $8 Eggs. And I was surprised to see she caught some flack in her comments section who didn’t think she should be taken aback by the price.

I’m a person who will eat local foods whenever possible. Who prefers organic over conventional. But also a person who was once on food stamps, with a $105 monthly food budget for 2 people. If we want local food and sustainable agriculture to catch on, it absolutely HAS to be accessible as a reasonable alternative. And $8 a dozen, my friends, is painful. I’m sure the eggs are great. And I’m sure they will still have people that will buy them.

Here’s my question: are actual costs driving up the price of the eggs? Or is it because some farmers are exploiting the popularity of organic foods to make a quick profit? As I’ve said, I’ll eat local as long as it is economically feasible for me to do so. If I see prices here in Ohio that match those in San Francisco, I’ll buy conventional - and I’m speaking as someone who understands the environmental concerns and can afford to splurge on food. If I’m balking at the price, what about your average consumer?

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Oh, how I want this. Now I just need to convince my husband that a log in the kitchen is a *good* thing!

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Until next month…

There’s a new Columbus food blogger in town - Jule from The Food Mill. If you get a chance, check out her site. It’s fairly new, but has some good recipes and food porn. I still say that we locals all need to get together for a potluck. Maybe sometime in mid-December? Any one else interested?

I also stumbled across another Columbus food-related blog - The Hot Zone Online. While I’m not a huge spicy food person, I did love their review of the local chicken wing joints. And not in Columbus, but nearby in Cincinnati, is Sorry Fugu. Check them out!

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Lots of talk about Thanksgiving, with it coming up so soon now. There was a good article this week in the Dispatch about local Thanksgiving boxes and turkeys, and different options for locals. I’m personally purchasing my turkey and Thanksgiving box from my CSA, Just This Farm. I love the focus on eating local in this article.

Lisa the Restaurant Widow put together a nice list of local sources for Thanksgiving ingredients and places that will cook for you in addition to the Dispatch’s list of restaurants that are offering Thanksgiving dinners. If you’re cooking at home, check out the list of USDA Turkey Cooking Guidelines that was posted on Slashfood. And mental note: before I die, I must try a turducken.

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Speaking of the Dispatch, they wrote a review on one of my favorite local brewpubs, Barley’s. We haven’t been for a while, but I’m having a craving for their sauerkraut balls and naked wings. Yum. Also, a nice mention of one of my favorite local bakeries, Pistachio, which I wrote an entry about not too long ago. Speaking of Pistachio, I just noticed that they’ve updated their menu to reflect the fall season. It looks like my husband will be making a stop there on his way home tonight!

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So last week, Dispatch readers chose China Dynasty as the best Chinese food in town. I’ve probably passed the place a million times, but have never tried it. Now I think I’ll have to, since good Chinese is so hard to find. What I find hard to believe, though, is that a chain (P.F. Chang’s) won out over Hunan Lion. Although P.F. Chang’s is good, I have to respectfully disagree.

This week, they want to know which restaurant offers the city’s best Beat Michigan Gameday Party? Unfortunately, this is another one I’ll have to abstain from. As a New Jersey transplant, I don’t bleed Buckeye red (could care less about football, actually), so I’ve never been anywhere near a restaurant during the Michigan game. But all of you die-hard football fans, give them your input and you enter into the draw to win a $25 gift card.

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With fall in full swing, and winter right around the corner, most of the recipes posted by others have been just the right thing for the cold days ahead. I’ve bookmarked a ton. Here’s this weeks keepers: Brown Sugar & Spice Pumpkin Bars from [Gluten Free] Goddess, Apple and Pear Flognarde from Cook & Eat, Chocolate Stout Cake from Smitten Kitchen, Applesauce from Gluten-Free Girl, Roasted Kobocha with Brown Butter from Oishii Eats, and Pear Clafoutis from Slashfood.

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In informational posts, Chrispy of Experimentation of Taste tells us everything you ever wanted to know about winter squash, Kalyn’s Kitchen posts an archive of South Beach Diet friendly recipes, Jenny of Lox, Stock and Barrel show us how to roast garlic (old link, but first time I’m seeing it), and Slashfood provides us with a list of surprisingly healthy foods.

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Recipe search time. This is a new feature in the round-ups, where I’ll post what I’m looking for, and maybe one of you can point me to a recipe for it. If I’m posting it here, trust me - I’ve searched high and low for a recipe and haven’t found one. This week? I’m looking for a recipe for bassma (Middle Eastern pistachio pastry) and roast stuffed breast of veal (w/ a bread stuffing). Also, anyone know of a local source for veal breast?

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Gastroville wrote an entry about their experience at the French Laundry. What surprised me was the cost of the meal. $900 to $1500?? For one meal?? Good Lord. My mortgage payment is less than that. Even the cost of the meal before extras and beverages ($420 for a couple) is more than I usually spend on groceries in a month.

I fancy myself a foodie, and in the social circles I run in, my tastes are a little more “gourmetish” than most of my family and friends, but…lets face it folks, I’m no gourmet. And I never will be. I like food that tastes good. I could afford to eat at The French Laundry if I wanted to - but (and bring on the flames here if ya’ll want) I don’t think I want to. The descriptions of most of the food really didn’t do much for me. I’d love to try Waygu beef, but not if it’s going to cost me $100 extra on top of the $210 I’m already paying for two tiny little slices (not even a whole steak!). Give me a nicely marbled ribeye from Bluescreek anyday over that stuff.

I’m not crazy about gourmet food, which is probably why I’ll never be a regular at The Refectory or L’Antibes or any restaurants of that type. It’s pretty to look at, and it tastes good (at least most of the time), but I feel out of place eating there. It’s just not me. I’m all about comfort food, food that reaches out and hugs you in the memories that are wrapped in it. It’s all about the nostalgia factor for me. Like reproducing my Oma’s dishes in her honor and to get back some of what I lost when she died. My favorite restaurants have comfort food on the menu, almost exclusively.

I’m not crazy about wine. I, for the most part, just don’t like it. But we get strange looks in nice restaurants when we order water or pop with our meal. I’m no less of a foodie because I’m not asking for the wine list.

So even though I love to experiment, and try new things, most of what you’ll see here is the embodiment of me - simple, unassuming, excited about food and my love of sharing stuff with other people and cooking for those that I love. Plain and simple. It may never make a top 10 list of best food blogs, but it is what it is. Enjoy the ride.

Not to disparage those who do molecular gastronomy or high end gourmet. I love to look at your pictures, read about your experiences. I love to live vicariously through your entries. You’ll just probably never find those entries on my blog.

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We’re off to Cleveland for a concert on Tuesday. Any suggestions for a good place to eat?

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Until next week, folks…

Another Columbus food blogger has come to my attention this week: CMH Gourmand. He likes a lot of the same places I do, too.

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I was really happy to see Jeni’s Ice Creams featured in a Dispatch article this week. Two interesting things. It mentions that the Ohio peach flavor is low-fat. I wish I would have known that at the beginning of the summer! I’ll have to go see if they have any pints left since it’s seasonal and won’t be around much longer. The other thing they mentioned is that the Grandview location has apple crisp! Made with Honeycrisps! (my favorite variety of apple). I need to find an excuse to go to Grandview, and soon!

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So, Central Ohio readers voted Chipotle as having the best salsa. Chipotle?? I mean it’s good, but I could whip up Chipotle salsa in my kitchen. This week, they want to know which restaurant has the best grilled tuna steak. I have to abstain on this one, unfortunately - I’ve never eaten that particular dish anywhere in town. If you’ve got an opinion on the matter, let them know and you might win a $25 restaurant gift certificate.

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The recipes I found this week that tempted my palate so much that I now plan on making them: Flourless Bittersweet Chocolate Cake from A Mingling of Tastes, Fall Colors Vegetable Stew (great way to use those CSA veggies!) from Albion Cooks, Ham and Caramelized Onion Omelets from The Columbus Dispatch, Balsamic Onions from blog from OUR kitchen, Apple Cider Cupcakes with Caramel Frosting from Coconut & Lime, Twice Baked Cauliflower from Cookin’ with Cyndi, Cheesecake with Apples and a Brulee Top from Creampuffs in Venice, Gruyere Apple Grilled Cheese from Just Braise, Baked Spaghetti Squash from Eating for One, Dill Pancakes from My Husband Cooks . Whew, I think I gained weight just by looking at pictures this week!

And, because there’s always a little room to learn something new, learn all about pumpkins from Blog Appetit
, how to make the perfect grilled cheese from Slashfood, or 10 Ways to Improve Your Cooking at Spicing Up Your Senses.

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I was really, really pissed off after reading an article on CarbWire. To give you an idea, here’s an excerpt from the entry:

“Why do go around making up diseases for every problem that we have nowadays? Could it be that we don’t really have a disease, we’ve just made some really bad choices for ourselves, hmmmm? Consciously choosing to do something that is detrimental to yourself in some way does not mean you are sick. Misguided, ignorant, or even bored, perhaps, but NOT stricken with an indomitable disease that cannot be overcome.”

As someone who has struggled (yes, struggled) with super morbid obesity all my life (and I mean all my life - I weighed 106 at age 5), I think it’s detrimental to those who need to lose weight to put the blame for the weight entirely on them. While eating and a sedentary lifestyle DOES have a definite impact on someone’s weight, there are tons of hormonal and chemical issues in the body that may make it difficult or near impossible for someone to lose weight. There’s tons of research on set point theory, satiety, and the effects of cortisol and gherlin on hunger and weight loss. There are some illnesses (in my case, PCOS) that have a definite adverse effect on weight loss. Even if you want to argue that it’s a mental issue (eating disorder), it’s sad to see that obesity is vilified to the level it is. As if being obese is some sort of character flaw. Unfortunately, this attitude is not limited to this one person. Even after weight loss surgery, I weigh darn near 400 lbs. And while I could use the breakdown of my surgery as an excuse, I don’t. I know I should eat better. I know I should exercise. I know I need counseling for any eating issues I have. But in the meantime, don’t seat me in the back of the restaurant so your other patrons don’t have to look at me. Don’t talk about me behind my back. Don’t act like you’re better than I am because you’re thinner. Don’t ignore me when I talk to you, as if I don’t exist at all. Don’t perpetuate the lie that the thinner you are, the better you are, and expect our young girls to reach an unhealthy ideal. Don’t generalize - not every fattie is a fattie because they sit on the couch all day eating bon bons. Even if I ever do win the battle against the DISEASE of obesity, I’ll still be a curvy girl, and damn proud to be one. *If* I lose my weight, it will be because I want to live long enough to spend the rest of my life (whatever is left of it) with my husband. Nothing more, nothing less.

Sorry to rant on about this, but it needed to be said. While I’m sure that most (probably all) of you don’t share the opinion of this one blogger, I’d be curious to know if those of you who are overweight encounter the same attitudes in society as I do.

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Speaking of which, I’m throwing around the idea to do an experiment next year that has me trying 12 different ways of eating (one per month), while exercising the same amount all year, to see which one is the most effective for weight loss, which makes me feel the best personally (for example, I know I should be eating lower carb because of PCOS, but I don’t), and which one is right for my body. I still haven’t worked out all the details, though. If I do, I’ll probably do it in a separate weight loss journal while still documenting the food aspect of it here. Nothing’s definite yet.

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Until next week, folks…