Insatiable Has Moved!!

I just realized I've been writing posts on my new site without telling people who follow this one where I went! Ooooops. I've decided to move from Blogger to WordPress, so if you'd like to follow me there, you can find my new blog at:

http://orlndofoodie.wordpress.com/

or you can type in http://www.orlndofoodie.com/ and it will take you to the same place.

Don't miss stopping by, please! So far I've put up new posts on two amazing eateries in town:

Naradeva Thai

and

 Delish NY Bakery

http://twitter.com/orlndofoodie

Pineapple Upside Down Cupcakes (plus an announcement of sorts)

I’ve been neglecting this little blog of mine like it is nobody’s business lately, and I hate that. I love this space, and I love writing here, so being as absent as I have been has killed me. Unfortunately, life has just gotten in the way. Luckily, it’s been for good reason! For those of you that don’t know already, I let out my big secret last week: I’m pregnant! Eek! C and I are super thrilled and cannot wait for March 13th (or whatever day around that time that this little guy/girl decides to show up) to get here. What does this have to do with me slacking on my blog? Well…I’ve been so freakin’ tired that all I’ve done for the past month or so is go to work, go home, go to bed, lather, rinse, repeat! Oh, and finish up my school work for the semester.

Finally, though, now that the second trimester is about to show its happy, smiling (we’re hoping, anyway!) face, I seem to have a bit of energy back. I have been cooking and baking, I just haven’t had the time to blog about it, so I am so excited to start sharing my recent adventures with you! And with that, I’ve decided to start by sharing my recipe for pineapple upside down cupcakes with you.

Anthony's Coal Fired Pizza

Every time I've ended up in the Dr. Phillips area recently, I've spotted Anthony's Coal Fired Pizza and thought about how I needed to try it the next time we went out to eat. Of course, my silly overloaded brain always forgot when the time came to choose. So, just imagine how excited I was when I got the opportunity to try them out last night! I brought my dad with me (he is a fellow foodie and also a lover of beer, so it was perfect), and I have to say, we had an absolute blast. We were overwhelmed by the quality of both the service and the food.

We had gone in planning to try two of their newer items, the roasted cauliflower pizza and the craft beers. Try those we did, but we also got to try several of their other menu items during our meal. First we sampled two of their salad options: the classic Italian salad and the mozzarella and tomato salad. This may sound silly, but I could not believe how good the Italian salad was. If I hadn't known I needed to save room for more food, I would have devoured the entire thing. It was not your normal house salad at all, as it had basics like romaine lettuce and red onion slices but was then embellished with garbanzo beans, olives (pitted!! Hooray!!), hard-boiled egg slices, and even gorgonzola cheese (on the side, and it is an extra addition; I highly suggest getting it). Not only did it have these extras, the simple vinegarette was delicious. Seriously. Freakin' AWESOME. The mozzarella and tomato salad was also wonderfully fresh tasting. I don't normally like raw tomatoes, but I ate the entire thing. The combination of the fresh (and generously sliced!) mozzarella, tomato, green pepper, and basil was perfectly balanced. Try it. Go. Now. Do it.

22nd Annual Taste of the Nation Orlando

I had the opportunity to attend the 22nd Annual Taste of the Nation event at the Orlando World Center Marriott last weekend as a local blogger, and it was an experience for which I am so glad I got the opportunity. Between the amazing food, the huge amount of participation in both the silent auction and the raffles, and the entertainment, the evening was certainly one to remember, not to mention wildly successful.

Red Velvet Cupcakes - Recipe

I made red velvet cupcakes last weekend for my 1000 Cooks for the Cure Party (well, I attempted to make pink velvet cupcakes, actually...they came out as more fuschia-ish in the end...but I used my normal red velvet recipe for them), and I was going to include all of my party recipes in one post, but then realized that would have ended up being the world's longest post. Sooooo we're breaking it down.

Giveaway: Sandwich Showdown with Eversave.com! (closed)

I've never been much of a make-a-sandwich-at-home kind of girl (is that a type of girl? probably not. it is now). The ones that are made at restaurants and cafes always seem just so much better. Plus, it is so much hassle to get out all of the veggies that I want to top my sandwich, slice up just enough for one sandwich, then wrap everything back up and put it back away (see, it's really about laziness, but don't tell anyone). But back to sandwiches being better outside of my house. Everything from Thanksgiving on a roll (have you ever tried the Holiday Turkey Sandwich at The Earl of Sandwich???) to turkey, brie, green apple, and honey mustard pressed between two slices of bread at Press 101, to, well, an amazing self-designed sub from Publix, there is just nothing that compares to a good sandwich made outside the home.

Which is what brings me to my giveaway for this weekend. Today on Eversave.com is Sandwich Showdown day! And, because Eversave Orlando is oh so awesome, they have given me the opportunity to give one of you today's extra special sandwich save, plus $5 in Save Rewards to spend on another Save of your choosing in the next 60 days.

What Save will you win? Today, for the Central Florida area, the Sandwich Showdown Save is for Mr. Dunderbak's Bavarian Restaurant and Delicatessen in Daytona Beach. Sure, it may seem a bit far away for my fellow Orlando-ans (is that what we are? Orlandoans?), but it's summer, and you know you'll be headed to the beach at some point. Why not know that you already have lunch or dinner taken care of when you go, and that, even better, it is free?

Mr. Dunderbak's has been voted Daytona Beach's best all-around German restaurant for 17 years in a row by the Daytona Beach News Journal's Reader's Choice Awards. And when it comes to sandwiches, it seems that these guys are tops, too. The Reader's Choice Awards have also voted Mr Dunderbak's as having the best Reuben, best pastrami, and best roast beef sandwiches during that same timeframe!

Okay, I'm done gushing. I'm really wanting to try it out myself, now.

Here's how you enter:

Mandatory entry:

Tell me about the best sandwich you have ever had in the comments section, and where you had it. If you made it yourself and had it at home, that works...just be prepared for me to show up so you can make it for me, next ;)

Optional additional entries:

1. Join Eversave and leave a comment when you have done so. If you already use Eversave, leave a comment saying so. Remember, if you win the giveaway, you'll have to join to receive your prize!

2. Follow @Orlndofoodie on Twitter and tweet the following: I just entered to win a Sandwich Showdown Save from @EversaveOrl and @Orlndofoodie here: http://bit.ly/qbn3sb #giveaway
Then, leave a link to your tweet in the comment section.

3. Follow @EversaveORL on Twitter and leave a comment letting me know.

4. Follow OrlndoFoodie on Facebook and leave a comment when you have done so (or if you already do, just say so).

5. Follow Eversave Orlando on Facebook and, you guessed it, leave another comment.

6. Share a link to this giveaway on Facebook and leave a comment telling me you've done so.


This giveaway will last until 5pm EST on 7/24. At that point, I will choose a winner from the entries using Random.org and the winner will have 24 hours to get back to me. Please make sure your email address is attached to your comments so that I can contact you easily if you win.

AND THE WINNER IS........Rosario Michelle!!! Congrats!!! Thanks to everyone that entered :)

http://twitter.com/orlndofoodie

Disclaimer: I received $10 in Save Rewards for hosting this giveaway. However, any opinions shared are truly my own.

Hawkers Asian Street Fare

I'd read tons about Hawkers Asian Street Fare on Twitter and on other foodies blog posts over the past month or so before my first visit, and everything I read just made me want to go more and more. So, a couple of weeks ago I tweeted an open invitation to my fellow foodies to join me for lunch. It was a weekday, so I didn't expect much of a response, so I was thrilled when three others came along! I also invited my good friend M, and so we ended up with a group of five at that first lunch. I enjoyed it so much I ended up back the following week with another friend for lunch yet again.

Food Truck Friday: Big Wheel Truck

I was so excited about setting up Food Truck Friday when I first started. And then I got busy with, well, everything, and Fridays just seemed to slip by, and I'd completely forget to write a food truck post! Ooops. But don't you worry (because I know, I know, you were worrying), Food Truck Friday is back, and what better way to bring it back than by talking about one of the two trucks from my very first (official) food truck adventure ever!

Pie Party!!! Key Lime Pie with Raspberry Coulis

I was eavesdropping on Twitter the other day when I saw mention of a Pie Party going on across the internet. I had no choice...I had to butt in. I quickly found out (through Marnely of Cooking with Books) that Shauna of Gluten Free Girl and the Chef had set up a pie party through Facebook. The goal of the party? To get people to bake a pie, any pie, by July 5th and then share a photo of that pie on Facebook. How could I not join in?? I haven't made a pie in ages, so this was a perfect excuse to do so.

Restaurant Review: Funky Monkey Wine Company

I had been eyeing the Funky Monkey Wine Company menu for ages. AGES. So when a Groupon came out for the downtown location, I knew I had to grab it. Who can turn down $40 worth of food for $20? I bought the Groupon, of course, and last week convinced a friend to venture out to the Mills50 District for a bite after work.

It is a very small restaurant that is almost hidden in the shadows at night time. If I hadn't known that it was next to Bananas Modern American Diner (owned by the same people that own Funky Monkey), I probably would have driven right past it. As it was, I had to turn around and crawl back to find the parking lot. Is that a bad thing? Absolutely not. I love a hole in the wall, especially if it has good food. It just surprised me, for some reason that I cannot pinpoint.

The decor at Funky Monkey is...well....dark. It was very dark in the restaurant; so dark in fact that I can tell you that I think the main color scheme included a deep purple and black, but don't quote me on that. I'd love to show you a photo but well, you guessed it, it was too dark. Now, don't get me wrong. I adore a small, intimate, romantic setting. The Funky Monkey has the potential to be just that. However, when my friend has to use a cell phone light to read the menu, and when the server needs to move the candle on the table so that we can "see the food better," that is a little too "intimate" for me. I'm at a restaurant, not in bed. On the opposite side of the coin, though, some of the tables are so close together that, frankly, if I was there on a date I'd probably learn just as much about the couple sitting next to me as I would about my companion.

Antonio's on Sand Lake

My littlest sisters (twins) graduated high school a couple of weeks ago. They are ten years younger than I am, so of course, this means I am officially old. They also graduated from a huge high school, and that means that their graduation ceremony was insanely long. However, one of them was a valedictorian and the other was in the honors program, so their names were called fairly early and, as sad as this is to admit to those whose last names begin with Y, I somewhat tuned out the second half of the ceremony. Oops. What was I thinking about instead? The celebratory meal that we were going to have after the ceremony, of course!

The twins' chose Antonio's, an Italian restaurant in the Restaurant Row area of Dr. Phillips, for us to have dinner at following their graduation. A few members of my family, including myself, had been there once before several years ago, and I was looking forward to returning. C and I got there before the rest of the family (we were a party of nine total, including C and myself, my three sisters and parents, my aunt, and a friend), so we decided to go up and have a drink while we waited.

Eversave.com Save Rewards Giveaway! (closed)

And the winner is......Mrs. Downing! I've sent you a message on Facebook as I didn't have an email for you. Congratulations, and thanks so much to everyone that entered! Even if you did not win, you will still have $3 in Save Rewards to use on your first purchase if you just signed up for Eversave as a new user!

If you've read my blog previously, you will know that I am a HUGE fan of the daily discount websites that have become popular of late and use them often to try out new local restaurants. Eversave is one of my favorites of these sites, in part because they were one of the first to start listing multiple Saves in one day and Saves that are available for more than 24 hours. In fact, I visited Oishi just last month using a Save purchased from Eversave, and I have another Save for Maria Bonita (a Mexican/Cuban restaurant located on the east side of town) waiting to be used soon!

So, due to my crazy love for Eversave, I was totally psyched when Eversave Orlando contacted me about doing a giveaway for them here on my little blog. And with that, here are the details:

China Sun - Local Chinese Take-Out at its Best

Hidden in the middle of an area of Orlando that one would most likely not venture to in search of a delicious meal, China Sun is found. While it isn't an upscale or expensive restaurant, China Sun is the best Chinese take-out that I have tried since moving back to Orlando four years ago. I will admit, I've never actually been to the restaurant's storefront (located at the corner of Oak Ridge and Rio Grande); we've always ordered by phone and had our dinner delivered. We have our standard favorites, but I do like to venture out once in awhile and try something new, so we've had a good sampling of their menu over the last couple of years.

We ordered food from China Sun for the first time in a few months last week, and since it was just C and I (and he didn't want leftovers for a week like usual), we only ordered a few items and most of them were off our list of "go-to" options.

Orlando's Taste of the Nation to Benefit Share Our Strength

The only thing better than going to a local foodie event that I can think of is, well, going to a local foodie event that benefits No Kid Hungry, Share our Strength's nationwide effort that was established to end childhood hunger in America by 2015. Taste of the Nation Orlando is an event that does just this. Here's the amazing thing: 100 PERCENT of the ticket sales will go to No Kid Hungry. Every restaurant, chef, mixologist, planner, etc that is involved is donating their time to make sure that ticket sale prices will purely go to this worthy cause.

Photo from Taste of the Nation 2010 by MPuckett Simple Reflections

This year, the Taste of the Nation Orlando event will take place at the Orlando World Center Marriott on August 6th, 2011. VIP entrance begins at 6pm, with general admission at 6:45, and the event will last until 10pm. General admission tickets are $100 each. VIP admission is $150 a ticket, and includes general admission plus early entry to the event, goody bags (eep! goody bags!!), and exclusive seating.

Photo from Taste of the Nation 2010 by MPuckett Simple Reflections

Taste of the Nation Orlando includes representatives from tons of local restaurants and venues, including The Capital Grille, K Restaurant & Wine Bar, Sanaa (at Disney's Animal Kingdom Lodge), Whole Foods Market, plus many more. For the current full restaurant list, check here. As the event gets closer, I will post any further information I get regarding participants and the morsels they will be offering.

Photo from Taste of the Nation 2010 by MPuckett Simple Reflections

During the event there will also be an auction held, with some seriously awesome items up for bid. Some of these include getaways (both in-state and out; there is even a getaway to the Arizona Biltmore up for grabs!), sporting events, and (probably most exciting to all of the foodies) some seriously awesome restaurant items. One of them is a four course chef's tasting for two with wine at The Ravenous Pig. Those of you with upcoming weddings or children take note: there are also various photography sessions up for bid. Those that I've listed are only a small sample of the auction spoils that will be available that night!

Photo from Taste of the Nation 2010 by MPuckett Simple Reflections

Who will the proceeds from this event benefit locally? Both the Coalition for the Homeless of Central Florida and the Second Harvest Food Bank of Central Florida. In addition, Florida Impact will also benefit from all of the events of this kind statewide.

Photo from Taste of the Nation 2010 by MPuckett Simple Reflections

At this point, how could you not want to attend Taste of the Nation Orlando? I know I sure cannot WAIT for August 6th to get here.

To buy tickets, or to donate if you cannot attend, click here.

Also, if you purchase a VIP ticket between now and June 20th, use code ORLDAD for 10% off. What a great Father's Day gift that would be!

Photo from Taste of the Nation 2010 by MPuckett Simple Reflections

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Restaurant Review: Anatolia

My mother had recommended Anatolia to me a few months ago, saying the Turkish and Lebanese offerings were amazing and "just like the little place across from our old house in Boston," so with praise like that, it was immediately on my list of must-eats. However, I kept forgetting about it when trying to decide on a place to eat! Then, a couple of weeks ago, I got into a chat on Twitter about it with a few fellow foodies, and decided C and I would have to try it that weekend for lunch.

Located in the Dr. Phillips shopping center off of Sand Lake Rd (right in the "Restaurant Row" area), Anatolia is a small restaurant with gorgeous decor wedged in between Einstein's Bagels and Starbucks. It has a few tables on the outdoor walkway for when the weather isn't too hot and is great, in my opinion, for both a casual lunch and a semi-dressy date night.

C and I have been looking for great Mediterranean food (his goal is to find a kebab as good as the ones from The Golden Grill in Clevedon, the little town we lived in in the UK) for some time now, and we definitely found it at Anatolia. This is far from street food, though, and the prices reflect that to an extent. However, it is worth the money, be it for lunch or dinner.

Food Truck Friday: Korean BBQ Taco Box

This week I'm writing about a food truck that I've been heaping praises on for weeks now; ever since I first tried the Korean BBQ Taco Box on my very first Official Food Truck Adventure, I just cannot stop singing this awesome eatery's praises.

Photo taken from http://www.kbbqbox.com/about.php

Food Truck Friday: The Treehouse Truck

I am loving the local Orlando food truck scene, and so I've decided to devote a day each week (Friday!) to one of the awesome trucks around town. I figure that they are multiplying so quickly at the moment that it will be a LONG time before I run out!

I first tried the Treehouse Truck at The Daily City's second Food Truck Bazaar. It was my last truck of the evening, so I was incredibly full at the time, but I still managed to try a few bites of the chimoo and a fried PB&J, and they were both delicious.

The Chimoo - a huge sandwich filled with skirt steak, chicken, sweet potato fries, cole slaw, and mango BBQ sauce. Genius.

I got the opportunity to try another item from this awesome truck a couple of weeks ago when they were set up in Thornton Park with the Big Wheel Truck for the evening. This time, I rushed over after work to get there before they closed up for the night, and the truck was not nearly as busy as it had been at the food truck bazaar. Because of this, I was able to chat with a couple of the guys at the truck for a few minutes while waiting for my Aggie's Porto Sammie to be made. These guys clearly love what they are doing, and that make the fact that what they are cooking up is fantastic all the more excellent. The Porto Sammie was so delicious and messy; the marinated portobella mushroom along with red peppers and melty provolone cheese is so hearty you will NEVER miss the meat!

Recipe Quickie: Homemade Hot Pockets

When I cook at home (cook, not bake!) I do try to use fresh and relatively healthy ingredients as often as possible. Last night, however, I found myself with limited time and threw together a quickie meal. I went with the idea of a pizza hot pocket, but instead of just popping one full of preservatives and such into the microwave, I quickly created this out of items I had on hand, including a container of Philly Savory Garlic Cooking Creme that C purchased by accident awhile ago. Since this is a quickie recipe, none of the ingredients require accurate measuring; just toss them together in whatever amount looks good to you!

Ingredients:

Ricotta cheese (I used Sargento part-skim ricotta, but any would do just fine)
Philly Savory Garlic Cooking Creme (or another garlic cheese spread of your choice)
Shredded cheese (I used a "pizza mix")
Mini pepperonis (turkey pepperoni works great, too!)
Tube of crescent rolls (I had Pillsbury extra large crescent rolls on hand)

Directions:

Preheat the oven to the temperature listed on the tube of dough (mine was 350).
Mix the ricotta with enough of the cooking creme to add the garlic flavor and enough creaminess for your liking.
Unroll the crescent roll dough and use your fingers to pinch every two triangle rolls together so that you have several rectangles of dough. You could also use a tube of thin crust pizza dough for this, which would give you a crispier crust, or really almost any biscuit/roll/crust dough. I just used what I had in the house.
Spread a generous amount of the ricotta/creme mixture over about two thirds of each dough rectangle, leaving space around the edges to seal the crust (see photo below).
Sprinkle the mixture with mini pepperoni and shredded cheese.

Fold the dough over on top of itself, carefully sealing around the edges and moving each little packet to a cookie sheet covered with parchment paper and sprayed with cooking spray.
Using a sharp knife, cut a slit or two for venting into the top of each packet.

Slide these goodies into the oven and let them bake for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown and crispy. Let cool for a few minutes, and then dig in!

Orlando Food Trucks: The Crooked Spoon

I had been trying to get to The Crooked Spoon for lunch for the past few weeks but life (or laziness!) kept getting in my way. So, when I was ready for work a bit early the other day, I decided to stop by their spot at the Citgo station on the corner of E. Colonial Dr. and Fern Creek. I ordered both the lamb burger and the macaroni and cheese, and even filled my car with gas while I waited for my food to be ready!

The folks working at this awesome truck are super friendly (and responded to my tweeted question regarding whether or not they take credit cards-they do-in the time it took me to drive from my house to their location), and the food is super tasty.

I opened my lamb burger as soon as I sat down at work and it smelled and tasted amazing. I had never had ground lamb before in anything but a gyro, and now I can't wait to experiment with it at home! So, so good. I shared about a third of it with my friend and found myself wishing I hadn't!! Of course, I was completely full by the time I finished the burger and accompanying chips, so the mac and cheese was put into the fridge for the following day.

This photo SO does not do the burger justice :(

The next day for lunch I warmed the mac and cheese up in the microwave at work and brought it back to my desk, eager to enjoy the item I'd heard the most good things about from this gourmet food truck. I will be honest; I am a bit of a macaroni and cheese purist. I like noodles, cheese (preferably a variety), seasoning, and some sort of crispy topping. I am not much of a fan of veggies or meat mixed in; at that point, I feel like it has become a casserole, not macaroni and cheese. That being said, the cheesy flavors and topping on the macaroni and cheese from The Crooked Spoon were great, even after being reheated in the microwave. I was not a huge fan of the peppers and bacon scattered throughout but again, that is more due to my feelings about macaroni and cheese in general and not that the flavors were bad. They weren't, far from it.

Would I go to The Crooked Spoon food truck again? You bet. Over, and over. I only wish the lamb burger was part of their regular menu. However, since it isn't, I'll have the opportunity to try the other items this truck has to offer.

Disney Series #2: Kouzzina by Cat Cora

C and I stayed at Disney for our anniversary back in January and took advantage of the Disney Dining Plan as part of our mini-vacation. I know this post is way late but hey...I didn't have a blog back in January! On the first night of our stay we decided to try out Kouzzina by Cat Cora (here's a link to the full menu, a new-ish restaurant (it opened in August of 2009) that took the place of Spoodles at Disney's Boardwalk Resort. I had made reservations a few days prior, and boy was I happy that I had!




Photo taken from WDW Info


I have been a fan of Cat Cora's since her show Kitchen Accomplished aired on the Food Network, and love watching her on Iron Chef America, so when I saw that she was opening a restaurant nearby, I was psyched. Mediterranean food is a particular favorite of mine and C enjoys it as well, so it was a good choice for us for our anniversary trip. The anticipation was high enough as it was, but when we got to the restaurant and checked in for our reservation and saw a sign stating that Cat was actually at the restaurant that night and meeting the patrons, I got a little bit star-struck. Movie stars and famous singers do nothing for me. They might as well just be really rich (and often very attractive) random people. For the most part, anyway. Chefs and writers that I admire, though? As much as I say "oh they are just normal people, why would I get all worked up over meeting so-and-so"...I am 100% full of crap. When I saw Cat Cora walking around her restaurant and greeting people, I got positively giddy. Please forgive the horrible quality of these photos; they were taken with my old and incredibly crappy cell phone.



Me looking ridiculous and giddy and Cat Cora....not looking at the camera. Oops!

Oishi Japanese Hibachi Restaurant

I bought a coupon from EverSave awhile back for $40 worth of food at Oishi Japanese Hibachi Restaurant for $20 and kept forgetting to use it. So, when I realized I had both a free evening and a craving for sushi, a foodie friend and I went off to take advantage of my awesome deal. I had read very mixed reviews of Oishi on Yelp so went in with an open mind and fairly average expectations.

Oishi is located at the corner of International Drive and Central Florida Parkway in a shopping plaza. It looks unassuming from the outside, but the decor is very nice. The tables are made to look like natural wood, and while there is a lot going on, it is tastefully done. Since it was relatively late (almost 10pm, and they close at 11), we decided to sit at the sushi bar with hopes of seeing some exciting stuff being made right in front of us. Alas, the clear window was a bit too high to see anything going on behind the counter. A little disappointing, but no biggie; we could decide what we wanted from the menu instead of just picking and choosing as things that looked good went out to other tables.

We ordered four rolls (spicy tuna roll, sex on the moon roll, spider roll, and ninja roll) plus two pieces of octopus sushi. I'll be honest, I tend to like to order rolls that sound a little different, so I was excited about both the sex on the moon and the ninja rolls because of their wild descriptions, but I was really most pleased with the simpler rolls.

Recipe Quickie: Cheese & Onion Pasties

We lived in the UK for about a year after I graduated college (C is British), and while I had never heard many glowing reviews of British food, I did find that I was VERY fond of their "takeaways" while living there. One of my favorite items from our local Fish & Chip shop was the cheese and onion pasty. Pasties are basically savory hand pies filled with a variety of delicious combinations of meat, cheese, and veggies.

Here is a quick dinner I whipped up a couple of nights ago for C and I. They are incredibly easy, do not need any sort of real recipe, and can easily be frozen to keep on hand for even quicker meals.

Ingredients:

yellow onion
cheese (I use pre-shredded colby or cheddar jack, usually)
frozen puff pastry

Directions:

I preheat the oven at 375, then set the puff pastry out to defrost. While it defrosts I slice the onions and put them in a saute pan with a pat of butter and some olive oil. On medium-low to medium heat I saute the onions until they are soft and slightly brown and then transfer them to a mixing bowl. I let the onions cool a bit while I put parchment paper onto a cookie sheet and spray it with cooking spray. I then unfold the puff pastry and let it continue defrosting. Once that is done, I add the cheese (usually a full bag of shredded cheese) to the mixing bowl along with some salt and pepper and whatever other seasonings strike my fancy at that moment. After mixing everything together, I cut each sheet of defrosted puff pastry into four pieces, then spoon a generous amount of filling onto half of each piece. Then the pastry gets folded over and sealed with a fork before being moved onto the cookie sheet. Once they are all laid out on the cookie sheet, I spray them lightly with cooking spray and cut slits in each little package. They look like this:

Then I pop them in the oven for 35-40 minutes, and they come out all golden, delicious, and oozing with cheesy oniony flavor. Like I said, these little packets of amazingness can be made with pretty much any filling. Try shepherd's pie, with ground beef, veggies, and chunks of potato! Or chicken pot pie filling! The possibilities are endless, really.

Key Lime Cupcakes

When the key lime tree growing in a pot in front of our house is bursting with fruit like it is right now, it means only one thing to me: time to make key lime cupcakes! This year I’ve got all sorts of other key lime ideas (key lime tiramisu, key lime cookies, key lime pie, key lime ice cream, the possibilities are endless!), but I had to start with my classic favorite cupcakes. These cupcakes aren’t difficult to make, but they are definitely a bit time-consuming. I’ve had some health issues this year that have kept me from baking as often as I like due to mobility problems, so now that I am feeling better most days I have been itching to get back in there. This recipe is great for that because of the different steps; they took me two days to finish this time, but I got to rest in between. Plus, they are totally worth waiting for, if I do say so myself (and I do).

I made this recipe up because the key lime cupcakes I had had from various bakeries and found in various cookbooks just weren’t…key-lime-y…enough for me. I like a seriously tart dessert with tons of delicious citrus flavor, so I was intent on infusing every part of this treat with some lime component. I started with my favorite yellow cake recipe, taken from Cupcakes! and adapted it slightly by using a bit less sugar and adding a generous amount of key lime zest to the batter. Elinor’s recipe is so great in part because it uses only oil as the fat, no butter, so it can be used last minute instead of having to wait for butter to soften. The first time I made it I worried it would have an effect on the cake but they always, always come out moist and delicious. So, I start by making regular sized cupcakes, adding the key lime zest to the batter at the very end. Using an ice cream scoop sprayed with cooking spray, I divvy the batter up in the cupcake pans and pop them in the oven.

Disney Series #1 – Paradiso 37, Sassagoula Floatworks & Food Factory, and Riverside Mill Foodcourt

I am a self-professed Disney freak and have been so for pretty much my entire life. I spent my childhood visiting WDW every spring break, and then when my family moved to Celebration in my teens, I didn’t even wait a week after my sixteenth birthday before walking into the Disney Casting Center and getting my first job. I left the company (much to my dismay – that job was the best I’ve ever had but just couldn’t pay my bills) a few years ago but have continued to visit the parks time and time again, whether it be for day trips or for weekend getaways.

Even after working for “the mouse” for eight years and visiting as often as I have, I have barely scratched the surface of the amazing and varied dining experiences that Walt Disney World has to offer. Due to that, I bring to you the first of my Disney Series of restaurant blog posts. Ideally, I’d like to eventually visit, photograph, and write-up each of the full-service (and some of the counter-service) restaurants on property.

We stayed at the Port Orleans Resort – French Quarter this past weekend for a short break from reality. We had originally planned to spend one of the days in the parks but opted to just hang out at the resort for the most part instead. I had stayed there for a week when I was nine (back when it was just Port Orleans Resort), and my memory of the resort was fairly accurate, although it was clear the rooms had been renovated in the past 18 years at some point. The rooms were gorgeous, and the property equally so; the huge trees and cobbled walkways make it a great place to walk around, Sassagoula River runs the length of the property, and a boat dock is right by the pool area with a ferry to and from Downtown Disney running every ten to twenty minutes throughout the day. Speaking of the pool area, there were plenty of comfortable lounge chairs scattered about the twisty pool, and the dragon’s body that weaves its way around said pool is adorable. Port Orleans French Quarter was the very first Disney resort to get its own water slide, so I should have taken that to mind when I was recalling the slide for C. I described it somewhat as “this AWESOME AMAZING DRAGON HEAD where you slide down his INSANELY LONG TONGUE.” Needless to say, my adult brain was remembering it as it had seemed to my nine-year-old self. The slide was still pretty cool, and it IS a dragon’s tongue, but it is very short and very tame. Still fun, though.

Anyway, while at the resort for the weekend we mainly noshed at the local food courts, with a trip to Downtown Disney for a mid-afternoon sit-down lunch/dinner (linner? Dunch?) at Paradiso 37, a restaurant I’d wanted to try since it first opened (after they tore down my beloved Pleasure Island sobsob). For dinner the first night we ate at Sassagoula Floatworks & Food Factory, the French Quarter’s food court and pizza shop. It was standard Disney quick-service fare: expensive with above average flavors. C had an angus bacon cheeseburger with French fries and I had cheese steak sandwich with pasta salad. Both of the sandwiches were made to order, and the cheese steak was very tasty, even if the ratio of meat to bread was a little low. The French fries were well-seasoned but my pasta salad was pretty terrible, frankly. It was elbow macaroni, chopped celery, and chick peas with seemingly no dressing at all. No seasoning, even. It was extremely bland, and I didn’t eat more than two bites.  That night after dinner we went to the Scat Cat’s Lounge, which boasted live jazz and delicious libations. How could we turn that down? Our new friend Elliott did entertain for a few hours, although his music was not limited to just jazz. The man is talented, playing the saxophone, the clarinet, and the steel drums as well as singing during his set, and almost all of the songs were great, even if they weren’t all the jazz we’d been hoping for. Once he broke out Kool & the Gang, though, I was sort of ready to go. My Pina Colava (pina colada mixed with raspberry puree. So. Good. Especially when made with vodka instead of rum) couldn’t even get me through that one.

Orlando Restaurant Week: McCormick & Schmick's

I have wanted to go to McCormick & Schmick's for AGES now, so when I saw it on the list for Orlando Restaurant Week this year, I knew it was a must-do for me. We went over for the $25 dinner (it is right down the street, how did I resist for all this time???) on Saturday and enjoyed it so much we went back for the $10 lunch the next day!

The service was fantastic, although I think our server on Sunday for lunch was a bit disappointed that we were sticking to the Restaurant Week menu with just a soda for C and an iced tea for me as beverages. He tried to upsell us several times, suggesting alcoholic beverages, additional side items, and dessert. I did feel a bit bad for him as service was a bit slow, but the two courses provided as part of the menu were more than enough food.

The decor was classy and understated, with dark wood furnishings and accents, a faux stained-glass ceiling, and booths along one wall that were set back with forest green curtains separating them from the rest of the dining room. I half expected to peer into one and see a New York style "family man" eating with his henchmen. Too many movies, I know.

We were seated immediately on Saturday night; I had made a reservation but it didn't seem absolutely necessary. Our server was incredibly friendly and knowledgeable and was able to make recommendations and suggestions based on the questions we asked of her. For our starters, I ordered the Kobe Beef Carpaccio and C ordered the Coconut Shrimp. I was not sure what to expect from the carpaccio only having had it once before several years ago (the tuna carpaccio at Timpano's Chophouse, also awesome if my memory serves me correctly), but I was blown away by the flavors that hit my tongue with the very first bite. The meat was tender and super flavorful, and the texture mixed incredibly with the flavors of the garlic aioli and capers that graced the top of the plate. The crostini that came with the plate had a glaze drizzled over it (balsamic?), but they became merely a vehicle on which I could pile the thinly sliced beef and carry it (somewhat) gracefully to my mouth. I may or may not have completely cleaned my plate, and would go back to the restaurant just for this dish. The fact that the rest of the meal was also good is just a plus. C's coconut shrimp was also tasty. Nice and crisp, with a sweet chili sauce with a great tang and heat at the back of your tongue.

Food Truck Bazaar #2

I feel silly titling this post "#2," as I didn't get to go to Food Truck Bazaar #1, but well...that's what it was called, so there you go. I arrived at the parking lot behind Dillard's at Fashion Square Mall around 8:00pm and was surprised and excited by the huge crowds that had already formed. Groups with chairs were scattered throughout the parking lot and around the trucks themselves, everyone enjoying their finds. The weather was perfect, nice and cool compared to the heat we'd had all day.

I started out at the Firehouse BBQ truck, determined to try as many of the "non-regular" trucks as possible. The line was long, but moving steadily. One of the things I noticed last night was that no one seemed to MIND the lines. Having worked at Disney for eight years, seeing people happily wait in line amazed me. Apparently food is a better motivator/end-goal than a five minute ride. Firehouse BBQ had a good system going, where people waited in one line to place their order and pay for their food and then moved to the back of the second (much shorter!) line to wait for their food to be prepared. I am not much for barbecue, but decided to try out the brisket sandwich. The meat was well cooked and super flavorful, but I'll be honest: I don't have a lot to compare it to. Would I order it again? Absolutely. So good. The potato salad had great flavors in it, but was a little too rich for me.

Brisket-y goodness, baked beans, and potato salad

An Impromptu Food Truck Outing

I was hungry when I left work on Friday night, so decided to make my way down to South Orange Blossom Trail to see what food trucks were out already. It was already 10pm by the time I made it to the area, so of course there were at least four or five trucks out and about. I couldn't get the thought of a previous arepas experience out of my head, so decided to stop off at the Saman Arepas Bistro food truck located in the parking lot of All Transmission World just north of Central Florida Parkway. The parking lot was packed, with two more trucks located at the other end and a live band going. The atmosphere was festive and the weather was fantastic. After parking, I got in line, trying to eavesdrop on what those in front of me were ordering. My spanish is poor at best, so I just tried to match up the few utterances of meat types that were listed on the side of the truck with the three different types of cheese offered.

This truck is great. They have at least six different types of meat options (including beef, pork, ham, chicken, shrimp, and chicken salad) and three cheese options (queso blanco, queso guayanese, and yellow cheese (I can't remember the spanish for that one! Darn it!)), and for $5 you get a corn arepas that is deliciously crisp and soft all at once stuffed FULL of your own custom combination of meat and cheese. They also have several bottles of sauces (all appear to be mayonnaise based, but were not labeled) and a bowl of salsa verde up on the counter.

My eyes were bigger than my stomach (as always; I need to start bringing a team of 8 with me to these things just so I can try EVERYTHING), so I ordered a beef, a shrimp, and a pork, all with queso blanco. I ordered them to go, and they pop out of the window steaming hot and packaged all neatly in paper. I put some of the salsa verde on the beef, but kept the other two plain, leaving the pork one all wrapped up to bring home.

In my opinion, the beef arepa was the best by far. The meat is seasoned and shredded perfectly and packed into the amazing bread along with crumbled queso blanco. With the salsa verde added in, it makes this amazingly filling little bundle of tasty goodness.

The photo is a bit blurry, I know, but trust me. AMAZING, people. Amazing.

A Food Adventure in Tampa Bay

I spent the last couple of days in the Tampa Bay area, managing to travel through seven (I think it was seven) counties in the process. I ate a TON, and most of it was amazing. I had bought a Groupon for The Brunchery in Tampa, so I headed there first. I've got to be honest, after reading all of the good reviews The Brunchery had online, I was a little disappointed. In fact, had I not had the Groupon, I would've been very disappointed. I ordered the lox omelet, which came with home fries and toast, and an iced tea. I'm wondering if maybe their sweet breakfast items are better than their savory ones, as those were the ones most touted online. Nothing I ate was bad, and the home fries were actually pretty good, but the omelet, which was advertised as being full of "lox, onions, tomatoes, and cream cheese," had what appeared to be just salmon inside, not actual thinly sliced smoked salmon (lox!!). Other than that, though, it wasn't bad. I enjoyed my food, and I left full, I just did not get as high a quality experience as I'd expected.

Oh! While this isn't exactly a food-eating adventure, it is still worth sharing. While stopping for Starbucks on my travels, my supreme nose for a bargain (have I mentioned I'm Jewish? Ohhhh stereotypes!) sniffed out an excellent find. There was a gourmet supermarket and deli that was open for its very last day. That made me sad, as once I stepped inside it looked like an amazing place for out of the ordinary cooking finds. However, because it was their last day, they were running a special "we need to get rid of everything" sale. A plastic shopping bag could be filled with products for $10, and a shopping basket for $30. If it hadn't been the last hour of the last day, I could have easily filled a shopping basket or two. However, the pickings were a bit slim, so I stuck with one bag. Boy, though, did we manage to cram a lot in one shopping bag! I can't wait to start looking for recipes to use the random things I purchased (from pure pink Himalayan garlic salt to Java Rub to rose water to mirin); I'd say there was at least $70 worth of stuff in there.

The First Official Food Truck Adventure

I made my first impromptu food truck trip a couple of weeks ago, stopping at a latin truck for a couple of arepas before getting Twistee Treat for dessert. The food was so good, and so exceeded my expectations, that I was instantly hooked on Orlando food trucks and seriously wanting more.

Hence, I spent the next day doing some searching on various food trucks in the Orlando area and boy was I surprised at how popular and diverse they seem to be! After finding the Orlando Food Truck Map, I knew I had to start trying them all. Which, of course, finally brings us to tonight, the very first OFFICIAL FOOD TRUCK ADVENTURRRRREEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!

I had planned to go to the Food Pod on Wednesday night at Firestone Live, but ended up not making it out, so tonight was the first night, and of course the trucks present at the Food Pod were foremost in my mind. I'm not sure why, but the Korean BBQ Taco Box was at the top of my list. Now, don't get me wrong, I love Korean food, and I love tacos. Barbeque is hit or miss for me, but Korean barbeque is an entirely different ballgame and I'm aware of that. However, I just think it was the combination of foods that tickled my mind and made me want to try it SO badly. They closed at 9, though, whereas the other trucks I was considering for tonight didn't even open until at least 10pm. I didn't care; I was a girl on a mission. I made it to the big yellow truck by 8:30 and didn't have to wait in line. I promptly ordered the beef taco box, and stood waiting while they made it up fresh for me. For just under $6, I got a HUGE box of food with amazing smells emanating from it. With my beef taco box in my passenger seat, I quickly zipped through the Starbucks drive thru for iced coffee and headed up Orange Avenue to meet my friend. We had about an hour to kill at that point before the other trucks started opening up, so we dove into the taco box.

The beef taco box consisted of (obviously) a pretty large-sized taco (filled with shredded barbeque beef, lettuce, and some sort of orange saucy deliciousness), two pieces of breaded fried tofu (tofu nuggets! Delish!), two pieces of "fried rolls" as they are called on the website (I have no idea what was in them, but also...SO GOOD), ginger salad, and a chicken wing with spicy sauce. SIX DOLLARS, PEOPLE. So worth it. We quickly devoured the entire thing and contemplated our next move before deciding to do a quick drive around the Orange Ave/Washington St. area to assess our options and decide how much more food our stomachs could hold. After seeing the night's menu for Big Wheel Provisions, we knew that was a must-stop, and even though we located the Treehouse Truck and El Arepaso de Orlando and knew that the Vegan Hot Dog Cart was nearby, we decided just Big Wheel would be enough for tonight. Besides, we had to save something for another night!