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!