Showing posts with label food. Show all posts
Showing posts with label food. Show all posts
Sunday, May 27, 2012
THUNDER SLEET! (Germany, still, Part Whatever)
I know it can't possibly have been three months since I last posted, but apparently it was. We've been working on some projects around here that I'd like to post about soon, but in the meantime, maybe I'll finish writing about Germany?
After our day exploring Munich, we had intended to visit the Deutsches Museum, but once we got there, it turned out the museum was closed for a special staff day that day. It was a little frustrating, because we had just checked their website that morning. So, we spontaneously decided to go to Nuremburg, instead.
When we arrived in Nuremburg, it was bright and sunny(ish).
After going to a cafe for a snack (flammkuchen!), we came out to a miserable rain. Kevin had a few sites he wanted to see, which we attempted, but it was just so rainy and windy that we ducked for cover in a pub. It was packed with other like-minded people, but we got squeezed in at the end of a table. I wasn't particularly hungry (it had only been about an hour since the flammkuchen), but Kevin ordered Nurnburg sausages, and was in love. The sauerkraut that came with the sausages was particularly good - almost a little sweet. I actually attempted to replicate this meal for Kevin's birthday in February. They also had a basket of pretzels on the honor system - you ate what you want, and then told the server how many you had.
We ventured back out. By now it was dark, and the weather had let up a bit. We decided to split up - Kevin was going to some scenic viewpoint, and I wanted to check out the Christmas Market. After all, Nuremburg has the most famous Christmas Market in the world, and isn't that why we were there? Not long after we split, the fine mist in the air exploded into a THUNDER SLEET.
I actually burst out laughing at first. It initially seemed almost festive, and then it started thundering, and I was like, "What the heck? Is this a THUNDER SNOW? No...it's a THUNDER SLEET!" I actually continued perusing the markets, in surprisingly good spirits, but the wind picked up and flying ice persisted, so I gave up and found shelter in a regular shop. Then, Kevin and I had a little trouble figuring out how to get back to the train station from where we were, getting soaked more thoroughly the whole time. The worst part was definitely sitting on a train for the next two hours soaked completely through. It was a relief to get back to the hotel, put on comfy (DRY) clothes, and head to the hospitality lounge!
After our day exploring Munich, we had intended to visit the Deutsches Museum, but once we got there, it turned out the museum was closed for a special staff day that day. It was a little frustrating, because we had just checked their website that morning. So, we spontaneously decided to go to Nuremburg, instead.
When we arrived in Nuremburg, it was bright and sunny(ish).
After going to a cafe for a snack (flammkuchen!), we came out to a miserable rain. Kevin had a few sites he wanted to see, which we attempted, but it was just so rainy and windy that we ducked for cover in a pub. It was packed with other like-minded people, but we got squeezed in at the end of a table. I wasn't particularly hungry (it had only been about an hour since the flammkuchen), but Kevin ordered Nurnburg sausages, and was in love. The sauerkraut that came with the sausages was particularly good - almost a little sweet. I actually attempted to replicate this meal for Kevin's birthday in February. They also had a basket of pretzels on the honor system - you ate what you want, and then told the server how many you had.
We ventured back out. By now it was dark, and the weather had let up a bit. We decided to split up - Kevin was going to some scenic viewpoint, and I wanted to check out the Christmas Market. After all, Nuremburg has the most famous Christmas Market in the world, and isn't that why we were there? Not long after we split, the fine mist in the air exploded into a THUNDER SLEET.
I actually burst out laughing at first. It initially seemed almost festive, and then it started thundering, and I was like, "What the heck? Is this a THUNDER SNOW? No...it's a THUNDER SLEET!" I actually continued perusing the markets, in surprisingly good spirits, but the wind picked up and flying ice persisted, so I gave up and found shelter in a regular shop. Then, Kevin and I had a little trouble figuring out how to get back to the train station from where we were, getting soaked more thoroughly the whole time. The worst part was definitely sitting on a train for the next two hours soaked completely through. It was a relief to get back to the hotel, put on comfy (DRY) clothes, and head to the hospitality lounge!
Sunday, February 26, 2012
The Pork Knuckle
During one of the first few days of our German trip, in Cologne, Kevin almost accidentally ordered a pork knuckle. He actually asked for the German word meaning "pork knuckle", not realizing it was pork knuckle, but quickly changed his order once our server clarified what Kevin had asked for. To us, "pork knuckle" just doesn't sound appetizing, especially given that so many people think that it is the same as "pickled pigs feet," which it isn't. It would really be more accurate to call a pork knuckle a "pork knee" or "pork elbow." Nevertheless, it still retained that aura for us. Even with that, though, I chastised Kevin for changing his order. "Who knows?" I exclaimed, "It could be delicious! We should be adventurous!"
What I actually meant was, "I'm curious about pork knuckle, but I am too chicken to order it myself. You should get it so I can see what I think."
"You're right," he replied. "Darnit, I should've stayed with the pork knuckle. The next time I see it, I'm going to order it!"
This sentiment was reaffirmed when his alternate order, a plate of pasty sausages and limp french fries appeared in front of him.
"I'm in Germany and I'm eating hot dogs and french fries!" he lamented, shaking his head.
So, after our very long day in Munich (which truly didn't seem so long until I wrote that last entry), we ended up at the Wirtshaus zur Brez'n in the Schwabing neighborhood. This was a little by accident. After riding the ChristkindlTram, we had checked out Munich's medieval Christmas market, where the food smelled delicious, but we weren't quite ready to eat. So, we continued on to the Schwabing Christmas market, but by the time we got there, we were cold, tired, and slightly damp, so we decided to find a place to sit down and warm up before hitting the market. Given that the tour books had described Schwabing as a bustling college neighborhood, we assumed this would be easy, but we circled the blocks by the subway station for 10-15 minutes before finally finding this promising-looking pub.
Our intention was to go in and have one beer, which we did, and watched as it began to snow outside. How festive! As we got up to brave the Christmas market and find some dinner there, we caught a whiff of something delicious. We only briefly considered whether we would prefer to eat market food in a wet snow or stay inside this cozy pub. Since we had already settled our tab and given up our seats at the bar, we approached the hostess for a table. The place was pretty bustling now, so where did she end up escorting us? Right back to the bar. We felt like jerks, having not ordered food from our original bartender, and here we were, back at the bar. I tried to hide my face, worried that he would take it personally. "It's not you!" I wanted to say. "We just changed our minds!"
As I scanned the menu, I tried to figure out what the delicious thing I smelled had been. I could only come to one conclusion: the pork knuckle.
So, I ordered it.
I have to confess. When I hesitantly took the first bite of this creation, I believed in that moment that I was tasting the most delicious morsel to ever enter my mouth. It was salty, flavorful, juicy, with just the right amount of crispy skin. It was like heavenly bacon, but instead of just one little strip, it was the whole chunk of meat. I gorged myself, carving around the bones, until I could eat no more.
This was a mistake.
Not only was I outrageously full that night, bloated and uncomfortable despite a long walk back to our hotel, but my stomach burned the entire following day. What had made the pork knuckle so delectable, the salt and fat, had ravaged my stomach. The only thing I wanted to eat that next day was fruits and vegetables - and good luck with that in Germany, especially in December.
So, my mouth remembers pork knuckle fondly. My stomach - not so much.
What I actually meant was, "I'm curious about pork knuckle, but I am too chicken to order it myself. You should get it so I can see what I think."
"You're right," he replied. "Darnit, I should've stayed with the pork knuckle. The next time I see it, I'm going to order it!"
This sentiment was reaffirmed when his alternate order, a plate of pasty sausages and limp french fries appeared in front of him.
"I'm in Germany and I'm eating hot dogs and french fries!" he lamented, shaking his head.
So, after our very long day in Munich (which truly didn't seem so long until I wrote that last entry), we ended up at the Wirtshaus zur Brez'n in the Schwabing neighborhood. This was a little by accident. After riding the ChristkindlTram, we had checked out Munich's medieval Christmas market, where the food smelled delicious, but we weren't quite ready to eat. So, we continued on to the Schwabing Christmas market, but by the time we got there, we were cold, tired, and slightly damp, so we decided to find a place to sit down and warm up before hitting the market. Given that the tour books had described Schwabing as a bustling college neighborhood, we assumed this would be easy, but we circled the blocks by the subway station for 10-15 minutes before finally finding this promising-looking pub.
Our intention was to go in and have one beer, which we did, and watched as it began to snow outside. How festive! As we got up to brave the Christmas market and find some dinner there, we caught a whiff of something delicious. We only briefly considered whether we would prefer to eat market food in a wet snow or stay inside this cozy pub. Since we had already settled our tab and given up our seats at the bar, we approached the hostess for a table. The place was pretty bustling now, so where did she end up escorting us? Right back to the bar. We felt like jerks, having not ordered food from our original bartender, and here we were, back at the bar. I tried to hide my face, worried that he would take it personally. "It's not you!" I wanted to say. "We just changed our minds!"
As I scanned the menu, I tried to figure out what the delicious thing I smelled had been. I could only come to one conclusion: the pork knuckle.
So, I ordered it.
 |
| This is not my pork knuckle. I borrowed this image from http://www.dimsumdolly.com |
I have to confess. When I hesitantly took the first bite of this creation, I believed in that moment that I was tasting the most delicious morsel to ever enter my mouth. It was salty, flavorful, juicy, with just the right amount of crispy skin. It was like heavenly bacon, but instead of just one little strip, it was the whole chunk of meat. I gorged myself, carving around the bones, until I could eat no more.
This was a mistake.
Not only was I outrageously full that night, bloated and uncomfortable despite a long walk back to our hotel, but my stomach burned the entire following day. What had made the pork knuckle so delectable, the salt and fat, had ravaged my stomach. The only thing I wanted to eat that next day was fruits and vegetables - and good luck with that in Germany, especially in December.
So, my mouth remembers pork knuckle fondly. My stomach - not so much.
Sunday, January 1, 2012
Pork and Sauerkraut
About an hour ago, I just put our traditional New Year's meal of pork and sauerkraut in the slow cooker, along with some kielbasa. My family has eaten this every New Year's Day my whole life, and since moving out I continue the tradition - although I think my mom cooks her's in the oven.
Funny, when you're a kid growing up, you never question traditions or wonder where they came from, or consider that the whole world doesn't do the same thing. You eat pork and sauerkraut for dinner New Year's Day, end of story. The only thing I knew was that, ideally, we would have eaten it as our very first meal right after the clock struck midnight to maximize our good luck for the upcoming year, but that would have been a logistical nightmare for my mom, and who wants to eat pork and sauerkraut right before bedtime? Hellooo, heartburn!
Now, I obviously realize that there are different foods and traditions that other folks use to ring in the New Year. One that my dad enjoys retelling is how, right after midnight, his mother would send the oldest boy out of the house, have him knock on the door and re-enter. This was because it was considered good luck for the first visitor of the new year to be a tall, dark-haired man. And while I know my uncle now to be neither particularly tall nor dark-haired, I guess he was the best they had to work with.
In any case, according to Good Food Stories (which actually looks really interesting and I think I'll explore it a little more), pork and sauerkraut is a traditional New Year's meal not just in Pennsylvania, but also across Ohio, West Virginia, and other places with a strong Eastern European and German influence. The long threads of the sauerkraut are supposed to give you a long life. Then, according to this website, "Pennsylvania Dutch superstition says that eating pork brings good luck because a pig roots forward to look for its food, while chickens scratch backward and cows stand still."
And, like Good Food Stories suggests, I will also dump the whole mess on a pile of mashed potatoes.
Speaking of, I thought I'd share the recipe I've sort of crafted for my slow cooker pork and sauerkraut. And when I say crafted, I mean this is how I improvised the recipe this year based on recipes I've used in the past and what I ended up having around. Crockpot cooking is very forgiving. :-)
Tracie's New Year's Pork and Sauerkraut with Kielbasa
1 to 1 1/2 pounds pork loin chops
garlic pepper to taste
2 TBSP vegetable oil
2 packages kielbasa
1 small onion
1 quart sauerkraut
3 TBSP caraway seeds
12 oz (1 bottle) beer (can also use apple cider or hard apple cider)
Start off heating 2 TBSP vegetable oil in a skillet to brown the pork chops. I use a cast iron skillet, but anything else should work fine. Browning meat is like making pancakes - you want the skillet to be hot enough that a drop of water dances a second or two before evaporating. Meanwhile, cut the pork chops into whatever size serving you want - I went with about 2-3 oz pieces - and season to taste with garlic pepper (or improvise with your favorite).
Brown the chops about 2 minutes on each side to sear the outside.
Then, pour in a bottle of beer. I prefer to use something a little sweet to cut the tartness of the sauerkraut. Of course, this also depends on what we happen to have on hand. This year, it was Shiner's Holiday Cheer.
We actually didn't love this beer that much - it had a lot of spice flavor without much beer flavor, which I think actually makes it perfect for the pork and sauerkraut. So, pour that on top of everything. You don't have to stir this, either, but I did - I couldn't help myself.
So, here you go:
Then, about 6-7 hours on low. I started it on high for about an hour since I got a late start. :-)
What foods do you eat for luck on New Year's?
Funny, when you're a kid growing up, you never question traditions or wonder where they came from, or consider that the whole world doesn't do the same thing. You eat pork and sauerkraut for dinner New Year's Day, end of story. The only thing I knew was that, ideally, we would have eaten it as our very first meal right after the clock struck midnight to maximize our good luck for the upcoming year, but that would have been a logistical nightmare for my mom, and who wants to eat pork and sauerkraut right before bedtime? Hellooo, heartburn!
Now, I obviously realize that there are different foods and traditions that other folks use to ring in the New Year. One that my dad enjoys retelling is how, right after midnight, his mother would send the oldest boy out of the house, have him knock on the door and re-enter. This was because it was considered good luck for the first visitor of the new year to be a tall, dark-haired man. And while I know my uncle now to be neither particularly tall nor dark-haired, I guess he was the best they had to work with.
In any case, according to Good Food Stories (which actually looks really interesting and I think I'll explore it a little more), pork and sauerkraut is a traditional New Year's meal not just in Pennsylvania, but also across Ohio, West Virginia, and other places with a strong Eastern European and German influence. The long threads of the sauerkraut are supposed to give you a long life. Then, according to this website, "Pennsylvania Dutch superstition says that eating pork brings good luck because a pig roots forward to look for its food, while chickens scratch backward and cows stand still."
And, like Good Food Stories suggests, I will also dump the whole mess on a pile of mashed potatoes.
Speaking of, I thought I'd share the recipe I've sort of crafted for my slow cooker pork and sauerkraut. And when I say crafted, I mean this is how I improvised the recipe this year based on recipes I've used in the past and what I ended up having around. Crockpot cooking is very forgiving. :-)
Tracie's New Year's Pork and Sauerkraut with Kielbasa
1 to 1 1/2 pounds pork loin chops
garlic pepper to taste
2 TBSP vegetable oil
2 packages kielbasa
1 small onion
1 quart sauerkraut
3 TBSP caraway seeds
12 oz (1 bottle) beer (can also use apple cider or hard apple cider)
Start off heating 2 TBSP vegetable oil in a skillet to brown the pork chops. I use a cast iron skillet, but anything else should work fine. Browning meat is like making pancakes - you want the skillet to be hot enough that a drop of water dances a second or two before evaporating. Meanwhile, cut the pork chops into whatever size serving you want - I went with about 2-3 oz pieces - and season to taste with garlic pepper (or improvise with your favorite).
Brown the chops about 2 minutes on each side to sear the outside.
 |
| iPhone pictures don't always make food look appetizing. |
Place the pork chops in the bottom of your slow cooker.
I tried something new this year: after I removed the chops from the pan, I poured in enough sauerkraut "juice" to cover the bottom of the pan, and stirred it around quickly to deglaze it. I then poured the yummy-ness over the chops in the Crockpot. I don't know if it will make a difference, but it will make the skillet easier to clean.
Cut the kielbasa into 1-3 inch pieces, depending on your preference, and throw those in the slow cooker, too.
Slice the onion into about half inch slices, then quarter each slice. Toss those in slow cooker, too.
By now, things should kinda look like this:
 |
| I put in some sauerkraut before I remembered I wanted to take a picture. |
Dump the sauerkraut on top, distributing it all over the mess.
 |
| Cool, huh? Got it at the Baltimore Food Co-Op. |
Don't worry about stirring it in - you actually want the pork to sit on the bottom, since it's the only thing that really needs to cook. Sprinkle about 3 TBSP caraway seeds over the whole mess.
Then, pour in a bottle of beer. I prefer to use something a little sweet to cut the tartness of the sauerkraut. Of course, this also depends on what we happen to have on hand. This year, it was Shiner's Holiday Cheer.
We actually didn't love this beer that much - it had a lot of spice flavor without much beer flavor, which I think actually makes it perfect for the pork and sauerkraut. So, pour that on top of everything. You don't have to stir this, either, but I did - I couldn't help myself.
So, here you go:
Then, about 6-7 hours on low. I started it on high for about an hour since I got a late start. :-)
What foods do you eat for luck on New Year's?
Monday, December 19, 2011
Ulmes in Ulm
We all assume that Kevin's father's family was, at some point, from Ulm. We know that he has German heritage, and the names match up, so there you go. I'm sure Ulm would never have been even a passing thought if it wasn't for the questionable family connection. Ulm was listed in the travel books I picked up, but I don't know that it would've caught my eye as a destination if we didn't think we would find Kevin's long lost family castle (or even just brewery) there.
Regardless, Ulm ended up being a nice place to visit! A little bit of a smaller town, but decent-sized with a serviceable downtown area and one of the more picturesque old towns. Not to mention...
The Ulm Minster is the tallest church in the world, and for awhile was the tallest man-made structure in the world. To be honest, looking at it, that statistic kind of surprised me. For whatever reason, the Cologne Cathedral seemed taller.
(As a side note, when you look at the Wikipedia article for the Ulm Minster, notice that at the bottom they have a timeline of tallest buildings.. I just thought that was really interesting and a really good way to end up wasting a day.)
In any case, Ulm was so charming and festive at night...
We tried to have dinner at the place above, as it was highly recommended, but discovered when we got there that we needed reservations. The least touristy city we stayed in, and we needed reservations. It all worked out, though, because we ended about a block away at Allgauer Hof, which featured pfannkuchen, a.k.a.....
PANCAKES!
They really had dozens and dozens of pancakes, both savory and sweet, and they were literally the size of a large pizza. To clarify, though, they were really more like crepes than American pancakes. I had a spicy vegetable pfannkuchen, and it was DELICIOUS. Really hit the spot.
On a slight tangent, I wanted to mention the attitude I took towards eating out in Germany. which I admit might have been a little...ill-advised. So, as you might know, people in Europe tend to be less overweight than in the U.S., and there are far fewer obese people. I also observed that no one got to-go boxes in restaurants. Additionally, I know that people in other countries tend to be less wasteful than Americans, so I could only surmise that Germans probably don't leave much behind when they are out, which leads to my conclusion that German restaurants must serve just the right amount of food, and I was meant to eat all of what was on my plate.
Thoughts? Good theory? Let's just say that while I abided by it for the most part, I wasn't willing to get on the scale that was in our Munich hotel.
But, suffice it to say that I ate my entire pizza-sized pfannkuchen topped with spiced veggies. Veggies are healthy! We also got to try the local beer, Gold Ochsen. Kevin would have loved to tour that brewery, but of course, it was closed the two days we were there. How would we ever entertain ourselves? Stay tuned!
Regardless, Ulm ended up being a nice place to visit! A little bit of a smaller town, but decent-sized with a serviceable downtown area and one of the more picturesque old towns. Not to mention...
The Ulm Minster is the tallest church in the world, and for awhile was the tallest man-made structure in the world. To be honest, looking at it, that statistic kind of surprised me. For whatever reason, the Cologne Cathedral seemed taller.
 |
| Can you believe I actually had to borrow this from the interwebs? |
In any case, Ulm was so charming and festive at night...
 |
| Ulm was kind of a German Venice. That's the River Blau. |
We tried to have dinner at the place above, as it was highly recommended, but discovered when we got there that we needed reservations. The least touristy city we stayed in, and we needed reservations. It all worked out, though, because we ended about a block away at Allgauer Hof, which featured pfannkuchen, a.k.a.....
PANCAKES!
They really had dozens and dozens of pancakes, both savory and sweet, and they were literally the size of a large pizza. To clarify, though, they were really more like crepes than American pancakes. I had a spicy vegetable pfannkuchen, and it was DELICIOUS. Really hit the spot.
On a slight tangent, I wanted to mention the attitude I took towards eating out in Germany. which I admit might have been a little...ill-advised. So, as you might know, people in Europe tend to be less overweight than in the U.S., and there are far fewer obese people. I also observed that no one got to-go boxes in restaurants. Additionally, I know that people in other countries tend to be less wasteful than Americans, so I could only surmise that Germans probably don't leave much behind when they are out, which leads to my conclusion that German restaurants must serve just the right amount of food, and I was meant to eat all of what was on my plate.
Thoughts? Good theory? Let's just say that while I abided by it for the most part, I wasn't willing to get on the scale that was in our Munich hotel.
But, suffice it to say that I ate my entire pizza-sized pfannkuchen topped with spiced veggies. Veggies are healthy! We also got to try the local beer, Gold Ochsen. Kevin would have loved to tour that brewery, but of course, it was closed the two days we were there. How would we ever entertain ourselves? Stay tuned!
Sunday, August 14, 2011
Cooking Spree
When we got back from the Outer Banks a few weeks ago, I was refreshed and motivated. On vacation, I thought about how little free time I seem to have on weeknights, and came up with an idea. I was determined to ease my weeknight stress by prepping meals on the weekend. So, that first Sunday back, I was on a roll.
I made a tower of pasta salad for us to take for lunch during the week...
I would share the recipe with you, but it came from the back of a pasta box, and I threw it away when we ended up not liking the salad so much. The dressing used a cup of sugar, and was way too sweet. There was also a little too much of it, so I cut it with some vinegar and added it to some sliced cucumbers and dill to make a little cucumber salad...
This seemed like it would be a near-ethnically appropriate side (German) for Monday night's dinner of haluski (Eastern European). Now, from what I can tell, though, there is more than one dish that is referred to as "haluski," but I only really know the cabbage and noodle version. I don't really use a recipe for it, but here is something close from Epicurious. Here is the pile of cabbage and onions I chopped...
I didn't think to take a picture of the finished product, which I actually cooked up Monday night.
The piece de resistance, though, were the green enchiladas. The recipe came from the Simply in Season cookbook, which is organized season to season, based on commonly available produce. I use this book a lot during CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) season, as we often end up with vegetables that I am not sure what to do with, or need a new idea. For example, haluski is my go-to with cabbage, which is fine for the first time or third time we get cabbage for a season, but if we get cabbage five weeks in a row, everyone will get sick of haluski. So, I can just go to the index and look up "cabbage," and it will have some alternatives.
With the green enchiladas, though, it was the other scenario - the "what in the world do I do with the vegetable?" one. The vegetable? Tomatillos. We got tomatillos last summer, too, but they languished in the crisper until the only thing to do with them was add them to the compost pile.
Tomatillos are funny little things. And they're sticky!
The recipe called for poblano peppers, but I used cubanelle because they were $2 cheaper per pound at the grocery store. When I googled "cubenelle" on my iPhone at the store, I found that they are commonly substituted for poblano in American cooking, so my hunch is that they are similar but not as hot? I haven't dabbled in a lot of peppers or Latin cooking, for that matter, so I don't really know. But the dish was yummy with the cubenelle peppers, which you first roast. I did it on the grill.
I made a tower of pasta salad for us to take for lunch during the week...
The piece de resistance, though, were the green enchiladas. The recipe came from the Simply in Season cookbook, which is organized season to season, based on commonly available produce. I use this book a lot during CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) season, as we often end up with vegetables that I am not sure what to do with, or need a new idea. For example, haluski is my go-to with cabbage, which is fine for the first time or third time we get cabbage for a season, but if we get cabbage five weeks in a row, everyone will get sick of haluski. So, I can just go to the index and look up "cabbage," and it will have some alternatives.
With the green enchiladas, though, it was the other scenario - the "what in the world do I do with the vegetable?" one. The vegetable? Tomatillos. We got tomatillos last summer, too, but they languished in the crisper until the only thing to do with them was add them to the compost pile.
Tomatillos are funny little things. And they're sticky!
For some reason, I just think roasting peppers is really cool. You get them all black and crispy, then peel the skin off and they are sweet and delicious. Like a pepper butterfly emerging a scorched cocoon. :-P
You blend these along with roasted tomatillos, cilantro, some other stuff and most surprisingly, peanuts! Then, wrap grilled chicken in tortillas with cheese, put them in a baking dish, and cover with the sauce and more cheese.
I was a little nervous, but they turned out really good!
So, this all took pretty much all day, and I have to admit, I haven't been as productive since then. :-/
What good intentions have you come back from vacation with that soon fell by the wayside?
Saturday, March 26, 2011
I like to drink my Nutella, thank you!
This past week, I experimented with a few dairy alternatives, just for kicks. I've tried soy in the past, and am just not a fan. It's okay in something like cereal that has a strong enough flavor that you don't notice the soy, but I just can't really deal with the aftertaste it leaves in my coffee. I have enjoyed soy in a chai tea latte, though.
I tried So Delicious Coconut Milk Beverage this week. It wasn't bad, but not as delicious and coconut-y as I was hoping . I guess that's why it's a "beverage" and not "milk." I admittedly haven't tried it with too much - just in some breakfast quinoa (that worked well) and hot tea (not so well - same weird taste as soy). I still want to try it in coffee, and I could see it working in some other recipes. I admittedly haven't been drinking it too much, because I've been focused on my new lover:
If you can't read it, that's Pacific Natural Foods Hazelnut Milk, with chocolate. This stuff is delicious. It essentially tastes like Nutella chocolate milk, no off-tastes. At 120 calories and 5 grams of fat for an 8-ounce glass, I think it saves you a little, but not a ton. It's a great dairy alternative, but I'm guessing not that great for nut allergies. I'm sure you could use it to add a little something to some baking recipes, like these Nutella cupcakes or these Nutella cupcakes (gluten-free!). I was also avoiding alcohol last week, but it was really hard to resist topping a glass with Frangelico or Bailey's. That experiment will be in my future.
(I feel compelled to mention that Kevin and I were both quite impressed that I took a picture of myself pouring a beverage without spilling any of it.)
I tried So Delicious Coconut Milk Beverage this week. It wasn't bad, but not as delicious and coconut-y as I was hoping . I guess that's why it's a "beverage" and not "milk." I admittedly haven't tried it with too much - just in some breakfast quinoa (that worked well) and hot tea (not so well - same weird taste as soy). I still want to try it in coffee, and I could see it working in some other recipes. I admittedly haven't been drinking it too much, because I've been focused on my new lover:
 |
| Hello, lover. |
 |
| Did I mention my husband is out of town? |
If you can't read it, that's Pacific Natural Foods Hazelnut Milk, with chocolate. This stuff is delicious. It essentially tastes like Nutella chocolate milk, no off-tastes. At 120 calories and 5 grams of fat for an 8-ounce glass, I think it saves you a little, but not a ton. It's a great dairy alternative, but I'm guessing not that great for nut allergies. I'm sure you could use it to add a little something to some baking recipes, like these Nutella cupcakes or these Nutella cupcakes (gluten-free!). I was also avoiding alcohol last week, but it was really hard to resist topping a glass with Frangelico or Bailey's. That experiment will be in my future.
(I feel compelled to mention that Kevin and I were both quite impressed that I took a picture of myself pouring a beverage without spilling any of it.)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)