Wild Mushroom & Bacon

The first night of any trip is always the one where I have the least amount of energy; after how many hours on a flight, trekking with your bags to your lodging and of course finding your way around where you are going.  Then of course you could be adjusting to what ever time change too.  So, I am usually all about finding a local place near the hotel for dinner that first night.  Which means that you could end up with not an amazing meal, since you are out for convenience.  This time in Vienna, we lucked out and stumbled onto the most amazing restaurant that warmed us up in the rain and made me feel so happy!  Good food, nice glass of wine while it is raining outside; sounds like a good night to me.

A small part of me feels like I am in Disneyland when I am in Vienna; the city is so incredibility clean and well kept.  I only wish LA was so clean.  Also, all of the ingredients are fresh; everything taste grown local.  I love the food vendors along the streets, everyone bustling to and from work, and locals going for their morning jog through the palace gardens.  I could definitely live there! 

On to the food!  This is such an easy one to make and so good!

Wanderer's Shopping List
Olive Oil
1 large Potato - peeled and diced
1lb Slab Bacon - diced in to 1/2 inch cubes
16oz mixture of Mushrooms - roughly chopped
4-5 cloves of Garlic - diced
1/2cup White Wine
Parmesan Cheese

For the mushrooms, the wilder the better!  But just pick 2-4 different types that you like.

Heat olive oil in pan over medium heat; add potato and cook stirring occasionally for 15 minutes.  Add bacon; cook for another 15 minutes.  Add garlic and mushrooms; cook for 5 minutes.  Salt and Pepper to taste and add wine.  Cook down wine and remove from heat.  Plate and sprinkle with fresh Parmesan cheese.

Now pour yourself a glass of wine and enjoy!

Minted Carrots

I spent a few weeks in Philadelphia over the past couple of months for work.  Anyone that has traveled for work knows that it is not quite the same experience has traveling for leisure.  First, generally you do not get to pick the destination; second, you may be spending most of your free time on your own; and thirdly, most of your time is taken up with work!

With all that said, let's focus on the positives.  First off, it is a trip!  And I love a good trip.  Secondly, you have to don't have to do any dishes, laundry or other house hold chores like on a normal work week.  And thirdly, there are still lots of great opportunities to explore the food.  First a couple of highlights of Philly.

My absolute favorite place in Philadelphia is the Philadelphia Museum of Art!  I went both trips and would go every time I am in Philly!   First off, they have Wednesdays, pay what you want; don't be cheap here, give them at least 50%.  The building is so amazing I could just wandering there for the day.  As many of you know, the infamous "Rocky Steps" or actually the "museum steps" that lead up to the museum are here and you can get your iconic photo at the top.  It also has a great view of the skyline here. 

Also, if you have time, check out the hippos and shark tunnel at Adventure Aquarium.  Watching them feed the hippos is awesome!  Now to the food!

Of course, you have your normal food icons of Philly.  You have the Philly cheesesteak; Philadelphia cheesecake; and I didn't know it before traveling there, but your pretzel twists (those are a big thing there).  And we will get to all that in another post; but this post is about a unique little recipe I discovered at, this yummy little place down the street from work, Agno Grill. The ingredients here are so fresh and simple; but creative and delish!  Check out their site for the details  on their menu; as we are talking about the amazing carrots!

They roast the carrots and then toss them with mint!  Simple, right!  And amazing!  These carrots are so good and so easy to make; add them to a salad, to a rice bowl, a wrap, have them as a side on their own.   I kept going back the whole time I was there for these carrots!

Wanderer's Shopping List
Carrots (as many as you want; washed and peeled)
Mint (lots - good handful; washed, dried and diced)
Olive Oil
Salt

That's it!

First, break out your cast iron grill or head over to your BBQ.  Grease up which every you are using and put your carrots on there for 20 minutes rotating throughout.  If cooking on the cast iron grill, cover with foil loosely.  You want good grill marks, but you are not cooking the carrots fully.  They should still have a slight, slight crunch to them when you remove them. 

Next, let cool slightly and cut carrots on a bias.  Toss in bowl with small ( I mean small) amount of olive oil, your mint and salt to taste. 

And you are done.  Now you can add these to any salad or whatever you would like; get crazy.  Trust me; you will be making this all the time!  If you are not a mint fan, give it a try with basil or thyme. 

Lil' Lemonade Pies

I love lemon! I am the girl that sucks on my lemon wedge...so good!  And lemonade is possibly one of my favorite non-alcoholic drinks.  So when I saw the idea for Luscious Lemonade Pie Cookies at Cocinanda Con Alena, I had to give this a try.  I wanted to make this my own, so I did the lemon curd and the pie crust from scratch. 

This is so great for all you summer parties!  My favorite is the fact it is pie and finger food; makes it perfect for BBQs but more elegant than your basic brownies or cookies.  I totally recommend this hit for 4th of July; you will be a rockstar!

Wanderer's Shopping List

Lemon Curd

7tbsp Lemon Juice

4tsp Lemons Zest

1cup Sugar

2tbsp Cornstarch

6tbsp Water
6 egg yolks

1/2cup Butter - cut into small pieces

Pie Crust

2cups Flour

2/3cup Shortening

1/2tsp Salt

6tbsp Water

Egg Wash
1 Egg
1tbsp Water

Extra Sugar to sprinkle

First you are going to make the lemon curd. Mix your sugar, cornstarch, lemon zest, and lemon juice; heat in pan over medium heat until blended and bubble.  Meanwhile, place egg yolks in a bowl and lightly mix; add half of your lemon mixture to yolks, stir and return mixture back to the pan.  Mix and cook over medium heat just until it begins to boil.  Lower heat and cook 2 more minutes.  Remove from heat.  Add butter, one pieces at a time, stirring until melted.  Cover the lemon curd with plastic wrap, pressing it down against the curd.  Chill for one hour. 

Now your pie crust; you can use any pie crust recipe you would like; I used this one from Better Homes and Gardens.  Just be sure to make the double crust with whatever recipe you do use.

Once you have your pie crust all rolled out; spread with your lemon curd over half (or one if you rolled it out in two).  Give a generous layer on there; you want to taste that lemon curd.  And yes, this is going to be a little messy putting these together.   Next, place your other rolled pie crust over the top or fold in half.  

Messy time!  Take your round cookie cutter and push down through both layers; before lifting up the cutter, take a butter knife and use the handle side to push down the edges all the way around.  Lift cutter.  Repeat until all is cut out.  Pull away the in-between stuff and place your lil' pies onto a greased cookie sheet. Coat each pie with egg wash and sprinkle with sugar.  Cut small X into top of each pie.

Bake for 15-20 minutes at 350.  Check every 7 minutes if you are compulsive like me and have a crazy oven.  Remove from oven and cool.  Bring to party and have everyone talk about how amazing them and you are!

Coconut Lemongrass Chicken Pasta

It seems no matter where I travel to there is always at least one amazing Italian meal along the trip.  This recipe is inspired by a great meal I had in Paris; it was at the cutest restaurant, that for the life of me I can not remember the name.  I am sure I have it somewhere, but finding that could take lots of time.  But that is okay, because I have the memory, which means you will be able to bring some of it into your home with this recreation. 

Okay...never mind all that.  I went through my pics and found it.  It is Curieux Spaghetti Bar and it looks like it is still serving delicious food!  So, if you are going to be in Paris, check it out! Sadly, I did not have in pics of the dish itself; who knew I would be writing a blog 6 years later, my bad!  But here are a few of the restaurant and some of those lovely elements that made it stand out.

 I just love how they incorporate the silver spaghetti measure as the door handle and in the chandelier.  This sparked my long desire for one like this.   And yes, I know these are not the best quality photos; again, who knew.





Wanderer's Shopping List
1 Onion - diced
4tsp Garlic - finely chopped
2stalk Lemongrass
3tsp Thyme - finely chopped
3-4 Portobello Mushrooms - cut into 1 inch cubes
4 Chicken Thighs - cut into 1inch cubes
1 can Coconut Milk
1 can Coconut Cream
3cups Spinach
1lb Linguine
Salt
Pepper
Olive Oil

Heat 2 tbsp olive oil in large skillet; add onion, cook for 4-5 minutes, add garlic and cook for another minute.  Add mushrooms and cook for 4-5 minutes.  Remove from skillet and set aside.

Heat another 2 tbsp olive oil in skillet.  Season chicken with salt, pepper and thyme; add to skillet.  Cook until browned.  Add mushroom mixture, coconut milk, coconut cream and lemongrass (before adding lemongrass, cut into 4 inch long pieces and beat with spoon to release essence; reserve one of these).  Cook over low heat for one hour.

During this time, boil your water add your last lemongrass piece.  When water boils, add salt and add pasta and cook to your preference.   Drain and toss with a little olive oil.

Add pasta and spinach to coconut mixture and toss.  Cook for a couple of minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste.  I add some red chilli flakes to mine; but hey, I like a little spice; your call.  Serve and enjoy!

Bon Appetit!  And Merci Beaucoup for reading! Man, I love Paris!

Pea Funk

I feel in love with this drink from the moment I saw its name!  When I saw it on the menu at Barrel and Ashes, I knew I had to have it and then make my own version.  This drink is unique, really refreshing and you can totally taste the snap peas!  Sit at the bar if you make it to Barrel and Ashes, it is transfixing to watch them make drinks!

I made an ingredient tweak on the drink for availability; you can try my version or sub back in the Oro Blanco if you have them available to you.  For those of you who do not know what Oro Blancos are (because I did not); it is a citrus fruit, similar to a grapefruit.  There, now you know!

Now, let's learn about Pisco; most of the time you see this used it is for Pisco Sours.  But I had never really given much thought to what it actually is.  Pisco is actually a brandy that is made in Peru and Chile regions; if you have a choice between one from Peru and one from Chile, go with the Peru one.

Alright, now that we know what is in our drink; let's get shaking, cocktail shaking that is!

Wanderer's Shopping List
20oz Snap Peas (this will give you enough for about 4-6 drinks)

This is all listed per drink
1oz Lime Juice
1oz Pisco or you can sub in tequila if you have a hard time finding Pisco
1oz Grapefruit Juice

1oz Simple Syrup (1 part Sugar to 1 part Water - i know; crazy sweet)
Soda

Make your simple syrup (if you don't already have some on hand; you can make a batch of this and store in the fridge in a sealed bottle for about 6 months).  Combine sugar and water in pot on medium heat until sugar dissolves.  Set aside and let cool. 

Remove peas from pod, add 4tbsp water and blend until pureed. Mixture should be thick but pourable; add water to reach this consistency. 

Combine 2oz pea mixture with lime juice, pisco or tequila, grapefruit juice and simple syrup over ice in cocktail shaker and shake until chilled.  Pour over ice in glass and top with soda.  Garnish with snap pea. 

Now get down to that pea funk while enjoying your drink!  Cheers!

Greek Feast

Greece is my absolutely my favorite place!!!  My husband and I had the best time while we were there.  It was a quick trip; we hit Athens, Mykonos and Santorini in about 10 days!  The days stretch on forever, it was light out until about 11pm, there is amazing food (for cheap), friendly people, beautiful sunsets, active nightlife, breathtaking beaches and ocean views, a volcano, ruins, the acropolis...I mean what else can you ask for in a trip!  You can bet we will be traveling back there!

Every time you stop for a Mythos or Alpha (those are local beers) or a delish house glass of wine, they always give you yummy little snacks; love that!  We like to stop for lots of drinks and little snacks through out the day when we are traveling; we find we get to try more things that way and you get a little break from all of the running around trying to see everything.   And at the end of every meal they bring you some sort of dessert, fruit (I remember our first meal they brought us a piece of watermelon with seeds.  It occurred to me that I have not seen seeds in watermelon in the US in years upon years - odd!), or some lethal shot!

Everything we ate while traveling was spot on; here are a few of my favs:  stuffed wine leaves, moussaka, spanakopita, saganokia, baklava, and more!!  But my total addiction for food there was the souvlakis (gyros).  And the best place to get these was Souvlaki Row in Athens! 
Couple of things to know, so these can be made with a few types of meat or a combination, usually beef, lamb or pork.  They come on a pita and in addition to the meat they generally have tomatoes, red onions, tzatziki (yogurt/cucumber sauce) and the best places have french fries on them! 
Other piece you need to be aware of, is to avoid the restaurants for these; the best ones and the best prices are from the stands or window type shops(where you ordered at the window).  If you are on Souvlaki Row, the best one is right along the square and sells out of a little window. Now, if you need to sit down for a break and do try to order these at a restaurant, make sure you specify that you want the "sandwich", otherwise they will bring you out this ridiculous plate that is just not the same.

Now, as you may or may not know; souvlaki or gyro's meat is roasted on a vertical rotisserie; I don't know about for you, but that is a little outside what I can accomplish in my tiny kitchen.  So, this meal incorporates my very first meal I had in Athens!  It was a tiny little restaurant that was recommend by a local; in looking for it after we checked in, as we were incredibly jet-lagged and exhausted, we managed to walk past it about 5 times before we figured out it was the place we were looking for.  Our persistence paid off as the meal was excellent!  We had the most flavor filled seared pork that hit the spot just right!    So, for this feast, I took those same elements of this pork and the components of souvalki and combined them; and then added on a greek salad (which is where I incorporated my tomatoes and onions) and some olives to round out the meal.   This meal is really easy to make, but is great for hosting a dinner party; your guest will totally be impressed and feel transported to Greece! 



Wanderer's Shopping List
 Greek Pork
4lbs Boneless Pork Shoulder
10cloves Garlic
5sprigs Rosemary
10sprigs Oregano
1tsp Kosher or Sea Salt
1tsp Ground Pepper
1/2tsp Crushed Red Pepper
1/2 Yellow Onion
1/2cup Chicken Broth
Olive Oil

Greek Salad
1 English Cucumber
12oz small Tomatoes
1/4 to 1/2 Red Onion (to your liking)
2clove Garlic
2tbsp Red Wine Vinegar
1tbsp Olive Oil
8oz Feta

Greek Fries
2 Baking Potatoes
2tbsp Paprika
1tbsp Granulated Garlic
2tsp Kosher Salt
2tbsp Fresh Dill
Olive Oil

Tzatziki

2clove garlic
4tbsp finely chopped cucumber
1 Lemon - juiced
2tbsp finely chopped dill
2cup greek yogurt

To go with
Mediterranean Flat Bread
Greek Olives

First we are going to start with the Pork.  Your fresh herbs are key to the flavor of this meat!  Break out your slow cooker; this is going to be some delicious tender meat.  Turn on slow cooker to low and coat with olive oil.  Slice onion and place in bottom of slow cooker.  Finely chop garlic, rosemary and oregano; mix with salt, pepper and crushed red pepper.  Rub all over pork.  Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in large skillet over medium heat.  Add pork to sear outside; rotating 2 minutes each side.  You want a nice brown sear all around the pork, just be careful not to burn your seasonings.   Once you have your sear, add to slow cooker on top of onions.  Add chicken broth to skillet and scrap of all those good bits.  Pour in slow cooker along the side.  Place lid on and let go for 6-8 hours. 

Now, you have plenty of time to make your salad, tzatziki and fries; I recommend for you to make the salad now for it to sit and soak up all the flavors and make the fries right before you eat this glorious feast.  But it is all your call.

For the Salad; dice your cucumbers, tomatoes, onion and finely chop your garlic.  Mix together with salt, vinegar and olive oil.  Refrigerate until ready to eat.  Just before serving add feta on top.

For the tzatiki; mix cucumber, garlic and lemon.  Let sit for five minutes.  Add dill and yogurt; mix and refrigerate.  See how easy that was!  Now you don't ever need to buy this pre-made from the store again; and it is going to taste so much better!

Now the fries; so we are going to do a little pre-work on these.  Cut your potatoes into strips; as close to the same size as you can get them.  Rinse and soak in salt water for 1 hour.  Rinse and dry completely.   Soaking the potatoes helps to keep them crisp when you bake them.  Set aside until 30 minutes before meal time.  Preheat oven to 350 and toss potatoes with olive oil, paprika, garlic and salt and spread out on baking sheet.  Make sure the potatoes have plenty of room and are not crowded on the sheet.  Bake for 20-30 minutes; flipping half way through.  Watch carefully so they do not burn.

When you turn your oven off, through your flat bread in there for just a couple minutes to warm it up.

Now the best part; time to eat!  Eat however you would like; but this is how I did mine.  Flat bread, pork, tzatiki, fries and them some salad and olives on the side.  So good!  Yamas!

Turkey / Bacon / Mozzarella Panini aka The Gobbler

I spent a weekend up in Sonoma County a few weeks back; it is absolutely beautiful there with vineyards as far as the eye can see.  Which means there is plenty of wine to be had!  I grew up the area, but it has been 15 years since I lived there.  So much has changed, there are so many more restaurants, shops and wineries!  Which means I have a full agenda every time I go.

This trip I spent some time in Healdsburg around the town square; so sweet there and a great way to spend a weekend afternoon.  You can hop from a tasting room into one of many independent shops...my favorite Mr. Moon's; it is a always a must hit for me when I am in the area...then back to another tasting room and just when you are ready for some lunch (to help balance all that yummy wine) you can hit up The Blackbird Cafe & Soda Fountain!  This just opened last year (well, it changed owners, names, was remolded, and has a whole new menu and decor - so it is basically like it just opened) and has quickly gained popularity with the locals.  It is a family owned spot; family has been living in the area for oh so many years.

 

There is some great art up on the walls, available for sale; however my favorite piece, when I visited, was the original logo art (not for sale), created by a local artist Levi Miller.  He has some great pieces, so be sure to check out his site.

Now to the menu....you have to try the soup when you come!  They are all made in house by the owner, Patrick Timmsen (featured in the above photo), and every one I have tried has been delicious.  The most popular one is the Loaded Baked Potato soup; you can not go wrong ordering this!  Great thing is they always have a vegetarian option too!

Even though the soup is excellent; I just love the paninis!  First off, they have the most adorable names!  They are all after birds (or some sort of flying animal); you have The Cheessy Pigeon, The Flying Pig, My Little Chickadee...just to name a few.   You will have to visit to see the other great names.   Second, they taste so good!  Now these are all good and you just have to go with what you are in the mood for.  One of my favs is The Gobbler; it certainly has some of my go to ingredients.  Check out my version below; but I also totally recommend a trip to try out the original. 

Wanderer's Shopping List
Bread of your choice (myself I like this on a Sourdough or Rye, but your call)
Turkey
Bacon (cooked to your liking)
Mozzarella (or you can use a jack; which I did, as it was what I had in my fridge)
Spinach
Pesto Aioli ( 2 cloves garlic, 1 cup or large handful of basil, 1 egg yolk, juice of 1/2 lemon, olive oil, salt and pepper)


The ingredients are pretty easy to assemble, I know you can make a sandwich, so we are going to talk about how to make your pesto aioli and how to make your panini without a panini press.  Of course if you just go to Blackbird you won't have to worry about this.

First up, pesto aioli. Easiest way to do this is in your food processor or bullet; I used my bullet.  First separate your egg yolk and set aside in small bowl; you want this at room temperature.  Add garlic and pinch of salt into bullet; pulse until finely chopped.  Add basil and 1/4 cup olive oil; pulse until finely chopped.  Add lemon juice to egg yolk and whisk with fork until blended; add to basil mixture.  Pulse until blended. Add another 1/4 cup olive oil; pulse until blended. Done - you just made aioli; how fancy are you!

Careful, you are consuming raw egg with this recipe.  If this makes you nervous, you can use and tofu based egg substitute or you can really cheat and just make the basil portion and mix with mayo.  I won't judge you...promise!  This is also a great time saver if you are in a rush.

Now, assemble all your ingredients on the bread; best order - bread - cheese - bacon - spinach - turkey - aioli - bread.  Just be ready to start grilling so your bread does not get soggy.

Panini time!  Now, you need some sort of grill; it can be a bbq, a foreman grill; I used my cast iron grill. It is flat on one side, perfect for pancakes, and ridged on the other side.  Obviously, you want the ridged side for those great grill lines.  Of course, if you have a panini grill, use that and just ignore all of this part.  The other tool I used to improvise my panini press is my bacon press!  If you don't have one of these, a heavy cast iron skillet will work too; or even a brick wrapped in foil.

Heat your grill to medium heat; season grill with olive oil (or some of that left over bacon grease).  Place panini on grill and press with bacon press just for a few seconds to get started.  Leave press sitting on top and grill 2-4 minutes.  Flip and repeat. It is just that easy; plate and garnish with your favorites.  I add a homemade pickle to the side of mine. 

A root beer would go so good with this; of course a glass of wine would also be totally acceptable so you can get that full wine country experience!  Gobble, Gobble, Cheers!

Lavender Lemonade Cocktail

It's Friday and it is time for a cocktail!  I don't know about you, but it has been a long week and I am ready for a drink at home.  It has been really warm these last few days, which makes this cocktail perfect!  It is your homey lemonade glammed up with the lavender and spiked with your booze of choice.  This drink works with whatever liquor you are in the mood for; or if it is one of those days whatever you have on hand.    I love lavender and it is in so few recipes, I hope that you enjoy it as much as I do!

Wanderer's Shopping List
1cup Water
1/2cup Sugar
2tbsp Lavender
1/2cup Lemon (About 2 lemons)
1oz booze (per drink)
Sparkling Lemon Water

First up, make your lavender simple syrup.  Combine water, sugar and lavender in pot and simmer for 30 minutes.  I used my wire mesh tea strainer to put the lavender in; but you could cheese cloth or just strain it after it is done.  After, let cool.  You can totally make this ahead of time or make a bigger batch too.  It is going to be super sweet, but remember it is going to be mixed with other it items.


Up next, juice your lemons and make sure you get all the seeds out of the juice.  Mix this with your simple syrup.

Okay, the hard work is behind you.  You just have to pick the booze you want.  I have had this drink with gin, vodka, champagne, and prosecco.  It would totally work with tequila or whiskey too; maybe even a wheat beer.  If you are going to use champagne or prosecco as your liquor component then I would leave out the sparkling water.

Now it is time to start mixing!

Glass...ice...1/4cup lavender-lemon mix...1oz booze...sparkling lemon water...Drink!

This drink is totally flexible and everyone can easily mix up their own cocktail and do their own twist.  Enjoy!!

Cheers!

Oatmeal Griddle Cakes w/ Maple Butter

If you do not love brunch, we can not be friends!  I mean, what is not to love?!?  Rolling out of bed at 10am to meet friends; rehashing last night's shenanigans or catching up on the week!  Cocktails in the morning - yes please! Acceptable food order before noon to include a burger!  When else can all of these great pieces come together!

Salt's Cure is one of my favorite destinations! Not only is a walking distance from my home, but it was just listed on LA Eater's list of "The 24 Hottest Brunch Spots in Los Angeles".  The hubby and I have been coming here since it opened in 2011; now that it is on everyone's radar these past couple of years, we have to wait in line though.  It is a small price to pay, as everything is amazing here!!  I have never had a meal that didn't leave me a very happy kid!

They do everything in house and utilize local ingredients; I know lots of places boast this, but you can tell by their menu and approach to each ingredient.   I love sitting at the bar and watching them cook; it is amazing what they do in that small area!  I highly recommend this seat when you go! 

 As you may have guessed by the name; pork is a main staple.  They bacon is beyond words and only comes with a few dishes due to the limited supply!  The sausage is also excellent.  If you want to try a little of everything go for the 2 x 2 x 2 and add on the Oatmeal Griddle Cakes; you will be glad you did and also leave incredibly full!

For those of you that are not in the Los Angeles area, I have worked up my own version of the Oatmeal Griddle Cakes to tide you over until you make it out this way!

Wanderer's Shopping List

• 1/2cup Cooked Oatmeal
• 1 Egg
• 1/2cup Milk
• 2tbsp Butter - melted or super soft
• 1cup Flour
• 2tbsp Sugar
• 2tsp Baking Powder
• 1/2tsp Baking Soda
• 1/2tsp Salt
• 1/4cup Butter - softened
• 1-2tbsp Maple Syrup
• Extra Butter for greasing griddle

 Mix oatmeal, egg, milk and melted butter (2tbsp). 

Side note: If you are like me and don't decide what you are going to make until right before you make it, here is a tip for working with butter.  Get your cheese grater out and grate you butter; it softens up so much quicker and saves you from fully melting it down, which you don't want to do for a lot of recipes.  Also, you can mess with your husband (or any household member) and tell him it is cheese and watch him take a bite to find out it is butter.  Hehe!
 
In separate bowl mix flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.  Stir together two mixtures.  Heat griddle on medium heat (I used a cast iron griddle; if you don't have one of these -get one! They are so handy and good for cooking so many things.  Or you can use any old skillet).  Grease griddle with butter; drop spoon full of mixture on to griddle, cooking a couple of minutes on each side.  Repeat until out of batter.  Keep cakes warm, covered with foil, with the oven on warm, while cooking the rest. 

While cooking; make your Maple Butter!  Use the butter tip from above and then whisk (if you have a small one or use a fork; if you have one of those battery froth makers for coffee, that works great) butter and maple syrup until fully combined.  Start with 1tbsp of syrup and go from there based on your taste preference.  Don't let this get to warm; you want it soft not melted. 

Serve oatmeal griddle cakes with maple butter on top and enjoy!  We had ours with a side of bacon.  This dish of course goes great with a mimosa or a beer as you will see we enjoyed at Salt's Cure!  Cheers!

Ireland - Guinness Irish Stew

Anyone Order A Guinness?!?

Ireland holds a special place in my heart; Irish coffees, amazing grass fed beef and as much Guinness as you can possibly drink!  Oh yeah, it's also where I got engaged!

Now, I am not going to lie; some of the meals did leave much to be desired.  But the good meals we had there, I would travel back for in a heartbeat!  Plus, the country side is unbelievably beautiful; everything is just so green from all of the rain!

After a day trek around visiting castles, kissing blarney stones and bouncing around on the slog on the bog (all while out in the rain), you are ready for a good hearty meal to warm you up.  That is just one of the reasons why this meal is so great.

There are two reasons this meal rocks (besides that it tastes so good).  First, it is not your normal stew; your normal broth element is closer to a sauce, making it a more elegant meal and also giving it a much richer flavor.  Second, instead of the same boring old potatoes in the stew, they are mashed with some celery root and the stew sits upon them. 

Now I know St. Paddy's Day just passed; but this meal works any day and is an excellent excuse to have a Guinness after March.  Plus we are going to have one of our very rare raining days in LA tomorrow, so it is the perfect opportunity to try it!

Wanderer's Shopping List

• 1 Large Yellow Onion
• 3-4 Carrots
• 1 Turnip
• 15 Mushrooms
• 4lb Beef Chuck Roast
• 2tbsp Olive Oil 
• 2tsp Sea Salt (Kosher Salt will work too)
• 1tsp Ground Black Pepper
• 1tbsp Tomato Paste
• 1tbsp Worcestershire Sauce
• 2bottles Guinness (and more to drink with)
• 1cup beef stock
• 1tsp Thyme
• 6 Garlic Cloves - chopped
• 1-2 Bay Leaves
• 1 Celery Root
• 2 Potatoes
• 2tbsp Butter
• 2tbsp Greek Yogurt or Sour Cream
• 1tsp Corn Starch (optional)
• 2tbsp Water (optional)

 Coat slow cooker with cooking spray.  Cut onion, carrots and turnip into 2 inch cubes and place in slow cooker along with whole mushrooms.  Cut Beef into 2 inch cubes; season with salt and pepper.  Coat skillet with olive oil; brown beef and add to slow cooker on top of veggies.  Mix tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce, Guinness, beef stock Thyme, chopped garlic, and bay leaves; and to slow cooker (pour around the sides).  Turn slow cooker to low and let it work its magic for 7-8 hours. It is done when the meat falls apart. 

About an hour before meal time.  Cut celery root and potatoes into quarters, place in pot and cover with water; boil until tender.  Drain, place back in pot; add butter and Greek yogurt and mash until smooth.  Add salt and pepper to taste.

Ladle out a couple of cups of the liquid from the slow cooker and place in pot on the stove.  Reduce down for about 15 minutes.  Recommend to thicken it up further by adding corn starch and water (combine the two first in a separate bowl whisk and then add to sauce).

Now to put it all together.  Place mashed celery root/potatoes in large shallow bowl; add veggies and beef; ladle your reduce sauce over the top.

Don't forget your glass of Guinness to drink along with it! Slainte!