Great Plains Foodie

Lunch at St. E's

2008-06-27T10:23:00.000-07:00

Talk about service! When I entered, I was ushered into my private dining room with a lovely view of East Lincoln.

My lovely servers set me up with my beverage right away.

The menu was limited: a big bowl of cream of tomato soup, mac and cheese, or BBQ beef on a crusty roll. I chose the mac and cheese with a cup of the soup, and a side of green beans and chilled peaches.

The soup was the Campbelliest, the beans the Green-Giantiest, and the peaches the Del-Montiest. The mac and cheese was kinda tangy.

My lunch may have had its issues, but how many servers take your dirty dishes, then check to make sure your heart rate and breathing sound okay? And they're soooo pretty too!

Sips 'n' Subs

2008-06-27T08:43:00.000-07:00

I've been driving by Sips & Subs for years. It's on 33rd and B, right next to the pawn shop and across the street from the bike shop. I wanted to go someplace new and cheap on this day-- perfect.

Sips & Subs is a very casual place, as its name implies. It kind of reminds me of walking to the deli counter at Ideal when I went to Lincoln High to choose from their huge variety of sandwiches, except that Sips & Subs has a cute little dining room with '50s chrome tables. They serve soup, all-day breakfast, and ice cream as well.

The sandwich stop has a very small-town feel. The food is very simple, but toothsome, and the service is incredibly friendly. Most of the people there seemed like they go there every day. I got a half egg salad on sourdough and some coleslaw. Both were irreproachable: the egg salad was had a rustic, vinnegary taste and the bread was fresh-- youthful almost, the coleslaw was both creamy and tart. My friend got a cajun turkey sandwich with the works. I didn't try it, but she said it was charming.

Cute plates!

Next time you need a your bike fixed, or a used gun, stop into Sips & Subs for an appetizing meal.

Recipe Deal Breakers

2008-06-27T08:08:00.001-07:00

Sorry it's been so long since I've posted. I'm back in the hospital this week, but I've got my camera, so I plan on posting some reviews of the lovely hospital food at St. Elizabeth's. In the meantime, my friend Sara sent me this article from the New York Times that got me thinking. There are certain recipes that I've always dreamed of making, but just can't. My worst experience was with Alton Brown's Buttercream. I imagined making cupcakes with big frothy tops of pastel colored buttercream. I swear I followed that recipe exactly three times and wasted what seemed like hundreds of dollars in butter. I finally had to admit to myself that I can't make anything that involves heating up sugar syrups to a certain color/temperature. It's a recipe deal breaker.

What are your recipe deal breakers?

Sunday Dinner: Fathers' Day

2008-06-15T19:27:00.000-07:00

We decided to try out some recipes from Cook's Illustrated for Dad tonight: Grilled Shrimp and Tomato Salad.

I love using recipes from Cook's Illustrated and America's Test Kitchen because they always have some sort of funky new method that's fun to try.

To make the grilled shrimp, you have to pile up all the coals on one side of the grill so you have a hot side and a not-so-hot side. Put a pound and a half of shrimp on skewers, tops to tails, then brush them with oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper, then sprinkle only one side with sugar for caramelization. Then you throw a half stick of butter, two lemons worth of lemon juice, three minced cloves of garlic, and some salt and crushed red pepper into a disposable pan and put it on the grill until and melts together. Move it to the not-so-hot side of the grill, then put the shrimp on the hot side.

You know how they say you should soak bamboo skewers in water before they go on the grill? Um, yeah... don't blow off this step.

When they're done, throw them in their hot buttery bath, and use the hot side to cook your corn or other sides.

Dad examines his corn. That hot side was a little bit hotter than we expected.

To make the tomato salad, you quarter two pints of tomatoes, then sprinkle some sugar and salt on them and let them sit for a half hour. The tomatoes then go into the salad spinner, which makes the juice and seeds go flying out. Drain the seeds out of the juice, then put it in a pan with a tablespoon of balsamic and a minced shallot. Reduce to three tablespoons, cool, then whisk in two tablespoons of olive oil. Mix tomatoes, dressing, 8 ounces of cubed buffalo mozzarella, and a bunch of chopped basil.

Put some chopped flat leaf parsley in the shrimp sauce before serving and eat it with crusty bread

For dessert we had kolaches. I made the dough last weekend and froze it. When we were ready for dessert I just filled them and threw them in the oven for ten minutes. If you make the recipe linked above, keep in mind that it makes a lot of kolaches-- like 4-5 pans. I shared mine with friends, so it worked out well.

I made cherry and apricot. The apricot tasted better, but the cherry was easier-- I just opened a can.

So there's a dinner for a guy who, when meeting a foreigner, attempts to speak their language of origin to them, who knows nothing about pop culture but loves to talk about it anyway, and who takes all my ribbing with love and good humor: my dad.

The Dog House

2008-06-14T10:22:00.000-07:00

After a morning of hitting the garage sales (found a Heywood-Wakefield head and foot board for $10-- w00t!), my friend suggested we try out The Dog House. I do love hot dogs.

The restaurant is really just a hole in the wall of the Sinclair gas station at 40th and A with a bench outside of it.

They have Nathan's kosher hot dogs and half pound hot dogs with a variety of ingredients. I got a Nathan's, done up Chicago style, but forgot to ask for no tomatoes. I'll have to wait until I go to Chicago in a few weeks to get the kind I really like with the florescent green relish, but this will tide me over until then.

My friend got the half pound chili dog, which needed to be consumed with a knife and fork. That thing has got to be bigger than a half pound. It was like a freakin' wall of flesh!

I don't really have anything else to say, except that I've noticed that most people who make a living selling hot dogs are really nice people: the folks that man the little hot dog carts outside the bars on weekend nights are always so nice to the drunk folks, the people at The Dog House donate all their tips to the Humane Society... Hot dog people are good people.

Americanized Mexican: OSO and Taco Inn

2008-06-13T11:19:00.000-07:00

I've had Americanized Mexican food twice in as many days and was happy with both experiences. Last night I ate at OSO, and today I had Taco Inn.

OSO (forgot my camera):

I love love love fish tacos, but I was craving OSO's soft flour tortilla, so I got the mini fish burrito. I love that the offer a mini burrito, since the regular size is just too big and some people (ahem) can't control themselves. I have a problem with branching out when I go to OSO, but I hear that their curry tofu burrito is excellent (my friend Katie swears by it). What do you like to order at OSO? They also have a nice atmosphere and a good selection of Mexican beers. It rivals Yia Yia's as the best place to eat, drink, and people-watch on a summer evening in Lincoln.

Taco Inn:

Taco Inn is my favorite fast-food-Americanized taco joint. During my drinking days, nothing cured a hangover better than a big mess of nachos made with the flour chips. If I had to describe Taco Inn in three words they would be cheap, local, and satisfying.

"A Lincoln Original since 1976"-- just like me!

My friend ordered the chicken enchilada, one of my favs. It's a little flour tortilla stuffed with chicken and cream cheese and smothered in enchilada sauce and is totally worth the heartburn it gives you. The $5 chicken enchilada meal is a crap-ton of food.

Sorry about the blurry pics

I ordered a taco and the combo burrito. The burrito was...meh. It was just a tortilla wrapped around some beans and taco meat. For some reason I thought there was supposed to be more stuff in there. I should have read the menu more closely. The taco was delicious as always. I think they're the best Americanized tacos I've ever had-- far better than Taco Bell or Taco John's. The meat is fresh and not too greasy, the shell is always light and crunchy, and there's always a good quantity of cheese. Their kick-ass taco sauce makes them even better. I eat it at a ratio of 2-3 packets per taco.

Neither of these places are as good as a good authentic place like Super Taco, but they aren't the same thing. If you're in the mood for a good old fashioned hard shell taco or a great big burrito filled with international specialty ingredients, both of these places are nice to have around.

Lunch in Omaha: La Buvette

2008-06-09T19:38:00.000-07:00

Sorry I haven't posted for a few days. I've been in a bit of a funk, mostly due to tapering off a medication (Prednisone) that made me happy and hungry. I tried to pull myself out of it with a trip to one of my old favorites, La Bouvett in the Old Market, which worked fairly well, but I still don't feel like writing much. I will say this-- go to La Buvette on a nice day when you have a lazy afternoon to kill, not in the time between a blood draw and doc's appointment at UNMC. Good food takes time to prepare and eat.

Located on 11th, across from Spaghetti Works and Upsteam

You can choose from lots of wine by the glass, or pick something out from their wine shop and pay a corking fee

I love places that have lots of specials

Their hummus isn't as good as mine or anything, but it's pretty good. Their bread, baked on the premises, is as good as Le Quartier

This plate of melon and prosciutto momentarily brought my appetite back.

Lunch at The Oven

2008-06-05T09:42:00.000-07:00

Dear The Oven:

Remember when we first met? It was 1988 and my parents introduced us as part of my 12th birthday celebration, followed by the movie "The Last Emperor" starring Peter O'Toole. Weren't we sophisticated? Hahaha. I thought your curry was strange and I was embarrassed when my dad got angry at us for allowing one of your waitresses to take away his salad while he was in the bathroom. But I took one bite of your rice and knew I had to have more. I didn't know it then, but I was already falling in love with you.

In the early 90's I found myself glancing your way more and more. You were so sweet to me; you didn't mind that I wore my band shoes and over sized flannels everywhere I went. I discovered some of the foods you had to offer that fit my underdeveloped palette: Tandoori Chicken, Mango Lassis (yogurt smoothies), Pistachio Kulfi (ice cream)...

By the time I was in college, we had both gone through some changes: you adding your beautiful decor; me beginning a 4-year-long stint with vegetarianism. I found myself eating with you at least once a month, spending money I didn't have on all my favorite new dishes like Vegetable Curry, Aloo Gobi (potatoes and cauliflower), and Matar Paneer. I couldn't afford you at the time, but your huge portion sizes somehow justified it to me. You taste even better the next day (wink!).

Then there was that fateful day that I ordered your paneer kulcha (flatbread stuffed with cheese and onion) for the first time. With my first taste of that spicy buttery bready goodness, I knew I had found my perfect food match. Were I to meet my end on death row, your Paneer Kulcha would be the last thing to pass my lips.

When I had lunch with you yesterday, more than twenty years after our first awkward encounter, I realized that I'm more in love with you than ever. Sure you have your little quirks that annoy me sometimes-- your mulligatawny soup sometimes has clumps of chickpea flour and you give me my leftovers in unmicrowavable styrofoam containers-- but I still can't resist you. Having lunch with you is a delight; your entrees are a bit cheaper (around $10) and a bit smaller, but every bit as delicious.

Sure I've strayed over the years, trying Indian food in other cities, but it's never the same, never quite as good. Every time I take a bite of your saffron-yellow rice, I'm twelve years old again, discovering a whole new world of culinary adventure, right here in Lincoln, Nebraska.

Love always,
Sarah

Roost Really Wants Your Business!!!

2008-06-04T06:30:00.000-07:00

After reading the review on Taste of Lincoln I thought I'd give Roost a shot.

I ordered the "Grape Escape" and my companion (Mom) ordered the "Presto Pesto." The sandwich that Buffmeat describes over at Taste of Lincoln is actually called "Ol' Red." So yeah, this place is kinda gimmicky.

I found this little gem nestled inside my sandwich wrapper:

DONE!

A lot of people love gimmicky, I just don't happen to be one of them. What I do love is a delicious sandwich, and my "Grape Escape" was quite tasty. It really tasted like homemade chicken salad, which I've been craving ever since I read this. The toasted whole grain bread was pretty good too.

Yeah, I took a couple bites before I remembered to take the picture again

The "Presto Pesto"? Not so great. It was overly salted and the pesto tasted like it might be past its prime. What happened Mom? You used to be such a good orderer. People used to call you long distance for menu consultations. Poetry has been written about your ordering prowess. Has the student surpassed the teacher? Will you be calling me from your next vacation destination for help deciding between the soup or the salad?

Perhaps not.

I'd get down there fast cuz one of two things is bound to happen:

1. Roost will become a big corporate national chain and you'll want to brag about eating at the original.

2. You'll get a chance to try it before it goes the way of Pita Pit, Taco Bueno, Great Wraps...

NOW GO!!!

Sunday Dinner: Veggies! Veggies! Veggies!

2008-06-03T09:24:00.000-07:00

Thin-slices cucs, tomato, and red onion with Mom's favorite ingredient: seasoned rice wine vinegar

Eggplant, corn on the cob, and chicken legs with Cookie's BBQ sauce

Nice grill marks Dad!

I was delighted to discover a field of baby dill growing in the garden. I think dill is the greatest of all the herbs. Too bad it only grows like this for like, a day.

Location

2008-06-03T09:17:00.000-07:00

What did this place used to be? The camera shop, right? Has it been anything since? If you had your druthers, what will it be in the future?

North side of "O" street between Bodega's and Iguana's

Anyone who says "Sandwich shop" or "Bar that caters to college kids" will be shot.

Bread and Cup

2008-06-02T08:53:00.001-07:00

If you read about Lincoln food on the Internet, which I assume you do, you've already read everything there is to know about Bread and Cup. So I'm not gonna do a full review; I'll just show you the pretty pics and tell you that they have the best scone I've ever tried.

Note that the orange juice comes in a glass bigger than a thimble-- I love you Bread & Cup!

China Inn

2008-05-29T11:46:00.000-07:00

I'm not usually a huge fan of Chinese food. ("I hear you can't get a sauce as thick or as sweet over there.") China Inn is the exception. Located in the strip mall by the 27th and Cornhusker Super Saver, you wouldn't think so to look at it, but the food is top-notch.

Their menu has the usual Chinese-American fare, plus some more authentic Chinese and Korean dishes. I know their Bul Go Gee is really good, but so is their peanut butter chicken. It's the best of both worlds. I hear their Kim Chee is quite good as well. (I'm too chicken to try it.)

Hot and sour soup

One of the best things about China Inn is their prices. They have a meal deal that includes soup, a crab rangoon, sweet and sour pork, and another dish of your choice for $5.50. Most of the dishes on their menu cost $5-6 and the portions are huge.

My dad claims that everyone from China in the UNL Chem Department eats here, which is a good endorsement as far as I'm concerned (although my judgement of what's "authentic" has been called into question as of late-- haha!).

For a cheap, casual, yet delicious meal, try China Inn.

Tamarillos

2008-05-27T10:35:00.001-07:00

Has anyone ever tried these? What do they taste like?

Suite 1 Pizza & Pub: The Experience

2008-05-25T11:48:00.000-07:00

This post is basically to second Beer or Kid's review of Suite 1.

Is it possible to die of deliciousness? Seriously. It was that good. I got the Chicago Supreme and it had big patties of sausage on it. It's just as good, or better in some cases, as the pizza I've had in Chicago.

I think an owner or manager was our waiter. When he was listing the beers they had on tap, he named the local brews first. He said they try to rely on local stuff whenever they can and that the tomatoes for the pizza are grown locally. Awesome.

For reals. Run, don't walk.

A Corrective Emotional Experience

2008-05-23T12:31:00.000-07:00

The best cure for the canned chicken blues? Pho Nguyenn with an ambidexterous lawyer and a mustacioed drummer. PHO SHO'!!

El Rancho

2008-05-23T08:12:00.001-07:00

I'm still reeling a bit from the dinner I had at El Rancho last night. Something happened to me there that can only be described as.... disturbing.

Let's go back to the beginning. Four friends and I set out on a nice walk to El Rancho at 27th and O. The air was brisk-- the perfect evening for a stroll and some Mexican delights. When we arrived, our friendly waitress took our drink orders and gave us chips and salsa. One of us, who eats lunch at 10:30 in the morning and shall remain nameless, started inhaling them. Plus there was five of us, so we pretty much killed those chips. So guess what? Extra baskets are a dollar each. Wha?!?!?!?

We ordered our food. They have a nice selection at reasonable prices. I wasn't feeling very adventurous, so I ordered the chicken burrito dinner. My friends ordered the shrimp ceviche, another shrimp dish with tomatoes and peppers, the chicken enchilada with green sauce, and the chicken chimichanga. So guess what? EVERYONE'S dinner was fan-freakin-tastic (especially the shrimp ceviche) EXCEPT mine. The chicken enchilada? Fresh shredded chicken. The chicken chimichanga? Fresh shredded chicken.

My chicken burrito? [Edit: What looked, tasted and smelled like] Canned chicken.

CANNED CHICKEN! WTF?!!? How is it possible that a place that makes ceviche that good serves [Edit: what looked, tasted and smelled like] canned chicken? By the time I figured out why my chicken burrito tasted like tuna and dog food, it was time to go, so I didn't complain. But I should have.

I hope that this experience hasn't put me off El Rancho for good, because they really do have great food and great service, but the thought of that chicken burrito makes me want to throw up a little.

Why do I love going out to eat?

2008-05-21T10:35:00.000-07:00

To avoid these

Leftover roundup

2008-05-20T06:42:00.000-07:00

Since I cook for myself a lot, I constantly have little bits of this and that in the fridge that I get anxious about going bad. Right now my fridge contains tons of random food, so I made a frittata for dinner.

Contains:
Sauteed baby bok choy and thai basil
Leftover Fettuccine Alfredo and blackened prime rib from Misty's
Cream cheese
Two beaten eggs
Parm

It was good, but I could only eat half of it. Now I'll have to figure out what to do with my leftover leftovers...

Lunch in Omaha: Victor's Falafel

2008-05-19T14:39:00.000-07:00

I'm far from a falafel connoisseur, but Victor makes some pretty dang good falafel.

Located at 40th and Farnam

Victor's, like every good Middle Eastern restaurant in my experience, is small and no-fuss. They have some interesting items on the menu, including fava bean dip and eggplant casserole. The prices are on the high side compared to say, Ali Baba's in Lincoln.

I ordered a basic falafel sandwich and my dad got a gyro. The falafel was really perfect-- it had a nice crispy crust and the inside was substantial, yet very fresh tasting. It had some herbs in there-- dill and parsley? My dad said his gyro was good, but fairly standard. He wished he had gotten the falafel.

I couldn't resist picking up a few cookies from their bakery display. They look better than they taste, but they were okay. I'd rather have, say, a Pepperidge Farm Milano.

JIffy Burger!

2008-05-18T10:36:00.000-07:00

The dudes who made hamburgers at PO Pears served them on East Campus on Friday. It doesn't get much better than kickin' it with your friends and a Jiffy Burger on a beautiful day.

The Jiffy Burger has jack, bacon, and peanut butter on it. It came with baked beans and a vegetable bisque.

The lovely Marlenia (a former student and dairy store employee) recommended Scarlet and Cream ice cream for dessert. It was SO GOOD: extra creamy sweet cream with ribbons of strawberry throughout. I managed not to get any on my shirt this time.

Vina Market/Pho Nguyenn

2008-05-17T10:05:00.000-07:00

Vina Market on 612 N 27TH St is a really fun place to shop. I met some friends for lunch at Pho Nguyenn the other day and popped into the grocery store for some goodies.

There are all sorts of interesting items to look at

A bounty of fresh groceries for less than $10: Mint, Thai basil, lemongrass, green tea, spring roll wrappers, and baby bok choy

If it's too hot for soup, bun is a good thing to order at Pho Nguyenn. Different combinations of meats, veggies, and egg rolls go on top a big pile of lettuce and rice noodles.

Of course you can't go wrong with the Pho (beef and noodle soup in the most succulent broth ever created)

They have bubble tea there too! (I tried jackfruit this time-- it was really good.)

Vina Market and Pho Nguyenn are both great places to get the most fresh, flavorful, and well-priced foods in Lincoln.

Note: Edited on 5/19/08 to correct name of the grocery store. Oriental Market is up the street next to Thai House-- it's a great place to shop as well.

Waste Less: Ghetto Martha Stewart Project

2008-05-16T07:09:00.000-07:00

Martha Stewart has a list of 25 Eco-Chic Ideas for Your Home. One of the projects directs us to "Insert chopsticks or wooden dowels into an unused toothbrush holder" to create a drying rack for used Zip-Locks.

I made one with a piece of tin foil over a measuring cup:

Waste Less: Paper Bag Baskets

2008-05-15T06:23:00.000-07:00

I saw this project on Craftster years ago that I'd been meaning to make. I've been so bored lately that I finally got around to making some and used them to organize my pantry cupboard.

Sunday Dinner: Mothers' Day

2008-05-14T06:59:00.000-07:00

We made all my mom's favorite foods for Mother's Day dinner. She has great taste:

1. Salmon from Open Harvest

My sister marinated these mammoth salmon fillets in lemon and olive oil, then my bro-in-law grilled them to perfection

2. Asparagus

I tossed some thick asparagus with some olive oil, salt, and pepper and threw them on the grill as well. They came out a little charred and overdone, but they were still pretty good.

3. Caprese Salad

Organic tomatoes, buffalo mozzarella, and fresh basil with salt, fresh-ground pepper, and a little bit of balsamic vinegar drizzled on top

4. Neal's corn and rice salad, guac, Le Quartier bread

The pasta salad was leftover from the day before

This is a great salad that my friend Neal makes all the time. Make 2 cups of basmati rice, then mix with a bag and a half of cooked corn, a cup of chopped roasted pecans, and a bunch of chopped-up green onions (we substituted chives and green garlic). The dressing is a basic red wine vinaigrette (1/4 cup vinegar, a couple tablespoons of Dijon mustard and 3/4 cup olive oil).

The guacamole was one of the best I've ever made, due to the awesome avocados they had on sale at Open Harvest. I crushed up 3 of them into a chunky consistency with with some lemon juice, cumin, garlic, and the mango-habenero hot sauce my mom bought at the farmer's market like 3 years ago.

Here's a shopping tip-- don't buy bread at Open Harvest on Sundays. They get rid of the day-old bread every other day of the week, but since Le Quartier doesn't make bread on Sundays, they just sell Saturday's bread for the same price.

5. Green tea and ginger sorbet

After two big meals that day, nobody wanted dessert. That is, until they saw this sorbet. It was so easy to make. Just boil 3 cups of water, then put 6 green tea bags, 3/4 cup plus 2 TBS of sugar, and a chunked-up knob of ginger and turn off the heat. Let it steep 5 minutes, then take out the tea bags and put it in the fridge to cool down. After a couple hours, strain out the ginger and put in the ice cream maker. I let the ice cream maker go for about a half an hour, but I think I'll turn it off a little earlier next time-- the end result was a bit too fluffy. I let it freeze in the freezer for a couple hours after I took it out of the ice cream maker.

The end result was FANTASTIC. The taste of ginger was nice, but not overpowering and the the whole thing was just really refreshing after a big meal. If you pour a little champagne as a sauce over the top, it's even better.

Suite 1 Pizza & Pub

2008-05-13T21:30:00.001-07:00

Has anyone heard anything about this place? According to their Facebook group, the kitchen will open on Friday and a band is performing on Saturday.

I do like Chicago style pizza...

N Zone

2008-05-13T06:04:00.000-07:00

I headed down to the N Zone (728 "Q" in the Haymarket) on Saturday night for some greasy bar food with my friends Katie and Amos.

It was like 6:30 and the place was DEAD. I haven't been in a while, but I think this place fills up later with people looking to get drunk.

As you can see, their shooter selection is excellent. I recommend the "Cooter Cork."

As far as I'm concerned, there are only two things to order at the N Zone: pizza and wings, although they have the usual selection of bar food on their menu. We started with an appetizer of wings (6 each), then had personal pizzas for our entrees, though Amos had to be different and order a Philly cheese steak.

The wings come in four levels of hotness, which were basically mild, medium, hot, and really really hot. They had cute names like "blazin" and so forth, but I don't remember them. I asked the waitress for guidance, but she had stomach issues and doesn't eat wings. She said she saw a really big guy sweating while eating the the hot, so I ordered the medium. Turns out that big guy was a wuss, cuz the medium wasn't hot enough. They were also a little skimpy, but we each got two more wings than we ordered. They tasted pretty good, but the wingettes looked a little funny.

Are these creepy genentically-engineered wings, or are they just cut weird?

The pizza is actually pretty good too. It had a nice crust and good quality cheese. The only thing I don't like about it is the sprinkling of dried oregano on the top-- it does not look or taste appealing.

Amos' cheese steak came with a bag of Ruffles for some reason.

I think I spent like $12, including tip, for my meal. If you're in the mood for wings, go to the Watering Hole. BUT, if you're in the mood for wings AND pizza (or other bar food), go to the N Zone. It's pretty good.

Wilderness Ridge Mother's Day Brunch

2008-05-12T06:57:00.000-07:00

Yeah. I was pretty uncreative this Mother's Day. My mom made some pretty big sacrifices for me this year (extensive caregiving during an illness), and what do I do in return on her big day? I make reservations for the brunch buffet at Wilderness Ridge.

So when is a brunch buffet with fairly limited offerings worth $21.99? Well, having very high-quality offerings helps: salmon, well-cooked asparagus, huge shrimp, and a nice assortment of baked goods, for example. Plus, Mom wanted to go there and frankly, I'd eat at Applebee's to make her happy. Oh yeah, and Dad ended up paying. Hee hee.

The cocktail and horseradish was the least horseradishy I've ever had. Weak sauce Wilderness Ridge.

This was my first trip to Wilderness Ridge. I found the decor a little ostentatious, to tell the truth. Here's an artsy-fartsy picture of the chandelier above our table:

Hopefully the tool belt full of gardening tools and the kick-ass dinner my sister and I cooked (will post pics soon) made her Mother's Day dreams come true. She's the greatest mom ever and deserves more than I could ever give her.

Stauffer's Cafe and Pie Shop

2008-05-11T06:30:00.000-07:00

My usual breakfast joint is Tina's Cafe at 6th and South, but Stauffer's was on the way to an appointment this morning, so my parents and I decided to check . (I believe the hot beef sandwich is really good there.) Unfortunately, I was not as pleased with their breakfast.

Stauffer's is totally the place that your grandma wants to be: the harsh florescent lighting, the country kitchen-y decor, the pie case, the median age of the waitresses being about 53... it's a grandmother's paradise. I'm not being critical here-- I like grandma places because they remind me of my grandma and she was a kick-ass cook.

The menu was mostly various combimations of eggs, ham, bacon, potatoes, muffins, and toast. The prices ranged from $5-$8 or so. I ordered the special: ham and scrambled eggs with hashbrowns and toast for $5.50. Dad ordered a vegetarian skillet.

I'll start with a positive; the ham was very good and had a nice smoky flavor. The rest of the meal was underwhelming: watery orange juice, soggy toast, bland hash browns, and bad coffee. To be fair, Stauffer's isn't really known for their breakfast. They're known for lunch, but are even more famous for their pie. I got a piece of sour cream apple to go, and I tell you it was effin delicious.

So what did I learn this day? It worth it to go a little bit out of your way for a good breakfast-- save Stauffer's for lunch or dessert.

Edited to correct spelling-- thanks Gary.

DIY Rachel Ray Recipe

2008-05-10T07:14:00.000-07:00

I've noticed that a lot of new recipes are just hybrids of old recipes. Rachel Ray is the queen of this. Look at what a search for buffalo chicken reveals on her website. You know that you're at least as smart (and not nearly as annoying) as Rachel Ray. Why don't you try making your own recipe. I'll make it simple for you. Simply choose one or more sets of flavors from list number one, then a platform from list number two, then figure out the recipe. The only rule is that you can't use a traditional combo (cheese steak hoagies, garden salad, etc...). Extra points if it can be made in under 30 minutes.

I plan on trying out a few new combos and I'll post them here. If you come up with a recipe, please share it in comments or through a link to your blog.

List one--
Cajun
Cheesy/3+ cheese/cream cheese
Thanksgiving
Garden
Salmon and dill
Baked potato topping (bacon, sour cream, cheese...)
Indian
Chili cheese
Chicken and ranch
Club (bacon, turkey, tomato...)
Greek/Mediterranean
German
Alfredo
Barbecue
Pesto
Southwestern
Shrimp/seafood cocktail
Tex/Mex
Cheese steak
Florentine (spinach, ricotta...)
Buffalo chicken
Thai peanut
Italian
Vietnamese
Chinese
Korean
Japanese

List 2--
Taco/nachos/enchilada/tostada/burrito
Nori rolls
Egg/spring/summer rolls
Casserole/bake
Soup/chowder/chili/stew
Hoagie/sandwich/melt
Pizza
Roll-up
Salad/slaw
Kabob
Burger
Hot dog
Baked Potato
Dip
Crostini/Bruschetta
Omelet/Quiche/Frittata
Pasta/Lasagna
Polenta
Pot pie
Meatloaf/balls
Skillet

Ice cream maker

2008-05-09T07:24:00.000-07:00

I tried out my new ice cream maker this week, using a recipe that's being passed around the food blogs-- an insanely easy Nutella ice cream.

All you need is 1.5 cups of Nutella and 1.5 cups plus one tablespoon of unsweetened evaporated milk.

The directions that came with the ice cream maker said that it should run for 20-30 minutes. I had to run it for 45 just to get a soft-serve consistency. After it had spent a day in the freezer, it was a normal to hard.

It's good, but rich and VERY sweet. A friend who tried it said it tasted more like a brownie than ice cream. Two baby-sized scoops is more than enough to satisfy my sweet tooth.

Speaking of ice cream, I'll throw in this little story as a bonus. I was eating lunch at the Union the other day with some friends. I asked them if they knew of any ice cream places nearby where I could get the taste of Sbarro out of my mouth. They told me that a branch of the UNL Dairy Store opened up right next to the coffee house in the Union. Hearing that news was the greatest thing that had happened to me all day. So we went to get ice cream and I ordered the "Whopper Topper" in a sugar cone. As I licked my cone and waited for my friends, I thought about how happy I was to enjoy a delicious ice cream cone on a beautiful spring day with my good friends. Just as all seemed right with the world, I took what was, perhaps, an overzealous bite, and exposed a weakness in the structure of the cone. The entire scoop went rolling down the front of my shirt before I caught it with my bare hands. All the stressed-out students studying for their finals in the area got a good chuckle and I had an excuse to go to Stella and buy a new top. (Sorry, no picture!)

The Isles

2008-05-08T07:48:00.000-07:00

Located at 6232 Havelock Ave, The Isles has the best pizza in Lincoln.

Havelock rocks

As you can see, the atmosphere is pretty casual

The Leaning Tower of Pizza (or "Leaner") is the greatest of them all. With it's substantial, yet crispy crust, it's sausage and pepperoni, it's onions and tiny little chopped-up pepperonccinis... mmmmmmmm

Waste Less: Repurposed Food Packaging

2008-05-07T10:18:00.000-07:00

On Monday I had a lovely crafternoon-- I pulled a bunch of cardboard out of my recycling bin and made CD covers for the mix CDs I've been making lately.

Step 1: Print out the pattern (pdf), preferably on cardstock, or disassemble a paper envelope that you like and use it as your pattern.

Step 2: Trace pattern onto a piece of cardboard. Line the top flap fold up with a fold that's already in the cardboard if you can to make things a little easier.

Step 3: Fold bottom flap up and sides in. Glue or tape side flaps; glue is more professional looking, but tape is way easier and you don't have to wait for it to dry. I used tape. Fold top flap down.

Magnolia

2008-05-06T18:35:00.000-07:00

My friend Ruth and I just checked out Magnolia in the Haymarket in Lincoln.

The first thing that happened was the host gave us each a single rose. A little cheesy, but hey, free flower. As we looked around, we saw that no dudes got free flowers. The owner, a woman herself, explained to us later that she named the place Magnolia to honor women and that they give flowers to women to show appreciation for the hard work they do. I felt a little guilty, since I do almost no hard work at the moment, but I thought her explanation was very sweet.

Ruth and our flowers

They had a pretty decent wine list. I tried a little of the Montes Cabernet, which I wasn't crazy about, but after 6 months of no drinking, my palatte is crap. Luckily, my taste in food is superb. I ordered the duck with a cabernet-raspberry reduction glaze. It came with soup or salad, veggie, and another side (some of the choices were mashed potatoes, rice pilaf, roasted red potatoes, and pesto risotto). I chose the creamy tomato soup, and pesto risotto; the veggie was steamed broccoli. Ruth ordered the vegetable cakes with rice pilaf.

Let me interject into my description of the food to talk about special diets. Whenever I go to a restaurant, I give them the Cliff's Notes version of what I can and can't eat (no raw fruits or veg is the big thing). Many times, the server pretends to listen, then my entree comes out on a big bed of dirty lettuce. Our server at Magnolia, on the other hand, listened carefully, asking questions to clarify. As we were waiting for our entrees, the chef came out twice: once to see if it was okay if he used fresh raspberries in the sauce as long as it was cooked (it was), and once to see if he could cook the duck medium (it wasn't). I was very impressed that the staff was so consciencious about making sure the food met my dietary restrictions.

Okay, back to the food. The soup was very good-- chunky and flavorful. Very tomato-y. The bread that came with it was delicious and the herby, garlicky butter was even better. Once the meal came I was worried I had fallen into the proverbial trap and filled up on bread. I hadn't. My duck was succulent-- about a thousand times better than the duck I got at Bohemian Cafe in Omaha last month, and the risotto is one of the few I've had that I actually like. Most risottos that I've had end up tasting like the cheesy rice from a box that I ate in college. This risotto was different-- the main flavor was the pesto, with a nice parmesany flavor mixed in. The rice was not over or undercooked.

I always forget to take the picture until after I've taken a couple bites

I had a bite of Ruth's veggie cake, which I was glad I hadn't ordered. It was just way too rich for me, which is not something I would expect from the vegetarian menu. I expected that the golden brown crust hid a filling mostly comprised of vegetables. My bite ended up being mostly cream cheese and just a few shreds of veggies. Fried cream cheese is great and all, but I don't want to make a meal out of it.

As we were paying our checks ($50 for two meals and two glasses of wine), the owner came over to chat with us and tell us about their Sunday brunch special. Their buffet menu will include the normal Nebraska buffet brunch food, but with crab cakes and baked brie for $10. Magnolia has excellent food and has a great staff. If you haven't been yet, you should try it out.

Water bottles

2008-05-05T19:22:00.000-07:00

I keep reading about plastic being really dangerous all of a sudden. Before, when I heard about these things I'd brush them off, but since my illness, I take them a little more seriously. Not seriously enough to go out and buy a bunch of fancy stainless steel water bottles, but seriously enough to start saving glass bottles when I have them.

Sunday Dinner: Springtime Grilling

2008-05-04T18:30:00.001-07:00

Grilled at my parents' for dinner tonight.

Tastees and Garage Sales Go Together

2008-05-02T17:49:00.001-07:00

I spent all morning going to garage sales with my cousin Kirsten and friend Julee. At one of the places a woman was eating Tastee sandwiches. This was the fourth or fifth incident of Tastees at garage sales I've experienced. It made me hungry, so we went to my place and made some for lunch.

The part that got got off says "yellow onion." I have no idea how to add a teaspoon of "accent"!

Grateful Bread

2008-05-01T12:24:00.000-07:00

Grateful Bread (on South 17th between Sumner and Washington in Lincoln) has been a lunch time favorite of mine for a while now. They serve vegetarian soup, a couple choices of breads, and cookies. That's it. Nothing else. (Though they did have a sign saying that they're going to have some more veggie lunch options this summer.) Oh, and they're only open for lunch.

I went there again today and it didn't disappoint. They had five choices of soups including Moroccan tomato and a peanut soup. I got my new favorite, the Southwest Chowder. They put a ton of hand-chopped vegetables in there with a creamy broth. It's just a bit too spicy for me, but crackers make it just right. On the side, I had one of their cheese scones, which was one of the most delicious things ever. The other bread choices were French bread and an apple muffin. A generous bowl of soup and a side of bread is $4.50. I'm usually pretty full after this, so I get a peanut butter chocolate chip cookie to take home and eat later.

Their decor is eclectic to say the least. They've got fun and colorful posters and signs all over their walls, including a gigantic photo of Lincoln taken from the top of the State Capitol during the '50s. The tables are all chromed-out '50s kitchen tables with big metal colanders full of crackers, plus a few tables outside which are great on beautiful days like today.

Vegetarians and meat-eaters alike love this place. As a heads-up, they're closed on Monday and Tuesday and there are lines out the door on the weekend (although the line usually moves pretty quickly). My tip is to eat there on a Wednesday or Thursday when the lines aren't too long.

The Cup

2008-04-30T12:21:00.000-07:00

I had lunch today at The Cup, located at 625 S 25th St. I couldn't believe how many people were in there-- the place was basically full, and more people kept going in and out as I was there. The clientele was an interesting mixture of retirees and the teachers and students of the Arts and Humanities school. There were writings and paintings posted around the place from the school, which as a teacher, I thought was really cool. I got the impression that it's mainly a coffee/tea house and bakery, but they serve paninis, salads, and soup.

My aunt got a salad that had really nice, fresh looking greens, and a TON of fresh berries: strawberries, blackberries, and blueberries. She said the dressing was excellent. They had a nice selection of paninis, including turkey, chicken, and a couple vegetarian options, all served on what appeared to be Le Quartier ciabatta bread. I got a roast beef panini. They substituted the bleu cheese for provolone, (though I'm sure it would have been even better with the bleu cheese). It came with a little mini green salad and was quite delicious. I also got a fresh-squeezed lemonade. The bill for both of us was $15.

If you're looking for a nice, laid-back, locally-owned place to have lunch near downtown, check out The Cup.

Leftovers

2008-04-29T12:51:00.000-07:00

I made meatball sandwiches for lunch today.

My friend Julee thought they were good.

Sunday Dinner: Spaghetti and Meatballs

2008-04-27T20:57:00.000-07:00

My family and I try to get together every Sunday night for dinner. My parents usually host and mom cooks. There are usually no less than ten different offerings at the table... I'm not sure where she gets the energy. When I offered to host this week, I decided to keep it simple: spaghetti and meatballs with roasted veggies on the side. I don't know if I'm just really slow or what, but it ended up taking me THREE HOURS to make dinner. My timing was all off. Here's what I should have done to shave the time down the time:

-1.5 hours: Make meatballs. Cover and put in fridge.
-1 hour: Assemble prepped ingredients (mis en place) for sauce
-45 min: Preheat oven to 400.
-45 min: Prep veggies for roasting. Put aside.
-30 min: Put meatballs in the oven.
-30 min: Put snacks out. (I put out these little toast things I got at Whole Foods with some sub-par goat cheese from Ghetto Russ's and some pistachios. Olives or pickled vegetables would have also been good choices. I find that people are usually very happy with store-bought snacks as long as you put them on an interesting plate.)

-25 min: Make sauce.
-10 min: Put veggies in oven.
-10 min: Put pot of water on to boil.
-5 min: Throw all the dishes in the sink. Pour yourself a glass of wine.
Arrival time: Greet guests. Offer snacks and drinks. Ask someone to set the table. If my sister Katie happens to be among your guests, she likes doing this job.
+10 min: If the water is at a rolling boil, dump a crap-ton of sea salt in there, along with a box of Barilla spaghetti. It really is better than Martha Gooch.
+10 min: Take meatballs out of the oven.
+19 min: Pull pasta out of the water with tongs and put it in your biggest bowl. Pour the sauce and cheese in there and mix it all up. Add pasta water until it reaches the right consistency. Dump meatballs on top. If you make the recipes below, you'll have a bunch of leftover meatballs. This is a good thing.
+25 min: Pull roasted veggies out of the oven.
+30 min: Serve dinner.

I guess that's still two hours. Oh well. It's fun to cook, and this dinner was delicious.

Recipes:
2 TBS olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1 green pepper, chopped
1 large or two small carrots, chopped
(I prep all the veggies in my little food processor.)
2 TBS dried Italian seasoning, or better yet, a handful of chopped basil, oregano, thyme, and rosemary from your garden. If you use fresh herbs, wait to put them in until towards the end of the cooking process.
2 TBS brown sugar
2 TBS balsamic vinegar
2 TBS red wine (use something decent, something that you want to drink)
1 (32 oz) can of diced tomatoes. Don't drain.
1 (6 oz) can of tomato paste, or about a half a tube of the Annie's brand
4 bay leaves
1 pound of spaghetti
1/4 teaspoon of crushed red pepper flakes (or more)
1 cup Parmesan cheese, finely grated

In large skillet, heat oil over medium-high hat. Add onions, pepper, and carrots. Saute for a couple of minutes, then add garlic. Saute until lightly browned. Add seasonings and stir until fragrant, about a minute. Add sugar, vinegar, and wine. Stir one minute. Add tomatoes and paste. Stir, bring to boil, reduce to simmer, add bay leaves. Cover and simmer for 30 min. Throw away bay leaves, season with salt and pepper, add cheese and red pepper, stir until melted.

Meatballs
This recipe comes from the Columbo Lodge of the Sons of Italy in Omaha. They serve meatballs every Thursday for lunch at their hall, located at 1238 South 10th Street in South Omaha. Each week they sell 3,000 meatballs and donate the money to a variety of charities and scholarships. They've been doing this since the '50s. If you don't have the time to make your own meatballs, I bet this would be a great place to check out. The recipe is incredible.

1 pound ground beef
1 pound ground pork (The Sons of Italy actually use a half pound of pork and a half pound of veal, but I couldn't bring myself to ask the butcher at Russ's to ground me some veal.)
2 eggs
2 TBS butter (BUTTER!)
Half an onion, finely chopped
3 TBS parsley, chopped
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp paprika
1 tsp lemon juice
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
4 TBS Romano cheese
1/2 cup Italian breadcrumbs (I substituted cracker crumbs mixed with Italian seasoning.)

Preheat oven to 400. Thoroughly mix meat and all other ingredients. When thoroughly mixed...mix some more. Roll mixture into 2 inch balls. An ice cream scoop makes the job faster and easier. Scoop the meat, round the top and pass to partner who finishes the process by rolling by hand. (Keeping fingers wet keeps the meat from sticking to your hands.) Place meatballs in a casserole dish or baking pan. Bake for approximately 45 minutes. (It only took about 30-35 min in my oven.) Serve with pasta, in sandwiches, or by themselves. Mangia and enjoy!

Roasted veggies

This is so simple, you don't really need a recipe, but I'll give it to you anyway.

A variety of seasonal vegetables. For example:
-Asparagus (wash and chop off woody ends)
-Carrots (wash, peel and chop into hunks-- small ones you can chop in half, huge ones will need to be cut into 5-6 pieces)
-Onions (peel, cut into eighths)
-Sweet or regular potatoes (peel, cut into 1/2 inch squares)
-Zucchini or summer squash (cut off ends and cut in half, lengthwise)
-Broccoli (wash, cut into florets)
Olive oil
Sea salt
Fresh-ground pepper

Preheat oven to 350-400, depending on if anything else in your oven requires a specific temperature. Assemble vegetables in a single layer in a casserole dish or baking pan. Drizzle olive oil over vegetables. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Use your hands to coat veggies with oil, salt and pepper. Bake for about thirty minutes, or until veggies start to looks deliciously brown and slightly crispy on the edges.

Well, since this post took about as long to write as it did to make, I'll sign off here. Just so you know, I hope to include pics in my future recipe blogging, but I'm still having trouble getting my new camera to take good pictures.

Omaha review- Dario's

2008-04-24T14:41:00.000-07:00

I first heard about Dario's from my Aunt Mary Kay who lives in Omaha and has excellent taste. So one night when my friend Katie came up to visit, my Dad and I decided to take her there to celebrate. The first thing I noticed about Dario's was its great location-- right between 49th and 50th on Underwood. The Dundee area is a great eating and drinking destination that I will cover more in future posts. We went to Dario's on a Monday night and the place was about half full. We were seated immediately and a very handsome and charming waiter offered a drink from their extensive list of micro brews and imports, focusing on Belgian beers. Unfortunately, I had to stick with Goose Island root beer since the docs won't let me have much alcohol. Honestly, I don't really remember what kinds of beer that Katie and Dad got... I think my dad had some sort of trippel, but they both really liked them. When it came time to order, the waiter was very helpful and knowledgeable in giving suggestions for food and beer pairings.

Since it was Monday night, they had a Lobster special. That night's was homemade pasta with artichokes and lump lobster meat. I was sold. While the noodles were, perhaps, slightly overcooked, they were delicious. The mixture of the flavors of lobster and artichoke were perfect. Katie got the smoked pork chops and Dad got the duck shepherd's pie (hunter's pie?), which were both big hits. All three dishes were excellent and well-portioned. There was plenty of food, but not so much that we couldn't join the clean plate club. The bill was $100 including a generous tip for our attentive and knowledgeable waiter. Considering the quality of the ingredients, beer, atmosphere and service, I thought it was pretty reasonable for a special occasion type place.

I went there again this past Tuesday and had an equally good experience. The place was a lot fuller this time (probably due to their Tuesday half priced draft beer special). I got the lamb steak, which was delectable. Another dish I really enjoyed was my mom's carrot-ginger soup. I ended up eating like half of it! The only small disappointment was a goat cheese and caramelized onion tart. It was delicious, don't get me wrong, but it cost $8 and was about the size of a small slice of pizza. I do plan to recreate a giant version of this puff pastry-goat cheese-caramelized onion delight at home as soon as I can though.

Dario's is the kind of restaurant I would like to open, had I the talent or inclination. It's just a great place to spend time. For one thing, they have a chalkboard outside listing the specials of the day. I love restaurants that have a limited menu and a variety of specials. Every day they have a different soup, crepe, entree, and vegetarian entree. They also have a little bar area in the back with high-top tables if you just want a beer before or after dinner.

To summarize, next time you're in Omaha, check out Dario's: big city quality and atmosphere without the big city prices or pretension.

Howdy!

2008-04-24T14:10:00.000-07:00

I've noticed that there's a lot more Lincoln-based food blogs out there lately. I talking about, reading about, dreaming about food and restaurants, so I'm delighted. So delighted in fact, that I was inspired to throw my hat into the ring.

I'm envisioning the scope of my blog being a little bigger than the ones I've seen. For one thing, I've been spending a lot of time in Omaha lately due to extensive medical treatments at the Med Center, so I've had a chance to experience the good and not-so-good in Omaha dining. I'm also an amateur home cook, so I think it would be fun to include some recipes and stories of cooking successes and failures.

Due to my medical condition, unfortunately, my diet is somewhat limited right now. I can't have raw vegetables, fruits, fish, or meats, no buffets, nothing from a grocery store deli, no stinky or unpasturized cheeses, no miso... basically all my favorite foods. I manage though. Hopefully I'll have a more varied diet by the end of the summer.