Category Archives: Taste & Try

Taco Stop

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This morning was one of the really great ones. I felt invigorated and all sorts of hopped up on endorphins, thanks to an early personal training session with one of my City Surf instructors (who took pity on my measly ankle and offered me some one-on-one time to get me back into action). While on my way to the training site, I spotted a pretty little taco shop that I’d never visited (or heard of) before, and I knew that my post-workout breakfast plans were set. My instructor confirmed that the place was delicious, so after getting my sweat on, I excitedly drove a few blocks to Taco Stop.

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Let’s pause and take a moment to appreciate the fresh, bright decor at this lovely little place. Doesn’t it look pretty in the morning sunlight?

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I ordered two breakfast tacos – one with bacon and eggs, and one with potato, cheese, and eggs – and one of each of the salsas (green and red, of course). I added a bubbly, refreshing Topo Chico to the mix and the kind gentlemen working in the kitchen threw in a fresh black coffee for free (!!!). The tacos were piping hot and, as expected, totally delicious. I liked that the tacos were on the smaller side, too – you know that I love me a beast of a taco like the ones that are served at Good 2 Go but I usually reserve those treats for weekends when I can take a nap afterwards. The smaller tacos are certainly way more conducive to having a productive workday (as is the black coffee, which I am slowly but surely acquiring a taste for) – they’re filling but not so rich that I enter into a food coma immediately after consuming them.

I took a minute to reflect on my morning as a whole while I noshed on my tacos. I felt invigorated by doing something out of the norm, even though it was something as simple as trying a new local spot. I savored the quiet time I had to sit and enjoy my breakfast as the world hurried on by. It’s nice to pause in the middle of the work week to  treat yourself to some peace and quiet (and coffee and tacos) every now and then, isn’t it?

P.S. I am going to continue bookmarking all of these recipe & restaurant-related posts in my Taste & Try folder on the sidebar but I’m going to remove the T & T verbiage from the blog post’s titles (just to keep things simple and clean). I hope you don’t mind! All of the content and foodie goodness and Taste & Try vibes will remain the same, I promise.

Blueberry Sugar Cookie Crisp

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I originally saw this recipe in a copy of Oprah Magazine and later tracked it down online when I found myself craving it. This treat is just so very good. Blueberries are some top contenders in my favorite fruit category, and they are in their prime right now, making them plump, juicy and flavorful. The sugar cookie topping is an unexpected and drool-worthy twist on the standard crisp topping variation, making it quite the shining star. Be sure to note that you’ll need two+ hours to let the berries sit and soak before you top them with the sugar cookie dough. Also, let this cool a bit before digging in – I couldn’t resist and started chowing down on my treat right when the crisp came out of the oven, but I must admit that the dessert tasted more flavorful and complex when I let it cool significantly, as the sugar cookie topping had soaked up some of the tasty blueberry juice. As you’d imagine, this crisp pairs perfectly with vanilla ice cream.

Blueberry Sugar Cookie Crisp

Recipe via Lisi’s Luscious Desserts (original recipe via Oprah Magazine)

Blueberry Sugar Cookie Crisp

Ingredients:

  • 2 cups all purpose flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon salt, divided
  • 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
  • 1 and 1/2 cups sugar, divided
  • 1 tablespoon light brown sugar
  • 1 egg
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 4 pints (about 2 lbs) blueberries
  • zest of 1 lemon
  • 2 tablespoons lemon juice
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Directions:

  1. In a large bowl, combine berries, 1/2 cup of sugar, 1/2 teaspoon salt, lemon zest, lemon juice, and cinnamon. Stir, mashing slightly. Cover and refrigerator for about 2 hours.
  2. Combine the flour, baking powder, and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Set aside.
  3. With the paddle attachment, beat the butter, remaining 1 cup of sugar, and brown sugar. Beat until light and fluffy; then scrape down the sides of the bowl and beat again.
  4. Add the egg and vanilla and mix until combined. Stir in the dry ingredients and mix until combined. Wrap in plastic wrap and let rest until berries are ready (you can also make this ahead and keep it in the fridge).
  5. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  6. Strain the berries and save the juice (if you don’t have any juice, no worries – it is not crucial, just an added bonus). Boil the juice until it reduces by half. Put the berries in a 9×13 baking dish and pour the liquid over the strained berries.
  7. Take the sugar cookie dough and flatten between palms to about 1/2 inch thick. Lay flattened balls of dough over the berries to almost cover. Sprinkle with a pinch of sugar.
  8. Place dish on a baking sheet and bake for about an hour, or until the top is golden.

True Food Kitchen

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My most favorite go-to restaurant as of late has been True Food Kitchen. I’ve gotten to dine there several times lately (including when Mom & Dad visited Dallas) and I keep finding gems on the menu, delicious treats like their fresh-squeezed Kale-Aid green juice, the vegetable crudités with tzatziki and black olive dips, the “inside-out” quinoa burger, and, most recently, the summer market salad made with greens, corn, almonds, cucumbers, avocado, goat cheese, blueberries, and tomato & herb vinaigrette (which I topped with a perfectly grilled piece of salmon). Dad and I sampled my favorite of their cocktails, the Thai grapefruit martini, which is a simple, delicious, and refreshing combination of vodka, Thai basil, and grapefruit juice. So tasty! All of the menu items are made with the diner’s health in mind but taste is certainly not sacrificed in the process – I have yet to see something on the menu that doesn’t appeal to me. And there really is something for everyone – Mom, a vegetarian, loved the quinoa burger and Dad, who was initially skeptical when we described the restaurant, raved about his bison burger after we finished our lunch. James hasn’t tried True Food Kitchen yet but Mom & Dad generously gave us a gift card to the restaurant when they left – I can’t wait for us to go there for a date night!

Guacamole with Pico de Gallo

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I am not typically a fan of chunky guacamole. I prefer my guac to be a basic combination of ripe avocados, freshly squeezed lime juice, and salt, something more akin to what I use in my favorite breakfast dish, avocado toast. But last summer when my friend Rebekah made the Pioneer Woman’s version of guacamole with fresh tomatoes, onions, jalapeños, and cilantro folded into it, I was sold – each bite has such a complex flavor palette, so no taste is exactly the same. This has been my go-to appetizer since I tried it out on the Fourth of July and, as you’d expect, it pairs perfectly with crunchy, salty chips and icy margaritas. There’s a lot of chopping involved in this recipe but I assure you that the outcome is worth it.

Guacamole with Pico de Gallo

Recipe & photo via The Pioneer Woman

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Ingredients:

For the pico de gallo:

  • 5 whole plum (roma) tomatoes
  • 1/2 whole large (or 1 whole small) onion
  • 3 whole jalapeño peppers
  • Cilantro
  • Lime juice
  • Salt to taste

For the guacamole:

  • 3 whole avocados
  • Pico de Gallo
  • Lime juice
  • Salt to taste

Directions:

For the Pico de Gallo:

  1. Chop tomatoes, onion, and jalapeños into a very small dice (leave seeds in your jalapeños for a spicier Pico de Gallo, and adjust the number of jalapeños to your preferred temperature).
  2. Chop up a nice-sized bunch of cilantro (just remove and discard the long leafless stems before chopping).
  3. Place all ingredients in a bowl and stir thoroughly.
  4. Squeeze the juice of half of one lime into the bowl. Add salt to taste and stir again.

For the guacamole:

  1. Start with buttery soft avocados. Halve them lengthwise and remove the pits.
  2. Using a spoon, scrape the “meat” out onto a large plate.
  3. With the bottom of a clean cup (or with a fork), mash the avocados, making sure to leave it relatively chunky.
  4. Add just a couple of shakes of salt to taste.
  5. Add a generous helping of the Pico de Gallo and fold together.
  6. Squeeze the juice of half of one lime into the bowl and stir together one last time.

Pizzeria Locale

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Oh, man, I had the best weekend in Boulder with my girlfriends. A full recap is on its way but in the meantime it seemed fitting to do a Colorado-themed Taste & Try post on Pizzeria Locale, the amazing Boulder-based restaurant where Erin serves as the Director of Events. This centrally located contemporary pizzeria, nestled in the heart of Pearl Street, is the perfect place to post up for an incredible lunch or dinner (or, dare I say, both? yes, it’s so good that I’d certainly be willing to eat there twice in one day). Erin took us to Pizzeria Locale for lunch on Saturday, and it was absolutely a highlight of our weekend.

We had so much fun letting Erin take the lead on the menu, ordering treats for us throughout our meal. We shared all of our dishes, which is my favorite way to enjoy a restaurant experience – I love being able to try a little bit of everything. We started with the fried risotto and the seasonal crostinis (the fava bean + house made ricotta combination was my favorite), along with a round of spritzes. Let me pause for a minute and acknowledge the fact that Pizzeria Locale has a section of its menu devoted entirely to spritzes, which are bubbly Prosecco-based beverages that are beyond delicious. I chose a limoncello + basil concoction that was so summery and light (and I may or may not have ordered a second one to go with dessert). We shared a variety of salads, my favorite being the arugula, parmigiano reggiano, and balsamic vinegar concoction. The pizzas were perfect, as you’d expect, fired up in 90 seconds or less in the restaurant’s incredible oven imported from Italy. We shared so many tasty pies, but the stand-out pizza to me was the white version topped with sweet corn, creme fraiche, garlic, and prosciutto – wow. We enjoyed a crisp, clean white wine with our pizzas before moving on to a dessert of budino butterscotch pudding and lemon meringue tart. I know, I know – I’ll let you take all of that in for a minute. I’m salivating just reliving the meal.

If you find yourself in Boulder, please do yourself a favor and pop into Pizzeria Locale (just make sure to book a table in advance – this gorgeous spot fills up fast!). The decor is modern and pretty, the staff is helpful and speedy, and the food, as you can tell, is the absolute best. Make sure to say hi to Erin, too! It was so fun to see her in her element at the restaurant – she is a rock star. I can’t wait to eat at Pizzeria Locale the next time I visit her!

P.S. Pizzeria Locale has partnered with Chipotle to bring a casual spin-off version of the restaurant to the greater Denver area. Too cool!

Image via Archinect 

Sriracha Mac & Cheese

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As a native Chicagoan, I didn’t eat a lot of spicy food growing up, but that all changed when I moved to Texas. Over the last few years, I’ve started craving spicy flavors in my food – as far as I’m concerned, the hotter a dish, the better. Hot sauce is a staple in our pantry, and we think it goes with everything from eggs and breakfast tacos to quinoa and pizza. Sriracha is one of our favorite hot sauces so I was super excited to try this macaroni & cheese that calls for the condiment in the recipe. James and I ate this treat alongside grilled steaks, steamed broccoli & icy margaritas – delicious! We’ve been living off of the leftovers for several days, too – this recipe makes a ton of mac & cheese. Enjoy!

Sriracha Mac & Cheese

Adapted recipe & image via Life Tastes Like Food

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Ingredients:

  • 1 lb elbow macaroni
  • 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour (+ 2 tablespoons butter for bread crumb topping)
  • 4 cups whole milk
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 medium jalapeño, seeded and minced
  • 4 tablespoons Sriracha hot sauce
  • 3 cups shredded white cheddar cheese (a pinch  more is always encouraged)
  • 1 cup panko bread crumbs

Directions:

  1. Cook the pasta for about 2 – 3 minutes (or a few minutes shy of what is instructed on the package – the pasta will finish cooking in the oven). Set aside.
  2. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
  3. In a large pot, melt 3 tablespoons butter over medium-low heat. Once the butter is melted, whisk in the flour and combine until it’s lightly bubbling and just starting to smell a little nutty.
  4. Whisk in the milk, 1 cup at a time, and turn up the heat to medium. Let the milk come to a simmer so that it can thicken up a bit. (A great way to tell if it’s thick enough is if it coats the back of a wooden spoon and it doesn’t run down the spoon.)
  5. After the mixture has thickened, add the salt, black pepper, garlic powder, jalapeño, and Sriracha.
  6. Remove from heat and mix in 3 cups of cheese, 1 cup at a time.
  7. Put the pasta into a 9 x 13 baking dish and then pour the cheese sauce over it. Incorporate everything together with a spoon.
  8. Place the panko bread crumbs in a small bowl. In a separate, melt 2 tablespoons of butter and then pour over the bread crumbs. Mix well and then spread evenly across the top of the pasta and cheese.
  9. Place baking dish in the oven and bake for about 30 minutes, or until the mixture is bubbly and the bread crumbs start to turn golden.
  10. Drizzle extra Sriracha over each plate before serving.

Kitchen LTO

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A few weeks ago, James & I got to have dinner with two of our favorite couples – Allison & Taylor Vieger and Allison’s parents, Steve & Carol Baker. We met at Trinity Groves, a great new area of Dallas that is bursting with new restaurants and watering holes. Steve made reservations for us at Kitchen LTO, which has a super cool premise, best summed up via the restaurant’s website:

Kitchen LTO is a permanent pop-up restaurant that reinvents itself three times per year and gives a rotating home to up-and-coming chef and design talent and their ideas. Essentially, the entire restaurant is “Limited Time Only,” where a new [space] is born every four months. Three times a year, a new chef rotates in and introduces a new menu concept. Simultaneously, a new interior designer re-designs the [inside’s] transformable elements. Applicants will be screened by our selection committee for qualifications and then voted on through our website and social media channels, as the general public will be the ultimate deciding factor for who will chef and design the restaurant every four months.

So fun and interesting, right? Brooke Eggers is the current leading lady at Kitchen LTO, and this Santa Barbara-based chef specializes in Urban Regional cuisine. We started the meal with cocktails, and Allison, Taylor and I loved our Peach Bellaritas, which were a simple mixture of fresh peach, tequila, and lime juice – so simple and delicious. We noshed on the blue corn & short rib chili “fritos” (so good) and drank several delicious bottles of wine, per Steve & Carol’s excellent selections. I really enjoyed my caprese fredda salad as a starter (though I could have done without the burrata gelato and gone with plain ‘ole burrata cheese…that was a little sophisticated for me) and I super loved my wild harvest risotto for dinner (topped with a tasty cheese corn fritter). Several members of our group had the halibut with coconut parsnip quinoa (yum!) and porterhouse steak with blistered tomatoes. So much goodness! Oh, and the carrot cake – so good, y’all.

It was definitely a treat to eat at such a neat restaurant with people we love and admire. What a great night!

Mexican Corn Salad

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Summertime foods are my favorites – so much fresh produce abounds, and all you need in order to serve a really great summery meal is some grilled protein (steak, chicken, burgers, fish, you pick), a bright salad with tons of greens and loads of berries & veggies, a stand-out side dish, and a delicious chilled bottle of white, bubbly, or rosé. My go-to side dish is this Mexican Corn Salad, which goes with everything from fish tacos and chicken fajitas to peppercorn steak and turkey burgers. It is beyond easy to make but your guests will feel like you slaved away in the kitchen to prepare it – the flavors are so layered and complex that this recipe would shine on any menu in town.

Mexican Corn Salad

Recipe & photo via Closet Cooking

Esquites (Mexican Corn Salad) 500 5917

Ingredients:

  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 3 cups corn (about 4 ears), cut fresh from the cob
  • 1/2 jalapeño, seeded and finely diced
  • 3 tablespoons mayonnaise
  • 1 clove garlic, grated
  • 1 lime, juice
  • 2 tablespoons cotija cheese, crumbled
  • Chili powder to taste
  • Green onions & cilantro, if you like – I don’t love these ingredients so I omitted them

Directions:

  1. Melt the butter in a heavy skillet over medium-high heat.
  2. Add the corn, toss and let it sit cooking until charred. Mix it up and let it char again, about 6 – 10 minutes.
  3. Add the jalapeño. Sauté for one minute and remove the corn and jalapeño from the heat.
  4. Place the corn and jalapeño in a mixing bowl and add in the mayonnaise, garlic, lime juice, cotija cheese, and chili powder. Mix together and serve immediately, or let it cool if you prefer and serve it at room temperature (preferably alongside a meal that tastes great with margaritas).

Chow Asian

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I’ve had Thailand on the brain for weeks now (I briefly mentioned that here), which has not only prompted me to scour travel blogs & research airfare prices (a girl can dream, right?) but it has also made me crave Thai food in a major way. James often craves Thai food, too, and he was thrilled when he found Chow Asian, a restaurant in our neck of the woods that, according to him, makes the very best (& very spiciest) curry in town. He took me there one night and I absolutely loved my Pad Thai (so much so that I didn’t have any leftovers for lunch the next day like I had anticipated…whoops). I’m a creature of habit, so Pad Thai was certainly a safe and easy choice but I’d like to branch out in terms of both entrée selections and restaurants – Chow Thai, located even closer to our house, has a great menu, too. A few adventurous items caught my eye, things like crab & avocado spring rolls with cashew dipping sauce, lobster & shrimp tempura, and sea bass in Thai chili sauce. I need to scoot in for happy hour, too – so many places end their cocktail deals at 6:00 p.m., which seems a tad early for the working crowd, so I love that both Chow Asian and Chow Thai have drink deals until 7:00 p.m.

UM. I also just stumbled upon the most amazing realization while perusing Chow Thai’s website – THEY DELIVER. There goes my social life.

Image via Rasa Malaysia 

Greens in a Glass

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We’re on day three of the cleanse, woo! One of my favorite things to enjoy during the cleanse (and any other time, really) is a fresh, tasty green smoothie. In fact, the only one I ever make is Greens in a Glass. It is healthy and surprisingly filling, chock full of vitamins and nutrients that really give me a boost. It’s so, so easy to make, and I cut up the vegetables and store them in my fridge so I can make smoothies all week long at just a moment’s notice. I added a little extra banana to the original recipe and I swapped the Greek yogurt for almond milk so my treat can be dairy-free, but you can really make all of the changes that you’d like – this smoothie is so customizable!

Greens in a Glass

Adapted recipe via Joy Bauer

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup spinach (1 big handful)
  • 1/2 cup cucumber chunks, skins on
  • 1 stalk celery cut into chunks
  • 1 medium banana, fresh or frozen, cut into chunks
  • 1/2 cup pineapple chunks, fresh or frozen
  • 1/2 cup almond milk
  • 3 whole ice cubes (optional)

Directions:

  1. Add the spinach, cucumber, celery, and 1/2 cup of water to a blender. Blend on high until completely smooth and liquid.
  2. Add the banana, pineapple, almond milk, and ice cubes (if using) to the blender. Blend until smooth and frothy.