Bread crumbs (8/20/11)

Saturday night I made Rachael Ray’s Mushroom Fusilli, however, instead of fusilli pasta I used penne pasta.  This dish was good but what made it were the homemade bread crumbs.  Rachael Ray always says to use homemade by saving the heels of your bread and turning them into yummy bread crumbs.  Honestly, I have an entire bag of frozen heels in my freezer ready to become crumbs but normally I just pull the box out of my pantry and top the dish with store bought.  Last night I decided to make my own as the recipe directed.  Oh my gosh!  It made all the difference.  The best crumbs I have ever eaten.  I wanted more pasta just so I could top it with the bread crumbs.  They were light, crispy, buttery and had a hint of garlic.  It only took two seconds in the food processor.  I learned a lesson last night: I will always go with homemade.

Mushroom Fusilli and Garlic Breadcrumbs

 

 

Flying Fish (8/15/11)

Monday after work, my girlfriends and I went to celebrate one of my besties (Rachel) birthdays at the Flying Fish.  I was first introduced to the Flying Fish while driving around the Montgomery/University area in Fort Worth with my husband looking for something new for lunch.  It has quickly become one of our new favorites.  Then a few weeks ago we discovered they have opened a new one in Arlington on Abram near J. Gilligans.  I have tried the shrimp kebabs, fried shrimp basket and crab legs.  The crab legs ($14.99) were the best I have ever had, sweet, flavorful and super easy to extract the meat.  When we were there the shrimp basket ($9.99) was wonderful as well.  The batter was super lite and crisp.  Monday night I had the shrimp kebabs ($9.99).  This comes with two skewers with grilled shrimp, tomatoes, bell peppers, onions and lemons.  It is served with red beans and rice.  The lemons add a great flavor.  The best thing, in my opinion at the restuarant are the hushpuppies.  They are moist and sweet in the middle and crisp on the outside.

Shrimp kebabs

 

 

J. Gilligans (8/14/11)

If you have not tried the Irish Nachos at J. Gilligans you are missing out.  J. Gilligans is in my husband Matt’s words, an Arlington Landmark.  It is located on Abram near the main Arlington Library.  My mother in law, Karen, and I always split the full order and then make ourselves feel better by ordering a salad.  Karen was not with us Sunday after church so I got the half order by myself.  It comes with sliced french fries, gobs of cheese, bacon bits, onions, jalapenos and tomatoes, with sour cream on top (however I eat it with ranch).  It is served in an individual skillet which I believe goes right from the oven to your table.  You can also add taco meat or chicken if you would like.  Other yummy items at J. Gilligans are the guacamole hamburger, philly cheese steak and regular french fries.  For a more healthy option, their spinach salad is great.

Irish Nachos

 

Hello world!

I’ve toyed with starting a food blog for a long time now.  It’s probably been three WHOLE days!

My mission is to post reviews of the food I eat, both in and outside my home.  I will include photographs, recipes, descriptions of the food I eat, and miscellaneous other items such as the service and ambiance of restaurants I visit.

As I reside in the Dallas/Fort Worth metroplex, most of my posts will involve local eateries, but when on vacation I will make certain to update my readers on what is outside of Texas.

I am no expert or professional chef.  I am just a home cook that has a passion for food and wants to share about it.  I hope you enjoy this website and please feel free to leave comments that can improve the way I share my experiences with you or local flavors I may have not visited.

 

Brusters (8/12/11)

Oh my goodness! Yesterday afternoon I went to Brusters to pick up an ice cream cake for our August birthdays (my hub, bonus daughter, bro-in-law, and new niece).  I could not resist getting an ice cream cone.  I could not decide between flavors so I got a double dip cake cone with Double Chocolate Chunk and Nutty Coconut.

Nutty Coconut/Double Chocolate Chunk Cake Cone

I have tried the double chocolate chunk before so I knew it was yummy, but the nutty coconut is by far the best ice cream I have ever had.  It was creamy coconut topped with slivered almonds.  It was so incredibly delish I cannot even tell you.  As you can see I could not eat it fast enough to keep it from melting but I just wanted more!  Brusters is definitely the place to go for ice cream!!

Brusters is in South Arlington at Hardisty (south of Sublett) on South Cooper.

 

Sushi Axiom (8/11/11)

Thursday night we ate out with James and Erin Miller at Sushi Axiom in the new “hip” Montgomery Plaza on West 7th Street in Fort Worth.

We ordered a few rolls but everyone agreed mine, the Colonial roll, was the best.  The item is listed as crab, shrimp, avocado, and cream cheese sautéed tempura style.  It was $9.

The Colonial Roll

It is as yummy as it is visually stimulating.  The avocado and cream cheese is equally creamy as the freshness of the crab and shrimp.  The tempura adds a nice crunch and allows those of us who like sushi, but don’t necessarily want it raw, to enjoy the experience as well.  I also ate a Spring Mix Salad with Ginger Dressing for $4.95.

Spring Salad with Ginger Dressing

As you can see this was not just some lettuce with orange dressing on it.  It had an assortment of veggies, plenty of dressing and sesame seeds on top.  It was a great starter!

At our table we had a few other yummy selections.  Erin had the Temptation Roll and Chicken Teriyaki.  James had the Shrimp Tempura roll and Shrimp and Veggie Tempura, hold the veggie, entrée.  And my lovely husband had the TCU roll.  Overall it was a great meal.  The atmosphere of this restaurant is awesome and the service was impeccable.

Everything was going great until near the end of our meal the table next to us filled up with a group of young twenty-somethings who did not have a problem cursing loudly and over laughing.  Sadly it is a great area to relax after work but being that it is the new “place to be” in Fort Worth, this clientale might be unavoidable.

 

Sopranos (8/11/11)

Thursday for lunch my coworker, LeAnna, and I went to a new Italian restaurant in South Arlington named Sopranos.  And yes, there are pictures of the show Sopranos all throughout the restaurant.  This place is the small, mom and pop Italian-style restaurant claiming its authenticity is “from New York.”

Sopranos menu

They had a great lunch menu.  There were 12 choices for $6.50.  With one of these selections you got your entrée, salad, bread and a drink.  I had the Tortellini ala Panna.  It was listed as sautéed with prosciutto ham and green peas in a cream sauce.  I also had a salad with house dressing, which was the tomato vinaigrette that I am dying to figure out the recipe.  The cream sauce was a delicious pink sauce, seasoned well and creamy.  There was a perfect balance of prosciutto, tortellini and peas.

Tortellini ala Panna

Our waiter was extremely attentive.  There was a slight language barrier as he had a very thick Eastern European accent, but was very kind and tried very hard.  To me it was just more authenticity!  This will definitely become one of our lunch regulars.