restaurant review: kalamata greek grill

My restaurant review of Kalamata Greek Grill in Troy, MI was published for The Oakland Press this week. I came across this place back when Groupon was first getting really big. I was enthralled with Groupon for a few short months - I can go to this restaurant, and get $15 worth of food for $5?!? Awesome. Well, turns out it really wasn't that awesome, because most of the places I ended up trying because they were running Groupons weren't very good. And I always ended up spending more than the Groupon was worth, so in the end, it didn't even feel like a good deal. Basically, the only good thing to come of my Groupon experience was discovering Kalamata. I was taking my dog to obedience class at a place right near the restaurant, so I bought TWO Groupons for it, even though I had never been there or heard anything about it. I just had a feeling it would be good, and it really was. The food is super fresh, delicious, affordable and healthy. And they'll put beets in my gyro for me without batting an eye. Thanks for laying down those funky beets, Kalamata.

Read my review of Kalamata Greek Grill for The Oakland Press HERE

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what I learned in culinary school, part 3

I'm back with the final installment of "What I Learned In Culinary School" (check out Part 1 and Part 2 if you missed them!). Since I've already had a long day in the kitchen doing recipe testing, I'll just go ahead and jump right into it. While this is the last installment of this list, I will be back in the future with some specific things I learned (ones that pertain more to a certain recipe or technique rather than general kitchen tips).

I know a lot of people are scared of cutting themselves in the kitchen. Sure, I've nicked myself a few times, and once even had to get some stitches for a more serious cut. But those times where I hurt myself can be blamed on one of two things (or both): a dull knife, and not paying attention. You're probably about 500 times more likely to cut yourself with a dull knife than a sharp one. Why? Because with a dull knife, you have to exert more pressure to try to cut whatever it is you are cutting. More pressure means there's more chance the knife will slip, and hit your fingers instead. A razor-sharp blade will just glide through the food you're chopping, and you'll be safe. Also, don't try to look up at the clock or see if your pasta water is boiling when you're cutting things. Just stop the knife and take a look instead. Especially if you're using a hacksaw to cut a leg of lamb in half. You know, if you do that at home.

Look, I LOVE comfort food. But sometimes, it just doesn't feel fancy enough to take to a party or make for a special occasion. But you know what? No matter what it is, you can probably make it look fancy and still taste just as delicious. Envision your favorite comfort food classic, and then think about little tweaks you can make to class it up. Meatloaf? Maybe try baking it in small muffin tins, so each person would get a cute individual serving instead of one ugly loaf. Macaroni and cheese? Add something special, like roasted red peppers or even lobster. Go to the fancy cheese counter at the store and ask for a nice melting cheese instead of just using good old Kraft. And just look at those deviled eggs. All it took was 10 minutes and a piping bag, and they look like something you would eat at a fancy cocktail party rather than a casual potluck.

This is one of my favorite tips. Zesting a lemon, lime, or orange before you juice it, and then using that zest in whatever dish you're using the juice in is a great everyday tip, and may seem obvious. But the light bulb really went off for me when I was in school, and I was making a risotto that was going to be topped with sauteed shrimp. We were using fresh shrimp, shell on/tail on. So, we were obviously going to have to peel the shrimp before cooking them. The chef saw a classmate and I tossing the shells in the trash, and he came running over screaming "NONONONONONONO NO!" He told us we were throwing away free flavor. Instead of pitching those shells, he dumped them all in the pot of vegetable stock that was heating on the stove, and that we were going to be using to make our risotto. Now we just had to simmer it awhile and then pass it through a strainer, and we had shrimp stock, which was even better than what we started with. And it cost nothing! So now, when I'm in my home kitchen and I'm about to throw something away, I take a moment to see if there's some other way I can eek some free flavor out of it. It's a great strategy for almost all seafood shells and meat bones. Veggie trimmings can also be saved to make a free homemade vegetable stock. And always always always zest your lemons. Just as a favor to me. Even if you're not going to use the zest right away, it freezes really well!

Don't be afraid to get your kitchen dirty. It can always be cleaned. Kitchens aren't meant to be showplaces unless you live in a model home (which makes me think of Arrested Development. But even the Bluth family used the Cornballer once in awhile). Kitchens are meant to be used. Even if you're butchering a blood orange while humming the Dexter theme song. But if you're making a mess...

You'll save yourself a lot of stress if you learn to constantly clean up after yourself. Once you get the hang of it, it becomes habit. We were never allowed to have messy stations at school, so we were constantly running dishes to the dishwasher. We also always kept a wet rag nearby to wipe down our stations. Constantly. While I take a little more lax approach at home, one trick I do like is to grab a baking sheet and keep it near you while you're doing prep work and cooking. As you dirty up dishes and utensils, put them on the baking sheet. Instead of running back and forth to the sink, you'll have everything corralled on that baking sheet, and you can just make ONE trip to the sink. My rule is that as soon as that baking sheet is full, I must stop what I'm doing and do some dishes. Sometimes I don't want to, but I always make myself do it, because I know it'll mean that when I'm done eating the delicious meal I've prepared, there won't be a mountain of dishes waiting for me. Maybe just a few. And that's a lot more tolerable than a full-on mountain.

Check out part 1 and part 2 of this series for 10 more useful things I learned in culinary school that I still use in my home kitchen today!

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fact. you need good food for memorial day.

Memorial Day may still be a few days away, but I'm already dreaming of the weekend. I don't have any big plans, but most often, this weekend each year is filled with lots of relaxation, bike rides and dog walks, Detroit Tigers baseball, some house/yard work (if I get around to it), and lots of good food (most often including barbecue ribs and homemade ice cream).

In case you're headed to or hosting a friends or family get-together (or just want some good food to munch on anyway), here's a roundup of recipes I think would work really well this weekend.

Steak-Quinoa Salad with Avocado-Lime Ranch Dressing - This salad balances my desire to eat steak with the thought that I should really eat a salad. This salad couldn't be easier, and the recipe includes a method for the most perfect quinoa I've ever tasted. The recipe uses a basic marinade that lends a bit of flavor to the meat without overpowering it. I chose to make an avocado-lime ranch dressing for this, but this salad would also be good with a basic balsamic vinaigrette (you could just slice the avocado and include it in the salad, or just omit the avocado altogether). I love all of the different textures in this salad, and it's a complete meal - you get your vegetables, meat, dairy and grains all in one bowl!

Gazpacho Chopped Salad with Bacon-Balsamic Strudel - If it's anywhere near as hot where you are as it has been here in Michigan the last few days, you're going to need some cold food (seriously, I'm melting). I love this salad because you can make a big batch of it and eat it all weekend. It gets BETTER the longer it sits in the fridge! The strudel is totally optional, but does require using the oven - so if it's hot, skip that part and just make the salad.

Appetizing & Wonderful (A & W) Root Beer Ribs - I know I just posted this recipe a few days ago, but seriously - when I think of Memorial Day weekend, I think of RIBS. These are sweet and tangy, and fall-off-the-bone tender. The cool thing about this recipe is that people can't really tell you used root beer - it's not a flavor you can pick out and identify in the finished product. All they know is that the ribs are amazing, and there's a secret ingredient.

Pickle Coleslaw - Whether you're having steak, ribs, or something else, you're going to need a side dish. I love coleslaw, but mayonnaise-based coleslaw just won't hold up if you're going to an outdoor get together in the summer. Try this crunchy and pleasantly sour pickle coleslaw - it's the best I've ever made at home.  I used two kinds of cabbage (although just 1 type would be totally fine), red onion, jalapeño  and some bread-and-butter pickles. The coolest thing? The only "dressing" used for this coleslaw is pickle juice. 

Guacamole Rice -  This isn't a side dish for just Mexican food - it works just as well with burgers or grilled chicken. I had a crazy idea to just mash guacamole ingredients into rice, and it turned out really awesome. I used white rice here, but it would work equally as well with brown rice, quinoa, Israeli couscous, barley, or any other type of grain you would like to use. The instructions are three short sentences - it's SO simple. It is also easily doubled or tripled for a large batch to take to a party, and can be served warm, room temperature, or cold.

Strawberry Cupcakes - Other than ribs, nothing says Memorial Day weekend to me like strawberries. Fresh strawberries, strawberry pie, strawberry ice cream, strawberry cupcakes, strawberry anything else. No surprise here - these are from Martha Stewart's Cupcakes book. Martha doesn't have her recipe online, but a copy of it can be found at Brown Eyed Baker. Pink zebra cupcake liners optional.

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chocolate ginger bliss oatmeal cookies

It's no secret that I love trail mix, and consider it a balanced meal once in awhile. And by "once in awhile," I mean anytime my husband is on a business trip or away from home for dinner. While I have no problem cooking for just myself, I hate doing all of the dishes accrued from making a meal just for one person. Some nights, it just doesn't feel worth it. Those nights, I turn to trail mix. I've convinced myself it's a perfect meal - it's got protein and fruit, and if you play your cards right and get the kind with chocolate in it, it's got dessert built right into it. Truly, the perfect food.

That being said, do you know what's better than trail mix? A chocolate chip cookie that's packed with trail mix. These cookies are a bit more nutritious than your average "Nestlee Toulouse" version (said the Phoebe Buffay way from Friends). They're made with oatmeal, a little bit of buckwheat flour, and some agave nectar for sweetness. In my mind, this makes them the perfect breakfast cookie. Yes, I'm recommending that you just go ahead and eat cookies for breakfast (and trail mix for dinner).

The "goodies" in these cookies are pieces of  NatureBox Chocolate Ginger Bliss, which is like a trail mix made with chocolate chips, candied ginger, cashews, almonds, and dried fruit like cranberries, papaya, raisins, pineapple and apricots.

You can get the full recipe here over on the Naturebox blog!

If you're a trail mix superfan like me, and you'd like to give Naturebox a try, click here and use the code "FOXES10" at checkout to receive $10 off your first box!

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links - which means I might earn a few cents (or if I'm really lucky, even a few dollars) if you click on them and end up buying something. However, ALL opinions and recommendations are my own (and 100% honest) and are not affected by the use of these links.

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Thanks so much for visiting. I really appreciate everyone who reads and comments. If you like what you've seen here, please follow me on Facebook and Pinterest to receive daily updates.

         

monday morning musings - vegan before 6 and girly football

I was hoping to have a new restaurant review for you this morning, but a little mix-up is delaying that for awhile. Too bad for you, because now you have to listen to my random musings about recent happenings. 

First, I saw Mark Bittman do a TV interview a few weeks back, talking about his new book "VB6: Eat Vegan Before 6:00 to Lose Weight and Restore Your Health . . . for Good," and was instantly convinced that it's a great idea. I immediately downloaded the book to my Kindle and started eating vegan before 6. Is it for ethical reasons? No - while I'm not super excited about factory farming and the poor conditions in which the animals live, I don't think it's realistic to believe that a few people going vegan is going to do anything to change that (sorry).

Like Bittman (a professional food writer), I did it as a compromise for the life I've chosen - loving food, loving cooking, loving going out to eat, but not wanting to weigh 300 pounds. To me, the smartest part of this lifestyle is that is basically forces you to eat more fruits and vegetables. With no eggs, no cheese, no yogurt, and no meat or seafood, what's left for breakfast and lunches? Fruits and vegetables, and lots of them. You eat healthy, fresh food all morning and afternoon, and come evening - do whatever you want. It doesn't impact my social life at all - I can still go out to dinner with friends whenever I want, wheeee!

I decided to take a modified approached, which is "Vegan Before 6, Weekdays Only." I love the awesome breakfasts my husband cooks up for me each weekend, and I'm not willing to give them up, in all their egg, sausage, and coffee with vanilla creamer glory. So, last week, I did it every weekday, and it wasn't difficult. Like, at all. Here's what I ate:

Breakfasts: Homemade Cold Cereal (a recipe from the book) with vanilla almond milk, or an apple with made-in-Michigan Koeze natural peanut butter.

Lunches: Homemade Greek Salads (spinach, cucumbers, chickpeas, roasted beets, kalamata olives, capers, red onion, and olive oil-lemon dressing). I also roasted a big batch of brussels sprouts and carrots, which I ate with quinoa and hummus on the days I didn't have salad.

Snacks: Watermelon, more apples, cashews, NatureBox snacks and lots of ice water.

I plan to continue this week - I think I'll make up some southwest quinoa black bean bowls for lunches. Yum!

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Next up, on Saturday, June 8th, I'll be participating in the 2013 Women's Football Academy, benefiting the University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center. I've participated in previous years, and had a great time throwing footballs, tackling dummies, oogling the football players' muscles in the weight room, and getting cool guys like Zoltan Mesko to sign my hat. But more than all of that fun, this event supports a great cause. If you've ever known anyone touched by cancer (who hasn't, unfortunately?), please consider making a donation here. I'd appreciate it, and I'll take you out for ice cream next time you're in Detroit. All donations are 100% tax deductible gifts, and support initiatives within the Patient & Family Support Services Program at the University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center. 

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Finally, just a reminder for readers who typically only visit on weekdays, I participated in #sundaysupper this week, so I posted yesterday about my Root Beer Ribs. I almost always make ribs over Memorial Day weekend, and that's probably what I'll be doing this year, too. They just feel like a holiday food. Check them out!

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Thanks so much for visiting. I really appreciate everyone who reads and comments. If you like what you've seen here, please follow me on Facebook and Pinterest to receive daily updates.