Summer Night Cloudgazing--At Least We Brought Food!

This past weekend marked one of the best light shows of the year, the Perseid Meteor Shower. My roommate and I baked some cupcakes and savory nibblies, then we headed out to a friend's house in E-town to see this spectacular show without all that pesky light pollution. You know what we saw instead? Cloud pollution! The whole sky was full of fluffy cloud cover that completely blocked the sky from view. Apparently, that night hosted 40 visible meteors per hour with the best viewing between midnight and 4AM. With my trusty new iPhone I was able to tap into the NASA official viewing center and I saw those little beams of light streaking across the sky. Not really the same thing...

I sent my wishes up anyway! Clouds are just a bit of water after all.

The bright side of this event was that we chatted and enjoyed a nice sit-down snack, then we hopped in the pool for a nighttime dip. I prepared a potato salad from a recipe I learned from my days in Austria, and I made some cracker snacks out of sun-dried tomato cheese spread, roasted beets, and oven-crisped kale. I'm planning on getting my roommate to do a guest-post on her beautiful cupcakes with edible flowers (I'm going to give you all a sneak peek because they're just so darn pretty), that will be coming soon. I liked this little meal because it was a semi-late night snack, and was just the right amount for the three of us.

My Austrian Potato Salad recipe has a special ingredient that you can probably find at Rainbow Blossom or Whole Foods: Pumpkin Seed Oil (Kürbiskernöl)--I swear it has mystical properties. I lived in "das grüne Herz des Österreichs" or the "Green Heart of Austria" in Graz, Austria. It was seriously green, and the pumpkin seed oil flowed abundantly. It is an emerald green color and tastes great on anything, even vanilla ice cream! It imparts its nutty beauty upon everything it touches, especially this potato salad. I would recommend adding this to your condiments and using it often.

I also used blue potatoes that I picked up at the farmer's market. I love blue potatoes! I also love red, yellow, and all other potatoes! They are so great, and they add a wonderful aesthetic dimension to any dish. The opportunity to buy some blue potatoes was one of my favorite parts of the day, so I seized it. The blue potatoes are not a necessary part of this dish, but if you have red potatoes, I prefer those over any other for their texture in this salad. I mixed red and blue.

Now for the recipes!

Austrian Potato Salad

6-8 Potatoes (red and blue), boiled

1/4 Onion, grated

Pumpkin Seed Oil

Mustard (good German mustard or Dijon if you like that)

Apple Cider Vinegar

Salt

Black Pepper

Cut the boiled potatoes into half-inch cubes and reserve them in a bowl. Then make up your dressing, which consists of the remaining ingredients on the list. Let the dressing sit for 10 minutes to let the flavors marry. Then you pour all that deliciousness on top of the potatoes and toss them until coated. You can serve this warm, room temperature, or cold. It also keeps well for a few days. 

Roasted Beets and Crispy Kale Crackers
4-5 Beets of roughly the same size

Kale, enough to cover a large oven pan

Olive oil

Sea salt

Sundried tomato cheese spread
Hearty Crackers

To roast beets you should coat them in olive oil and a little salt then wrap them loosely in foil. Bake them in a 350º oven for about 25-30 minutes or until you can pierce them with a fork. When you take them out, let them cool down completely. The next part is really fun! The skins of the beets come off so smoothly it is amazing. You can rub a little part and then peel off the rest. Then your beets are ready to cut into discs and reserve for use.

The kale should be trimmed and cut into smaller pieces. Spread them out evenly on an oven pan and drizzle liberally with olive oil, use your fingers to coat the kale well and salt to taste. Then you can cook them in the oven on 375º for about 10 minutes and lower the temperature to 325º for the last 5-10 minutes. They will come out as the most incredible chip you have ever put in your mouth. I eat them like popcorn (very healthy popcorn) and the crisp is just the most rewarding feeling. I love it. They are super quick and they taste great. I'm pairing them here with beets, but they easily mix with eggs, on their own, with macaroni and cheese, basically anything where you need a good green, and if you prepare them in this way you will have a light crisp to add as a texture--a texture that you can't find in many other places!

Now take your favorite cracker and smear some of that sun-dried tomato cheese spread (goat cheese spread would be lovely too...ooh, that just made my mouth water) and top with the beets and kale. Then, go to town on that crispity, crunchity cheesy happiness!

Now for the beauty pageant portion of this post: Happy Cupcakes with Edible Flowers!

Bon appétit!

From Julia Child

Oishii Sushi: That's right, it means Delicious Sushi!

Back in my university days, my work-study job gave me some extra spending money. That money basically went to food, and my roommate and I had a designated jar for "Sushi money". In those days, we would go to sushi at least once a week for the love of Oishii Sushi. They first opened at a location that just recently closed on Bardstown Road--don't worry!--They reopened at a larger location on Taylorsville Road, and I am glad they did because the uncontrollable number of patrons tells us that I am not the only enamored one.

When they first opened, we would often find ourselves the only customers, sitting at the sushi bar, chatting it up with the magical sushi chefs. I vividly remember asking what a hand-roll was (apparently my skills of deduction hadn't developed yet--it's a roll you eat with your hands like a sushi-burrito), and they rolled up a fresh Big Daddy Hand Roll for me to try and see if I liked it, for free. We instantly became regulars. They would treat us to the occasional dessert roll or they would carve up an orange into some beautiful beach scene. Now that they are so busy, those little treats are not necessarily a part of our dining experience, but we understand and we don't really care. We have tried basically everything on the menu by now, and we just keep going back for more.

Seaweed salad, Gyoza, and Green tea

This time around we were a trio, sailing the sushi seas. We decided to start off with Green Tea, the Seaweed Salad, and Gyoza (pork dumplings) with ponzu sauce. I was so happy with the starters that I was almost too frazzled to decide on the sushi rolls, which is arguably more difficult. After much debate and considering how balanced our menu should be, we made the decision. Normally, we try to cover the bases by fish type: crab, tuna, salmon, eel, and shrimp. This technique allows us to explore new rolls and balance our meal so we don't have four rolls of just salmon--life wouldn't be horrible if that decision was made, but variety really is the spice of life. We chose the Spicy Mary roll (we had a Mary in our trio) with crab and tuna, the Dragon Roll with eel, the Crunchy Roll with shrimp, and the Fruits Roll with fruit, obviously. We'll catch up with the salmon next time.

Crunchy Roll: Shrimp is featured

The breakdown: The appetizer Seaweed Salad is a maritime way to start your sushi adventure. It has varied textures, sesame seed freckles, and it is fun to eat. The Gyoza were so succulent that we were fighting for the last pieces. Gyoza are fan-like dumplings that have a pork mixture made up principally of onions and ground pork but you can add peppers or anything else you want inside, you just need the patience to assemble and fry them--Oishii did a fine job for us.

The sushi rolls were brought out one by one, a detail that I greatly appreciate. Sometimes sushi places bring out all of your sushi rolls on a gigantic plate, so you are overwhelmed with the choices. If you are sharing, it just isn't the same experience as when you all enjoying the the same roll together. So, well done Oishii on that as well. The first roll we had was the Crunchy Roll. This is a cooked roll, tempura fried. The Crunchy Roll included shrimp, cucumber, spicy mayonnaise and eel sauce. It was different from the Crunchy Rolls I have had before, which were piled high with tempura chips and difficult to eat. This roll was perfectly compact and still preserved its mouthfeel: that crunchy crunchy!

Spicy Mary Roll: Crab and Tuna are featured.

Next we had the Spicy Mary, which was the all-inclusive crab and tuna tour. The presentation on this roll is stunning. I love the pink and red contrasted with the green of the avocado and the drizzle of the spicy mayo on top of it all. If it is delightful to look at, you better believe it is going to taste marvelous. The spicy crab inside the roll always has an interesting texture for me. The mixture is prepared and the fibers of the crab separate to make almost vermicelli-like crab noodles (that's the best comparison I can do for those who have never tried it) held together by spicy mayonnaise. The avocado adds some substance along with its beautiful color, and the smoothness of the avocado leads into a nice chew with the crab. On top of the roll is fresh tuna, and look at that vibrant red, it's shining like rubies on top of your sushi roll. Classy. All together, this roll is aesthetically pleasing and a surprising pop of texture in the mouth. Something else I love? The mountain of ginger that comes with every sushi dish! Pickled ginger is delicately spiced, great for settling the stomach and clearing the palate for the next roll to come.

Dragon Roll: Eel is featured.

The majestic Dragon Roll was presented next. To be honest, I am partial to the eel rolls. First off, Unagi (the Japanese name for eel) is a unique fish that I don't get to eat everyday, and second because the fish is so sweet it makes everything else yield to its power. Eel rolls generally come with avocado because the smoothness balances the texture of the eel, which is soft but with a notable crunch. The Dragon roll at Oishii includes the eel, cucumber, and avocado with tobico roe (the beautiful red sphere topping). The gentle little pops of the roe with the explosion of flavor in that tiny bite makes this roll an experience to eat. Plus, if you have never tried eel, I recommend this or the Geisha roll (with tempura banana, avocado and eel--my favorite!).

Finally, we rounded off the meal with a Fruits Roll. We deem this the dessert roll of all dessert rolls. Inside the nori (seeweed wrapper, or the dark green line between the inside and the rice), we have avocado and tempura banana. Tempura is the flash frying batter technique used by the Japanese to create culinary joy. The banana will be slightly warm, but it won't melt everything around it. That is a welcome feeling alongside the cool avocado. Then, it is covered in carefully cut mangoes and strawberries and rolled up together. On top of it all, this roll has crushed nuts and eel sauce to complete the Fruits Roll package. Pure beauty. It satisfies the sweet tooth and is a great way to conclude your sushi tour.

Oishii sushi is hands-down my favorite sushi restaurant in Louisville, and I promise you that I have tried almost all of them. They have a relationship with their neighborhood, the price is right, there is no feeling of pretension, the sushi guys and the service are wonderfully friendly and professional, and the menu is as diverse as the rest of them. This doesn't mean it is the end-all sushi restaurant of the world, it just means it is a good fit for me, and for that this Louisville Lady Gourmet recommends it to you all. If you have a favorite roll or experience at Oishii, I would love to hear about it--just put it in the comment section!
Kanpai! (Cheers)!

Oishii Sushi
2810 Taylorsville Road
Louisville, KY 40205
Phone: (502)365-3474
Email: They have a contact form on their website <http://www.oishiisushiky.com/Contact-Us.html>
www.oishiisushiky.com

Highland Morning: Breakfast of Champions

Ever since I won my battle with jet lag (this time around), I have been waking up around 8.30 everyday. Now this is a feat to accomplish, because I am certainly not a morning person. However, I have always been a huge fan of breakfast, and all breakfast food makes me endlessly happy. The weekends always involve at least one exaggerated brunch often completed with egg and pork product proteins, fresh fruit or some concoction of fruit, grains whipped into pancakes or wrapping up the goodness of a breakfast burrito, and the list goes on. I actually tried something fun this week and I made my favorite: Eggs in a Basket, but with a bagel! I know, I should have thought of that earlier...

Today we are going out for breakfast with the Louisville Lady Gourmet. This past week, a friend of mine and her mother came to visit Louisville for the first time-- I bet you can imagine my excitement. I was able to cover my favorite spots in the city, a few very important food destinations, and probably too many tidbits of information and history in just two days. Nonstop baby, nonstop. Well we stopped for food of course. Right before they left on their 10-hour leg back home, I had to squeeze in a visit to Highland Morning, my favorite spot for a substantial early breakfast in the Highlands.

We were lucky enough to have the best weather of the entire summer on their short visit. No, it wasn't a scorching 100+ degrees and 99% humidity, which normally requires us to grow a set of gills in order to breathe. In fact, it was in the 70s and low 80s (almost a miracle in August) with a sweet breeze and some sun. This serendipitous happening allowed us to grab a seat on the sidewalk to soak in the movement of the city and the morning sun, all while enjoying the tastes of Highland Morning.

If you have never been before, I would recommend going for the daily special menu. Right before I left for Spain, Highland Morning was just a budding restaurant, and I was so in love that I would go at least once a week. Their Grits of the Day are my mainstay (sun-dried tomato and basil grits?!...yes, you are a genius if you can make that happen), but I went for the french toast special this time. I knew I wouldn't be disappointed.

New Orleans French Toast: Breakfast of Champions

This time it was the New Orleans French Toast, which is a magical combination of bananas and apples cooked up in butter and brown sugar and mixed in with some cream cheese. That cream cheese mix is then spread between slices of perfectly cooked french toast, kissed with powdered sugar, garnished with strawberry, and subsequently drowned in maple syrup by me (it's been a while since I've had maple syrup guys, and I vow to never make that separation so long again). I was in love. It was the perfect start to my day, and a great way to prepare me for a visit to the Farmers Market...because we all know what I can do at the Farmers Market on an empty stomach >.>

If I recreated this New Orleans French Toast at home, I think I would fold in some crunchy granola (from Kizito!) and see what would happen. I just thought of that because the banana and apple mixture reminded me of a breakfast I used to prepare in Austria with my Swedish and Canadian roommates: fruits and granola pan fried in a little butter and brown sugar until happiness ensues. Gloriousness.

Loaded Baked Potato Omelet: Daily Special

My tablemates also made some delectible choices including: the Baked Potato Omelet (the other daily special), the Classic (bacon, eggs how you like, grits, and a biscuit), and the Classic Eggs Benedict. I weaseled my fork onto all of the plates, don't you worry, and everything tasted delicious. I must comment that the potatoes in the baked potato omelet could have been more cooked through--they were still edible, but not cooked to perfection as usual. I absolutely loved the hollandaise sauce because it didn't overdo it on the lemon juice...that's just embarrassing when that happens--but that day wasn't today, because Highland Morning knows what they're doing.

Eggs Bene: Hollandaise from Heaven

Along with breakfast they offer an array of breakfasty beverages (non-alcoholic and alcoholic) including an awesome mimosa, bloody marys with your choice of fire level, Highland Coffee coffee, tea, iced tea with different fruit flavors, fresh-squeezed orange juice (just like Spain, except without their oranges), and on and on. I had the Highland Coffee coffee, which came with free refills that assisted my expedited speech and twitching. Highland Coffee, for all you Louisville noobs, is an amazing coffee shop that is not far down the street from Highland Morning. You won't be able to look for their signs because Urban Outshitters has demaded all street advertisement with their new rental agreement, thus robbing Highland Morning and the Knit Nook of their street signage. If you are visiting, ask anyone on the street to point you in the right direction to Highland Coffee--then order the mocha with blackberry whipped cream (I know, right?!?!?!)

The Classic: You'll never go wrong with a side of grits!

Okay, back to Highland Morning. What I loved about this visit was that we could enjoy the outdoor patio, our food came out in a timely manner in all its quality deliciousness, and the service was prime. I specifically remember commenting to my fellow diners that the food runner was super pleasant--he was very happy and conversational, and you could tell he loved his job (please, former or present restaurant workers, when was the last time you met a gregarious food-runner?). I often see friendly service at restaurants in Louisville, but this kid and our very pleasant server were rockin' out, and thus made our experience all the more enjoyable. I'll be passing by soon for some grits of the day...always love a bit of soul in my food!

Highland Morning
1416 Bardstown Road
Louisville, KY 40204

Phone	: (502) 365-3900
Email	highlandmorning@yahoo.com

Affectionately called Cumby's: Cumberland Brewery

One of my favorite parts of our fair city is that it is so damn friendly. I can walk around my neighborhood, feeling good about our local shops, cafés, restaurant, community atmosphere, and I feel a real sense of love for one's home. Almost all the radios in my neighborhood are tuned to WFPK Radio Louisville, our local public radio station (which should be the envy of the country along with WBEZ Chicago and WXBN, home of the World Café), entertaining us with New Music Thursdays, the Five o'clock Shadow -LOVE-, the Wild and Woolly reviews, Waterfront Wednesdays, Live Lunches, and the LEO Weekly concert calendar to see what's going on around town. Not only are we in love with our city's sound, but also our food, showcased by the organization we lovingly know as the Louisville Originals.

The Louisville Originals is a group of local restaurants and food shops that are beaming with local pride. They often feature seasonal Kentucky Proud products, local microbrews, unique and inspired menus, as well as community outreach projects like Mayan Market Mondays (at the Mayan Café--Chef Bruce Ucán is definitely one of my heroes) and the innumerable festivals that we have in our neighborhoods. They are a group of eclectic and talented visionaries, who see this city for its full culinary potential. I am thankful for them, and happy to see that the list of Originals grows every year. Let's take a look at my first Louisville Original review: Cumberland Brews.

Cumby's (as I affectionately refer to it) has been a favorite of mine since before I could even enter the place. I remember "Bardstown Roading" and always seeing a good atmosphere: relaxed, with people spilling out of the door onto the few tables they have on the sidewalk. It has a loyal following because of their fantastic microbrews and their neighborhood landmark status. The first time I went to Cumby's I felt like I had been there 100 times before. The servers and bartenders are all friendly, knowledgeable, and non-pretentious (sometimes the IPAs go to people's heads). If you go upstairs and are hopelessly looking around for a seat, don't worry because someone will swoop in to find you a place at the bar or downstairs. Then the magic can begin.

The last time I went, it was a dinner and a movie night with a good friend of mine. We went to the 5.30 showing at Baxter Avenue Theatres (which is totally worth it because it is still matinee price!), so we were pretty well starving by the time we made it to Cumberland Brews. Good thing too, because the Moonbow Wit seasonal wheat, a heaping helpin' of sweet potato fries, and a jerk chicken sandwich were in my immediate future. Incredible.

The pace of the meal was perfect: first the brew, followed by the timely appetizer, and spaced fairly with the entree so we didn't have to face the very stressful dilemma of finishing the appetizer before starting the entree (that's my restaurant pet peeve). The Moonbow Wit, recommended by my friend, was light and fresh with that beautiful fruit bite that I expect from a summer wheat microbrew. It went perfectly with the crispy on the outside and soft, yet substantial on the inside sweet potato fries--and oh, the cream cheese cinnamon genius sauce on the side...YES!

Once the appetizer was settling, the holy grail of a Jerk Chicken Sandwich flew across the bar to my seat. That was a great moment in my day. A juicy-as-can-be chicken breast, breaded with a glorious jerk seasoning that was heavy on clove, with a great kick to ease my troubled mind (and spice addiction). I was floating in pub paradise alongside the pickle spear and steak fries. They really do serve very large portions, so I was overly full when I left, but that probably also had to do with the fact that my company was so great we stayed forever talking and catching up. It's the kind of place that makes you feel at home.

Needless to say, I enjoyed my visit to Cumby's as always. I recommend this Louisville Original for phenomenal seasonal and local microbrews, friendly servers characteristic of the Highlands, and endless pub grub that is on point. Enjoy, my friends, and cheers!

Cumberland Brewery
1576 Bardstown Road
Louisville, KY 40205
Phone: (502) 458-8727
Website: http://www.cumberlandbrewery.com

Doc Crow's: A Serious Bit of the South on Main St.

I wasn't kidding when I said I have been on a never-ending culinary review of Louisville since my return. A few new restaurants are already on my list, that are either so new I have never seen them, or I didn't have enough time to visit before I crossed the Atlantic. Doc Crow's fits into the latter category, and I've heard great things about the restaurant even while abroad (namely from The Bluegrass Peasant, David Dominé, an expert in all things food and Louisville).

The night I decided to go was on this past Trolley Hop in NuLu. NuLu is the name given to the Art District, which occupies Market and Main Street in Louisville. Apparently it stands for New Louisville, and it is fun to say...but I also liked the Art District--for information purposes. Anyways, a friend and I went to Doc Crow's on our way back from the gallery hop, and I was elated by the entire experience.

Doc Crow's Southern Smokehouse and Raw Bar is situated next-door to O'Shea's Irish Pub on Main Street--funny story, we passed the main entrance and tried to enter through the front of the building, where there were tables and booths set up and no operating entrance, so the bouncers at O'Shea's tried to get us to come in...I politely and firmly declined for obvious reasons. Please, I pity the fool who comes between me and a healthy portion of Shrimp and Grits. So, word to the wise, the main entrance is to the left of the beautiful floor to ceiling entrance doors.

We entered to a softly lit restaurant full of great conversation and the sounds of people enjoying good food and drink all around. The restaurant is clearly on Whiskey Row, from the ambiance to the menu. They have the most impressive bourbon list I have seen since my return to Louisville, and boy was I happy to see the accompanying cocktails. In addition, the menu is riddled with fine pork products, southern classics like my choice: the Shrimp and Grits, barbecue that will make you cry tears of joy, hush puppies, fried goodness of all sorts, the daring Po' boy offerings (revered Cajun traditions), and raw oysters on the half shell. I know, doesn't that sentence make you ecstatic already?
The waitstaff, dressed in their plaid shirts and jeans and prepared with southern hospitality, promptly greeted us at the door. Seeing that the restaurant was packed and a couple of bar stools were beckoning us from the corner, we chose to settle down in front of the oyster shucking lady for our dinner entertainment. If you want well-shucked, fresh as you can get them oysters on the half shell, you should come here!

I asked for a drink menu to see what all that bourbon on the wall could do, and my friend and I ordered the Ginger Diver, which was ginger-infused bourbon, Swedish Punsch, pineapple and ginger ale. I loved those flavors, the smooth vanilla notes I got from the bourbon worked with the ginger and pineapple so well, I was sweetly surprised. Definitely worth a try, and I bet the rest of their cocktails are just as delightful.

For the main course, we went for the Shrimp and Cheddar Grits. I love homemade grits every which way, but especially the way that Doc Crow's decided to prepare it. The shrimp was prepared better than any shrimp I have had here on the Ohio River, and the smoked tomato sauce worked wonders with the sharp bite of the cheddar. Very pleasant, and I apologize to the person sitting next to me while I was experiencing southern-food nirvana, as my appreciation of food is quite vocal.

It was late, so we weren't looking for a complete meal, which was a shame after I saw the potential of the full menu, especially the desserts. However, I can promise that I will return many times over to comb through those succulent southern morsels. Going to Doc Crow's with my gallery hop buddy was great, but I can see families, couples, larger groups of friends, even business lunches dining without a problem. They have plenty of space, comfort, and high-quality vittles. This lady gourmet highly recommends Doc Crow's to anyone!

Doc Crow's Southern Smokehouse and Raw Bar
127 W. Main Street
Louisville, KY 40202
Phone:502.587.1626
Email: info@doccrows.com
Website: http://doccrows.com/index.html
You can also make reservations online.

Strata: Layers of Italian Felicità (Happiness)

Coming back to Louisville has been a whirlwind of straight up eating out. It is a great culture of this city to go out, spend some time with your friends and family, and do so while eating delicious food. We have food from all over the world, high quality southern fare, bourbon bars, microbreweries anybody can be proud of, and specialty shops that will keep you busy for years--as they have for me. So, when I tell you have more restaurant reviews to write than recipes to share with you, you can understand my situation. I really do need to get back to the grind in the kitchen, because I do miss the sizzling in my own pans (which now cook evenly because I have good pans here in the States), chopping fresh vegetables, and spending time making good homemade food.

Today I decided to whip up a Strata, which means "layer" in Italian. I think I originally got this idea from the Everyday Italian back when I had cable, but I have been making the recipe from memory for so long I could have it confused!? Anyways, it is traditional of Northern Italy, and features that beautiful spice nutmeg, which I love for its savory side (See The Spicy Necessities section of this blog for more on nutmeg). It is a dish that uses up stale and hard bread. These recipes aren't often found on this side of the Atlantic because most people eat bread that lasts for a couple of weeks in a plastic bag. Let me tell you what you're missing out on: the smell of quality flour, salt, yeast, and water mixed together until it bakes into a crackling crust and a soft, light and airy center that gives with just a little chew. These loaves can include whole grains, dried fruits, and seeds. I have to intentionally try and save the bread to make something like a Strata because it is usually gobbled up in inhuman amounts.

Stateside, you can find high-quality bread, but you will have to pay for it. Artisan breads are worth every penny, and you will be able to taste the joy of their craft in every bite. Sometimes, when I walk down the bread aisle at the local SUPERmarket (which I am trying to make few and far between), I feel like we are losing these true culinary arts, and we aren't buying food that actually means something to the people who made it. I wish I had the talent to make great bread everyday, and attempting it myself has made me respect those craftsmen even more. The long and short of it is that you should support your local baker, and then make this recipe out of the loads of bread you buy from them!

Notes: If you do not have stale or hard bread on hand, but you are dying to try this recipe, you can simply cut some bread into cubes and dry them out in a low-heat oven for about 30 minutes, or until hard. It works just as well, and if you like a slight toast on the bread, perfect. Whatever type of bread you like should work, but I prefer a lighter bread or whole wheat as opposed to a rye or pumpernickel because of it's absorption qualities. Also, with the strata, you don't have to stick with the exact recipe for the layers. If you want to put in peppers, eggplant, zucchini, potatoes, or turkey instead of bacon be my guest--the more experimentation you do in the kitchen, the better your life will taste. Just cook what you like!

Strata

3 C Stale or hard bread

4-5 Whole bacon strips, fried until crispy

1 Onion, chopped

3 Cloves Garlic

3/4 C cheese (I used shredded Asiago, Parmesan, and Romano)

5 Eggs, beaten

Splash of milk

Butter

Olive Oil

Salt

Black Pepper

Nutmeg

This recipe needs a pre-heated oven at 350 and a butter-greased bread pan.

Reserve cubed bread in one bowl and the cheese in another bowl.

Chop the onions and garlic and sauté in a pan over medium heat with olive oil and butter. Cook until you start smelling a sweet onion aroma and the color is just about to start browning. Crumble up your crispy bacon and stir in with your onion mixture. I decided to save the bacon grease for another use because the butter really adds enough with the onion and I didn't want to weaken that gorgeous flavor combination. Reserve the bacon-onion-garlic mixture in another bowl.

In yet another bowl, beat up the eggs with a splash of milk to give it a little creamier of a color. You can also use heavy cream if you really want to go for the gold--whole milk works just fine for me. Also beat in the salt, black pepper and nutmeg at this point. Spice as you like, but don't go too heavy on the nutmeg because it can overpower.

Now it is time for assembly in your prepared bread pan. The first layer is the bread, second is the bacon-onion-garlic mixture, third is egg, and fourth is cheese. I had enough to make two layers, but you can easily increase the layers by increasing the proportions of ingredients that you use, no problem!

Most of the egg mixture should be saved until the end, when you douse that bread pan in full, golden egg glory. Let the Strata stand for about 15 minutes before you put it into the oven, so that the bread cubes can soak and become chewable again. When they come out of the oven they will be fluffy and happy and covered in cheese--what could be better, right?

The Strata should be ready in about 30-40 minutes. It will be bubbly and happy. At this point, it is advantageous to use a glass bread pan, because when it comes out you can see the layers! Yay!

Please enjoy with some friends, this can serve up to 6-7 from one bread pan. I would serve it with a light salad with a balsamic vinaigrette and a glass of wine. The nutmeg from the Strata will work wonders with a balsamic vinaigrette in the accompanying dish--and we're all about flavor fusion. It can also be breakfast for the next day-- this is another dish that can wait on the stove, covered--but if you have Home Ec-style bacteria fear, throw it in the fridge for later.

Buon appetito!

Queen of Sheba: An Ethiopian Paradise in Louisville

In an attempt to make the "My Louisville Loves" link on my blog a little more complete, I thought I would try my hand at restaurant reviews. My first week back has been an overload of all of the food I couldn't get back in the Mediterranean wonderland, and on top of that list was Ethiopian fare. So, we high-tailed it to Queen of Sheba on Taylorsville Road.

I tried Queen of Sheba back in my freshman year of college, it has been a mainstay in my Louisville restaurant diet ever since. Overall, they always have delicious food with complex flavors, it is very comfortable, and it is a welcoming environment to those who have absolutely no idea what Ethiopian food could be. If you aren't acquainted already, let me walk you through to give you an idea.

The building from the outside is pretty unassuming compared to the Ethiopian paradise that you are about to enter. You can smell the aroma of the warm Ethiopian spices even before you open the door. I usually let out a shriek of joy when I pull the door open, so it's a good thing they have a little foyer to prevent me from startling the other customers. Anyways, you enter with a delicious wafting smell of warm spices, medium level conversation, and climate controlling that doesn't remind you of the Arctic Circle (I appreciated that detail). The walls are decorated with hand-woven baskets and artifacts from the land of Ethiopia, and they have decorative faux tall grasses to separate the bar and kitchen from the main dining room. In addition, there is an auxiliar dining room in the back. You should wait to be seated by one of the friendly waitstaff and prepare yourself to be amused.

We were a party of three the night we went, and the menu is very friendly to groups and individuals who are willing to try some variety. They offer vegetarian and meat options that include lamb, chicken, beef, fish, lentils, and a myriad of vegetables. Their beverages also feature unique options including an Ethiopian Honey wine, which is pure happiness and I highly recommend it. Normally, I order the Ethiopian spiced tea, which comes either hot or iced--it is beautiful and steeped with clove and other spices. After dinner, the Ethiopian coffee is a great way to end the meal, and is served in a traditional clay coffee pitcher--aesthetics with flavor, my favorite!

As usual, we could not decide which delectable dish to order, so we went with the Appetizer Sampler and the Tips and Vegetable Combination for two (even though we were three, we knew how much food they served!). Then we ordered the Ethiopian Iced Tea as a drink, free refills!!!

For the appetizer sampler, two types of wraps (Kosta and Fossolia), an injera salad (Timatim Fit-Fit), and your choice of "Sambussa" are involved. We chose the spicier lentil Sambussa, which I didn't find that spicy. As we soon found out, the appetizer is meant to share between two people. There was two of everything except the Timatim Fit-Fit (so much fun to say!) which comes in the middle and was quite easy to share. For the rest, we had to cut them up into smaller pieces, which wasn't too easy, but it was worth the effort.

We were given forks and knives for the appetizer course, but the main event is eaten with Injera--a spongy flat bread that you unroll and use to pinch up morsels (or handfuls) of delicious food. If you don't like to touch your food, you can request utensils, but you're taking all of the fun out of it!

Finally we get to the main event: the Tips and Vegetable Combination! A gigantic silver platter comes out lined in Injera and beautifully displayed with mounds of whatever you ordered. We ordered Doro tips (chicken), Atakilt (phenominal cabbage), Fossolia (mind-blowing green beans and carrots), and Alicha Sega Wot (a cumin scented beef stew). My personal favorites are the Atakilt and Fossolia. The spices they use to enhance the already loveable flavors of cabbage and green beans are impressive. They come out smooth and are a delightful combination with the tang of the Injera flatbread. I was not so excited about the chicken after I tried it, so I will go for the Sega (beef) tips next time. All in all, I loved it as usual.

Some interesting notes: Queen of Sheba has upped their customer service and I was very pleased by the entire experience. Before my only complaint was that the food came out very slow and there wasn't enough help in the front of the house. Now that has all changed and I don't have any complaints about this restaurant at all. Our waitress was very friendly and helpful. If you are intimidated by all of the Ethiopian words on the menu, have no fear--their is a key for translating and the waitstaff is very educated about everything on the menu. I highly recommend Queen of Sheba for unique dining, a warm ambiance, and seemingly endless Ethiopian cuisine!

Information: 2804 Taylorsville Road, Louisville
Phone: 502-459-6301
Email: staff@queenofshebalouisville.com

http://www.queenofshebalouisville.com/index.html

They also have a 2nd location only for lunch at 528 S. 5th St. Louisville