CACTUSmango Kitchen

Baked Cheesy Cauliflower with Proscuitto

2011-08-03T08:14:00.037-07:00

I don't normally shop at Fresh & Easy, because it's out of the way...but, they had a buy one get one free deal on Breyers Icecream which I could not pass up, in hopes that they had some mint chocolate chip left. Unfortunately, no more Mint Chocolate Chip, but, I found a bunch of veggies and fruits marked down to half off because they were close to their sell-by-date. I snagged two heads of cauliflower for $1.25 each. I also don't ever buy proscuitto because it's too pricey for my blood. But it too was 50% off. Alot of times, what I cook comes about because that's what we're craving for. Othertimes, your meal comes about with whatever you can find on sale. I realized the proscuitto would probably go well with one of my favorite dishes baked cauliflower & cheese. My dad's is the bomb. I'm hoping this version will be a hit with my S.O. and L.O.

My parents would put the cauliflower florets in the pan raw & pour a creamy mixture over it, then top with shredded mozzarella/sharp cheddar from the bag. Less steps, but, it takes longer to bake. Being hungry while cooking, I par boiled my cauliflower florets and then used the the Fast Bake option on a Convection Microwave Oven...Just to crisp up the top cheesy layer...takes about 10-15 minutes vs. the hour + it'd take to bake raw. I wonder if one of those kitchen blow torches would work...hmmmmm?

(Update Dec 17, 2011 - tonight I followed by brother Gary's lead and used a whole package of bacon. I topped the dish with crumbled up pieces...mmm! So good!)

Ingredients
1 stick of butter (optional: if using bacon, reserve the bacon grease, so bad, but can't resist!)
1 onion, chopped fine
2 T finely chopped garlic
1/3 cup of chopped celery (optional)
1/2 cup to 2/3 cup flour
2 cups of whole milk 1
t fresh minced rosmary (optional)
1 t fresh minced basil (optional)
salt & pepper to taste
1-2 heads of cauliflower, bite sized florets
One 4oz package chopped-up proscuitto (my bro requested more meat...so, if you can afford it, put 2-3 packages of proscuitto or add BACON or chunks of chicken or sliced up deli meats, whatever you have)
2 cups shredded parmesian cheese
1/4 cup shredded gouda cheese
1/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese
(or Use whatever you have in the fridge or your favorite cheese. I often grab a bag of shredded cheese Mexican cheese blend. And without measuring, I grab huge handfuls, mix it in with the white sauce and layer it ontop of the cauliflower once in the dish, for that crusty cheesy top!)
Stuffing (I tried this today, Dec 17, with some leftover stuffing...because of the amount of bacon I put on top, I barely noticed there was any stuffing...will try to do it again with more stuffing on top...)

side notes:*if you're using a regular oven, preheat your oven now before step 1 to 400 degrees. Hold off 'til after step 3, if you're using a microwave convection oven.
*if you're using block cheese, go ahead and shred it up before you start cooking.
*I love my Kitchenaid food processor attachment that came with the Immersion blender. Great for chopping up the onions, garlic and celery.

Steps
1.(This is an added step to my parents original recipe. They would simply make the sauce and pour it over uncooked cauliflower florets and bake it for a longer time. I remember waiting hours for this dish to come out of the oven.) My update on it is to first Parboil cauliflower florets, drain, put into a buttered up baking pan. I used about 1-2 T of butter to grease up the pan edges. I used a 38x25x4 cm pyrex baking dish, so that I could have one layer of cauliflower. This helps it bake faster and also you get a bigger surface area of the yummy cheese crust! Now, I have a little munchkin, so I snuck her a bunch of plain cauliflower to tide her over until I finished cooking the dish.
2. Melt remaining butter in large pot on medium heat. Add onion, garlic and celery. Stir & Saute until translucent.
3. I like to lower temp to medium low heat, to keep butter from burning. Add a little flour at a time, stirring as you go to make a roux Add Salt & Pepper to taste. I chose not to add too much salt, because the cheese & proscuitto have some saltiness to them already.
4. Go ahead and preheat your microwave convection oven to 400 degrees.
5. Ok, back to the flour...Once flour is incorporated evenly in with the butter, raise the temp up to medium heat, while pouring a little milk at a time, while stirring, making sure to not let the milk burn on the bottom of the pan. Keep stirring milk until you have a chowder like consistency. You don't want it to be soupy thin. When you put it in the oven, you want it too be somewhat thick because the liquid in the cauliflower, will mix in with it while baking and thin it out.
6. Ok, now we layer the remaining ingredients on top. First, pour the sauce all over the cauliflower. Use a spatula to wriggle around the cauliflower to get the sauce to get into all those crevices. Then, sprinkle like crazy your cheeses and proscuitto.
7. By now your oven should be preheated. If not, humb & twiddle your thumbs awhile waiting for that *ding* Ok, now place the uncovered dish in the oven and set to 12 minutes.

so, here's the dish ready for the oven.

and 12 minutes later straight from the oven.

Although my S.O. and bro liked it, it's just not their favorite. I have a feeling it's because it's mainly a veggie dish. They'd probably enjoy it more, just as a side dish to a rack of ribs or something that once moo'ed. Well, my little girl liked it and asked for more. It's my favorite too! So I'll have to try making this dish in smaller batches and freezing it for make-ahead meals for my munkin & I. Hope you give this a go and let me know what you think.

Heavenly Bakeshop

2011-06-22T23:02:00.015-07:00

Hopefully, third time's the charm. Heavenly is now the third Filipino bakery to open in this same spot in the Lee Lee's shopping center.

First impression, clean, lots of product on shelves to choose from, friendly customer service.
I was only able to quickly eye their goodies, before my little one started trying to rearrange their product display, dropping a package of "Palitaw" on the floor. It didn't pop open, but I bought it anyway, since the fall made it's contents all jumbled up. Good thing I have fond memories of this treat from New Years in my Mamalo's house back home. I also ordered one of their Cheese pastries. Curious if it tasted like or better than the previous owners flaky cheese pastry.
I paid with my debit (couldn't do that with the previous bakery) so that's a plus. While paying, I noticed off the back left of the store behind the register, was a refrigerator stacked with ready made take home dishes, like menudo, If i recall correctly. So, next time I'll definitely take one home, but, I didn't this time, because I still had to do my grocery shopping at LeeLee's.

Once home, I tried the Palitaw. It was soft and pleasantly chewy with a non-sweet powdery coating. I think I recall coconut flakes on the ones my dad made for me back home. I'm not sure what the powdery coating is, it's got a subtle flavor of perhaps toasted crushed rice. But, It might not be something everyone would like. If I were to compare it to something, it reminds me of mochi. which i love. I put these in the fridge and they didn't get hard.
I didn't treat the cheese pastry with care as I shopped around that day. When I got home to open the bag, it's top layer was almost all flaked off. So, I'll be ordering this again & eating straight from the case next time. Overall it was light and flaky and not greasy. The cheese filling was also nice, not too sweet. My toddler loved this treat and that it wasn't overly sweet was good for her too. I'd love it if they make another variation with some kind of fruit to contrast the cheese.

I'd like to go back without my little one, so that I can fully experience all that this 1 month new bakery has to offer & take better photos. I'm giving them a middle of the board solid rating of 3 stars, A-OK. I am expecting that on my next visit, Heavenly will be getting more stars.

Orange Ginger Mint Water

2011-05-30T10:42:00.005-07:00

Happy Monday!

Here's a simple and refreshing drink great for a day of bbq'ing! This recipe came together quickly because I just threw in ingredients that I had on hand. I would have loved a hit of lemon taste...I didn't have any calamansi nor lemons. I even peeked into over at my neighbors trees...none to be seen. Darn. Next time! I substituted with two fingers of ginger. (anything with an "o" in front means it's organic)

Orange Ginger Mint Water

Half a pitcher of water
1/4 a pitcher of O apple juice
1/4 a pitcher of orange juice
1 orange, sliced thinly with peal left on.
1 O apple, sliced thinly, skin on.
1 bunch of mint sprigs (I was fortunate to be gifted some fresh mint from my bro & sis in laws garden...awesome)
2 fingers of ginger, sliced big.
3-4 Tablespoons of Orange Blossom Local Honey (disolve in a little water first, then stir into pitcher) add as much as you like.

Stir all of these ingredients together in a pitcher and let chill in the fridge a couple hours before your guests arrive.

Paletas Betty - A Cool Spot in Chandler

2011-05-16T19:27:00.019-07:00

I have now experienced Paletas Betty three times and each time has been a refreshing pleasure! The first time I tasted Paletas Betty was when my friend Iris treated me for my birthday in the begining of this year. We picked out several flavors and then brought them home to share with the family. We cut up the paletas in cubes, so that we could all sample every flavor! I can't recall all the flavors we tried that evening. I remember loving them all. But, being the spice loving kinda gal that I am, I had to try the mango con chile. It was a zippy treat, that was at the same time sweet/tangy and cold/hot. I'm not going to share next time.

The second visit, I attempted to treat my friend to her first Paletas Betty. But, I didn't recall that they only take cash or check. I wasn't able to get cash from the nearby Irish pubs ATM. (That's another story, that ended in tears, to say the least.) But, Betty being so thoughtful and wanting me to have a happy experience that day, bought a Paleta of my choice to cheer me up. That's not something she does on the regular, I'm sure. But, it certainly locked me into loyal fan status, as if the freshly hand crafted frozen pops aren't enough. The Mexican hot chocolate was delicious, by the way. My friend Ninette was pleasantly surprised by her Arroz con leche...nice & creamy & just the right amount of sweetness.

On our third visit this Sunday, we multiplied into a group of 7 adults and 2 energetic toddlers. Our group tried had Mexican Chocolate, Arroz con Leche, Sandia (Watermelon/mint), Puro Mango, Nuez (creamy roasted pecans), Fresa con Crema (Strawberries/Cream) and Platano (bananas foster/caramel/rum). There was not a popsicle stick left unlicked in our bunch.

Our two rambunctious toddlers amused themselves for a long time with the stickers that come with each pop, as the adults chilled on the mod indoor seating, sipping on complimentary water infused with orange slices and mint. For fun, you can also bring your Paletas Betty sticker with you on your travels and photograph it in interesting places. Email it to them, and if chosen, you can win a free paleta! Lastly, let me just say, these are not ordinary popsicles. You can tell that these are hand crafted with lots of attention and love, with only the best ingredients. They have some heft to them and will be a perfect after meal treat on a warm-scorching hot AZ day.

I'll be keeping my eye out for their "carrito" rolling around the Downtown Chandler Farmer's market every Thursday. You can also hire Paletas Betty for your event and they can even create custom flavors for your event. I only wish they were around back in '05 for our wedding!

*Please note: Paletas Betty currently accepts cash and check only.

p.s. Betty shared her recipe for her mango chile paleta < here >

My First Pair of Adidas

2011-04-18T10:52:00.085-07:00

What: Hey Joe! Filipino Street Food
Where: Tempe Outrigger Regatta AZ Ohana, Tempe Town Lake
When: Apr 9, 8:00 AM - 1:00 PM
Description: Look for Garlic Fried Rice and Over Easy Eggs in the Morning

Obviously, these are not the kind of Adidas to lace up for your next race.

Believe me, it wasn't my first choice on Hey Joe's menu. We came out for the #5 "The Hey Joe" consisting of one Pork BBQ, one Chicken BBQ & two pork Lumpia ($8) and to watch the 6th Annual Tempe Outrigger Regatta AZ Ohana races.

Unfortunately, the combination of an unusually cold day & a row of tents full of hungry outrigger athletes meant that the truck was SOLD OUT of FOOD even before my family arrived at noon! Too bad we didn't follow them on twitter, because Brian apparently tweeted about how they ran out of food earlier. If you're a die hard Hey Joe! fan, you better follow their tweets!

Disappointed but still determined to eat something, anything from Hey Joe's truck - I insanely asked if they were out of Chicken Feet. To my dismay, they weren't! So, after a bit of some more good natured prodding - I coaxed Chef Brian into also selling us his last four bananas. The Adidas and banana-ques totaled $10.

The vegan banana-que came out first. The warmth of the banana-que really hit the spot as we stood out in the cold lakeside air. We gobbled down four! Nevertheless, we just wished the banana was much sweeter. Hey Joe's banana-Q's were lightly caramelized with sugar. Brian explained that's how a lot of his customers like it. I still requested that he try making it the way I like it - encrusted with a thick caramelized shiny sugar coating.

We were pleasantly surprised that the guys inside Hey Joe's truck rummaged up a nice complimentary sampling of their atchara, one lumpia aka egg roll and their VEGAN -Organic Mung Bean with Coconut Milk and Local Spinach aka Ginataang Mongo.

Coconut in this vegan version is a refreshingly different flavor than what I'm normally used to in my family's mungo dish. I'd order the full size portion of this, if we venture out to the Phoenix Downtown farmer market tomorrow where Hey Joe and other trucks from the street food coalition will be.

What: Phoenix Public Market
Where: 14 East Pierce Street Phoenix
When: Apr 20, 4:00 PM - 8:00 PM

But I'll be experimenting with coconut in my next batch of non-vegan Humble Mungo Guisado, with pork, shrimp and patis. Hey Joe's pork lumpia was tasty, with a hint of citrus. If given the opportunity, I'd have pounded half a dozen of those. But I'd need two scoops of rice and a side of Thai Sweet Chili sauce. Their atchara of pickled green papaya & ginger, although not spicy, was still satisfyingly crunchy, tangy & sweet. (It's a perfect pairing with any BBQ skewer.) It especially helped me through my first experience of Adidas. Which I found, of course, tastes just like chicken! It was actually not bad. But, I won't be ordering it again. Once passed the familiarly tasty crispy skin, I just couldn't bring myself to eat the chewy sinews between the tiny bones.

I can't believe I ate it, but at least I tried it. But, this along with the other two items listed under "For The Brave" on Hey Joe's menu (Balut and Chicken Ass) are definitely ones to pair with beer if you go out to the Bikini Lounge this Friday, April 22 9:30 pm - 2 am on 16th Ave & Grand Ave. Be sure to check their online calendar for their next location. I couldn't find a review for Hey Joe! on Urbanspoon yet, so I put in a request for it to be added to their databanks. But I give Hey Joe's a 4 out of 5 for their mungo & accomodating service.

---update--9:07pm
I just got an email from jen @ urbanspoon. she added Hey Joe! per my suggestion. awesome.

Still needing to fill our gullets, we headed over to the nearby Paradise Hawaiian BBQ across from the ASU stadium. We recieved lukewarm service with our affordable combo plates of delicious korean kalbi, rice, noodles, meat jun, chicken katsu, seaweed salad and mac salad. We were so hungry. We pounded the food before we could even take a picture. (Side note: They don't have a restroom, no diaper changing table and no children's high chairs. I believe there's a restroom outside of the building, somewhere...I guess that's part of the college town atmosphere.) Well, I will say this, eat there. You'll most likely enjoy whatever you order, regardless of the lackluster service & lacking comforts.

Cake Pops - Round 1

2010-10-08T09:42:00.007-07:00

I'm so smitten by Bakerella's cake pops and all the cake pop versions that have popped up. Especially Papertreats woodland cake pops:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/papertreats/4146549643/in/set-72157622247904362/

I figured they would be super cute for my daughter's first birthday coming up next month. So, despite the odds, I managed to make my first experimental batch. But there were several casualties. This shroom was top heavy and crashed with the weight of the choco dip.

I'll have to make sure i push the stick all the way up the shroom cap next time. It'll also be a good idea to not bring out all of the pops from the fridge. Just take out a few at a time, to keep them cold during the dipping. I also suggest using a little brush to paint on the choco dip.

Yet these were still delicious, moist and most important to me - not too sweet. I did alter the recipes that I found online for the "glue" frosting. I used only 3/4 cup powdered sugar instead of a whole dang box that most recipes called for. It's even less than the 2 cups called for in some "less sweet" recipes. But, I did add 3/4 cup coconut cream powder and 1/2 serving (about 2 oz) of unsweetened organic applesauce. (Yes, I borrowed it from my daughter's food drawer...tsk-tsk-tsk....shhh, don't tell her.)

These are the almost finished cake pops. The owls and hedge hogs don't have their faces painted on yet. The mushrooms need they're classic spots. But, I'm starting to think, realistically I don't have time to do all that anyways. Don't they look cute as is?

Dark Choco Cake recipe used:

http://www.thekitchn.com/thekitchn/dessert/recipe-dark-chocolate-cake-014696 (i sub'd milk with soy milk because that's what i had in the fridge...it turned out fine to me. next time i'll try it with milk to see the difference)

"glue" frosting:

blend all of this together on med speed: 1 pkg of cream cheese, 1 stick of butter, 1 tsp vanilla, 3/4 cup confectioner's sugar, 3/4 cup coconut cream powder, 1/2 serving of unsweetened applesauce (about 2 oz).

My Review of Pumpkin and Banana Baby Food - 6 pack

2010-06-30T09:33:00.001-07:00

Originally submitted at Diapers.com

Plum Baby - Pumpkin and Banana - 6 pack

Our pouches enable us to naturally preserve the flavors and freshness of our foods without additives or preservatives. Using only organic fruits and vegetables, our unique recipes are gently cooked to preserve nutrients.

Pumpkin+Banana=YUM!

By cactusmango from AZ on 6/30/2010

Pros: Tasty, Easy to Use

Best Uses: Meals, Snacks, Infants, Toddlers

Describe Yourself: First Time Parent

Pumpkin+Banana=YUM! Its like smoothy...i had too stop myself from eating it all. my baby loved it all up.

(legalese)

Potluck Potato Salad

2010-05-29T09:40:00.016-07:00

Summer time is here! What better way to welcome the hot arizona temps, than with Pool Party Potlucks? Our little family of three will be attending our first one today, carrying with us a nice big vat of potato salad. {Never mind the diet, besides I invested in a new tankini that I can wear comfortably while pounding all the yummy food!}

This potato salad has bright flavor yet is quite filling, so it'd be an insult to call this a side dish. One sad thing about this, is I forgot to grab a bag of pistachios! Ay-yay-yay! I hang my head low and pout. But, I'm hoping the pound of fried chopped bacon {thanks dar} might distract the pool party peeps from what's missing. Maybe they won't even know. But I know.

MarMar's Potluck Potato Salad

2 c Olive Oil Mayo
1 c Dijon Mustard
3 t roasted organic garlic
2 red organic apples
3 calamansi
2 c chopped celery
2 c chopped red onions
6 hard boiled organic eggs
1 package bacon
10 regular sized red potatoes {I deliberated long and hard about getting the organic bag...but, it was $3 more, so I caved I got regular instead}
4 sprigs fresh organic dill
ground dill weed, salt + pepper to taste

1. Wash and quarter potatoes. Boil in lightly salted water & garlic until fork-tender. Remove from water and let cool in fridge.
2. Using same the same boiling water for your eggs. Cook until hard-boiled. Let cool then peel and chop.
3. Fry bacon and chop when cool. Reserve bacon grease. Set aside.
4. Chop onions and celery and saute in bacon grease. Set aside.
5. Rinse and chop dill.
6. Rinse and chop the apples and squeeze calamansi {or lemon} on it to keep it from browning.
7. Mix the mayo, ground dill, salt, pepper, chopped fresh dill and roasted garlic.
8. In a large bowl, hand toss all the ingredients. {If you have pistachios, go for it! You'll love 'em.}
8. Put back in fridge to chill before the party. When transporting it, put it in a cooler.
9. Oh, and don't forget, to compost your veggie scraps and eggs shells ;)

Happy Memorial Weekend!

Humble Mungo Guisado

2009-03-03T14:05:00.008-07:00

I've been craving this for a long while and finally whipped up a batch yesterday. There is something so comforting and wholly satisfying about sitting down to a humble steaming bowl of mungo guisado.

I usually call my mom, for cooking instructions, but since she's is in the Philippines right now, I had to suffice with following recipes I found online. You can easily make this a vegetarian dish and it will still fill your tummy with goodness.

This is what I gathered online: Pre-boil the mung beans for about 30 min. Stir occasionaly to make sure the bottom doesn't burn. Sautee slices of pork in onions, garlic and tomatoes and patis (fish sauce) to taste. Stir in the cooked mung beans, along with as much broth as you want. I prefer my mungo to have lots of liquid. (Add shrimp and spinach) I would prefer to add kangkong leaves, but can't find them here in the desert. I'll have to see if LeeLee's or Mekong Plaza sells anything like it. But, a good alternative is spinach. Serve over steamed rice or eat without rice. Enjoy!

Gingerroot - 1st Impression

2009-02-17T20:58:00.002-07:00

"Will go back for more." by CACTUSmango (1 review) February 17, 2009 - Likes it - I can say that I have stopped over for just a quick bite. I was running errands along Chandler Blvd. and my curiousity brought me to their hidden spot.

I loved loved loved their Kalamansi juice. It was spot on authentic, refreshing citrus drink that I enjoyed while living in the Philippines...It didn't taste watered down nor sugared up. This alone is cause for me to go out of my way to come back to Gingerroot.

I also ordered the Lumpia or Crispy Spring Roll appetizer to go and ate it while driving around doing my errands. They were piping hot, perfectly crispy on the outside, and the ground pork filling was tender with finely chopped chestnuts adding a nice delicate texture. Since, I was eating this in my car, I only occassionaly got to dip my Lumpia in their sauce, but, I must say...very nice, sweet 7 sour sauce. Also, the price of $7 for the Lumpia is well warranted, because they do not just give you three small rolls. There were roughly 8 pieces. I didn't get an exact count, because I ate them so quickly. Nor did I take any pictures, again, because I gobbled these up.

The gentleman serving me was friendly & informative. The food came out quickly. My hubby & I are planning on going there to try their dinner menu this Thursday. One thing I didn't tell my hubby, is that I saw they have a Magic Mic set up in one corner...If you know me, then you know how excited I was too see that.

And I'll be back to give an update with photos.

Quick Bite Recipe: Bread Salad

2008-12-15T19:22:00.024-07:00

I never had bread salad before, until I ate at Wildflower Bread Company on McClintock and Guadalupe. I really loved it. Wildflower's bread salad is called Tomato Bread Salad ($5.29) and has bread, tomato, garlic, basil, parsley, red wine vinegar, red peppers, marinated mushrooms and olive oil, served atop field greens with grated Parmesan and Balsamic Vinaigrette. They also put a scoop with the sandwiches. That's where I first sampled it.

I inquired about what particular Wildflower bread variety is used, bought their Nine Grain loaf and set out to make my own batch at home. I've made it several times now for myself, Wednesday Night Dinners and other gatherings. The first time I made it, I added fresh mozzarella balls and dumped a container of marinated artichoke hearts/mushrooms all from the olive bar inside Safeway, which was recently listed as #2 Healthiest Grocery Store in the nation. I'm lucky to have one within walking distance from our house. As I don't get to Wildflower that often, I switch up the bread with whatever's on sale at either Safeway or the Marketside (also just a hop skip away). Tonight, I made a batch (with mainly organic or natural ingredients) for hubby & I.

Tools

Washed Hands

Peeler

Kitchen Sheers

Med-Large Salad Bowl

Ingredients (Just toss whatever you like right into your salad!)

1 slice of Organic Provolone Cheese (hand torn into bite sized pieces)

2 slices of Oven Roasted Deli Turkey (I use Hormel Natural Choice.)

1 slice of Light Whole Wheat Bread (hand torn into bite sized pieces)

1 handful of True North Pistachio Chips (crumbled up)

1/4 peeled red apple (sliced into 1/4 in. sticks with kitchen sheers)

4 Organic Whole Dried Montmorency Cherries (cut up with kitchen sheers)

5 capfuls of Organic Balsamic Vinaigrette

3 handfuls of Organic Herb Pre-washed Salad

Steps

1. Hand tear cheese/bread/ham and crumble pistachio chips into bite sized pieces, directly into salad bowl.

2. Peel apple. Slice apples, tomatoes & cranberries into bite sizes. (It doesn't have to be precise. I use kitchen sheers so that I can slice the tomatoes, apples & cranberries right into the bowl. )

3. Drizzle 2-3 capfuls of balsamic vinaigrette into the bowl. Mix 'til bread is thoroughly coated & has absorbed the vinaigrette.

4. Toss in the greens and mix well with the remaining vinaigrette.

I know this seems like a recipe soley for the spring and summer...but, I love the nuttiness, sweet & tart fresh taste of all the ingredients, which definitely gives that warm happy feeling on this cold Decemeber day.

Cozy Spot. Good Eats.

2008-11-28T20:08:00.042-07:00

We go to Yuma every holiday to visit our parents and this Thanksgiving weekend, I was so happy that we tried a local restaurant instead of a big chain. To me, River City Grill was a pleasant change in routine.

While our mom was quite hesitant to give this place a chance, because of it's location, brother-in-law & I were able to convice her. Parking is street side, just like many of the "houses turned restaurants" in Tempe and Phoenix. I liked the terra cotta painted exterior, the stained glass windows in the front, the tchotchke wall decor and large colorful mural inside. (Note: The front desk is situated within an arms reach from the front door. It's a tight squeeze. Perhaps if they had the doors left open and against the walls, this set up wouldn't be cramped.)

All the "Black Friday" bargain shoppers surely flocked to the new shopping center, so we had the place to ourselves. That was perfect, since we wanted to avoid a long wait & a crowd. We arrived a little after 1pm and they end their lunch hours at 2pm.

Everything on the Lunch and Dinner menu was open for us to order from. Mind you, the waitress explained they are planning on changing the menu soon...So, the food we ate today, might not be on the menu tomorrow.

We ordered for appetizers crab&salmon cakes with spicy Thai peanut sauce and Hummus with grilled pita triangles. The cakes were nicely cooked, not overcooked, lightly crispy on the outside. if you like things uber crispy, then you might not like these. Mom & I enjoyed the little side veggies & peanut sauce. if you come just by yourself. You could make the Crab & Salmon Cakes as a little meal. The texture & taste of the Hummus was just right and fresh and plenty to share with our family of 5.

We also were served slices of warm crusty bread with EVOO/balsamic, that the waitress refilled for us later too. Hubby had a tomato bisque arrive that went with his Bacon Bleu Cheese Kobe burger. The bisque had a nice balsamic drizzle for presentation & great texture and was not overly salted. Hubby liked dredging his bread in it as well.

Our food arrived shortly after we finished off the appetizers. Hubby sliced the burger in half & saved the other for take-home. (We were all starting to feel full before the entrees arrived.) He liked the meat - said it was good, but that he realized he's not a fan of the strong taste of Bleu Cheese. They do offer the Kobe burger with grilled onions instead.

Brother Ray loves pesto pasta, so he ordered the Chicken Dijon with penna pasta & cilantro pesto. He was disappointed with it, because he was invisioning more pesto. In hind sight, I suppose we could have asked for a side of pesto sauce.

BIL tasted a bite of my Indian Curried Chicken and instantly wished he'd ordered that instead. I love all kinds of curry dishes and am not snooty or picky about it. I rather enjoyed my dish, and loved alternating bites with the variety of sides offered with the plate. I read some people's reviews about the veggies being "mushy", but, I found that in this curry dish, I enjoyed the soft yellow squash, onions and zucini slices. I think if they were crunchy or more firm, that it'd be wierd in a curry dish. They did have one piece of brocolli for garnish that was appropriately firm.

Dad on the other hand was turned off by the idea of fruit with the curry, so he ordered the Coconut Curry Shrimp served in a coconut shell instead. This dish gets high points for presentation and for the size & quantity of shrimp. Dad counted 7 large shrimp. Dad tasted the Indian Curry and decided he liked coconut with his curry better.

Mom, the one who was the least excited to eat here, enjoyed her choice of Mustard Crusted Salmon (with the same pesto pasta). She didn't care for the vinegary & salty taste of the olive tepanad, but I happily ate it for her. Mom said the salmon preperation was nice/cooked just right. She's not a fan of heavy dishes, not really a big pasta eater, and would have loved veggies, so for those reasons she still likes the grilled salmon at Red Lobster. There are several other Salmon entrees to choose from here, including a Wild Grilled Salmon, which perhaps she would have been a closer comparison for mom to try.

Overall, our experience was above average for local small (non-chain) Yuma restaurants and give this place a thumbs up from each of us. I'm already eyeing the spicy cajun Seafood Gumbo, the Pistachio Crusted Salmon with goat cheese ravioli, black beans & chipotle sauce. On our next holiday in Yuma, we'd eat here again for sure!

---------------
River City Grill

600 W. 3rd St.

Yuma, Arizona

928.782.7988

--------------

2008-11-27T08:21:00.004-07:00

Our family started off this morning watching CNN's coverage as we stood around the counter and ate humble pandesal sandwhiches.

For this simple meal, mom made over-easy eggs, sliced & toasted pandesal (from San Diego), and placed cold slices of Honey Baked Ham (that my BIL Ray brought from Mesa).

This Thanksgiving morning, I'm happy to be with family, but am feeling somber and in prayer for those who're being terrorized in Mumbai since yesterday. Please keep the families there in your hearts in the coming days and pray for peace.

MarMars' Spam Musubi Recipe

2008-11-25T00:13:00.011-07:00

For those that cringe at the thought of spam anything, then this post is not for you, so go away. :) But for those that know how addicting spam musubi can be, stay and drool with me. A few months back, my friends & I were in awe of these breaded spam musubi brought to Ryan & Blenda's baby shower. (I can't recall who made them, but I'll update that bit of info, when I find out.) So, Let's just say, the musubi tray was wiped out in the blink of an eye. I was lucky to literally lunge across the sink & grab the last piece. Oh yes, I had no shame. That spam musubi had my name on it. The spam slices were lightly breaded (probably with Panko) & fried; then wrapped neatly in blocks of white sticky rice and seaweed, then cut halfway on the diagonal; drizzled lightly with a teriyaki type sauce. The crunch texture was the perfect contrast to the soft rice and chewy seaweed. These hefty handfuls were so simple, so yummy, and so perfectly compact. And they left a warm fond memory on all our bellies.

Since then, our groups of friends have gobbled up two more variations of this spam musubi: recently Nelly & Ninette made a batch for Mia's birthday party, non-fried, but the spam was marinated in a soy based mixture...oooh yeah. And when it was my turn to cook for When's d Night Dinner. That time, Ron rigged up his own sushi mold by cutting off the bottom of Spam can, and using a slice of spam to compress the rice down. Worked out pretty good. But, wasn't so neat and even though we pinched down the edges of the can, it was still a bit dangerous sticking our hands into the can. Thankfully, all digits were left intact.
This Saturday, Ron had a hankering for Spamsilog: spam, rice with 2 over easy eggs for breakfast. So of course, I obliged and fed my man exactly that. But, I had other plans for my three slices of spam...I'm sure it's obvious what I had in mind.

And thanks to Ninette, my Spam Musubi turned out perfectly shaped with the brand new plexi-musibi maker. It's so pretty! It cost $11 and I think she picked it up at either Lee Lee's or Mekong Plaza. I love it!

My version is basically a combination of all varieties of Spam Musubi that we've enjoyed the last couple months: Marinated spam, breaded and fried spam, plus the extra touches of scrambled egg and pandesal bread crumbs! (Yes, pandesal bread crumbs, baby. I didn't finish the dozen Manila Bakery pandesal, so, rather than let it rot in the trash bin, I gave it a second life. It's final life ended in my backyard compost bin, courtesy of my buddy Myrna, whose passionate about many things, composting is not one of them, which turned out good for me.)

***Disclaimer, I don't tend to follow recipes, so I think it's funny that I'm posting a recipe here, since I didn't really follow any exact measurements. I just taste, things while I cook, adding more seasoning as I go. Hence, my recipe...it's really a guide...so these measurements are guestimations. Good luck!

MarMars' Spam Musubi
PREP TIME 4 MIN COOKING TIME 10 MIN SERVES 3-4

Spam Marinade
6T Soy Sauce
2T Mirin
2T Vinegar
2T Peanut Oil
2t Sesame Seeds

Whisk all these up.

Slice the spam to the desired thickness. I used the spam slicer (love this! thanks rod!) Marinade the spam for about 5 minutes. Pan fry the spam 'til nice & crispy. Dry on paper towels.

Breaded Spam
1 can of Spam
2-3 Hard Pandesal (crumbled up) - I bought mine from Manila Bakery, but didn't eat them fast enough. So, instead of trashing them, I figured I'd make it into bread crumbs...and whatever I didn't use went into my compost bin.
2 cups Panko breading (just depends, you may need to add more as you go)
2 egg whites (whisked)
2 cups flour

Mix the Pandesal crumbs with the Panko breading. Lightly cover each fried spam with flour. Quickly dredge in the whisked egg whites, then quickly coat in the Pandesal/Panko mixture. And fry until browned. Set aside on paper towel.

Scrambled Eggs
2 whole eggs
3 T Mirin

Whisk the eggs & mirin thoroughly. Pan fry on low heat. The finished scrambled egg should be very thin. Set aside.

Sticky Rice
1c White Rice (recommend Calrose)I had Jasmine on hand.
2T Sweet Saki (optional)
1T Sugar (optional)
1T Furikake (optional)

Mix the above ingredients together. Set aside.

And, of course you'll need a bag of Nori. I just eyeballed to make sure the Nori equaled the length of the musubi and made the Nori as long as I'd need to wrap around the musubi. So, it will vary, depending on how much rice you like, if you do a single layer or double layer of rice.

Time to Assemble the Musubi

You will need the musubi mold

Or if you want to go MacGyver style, carefully remove the bottom of the Spam can. Use a nose head plyer and pinch down any sharp edges. On our first attempt, we did this...but still got nicked. So, thank you Ninette for the $11 upgrade!

Here's a series of photos showing how I assembled the musubi:

To seal the nori, just dap lightly a wet fingertip along one edge of the nori, then fold. And gobble it up, like me, I ate as I finished wrapping.

Now, if you'd like to try out another Spam Musubi recipe, by all means go for it, there's a multitude of ways to personalize your own Spam Musubi experience. Here's just a few that you might like to try by: Cooking Cute, Rashad Maiden, What's Cooking America, Kathy YL Chan, and a YouTube vid by Single Guy Chef showing the macguiver style use of a can of spam as the mold. This last method is not recommended for the accident prone chef.

Oh Romeo...

2008-11-17T12:57:00.020-07:00

Soup of the Day (sounded really yummy, but passed on it, since it too was creamy like my dish…fortunately, hubby did let me enjoy a spoonful . Yum! Light soupy cream, red bell peppers…a little touch of spice, not salty…was there meat in it? I can’t recall.)

$9.50 - Feta Dill Fritters: A blend of gyros meat, feta cheese, fresh dill, spinach and pine nuts. Served with yogurt sauce. The three of us, all had our eyes on this and it was also our waiters favorite appetizer. He wisely suggested that one appetizer would be good for us…These were lovely every bite: Crunchy on the outside, warm and savory on the inside. The yogurt sauce brightened up the slightly heavy appetizer and made you think you could eat more.

$9 regular price, but had it as a side to my entrée. Bleu Cesar Salad: Tomatoes, spring onions, red peppers and capers, tossed with bleu cheese, Italian dressing on romaine lettuce with homemade croutons. Anchovies. I don’t mine had Anchovies, but this little salad was clean and simply delicious every bite. But, by now, I was starting to get full and worried, I wouldn’t have room for my entrée and dessert!

$15 - Penne Carbonara: Ham and bacon sautéed with red and green bell peppers in creamy cheese sauce with penne pasta . This was the birthday boy’s selection and yet again, I was able to sample a yummy mouthful. I’m a believer in that if the dish has bacon in it, then it’s going to be good. In addition to the bacon, the sauce was my favorite. It was creamy, but not too heavy, which is contrary to the Carbonara I’ve had a few times before. Again, not a bad thing. This was so good the next day too. Plenty of left overs.

$18 - Tortellini Kalypso: Crab meat, asparagus, red peppers, garlic, onions with tricolor cheese tortellini in creamy white wine sauce. This was my dish and it’s a beauty. Colorful pasta and veggies and you wouldn’t know it by looking at it, but every bite, had a large chunk of real crab meat. That alone made this dish a winner for me. While the price tag looks steep, it’s worth it, because this dish was deep. I was thouroughly bursting, but was surprised to see I barely made a dent.

$ 17 - Garlic Pesto Chicken: Chicken breast sautéed with roasted garlic, pine nuts and olive oil in basil pesto cream. My brother-in-law Ray wanted to test out what his favorite dish would taste like here at Euro Café. He liked it a lot, but wasn’t feeling the extra creaminess of the sauce…he also preferred the lighter cream sauce of the Carbonara dish.

Euro Café doesn’t have a set Dessert Menu because the selection varies day to day, depending on how long it takes them to make. While my two companions, were too stuffed to stand, I gleefully mozied over to the dessert counter and ogled at all the goodies behind the glass. I finally decided upon two truffles and a slice of three-layered cheesecake labeled “Fantasy” as an ode to my hubby’s favorite online sports pastime. I let our waiter know that the three of would be sharing the desserts and walked back excitedly to our table. The desserts were served a few moments later, but the waiter teased, by placing a truffle in front of Ron & Ray and the huge cheesecake slice in front of me! LOL! We shared, honest! Ok, well, I finished up the cake…and the chocolate drizzles…As if that wasn’t enough, Ray, ordered a Baklava Cheesecake to-go! He told me later, that it was goooooood. Judging from what we ate that night, I believe him.

Pecan (Fantasy) Cheesecake (I think this was about $5 a slice)
Chocolate Powdered Truffle (This was about $1.50)
Chocolate Ganache Pecan Truffle (This was a little more than $1.50)
Baklava Cheesecake (Don’t know, Ray got this to take home.)

Refillable Drinks:

Wine? (Ray had a glass…I can’t remember what kind.)
Passion fruit tea $2.25 (just a regular flavored tea, good.)

Needless to say, we will go back to Romeo’s Euro Café several more times.

Heritage Court

207 North Gilbert Road

Gilbert, Arizona 85234
480-962-4224
http://www.eurocafe.com/menus/EuroCafeMenu.pdf
http://www.eurocafe.com/Static/About_Euro_Cafe.html hours and directions

No more treats?!

2008-11-06T13:30:00.033-07:00

Nah, there's plenty of treatin' to be had after Halloween. In my neck of the wood, instead of having to hunt around for it, my friends are bringing them to my door! Have I died and gone to heaven? Maybe not, but friends and food are always a good thing.

First treat bearers, I have to thank, are Ray and Christina...who came by with two huge pink boxes! I knew those pink boxes could be up to no good. And indeed they held some devilishly sweet treats from the local donut shop, Bosa Donuts. They had with them a dozen assorted donuts, some sprinkled, some cake, some chocolate, some glazed. But my eyes zoomed in on two donuts that bring back childhood memories, of cinnamon on my mom's apron and the ring of the bell, as early morning customers stopped in to my family run "Lola Lly's Donutery".

The creations that mom and dad lined their trays with every morning sure could make a girl swoon. But, my first two donut affairs were staring back at me inside those pink Bosa boxes: Cinnamon Crumb and Boston Cream. Oh, my, oh my...I gobbled up the Boston faster than you could say "Lola Lly's Donutery". The donut bread was yummy and soft and filled with oh so good creamy goodness. The Cinnamon Crumb met a similar fate the next day. Unfortunately, I must watch my donut intake, another nuisance of poly cystic ovary syndrome, so I sent the rest of the lovelies to work with my hubby Ron. Lucky co-workers.

This is not the first taste of Bosa, I've had. I went with another friend Ninette, one day, just on her craving for it. This is small mom & pop biz with a drive-through and inside a couple of booths that seat up to 4. We were pleased to learn they also serve bagels, icecream and smoothies. But we focused on donut holes and french cruellers. All soft and yummy. I can't recall what smoothie I had, but I do remember I liked it, but with the combination of donuts and smoothie...it was a bit too mush sweet for me. On the other hand, Little Mia downed a near dozen donut holes! The customer service was friendly and prompt. The food was yummy, fresh and affordable. Simple decor, a little outdated, but it reminds me of my parent's donut shop back in Virginia, so it felt like home.

Bosa Donuts

1016 N Arizona Avenue
Chandler, AZ 85225
(480) 899-7134

~ . ~

The 2nd treat bearer that I have to thank is Myrna! She came to drop off Mr. Marley for some hang out time, while she went to do errands...but before she left she revealed a very dubious white (unfortunately styro) container. Can't judge a book by it's cover, right? So, I opened it immediately because I hadn't eaten lunch and it was already 3pm...inside were two half slices of cake that I knew from looking at them...were Better Than Sex Cake Classic and Chocolate Ecstacy!!!!! Myrna & I shared a slice of BTS cake Classic before and the memories of it's moist sweetness made my eyeballs bulge out of their sockets. So, it was without question, skip lunch. Eat desert first! I wanted "Ecstacy" first and plunged my fork into it's moist darkness: Chocolate Cake, Coffee, Coffee Liqour, Chicolate Mocha, Sweetened Raspberry, Topped with Whipped Crream and Shaved Chocolate. YUM! The raspberry seeds, may be off-putting to some, but, I didn't mind the little bits.

BTSCC is located in a quaint little shopping center, off the main intersection of Arizona Ave and Pecos, just south of Downtown Chandler's town center. Park behind the deli, walk underneath the little vine covered arches and follow the path to the left. That's where you'll hit the spot where they make cake that espouses to be better than sex. Now that of course is a topic I won't go into too much detail. But, I will say, that take a bite of their cake, and you may elicit an ooooh! or an aaaaahhh!
Marely sure wanted a taste, but sadly for him, my BTS cake leftovers were saved for my hubby. I am after all a one man kinda gal.

Oh, don't forget you can get a $1.99 BTSCC slice, if you print out their > coupon <

Better Than Sex Cake Cafe

241 S Oregon St

Chandler, AZ 85225

480-722-1220

Quick Bite Recipe: Turkey Brie Roll

2008-06-13T17:40:00.007-07:00

I have been working day & night on a Hybrid Scrapbook tutorial and promoting my latest digital scrapbook kit, Posh Picnic available exclusively at CocoaDaisy.com. Oh, by the way, included in the kit, is a super cute printable sheet of Drink Parasols. They're fun & functional. Instead of the black sharpie method, doll up your next mixer with custom drink umbrellas. Each one is different. Print them on a various types of papers for different looks & textures. And spear fresh fruits & berries on the skewers.

Anyhow...that's just a sneak peak into what I live breath sleep and think about all day. It's no wonder I have no interest lately in cooking. Well, today, was one of those days, where I just could not pry myself from the laptop for too long, not even to eat. But, my stomach growls finally forced me off the net & into the kitchen. I opened the fridge and all I had was rice from last night, sliced smoked turkey, and a big wedge of brie.

Could be a disappointing fare for the unimaginative. But, creativity being my thing...i quickly thought of the fastest way to deliver those into my tummy. It's not really a new idea...no, I can not take credit for The Roll. But, well, this combination, I dare say, I have yet to see on a menu. These puppies are done up psuedo sushi style, becuase there's cold rice, toasted sesame seeds, and Furikake involved.

1. Center a little log of cold Jasmine rice down the center of a deli slice of smoked turkey. I especially love the Hormel Natural Choice Smoked Deli Turkey because it tastes good and it has no artificicial preservatives and no hormones. But, if none of that matters to you, use whatever kind of deli meat you love.

2. Add a half slice of brie soft cheese atop the rice. I bought this brie from Costco the other day, and really loved it. It's creamy and has a nice mild tart afterbite.

3. Roll it up. That's it. the toothpicks are just to hold it in place long enough to take the picture. These things went fast. I ate about 5 rolls. As a final touch, I sprinked toasted sesame seeds for the nutty flavor. And Furikake for a nice saltyness.

Corn "Compostable Clamshell"

2008-04-08T07:53:00.008-07:00

Who needs plastic when you can have corn containers?! This is not a new concept, but, it's the first time I've seen it in a regular grocery store aisle, Safeway to be exact. Now there's organic and there's organicgirl. OrganicGirl has taken their good clean greens to the next level by packaging them in containers that function like the regular plastic salad containers, but -this is a big BUT- the packaging is Sustainable, Renewable, and Recyclable. The container can actually be composted! What's great is they have a "find a composter" link on their website too. OrganicGirl has thought of everything.

I love it when company's take hold of their environmental impact and most importantly make significant changes in their practices. One thing that irks me, is why companies are not held legally bound to use earthy friendly packaging. I know that changes on a grand scale take time. That's why I'm so happy to see when companies do their part now. I love organicgirl. There. I said it.

Crispy Sushi Icecream

2008-02-27T10:31:00.002-07:00

Crispy Sushi Icecream by mars carranza
(inspired by Mojo's from Moto's in Phoenix)

You'll Need:
1 bag or 2 of marshmellows
1 box of rice crispies
Butter or I Can't Believe It's Not Butter
Magnolia Green Tea Ice Cream or Neopolitan Ice Cream.
Little Debbie Brownies or whatever brownies you've got.
Chocolate, Strawberry, and/or Caramel syrup.
Red or orange sugar sprinkles.
Plastic Wrap.
1 or more Rectangular Pyrex dish(es) at least 13 in. long...

OK...Are you Ready?

1. Before you start the rice crispy action, take out your
icecream & set it on the counter to soften a tad bit. (If you
do choose to use Magnolia Green Tea Icecream...it gets
soft fast, so no need to set it out on the counter.)

2. Prep your other "sushi filling". Slice the brownies thin &
long. (Because later, you'll be laying it down the center from
one end of the pan to the other.) Have all your syrup bottles
and sprinkle bottles open. Shoot...you can line up any kind
of toppings you want to put inside: nuts, cut up candybars,
more marshmellows, cookie dough, whatever! Just make
sure they are open, cut up, set out & ready for action.

3. Then, prep your Pyrex, by laying an oversized sheet of
plastic wrap inside it. Letting a good amount to hang over
the sides. Then, smother the plastic wrap with your butter
of choice. (If you're making more than one roll, have 2-3
other pyrex prepped as well)

4. Now, basically, Follow instructions on the marshmellow
bag on how to make rice crispy treats, except add a
handfull of extra marshmellows from bag #2 or don't use the
entire box of rice crispy cereal...less by 2 cups. (reason being:
more marshmellows make it easier to spread...you'll see)

5. While the rice crispy mixture is still hot, start scooping it
out and smoothing it out, edge to edge, onto the buttered
plastic wrapped pyrex. Try to make it a maximum thickness
of 3/4 inch. (Any thicker, and it gets harder to roll up later)
Work quickly, if you intend on making more than one sushi
icecream roll. Because once the mixture gets cold...it's
pretty hard to smooth out and you're left with a pot of one big
rice crispy treat...which isn't bad, but not what we're going for.

6. Next, quickly smooth out your icecream down the center
(LENGTHWISE!) but avoid smoothing it all the way to the top
& bottom...LEAVE a 1 inch min. border on the top & bottom.
The icecream layer should be about 3/4 inch deep.

7. Speedily layer your other "sushi fillings" down the center
(LENGTHWISE)...don't make it too thick now...remember,
you gotta be able to Roll this puppy next.

8. (this part can get messy) Lift the Plastic Wrap edge
closest to you, then start rolling the whole thing, but be sure
NOT to roll the plastic wrap into the sushi roll. After you get
the whole thing rolled, take the same plastic wrap to cover
it up, and twist the ends, then pop it in the freezer to let the
icecream get hard again...about an hour later, remove the
plastic wrap, set on a nice serving dish, take a sharp knife
and slice the roll. (1 - 1 1/2 inch thick each piece.)

For added flare, drizzle chocolate, red sprinkles, and whip
cream over top individual servings. Best if eaten the day it's
prepared. If it's not eaten up in one sitting, then it will keep
in the freezer for several weeks, but, the rice crispies will
lose 90% of their crispiness.

After I learn how to make chocolate ganache, I plan on
layering a thin layer of chocolate ganache on top of the
rice crispies before smoothing down the icecream layer.
Or putting the chocolate ganache layer first, then the rice
crispies...the possiblities are endless with this.

Have fun! And send me pictures if you try this out.

from mars
living a life inspired!