It snowed in Dallas yesterday, and I’m not talking about the normal snow (a few flakes and no stickage), it was REALLY coming down. Living in the south we don’t experience cold temperatures like our friends in the North, and we definitely do not see snow like this. It is so beautiful and all it makes me want to do is curl up on the couch, turn on a good flick, and eat!
Nothing says winter to me like comfort food (or beverages). There are just certain types of foods that you don’t eat as much in the summertime, especially when it tops out at 100 degrees on a cool day. Here are a few of my favorite wintery treats. Continue reading →
My husband and I went to Boston in December and had the most amazing time. It was such a wonderful trip and I can’t say enough good things about the city of Boston. The highlight of the trip was definitely the amazing seafood, most of all, the Lobster!
Living in Dallas the extent of my Lobster feasting is when Central Market or Sprouts has a sale on Lobster tails. I rarely order it out because of the considerable cost. We probably ate it in some capacity every day of the trip, but my favorite were the Lobster Rolls!! I had never had one until Boston and now I’m officially hooked. The only problem is, where can I get a quality Lobster Roll in Dallas?
Well, I’ve heard of a few places that apparently have New England Style quality rolls, but that I will have to judge for myself. The first place Matt and I tried out was Sea Breeze Fish Market and Grill in Plano and I must say, everything was pretty tasty. The store is very charming with a distinct cafe feel. With their selection of fresh fish for purchase, small number of tables for dining, and a nice selection of beer and wine, the atmosphere lends to an enjoyable dining experience.
Sea Breeze was recently voted the Best Clam Chowder in Dallas by D Magazine and I definitely know why. We ordered a bowl to share for an appetizer and it was exceptional. It had that perfect level of creaminess and the clams were not too fishy at all. The ingredients were simple and very very tasty. It was the most authentic New England Clam Chowder we’ve had in Dallas for sure. It is a must try.
Now for the star, the Lobster Roll. I will start off by saying, I know I am not in Boston, so therefore I do not expect a Boston quality roll, but I hope to find one pretty damn close! At first site the amount of Lobster meat was reduced by half of what you get in New England. If there was the same amount of meat the $13.99 price would undoubtedly be doubled making it less attractive for a lunchtime meal. The bun was authentic and toasted to perfection, but my biggest complaint was the amount of butter. I am not one to say, you can never have enough butter. In fact, I prefer butter as a light backdrop of flavor, not the main attraction. It was so intense that at times it’s all I could taste. It felt like the lobster was fighting to push it’s flavor through. The meat itself tasted fresh and thankfully there wasn’t too much mayonnaise added to the mixture. Overall, I would give the Clam Chowder a 5 out of 5 and the Lobster Roll 3.5 stars out of 5. I will definitely go back to Sea Breeze. There were multiple things on the menu that made my mouth water. Now, I must scope out the next spot in my quest to find the best Lobster Roll in Dallas!
Thanks to our friend Eric for this great recommendation. The hotel was beautiful, the room was perfect, and the restaurant was delicious. Oh and the free cocktail happy hour was the icing on the cake. We will definitely stay there again!
Verdict: 5 Stars for the oysters – the most succulent fried oysters I’ve ever had. 4 Stars for the Chowder and Scampi. 3.5 Stars for the Newburg – unfortunately it was so rich I could barely eat it, but don’t worry…no lobster was wasted!
Consumed: Spicy Tuna Tartare and Grilled Flatbread with roasted garlic, goat cheese, oven dried cherry tomatoes, arugula, and aged fig vinegar!
Verdict: 5 Stars and unbelievable! We stopped in to have a quick appetizer before we headed in to Boston from Cambridge and it set our palets souring!! Amazing!
Consumed: Scallops in Saffron Cream, delicious Stuffed Chicken with Sherry Cream Sauce, and Red Sangria!!
Verdict: 5 Stars for the Scallops – the Saffron Cream was decident! 4 Stars for the yummy chicken. 10 Stars 🙂 for the Sangria – love love loved the Sangria, so fruity and delicious!
Consumed: Fried Clams, Clam Chowder, Broiled Fisherman’s Platter with scrod, shrimp, lobster, and quohogs.
Verdict: 4 Stars for everything! Yet again we were not disappointed. The Fried Clams were delish and the broiled seafood was so fresh and succulent. They were out of scallops for the dish and our amazing waitress brought us out a side dish of lobster meat! This was a perfect example of the amazing hospitality we received in Boston the entire trip from waitresses, to our concierge, to people on the street that we asked for directions.
Consumed: Mussels, Caesar Salad, Traditional Lasagna, and Chicken Verdicchio
Verdict: 4 Stars for the Mussels – delicious but some of them didn’t taste 100 percent fresh. 5 Stars for the entrees – the best Lasagna and Chicken Verdicchio I’ve ever tasted!! The best Italian food I’ve ever had (in the States of course)!
It’s been too long since my last post. Once Thanksgiving hit, the last few months of 2009 were just a whirlwind. I must say this holiday season was an exceptionally good one. The food was phenomenal and the family time was really special. The joy of having a large family is the multiple events to attend. Of course that means more holiday food! I ate enough casseroles and desserts to last me through 2010.
With all of the delicious calorific food that was consumed my waist line was not happy with the end result. But what is a girl to do when tempted with such deliciousness?!?! Well, my heavy appetite has yet to subside and the freezing cold weather that Dallas has been seeing has yet to pull me out of hibernation mode. So, now is when I turn to my favorite magazine for scrumptious and healthy good eats…Cooking Light. I can’t say enough good things about this publication…and lovely website as well. Not only do they offer great cooking techniques but the food is healthy and truly delicious.
Since we are in the new year I thought it would be appropriate to share with you my favorite comfort food but with a healthy twist. No, I did not make a health induced resolution this year, but after the over indulgence that was Thanksgiving and Christmas, it is time to get back on track.
I love the holidays, especially Thanksgiving. Who wouldn’t love an entire day dedicated to giving thanks over a feast of meats, casseroles, and desserts galore. My mouth is watering just thinking about it.
Thanksgiving in my family is definitely an event. Whether it’s my father’s feast of meats, or my Grandmother’s casserole smorgasboard, I am never left unsatisfied. This year will be spent at my Grandma and Grandpa’s house in Oklahoma for the biannual Thanksgiving/family reunion. Every other year the entire family comes together from Oklahoma, Texas, New York, Salt Lake City, and Tennessee. It’s quite an event and I must say the food can’t get any better anywhere else. I can’t wait to take lots of pics on Thursday and share all of the good eats with everyone this weekend, but for now I wanted to share my favorite dish that has become a Hibbard family staple.
The origins of this recipe started with my amazing Aunt Janice. She was a wonderful woman full of spirit and love, and her Squash Casserole reflected all of the love she conveyed. The recipe has been passed throughout the family but for the most part has maintained it’s original flavor. I made just two small changes, even though it tastes amazing with it. You really must make this recipe, it’s the best casserole I have ever had!! Continue reading →
Sundays are one of my favorite days of the week for two main reasons, sleeping in and late morning brunch. I usually make it at home but lately Matt and I have been on a mission to find the best brunch in Dallas. Ok, so we only tried out two restaurants, but I’ve tried many breakfast places in the past and I feel very confident in my new found favorite.
A few weeks back we were eating at one of our favorite Mexican spots, Cyclone Anaya’s, when we saw their advertisement for Sunday brunch (their Lobster Enchiladas are AMAZING by the way). A few Sundays later we were back again. We ordered the bottomless mimosas ( around 12 bucks a person if I’m remembering correctly) the Crabmeat Omelet, and their amazing queso. With all of the chips we usually eat we decided to split the omelet and save room for more mimosas. Continue reading →
I’m starting to finally get the hang out of building multiple meals using the same ingredients. For so long I’ve just made a list of meals to make, completely different from each other, purchased all of my groceries and ended up wasting most of the leftover ingredients. After re-evaluating how much money I was throwing in the garbage I’ve really tried to focus on pulling my meals together better. This weekend was the perfect time to put this new practice to use. Here are the results! 🙂
This recipe was absolutely delicious! I cut the recipe down a bit so I had plenty of leftover ingredients for another meal. I cooked the pizza a minute or two too long but the crust was crispy and the cheese was gooey and scrumptious. The arugula salad on top really tied everything together. Add a Caesar salad (yes I know more greens…but it’s too good to resist) and a glass of Sauvignon Blanc and you’ve got the perfect meal.
Saturday Night Dinner:
Today was one of those perfect lazy Saturdays. When it came time to start thinking about dinner I didn’t have the energy to go back to the grocery store, and facing the busy restaurant crowds didn’t sound appealing at all. So, I opened the pantry and got to thinking. I had some leftover cheese, arugula, and lemon vinaigrette from the night before, a bag of frozen chicken, fresh thyme, a container of Arborio rice, and a little bit of white wine left. After some creative thought, along with a little help from Food Network, this is what I came up with. Continue reading →
In today’s economic times it’s important to save pennies any way that you can. While preparing my weekly menu I wanted to incorporate as many things from my pantry that I could. I have a tendency to LIVE at the grocery store. Nothing clears my mind like the aisles of a well stocked and diverse foodie heaven, but sometimes I can go a little overboard and tend to spend way too much. Here is what I like to call a pantry recipe, using ingredients that I already have on hand.
*Disclaimer: I didn’t measure the ingredients so these will be estimated to the best of my ability 🙂
I first tried my hand at Souffles earlier this year and I must say, it wasn’t as scary as I thought it would be. Something about those beautifully puffed creations just made me nervous. But what better way to test my skills then with a Mexican Chocolate Souffle.
I had been craving chocolate, more than usual, and I saw a show on the Food Network that used cayenne pepper in their chocolate sauce. This wasn’t a new concept to me, but one that I had never tried before and one I had to try really soon. I can’t remember the exact occasion, but it involved a night in with the hubby and culinary experimentation. Continue reading →
Last week my husband and I spent a wonderful evening celebrating our wedding anniversary! I decided to utilize the new skills that I learned at Central Market’s “Italian Fresh Pasta” class, and make some Pasta with Pesto and homemade pizza. Unfortunately, I didn’t have the wonderful Kitchen Aid attachments that I used in the class, so my trusty hands and rolling pin were the tools I had to work with.
Since I already made the pasta dough in class there were just a few steps I had to take before the pasta was ready for the pot.
**Side Note: You can use these same techniques with store bought frozen dough.
Take the dough out of the fridge and let it sit until it reaches room temperature
Knead the dough for about 5 minutes, or until slightly soft
Cut the dough into fourths and roll out the pieces until sheet thin
Cut each large piece in half to make it easier to work with
Using a pizza cutter, cut the pasta sheets into thin strips, the size of Fettuccine
Once I finished cutting the pasta it was time to finish my pizza! I have to say everything turned out wonderful. We topped off the meal with a delicious Caesar Salad and a bottle of Pinot Noir. Give these recipes a try…they are delish! Continue reading →
This past Monday I took my second cooking class at Central Market, Italian Fresh Pasta, and it was Fabulous!! When deciding which class I was going to take next two things came to mind, my love for pasta, and my desire to squash my fear of homemade dough.
My one and only attempt at making my own dough was for a Cooking Light Chicken Pot Pie recipe. So many things went wrong with that crust and all I can say is that was just simply edible. I definitely wouldn’t fancy myself a baker and my lack of experience has kept me from venturing in to the world of homemade breads and anything in need of a crust. My pizzas always just turn out “okay” and I know it’s because of the frozen pizza crust that I use. I knew I could eventually wrap my mind around these recipes…it would just take some practice.
A pasta class seemed like the perfect solution to my problem. Not only do I love pasta, but I could take my new techniques and try my hand at other homemade doughs. When I got to the class I was really excited but a little apprehensive of the fact that we would be making our pasta in groups. I didn’t know how much I would actually be able to make myself. Needless to say the groups were necessary in order to prepare the amazing menu we would enjoy for dinner in just two and a half hours. Continue reading →
It snowed in Dallas yesterday, and I’m not talking about the normal snow (a few flakes and no stickage), it was REALLY coming down. Living in the south we don’t experience cold temperatures like our friends in the North, and we definitely do not see snow like this. It is so beautiful and all it makes me want to do is curl up on the couch, turn on a good flick, and eat!
Sarah's Musical Kitchen 