It's Game Day Baby!

So you can take the girl out of Alabama, but you can't take the Alabama out of the girl!  I live in Los Angeles now, but I'm still a Bama girl through and through.  So naturally I'm up watching the Bama v. Penn State game and though I would share with you my favorite game day recipe!  I usually enjoy this when it is a little cooler outside, but still you can't beat a HUGE bowl of chili!  I took this one from foodnetwork.com, which is a GREAT resource.  This recipe is also good if you are throwing a very low key party with your friends.  Take a look and ROLL TIDE!!

Ingredients

• 2 slices bacon, chopped
• 1 onion, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 pound ground beef
• 1 (12-ounce) bottle beer
• 3 cups black beans
• 2 (14-ounce) cans tomato sauce
• 1 (14-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
• 2 1/2 tablespoons chili powder
• 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 1 teaspoon cocoa powder
• Kosher salt
• Sour cream, for garnish
• Grated Cheddar, for garnish
• Chopped scallions, for garnish

Directions

In a large saucepan or small Dutch oven, cook the bacon over medium heat until the fat renders and the bacon is cooked, about 5 minutes. Add the onion and cook until the onion softens, about 5 more minutes. Add the garlic and cook for another minute. Add the beef and cook until no longer pink. Raise the heat to medium-high, deglaze with the beer, and allow to bubble and boil for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the beans, tomato sauce, crushed tomatoes, chili powder, red pepper flakes, cocoa, and salt. Stir to combine well. Simmer for 30 minutes, or more, and serve with sour cream, shredded cheese, and chopped scallion, if desired.

Sweet Tooth?? Me too!

Lately I have been CRAVING sweets.  Not really sure why, I have never really had a sweet tooth until lately.  And no...I'm not pregnant!  One of my favorite sweet treats is frozen yogurt.  I just love the texture, the smooth, cool, creamy flavor.  Back in Atlanta I had the most amazing self-serve yogurt shop.  So in an effort to replace my favorites here in Los Angeles I knew I would need to find a new place soon.  

Like he does sometimes, my husband likes to surprise me.  I'm a lucky girl, I know.  So one night in an effort to pull me out of one of my home-sick moods, he took me to Studio Yogurt in Studio City.  The shop was very cute.  It had a few tables both inside and out.  The wide counter was lined with over 35 different toppings and sauces.  And behind the counter were 24 soft serve yogurt machines.  The ladies behind the counters are really nice and moved quickly.  So even though there was a bit of a line when we came, it didn't take too long until it was our turn at the counter.  

Not being super hungry, I ordered a small.  How silly of me.  The small was HUGE.  I knew there was no way to finish it. So when you go to visit, BEWARE!  The portions are enormous, and the toppings added do not disappoint either.   I have to admit, Studio Yogurt is a very generous place!  But the thing I liked the most about it was its multiple "healthier" options.  Many of the yogurts came in surgar-free, fat-free or carb-free varieties, as did several toppings and sauces.  So for those that have special dietary needs when it comes to your sweet tooth, you are sure to find something great you can have here.  

As I predicted, I wasn't able to finish my "small" marshmallow creme yogurt, but it was very tasty.  One thing to note is that though you will always find chocolate, vanilla and peanut butter,  the other flavors rotate out every few days.  But to me, this makes going back often fun just to see what new and tasty flavor they have started to serve.  

Personally, I still prefer the self-serve yogurt shops.  While this place was nice, I think I will keep a look out to see if there is a self-serve shop with the same charm.  But until then, I look forward to checking out Studio Yogurt when my sweet tooth won't leave me alone!

Until next time, Guten Appetit!

Thai Boom Indeed

Oh Thai food...how do I love thee, let me count the ways.  Thai food has some of the best flavor profiles in Asian cuisine.  I love the spices, the coconut milk and the curry.  So I knew one of the first things I had to do when I moved to L.A. was to find my new Thai place.  While the place I found wasn't in my neighborhood, it was great enough to tell you guys about!

Located on Venice Blvd in Culver City is Thai Boom.  The restaurant itself was decent.  Not overly decorated from what I could tell.  The interior was a little boring and plain.  The wait staff were really nice though, and we were seated and served quickly.  I used to work as a hostess and server, so these things are a big deal to me.

So lets get to the good stuff!!  The food was amazing.  We started out with the steamed dumplings for an appetizer.  Take a look:

While this style of dumpling isn't my favorite, these were really nice.  They were perfectly steamed, the pork was very tasty, and the sauce served with them really added to the flavor.  They also brought out a spicy chicken soup to every table.  My husband understands that if I ever get sick, he will unfortunately have to drive to Culver City to pick up a bowl of this amazing chicken soup!  The broth was a nice balance of savory and spicy.  But enough about that.  On to the main event.  

I have a few dishes that I always order when I go into a new restaurant.  And when I try a new Thai place, I have to sample their red curry.  Just like a first kiss, it tells you everything you need to know.  And that is exactly what I ordered.  And it was ah. maz.  ing.  Take a look:

The curry and coconut milk were rich and savory.  The veggies were perfectly cooked.  I love pork in my Thai dishes, so that is exactly what I ordered.  All in all I was very impressed with the quality of food that was offered.  Added with the jasmine rice that comes with this dish and it was a great red curry.  It completely passed my test.  It was a great "first kiss".

So what is my final verdict?  I would definitely come back, but since its a little more than 30 minutes away from me, its too far to turn to often.  But if you are up for a drive, or live in the area, I would say give it a try.  One more L.A. restaurant down, many more to go.  Stay tuned.

And as always, Guten Appetit!

And on every corner...

If there is one thing I have noticed since moving to LA, is that it seems every single corner has either a donut shop, a pizza parlor or a sushi house.  Well at least this is true in my neighborhood.  Now I'm the kind of girl who never eats at a chain unless its unavoidable, so naturally I really looked forward to checking out these little mom and pop places.

So I decided to start with the pizza parlor.  With the many many choices out there, it took my husband randomly spotting this joint on the way home one night to decide on where to begin.  Cue: Taste Chicago.  Located on the corner of Hollywood Way and Verdugo in Burbank, this restaurant was started by actor Joe Mantegna and his wife Arlene.  It has a very sporty atmosphere with lots of Chicago jerseys on the the walls and TVs turned to the game.

The food choices are very much what you would expect from a Chicago style eatery.  Chicago dogs, cheesecake, and of course, deep dish pizza.  Since we were in the mood for pizza we decided on a pepperoni deep dish with a side of cheesy garlic break.  While it was a little pricy - around $30 for one pie - this pizza was amazing!  Each slice was almost a meal in itself.  The chunky tomato sauce was perfectly seasoned, and there was a generous helping of pepperoni.  Truly amazing if you enjoy deep dish.  The cheesy garlic bread was in a word, sinful!  There was so much butter and cheese, Paula Deen would have been proud.  Super heavy for an appetizer, so be prepared.

All in all I was pleasantly surprised by Taste Chicago.  The pizza was amazing, the garlic bread was decent, and left overs were just as great the next day.  The only down side was the price.  But I guess for the sheer weight of this pizza it wasn't too bad.  We will definitly be back!  Looking forward to checking out some of their other menu selections.

Until next time, Guten Appetit!