Have you Hurd... Your Dining Scout and Shade Tree Chef has wanted to talk about something other than a French card game...

This post was originally drafted almost two years ago, but I never actually posted it.  After socializing with a few close friends and family, I realized it needed major revision.  I had a hard time taking the axe to it.  Much as Jane Fonda did to her masterpiece in the making in the movie "The Dollmaker."  Not that I am comparing myself to her movie character Gertie Nevels, but in a similar fashion I feel compelled to finally do that which I considered unthinkable.  Please enjoy what hopefully will be the first in a new series of posts from your Intrepid Dining Scout and Shadetree Chef...

I have been thinking a lot about something lately.  Milestones and how we celebrate them. Probably best to unpack it slowly and separately from another loosely connected topic I intend to cover in the near future.

I vaguely recall my parents playing a popular card game when I was just a kid.  In the truly ancient times, even before the advent of UNO (gasp!) At least in our house.  It was based on a French card game - Mille Bornes.  (Translation: Thousand Mile Stones) Back in the days when every home had at least one fondue pot and at least three relatives who liked to French braid their hair...  Parker Brothers probably figured anything that sounded French would fast become a household item.   I have no idea how the game worked or why it popped into my mind, but I had to share it.  Maybe your parents played it too?  It was something the adults did while us kids were in the next room playing Atari praying they would lose track of time and we would get to stay up late.  And our Atari didn't have any number behind it either.  Ancient times.  Different times.  Since I am sure after all this time of waiting, you expect some mention of a real milestone...  I will get to the point.  The particular milestone I am thinking about in my life right now is I recently used up a box of 200 inter-folded foil sheets (12 inches by 10 3/4 inches).  Anyone who has ever worked in food service is likely familiar with them.  They are used to wrap any number of food items before handing them to the customer.  I have used them for one thing and one thing only.  Wrapping breakfast burritos.  I am sure it seems silly to consider this a significant lifetime achievement or a even a informally celebrated milestone.  After all, who throws a party to celebrate using up a box of plastic wrap or aluminum foil?  "Honey, call all our friends and break out our best wine!  I just finished the box of gallon-size freezer bags!  It is time to PARTAYYYYY!"  -laughing out loud-  

Perhaps if I provide some additional background, you will begin to understand the personal significance and why I mark it as a meaningful milestone not just for me, but for my lovely wife too.  You see, the reason I bought that box of foil sheets in the first place was at her insistence.  Not only did she determine I REALLY NEEDED THEM, but she also decided the particular size that would work best - and as it turned out in this case, size does matter.  (chortle) She got tired of watching me randomly tear off pieces of aluminum foil of random shapes and sizes (a Herculean task to do this precisely and consistently, I might add) every time I wanted to make handful of breakfast burritos for my duck hunting friends to enjoy while shivering away in the arctic cold of late waterfowl season.  I never could quite get the size right, struggled to get them wrapped properly and often times made a mess needlessly.  So as loving wives often do, she watched me struggle for a little bit...  Offered her considered advice...  Overcame my determined resistance... and then jumped right in to save the day.

I know I have mentioned before...  My wife doesn't enjoy cooking and is content to not help out in the kitchen, but she will help assemble breakfast burritos without too much arm-twisting. (earnest grin)   She is also indescribably good at it.  She makes them faster, neater, and WAY MORE consistent than me, at any rate.  Which is key, because breakfast burritos have become almost a cottage industry in our house.  We have made as many as 30 or 40 at a time and as few as a half dozen.  In total, over the course of little less than a year, we made 200.  Many times, I leave my house in the morning with an insulated carrier full of them not knowing who will be enjoying them.  You see, I always make extras beyond those I know will be expecting one... Just in case I run into some hungry random stranger that can't turn down a warm hearty breakfast all wrapped up in a large flour tortilla.  When I go to the sporting clays range for events, I always take enough for the folks that are working the course.  I have made it a habit to take care of the people that take care of me.  Even today, I am not sure I have met all of them face to face.  I usually hand off a number to Ian Hurd (no relation that we know of) and tell him to spread them around.  He always offers a sincere 'thanks' and tells me how much the gang looks forward to the grub.  Thankfully, I have yet to hear the first complaint.

The beauty part of this whole enterprise is that I have never asked, nor ever expected anyone to pay a price for what they have received.  Many have offered.  I have always politely declined.  I enjoy hearing how much folks enjoy them, but I dare say absent that I would still be handing them out to anyone and everyone.  Considering that is the thing that businesses celebrate almost universally is being paid for what they do, I am wondering how it is I am getting this whole thing backwards?  If you look carefully at the walls of nearly any business enterprise you will likely find a framed piece of legal tender.  It might be a one dollar bill, twenty dollar bill, or a check for some large amount.  It is never the amount that matters, just the date.  It signifies the official start of their business operations.  I see now why they do that. Looking back, I can't be sure when my little burrito making operation really started.  Did it start during duck season 5 years ago?  Or was it when my lovely wife exercised some process improvement and upgraded my process and materials and also decided to expand the human resources of my operation?  Or was it the day I realized we had made a significant number and first contemplated the possibilities of future expansion?   I really don't know, but one thing is for certain.  Asking folks to pay for them would have completely changed the experience for me and I do not ever see myself doing that.  It's just not how I roll.

Rather than expend too much effort on celebration of the aforementioned milestone.  I have done what anyone would do in similar circumstances.  I bought another package of foil sheets and this time I got the 500 pack rather than just 200.  I will mention that I have not yet reached the bottom of the box, but I am definitely past the halfway mark.  If you haven't yet sampled one of Big Mike's semi-legendary breakfast burritos, let me know.  I will put you on the short list for the next round.

Since it has been an incredibly long gap between this post and the previous one.  I am going to wrap here with a teaser about my next post.  I will take a longer look about why I take joy in giving food away to friends and strangers.  Hope my small but dedicated readership will stick around and read it.  Too soon to tell if this will be the makings of a triumphant return to regular writing.  Look forward to hearing from you all about it. I know this one is long, but feels a bit incomplete.  Maybe like the much maligned "bridge to nowhere?"  Only difference is that this did not involve obscene sums of your (tax) dollars.  Just a few minutes of your time.  Count that as a blessing.  I know I do.

PS - Apologies to Mr. Profitt and Mrs. MacCorkle and a host of other English teachers in between.  I have not taken the time to have someone proof this for grammar.  I may be atrocious, but it is now in the books.  I will take time to diagram it all later.  (big smile)  Maybe if it is interesting enough, the grammar errors will pass by unnoticed.  (nervous sigh)

Your Dining Scout and Shade Tree Chef,
Michael Hurd - aks Big Mike

Have you Hurd... I Could've Been a Contender...

I know it has been way too long since that line was featured in a movie, but since it recycles itself frequently enough a punch line in other light-hearted comedy, I am fairly certain both young and old will recognize it and be suitably intrigued.  Still working hard to build my base of dedicated readers by (almost) any means necessary. -grin-

If you are a subscriber to the Lynd Fruit Farm Cider Press, you will think this is stale news.  Lynd's opened their produce market for the 2015 season officially on Thursday, July 16.  The offering that generated the greatest amount of excitement in my household was the Contender peaches from South Carolina.  The pints of fresh blueberries from the Blue Frog Farm (also in the Lynd family) were a close second.  Given the volatility of produce supplies and prices, I would suggest checking out their website and/or Facebook page for available products and pricing before you make the trip.  That is what I did before heading to Pataskala.  I also Googled Columbus Best Burgers and quickly found an article from the Columbus Monthly listing their picks for the best burgers around Central Ohio.

Aren't these just peachy?  Had to get corny,
since I didn't get a picture of the dozen ears
of sweet corn we bought.

Look closely for the blueberries.  The clerk
was kind enough to give us a couple bags
so we didn't lose any enroute to home base.
Maple rolls aren't aren't from the Saxonburg
bakery, but they will do.

What on Earth do fresh imported peaches and local blueberries have to do with grilled ground beef patties?  All three are things my wife was hankering for on this particular Friday evening.  Red meat is not something she pines for frequently, so I didn't want to miss the opportunity.  It was our good fortune that a New Albany restaurant was featured in the Columbus Monthly article.  It was less than a mile from our route back home and I was able to secure online reservations before departing.  Although, as it turns out, this was not necessary.  Ella was busy, but not Friday night crazy busy at the time we arrived.  So we would not have waited for a table even without reservations.  I didn't want to take any chances, though.  I was billing it as a way to avoid the really crazy Friday night crowds at another one of my favorite burger joints.  I love it when a plan comes together.  -smile-

Lots of good stuff on the menu.
I am definitely coming back
for the pork chops and maybe
walleye on yet another visit.

The words over the window into the kitchen say it all.  No, those
are not UFO's.  Just really cool heat lamps. 

If I didn't fail to take at least
one picture a little late, would
you wonder if it was really 
the work of your Dining Scout?

Since it was our first visit, the waiter was kind enough to give us some guidance on the menu and other features at ella.  It seems that ella is an abbreviation for "eat local. love art."  There is a small gallery right next to the restaurant and he said we were welcome to browse while waiting for our meals to arrive and he would retrieve us at the appropriate time.  I asked my sweetest if she intended to check out the art work while we perused the menu and she showed only the slightest interest.  We were agonizing about an appetizer and were on the fence between the polenta fries and the Ella-Vated Potato Chips.  He provided savory details on both, but suggested we consider a seasonal feature instead -  buffalo cauliflower.  It was small florets of cauliflower in a light breading flash fried and perfectly tender, served with a generous dollop of Gorgonzola cream, a pleasant drizzle of buffalo cream sauce, and a shaved celery salad.  The Gorgonzola cream and buffalo cream sauce were both house-made.  I loved it, but my sweetest found it just a tad too spicy.  She likes absolutely no heat, but will occasionally tolerate food described as zesty. -smirk-

If you are old enough (Gen-X, at least), I am sure you are recalling a skit from the popular 80's variety show "In Living Color."  The skit was a tongue-in-cheek send-up of how individuals of the paler ethnicity can't tolerate spicy food.  The memorable line from this skit is comedic actress Victoria Jackson exclaiming: "WOW this is SPICY!  What's in this?!?!?  TOMATOES!?!?!"  As I have others in my family besides my bride that can't handle spicy foods, this phrase has been oft repeated over the years and is now part of our collective consciousness.  Love you, Mom.  -smile- 


After enjoying the appetizer, we both ordered an Ella Burger.  Someone at the table ordered it straight up (medium) and someone else ordered it with provolone instead of pepper-jack (medium-well).  Bet you can guess who ordered what... -chortle-  The waiter repeated his suggestion to check out the art work next door, not wanting us to miss out of the full experience at ella.  He was right when he said there was some great stuff next door.  Even though we are not the types to casually drop a few hundred dollars on art work, we did find some affordably priced local art and some stuff that while maybe not really 'art' it was definitely 'artsy.'  Like the 'Tattooed' silver we purchased.  It was old silver utensils etched with cute phrases.  A spoon with 'cereal killer' etched into the bowl or another one etched 'Good morning Beautiful.'  Once again, I am sure you know which of us gravitated to each of these divergent examples.  We intended to only purchase one, but there was a $20 minimum purchase required to use plastic money. Consequently, we picked out a second one.  Our timing was good too, as the waiter came with a two minute warning on the arrival of our entrees just as we completed our purchase.  All things being equal, maybe I should have resisted his earlier en-treatises and stayed at the table. No...  There are worse things to do than support a small local gallery. -big smile-   

Better lean over your plate when you bite into
this baby.  Juicy and flavorful are the watch
words.  Wouldn't want you to stain your shirt.

Gazing upon the ella burgers as they arrived at the table, I could see why they made the list in Columbus Monthly.  A ten ounce patty of locally raised beef, expertly cooked, with a melted slice of pepper jack cheese (or provolone, if you wish), thick-sliced house bacon, a smattering of french-fried onions, dill pickle half, and house-made onion aioli.  This perched atop a grilled bun of excellent character.  This is not the kind of bun you pick up for 99 cents a pack at the local grocery.  Maybe $3.99 a pack at the local grocery, if you are lucky.  If the burger wasn't enough, it was served with a generous portion of seasoned and flash fried potato wedges and ketchup.  Mmmmmmmm.

I don't know when the last time was I ate a burger that inspired me to quickly grab a napkin after each bite.  Yes, that's right...  The juices were running down my chin from start to finish.  OK, so maybe it was only a week or two ago, but still...  This burger ROCKS!  Maybe my top 5 is in need of a re-shuffle.  The potato wedges were magnificent too.  I don't know how they got the outside incredibly crispy, while keeping the inside unbelievably tender and moist.  Perhaps I should inquire with my Food Network favorite, Alton Brown.  I bet he could unwrap the mystery for me.  They tasted great neat and lightly dipped in ketchup.  Yes, I am periodically closing my eyes and daydreaming about it as I type this.

Much like another of my favorite establishments that shall remain nameless, the meal was a a bit more than I typically spend for a quick burger at lunch.  However, this is WAY MORE than a quick lunch burger. I encourage you to ignore your wallet's (or purse's) whining and pony up. -big smile-   Yes, it is much easier for me to ask you to spend your hard earned dollars than it is for me to spend mine. Love you too, Dad. -big laugh-  In this case, I have already spent mine for your benefit.  You should feel good about that.  The atmosphere of quiet and somewhat understated elegance is a fitting complement to the menu.

How do I take my bourbon?
In a chocolate bourbon pecan
pie with vanilla bean ice cream
and a caramel drizzle.

As we were devouring the last bit of our meal, the waiter subtly placed the dessert menus on the table for our consideration.  At the top of the list was the chocolate bourbon pecan pie.  You should know that my sweetest has an aversion to nuts (marriage to me excluded, of course) almost as great as her aversion to spicy.  So it took no small amount of persuasion to secure her agreement to not only order it, but enjoy some of it with me.  The plethora of pecans ensured that I would get the lion's share, but not quite all of it.  Sometimes life just works out that way.  It was a fitting end to a perfect summer evening in Central Ohio.  Time to go back outside and sweat in the ubiquitous heat and humidity.  If you enjoy a good peach or a great burger, head on over to the northeastern frontier (of Columbus), Lynd's and ella will make it worth your while.

Brought these little beauties home with us.
Just like with our dogs, I thought one would
be enough and somehow  we ended up
with two. -smile-

Didn't buy these, but had to take a picture.  Made me take back
bad things I have said about golf clubs (woods, anyway).  There
is ONE good use for them... Repurposed as decorative ducks.

Your Dining Scout and Shade Tree Chef,

Michael Hurd, aka Big Mike

http://www.lyndfruitfarm.com/
https://www.facebook.com/lyndfruitfarm?fref=ts
http://www.ella-restaurant.com/#eat-together
https://www.facebook.com/ellanewalbany?fref=ts


Who says movies are the only ones who hide "Easter eggs" during the credits...

I almost forgot to mention the house
bread.  It was basted with a
buttery garlic spread and then cooked
in some fashion until it was crisp on the crust and
chewy otherwise.  If I were dog, this is the chewy
treat that would cause me to beg.

Have you Hurd... Double Comfort is in the Short North, but they are long on Southern Charm

While it's true I was born and have spent more than a few years living north of the Mason-Dixon line, I also spent more than a handful of my formative years south of it.  More than long enough to develop an appreciation for what I consider to be the finer points of southern cooking.  I don't profess to know about all of it or even like every single thing I have tried, but I am a big fan of several staples - fried chicken, bacon (or sausage or ham or any combination thereof) gravy, country ham, buttermilk biscuits, grits, corn bread, fried green tomatoes, fried okra, fried chicken, chicken fried steak, and the list goes on...  It is one of the reasons I am thankful to work for a company with an office in Nashville, Tennessee.  If I am lucky, every once in awhile I get to travel there and eat my way across that town and back again.

Which means I am more than a little embarrassed to admit that Double Comfort has been in operations here in the Columbus area for over 8 months and today was my first visit.  Since they position themselves as a purveyor of all the great southern comforts - both food and drink...  I should have been camped out for opening day.  The good news is that they were willing to hang around this long and wait for me.  As usual, I took a few friends along for the ride.  And one of them didn't have to go back to work, so he was willing to sample a cocktail for the record.  Well, one cocktail for the record and one purely for his enjoyment.  -smile-

We expected the poutine
appetizer to be dressed with
fresh cheese curds too.  It was
decided that it was just fine
without them.

We worked the menu from top to bottom and side to side.  We tried the poutine appetizer, both white and dark meat chicken, the chicken and dumplings blue plate special, the jalapeno skillet corn bread, macaroni and cheese, country-style green beans, mashed potatoes, and (of course) the bacon gravy.  We were mildly surprised when we were handed our menus, as they differed substantially from what we had seen on their website.  I am not sure if that was because the menu had changed recently or if the dinner menu is online and we went for lunch?  Didn't slow us down too much, just a little hiccup.   I am not a connoisseur of Canadian cuisine (beyond the ubiquitous Canadian-style bacon).  Consequently, when my friend asked me whether it should include fresh cheese curds, I suggested asking our waitress.  She was kind enough to confirm that it did.  The poutine hit the table not long after the drinks and was generous enough share.   What came out from the kitchen was shoestring cut fried potatoes covered lovingly with the house-made bacon gravy and some minced green onions.  It tasted great, so our disappointment in the lack of cheese curds lasted for just a short while.  We had enough to keep us busy while we awaited our entrees.

I kept my order simple and opted for two fried chicken thighs and country style green beans with a side of gravy.  The fried chicken was perfectly seasoned and crispy on the outside and moist and juicy on the inside.  The breading had a pleasant kick to it.  Double Comfort calls it Memphis-style.  I find that most southern-style fried chicken has that same bit of spiciness in the breading.  Usually from black pepper or cayenne.  It doesn't even rise to what I would call medium heat, but if someone is sensitive to spicy food they may have issues with it.  The same could be said for the bacon gravy and country-style green beans.  Both had a spiciness/heat level similar to the chicken.  I loved it, but I am pretty sure my wife would be less enthused.  She is not a fan of any kind of pepper.  For me, this meal was a home run.  I regret having waited so long to try this place.  I may have found a new favorite comfort food restaurant.

Can't you just taste that crispy
fried goodness in your mind?

Can you call it southern style
without a side of cream gravy? 

Can't go wrong with country
style green beans.  Even they
had just a little kick.

Based on the adjectives being tossed about the table while we joyfully consumed the feast they set before us, I believe the feedback was universally positive.  While all likewise noted the common thread of spiciness in many of the offerings, all agreed it was pleasing to their palate and they looked forward to the next visit.  One member of our group even asked for some beignets to take back to the office, but then decided he didn't want them to get cold driving back to work... So we consumed them too...  Smaller than the ones I tried in NOLA, but every bit as good.  Double Comfort offers them with a caramel sauce (I skipped that) which my friends indicated had a faint bourbon flavor to it.  So maybe a bourbon flavored caramel sauce?  Whatever it was, I think they were considering drinking it straight out of the container rather than dipping the beignets in it.  That is how much they liked it.  I should mention that the Rusty Tractor cocktails were also a hit.

Southern-style jalapeno skillet corn bread.  This
should not be confused with Yankee corn bread
(aka Jiffy corn bread).  It is not the least bit sweet
or fluffy.  

The chicken and dumplings and side salad.  This
was the Wednesday blue plate special.

The crowd today was surprisingly light for lunch time, but the manager stopped by and let us know that she expected that trend to change once the weather warmed up.  Apparently the folks that work at the nearby insurance company (that shall remain nameless) can't handle a short walk in the cold.  Too bad for them.  If I worked within walking distance of Double Comfort, they would have a table with a brass plate engraved with my name on it, permanently reserved for me and whomever I drag to lunch on that day.  That is how often I would be there.  In order to maintain my stunning physique I would then have to leave my car at the office and run all the way home and all the way back to the office the next morning. -smile-  The decor inside felt like the inside of an old barn.  Accents of rough planks along with some interesting old photographs and other agrarian curiosities.  Just felt comfortable to the entire group.  Not a total shock, given their name.  The pace of the meal was not nearly quick enough for a normal lunch hour, but since this was our first visit I don't expect it will keep us from coming back.  Hopefully, it was just an isolated occurrence and things will move along more quickly next time.  I would like to keep them on my list for lunch or dinner. Perhaps even lunch and dinner someday...  mmmmmm.....  Now you're talking... -smile-

Loved this picture.  Reminds me of a tractor my
Dad owned when I was a little kid.  In fact, I
think my Uncle may still have it.  

www.doublecomfortrestaurant.com

Your Dining Scout and Shade Tree Chef,
Michael Hurd, aka Big Mike

Have you Hurd... No TV's = Reasonable Crowd During March Madness...

If I haven't mentioned before, I am a Purdue alumni.  Since my team was eliminated earlier in the tournament weekend, I had no particular interest in watching the latest tournament action over dinner on Saturday night.  Neither of us is particularly fond of the usual Saturday night crush of people either.  Thankfully, we landed a dinner invite with a small group of good friends to visit a local Mexican restaurant that didn't list sports TV viewing as one of it's central features.  Aside from that, I expect the Saturday night crowd would have been a bit crazier at 6:00 pm, given the Blue Agave's proximity to the Polaris Fashion Place.




We were the last to join the party, so the table was already secured and chips and salsa were all around.  The waiter immediately appeared and took everyone's drink order.  The margarita prices were reasonable for the weekend, so I had to sample a jumbo house margarita on the rocks.  They had a wide variety of flavors and others at our table were more daring and opted for a pitcher of frozen mango and a pitcher of watermelon on the rocks.    Judging by the others pleasant responses, the other flavors were a hit.  If I visit again, I may sample another flavor, but since this was my first time...  I had to go with the standard for comparison.The house margarita was good, but not great.  Certainly as good as most any I have had recently, but I miss the Meltdown Margaritas from Don Pablo's.  I know some people consider it sacrilege to mention a chain restaurant, but I have to give them chops for the margaritas.  The only other place I can think of where I have had one that good since Don Pablo's left town are Senor Antonio's in Lewis Center.

(Clockwise from top left) Mild,
Hot, and Salsa Verde.  Salsa
Verde Remains a mystery
as the Scout passed on it.

Enough about the drinks...  Back to the food...  The chips and salsa take a more colorful turn at Blue Agave with a trio of choices accompanying the chips- mild, hot, and salsa verde.  The waiter also offered queso.  We followed the lead of others in our party and set up some queso in addition to the salsa trio.  It was a good call.  Queso was excellent.  Not sure whether it was me or someone else that licked the bowl clean, but it was all gone.  I am sure the dishwasher made light work of it. Probably even wondered if it had really been used for anything.  -smirk-  I sort of dipped my toe in the waters with the hot salsa.  Thankfully, it wasn't super hot and the mild had good flavor too.  Is there such a thing as fashionably hot salsa?  I skipped the salsa verde.  Green salsa just isn't my bag, baby.  -smile-  The chips were plentiful, light and crunchy.  Only suggestion would be to hit them with some salt.  That didn't seem to hold back any others at the table, so maybe I am the only one that likes a salty chip.



I expected with the size of our party (8 plus a child), the speed of service might be a little slower than usual.  I was off-base on that.  Our waiter and the rest of his supporting cast kept things moving all night.  Drinks and food arrived at the table at breakneck speed.  It seemed like someone was always checking with us to see if we needed anything.  Made me wonder if somehow we ended up at the VIP table or something?  Not too likely they have heard I am a food blogger yet, so it couldn't be that they were trying to impress me to ensure a good write up...  Have I mentioned that I am a sucker for that?  -smile-  Hats off to the staff for first class service.

Why didn't I remember to substitute something
else for the rice?  It's not what you are thinking.
I only had one margarita.  And I let my sweetest
have a sip or two as well.  OR were you thinking

old age?  hmmmmm...

My wife and I don't normally order the same thing, but tonight we were in total sync.  We both enjoyed the Chimichangas Supremas.  You get a choice of chicken or beef tips. She elected one of each.  After she finished ordering, I told him I would have exactly the same thing.  I paused and looked skyward for a moment.  Whew!  No lightning bolt.  Life is good.  -smile-  When it arrived at the table, I mixed it all together and I tossed the last of the salsa in the mix too just for kicks.  That's just how I roll.  The tortillas were crisp and filled with a generous amount of meat (and other fillings) and blanketed with queso.  The beans and the mixed salad were a bright spot as they had more flavor and texture than many other places I have visited.  At some other Tex-Mex establishments (you know who you are), it feels like the beans are from a can and the lettuce is from a bag.  I don't think that is the case at the Blue Agave.  If I had thought about it, I would have skipped the rice.  Even still, we both enjoyed the food.  Much like the margaritas though... We found it was good, but not great.  If we received an invite to return in the future, we certainly wouldn't pass it up.  If we are choosing the location though, it's more likely we would go somewhere closer to home like Rancho Alegre.




So if you find yourself at the Polaris Fashion Place mall and hankering for Tex-Mex, head east on the Parkway to Blue Agave.  The folks there will take good care of you.  If you should happen to be in some other part of town, my bet is that you already have another favorite place that is closer.  No reason to drive out of your way to throw yourself headlong into the craziness that is Polaris unless it far exceeds your favorite neighborhood Tex-Mex.  Anything short of that will cause you to hate yourself in the morning.  Save the Blue Agave for when you are already sucked into Polaris' vortex of rampant consumerism or you get a chance invite from some good friends to join their already rockin' party.  Blue Agave is just far enough away from the throngs of shoppers to provide a welcome oasis and help you take the edge off before heading home.

www.blueagaveohio.com

Your Dining Scout and Shade Tree Chef,
Michael Hurd, aka Big Mike

  

Have you Hurd... I have been searching for something... Just remembered... A great local pizza joint...

I know for a lot of folks, Spring Break is vacation season.  A time to take time off work and spirit da youts away to some far-flung exotic (warm & sunny, entertainment filled) destination and re-energize for the push to the last day of school and endless days of summertime fun (for the kids anyway).  Since we don't have any children, it really turns into more of a stay-cation for us.  Spring Break provides ample opportunity to visit many places near the big college here in Columbus (that shall remain nameless) that will be less in demand while the students are away.  It seems this year, we knew when it was scheduled, but forgot until the last night to actually trip down to campus for any reason.  My 44 year-old brain isn't nearly as reliable as it once was.

Thankfully, my wife woke up this rainy Friday morning and remembered it was Spring Break.  She reminded me and we laid plans to hit Adriatico's after work for pizza.  If you can only make one stop before the hordes of crazy kids come back to town, that is as good a place as any.  Managed to scoop a couple friends and their daughter to join us which made for a fun five-some for dinner.  

Within these few pages
is the stuff of pizza dreams.

We arrived just before 6:00 pm and the place was nearly empty.  Found ample parking right in front and gladly dropped $1.50 into the meter for 2 hours of food and fellowship.  My wife and I were the advance team, so we texted to let the others know we had arrived and immediately secured a table near the door.  We ordered drinks and an appetizer and told them not to rush, since there wasn't much of a crowd pressing for seating.  They arrived at the same time as our bread sticks with garlic butter.  Piping, hot golden-brown braids of chewy baked dough with a generous side of garlic butter.  A half dozen of them was just enough of a warm up for our crew.  Knowing that the thick crust pizzas take awhile to bake, we asked the waitress to bring an individual cheese pizza for the youngest member of our party.  As three year-old's go, I have to say she may be the most patient and agreeable I have ever met.  Still didn't want to press our luck.  -smile-

Yummy braids of dough to
kick off the meal.

We attacked the bread sticks, and politely sent the waitress away twice while we pondered the endless list of toppings and negotiated our way to a Buckeye XL pizza on Sicilian (thick) crust.  We settled on half pepperoni/sausage/mushroom and the other half the legendary INFLATION FIGHTER.  Can't go wrong with pepperoni, sausage, ground beef, ham, green pepper, onion, mushrooms, green, and black olives.  I love green olives on pizza, but so many other places go overboard with them.  Adriatico's knows a good balance.  The perfect combination of all the critical elements.  Crust was just slightly crunchy on the edges and dense and chewy through the center underneath a better than average tomato sauce, respectable cheese blend and the aforementioned toppings.

I feel the consumer price
index falling with each
delicious bite.

Just because we couldn't
handle the 18 x 24 doesn't
mean you can't.

The waitress tried to steer us down from the Buckeye XL, but we were undeterred.  Perhaps we thought we could still eat like college students?  It's 18" x 24" she exclaimed.  No problem we shot back.  It will cover the entire table she intoned.  Just pull over another table we retorted.  She sighed like a Mother about to let her kids learn something the hard way and said OK, if you insist.  Indeed we did.  -smile-  As for actually walking our talk...  Not so much.  It will be good for leftovers.  That is what will help us sleep tonight.  Because we took a shellacking from that monstrous pizza.  I am not ashamed to say it was Buckeye XL - 1...  Dining Scout and the rest of his band - 0... -grinch-like scowl-

This is like an Easter egg in your
favorite video game.  I don't even
need to tell you what it means.
You will know instantly and
experience the same visceral reaction
 as your intrepid Dining Scout.

Good grub... Even better company...  Just ran out of steam.  Sign of old age?  Absolutely not!  Just wiser and bit more restrained.  -smile-  We packed our to go boxes and headed for the door.  The bill didn't leave too bad a dent in our collective wallet either.  By the time we walked out the door at 7:30 pm, it was clear "Adriatico's on Spring Break" is not a well-kept secret.  The joint was full to overflowing and a few desperate souls were eager for a table to open up.  I am sure they enjoyed it as much as we did.  Have at it, guys.  Just watch out for that Buckeye XL.  They should call it the Buster Douglas KO pizza.  It will knock you flat for sure.   -big smile-

A couple of  to go boxes...

Better make that four...  Stan
does not like to stack the
pizza in the to go box.
Does anyone besides me?

OK... Maybe three... 

www.adriaticososu.com

Your Dining Scout and Shade Tree Chef,

Michael Hurd, aka Big Mike

Have you Hurd... Sometimes the source of the invitation matters more than location, location, location...

In my short span of almost 44 years, I have eaten at more than a handful of establishments that would certainly never be my first choice.  Although I enjoy variety just as much as anyone and venture outside my comfort zone on occasion, there are some places that just never make it onto my restaurant bucket list.  They may not even make it onto my 'where to go when someone else is paying' list.  -smile-  It is not because they don't offer quality fare that lacks in creativity, but suffers from quite the opposite.  It is usually because the quality of the fare is so exceptional, I find the prices hard to swallow....  Or the creativity in the kitchen is on overload and I find that for my taste buds, it is just much too much...  In my experience, sensory overload doesn't always revolve around surround sound, high-def CGI, and magnificent staged pyrotechnics.  It can often come from what is brought to me on a fashionably presented white china plate.

I suffer from these same creative impulses myself when I am planning menus.  I try to do absolutely every great thing  I can think of simultaneously for only ten people.  Thankfully, I have a voice of reason that speaks to me.  Not inside my subconscious, but inside my household.  Her name is Beth.  Since we have been married for over 16 years, maybe she is inside my subconscious mind a good bit of the time too.  She frequently reviews my plans and utters the words (in a somewhat incredulous tone): "do you really think you need to do all of this?  Maybe you could pare it down a little.  Even go as far as reducing it by half?"  Knowing there is little point in arguing with her when I realize I am indeed in the wrong, I usually follow her sage advice and cut it down substantially.  Maybe I need to hire her out as a consultant to help others rein in their creative drive when it may have run amok?   Then I could quit my day job, get a food truck... And live happily ever after... No wait... This isn't the movies...  If it was, I would just yell at the writers and ask for a script change...

Tonight's dining destination was not my choice, but it was a good choice nonetheless.  I was invited to join a large group of associates from my firm that were in town for a few days of important meetings.  As I normally get to interact with them via email and on the occasional telephone call, I jumped at the chance for some face time with my extended work group.  No better way to build good working relationships than over some food and drink.  

Since I had never been to Sidebar 122 and I have particular tastes, I researched the menu in advance of the visit.  A good portion of the offerings were a bit edgy for me, but found there were some some winners in the mix too.  No need to snack before heading downtown.  -smile-  It never crossed my mind that given the size of the group, it might not be an 'order from the menu' type of affair and instead would be a robust selection of appetizers, pizzas, and salad.  You'd think this was my first rodeo.

Meatballs in the lead off
position...

Pizza and house salad to
round out the lineup.

I passed on the garlic shrimp
I love garlic, but not a fan of
seafood in general.

It was a generous array of offerings and a large crowd, but folks were a bit tentative at first.  While many made a beeline for the liquid refreshments, it took a few minutes for folks to figure out the score with the grub.  Some quiet inquiries amongst ourselves about whether this was just the first course or the main course for the evening?  Should I hit the food lightly or fill the plate?  At some point the ice was broken and food began to disappear almost faster than the service staff could replenish it.  

Chicken skewers waiting on
a resupply.  I never wait for
chicken, unless it's fried.

Actually remembered to
snap a pic before the first
bite.  Progress?

Beef empanadas are MIA too.
I took a pause for the cause
and waited for the refill.

I sampled a number of items...First, the meatballs which were oversize compared to most anywhere except for a good Italian restaurant....  Can't say for certain they were house-made, but they were exceptionally moist and tender.  Definitely not out of the freezer.  I ask one of the service staff and he confirmed the presence of veal in the recipe.  Not surprising.  They were served in an equally tasty tomato sauce.  Rolls were available if you wanted to make a sandwich with them.  I didn't.  The chicken skewers were suffering from a temporary supply shortage when I passed by, so rather than wait I moved on to the beef empanadas.  A flavorful shredded beef filling with a pleasant kick wrapped in a flaky pastry shell and baked golden brown.  There was a small bowl of sauce available for these, so I took a couple of spoonfuls of that too.  Not sure what it was, but YUM!    

This left just enough room on my plate for a small square of pizza and a serving of the house salad.  I took both even though I was not entirely sure of the ingredients.  I am not allergic to anything, thankfully.  If I don't like how it tastes, I just don't eat it all.  -grimace-  Wouldn't be the first time.  Just ask my Mother.  The pizza and salad were both delicious.  The crust on the pizza was thicker and chewier than similar ones I have tried at other establishments (big plus).  When it came to the salad, I will admit I am not a huge fan of balsamic dressing. I find it typically doesn't pack enough flavor for me. I like my greens just like anything else - well seasoned - and salad dressing is the seasoning.  If the dressing is bland, you might as well munch on a dry leaf of lettuce.  -blah-  The balsamic dressing at Sidebar had more flavor than any others I have tried.  Maybe not quite a home run, but a safe slide into third.  

In closing, the food was good.  The company was even better.  Atmosphere was old-school brick and with a touch of upscale.  Perhaps a bit on the loud side, but what party room isn't when you fill it with a large group of folks who like to carry on?  Probably my only disappointment was the lack of information on the food offerings.  There were signs indicating what the choices were, but not any key ingredients listed or an indication of what items were vegetarian selections or gluten-free.  If you didn't catch one of the service staff recharging the food stations that you could ask, you might be left to take your chances.  Or just go hungry.  That would be a shame in either case.

 Still not sure Sidebar is on my top ten list, but if I find myself downtown again and looking for something a little different than my usual, I may stop in again.  In the meantime, I can count myself lucky to have received the invitation to join the group tonight.
  

Sidebar122, 122 E. Main Street, Columbus   www.sidebarcolumbus.com   

Your Dining Scout and Shade Tree Chef,

Michael Hurd, aka Big Mike        

Have you Hurd... The Shade Tree Chef is busy in the kitchen again...

Life just keeps getting better.  Spring-like weather (or at least what passes for spring-like weather in Central Ohio these days), a triumphant 20th season victory for my Purdue Boilermakers men's basketball team (and a possible NCAA tourney berth here in Columbus), and part 2 of our meals on wheels project kicked into gear.  Emphasis on the meals on wheels project part 2.  -smile-

Once again, I kept the menu simple and hewed close to what I thought the recipient (and her recuperating patient) would enjoy - deep fried turkey breast, crunchy mashed potatoes, and maple glazed baby carrots.  A good friend and co-worker is baking a dark chocolate torte to complement the food.  Although as good as her dark chocolate torte usually is, maybe the food will complement the dessert.  -grimace-  I have offered her everything including some of my vital organs in exchange for her dark chocolate ganache recipe, but she has played it close to the vest.  I can respect that.  Every great chef has to keep at least one secret recipe.  I am just thankful that she is willing to put it in play for me on the occasion I need one (or several) to go with food I am preparing.  If I am able, I will put an update with a picture of the torte tomorrow prior to handing it off.  I can see it clearly in my mind right now, just can't seem to get my computer to turn that into a JPEG image file.  Maybe sometime later this year there will be an app for that.  In the meantime, I think I hear that Beatles song in my head: "I get by with a little help from my friends..."

Perhaps not what most men
dream about... But last night...
I dreamt of just such a thing...

Although I campaigned for years to get an outdoor turkey fryer to add to my cooking arsenal, my wife continuously resisted.  Given the number of errant cooks who start house fires frying their thanksgiving turkey, she was concerned about safety.  As an insurance company employee, I could hardly contest on that point.  Fortunately, indoor electric fryers recently became available at a more reasonable cost and we acquired one just after Christmas.  I have managed to use it on several occasions without any injuries or property damage.  I am betting a majority of my readership is at least mildly surprised by this.  -smile-  It is the second best way to cook a turkey when the weather is agreeable.  I would smoke it in warmer weather, but right now I would rather not stand out in the cold keeping an eye on the smoker.

I don't have much in the way of a recipe for this beyond using a Butterball injectable marinade and dry seasoning - Savory Creole Butter.  Based on the weight (9.6 lbs), I thawed the breast for 72 hours in the refrigerator and rinsed off any remaining ice chunks before injecting/seasoning it.  Frying time was 68 minutes at 325 degrees (preheat to 375 and then drop temp to 325 when you put the breast in the oil).  I let it stand for 45 minutes before carving so it had cooled sufficiently to make it easier to handle.  As you can see, it was deep golden brown and carved up nicely.  I cheated and used an electric carving knife.  I put roughly 1/2 cup of stock in the bottom of the foil pan to keep it moist when reheating.  If you have ever heard the joke about the difference between being involved and being committed...  Tonight, I was involved... And this turkey, well... She was committed...

          










One of the things that will be missing when you deep fry a turkey is drippings to make gravy.  And most folks find it hard to enjoy mashed potatoes without gravy.  Fortunately, I found a great mashed potato recipe that will ensure nobody misses the gravy.  It's available on the French's website:
http://www.frenchs.com/recipe/crunchy-onion-mashed-potatoes-RE0454-1.  

Crunchy Mashed Potatoes (For this project I doubled to yield 12 servings)
3 Cups Prepared Mashed Potatoes
1 Cup Sour Cream
1/4 Cup Milk
1/4 Tsp Garlic Powder
1 1/3 Cups French's French Fried Onions
4 Ounces Sliced Sharp Cheddar Cheese

Combine the mashed potatoes, milk, sour cream, and garlic powder and mix well in a medium mixing bowl.  Pour roughly 1/2 of the potato mixture in a greased 9 x 9 baking dish.  Cover with cheddar cheese slices and French Fried Onions.  Gently pour remaining potato mixture over the top.  Use a rubber spatula to spread the potato mixture to cover evenly.  Bake for 30 minutes at 350 degrees or until hot and lightly golden brown on top.  Remove from oven and cover with cheddar cheese slices and French Fried Onions.  Return to oven for 5 - 7 minutes or until cheese is melted and onions are golden brown and crispy.

Be sure to make extra...  Folks
usually go back for seconds...

I have made two modifications to the original recipe, First, I don't measure the French Fried Onions.  I just make sure I get a good covering of them on the middle and top layer of the casserole.  If you follow my lead on that, buy a large bag of French Fried Onions (24 ounces).  Secondly, I use sliced sharp cheddar cheese instead of shredded.  I find it is eases preparation and improves the flavor.  The last editorial note is that I prefer Yukon gold potatoes, but just about any variety will work - both fresh prepared and also instant.  I have used potato pearls from GFS on a number of occasions on a large scale and the crowds have loved them.  I substitute milk for 25 percent of the total amount of water specified in the package directions when using instant potatoes.




Maple Glazed Baby Carrots (8 servings)
2 Pounds Baby Carrots, washed and peeled
2 cups water
8 Tablespoons Maple Syrup
2 Tablespoons Brown Sugar
2 Tablespoons Salted Butter

You've seen one carrot, you've
seen them all.  Here is the glaze
pleasantly bubbling away.  About
halfway done.  Glaze will finish
much darker and thicker.

Steam carrots for 20 - 25 minutes or until fork tender.  Cook time will depend on the overall size of your carrots.  While carrots are steaming, combine remaining ingredients in a small sauce pan and simmer over medium heat until reduced to approximately 1/2 cup of thickened liquid.  This may take more than 25 minutes, depending on the size of your sauce pan.  Just leave your carrots covered until the glaze is ready.  They will hold warm long enough for you to finish.  Once the glaze is done, remove from heat and combine with carrots in a medium serving bowl.  Stir to coat evenly and serve.

I know carrots aren't that objectionable a vegetable for most folks, but every once in awhile you run into someone who really has an aversion to anything even closely resembling a vegetable.  So I have done my best to disguise these with a nice layer or fat, natural maple sugar, and salt.  Hopefully, they will be willing to at least give them a try.  I am certain once they get a little taste, they will be hooked.  It is how my Mom got me to start eating my vegetables when I was much younger.  Keeping my fingers crossed that it will work on adults too.  -smile-  This glaze recipe works well for more than just vegetables.  I like to use it on smoked sausage medallions and baked ham too.  It is good for any time you want to give your guests a special treat.


With our corporate sales force in town this week and my good friend and fellow Virginian, James, in town...  The Dining Scout may be back in the posting mood again.  Just hoping James has room in his suitcase for a good country ham from Padow's and that he remembers it's my birthday this week.  -wicked grin-

Your Dining Scout and Shade Tree Chef,
Michael Hurd, aka Big Mike

Have you Hurd... We took a quick victory lap at Local Cantina in Gahanna... And it was Taco Tuesday...

I know what you are thinking, and we DID NOT sing The Lego Movie theme song.  We didn't even crack wise about it.  It was a quick trip, so not much conversation and no pictures.  I sampled the chorizo and egg, Americano, and cantina truck style taco (with beef brisket) straight up and all were delicious.  I was pleasantly surprised the egg was fried rather than scrambled to accompany the chorizo.  All were served on warm, soft, street taco style tortillas.  Just $2 each on Tuesdays.  There are several others available on the menu, so I am going to work my way around the list on future visits.  Pace of service was on target again for lunch time.  Maybe one day we'll feature some singing.

Here's a tip though.  Skip the side of black beans.  I gave that a try today and was disappointed.  Not much flavor at all.  Had to ramp them up with some salsa and salt & pepper to make it worth my while.  I will definitely try a different side dish next time.  Not a monumental tragedy, as this was also just $2..

Now that I think about it... The pricing reminds me of a line from one of my favorite cult movie classics - Better Off Dead...  "I want my TWO DOLLARS!"

Your Dining Scout,
Michael Hurd, aka Big Mike

Have you Hurd... Alfredo - It Isn't Just for Pasta Anymore...

I know I am not a fan of two part episodes usually either.  Who really likes the suspense anyway?  Thankfully, living in the era of the DVR I can wait and watch both parts back to back and avoid the suspense.  It may be one instance where technology does make life easier.  Only complaint is that they don’t always warn you about two part episodes in the description.  I suppose it is better to be frustrated 10 percent of the time than all of the time, like back in the day…  The time we had to wait a whole week to find out if Fonzie really jumped the shark or crashed to his certain doom. That was serious business.  It is SHOCKING that our childhood angst has now been reduced to a glib pop-culture reference for unnecessarily overwrought televised drama.  –chuckle-

I will close out Volume 2 with the remaining two recipes from my weekend kitchen cruise.  Although this recipe starts with boxed potatoes, if you have a good recipe for basic scalloped potatoes, I suspect you could add the Italian cheeses to your recipe too and it would yield much the same result.  You might have to tinker with it a bit to get the quantities just right, but if you are cooking them from scratch, you won’t have any trouble ironing that out.  –smile-

Alfredo Potatoes - For this project, I tripled the recipe for 15 servings

1 Box Scalloped Potatoes (4-5 servings)

Modifications to Package Directions:

Reduce water by 1/3 cup, increase milk by 1/3 cup

Add 6 ounces of Grated Italian Cheese(s)

Layer 6 – 8 slices of provolone (smoked or unsmoked) over the top

(just prior to removing potatoes from the oven)

Since I don’t have what anyone would call a chef’s kitchen, doing large quantities (100 – 200 servings) of potatoes from scratch can be a challenge.  Even in the Manna Café kitchen it can seem like a bridge too far.  One of the tricks I learned from the Manna Café pros (John and Sharon Davis) is how to use boxed potatoes and enhance them so they don’t taste like boxed potatoes when they are finished.  It makes life easier in a number of ways, potatoes are already peeled and sliced, the servings per package are determined, and cooking time is too.  These are all key success factors for the Shade Tree Chef.  –smile-  Once I found that it works well, I steer that way even with much smaller quantities (10 – 30 servings).  

<<Did I mention John was a chemist by trade and also a fellow Boilermaker?  BOILER UP!!!>>

A little bit on where this recipe originated…  On a work trip to Minneapolis, I visited a restaurant called Axel's River Grille (in Mendota - http://axelsrestaurants.com/locations/mendota/) with two associates.  It was an old school steakhouse, with black and white pictures on the walls, dark wood throughout, Sinatra music in the background, expert wait staff, and the aroma of USDA prime seeping from the walls.  Axel's had one of the best signature potato dishes I have ever tried.  They called it The Alfredo Potato.  It was a baked Idaho russet scored both ways and then finished in the oven with an Alfredo sauce-like combination of butter, cream, and Italian cheeses across the top.  I can still taste it.  Mmmmmmm… 

I thought that approach could work with scalloped potatoes too.  I sort of transform them into “Alfredo-style” Au Gratin potatoes.  I favor a good mixture of Asiago, Pecorino, and Parmesan cheeses. You can use any combination of these or just one.  Whatever you prefer or would happen to have on hand will do just fine.  Put the slices of provolone on right at the end for 5 minutes or so to melt and give a nice bubbly golden brown presentation.  Your dinner guests will definitely feel the cheesy love with these potatoes.  You will want to make a few extra servings as folks typically go back for seconds. 

If you ever find yourself in Minneapolis, I encourage you to go to Axel's River Grille. I recommend the surf and turf (their walleye is killer). They let you pair the walleye with any steak on the menu.  I wish I could tell you about their great key lime pie too, but I skipped it.  I was the only one in my party that evening that was interested in dessert.  I suppose that is the downside of travelling with a couple of caloric girly-men.  I should note that I found their company to be thoroughly enjoyable in every other possible way.    

The waitress could tell I was truly agonizing over the decision.  Moments after leaving the table, she emerged from the kitchen with a monster slice of key lime pie that she was delivering to guests at another table.  My eyes immediately locked onto it.  Noticing my forlorn gaze, she was careful to tilt the plate to give me a good view of that magnificent creation and continuously turned her body toward me so as not to break my eye contact.  She was so intent, in fact, that she failed to notice a wrinkle in the carpeting, stumbled forward and nearly tossed the pie into the lap of the guest who had ordered it.  –chuckle-  Fortunately, she recovered somewhat gracefully and laughed as she explained to all concerned what led to the near disaster.  I should have taken a piece of that key lime pie to go.  We would have both felt better about it.  To this day, it is one of my life’s great regrets.  For several weeks after, the key lime pie gods took vengeance on me.  Every place I visited that had it featured on the menu would be ‘all out’ by the time I placed my order.  I was denied so many times, one waitress who had just broken the news thought the look on my face meant I lost my favorite puppy.  If I ever get back to Minneapolis, I will certainly return to Axel's River Grille and pay homage to the key lime pie.  I may even go so far as to eat dessert first.  If it should no longer be on the menu, I will go straight back to the airport and head for home, never to return again.      

Country Style Green Beans - For this project I doubled the recipe for 10 servings

16 Ounces Cut Italian Green Beans (Frozen)

¼ Cup Diced Sweet Onion

¼ Cup Crumbled Cooked Bacon

½ TBSP Butter

½ Cup Water

½ Tsp Ham Base / Condensed Ham Stock

I have a number of different recipes for green beans and this is a favorite, mostly for ease of preparation.  I start with the water, ham base, butter, and diced onions in a 3 quart sauce pan on the stove over medium heat.  Once it comes to a boil, I will add the beans.  If the beans were fresh, I would cover them to ensure even cooking, but with frozen I cook them uncovered and stir occasionally.  Timing varies widely depending on the overall quantity, but I would say 10 – 12 minutes is a good estimate for one pound.  Cook until they are just tender and add the crumbled bacon.  You can serve immediately or leave them on the stove-top (very low or no heat) covered. They will hold easily for 30 minutes while you get the rest of your meal ready to serve.  It isn't absolutely necessary to use Italian green beans for this recipe, but that is what I prefer.  Ordinary cut green beans will work in a pinch too.  I have noticed that Italian cut green beans are getting harder to find in the grocery store these days.  One of the reasons I grow my own in the summertime.  I use ham stock, because I like the smoky and salty character it adds.  You could easily switch it up and use chicken stock if you have a preference for that.  Or skip the stock and just season more generously with salt.  I season only a shake of salt (if any) and a healthy dash of ground pepper.  As I have someone in my household who is sensitive to that, I am careful. If I am uncertain of the crowd, I go easy.  I am sure you will know your crowd and can season accordingly. 

The Shade Tree Chef will be back in the kitchen this weekend cooking round two of our “meals on wheels” project.  Menu will feature deep-fried turkey breast, crunchy mashed potatoes, maple glazed baby carrots, and a dark chocolate torte (courtesy of Deb of the legendary Marshmallow Twins Bakery).  Her dark chocolate ganache makes grown men cry and women swoon. The recipe is one of the most closely guarded secrets this side of King Tut's tomb and won't ever be divulged in these lowly pages.  I trust you will keep reading anyway.

Your Shade Tree Chef,
Michael Hurd, aka Big Mike