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

Have you Hurd... Italian Beef is not just in Chicago anymore...

Given the plethora of Dining Scout posts you have been reading, you likely have been wondering if the Shade Tree Chef is a complete fabrication.  Hopefully, the contents of this post will at least partially dispel those doubts.  While the menu I will describe is not terribly extravagant and I am only preparing for ten, I thought I should share anyway.  Two of the three items on the menu have been real crowd-pleasers in the past and I have shared the recipes with any who have asked for them.

I have found that cooking is a good hobby to have for more than a few reasons.  One that comes to mind as I type this is that it makes you popular at parties. When you find you actually have some mad skills in the kitchen, you can get some folks to pay for you to exercise your hobby too.  I never played any sport well enough to go pro or to earn any sweet endorsement deals.  My cooking (or my personality) hasn't earned me a spot on the Food Network yet either, but I frequently get requests from friends to be their house cook.  I have helped out with graduation parties, family holiday parties, and even the occasional wedding reception or rehearsal dinner and loved every minute of it.  If letting me work in the kitchen means they can relax and focus on enjoying the company of their guests, it is a win for both of us.  They buy the ingredients and I get to play in my kitchen sandbox.  I get excited at the mere thought of it.

Of course, there are some cooking gigs that are really special.  This would be one of those times.  A group of my friends and co-workers wanted to do something nice for one of our fellow associates whose husband was recuperating from shoulder surgery.  The surgery ended up requiring a much longer healing time than expected and with him on light duty, she would be shouldering the load here at the office and at home for the next month or more. (pardon the pun… couldn't resist).  Since it was a sizable group signed up for the project, it was suggested to muster funds for restaurant gift cards or for some sort of food offering.  I couldn't pass up a chance like that.  Had to jump in with a few menu suggestions and offer to do the cooking if they would cover the cost of materials.  Since she is a big dessert fan and I am not much of a baker, I first secured a trio of treats from friends who are skilled in the pastry arts.  We plan to spread them out over the next three weeks to go with the food I would prepare.

Did I mention red velvet is my
favorite too?-wicked grin-

The menu for the first week of our personal “meals on wheels” program would be Chicago-Style shredded Italian beef, Alfredo potatoes, country style green beans, red velvet cake, and vanilla ice cream.  One of the other members of our group was kind enough to have his wife bake the cake.  She swings for the fences every time with her red velvet.  I didn't even dare open the cake carrier while it sat on my desk, for fear I would be unable to resist the temptation once the aroma swirled about my office.  I have peeled off the latter parts of the menu into a separate post to keep the length of this manageable… Please be sure to watch for Volume 2.






The recipe for the Italian beef comes from my wife Beth’s Aunt Jan.  I have run it past every one and their cousin here in Columbus and received an overwhelmingly positive response.  Plus I have also had a few native Chicagoans sample it and vouch for the quality.  Based on that, I would say this recipe is tried and true.  –smile-

Italian Beef – For this project I used 5 pounds of USDA Choice boneless beef chuck 
                       and a 7-quart programmable Crock-Pot

2 – 10 pounds Beef Roast (I use Boneless Beef Chuck/Shoulder, Occasionally Bottom Round)
1 Jar (16 Ounces) Mild or Hot Banana Pepper Rings (Your choice on heat level, I use mild)
1 Packet Dry Onion Soup Mix
1 Can (14 ounces) Diced Tomatoes with Green Chiles
Each pound of beef (pre-cooked weight) will yield 4 - 5 servings

Combine the last three ingredients (including any liquid) in the bottom of the pan (or slow cooker) and stir to combine.  Layer the roasts on top. Season the roasts as you would normally.  I use Seasoned Salt or Chicago Steak Seasoning (www.penzeys.com) or some combination thereof.  You can brown them first in a skillet if you wish, but I don’t.  If you have a 7-quart slow cooker, you should be able to fit 6 - 8 pounds of beef and cook on high for one hour per pound (or until fork tender).  If you are like me (most of the time), you may go for 10 pounds.  I use an 18-quart electric roaster frequently along with a disposable plastic pan liner for easy cleanup.  I keep the temperature low (300 degrees) and allow 45 minutes per pound.  An 18 quart roaster will work even if you double the recipe (20 pounds of beef), although cooking time may stretch.

Just waiting for a lid and a
delivery driver.  

When the meat is finished, you can use meat forks to shred and serve it immediately. Or you could do what I do and cook it ahead of when you need it.  Then you can allow it to cool for a bit and shred it by hand into a separate (airtight) container to go into the refrigerator.  Refrigerating the liquid for 6 – 8 hours in a separate container will allow you to remove the fat easily.  The fat will rise to the top and harden as it cools, so you can just peel it off the top and discard it.  Once that has been done, pour a good measure of the remaining liquid, peppers, and tomatoes over the shredded meat and store it together until ready to reheat for serving.  It will keep up to two weeks in the refrigerator or 6 months in the freezer.  Just divide it into meal-size portions for your crew and then freeze it in Ziploc bags.  It is nice to be able to grab a bag of it out of the freezer, dump it into a pan and warm it up for a quick weeknight meal or last-minute dinner guests.

Be sure to read the following post for the rest of the menu…  Volume 2…  Alfredo – It Isn’t Just for Pasta Anymore. 

Your Shade Tree Chef,
Michael Hurd, aka Big Mike

Have you Hurd... Taco Tuesday + 2 = Throw Back Thursday!!!

7/16/2015 UPDATE: If you are a Local Cantina fanatic, you may have know this for some time, but Throw Back Thursdays is no longer in the mix.  Burritos are still good, but no longer priced at $5 on Thursdays.  Felt particularly bad about my blunder as I discovered this only AFTER taking two new customers there who were excited about the deal.  I guess prices are going up everywhere.

As anyone familiar with The Lego Movie knows, Taco Tuesday has become a mainstay at many local eateries in Central Ohio.  As much as I enjoy a good taco or three, I really favor the taco's big and sometimes overbearing cousin... the BURRITO.  I am excited just to type it and now I am hungry too.  -smile-  I like them for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.  I make a wide variety of them in my kitchen and fill them with just about anything you could imagine.  Just ask the guys who share the duck blind with me on Alum Creek every year and they will tell you.  They probably can't remember all the different things I have stuffed in those 10" flour tortillas, but they are always tasty.

Another cell phone fail...
Didn't scan the QR code.  
Maybe next time.

Every once in a great while, the stars are in alignment and my favorite also happens to be a restaurant's daily special.  Our lunch stop at the Gahanna Local Cantina happened to be on Throw Back Thursday.  $5 Burritos and $2 Mexican cans.  I think that is what they call a "win, win."  My boss reads this, so I feel compelled to disclose that we DID NOT avail ourselves of the $2 cans.  (We didn't even joke about it.)  With the burrito, you get a choice of ground beef, chicken or steak with refried beans, fried potatoes, and queso, lettuce, sour cream, and pico sauce over the top.  The fried potatoes were a nice change from the usual rice you get at most other places.  They were coarsely diced and cooked to golden brown.  I opted for the steak, which was well-seasoned, tender, and flavorful.  And they didn't go crazy with the refried beans or queso either.  It was just right for lunch.  And the $5 price is hard to beat too.  They offered self-serve chips and salsa.  The chips were warm and crunchy, with a good coating of coarse salt and the salsa was tasty too. It had just a little bit of bite.  My lunch time compadres tried the other two burrito options - ground beef and chicken - and both were well received.  Three empty plates went back to the kitchen.  Actually, mine wasn't completely empty.  The fresh slices of jalapeno pepper on the top of my burrito went back.  Have I mentioned I am only a medium-hot kind of guy?  -smile-

It was a light crowd at lunch time, which I attribute to the miserable winter weather.  Both on and off-street parking (public garage) are available within a block of this Local Cantina.  The decor definitely adds some color to the experience, but isn't overdone.  Service was prompt and friendly.  The side of the Cantina that faces the creek has glass panel garage-style doors that can be opened on pleasant days to give it an open-air feel.  I look forward to coming back when the weather is nicer and perhaps enjoying an after-work libation.  I am glad to have found the Local Cantina in Gahanna, as most other Tex-Mex style fare is a much greater distance from my office and is a challenge at lunchtime.  Maybe we'll even come back on Taco Tuesday and take turns singing The Lego Movie theme song. ("Everything is Awesome...")

A link if you want to check out their website:
http://localcantina.com/

In the meantime, I hope you enjoyed the post...  Next up will be some good stuff from my kitchen...

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

Have you Hurd... I am on a Mission to Find a New Favorite Pizza Joint?

Since the recent closing of lone Columbus location of Belleria in late December, I have been working all possible leads to uncover a solid candidate to become my new favorite pizza place.  Unfortunately, many of the leading contenders have some pretty glaring limitations.  Being that they are too far from either my home or office, lack adequate conveniently-located parking, or they offer only carry-out and delivery.  Maybe I am living in the dark ages, but I think the best place to enjoy a quality pie is right out of the oven.  Putting it in a box and throwing it on the passenger seat of a car that then winds it's way across the miles to my house does little to enhance my enjoyment of a creation best served with the cheese still hot enough to burn the roof of my mouth..  I also don't want to park a half mile away or have to call my credit card issuer and beg for a credit line increase so I can buy enough parking minutes to enjoy the meal without racing to the finish line.  It is for these reasons that some great locations have not yet risen to the rank of all-around favorite. Some are seasonal favorites (locations near campus are good when OSU is not in session), a few others are saved for in between meal stops (when crowds are less and parking is more accessible), and perhaps one or two more are special occasion stops - we only travel that far afield when we have some other specific reason to be there, rather than just for the pizza.

I spent a good part of this week helping a good friend and co-worker, Rob, from Milbank, South Dakota soak up the local flavor.  I try to introduce him to one or two new spots (new to him anyway) and also revisit his favorites from prior visits.  In the new category, we hit the Local Cantina for lunch and the B Spot for dinner.  To fulfill the returning favorites portion of the program, we ventured to Scali Ristorante, Schmidt's, J. Gumbo's, and Skyline Chili.  It was a lucky break that on Wednesday evening, a large number of our associates (including my brother-in-law and three of my nephews) were volunteering to cook and serve dinner at the Manna Cafe at the Broad Street United Methodist Church.  Manna Cafe happens to be on the corner opposite our corporate headquarters office in the Discovery District downtown.  I will share more on Manna Cafe in a later post, but first a little bit of history...

On a prior outing at the Manna Cafe, my co-worker and nephews were my cooking crew for the day.  In the early afternoon, they found themselves with a short span of time on their hands and somehow ended up in the adjacent gymnasium where Rob proceeded to school them in the game of basketball.  As my nephews are not currently at an age where they typically respect their elders, this South Dakota beat down was utterly shocking for them.  Little did they know that Rob not only played basketball, but coached youth basketball for several years too.  He was, in the popular parlance, a ringer.  -smile-

It was only natural, that on his return to Central Ohio, the nephews would be spoiling for a rematch.  This time they invited my brother-in-law and me to join the fray as well.  Given that I hadn't picked up a basketball in any fashion in more than ten years, I worked the phones feverishly to recruit some additional support for the seniors team, but my efforts fell flat.  And, as luck would have it, the lone co-worker who was eager to join us that night ended up on the nephew's team.  Thinking back with a bent toward conspiracy, I wonder if maybe they were working the crowd at Manna Cafe that night looking for a ringer too... They were successful, where I was not.  -grimace- Although I won't reveal the final score of the two games we played that night, suffice it to say I will be practicing before the next rematch.  The good news is that no matter who won, everyone was up for a trip to a nearby pizza place.

Hounddog's 3 Degree Pizza (www.hounddogspizza.com) is just a short trip from the site of the round ball game we played and was recommended by a co-worker.  Although it was a bit of a challenge to find it, even using a GPS locator, we managed to get there after one trip around the block and several passes through the small (and completely full) parking lot.  The signage from the parking lot side of the restaurant is far more prominent than the High Street side.  In spite of the full parking lot, the crowd inside the dining room was light and we immediately found a table and received prompt service.  We ordered up some happy hour beers (for those who were old enough), soft drinks (for those who were not), a plate of jalapeno poppers, and two pizzas (one 14"/one 16").  Both pies were Smokin' Joes style - hand-tossed garlic buttered crust.  One was loaded with their regular (billed as a mildly sweet tomato and basil) sauce and all the meats.  The other with their spicy sauce plus spicy sausage and pepperoni.  The waiter indicated the spice level was perhaps a medium with just a bit of kick and not the least bit offensive.  Since we wanted to get a feel for the overall flavor without overpowering it with heat, that seemed like a good choice.  The nephews gladly scarfed the jalapeno poppers as fast as they arrived at the table.  Thankfully, the pizzas arrived almost immediately after that.  The crust was exactly as advertised.  The generous brush of garlic butter was a nice touch and both pizzas had sauce and toppings aplenty.  The only contrary observations would be that the mildly sweet tomato and basil sauce didn't seem to be sweet at all and the spicy sauce really didn't seem to have much kick.  Pizzas were still very good, just not quite what we expected.  I didn't think it was possible that we would completely devour both pizzas, but there was hardly a crumb left and I am fairly certain someone was talking about drinking the extra garlic butter off the pans before they took them back to the kitchen. -mmmmm-

Atmosphere was pretty low-key.  Not surprising, given the proximity to campus.  Service was excellent.  Not sure yet if Hounddogs will move up to the all-around favorite yet, but it is definitely a contender.  Will be going back soon for a follow-up visit with other parties to confirm our initial observations.  Please stay tuned for further updates.


In the meantime, I hope you enjoyed this passage in the Chronicles of a Dining Scout and Shade Tree Chef.

Dining Scout, Shade Tree Chef, and Author,
Michael Hurd,




aka "Big Mike"

Have you Hurd.... About one big reason I wished I lived closer to Reynoldsburg?

Probably not the least amount of suspense in that title question...  You know the answer somehow revolves around great food that is offered somewhere in Reynoldsburg.  Plus, if you have ever been willing to sit still long enough for me to tell you in person about my new almost favorite place.  Almost favorite because I don't live quite close enough to dine there often enough to count myself as a "regular."  It's a small family owned and operated restaurant called Scali Ristorante in a strip mall near SR 256 and E. Livingston.  They are open for dinner Tuesday through Saturday and lunch on Thursday and Friday.

The first time I heard about Scali, I was skeptical.  Mostly because the person who was recommending the place to me was a bit of a skinny runt.  Yes, he will be reading this and I have indeed called him that to his face.  I suppose everything is relative though, given that I am well over 6 feet tall.  I didn't earn the moniker Big Mike as a clever play on words.  I really am a big guy and many other seem small by comparison.  *smile*  We were scouting locations for a small company gathering and I told him I wasn't going to recommend it without trying it first.  Since that first memorable lunch visit, I have returned a handful of times in the company of several different parties and they have always exceeded my expectations.  Another good friend once told me that when people love that they do, it shows in the quality of their work.  The folks at Scali all must love what they do and it definitely shows.

Tonight, we were hosting a friend and co-worker in town from South Dakota for training.  I received an email earlier in the day with the weekly specials and like a little kid I began asking every five minutes "is it time to go to dinner yet?"  We opened the meal with a couple of their signature appetizers, the asiago and prosciutto grill (sliced prosciutto wrapped with asiago cheese grilled and served with a calmata and roasted pepper sauce) and the stuffed mushrooms (capicola, salami blended together with a mixture of Italian cheeses and baked in a light butter sauce).  Both plates went back to the kitchen empty and left smiling faces in their wake.  I was prepared to arm-wrestle for the last portion of the asiago and prosciutto grill.  Thankfully, nobody else was really feeling competitive and they let me have it.  I glanced at the empty plate and for a moment I wondered "was any of that supposed to be a garnish or was it all meant to be consumed?"  *grimace*  It all tasted good, so I am going to go with 100 percent edible and 0 percent garnish.  Furthermore, I let someone else have the last stuffed mushroom.  I know that sounds strange coming from me, but it was Random Act of Kindness week recently.  I also stared at it longingly before wistfully letting it go.
 

Stuffed Mushtrooms

Asiago Prosciutto Grill

The salads arrived quickly on the heels of the appetizers.  It was a pretty even split in our party between the Italian (house) and the Caesar salad.  I opted for the former with the crumbled blue cheese added.  It was a pleasant mix of greens, with tomatoes, onions, cucumbers, kalamata olives, house made croutons, crumbled blue cheese, and Italian dressing.  I am sure it would have been wonderful straight up, but I found it hard to resist the container of fresh grated Parmesan on the table any longer.  It was even better than a shaker with large slots in it.  A nice size glass of it with a lid and serving spoon.  An invitation to to go bat **** crazy with the cheese!  Know what I mean?    I put a generous sprinkle over the top.  WOW!  Rabbits wish they had food like this.  Not to belabor the point, but more clean plates and the excitement builds for the main course.


When I received the email of weekly specials, just like Jerry McGuire they had me at "Pork Ragu."  It was pork tenderloin coarsely diced and sauteed in olive oil and onions, slowly simmered in tomato sauce and served with pasta.  The pasta was similar in shape to rigatoni, but it was much bigger around.  An ideal platform for the sauce and other enhancements.  I just had to hit it with a good dose of Parmesan cheese.  The tomato sauce had a robust tomato flavor, the chunks of pork were well seasoned and fork tender.  I resisted the urge to lick my plate clean, but managed to almost lick it clean relying on a spark of creativity with my dinner fork and sheer determination.  YUM!

Progress?   Remembered
halfway through the gelato..

I was already feeling caloric overload when the waitress quietly slipped the dessert menus onto the table and let us know the gelato flavors of the day.  When I was a young boy and my Grandparents lived on Sandgate Road in Sharon Woods, my sisters and I would walk over almost daily during our summer time visits to the Friendly's ice cream parlor and grab a cone from the take out counter.  I don't think I ever ordered anything but strawberry.  It was just a matter of whether I ordered a single or double scoop.  The strawberry gelato at Scali reminded me of those daily summertime trips. Amazing strawberry flavor for this time of year and I even found a couple of big chunks of fruit in there.  -smile-   Maybe it's a lot colder outside tonight...  Maybe I am a lot older now...  My Grandparents don't live on Sandgate Road anymore and the Friendly's has been gone from that location for years, but...  It made me feel a little younger... and a lot warmer...

As I headed back out into the cold and dark.  Only question I had is "when are we going back to Scali?"