Scones are Fun!

What's the perfect tea-time snack or breakfast goodie? Well, that would be a scone! They're so simple to make and delicious to eat =) And scones can be really fun to make when you let your creative side work through. I've made simple ones with raisins or dried currants, sometimes adding almonds or pecans. One of my favorite creations has been chocolate-hazelnut scones. Can you say yum? I lightly toasted some hazelnuts and rubbed most of the skins off by rolling them in a towel. Then I chopped them up, threw them in the scone dough along with some semi-sweet chocolate chips, and voila! The pictures featured are from when I made a batch of half chocolate-hazelnut and half raisin pecan scones.



And today I was feeling a little more adventurous and made apricot ginger scones. I chopped up some dried apricots and candied ginger, and I tossed in some ground ginger and a dash of nutmeg. So delish! Really I just use whatever is in the pantry at the time. Dried cranberries and almonds? Sounds good to me! Dried mixed berries and walnuts? Why not?! Be creative! You can also add a little somethin' somethin' on the top like chunky sugar (like Sugar in the Raw) or some brown sugar.



And what's great about scones is that even for a person who doesn't bake much, it's super easy. I have a recipe my aunt gave me, so I'm not ready to give it away just yet. But I'm sure you can find a simple recipe pretty much anywhere online. My recipe includes flour and some kind of levening agent, butter, milk, and sugar, and then of course whatever fruits and/or nuts your want. Just sift, mix, roll, cut, and bake at 400 degrees for about 12 minutes, and there you have it! You could adjust the ratios of flour and levening agent depending if you prefer denser or lighter scones.



Another thing I love about scones is that they're not too sweet. You can keep it that way or you can feel free to be a little naughty and add some goodies on top. Of course you can do it the traditional English way and put devonshire cream -- so rich, but nice to enjoy once in a while. Or you can put some margarine or jam or even plain or flavored cream cheese. A dollop of honey would also work nicely. The possibilities are near limitless! So if you have a little time and want a nice little treat to have with your morning coffee or afternoon tea or even with your after-dinner sherry, then be kind to yourself and make some delicious scones!

My Urbanspoon Review of Blue Anchor Pub in Delray Beach, FL

"Authentic English Fare" by Maureen Leong-Kee

June 18, 2009 - Really likes it -

The only place I know of in the S. Florida area that has authentic English food. The pub itself was brought over from England! There's lots of yummy English treats on the menu, including Bangers & Mash, Cornish Pastie, Yorkshire Pudding, Toad in t' hole, Shepherd's Pie, Mushy Peas, a variety of meat pies, and of course, the Full English Breakfast! There's also traditional deserts like blueberry or apple crumble and English sherry trifle, but honestly, I'm always so happily stuffed with my entree that I never have room for desert!
They also have a great selection of beers. Amongst all of the pretentious places in Delray, this one stands out as a laid back eatery with good, hearty food. If you're looking for a full belly and a relaxed atmosphere, then go here. Some nights they have entertainment, and they have a Jazz band on Sundays from 3-6pm.

Restaurant Review: "Wish" of South Beach - Good but not Great

Wish was a nice restaurant with great ambiance. Some things were over-priced, which is going to be typical for a restaurant South Beach. The food overall was pretty tasty, but not outstanding. We had the beef carpaccio, the branzino over fruti de mar, the black truffle mac and cheese, and the edamame and sweet potato hash. We also had two of their special cocktails and we took some carrot cake home for dessert.  

The food was good overall. The beef carpaccio was tasty and had a sprinkle of some crunchy tempura bits that added nice texture. The branzino was a fish dish - a 4 oz piece of Mediterranean bass that was seared to make the skin nice and crispy, and it was served over a bed of fruti de mar (shell fish) mixed with pearl pasta in a tomato-based sauce. The sauce was a bit overwhelming with all of the olives in the tomato sauce, and I love olives! The mac and cheese could have been better/richer. I've had better truffle mac and cheese that's less expensive and has more stuff. And the carrot cake was more like a carrot cupcake, but the icing, which had crystalized ginger in it, was delish. We went here for our anniversary, but I don't know if we'd go again.

Put an Egg on Top

As it has come to my attention, putting an egg on top of pretty much anything is one of the hottest foodie trends. I started noticing it here and there on cooking shows, and then I saw an article (Anything With an Egg on Top) in bon appetit magazine that showed that eggs can be put on anything and can be cooked any way - fried, poached, whatever. And more and more you see this trend on TV and in restaurants. You see fried eggs on top of pizzas and salads quite a bit.

So, I decided to put a couple of fried eggs on top of some homemade pizza. I just hosted an Inauguration Pizza Party (Go Obama!) where I made several different types of pizzas. But for my more, how shall I say, "safe" eater friends, I stayed away from the adventurous egg and made other delicious pizzas, including a margherita pizza, a white pizza with spinach and mushroom, and my specialty white pizza with italian sausage, zucchini, yellow squash and mushroom. And my boyfriend made an avocado, bacon, and onion bbq pizza.

But anyway, I had leftover pizza dough and some leftover ingredients. So I made a white pizza with cremini mushrooms, avocado, yellow tomato, sweet 

onions, and of course fried egg. I'm not a big fan of the sunny side up egg, even though it looks prettier, so I cooked the eggs till crispy on the edges and then flipped them over for a little. The outcome - pure perfection. The ingredients all melded together for a sinfully delicious bite. The crispness and slightly sweet crust, the mildly tart and sweet tomato,the creamy yet savory avocado, the bite of the sweet onion, the earthiness of the mushroom, that oooy gooyness of the cheese, and of course, that comforting, tender bite of egg with lightly salty crispy edges and a warm creamy center that runs down your lip ever so slightly with the first bite into the yolk. Ahhh... yes, this was a perfect pizza.

So, for any skeptics out there or non-egg fans, I urge you to go out there and give the egg a chance. You don't know what you're missing. It really is a great ingredient and/or food topper. Just take a look at the pictures and you will see. But better yet, taste for yourself ;-)

Another Site

Hello All of My Foodie Friends,

I just wanted to let  you know that I have joined a foodie network at foodbuzz.com.  It's a fun networking site, kinda like facebook, but for foodies.  It's fun to exchange ideas, recipes, pictures, and restaurant reviews.  So if you get a chance, check my profile on that site at www.foodbuzz.com/foodies/us/florida/boca_raton/profile/maureen+-+foodie+du+jour.  

Adventures with Squid Ink Pasta

My tale of squid ink pasta is somewhat disappointing.  I was at my local indoor farmer's market when I spotted a long plastic bag filled with long, thin, black strands.  On closer inspection, I saw that it was dried squid ink pasta!  "What a treat!" I thought to myself.  Being the curious foodie that I am, I decided to buy it and cook it up.  

There weren't really any clear instructions on the package b/c it was mostly in Italian (a good sign, I thought).  It said to cook for 12 to 15 minutes.  So I boiled the noodles, but then came out a grey, wormy-looking pot of pasta.  I overlooked the very drab color and gave it a taste... Hmmm, it lacked any distinct flavor.  I had heard that squid ink pasta was supposed to be salty and a little sweet, but really, I couldn't tell to much of a difference between this grey mess and regular pasta.  

But, with my culinary skills, I was able to turn this aesthetically displeasing pasta into a tasty dinner by adding sundried tomato basil sausage, grilled eggplant, yellow squash, onions, garlic, and fresh parsley and olive oil.  And then with a couple of drops of white truffle oil, it was magnificent!  So, I won't try THIS brand of squid ink pasta, but I would try another one if I was assured that it wouldn't turn grey and that it had a distinct flavor.  I would welcome any suggestions.

Warning: The picture looks pretty gross, but if you had just closed your eyes and took a bite, you would forget all about the greyness =)