German Traditions Steeped in American Holiday Fare

Leave it to my brother-in-law Scott to prepare AMAZING old-world style German noodles to enjoy with our holiday meals.  The pasta dough is rolled, cut, and boiled in rich chicken broth to produce a delicious accompaniment to turkey, ham, goose, or venison.

Merry Christmas from the Food Pope!

Lindsay helped us celebrate a very Merry Christmas by making an assortment of delicious cookies. 

Find the link below for a tasty recipe if you're in need of a last-minute batch of tasty cookies to enjoy with friends and family.

http://buddingbaketress.blogspot.com/2010/12/peanut-butter-reindeer-cookies.html

Japanese-Italian Fusion

Leave it to the innovators at Teavana to combine the best of Japanese and Italian beverages.

Here, Raj prepares a healthy and delicious matcha latte!

It's No. 1!!

The friendly banter of students talking in Mandarin wafts across the air as delicately as the aroma of the freshly-prepared General Tso's Chicken.

For $5.25, I sit down to some of the best egg drop soup and broccoli with garlic sauce Columbus has to offer.  Favored by college students, construction workers, and professors alike, it's no wonder No. 1 Chinese restaurant at High St. and Woodruff on the OSU campus receives a Food Pope Five Star restaurant rating.

http://firstpays.com/fpstaffs/numberoneosu/index.php

Vending Machine Gourmet?

In my food travels around the Greater Columbus area, I'm encountering more and more examples of gourmet cuisine available from food vending machines.

I couldn't muster the courage to spend $5 on a cup of ice cream that hadn't been hand-dipped from a friendly member of the Jeni's Ice Cream staff , but the Food Pope will definitely be keeping an eye on this interesting new trend of fine quality food served from vending machines.

Chili Cookoff

Had the opportunity to sample some amazing chili recipes at the cookoff held in the English Department at the University of Findlay several weeks ago.

To ensure that the best chili was getting my vote, I had to sample three bowls of each variety.

Cooking Bacon: Chinese Style!

For a safe, simple way to turn bacon while cooking, try chopsticks!

Apple Cider Waffles

For a delicious treat try Apple Cider Waffles featuring the tasty flavors of Fall.  The secret to my batch was fresh Ohio eggs courtesy of Ginny's Happy Hens.  When preparing your favorite recipes, always consider incorporating local ingredients raised with love and sold with pride like the gems shown below.

http://addapinch.com/cooking/2012/10/11/waffle-recipe-apple-cider-waffles/

Buckeye Donuts

As I look out the window of Buckeye Donuts at High Street, I watch the campus slowly rise from its slumber.  To my left, a man in overalls sips a cup of coffee and prepares for the morning ahead.  We chat in Spanish over fresh donuts and fresher coffee.  Behind me, a woman snoozes, resting on the counter.  I prepare to work on a long paper for a class I'm taking this semester.  It is a beautiful morning in Columbus, and food is the catalyst the brings each of the different lives sitting around me together. 

Looking forward to trying a famous Columbus dog joint tonight!

Dirty Frank's Hot Dogs

Fair Food!

Enjoyed a delicious batch of fresh cut french fries at last week's Apple Festival!

Food and Friends: Always a Winning Combination

Food and great friends always go hand and hand.  Thanks to Randal for visiting last week for a great meal and Lindsay and I wish him the best in his move and new career!

Who says you can't enjoy gourmet food on campus?

While visiting Jazzman's Cafe at the University of Findlay this week, I enjoyed an AMAZING apple cinnamon chai muffin with a cup of coffee.  I was reminded how often we can find wonderful dining experiences even on campus!

Root Vegetable Hash

Root vegetables such as carrots make a lovely side dish when diced and fried in olive oil.

Place them aside a piece of fish or chicken or top with a fried egg and enjoy!

Did Somebody Say Meatball Subs?

Salad and Fish: Light Summer Fare

A filet of snapper and simple salad made with tomatoes, cucumber, olives, onion, and feta cheese make for a tasty dinner low in calories and high in flavor.

Ladling Out the Fun

The Food Pope found a refurbished 1950's kitchen and started ladling out the fun!

Cabbage as Side Dish

Cabbage is tasty, contains minimal calories, and makes an inexpensive side dish to enjoy with any meal.  Here, I'm sauteing Dan's home grown purple cabbage in olive oil.  Drizzled with balsamic or red wine vinegar enhances the flavor and health benefits!

Guest Blog: Brownies are a Girl's Best Friend!

My lovely wife Lindsay's guest blog shows how you can personalize an ordinary box brownie recipe and make it extraordinary!

When I was a teenager and would start to whine about wanting a snack, my Mom would often suggest that I go make a pan of brownies. Because of this, I learned to think of brownies as a quick, easy snack that was always available as long as you had the key ingredients on hand: a brownie mix, water, oil, and eggs.

I really enjoy baking, and lately have gotten caught up in the fancy, from-scratch recipes that are so abundant on Pinterest. But I still maintain these two truths about brownies:

1. There's nothing wrong with baked goods from a boxed mix

2. Brownie are easy to spruce up by mixing in whatever goodies appeal to you

I love to take a regular brownie mix, prepare it as directed, and add in peanut butter chips at the end, just before baking. I just bake for the same time suggested on the box and they come out wonderfully. I'm sure the mix-in options are endless - a few that come to mind are:

Chocolate chips

White chocolate chips

Toffee chips (Heath® bar pieces)

Chopped nuts

Pretzel pieces

Mini Reese's® Peanut Butter Cups

Chopped Andes® mint candies

Broken Oreo® pieces

Chopped up pieces of almost any type of candy bar

Have fun experimenting and please post a comment if you have any mix-in ideas to add!

-Lindsay

Culinary Kitty

I got up from the table for a split second and Nemo saw this as his cue to investigate my grilled salmon with capers and brown butter sauce.

Brown Butter Sauce

Brown butter sauce takes a regular serving of grilled salmon or chicken from ordinary to gourmet!

To prepare, melt 3-4 Tbs butter in a medium saucepan.
Allow the butter to cook for 2-3 minutes on low heat, until it just begins to brown.
Squeeze the juice from 1/2 large or 1 small lemon into the saucepan.  Be careful, as some of the butter may splatter a bit.
Add 1 Tbs capers (optional) to the sauce and spoon over a grilled fish or chicken.
Enjoy!

A Taste of the Big Easy: The Mufaletta Sandwich

Enjoy the flavor of this New Orleans favorite without leaving home!

Watch the Food Pope prepare this "Big Easy" treat in the Adjunct Faculty Lounge at Columbus State Community College.

Mufaletta Salad

The Food Pope assembling this Nola classic!

Visit Nola Cuisine for a good recipe:

http://www.nolacuisine.com/2005/07/17/muffuletta-sandwich-recipe/

Spaghetti Warehouse

Lindsay and I enjoyed dinner at a Columbus favorite tonight: Spaghetti Warehouse on Broad Street is the perfect blend of good food and reasonable prices.  Even the Food Pope enjoys a night off from cooking once in a while!

Culinary Travel

Think that travel and cooking don't mix?  Think again!  In the coming months I'll post creative ways to eat healthier and save money on food expenses while traveling for work and leisure.

In the Garden

When invited to visit a friend's garden to see what fresh vegetables he had growing this summer, I jumped at the opportunity!

Charcuterie Plate: A Summer Delight

When looking for a light summer meal that isn't too heavy, look no further than a charcuterie plate.  

Combine freshly toasted baguette with pickles, olives, and an assortment of sausage, ham, pate and dijon mustard.

Hubert Keller's website has several interesting recipes:

http://www.hubertkeller.com/recipes/recipes594e.html?filter=Charcuterie%20101

Easy Balsamic Roast Beef

Watch how to make this simple, tasty roast in two easy steps!

A Refreshing Summer Beverage

Looking for a simple and refreshing beverage to enjoy this summer?
By volume, combine equal parts inexpensive beer (Budweiser, Miller, PBR or the like) and lemonade.

The resulting drink is similar to Summer Shandy or Shock Top, but lighter, cheaper, and more refreshing.  Enjoy!