The Dark and Stormy Float

Click below for my recipe for a tasty summer treat using Gosling's Ginger Beer and Gosling's Rum.

The Dark and Stormy Float

Tasty Summer Sandwiches

It's been exciting to explore a range of interesting products at our local farmers market.  Recently, I've tried JNA Bread's Russian Black Bread.  It has a wonderful, toasty flavor and makes tasty open-faced sandwiches.

Consider exploring some different types of bread this summer to pair with a range of toppings for a light, tasty lunch.

For a vegetarian option, use either hummus and olive spread (green and black olives pulsed several times in a food processor and mixed with olive oil) or hummus and fresh feta cheese

Meat lovers will love a BTB (bacon, tomato, and banana peppers).

For those interested in learning more about JNA Breads, visit https://www.jnabreadbakery.com/

Baby's Chopsticks

It's important for babies to be exposed to a range of different foods, as well as eating methods, from an early age.  I've been enjoying introducing Finley to small morsels of food (pepperoni, bits of vegetables and noodles, and feta cheese with hummus) using one of my favorite pairs of chopsticks.  My hope is that this unique tactile experience will get Finley familiar with eating in a variety of ways from an early age.

I still recall my the Autumn during my early teenage years when my father traveled to China for business and brought my mother, sister and I lovely Chinese chopsticks home complete with a lesson.  I've been using them about once a week to keep my skills sharp ever since!  :)
 
If you're interested in learning more about using chopsticks and aren't already familiar, the below link will get you started:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hSXwc9LwMuQ

2018 Best Breakfast Deal in Columbus

Fig. 1  IKEA's $2 Swedish American Breakfast

It isn't often that I feel the need to blog about one of the best meal deals in my area, but IKEA's $2 breakfast is definitely worth mention.  For a mere $2 plus tax, visitors to the Polaris IKEA in the greater Columbus, Ohio area can feast on scrambled eggs, turkey sausage links, home fries, and Swedish pancakes with lingonberry jam.  For those with an IKEA Family membership, unlimited cups of coffee are free with breakfast.

See the below breakdown of the dining experience:
atmosphere- casual, cafeteria-style dining located on the second floor of the IKEA showroom.  I LOVE the fact that visitors eat from real plates with metal silverware and ceramic cups to reduce waste.  Windows bring in plenty of natural light and overlook the showroom's parking lot.

eggs-  definitely powdered eggs, but tasty with salt and pepper or a bit of ketchup

home fries-  outstanding balance of crispiness on the outside and creaminess in the interior

sausage-  like all turkey sausage, can be a bit on the dry side, but still very tasty

Swedish pancakes-  excellent flavor and tasty with the included jam

coffee-  outstanding flavor and balance.  I prefer the latte, but the machines in the cafeteria produce a range of beverages.  Decaf coffee is always on hand for those who need less octane with their morning breakfast.

service-  fast and friendly

cost-  unbeatable

See below for a complete list of IKEA's restaurant options:
https://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/categories/departments/food/#restaurant

Fig. 2  Finley and I make our way to our seat for my breakfast and Finley's bottle

Favorite Breakfast Beverages

Finley and I are enjoying our favorite breakfast beverages together this morning.  For Finley, 7 ounces of Similac formula hit the spot.  For me, 7 ounces of black tea from Yunnan, China.  

Hog Heaven

The latest craze in pizza in the Columbus area seems to be "pick-your-own-toppings and flash baked" model.  Many restaurants are opening up where customers walk in, request the toppings they would like on their pizza in a similar way that ingredients are requested at Chipotle, and the pizza is baked super fast while you wait.

Yesterday Lindsay and I tried Rapid-Fired Pizza in Westerville.  I had received a buy-one-get-one-free coupon in the mail and figured why not give it a try?  The Hog Heaven was tasty and the crust was crisp and light.  While I would have liked a little more pork on my pizza, I would recommend this tasty dining destination. 

Visit the company's website at: https://rapidfiredpizza.com/

Chinese Five Spice Pork

 
Chinese five spice pork is a wonderful dish that is not the most healthy option for the health-minded eater, but is a delicious treat on special occasions.

Start with pork ribs, cut into portions consisting of 2 ribs each.  Cook sesame oil in a large cast iron dutch oven until just browned on each side.

Dice some ginger and garlic.

 Afterwards, add the ginger and garlic to a saucepan that also contains sweet white wine, sugar, soy sauce, and teriyaki sauce.  Cook down the liquid until it forms a toffee.

Add the ribs to the pot and pour some chicken stock over the ribs.
 

Cook over slow heat for about 2 hours.  Allow the volume of the liquid to reduce significantly.  Pull the ribs out and remove the bones.  Return the meat back to the pot.

Once the liquid volume has reduced significantly and the meat is very tender, stop cooking and serve with sticky brown rice.