The Newlywed Chefs – Page 14 – keeping a fresh outlook on life, love, and food

Posts

Get Your Kicks (#Route66)

Posted on 10.04.2016

This post is sponsored by ALIVE Influencer Network + The Missouri History Museum

This week we were invited to a private tour of the new Route 66 exhibit at the Missouri History Museum here in St. Louis. The is exhibit is free to the public, and the history museum staff did an excellent job in conveying the significance of Route 66 to St. Louis history.

Through this post, I hope you learn a little more about St. Louis history and the impact Route 66 had on the St. Louis culinary scene.

One of my favorite parts of this exhibit was the section about FOOD (go figure). Located right along Route 66 at Big Bend and Clayton Road was The Parkmoor, St. Louis’ first carhop restaurant! Pictured here is a uniform the first carhops in St. Louis would wear. The concept of carhops was just catching on in America, and the Parkmoor brought this craze to St. Louis in 1930. After many years of success, the Parkmoor struggled to compete with other St. Louis restaurants, and closed in 1999. A Walgreens now stands in the old Parkmoor space.

One place I know that hasn’t changed much since it opened in 1941 along Route 66 is Ted Drewes. For those of you that haven’t visited St. Louis, Ted Drewes is arguably the best custard on the planet. On any given night of the week, crowds flock to Ted Drewes for delicious frozen treats. It’s a family tradition of ours to stop by on the way home from Cardinals games (and also ironically after we go to the dentist…). The Route 66 exhibit boasted the original Ted Drewes uniform worn by Mrs. Drewes senior herself.

Another delicious stop along Route 66 was (and still is!) Carl’s Drive In. Freshly brewed root beer, greasy burgers smashed on a flat top grill, and a limited number of spinning bar stools. Located close to the Kirkwood/Webster Groves border, I grew up knowing to always sit on the Kirkwood side. I wouldn’t want to be caught dead in our rival high school’s seats across the way. Just like Ted Drewes, Carl’s is a must-eat place in St. Louis.

The history museum did a great job of providing information about other St. Louis restaurants, including Steak n’ Shake:

Weary travelers were bound to run into this distinct sign along Route 66, illuminating the way to a good night’s sleep.

The original Chase Park Plaza sign is also on display, and was one of my favorite parts of the exhibit. This original Chase Park Plaza sign was first displayed in the early 1940s. The Missouri History Museum restored this sign for the exhibit, and it is simply a showstopper. The 500-room Chase Hotel opened in 1922, then in 1928 the 28-story Park Plaza was built right next door. In 1947, the two properties merged to form the Chase Park Plaza.

I loved these maps. It was fascinating to see where our house is in relation to Route 66. Did you know that they wanted Route 66 to be Manchester Road but it really ended up being Watson? Watson wasn’t as paved and less traveled than Manchester, but it ended up being Route 66!

This airsteam in this exhibit seemed a little too tight for real humans to fit inside, but it sure was a popular way to travel along Route 66 back in the day. When you peak inside the one pictured below, you’ll see a full functioning kitchen, dining area, and living area. Nowadays, when I see airstreams, the first thing I think of is: food truck!

Overall, the Route 66 exhibit at The Missouri History Museum was a great experience. I had no idea the culinary history found along this winding road would be so rich. Although some iconic stops along Route 66 are gone, others live on as some of St. Louis’ most loved landmarks.

Near the end of the exhibit, there is a collection of pictures comparing St. Louis “then and now.” I’m obsessed with this first photo, of an old St. Louis sign welcoming travelers of Route 66 to our great city.

If you’re in St. Louis, this is an exhibit you won’t want to miss. It is free to the public and runs through July 16, 2017.

Get your kicks.

0 comments

Dessert

Apple Galette

Posted on 09.16.2016

We’re having some major yard and deck work done at our house. It’s taken some time already, and will take even more time to complete. So often, I just want to fast forward in life. Fast forward to the yard being complete and seeing beautiful grass instead of mud as we sit on our deck and watch the sunset. Fast forward to REAL fall temps when the leaves have turned brilliant shades of red and gold. In the past I’ve wanted to fast forward to graduation, to marriage, to moving, to so many things.

Although it’s fun (sometimes daunting) to cast visions for the future, I think there is great joy to be found in the here and now that can easily be missed. In the “our yard’s a mess” stage it’s tempting to compare ourselves to others and focus only on what is to come rather than opening our eyes to what currently is. I think Lin-Manuel Miranda says it best: “Look around, look around at how lucky we are to be alive right now!” Life is fleeting and ought not to be missed. Embrace the transition of the season you might currently be in, knowing that it brings enough in itself to be valued.

The temperatures might still be warm, but before fast forwarding and wishing away each day to a cooler one, embrace the now. And the now is: apple season! Bring on the apple pie, apple crisp, apple butter, and apple galette!

An apple wha? What? According to good ol’ Mirriam-Webster, a galette is “a flat round cake of pastry often topped with fruit.” If a tart and a pie had a child, I think it would be a galette. The dough is like a pie crust, but you eat it more like a tart, with the fruit beautifully exposed. You could even use store-bought dough, but this dough recipe is super simple and I just know you can make it from scratch. You got this! Plus, in this recipe there is cinnamon in the dough to give it even more autumnal goodness. I don’t think you can buy that.

First, make the dough and roll it out. Then, lay the apples in a beautiful arrangement on the dough.

Next, fold the dough loosely over the apples to give it a rustic look. Pinch together dough as needed to eliminate any major creases or holes.

Top the galette with the cinnamon sugar mixture and bake for about 45 minutes.

That’s it! Sweet, cinnamony galette. Make this recipe while apples are best this time of year and while you’re savoring the goodness in each day!

Apple Galette

Prep Time: 25 min. Dough Cool Time: 1 hour + 15 min. Bake Time: 45 min.

Ingredients:

For the Crust:

2 cups flour

2 tablespoons granulated sugar

1/2 teaspoon fine kosher salt

12 tablespoons (1.5 sticks) cold unsalted butter, diced

1 tablespoon cinnamon

4-5 tablespoons ice water

For the Apples:

5 apples (gala or honeycrisp, although I’m sure others would work) peeled, cored, sliced lengthwise into half moons

1/4 cup granulated sugar

1/4 cup brown sugar

1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice

4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) butter, diced

1 egg, beaten

Preparation:

First prepare the crust. In a food processor, mix together the flour, salt, and cinnamon. Add the diced butter and pulse 10-12 times. Slowly add the ice water one tablespoon at a time until the dough just begins to come together. Remove dough from the food processor, gather into a round, and pat into a 6″ round disc. Cover with plastic wrap and allow to rest in the fridge for one hour.

Preheat oven to 400°. Prepare a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside. Remove dough from the refrigerator and roll it on a well-floured surface to a large round, about 15″ diameter and 1/2″ thick. Transfer dough onto prepared baking sheet (tip: for easy transfer, use spatulas underneath to help lift the dough).

Starting about 2″ in from the edge of the dough, arrange apples in a circular pattern, overlapping a bit as you work (see picture above). Fold dough edges gently over the apples and pinch to seal any holes or creases that might allow liquid to escape. Place entire baking sheet with galette back in the refrigerator for about 15 minutes.

In a small bowl, combine the granulated sugar, brown sugar, and pumpkin pie spice. Remove galette from the refrigerator. Brush beaten egg around the crust of the galette. Sprinkle the sugar all over the galette, tucking some sugar under the folded crust as well. Top the apples with the butter pieces. Bake for 45 minutes until crust is golden and apples are bubbling. Remove from oven and transfer galette to a wire rack to cool completely before cutting. Serve warm alongside whipped cream or ice cream.

2 comments

Apps & Snacks

Eggplant Fries

Posted on 09.07.2016

If you were to ask me to name my favorite food when I was about eight years old, the answer would probably be fried eggplant. I was pretty dang good at making it on my own around that age. My parents would help with the knife skills of course, but I’d be the one with the egg and the breadcrumbs and the pats of butter ready to go. I’ve always been my dad’s sous chef. Still today, when I see eggplant parmesan on an Italian menu, it’s hard for me not to order it. I love it.

My parents had a surplus of eggplants in their garden this year, and one was so round and plump that they lovingly named it “Big Bob.” Here is Big Bob with his eggplant family. I almost want to draw stick figure hands and feet and smiles on all of them.

Photo Credit: My wonderful father

I had the pleasure of adopting Big Bob and turning him into something delicious. These eggplant fries are a lighter alternative to the traditional eggplant parmesan, and they’re fun to eat because you can dunk them in any sauce. We like ranch with ours. Whether you are looking for a lighter appetizer or side, searching for vegetarian recipes, or just have a surplus of eggplants to eat, we hope these eggplant fries rise to the occasion.

RIP Big Bob.

Eggplant Fries

Prep Time: 25 min. Cook Time: 25 min.

Ingredients:

1 medium eggplant

1 cup flour

1 tablespoon kosher salt

1 tablespoon black pepper

1.5 teaspoons onion powder

1.5 teaspoons garlic powder

2 cups panko

1 cup parmesan cheese

3 eggs, beaten

Olive oil

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 425°. Place a nonstick (or lightly oiled) wire rack atop a baking sheet and set aside.

Using a sharp knife, carefully cut off the top and bottom ends of the eggplant. Slice eggplant lengthwise into 3/4″ thick pieces, then cut each of those into 3/4″ thick sticks.

Set up three separate bowls, large enough to fit each piece of eggplant in.

Bowl 1: Flour, salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, mixed

Bowl 2: Eggs, beaten

Bowl 3: Panko and parmesan cheese, mixed

Coat each eggplant stick one at a time first in the flour, then in the egg, then in the panko, and place on the wire rack. Lightly drizzle olive oil over all the eggplant sticks. Bake for 25 minutes until golden brown. Remove from the oven and allow eggplant to cool before serving. Serve with ranch, BBQ, or ketchup.

0 comments

Strawberry Oatmeal Bars

Posted on 08.19.2016

The school year is in full swing here in St. Louis. Actually, it’s been in full swing for a while! Teachers in some districts went back as early as August 3rd! According to my books, when school starts, fall starts. Yes, I know it’s still a zillion degrees outside, but I still associate back to school season with fall, so I’m just going to pretend it’s happening. Bring on the fall baking, pumpkin beer, college football, and cool weather! Most of the buildings I work in are super nicely air conditioned, so I tend to bring along sweaters and long sleeves. However, at the end of the day I am quickly reminded of those zillion degree temps as soon as I step outside and am smacked in the face with St. Louis humidity. Sigh, I guess I’ll hold off on breaking out the boots for another few weeks.

If you’re like me, the hankering for an after school snack still exists when you’re an adult. These delicious snack bars are super easy to make and a perfect way to satisfy that afternoon craving. You can replace the preserves in the middle with any flavor that you like. There are still a few good peach crops left this year, so that might be a nice way to say goodbye to summer flavors. Strawberry, raspberry, blueberry, rhubarb, peach, and apple all work, so go with your favorite jam!

Happy back to school to all students, teachers, parents, staff, and anyone else who works in education! It’s going to be a great year. Oh, and sorry it’s been forever since I’ve posted. I’m sure you can tell whenever I’m back to work due to the decreased number of blog posts. More deliciousness coming your way sooner rather than later.

Strawberry Oatmeal Bars

Recipe Adapted From: Ree Drummond

Prep Time: 20 min. Cook Time: 45 min.

Ingredients:

2 cups flour

2 cups oats

1 cup brown sugar

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

2 sticks butter, cut into small pieces

1 jar (17 oz.) strawberry preserves

1 cup sliced strawberries + 1 tablespoon sugar

Preparation:

In a small bowl, combine sliced strawberries and one tablespoon of sugar. Stir to coat strawberries with sugar and set aside.

Preheat oven to 350°. Butter a 9 x 13″ glass pan. In a large bowl, mix together the flour, oats, brown sugar, cinnamon, baking powder, and salt. Add the pieces of butter to the mixture and use your hands to work the butter through the mixture until most of the mixture is moist from the butter, with some dry crumbs remaining.

Dump half the mixture into the buttered pan and press so that crumbs stick together. Next, spread the preserves in an even layer on top of the first layer. You might need to use your fingers here, depending on the thickness of your preserves. Be sure to get the edges, too! Dump the other half of the mixture on the preserves, spread evenly, and lightly press.

Arrange sugary strawberries on top of the bars. Bake for 45-50 minutes until the bars are just starting to turn golden brown. Remove from oven and cool completely before slicing.

1 comment

Apps & Snacks

Buffalo Cauliflower Bites

Posted on 07.29.2016

Disclosure: The Newlywed Chefs were compensated for this post.

However, all opinions are our own.

I love a good marinade or sauce. Especially during the school year, when schedules are more busy and we have less time to cook, it’s nice to have a sauce on hand for quick meals. Moore’s Marinades & Sauces reached out to us and sent a variety of their delicious sauces and marinades for us to try. We enjoyed every one, and are still working through the flavors. Recently, we learned that they are teaming up with an organization called Operation BBQ Relief. Operation BBQ Relief started as a response to the Joplin tornado of 2011, serving hot meals to those in need. According to their website, they have since served over 700,000 meals in 19 states.

Moore’s is working with Operation BBQ Relief to provide a portion of the proceeds from the sales of the bottles marked with these tags to Operation BBQ Relief. Look for the tags to know that your purchase is making a difference in the lives of others:

Photo courtesy of Moore’s Marinades & Sauces

Visit their website to locate where to buy Moore’s in your town. We really like using their Original Marinade for steak and chicken. The Teriyaki Marinade is great also for proteins, but we are going to try roasting some brussels sprouts with it soon and see how it goes. The Original Buffalo Wing Sauce is great (of course) on chicken wings, but we tried a healthier spin on this favorite game day snack by substituting cauliflower for chicken and baking the bites instead of frying them. There are lots of recipes for buffalo cauliflower on the internet, so we read through a bunch and adapted them to our taste, using Moore’s marinades as our inspiration.

First, break up the florets of two cauliflower heads. In a large bowl, whisk together flour and water to make a batter. Toss the cauliflower heads in the bowl and stir (or shake if your bowl has a lid) to coat.

Grease a baking sheet (important side note: if your baking sheet is super old, they won’t be as crunchy, because the batter will stick to the sheet no matter what! If your sheets have seen better days, try placing the cauliflower on a greased rack atop baking sheet) and place cauliflower evenly on the sheet. Bake for 20 minutes, then remove from the oven and place cooked cauliflower in a bowl. Toss (or shake) cauliflower with 1 cup of Moore’s Marinades & Sauce’s Original Buffalo Wing Sauce.

Place back on a baking sheet or rack atop a baking sheet and bake for another 20-30 minutes until batter is lightly browned. Serve alongside celery and ranch or blue cheese dressing.

These bites are full of buffalo flavor thanks to the Moore’s wing sauce, and a healthier option than their fried counterparts. Remember to look for the tags on the Moore’s Marinades & Sauces bottles to know that your purchase is helping feed those in need through Operation BBQ Relief!

Buffalo Cauliflower Bites

Recipe Adapted from Real Housemoms, Skinnytaste

Prep Time: 15 min. Cook Time: 50 min.

Ingredients:

2 heads cauliflower

1 cup flour

1 cup water

1 cup Moore’s Marinades & Sauces Original Buffalo Wing Sauce

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 450°. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour and water until well combined. Pull apart cauliflower florets and place in the bowl. Stir (or shake if your bowl has a lid) cauliflower until they are coated with the batter. Place battered cauliflower on a well greased baking sheet or greased rack on top of a baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and place cauliflower in another large bowl.

Toss cooked cauliflower with Moore’s Marinades & Sauces Original Buffalo Wing Sauce and until well coated. Place buffalo coated cauliflower on another well greased baking sheet or greased rack on top of a baking sheet and bake for another 30 minutes, or until cauliflower is beginning to brown. Remove from oven and allow to cool for a bit before serving. Serve alongside celery and ranch or blue cheese dressing.

0 comments

Who to Know & Where to Go

Olive + Oak

Posted on 07.13.2016

By now, if you live in St. Louis, you’ve heard of Olive + Oak. You might have even tried getting a reservation, surprised that the next opening for a table for two on a Saturday at 6:00pm is eight weeks away. You might have driven down Lockwood on any night of the week and thought of how you’ve been meaning to pop in and get a seat at the bar, but it looked too crowded, so you kept on going. You might have even been to Olive + Oak, snagged a reservation long ago, or got there early to grab a seat at the bar, feasting upon some of the finest dishes the city has to offer. But you still might not know the story behind Olive + Oak.

We approached one of the owners, Mark Hinkle, about writing a blog post not only to highlight their ever-changing delicious menu and new summer cocktails, but also to tell their story.

Long before Olive + Oak came the restaurant’s namesakes: Ollie Hinkle and Oakes Ortyl. Both sweet boys were born with congenital heart defects and passed away at an early age. Ollie’s parents, Jennifer and Mark Hinkle and Oakes’ parents Greg and Becky Ortyl met through the shared tragedy of losing their sons. Both families started foundations to raise awareness and support continuing research in honor of their sons: The Ollie Hinkle Heart Foundation and The Mighty Oakes Heart Foundation. And in the darkest time, a new partnership was coming forth.

Hinkle (most recently on the managerial staff at Annie Gunn’s) and Ortyl teamed up to venture into starting a restaurant in Webster Groves, where both of their families are from. Olive + Oak is appropriately located in the heart of Webster Groves, and brings with it more than just good food.

There is no huge sign for Olive + Oak outside. Its humble storefront and patio seating blends in as a natural part of the Webster community. This makes sense, of course, since the Hinkles, Ortyls, and Chef Jesse Mendica are all from Webster. They understand the importance of the small town, community feel that Webster is known for, and it seamlessly translates into the decor at Olive + Oak.

At some point during your visit, you will probably meet Mark. He walks around the restaurant graciously welcoming everyone (even folks like us from the neighboring rival town Kirkwood) with a warm smile as they dine, and making sure they’re enjoying their experience, embodying his dedication to excellent service and hospitality.

You’ll notice right away the neon heart glowing above the bar, a symbol prominent throughout the restaurant to remind the staff and patrons alike of Ollie and Oakes, and to bring awareness of congenital heart defects to the forefront. The more we visit, the more hearts we find hidden throughout the restaurant. They’re hanging amongst the olive and oak leaves of the large welcoming tree by the hostess stand, each of the servers have felt hearts pinned to their lapels, a large wooden heart hangs on the wall in the front, and guests can even purchase and take home hearts to support the Mighty Oakes Heart Foundation.

Donned in her apron with the red felt heart proudly displayed, bartender Chelsea Little chatted with us about her new cocktail menu. Little hails from Wisconsin, and is a rising star in the St. Louis bar scene. Little makes you feel at home at the bar of Olive + Oak, and takes the time to really make sure the guests are cared for. The detail she crafts in each of her cocktails doesn’t go unnoticed. She hand picks her barware, experiments with new flavors, and tells you to, “here, try THIS,” because she just knows you’ll like it.

Little released a new summer cocktail menu last week with a Gilligan’s Island theme, something she says she’s always wanted to do. One of our favorites on the list is The Skipper: ancho chili-coconut-campari, bonal + rye. It is the perfect amount of heat and sweet. Pictured here are the Ginger: tequila, big o, lemon bitters + cantaloupe-carrot ice pop and The Professor: plum rum, lemon, absinthe + amaretto.

Chef Jesse Mendica also came from Annie Gunn’s, and champions an impressive ever-changing menu. If you’re looking at the menu online, don’t get too attached, because when you come in for dinner it might have changed based on what’s fresh that day. For example, we heard someone brought in a bunch of peaches as a gift, and sure enough the next day there was a peach dessert on the menu with those exact peaches. We’ve had a lot of the appetizers and haven’t had one we didn’t like, so we’ll touch on a few of our favorites. The blue crab gratin is outstanding. The warm, gooey, cheesy, dip with delicate crab served alongside toasted pretzel bread makes it really hard to NOT order this each time we visit.

The cheese curds are some of the best we’ve ever had. Light, tempura-like batter crisps through to reveal delicious white cheese on the inside as you take a bite of these monstrous curds. They’re served with a charred scallion aioli and we crave these things on a regular basis.

Not being the biggest clam fans, we breezed over that option the first few times we were in, but when owner Mark Hinkle said it was a must-try, we weren’t going to argue. He was right, they are the best clams we’ve ever had. These beautiful clams are finished with casino butter, lardo, and topped with melted cheese and lemon. Show stoppers.

But the show must always go on. Chef Mendica continues to impress us with her entrée offerings. The light-as-a-feather gnocchi knocked (gnocced?) our socks off back in February, and we were excited to see it back on the menu served as a side to steamed halibut. Chanterelles, lemon, dill, and parsley added to this refreshing summer entrée.

The hanger steak was beautifully presented with a stuffed tomato and grilled zuchinni-roasted onion bread. The bread was so interesting dense and flavorful, and the perfect accompaniment to help sop up the juicy steak and tomato.

You can’t go wrong with their grilled prime strip. A chef from Annie Gunn’s knows how to do steak, after all. This evening it was served with a sweet corn purée, marmalade, and blue cheese potato salad.

One thing we really like about Olive + Oak is that you don’t have to drop a ton of money to have a delicious meal. Their sandwiches are over-the-top good. Their burger is certainly a winner. The lamb dip sandwich is one of the best french dips I’ve ever had. (Wow, starting to sound like a broken record with all these “one of the best I’ve had” descriptions). Roasted lamb is cut impeccably thin and piled high on the sandwich along with drunken goat cheese and lamb jus. The fries are addicting. As for sides, you can’t go wrong with the beets, broiled tomatoes, or green beans.

But then, dessert. The butterscotch pot de crème is our go-to, and it seems to be everyone elses go-to as well, because it hasn’t left the menu since they opened. Served with salted caramel and oatmeal crumb, the creamy sweet goodness of this dessert makes it hard to order one of the other rotating dishes.

The ginger macerated peaches scream of summer and are paired with basil-ginger cookies and vanilla bean ice cream.

If you’ve been following this blog for a while, you know about Neil’s love for key lime pie. He was excited to see frozen key lime pie on the menu. Decadent, sweet, and tart at the same time, topped with toasted coconut and accompanied by a blackberry coulis, this one didn’t disappoint.

To say that we love Olive + Oak would be an understatement. To say that Olive + Oak loves their guests and their community would be an equal understatement. Out of the darkness of losing Ollie and Oakes came the light this restaurant is pouring out to others. Our hope is that people go to Olive + Oak not only for a good meal, but because what they’re doing at 102 West Lockwood goes way beyond the food they serve.

Tickets are on sale for the 4th Annual Ollie Hinkle I Heart Food & Wine Festival, November 6th at the Ritz-Carlton in St. Louis, Missouri. We hope to see you all there!

2 comments

Get Your Kicks (#Route66)

Apple Galette

Eggplant Fries

Strawberry Oatmeal Bars

Buffalo Cauliflower Bites

Olive + Oak

Pumpkin Muffins

Blueberry Bread

The Capital Grille

Vero