Charlotte, NC

Posted on 05.05.2012
Charlotte

I was recently in Charlotte for a regional music therapy conference. As with all conferences, I was sure to set aside some time to explore the town. Charlotte is beautiful. It’s where southern charm meets the splendor of urban life. The urban south, perhaps. Charlotte is full of culinary hot spots, and I was fortunate enough to stop in some great places. Here are a few I visited!

First up, the Smelly Cat Coffeehouse.

Located in the funky NoDa neighborhood, this place is the perfect spot to get some work done or meet up with friends. The barista told me they are famous for their chai tea. Their baked goods also looked divine. No wonder it’s won so many awards!

Next, let’s talk about Lupie’s Cafe. I found this place by researching good places recommended by food critics Jane and Michael Stern. This off the beaten path comfort food place is known for their huge chili plates, hipster atmosphere, and affordable prices.

Hands down the best sweet tea I’ve ever had. Not overly sweet, real sugar, and crushed ice. Yes.

Not to mention the velvety mac & cheese…

Amélie’s French Bakery has two locations. Since I was already in the NoDa neighborhood at Smelly Cat, I decided to visit their downtown location. Oh. My. Goodness. This place is out of control good. The downtown location had a vintage chic atmosphere. It’s the perfect lunch spot. Check it out…

Inside…

I had a turkey, brie, and cranberry sandwich on a crossant. A simple and classic combination packed with flavor.

And then. Something magical happened. I had the best brownie I’ve EVER had in my life. Pioneer Woman even raves about it. The salted caramel brownie. I’m still dreaming of this thing. I would drive to Charlotte and back JUST for this brownie. In fact, I might go tomorrow. Or now.

Whew!! Deep breath. Alright, we’ll shift gears now. If you’re looking for a great Mexican restaurant, check out Vida. I was hesitant to go here due to the large crowds, but hey, the crowds were there for a reason- it’s good!

My way of comparing the quality of Mexican restaurants is through their chimichangas. Vida’s chimichanga (labeled “crispy burrito” on the menu) exceeded my expectations! Awesome chips and salsa, too. However, I could have done without the corn side dish.

Also located downtown is a place that is known for their tapas, Dandelion Market.

I tried their prosciutto, caramelized onion, and fig bruschetta. It flavors were intense and left me wanting to order more!

The last place I’d like to introduce you to is Alexander Michael’s, an intimate restaurant in Charlotte’s 4th ward. It’s located in a historic building, which transports you away from the hustle and bustle of the city to another time and place. The fried pickles are amazing, and the garden burger on pita can’t be beat.

I had a great time in Charlotte and am pleased with the culinary stops I made while there. I’m looking forward to going back soon and checking out even more places. Here’s to the urban south!

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Peanut Butter Cheerio Bars

Posted on 04.29.2012
Peanut Butter Cheerio Bars

In two short weeks, my big brother is going to be a dad! Crazy. It seems like yesterday he was a volvo driving, football playing, little sister teasing hungry teenager. If there is one sweet dish that reminds me of my brother, it’s this one. These nostalgic bars bring me back to around 1998. They’re simple, sweet, and delicious. I’m sure my brother and sister in law’s pantry will soon be stocked with Cheerios for the little one. Hopefully they’ll set aside a few cups for themselves to make this treat!

Ingredients:

3 tablespoons butter

1 bag (10.5 oz.) mini marshmallows

1 cup creamy peanut butter

5 cups Cheerios

Preparation:

Butter a 9 x 13″ glass dish and set aside. In a large stock pot over medium low heat, melt the butter. Add the marshmallows and stir constantly until mostly melted. Add the peanut butter and continue to stir until the marshmallows and peanut butter are completely melted and smooth. Add the Cheerios and mix until the cereal is well incorporated into the marshmallow mixture.

Press bars into the glass dish and allow to cool.

Makes 16 large bars.

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Kale Chips

Posted on 04.21.2012
Kale Chips

We’ve been playing a lot of croquet lately. This year is the first time we’ve had a yard (we’ve been apartment dwellers until now), and recently busted out a croquet set some friends gave us for a wedding gift. It’s perfect for lazy Sunday afternoon. Last Sunday, we played croquet and happily snacked on kale chips and sipped our homebrew. If you don’t know about kale chips, let us introduce you!

Kale is packed with nutritional value and has been trending as a “superfood” lately. Of course whenever you bake something, it will lose some of that nutrition, but we figure these guys are waaay better for you than potato chips, so we gladly help ourselves to additional handfuls. Before you turn up your nose on these, please give them a try! Even the toughest health food critic (aka Neil) will approve. Oh, and Neil won the croquet match last week. This calls for a rematch! And more kale chips!

Ingredients:

1 big bunch of kale, destalked and torn into bite sized pieces

2 tablespoons olive oil

1/2 teaspoon celery salt

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Preparation:

Preheat oven for 350°.

Wash and dry kale.  Place in a large bowl. You should have about this much:

Toss kale and olive oil together until the kale is evenly coated. Sprinkle in the celery salt and pepper, and continue to toss.

Transfer kale onto two baking sheets, making sure pieces aren’t overlapping.

Bake for about 12 minutes, or until kale has crispy and brown edges, but green centers. When in doubt, test one. You should get a nice crunch and think “OMG…KALE CHIPS….WHO KNEW!?”

*Reminder: Our giveaway ends THIS SUNDAY night! Enter to win!*

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Party Potatoes

Posted on 04.18.2012
Party Potatoes

Also known as Party Potatoes, Funeral Potatoes, or Hashbrown Casserole, our family serves this wonderful side at all holiday gatherings. It is the ultimate comfort food. The creamy, cheesy, velvety, buttery goodness of this dish with it’s crunchy topping makes me literally CRAVE it a few days before Christmas Eve and Easter. It’s delicious and feeds a hungry crowd. You can easily dress up the dish by adding sun-dried tomatoes, chives, bacon, fancy cheese, peppers, and more. We threw in some green onions this time around because it’s what we had around. It’s not the healthiest food, but hey- it’s about portions, people! (right?) Not so sure about the source of this recipe. Dad says it’s so old, it was around when the Dead Sea was sick.

Ingredients:

2 lb. bag frozen cubed hash browns (Southern style)
1/2 cup melted butter
1/2 cup chopped white onions
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 pint (16oz) sour cream
10 oz. + shredded sharp cheddar
4 cups corn flakes and another 1/2 cup melted butter

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 350°.

Mix all in a large bowl. Transfer to a casserole dish. Melt butter in a medium sized bowl and toss in corn flakes to coat. Spread buttered corn flakes atop the top potatoes and cover with foil.

Bake covered with foil for 30 minutes, then remove foil and cook for another 15 minutes.

Serve hot and enjoy!

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Ice Tray Giveaway!

Posted on 04.08.2012

The Easter bunny stopped by our blog and left a little something for one of you! These fun ice trays from Ikea add pizzaz to any drink. The black one is shaped in long sticks that will form ice cubes to drop in a water bottle. The others are perfect for the coming warm weather and kids of all ages are sure to love them! To enter, simply post a comment on this post answering the following question:

What beverage will you drop these ice cubes in? Lemonade? Diet coke? Milk? (ew… does anyone do that?)

To earn extra entries, post additional separate comments after you do the following:

1. Follow us on Twitter @newlywedchefs

2. Like us on Facebook

3. Mention us somewhere on your own blog. If you don’t have your own, mention us on someone else’s blog and let us know where to find the mention!

Comment must be posted by 11pm EST on 4/22/12. Winner will be selected at random and announced on this blog, our Facebook page, and Twitter (@newlywedchefs). Winner must contact us at thenewlywedchefs@gmail.com within 48 hours of winning to claim prize, or a new winner will be selected (who also will have 48 hours, etc.).

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Caesar Salad: A Guest Post by Steve Haines

Posted on 03.28.2012
Caesar Salad

We are thrilled to feature our dear friend Steve on the blog today. He’s a professional jazz bassist, teacher, hockey player, and has mad cooking skillz. Steve had us over for dinner a couple weeks ago and served this salad with the meal. It knocked our socks off and we immediately requested the recipe. He is so kind to share it with us! The flavor of this caesar is out of this world. It’s better than any restaurant or store bought dressing we’ve had. Take it away, Steve!

MacIsaac Caesar Salad, from Steve Haines

Taught to me from Canadian sailor Captain David MacIsaac, this Caesar salad is extremely rich and can stand alone as a meal in itself. I like this recipe because it doesn’t have anchovies, usually a staple in Caesar salad.

First, mash together the following with a fork:

8-14 cloves of garlic (bring it! The more you add, the more it burns. Ohhh yes)

10-12 capers

ground pepper

Then, add:

Juice from one lemon (a little more if the lemon is young)

1 teaspoon red malt vinegar

2 egg yolks

2 heaping tablespoons Dijon mustard

Once this is mixed up, use ¾ of a cup of extra virgin olive oil… pour 2 tablespoons in with the mixture, then use a an egg beater to froth up the dressing as best you can. The process of beating all of the oil into the mixture should take about 20-30 minutes, if it’s done correctly (There is a foofy name for this process, but I don’t remember it!) If you don’t have time, you can use a hand beater and do it all at once, but it won’t quite be the same. The result should be a thick, somewhat pasty dressing.

From there, add the dressing to Romaine lettuce, destalked and torn into bite sized pieces. You will probably use about half of the dressing for one head of romaine, and all of it for two. The dressing should be liberally added to the lettuce. Add lots of parmesan cheese, and big whole made bread croutons, if you like. I avoid the bacon. As good as it tastes, the new photos and videos out on how pigs are treated at farms have seriously turned me off to pork.

David was out at sea a great deal, but when he came home, his two vices were the Tavern, and this Caesar. It’s not for the faint of heart! I hope you all enjoy it!

P.S.- I had some sauce leftover from the recipe, and used it to top chicken and rice, which was delicious!

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