Maesto's Gelato Cafe

Can I tell you that I couldn't possibly be happier that gelato places keep popping up. Provo is littered with frozen yogurt places (like one per every coffee shop that would be in any other town), and don't get me wrong, I love yogurt in about every which way you could serve it, but there's something about gelato that is extra special. So this gelato place is called Maestro's Gelato Cafe. It's got a cute little atmosphere, I'm pretty sure that the art work inside it was student work that was hanging in the H-FAC last semester. It's cozy/chic. My roommate threatened me that if I ordered chocolate hazelnut, she'd made me go to Spoon Me (the frozen yogurt place that made me so angry with their loud music that I cried) every day this week, so instead I ordered some sort of citrus gelato with a predominant grapefruit flavor, and mascarpone gelato. Wow. Two of my favorite flavors--grapefruit and cheese. It hardly gets any better. I do love choclate hazelnut gelato though. It's always my conundrum at a gelato shop. There are so many beautiful enticing flavors, but sometimes it's hard not to pick a tried and true comfort food of so many years. On a side note, I'm wondering if I'm allergic to Braeburn apples, my soft palate was stinging in a wierd way as I was eating one, but I'm fine now. Odd.

Hug Hess

It is sometimes disappointing to find out that things you remember from your childhood, are not always as good as you remember them, but there are some things that even as a child, you had the sense to comprehend just how great they really were. One such thing is the beer bread and the raspberry butter at Hug Hess cafe in Ogden. The bread is sweet, and the butter doubly so. Definitely something that permeated into my more adult palate. I think I grew out of their entrees though.

Comfort Food

Now, this photo wasn't my actual sandwich. Would that I had taken a picture, because a pastrami sandwich really is a thing of beauty. It reminds me of good times and good friends. These thinly sliced strips of meat piled high with melted Swiss and a bit of mustard are hearty, and scrumptious. Good way for me to get some iron too! So Warren's, or Dylan's drive-in...though I'm against their having two names, is an underrated, surprisingly fabulous fast food joint. I was very pleased with my pastrami. The only improvement that could have been made was better bread. Rye would nice.

Manouche Swing!

I bought this Album a couple years ago for one of my buddies. My favorite gifts to give, are the one's that I secretly want. My mommy gave this album to me for Christmas, and it makes me so happy. Really, I just pop it in and start smiling, in spite of any long list of complaints that I probably shouldn't spout off, or even have (including the textbook racketeers!). Gypsy Swing, or Manouche Swing is a blend of Gypsy virtuosity and American jazz. It all began with Jean-Baptiste 'Django' Reinhardt. He was born into a Manouche family, which is a nomadic people that live around France and other nearby countries. Django began playing the guitar and became an up and coming musician in the dance hall scene, even though he couldn't read music. One day his caravan caught fire, and he was badly injured, losing the use of two fingers, but he soon started to play again and developed a personal style that only made his music more captivating! In the 1930's jazz was getting big in France, and Django started playing in jazz clubs, mixing his Manouche music with the jazz that had been so influencial. Anyway, typical manouche ensembles seem to have an accordion, a bass, violins, guitars, ya know, whatever. I just love accordion, seriously puts me in a good mood, and gypsy violin is astounding. I don't think you could find a better album if you tried.

Gyoza

I had a great time making gyoza with some friends recently, and then eating more gyoza with more friends at another shabang (I got to eat both Chinese AND Japanese food on New Year's Eve :) ) I wish mine looked as pretty as these, but they were so good, let me tell you, and the sauce is handy to have around, goes great on sticky rice. My former roommate has me hooked on rice cookers...why cook it yourself when it always turns out sub-par? I don't know why this rice cooker buisiness is such a new thing to me. My roommie moved, so it looks like I need to take a little trip to the DI and see if I can land me a cheap rice-cooker.

No Line on the Horizon

I'm so stoked for this! U2's new album, No Line on the Horizon, is coming out March 2nd. 'Nuf said!

Greek Soupa Avgolemono

You all know that I love me some Greek food. This soup is so simple and delicate, and it has so much more intrigue than just any ole cream soup. I got the recipe from this awesome cookbook I borrowed from my mom called Betty Crocker's New International Cookbook. It's been snowing all day, and the roads are much too dangerous to venture forth, so I've been thumbing through this book and avoiding driving to the grocery store, and luckily this recipe caught my eye and I had all of the ingredients, which saved me from a culinary drought. I just got back from Christmas so the pickins were slim over here. Here's the recipe for ya:

"1 can (46 oz) chicken broth
1/3 cup uncooked regular rice (I’d soak it and rinse til clear if I were you)
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 eggs, beaten
3 TBS lemon juice (I used lime juice)
2 TBS snipped parsley, chives, or mint

[it’s a snow day, so I just used the dried mint that I have]

Heat chicken broth, rice, and salt to boiling in 3-quart saucepan, stirring once or twice; reduce heat. Cover and simmer until rice is tender, about 14 minutes.

Mix eggs and lemon juice. Stir 1/4 cup of the hot broth mixture into egg mixture; stir into broth mixture in saucepan. Cook and stir over low heat until slightly thickened, 2 to 3 minutes. (Do not boil or eggs will curdle.) Garnish each serving with parsley."

If you wanted to make it meal, I bet you could add shredded chicken and diced veggies to it (don't let them get soggy like they are in canned soup, I can't handle that!) and it would be simply wonderful.