Chilled Cantaloupe Soup (8/15/11)

Wow!  This recipe for Chilled Cantaloupe Soup by Chef Gwen http://www.food52.com/recipes/258_chilled_cantaloupe_soup was a serendipitous find.  I was initially concerned that a melon-based soup would be overly sweet but this one was, in fact, nicely balanced as advertised with the addition of the citrus juices and the cinnamon.  We enjoyed it and I'll definitely make it again.  Because of timing issues, I wasn't able to pre-chill the soup and some of the ingredients undoubtedly warmed up a bit during prep.  Probably the only thing I would change about this is to prepare and chill it in advance.  As you can see from the photo, we added the fresh mint garnish (thank goodness it grows wild in the yard) but due to dietary restrictions, my portion did not contain yogurt.  Mystery Guest Blogger Tom advises that the yogurt was a nice addition and served to further counterbalance some of the cantaloupe's sweetness as well as adding a bit of creaminess. 

Mercy's (5/11)

Mercy's is always a treat to visit.  We enjoyed a lovely meal, infused by some live music and the joint was jumpin'.  Spring rolls were our starter.  What a lovely presentation.  Sometimes deconstruction seems downright wrong.  There was a running argument about which of the two sauces were better.  Tom is still sticking with the peanut.  Mercy's excels at their sauces, both as part of the dish and as dipping sauces on the side. 

Ayse's Cafe (5/11)

Well, spring approached and a visit to Ayse's http://aysesturkishcafe.com/ (Ann Arbor) seemed overdue.  The lure of their delicious Turkish fare also beaconed.  Since we were dining a bit late this evening, we hit them during a slower period and shared the dining room with only a few others.  This proved to be fortuitous since we could ask questions about the menu and tap our friendly waitress' expert knowledge.  The lamb dish (not pictured) was excellent.  I'll leave Mystery Guest Blogger Tom to comment about his dish pictured above.  On the advice of our server, we sampled both a gluten-free chocolate torte and halvah which was fittingly described in advance as a sort of nougat.  Yummy!

Mind Body Spirits (12/30/10)

Sweet Potato Pie

Our delicious meal at Mind Body Spirit http://www.mindbodyspirits.com/mbs/ in Rochester, MI was the perfect way to cap off a leisurely week off during the holidays.  We are really fond of this place and love the intentionality they bring to every facet of their business.  The owners are committed to healthy food which is clearly labeled to reflect both ingredients and common allergens, a great assistance to those of us with dietary restrictions.  On this trip, we enjoyed the vanilla roiboos with vanilla tea for two.  Our cheerful server, Maria, helpfully offered to run another pot of hot water through the remaining tea leaves which gave us a little more bang for our buck.  Interestingly, they are still serving from the Autumn menu which we had previewed online before our visit but were thinking the Winter menu would be available in person.  Although we should have been a little more adventurous--and we do typically order different dishes--for some reason we were both captivated by the sound of the Butternut Squash Risotto (not pictured due to my negligble photographic skills).  The risotto was creamy and rich and the balsamic reduction was sumptuous. 

For dessert, we shared the the sweet potato pie (a huge 'thank you' to MBS for offering a gluten-free version) with a pecan crust.  The pie was accompanied by a caramel whiskey sauce and their homemade marshmallows which were good but a little overly firm.  This required some deconstruction in order to be able to access the pie but we prevailed. 

Overall, another positive experience at MBS.  Over the course of all our visits, they have consistently had a knowledgeable, friendly staff and very good food.  My only gripe is that they could crank up the thermostat a few degrees in the winter.  This is the second visit where the dining room has been markedly cold.  As someone who's cold sensitive, I might be tempted to write this off as my own underachieving body thermostat.  However, my Prestone-protected dining partner was chilled and we witnessed several fellow diners assuming cold-defensive postures, sitting on their hands and wearing scarves, hats, etc.  I understand that part of MBS' facility relies on solar power and that they are conscious of the energy they're using which I support whole heartedly.  However, this is such an enjoyable place to visit and it's an experience that we really want to be able to linger over and enjoy as opposed to feeling like we need to dart to the car for a thaw out. 

Now for Mystery Guest Blogger Tom's take on his meal:

I added the five-spice chicken to my risotto.  The dish looked great with the orange butternut squash speckled in the risotto accompanied by kale.  Unfortunately, the chicken was a bit bland.  I expected a little kick from the five-spice.  That said, it was still a great meal for a cold winter day.

Rumi's Passion (12/24/10)

Well, we lucked out when we zipped by Rumi's Passion on Christmas Eve, thinking they'd be closed for the holiday, only to find out they were not.  Oh, the joy!!!  For those of you who haven't frequented Rumi's, it is a gluten-free (GF) bakery on Five Mile Road, just east of Bradner in Northville.  We discovered Rumi's about a month or so ago and have been frequent flyers ever since.  Yum!!  Aside from the delight of being able to walk into a bakery and know as a GF person I can actually eat anything that appeals to me, it is really delicious!  This trip found us sampling a chocolate raspberry cake which was moist and not overly sweetened.  The only problem is that it was so darned good, they had already sold out of this particular delectable.  The early bird gets the worm. 

Not to worry, though.  To compensate for this loss, we got a couple of their yummy carrot cupcakes and a German Chocolate cupcake.  The cake portion on the German Chocolate was dark and very moist, just as I like it.  They really do a nice job with the carrot cake pictured above too--lots of flavor and not at all dry with a tantalizing cream cheese frosting. 

Rumi's offers a full line of baked goods, ranging from cookies, pies, etc. to breads (their raisin bread toasted tastes like a non-GF (i.e., wheat-based) bread which for the unenlightened is incredibly difficult to pull off.  The owner has invested an incredible amount of time developing this and other recipes.  He will not rest until it is just right and meets all of his very demanding requirements.  He's a perfectionist and it shows through! 

P.S.  You don't have to be gluten-free to try these goodies.  The owners are very friendly and offer generous samples.  I bet once you taste their delicious fare, you'll be as hooked as I am. 

Will Work for Cacao Tree Chocolates (12/17/10)

Being amongst the ranks of the unemployed, I can truthfully say that I would indeed pose outside Cacao Tree Cafe with a lovingly hand-penned sign which reads "Will Work for Cacao Tree Chocolates". For the uninitiated, these hand-crafted gems are to die for--in fact, on further thought, this work for chocolates scheme isn't seeming so far-fetched the more I think about it. Perhaps, they need some kitchen or counter help over there at Cacao Tree. But I digress.... The lovely treats pictured here are dark chocolate with orange peel and white chocolate with lemon oil. I'm not sure I can accurately convey how delicious these babies are.... but I'll give it a whirl. If you are accustomed to conventional store bought chocolates (even higher end brands such as Dagoba), you will immediately notice the absence of added sugar in Cacao Tree chocolates. This takes some getting used to but once you do, you really begin to appreciate the inherent flavor of the cacao beans along with the essences and accents. These are not the chocolates you sit and mindlessly gobble, like you would in a darkened movie theatre, but you savor each and every nibble taking in the complexity and the flavors. We actually ate another store-bought chocolate bar that we've grown fond of after having Cacao Tree chocolates and in comparison it tasted like parrafin and was oversweetened. If you're reading this and you haven't visited Cacao Tree Cafe, do yourself a favor and make it a priority. Chocolates are available in the fridge and can be eaten carry-out, along with an amazing array of made from scratch desserts.

Now, for commentary on the non-dessert portion of our lunch visit, here's Mystery Guest Blogger Tom:

The daily special veggie sandwich sounded great and did not disappoint. Sun-dried tomatoes were pureed into a savory paste with just a hint of hot pepper that complimented the falafel-based pattie. Micro greens and fresh sliced veggies filled out the rest between the two slices of seed "bread". It looks small, but you won't go hungry. Definitely a winner.

Thanksgiving Cookery (11/2010)

What says 'Thanksgiving' like Cornbread Stuffing With Curried Apples and Cranberries? Not much, I would argue. Thanks go to the Gluten-Free Goddess, who supplied an amazing gluten-free/dairy-free recipe. We stuffed winter squash with it. Only afterward did I think of adding some delicious pork bratwurst to the stuffing to make it more of a main meal dish. While it requires a bit of work (especially if you're making your stock from scratch as I did), it's well worth it and it provides PLENTY of leftovers.