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.

Inspired Treats (11/3/10)

It just occurred to me that I have been doing a LOT of blogging about sweets and desserts which might lead some to infer that I have a major sweet tooth. OK, maybe it's time to step back a bit, but only after I finish the bag 'o Michigan Cherry Brownies I picked up from Inspired Treats. If you're not familiar with them, they are a Rochester, Michigan-based company which produces 'artisan organic gluten-free cookies and smacks'. I've tried some of their other products but have become addicted, you might say, to these brownies. They are dark, moist, dense, flavorful and, perhaps most importantly, not overly sweetened. I savored every last morsel. They're SO damned good, I can scarcely believe that they are gluten AND casein-free.

Thank you, Inspired Treats!!!!!

Cacao Tree Cafe (10/31/10)

Wow!!! I waited impatiently for what seemed like weeks for Cacao Tree Cafe http://www.cacaotreecafe.com to open and boy, did they deliver. Finally made it over to Royal Oak today to check it out for myself. What a lovely, intimate cafe. When we visited, the mid-afternoon sun was streaming thru the windows and there were people popping by to sample the goodies. Because we were heading off to a family birthday celebration, we couldn't partake of an entree but had to settle for nibbling on the delectable handmade chocolates. My boyfriend and I both agreed that the Chocolate Pudding rocked. The chocolate base was rich, complex and not overly sweetened. However, the topping was the perfect accompaniment and added just the right amount of sweetness. We also tried the peppermint mint patty and the orange flavored chocolates which were amazing. Think of an almost bittersweet chocolate with an intense orange zest. To top it off, the owner/manager informed us that most of the items in the store are gluten-free, including all of the above-referenced yummies. This place is a find and we'll definitely be back.

Holly Hotel (10/28/10)

OK, so it's been a WHILE since my last post and a lot of things have changed, most significantly (for this blog at least) my diet. Due to a number of health issues over the past year, there are some new dietary restrictions in effect; i.e., I am now gluten-free (and largely dairy-free). Try pulling that off outside the 4 walls of your own home and you'll soon discover that, forgive the pun, it's a pretty tall order. In order to provide some wheaty balance, I've invited Mystery Guest Blogger Tom to chip in with his two cents on non-gluten meals.

Anyway...we dined for the first time at Holly Hotel tonite. The waitstaff was very accommodating about the whole gluten-free (GF) thing and also doublechecked with the chef to make sure everything that was served was indeed compliant, which I gratefully appreciate. The Hotel, for those of you who've never been, is historic and dates back to the late 1890's. It has an intimate candlelit feel to it, although it was a bit on the chilly side. I had a delicious pumpkin bisque, a tasty salad with cranberries, pears and walnuts and a sea bass entree. I would love to be able to rave about this place and don't want to leave anyone with a bad impression but I tend to favor dishes featuring fresh, seasonal ingredients where the flavor of the ingredients show through. Someone in the kitchen had a heavy hand with the salt shaker and as I write this, I am still recovering from the resulting sodium buzz. The bisque was oversalted and I can't adequately express how overbuttered and oversalted the bass was. I'd love to be able to offer some commentary on the fish but I literally can still taste nothing but salt (and butter). I don't object to seasoning, but come on.... all in moderation.

Here's Mystery Guest Blogger Tom's take on his meal:

I started with a carrot and parsnip bisque that was quite flavorful, but oversalted. The salad was very fresh. My entree was a tasty salmon steak served on a potato pancake with sweet potato fritters. That said, the chef really needed to pull the salmon off the heat a little bit sooner. A tad overcooked. The wine selection really needs to be reviewed by a sommelier. It's weak. Overall, the entrees are probably overpriced.

ROYAL OAK, FERNDALE (7/3/09)

What better way to ease ourselves into a 3-day holiday weekend than bop over to the other side of town and enjoy frukost (that's Norsk for "breakfast") at one of our 'ol faves--Cafe Muse http://www.cafemuseroyaloak.com/ in Royal Oak. This was our second visit for breakfast and we keep saying we have to sample their lunch fare. If anyone's taken advantage of that, would love to hear your review. Tom had a special, an omelet with Ammoglio sauce with a side of mashed sweet potatoes. I had a bite and it was awesome!! My french toast was good. The toast itself was not a standout but the Turkish fig/orange marmalade topping brought it to life. We have yet to be disappointed by the Muse. It has nice ambience, the service is good and the owners are very hands-on. They are very visible and hands-on and in fact, freshened my coffee and served us. Excellent job, guys!!! Keep up the good work.

** BROWNIE RECOMMENDATION **

Because we are are organic food junkies, we often frequent organic/health food stores and community food co-ops during our travels. In "Fashionable Ferndale", we discovered Natural Food Patch, on Nine Mile Road. While checking out, I spotted some packaged brownies at the register; can you say "impulse buy"? Folks, ironically I'm sorry to report that I discovered these--they're DELICIOUS and about as addictive as crack cocaine for me. As a self-confessed chocoholic (we're talking 12-step program here), I'm pretty particular about my chocolate: I like it very dark, organic, not overly sugared and free of a lot of additives. I'm possibly even more discriminating about my brownies. I usually bake them from scratch using a high quality organic, free-trade cocoa and have been playing with the recipe over time trying to get the perfect mix of ingredients. My homemade brownies are very fudgy which is something I've found hard to come by in store bought varieties. I was ready to diss the pre-packaged brownie we picked up in Ferndale even though it received a strong endorsement from the cashier who assured me he had sampled it. He also added that the company, Do-Goodie http://www.greystonbakery.com/, is a supplier to Ben & Jerry's. I managed to make it all the way home before tearing open the packaging the sink my teeth into the Espresso Bean Brownie. Zowie!!! Finally, a well-crafted, fudgy, moist, not overly sweetened brownie. All I can say is if you haven't had these, give 'em a try and I'm just glad I bought mine across town and am not aware of who carries them nearby. Way too much temptation for me.

Niagara-On-The-Lake/Finger Lakes Trip (6/09)

Our 4-1/2 drive from our home to Niagara-on-the-Lake involved the requisite, less than thrilling ride on the 401 through Ontario. Imagine driving down the 401, a flat and featureless road if ever there was one, listening to Virginia Woolf's "To The Lighthouse" on audio. Yeesh!

This was our first visit to both Niagara-on-the-Lake and the Finger Lakes region of upstate New York. Especially enjoyed a delicious dinner at the Stone Road Grille in Niagara-on-the Lake http://www.stoneroadgrille.com/ recommended by our B&B hosts, Jeff & John. Since they stuffed us to capacity with a 3-course breakfast followed by a sumptuous dessert (yes, dessert at breakfast--don't knock it until you've tried it), I was delighted to discover that the Stone Road Grille offers half portions at dinner. My coq au vin was delicious and just the right size while my partner, Tom, was very pleased with the salmon (also delicious). Portion sizes were reasonable with a decided focus on quality. Highly recommended if you're visiting Niagara-on-the-Lake.

Also heartily recommend Wine Country Inn http://www.winecountrybb.com/. Our innkeepers, Jeff & John, have a lovely refurbished home in an area close to downtown (and on the horse carriage route). Their breakfasts were first-rate (the best of our week and a half trip). They were very knowledgeable about the area and had great recommendations for nearby activities, wineries and restaurants.

NILES GOURMET BISTRO (NEW YORK)

Wow!!! This was the most serendipitous find of our entire trip. While staying in Skanneateles, we saw an ad for this place and, having not chanced upon the culinary finds we were hoping for, decided to give it a chance. It was a bit of an adventure finding the place as it's located pretty remotely in a country setting, off dirt roads and seemingly in the middle of farm fields. We had to follow hand painted cardboard signs, which directed us to their log cabin setting. I PROMISE you it is well worth the trip. We arrived on a very cold and rainy night (it was coming down in buckets) --hard to believe it was actually late June. We were greeted by owner/chef Sandie, her husband, Eric and their dog, Cucina. Fortunately, because it was such a miserable night weather-wise, we had the place to ourselves and were able to spend a lot of time chatting with Sandie and Eric, who built us a warming fire in the dining room and served us to die for homecooked gourmet, organic fare.

I ordered a duck egg quiche which was served with homemade cranberry chutney and delicious salad greens, nicely dressed. Tom made an excellent choice with heritage pork (yum, I had a couple bites) which she sources from Dundee--a nearby town in the Finger Lakes, a dab of the cranberry chutney and homemade spelt mustard, the perfect accompaniment for the pork. This was topped off by a delicious dessert flan topped with smoked figs and pear. Her menu is not fixed but is geared to take advantage of the bounty of the season.

If you are traveling to the Finger Lakes region, be sure and check them out; you will NOT be disappointed: http://nilesgourmet.com/

RIO TOMATLAN (CANANDAIGUA, NEW YORK)

We found out about this place when we visited Niles Bistro and decided to give it a shot. We are certainly glad we did and, in fact, enjoyed it so much the first night, wound up dining there on our second night in Canandaigua. Rio Tomatlan http://www.riotomatlan.com/welcome.htm serves AUTHENTIC Mexican cuisine sized perfectly for my appetite (albeit a light eater) with an emphasis on bold, complex flavors. Their mole sauce, served over enchiladas, was to be savored--spicy and complex. Enchiladas verdes were also delicious (lots of delicious tomatillos) and if you make it out there, be sure to sample the chocolate flan. Yum!!!