foodbuzzin’…and my favorite meals of late

March 26, 2010 by 6 Comments

I woke up to a wonderful post-birthday surprise this morning—my recent post on delicious Cuban sandwich spot Paseo made the Foodbuzz Top 9!

See right there? Yeah, I’m #2. I was at #1 for a while, but Food and Style with their roasted baby red potatoes had to go and knock me off my throne. Damn potatoes. But I’m comfortable with being second place. You know why? Lowered expectations.

Take, for instance, winning a baby red potato sack race. You win first place one year at the company picnic, build up a fan base who make t-shirts and a Facebook club, and then next year you have to win that damn race. Because if you didn’t, then you would be that gal (don’tcha remember?) who won that baby red potato sack race that one time. If you never won at all, then there’s nowhere to go but up.

See? Logic. It’s so comforting. Since I’m only #2, I can only get better. My posts will only grow cheesier and more random (which is undoubtedly why you all read this silly blog in the first place). My recipes will grow swankier (I’ll plate my next batch of cupcakes with solid gold). And the next thing you know, I’ll be rollin’ in an Escalade with diamonds on my teeth and Hypnotiq in my Big Gulp.

I think big, my friends.

So while I was daydreaming about all this gangsta style that Foodbuzz will surely bring my way, I also got to thinking about some other big hits that we’ve had around here at RDG. Or what I consider to be hits.

Okay, they’re not really hits at all. Just meals or recipes that I’ve drooled over more than normal.

Greek yogurt and honey pie. Creamy, dreamy, lighter-than-air filling on a crispy graham cracker crust. Five pounds of it are residing on my butt as we speak.

Vietnamese beef stew (bo kho). My pal Nancy’s recipe was a killer—smoky spice, tender morsels of meat and savory carrots in one satisfying stew.

Pork tenderloin with caramelized balsamic pears. Moist pork, tangy pears and a whole lotta lovin.

Girl scout cookie cupcakes. Just trust me on this one.

Momofuku pork buns. There are no words, except: eat these now.

And finally, simple roast chicken. A classic to write home about. Stuffed with lemon and rosemary, it’s the easiest kind of perfection there is.

And there you have it, folks: the recent recipes that are to blame for my girlish figure, or lack thereof. I’m off to recoup from a heck of a thursday and prepare for a 80′s-themed roller rink riot this evening. I will be showing off said girlish figure in rainbow leopard print tights, a jumpsuit, and entirely too much neon.

Thanks all for the kind birthday wishes and for being the most awesome readers a gal could ask for. Husband and I will get around to tweaking some design elements gone awry on the blog this weekend, so thanks for hanging tight while we iron this new look out.

And to the lovely Food and Style: no hard feelings. Just jealous feelings. And hungry-for-roasted-potatoes feelings.

TGIF!

-RDG

Update: Today my Greek Yogurt and Honey Pie made #1! Thanks to all my Foodbuzz friends and all of you awesome readers!

Filed Under: et cetera, food Tagged With: , ,

12 days of bakemas: the recap

December 26, 2009 by Leave a Comment

For those of you who have been following me on my crazy baking adventure these past few weeks, thank you! I hope you found something to enjoy, something to grace your holiday table, something to scarf in the middle of the night in your pajamas while sitting on the kitchen counter.

With all of these stinkin end-of-the-year/end-of-the-decade countdown lists permeating the web this time of year, I thought I’d join in the fun.

Here is a recap of all 12 recipes, in ranking order of deliciousness (voted on by husband, myself, and various friends and family–you may have a different take).

Recipes, please don’t get me wrong. I love you all and you are each special in your own unique way. Some of you I just inhaled faster than others.

Drumroll, please…

1. Blue Cheese and Irish Cheddar Gougeres

Funny that the recipe that tops this list is a savory one. These little morsels were too good to resist. Husband and I literally ate the whole tray straight out of the oven. Plus, they were one of the easiest recipes to make.

2. Apple Cider Doughnuts

This recipe once again reminded me why I’m smitten with Smitten Kitchen. They were soft and chewy on the inside, the tiniest bit crisp on the outside, and full of delicate apple cider flavor. Also, they were much easier to make that I thought doughnuts would be.

3. Eggnog Cheesecake Bars

Lumpiness aside (my own dang fault), these things were killer. Crunchy crust, creamy eggnoggy filling–to die for.

4. Banana Tart Tartin

Jamie Oliver’s recipe didn’t dissapoint. This is the pinnacle of comfort food. Serve with a little vanilla ice cream and you’ll be in banana bliss.

5. Bacon Cinnamon Rolls

Hands down the easiest of all the recipes to make. Sounds weird, I know, but give it a shot. The sweet/savory combo might surprise you.

6. Paula Deen’s Pumpkin Gooey Butter Cakes

Miss Deen never fails me. This is the creamiest, most buttery alternative to pumpkin pie there is.

7. Chocolate Babka

Yes, it was a lot of dang work. Breads always are. But this one was particularly worth it: it’s like a gooey chocolate cinnamon roll inside.

8. Sweet Challah

Another time consuming recipe, but a good one. Sweet, gorgeous bread that goes with everything.

9. Lemon Wreaths

A lot of work for not very many cookies (leave it to Martha to make things complicated), but seriously delicious.

10. Mandarin Mulled Wine

Sugar and spice and everything nice. Plus a merry Christmas buzz.

11. Baked Apples with Cinnamon Whipped Cream

Nutty, cinnamonny, appley–gone.

12. Loukoumades with Honey Orange Sauce

Labor intensive, and not the flavor I was expecting. Would be excellent with a few tweaks.

And there you have it, ladies and gentleman. My dishwasher, my oven, and my credit card are grateful it’s over and done with.

Me? I’m still going through a little sugar withdrawal. I may have eaten half a bag of Dove chocolates yesterday to make up for the lack of sweets hanging out in the fridge.

Until next year, this is the 12 Days of Bakemas, signing off. Back to normal blogging content, including some yummy savory recipes in the upcoming week.

-RDG

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