Last night, I found myself with a sale on lobster tails at my local market so I decided to really make it feel like summer and cook up some lobster po' boys. Inspired by the beer-steamed clambake we had last month, I steamed the lobster tails in a lovely local ale before adding the dressing and toppings. The beer adds a nice rich and slightly sweet flavor to the crustacean.
Continue reading "{make it} beer-steamed lobster po' boys..." »
...love this series by Illustrator Claudia Pearson with recipes by Sung Uni Lee...
{see the full recipes right here}
...two soft boiled eggs {7 minutes} over toasted English muffins, and a dash of salt and pepper...
{photo by Oh Joy}
...last night's herb roasted chicken turned into a pulled chicken salad sandwich the following day. Mix pulled cold chicken, mayonnaise, brown mustard, capers, pepper, salt, garlic powder, and a dash of Tabasco to taste. Add lettuce and tomato {if desired} and top on toasted English muffins!
{photo by Oh Joy}
What clambake would be complete without a few sweet
treats to top off the seafood fest? While I typically don't make
desserts {I'd rather eat them}, I found myself engrossed in the same
issue of Martha Stewart Living that inspired the clambake and made my
version of her homemade Marshmallow Cookie Sandwiches...or S'mores Stacks
as I'd prefer to call them.
I had never made homemade marshmallows before, and to my delight, they were surprisingly easy and fun to make. Similar to my fancy mini s'mores, I used a mix of dark and milk chocolate sprinkled with sea salt to coat the inside layers of the graham crackers before compiling all the parts into their final sandwich phase. The stacked sandwiches made for a fun and easy-to-eat treat for both kids and adults alike. Next time, I might toast the edges with a mini torch to offer some melty goodness more similar the traditional campfire version.
Next up, I concocted some homemade Salted Caramel Cookies & Cream ice cream. Using a Classic Vanilla Bean recipe from The Ice Cream Deck, I added some extra indulgence with a chopped up Salted Caramel bar from Sweeteeth and good ole' fashioned Oreo cookies. The chunks of chocolate and salted caramel from the candy bar added an extra bit of je ne sais quois to the cookies and cream for a crunchy, creamy, sweet, and salty treat.
{Photos by Oh Joy. Quick tip: I delighted to see how well Lactose-free whole milk worked here as a substitute for regular whole milk–a great option for those who are lactose intolerant.}
For the 4th of July, a dear friend decided to throw a clambake based on this recipe in the current issue of Martha Stewart Living. Outfitted with seafood aplenty {and one of three live lobsters who tried to make a run for the door}, the clambake was a HUGE success.
All made on the stove-top in 16 quart stockpot, the entire dish came together in less than one hour. Three paper bag-lined trays were filled to the brim with shrimp, clams, corn, potatoes, lemons, beer & onion broth, and of course, the ready-for-action lobsters. Sour dough bread made for the perfect tool to sop up the amazing seafood butter broth concocted from the stockpot's leftovers.
The clambake was accompanied by Spicy Napa Cabbage Salad {also in the July MSL} and a delightful tomato bread salad made by various friends and confidantes of the hostess with the mostess.
It was such a fun treat and an amazing day of food with friends. Stay tuned for Part 2 tomorrow for my culinary contribution to the clambake...the desserts, of course!
{photos by Oh Joy}
Last week, I was craving toasted coconut and decided to make toasted coconut ice cream sandwiches for some friends for dessert. They're super easy, sooo tasty, and perfect for summer.
You'll need:
Here's how:
- Slice vanilla ice cream into rectangles to sandwich in-between 2 full graham crackers.
- If you can make ahead of time, wrap each sandwich in aluminum foil and freeze overnight. If you freeze at least a few days in advance, the graham crackers to be soft and more chewy, rather than crispy.
- When ready to serve, make the toasted coconut by sautéing over medium heat on a frying pan or wok. Stir constantly until brown and crispy.
- Rim the edges of the ice cream sandwiches with the cooled toasted coconut.
Enjoy!
{photos by Oh Joy}
I've got a big Thai feast planned tonight for some friends...more details to come soon...
{photo by Oh Joy. shown above, clockwise: galanga, Thai chillies, cilantro, kaffir lime leaves, and Thai basil.}
The other day I found myself with bars of Michael Mischer salted chocolate, some Mari's New York mini orange-flavored marshmallow, and some plain ole' graham crackers. They looked at me with longing eyes, and I knew some s'mores had to be made. The old-fashioned fireside treat that everyone knows and loves turned into a tiny and fancy rendition as salted dark chocolate mingled with orange marshmallows for a sweet, salty, slightly citrus, rich, gooey, crispy, melty, and chewy treat. Good doesn't even describe it!
{photos by Oh Joy}
...some snapshots from a fun Mother's Day bonfire yesterday on the beach with a big group of friends and family. My brother-in-law whipped up a ton of tasty concoctions over the open fire, including grilled skate, pork belly, grilled peaches, s'mores, and this super tasty cioppino shown above {before and after shots}. In case you're curious about what was in that delicious hot pot, see below the jump...
{photos by Oh Joy}
by way of new york to philly to san diego and now, to los angeles, i'll share my favorite local finds as well as tips on how to find or make the featured food wherever you are. you'll also see plenty of stylish & tasty foodie things i love in general.
see more about me right here.
I only post about products and locations that, to me, deserve a 3, 4, or 5 star rating. If you'd like to see the other restaurants i've visited, you can see them {right here} on yelp.
Any comments which are deemed inappropriate ~ including general spam, offensive comments or rude language, self-promotional spam, or other items unrelated to the post ~ will be deleted.
