2012 – Page 3 – Fervent Foodie

Soul of the South–a Feast Food Tour {Charlotte, NC}

November 13, 2012 6 Comments

For better or for worse, my favorite thing to do on the weekends is EAT. Each Friday night, Jarrod and I head out to a local restaurant for what we affectionately call a “slow dinner.” We order drinks, we savor them. We order an appetizer, we relish it. Then, after turning the server away at least three times, we order our entrees. And later (on occasion) we order dessert. It’s like a progressive dinner, except we sit in one spot the entire night, with the exception of regular potty breaks.

Last weekend, we had the epitome of slow dinners: six small meals at six different locations! The best part was we didn’t have to plan a thing—everything was handled by Kristi of Feast Food Tours.

I met Kristi a few months ago, and I had an immediate urge to go on one of her tours. She has several options listed on her website, including an Uptown Chic Tour and Charlotte Brew and Chew Tour. But, for the love of barbecue, I chose the Soul of the South Tour, on which Queen City Q was our first stop! Queen City Q opened earlier this year, but we hadn’t made it in for a visit prior to the tour. Our first order of business: pulled pork sliders!

Recipes

Shrimp Linguine Fra Diavolo {recipe}

November 12, 2012 1 Comment

Call it Shrimp Fra Diavolo, as the Italians say, or simply spicy shrimp with tomatoes and onions in a garlic wine sauce. Either way, this easy pasta dish is one to add to your recipe repertoire, pronto.

When it comes to pasta, I’m usually a marinara kind of gal. I find cream sauces heavy and overly rich and oil based sauces often taste bland and greasy. This fra diavolo sauce is the perfect middle ground—light, yet flavorful, with a kick of heat from the red pepper flakes. Two bites into our pasta Saturday night, Jarrod and I agreed we’d be making it regularly. That’s when you know you have a good recipe on your hands!

Product Review

KLUTCHclub {review}

November 8, 2012 2 Comments

It’s no secret that I love getting packages in the mail. Even when I know what’s inside, just seeing the box on my doorstep makes me giddy. Plus, now that I’m an old fart, getting a sweet package in the mail is the closest I’ll ever come to recreating the excitement of ripping through Christmas wrapping paper as a child.

Recently, I’ve been hearing a lot of buzz about subscription box clubs. Basically, these are “clubs” you subscribe to, and as a member of the club you get a monthly box of goodies (food, clothes, etc.) in the mail. Sounds like my kind of club!

I had my eyes set on KLUTCHclub and Cravebox, and decided to give them both a shot. I’ll get to Cravebox in a minute—lets talk KLUTCH box review now.

Recipes

Pork with Sautéed Cider Apples {recipe}

November 7, 2012 3 Comments

When it comes to food, I have an extremely hard time making decisions. I blame it on information overload, or rather, possibilities overload. Between cookbooks, magazines, recipe sites, delicious blogs, and PINTEREST, it’s practically impossible to zero in on “the one.”

This week, like the loving gal I am, I pushed the horrible task of deciding what to make for dinner onto my boyfriend. I handed him the latest issue of Cooking Light and asked him to pick out one recipe that we would then make for dinner. He diligently flipped through the magazine, cover to cover, jotting down notes along the way, and then presented me with a list of not one but TEN recipes he’d like to try.

I appreciate the enthusiasm, but ten?! So much for following instructions…

As inefficient as it sounds, this process was actually much faster than usual. Plus, we hit the trifecta: cheap, fast, and delicious.

I’m not usually a big fan of mixing sweet and savory, but this combination of pork, apples, and onions was fantastic—the perfect fall meal.

My Favs, Recipes

Roasted Parmesan Brussels Sprouts {recipe}

November 6, 2012 8 Comments

If you look at any list of most-hated vegetables, Brussels sprouts are at the top of the pack. I don’t understand it! When did Brussels sprouts get such a bad wrap? Call me weird, but I even liked them as a kid–though, back then my step mom covered the sprouts (and all vegetables, for that matter) with a thick blanket of melted Velveeta cheese. So, I’ve been eating Brussels sprouts since the 90’s, since before it was cool, that is, and mispronouncing the veggie just as long. I mean, did you know there was an “s” at the end of “Brussel”? It’s even more baffling than the first time I saw sprouts still attached to the stalk! (If you have no clue what I’m talking about, check out this pic!). CRAZY!

Brussels sprouts are one of my go-to vegetable sides, and this easy recipe resulted in the best batch of sprouts I’ve ever cooked. Tender, slightly salty, and dusted with sharp Parmesan cheese.

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