DIY Taco Party

Last night I had some friends come over for a DIY taco night. I made carnitas, chicken, and ground beef for fillings. Then we had all the fixings you could imagine. It was a very successful meal topped off by tres leches cake. The was very easy to make. First you buy a box of basic white cake, or if you have time you can make it from scratch. Unfortunately I waited till the last minute so I went with the box type. Once you finish the cake make sure to let it cool perhaps even put it in the fridge for about an hour. Take a fork and pierce the cake every half inch. In a bowl mix one can of condensed milk, one can of evaporated milk, and one cup of heavy whipping cream. Whisk all the ingredients in a bowl. Pour that mixture over the cake. Place the cake in the fridge overnight. The next day I took the leftover heavy whipping cream (2 cups worth), one cup of sugar, and some cinnamon and put it in a bowl. I used my mixer on high and blended the ingredients until it thickened and formed peaks. I used that whipped cream to frost the cake. Everyone was very happy with the final product :).

Terra

I had a friend in town last night so we went to dinner at Terra in Hillcrest because they are pet friendly and my guest liked their menu. We got there just in time because they stop seating at 8:30pm. The patio area was ok, thankfully they turned on the heaters. I had the lobster mac and cheese, my husband ordered the brie and potato quesadilla, and my friend had the pumpkin ravioli and the the Benito's salad.

While both my friend and I enjoyed our pasta dishes it tasted like it was not freshly prepared. Almost like it was made earlier and then reheated poorly. The pasta was just a couple of clumps that had cold spots and the lobster was a tad overcooked. I think that if perhaps we had come earlier we would have not have had that problem. My husband on the other hand loved his quesadilla even thou it had a bit of a kick to it (he is not a fan of spicy). Both my husband and friend loved the Benito's salad. They finished it off before I even got a bite.

The best part of the meal thou was my ginger creme brulee. Now my husband teases me all the time because he says that I only eat two bites and then he as to finish it for me. This was one time when I didn't need or want his help ;). He did steal a couple of bites which I find funny because he supposedly dislikes creme brulee.

Caramel

I am officially in a sugar coma. I just made a batch of caramel. Very basic recipe but so delicious. I ate 1/3 of it already. To make it you need 1 can of condensed milk, 1 cup of sugar, and a couple of pats of butter. Cook on the stovetop at medium heat until browned stirring constantly, slightly scraping the bottom. You have to be careful to not burn the sugar. If you do it will ruin your pot. Once its done cooking all you do it pour the caramel on a sheet of aluminum foil that has been sprayed with pam. Voila you have homemade caramel.

Café Zucchero

When out to dinner last night with some friends who are in town from Hawaii and we took them to Little Italy and had dinner at Cafe Zucchero. What initially drew us in was the smell. It was incredible. We started out with caprese (sliced tomato, buffalo mozzarella, basil, olive oil, and balsamic vinegar) and arancini (fried rice ball filled with cheese). The caprese was ok, not the best I have ever had. That was actually in Napa Valley at Tra Vigne. The mozzarella was so fresh it was still warm. But the arancini was really good, it was in this incredible tomato sauce. I had the agnolotti (butternut squash in a sage cream sauce) it was good but the squash was just a tiny bit too sweet. Overall everyone really enjoyed their food and I would definitely go back. Next time I will stay for dessert. They have a pastry shop next door that looked interesting. Who wants to join me next time?

Hello Fellow Foodies

I am a big food lover and for a while now I have been giving recommendations to people due to the fact that I have tried quite a few restaurants in quite a few states (oh the life of a military spouse). One of my friends told me the other day that I should start a blog to catalogue all of the restaurants and recipes I love. I thought why not. While I have some down time in-between jobs I want to crate a place where I can share my love a food with others and to also have a place that I can reference when I space on that great ____ restaurant in _____ location. This can also be a place where I can learn about great restaurants from other people who may come across this little blog. So hello fellow foodies :).