Buttery Garlic Bread Loaf

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When you have a heaping bowl of pasta, you just have to make garlic bread!  I honestly can’t stand the frozen stuff and don’t know why you’d buy it when it’s just as easy, cheaper and tastier to make your own.  You’ll never have leftovers when you make this recipe – with pasta or anything else that deserves a buttery-garlicky sidekick!

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BUTTERY GARLIC BREAD LOAF

Ingredients

  • 1 Fresh Loaf Italian or Vienna Bread
  • 1 Stick Butter, Softened
  • 2-3 Cloves Minced Garlic
  • 1 1/2 Tsp. Dried Parsley
  • 1/2 Tsp. Garlic Salt

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
  • Slice loaf of bread lengthwise and lay on top of a large sheet of foil.
  • In a small bowl, mix butter, garlic, garlic salt and parsley until combined.
  • Spread mixture on each half of bread and then place top and bottom together.
  • Wrap loaf in foil and bake in the oven for 30 minutes.
  • Remove from oven and foil and lay loaf open on a cookie sheet.  Place under the broiler for 3-5 minutes or until edges are browned and butter is bubbling.
  • Remove from oven, slice and serve immediately.

Yes, it really is that easy and that delicious.  If you’re like me, you’ll make this over and over again – your guests will request it!  With sauce, soups or steaks you’ll definitely want to dig in!!

Beef Roast With Mushroom Gravy

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It hasn’t quite cooled off the way I really love for fall, but I’m starting to move to fall dishes for dinner already.  Who doesn’t love warm comforting food on a chilly October evening?  Well, one of the best recipes passed down from my mother is my favorite “mushroom roast”.  Growing up, this was a Sunday supper, but I’m good with it any day of the week.  It’s outstanding with a touch of smoke cooked in a cast-iron dutch oven over the campfire or just as good in your oven.  Either way, it’s really easy and awfully good!

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BEEF ROAST WITH MUSHROOM GRAVY

Ingredients

  • 4-5 Lbs. Beef Chuck Roast
  • 1 Envelope Onion Soup Mix
  • 2 Cans Cream of Mushroom Soup
  • 1 Pint Sliced Button Mushrooms

Instructions

  • Place roast in a dutch oven or heavy roasting pan.
  • Dust roast with onion soup mix and then toss mushrooms in and around the roast.
  • Spread both cans of cream of mushroom soup over roast and mushrooms.
  • Cover and cook for 3-4 hours at 325 degrees until fork tender.
  • Skim fat from top of cooking liquid.  Remove roast and pull apart into large chunks with two forks.
  • Serve roast on top of mashed potatoes or egg noodles and cover with thick mushroom gravy.

This rich meaty dinner will definitely satisfy your fall/winter hunger.  Even if you’re only cooking for two, it makes great leftovers for open-faced sandwiches the next day.  You can also double this for a large crowd and cook two roasts in one large roasting or foil pan – thinking ahead for the holidays already!  Give it a try and make this Sunday supper an everyday meal for your family.  Dig in and enjoy!

Tangy Bagel Dip

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Football season is always a great excuse to indulge in some great fattening appetizers while taking in your favorite games.  We’ve had this bagel dip in our regular snack rotation for years!  You’ll love the creamy savory taste of this cool dip with just the right bite of garlic and onion.  Simple in ingredients, I usually offer some variances for you to try.  However, don’t mess with success on this one, it’s perfect just the way it is.

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TANGY BAGEL DIP

Ingredients

  • 2-8 Ounce Bricks Cream Cheese
  • 10 Ounces Sharp Cheddar Pub Cheese
  • 1 1/2 Tsp. Garlic Salt
  • 4-5 Green Onions, Chopped
  • 1 Dozen Bagels

Instructions

  • Place room temperature cream cheese in a bowl and mix with hand mixer until smooth.
  • Add pub cheese and mix again until combined.  Any brand works well – Kraft and many grocery store brands are available.
  • With a spatula, stir in garlic salt and green onions until distributed evenly.
  • Chill for 2 hours and serve.
  • Cut or tear your favorite bagels into pieces.  We like to use everything and onion bagels.

I suppose if you want to be a little healthy, you could always dip veggies instead of bagels.  I think celery and radishes would be great with these ingredients.  Otherwise, grab a cold beer and dig in and enjoy!

Magic Hat #9

On By greg@kandflivingIn Beer/Cocktails, Photo Gallery, UncategorizedLeave a comment

In the last of my series for National Beer Drinking Day, I am highlighting one of my all-time favorite beers.  My friend Kelly introduced me to Magic Hat #9 on a July afternoon about 9 years ago.  I had just started a new job and the happy hour crew was out to celebrate.  My love of IPA’s was immediately transformed when I took my first sip of this “not quite pale ale” – and what an awakening it was!

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Rather than a shin-kick of hops and bitterness, #9 is a beautiful ale made with 2 kinds of malt, Cascade and Apollo hops and a hint of apricot.  That’s right, I said apricot – if you don’t have a well-developed palate, you’ll be searching your mind and tongue for that ingredient with every sip.  This beer is light and refreshing, but heavy on flavor.  You almost get the mouth feel of a heady pale ale, but it goes down smooth like a light beer or wheat.  It’s crisp and slightly fruity, but not at all sweet.  If someone doesn’t like hoppy beer, chances are they’ll fall in love with #9 – sounds like the love story from a James Bond movie, right?!

While it used to be hard to find, you can now get Magic Hat at many grocery stores and bars and restaurants.  Imagine my delight when I found #9 in 16-ounce cans at a local golf course and at our concert venue – jackpot!!  Pair this beer with just about anything, but it goes amazingly well with a charcuterie platter and cheese assortment.  You’ll think you’re drinking wine the way the flavor is enhanced by different foods.  Try a little crusty bread with camembert and dried apricot and listen to #9 sing with that one.  Check them out in your area or find out more online at magichat.net.

Curious Traveler Lemon Shandy

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Traveler Beer Company was first introduced to us 4 years ago while we were living in Minneapolis.  Being in the backyard of Leinenkugel’s, I was plenty familiar with a shandy. While I enjoy a great number of the lemon varieties on the market today, most breweries make these a little sweet for my taste.  Ever take frozen lemonade concentrate and mix it in a pitcher with 6 light or wheat beers?  There, I just taught you how to make your own shandy year-round!  Seriously though, I need a little more depth of flavor and less sweetness.

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Curious Traveler Lemon Shandy is a great brew with a melody of flavors in a lighter beer.  Pour this one in a glass to get a look at it’s beautiful light amber hue, cloudy enough to know you have some hefty malted barley and wheat.  The aroma gives you a good sense of the wheat, but also a hint of the citrus.  Lightly hopped, the citrus flavor of lemon and lime stand on their own and lend a a crispy taste without being sweet – thank you!!  With 4.4% ABV, you can enjoy a few with dinner or plow through a Saturday of golf without getting actually plowed!

Lemon Shandy goes with almost any food, but I love it paired with peel-and-eat shrimp or a great BBQ chicken thigh.  You won’t go wrong with cheese doodles as far as I’m concerned.  Enjoy this at home or tailgating and camping as you can usually find it in both bottles and cans for easy cooler packing.  You can find out more about their great beers and Vermont-cool beer gear at travelerbeer.com.

Schlafly Grapefruit IPA

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I know it’s a shocker that I write about an IPA with citrus notes since that’s one of my favorite beer combinations.  However, this tasty brew from St. Louis has a ton of character and offers a good punch of grapefruit without being “fruity”.

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Schlafly brews their Grapefruit IPA with the pulp of the fruit mixed in with the wort (early stages of beer when grains are steeped and malt added).  The result is a great floral aroma and a good dose of flavor.  With the addition of Cascade and Citra hops, there is a great blend of hops and citrus to really let the beer shine without punching you in the mouth with bitterness from either the hops or fruit.  The end result is a an all-day IPA that you can enjoy at a game, cookout or watching your favorite sports.  At 5.0% ABV and 40 IBU it’s not going to render you useless after a couple – or a bunch!

Pair these suds with all kinds of foods, but I’m going with a cajun snapper and corn salad combo this evening.  You can pick up Schlafly in your local store or at their two restaurant/taproom locations.  With five year-round beers and some great seasonal selections, there’s a taste for everyone.  To learn more, visit their website at schlafly.com.

Scalloped Potatoes With Crispy Shallots

On By greg@kandflivingIn Photo Gallery, Recipes, Uncategorized2 Comments

Growing up my mom always made scalloped potatoes that came from a box and tasted like the freeze-dried potatoes and fake cheese they were – sorry mom!  I honestly never really liked them much, but came to like good scalloped potatoes and various versions of potato casseroles through my adult years.  I came up with this easy recipe that gives a creamy salty casserole a little punch from some crispy oniony/garlicky shallots.

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SCALLOPED POTATOES WITH CRISPY SHALLOTS

Ingredients

  • 3-4 Lbs. Russet Potatoes
  • 1 1/2 Cups Half and Half
  • 2 Tsp. Salt
  • 2 Tsp Black Pepper
  • 3/4 Cup Grated Romano Cheese
  • 4-5 Shallots, Thinly Sliced
  • 2 Tbs. Butter
  • 1 Tsp. Sugar

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
  • Peel potatoes and slice in 1/4-inch slices on a mandolin or with a knife.
  • Grease a 2-quart baking dish and cover bottom with a single layer of potatoes.  Pour 1/4 cup of half and half over potatoes and then sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Top with 1/8 cup of cheese.
  • Continue this process with six successive layers of potatoes, half and half, seasoning and cheese.
  • Cover with foil and bake for 40 minutes at 375 degrees.
  • While baking, melt butter in a saucepan and add thinly sliced shallots.  Sprinkle with sugar.
  • Cook shallots, stirring occasionally, over low heat for 30 minutes or until brown and slightly crispy.  When finished, set aside.
  • Remove foil from potatoes and return to a 400-degree oven for 15 minutes until potatoes are tender, bubbly and slightly browned.
  • Removed from oven and evenly coat top with crispy shallots.
  • Let stand 10-15 minutes before serving.

I recently made this recipe with grilled pork chops, but it is excellent with beef, chicken or some crispy breaded fish.  You’ll love the nuttiness of the romano cheese while not being overwhelmed with a ton of stringy cheddar or other variety.  The shallots also add some depth of flavor and a little texture to this creamy spud casserole.  And trust me, it’s way better than the box stuff your mom used to fix!

Creamy Dill Dip

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There are countless tailgates and holidays in the coming months and there will undoubtedly be an equal number of veggie trays.  Despite my love of all things bacon-and-cheesy, I do enjoy and appreciate fresh vegetables and a really good dip.  Disappointing though are the prepared dips you find in the store.  They lack the right consistency and enough flavor to really keep your interest beyond ranch dressing.  My wife’s family has been making this creamy dill dip recipe for as long as she can remember and it is absolutely the favorite wherever we take it!

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CREAMY DILL DIP

Ingredients

  • 16 Oz. Sour Cream
  • 16 Oz. Mayonnaise
  • 2 Tsp. Garlic Salt
  • 2 Tsp. Accent
  • 2 Tsp. Dried Minced Onion
  • 2 Tsp. Dried Parsley
  • 2 Tsp. Beau Monde Seasoning
  • 2 Tsp. Dried Dill
  • 4-6 Drops Hot Sauce

Instructions

  • In a medium-sized bowl, mix sour cream and mayonnaise until thoroughly combined and smooth.
  • Add all other ingredients and mix until evenly distributed.
  • Chill at least 2 hours and serve.

There might be a lot of ingredients for just a dip, but you will definitely not be disappointed in the outcome!  Serve this with your favorite raw vegetables.  I also can’t get enough of pretzels and even chips dipped in the famous “dill dip”.  Either way, I can guarantee you’ll never buy store-made vegetable dip again.  Dig in and enjoy!!

Jerusalem Mediterranean Restaurant – Myrtle Beach, SC

On By greg@kandflivingIn Eating Out, Uncategorized2 Comments

When you think of vacation/beach cuisine, most people dream of crab legs, endless piles of shrimp, fresh fish and the like.  We’ve enjoyed a lot of that in Myrtle Beach, but found a new favorite “beach dinner” spot at Jerusalem Mediterranean Restaurant last night!  If you love Middle Eastern food you’ll find some of the best I’ve had at this beautiful family-owned place.  With a new building, beautiful and spacious interior and occasional live entertainment (think traditional and modern belly dancing) you’ll find it a perfect spot for a date-night or a large party of family and friends.  I love the colors, feel and shadow boxes full of pottery.  You’ll immediately be whisked away from coastal Carolina and off to the Middle East!

There is an ample selection of cocktails, beer and wine at the bar.  While we didn’t have drinks tonight, there were some interesting choices.  The menu is a good size with a fine mixture of starters/small plates, traditional fare and wonderful-smelling tagines.  Abandoning any sense of healthy, it’s vacation after all, we settled on the Jerusalem Combo Platter.  The lightly fried treats from falafel to kibbeh to potato wontons were perfectly cooked, well-spiced and delicious.  It’s hard to beat any of these crispy treats dipped fresh tahini!

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For dinner we split the kabob – a traditional mixture of spiced ground beef and lamb grilled and served on saffron rice.  This was absolutely the best we’ve ever had!  The crisp grilled outside sealed in a perfectly pink juicy inside.  It’s a large portion and almost too much for a single person to eat – good thing we split it!  Dinners are also served with warm naan bread cooked in their tandoori oven and a selection of chef’s salads of the day.  Let me tell you, these aren’t a side-thought, they are like bright little firecrackers of flavor to brighten the main attraction.  Spicy garbanzo beans, Israeli salad, soft warm curried carrots and creamy cool dill sweet corn were tasty and amazing compliments to the kabob.

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Honestly, I can’t think of a single improvement I would make at Jerusalem.  Take a right where most people go left and you’ll end up with one of the best meals you’ll eat at Myrtle Beach.  When you see the family and friends of the owners interact with each other you’ll know for sure there’s love in this food!  Check out their website at myrtlebeachkosher.com.  Brush up on your belly dancing skills and dig in!!

Tupelo Honey Cafe – Myrtle Beach, SC

On By greg@kandflivingIn Eating Out, Uncategorized2 Comments

You don’t often find me writing reviews of chain restaurants because most people have exposure to places they can find everywhere.  When we stepped into Tupelo Honey Cafe, we had no idea they had about a dozen locations around the southeast.  And let me tell you, this place is anything other than ordinary mass-produced food!  Their focus on locally sourced ingredients with beautiful southern dishes offer a twist on many classics.

This restaurant offers a ton of seating, indoor and out, with a full bar and ample large tables for groups.  The atmosphere feels more like a small southern kitchen though with comfortable chairs, soft lighting and a warm color palette.  There is a large local beer selection and some great craft cocktail choices.  After settling on a Westbrook IPA, brewed in South Carolina, we ordered the SC Pecan-Encrusted Goat Cheese.  Warm and creamy as you spread it on toasted bread, the cheese is complimented by a mixture of figs, grilled apples and pimentos.  We loved every bite!

Warm buttermilk biscuits are brought to your table before dinner, but won’t last long after they’re smothered with blueberry compote and buttery honey.  The small plates and dinner choices are vast and varied.  My wife settled on Cackalackie Pulled Pork with a tangy vinegar-y mustard BBQ sauce.  Served with fried onion straws and house pickles, she loved the creamy rich baked mac-n-cheese and roasted brussels sprouts.  There wasn’t a bite on that plate that either of us didn’t love.  I chose the Carolina Mountain Trout seared with brown butter – a huge filet with great texture and crispy edges.  My basil sautéed green beans and eggy Appalachian corn souffle were outstanding and Sunday-supper-feeling.

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The only regret here is that we didn’t get to try more!  The menu definitely will have us coming back again.  Banana Pudding served with fresh whipped cream and crumbled vanilla wafers was an awesome treat we brought home to enjoy later in the evening.  I highly recommend visiting their website and checking out where you might find them on your next trip around the southeast.  You can find them here at tupelohoneycafe.com.  Mostly, just find them and dig into a taste of the south!