- yummy adventures with kids
Kalachandji’s Restaurant is not your typical Dallas dining experience, it is housed inside the Sri Sri Radna Mandir Hare Krisna Temple. As you wander in, diners are transported to a private oasis. A cosy sunlit courtyard surrounded by lush greenery and the sound of babbling water eases all the day’s woes away. We didn’t know what to expect and were pleased to see several families already seated. read more »
We like to eat well at dinner time but with two small children, it is often hard for me to stay in the kitchen for more than twenty minutes. This slow roasted salmon recipe I created for Artizone is an easy solution for us. Slow roasting is a great way to fool proof cooking fish. I basically pop the salmon filet in the oven at a very low temperature for twenty minutes and it comes out coral pink, soft and silken in texture (almost like smoked salmon) and never dry. read more »
Bon Vivant - outdoor restaurant at 10,000 ft
While the weather is gloriously warm in Dallas, up in Telluride, Co. snow conditions are at it’s peak. “We are having our best ski season now,” says Stephen Roth, executive chef of culinary services at Telluride Ski & Golf Resort. And the resort has cleverly peppered a range of on-mountain dining options for hungry skiers seeking a warming bowl of soup or a hot chocolate break at snack time without having to ski off to a central touristy food area. read more »
The new Cook’s Illustrated Cookbook just might be the last cookbook I’ll ever need but since I’m a cookbook junkie, it won’t be last I’ll buy. After interviewing Jack Bishop (we went to Oddfellows), editorial director of Cook’s Illustrated and co-host of America’s Test Kitchen for the Dallas Morning News in January, I’ve been faithfully consulting the Cook’s Illustrated Cookbook on a weekly basis – salmon, chicken, cod, beef, veal, veggies… in short everything.
Nosh Euro Bistro, owned by award wining Chef Avner Samuel, is one of those places that most people never think of taking their kids to. Maybe because Nosh sounds a bit like ‘posh’ or the word ‘Euro’ has fancy connotations but it is surprisingly kid friendly. They even have high chairs to prop up your ittybittyfoodies as they munch on classic French style escargot done with lots of butter, herbs and garlic served with a nub of crusty bread. read more »
Let’s do the math! It takes just four ingredients to make Three Happy Cows blueberry drinkable yogurt - organic milk, blueberry pulp, pure cane sugar and live probitoic cultures (L.D Thermophilus and S.S. Bulgaricus) plus one talented artisanal yogurt maker, Edgar Diaz, to equal two happy IttyBittyFoodies! read more »
New Central Market opens
Central Market throws open it’s doors today! The Preston Royal locale (previously housed by Borders) marks the opening of Central Market’s ninth store. IttyBittyFoodies had a media sneak peak yesterday at some of the innovations and offerings customers can look forward like the new selection of New York Deli-style dishes and baked goods. Think artisanal boiled and then baked bagels onsite and new bialys and New York City based Charlito’s cocina artisan salumi.There’ll be a full service custom sandwich bar with a “Build Your Own” sandwich option as well as a menu of chef created sandwiches. read more »
We are big proponents of eating together as a family. Gathering for dinner is a time for sharing not just the food on the table but also to catch up on our day’s events. Pikelet and Lollo like to tell us about the ‘best bits of the day’ and also talk about solving the challenges they’ve faced during their day. Although the kids are just four and six years old and life isn’t too dramatic at this stage, Beefcake & I want to set this framework now so they know that the channels for openness are always there. We also use the time to teach table manners and try new foods in a familiar environment. read more »
From one Tiger Mom to another
Amy Chua, aka Tiger Mom is like a pistol. The whip smart Yale law professor and notorious author of Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother enters the room packed with confidence that says Ka Pow! Dressed in an elegant black suit, showing off her tiny frame and killer calves, Chua made a stop at the Authors LIVE! event at Highland Park United Methodist Church. read more »
Chocolate Ice Cream with Espresso Cookie Sandwich
“Mama, what happens when Cupid’s arrow pierces your heart?” asks my wide eyed 6 year old, Pikelet. “Does it hurt?” Kids this age are so literal. I laughed and gently told him that there wasn’t a real arrow. “It just means that you’ve found the right person to love but it’s not something you need to worry about till you’re grown up.” I’m not the syrupy commercialised sentimental type and Valentine’s Day has never been an ‘event’ in the household. But Pikelet’s statement has stuck with me and I realise just how much we’ve fallen in love with our kids. So perhaps we’ll allow some mushiness and let this Ice Cream Cookie Sandwich recipe melt our hearts. read more »
traditional dim sum
In honor of the Lunar New Year, we wanted to share one of our favorite Chinese meals – Dim Sum. Pikelet and Lollo love dim sum – the traditional Chinese brunch food and we like to frequent Kirin Court Chinese Restaurant in Richardson. The crowd is mainly Asian (always a good sign) but the staff speak enough English to get by. The most fun part of dim sum is in the ordering. Servers wheel carts filled with steam dumpling and little plates and present them to you at the table. All you need to do is point to what you’d like and they serve it immediately. It’s so easy, no Chinese required and even the kids get in on the action. I liken it to online shopping and for us, dim sum is our ultimate ’point and click’ meal. read more »
Chinese Tea Ceremony set up
2012 brings the auspicious Year of the Dragon in the Lunar calendar. “Gong Xi Fa Cai!” as the Chinese say. The new year runs from January 23rd to February 6th, 2012 with fifteen glorious days of celebration and customs. There are so many traditional practices during this time, I wanted to share one of Pikelet & Lollo’s favorite – the Chinese tea ceremony. This is a sweet and private family ritual that is performed on special occasions such as weddings and we do it every year on the first day of the Chinese New Year. read more »
Happy New Year folks! Pikelet & Lollo are back at school this week and I’ve found the perfect healthy snack to pack in their lunches. It’s the Honey Wedge by Honey Crew gal Denise Bethel Molina who also brought us Honey Crew Granola. Pikelet took one bite of it and said he wanted to save it for dessert because it was so good. read more »
Wow… hasn’t the year flown by? Just checked the national parenting site Babble.com to find an early Christmas present for me under the Top 100 Food Mom Bloggers to see that I’m hovering around No 32! The year hasn’t been without scandal – remember the sabotage? And I thank you all for voting for me and staying loyal. If you haven’t voted, please take a few seconds to ‘Like’ me here. It will be listed under Cheryl Collett. I hope to finish out the year on a high!
Stay safe in the coming holidays and live 2012 without regret.
Till our next happy meal! Happy holidays!
Oh*Brownie, I think our whole family is collectively in love with you. The crunchy top layer at first bite that dissolves into a soft gooey chew and oh the many flavors. How does one begin? Oh*Brownie, will you give us Good Karmal for a choosing a Dark and Mysterious over a Smart Blondie or should we trust that Smooth Operator ? Whatever we choose, I’m sure it will be just Mochalicious.
Iris McCallister’s new venture Oh*Brownie has scored some serious swoon points with Pikelet & Lollo. It was so much of a treat that Lollo sneaked one into his lunch bag the first time he had lunch at school. McCallister (you may recognize the famous last name if you’re a foodie) is Matt McCallister’s wife of the much acclaimed CampO Modern Country Bistro that opened about a minute ago in Oak Cliff. But the brownie thing is all hers and she’s been working on perfecting her recipe for over four years now. read more »
