Pasta Too-Good: f+f Style

At Mama Carolla's there is something on the menu called "Miguel's Pasta Too Good." Despite this enticing name, it is not my absolute favorite thing on their menu (the Rosemary Chicken Lasagna is simply irresistible).  For this reason, I have always wanted to make my own version of pasta too-good.

Pasta Too-Good

Last night we did it! We (we meaning Courtney and I) were looking for an easy dinner after an high-effort weekend of camping. We had some leftover chicken marinating in a lemon vinaigrette (about a pound cut into one-inch pieces).  We sauteed it in a skillet with the marinade, adding onions, white wine, and haricot verts (chopped into one-inch pieces) until the chicken was cooked.  About the time the chicken went into the pan, we boiled a pound of pasta.

We then scooped out the residual liquid in the sautee pan (about a cup) and put it in a large ceramic mug (anything with taller sides that is not plastic will work).  Using a stick or wand blender, we pureed it with about 1/3 cup of sundried tomatoes, 1/2 cup of heavy cream, the zest and juice of one lemon.  I then added it back to the pan and combined the sauce with the chicken and vegetables.  As soon as the pasta was barely al dente we added it into the pan along with about 1/2 cup of the cooking liquid.  After letting everything combine over the heat for about 3 minutes, and voila!  After a quick garnish of thyme and chives, it was spectacular.  Serve with grated cheese (we used Pecorino Romano). 

We served it with a simple caesar salad (dressing lightened by some lemon juice, salad seasoned with Romano cheese and cracked black pepper), and paired it with Carbo Cava.  In about 30 minutes (I think it was less actually), we fed four hungry adults with enough leftover for three of us to take as lunch.  Cheers to an original food+fizz Pasta Too-Good.  I would love it if you could share any of your favorite quick meals with us too!

10-01 Food & Drink

The basement bar at 10-01 Food&Drink

Broad Ripple Village continues its quest for approachable fine dining with 10-01, named for it's street number on Broad Ripple Avenue.  Seeing the "coming soon" signs while their perfect-for-people-watching deck overlooking the avenue was being constructed, I've been licking my chops for a new foodie haunt in my hood. 

Tonight Jeff and I decided to give it a whirl.  Faced with a decision at the split level entry (downstairs-bar, upstairs-dining), we chose to go to the basement and feel out the newest bar scene in town. 

Dark and modern,  the basement bar already had a little crowd at 6pm (interesting...).  The cocktail list looked fantastic.  We ordered a 10-01 (Prosecco, St. Germain, fresh raspberries) and a Cucumber Fizz (Square One Cucumber Vodka, St. Germain, Soda, Lemon).  We were in a St. Germain kind of mood.  Then again, when aren't we in a St. Germain kind of mood? That special elderberry liquor has a special place in my heart and deserves it own blog post sometime soon.   The cocktails were delicious (the 10-01 was a little on the sweet side for me, but tasty). 

Cucumber Fizz at 10-01

We ordered the Warm Spinach Salad, the Petite Wedge, the Clam & Corn Fritters and the Corn Dog (Jeff had to have it).  The salads were both excellent!  The spinach salad had a warm applewood-smoked bacon dressing with balsamic and rosemary.  It was such a complex flavor that I asked the server to find out what else was in there (surely it couldn't be that simple!).  The goat cheese fritter was a nice component, as well as the shockingly chilled roasted tomato.  The salad was a thrill of warm and cold, salty and sweet, smoky and tart.  Jeff was overjoyed with his deconstructed wedge:  crispy local bacon, cucumbers, Maytag bleu, tomatoes, and a deliciously creamy dressing. 

Warm Spinach Salad at 10-01

We were so full from our enormous salads that we really didn't need any more food.  Regardless, my fritters were delicious. They were served with sauces on the side (my request): a Sriracha and a spicy lavender butter sauce that was out of this world.  The corn dog came with an herb-infused ketchup that was delicious.  The dog (homemade from local beef) was good, but Jeff thought the breading was heavy and mealy (I think all corn dogs are like that, but whatever... it's a corn dog, for goodness sake).

Corn & Clam Fritters at 10-01

We bellied up to the bar, and the bartenders (Cory and Kelly), were awesome.  They let me taste wine (the $6.50 Lucky Star California Pinot Noir wasn't too bad) until I opted for the $7.50 Rodney Strong Merlot.  They went out of their way to make our experience enjoyable while being extremely professional.  Kelly really did ask the chef about the warm bacon vinaigrette for me (I still think there had to be something else in that to give it such depth of flavor!).

Half-way through our meal, we realized it was inevitable: we would be regulars.  This place was simply too cool not to frequent.  I can't wait to eat upstairs next time and get the full dining experience, though my hunch is that we will always be "basement bar" type of people.  A note on the pricing- you can do anything from appetizers, salads and sandwiches for $7-$11 or entrees up to $30.  The wine list was well-priced, but the cocktails were a little steep.

I give 10-01 4/5 for great food, excellent service, and a very cool ambiance that Broad Ripple Village so desperately needs in its sea of microbreweries and sports bars.  Cheers!

Camping: A Foodie's Pleasant Surprise

our campsite near Shades state park

Camping is not something I grew up doing. Until I met my husband, my camping experience could basically be summed up with a handful of overnight church youth group trips (most of them sleeping in cabins) and a crazy quarter life crisis desert expedition (for another blog post).

Camping is now a periodic part of my life thanks to my outdoor extraordinaire of a spouse. Just to clarify--I love the great outdoors. Canoeing is among my favorite pseudo-exercises, any kind of water makes me happy, and the smell of both campfires and fresh vegetation is invigorating. Camping, however, is a LOT of effort. Frankly I've never understood why people just don't take day trips (or sleep in a hotel).

Camping with Jeff, however, rivals the luxury of of the nicest [budget] vacations (mosquitos begrudgingly excepted). There are air mattresses, fans (battery-powered, of course), high thread-count linens and multiple-course meals cooked on an open flame. Out tent (dubbed Taj-MaTent by our friends- "The Taj" for short) is a sight to behold with several wings and a screened-in porch.

The fridge after Prepping for the trip

This summer, we were invited to Courtney and Josh's annual Canoe Trip (2 nights near Shades State Park). Since Courtney is a fellow foodie, I knew this would be a great weekend. She asked me to be the weekend sous-chef, and I happily accepted the challenge of helping her prep, plan, and cook for 23 people in BFE.

We had 2 dinners, 2 breakfasts, and a lunch (in canoes) to plan for, as well as snacks. Thank goodness Courtney had done this before (by herself for the last 4 years!). I had much to learn! On Wednesday we shopped (CostCo got hit by hurricane of three carts), on Thursday we prepped (chopping, bagging, par-boiling, packing), and Friday-Sunday we cooked. Here was the menu:

Friday dinner: chicken sausages, beer-boiled-brats, kosher hot dogs on the grill; hummus, cheeses, chips, various dips, crudite platters, etc.

Saturday breakfast: scrambled eggs (36!), breakfast sausages, bagels, spreads, breakfast bars, mimosas, greyhounds, and Bloody Marys.

Saturday lunch: deli sandwiches and everything snack-able (and portable in canoe coolers)

Saturday dinner: Individual foil packs (amazing! Details in another blog)

Sunday breakfast: leftover everything as people tear-down and rush to get home, shower and detox

This was a weekend of great food, lots of sun, hilarious stories (many of them about Mike Defabis). The food was everywhere and delicious. Everyone raved. In fact, it was so good that we are contemplating a camping catering company.... Stay tuned for details on our fabulous Saturday night dinner-- the piece de resistance of the weekend. Cheers to camping in great taste!