Spring Fling Recipes! Cutie Approved.

It's that time of the year when the birds are chirping, BBQ's are smoking and the sun is shining. I love to eat and create easy recipes for the season. Here are a couple yummy ones I made today.


Heirloom Tomato Salad w/ Feta and Basil

• 3-large ripe but firm Heirloom tomatoes (I used orange and green)
• Handful of fresh basil
• Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• Bulgarian Feta cheese (do yourself a favor and try to find this type. Super rich and creamy)
• Salt and Pepper to taste

This is so easy, that you can probably guess what you do next, but for those that need guidance, here you go. Chop tomatoes into medium pieces. Next cut the Basil with kitchen shears, sprinkle the Feta cheese over the tomato mixture. Drizzle with EVOO and season to taste. Refrigerate for at least 30 mins before enjoying!


Lemony Raspberry Cupcakes

I found this recipe on Epicurious.com, I thought it would be delish so I tested it out for you! I added a little almond extract to my rendition.

• 3/4 cup (12 tablespoons) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 3 cups powdered sugar, divided
• 4 1/2 teaspoons finely grated lemon peel, divided
• 2 large eggs
• 1 1/4 cups self-rising flour
• 1/4 cup buttermilk
• 4 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, divided
• 12 teaspoons plus 1 tablespoon seedless raspberry jam
• Fresh raspberries (for garnish)

Preheat oven to 350°F. Line 12 muffin cups with paper liners. Using electric mixer, beat butter, 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar, and 3 teaspoons lemon peel in large bowl until blended, then beat until fluffy and pale yellow. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating to blend after each addition. Beat in half of flour. Add buttermilk and 2 tablespoons lemon juice; beat to blend. Beat in remaining flour.

Drop 1 rounded tablespoonful batter into each muffin liner. Spoon 1 teaspoon raspberry jam over. Cover with remaining batter, dividing equally.

Bake cupcakes until tester inserted halfway into centers comes out clean, about 23 minutes. Cool cupcakes in pan on rack. Meanwhile, whisk remaining 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar, 2 tablespoons lemon juice, and 1 1/2 teaspoons lemon peel in small bowl. Spoon half of icing over 6 cupcakes. Whisk 1 tablespoon raspberry jam into remaining icing. Spoon over remaining cupcakes. Let stand until icing sets, about 30 minutes. Garnish with raspberries.

Give these Spring Time recipes a try, you definitely will want to create these again for your friends and family.

It's always sunny when you are eating good food.

Deliciously Yours,
The Culinary Cutie

What's Cookin' in Cutie's Kitchen Tonight- Chicken Masala w/Carmelized Cumin Carrots & Mushrooms

Tonight I wanted to try an Indian inspired dish that was not too terribly complicated and tasty. I landed on a great recipe for Chicken Masala. The only difficult thing about this recipe is actually finding the Garam Masala spice at the grocery store. Take a walk down the ethnic isle of your local grocery store and you are bound to find it, if that doesn't work just ask. OK, here is the play by play.

 

Ingredients:

• 1 cup plain whole-milk yogurt
• 1/4 cup coarsely chopped fresh cilantro
• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 tablespoon garam masala*
• 2 teaspoons coarse kosher salt
• 1 large garlic clove, pressed
• 1 4- to 4 1/2-pound roasting chicken, cut into 8 pieces, backbone removed
• 2 small onions, cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices

Get the party started:

Mix yogurt, chopped cilantro, olive oil, garam masala, salt, and garlic in 13x9x2-inch glass baking dish. Add chicken to marinade, 1 piece at a time, coating all sides. Cover with plastic wrap; refrigerate at least 2 hours. DO AHEAD: Can be made 1 day ahead. Keep refrigerated.

Position racks in top third and bottom third of oven; preheat to 400°F. Arrange onions in thin layer on large rimmed baking sheet to form bed for chicken. Top with chicken pieces in single layer, spacing apart for even roasting (chicken will still be coated with marinade). At this point, I sprinkled a little cayenne pepper, salt and masala on top of the chicken before putting it in the oven. Discard remaining marinade.

Put the carrots and mushrooms on a shallow cookie sheet lined with foil, and pop those in the oven as well.

Roast chicken on top rack until cooked through and juices run clear when thickest portion of thigh is pierced with knife, about 1 hour. Serve chicken atop onion slices. Spoon pan juices around.

I am serving this dish with rice flavored with a little lime and cilantro. Bon Appétit!

Deliciously Yours,

The Culinary Cutie

Ruggles Green

The newest location of Ruggles Green located in the City Center is a certified green restaurant. This means that they are always incorporating organic, hormone free, natural and preservative free products on the menu. What this means to you is better ingredients equals better taste. I can definitely tell a difference, especially in fruits and produce.

Ruggles Green has a very diverse menu with something for everyone, so I tried everything for someone. Don't judge. Items on my list and on the table were Ruggles Green Classic Crab Cake, Hummus, Organic Spinach Dip, Chef Bruce's all Natural Chicken Sandwich, Honey Fried Goat Cheese Salad, Pink Velvet Cake, and my favorite Pan Seared Chicken. I do all these things for you, my avid readers, who never know what to try because everything looks so good. I took one for the Culinary Team and nearly died of a food overdose. Anything for you guys.

I would suggest you try the Crab Cake. It is huge, so definitely enough to share as an appetizer or make into a meal with a small salad. If you are teetering between the Hummus and the Spinach Dip go for the Spinach Dip. The Chicken Sandwich had too many flavors and was VERY messy. If you are going to Ruggles Green on a hot date, it may turn into a hot mess after you try to pick up this sandwich. I nearly ruined my Sunday's best as I watched all of the insides fall and splatter onto my plate. The Honey Fried Goat Cheese Salad was a bust; with only arugula and no other mixed greens, this salad was very bitter in taste.

If your not lucky enough to get one of the coveted booths, expect a cramped dining room unless you opt to sit outside on the patio. Ruggles Green was a fulfilling experience to say the least.

Deliciously Yours,
The Culinary Cutie

Ruggles Green
801 Town And Country Blvd. 1B
Houston, Texas 77024
713.464.5557
http://www.rugglesgreen.com/

Ni hao and Konnichiwa from the Ginger Cafe



My objective this week was to find a Chinese or Japanese restaurant with an elegant atmosphere and good food.  I found both options at Ginger Cafe, So it is only right that I say hello in both languages. Not only will you find yummy restaurants to go to in the Houston area, but you will broaden your otherwise limited Japanese and Chinese vocabulary just being a Culinary Cutie fan.

The ambiance and decor is beautiful, it is not over done or tacky. You will notice a very attractive sushi bar and lounge area where you could dine alone or meet some friends for sake, sushi, and cocktails. I ordered a dish from the Japanese and Chinese menu. To start I had the Szechwan dumplings with a “spicy” glaze that wasn't spicy. They were a little doughy in my opinion. I would have preferred them pan fried. Sometimes it doesn't pay to try to be healthy.

The second dish I ordered was better than the last. The Texas beef roll. The seared beef rolls were wrapped around green onions with a tangy glaze brushed on top. Pretty tasty. My entree was a house specialty according to the waitress, so I had to try it along with their house special -flower tea. I don't know what kind of flower it was and neither did the waitress, but if I did I would grow a whole garden of them. The tea was my favorite part of the dinner.

If you are searching for a place to go with well-designed decor, soft lighting and music wafting in the background, look no further. This is not an experience that will go down in the history books as the best, but not bad at all.

Mata Hanashite (talk to you soon)

-The Culinary Cutie

1952 W. Gray

                                  Houston, TX 77019

                           http://www.cafegingerhouston.com/

Cutie at the Capital

Greetings my little cuties, I know it has been a while since you have read my words or had me on your foodie radar. I am back and ready to get on my hungry high horse and express my inner foodie feelings. I have missed you all dearly.

Now it's time to give you what you came for, my rendezvous to The Capital Grille. The Capital Grille is known for their in house dry aged steaks and extensive wine list which was enough to entice me.

If you're thinking "the last time I went to Capital Grille, I thought I was at a blue hair convention", this time is not far from the last. The crowd is definitely more "seasoned" and not in a spicy sassy way. You will see mostly business men having meetings over dinner, a couple sharing a romantic celebration, or a group of ladies that lunch circa 1969.

I am sorry to say that I did have a preconceived idea of what my dining experience was going to be before I walked through the revolving door. The Capital Grille is part of the Darden Company and shares a platform with other chain restaurants such as Olive Garden and Red Lobster, so I wasn't expecting too much. I had a gift card with nothing to lose. Thank goodness to the Gods of seared beef and butter poached lobster I was wrong.

My meal started with the soup of the day, lobster bisque. The consistency was thick and creamy, but there was something missing in the flavor of the dish, it actually was little ordinary. I would have liked to taste a splash of Cognac or Sherry along with a dash of hot pepper sauce. The next item up for grabs was the entree of a filet mignon and butter poached lobster with a side of sautéed spinach with garlic and lobster mac and cheese. Spinach check, lobster mac and cheese...not so much. It was too sweet and not savory enough, nice concept just not well executed.

Left with a full belly, but I wouldn’t come back to fill up.
Raise your walkers to The Capital Grille.

Deliciously Yours,
The Culinary Cutie

5365 Westheimer Road
Houston, TX 77056
713-623-4600

Restaurant week 2010- In the Beginning, there was Brennan's...

Wow, where do I start? I am going to describe Brennan's to you just as I described it to my friends and family after I left Saturday night. Brennan's is bomb. Like seriously. Everything about this place exudes excellence.


Brennan's of Houston located on 3300 Smith Street, was my first stop at restaurant week. This was the perfect place to start, not only did it set the bar for the other restaurants to follow suit; it exceeded my expectations of what "The Brennan's" was going to be.

I have talked to girlfriends who had their rehearsal dinner, anniversary, baby showers and every other milestone at Brennan's, but I didn't truly understand the magic behind its restored walls. First on my list are the people. You can have a simply amazing venue, view, food and ambiance, but nothing can replace good quality people. When you walk in to Brennan's, you will be greeted by the valet attendees who give you a warm smile and tell you to enjoy your dining experience. Now your inside and you may be greeted by one of the hostesses Claire, who is equally as sweet. If you have time, make your way to the bar to say hi to another integral piece of the Brennan's team Adam. Adam-man who creates liquid heaven. (that is his Indian name).

After a drink or two or three of Adam's, I thought it would be a good idea to have a little snack before I came back for dinner in a couple of days. I had the 1-1-1 soup appetizer, this is great for those who are indecisive when it comes to food (me). You will get to try 3 different types of soup including their most delicious turtle soap spiked with a splash of sherry if you like. We also tried the chef’s playground, instead of getting sweaty on a merry-go-round at recess, you get to relish in the delightful tastes of venison and foie gras.

I had the pleasure of interviewing Chef Danny who is down to earth and very personable. You can tell that he is passionate about his food and wants you to feel warm and fuzzy after you leave. What I noticed most about Brennan's is everyone that works there wants you to have a memorable dining experience, from our waiter Jon, to the management team, to the other waiters who weren't even assigned to our table.
Eating at Brennan's will make you want to make your next reservation before you even finish dessert. Speaking of, do yourself a favor and order the after dinner coffee, you can see it in my video. The epitome of a night cap.
Nighty Night Brennan's, see you at Sunday Brunch

Deliciously yours,

The Culinary Cutie

Brennan's of Houston
3300 Smith Street
Houston, TX 77006
713-522-9711

Straits- City Center

Straits Houston is the fifth of its kind, with others being located in San Francisco, and Atlanta. This restaurant is quite the place to be even on a Thursday. It feels more like a club than a restaurant, with an amazing DJ that will have you singing the latest songs, and reminiscing on the old ones. I choose to sit outside for dinner in one of the highly sought after cabanas. This area is great for a large party of friends that want to enjoy the scenery and have some good wine and small plates.

The food at Straits is a Singapore fusion that marries savory and sweet flavors together to make a happy long lasting relationship. The Spring Rolls with prawns and Chinese sausage were first on my list. The addition of the sausage was a nice surprise. Next, I had Grilled Grape Leaf Beef. These were served similar to a lettuce wrap with the beef being the star of the dish and the butter lettuce and carrots taking the crown as best supporting condiment.

After you finish your first cocktail and small plates outside, make your way back to the bar where they had drinks specials going on all night. This is where the real party is, some of the best people watching in the City Center, not to mention the best music. I would definitely recommend going to Straits on a Thursday night to get your weekend started right.

Dress is Jazzy, but the casual folk are welcome too. If you have a large party and want to ensure a table, call ahead and make a reservation. Open until 2:00am Thursday-Saturdays.

-Head "Strait" to the bar

Straits
800 West Sam Houston Parkway Suite 940
Houston, TX 77024
713-365-9922

Pork Chops for dinner with the Culinary Cutie

Rub ingredients:
-Adobo chili powder
-Brown sugar
-Sea Salt
-Black pepper
-Cumin
-Coriander

I made up this rub of some of my favorite spices, I didn't measure anything so you will have to freestlye it. That is what makes cooking fun! I used brown sugar as the base, and used equal parts of all the spices, then season with a little salt. Apply the rub to the pork chop. I actually pack it on until I have a nice crust. Heat a saute pan with olive oil and sear the pork chop on both sides. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 375 and finish the pork chops in the oven for 20 mins. Sorry, no picture for this one, by the time I realized I wanted to share this creation with you, it was half eaten.

Enjoy!

Deliciously Yours,
The Culinary Cutie

The Culinary Cutie and Chef Randy of Haven

In honor of restaurant week coming up on Aug 1, I thought I would post the link to my first Culinary Cutie show with Chef Randy of Haven who will be featured in the Houston Restaurant week 2010.

I will be visiting several restaurants during this time and posting interviews and experiences on my preferred restaurants. If you are a food lover and would like to accompany me to one of the restaurants, feel free to post the restaurant of your choice and we will make it happen! Can't wait!

Deliciously Yours,
The Culinary Cutie