Sake House

For the second Blacksburg Restaurant Week deal, we went to Sake House, a primarily sushi place. I'm not a big sushi person mostly because I don't like seafood and more so if it's raw, but what's the fun if I never try something new?

First we started with miso soup which has always been too salty for me but the spoon is so beautiful that I eat some anyways.

Then we had a sample plate that included California rolls, 2 sashimi pieces, vegetable tempura, teriyaki chicken, and best of all gyozas. These were fried but the first and best ones I've ever had were steamed and were from Wok in Colombia. They were pork and mushroom gyozas in chili oil, another perfect example of simplicity at its best. When I have some time, I must learn how to make them.

The sample plate at Sake House was decent but not spectacular, it lacked distinctive flavor. Each bite tasted fine but nothing stood out. You win some, you lose some.

(Second photo by Andrea Rampone)

Classic Caprese

We dined on this wonderful plate during a barbeque in the rain, perhaps not one of our best ideas. If its pouring down rain and your forced to hold an umbrella over the grill, maybe it wasn't the best day to decide to have the get together.

Anyways this was our easy but still delicious side to our burgers. Sometimes there's just no need to mess with a classic. A caprese salad consists of sliced tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, basil, olive oil, and a dash of salt. With something this simple make sure to buy quality ingredients, it makes all the difference!

Cherry Frozen Yogurt with Dark Chocolate Chunks

Summer is in full swing, time for some frozen treats!

I was feeling a little nostalgic for Italy so the original plan was pistachio gelato. Well this called for thickening a custard slowly over the stove. I thought I had time to go into my room put on shoes and come back, but unfortunately I came back to a pot of pistachio scrambled eggs. It was a great disappointment, even more so because I had already invited friends over to hang out and eat gelato...
On to plan B. I always have yogurt so why not frozen yogurt? I used the basic vanilla recipe that came with my ice cream maker but modified it to make a cherry chocolate version and through my experiences I bestow onto you my best tip.

Don't skimp on the fat.

Don't use skim milk and don't use fat free yogurt. I've tried in the past and it never turns out right. It may be good straight from the machine but after its spent 2 hours in the frezzer its not longer creamy and just icy. No one wants an ice cube like chunk of ice cream.

So here is the recipe
1-2/3 cups whole milk
3/4 cups granulated sugar
4 cups fat-free vanilla yogurt (I used cherry but experiment with whatever flavors you have around)
1/4 cup heavy cream
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract (I used almond extract because I thought it complimented the cherry better)
1 cup chopped dark chocolate chunks (my addition but add fruit or nuts if you prefer)

In a medium mixing bowl, use a hand mixer on low speed to combine the milk and granulated sugar until the sugar is dissolved, about 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in the yogurt, heavy cream, and vanilla. Turn the machine on; pour the mixture into freezer bowl, and let mix until thickened, about 20 to 25 minutes. The frozen yogurt will have a soft, creamy texture. If a firmer consistency is desired, transfer the frozen yogurt to an airtight container and place in freezer for about 2 hours.
Remove from freezer about 15 minutes before serving.

Enjoy the treat and experiment!

El Rodeo

Blacksburg is having a Restaurant Week where different places are giving deals on special meals. Now half of them are some sort of steak combo and unfortunately that's not my cup of tea, so off to the Mexican Restaurant we went.

First tip of the day: Make sure you go to the correct restaurant.... We went El Rodeo but the wrong location and the waiter had no idea what we were talking about.
Second tip of the day: People like you better after you speak their language. Andrea and I whipped out the Spanish from El Salvador and even though they were helpful before, they were extra nice after. The manager and waiter agreed to give us the promotion and even gave us an extra appetizer.

El Rodeo is one of those ultra casual Mexican Restaurants perfect for a college town and perfect for jumbo margaritas (get the Texas one if you are tequila fan, seriously) and cheap comfort food. We had guacamole, salsa, and queso dip with chips for appetizer which although not different than most places, you really can never go wrong with that classic combination.

Then we had Texas fajitas for two which included steak, chicken, and shrimp (which I actually liked despite not being a huge fan of anything that comes from the sea) with beans, rice, and tortillas. Again I admit this is something you can get at most Mexican places but it always hits the spot.

Finally the real reason we wanted to use this Restaurant Week deal, the churros. In El Salvador, after going shopping at PriceSmart everyone had churros. Don't ask me why it was just a thing that everyone did. Our dessert was churros with crazy whipped cream and sprinkles. I am a churro purist and believe it should just be by itself, but after pushing aside most of the whipped cream I found the best part of our whole meal. No joke I could just eat the churros for a meal.

 Well that was our little culinary adventure. Andrea and I plan on going on another best friend/Restaurant Week date so stay tuned!