Two of my all-time favorite things to eat in the height of summer: ripe garden tomatoes and grilled corn. The boys love corn. I love how my 2-year-old will eat corn off the cob like a little monkey. The boys and tomatoes... not so much. They love cooked tomatoes but my oldest will gag from the meaty texture of a raw tomato. You would think I was poisoning him if you saw his face when putting sliced tomatoes in front of him. Sigh.

But I had to give this recipe from Bon Appetit a try. Tomato, corn, and goat cheese? Yes please!


Stuffed Tomatoes with Grilled Corn
Adapted from Bon Appetit, July 2001

INGREDIENTS:

2 large ears of corn, husked
1 large red bell pepper
4 large beefsteak tomatoes (each about 9 to 10 ounces)
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 teaspoon grated lime peel
1 garlic clove, pressed
2 tablespoons chopped red onion
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
1 1/2 teaspoons minced seeded jalapeño chili
1/2 cup crumbled soft fresh goat cheese (about 2 ounces)

DIRECTIONS:


The Good: A great summer side dish: refreshing, easy to prepare. The goat cheese balances well with the mild heat of the jalapeño. I couldn't get enough.

The Bad: There is really nothing bad to say about this one. The boys even enjoyed it!

Grade: A+. 'Nuf said.

Vegetarians do not stand a chance in our house. We love meat. My family loves burgers (see Wild Willy's restaurant review). So why would I even attempt making homemade veggie burgers?

There was a time in my distant memory when my oldest son loved Gardenburger veggie burgers. The youngest has yet to try one. I can appreciate a good veggie burger now and then. One with tons of flavor, meaty texture and good dose of much needed fiber. So when I came across this recipe on Epicurious, I had to give it a shot.

Bulgur Veggie Burgers with Lime Mayonnaise
Adapted from Gourmet, June 2008

INGREDIENTS:

• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 1 tablespoon olive oil plus additional for brushing
• 1/2 cup bulgur
• 1 cup water
• 1 cup canned chickpeas, rinsed and drained
• 1 1/2 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1/2 cup panko crumbs
• 1 egg
• 3/4 cup walnuts (2 1/2 ounces)
• 2 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped
• 1/2 cup packed cilantro sprigs
• 3/4 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne
• 1/4 cup mayonnaise
• 1/4 teaspoon grated lime zest
• 1/2 teaspoon fresh lime juice
• 2 slices multi-grain flatbread, halved

DIRECTIONS:

I'm always looking for new and delicious recipes loaded with veggies that my kids will devour. So when I came across this recipe from the kitchens of Martha, I had to give it a try. My boys love baby bok choy and will sometimes eat a carrot or two. And who doesn't love apples? This makes a great summer side dish to a BBQ or picnic. And much lighter than your traditional mayo-laden cole slaw.

Baby Bok Choy, Carrot and Apple Slaw
Inspired by Everyday Food, Great Food Fast

INGREDIENTS:

1 pound baby bok choy (4 to 6 heads)
1 teaspoon coarse salt
1 peeled apple, cut into matchsticks
2 large shredded carrots
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1 teaspoon finely grated peeled fresh ginger
Coarse salt and ground pepper

DIRECTIONS:

1. Cut the baby bok choy in half lengthwise; rinse under cold water to remove grit. Cut crosswise into thin strips; place in a large colander, and sprinkle with coarse salt. Toss to coat. Top with a plate that fits inside colander; weight with a heavy object (such as a skillet or canned goods). Set aside in sink to drain. 

2. In a large bowl, mix apple, carrots, lemon juice, sesame oil, and peeled fresh ginger. Add bok choy; season with coarse salt and ground pepper. Toss.  

The Good: My oldest ate all of his. The youngest had no interest in it. Quick and easy to prepare.

The Bad: If you don't drain the bok choy completely, the dressing can get watered down.


Grade: B+. This will be a regular side dish in our house since we often will have these ingredients on hand.

My boys love fish. And in our house, it is typically prepared by steaming whole fish or fish fillets with ginger, green onions and black beans. They are, of course, fans of Trader Joe's fish sticks in a pinch. But a fish sandwich is a new concept to my little landlubbers. Except recently, my oldest saw the quirky, internet sensation McDonald's Filet-O-Fish commercial. He will enthusiastically sing "Give me back that filet o fish. Give me that fish! Ahh!" whenever he sees a fish.



So I was eager to try the 101 Whaler Fish Sandwich recipe from the now defunct Cookie magazine. Anything to get my kids to try something new, and just maybe, get my son to stop singing the top earworm of the ad industry. I also made a side of Martha Stewart's Bok Choy, Carrot and Apple Slaw as a side. I'll be posting the recipe soon!

101 Whaler Fish Sandwich
Cookie, March 2006
Click here for the full recipe

DIRECTIONS

Smartphones have decidedly changed the way my family travels. On a long road trip, web access has settled arguments with a quick Google search. And even better, finding a Starbucks or a place to eat is a snap thanks to sites such as Yelp and Citysearch. So while driving through Connecticut on our way home from Amish Country, I turned to my BlackBerry to help us find a good restaurant that all of us would like.

Because we wanted to avoid the national chains, we were excited to try what was reviewed as a "hidden gem". We were swayed to drive to El Sombrero (off I-84) in a quiet Connecticut town thanks to reviews such as "THE best salsa EVER" and "the best Mexican food in CT hands down!" El Sombrero even had a Facebook fan page, so it had to be good, right? Well, not exactly...

Located in the Oak Hill strip mall, we walk in to find the place decorated with pinatas, sombreros, and every other cliche you can think of. We were seated right away in the "main" dining room and given menus. The dinner menu was extensive but a little gimmicky. The boys were given childrens' menus and crayons. From their off-the-shelf kids' menu, there was a selection of burgers, chicken fingers, hot dog, mac-n-cheese, and grilled cheese (groan). There was also a taco, enchilada, burrito and quesadillas, so we ordered our youngest the kids' quesadillas ($5.50). Our oldest loves fish tacos, so we order him the fish tacos ($10.25) off the regular menu. Umdaddy got the Carnitas Asadas ($11.95) and I went with the chicken and beef fajitas ($13.95).


After chowing on some corn chips and possibly the WORST salsa I've ever had (think tomato sauce from a can), our food arrived. The kids quesadillas were two flour tortillas with a side of rice and beans. The little one ate some rice and corn chips. The fish tacos platter was big enough for three kids to share, so it was no surprise our son ate half of one taco and a forkful of rice. I had a bite of the fish tacos and was unimpressed with the lack of flavor and texture as compared to the fish tacos at Dorado Tacos and Cemitas (our favorite).


Then came the sizzling hot platter of meat and peppers and onions. Learn from me - not a good idea to order fajitas with children and an overcrowded table! My meal was just okay - the meat was tough and over cooked and everything else was pretty bland. Umdaddy found his dish to be mediocre as well. 

El Sombrero hardly met our high expectations, especially after reading all the rave reviews. I guess this means there are not a lot of good Mexican joints in Connecticut? I guess we'll stick with pizza.

El Sombrero
151 Queen Street
Southington, CT 06489
(860) 621-9474

We made our annual trek to visit the in-laws in Lancaster county last weekend. The boys, while at times feisty during the 7+ hours in the car, had a wonderful time. It's a weekend complete with doting grandparents, trains (note: parents of "trainiacs", the Strasburg Railroad Museum and Choo Choo Barn are a must-see), playtime with relatives, and a good dose of country air.



For umdaddy and I, we get to relax (thanks to doting grandparents), spend some quality time with relatives and get our dose of country air. Some might think a trip to Amish Country equates to simple, butter-laden meals by candle light. In actuality, we were treated to some fresh-from-the-garden, sophisticated meals in the comfort of central AC (no, my in-laws are not Amish in case you were wondering).

One dinner consisted of a comforting and delicious baked lasagna with meatballs. Instead of slaving over a frying pan, we tried baking them in muffin tins for the first time (a tip I saw on Good Eats).

We were also treated to a cookout complete with burgers, dogs, and local corn on the cob. We had fun improvising and whipped up a delicious Greek pasta salad (check out the recipe at the end of the post). And every meal ended with a delicious dessert. Check out these adorable brownie cupcakes made to look like grilled meat.


And no road trip is complete without some food off a major highway in either a chain restaurant or hole-in-the-wall establishment. We decided to roll the dice and dined at El Sombrero, a hole-in-the-wall Mexican restaurant in Southington, CT (off of I-84). I'll be posting my restaurant review of El Sombrero soon!

It was a successful and great mini-vacation and I'm already looking forward to our trip next summer.


{Recipe} Greek Pasta Salad
 Serves 6-8

INGREDIENTS:
12 ounces farfalle pasta (bow-ties)
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 1/2 cups crumbled feta cheese
1 cucumber, cored and chopped
1 pint grape tomatoes, halved
3/4 cup pitted Kalamata olives, chopped
1/2 cup chopped red onion
2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
1 tablespoon minced garlic
2 tablespoons fresh oregano, chopped
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

DIRECTIONS:

I'm crazy for tomatoes. Especially in the height of the summer when they are at their best. I really love them. Roasted, broiled, sun-dried, stewed, diced, crushed, whole, you name it. I don't think I would like Tomatino however. Held on the last Wednesday in August in Bunol Spain, Tomatino Festival is the largest tomato fight in the world. But I think I would thoroughly enjoy the paella eating contest beforehand!
Back to edible tomatoes. I hadn't tried grilled tomatoes so was eager to try the Grilled Tomato Linguine recipe from the kitchens of Martha Stewart Living. I've made Todd English's Roasted Tomato Sauce from The Figs Table cookbook in the past and loved it. So I'm thinking this was going to be a winner. It looked simple and since it was a hot day, was looking forward to cooking outdoors.


Grilled Tomato Linguine
Adapted from Everyday Food

INGREDIENTS:
3 lbs plum tomatoes, cored and halved lengthwise
5 Tbs extra-virgin olive oil
1 Tbs chopped fresh thyme or 1 Tsp dried
2 Tbs chopped fresh basil (optional)
1 head of garlic, halved
Coarse salt and fresh ground pepper
1 lb linguine
1/2 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese


DIRECTIONS:
1. Heat grill to high. In a bowl, toss the tomatoes with 3 Tbs of olive oil and thyme; season generously with salt and pepper.


2. Starting with cut sides down, grill the tomatoes and garlic until soft and charred, 8-12 minutes per side.


3. Return tomatoes to the bowl. Once cooled, remove 3-4 garlic cloves and add to tomatoes. Cut tomatoes and garlic into coarse pieces with kitchen shears.

4. Meanwhile, cook the linguine in a large pot of boiling salted water until al dente according to the package instructions. Drain; return to pot.

5. Add the remaining 2 Tbs olive oil, the Parmesan, basil and grilled tomatoes. Divide among bowls and serve immediately with more grated cheese.

The Good: Super easy and good summer pasta dish alternative. The kids cleaned their plates.

The Bad: The boys were not fans of the char, or "dust" as my son calls it, in their pasta. Even with the roasted garlic, it was lacking some flavor.

Grade: C. It lacked the richness of oven-roasted tomatoes. Could be due to mediocre tomatoes. Might try again with native, vine-ripened tomatoes.

Here I am, three weeks into my personal adventure eating challenge (three new recipes/week and one new restaurant/month) and can proudly say, I am meeting the challenge! Here's a recap:

Week 1:

• Roasted Chickpea Bruschetta
• Mini Spinach and Tomato Fritattas
• Grilled Asian Pork Chops

Week 2:

• Roasted Tomato Linguine
• 101 "Whaler" Fish Sandwich
• Asian Slaw
• El Sombrero Restaurant

What I am finding difficult is finding the time to write about it. How do all those food bloggers and mommy bloggers do it? How do they find time to blog, twitter, attend conferences and events, work a full-time job, and mother little ones? I want in on your secret!

Until then, posts on week 2 are in development. A visual sneak peek...

Yup. That's the legendary Stevie Wonder with my folks after dining at the family restaurant in Hartford, Connecticut. He was a a big fan of my dad's cooking naturally! My love for food has everything to do with my Dad. As executive chef of my family's restaurant for 40+ years, I have clear images of my dad on the line in the kitchen, testing different sauces, tasting a bit of this and a little of that. He worked tirelessly in the cavernous, often steamy kitchen, 7 days a week, 364 days a year. But I think it was on that one day off, my 'pop' was happiest being the family man, grilling up some meat in the backyard for the family.

So in honor of my dad and all you wonderful dads out there, we threw some meat on the open flame Asian-style with this simple recipe.


Grilled Asian Pork Chops
Adapted from Bon Appetit 

INGREDIENTS:

1/3 cup black bean garlic sauce
3 large garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 1/2 tablespoons oriental sesame oil
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
1 tablespoon honey
1 tablespoon finely chopped peeled fresh ginger
2-3 scallions, thinly sliced
4 bone-in pork chops
DIRECTIONS:

The Good: Easy and quick to prepare. Delicious flavors that went well with pork. The kids loved it (but then again, the boys love all Asian cuisine)

The Bad: Leaves a bit of a mess on the grill. Could cut back on the black bean sauce a bit as it could be salty for some.

Grade: A-. This will be a weeknight staple, especially in the summer!

Today's cooking assignment: Eggs.

Eggs are hit or miss in our family. The kids will sometimes eat them scrambled with lots of cheese and ketchup. They'll run out of the kitchen if I try to serve it to them hard boiled, poached or fried. They'll gladly eat custard of course. I would love for them to enjoy the incredible, edible egg. It's cheap, nutritious and easy to prepare.

So I decided to give Matthew Amster-Burton's recipe for Mini Frittatas from Hungy Monkey: A Food-Loving Father's Quest to Raise an Adventitious Eater a try. I love this book about a food critic's culinary capers with his daughter. I can relate when he writes, "What's better than breakfast for dinner? (Answer: pizza for breakfast.)" I adapted his recipe to include veggies I thought my kids would eat. I asked my son to choose two vegetables to include in this dish and he picked spinach. He admitted he didn't really like veggies and asked me to pick the second. One out of two ain't bad!


Adapted from Hungry Monkey
Makes 12 mini-frittatas, serves four

INGREDIENTS:
5 oz baby spinach
6 large eggs
1/4 cup milk
1/4 cup cream
1 oz (1/3 cup) grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
1/4 tsp salt
pepper
1 tbs butter
8-10 grape tomatoes, quartered
1/4 cup diced shallots

DIRECTIONS:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Whisk together the eggs, milk, cream, Parmigiano-Reggiano, salt, and pepper to taste in a Pyrex measuring cup.

2. Melt the butter in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add the shallots until fragrant and translucent. Add spinach and saute on medium high heat until spinach is heated through (about 5 minutes).


3. Spray a 12-cup nonstick muffin pan with cooking spray. Spoon a generous tablespoon of the spinach and tomato into each cup and top with 2-3 tablespoons of the egg mixture. Each cup will be about 2/3 full. Bake 20-30 minutes. Using a spoon, turn the frittatas out of the pan and serve immediately with toast (and bacon, fruit, etc.)

The Good: Easy to make, great for "little fingers" (I had my son help mix the egg mixture and fill the muffin pan). Great as leftovers and umdaddy loved it. The mini frittatas baked in a muffin tin are a perfect size for kids.

The Bad: My kids did not really like it. The youngest touched it with his tongue and cried whenever a morsel came close to his lips. The five year old eventually ate it, but only after an hour of eating, washing down every bite with some milk.

Grade: B-. I will definitely try making this again, but with different veggies with some fresh herbs and some more seasoning.