Pimento Cheese for Pimento Cheese Haters

December 30, 2016 in Recipes

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! I can't believe this is my last post of 2016, not to mention the day before New Years Eve. So much has happened this year including our second cross country move back to Texas, a huge trip to Iceland and Copenhagen (where we decided last minute to move back to Texas upon our lease ending in NYC), and big career moves, which included breaking away from the corporate world to pursue the thing that makes me the most happy--being able to create.

If you had told me at the beginning of the year (or even six months ago) that we would be living where we are and I'd be doing what I've been doing, I probably would not have believed you. This year has had a ton of ups and downs, but through the trials and successes I have been learning where my focus in life should ultimately lie, and that is on loving people and loving God more. When we do these things, life makes more sense even when it feels like nothing does.

Now that the sappy part is over we can address this big orange glob that's been staring at you. I have never been a fan of the "caviar of the south" or pimento cheese, but this all changed one night when Kyle and I were eating dinner at Jack Allen's Kitchen in Austin. The waitress brought out a sample and I stared at the orange scoop with a grimace, but there was homemade pits chips and a sprinkle of chives on top so I thought I had to try it.

OH EM GEE GUYS!

It was SO GOOD. And even my husband who is not a fan of cheesy dips, said "let's order more". So we ordered the appetizer size and gobbled it up. As we were leaving I saw the Jack Allen's Kitchen cookbook by the door and flipped through until I found the pimento cheese recipe. I snapped a photo of it on my iPhone (sorry if that's wrong, I give jack full credit!!) and then waited until the right time to make it.

And here it is! Serve it for your NYE party and give some away in batches (it makes a lot!)

Happy New Year blog readers!!

Pimento Cheese (for Pimento Cheese Haters)

very slightly adapted from Jack Allen's Kitchen

Ingredients:

8 oz. cream cheese, softened
2 cups Monterey Jack and cheddar cheese mix, grated
1 cup mayonnaise
2 medium red bell pepper, seeded, roasted, and diced
1 tsp. worchestershire
1 tsp. vinegar
1/2 tsp. salt

Directions: Whisk together all ingredients in a large stand mixer (or by hand with a wooden spoon) until ingredients are evenly distributed. Store in the refrigerator until ready to use. Serve with pita, crackers, and/or bread!

How to Host a Galentine's Brunch

February 08, 2016 in NYC

Football season is officially over and our version of a super bowl party was to lie on the couch in pajamas while Kyle took a chemistry quiz online and I searched Pinterest for cake recipes using buttermilk, all while having Shake Shack in our bellies. My favorite commercial was the weiner dogs dressed as hot dogs running in a field toward ketchup bottles. Did anyone else see that one? I was so happy an Aggie won MVP of the game. Gig 'em!

So while our Super Bowl "party" of two maybe wasn't so exciting, I did have a small pre-Valentines party on Saturday in the form of a Galentines brunch, a la Leslie Knope. While I do think Valentines is a little silly and highly commercialized, I can't pass up an opportunity of an entire day to celebrate love! And not just with your significant other, but also with your friends and family. I do think we should show love everyday though, and not just one day a year!

Whatever you end up doing, make sure you spend it with people you love and don't make a big deal if you don't have extravagant plans. Here is the recipe for a low key and fun galentines brunch:

Chicken and Waffles!
- for the chicken, you can use frozen or homemade, I opted for frozen popcorn chicken to make my life easier
- Whole Wheat Waffles
- Maple syrup and honey for topping
Fresh fruit
Donut holes
Cheap bubbly + OJ
Eggs in some shape or form (we had veggie frittatas)
Coffee
Taylor Swift YouTube playlist streaming through Chromecast on your TV
Fresh flowers
A swanky Facebook invite
No men! (Although Kyle did join the last hour, but he didn't mind our TSwift playlist)

Caviar Happy Hour at Petrossian NYC

July 21, 2015 in NYC

When Petrossian reached out to me about their Caviar Happy Hour in celebration of National Caviar Day, I was thrilled! While caviar may weird some people out, I am a seafood enthusiast and couldn't have been more excited to try the delicacy. I had never had caviar before, but it was amazing! It was light and refreshing, salty, and tasted especially good when paired with other types of food.

Some pairings that we sampled included: quail eggs with caviar on top, smoked salmon on a crostini with caviar, fig and goose liver with caviar (sounds strange, but actually really good!), and mini fried Parmesan cups with goat cheese and caviar. It was so fun learning all about caviar and meeting other bloggers in NYC, including Ashley of Wanderlustinthecity and Sarah of WhatSarahKnows!

The entire exterior of Petrossian is so beautiful (see pics above), and the aura of the restaurant suggests nothing but elegance. It is like taking a step back in time and provides a nice escape from midtown Manhattan. When we arrived we were offered the option of white wine or champagne. We were introduced to some of the hosts of the event, and then Kyle and I chatted with a few other bloggers and their guests. Servers brought around the caviar hors d'oeuvres, and every single one of them was delicious. I met with owner Alex Petrossian, who was so friendly and thanked us for coming out. He even jokingly apologized for getting us into a new expensive hobby!

Overall it was so fun meeting with other people, trying caviar, learning more about where it comes from, and experiencing my first real blogging event! I hope to be invited back again soon.. : )