Dropping in on a rare Sunday to wrap up the our Finding Time in 2013 challenge because I'll be back on January 1st to introduce our 2014 challenge!

This is the fourth year I created some sort of challenge for us (see: Twelve in Ten, Best of 2011, and 2012: Eat & Repeat), but as I explained in the introductory post, I didn't want it to be bogged down with self-imposed rules or regulations that stressed me out. Instead, it was supposed to be about making time for things we wanted to try, both in the kitchen and around St. Louis, without feeling obligatory.
Overall, I'd say we succeeded...so much so that I didn't even post anything in December. I had a few ideas in mind for what I wanted to make, but instead I worried less about making something challenging or unique in the kitchen and more about spending time with our friends and family. I have the rest of my life to try new things in the kitchen, but I can't get back precious evenings with those I love! 
January through November were a different story, however:

January: Rooster Cafe
February: King Cake
March: Pastaria
April: Cream Puffs
May: Olio
June: Where the Wild Things Are Shower (working with fondant)
July: Fozzie's Sandwich Emporium 
August: St. Louis Food Media Forum
September: Meskerem Ethiopian Restaurant
October: Grandma's Apple Pie
November: Sidney Street Cafe

Another year of trying new things in the kitchen and discovering new favorites in St. Louis...here's to more of the same in 2014!

We're closing in on the end of the year, which also means the end of our Finding Time in 2013 challenge. This month we were due for a restaurant post and we ventured out to one of the well-known fine dining establishments in the St. Louis area: Sidney Street Cafe. After having it recommended to us by several different people, we finally decided to head there for our anniversary. Although it was a chilly October evening, the restaurant itself was warm and welcoming, the perfect spot to sit at a cozy table and reflect on five years of marriage.

L to R: Starter Menu, Cocktails, Beignets

Sidney Street was a lot bigger than I anticipated. I had expected an intimate spot, but the restaurant was larger and brighter than I envisioned. The exposed brick and dark wood fit the space, however, and it still gives off a fine dining atmosphere (which explains why I only took a few, discreet, iPhone pictures!). Service aligned with this perfectly; our server was professional, attentive (almost overly-so), and enthusiastic, eagerly explaining the majority of the menu to us.

Beginning with the beignets which are served warm with butter, we knew we were in for a good meal. The cocktail menu is small, but Ryan--our resident cocktail snob--found something he liked, and the bartender was gracious enough to whip me up a mocktail. Although we were enticed by several of the starters on the menu, our server sold us on the veal dumplings which he claimed were his favorite. We immediately understood why; the meat inside each dumpling was extraordinarily tender and the cilantro salsa and teriyaki sauce the dumplings were sitting in introduced an entirely unique flavor to the dish. I probably would've been happy ordering another round of these for my entree!

L to R: Veal Dumplings, Menu, Butternut Squash Soup, House Salad

We pressed on with the next course. Each entree comes with a selection of soup or salad. Ryan opted for the butternut squash soup, and I selected the salad. Unfortunately, when I declined the anchovies on my salad, I mistakenly also declined the cheese, so my greens were rather bare and the salad wasn't anything special. I hardly had time to be disappointed, however, before my meal was brought out: the redfish. Served atop dirty farro, the combination of tastes and colors came together impressively. It was one of those dishes where you don't really know what's contained in each bite, but you don't care because it tastes so good! For the curious, the menu description of my dish mentioned cucumber relish, charred tomato gelee, raspberry glazed sungolds, and dill in addition to the fish and farro. Ryan ordered the Missouri lamb, which he decided was not the best lamb he's ever had in a restaurant, but certainly a stellar entree.

L to R: Snapfish, Missouri Lamb, White Chocolate Turtle Blondie

By now we were stuffed, but our server insisted on bringing us out the white chocolate turtle blondie with pecan brittle and vanilla ice cream for dessert in honor of our anniversary. Full as I was, I never turn down dessert, and managed to enjoy a few bites before crying uncle! The blondie was rich and buttery and exactly what you would expect, given the description. Next time I'd also love to try their "Snickers Bar" dessert!

How does this compare to other similar restaurants we've eaten at? For what we spent, we both agreed our meals at Girl and the Goat in Chicago were better, but it's a completely different type of restaurant. Sidney Street is probably most like Harvest, where we ate a few years ago, and if I had to pick a favorite of the two, I'd say Sidney Street wins this round! All in all, it was a lovely anniversary dinner and a fun way to wrap up the restaurant portion of this year's challenge.

Grandma's Apple Pie

Popping in on a Sunday this week to share with you this month's "Finding Time in 2013" challenge. I had planned on attempting homemade pasta this month (December! For sure!!), but then we went apple picking and Ryan kept (not so subtly) hinting that I should try making my grandma's apple pie, which is one of his all-time favorite desserts.
I was really hesitant to give it a try, even though she gave my sister Julia and I lessons a few years ago, in part because I know that my attempt will never live up to hers. Plus, part of the beauty of her pie is the nostalgia that comes with it every time with enjoy it as a family together. Ryan's argument was that I need to start practicing now so that some day when I'm a grandma I can evoke the same feelings amongst my grandchildren. I think really he just wanted apple pie...!
With the few garbled notes I had jotted down during our lesson and a few last minute texts to my grandma, I set out to make my pie. I'm actually not sharing the recipe...while there isn't any top-secret method or ingredient, it's still our family's and one I'm not sure I'm allowed to post on the internet ;) I will say that the finished product was close to my grandma's, although not identical. I suppose that's the beauty of the pie, however, and motivation to keep practicing! I think this has been my favorite, and most rewarding!, challenge thus far!

One Year Ago: Odds & Ends
Two Years Ago: Apple Ricotta Coffee Cake
Three Years Ago: Chicken, Black Bean, and Goat Cheese Tostadas
Four Years Ago: Creamy Sweet Potato and Kale Soup

 Hey there! Popping in for a rare Sunday post to share our latest adventure via our Finding Time in 2013 challenge. We were up to visit a new restaurant this month although to be honest, we would've headed out that evening, challenge or not! I'd spent the day cooking and cleaning and couldn't stand the thought of cleaning another dish. I was ready to sit and let someone else bring me dinner AND clean up afterward!
Heading to Meskerem Ethiopian Restaurant was a no-brainer. Ryan and I had been saying for a few weeks that we were in the mood for Ethiopian. For those of you that have never had Ethiopian cuisine before, I highly recommend it...even the non-adventurous can likely find something they'll enjoy. I am drawn to the fact that you eat with your hands, picking up the food with injera, a sourdough flatbread. You can learn more about Ethiopian food on Wikipedia, but in short, the food is typically heavily spiced and featured a lot of meat stews as well as vegetarian dishes containing lentils or vegetables. Sounds right up our alley, huh?
Although Ethiopian restaurant menus are typically quite large, we usually opt for a combination platter of sorts, because it's way more fun to try a variety of dishes. This time we got two combo platters--one meat and one vegetarian--to ensure that we could try the largest number of dishes. Food is usually served family style, so as you can see in the photograph, it all came out together on a huge piece of injera. We then broke little pieces of our individual injera to pick up bits of the different dishes. I definitely couldn't tell you what most of them were, save for picking out the pain ingredient, but we basically ate the plate empty, which I'd call a success! In our case, the spicier the better!
Meskerem Ethiopian Restaurant was larger than we anticipated (the other Ethiopian restaurant we've been to in St. Louis is pretty tiny) and pretty busy on a Saturday night. It's situated on (South) Grand Ave, which is essentially a mecca of multiculturalism in St. Louis. Service was fast and friendly, and our total dinner bill came to less than $40 (including tip and a beer for Ryan). I'm thankful we live in a city that has so many diverse dining options and I highly encourage you to seek out Meskerem (or another Ethiopian restaurant if you're not in St. Louis!) if you get the chance!

One Year Ago: Two Days in California Wine Country
Two Years Ago: French Onion Soup
Three Years Ago: Basil Parmesan Crackers
Four Years Ago: Veggie Stuffed Peppers

The month of July kind of flew by for us. Between a trip to Chicago for the 4th, a weekend visit from my grandparents, work travels to Seattle for me, and then preparing to hit the road for our family vacation in Kiawah Island, South Carolina, it suddenly dawned on me that though we'd had a lot of fun and eaten a lot of good food, we hadn't fulfilled our challenge for the month. 
Keeping along with the theme of the year, which is hellbent on avoiding rules and going with the flow, we decided to pop into Fozzie's Sandwich Emporium thirty minute before closing one evening. The family owned sandwich shop is teeny tiny, more conducive for taking your food to go. We decided to take advantage of the casual outdoor seating, and enjoyed our food while it was still hot.

Fozzie's menu is a bit overwhelming, and I found myself hemming and hawing over what to order. Their extensive menu boasts far more than just the sandwiches in their namesake, and the array of options kept me second-guessing my order. Much as their burgers, salads, hot dogs, and spreads tempted me, I ultimately went with the lamb gyro, but asked for veggies to be added to it (from the veggie gyro). Ryan ordered the black n blue, complete with steak, spinach, blue cheese, and tiger sauce (??) on a hoagie roll. 
To share, we ordered a regular foz-o-licious shake, which was surprisingly expensive ($4.25) for its small size (pictured above). The foz-o-licious features goat cheese, roasted apples, and caramel. Goat cheese in a milkshakes? Yes and yes. This is quite possibly one of the best shakes I've ever had, and I will absolutely pay the steep price in the future for a few more sips of the combination. It manages to be sweet and tangy, with chunks of goat cheese, apples, and caramel throughout.
Unfortunately the food didn't score quite as high as our shake. Ryan's sandwich was overloaded with the mystery tiger sauce, taking away the flavor from the steak and blue cheese. I liked my gyro, although it's hard to compare to our favorite gyro place, where the lamb meat is slow cooked and thinly sliced. Like Ryan's, mine was overloaded with sauce...so much so that picking it up and eating it was impossible. By the time I'd eaten my way to the pita bread, it was too soggy to enjoy.
All that being said, we didn't hate our meals. I already have plans to go back, yes for the shake, but also to give some of the other menu items a try!

One Year Ago: 2012 Eat & Repeat: Half & Half
Two Years Ago: Blueberry Polenta Muffin Tops
Three Years Ago: Minty Cabbage Salad

 I’m going to be an aunt! My sister-in-law Erin is due with her first baby, Eoin (pronounced Owen) Wayne in a little less than two months. Depending on when baby Eoin decides to make his appearance, we just might share a birthday!
One Year Ago: Beet Hummus
Two Years Ago: Tropical Salad with Pineapple Vinaigrette
Three Years Ago: Cilantro Lime Grilled Vegetables

 I had a couple of restaurant ideas in mind for our May "Finding Time in 2013" challenge, but the fact that Olio had a patio sold me. After an endlessly long winter, we have finally had a few weeks of spring weather and I am determined to take advantage of as much al fresco dining as possible until the heat and humidity sets in and Ryan refuses to step foot outside ;)
Olio's only been open since November, but from the reviews I read on Yelp and what our server told us, the place has done quite well in its six months of existence. An old gas station converted into a restaurant, the space has been restored to its original appearance as much as possible and the interior is very funky. We didn't get that great of a look because I was so eager to sit outside at a rustic picnic table under the lights, but next time I want to cozy up to their bar!
Their menu, like most places these days, changes frequently, primarily featuring a number of small plates (segregated into a few categories: cheese, vegetables/salads, pantry, spreads & dips, salumi & charcuterie, fish & seafood, and sandwiches). Additionally, they feature one rotisserie item each night which is a larger, entree sized dish. They have an extensive wine list (pages and pages!), but Ryan and I stuck to cocktails on our trip there.
Our cocktails were good--creative spins on classic drinks. At $10-12 a drink, they aren't cheap, but we're finding this to be the norm at most places classic cocktails are served. We split three items for our meal: the rotisserie of the night (pork with a panzanella salad), the spicy carrots, made with citrus and harissa, and the charred eggplant dip.
The food was all solid. No complaints about the way anything tasted and all of it was presented well on the plates. None of it blew us away, however. The spicy carrots weren't actually spicy at all, though the charred eggplant dip did taste like it came right off the grill, which I loved. I'd love to go back with a bigger group and try a greater variety of items. They also have a great sounding brunch menu and I would definitely not mind popping in to hang out on the patio after church one Sunday!
Finally, Olio is connected to Elaia, its fine dining sister restaurant which is in a renovated 1890s home next door. We had the chance to walk through the restaurant and peek at the menu and it looks like a fantastic place to celebrate a special occasion. I'm confident both of these restaurants, located two blocks from the Botanical Gardens, will be rousing success stories!
P.S. Check out the pictures of Olio on their website--definitely more beautiful than the ones I snapped with my iphone, and give you a better idea of what the space looks like!

One Year Ago: Banana Cake Balls
Two Years Ago: Summer Spiked Lemonade
Three Years Ago: Cereal Mix-Ins Cookies

 If you've grown up in Wisconsin, you're very familiar with the infamous cream puffs sold each year at the State Fair. The cows and the rides and the concerts are there every year, but I'm convinced it's the cream puffs that draw the crowds. The cream puffs there are the size of your face but that doesn't stop anyone from finishing every last bite.
I haven't lived in Wisconsin since I was twelve and I haven't been to the Wisconsin State Fair for a few years before that, but I still haven't forgotten those cream puffs. I've always been under the impression that they're difficult to make, requiring both homemade pastry cream and the perfectly light shell. Thus, they seemed like the perfect thing to attempt for my Finding Time in 2013 challenge.
Unbeknownst to me, cream puffs aren't actually all that difficult and I didn't need to set aside an entire day to make them like I had originally expected. I made both the pastry cream and the pate a choux a day ahead of time but then filled them just before serving. (Note--they did keep well in the fridge for a few days filled but were best the day I filled them) My original intention was to pipe the filling into each shell but my pastry tips have gone missing so instead I sliced them in half and added a large dollop of filling to each. A drizzle of chocolate finished them off and while they were miniature compared to the Wisconsin State Fair's version, one bite in and I was reminded of my childhood.

One Year Ago: Recipe Ideas for Cinco de Mayo
Two Years Ago: Curried Sweet Potato Chickpea Burgers
Three Years Ago: Baked Eggs in Potato Skins

One Year Ago: Sourdough Pancakes
Two Years Ago: Vacation Eats: Charleston Part II and Ashville
Three Years Ago: Bulgur Salad with Citrus, Toasted Almonds, Feta, and Spinach