Calzones

Made calzones last night and was really blown out of the water with how great they turned out (if I don't say so myself).

I followed the NY Times' empanada dough recipe, mostly because I didn't want to waste time with waiting for yeast to rise. It creates a doughy/flaky, more biscuit-y taste than a pizza dough. Probably a preference choice, but since the Boy doesn't like doughy pizza dough, I thought this would bring the crispness he prefers. Or at least that was the ex post facto logic that made my laziness turn out for everyone's benefit.

Another way my laziness worked to my benefit: I had made pesto in the food processor the night before and had yet to clean it out. But hello, basil mixed in the crust! Yeah, the crust gets mixed in a food processor, which I highly prefer to my somewhat finicky (or abused) mixer. So that added a lot of flavor right into the crust.

For the filling, I just went with basic marinara, carmelized onions, and this really cool herb and garlic sausage I bought at Wegmans the night before. Folded over the crust, slapped on an egg wash, and baked it on high heat (450ish) until it looked done (technical as usual). Benissimo, bebe! No seriously, it was perfecto-- especially since I had no idea how to really make calzones and sort of made it up as I went along. I can see this in so many configurations (like more empanadas, obvis). But you could also do a tart, or a flatbread pizza... Just glorious!

Greener Carnivores

Which Meat Harms Our Planet the Least?

Crazy or Crazy-Awesome?

Sweet Potato Cupcakes?

John's Tex Mex Eatery

John's Tex Mex Eatery (formerly and colloquially Taco John's) is at 489 South Avenue, intersecting with Alexander, in South Wedge.

Their whole approach is a very simple, healthy style of Tex Mex. They're incredibly cheap for the amount of food you get -- I always have the second half of my small burrito for lunch the next day. The menu offers tacos, burritos, burrito bowls, some salads, a few dinner plates, and the Mexican plate, which is an absolutely loaded plate of nachos that maxes out at $7.

John's doesn't do the whole aspartame soda industry thing. You can get Boylan's natural sodas, Nantucket Nectars, water, or choose from a substantial list of beers and a few wines. They also have mimosas by the glass and by the liter carafe.

The highlights are the choices of toppings you can get (roasted red peppers, spinach, jalapenos, etc.), multiple vegetarian options (I almost always go with unbeef), and the best guac you'll find this far north. The mexican mush is this bean/potato concoction that works great as a side and can be used for taco/burrito fillings too. I also just had the mashed potatoes and plantains for the first time, and those were amazing! Really smooth, mellow, and slightly sweet. They also have a couple of homemade hot sauces and a couple of less popular brands.

If you're looking for traditional Mexican or a nice place to entertain your parents, you're in the wrong place. The bright red walls are covered in a mural, and they have the most awesomely eclectic music selection I've ever witnessed beyond shuffling my iPod. The atmosphere, waitstaff, and prices cater more to a student crowd. A review of John's is long over-due here, because we eat there literally once a week. I'm just always too distracted by the food to remember to take a picture for the blog. Sorry for this one, it's of the leftovers!

Green Flash Tasting at Tap and Mallet

Tonight at 5pm, Tap and Mallet is hosting a happy hour with the people from Green Flash out of San Diego County.

No tickets necessary, and West Coast IPA (if you're into that) will be discounted!

Sidenote: Green Flash is named after an atmospheric phenomena at sunset, when the tippy-top of the sun shines green just before setting into the ocean. They are more common around San Diego because the air is clear and there are unobstructed views of the sun at eye level.

It's also the name of a bar in Pacific Beach in San Diego, apparently of no relation to the brewery, which is out in Vista.

Also: Tomorrow Tap and Mallet will have another monthly Beer Social featuring NY's own Sackets Harbor (of 1812 Ale and Thousand Island Pale Ale). Tickets are $12 and include finger foods and beer samples.

Cooks' World

Cooks' World isn't a restaurant, but it is a local kitchen supply store on Monroe Avenue. Although it's a relatively small converted house, they seem to have every gadget known to man housed within. Plus, they have a pretty impressive website to order online or keep track of sales and specials.

CW sells all the major high-end brands: Le Creuset, All-Clad, Kitchen Aid, Wustof, Cuisinart. They also have a decent selection of coffee beans, gourmet spreads and seasonings, aprons, and cookbooks (even a library where you can exchange). There are so many tools that it almost becomes a game of trying to identify their purposes.

It's a great place to keep in mind when you decide to cook at home more often (or decide to cook at home with something more reliable and longer-lasting than a George Foreman). Of course, it's also a great place to buy gifts. And if you're obsessed with buying an ice cream maker (as I am), it is the perfect place to find multiple options, all at discounted prices, to drool over.

Alfalfa Sprouts Salmonella Warning

Better to hold off on the veggie sandwiches for a while...

The FDA has issued a recommendation against the consumption of raw alfalfa sprouts which may have caused at least 31 cases of salmonella-related illness. Since the contamination may have occured at the seed level, it will be very difficult to track which brands or states are the riskiest.

Having just sat through a presentation on food-born illnesses, product recalls, and the FDA and CDC, I feel like all these salmonella outbreaks are eschatological (my new word from the weekend). In the past few years, we've had a perfect storm in a salad (spinach, tomatoes, peppers, and now sprouts), plus peanut butter and pisatchios. I don't know if bacon gives you swine flu, but one can never be sure. Actually, all this makes me want to create a death-defying tossed salad with peanut sauce dressing and bacon bits.