Get It While It Lasts!

Not to toot my own horn, but...

TOOT!!!!

I made this batch. And let me tell you, it is just as the label says - delicious.

Kitchen PLAY SideCar Event: Jarlsberg Chili Cupcakes

Note: I was compensated for the ingredients used in this post


The folks over at Kitchen Play are holding a month-long event featuring Jarlsberg Dip. I was picked along with 28 other bloggers to try it out and offer a creative way to enjoy the dip. Savory cupcakes have been on my mind of late, so I offer to you a fun way to enjoy the Jarlsberg – in cupcake form!

Maryland Crab Cakes

My first run in with the Maryland crab cake was when I was working in Baltimore. The office was a few blocks away from Lexington Market and I would often walk down there for lunch. While the market boasts of many options (fresh fruit and vegetables, butcher, prepared meals), I always found myself walking toward Faidley’s and their wonderful jumbo lump crab cakes. Made with lump crab meat, these cakes were the size of a racquet ball… really. They were amazing, and every other crab cake after it could never compare (although Off the Hook's crab cake was pretty good).

The Vietnam (Spring Valley, NY)

I really love this place. I order for here often, and I've written three other posts about it. And when All Over Albany proposed we submit a photo of our lunches, I immediately thought of Vietnamese food. The banh mi, especially.

According to the menu, the banh mi thit consists of "Thin slices of Vietnamese style pork roll & ham, fresh cilantro, cucumber, julienne carrot and daikon, and Vietnamese mayonnaise." I asked for it to be spicier, and they did not disappoint. Just enough heat, but not too lingering, thanks to the cucumber spear. What exactly is Vietnamese mayo? Mayonnaise with Siracha? If it is... I need to make tons of it.

Fried egg rolls (cha gio) filled with ground pork, carrots, onion, and what I think are glass noodles. Fried until it hit golden brown but not as greasy as you would imagine. I went dip crazy with the nuoc cham, and pickled shredded carrot and daikon is always a nice treat.

Pho tai nam gan sach. I guess think would fall along the lines of training wheels Vietnamese, but really it's become comfort food for me. Medium rare eye round beef, flanks, tendons, beef tripe, and noodles served in a beef broth. Comes with a sprig of Thai basil, lemon wedge, and a small container with siracha and what I think is hoisin sauce. Even though it was pretty hot out, it definitely hit the spot. They all hit the spot, which explains why I order them over and over.

At first I thought they may have forgotten the tripe, but there it is. I found it hiding under the noodles. It's a shame people think tripe as something not good enough to eat.

I think I might go there tonight for dinner. There's still plenty of things on the menu that I need to try again.

The Saloon (Pearl River, NY)

Mags and I hit up The Saloon after my first exam. It was not the best experience, and I was in a state of shock from it. It was still pretty early, but the weather wasn't the best, so we decided to eat quick and do some wait and see.

Mags wanted something light, and apparently that means a cheese quesadilla. It looked to be a good sized portion for a meal, and good for a few people as an appetizer (after all, it is listed under appetizers). She also asked for guacamole, which looked o k a y, but you really got the feeling it was the pre-made stuff. And considering what happened to Mags after dinner, ordering it may have not been the best decision (maybe... we don't know the true culprit).

As of late, it seems when I feel mopey all I want is salads and beer. Not the best combination, but what you crave is what you crave... right? Their spinach salad sounded good, and it's what I went with- minus the egg. I'm not really an egg fan, so the thought of sliced hard boiled egg in a salad is just vomit inducing. Baby spinach, mushrooms, onions, tomatoes, and bacon in a vinaigrette. The picture uglies it up, but rest assured, the taste was great. And they didn't skimp on the bacon- there was a generous helping of crumbled bacon on top.

Mags originally wanted to have the Toll House pie, but sadly they were out. She settled on the Chocolate Mousse pie. It was o k a y, but I'm not really a mousse fan.