What I want NOW

I always want something (that is an obvious statement). But my latest wants (not necessarily needs) are kitchen small ware - stainless steal. I know, I know you are probably saying, didn't she just say that she doesn't cook - yes it's true, but hubbs and I have been talking...he is great at cooking and enjoys it, but doesn't like baking, so I volunteered to take on baking. Sure, I can do it...right, a little bit of mixing and then pop it in the oven and than cool off and it's ready to eat, well I have learned it's a little bit more than that so I want to make sure I have all the proper equipment needed to be a good baker. I am trying to persuade hubbs that this is what I want NOW --> Do you think hubbs will get the message if I keep posting everything I want?


Looking to buy one - BUY NOW

The Restaurant Club goes to Asia

Tonight is the Restaurant Club night and we are meeting at Indochine Asian Bistro. I can't even remeber how we picked this place, but it is on my Outlook, so it must be the right choice. I like to be prepared, in general, and same goes for going to restaurants. If I can, I will always check out the menu before I make it to the restaurant. I don't like making decisions in the restaurant if anyway possible...it's waisting precious time that I could be spending with friends while there. I also like to find any feedback from other consumers and discover any hidden specialties. So the same goes for tonight, I researched the restaurant and kept looking over the menu and absolutely nothing is jumping at me. I am not finidng anything special on the menu, which brings me back to think why we choose this place. The moto of the restaurant is "Good Food. Good Drinks. Good Music & Good People." Perhaps sometimes dinner outings are really not about the food but people you share the food with.

What's a Girl To Do...

I think I have made it very clear that I LOVE food (READ: eating and reading about it) but not the cooking part. So it turns out to be when I met my husband 11 years ago I also married a man who enjoys cooking and has gotten to be a really good cook. So this is how it works - I put together a menu for 4-5 nights a week, we shop for food together and the hubbs cooks the dinner, not only does he cook and cooks delicious food, he even does the dishes while cooking, can a girl ask for any more.

You are probably wondering where is this story going...well, hubbs is away on a trip and I am home by myself and no groceries and nothing to eat, well not really - a lot of cereal, left over Easter chocolate bunnies, some fruit, wilted endive, and french baguette, but really nothing dinner worthy. So what's a girl to do - The Fresh Market...answer to all my dinner troubles. There is a Fresh Market around the corner (Florida around the corner really means you have to drive at least 5-10 minutes) and I went to explore tonight and search for my dinner. I was certainly hungry, but had no idea what I was looking for. I kept walking, and walking and I walked out with french baguette, artichoke/crab dip, bottle of Malbec and some white chocolate chips. Not really a dinner, but perfect dinner for a night on my own and watching "The Hills:anyone else watching tonight.

Ethiopian Cuisine

A very good friend of mine invited me and the hubbs to join her family for dinner at an Ethiopian Restaurant - Sheba and my first thought was, I don't know about this - Ethiopian food...what is to eat? what could the cuisine be like? is this even considered a cuisine, well let me tell you...boy was I wrong. If I ever wanted that element of surprise going to a new restaurant, I certainly got it this past Friday. It was a true cultural adventure, leaving the comfort zone of Latin and Italian food, this was a true discovery. Sheba restaurant was tucked away in a Design District but once you open the door, you enter this really funky modern, hip but culturally aware place and as you walk in the aroma just takes it over. Since I was there with culinary journalist, I decided to follow her lead and let her order the food for the evening. So she chose - Best of the Best at Shiba's - combination of four meats and 4 side dishes (vegetables) and 2 appetizers - shrimp in this amazing spicy sauce and meatballs. The best of everything was eating the food with fingers. Of course, the amateur in me asked for a fork and knife and the waiter politely asked that we use our fingers and use the flatbread (INJERA). The taste was fantastic - it was aromatic, it reminded me of sour bread crepes, but slightly different. From appetizers, to entrees to wine, atmosphere - it was amazing, but as always I was looking for a finishing touch of a desert and was let down a little bit...there was not one single desert on the menu that took my breath away. All the deserts on the list were your typical deserts...cheesecake, chocolate mousse, three ice cream flavors...nothing spectacular and I was really looking for a perfect finishing touch. But don't get discouraged because the Ethiopian food was a true cultural experience and an amazing cuisine.

xoxo until next restaurant experience

The Restaurant Club

I have come here to join the masses of blogging and talk about my favorite topic - FOOD. I have always loved food, but lately I am getting a bit obsessive. I am embarking on something not so close to me - writing - so bare with me, as I will get better.

I have recently moved from Washington, DC to S. Florida and for the longest time I missed DC to the point I couldn't even think about it, I wanted to move back, until I realized, it's not the city that I miss, it's the people and the food of DC that I miss.

So couple of months into my living in S. Florida I have found a group of women who enjoy restaurant dining as much as I do and are great women and much pleasure to be around. All of this together, and the restaurant club was born. We meet every months and try out new places (well, new to us...some are actual establishments) and we chit-chat about jobs, careers, bosses, employees, children, husbands or lack of, households and dreams...All in all, it is always highlight of my week and I wish we did this more often, but our schedules and wallets don't allow for it. Being that organizational (READ: control issues) skills are our forte, we set-up the rules after our second restaurant evening.

RULES of the RESTAURANT CLUB:
1. Must visit different restaurants each time
2. At least three of us have not been to the restaurant before
3. No cancellations from members (there are only 4 of us)
4. The restaurant day is not a diet day - everything goes
5. Dare to try something new

So the next restaurant club meeting will take place next Tuesday and we are going to Far East...more about our next outing is coming shortly.

With all my love to the foodie lovers,
The Restaurant Girl