Brewery Bhavana

Friday evening Nate and I finally tried out Brewery Bhavana (218 S Blount Street, Raleigh, NC 27601)! The Brewery is located in historic Moore Square in downtown Raleigh and despite having only been open for about a year, has generated quite the buzz in the culinary community. Countless reviews and write-ups have been published about this unique space that is part brewery, part dim sum restaurant, part bookstore and part flower shop.

Décor: the space is sectioned into different areas (bar, bookstore, flower shop, dining space) yet still remains open and bright. The spaces are separated from each other with a series of half-walls and floor-to-ceiling gossamer curtains. There are defined spaces without feeling closed-off. This shop is all about clean lines, natural elements and minimalist features. We sat at the end of the long granite bar and admired the marble tap system, natural wood chairs, stacked oak barrels and shelves upon shelves of books.

Food appearance: this place wouldn't get a write-up in Bon Apetit if the food wasn't as beautiful to see as it was to eat. The plates were artfully arranged and even served to us with flair. Dim Sum, for example, was brought in bamboo steam baskets and unveiled when it was brought to the hungry diners.

Crab Rangoons, Edamame and Ginger Dumplings and Vegetable Curry Puffs

Food taste: Their menu is small but has items to please every palate (vegans and vegetarians, too!). It ranges from the more traditional Chinese-menu staples like General Tso Chicken to the more exotic Crispy Pig Ears and Duck Eggrolls. We ordered three small plates to share while we sipped on Brewery Bhavana's incredible beers.


We began with the Crab Rangoon, before I go on, I know what you're thinking, "Lindsey, you're at this incredible dim sum restaurant, and you get crab rangoons?" Absolutely! These were by far the most flavorful Rangoons I've ever had the fortune to slide down my gullet. The crab meat was sweet and succulent, the jalapeno offered a spice element and the wonton wrappers were fried to crisp and golden perfection. The Rangoons were served alongside a sauce cup filled with house-made sweet and sour sauce which had notes of citrus and wizardry.


Next we moved onto the Edamade and Ginger Dumplings. The green dumplings were filled with soybeans and ginger and pan-seared to perfection. These were especially excellent with dipped in soy sauce.


Finally we ate the Vegetable Curry Puffs. These puffs were filled with cauliflower, spinach and sweet potato with all the wonderful Indian spices of curry, coriander and cumin. The pastry itself was airy, flaky and oh-so-deliciously buttery. I'd have gladly eaten all 3 of these giant "small plate" pastries by myself.


Service: The bartenders were all attentive and helpful. No glass was ever empty, no dirty plates were left out and everyone had a smile on their faces without looking like they were trying to hard. From the hosts at the front to the cleaning lady in the back, every employee seems genuinely happy to help make your experience a great one.


Cleanliness: This restaurant is a well-oiled machine and in high-demand in the Raleigh area. As such, tables are turned over quickly and everything is in pristine condition for maximum aesthetic.


I would MOST DEFINITELY recommend a trip to Brewery Bhavana to anyone even considering a trip to Raleigh. The beer is show-stopping and interesting (have you ever had a Mango Peppercorn Saison before?), the food is scrumptious and decadent and the service is incredible.


After your meal, check out the flower shop (single stems are available for purchase!), their in-house library or their bookstore. The concept of this restaurant is so unique and sounds like a lot going on, but the inside is calm and tranquil.

Nate checking out the in-house library

GO TO BREWERY BHAVANA, MY DEAR READERS! However I have a few helpful tips before you go:


1) There is very limited parking in the Moore Square area so I recommend either Ubering or parking in a downtown lot and walking.
2) Reservations are a necessity. As I said, this restaurant is in extremely high demand (for good reason) and walking in and expecting a table is unrealistic. Even the bar was almost completely full when we came in at 6:00 PM on a Friday.
3) This meal is going to cost you. The small plates start at $8.50 and the larger meals start at $18.80. Don't let this discourage you! Your food and beers are well worth the cost!


As always, thank you for taking time out of your day to read my humble blog.

Pizza Blanco AKA White Pizza

I know it's been a hot minute since I've posted anything. I'm sorry. I've definitely been cooking and eating. Just neglecting my duties to keep you informed. But that's about to change! April has been a surprisingly busy month for us. We've been planning trips, preparing for summer and just all around being busy.


Last night after a tough run filled with uphill struggles (literally), I came home and made a pretty incredible pizza - Pizza Blanco. I would never pledge allegiance to any one pizza, because they're all incredibly delicious and varied, but sometimes a good ole' Pizza Blanco comes along and steals the show.


Pizza Blanco

Golden brown, bubbly and paired with a Santa Fe Brewing Company State Pen Porter - because I'm homesick

1 pound (Finally) Perfect Pizza Dough
1 pound whole-milk ricotta cheese
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 Tsp salt
1/4 Tsp crushed red pepper flake
2 C shredded mozzarella cheese
1/4 C shredded parmesan cheese
1/4 C fresh basil, chiffonade


After making your pizza dough and allowing it to rise overnight, preheat oven to 425. Liberally spray a baking sheet with canola oil and spread out your dough to about 1/4 inch thick. Set aside.


In a bowl, combine ricotta, garlic, salt and red pepper flake. Spread the mixture onto in a single layer the pizza dough, leaving about 1-inch uncovered on all sides.


Cover the ricotta mixture with the shredded mozzarella and parmesan cheeses. Bake for 25 minutes or until golden brown and crisp.


The dough was perfectly chewy (of course, I'm a pro at making it now), the mixture was creamy and heavenly and the basil was the perfect fresh element. My only complaint was I didn't have more fresh basil to add! I unfortunately let my basil rot a slow and painful death at the bottom of my crisper drawer.


I would highly recommend making this pizza for a busy weeknight because it all came together so quickly!


I was able to get about 10 slices out of the recipe, but of course, my slices may or may not be equal to one of yours.


Stay tuned for a restaurant review coming up!

Georgian Cheese and Egg Bread (Adjaruli Khachapuri) and Honey-Ginger Cauliflower

Good morning, readers! Happy Monday! I don't know about you guys, but after the ridiculously busy and stressful week I had at work, I definitely needed the weekend. I spent the majority of the weekend in my pajamas (it was fantastic) and I made a few really tasty meals!


Georgian Cheese and Egg Bread (Adjaruli Khachapuri)

Trying to take artsy shots - but look at that dough doe.

Be still my heart (and cholesterol levels)

1 lb Finally Perfect Pizza Dough
1 lb shredded mozzarella cheese
8 oz feta cheese, crumbled
3 large eggs, at room temperature
Pepper, to taste
2 Tbsp olive oil
Garlic powder, to taste
2 Tbsp butter, at room temperature
1 pizza stone


Preheat oven to 500 degrees. Place pizza stone on bottom rack and remove the top rack completely from the oven.


After making your Finally Perfect Pizza Dough and allowing it to rise in the fridge for up to 24 hours, place on a floured surface. Cut your dough ball in half and work the two halves into 2 equal-sized rounds.


Cut a piece of parchment paper to 10X7 and cut half to get 2 equal-sized pieces of paper. Flour each piece.


Roll out the rounds into 2 oblong-shapes 10-inches long by 4-inches wide and about 1/8 of an inch thick. The more oval-shaped the dough is, the better. Place each round on the prepared parchment paper pieces.


Meanwhile, make the filling! Mash together the mozzarella and feta cheese until combined. Make a well in the center of the cheeses and crack in 1 egg. Lightly beat before mixing into the cheeses. Set aside.


Spoon half of the cheese-egg mixture into the prepared dough, leaving about 1/2 inch clear around all sides. Pile a mound (a delicious cheese mound) in the center of the dough. Repeat with the remaining cheese and dough.


Fold the dough up the sides of the cheese mound and "think canoe". I know this is an awful description of what you're supposed to be doing but it was the easiest way for me to describe what I was doing. You want to create a sturdy barrier the cheese won't be able to escape through. Twist the end of the "canoe" tightly to keep everything contained. Sprinkle the cheese with some freshly cracked black pepper.


Once the oven is at 500, using the back of a baking sheet or pizza paddle, gently slide the "canoes" and the parchment paper onto the pizza stone. Bake for 8 minutes.


After 8 minutes, rotate the "canoes" 180 degrees and brush the sides with olive oil. Sprinkle garlic powder or any additional spices you'd like onto the olive oil (full disclosure, I didn't do this part, but darn do I wish I had). Also, this is why it's useful to NOT have extra racks in your oven. Bake for an additional 8 minutes, or until golden and crispy.


After your boats are golden and delicious, make a well in the center of the cheese in each boat and crack an egg directly in the center (again, full disclosure, I didn't follow this step and tried to "crack an egg onto a convex surface," as Nate pointed out, and my egg immediately slid off, gathered on the pizza stone and adhered itself to my oven door. Don't be like me.) Bake the boats for an additional 3 minutes or until the white just begins to set.


After your eggs are just about set, immediately remove from the pizza stone and onto your serving plates. Dot the top of each boat with 1 Tbsp butter, cut into pieces.


Now you're probably freaking out about the egg. "But Lindsey, the egg is still raw, do you want us to get salmonella?" To which I say, first off don't act like you don't eat raw cookie dough anyway and secondly, mix the egg in with the hot, bubbly cheese and it'll cook into the world's best scrambled eggs.


You eat this delicious dairy concoction by ripping apart the bread boat and dipping it in the cheese. It's like fondue without the pretext of being expected to share.


I first learned of this recipe from Food Network when I saw a video on Facebook with "the cheese pull", if you've been on the internet within the past year, you've probably seen countless videos of people stretching cheese-filled items to see how long the strands of melty goodness can get before breaking. This video was similar and immediately caught my attention. I'm very thankful that it did.


We served these boats with a bottle of Bodegas Carlos Serres 'Vega Piedra' wine we got from our monthly wine subscription at the Raleigh Wine Shop. The wine itself was good, but very one-note. Nate said he chose it because the description noted it paired well with "Gran Queso Grilled Cheese Sandwiches".


This recipe yields 2 boats, but these rich boats can definitely be eaten for at least 2 meals each. They're rich and hearty and all the bread quickly fills up stomach space.


After an extremely lazy Sunday, I decided to make Nate and I a hearty but somewhat healthy meal of Honey-Ginger Cauliflower.


Honey-Ginger Cauliflower

Look at all that fresh ginger!

1 head cauliflower, cut into bite-sized florets
1 zucchini, cut into 1/8-inch thick half-moons
Salt and pepper, to taste
2 Tsp Sriracha seasoning, or crushed red pepper flake
Garlic powder, to taste
Nonstick spray
1 Tbsp canola oil
5 garlic cloves, minced or pressed
2 inches fresh ginger, peeled and minced
2 Tbsp shallion, chopped
1 1/2 Tbsp low sodium soy sauce
1 1/2 Tbsp Tamari
2 Tbsp rice wine vinegar
1 Tbsp brown sugar
2 Tbsp honey
1/2 C water
2 Tsp cornstarch
White rice, for serving


Preheat oven to 400. Line 2 baking sheets with foil and spray with nonstick spray.


Arrange the cauliflower and zucchini on the baking sheets and season each side with salt, pepper, Sriracha seasoning and garlic powder. Spray with more nonstick spray.


Bake the cauliflower and zucchini for 20 minutes.


While the veggies are roasting, prepare the sauce. In a deep skillet over medium heat, sauté garlic and ginger for 5 minutes or until fragrant. Add in your scallion and cook for an additional 2 minutes.


In a separate bowl, mix together soy sauce, tamari, rice wine vinegar, sugar, honey, water and cornstarch, for a little extra heat, add in more Sriracha seasoning or red pepper flake. After everything is combined, carefully pour into the skillet and allow to bubble and thicken. I also suggest maybe doubling the sauce recipe. It really is that good.


After your sauce is rich and thick, toss in your roasted veggies to coat and serve over a bowl of white rice.


We were able to get 2 giant bowls each out of this recipe with no leftovers (except rice, because like pasta, no one can cook the correct amount).


The sauce was sweet and floral from the honey and the ginger, slightly spicy from the Sriacha seasoning and very, very filling.


Enjoy your Monday, readers and stay tuned for more tasty bites!

March Recap

Good afternoon, readers! I know I've been neglecting my duties of keeping you abreast to my daily activity and cooking ventures and for that I'm sorry. It was definitely not for lack of want, but rather lack of available time and available brain cells not being devoted to other activities (i.e. long work hours and being dead-tired 24/7). So to make up for my behavior I'm going to give you a March Recap! I'm going to hit you with several recipes, 2 restaurant reviews and as always, funny anecdotes. So let's dive in!


First I'm going to kick this off with a recipe I made on March 7, 2018 - Pasta Rosa.


Pasta Rosa

Because every pasta deserves to be paired with a good glass of vino

1 Tbsp olive oil
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 Pinch crushed red pepper flake
Salt and pepper, to taste
8 oz button mushrooms, sliced
2 medium tomatoes, seeded and diced
1 zucchini, diced
4 C fresh spinach
1/2 C marinara sauce (I used tomato-basil flavored)
1/3 C plain Greek yogurt
1/4 C grated parmesan cheese
12 oz pasta, cooked according to box instruction


In a deep skillet, cook garlic and red pepper flake in oil until garlic is fragrant.


Add in the mushrooms, tomatoes and zucchini. Season with salt and pepper. Sauté for 5-8 minutes or until everything begins to brown.


Add in the spinach and allow to wilt for 2 minutes.


Stir in the pasta sauce, yogurt, parmesan cheese and pasta.


This pasta was creamy, cheesy and stuffed full of veggies! It was great! It was like the best pasta primavera and best alfredo sauce had a baby and this was it!


The recipe yielded about 6 cups' worth and was great for  leftover dinner!


Next onto the first restaurant review!


Tonbo Ramen

The magnificent Mazemen Bowl from Tonbo Ramen in Raleigh

This restaurant (located at 211 S. Wilmington St, Raleigh, NC 27601) opened up a few weeks ago in Raleigh and I've been interested in trying it ever since. Nate and I used to frequent O Ramen in Albuquerque and since our move there's been a void in my life - a void of tasty noodles and broth-slurping.


It was a Friday afternoon (March 9th to be exact), at the end of a particularly trying work week. I generally love my job. I meet interesting people, I get to work with food, I get to dress fancy and have a title, but boy do some weeks wear me out! That was one of those weeks.


My wonderful boss decided my small team needed a pick-me-up (plus she felt guilty about missing our birthdays) so she asked us to lunch and told me to pick the place. Let me start out by saying I don't do well with too many options. I'm like a kid in a candy store, except I won't ever make a decision. Do you have any idea how many fantastic restaurants are located in downtown Raleigh?! Let me tell you, at least a few dozen! That's a lot of options!


I hunkered down and remembered the that Tonbo Ramen was not only new, but also a place I wanted to visit! It was a done deal.


Décor: Unbeknownst to myself and my fellow diners, there are two restaurants located within the same building. The downstairs (Ramen Bar) exclusively serves ramen bowls and the top floor serves ramen bowls and a limited selection of small plates. We didn't spend a whole lot of time in the downstairs location but enough to be confused by 2 sets of doors - one leading to a staircase and one leading to the hostess stand of the Ramen Bar. We chose the door that opened to the staircase and were immediately thrown off - thankfully there was an open doorway connecting the two foyers and we were able to see and be seen by the hostess.


We chose to sit upstairs. The upstairs room is narrow with a reasonably sized L-Shaped bar occupying the main wall, a series of small 2-person tables and a large 6-person "family style" table in the center of the room. We sat at the family style table. The table was bar-height and made of a dark colored wood with 6 metal barstools surrounding. The space itself is kind of dark with dark woods, dark colored walls and low lighting. But this is offset by a wall of windows facing the opposite side of Wilmington Street and the beautiful historic buildings housing boutiques and bars. Each table was set with a carafe of chili oil and some kind of magical spice blend (Tajin maybe?) and durable wooden chop sticks.


Food appearance: everything on each table looked and smelled divine. We all decided to order ramen and each bowl arrived full of vibrant color and stuffed with delicious goodies.


Food taste: After much debate, I ordered the Mazemen (unfortunately the online menu doesn't provide a description) but it was a broth-less bowl with noodles tossed in chili oil, crispy fried shallot, steamed veggies, magic, wizardry, and a beautifully poached egg. It was delicious! The veggies were still crisp,  the noodles were cooked well and I couldn't help but to eat the entire giant bowl.  My bosses both ordered the Vegetarian Ramen. They said it was delicious.


Service: our server was a little inattentive but she was friendly enough.


Cleanliness: the restaurant was clean and everything was shiny and brand new. Despite the fact that it was a busy lunch hour, tables were turned over quickly and guests were out and on their way efficiently.


I'd definitely take another trip to Tonbo Ramen in the (hopefully) very near future.


Second restaurant review!


Raleigh Raw Juice Bar & Café

The Hustle Poke Bowl with Spicy Blue Crab and a Matcha Lemonade from Raleigh Raw

Nate and I have been to Raleigh Raw one other time and found the poke bowls, sushi and smoothies to be divine so I was beyond excited to take one of my work friends there for lunch this past Friday afternoon!


Raleigh Raw is a VERY small café and juice bar located at 7 W. Hargett St, Raleigh, NC 27601.


Décor: there are a few tables squished along the wall of this very narrow establishment with a few barstools available at the counter as well. Local art adorns the walls and the servers are tattooed and bohemian. The space itself feel more like a gallery than a restaurant or a juice bar.


Food appearance: this place is all about being fresh! Fresh fish, fresh veggies and fresh drinks. Everything is vibrantly colored and obviously that means it's good for you (that's how that works, right?)


Food taste: I ordered "The Hustle" poke bowl which brings me to an important point about dining here - there's a process. First you pick your set-up, of which there are 3 options. The Hustle, my personal favorite, comes with chive, dragonfruit, jalapeno, pistachio dust, sesame asparagus, seaweed salad, shallot and mixed microgreens.


Step 2: pick your base, again there are 3 options - sticky rice, greens or a mix of both. If you're a vegan or not a sushi person, feel free to stop at step 2, however if you're feeling fisky, move on to pick your protein!


Step 3: Tuna (suggested pairing for The Hustle), salmon, yellowtail and spicy blue crab (I was feeling rebellious and went for crab). There is also sweet potato for non-fish eaters.


Each bowl is served with dairy-free spicy mayo, GF tamari sauce and fresh sliced avocado. To say these poke bowls will leave you satisfied is an understatement. My bowl was beautifully colored and extremely filling.


I ordered one of their expertly made Matcha Lemonades - not too sweet and gave a great kick of caffeine.


Service: the counter people weren't exceptionally friendly and forgot my lemonade, which I was a tad annoyed by. However all sins were forgiven when I ventured outside in the beautiful sunshine and devoured (literally) my bowl.


Cleanliness: everything was clean despite the chaos that was occurring in the main room.


I would recommend the food at Raleigh Raw to anyone and everyone who enjoys sushi at a reasonable price - a Poke Bowl with Protein will set you back about $14 but I'd also recommend maybe getting your order to go and enjoy at one of the many available outside tables around downtown Raleigh.


Finally, my last recipe for this post! As you're most likely aware, last Saturday was St. Patrick's Day! So per usual, I made my world famous (ok, maybe not "world" but definitely within my social circle) Irish Soda Bread, drank plenty of Guinness beer and made some Vegetarian Shepherd's Pie!

Look at the cross-section in that Soda Bread!

Vegetarian Shepherd's Pie

Shepherd's Pie (betcha didn't know it's vegetarian!)

2 Tbsp olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 onion, diced
1 carrot, peeled and chopped
1 lb meatless grounds (or ground beef or lamb if you're not a vegetarian)
2 Tbsp flour
1 C vegetable stock
1 C crushed tomatoes
Salt and pepper, to taste
2 bay leaves
Pinch nutmeg
2 C frozen peas
1 Serving Mashed Potatoes (best part about these is you can just munch on whatever doesn't fit in your casserole dish)
2 C shredded white cheddar cheese


In a deep skillet over medium heat, sauté onion and garlic in olive oil until tender and fragrant. Add in carrots and cook for 3 minutes or until softened.


Add in your meatless grounds and cook until headed through. Once heated, stir in flour to coat, pour in tomatoes and veggie stock, seasoning and peas. Allow the sauce to thicken and everything to cook through.


Preheat oven to 350.


Arrange your filling in a single layer and smooth over the top leaving about a 2-inch gap for mashed potatoes/cheese. I was able to fit this whole recipe in a 9X9 casserole dish! Top your meat(less) filling with as many mashed potatoes as will fit and sprinkle on some delicious cheese.


Bake your casserole for 15 minutes uncovered and then under a "low" broiler for 5 minutes to get a delicious cheese crust.


The flavors of this Shepherd's Pie were (if I can toot my own horn) fantastic! Hearty, delicious, and I bet that if I had fed it to someone who didn't know it was vegetarian wouldn't ever guess! Yeah, how many times can you say that about meatless cooking?


I hope you enjoyed my recap of March and stay tuned for some more great recipes coming your way!

Firecracker Cauliflower

Good morning, readers! I know it's been a minute since I've posted so let me catch you up - Nate successfully defended his Master's thesis in science-y things (yay!), I've been training for a 5K next month and trying my hardest to run 3.12 miles in under 25 minutes, the weather in Raleigh went from a gorgeous sunny and 70 to a dreary low-40s, we attended a brewery's 5th anniversary party and stuffed our faces with arepa, bulgogi and washing it all down with delicious suds, and of course, I've been cooking a lot of recipes I've previously cooked.

Left: "La Capresa" Right: "Fish Lovers" arepas from Arepa Culture Food Truck
La Capresa was delicious and fresh! The Fish Lovers didn't need the giant hunk of mozzarella cheese and was missing the "Signature Caper Sauce" that was promised on the menu.

Because you don't see our faces enough...

Now that you're all caught up on the exciting life and times of Lindsey, we can move on to last night's dinner! After a particularly demanding day at work that kept me moving constantly, I was not feeling up to working out. I went home and collapsed in bed. You can imagine, I also didn't feel like cooking. Nate tried to tempt me with ordering a pizza, and I was so close to caving but then I remembered the head of cauliflower in my fridge slowly withering away and decided that I needed to treat this cauliflower with respect and cook it. I dragged myself out of bed and made what may be one of my new favorite meals: Firecracker Cauliflower.


Firecracker Cauliflower

1 head cauliflower, cut into florets
2 Tbsp olive oil
Salt and pepper, to taste
6 Tbsp sriracha sauce
4 Tbsp butter
2 Tsp apple cider vinegar
3/4 C brown sugar, packed
2 Tsp low sodium soy sauce
1 Tsp corn starch
2 Tsp water
White rice, for serving


Preheat oven to 400. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and spray with non-stick cooking spray, set aside.


Once your head of cauliflower is cut into bite-sized florets, toss in olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Place on the prepared baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes or until golden brown.


While your cauliflower is roasting, prepare your sauce. In a medium-sized sauce pan (I made the mistake of using a small) heat Sriracha sauce, butter, vinegar, brown sugar and soy sauce until gently boiling. Allow the sauce to reduce and thicken by about a third.


After your sauce has thickened, create a slurry by mixing the corn starch and water. Pour the slurry into the sauce pan and allow to come to a boil. The sauce will continue to thicken.


Once the sauce becomes sufficiently gloopy (a technical term), throw in your roasted cauliflower and toss to coat.


Serve immediately over white rice.


The cauliflower was crisp, the sauce was flavorful and delicious and I think would taste great on any number of dishes (chicken, steak, pork, tofu, rice, etc.). I enjoyed this hearty meal with a glass of Sauvignon Blanc and the sounds of Motorhead. This recipe yielded just enough for 1 big bowl for myself and 2 bowls for Nate. No leftovers!


Have a great Tuesday, readers!

Black-Eyed Pea Curry

As promised, the recipe for Black-Eyed Pea Curry! I am not usually one to admit this, but I am a picky eater. In some respects anyway. A perfect example of this would be black-eyed peas. The mere thought of eating these beans? Peas? What are they anyway? Was enough to send me running and screaming for the hills.


Many moons ago, Nate bought 2 bags of dried black-eyed peas. Why? I honestly couldn't tell you. Maybe he wanted to make them for New Year's? Maybe he wanted to use them for pie weights? Literally have no idea. Regardless, these dried legumes were laying in a deep, dark hole in my pantry for the better part of two years. I consulted Pinterest and found a recipe that used these little beans in a way that made them sound, dare I say, appetizing? So I gave it a try and here's the result!


Black-Eyed Pea Curry

1 C dried black-eyed peas
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tsp cumin
1 onion, diced
3 gloves garlic, minced
1 Tbsp minced ginger
1 Tsp turmeric
2 Tsp chili powder
2 Tsp garam masala
1 Tsp coriander
3 tomatoes, seeded and diced
1 C full fat coconut milk
Salt and pepper to taste
Fresh chopped cilantro, for garnish if you're feeling fancy


In a small saucepan, pour in dried black-eyed peas (BEP for short because I'm tired of typing it all out) and cover with water and season with salt to taste. Bring to a boil, cover and reduce to a simmer for 30-40 minutes or until soft. Drain.


I made my BEP ahead of time and stored them in the fridge because I didn't want to do this on a Monday night while simultaneously cooking the rest of the food.


Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add in the cumin and toast for 20-30 seconds.


Add in the onion and sauté for 5 minutes. Add in the garlic and ginger and sauté for 2 additional minutes. Season with all the wonderful seasonings and stir for 1 minute.


Add in your diced tomato and continue to sauté for a few more minutes. Stand over your simmering pot and take a big sniff. I know that sounds like a weird instruction but the aromas are heavenly! Spicy, garlic-y, magnificent. Just please do that while you're cooking. Your nose and probably stomach will thank you.


Stir in your coconut milk and BEP. Turn the heat down to low and allow the mixture to simmer for 5-10 minutes. The sauce gets thick and the flavors marry. It's an experience! Do a taste check and serve over basmati rice (or if you don't have fancy rice, white rice).


This curry was amazing! It was so...earthy? I guess that's the best word for it. It was heavily spiced and utterly fantastic. My only complaint was I was hoping for more spice, guess I'll double the chili powder next time!


Nate ate 2 heaping bowls of this curry and took another helping with him for lunch the following day. I would gladly make this dish again with that small spice adjustment.


Have a great Wednesday, readers!

Valentine's Day aka At-Home Pub Night

Happy Tuesday, readers! Today is Raleigh is 70 degrees and densely foggy. This would be the perfect creepy setting if it were October and not February, but beggars can't be choosers I suppose. I hope the start to your week is well! Mine has been ok except for a car mishap. I won't go into details but I'm annoyed.


Since Valentine's Day was in the middle of the work week, Nate and I decided to celebrate this past weekend instead. And let me preface this by saying that Valentine's Day is not a huge deal to Nate and I. We don't do the fancy candlelight dinners, expensive bottles of wine and extravagant gifts. Why should you spend a fortune to show someone you care for a single day? Nate and I have our traditions though. Every year we get ourselves a Papa Murphy's heart-shaped Take-and-Bake pizza and exchange cards.


But this weekend we told the expensive stuff to take a hike and instead did an At-Home Pub Night with a 6 beer tasting, homemade pretzel bites with a honey mustard dipping sauce and beer cheese soup! Let's jump in, shall we?


At-Home Pub Night

Of course you can't have a pub night without a beer tasting. We took a trip to our local bottle shop (Bottle Revolution on Lake Boon Trail) and picked up six North Carolina brews: Painted Fortune from Bhramari Brewing company in Asheville, Molly's Lips Black Gose from Bhamari Brewing Company, Baby Maker Double IPA from Triple C Brewing in Charlotte, Saints on Raspberries from Big Boss Brewing in Raleigh, King's Bridge English Barleywine from D9 Brewing in Cornelius, and last but certainly not least - Hop Cocoa from newly Anheuser-Busch owned Wicked Weed in Asheville.


I'll give a quick summary of the beers:


Painted Fortune -- slightly sweet from the heirloom corn but that was really the only flavor I could pick up on.


Black Gose -- definitely a favorite from this 6-pack. This beer was dark in color like a Black IPA (one of my favorite beer varieties) but light and slightly tart like a typical gose.
Baby Maker Double IPA -- tasted like your typical double IPA, nothing special really.
Saints on Raspberries -- my absolute favorite from this bunch! The beer was fruity and tart, as a good sour beer should be.
King's Bridge English Barleywine -- I couldn't even take a second sip! This beverage tasted what I'd imagine infusing maple syrup with vodka would taste like. There was an overpowering alcohol taste with a syrupy sweet nose. It was awful.
Hop Cocoa -- truthfully, I don't remember this brew. Maybe it's because I had 5 others prior, or because it just wasn't very spectacular.


Beer Cheese Soup

Beer Cheese Soup and "Molly's Lips" Black Gose

1 Tbsp olive oil
1 C carrots, shredded
3 celery stocks, diced
1 onion, diced
4 garlic cloves, minced
32 oz vegetable broth
12 oz lager beer (I used a Blue Moon)
1 Tsp Worcestershire sauce
Salt and pepper, to taste
1/2 C Heavy Cream
1/4 C cornstarch
3 C shredded sharp cheddar cheese
Fresh buttered popcorn, for serving


In a large stockpot or Dutch oven, sauté onion and celery until tender, roughly 5 minutes. Add in shredded carrots and garlic and sauté for 2 additional minutes. Stir in broth and beer, season with salt and pepper and Worcestershire sauce and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 30 minutes.


In a separate bowl, toss together shredded cheese and cornstarch and set aside.


After 30 minutes of simmering, stir in heavy cream. Slowly add the cheese in in handfuls and allow to melt before adding in more. This will allow the cheese to melt evenly and there won't be clumps in your soup. Now comes the fun part! Using an immersion blender, blend soup until velvety and smooth.


Serve soup with a handful of fresh popcorn (a la Flossmor Station) and enjoy! The flavors of this soup are perfect! It tasted like every other beer cheese soup I've ever had, which was really the goal, right? My only disappointment with this recipe was the soup didn't thicken up as much as I would've hoped. One addition I would make would be to add in 1/4 C cream cheese along with the cheddar before blending.


This soup yields about 8 bowlfuls. After we'd had our fill, I allowed the soup to cool before sticking it in a gallon sized zip-top plastic bag and stuck it in the freezer to be enjoyed at a later date.


Pretzel Bites

Pretzel Bites, Honey Mustard Dipping Sauce and "Baby Maker Double IPA"

1 package store-bought pizza crust (thick crust)
2 C warm water
1/2 C  baking soda
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 Tbsp water
Kosher salt


Preheat oven to 400, line a baking sheet with a silicon baking mat and spray with nonstick spray.


Roll out your pizza crust and cut into 1 inch rectangles. Roll into balls.


In a bowl, mix together warm water and baking soda. Set aside.


Dip dough balls in the baking soda mixture and place on your prepared baking sheet.


In a small bowl, combine egg with water to create an egg wash. Using a basting brush, brush each dough ball liberally and sprinkle on the kosher salt. Bake for 15 minutes or until golden brown and delicious.


These pretzels were amazing! Salty and crusty outsides and soft and pillowy insides. They were nothing short of heaven. We were able to get about 18 pretzel bites out of 1 standard size pizza crust.


Honey Mustard Dipping Sauce


1 Tbsp Dijon mustard
3 Tbsp honey
1 Tbsp lemon juice
1/2 C mayonnaise
2 Tbsp yellow mustard


Combine everything together in a bowl. Serve immediately or refrigerate.


This sauce was utterly delicious and was quite reminiscent of a certain yellow-arched fast-food chain's sauce. It was perfect for dunking fresh pretzel bites in.


This was a great way for Nate and I to spend Valentine's Day without spending a fortune. Stay tuned for Black-Eyed Pea Curry!