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My friend and I went to the Metro Cooking Show this past Sunday at the Dallas Convention Center. We went because I found out Paula Deen is going to the be celebrity guest and will be doing a cooking demo. I LOVE HER!!!! And I can't believe she's going to be in Dallas! There was also a groupon deal out for discounted tickets. SCORE! This means I HAVE to go!!
The Metropolitan Cooking & Entertaining Show
September 22 - 23, 2012
Dallas Convention Center
www.MetroCookingDallas.com
These are some of the Marketplace Exhibitors:
Lemon Cake Cafe
Houston, TX 77055
(281) 841-3782
www.lemoncakecafe.com
Their lemon cakes are made with freshly squeezed lemon juice and all natural ingredients: fresh eggs, butter, milk, vanilla, and sugar. They are super moist and stay fresh for weeks without refrigeration. I bought one home for my parents. :)
Enstrom Candies
http://www.enstrom.com/
Almond Toffee (Milk & Dark Chocolate) I bought a few small boxes of the Dark Chocolate Almond Toffee for my co-workers.
Custom Cafe Foods
http://www.customcafefoods.net/
They sell quick and easy dry mixes of gourmet soups, quick breads, savory dips, muffins and specialty drinks. We tried their pumpkin dip with ginger snaps. YUM!
Texas Toffee Queen
http://www.texastoffeequeen.com/
They had some interesting flavors such as White Chocolate Mango Chili, Dark Chocolate Salted Blood Orange, Dark Chocloate Salted Jalapeno. All pretty good!
Fat Sister Southern Foods
http://www.fatsisterfoods.com/
They had some various pancake samples. The texture seemed ok but was kind of salty?? Definitely needed maple syrup. I think I tried the pumpkin pancake.
Texas Best Fudge? Not sure if that's the actual name of the business. But the fudge was super rich!
Quintessential Chocolates
251 West Main Street
Fredericksburg, TX 78624
www.chocolat-tx.us
American-made Liqueure Praline (cast liquid center chocolates) These chocolates were pretty awesome. The outer shell is really thin and there's liquid on the inside. I tried the Southern Pecan Coffee. You let the chocolate melt in your mouth. Then suddenly it pops and you taste the liquid inside. They have coffee, chai, liqueurs, etc. A really neat experience. It was quite expensive though so I didn't buy any.
d'marie inc.
http://store.dmarieinc.com/storefront.aspx
We tried the Frappe Vino. It's like a sweet wine slush. Soooo good. Neither my friend or I like wine, but we both loved it. I was very tempted to buy one. You buy the kit. And just combine wine, water, the mix and stick it in the freezer. Then a few hours later you have a frappe! Very cool party thing.
Workshop:
“Easy Chocolates for Home Entertaining” by Sue Williams
Dr. Sue’s Chocolates
http://www.drsueschocolate.com/
I've had Dr. Sue's Chocolates before. They are awesome! She will be doing a workshop and have a booth at the Chocolate Conference in Addison this coming Saturday, 9/29. I'll be helping her out during the day. Come by and visit us!! :)
Finally to the main attraction! Paula Deen!!!!! OMG. So star-struck. I watch Paula's show on Food Network daily. She's so much fun and of course her food is always so sinfully good! To see her in person was a bit surreal. She's so energetic and bubbly and extremely real. I found that really awesome. She didn't try to be scripted or proper, she was just herself and it was great. Her husband, Michael, and his brother came along too. They were all on stage helping with the cooking. They are just too cute together! And they brought their newest addition: Lulu! So cute!
I never knew she was THAT funny! The crowd laughed A LOT! I love her even more after seeing her in person. She's just a burst of sunshine and full of positivity and hope. She told us she hoped we would remember her not as the person that loved butter, but as someone that inspires hope. I could really tell that she cared about her fans and the people that can relate to her with the whole diabetes thing. It was a great presentation by Paula Deen.
The food became secondary. (She made Chicken & Dumplings and Apple Cobbler I think.. haha. General seating didn't get samples...) I was honored to see her. And she looks FABULOUS after her weight loss. Although I always thought she looked great before! That shiny silver hair and piercing blue eyes!! Love you Paula!!! :D And I definitely need to go visit her restaurant in Savannah!!
I thought it was a great event overall. We had so many samples and bought some goodies and cool stuff. I hope they do the Metro Cooking Show again next year and I look forward to attending it!!
Paula Deen:
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The last day in Boston, we met up with some friends that live there for brunch. I picked The Beehive, there was no discussion there for the location. haha. That is the only place I really wanted to revisit since my first visit a few years ago. It's a cool place and they have some pretty great food. AND I saw their head chef compete (and WIN) on an episode of Chopped! :)
The Beehive
541 Tremont Street
Boston, MA 02116
(617) 423-0069
http://www.beehiveboston.com/
Price: $$
They serve kind of a "Bohemian bistro cuisine". The decor is very eclectic. And they have live jazz during the weekend brunches.
I've dreamed of their French Toast ever since I had it the first time. It is by far the best French Toast I've ever had. And I've hyped it up so much I was afraid my friends wouldn't like it. haha.
I remember their French Toast was massive so I decided to try something else and order a small version of the French Toast. Spinach, Kale, Onion & Swiss Omelette, Mixed Salad & Frites $14.50~
I had forgotten that their portions were massive all around. It was huge plate! But surprisingly I finished almost all of it. :P The omlette was massive, but fluffy. I liked all the spinach and kale inside. I would've preferred a sharper cheese though. The swiss was a bit mild...it needed a bit more cheesy flavor. The salad on the side was nice and refreshing. And I had forgotten how awesome their frites were. It's like chips, it's like steak fries, the best of both. Sooo crisp on the outside but yet still has the potato satisfaction of a thick cut fry.
I also got a Kiddie French Toast $5~ on the side.
This could've been a meal on it's own! It was still pretty big. AND just as amazing as the first time I had it. The bread was thick and fluffy and just the right amount of crispness on the outside. The whipped topping added a hint of extra sweetness. OMG AMAZING! My friends tried it and totally agreed that it's the best they've ever had. YAY!
My cousin got the Basket of Beignets $9~
It was different than beignets you'd get in New Orleans but it was still very good. The outside was nice and crispy and inside was hot and fluffy. A little denser than your typical beignets. I enjoyed it a lot.
Many people in the group opted for the Smoked Salmon Eggs Benedict (with frites) $14~
Again, the frites were awesome. The eggs benedict was good overall, but they all said the salmon was quite fishy... I would have to agree so that was a bummer. Another friend got the Ham Eggs Benedict and I thought that was much better. I really liked the hollandaise particularly. It was slightly different tasting than some I've had in the past. It had a hint of sweetness? I don't know, but it was yummy.
Needless to say, we were all super stuffed after that. It was a great meal to end the trip. And I was happy to actually introduce this place to my friends who LIVE in Boston and have never been! hehe.
Also, as a huge fan of anything Food Network related. I asked if the Executive Chef, Rebecca Newell, was there. She came out and greeted the table and I asked her about her experience on Chopped! How cool was that?! And I know for a fact she makes some spectacular food. Definitely go for brunch here. And get the French Toast!!
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For Thursday's lunch I was able to make a reservation at David Burke Kitchen. Chef David Burke is someone I see frequently on food shows...Food Network, Top Chef, etc. He usually appears as a judge. And I just watched him judge the finale of Food Network's "Worst Cooks in America." I was really happy that he offered lunch! A lot of other restaurants on my list only opened for dinner.
David Burke Kitchen
23 Grand Street
New York, NY 10013
(212) 201-9119
http://www.davidburkekitchen.com/
Price (lunch): $$-$$$
I liked the decor on the outside of the restaurant as well as inside. It was very comfortable and bright on the inside. I felt like we were sitting on a really nice deck or something but it's indoors. Our waitress was very friendly and told us about the specials. She was also very helpful with all my questions.
We were given complimentary Popovers after we ordered. They were huge!
We started with the Jar of Chicken Liver & Pistachio (served with crustinis) $7~
This was recommended by the waitress. I was a little apprehensive that it might be super rich like the foie gras we had at Samar in Dallas but it wasn't. It was a cold dish. I particularly liked the top layer with the crushed pistachios. You could really taste the liver, but it wasn't overwhelming. I'm not usually a fan of liver, but I thought it was pretty good. I even spread it on the popover.
I saw on the website that they offered a Lunch Prix Fixe (3 course) for $24.07~ That's a killer deal. And we were able to share it! Since it was lunch we weren't super hungry. It was plenty of food for the 2 of us.
We started with the Lobster Soup (lobster dumpling, coconut fennel creme, red watercress) (normally $12~).
It was also recommended by the waitress. They served it tableside and poured the soup in front of us. How fun. It was quite beautiful. However, neither of us liked the soup. :( First of all, we were both expecting more of a bisque or creamy soup so we were a little thrown off there. But mostly because the flavor of the soup wasn't that great. It made me think of drinking sea water? Didn't like it at all. But I liked the dumplings. I really enjoyed the flavor of the dumplings and the texture of the dumpling wrapper. Too bad there wasn't more dumplings!
While we were eating, the manager, Peter, came by to check on us. We told him we didn't care for the soup very much. He was surprised since it was one of the more popular dishes. But then he goes on to tell us how they make it. There's a cool contraption they make the soup in. It looks and works like a Siphon coffee maker.
It's pretty awesome. The liquid is sucked up to the top part and brewed with the vegetables and lobster head to get all the flavors, then flows back down into the pot when it's done so it could be poured tableside when customers order it. They put it on a table in the middle of the dining area where they do other tableside presentations. He told me that during dinner time, the chef would actually carve chicken or steak outside in the dining area. How cool! I still didn't like the soup, but I'm impressed with how they make it! hehe. Peter also gave me other cool info on how other contraptions on the table worked. He was very happy to share the information and I felt good because it was obvious he loves his job and takes pride in the restaurant. It made me happier to be dining there!
For the entree we ordered the Salmon (grilled romaine, caesar, sausage polenta croutons) (normally $24~).
It was a beautiful plate. (And my picture is totally worthy of Food & Wine magazine, in my opinion! hehe.) They introduced it as a deconstructed Caesar salad. I didn't expect that when I read the item description but it was cool. The salmon was cooked medium, I prefer med rare so it was a little overcooked in my opinion. I liked the sear and capers on top. All the ingredients were high quality and you could see that on the plate. However, the grilled romaine underneath the salmon made it a bit soft and soaked up some of the oil. We both wanted more crisp lettuce. The polenta was excellent. It was my favorite part of the dish. Too bad there were only 3 little pieces. hehe.
To finish the meal, we got the 10 Layer Red Velvet Cake (buttermilk cream, sweet tea caramel, cream cheese ice cream) (normally $10~)
The name made it sound so impressive so it was smaller than I expected. haha. But it was really pretty. I liked how the plating was playful and off center. The red on the cake was beautiful. The cake was moist and not too sweet. The best thing was the cream cheese ice cream. It really tasted like cream cheese but lighter and paired perfectly with the cake. I also liked the crunchy chocolate balls on top that added a nice crunch element.
When Peter came by half way during the meal, I asked if the Chef was in. He said he wasn't but always come in at some point during the day...usually during dinner time. But I had a nice surprise when I was eating and all of a sudden someone walks up to our table and greets us. I look up and there's Chef David Burke!! Awesome!! He was super nice! :) I also found out that the judging of "Worst Cooks" was actually done in this very restaurant. How cool! I'm always very honored to meet the chefs I watch on TV.
Overall, the meal was was great. The food wasn't as good as I expected but I was impressed with the ambiance and service, especially from Peter. It definitely makes a huge difference on the dining experience.
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Since last time in LA I didn't have time to check out any food trucks, I made it my mission this past weekend to hit all the ones I wanted to try. Plus food truck just started popping up in Dallas lately so I wanted to have some comparison.
The first one (and main one) I wanted to try was the Nom Nom Truck. Ever since I watched The Great Food Truck Race on Food Network, I've been cheering for them. They really should've won. I still think the final challenge screwed them over.
Anyways, I was happy to discover that food trucks tend to park in groups. According to Twitter (which I signed up just to follow the food trucks...hahaha) a bunch of trucks were going to be at Westside Food Truck Central, this lot on Washington and Overland in Culver City. http://westsidefoodtruckcentral.com/ The trucks on Friday were Nom Nom, Twist Burger, OG Tempura, Danky's Doners, and the Boba Truck.
NOM NOM TRUCK
http://nomnomtruck.com/la/Twitter: @nomnomtruck
Price: $
The Nom Nom Truck uses local ingredients and eco-friendly products. It's cooked to order so everything is hot and fresh. It was definitely the most popular truck. It was the only one that had a long line as well as a group of people waiting on their orders.
I was so excited. One of the girls that was on the Food Truck Race was taking the orders in the truck! For me, it's almost like meeting a celebrity. hehe. She was super nice. I told her that we were fans from Dallas and she threw in a taco on the house! :)
Grilled Pork Taco (2 corn tortillas with grilled pork topped with carrot/daikon, cucumbers, jalapenos and cilantro). Normally $2.50~ 
The pork had nice flavor and the veggies were light and fresh. However, I do not like corn tortillas at all. I've tried really hard to like them but there's just a flavor I really dislike. That's also a reason I don't like tamales or enchiladas.. :( But I do like tortilla chips. So without the tortilla, I thought it was good. haha.
The main thing I wanted to try was the Banh Mi (Vietnamese Sandwich). We got The Deli Special Banh Mi (12 inch Baguette with mayonnaise, Vietnamese headcheese, meatloaf, ham and pate topped with pickled carrot/daikon, cucumbers, jalapenos and cilantro) $7.50~ 
Pate is a savory traditional liver spread and I always like it in banh mi. I really enjoyed this. The baguette wasn't too hard so it was easy to eat. The bread had a nice crunch with the different types of meat inside and the crisp veggies. It was a tasty sandwich!
I liked it overall. I did think it was pricey for Vietnamese sandwiches though. If you go to a Vietnamese restaurant, banh mi's are usually less than $5. But I think its more about the experience and novelty of it all. Also the ingredients were high quality so it was still definitely worth trying. I also got a picture with the girl! Yay~
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We also wanted to try some of the other trucks. Twist Burger smelled so good so we got something from there too.
TWIST BURGERS TRUCK
http://www.thetwistburgers.com/Twitter: @twistburger
Price: $
#1 The Classic Double Twist (grilled homemade Prime Angus beef patties served with your choice of bread, tomatoes and iceberg lettuce) $7~ 
We also added Gorgonzola cheese and Wild Mushrooms (oysters, Paris, Portobellow and Shiitake Mushrooms). It was also made to order so the burger was nice and hot w/ the cheese all melted. :) Unfortunately, they forgot the mushrooms.. boo. Oh well. The gorgonzola was a nice touch. Delish! The burger was good! The 2 beef patties were super juicy and tender and the lettuce/tomato was crisp and fresh. Not too shabby at all!
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Finally we stopped at the Boba Truck to get something sweet.
BOBA TRUCK
http://www.thebobatruck.com/Twitter: @thebobatruck
Price: $
We got the BT! Original Milk Tea (large with mini boba) $4.25~ 
The flavor of the tea was good! Not as good as the ones in Taiwan but good enough. The mini bobas were cooked perfectly...just the right amount of chewy and sweetness. It was a nice ending to a great lunch!
I give it overall.
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We hunted down another truck the next day. :)
KOGI TRUCK
http://kogibbq.com/Twitter: @kogibbq
Price: $
Kogi Korean BBQ To-Go has multiple trucks so it's much easier to find one close to us. This was one of the other trucks I really wanted to try.
My friend and I got a couple things to share...
#2 Combo - Any $5 item + 1 taco + 1 drink = $8~ We chose the Short Rib Burrito (beef, egg, kimchi, lettuce), Spicy Pork Taco, and a bottled water. 
Again, the taco was on 2 corn tortillas... bleh. But the filling was really good. I actually preferred the ingredients in this taco over the one from Nom Nom. The pork was really flavorful and I liked the mixed cabbage on top. There was also a nice spicy sauce. Bold flavors! 
The burrito was pretty awesome too. Lots of beef with egg, lettuce and kimchi. There were no beans and rice which was a nice change. It almost felt like a large breakfast burrito. YUM YUM YUM! For $5, we thought that was a really good deal cuz it was quite big.
I really wanted to get the Special: Loaded "Half Baked" Quesadilla (bacon, chinese broccoli, cheese, sour cream, habanero-basil salsa) $7~ 
I saw pictures of it on their website and also the description sounded soooo interesting. This was by far my favorite. The flavors were soo interesting! First of all, the habanero salsa is purple..and not spicy. It was more sweet and tart. Which paired with the quesadilla really well. I still don't know how the salsa is purple either... The bacon, chinese broccoli and cheese were a great combo. The sour cream added a coolness to it all. They just put a little too much on the quesadilla. But overall, amazing and so creative. I want it now as I think about it... drooool.... :P
I would say out of all the food trucks last weekend, this was my favorite!
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Finally, I wanted to check out Cool Haus Gourmet Ice Cream Sandwiches. I saw it being featured on one of the food shows and it looked so good. They make really interesting ice cream flavors and combinations, like fig and mascarpone or Cabernet or RootBeer Float! OMG. Sounds awesome.
COOL HAUS
http://eatcoolhaus.com/los-angeles/Twitter: @coolhaus
Price: $
I saw on their website that they also sell them in the ice cream section of several Whole Foods locations so we first went to the one at 225 Lincoln Blvd. in Venice. That was more in our way so we decided to try there first.
Chocolate Chip Cookie + Candied Bacon Ice Cream $5~ 
The bacon ice cream was one of the ones I really wanted to try. I was a little nervous to buy it from the frozen section since the cookie is no longer fresh but I was pleasantly surprised. The cookie texture was still good and the ice cream was awesome. There were chunks of salty bacon in it and you get an essence of bacon in every bite. With the chocolate chip cookie it was delicious. I really wish our Whole Foods sold them...
We were able to hunt down the actual truck the last day in LA. After the awesome sandwich we got at Whole Foods, I was determined to try a fresh one.
The truck only offered a limited selection of cookies and ice cream so I wasn't able to try a lot of the ones on their full list of flavors... OH well... There were still some interesting flavor options.
The guy in the truck was really nice, and we were able to get samples! :)
We got the Potato Chip & Skor Bar Cookies with Guiness & Pretzel Ice Cream Sandwich $5~ 
I thought beer and potato chips..that's a good combo right? hehe. The guiness ice cream was really good. I wish there was more pretzel pieces though. The cookie was good but not as interesting as it sounds. I actually wanted the cookie to be a little saltier to add contrast to it all.
Maple Waffle with White Chocolate Cookies with Chocolate Molten Lava Cake Ice Cream Sandwich $5~ 
The lava cake ice cream had big chunks of cake in it. I really liked that. The cookie was good but I didn't really get the maple waffle flavor. There was also a weird flavor, I'm not sure if from the ice cream or the cookie but it reminded me of something served in a Japanese restaurant... maybe ginger? or some sort of spice? I still liked it.
The only thing was that on a sunny day, the ice cream melts wayyy too fast. It soon became a race to finish it as fast as we can before it got all over us. The ice cream melted all over our hands and the rush to eat it kept us from truly enjoying it.. :( I would actually recommend getting the one from Whole Foods! Because it's in the freezer section, it melts much slower and the flavors are still there so you are not missing anything.
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