For a limited time only, Subway shops in Northern California are offering a “Taste of India” menu, including the Chicken Tikka Masala sandwich with a cilantro chutney spread. (Photo courtesy of Subway)
Move over, ham and cheese.
The Bay Area’s Subway sandwich shops have added a “Taste of India” menu featuring such restaurant favorites as Chicken Vindaloo, Chicken Tikka, Chicken Mango Curry and vegetarian Paneer Tikka — on a roll.
Sandwiches come with a cilantro chutney spread and layers of onion, tomato and cucumber.
There’s a new beverage too, a Mango Agua Fresca.
Credit restaurateur and Subway franchisee Akki Patel of the Letap Group for the inspiration. He was born in India and moved to the United States when he was 15.
“Our goal with Taste of India was to create a delicious menu that showcases regional Indian food and culture, and that celebrates the diversity in the Bay Area as well,” Patel said in a statement. “It was essential for us to create an offering that is healthy, affordable and that everybody can enjoy.”
The sandwiches are available for a limited time only at 125 Bay Area and Northern California Subway shops. To find a location near you, go to www.subwaynortherncal.com.
Lynette Siedschlaw's Dreamy Cherry Chocolate Bars are on display at Kitchen a La More during Art Walk and Taste of Chocolate. Andy Bockelman
With plenty of delicious dishes, mellifluous music and inspiring artwork, crowds had a hard choice in store for them Saturday night during the 25th annual Art Walk and 14th Taste of Chocolate.
Nonetheless, voters were able to select the sweetest of the bunch.
Lynette Siedschlaw won Downtown Business Association’s Taste of Chocolate competition with her Dreamy Cherry Chocolate Bars.
Siedschlaw, co-owner of Kitchen a la More, mixed multiple flavors with the dessert item, including a hunk of chocolate, marshmallows and cherry on a skewer.
Also hosting jewelry artist Meredith Kopsa and young guitarist Haley Boatman, the family-owned shop was hopping during the weekend event.
Earning second place in the chocolate competition was Kandee Dilldine with Chocolate Pot de Creme, while third went to Kathy Fagan and her Peanut Butter Meltaway Cake.
The yearly event hosted by DBA saw equal parts chocolate, art and music, among them the “Retrospective” show at Articulture, the downtown headquarters of Northwest Colorado Arts Council.
Besides tunes by Phil Beckett and a chocolate fountain provided by Seasoned Brisket, the location featured Valentine’s arts and crafts projects for kids as well as a display of local artists throughout the years.
“The concept is an artist’s journey, so we’re featuring one past piece and one present piece, so it’s a nice comparison and contrast about how an artist develops,” said the council’s Melanie Kilpatrick.
The brisk evening stroll among the sidewalks of Yampa Avenue provided plenty of entertainment for friends, family and couples alike.
JJ Mounce and Kiki Saunders enjoyed both the unique elements of a variety of tasty treats and the visual displays.
“I love all the scenery. It’s so cute,” Saunders said.
The chance to purchase some local artwork was a pleasant part as well, Mounce added.
“I like all the town get-togethers like this,” he said.
RICHMOND, Va. – Once again, we made magic in the kitchen with Executive Ausar AriAnkh, owner of The Kitchen Magician Catering Company. He whipped up a French-inspired creation known as “Crêpes Suzette.” Chef Ausar is hosting a four-course Valentine’s Day Dinner Friday, February 14thfrom 4pm to 9pm at Firehouse 15 located on 3011 Meadowbridge Road. Reservations are required. To make your reservation, call 804-912-9951. You can learn more about The Kitchen Magician Catering at https://www.kitchenmagiciancatering.com.
Sauce
· 1 1/2 cups freshly squeezed orange juice
· 2 tablespoons sugar
· 2 teaspoons grated orange zest
· 2 tablespoons orange liqueur (recommended: Grand Marnier)
· 1 tablespoon of cognac
· 3 oranges, peeled and sectioned
· Vanilla ice cream, for serving
Directions Crepes
Whisk together the flour and salt in a medium bowl. Whisk together the eggs and sugar in a large bowl until pale. Whisk in 1 1/2 cups of the milk, orange liqueur, vanilla, and orange zest and flour until combined. If the mixture is too thick, add the remaining milk until a thin consistency is achieved. Cover and refrigerate batter for 30 minutes.
Heat an 8-inch crepe pan or skillet over medium heat for about 1 minute. Cover the surface of the pan with clarified butter until it gets sizzling hot. Ladle some batter onto the middle of the crepe pan and immediately start swirling the pan to distribute the batter over the surface. Cook for 45 to 60 seconds or until lightly golden brown. Flip over and cook the other side for 20 seconds. Remove to a plate and repeat with the remaining batter.
Sauce In a large skillet over high heat, bring the orange juice to a boil. Add the sugar and zest, reduce the heat to a simmer, and cook until the sugar has melted and the mixture is slightly reduced, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and add the orange liqueur, cognac and orange sections. Set aside.
Working in batches, gently place a crepe into the pan holding the orange juice and orange sections. Leave for 1 minute to absorb some juice. Using a narrow spatula, remove the crepe to a warm serving plate. Repeat with remaining crepes. Roll the crepes into a cylinder or triangles. Spoon on some of the orange sections. Serve 2 crepes per person. Top with vanilla ice cream and serve immediately.
Imagine enjoying the sights and scents of a springtime stroll across the UC Riverside campus and through the Givaudan Citrus Variety Collection, except you’re sitting at a desk. Wearing virtual reality goggles. And inhaling artificial aromas carefully constructed to replicate the real thing.
Givaudan, the flavor and scent company that donated $3.5 million to protect UC Riverside’s precious citrus collection from the citrus disease huanglongbing, brought a cutting-edge sensory tool to Riverside last week. It consists of virtual reality googles attached to a computer and a chest containing tubes of scent chemicals. As the user watches Givaudan Citrus Variety Collection director Tracy Kahn take a Givaudan representative through the groves, scent drifts from a small vent near their nose whenever a fruit is cut open.
Tubes with with esters, aldehydes, and other scent compounds that are released in various combinations to replicate the smell of different types of citrus. (Holly Ober/UCR)
“It smells great and you can tell whenever you’re smelling something different,” Kahn said. “You can smell the campus in the introduction and can tell they filmed it in the spring.”
Givaudan brings clients who want them to develop new citrus scents and flavors to UCR’s citrus collection. For clients who can’t come to Riverside, the “Virtual Taste Trek” recreates the experience of walking through the collection to discover the scents and tastes they’ll commission the company to create. Faculty and administrators from UC Riverside’s College of Natural and Agricultural Sciences got to take the Virtual Taste Trek at last week’s event.
To develop the experience, Givaudan researchers took a variety of fruit samples in UCR’s collection and analyzed the specific compounds that give each its distinctive scent. The same esters, aldehydes, and other molecules scent and flavor all types of citrus, as well as Givaudan’s flavors and scents.
The Virtual Taste Trek contains 13 of the 1,000 citrus varieties found at UC Riverside, though that’s enough to discover a wide range of scent. The dominant and underlying notes for each type of fruit appear on the virtual reality display. Users can dial various components up or down, adding more cinnamon notes, for example, or toning down the fresh notes. The corresponding mixture is pumped from the tubes, allowing the user to create and test new scents on the spot.
By Nicole Young for Ridley-Tree Cancer Center at Sansum Clinic | February 11, 2020 | 9:00 a.m.
Board-certified oncology dietitian nutritionist Sarah Washburn will discuss managing taste and smell problems at the second 2020 Ridley-Tree Cancer Center Community Lecture — Managing Taste and Smell Problems: Why Does My Food Taste Different — 5:30 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 20, at Wolf Education and Training Center at Ridley-Tree Cancer Center, 540 W. Pueblo St., Santa Barbara.
“Alterations in taste and smell impact many people across a wide spectrum of diseases and conditions," Washburn said. "These issues can affect those with cancer, ear, nose and throat disorders, cognitive disorders such as Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s disease, diabetes, kidney disease and people taking multiple medications.
"It is likely that these problems are underreported, but recent estimates indicate that 14 million older adults in the U.S. have some decline in their ability to smell. These problems can significantly impact food choices, nutritional health and well-being.”
Washburn will provide an experiential workshop for participants and caregivers to discover how taste and smell problems may impact personal food choices. In addition, she will provide strategies to help bring vibrance back to meals.
Attendees can park in the Ridley-Tree Cancer Center parking garage. The event is free but reservations are required. For more information or to RSVP, call 805-879-5698 or email e[email protected]
The Feb. 20 event is part of Ridley-Tree Cancer Center Community Lectures, which aim to inform the public on topics related to cancer care and cancer prevention. Upcoming lectures include discussions on Personalized Medicine: Redefining Cancer Treatment (March 26); Countering Chemo-Brain: Strategies and Interventions to Counter Cancer-Related Cognitive Impairment (April 23); and Advances in Melanoma and Skin Cancer Prevention (May 28).
Ridley-Tree Cancer Center Community Lectures are co-sponsored by the Cancer Foundation of Santa Barbara, the Cancer Center’s fundraising partner. For more information and the complete list of all the lectures, visit lectures.ridleytreecc.org or call 805-879-5698.
If you’re going to spend upward of $8 for a fancy craft-chocolate bar, you really shouldn’t mindlessly gobble it while rushing to catch the B train (not that I’ve ever done that). Megan Giller, the author of “Bean to Bar Chocolate” and a judge for the International Chocolate Awards, gives guided chocolate tastings to help the sweet-toothed fully appreciate their bars. Here are some of her tips:
Taste a few bars at a time.
It’s easier to understand the nuances when you can compare different chocolates to one another. Four to six is a good number, but even playing two off each other helps.
Keep it cool.
Never store chocolate in the refrigerator, or next to a radiator or the stove. Keep it dry and cool, between 63 and 68 degrees in a dark place like the basement, the back of your pantry, or perched in a box on a windowsill. You can seal the chocolate in an airtight container to protect it. Before tasting, let the chocolate come to room temperature, around 72 degrees. With chocolate, even a few degrees makes a difference.
Unwrap the bar. If you see any white patches or a dusty coating that you fear might be mold, rest assured, it’s not. It’s a sign that the chocolate has bloomed — that the emulsification from tempering has broken, and the fat or sugars, or both, have risen to the surface. You can still eat the chocolate, but it might be gritty or greasy. (You may want to save it for baking, or melt it into hot chocolate). Well-tempered chocolate will look shiny, and you’ll hear a snap when you break off a piece.
Note the color.
Chocolate varies in hue depending on the variety and origin of the cacao beans. Chocolate from Ghana and Tanzania may be darker than that from Madagascar, which has a reddish cast. And if you’re lucky enough to get chocolate made from Porcelana or Peruvian Nacional beans, it might have the amber shade of maple syrup.
Before biting in, break a piece off and give it a sniff. The strongest aroma will come from the edge that’s just been cut. Does it smell bright, like raspberries, pineapple or mango? Is it redolent of rubber and smoke, or blue cheese? The aromas are linked to the chocolate’s flavors, helping you identify them once you start tasting.
Now taste it.
Pop that piece in your mouth. Let it melt on your tongue for a few seconds to warm it up, then chew it a few times before letting it melt some more. As it dissolves, different and possibly mind-blowing flavors will emerge. Are there sweet and fruity notes, like blackberries, prunes or coconut? Is it spicy, like cinnamon or black pepper? Is there a savory element, like prosciutto or olives? Tasting chocolate is completely subjective; there’s no right or wrong. But once you start cataloging the flavors you perceive, you’ll start to recognize what kinds of tastes you typically get, and which ones you like. If you’re tasting several chocolates in one sitting, it can be helpful to use palate cleaners (lemon water or plain crackers) between bars.
Don’t confuse taste with texture.
Creaminess on the palate can be a lovely thing, and it can inform the flavor. But it’s good to separate mouthfeel and flavor in your mind. Even slightly gritty bars can have intense, complex flavors if you’re open to them.
Start a list.
Decide which bars you like best, then write down the names or take a photo. The next time you’re at a fancy market confronted with a shelf of pricey options, you’ll know which chocolate to reach for. You may not see the exact same bars (especially if you’ve fallen for a small-batch line), but if you remember the chocolate maker, or the origin, it can help you choose something similar.
When a new spot opens in town, we can't wait to check it out, let you know our initial impressions, share a few photos, and dish about some menu items. First Taste, as the name implies, is not a full-blown review, but instead a peek inside restaurants that have just opened — an occasion to sample a few items and satisfy curiosities (both yours and ours).
Restaurant:Poppy Location: 222 East Portland Street Open: About two months Eats: New American fare Price: $20 to $40 each Hours: 6 a.m. to 3 p.m., 5 to 10 p.m., Sunday to Thursday; 6 a.m. to 3 p.m., 5 p.m. to midnight, Friday to Saturday
In November, we told you about the opening of Poppy — a new restaurant inside the also-new Cambria Hotel Downtown Phoenix. By now we’ve gone twice, already daydreaming of a third and fourth, because there’s more work to be done at this worldly hotel restaurant.
Poppy is the new home of Executive Chef Nate Cayer and Chef de Cuisine Steven Blackburn. Both are from Chicagoland; Cayer is originally from Vermont. Both worked at a farm-to-table restaurant in Plainfield, Illinois, before Cayer asked Blackburn about joining him in Phoenix. In fact, Cayer was fired for recruiting Blackburn.
“They walked up and were like, 'You can go home, you’re fired, you’re poaching staff,' Cayer says.
Now, the two operate the kitchens behind Poppy and From the Rooftop — the straightforwardly named rooftop bar. Cayer and Blackburn run the kitchen up there, too, but the two are separate entities. FTR offers the same bar program, and small plates made to be shareable — othing you’d need a fork and knife to eat, as Cayer puts it.
Back on the bottom floor, Poppy’s menu is described as “locally sourced, globally inspired.” That tracks, as purveyors include Noble Bread, Chula Seafood, Beetanical Garden, Top Knot Farms, and The Fig and The Knife.
There’s something worth mentioning first about Poppy. Cayer and Blackburn often use kitchen scraps in their cooking. Examples aren’t necessarily found right on the menu, but it’s a major practice in Poppy’s kitchen.
“We put the finest ingredients in the dishes, the entrees, and the small plates,” Blackburn says, “and then the scraps we’re reusing for the bar, the stocks, ceviche, and gazpacho.”
Citrus peels are macerated, sugared, and used as cocktail syrups. Watermelon rinds are pickled and placed on the charcuterie plate. Apple skins are fried and used as garnish. Belly meat from Chula salmon is used in the ceviche. Top Knot chicken bones (not from the customers, FYI) are used in stocks.
But it’s mostly the drink program that benefits from diverted scraps. Cayer says the best example of this is the house cocktail Triple S — which stands for smoky, sweet, and spicy.
Cayer says the pink drink is made with strawberry ends, basil stems, and pieces of habanero. They throw in a couple peppercorns, some sugar in the syrup, and, of course, the mezcal. “The rest is made from scraps,” he says.
Another great craft cocktail, which may come recommended by your server, is the Smoked & Stoned. The darker cocktail ventures away from other smoked drinks thanks to the brightness of an apricot liqueur paired with the Cardamaro’s depth. Smoke is also an ingredient.
Now, let’s get some food in us.
As with many restaurants, the small plates are doted over. Here, it’s easily the most creative place on the menu. The Thai mussels are a soft treat, each forkful carrying the taste of the coconut milk, chili, lemongrass, and fish sauce to your mouth.
The fried Brussels sprouts with house-made bacon jam.
Lauren Cusimano
A don’t-miss-it dish is the fried Brussels sprouts — crispy sprouts tossed in salt and pepper, lemon juice, and a bacon jam. Sticking to the theme, that bacon jam is made with the bacon grease from the morning’s breakfast rush.
“It’s kind of like a hollandaise, but with bacon fat instead of butter,” Blackburn says. In the end, you’ll wish for some privacy so you may run your finger around the bottom of the bowl, getting every last bit.
Mains seem simplified on the menu — there’s a burger, salmon, filet, vegan enchiladas. Then there’s the Top Knot Half Chicken. It's another favorite of the staff.
This is a hunk of juicy, high-flavored chicken, topped with microgreens. It’s placed half atop the dish’s pan-seared dumplings, charred onions, and carrot puree — the whole thing looking like a wild bouquet. Eating this takes strategy, as you’ll want each bite to feature a bit of each element. And when it does happen — a little bit of savory chicken, soft dumpling, sauce-like carrot — it’s understood why it’d be an entree recommended.
It’ll be interesting to see Poppy grow along with this section of Portland Street in downtown Phoenix. The patio may soon be getting some heavy use, and FTR is already a scenic hit (the unobstructed views of central Phoenix are incredible). But the menu will also continue to develop.
“Poppy is going to evolve dramatically. We’re going to change the menu all the time,” Blackburn says. “Because we like to cook and have fun in there.”
In “The Cynic’s Word Book,” Ambrose Bierce wrote that “a person of low taste” is “more interested in himself than in me.” It’s funny because it’s true, particularly as the moon shifts to aesthetic Libra. We long to be elevated by those who believe our ideas are special, and we’re really on to something with how we’re showing up in the world.
ARIES (March 21-April 19). Let people tell you the things you want to hear, and then let them show you the things you want to see. If only one of these things happens, that’s great — as long as it’s the second one.
TAURUS (April 20-May 20). You may find yourself keeping an eye on things that don’t even exist. If this is the case and you catch yourself in the act, you can count yourself among some of the best company that ever lived.
GEMINI (May 21-June 21). You have a place for someone both in your heart and in your life, though the second one takes more intention to work out, as there are logistics involved. But because you care enough, you’ll do it.
CANCER (June 22-July 22). The universe is expanding at a rate that few agree on. Maybe this is why the moon never hangs the same way twice, though things feel familiar and comfortably assuring between you and your guardian luminary today.
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22). You may find yourself trying to fight the natural leanings of your thought process. As it goes with taming wild things, consistency matters quite a lot. Better to be low-key and uniform with follow-through than harsh and fickle.
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22). The first time a mistake happens, it’s a learning moment. The second time, maybe it’s the same. But with repetition, at some point it is no longer a mistake; it’s a decision.
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23). You want to be acknowledged in a particular way because that way feels like love, and other ways don’t. Your preference may not be so obvious to you. It’s something to think over, though, because it’s a key to your happiness.
SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 21). To use tools like social media for one’s own pleasure and amusement is very different from using them for work. The handles and buttons may be the same, but different intentions change everything.
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21). Many claim to love unconditionally, but the test of this comes after conditions have changed. Those wary of making or issuing claims will concentrate fully on providing affection’s proof.
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19). The question that comes to mind, childlike in its reaching naivete yet also rooted in deep ancient mud, is “Why do they get to do that, and why can’t I?” Or, you can try turning it around to “How can I?”
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18). No one has time. Some people take time, and then things get done. Your challenge is to get the day organized enough to prioritize those things that matter most to you but that you still haven’t found a way to make habits.
PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20). Most of good living centers around attitude. It’s easy to conjure up an excellent vibe when the basics like enough sleep, water and exercise are covered. Doing better with just those three things will make you 25% happier.
TODAY’S BIRTHDAY (Feb. 10). You don’t know how fresh sights will invigorate you, but you know they will. Your simple recipe for feeling alive: Decide where to go, and go there. Your agenda will include three places you’ve never seen before. Even passing relationships will delight you, though you’ll put the most heart into one that lasts and lasts. Gemini and Taurus adore you. Your lucky numbers are: 43, 10, 4, 26 and 17.
VALENTINE SPECIAL: LOVE STYLES: In the English language, “home” and “love” are words that share the same vowels, different consonants. To CANCER, these words are synonyms. Love is a home, and a home is love. The comfort and reassurance of a daily rhythm that wraps around a feeling of belonging — this is the essence of deep human connection. For LEO, love is pretty easy to define: Love is a quality of attention, period. If there is no attention, there is no love. If the attention is lavish and intoxicating, or specific and helpful, or broad and filled with humor, so is the love. Leo may exist to one person in thought and feeing, but to be an actual real bond, it must be demonstrated. VIRGO would like to remind the rest of the zodiac that humankind would not exist without our natural instinct to band together in acts of mutual service. We each possess different talents. At the heart of the human experience is a drive to share what we’re good at and do what we can to help one another. This is the survival beat inside every good relationship. Acts of service are among the highest and most essential expressions of love.
CELEBRITY PROFILES: The minutiae of Jennifer Aniston’s personal life and prospects have been a matter of public interest that rivals presidential elections, wartime events and asteroid collisions. The professional life of the Aquarian artist is usually of equal interest, though, so it balances out the dynamic. Aniston will star in the upcoming biography “The Fixer” about Denise White, a former beauty pageant contestant who rose through the ranks of sports management.
Write Holiday Mathis at HolidayMathis.com.
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Last Updated: Thursday, Jan 16, 2020 10:15:44 -0800
The Bay Area bar scene has a little bit of everything, from legendary dives to stylish wine bars and trendy spirits-forward lounges.
But we didn't know what we were missing until a group of industry vets, each with some of San Francisco's top restaurants on their resumes, opened an eccentric, neon-lit bar serving savory cocktails to pair with sweet-forward dim sum–style bites in Oakland.
Viridian, which takes the old Plum Bar space on Broadway a few blocks north of the Fox and Paramount theaters, was inspired by further flung locales.
"The dessert and cocktail concept is really popular overseas," says William Tsui, the bar's director, and one of four co-owners, who hails from Lazy Bear and Rich Table. He points to places like Room 4 Dessert in Ubud, Bali and Milse in Auckland, New Zealand; "We wanted to do something for The Town that no one has ever done."
"We" includes Tsui's partners in this bright new venture, all Oakland natives—namely ops manager Raymond Gee (Hakkasan); creative director Jeremy Chiu (Shinmai); and GM Alison Kwan (True Laurel, Moongate Lounge).
"We really wanted to do something that continues and perpetuates the culture of Oakland," says Tsui, and "we wanted to tell the stories of our upbringing through food and drink, and to create a space where we can kick it, a spot where we belong—welcome to thugz mansion."
You can't miss Viridian in Oakland thanks to a bright teal interior and neon reflective window.(Photography by Sarah Chorey)
Arriving at the brightly painted teal exterior, you'll see what he means (or you could drop by Viridian's neon-pink-and-purple website to immediately get the vibe: "Fuck yeah, we're open!" the homepage reads). From the street, the windows have a reflective metallic wash of iridescent hues; once inside, you'll need to let your eyes adjust.
The vibrant space was designed by another big name you'll recognize: Brandon Jew—yes, of Michelin-starred restaurant Mister Jiu's—and Anna Lee of Soon and Soon Studio, which also designed Mister Jiu's as well as Moongate Lounge and the just-opened Mamahuhu. The theme: Hong Kong nightlife meets the dramedy film ChungKing Express meets 1990s R&B record covers. A series of neon light sculptures custom created by SF-based artist Laura Stevenson are an abstract interpretation of the zig-zagging lights of Hong Kong as seen at night from above.
The offbeat energy continues onto the menu where you'll find seven or so house cocktails with a savory bent. Options currently include the Tomato Beef, a concoction of Julio Blanco tequila, basil eau de vie, and tomato water; and the Golden Triangle with gin, golden beets, Meyer lemon, quinquina wine, California poppy, and Suze. Devised by Tsui and Kwan, all the drinks favor fresh produce, with ingredients reading like a farmer's market bounty: tangelos, red berries, blood oranges, grapefruit, and apples.
You may order up at the long black bar, grab a two-top along the wall, or take your group to one of the sofas in the back where you can sprawl out to share dim sum and sweet bites.
Desserts outweigh the savory dishes by about six to four here, so if you're not a sugar eater, this may not be your place. Executive chef Amanda Hoang (20th Century Cafe, Bird Dog) turns out creative, approachable, and very interesting fare. The flavor of a Thai iced tea is recreated in layers of cake and cream for a twist on tiramisu; sugar-crusted churros are laced with vanilla and accompanied by tequila and lilikoi dipping sauce; and leaky sand buns are ready to burst with runny egg yolk custard filling. If you need a savory bite or two before you go all in on the sugar, dig into salt and pepper chicken nuggets or a fluffy milk bread topped with Japanese chili crisp, garlic, and charred scallions.
Embrace the energy from the sugary sweets and the neon lights and you're bound to have a buzzy time at Viridian.
A moody color palette and vibrant energy capture the sweets-plus-cocktails theme inside, where the bar is tiled with black and yellow Heath Ceramics tiles.
MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) -- Downtown Milwaukee's Taste & Toast happy hour event is returning March 2-6.
The event features five nights of sampling and sipping specially-priced small plates, appetizers and beverages at more than 25 restaurants, bars and lounges in downtown Milwaukee.
According to a press release, this year's participants include: AJ Bombers, Ale Asylum Riverhouse, Blue Bat Kitchen & Tequilaria, CANTINA Milwaukee, Cubanitas, DOC’s Commerce Smokehouse, East Town Kitchen & Bar, Flannery’s, Harbor House, The Harp, The Knick, McGillycuddy’s, Monarch Lounge, MOTOR® Bar & Restaurant, Oak Barrel Public House, Onesto, Red Rock Saloon, Red Star, The Rumpus Room, Saint Kate – The Arts Hotel | the Bar, SafeHouse, Smoke Shack, Stella Van Buren, Trinity Three Irish Pubs, Uncle Buck’s, Vagabond, Water Street Brewery and Who’s On Third.
The event will take place from 4-7 p.m. each night.
Diners will be asked to complete a survey following their sampling experience to be entered in a drawing for a grand prize -- four roundtrip tickets to any domestic or international Southwest Airlines destination up until Nov. 21, 2020. Two runners-up will also be drawn and awarded $350 in dining gift certificates.
Menus of 2020 Taste & Toast participants will be available for preview at www.tastetoastmke.com by mid-February.
SPRINGFIELD, Mo.-- Chunky Monkey Cookies
Courtesy: Dietitian Jill Trotman of Achieving Your Best
Ingredients:
¾ cup coconut sugar or light brown sugar (you can experiment with using less)
1 large egg
1 medium banana, mashed
1 tsp. Vanilla extract
¼ tsp. Cinnamon
¼ tsp. Kosher salt
1 cup creamy natural peanut butter
½ cup dark chocolate chips (look for at least 60% cacao or higher)
Directions:
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. In a large bowl, whisk coconut sugar and egg until combined.
Whisk in the mashed banana, vanilla, cinnamon and salt.
Add the peanut butter, and combine until the dough is smooth and evenly combined. It will be thick. Use a rubber spatula or wooden spoon if it is too hard to mix.
Stir in the chocolate chips. Refrigerate the dough for at least 30 minutes. Preheat the oven to 350.
Drop 1 Tbsp. dough on cookie sheet, leaving 1 inch of space between each cookie. Return dough to the refrigerator to chill between batches.
Bake 12-14 minutes until the cookies are turning golden on the edges. The cookies will be soft and will become less delicate upon cooling.
Be sure to cool on the baking sheet for at least 2 minutes. If the cookies are too delicate to transfer, slide the sheet of parchment paper with the cookies on it directly to the cooling rack.
Repeat with the remaining dough. Let the cookie sheets cool between batches.
Pottery making may not have emerged in one Big Bang–like event. Instead, it was more like a cluster of ceramic eruptions among ancient East Asian hunter-gatherer groups as the last Ice Age waned, a new study suggests.
East Asian hunter-gatherer populations living about 700 kilometers apart made and used cooking pots in contrasting ways between around 16,200 and 10,200 years ago, says a team led by Shinya Shoda, an archaeologist currently based at the University of York in England. Each of those groups probably invented its own distinctive pottery-making techniques, the scientists suspect.
“Our results indicate that there was greater variability in the development and use of early pottery than has been appreciated,” Shoda says.
Pieces of ceramic cooking pots from one group preserved chemical markers of fish, including salmon, Shoda’s group reports in the Feb. 1 Quaternary Science Reviews. Early pottery making by those hunter-gatherers accompanied seasonal harvests of migrating fish, the researchers say.
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Fatty acids extracted from remnants of a second group’s pots came from hoofed animals such as sheep or goats. Those vessels were used to render grease from animals’ bones, the team suggests.
Each group appears to have had its own pottery-making style. Members of the Osipovka culture, who lived along the Lower Amur River in what’s now the Russian Far East, crafted cone-shaped vessels with flat bottoms and thick walls. Clay paste was mixed with gravel and other material. Inside and sometimes outside surfaces of pots were scraped with tools like combs.
At sites of the Gromatukha culture, situated on the banks of the Amur River and its tributaries northwest of Osipovka sites, researchers found slightly curved pots that rested on either flat or round bases. Clay was typically mixed with grass, especially in the oldest pots. Cord marks and zigzag patterns cover many vessels.
Other researchers have reported that the earliest known pottery, from Xianrendong Cave in southern China, dates to roughly 20,000 years ago (SN: 6/28/12). Although there has been debate about the accuracy of that age estimate, “it is certain that the world’s oldest pottery gradually emerged in East and Northeast Asia from 20,000 to 10,000 years ago,” says archaeologist Hiroyuki Sato of the University of Tokyo. That timing corresponds with the end of the Pleistocene Ice Age, which lasted from roughly 2.6 million to 11,700 years ago.
Chemical residue findings for the Gromatukha pottery challenge a currently popular view among researchers that the earliest pottery was used only for cooking fish and shellfish, says Sato, who did not participate in the new study. Shoda’s group provides the first chemical evidence of land animals being cooked in some of the world’s earliest clay pots.
The researchers analyzed chemical residues on 23 pot shards from three Osipovka sites and five pot shards from one Gromatukha site. Signs of fish having been cooked in Osipovka pots came as no surprise, Shoda says. More than 100 freshwater fish species currently inhabit the Amur River, as well as fish such as salmon that return to the river to spawn from late spring to early fall.
Past excavations of at least 15 sites indicate that Osipovka pottery was produced in large quantities only after around 13,700 years ago. Osipovka people probably started out using ceramic pots to prepare fish for special events or ceremonies, not daily meals, the researchers speculate.
Only three Gromatukha sites have been excavated, so less is known about pottery making in that culture. But chemical residues indicate that the Gromatukha menu leaned heavily on land animals, Shoda says.
In a 2016 paper, Shoda and his colleagues reported chemical evidence of what they now regard as a third, comparably old pottery-making tradition that arose in Japan. Distinctive pots of Japan’s Jōmon culture, unearthed at one well-preserved site, were used to cook fish and mollusks from around 14,000 years ago until as late as 5,000 years ago, the scientists found.
Taste Buds Cereal Bar is coming soon to the Katy area. (Courtesy Taste Buds Cereal Bar)
Taste Buds Cereal Bar plans to open in April at 1801 N. Mason Road, Katy, said Courtney Thomas, who owns the business with his wife, Jazmin Thomas. The cereal bar will serve a menu of cereal, cereal-infused smoothies and cake as well as cereal strudel. The business will also host birthday party packages with customizable cereal bowls, a personalized cereal box and retro video games. The location does not have a phone number as of Feb. 10. www.tastebudscerealbar.com
You can't miss Viridian in Oakland thanks to a bright teal interior and neon reflective window.(Photography by Sarah Chorey)
