November 18, 2008 by gerstemr
Eating Cleveland
I wanted to share with you all an entertaining Cleveland food blog: eatingcleveland.com. I love the fact that Mark, the blogger, feels the same way I do about Cleveland. We agree that Cleveland totally has an awesome food scene and culture. You may just have to look a little harder to find it, but Cleveland has excellent markets and ethnic grocery stores, along with some delicious restaurants for every taste. Our great little town has plenty to offer and at an affordable price. You can check out eatingcleveland.com for Mark’s colorful take on food in Cleveland and in general.
Eating Cleveland also runs some great givewaways. In fact, for all you bloggers out there, you can currently win a Penzey’s Spices 8 Jar Herb Gift Box. All you need to do on your blog (doesn’t have to be a food blog) is to write a post linking back to the post on eatingcleveland.com. Once your post is up, go to the post on eatingcleveland.com and leave a comment to let Mark know.
Posted in Cleveland blogs, Uncategorized | Tagged Cleveland blogs, contests | 1 Comment »
September 29, 2008 by gerstemr
First, I would like to aknowledge that I have been a slacker and have not posted to this blog in many months. I’m going to try and do better with posts at least once a week or so.
Now, to Wasabi Japanese Steakhouse (www.restaurantwasabi.com) located at 150 Montrose West Ave, Akron, OH 44321. Joe and I wanted some hibachi last night for dinner, but were dissapointed when we discovered how difficult it would be to fulfill our last minute craving. Who knew that hibachi was so popular on Saturday nights and I’m sure the fact that it was Homecoming for half the high schools in Northeast Ohio did not help. Well, we called a few places for reservations and could not get in until after 8pm, but we had to be at our friends house by 9pm. So, we settled for the regular dining room at Wasabi.
Upon entering, you walk over a very zen coi pond with flowing water. The ambiance of the restaurant is very relaxing, calming and comfortable. We were seated immediately, per our 7:15pm reservation in the dining room right in front of the sushi bar. We noticed three private dining rooms off to the left of the room, where you take your shoes off and sit on the floor. Looked like a fun room for a small party or gathering.
The menu offered some nice sushi options, along with teriyaki, noodle, rice and bento entrees. I really wanted some sushi, but my limited options at 4 months pregnant made me think that it was not even worth it if I could not order the good stuff. As a result, I ordered the filet mignon teriyaki. It came with a very fresh salad with ginger dressing, miso soup that was full of yummy tofu and tasty dark green wakame. The filet came sliced in terikayi sauce on a hot plate with a side of white rice. The meat was tender and flavorful. I barely even had to chew it, kind of melted in my mouth…very nice.
Joe ordered three different sushi options, including super white tuna sushi, Philadelphia roll and a lobter roll (the highlight of our dinner). The lobster roll consisted of Lobster Tempura, Avocado, Cucumber & Masago wrapped with Soy Paper. It had a great crunch from the cucumber, combined with the warm lobster tempura and mushiness of the avacado. The flavors and textures were so great in my mouth. Very fresh and beautifully presented.
Joe and I will be back to try the hibachi, but not on a Saturday night. We highly recommend Wasabi for the fresh and delicious sushi. There are some really fun and interesting sushi options. Let me know your thoughts if you have been to Wasabi or if you give it a try in the near future.
Posted in Cleveland restaurants, Restaurant Reviews | Tagged Akron, Cleveland restaurants, hibachi, Japanese, sushi | 1 Comment »
April 25, 2008 by gerstemr
5640 Pearl Rd
Cleveland, OH 44129
(440) 885-5000
I love supporting local businesses, whether it’s a restaurant, hardware store or, in this case, a local market. Not only does your local market typically have better prices than the big box grocer, but it also has a beautiful fresh fruits and vegetables, most of which are produced locally. So, you’re supporting your local growers and your local business owners in one shopping trip. In addition, you’re doing a small part to be green by purchasing products that are not shipped halfway across the United States.
If this all sounds good to you (how could it not?), then you need to check out Chuppas Marketplace.
Chuppas has great fruit and vegetables that are always fresh and colorful. My favorite part of Chuppas is their great deli. They freshly cut all meats and cheeses to order. Even better, the staff at the deli is so nice and friendly. Not at all like the deli counter at Giant Eagle, where they cut mass amounts of meat at once and let it sit and get dried out. More frustrating is the long lines at the GE deli even when 3 women are working, but 2 always seem to be too busy to help the customers.
Anyway, I digress, Chuppas deli really is great, with high quality, fresh meats and cheeses. They also have prepared foods at the deli, like coleslaw, pasta salads, potato salad, etc. I have not tried any of their meat from the deli, but they do sell multiple cuts of beef. One of my favorites is the beef jerky, both the mild and spicy flavors are soft and chewy, but not too tough.
If you need a quick dinner, Chuppas also has a nice prepared foods section with dishes like beef stroganoff, swedish meatballs, stuffed peppers, stuffed cabbage and a variety of pasta. This section also offers fresh soups and sandwiches. I’ve tried the swedish meatballs and stuffed cabbage, I liked the swedish meatballs better, as the cabbage was a little bland.
All in all, Chuppas is clean, has a friendly staff, fresh food and good prices. If you live in the Parma area, you must check it out!
Posted in Markets | Tagged Chuppas, grocery store, local, market, marketplace | 2 Comments »
March 29, 2008 by gerstemr
I have been wanting to make tiramisu for over a year. Every once in a while I would browse the cookie ilse at the grocery store looking for ladyfingers, but could never seem to find them. Then, a few weeks ago I was at Trader Joe’s and the ladyfingers practically jumped in my cart. I was looking for edamame in the frozen food section, looked up, and they there were on the self directly in front of me. I took that as a sign that it was time to finally make tiramisu. Even better, Easter was only a few weeks away, so I ever had a special family get together as a reason to make a nice dessert.
- 6 egg yolks
- 3/4 cup white sugar
- 2/3 cup milk
- 1 1/4 cups heavy cream
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 pound mascarpone cheese
- 1/2 cup strong brewed coffee, room temperature
- 1/8 cup Kahlua, rum or other coffee liquor
- 2 (3 ounce) packages ladyfinger cookies – I prefer the soft kind
- 1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
Directions
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In a medium saucepan, whisk together egg yolks and sugar until well blended. Whisk in milk and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture boils. Boil gently for 1 minute, remove from heat and allow to cool slightly. Cover tightly and chill in refrigerator 1 hour.
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In a medium bowl, beat cream with vanilla until stiff peaks form.
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Whisk mascarpone into yolk mixture until smooth.
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In a small bowl, combine coffee and rum. Split ladyfingers in half lengthwise and drizzle with coffee mixture.
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Arrange half of soaked ladyfingers in bottom of a springform pan. Spread half of mascarpone mixture over ladyfingers, then half of whipped cream over that. Repeat layers and sprinkle with cocoa. Cover and refrigerate 24 – 48 hours, until set. the flavors are at their peak at about 48 hours.
Posted in Food photos, Recipes | Tagged italian dessert, ladyfingers, tiramisu, Trader Joe's | 1 Comment »
March 26, 2008 by gerstemr
These chocolate chip cookies truly are the best that I have ever had the pleasure to eat. I am not alone in this claim! My friends and family loves them, too. In fact, some friends and family members get very disappointed when I fail to bring these cookies to family gatherings:-) Now, I’m sharing the recipe, so that you all can make these cookies whenever you have a craving.
- 1 cup butter flavored shortening (I prefer Crisco sticks)
- 3/4 cup white sugar
- 3/4 cup brown sugar
- 2 eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract (Mexican vanilla tastes great)
- 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 cups milk chocolate chips (dark chocolate chunks are my favorite)
Directions
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Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease cookie sheets.
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In a large bowl, cream together the butter flavored shortening, brown sugar and white sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well with each addition, then stir in the vanilla.
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Combine the flour, baking soda and salt; gradually stir into the creamed mixture.
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Fold in the chocolate chips.
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Drop by rounded spoonfuls onto the prepared cookie sheets.
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Bake for 8 to 10 minutes in the preheated oven, until light brown.
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Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.
Posted in Food photos, Recipes | Tagged chocolate chip cookies, chocolate chips chunks, dark chocolate | Leave a Comment »
March 7, 2008 by gerstemr
I did not even like coffee all that much until about two years ago when I discovered that it really did help keep me awake at work. I worked in marketing for a bank downtown and was against spending $2.00 a day for a cup of coffee. My co-workers would go just about every morning to get their java fix. I would join them every once in a while for a cup of tea or hot chocolate. Then, one day I decided to try a cup of coffee. For someone who did not drink coffee, the caffeine really kicked in to the point where I was so alert that my hands were trembling. But, I loved the fact that I was awake, motivated, and could concentrate on my work! So, it all began…I was sold on the caffeine and I acquired the taste for coffee within a couple weeks.
So, now that I like coffee, I was still against paying for it everyday, so I decided that coffee would be my treat. I would only spurge on it a few days a week. Then, I quit my job downtown to work for myself from home. No more paying for coffee, but our coffee maker at home was a crappy hand-me-down from my parents that made coffee that tasted not much better than brown water.
One day, I was at the “office” with my new co-workers. One of whom had a french press and made a pot of coffee in it. I was pleasantly suprised with my first sip, it was like experiencing coffee again for the first time, but in a whole new way…a way that tasted great and did not require a couple weeks to acquire a taste. The flavor was so smooth and comforting. I had to get one of these french presses for myself. So, I did.
The first french press I purchased was a Bodum Chambord Coffee Press from Crate & Barrel. It was a great press and made delicious coffee. However, it had a flaw in design…glass. Yep, glass, which I broke twice. The first time, we ordered a new glass piece for about $20. Then, about a month later it broke again. That was it, I can’t be replacing the glass for $20 every month. So, I went on a search for a better press.
My search led me to www.wholelattelove.com. This site has crazy amounts of coffee making products. Very interesting to just browse through and see what kind of expresso maker $2,000 buys you these days. I found the perfect coffee press called the Bodum Columbia Thermal Coffee Press. I purchased the 8-cup version for $49.99 from wholelattelove.com, with free shipping and no sales tax! I even got 5% from a promotion they had running on the site at the time of purchase.
The Bodum Columbia Thermal Coffee Press is great for multiple reasons.
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First and foremost, it is not made of glass! No more broken glass.
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It is dishwasher safe.
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The plunger has a suction to the sides making is nearly impossible for any coffee granules to sneak through into your coffee.
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Since is double-walled stainless steel it keeps your coffee warm longer than a glass press.
Joe and I are so happy with our new coffee press. It makes great coffee, won’t break and looks great, too!
Posted in Product Preview | Tagged Bodum, coffee, french press, press | 4 Comments »
March 2, 2008 by gerstemr
Chicken pot pie is one of my favorite one dish meals to make in the fall and winter months. I opt for the ready-to-use pie crust, which cuts down on cooking and assembly time. It’s also a great way to use up leftovers after roasting a whole chicken. I cut-up the leftover chicken and freeze it in pot pie servings, so it is ready to go when I have a craving for chicken pot pie!
1/3 cup stick butter
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1 small onion chopped (about 1/3 cup)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1-3/4 cup chicken broth or stock (I use my own homemade stock)
2/3 cup milk
1/2 cup frozen peas
1/2 cup frozen corn
2 fresh carrots peeled and sliced
2-1/2 cups cooked cut-up chicken (I prefer a mix of dark and white meat)
Ready-to-use 9 inch two crust pie (Pillsbury works great)
Directions
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Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
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Melt butter in large pan over medium heat. Stir in flour, onion, salt and pepper. Cook, stirring constantly, until mixture is bubbly. Remove from heat. Stir in chicken broth and milk. Heat to boiling, stiring constantly. Boil and stir 1 minute. Stir in chicken, peas, corn and carrots. Remove from heat.
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Line a 9 inch pie pan with a layer of ready-to-use pastry crust. Pour chicken mixture into the pastry-lined pie pan. Place top layer of ready-to-use pastry crust over chicken mixture and seal edges by squeezing together top and bottom crust. Cut a few 2 inch long slits in the top layer of pastry for ventilation. Or, you can arrange a lattice work type top (as seen in my picture) by cutting the pastry into long sections and laying them on top of the chicken mixture in a lattice work pattern.
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Bake about 35 minutes or until golden brown.
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Let sit for at least a half hour before cutting, so that the liquid/gravy in the pie has time to cool and thicken. Otherwise it will run all over when you try to cut a piece out of the pie.
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Enjoy!
Posted in Food photos, Recipes | Tagged chicken pot pie, comfort food, Pillsbury pie crust | Leave a Comment »
February 26, 2008 by gerstemr
I’m happy to report that a new Vietnamese restaurant has moved in less than 10 minutes from my house! Maybe you have read about my disappointing experience with the other Vietnamese restaurant down the street, Tay Do. After that fiasco, I was sad that there were no Vietnamese options near me that I would actually eat at.
#1 Pho has opened a new location at 7778 West 130th Street in Middleburg Heights (440-888-2150). I have already been there twice, once for takeout and once for dinner in the restaurant. Both experiences have been delicious with very friendly service. Between me and my husband, we have already tried almost all of their Bun (Rice Vermicelli) options. The vegetables were very fresh, the meat was perfectly seasoned and the crispy spring rolls were crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. In fact, I think the quality is even better than that served at the other #1 Pho location on Superior Ave. and East 31st, near Chinatown. The spring rolls were also very tasty. We tried a dessert of fried bananas with honey, which were good, but not great. Probably not the best place for dessert.
The new location in Middleburg Heights used to be a sushi restaurant. #1 Pho did not do too much to update the decor. The new location does not feature the trendy decor of its counterpart on Superior Ave., but it is clean with simple decorations you would expect to see at an Asian restaurant.
I spoke with the manager, who is one of the siblings of the family that owns #1 Pho. He was very friendly and hooked me up with a cup of tea and some candy while I waited for my takeout. He told me that they are also opening a high end Vietnamese restaurant on East 4th downtown.
So, if you are in the mood for some Vietnamese, give #1 Pho in Middleburg Heights a try.
Posted in Cleveland restaurants, Restaurant Reviews | Tagged bun, chicken, food, Middleburg Heights, pork, spring rolls, vermicelli, Vietnamese | 8 Comments »
February 26, 2008 by gerstemr
I treated my brother and his friend to a celebration lunch at the Hot Dog Diner this past weekend. The reason for celebration is a whole other story, but we were totally celebrating the awesome comfort food at the Hot Dog Diner located at 4407 Brookpark Road in Parma. The decor is simple Cleveland memorabilia on bright mustard yellow walls. It’s a happy place with friendly and fast service.
My brother got the Fry Daddy Burger and Tyler’s Cheezy Fries Dog. This would be the two items on the menu that come with cheese-covered french fries on top of your sandwich. He said that it was one of the best burgers he has ever had the pleasure to eat. He loved how it tasted homemade and the texture of a hand packed patty. In fact, he had half of the burger in his stomach before I could even get my camera out for a picture.
My brother’s friend ordered two Wagon Train Dogs, topped with chili, sour cream and onions. He enjoyed every bite. I devoured a Windy City Wiener, Snappy style with mustard, onion, tomatoes, pickle spear, cucumber and celery salt. We shared a large chili cheese fries. There was not a drop of chili left on any of our paper hot dog holders!
The buns are soft, the hot dogs have a little crunch to the skin and the toppings are so tasty and fresh. What a treat of yumminess with a side of fat and cholesterol. It was worth every bite:-)
Posted in Cleveland restaurants, Food photos, Restaurant Reviews | Tagged Brookpark Road, cheese, chili, french fries, hot dog, Hot Dog Diner, Ohio, Parma | Leave a Comment »
January 28, 2008 by gerstemr
Empress Court Chinese restaurant at 8307 E Washington St. in Chagrin Falls, OH (440-543-8231) is a great place to get your Chinese food fix. My family and I have been eating at this friendly restaurant since I was in high school back in the mid 90’s. It is located in a nondescript strip of stores and provides your typical Chinese restaurant decor. If you want some tasty and fresh Chinese food from the Eastside suburbs, Empress Court is a great option.
My dad and I really like the Wor Sue Gai. This is chicken breast that is breaded and fried, placed over a bed of lettuce with a brown gravy poured over top. It is typically served with white rice. The chicken is always so moist, not dry at all. Typically, I am a fan of dark meat, which tends to have more flavor. But, the Wor Sue Gai, made with breast meat, is perfect.
I have always really enjoyed their wonton soup. The wontons have a great flavor and always taste fresh, like they were just made. The wonton wrapper is a nice thick “noodle” with tasty meat inside, these were not just pulled out of the freezer and thrown into the pot. They serve shrimp chips on the side, which seems to be something offered at only select Chinese restaurants. I could eat those crunchy shrimp chips all day. I like to dip them in my soup and listen to them make that “Rice Krispie” popping sound:-)
Early this week, we ate dinner at Empress Court and tried a new dish…the Sweet and Sour Shrimp. Each piece of shrimp was quite large and the sauce had a perfect balance of sweet and sour. Even the green peppers had a nice crunch of freshness. Of course, the Sweet and Sour Chicken is also great.
You can’t go wrong with Empress Court. The food is fresh, the service is always prompt and friendly and the prices are very reasonable. I think they do a great take our business, too. Everytime we are there we notice lots of people stopping to pick-up their dinner. Next time you have a Chinese food craving, which is like once a week for me, try Empress Court!
Posted in Cleveland restaurants, Restaurant Reviews | Tagged Chagrin Falls, Chinese food, Cleveland, Ohio, Sweet and Sour Shrimp, wonton soup, Wor Sue Gai | 1 Comment »
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