Travels with JAM: Jenn's trip to Phoenix: Shane's Rib Shack

Recently for work I went down to Phoenix with my coworker, Jeremy, to attend a educational conference. Knowing that I'd probably have an opportunity to eat out at some non-NY and VA places, I took my camera to record any potentially exciting food adventures.

Really most of the food we ate was pretty much meat oriented like...
my chipotle BBQ bacon cheeseburger from Fuddrucker's! At first I was worried there would only be chain restaurants and hotel food to eat, but luckily Jeremy and I wandered towards the Arizona Cardinals stadium and found many restaurants of interest, the first being Shane's Rib Shack.

Shane's Rib Shack is a casual family style BBQ joint with an extensive menu including barbeque chicken, beef, pork, ribs, and huge variety of sides like mac 'n cheese, okra, etc.

Being a rib fan myself, Jeremy and I debated between the ribs and other options, but were completely convinced when the girl behind the counter recommended a $30 family meal of a full rack of ribs and two large sides, which was "the best deal we've got". Done.

After a $4 Mike's Hard Pomegranate Lemonade for me and a $4 Leinenkuegel Berry Weiss for Jeremy, we paid for our meal up front at the counter then sat down at one of the many tables, waiting for our food to come. I'd give my Pomegranate Hard Lemonade a solid 2.5 JAMs for flavor, and Jeremy was not a huge fan of his beer, though I didn't mind it, which is huge considering I normally hate beer (but this one was very sweet).

Then, the lovely waitress brought our feast to the table. Ribs in a plastic basket with a vinegary, thick sauce were a huge portion...

and really hit the spot after a long day of conferencing. Jeremy and I split the portion, I ate about 2/3 and Jeremy finished his whole portion. They were tender and well seasoned, in a very mild BBQ sauce, though I enjoyed mine far more once I squirted on another layer of sauce on top. Messy, but good enough where I was more tempted to lick my fingers then continually find a clean spot on our sparse napkins.


The sides themselves were decently sized too. Baked beans, a side green salad, Texas toast, and mac 'n cheese (which, for the record, per Jeremy's questioning, is not made from scratch).
Side salad was nothing to write home about, with a couple of tomatoes and cucumbers and iceberg lettuce. The baked beans were my favorite side - sweet, mellow, echoing a lot of the flavor notes of the ribs without overpowering the palate. They were on the soupy side though, requiring more of a spoon approach or a swift fork motion. Texas toast wasn't as garlicky as I'd like personally, but was a nice side item. The mac 'n cheese was a bit congealed for my liking, but from a flavor standpoint was cheesy, but personally I like Kraft Mac 'N Cheese much better.

We also had some peach cobbler which was very good, peachy with a lot of crust and crumbly bits mixed in and on top, along with some vanilla ice cream.

All in all, a decent meal, but honestly the bad points of the mac 'n cheese and sad side salad were not outweighed enough by the cobbler and ribs, so it makes me have to give it a 2 JAMs (with half a JAM due to lack of other options).

Ray's Hell Burger...One helluva burger

I don't know if that's their official slogan, but it should be. These burgers are formed with 10 oz of "premium steak and roast cuts". The meat is trimmed and ground every day. As you make your order at the counter you can see the staff forming these massive balls of ground beef.

With that said, if you come to Ray's Hell Burger, you better bring your appetite. Ray's menu offers a wide selection of artisanal cheeses and toppings (everything from roasted garlic to fois grois). My personal preference when trying a new burger place is the minimalist approach. I went with the gruyere cheese and the roasted garlic (ok so not super minimalist, but I love garlic!)

Medium rare with gruyere and roasted garlic.

This burger was juicy and pink in the middle. Perfectly cooked with an excellent chargrilled exterior. These juicy burgers sure do a number on the bun. While it is toasted, it does get a little soggy.

Premium ingredients = excellent burgers.

Diablo with aged blue cheese, mushrooms, and roasted garlic.

AJ went crazy with his toppings, getting his burger marinated in the spicy diablo sauce and topped with blue cheese, roasted garlic, and sauteed mushrooms. These flavors were very strong, but worked well together. The diablo sauce gave the burger a slight kick.

Ray's offers its own brewed rootbeer and a couple of sides such as potato salad. The rootbeer was good, but not the best I've ever had.

The burgers are where it's at. You can spend as much as you want, adding fois grois and a $5 artisanal cheese, or just go with the classic burger for $6.59.

2.5 out of 3 JAMs

Ray's Hell Burger

1713 Wilson Blvd.Arlington, VA 22209

703-841-0001

Mother Knows Best

Roasted sweet potato soup!

I have to say that my high expectations for all things food related comes from the outstanding meals and desserts I was given by my mother. My mom's love of food started with her own mother - when she would help make dinner for their family or try to tackle a pie recipe for a holiday meal.

The tradition continued when my Mom began educating me and Ariel on the proper ways to bake a cake. At the age of four, we were both able to recite all the steps in the process of cake making. As we grew older, we were able to help her cook Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners. She makes the best stuffing in the world, courtesy of an old Gourmet Magazine recipe. She has saved every Gourmet since about 1986. My mom swears by Gourmet, and I have to agree, those recipes never fail to impress.



While my Mom has many tried and true recipes in her archives, she often goes in search of new and interesting dishes. In an email to her daughters, she shares her own original recipe for Roasted Sweet Potato and Garlic Soup. This is a great update on your standard chicken soup recipe. My mom really should have her own blog, but since she doesn't, here's a shoutout to my Moms!



Hi Ariel & Malia,
I thought I would send you a recipe for making soup that you might want to try out for your food blog. You can revise it if you like.

Roasted Sweet Potato and Garlic Soup




- 1 starter package for vegetable soup (from the grocery section of your supermarket)--contains 1 large carrot, two parsnips, two turnips, one small piece of celery, one small piece of leek, one small onion, and some fresh parsley and dilll



- 1 large sweet potato (with darker skin and deep orange flesh)



- 1 head of garlic



- 4 cups of water



- 2 chicken bouillon cubes



- 1 1/2 to 2 cups roasted chicken (I used leftover rotisserie chicken)



- 3 T. olive oil



- dried rosemary, dried basil, salt and pepper




Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Wash all vegetables making sure that dirt is removed, especially from the leek and celery. Peel carrots, turnips, onion, and sweet potato. Cut sweet potato into large chunks. Toss with 1 T. olive oil and some dried rosemary and place in a glass 9 X 9 baking pan.




Prepare garlic for roasting by cutting off top of garlic head with a sharp knife. (Don't peel garlic. Leave the papery skin intact.) Place garlic head on small piece of aluminum foil and drizzle about 1/2 T. olive oil on the garlic. Fold up edges of aluminum foil and make a tight sealed packet. Place both the baking pan filled with sweet potato and the aluminum packet containing the garlic into the oven and bake for about 20 minutes.




Meanwhile coarsely chop your peeled carrots, parsnips, onion, turnip, celery and leek. Finely dice your dill and parsely with a sharp knife or cut with kitchen shears. Heat a large pot on the stove to medium high heat. When pot is hot enough, add the remaining 1 1/2 T. of oil. Saute chopped carrots, parsnips, turnips, onions, celery and leek for about 2 minutes on medium high heat. Turn temperature down to medium and continue cooking for another 5-6 minutes. Add fresh parsley and dill and 1 tsp. each of dried rosemary and basil. Stir for another minute or two. Add 4 cups of water and 2 chicken bouillon cubes Bring to a boil.




After the sweet potato and garlic have finished roasting, remove from oven. Cut roasted sweet potato into bite-sized pieces and add to soup mixture in pot. Squeeze roasted garlic cloves from the head and add to pot, as well. (If you like, you may mash the roasted garlic cloves first and then add to the pot.)




Finally, add the chicken and salt and pepper to taste. Cook for a few more minutes. Serve hot with a good loaf of bread. (We enjoyed this soup with a loaf of olive bread from T he Baguette Republic in Falls Church, Virginia. They have a variety of first-rate loaves of bread that are worth trying out.)
I hope you enjoy this recipe!



Love,


Mom

This soup is so flavorful with the lemony, earthy rosemary and basil. The garlic also really adds some nice kick. The hint of sugar from the sweet potatoes and the creamy texture are lovely with the celery, turnip and carrots. The shredded chicken is tender and absorbs the all the flavors of the herbs and spices. This is definitely the best soup I have had in a long time. It is the perfect cure for a cold, a bad case of the blues, or a rainy, chilly day.

3 out of 3 JAMS

Hidden (and not so hidden) Gems in Charlottesville, VA

It was UVA's homecoming weekend (and Halloween to boot), which meant that yours truly was headed back to her alma mater for a reunion with friends (and some favorite eats).

Like most alumni, I have fond memories of eating at some local spots. One popular spot at UVA is Arch's, a frozen yogurt shop. Arch's always has vanilla and chocolate frozen yogurt, and a variety of Wow Cow (non-dairy options) flavors. As I drove down 29 into grounds (thats campus for you non-Hoos) I knew I wanted to stop at Arch's for a snack before heading to the Lawn to check out the trick-or-treaters. As I have been craving everything pumpkin, I could only hope they would be offering that particular flavor.

Pumpkin soft serve with chocolate chips.

As I looked up at the flavor offerings I spotted the elusive pumpkin! I asked for a sample (knowing that the wow cow flavors can be hit or miss). It tasted creamy, and sweet with hints of spices. I decided to go with it, topping my selection with chocolate chips. Another good choice would have been the gooey brownie topping (I could eat this half cooked batter all by itself)!

What tasted good at first, gave way to an artificial aftertaste. The chocolate chips saved it, but I wouldn't recommend this pumpkin yogurt. Best to stick with one of the more traditional flavors.

Tomato basil soup at Cafe Europa.

A hidden gem located right on the corner on Univeristy Avenue is Cafe Europa. This restaurant serves up a variety of dishes with a mediteranean flair: hot and cold sandwiches, side salads, and soups. While most places on the corner, were packed on homecoming weekend, this little place was relatively empty. Which worked out well for me and my friends. One of my favorite things to get here is the tomato basil soup. It is sweet and creamy with lovely strands of fresh basil. It is one the best tomato soups I have ever eaten. It comes with a crusty french baguette. On a cool fall evening there is nothing better.

Beaver Creek in Charlottesville, VA.

So I mentioned that it was homecoming weekend and there was a big game vs. Miami right? Well, we spent an unconventional afternoon on gameday. AJ, Dan, Malia, Veronica, and I drove down Ivy Road out to Beaver Creek to enjoy the beautiful weather and some delicious sandwiches.

A turkey, harvarti, cranberry on seven grain baguette from Bel Air.

A popular sandwich place with fourth years and the law student crowd is Bel Air, a deli hidden inside a gas station off of Ivy Rd. These sandwiches were awesome. The turkey was juicy, and the herb mayo and cranberry sauce sang of autumn. There is nothing better than eating a great sandwich in the grass on a sunny cloudless day. The view of the water and changing leaves didn't hurt either. Dan proclaimed his turkey sandwich "the best sandwich I have ever eaten". How's that for a recommendation.

Turkey, calamata olive sprea, lettuce, and tomato on whole wheat everything bagel.

Last but not least, I must mention Bodo's bagel bakery. I eat at Bodo's at least once everytime I visit Charlottesville. This is quite possibly my favorite bagel place. The bagels are served warm. They are chewy, with a soft interior. My favorite bagel being the whole wheat everything. If you are sick of the typical egg, cheese, and meat breakfast sandwhich I would urge you to go with the turkey and calamata olive spread. The olive spread is salty and rich (no need to add cheese). The turkey is juicy and the garlic, onion, and poppy seed pack on more flavor. Now that's a sandwich perfect for anytime of day!

Wahoo-Wa!

Heidleberg Pastry Shoppe

A good bakery is often hard to find in the suburbs. The other day AJ and I were able to visit Heidleberg Pastry Shoppe off of Lee Highway. In search of something other than the usual bagel, we were hoping Heidelberg would fulfill our breakfast needs.

A delightful leavened doughnut with maple frosting and delightful halloween sprinkles (I adore the bats)!

The shoppe is a little overwhelming, offering donuts, breads, turnovers, muffins, cinnamon buns, and more. AJ settled on a pumpkin muffin and a maple yeast doughnut. I chose a chocolate croissant.


As we paid for our goods, AJ spotted a table of McCain and Obama sugar cookies. AJ had to buy two for my mom and my dad, who have been going door-to-door for the Democratic Party. A reporter stopped to ask if we bought these cookies because "we hated Obama and wanted to eat him". It was a weird, but interesting experience.




Heidelberg has been tracking sales of their cookies (Obama has sold 75% of the cookies to McCain's 25%). This is either an indication of the strength of the Democratic party in Virginia or of liberals love of sweets. Remember to get out and vote tomorrow!

Clockwise from the left: chocolate croissant, pumpkin muffin, and maple frosted doughnut.

After sampling the three treats, AJ and I decided that the maple doughnut was the winner. The dough was light and slightly sweet. The doughnut was an excellent reminder of autumn, with an authentic maple frosting that wasn't overly sweet (AJ would argue there is no such thing as being too sweet). Definitely an excellent way to get in your sugar fix in the morning.





The chocolate croissant was flaky, but a little too crisp on the edges (AJ said it was too messy to be worth the purchase). The chocolate was creamy and not too sweet. I would have rated this a little higher had the dough been softer and lighter. The pumpkin muffin was a little dense and could have been moister. The spices were nice, but there could have been a little more sugar added to the batter (Although, I may have felt this way due to the sucrose overload).


I have had the pleasure of tasting Heidelberg's breads and pretzels. I think these items fare better than their pastries.





Overall 1.5 out of 3 JAMs.

Heidelberg Pastry Shoppe
2150 N. Culpepper St
Arlington, VA 22207

Ganache Almond Cupcakes with Choco-Cinnamon filling - Baking for Stefanie's Birthday

So now through my various baking escapades I have gathered somewhat of a reputation as a baked goods provider amongst my coworkers. Knowing that my buddy (as in a new hire who I mentored), Stef, had her birthday coming up, I wanted to bake her something a la the birthday treats I made for Anjali.

Stef asked me for either French macaroons (which I was told by a fellow foodie are VERY hard to make) or for some sort of almond cake with chocolate-cinnamon frosting and/or chestnut filling. Never having worked with chestnuts, I set off to make almond flavored something with chocolate and potentially cinnamon frosting....
and while I didn't end up with exactly what I initially set out to make, the finished product shown above, almond cupcakes with cinnamon chocolate buttercream filling and dark chocolate cinnamon ganache was super delicious.

Starting out, I knew I wanted to make cupcakes as they're portable and lately I've been on quite the cupcake kick. I found this recipe for mini almond cakes and decided to adopt it for cupcakes rather than a sheet cake.

Almond Cupcakes (makes 12-15 cupcakes)

Ingredients:

• 4 large egg yolks
  
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
  
• 2 tbsp milk
• 1/2 tsp almond extract
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 2 egg whites
  

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 F
   
2. Whisk together yolks, 1/2 cup sugar, milk, and extract in a large bowl until combined well, then whisk in flour and salt
3. Beat whites with a mixer at high speed until they just hold soft peaks
4. Gradually add remaining 1/4 cup sugar, mixing at low speed until whites hold stiff peaks
5. Stir about 1/3 of whites into flour mixture
6. Fold in remaining whites gently but thoroughly
7. Spoon batter gently into cupcake tins (JAM note: could pour batter into 9 inch cake pan instead for cake)
   
8. Bake about 10 - 12 mins or until toothpick comes out clean when inserted into middle
   

Once the cupcakes were baked, I made a chocolate cinnamon buttercream to incorporate Stef's request for cinnamon frosting. The recipe is loosely based on a recipe from Food & Wine Magazine.

Chocolate Cinnamon Buttercream Frosting (for the insides of 12-15 cupcakes)

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
  
• 1 cup confectioner's sugar
• 1 tbsp heavy cream
• 1/4 tsp vanilla extract
  
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• Pinch of salt
• 1 1/4 oz (a bit more than 1/8 cup) bittersweet chocolate
• 1 1/4 oz (a bit more than 1/8 cup) milk chocolate
  

Instructions:

1. Melt chocolates together and cool (should still be melted but no longer hot)
   
2. Beat butter until creamy
   
3. At a low speed add the confectioner's sugar in 2-3 additions, beating until light and fluffy and scraping down the bowl in between additions
   
4. Add cream, vanilla, cinnamon, salt, beating at low speed until incorporated
5. Add chocolate gradually, beating a low speed until incorporated
6. Once all ingredients are incorporated, beat at a medium speed until light and fluffy
   

I also wanted to top the cupcakes with a hard frosting, knowing that I'd be cutting holes in the centers to add in the filling. I found this super easy ganache recipe that had adjustable portion sizes within the recipe page, so I whipped up a small batch of ganache to top the cupcakes with.

Dark Chocolate Cinnamon Ganache (for roughly 12 cupcakes)

Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup heavy cream
• 3/4 cup (or about 6oz) bittersweet chocolate
• 3/4 tsp ground cinnamon

Instructions:

1. If using bar chocolate, chop chocolate into pieces
2. Heat cream in small saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a boil
3. Remove pan from heat, add chocolate and cinnamon
4. Stir until smooth
5. Cool to desired consistency. For pourable ganache, cool to about 85 or 90 degrees (which is what I used)
6. Chill until hardened
   

Last, I assembled the cupcakes, cutting out small holes in the center of each, spooning in buttercream, topping with the cut cupcake pieces, and then frosting gingerly with the ganache.

Overall these were a HUGE hit with everyone in the office. The cake was super light and fluffy, almost like angel food cake, and the buttercream had just enough cinnamon and sweetness to lighten up the rich, dark chocolate cinnamon ganache. The ganache, when left in the fridge for a couple of hours, set-up nicely so it was a shiny, hard shell of chocolate on top with smoothy, creamy frosting in the center. Yum! I'm definitely making this recipe again with different variations of frosting/ganache combinations.

A big 3 out of 3 JAMs! A far amount of work but sooo worth it :)

Pumpkin Creme Brulee

My beauties out of the oven!

With Halloween just a couple of days away and Thanksgiving just around the corner, it seems that all I can think about these days is pumpkin! Pumpkin bread, pumpkin soup, pumpkin ice cream is being sold in grocery stores, shops, and restaurants alike. Pumpkin bread is definitely my go-to "pumpkin" goodie, but I wanted to try something a little different.


I was flipping through the October issue of Bon Apetit magazine, and landed upon a recipe for pumpkin creme brulee. I had never tried my hand at creme brulee before. I usually think of it as a dessert one would order at an upscale restaurant, not the sort of thing for the home cook. This recipe sure looked good, so I decided to give it a try.

Sitting in a waterbath in the oven.

Luckily, a couple of weeks ago I had been strolling through the baking aisle in Harris Teeter when I noticed the bargain of a lifetime was right in front of me. A creme brulee set (4 ramekins and 1 butane torch) was being sold for $11.99! I thought to myself, even if the torch is total crap, at least I will be investing in some ramekins.

Mmm pumpkiny goodness.

With creme brulee set in one hand and a pumpkin recipe in the other, I set to work. The recipe was rather easy to follow. I simply mixed together sugar, eggs, pumpkin, and spices and added them to heated whipping cream. I poured the mixture into ramekins (I used four 3" and two 5") and placed them in a heavy pan, filling it with water until it came half way up the ramekins. I put the pan in the oven at 350 to bake for 35 minutes.


These little ramekins of pumpkin creme smelled delicious out of the oven. I let them sit in the fridge over night. I took them out the following evening after they had time to set. I opened up my torch to prepare to brulee them. Unfortunately, my torch did not come with any gas (no wonder this set was so cheap). :(

My mom putting them under the broiler. Don't try this at home kids! She's a professional!

I decided to use the broiler instead. After 30 seconds under the heat, the sugar began to boil and harden up. The sugar didnt have that crisp consistency that you would find at most restaurants (I chalk that up to a lack of a torch). The pumpkin creme was delicious, but not exactly the creamy eggy consistency I am used to. It tasted more like a pumpkin pie filling straight out of the oven. I altered the amounts, but kept the same rations, so I don't think that would affect the consistency. I am also wondering if I needed to cook these a little longer. I probably took them out of the oven 5 minutes before I was supposed to for fear that I would overcook them.


I am set on testing out another creme brulee recipe. Next time I will look into getting a butane cartridge for my torch.





All in all 1.5 out of 3 JAMs

The recipe follows:


Pumpkin and Brown-Sugar Crème Brûlée



Bon Appétit November 2008
by Sarah Patterson Scott


Makes 8 servings

1 15-ounce can pure pumpkin (JAM Note: I used 9 oz)
1/2 cup sugar (JAM Note: 1/3 c.)
1/2 cup (packed) golden brown sugar (JAM Note: 1/3 c.)
5 large egg yolks (JAM Note: 3 eggs)
2 teaspoons vanilla extract (JAM Note: 6/5 tsp.)
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon (JAM Note: 3/5 tsp.)
1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom (JAM Note: 1/8 tsp.)
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice (JAM Note: 1/8 tsp.)
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves (JAM Note: 1/8 tsp.)
1/4 teaspoon salt (JAM Note: 1/8 tsp.)
3 cups heavy whipping cream (JAM Note: 9/5 c.)
8 tablespoons raw sugar or golden brown sugar


Preheat oven to 325°F. Whisk pumpkin, 1/2 cup sugar, and 1/2 cup brown sugar in large bowl. Whisk in egg yolks and vanilla, then spices and salt. Bring cream just to boil in medium saucepan. Gradually whisk hot cream into pumpkin mixture.



Divide mixture among eight 5x1-inch ramekins. Divide ramekins between 2 large roasting pans. Add enough hot water to pans to come halfway up sides of ramekins. Bake until custards are just set in center, about 35 minutes. Chill custards until cold, about 6 hours. DO AHEAD: Can be made 2 days ahead. Cover and keep chilled.



Sprinkle 1 tablespoon raw sugar over pumpkin custard in each ramekin. Using kitchen torch, melt sugar until deep amber. (Alternatively, use broiler. Place ramekins on rimmed baking sheet. Sprinkle tops with brown sugar [not raw sugar] and melt directly under broiler until deep amber.) Refrigerate 15 minutes to allow sugar to harden. DO AHEAD: Can be made 1 hour ahead. Keep chilled.