The Pleasurable Palate

Can you say EDAMAME?

My question is...where was edamame 20 years ago?  Now all you hear about is EDAMAME!  I am not a big fan of anything that looks like a lima bean...but I have to say...I am a FAN!

Okay...well of certain edamame creations I discovered that are delicious.  If you are ready to hop on the edamame train, I have a couple of options for you.

The first are the Edamame Dumplings at Izakaya at the Borgata in Atlantic City.  These melt in your mouth morsels I actually dream of.  Made with sweet sake and shallots...pure heaven.  Unfortunately, I am not close to make an edamame run, but those of you in NJ or are visiting Atlantic City - it is worth the trip!  www.theborgata.com

My newest find is Edamame Hummus at America Bar and Grill in Chester Springs, PA.  I honestly haven't been here is a long time as I never feel they change their menu, but I was glad I gave it a try recently.  They added a new Tapas menu and one of the items is the hummus served with toasted pita chips and I have to say I could have eaten 3 bowls - you get a choice of 3 Tapas for $19.95.  Could I really eat 20 dollars of Edamame Hummus...Possibly!  www.americabargrill.com

St. Patty's Day Cocktail

Frozen Irish Banana

 

Now you ask...are banana's Irish?  Well no...but the Bailey's Irish Cream makes this my new favorite St. Patty's Day drink.  It's magically delicious!

Ingredients:
2 oz. Baileys Irish Cream
1-1/2 oz. Bacardi light rum
2 oz. Coco Lopez
1/2 cup of half-and-half
1 banana (diced and frozen if possible)
1/2 cup of ice
Nutmeg for garnish
Shaved coconut to rim glass

                   

   Preparation:

1.  In advance, rim the end of a chilled goblet with shaved coconut.

2.  Blend all the ingredients, except the garnishes, until the mixture is smooth.

3.  Pour into a goblet.

4. Sprinkle the top with nutmeg, and garnish with a clover (if you can find one :-) 

 

My Bit O' Blarney

May you have all the happiness
and luck that life can hold—
And at the end of all your rainbows
may you find a pot of gold.

 

 

 

Mama Mia Marinara!

I finally found my favorite marinara sauce!  I have tried homemade sauce, sauce in jars and sauce in some of the top Italian restaurants and by far L.E. Roselli's is the best.  This all natural sauce is light, but chunky and flavorful.  It is made with tomatoes, tomato puree, imported olive oil, salt, garlic, spices and parsley.  It tastes amazingly fresh!  L.E. Rosellis Food specialties was started by Leo and Delores Roselli in 1969 on a property that was formerly a farm in Medford, NJ.  They, along with the help of other family and friends, began producing bottled spaghetti sauces and frozen Italian entrees, predominantly for wholesale customers.  As time went on they began to expand their retail sales at the store located on the manufacturing premises and have remained a family owned business.  If you don't have time to make your favorite homemade sauce -  this is your solution. 

I could eat it by the spoonfuls! 

http://www.rosellisfood.com/

Mystical and Magical...The Golden Monkey

Have you ever had a Golden Monkey?  If you like beer you have to give it try!  Victory's Golden Monkey is a Belgian-style Tripel with a fruity aroma and full-bodied taste with 9.5% ABV.  So needless to say it would be a good idea to eat something before imbibing in this strong and sensual beer.  I have shared many Golden Monkeys with my husband and friends.   Opened in 1996 in Downingtown, Victory Brewing Company is a micro-brewery/restaurant and was recently renovated to include an enormously long bar.  If you come across this "rare golden nugget" give it a try.  You never know what might happen!

 

As Victory says...Our Golden Monkey is both playfully delightful and profoundly satisfying. Exotic spices from the East round out this global journey to joy. Get on board. This Monkey’s bound for glory!

 

http://www.victorybeer.com/golden_monkey.html

St. Germain Pear Martini...Yum

TGIF!  I think I perfected what I will call the Perfect Pear Martini - of course made with St. Germain.  I know I will be partaking in a few of these this weekend since we are now restocked.  Try to make one yourself or if you are in the mood to go out - head over to Fenix Martini Bar www.thefenixbar.com and you will find a similar one there. 

Here is the Pleasurable Palate's Perfect Pear Martini (WOW - that's a mouthful!)

 

* Equal parts Pear Vodka (Grey Goose or Absolute) and St. Germain

* A splash of pear nectar (Goya)

* Top off with champagne to taste

 

Enjoy!

My new favorite place - Black Lab Bistro

Some of you Philly suburbanites may know of the resurgence of Phoenixville and it is true - they are making great stride.  This has become my new mini Philly.  One of my recent stops was the Black Lab Bistro.  I am always on the hunt for BYOB's since I love wine and the cost of one bottle in a restaurant, as opposed to the wine store, can mean a difference of 20 to 30 dollars on your bill.  The Black Lab had many good recent reviews so it was time for us to venture on in to the crisp yellow walled open kitchen bistro.  Our server was delighltful and the atmosphere was mellow.  We started with Lobster Bisque and Prosciutto Wrapped Shrimp and both were very good.  The soup was perfect temperature and texture with just the right touch of sherry.  The shrimp were large and flavorful.  Next course was a Frisee salad.  This was not just any frisee salad.  Who buys frisee to make a salad anyway? I don't think many, but I am sure glad they did.  I am in love with this salad...delicate frisee...juicy poached pears...perfectly toasted pecans...tangy Maytag blue cheese...crispy proscuitto (this was the icing on the cake) and finally all tossed with a light Cider-Dijon Vinaigrette.  What else can I say...except you have to try it to experience the full flavor.  With every salad component together in one bite...heavenly.  I decided to share this with my husband not knowing how fabulous it would be and now I know I will be ordering one for myself next time.  We couldn't even carry a conversation while eating this salad...amazing.  Next I had the Filet which was very moist and tender.  Unfortunately, it was a little undercooked - very rare.  I ate some and had to send it back as I got closer to the nearly raw center.  I was thoroughly impressed with our server and how she handled it - checking back with us to make sure I was happy with the end result.  I was little disappointed as my dinner was interrupted, but I realize steaks are hard to get perfect.  Our service and other delightful dishes made up for the pause in my entree and after our meal when our server presented me with a $25 gift certificate because of the inconvenience, I knew this place was a class act.  The Black Lab Bistro rose to the top of my favorite food spots! 

http://www.blacklabbistro.net/

Amazingly delicious...St. Germain

What other words can I use to describe the most wonderful liqueur I recently discovered.  Are you sitting down?  Well - you won't be once you try St. Germain.  Now you ask...what is St. Germain?  It is HEAVEN in a bottle!  I thought I was crazy when I tried it in a Martini served at the Fenix Martini Bar www.thefenixbar.com in newly refurbished Phoenixville.  I was hooked from the first sip!  I could not stop talking about it to my husband for the next 3 hours.  I then proceeded to hunt a bottle down the following day for a M&M night I was hosting with my girlfriends.  BTW - M&M stands for Martinis and Movie night and so far to date there has not been a movie watched.  There is just TOO MUCH to talk about!  Anyway - back to my St. Germain...so I managed to hunt down a bottle at the PA Wine Store and we (the 3 girls) managed to drink the entire bottle in our Pear Martinis and we loved every last drop!  They were now hooked too.  We are all St. Germain Junkies and trust me if you saw us at 3:00am you would believe it!  This amazing liqueur is made from Elderflower and is so delicate and scrumptious.  I can't wait to get another bottle!  St. Germain is calling...

www.stgermain.fr

Biodynamic Wines

Okay - being a wine lover this has become my new passion.  If you love wine and the earth you need to check out Biodynamic wines.  I am in the process of creating a new Website - a place to go to find out about these wines and the amazing process.  See what wineries are Biodynamic Certified and what restaurants you can visit that offer these wines from the earth.  Check out my new site at:  www.biodynamicwines.net and let me know your thoughts!

Launch of The Pleasurable Palate

Welcome to my blog - where you can find the good, the not so good and the best food and drinks around.  I have spent years eating and drinking (maybe sometimes too much) at restaurants locally and afar and I am ready to share my adventures.  Follow me along the happy trails while I visit new and exciting places, hidden treasures and landmarks and share what pleasures my palate and hopfully your palate too.  Enjoy!