Happy Birthday, Courtney!

I love celebrating with people on their actual birthdays (Tom, Mom, Dad, etc. you definitely come to mind. Kristin, this year you and I need to whoop it up together in style!) 

Last year on August 14th, it was a real treat to be with my sister Courtney--especially since I see her least of all--on her actual birthday! Her friend Molly put together this fabulous celebration & incredible feast at Bacaro in Providence. The pictures tell a great story, though this accounts for only about a third of the whole meal, it was amazing! 

Salumi Board at Bacaro (Providence, RI)

Soul Sisters Courtney & Molly enjoying a fresh corn pizza!

Delicately Fried Stuffed Zucchini Blossoms

Lavender Fois Gras 

What party is complete without Pork Belly?

Incredible Salad Courses

Talented Chef Brian Kingsford with John & Courtney

What a super fun Celebration! 


Happy Birthday, Courtney! I love you so much! 

xo Carrie 

The Kitchen: Denver, CO

Tom and I spent some time in Denver, and The Kitchen wins my vote for favorite local restaurant. We walked by this beautiful building in LoDo (Lower Denver) a few times and couldn't wait to go inside! 

For my fellow architecture fans (especially Uncle's Van W. and Richard T.), the Sugar Building was designed by architects Gove & Walsh in 1906 and is "notable for its Sullivanesque arrangement of windows between vertical piers and terra cotta foliage forms." It's a lovely building and the first floor restaurant is spectacular! Regrettably, I didn't get photos of the chic interior but my food photos hopefully will not disappoint.

Peeking in the window and checking out the menu. In the background is a wonderful raw bar with Alaskan King Crab and six daily oysters varieties.  

Fortunately we had a small window of time on Sunday afternoon, which was the perfect occasion to relax and soak in this wonderful culinary experience. We started with the Goat Gouda Gougere:

These melt-in-your-mouth cheese fritters were so fresh and delicious. I'd give anything for the recipe. They paired perfectly with the tomato bisque, as recommended by our server, Katie.  

Then I ordered the Bacon, Cheddar, and Fresno Quiche. I admit I had to ask what Fresno was because I didn't want any surprises, but it's really similar to a jalepeno pepper and since I love heat, this was fine with me. Honestly, this was the best quiche Tom and I had ever tried until we started making it ourselves. The eggs must have been laid that morning and someone there knows how to make the best crust ever. Unfortunately, you can't tell how fluffy or delicious this dish was in real life, even the greens were amazing dressed in a simple olive oil and lemon juice.

Tom ordered the Char Grilled Colorado Lamb Burger with red pepper relish, garlic fries and greens. I don't eat lamb, but those were the best fries I've ever had. Tom was thrilled with his burger and although he often orders Colorado Lamb when we're out in general, it was a real treat for him to have it locally. 

I'm a fan of several things that The Kitchen has to offer. One: an open and well planned industrial but comfortable dining space. Two, a menu so enticing that we had a really hard time deciding. Three, an open style chef's kitchen where you can see what's going on, but you're not staring into it or hearing all of the kitchen clamor. Four: a knowledgeable staff who goes to great lengths to share their passion in addition to educating their guests. For example, Tom ordered hot tea and Katie told us about the brand they serve called Teatulia. We expressed interest, and she told us the story about how the Teatulia company owns their own organic tea garden in Bangladesh and they control the entire process. Tom and I drink a lot of tea and we were thrilled to learn of this special brand. (For my tea fans Kathy S.  and Jill C. check out this wonderful Colorado brand, http://www.teatulia.com) and last but not least, the Fifth thing I judge is the quality of the bread. The Kitchen might just serve the best rustic bread we've ever had, complete with farm fresh butter and Maldon Sea Salt Flakes: 

You really have to give a lot of credit to a place who thanks their suppliers and local farmers for their quality contributions in addition to expressing gratitude to their dining guests. I am disappointed that we didn't try the Sticky Toffee Pudding with House Made Vanilla Gelato (only because we could barely breathe) but we did have a Nathan Miller Buttercream Truffle as a sweet finish to a delightful Sunday afternoon meal! 

I just can't say enough wonderful things about The Kitchen. We hope to get back there sometime soon, especially for one of their Community Nights, and maybe even to try the Boulder location too. Special thanks to our server Katie, for helping to make this an unforgettable experience! 

The Kitchen

1530 16th Street Denver, CO 80202 (303) 623-3127

http://thekitchencommunity.com/

Open Daily 11AM-close

-Carrie 

Thai Food

We have been on a major Thai food kick lately! Our favorite local place is called Thai Palace and it's located in a totally unassuming strip mall in Bradenton, Florida. The interior is completely decked out in Thai decor, the staff is very attentive, and the food is fabulous! We always order the Tom Kah Soup, the Thai Spring Rolls, and a Green Curry: 

Thai Palace: Tom Kah Soup

Thai Palace: Fresh Spring Rolls

Thai Palace: Green Curry

Thai Palace

4756 Cortez Road West

Bradenton, FL 34210

941.761.9100

http://www.thaipalacebradenton.com

It's a bit of a drive to Thai Palace and so we thought, why not try to create a few of these dishes ourselves? We started with the Fresh Spring Rolls and they were much easier than we had anticipated. Of course access to an Asian grocer is key, but you can also usually order some of the hard-to-find ingredients online.

Our Homemade Fresh Spring Rolls 

SPRING ROLL RECIPE:
To make the Spring Rolls, you can find most everything at your local grocery store. Some of the trickier items may be the Rice Paper Wrappers (this pack below was $2.19 for 25 wrappers) and a few of the sauce ingredients including Sambal Oelek (this bottle was $1.99 at the Asian market on 301 if you're a local). So please be sure to source those ingredients first before making this dish, or be prepared to improvise. Believe it or not, the most challenging item to find was fresh mint this time of year. We have our own basil growing out back so that was easy, but if you can find actual Thai Basil, that is even better. Sometimes the Asian grocers sell it frozen. 

Spring Roll Wrappers

Fish Sauce (from Whole Foods)

Sambal Oelek

Ingredients (makes 6):
6 spring roll wrappers
2 ounces of rice vermicelli (we use brown rice vermicelli from Whole Foods)
6 Boston lettuce Leaves (chopped)
3 carrots (peeled and finely shredded) 
Fresh Thai Basil leaves
Fresh mint leaves
Fresh cilantro 
Any combination of the following:
*Cooked Shrimp (peeled and deveined) 
*Cooked Tofu
*Cooked Chicken

1) Boil the rice vermicelli for 3-5 minutes or until al dente, but do not overcook! Drain noodles and put on the side. 

2) Take a large frying pan and fill it with hot water. Carefully and quickly soak one spring roll wrapper and place it on a cookie sheet (or other workable surface). The wet wrapper will be extremely sticky! 

3) One at a time, fill each wrapper with a layer down the middle containing the cooked rice vermicelli, lettuce, shredded carrot, basil, mint, and cilantro (you may chop the herbs if you wish) and then add any combination of the cooked shrimp, tofu, and/or chicken. 

4) Tightly roll in the sides (like a burrito) and place the finished spring roll seam side down on your plate or serving dish. Use one wrapper per spring roll. Repeat process for all 6 Spring Rolls.


Fish Sauce:
Mix together the following and serve on the side as a dipping sauce: 

2.5 Tablespoons water
2 cloves minced garlic
1 teaspoon Sambal Oelek
1/2 teaspoon sugar
4 teaspoons fish sauce
1 Tablespoon fresh lime juice


Hoisin Peanut Sauce:
Mix together the following and serve on the side as a dipping sauce: 

2 teaspoons chopped peanuts
3 Tablespoons hoisin sauce


Bon Appetit! 

Please tell us about your favorite local Thai restaurant or add your Thai recipes in the comment section below! 

-Tom & Carrie