March is just around the corner...

And you know what that means. Shamrock Shakes. If you have never had a Shamrock Shake, you NEED to turn off your computer, grab your keys, get in a car and go to your nearest McDonalds. This is honestly the greatest shake you will ever have in your life. Its pretty much a vanilla shake with mint, and green food coloring but it is so good! Sadly however they only sell them from now until St. Patrick's Day, so don't waste a second and GO GET ONE!

Bake your pasta

When one thinks of baked pasta your mind might instantly go straight to macaroni and cheese, but we took it one step further. We made Ina Garten's baked shells with radicchio, portabella mushrooms, and 4 cheeses. The bitterness of the radicchio, mixed with the rich and creamy cheeses and the touch of fresh sage combined to provide an explosion of pure deliciousness. Served with mixed greens and a loaf of crusty french bread, this meal proved to be a much needed moment of indulgence.

• 6 ounces portabella mushrooms, cleaned and trimmed
• 8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 2 cups (2 medium heads) finely shredded radicchio
• 2 1/2 cups heavy cream
• 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano (1 1/2 ounces)
• 1/2 cup coarsely shredded fontina (1 1/2 ounces)
• 1/2 cup crumbled Gorgonzola (3 ounces)
• 2 teaspoons ricotta
• 6 leaves fresh sage, chopped (see note)
• 1 pound small pasta shells

Directions

Preheat the oven to 500 degrees F.

Bring 5 quarts of salted water to a boil in a stockpot.

Remove the stems from the mushrooms and reserve for another use. Slice the mushroom caps about 1/4-inch thick. Heat 6 tablespoons of butter in a large skillet; add the mushrooms and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Saute over medium heat, stirring frequently, until they are cooked through, 3 to 5 minutes.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the mushrooms, radicchio, cream, cheeses, sage, and remaining salt.

Parboil the pasta shells for 4 minutes; drain and add to the ingredients in the mixing bowl. Toss to combine.

Divide the pasta mixture among 6 to 8 individual, shallow, ceramicgratin dishes (1 1/2 to 2 cup capacity). Dot with the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter and bake until bubbly and brown on top, about 7 to 10 minutes.

Recipe courtesy of Food Network.

VOTE FOR HOYT PARK POOL!

Aloha Tosa--Island Food That Makes Emily Smile:)

Words cannot describe the joy in our stomachs as we write this post. Today, for lunch, we went to Ono Kine Grindz in Wauwatosa located at 7215 W. North Ave. Walking into the restaurant was like taking a .5 second flight to Hawaii. It smelled like a luau according to Emily. This small store sells a variety of pacific goods including ones typical of Hawaiian convenience stores and in the back there is a small table for eating their delicious food.
The store sells everything from tropical fruit juices to chocolate covered macadamia nuts and everything in between. Aside from the store's offerings the owners are beyond hospitable. They welcome you with a warm Aloha and you instantly know that you have come to the right place.

And then comes the food...

All of us had the Kalua Pork with sticky lava rice, macaroni salad, and coleslaw. All of it was absolutely delicious. The pork had a deep, rich flavor with strong notes of smoke while the rice balanced out the salty and juicy pork. The tangy macaroni salad, and the sweet red cabbage slaw served as perfect sides while the pickled ginger was a tasty garnish.

Between bites of pork and sips of Lilikoi Passion juice we found ourselves unable to stop smiling from pure enjoyment. Ono Kine Grindz is a fantastic addition to the Tosa community.

We can assure you that we will be back!

(We are still recovering from our food coma!)

Thanks to Alex P for taking our pictures too!

Good Ole' Apple Pie

Fall is the perfect time for all things apple. Orchards are brimming with those sweet and delicious fruits, ovens fill your home with the smell of cinnamon, and hot apple cider bubbles away on the stove top. The quintessential apple dessert for fall is of course, the apple pie. This recipe, from Food Network Magazine, took quite a bit of work but trust me it was worth it!

PS: Check back next weekend for our first restaurant review! Jimmy and Emily will be going to a new Hawaiian restaurant in Tosa, and we will also be posting Thanksgiving menus, tips, and tricks! Be sure to check back!

The Best Day of the Year

Some might think the best day of the year would be Christmas or New Years, or for foodies like us it may be Thanksgiving. But they're all trivial.

The best day of the year is the day when Uncle Neil makes deep-fried cod.

Yes. DEEP-FRIED.

The fish comes from his own fishing boat from Alaska and is driven down here all the way to Milwaukee. Anyway, he coats it in Potato Buds (instant mashed potatoes) and fries it in vegetable oil producing flavors your mouth has never experienced before.

While feasting on this fish one enters a complete and total state of ecstasy, like Fantasia only better. We also had potatoes, green beans, and lemon meringue pie (from Lakeland Bakery in Elkhorn, Wisconsin) to top it off, but that is not important. The cod is the true star of this annual meal.

Pesto Party

Sorry we haven't posted for a while, but we have been so busy with college applications! But now there seems to be a lull in activity so expect more posts in the future. Last weekend Jimmy made a ton of pesto from his ENORMOUS basil plants. No joke they were huge!

Pesto:

5 cups of basil packed

1/4 cup of parmesan cheese

1/8 cup walnuts or pine nuts

Salt & Pepper

1/2 cup Olive Oil

Combine all ingredients in a food processor except the olive oil. Pulse the ingredients until chopped and combined, then gradually stream in the olive oil until mixture comes together. Mix in with pasta, chicken, fish, anything you want!

If you make a large batch like I did, you can freeze it in an ice-cube tray or plastic bags.

Props to Anna P. for winning the Carthage College Ramen Rage Cook-off!