Spanish Dessert Showdown: Pain y Chocolate vs Churros

As I mentioned last week, I had a lovely dinner with friends last Sunday at Barcelona in West Hartford. It's become one of my favorite hang outs when I visit home, and not just because a friend of mine works there. The tapas are delicious and the decor is hip and sleek. But, this post isn't about their ham-wrapped figs (delicious!) or those eye-catching light-fixtures that hang in the dining room (so chic!). This is a post about two very important things: chocolate and dough. First up we have churros, which are basically Spanish doughnuts coated in sugar. The fun part comes when you dip the churros in melted chocolate. Normally, the churros come with a cute little cup of chocolate, not the bowl you see pictured. I asked for extra, because I'm gross. (Now, I really should have asked what kind of chocolate they use but I forgot and now my friend is in Vegas and won't respond to my annoying text messages.) Despite my liberal use of said chocolate, there was still quite a bit left after we finished the churros. Enter: Pain y Chocolate. My friend offered to bring over some bread for us to use with the rest of the chocolate, which sounded perfectly acceptable. However, this wasn't simply table bread. First, the chef toasted the bread, then drizzled it with olive oil, and finished it off with a sprinkling of sea salt. It was delicious: Sweet and salty, crunchy and buttery. But what I love most is how easy it is to make. I'd never try to make churros at home; the whole deep-frying process turns me off. But, anyone can toast some bread and dunk it in a bowl of chocolate. Ugh. I love how the simplest things are usually the most delicious.

Pain y Chocolate enters the ring after we devoured the Churros

I Think A Change Would Do Me Good

I don't want to give away too many details right now, especially since it isn't 100% certain just yet, but I may be moving to France in September. Now, I'll admit, one of the first thoughts that came to mind was "Think of all the blog posts I could do!" but besides that, I feel like I need a change and this could be the answer. I earned my Masters back in June and after planning most of my academic career around that objective, I've been feeling restless as well as aimless. As much as I love Boston, things haven't worked out quite the way I have anticipated. Moving to France could really shake things up for me and bring a new focus to my life. And, if it doesn't work out, well then, I'll just come back. C'est la vie.

Summertime Tomato and Cucumber Salad

When it's this hot outside, I don't even want to look at the stove, much less use it. So I whipped up this tomato and cucumber salad yesterday with some heirlooms I picked up at the farmer's market. I don't know what the heck they did to the yellow tomatoes, but my God they were outstanding. As I mentioned before, I tend to eyeball ingredients a lot when I'm cooking and flavor to taste so this isn't an exact recipe.

1 lb heirloom tomatoes chopped
1 cucumber peeled and sliced
1 shallot thinly sliced
2-3 tbsp EVOO
1-2 tbsp white wine vinegar
S & P to taste

Basically, you mix everything together in a bowl then let it marinate for an hour or so. You can serve it with some hearty bread to soak up the juices. Freshly chopped parsley would also be a nice addition.

In Which I Post About Something Besides Food...

Because I do actually have other interests, you know. This past Sunday I indulged in two of them: clothes shopping and pretending I still live in England. Allow me to explain...

Since it was reasonably nice weather a friend and I decided to do something outside. I suggested a visit to the Wadsworth Mansion in Middletown, Ct. It's known mainly as a place to have pricey weddings, but the parklands that surround the mansion are open to the public and really quite lovely. Apparently there will be an open air market on August 22nd--around the time I'm supposed to go home next--perhaps I'll visit. Now, I'll cop to possibly imagining this place as a potential venue for my imaginary wedding. (Hey, I figure it's as close to Pemberley as I'm ever gonna get) But after seeing the place in person, I'll admit I wasn't exactly blown away. Then again, I'm kind of a snob about these things. Moving on...

On the way to the mansion we drove by an antique shop called Never Say Goodbye that was set up inside a house. There was a pretty cool 50s ballgown blowing in the wind outside, so naturally I made my friend pull a U-turn. Though I may have been let down by the mansion, this place more than made up for it. Every room was transformed into a collectors dream and, quite frankly, I can't do the place justice. You'll just have to visit. The owner was incredibly nice and full of information and, best of all, more than willing to bargain. My friend got this amazing Miller High Life light up clock from the 60s for $25 and I got an adorable pair of pale blue vintage gloves for $8.

 Here's a shot of the kitchen...

A small sampling from the toy room...

And hats! So many! None fit me though :(

But, that's ok because then I went and got this one from Target.

Taste of Hartford 2010

I said goodbye to the fair city of Hartford today by stopping off for dinner at Mayor Mike's. (Full disclosure: I am friends with co-owner Dave Peters. But still, if it wasn't good I wouldn't eat there.) Anyways, the bi-annual Taste of Hartford is running until August 8th and is quite popular. Over two dozen restaurants are featuring special three-course gourmet dinners at only $20.10. Sadly, it is one of the few times that many Hartford-area residents actually venture downtown, which is a shame. A friend of mine from Boston met me at Agave Grill last winter for dinner and commented: "Hartford's nice! I thought it'd be a lot crappier." Perhaps that should be the new motto: Come to Hartford! It's not as bad as you think!

For dinner I had a beet and goat cheese summer salad to start, followed by pan-sauteed Tilapia with sundried tomato and pesto aioli and finished off the meal with a delicious slice of coconut cake. Mayor Mike's also has a new Happy Hour menu featuring lots of miniature versions of your favorite bar foods such as pulled pork and cheddar sliders and mini hot dogs. So cute! So cheap! Now you really have no excuse to spend your Wednesday night at Ruby Tuesdays. I'm looking at you, Newington.

Geoff's Kitchen Sink Orzo Salad

I attended the Sullivan/O'Connell family reunion this weekend in Massachusetts. It was great to see everyone, especially since much of my dad's family is spread out across the country. There was plenty to eat of course, but I thought I'd share the recipe for orzo salad that my dad concocted since it was a big hit. He has a well-deserved reputation for being a great cook and baker. Growing up, this was a double-edged sword. For as many memories I have of sneaking into the kitchen and stealing spoonfuls of custard for his famous fruit tarts, I was forced to eat more incarnations of grilled salmon than I'd care to mention. But, now I'm an adult and I can eat whatever I want. This orzo salad can be adapted to pretty much whatever you have on hand or want to throw in. Hence the name. What I love about this is the mix of different textures and flavors. My dad says that sometimes he adds feta to "Greek it up a bit." I'd also give an endorsement to some freshly chopped basil. It can be served warm or cold, making it perfect for summertime. Neither of us is big on exact recipes. Just eyeball it and taste as you go along.

Geoff's Kitchen Sink Orzo Salad
1 box orzo pasta
toasted pistachios
chopped steamed carrots
garlic sauteed baby spinach
chopped yellow bell pepper
sauteed onion
sundried tomatoes
black olives
EVOO

Prepare orzo as instructed. Then add additional ingredients and toss together. Season with salt and pepper as desired.

Weekend Update

This was quite a busy weekend and I have lots of things to share over the next few days. There was the delicious orzo salad my dad made for my family reunion, the trip to a Connecticut cheeseburger institution, an afternoon country outing, and a Sunday evening dinner with friends. Stay tuned!