What’s special about this burger you ask?

You’ll just have to read more to find out.

I was so impressed with the buffalo burger I tried at Twisted Root the other week that when opportunity knocked I had to answer. The opportunity this week happened to be me finding some buffalo meat at Market Street yesterday as I was picking up some last minute groceries.

One of my favorite things about buffalo meat is that it is an extremely lean meat. This means you can add all kinds of not so healthy stuff to it to make it even more delicious and you won’t feel as guilty as you would had if you had done this to a regular burger patty.

So what makes this buffalo burger special besides the buffalo…

It has been stuffed with mozzarella and slathered with pesto! This combination is a one- two punch that will knock your taste buds right out of your mouth! I loved this burger. The melt in your mouth cheese makes this burger unexpectedly savory. Another great point (especially for those who love a little heat down here in the south) is the fact that you could put a couple of sliced jalapenos inside as well to give that unexpected punch a kick to go with it!

Mozzarella & Pesto Stuffed Buffalo Burgers

Ingredients:

• 1 pound lean buffalo meat
• 4 oz of mozzarella cheese
• 1 tablespoon McCormicks hamburger seasoning (I know it’s a cheat but it’s so darn good)
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• ½ tablespoon olive oil
• 4 tablespoons of pesto (store bought is okay)
• Desired burger veggie toppings

Directions:

1. Combine the meat, seasoning, Worcestershire sauce, and olive oil in a bowl. Using your hands combine the ingredients thoroughly.
2. Separate the meat into four flat patties. Roll the mozzarella cheese into small balls and place in the center of the patty.
3. Use a cupping motion to fully incase the mozzarella in the patty. Round and flatten into a normal looking patty. Make sure no mozzarella cheese is exposed.
4. Cook on the grill until desired doneness is achieved. Place 1 tablespoon of pesto sauce on top of your burger; then top with desired veggies.

Want to know how to make something so refreshing it will whisk all your worries away?

Then I have the perfect recipe for you!

For the past two weeks I have been scouring my old recipe books looking for a recipe to cook for this months “Cooking The Books” post. I knew I wanted something that was light and refreshing; as this is what one craves in the spring!

That’s when it hit me like a bolt of lightning.

Jenny White & Joanna Farrow’s Best Ever Three & Four Ingredient cookbook had one of my favorite spring time recipes and I felt it was my duty to share it with you! It’s super simple and requires only a few ingredients!

First you need to make simple syrup. This is done by bringing water and sugar to a boil.

Then you allow lavender flowers to steep for about an hour while the syrup cools.

Next, you need to puree some of these in a food processor and press them through a large sieve to a freezer safe bowl.

When that’s finished you simply strain the simple syrup (to get the lavender flowers out) into the bowl and gently mix. You will then place this in your freezer for 4 hours or until mushy.

Once your sorbet has begun to set you will pull it out and put it in a blender (don’t let it become too frozen or you will get small ice chunks in your finished). Whisk an egg white until frothy and stir into the sorbet and then freeze again until firm. That’s it!

This is by far one of the most refreshing recipes I make every year. The sweetness of the strawberries is ever so gently heightened by the flowery flavor of lavender. A wonderful combination that is perfect for enjoying outside on a beautiful spring afternoon. In fact, I believe I hear a hammock calling my name right now…

Strawberry and Lavender Sorbet
From the Three & Four Ingredient Cookbook

Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup caster sugar
• 6 fresh lavender flowers
• 5 cups strawberries, hulled
• 1 egg white

Directions:

1. Place the sugar in a pan and pour in 1 and 1/4 cups water. Bring to the boil, stirring until the sugar has dissolved.
2. Take the pan off the heat, add the lavender flowers and leave to infuse (steep) for 1 hour. If time permits, chill the syrup in the refrigerator before using.
3. Process the strawberries in a food processor or in batches in a blender, then press the puree through a large sieve into a bowl.
4. Pour the puree into a freezerproof container, strain in the syrup and freeze for 4 hours, or until mushy. Transfer to a food processor and process until smooth. Whisk the egg white until frothy, and stir into the sorbet. Spoon the sorbet back into the container and freeze until firm.

When a franchise sub shop claims to be “gourmet” I can’t help but feel the word is being a little bastardized. Now don’t get me wrong, I by no means feel this term should be as exclusive as some people would have it. The true “gourmets” would have the term used only by individuals who have seemingly endless budgets and time to eat only the finest of fair ever invented and would never do it for nourishment.

I guess that is why I choose the name for my blog. While the technical definition of “gourmet” is a person with refined or discriminating taste or is knowledgeable in the art of food and food preparation. I would say that I have a pretty refined pallet and have a robust knowledge about the art of food. The second term “foodie” is someone who happens to be a food amateur of sorts. A foodie simply loves food for consumption, study and preparation. Since I fully believe that there is no person on this earth that can truly consider themselves 100% knowledgeable on anything. I believe the term fits as we all should continue to study and learn everything we are passionate about. Since typing out “A refined pallet and robust knowledge about the art of food who is also an amateur who loves the consumption and study of food blog” is a pain in the butt. I chose to go with Gourmet Foodie Blog as it has a little nicer ring to it (plus it’s easier to remember)!

For me companies should only use the word gourmet if they use only the finest of ingredients with their food preparation. There are many a restaurants that fit this description. They are well known around the world and usually tote 5 star ratings. Their ingredients range from exotic salts such as fleur de sel to foods such as foie gras. While I think the first person to truly use these types of ingredients in a fast food sub shop might actually be on to something, Jimmy John’s Gourmet Sandwiches is not that place.

As I perused their menu the other day I definitely saw some ingredients that you typically wouldn’t find on a normal sub sandwich but nothing that would give them the true designation of “gourmet”. That day I choose their Italian sub. I don’t really know why (I guess I was just in an Italian mood). The first thing that I loved about this sandwich was the bread. They use a homemade French bread which I think had a great flavor to it! It definitely was not the same bread you get at subway. The rest of the sub for the most part was that of a typical Italian sub. Salami, capicola, ham, and provolone cheese all topped with Italian vinaigrette. If you’re feeling daring you can get the hot peppers on it as I did and it really spiced things up!

Overall I really loved this sub; the bread and ingredients within complimented each other nicely. The sub also happened to be pared up some Jimmy John’s BBQ chips. These chips are fantastic! Their kettle style chips had a great crunch to them and the BBQ flavor was tangy and delicious.

In all I would have to say that they have definitely beat the pants off of any other sub shop I have visited in recent years, but to say they are gourmet however; well I leave that for you to decide.

A while back I was searching the web for a new ice cream shake and came across Bobby Flay’s recipe for Blackberry Shakes. I dog-eared this recipe and went along my merry way thinking that there would be a time in the future that I give this recipe a test run. Well last night was the night.

I knew I wanted something ice cream related for dessert but didn’t want anything that I felt would be too heavy. So I pulled out my trusty old recipe collection and found my long lost dog-ear. What I remember liking most about this recipe is the notion of using simple syrup to sweeten the shake. I also liked the subtle hint of the pomegranate juice thrown in.

The use of simple syrup to flavor your shake I believed could be a winner, something I could possibly use in future shakes as well! However, what I didn’t expect was the end result to resemble a smoothie more than a shake. For me ice cream shakes should be thick and creamy and this recipe definitely is not that. I want my shake to be so thick that it clumps as you pour it and it should be able to hold a spoon up without having to freeze the mixture like I did in the photo above.

Frustrated with my results and still wanting a true blackberry ice cream shake; I started to think of where this recipe goes wrong. What I found was adding the still hot simple syrup causes the rest of the ingredients to melt too much. This is why we get the resulting smoothie fluff similar to that of a protein shake (you know what I’m talking about if you’ve ever had one of these). I also believe that there is way too much liquid in comparison to ice cream for it to get the desired ice cream shake result. Don’t get me wrong, I thought the flavor of this shake was great; it was just lacking the consistency I feel is representative of a true ice cream shake.

Rest assured ice cream shake lovers! I have made some alterations to the original recipe that makes this the perfect blackberry shake! Not only will you still get the entire blackberry and pomegranate infused flavors, your result will be a thicker and truly creamy ice cream shake. I promise!

Blackberry Shakes
Altered slightly from Bobby Flay

Ingredients:

• 1 pint fresh blackberries
• 2 to 4 tablespoons sugar (depending on berries sweetness)
• 1 ½ pints vanilla ice cream
• 12 ounces pomegranate juice
• 1 cup milk

Directions:

1. Combine all but a few blackberries and sugar in a small saucepan and cook over high heat until the sugar has melted and the berries are soft and just starting to break down.
2. Let the berries cool to room temperature.
3. Put the cooked berries, the ice cream, pomegranate juice and milk in a blender and puree until thick and creamy. Pour in to tall glasses and garnish each glass with a few berries.

.

So this month Artichokes are in season. I personally have a love hate relationship with artichokes. I love how easy they are to prepare. However, their flavor by themselves has little to be desired as they tend to be pretty bland to the pallet. The thing I think redeems artichokes, beside the fact that it’s fun to peel back the leaves, is that they make awesome dipping vessels. The artichoke is nature’s natural scoop, perfect for shoveling massive amounts of whatever dip or sauce you have made to go with them without altering the flavor all that much.

When I was dating my wife (what seems like forever ago) her family introduced me to the pairing of the artichoke and hollandaise sauce. Ever since then I have not been able to find a better dip or sauce to replace it! The sweet and tangy flavor of the hollandaise sauce melds perfectly with the slightly bland nutty flavor of the artichoke.

A classic hollandaise sauce is a rich egg yolk based sauce that is flavored with lemon or vinegar or in my case both. Hollandaise sauce is typically served with vegetables fish or eggs (it’s the secret ingredient in Eggs Benedict). This sauce seems as though it should be pretty simple and straight forward to make. Simply use a double boiler to thicken the egg yolks as you add water, butter, vinegar, lemon juice and salt. But don’t be deceived! These pretty simple directions cause one to believe that hollandaise sauce can be prepared without much thought. However, if you let the water begin to boil or add the ingredients too quickly you can easily end up with a curdled or separated mess!

Allowing the water to boil in your double boiler (I know that pretty much defeats the purpose) will cause your sauce to curdle (don’t you love that about eggs?). If you add the ingredients too quick your sauce begins to separate leaving you with an oily slop resembling that of oil on water (if you have ever prepared this sauce before chances are you know what I am talking about)! Well fear hollandaise sauce no more! I’m here today to alleviate all of your hollandaise sauce nightmares.

Now, for the good news; if your sauce has begun to separate or curdle you can still save it! What? That’s impossible you say? Well you’re partially right. If your sauce has begun to curdle your options are pretty limited. You can start over (which I guess would probably ruin your day), or you can use a short cut and use a blender to blend it. Now the texture will be a little bit different depending now how curdled you let it get but this way but you can still salvage your sanity.

The real saver is what to do if your sauce begins to separate. You can salvage this mess and no one will be the wiser! Simply add 1 or 2 tablespoons of whipping cream and beat the sauce with a whisk until it becomes smooth again. You will have saved the day and feel like a superhero when you are done! Well at least that’s how I felt.

Classic Hollandaise Sauce

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoons white vinegar
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 4 tablespoons boiling water
• 3 large egg yolks
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

Directions:

1. Melt the butter in the microwave and keep it warm.
2. In a separate bowl heat the vinegar and lemon juice until just warmed.
3. In a small saucepan boil water.
4. Using a double boiler whisk together the egg yolks begin to thicken. Slowly add 1 tablespoon of the boiling water and beat constantly until sauce beings to thicken. Repeat this process until 4 tablespoons of water have been added.
5. Slowly add the warmed vinegar and lemon juice and briskly beat with a whisk. Remove the double boiler from the water and continue to beat the mixture as you slowly pour in the melted butter. Finish by adding the salt again beating the sauce until it is thick.

This year Easter Sunday happened to be a little extra special. Not only was it one of my favorite holiday weekends (I mean who doesn’t love a pile of Easter candy) but my wife’s grandparents were also celebrating their 60TH … yes 60th …. wedding anniversary. Which to say the least is simply amazing. With so many momentous occasions occurring there was no way we could let this weekend go without making something special.

We happened to hear through the grape vine that her grandmother loved lemon cakes which worked out perfectly. I happened to remember that there was some left over Limoncello in the refrigerator from our Pom-cello Spritzers we had made earlier in the week.

One thing that I have to say about this cake was that it was definitely full of lemon flavor. The Limoncello gives the cake a little denser texture but adds a nice mellow lemon flavor which I love. One thing to watch out for is overcooking the batter. I almost made this snafu when making it and no one likes a cake that has been baked to a crisp. The frosting was really good for a buttercream frosting. I’m not a diehard fan of buttercream frostings, as they can sometimes taste really greasy to me, but this one wasn’t which I suspect is the result of the addition of Limoncello. My favorite part of this cake however, was the filling. It was one of those fillings that really surprises you. The lemon filling is a pretty thin layer but when you bite into it the flavor really bursts out!

Her grandmother loved it saying it was a really nice cake with loads of flavor and her grandfather said it was “wonderful” “wonderful” – he’s 94 so you know it has to be pretty good!

Limoncello Cake with Limoncello Buttercream Frosting

Cake Ingredients:

• 1 cup (2 sticks) butter, at room temperature
• 2 cups sugar
• 4 eggs
• 3 cups sifted self-rising flour
• 1 cup milk
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 2 tblsp Limoncello
• Lemon wedge, for garnish
• Lemon zest for garnish

Cake Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour 3 (9-inch) spring form cake pans.
Using an electric mixer, cream butter until fluffy. Add sugar and continue to cream well for 6 to 8 minutes. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Add flour and milk alternately to creamed mixture, beginning and ending with flour. Add vanilla and limoncello continue to beat until well mixed. Divide batter equally among prepared pans. Level the batter in each pan by holding the pan 3 or 4 inches in the air and dropping it onto a flat counter. Do this several times to release the air bubbles and level cake. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until golden brown. Cool in pans for 5 minutes. Remove the cakes from the pan and place onto cooling racks allowing the cake to cool completely.

Filling Ingredients:

• 8 egg yolks
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter
• 2 lemons, zest grated and juiced

Filling Directions:

Place all of the ingredients in a double boiler. Cook on medium-high heat and stir until mixture begins to gel or thicken. Remove from heat and allow to cool in the refrigerator for about 20 minutes.

Frosting Ingredients:

• 1 stick unsalted butter
• 4 tblsp icing shortening
• 5-6 cups powdered sugar
• 2 tsp Limoncello

Frosting Directions:

Cream together the butter and shortening until fluffy. Slowly add in powdered sugar one cup at a time until everything is combined. Add in the Limoncello and mix completely.

Cake Assembly:

Run hands along the side of the cake to remove excess crumbs and align cake pieces. Place the cake layers on the pedestal; be sure to spread filling between each of the layers. Frost the top and sides of cake with frosting. Garnish with a lemon wedge and lemon zest.

Well for those of you who don’t already know Bo Obama was welcomed into the White House yesterday. In honor of his new digs my toy schnauzer Austin insisted we share his favorite dog biscuit recipes with the new pooch. Austin says that these are the greatest dog biscuits he has ever tasted (way better then those box things we get from the store)! Austin also wanted me to pass a message on to Bo Obama that swimming is one of those learn as you go things; so don’t worry too much. Pretty soon you will be splashing around with the rest of the family in no time!

These biscuits are super simple to make and are good for every dog to eat. Austin loves them so much that I actually decided to give them a try one day. Since too much sugar isn’t a good thing for dogs they didn’t quite fit my pallet. However, I don’t feel as though he cares that much.

This is a picture of my Austin a.k.a. Bubba. Isn’t he adorable? We got him at Twilight Run Kennels. I really love how much they take care of their dogs and they have great facilities!

Bo Obama Cinnamon Peanut Butter Dog Biscuits

Ingredients:

• 2 cups whole wheat flour
• 1 cup organic/natural peanut butter (has less sugar then regular)
• 1 cup skim milk
• 1 tbsp baking powder
• ½ tsp ground cinnamon

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
2. Mix flour, cinnamon and baking powder in a medium bowl.
3. In a separate bowl mix the peanut butter and milk until smooth. This may take a while as natural peanut butter is somewhat grainy.
4. Combine the dry and wet ingredients and mix well.
5. kneed the dough with your hands until well combined.
6. Roll and cut with cookie cutter in your dog’s favorite shape.
7. Bake in the oven for 20 minutes.

Cinnamon Cream Cheese Puppy Frosting

Ingredients:

• 4 tbsp low fat cream cheese
• 2 tbsp plain yogurt
• ½ tbsp cinnamon

Directions:

In a small bowl combine all ingredients.
Mix until thick and creamy.

I am sorry that I don’t have a new food related post for you today… however, I have a shiny new toy that you just might like a little better…. FLICKR! That’s right I have added a group for followers of The Gourmet Foodie Blog! It’s open to everyone so if you got some great food porn please don’t be stingy and share it with the rest of the world! To join this group just click the link on the sidebar and start uploading today!

GOOD MORNING!

I am on what you could call a super caffeine buzz! I have literally been bouncing off the walls for the last 2 hours! What caused this buzz you ask!? Well it could be the 6 tablespoons and 4 teaspoons of espresso but that’s just a guess! Notice all the exclamation points?? That means I have way too much energy for this time of the morning.

Lately I have been growing addicted to the national crack dealer “Starbucks” and noticed that I have been making a pretty significant dent in my budget. So I put the power of Google to the test and made a quest for a caffeine filled recipe that I could make on my own.

Luckily my internet surfing yielded me some great results when I landed on the Epicurious website.
This is where I found the Mocha-Cinnamon Hot Chocolate recipe which I found is chalked full of caffeinated goodness.

This recipe is definitely rich and delicious. What I love most about the Mocha-Cinnamon Hot Chocolate recipe is that the flavor of the espresso is not overpowering (which one might expect when you use over 6 tablespoons of espresso). The smooth rich creamy chocolate flavor creates a drink that can be used not only to wake you in the morning but when combined with the whipped topping it creates finish to any great meal at the end of your day! I also love the subtle hint of cinnamon as it creates a flavor that is similar to that of traditional Mexican hot chocolates. I would recommend this to any mocha lover who is looking for a recipe that is quite easy and extremely versatile.

Mocha-Cinnamon Hot Chocolate
by Epicurious

Ingredients:

1/3 cup chilled whipping cream
4 teaspoons plus 6 tablespoons (packed) dark brown sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons plus 5 tablespoons instant espresso powder
4 cups milk
2 3-inch-long cinnamon sticks, broken in half
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
3 ounces milk chocolate, chopped
Ground nutmeg
Additional cinnamon sticks (optional)

Directions:

Whisk cream, 4 teaspoons brown sugar, and 1 1/2 teaspoons espresso powder in medium bowl until peaks form. Cover and refrigerate whipped cream.

Bring milk and 2 cinnamon sticks to simmer in heavy large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add 6 tablespoons brown sugar, 5 tablespoons espresso powder, and cocoa powder. Whisk to blend. Add chocolate and whisk until melted and smooth. Discard cinnamon sticks. Ladle hot chocolate into 4 mugs. Top with whipped cream. Sprinkle with nutmeg. Garnish with additional cinnamon sticks, if desired.

As I set out the other day in a quest to finish a long list of errands that have been piling up since last year (as they seem to do every year) I didn’t really make any plans for lunch that day. I knew that I would be pressed for time and figured that I would just stop at whatever place seemed like it might have something edible; little did I know I was about to stumble upon Dallas’s greatest burger house!

I’m completely smitten!

In a well willed effort to make it through one of my lists (I think I have around 200 of them) I rushed out the door that morning without taking time to eat breakfast. I was finally starting to make a small dent in what seemed like a titanic sized list of errands when the hunger from within forced me to my knees (similar to that of a professional wrestler).

As luck would have it I was forced off the road at the corner of 75 and Campbell to finish off one quick list item. As I pulled into the shopping center my stomach growled and I knew this would be the last errand I could complete before my stomach began to eat me from the inside out. I started to seek out a parking spot when I noticed a big white banner that read “Grand Opening!” and much to my surprise it was a new Twisted Root!

“How lucky was that?” I thought. I can grab something to eat and possibly knock out another burger review at the same time (I remember hearing from a friend who lived down town that I really needed to check Twisted Root out if I wanted to find the best burger in Dallas). The only problem with that is I live about an hour north of downtown and it’s a pain to trek all the way down there during a lunch hour. But this new one happens to only be 30 minutes from my house.

Little did I know that I was about to enter the greatest burger house ever created by man. Twisted Root is everything I think a true burger house should represent. It will be the gold standard to which all other burger serving establishments will be judged!

I am so in love with this place I don’t know where to start. When you walk in you immediately realize the owner’s sense of humor as they have written things like “Get your butt in here” written all over the walls. In addition to that, instead of handing you a number when you place your order, they hand you a little piece of paper with a name on it. Mine happened to be “Mr. Tambourine Man”; others included the likes of Bruce Wayne, Mr. Anderson, Homer Simpson and so on. It definitely gives the place a fun and friendly atmosphere.

The atmosphere however, is not the only thing that makes a great burger house, a great burger house. They have to have a burger menu that puts all others to shame. Twisted Root happens to have just that. Their menu contains burgers ranging from the normal hamburger and cheddar burger to the wildly exotic burgers such as Elk, Venison and Ostrich and the burger of my choice that fateful afternoon; The “REAL Buffalo Burger”. They even have a black bean burger (pictured below) for the vegetarian in your life or a Turkey Burger for those keeping to their New Year’s resolutions. My wife opted for the Black Bean Burger (for a healthier choice) which she said was equally as good.

Every burger is handmade to perfection. My real buffalo burger came perfectly cooked with all the toppings one would expect to find on a great burger. What I really love about this joint is they make everything from scratch, from the barbeque sauce to the ice cream to the root beer; it has all been made by hand.

When I took my first bite I damn near fell out of my chair it was so good. The real buffalo meat combined in perfect harmony with the fresh barbeque sauce and veggies to create the best burger I have ever tasted! So good in fact that this will be the burger I order when I’m on death row enjoying my last meal (not saying that I’m going to be on death row, but you know, if I was going to be, that would be what I would order). As if the great atmosphere, and awesome burger weren’t enough on their own, they also decided to switch up the way they do chips and fries. Instead of getting the traditional chip fair I opted for their sweet potato chips. They were perfect! Sweet and crispy with a great flavor structure to them.

I know this post is getting way long but I couldn’t really help it (like I said. “I’m Smitten”). In my final words I will say this, if it wasn’t for the fact that this place only exists 30 minutes to an hour from my house I would eat there damn near every day (No joke). So the only request I have is for Twisted Root to hurry it’s ass up to North Dallas because I’m getting hungry!