With Thanksgiving right around the corner I wanted to post a little bit about the Thanksgiving holiday at The Gourmet Foodie Blog household. I love Thanksgiving! What food blogger in their right mind wouldn’t? I mean, who could wish for a holiday more focused on food then Thanksgiving itself?!?

I personally feel blessed as my family has a long standing tradition of getting the largest group of family and friends (all are welcome at our celebration) possible together for the holiday! An average Thanksgiving holiday will have 12 – 15 people minimum! With this many people in attendance leaving the cooking to one individual or couple would be utter insanity. So The Gourmet Foodie Blog family; (like many other large families I assume) have each couple (or individual) responsible for a dish. The dishes range from gourmet desserts, to secret family recipes that have been passed from one generation to the next.

For Jess and I we use this holiday as an opportunity to expose our family to some of our favorite recipes we have created over the course of the year. As I posted earlier this year one of my favorite recipes of all time was (*wait what*…Was?) lobster macaroni and cheese. Lobster macaroni and cheese is a great way to gourmet up a classic favorite. While many would feel that lobster macaroni and cheese couldn’t be improved upon…. I beg to differ…..

About two months ago Jess and I were enjoying this delectable dish when Jess had an epiphany. How much better would this be with pancetta?!?

“Pancetta?!?” I thought. You’re right! Who doesn’t love Pancetta?!? … Well the only people I can think of are those who don’t already love the flavor of bacon; but that is a sad bunch to begin with.

The idea had been thought of but the opportunity to try this recipe out had been lacking, until this weekend that was. My parents had been working their tails off out at the farm and have had little time to get out so Jess and I thought this would be the perfect opportunity to give this recipe a try! Well needless to say pancetta macaroni and cheese is a new favorite! So much so that we plan on bringing this gourmet macaroni and cheese to our Thanksgiving celebration so the whole family can get a taste! The Pancetta gives this dish just the right amount of saltiness to create an even more gourmet version of an already gourmet dish. While I’m somewhat disappointed that our gourmet pancetta lobster macaroni and cheese won’t be on the main stage of our event I am excited about the opportunity to share something I love with friends and family!

I hope everyone has a fantastic Thanksgiving from our table to yours!

Pancetta & Lobster Macaroni & Cheese Recipe

Ingredients:

2 seven ounce lobster tails or 1 lobster – room temperature, cut into small cunks
12 ounces pancetta diced
5 ounces unsalted butter
1 tablespoon water
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 1/4 cup heavy cream
1 1/4 cup whole milk
3 ounces Cheddar, shredded
3 ounces Fontina, shredded
3 ounces Gruyere, shredded
12 ounces macaroni pasta

Directions:

1. Cut the butter in to once ounce cubes. Place 4 ounces of butter in a small pot and melt slowly over low heat.
2. Add the lobster meat and cook for 5 -7 minutes or opaque in color. Claw meat will cook faster so make sure to check this after 3 – 4 minutes of cooking.
3. When cooked remove from heat and remove lobster meat. Set aside.
4. In a small pan cook the pancetta until slightly crispy.
5. Place a pot on high heat with heavily salted water for boiling the macaroni.
6. Melt 1 ounce butter in medium sized pot over medium/high heat. Add the flour and cook for about 2 minutes stirring constantly until the mixture browns and develops a nutty smell.
7. Stir in the heavy cream and bring to a boil. Add the milk and, again, bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook for 3 minutes.
8. While this is simmering your water should have reached a roaring boil. Add macaroni to your pot of boiling salted water.
9. When your cream sauce has simmered for 3 minutes slowly add the three cheeses, a handful at a time, and stir until fully incorporated.
10. When the pasta is fully cooked pour the pasta into a colander to drain off water. Place the pasta in a bowl and add the cheese sauce. Mix well. Fold in the cooked lobster meat and pancetta; serve immediately.

*Post Update* I have recently added another version of this gourmet macaroni and cheese recipe Gourmet Pancetta Lobster Macaroni & Cheese

I think it’s about time for me to give you one of my favorite recipes. It’s one that combines the two worlds in which I live; in a Martha Stewart meets everyone else sort of way. I think that there is this stigma about the world of gourmet cooking and the difficulty involved in its creation.

To me really “gourmet” cooking has more to do with the ingredients then the way in which the plate is decorated. While something can look elegant via photos it can also be something completely different when tasted. The Fancy Fast Food blog is a perfect example of this.

Fancy Fast Food blog takes every day fast food items and makes them look gourmet by changing the way in which they are presented. While the meal looks gourmet it really doesn’t taste that way! This is why I believe that ingredients play more of a crucial role in creating a gourmet meal then presentation. Now don’t get me wrong presentation does play an integral part in creating a meal it may not be the end all be all to the definition of gourmet cooking!

Lobster Macaroni and Cheese brings the best of both worlds together. While the presentation is seemingly that of an everyday meal the flavor and complexity is definitely gourmet!

This Lobster Macaroni and Cheese is my go to recipe when I feel like making a down home meal that still has the flavors and complexities of a truly gourmet creation. Not only is this meal delicious, Lobster Macaroni and Cheese is kid friendly too! To begin your lobster macaroni and cheese melt 4 oz of butter in a small pan over low heat.

When the butter has melted add your lobster and let cook for 5 – 7 minutes or until the lobster becomes opaque in color. I usually opt to go with two 7 oz lobster tails rather than use a whole lobster to avoid additional steps in preparation. You can use a full size lobster just make sure to extract the meat properly. * Remember claw meat will cook faster and will probably need to be extracted around the 3 – 4 minute mark. Remove the lobster from the butter when cooked and set aside. While this is cooking put a pot of heavily salted water on the stove to boil.

Now it’s time to create your sauce. Start by making a simple roux which is done by melting 1 oz of butter slowly on a medium/high heat. Once the butter has melted add a tablespoon of flower and stir constantly for about 2 minutes or until it begins to brown and give off a nutty smell. This is where you pour in your heavy cream.

Bring your cream to a boil and then add your milk. Bring this to a boil then reduce the heat and let it simmer for 3 minutes.

Your water should be boiling by now so it’s time to add your macaroni noodles. I choose to go with larger macaroni noodles as the larger openings in the pasta allow for larger amounts of cheesy sauce to be contained within each bite.

When your cream sauce has cooked for 3 minutes slowly add your cheese 1 handful at a time. Be sure to allow each handful to fully melt before adding the next handful to ensure that your sauce doesn’t become clumpy in the end.

Once your noodles have finished cooking and you have strained them combine your cheese sauce and noodles in a bowl. When they have been fully combined carefully fold in your lobster that was set aside earlier. You can serve it from this bowl or place each individuals serving in a ramekin with a small piece of lobster meat on top. Bon Appetit!

Lobster Macaroni & Cheese Recipe!

Ingredients:

2 seven ounce lobster tails or 1 lobster – room temperature, cut into small cunks
5 ounces unsalted butter
1 tablespoon water
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 1/4 cup heavy cream
1 1/4 cup whole milk
3 ounces Cheddar, shredded
3 ounces Fontina, shredded
3 ounces Gruyere, shredded
12 ounces macaroni pasta

Directions:

1. Cut the butter in to once ounce cubes. Place 4 ounces of butter in a small pot and melt slowly over low heat.
2. Add the lobster meat and cook for 5 -7 minutes or opaque in color. Claw meat will cook faster so make sure to check this after 3 – 4 minutes of cooking.
3. When cooked remove from heat and remove lobster meat. Set aside.
4. Place a pot on high heat with heavily salted water for boiling the macaroni.
5. Melt 1 ounce butter in medium sized pot over medium/high heat. Add the flour and cook for about 2 minutes stirring constantly until the mixture browns and develops a nutty smell.
6. Stir in the heavy cream and bring to a boil. Add the milk and, again, bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook for 3 minutes.
7. While this is simmering your water should have reached a roaring boil. Add macaroni to your pot of boiling salted water.
8. When your cream sauce has simmered for 3 minutes slowly add the three cheeses, a handful at a time, and stir until fully incorporated.
9. When the pasta is fully cooked pour the pasta into a colander to drain off water. Place the pasta in a bowl and add the cheese sauce. Mix well. Fold in the cooked lobster meat and serve immediately.

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.

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!

When the rain falls it pours here in Texas. During the rainy season I love nothing more then to peruse my cook books for a recipe that I have yet to make! I haven’t been able to make sense of it just yet, but there is just something I love about cooking while it is all doom and gloom outside.

Today’s recipe comes straight out of one of my favorite cook books; The Gourmet Cookbook by Ruth Reichl. Smorrebrod is Denmark’s famous open-faced sandwich on buttered dark rye bread and is typically eaten with a knife and fork. While the traditional Smorrebrod is topped with sild (pickled herrings); there are a number of combinations that have been created over time, including this one, which I feel has more of an American twist. It’s just what this rainy day called for! They look like they are not filling, but don’t be mistaken, these two little sandwiches kept me full until dinner. They would also make for a great appetizer at your next party!

Smoked Salmon Smorrebrod

Ingredients:

For Scrambled Eggs:

• 10 large eggs
• 2 ounces cream cheese, cut into pieces and softened
• Salt and white pepper
• 3tablespoons unsalted butter

For Assembling Sandwiches:

• ½ stick unsalted butter, softened
• 3 slices rye bread
• 2 cups thinly sliced seedless cucumber (usually plastic wrapped)
• ¾ cup finely chopped red bell pepper
• 1 pound thinly sliced smoked salmon
• 8 thin lemon slices

Directions:

Making the Scrambled Eggs:
Whisk together eggs, cream cheese, and salt and white pepper to taste in a bowl until cream cheese breaks up into very small pieces. Heat butter in a non stick pan over moderate heat until foam subsides. Add eggs and cook, stirring constantly, until just cooked through. Transfer to a plate and cool.

Making the Sandwiches:
Spread butter on bread and arrange cucumber slices, overlapping slightly, on top. Spoon eggs over cucumber and top with bell pepper, salmon, and lemon slices.

In that this is our first blog post, I wanted to welcome everyone (who actually found this website) to The Gourmet Foodie! Congratulations on being one of the few food crazed individuals lucky enough to stumble upon our website! The Gourmet Foodie website was create to share our passion and enthusiasm for everything food. Our ever so important goal in life here at The Gourmet Foodie is to bring the exciting world of gourmet and specialty food cooking to your home. We want to show you how with the right information gourmet cooking can be a fun and exciting adventure that can be enjoyed by everyone and isn’t nearly as scary as most people believe! Please join us as we navigate the fun and exciting world of gourmet cooking by giving you the information you crave to debunk the myths that surround the world of gourmet food.

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