Making Memories with Jarlsberg

This is my entry to the contest hosted by Jarlsberg USA to win a conference registration to Eat Write Retreat. I had a fabulous time last year and would love to attend again! However with a new baby, a new kitchen, and lot of other things going on it just isn't in the budget to go this year. I hope that you enjoy my post and that I am able to attend EWR12 thanks to Jarlsberg! 

Last year at this time I was signing myself up for my first food blogger conference - Eat Write Retreat. I didn't know anyone else going, but I was sold on the combination of location, workshops, hotel, and the promise of a fabulous weekend. Leading up to the conference I kept checking the attendee list and adding new people to my twitter list and 'meeting' my fellow conference attendees. May arrived and I boarded the plan with fellow Boston food-blogger Kimmy. We met up with Mike at the baggage claim and started our weekend adventure! A quick stop at the hotel and we were off to lunch with Meghan, Ethan, Isabelle, and more. It was like meeting up with old friends!

We spent the weekend building friendships, knowledge, skills and connections. Connections with like minded passionate bloggers, connections with experts, and connections with brands, and more.

Through the connections made at Eat Write Retreat, this month I was invited to participate in an online celebration to help introduce Jarlsberg's new cheese dip. To prepare for the post I picked up both the dip and a few wedges of classic Jarlsberg cheese. Being home on maternity leave, I had plenty of nap-time opportunities to create Jarlsberg inspired meals. Everything from breakfast...

Cheesy spinach omelet

to lunch...

Roast beef melt with Jarlsberg and spicy mustard

to snack time.

Jarlsberg slices with crackers

Plus the delicious dishes I created for the event "29 Ways to Leap into Jarlsberg Dip".

Thanks to Jarlsberg I will have tasty memories of beign home with my little guy in my new kitchen. As I head back to work and leave my little one at daycare, I hope that sneaking Jarlsberg into my lunchbag will remind me of the fun three months spent with the little guy, and the fun with friends that I had at Eat Write Retreat. Here's hoping that I'll be lucky enough to win a trip to Eat Write Retreat to create even more wonderful memories!

Vacation Eats: Montreal as Recommended by Friends

I missed blogging regularly while I was pregnant. Between the exhaustion of the first trimester, preparations in the second, class, and just regular activities in the third I didn't get a chance to post as much as I would have liked. So excuse the off-season post today. I realized that I never delivered on my promise to share our summer vacation eats in more detail.

Our first stop on vacation was Burlington, Vermont for the Vermont Cheesemaker's Festival and other delicious eats. I did manage to post about that (Vacation Eats: Burlington, Vermont)!

After our dairy extravaganza in Vermont we hit the road headed north. Just a few hours later we crossed the bridge and arrived on the island of Montreal. Did you know that it is on an island? We stayed right in the Old City. The location was perfect for squeezing in a lot in a short amount of time.

View from the top of Parc du Mont-Royal

Before heading to Montreal, I asked food friends for their tips on where to eat. As lovers of a good deli, we knew we wanted to sample the famous Montreal smoked meat and of course the bagels. Thanks to my Canadian friends I met at Eat, Write, Retreat and other food-loving pals we had a three page list of eateries to explore. Thanks to Ethan, Kimmy, Isabelle, Olga, Emily and others who sent along tips!

Our first food stop in town was Schwartz's for smoked meat. In the same location since 1928, it is a fixture in the Montreal food scene. Montreal smoked meat is brisket that has been seasoned, marinated, cured for a week (or more) and then hot smoked. Similar to corned beef or pastrami, but distinctly unique in texture and seasoning. We lined up outside the restaurant and waited for a spot for four at one of the long tables packed into the place. After a short wait, we squeezed into four cozy seats at the back of the energetic space. We ordered up sandwiches, pickles, coleslaw and some Cott's Black Cherry soda per Ethan's advice (and a Canada Dry...since we were in Canada...). The only disappointment is that they had already sold out of half-sour pickles for the day. We managed to get by with the regular kosher dills. 

The generous stack of smoked meat was sandwiched between thick cut rye with tangy yellow mustard. It was a perfect sandwich. We were satisfied and sufficiently stuffed for a nice walk over to the Parc du Mont-Royal. From there we walked through McGill University and down Rue St. Catherine and back to Old Montreal. I think we ended up walking about 4 miles - not bad for being four-months pregnant!

The next day we decided to do our Montreal bagel taste test. After all that walking we headed out in the car for our adventure. Montreal is known for bagels that are hand rolled, boiled in honey water, and cooked in a wood fired oven. This gives them the chewy texture and slightly sweet taste. The signature bagel is sesame. From my pre-trip polling I discovered that loyalties are divided when it comes to Montreal bagels. You're either a Fairmont or a St. Viateur. It was an even split between my sources.

Our first stop was The Original Fairmount Bagel Bakery. Claiming to be the first bagel in Montreal (opening up shop in 1919), there were high expectations. We tucked into the small shop lined with bagels from floor to ceiling. Behind the counter bagels were being hand-rolled at a remarkable speed before the cooking process. We ordered a half dozen sesame bagels along with a bagel & cream cheese each.

Our second stop was St-Viateur Bagel. St-Viateur opened up shop in 1957 and has been rolling out hot bagels non-stop! The shop was slightly more spacious, but still just a counter to order and take-away the goods. St-Viateur also has some bakery-cafes in other locations with seating and a more extensive menu. We were there for the bagels. The front window was lined with bags of flour waiting to be mixed, hand-rolled, boiled and baked off in a wood-fired oven. The speed of the hand rolling makes each bagel a unique shape as they are whipped together before the next step in the process. This location offered strictly bagels - packaged cream cheese was in a refrigerator case.

After sampling both, we had a favorite too. Something about the texture (they give your jaw a little workout), the hint of sweetness, the toasted sesame seeds, and the wood-fired crunch made St-Viateur the winner for us. After eating the half we purchased on our first trip we made a stop on our way out of town to stock up on more!

We had a fantastic trip to Montreal and look forward to going back! With such a long list of great places to eat (and see) we need a few more visits. Have you been to Montreal? Where did you eat? And are you a Fairmount or a St-Viateur?

Kitchen Play: Leap into February with Jarlsberg Dip

With an extra day to play in the kitchen this month, why not try something new? The lovely folks over at Kitchen Play and Jarlsberg cheese asked me to be a part of a leap year celebration - "29 Ways to Leap into Jarlsberg Dip".

I was introduced to Jarlsberg cheese at last year's Eat Write Retreat conference in Washington, D.C. (a fabulous event!) Jarlsberg was a sponsor and provided delicious samples at the cocktail party. Jarlsberg is a semi-soft, nutty Norwegian cheese. Have you tried it? Last May was my first time - delicious! It is a good addition to a cheese plate, great on sandwiches, melted in an omelet, and the list goes on. At the grocery store you can find it in the deli case (to order sliced) or in the specialty cheese case.

As you can tell from the title, Jarlsberg has a new dip that they are introducing! I'm excited to be the official kick-off post for "29 Ways to Leap into Jarlsberg Dip". Throughout the 29 days of February, Kitchen Play has enlisted bloggers to post recipes and serving ideas incorporating this new cheese dip. Jarlsberg dip is a nutty, flavorful combination of Jarlsberg cheese, real mayonnaise, and diced red onions. There are endless ways in which you could use the dip. I have two recipe ideas to start off the month of creative ideas!

My recipes may seem pretty basic - but they are flavorful! Perfect for watching the big game, a red carpet special before an awards show, or just a relaxing afternoon at home. I hope you enjoy!

Devilishly Delicious Jarlsberg Eggs
Makes 24 pieces

12 hard boiled eggs
1/2 - 3/4 cup Jarlsberg Dip
Salt and pepper
1-2 tablespoons finely diced pickles (bread & butter or kosher dill)

Note:  Start with a half a cup of Jarlsberg dip if you are using all of the yolks from the eggs. If you reduce the amount of eggs, add a little more dip to have enough to fill the eggs.

Slice the hard-boiled eggs in half lengthwise and carefully remove the yolks
In a medium bowl, mix the egg yolks with Jarlsberg dip
Taste and season with salt and pepper to your liking
Using a spoon (or pastry bag, or plastic bag with a corner snipped), fill the egg white halves with the 1-2 teaspoons of the yolk mixture
Sprinkle diced pickles on top
Enjoy!

Alternatively, you could spread some dip on toasted bread and pile on sliced hard-boiled eggs and pickles for a quicker lunch!

Tasty Turkey Roll-Ups

My grandmother makes an appetizer that I request for every party - corned beef roll-ups. I took her technique and swapped in turkey and Jarlsberg for a new party favorite!

Serving size varies depending on the size of cucumbers used. I used three mini-cucumbers here and cut each into 5-6 pieces.

Mini cucumbers or pickling cucumbers

Thick sliced deli turkey, preferably oven-roasted

Jarlsberg dip (slightly softened)

Tear off one 10"x10" piece of foil for each cucumber you plan to use

On one piece of foil lay out 1-2 slices of turkey (wide enough to cover the entire cucumber)

Gently spread dip on the turkey slices

Lay one cucumber across the slices

Roll up tightly and then wrap tightly with the foil

Repeat until all are made

Refrigerate for a minimum of 2 hours (these can be made a day or two ahead of serving)

To serve, unwrap and slice each roll into 1/4 inch slices

Place on a platter and serve

I hope that these recipes will inspire you to try something new! And you can win some Jarlsberg dip and other tasty goodies as part of the 29 Ways to Leap into Jarlsberg month! For all the details on how to enter, visit the Jarlsberg blog. Sounds delicious!

The giveaway will include a tailgate tote stocked with:
Jarlsberg Lite Cheese
Jarlsberg Cheese Dip
Snofrisk (a Norwegian style cream cheese)
Crispbreads
Honey crèmes
Honey vinegar

Disclaimer: I was provided with compensation to cover the cost of ingredients for these recipes. The folks over at Kitchen Play were kind enough to invite me to participate in this event with Jarlsberg cheese. My participation was voluntary and as usual, all opinions are my own. It's always fun to have a new ingredient to work with - and a little motivation to create a new recipe!

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New Year, New Baby, New Kitchen....Happy 2012!

Which will come first, the baby or the kitchen? That was the question I posed via twitter and facebook on Friday, December 9, 2011. At that point, the only thing cooking was the bun in the oven.

Five days until the due date!

The kitchen renovation was slowly approaching completion and the due date of December 14 was close. Well, the baby beat the kitchen! The little guy arrived two days early and we’ve spent the last six weeks as a family of three! The visitors are gone and we’re starting to figure out a daily routine of our own. Thankfully, the kitchen is also completed (minus a few finishing details). Even though I don’t have a lot of time to devote to cooking – I am trying to squeeze in as much as I have the time and energy for (babies are small, but exhausting).

So while I get in a little cooking (and hopefully blogging) in short windows of free time, here is a look at the kitchen renovation and completed look! We’re still waiting on the back splash and the molding. Those should be done in the next few weeks.

Our house was built in 1954 and had one owner before us. They redid the kitchen in the 70s, judging by the dishwasher that was here when we moved in. The kitchen was functional, but not really designed for the way we cook & live. Not nearly enough space for books, appliances, pantry items, and all my kitchen gadgets. And a pretty terrible floor too!

We asked my grandfather, an architect, to put together a kitchen design for us that had storage, counter space, and a functional layout for us. We also did not want to knock down any walls. So with those instructions he drew up a few options for us to consider. Once we settled on the design, we headed to pick out all of the cabinets and goodies to fill the space

Our style is what you might call transitional. We love arts & crafts and craftsman. I like the the look of the 50's (my idea for a diner look didn't make the cut). So we designed a look that works for us aesthetically and functionally. We've been enjoying it so far - and can't wait for the absolute final look!

Here are some views of the new space. The photography isn't my best work - but I'm doing in as much as I can when the little man naps!

New cabinets and relocated range

Real bookshelf! With a small fraction of my books.
The book selection will rotate!

Double oven for more cooking adventures

Now the trash and recycling are hidden - and a
normally useless corner cabinet is utilized.

Counter depth fridge

Open workspace!

Pantry & specialty sized storage

New hardwood floors - oak to match the rest of the house

Counters:
Material - Quartz
Color - Stellar Fire

Cabinets:
Wood: Cherry
Style: Mission

Hardware, Lights, and Faucet:
Oiled Bronze (almost black)

Appliances:
GE Profile double oven, counter depth fridge, and microwave

Happy 2012! Hope to be back here soon - all depends on how the little man naps :)

Terrier for Life: Making Lasting Connections (And Please fill out a brief survey!)

BU Hockey wins the 2009 National Championship

Back when I was deciding where to go to college, I sent away an application to Boston University (along with about seven other schools). I wanted to go somewhere where I didn't know everyone and where I could have a new experience. When it came time to pick a place, I figured why not try something new? So I packed up a car full of stuff and headed east from my suburban St. Louis home and landed in the heart of  Boston. I couldn't have imagined that 10 years after arriving on campus that I'd be back to BU as an employee. On my first day of work I ran into my first professor in the elevator and almost had a panic attack that I forgot my homework! Almost four years later I'm approaching my 10 year reunion and still heading into the School of Management everyday for work. I had a great experience as a student and am glad that I can continue my connection to BU. Coincidentally, this weekend is Alumni Reunion Weekend. While I'll be working for part of the weekend, I'll also put on my favorite scarlet & white BU shirt to cheer on the men's ice hockey team from our season ticket seats!

About a month ago I got an email from Lily Keung, a BU student in the School of Management, asking for help with a school project. In the junior year at the School of Management, students work in teams to develop a new product and build a business plan from scratch. I gladly agreed to take part in a focus group - not only was it a BU project, but it also had to do with a cooking product! After the focus group, Lily asked if I could help her team gather some feedback on their product. I hope that you'll take a few minutes to read below and fill out her team's survey. It's short, fun, and an interesting new product to consider!
________________________

Hi fellow foodies!

My name is Lily and I currently attend Boston University. As Juniors in the School of Management, we are working on a semester-long project that involves teams of students creating a new product and developing a formal business plan. A large portion of this project involves getting feedback from consumers of our product to refine our target market and overall marketing strategy. Our product is in the category of bakeware, and thus we are reaching out to all those who love to cook and bake! If you would just take a few minutes to fill out our online survey, we would really appreciate it. Please also pass it around to anyone who loves to cook and bake around you (relatives, roomies, etc)! Lastly, thank you to Lara for hosting us on her blog. BU Love!

Survey deadline is Tuesday, November 2.
http://bumanagement.qualtrics.com//SE/?SID=SV_6VfRadGbpytLw2g 

Please feel free to contact me with any questions/concerns!
Lily Keung
lily123@bu.edu


Go Terriers!

Boston Brunchers: The Cottage in Chestnut Hill

It was my second time going to a Boston Brunchers Brunch, so the deal I made with the wife was that to go, I had to write the post. As you can see, not only am I good at eating my wife's cooking, I am also good at procrastinating. Sometime last month, I joined my wife, Renee over at Eat.Live.Blog and about 17 others at The Cottage in Chestnut Hill for brunch. I was very interested in going because we previously had brunch at The Cottage's other locations. The one in La Jolla, CA and the one in Wellesley. I was anxious to go to the one in Chestnut Hill because we heard they had changed their menu to be more like their California offerings. We had such a fabulous meal in La Jolla, that we were disappointed that on our trip to Wellesley we couldn't find the same menu items. [editor's note: we went to the Wellesley location right when they opened and they did not have a full brunch menu]

The restaurant was well furnished and the abundance of beadboard made me feel like I was in a very well decorated and maintained cottage. So that made sense to me! Off the top, let me just say that everything was fantastic. I was immediately comfortable in my seat, the wait staff was very attentive, and the atmosphere was perfect for a Sunday brunch. The owner and chef came out and explained the menu and the talk around the table was that the mashed potato omelet was one of a kind. The promise of mashed potatoes made my ordering easy and when I told the waitress what I would like, her reaction was truly unique. I've never had a waitress show such genuine excitement over something I ordered. I knew I had made the right choice.

 I forget what the wife ordered, but I think it was an omelet with a whole bunch of guacamole. It looked really good too. [editor's note: I ordered the Southern California Special omelet]

The wife's Southern California Special omelet

When the food arrived I was pleasantly surprised to find that on the side of my mashed potato omelet was a fruit cup. I thought this was great. I already had plenty of potatoes in the omelet so why would I want the typical hash brown side?

That they adjusted their offerings showed that they were putting a lot of thought into what they were sending out. Needless to say, the omelet was fantastic. I had to slow myself down so I didn't inhale it in seconds. What helped divert my attention was the complimentary scone that also came with my dish. It was fluffy, flavorful, and had little sugar crystals on top.

There was nothing to complain about, it really was a nice meal. To top it all off, a fellow bruncher ordered some French toast stuffed with strawberries and marscapone for the table and I was able to try a slice. I consider myself a bit of a French toast connoisseur, and I can say that this was right up there with the best I've had.

All in all, it was a great brunching experience. It made me feel, if only for an hour or two, that I was back near the Pacific Ocean, feeling the sea breeze come off the water as the sun warmed my skin. Not a bad feeling when in reality I was only looking out at Rt. 9 in Newton. The next time we are going out to brunch, we'll be sure to think of The Cottage so that we can, if only briefly, escape to some sun and fine California flavors.

Truffle tater tots to start

[Editor's note: The Cottage provided us with complementary brunch, coffee, and juice. We paid for tip. Also, The Cottage opens at 9am for brunch - perfect for those of us who get hungry a lot earlier than 11 am!]

What's Cooking

Kitchen and bathroom renovation are in full swing! That means we have set up a temporary kitchen in our dining room. Combined with a busy schedule, cooking has been interesting. There has been a lot of toasting, microwave eggs, frozen soup from our freezer, and cereal. We have done really well with not ordering takeout during the week. By the time we get home we just want to eat, not wait for takeout to arrive. Weekends we tend to go out for breakfast and dinner - but that is usually because we are out running errands related to the renovations or starting to prepare for our other new addition.

So far we've put the toaster and microwave to the most use. Not wanting to leave out any appliances - this week I put the waffle iron and slow cooker to work for us.

First up, turkey and cheddar melts! This is where the waffle iron came in handy. I assembled some roasted turkey from the grocery store and a thick slice of cheddar on whole wheat bread. After the waffle iron heated up I added in the sandwich, closed the lid and waited for the 'ready' alarm.

After 2 flips and cooking cycles the sandwiches were toasty and ready to go!

I am already thinking up more delicious sandwiches - pressed PB & Banana (with Dark Chocolate Dreams PB),  goat cheese and fig spread - the possibilities are endless!

Next up in our remote cooking adventures is a slow cooked brisket. I modified an recipe I've used in the past. Using what I had on hand, I modified the recipe and technique. I turned the slow-cooker to high and as I sliced onions I added them in to the pot. That allowed them to heat & sweat a little before I added the rest of the ingredients. My idea was to brown the onions and maybe sear the brisket, but the slow-cooker wasn't quite hot enough for that. Even without browning, the brisket came out fall-apart tender and the vegetables were cooked perfectly. Thankfully the 3.5 pound brisket will feed us most of the week!

Slow-Cooker Brisket
3.5 pound brisket, fat trimmed
Dry mustard powder - about 2 tablespoons
Celery salt - about 1 tablespoon
Ground black pepper - about 1 teaspoon
1 medium vidalia onion, cut into 1/4 inch rings
1/2 pound baby carrots
6 small red potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/4 inch thick rounds
Soy sauce - 3-4 tablespoons
Worcestershire sauce - 2 tablespoons
Beef broth
Ketchup

Heat 6-quart slow cooker on high heat
Add sliced onions and allow to cook
While onions are cooking, rub brisket with mustard power, celery salt, and ground pepper
Allow brisket to rest while you peel and slice potatoes
Remove onions from the slow cooker and set aside
Line the bottom of the slow cooker with potato slices
Add brisket on top of the potatoes
Next, layer on the onions then carrots
Add soy sauce, Worcestershire, and enough beef broth to fill the slow cooker about halfway (too much & it will boil over)
Squeeze ketchup on top of carrots
Place the lid on and cook on high for 6 hours
When finished cooking, put brisket and vegetables in one container and the sauce into a separate container
Refrigerate overnight
Before serving, scrape any accumulated fat off the juice

Next up for the slow cooker - spicy turkey and kidney bean chili. And then a cinnamon applesauce made with local Massachusetts honey crisp apples.

Do you have a favorite microwave or slow-cooker recipe that doesn't require a lot of prep work? We've got a few more weeks of creative cooking and could use some ideas!

I'll leave you with a look at the kitchen in progress. Today the electrician came to start wiring for all of our new outlets, switches, and appliances. No more cords across the kitchen!

And here's a look from the kitchen into the bathroom. Next up this week, putting in the tub and the bathroom walls. Next week - tiling the bathroom floor and shower/tub area.

We still have a few more things to pick out - kitchen faucet, cabinet hardware, light fixtures, and outlet covers. There are so many choices!!!

L'Shana Tova - Here's to another great year!

It's that time of year again - time to reflect on the past year and prepare for the next! Tonight brings the start of Rosh Hashana and as we move into the year 5772 there is a lot to celebrate.

While things posts might not have been appearing as frequently on the blog, it's been a busy summer and fall at Good Cook Doris. After taking a few classes and then applying, I was officially accepted into the Master of Liberal Arts in Gastronomy program at Boston University. This fall I'm taking my first class as an official student - Culture and Cuisine of New England. I'm excited to find out what New England cuisine is (if there is such a thing!).

This summer we also took a food-filled vacation to Vermont, Montreal and Maine for my mom's birthday (more posts to come soon).

There were trips to farmers markets, Sunday trips to the icy cold waters of the Atlantic, a trip home to St. Louis for a delicious visit, and two meat-filled summer cookouts with our new smoker.

The fall has brought even more excitement! We are in the midst of a total kitchen and bathroom renovation. We've taken everything out and are preparing to put in our new cabinets, floors, appliances and more! The progress is being documented and I will post progress reports as we go along. Here is a look at the Good Cook Doris kitchen that I've been cooking in for the past five years.

Here's a look at what is underneath!

And last, but probably most exciting about the upcoming year is another new addition coming to the Good Cook Doris kitchen.

If the picture doesn't give it away, in December the hubby and I will be welcoming a new member to the Good Cook Doris team! We are waiting for the arrival to find out if the newest addition will be a boy or girl. Either way, we expect (and hope) that the little one will share our love for food and cooking!

While we are microwaving and slow-cooking in our makeshift kitchen, stay tuned for more vacation eats, take-out tips, and some reposts of some fall favorites!

To celebrate the new year, here are a few fall posts for you to enjoy. L'Shana Tova!

Apple Kugel Muffins

Cranberry Apple Fritters (for Local in Season)

Will Drive For Food: A Fall Food Adventure

Kosher with a Kick: Pick up Kosher Wines at the Urban Grape

L'shana Tova to those of you celebrating!