Raleigh’s Best Potato Skins

Posted on March 29, 2012 by kelleychisholm

Potato skins are one of my favorite bar foods. Traditional skins are usually filled with bacon and cheese (who can argue with that?) and maybe some green onions or chives, with sour cream on the side. I think the first ones I ever tired were at T.G.I. Fridays in the mid-80s, and I’ve been hooked ever since.

My favorite place to get potato skins in Raleigh used to be Crowley’s on Medlin Drive. I was thrilled when we bought our current house, which is less than two miles away from the restaurant. For me, these were the best skins in Raleigh for a couple of decades running. That is, until recently. The last couple of orders I’ve had have been pitiful – definitely not up to its old gold standard. This makes me so, so sad, but I decided to put on my big girl pants and find a worthy replacement or two. And I’m so glad I did, because I found several.

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Posted in Tools of the Trade | 3 Comments

Kel’s Reuben Paninis

Posted on March 21, 2012 by kelleychisholm

 

There’s just something about the combination of corned beef, rye bread and sauerkraut, and you’re either a lover (like me) or a hater (like my husband, Brad). He cannot stand sauerkraut, but that’s OK, there’s more for me! As I mentioned in my previous post on corned beef and cabbage, one of the reasons I like to cook a corned beef brisket is so I have leftovers to make other meals. As promised, here’s my recipe for Reuben paninis, which takes the classic deli sandwich and puts a slightly different twist on it by pressing it (I use my George Foreman grill that I’ve had forever – it works just as well as a panini press.)

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Posted in Meat and Poultry, Recipes | Tagged , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Kel’s Corned Beef Hash

Posted on March 19, 2012 by kelleychisholm

Got leftover corned beef? This time of the year, you just might. One great way to use those leftovers is to make this easy corned beef hash, which is great for breakfast or dinner. I like to cover mine with tomato slices and sharp cheddar cheese, but you may want to make yours a bit more traditional and top it off with a fried egg or two. Either way is delicious!

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Posted in Meat and Poultry, Recipes | Tagged , , , , , , | 8 Comments

Drink of the Month – Guinness (It’s Good for You, You Know)

Posted on March 17, 2012 by kelleychisholm

As you can tell from some of my recent posts and my plate, pictured above, from the Flying Saucer (that’s a future blog entry), Guinness is one of my favorite drinks in the world. Arthur Guinness started the St. James Gate Brewery in Dublin in 1759, so the brewery has had many, many years to get things right – especially the beer’s thick, creamy head, which comes from mixing the beer with nitrogen when poured.

You may be surprised that a 12 oz. Guinness Draught only has 125 calories. And according to the BBC News (2003), researchers believe that the “antioxidant compounds” in the Guinness, similar to those found in certain fruits and vegetables, are responsible for the health benefits because they slow down the deposit of harmful cholesterol on the artery walls (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/3266819.stm). Of course, the company that manufactures Guinness does not make “any medical claims” for its drinks. Whatever. I just like it because it tastes great, whether I’m drinking it or using it in some of my favorite recipes.

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Posted in Cocktails and Mocktails | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

Guinness and Chocolate Cupcakes with Kahlúa Frosting

Posted on March 15, 2012 by kelleychisholm

Here’s a great recipe that calls for beer in the cake batter. Beer in cake? That’s right – beer in cake. But not just any beer, oh no – this calls for Guinness, of course! If you’ve been reading my blog, especially recently, you have probably come to the conclusion that Guinness is one of my favorite beers. I like cooking with it almost as much as drinking it (check out my recipes for homemade Beer-cheese bread, Slow-cooker Irish stew, Shepherd’s pie and Corned beef and cabbage.)

I’ve decided to add dessert to my Guinness recipe collection with these scrumptious and moist Guinness and Chocolate Cupcakes with Kahlúa Frosting. The Guinness does not overpower the cake at all, but rather infuses a soft undertone of rich, full stout flavor and helps make the cake taste a little less sweet. This recipe is based on Nigella Lawson’s Chocolate Guinness Cake recipe, except hers calls for a different icing than the Kahlúa frosting I offer here, plus I add chocolate pudding mix to the batter for even more flavor and moistness.

My goodness, my Guinness! This is seriously good stuff! What a heavenly combination – the beer and chocolate gods are smiling.

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Posted in Cocktails and Mocktails, Desserts, Recipes | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Food of the Month, March 2012: Corned Beef

Posted on March 12, 2012 by kelleychisholm

It should be no surprise to anyone that March 17th – St. Patrick’s Day – is National Corned Beef and Cabbage Day. I love corned beef, especially for leftovers to use in Reuben sandwiches and paninis, or as a base for corned beef hash.

This year I decided to cook the brisket in Guinness (not only since it is good for you, but also because beer is a great tenderizer) and found this great recipe that called for coating the corned beef with brown sugar and then adding the beer. Why not, I thought. I decided to use my slow cooker instead of preparing it on the stove/oven as I usually do. Wow, simply wow. This was absolutely one of the most tender briskets I’ve ever made. The addition of the brown sugar not only gave the beef a great taste, but also enhanced the sweetness of the carrots.

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Posted in Meat and Poultry, Recipes, Slow Cooker | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 8 Comments

Kel’s Traditional Shepherd’s Pie

Posted on March 8, 2012 by kelleychisholm

As I mentioned in my post on Irish stew last week, I’m sharing a few recipes that you may want to consider making to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day. Today’s recipe is for Shepherd’s pie – one of my go to meals whenever I eat in an Irish restaurant. The combination of the ground lamb, gravy and mashed potatoes makes this a favorite comfort food, especially on a cold day.

This traditional shepherd’s pie calls for lamb, but you can substitute beef instead if you prefer (which technically changes the name of this dish to “cottage pie” in case you’re interested.) And the leftovers the next day are fantastic!

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Posted in Meat and Poultry, Recipes | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

Beer and Bites in Breckenridge

Posted on March 5, 2012 by kelleychisholm

We decided to take the kids skiing in Breckenridge, Colo., this year since they have steadily been improving from our past several trips to Snowshoe, WV. It works out great for me since I put up my skis about five years ago after being plowed down by a snow boarder – Breck just has much more to do in terms of shopping and eating and drinking. Which I did quite a bit of!

There were 15 of us who flew from Raleigh to take on Breckenridge during the Presidents’ Day holiday. The kids (six of them) had Monday and Tuesday off from school, so the timing was good, despite Breck not having much snow this year. They all had fun on the slopes anyway, and while they were skiing, I had fun going into town and trying out various beers, appetizers and more. So, here are some of my favorites that I suggest you check out if you get a chance to visit, whether you need refreshments when you come down from the slopes or after a hard day of shopping.

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Kel’s Incredible Irish Stew (Slow Cooker Version)

Posted on March 1, 2012 by kelleychisholm

Wow, I can’t believe it’s already March! Since St. Patrick’s Day is right around the corner, I’ll be sharing a few recipes over the next couple of weeks that you may want to use for your celebration of Ireland’s patron saint, which is usually characterized by parades, the wearing of the green, shamrocks and lots of drinking. If you drink, then you need to eat – I promise you will thank me the next day.

When I visited Ireland in the late 1990s my friend Lee and I loved to stop by little pubs and try out their wonderful soups and stews, not to mention the great bread that accompanied them. Pair that with a Guinness (because Guinness is good for you) and voilà – instant comfort food!

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Posted in Meat and Poultry, Recipes, Slow Cooker | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 7 Comments

Raleigh’s Best Meatball Subs

Posted on February 28, 2012 by kelleychisholm

In January I asked my readers where to find the best meatball subs in the Raleigh area (and congratulations again to Lee for winning a $25 gift card to Harris Teeter for responding!) Since then, I’ve been working my way through most of the suggestions (my mouth and tummy have been quite happy – my waistline – not so much.) Anyway, when I’m not in the mood to make my own (click here for the recipe for Kel’s spicy, saucy meatballs), I’m happy to visit any of these places for a great, tasty meatball sub. Just remember not to wear white.

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Posted in Restaurants | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments