Home Cooking: Bourbon Glazed Carrots

Serious Eats is a generally somewhat pretentious and often boring national food blog that mostly posts items of little relevance to anyone outside of Los Angeles or New York, but I still check it because every once in a while I'll see a post that catches my eye.  A couple weeks ago that post was this recipe for bourbon glazed carrots.

I have to admit that even though I don't do much cooking at home (that area is usually The Girlfriend's purview) I was inspired by this recipe.  I mean for God sakes it has, and follow me closely here, BOURBON...GLAZE...and CARROTS.  Holy smokes!  What's not to love??  I mean we're taking fresh veggies here and roasting them and tossing them in butter, sugar and booze!  That's what food porn is all about.  Anthony Bourdain would be happy. 

I totally encourage you to try the recipe out, and feel free to take some liberties if you'd like.  For example baby carrots or cut large carrots work just as nicely as the spring carrots the recipe calls for.  Also, if you don't have smoked paprika in your pantry regular paprika works just fine.  Also take notice that there is bourbon in this recipe so the carrots will definitely have a hint of that flavor.  You can vary that based on how much you reduce the booze, but that flavor is what makes the dish in my opinion.  Enjoy!

• 1 1/2 pounds small spring carrots, tops trimmed, scrubbed but unpeeled
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
• kosher salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 cup bourbon
• 1/4 cup dark brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons butter, cut into chunks
• 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed orange juice
  

  Procedures

  1. Preheat oven to 375°F. Toss carrots in olive oil, smoked paprika, and a generous sprinkle of salt and black pepper. Roast for 30 minutes or until carrots are tender when pierced with a fork.
     
  2. While carrots are roasting, place bourbon in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Bring to a simmer and cook until bourbon is reduced by half, about 4 minutes. Add sugar, stirring to dissolve. Cook 2-3 more minutes, allowing sauce to thicken. Lower heat and stir in butter and orange juice until well combined. Season to taste with a pinch of salt. Keep sauce warm until carrots are done. Toss carrots in warm glaze and serve immediately.
     

Review: Yats

If you're into food there is probably at least one place that you can think of that all of your friends have told you to go to so many times you almost tuned it out.  Even if you're open to trying new places or new types of cuisine you might just get tired of hearing how good a place is.  For me that place was Yats.  I had heard the hype from almost everyone I knew, and I had read the hype out there on the interwebz.  Much like ESPN's coverage of almost any sporting event I was afraid that Yats had no hope of living up to its reputation.  I was wrong.

Etoufee

Maybe it has something to do with this being one of my first experiences with Cajun/Creole food.  Maybe it had something to do with the rock bottom price.  I don't know what the reason, but Yats really really made an impression on me.  Never had I gone into a restaurant with such elevated expectations and had every one of them met and exceeded.  As for the meal itself I had the Chili Cheese Etoufee with crawfish.  It consisted of very fresh tend pieces of crawfish mixed into a delicious creamy roux served over rice.  I don't remember having a dish where I thought the flavors were more spot on.  You could taste the chili spices, you could taste the seafood, you could taste the cheese but no one thing completely overpowered anything else.  A serving size at Yats is a healthy portion, but there is no doubt I could eat Rosie O'Donnell's weight in Chili Cheese Etoufee.  Also, if you think maybe Yats isn't for you because you aren't a fan of spice I promise if you get the etoufee you will not be bothered by any excess heat.

Drunken Chicken

The Drunken Chicken was likewise a masterful dish.  It consisted of pulled chicken, garlic, tomato puree, and red pepper.  Be forewarned this dish is much spicier than the etoufee, but The Girlfriend admitted that even though it was a little more spicy than she would normally go the flavors were so good it didn't matter.  I wholeheartedly agree.  Actually I agreed so much I ate her leftovers before she got the chance.  Sorry sweetheart.

Each dish at Yats is also served with two pieces of their French bread, and it could easily be a just a throwaway side item.  Not here.  Each piece is perfectly crunchy and crusty on the outside and soft inside.  Also, each piece is slathered with a magical spread that makes it extra special.  Next time I go I will take them up on their offer of paying 50 cents for extra bread.  I suggest you do the same.

A couple more notes FYIs you might want to have before making the trek to the restaurant:  1.  You want to make sure you get there early enough to make sure they aren't out of your favorite dish.  At Yats when their out of something it comes off the menu period.  2.  The menu varies from day to day to some degree.  The etoufee is one of their best sellers so that is one of the mainstays, but the other 5 or 6 items on the menu tend to rotate.  You can check their website for the daily menu before you head out.  3.  Don't expect any frills.  Your entrees are served on Styrofoam plates and you eat with plastic utensils, but if that gets in the way of enjoying the food you're probably reading the wrong blog.

Taste 10/10  I came in with high expectations and was still blown away. I am going to become a new frequent customer.
Value 10/10  Very few places with food that unique and that good are places that you can afford to go back to on a regular basis.  Yats is the exception.  Two sizable entrees with bread and two soft drinks ran us only 14 dollars total.  Incredible.  That's fast food pricing for fantastic food.

Big Mike's Cafe Americana

Even before I had this blog it was one of my hobbies to scour the internets or whatever other sources I could find in order to venture out and try some new restaurants and find good eats.  With my focus being on good food in scaled down less formal settings I think Big Mike's Cafe is place that fits both of these bills pretty nicely. 

Note: Portion size is larger than depicted.  We couldn't wait to dig in.

Big Mike's is a relatively new restaurant on the Indy scene.  They do breakfast, lunch and dinner every day out of their restaurant located in a little aged strip mall at 96th and College.  Their menu is somewhat varied.  Other bloggers in the city have reviewed their sandwiches and tenderloins, but I wanted to go to review what seemed like the main focus of the menu, Italian cuisine. 

When you arrive at the restaurant the first thing you will probably note is that it doesn't look like much from the outside and that it may be a little hard to find if you weren't looking for it specifically.  You may think differently, but I consider that a plus in my book.  A lot of places can draw you in with window dressing, but the focus on the food is what really matters.  The Girlfriend and I went in and sat down and were immediately warmly greeted by Chef Mike and the rest of the staff.  It was a nice touch that doesn't happen enough at other restaurants.  The Girlfriend and I looked over the menu and decided to go with an appetizer of the garlic cheese knots and the ravioli (her's) and lasagna (mine) dishes respectively.

Our garlic cheese knots were out in short order and we devoured them in a likewise fashion.  They were delicious.  They not only had a great garlic and parmesan cheese flavor, but the texture was soft and chewy.  I thought it was much better than breadsticks I've had elsewhere.  My entree was also quite delicious.  I was served a large portion of lasagna that was bubbling with melted cheese.  Everything about the dish tasted fresh right down to the mushrooms that were included in the dish which I found to be a welcome addition.  I appreciated that it wasn't just a dried out square of layered pasta like is served at some other Italian restaurants I've been to.  The Girlfriend thought likewise about her ravioli, and although I didn't taste it personally it was confirmed by the fact that she finished the sizable portion. 

So many Italian restaurants in this area often times try to be something they aren't.  A lot of Italian cooking is based on dishes that grandmothers would prepare for Sunday dinner.  I don't think it was always meant to be served in overly pretentious environments that charge upwards of 20 dollars or more for a plate of pasta, and I also don't think it was meant to be mass produced over-priced blech like they serve at Olive Garden either.  In my opinion Big Mike's strikes the right balance.  We will be going back with friends next time, and I plan on tackling their Chicago style pizza which I was jealous of as soon as I saw it come out of the kitchen destined for a couple at another table.  Even if it is a little out of the way for you go to Big Mike's Cafe and give them a shot.

Taste 8.5/10  The best Italian food I've had since I last went to Matteo's.  Nothing completely earth shattering here just the classics done well above average.

Value 8.5/10  The Girlfriend and I got out of here for a total of 33 bucks before tip and that included our 2 entrees, the garlic cheese knots and 2 sodas.  I'd say that's pretty damn good considering you'd probably pay more at Olive Garden and get something of far less quality.

Mini Rant: Soda prices at restaurants

Let me admit something up front.  I love pop, or soda or Coke.  Whatever you want to call it.  In it's various forms it is one of my absolute favorite things to drink.  I know it's not healthy or good for you in the slightest, but dammit I like it.  I've tried to cut back my overall consumption, but there are sometimes when the craving just hits and I can't help myself.  When it comes to fountain drinks my obsession is even worse.  My problem?  Why is it that when I go to the gas station and get a  large fountain drink it costs me a cool 69 cents or at McDonald's any size is a buck, but when I go to a restaurant and am served the exact same product it costs me almost 2 dollars more.  It doesn't seem like much, but a couple of 3 dollars sodas can bump up the price of a tab in a hurry.  If you say "Just drink water" I reject your premise out of hand because being that I like flavor and taste I don't always want water.  If you say "Well, the places need that to make money" I call BS again.  The cost per soda is pennies on the dollar.  When you're charging me 3 bucks for a Coke you're gouging me plain and simple.  There should be no difference in the price of a soda from one restaurant to the next if you're basing it on cost.  It's the same product.  There is no extra preparation or ingredients necessary.  You're just charging me more for it at a sit down restaurant because you can.  That's not right.  Are things going to change for us soda lovers in the future?  Probably not, but that doesn't mean I can't be pissy about the way things are today.  That's what America's all about...well that and monster truck rallies I'm pretty sure.

The Urbanspoon Indy Slot Machine

I saw this posted on the site of fellow food blogger Erin of Food Obessed In The Midwest and I wanted to make sure I shared it as well.  It's just a cool little widget from Urbanspoon that gives you random restaurant suggestions in the Indy area based on the criteria you select.  You can also make it totally random if you want by not locking in any of the criteria.  Enjoy

Indianapolis restaurants on Urbanspoon

Weekend Preview

This lady is "extreme couponing".  I'm not kidding.

I'm sorry it's been kind of a slow blogging week.  I had a little two day mini vacation this week and otherwise haven't really been amped up to write.  However, I do have 1 or 2 reviews in the works.  I just have to quit letting myself be distracted by well...everything.  As far as potential weekend eatings go I have to confess there really isn't much on the schedule.  I have a craving for Chinese food, but I'm not sure if I'll blog about it because I've covered the places that I like pretty thoroughly.  If you have any suggestions for Chinese or even some other type of cuisine as always send it my way.  Perhaps this will be the weekend that The Girlfriend and I finally venture down to Broadripple for some review worthy eats.  Then again the weather forecast is not looking good so it might be a more indoor stay close to home type of dining weekend.  Speaking of The Girlfriend I wanted to let you all know that she is a certified chef and culinary school graduate and she currently hot on the job trail.  If anyone knows of open cook or entry level chef positions in town shout it out in the comments.   A couple parting thoughts 1.  Make sure you always have fun and relax with friends or loved ones on the weekends or your days off and 2.  Please for the love of God never use "coupon" as a verb.

Image courtesy: realitytvmagazine

Sweet Treat Ben And Jerry's New Ice Cream Flavors

If you're reading this blog you're probably familiar with Ben and Jerry's ice cream and their tendency toward interesting new flavor combinations.  A little while ago The Girlfriend and I realized that we had a little bit of money left over on a Target gift card we got for Christmas and decided to use it to create our own Ben and Jerry's tasting menu.  The flavors we decided to go with?  Red Velvet Cake, Bonaroo Buzz, Creme Brulee, and Late Night Snack.

Right up front I want to say that without a doubt Late Night Snack was my favorite not only of the flavors we tried in this tasting but also of any Ben and Jerry's flavor I've ever had.  It is vanilla bean ice cream, caramel swirl, and fudge coated potato chip balls.  It sounds a little strange I know, but it was amazing how well all the flavors really worked together.  The salty chocolate of the potato chip pieces were the perfect complement to the incredibly sweet ice cream.  Nothing over powered anything else and yet I could taste each flavor individually.  Go to the store and pick some up tonight.

Bonaroo Buzz I was less enamored with.  The carton was clearly labeled coffee flavored ice cream, but the flavor profile of the coffee was overwhelmingly assertive.  I was also disappointed with the English toffee pieces that were included.  The toffee pieces were so big there was no way to incorporate them into one normal sized bite.  Overall I didn't find it very pleasing as a dessert.

The Red Velvet Cake could best be summed up with what you see is what you get.  The ice cream was cake flavored and slightly reddish pink with red velvet cake pieces mixed in.  So if you're like me and enjoy Ben and Jerry's because you like multiple flavors in one package then this isn't for you.  It was overwhelmingly one note.  The cake pieces offered a texture difference but that's about it.  If you're not expecting anything more you'll probably enjoy this more than I did.

Somewhat in the same vein was Creme Brulee.  The ice cream was a ridiculously over sweet custard ice cream with some sugar crystals mixed in.  To quote my man Homer J.  it wasn't undelicious, but it lacked anything to really make it special.  Also with it being so sweet it was hard to eat more than a couple bites at a time.  Also, I thought it was strange to call something brulee when there would really be no possible way to have any brulee aspect to this at all. 

The bottom line?  Even if some flavors aren't as big of a hit as others when it comes to Ben and Jerry's they are always interesting enough to try out.  If you have a different favorite flavor of ice cream or a flavor idea that would would like to see produced shout it out in ye olde comments section.