Foodie Friday – Hawkers Asian Street Fair in Orlando, FL

August 28, 2015 / Blu Owl Gypsy / Leave a comment

Eathawkers.com

1103 North Mills Avenue

Orlando, FL 32803

Hawker’s chefs select the best authentic street food recipes fro macross Asia to the table for you to experience.

Two Chrysanthemum Tea is great for the immune system.

Crispy Roast Pork “Siu Yoke” Seasoned tender pork belly, roasted to a crisp and served with a hoisin dipping sauce. This is like bacon on crack. It was hot and juicy and sinful. Total food porn moment. I will do 20 crunches when I get home as punishment.

Curry Duck Noodles A Southeast Asian favorite. Egg noodles, vegetables and roadt duck stir-fried in Hawker’s own curry recipe. The curry sauce is perfect. So perfect. I don’t know what else to say.

Foodie Friday – Oasis Mediterranean Deli & Grill in Cocoa, Florida

August 21, 2015August 21, 2015 / Blu Owl Gypsy / Leave a comment

Oasis is right on US1 in Cocoa near the Village.

513 South Cocoa Blvd. 321-433-9991

Salam & Ziad Abudallo are the owners.

I got the falafel pita wrap and he asked me the golden question that wins my heart every time: Do you want that spicy? Of course! It was delicious! I love that you can also purchase some grocery items that you cannot always find at your regular grocery store. I brought it in for the salon staff to try and they are now hooked. The falafel is a great option for vegetarians but they also have lamb and chicken if you don’t want to go meatless.

I brought the other half of my meal to the salon for everyone to try and they were incredibly impressed.

Pub Americana

August 14, 2015August 14, 2015 / Blu Owl Gypsy / Leave a comment

Pub Americana is a new establishment located in Cocoa Village where Ryan’s Pizza was previously located. It has a large menu with delicious selections and a very relaxing atmosphere and welcoming staff. I loved their goat cheese burger. The drinks were classic with a modern spin. I am very excited to have another place to visit here in the village.

Village Mule: Menage a Trios Vodka, Royal Jamacian Ginger Beer, fresh lime juice and fresh mint.

Margherita Pizzette: Fresh Mozzarella, fresh tomatoes, basil and garlic cream sauce.

Goat Cheese Burgers: Goat cheese, caramelized onions, provolone and lemon honey aoli.

Mediterranean Dip: Spinach, artichoke, parmigiano, tomatoes and spice.

Bahn Mi: Homemade pulled pork, pickled daikon, pickled carrots, jalapeños, cilantro and sriracha-honey aoili.

Aegean Pizzetta: Kalamata olives, artichokes, fresh arugula, goat cheese, tomatoes and homemade white sauce.

Arturo Alici the chef who created the menu.

Napoliana Floridiana: Crabmeat tossed in home early romulade, layered with avocado and mano on a crustino.

Foodie Friday – Orlando Food Trucks

August 7, 2015August 8, 2015 / Blu Owl Gypsy / Leave a comment

Tasty Tuesdays in Orlando’s Milk District was hot and muggy but the cold beers helped cool us down as we tried something from every truck! I was in heaven. They were crossing items off their menu as the night went on. I love the food truck culture and the blood, sweat and tears that goes into it. Please head to the Milk District on a Tuesday to support their food truck’s dreams.

Foodie Friday-Dinner with Friends

July 24, 2015July 24, 2015 / Blu Owl Gypsy / Leave a comment

I love having dinner parties and cooking for friends. Usually, Sundays are my designated casual dinner party day. I made my Caribbean-ish dinner because it is something different and feeds a crowd. I have a very rogue and go with the flow cooking style. A little bit of this, a little bit of that!

I lightly coated a large casserole dish with coconut oil and then placed chicken breasts in the dish. I drizzled a little bit of teriyaki over the chicken and applied a healthy amount of curry powder and jerk seasoning. After straining a can of crushed pineapple, I topped the chicken off with it and brown sugar. I baked it at 350 until the chicken was cooked all the way through and then broiled the last few minutes to give the pineapple a caramelized finish. Top it off with fresh cilantro and scallions and enjoy.

I had more people show up than expected and having a fear of not having enough for everyone, I opened my pantry for an episode of Chopped to whip up another side dish. I mixed hominy, corn, garlic seasoning, paprika, hot sauce, cream of chicken and topped with cheddar and baked it!

I always serve this dish with jasmine rice and black beans. I topped it with raw onions and mixed balsamic with lime and a hint of soy sauce and garlic seasoning to drizzle over the beans and rice. Definitely a hit and fairly easy and inexpensive to make.

Foodie Friday-Crush Eleven In Cocoa Village

July 17, 2015July 20, 2015 / Blu Owl Gypsy / Leave a comment

*Photo by Misti Blu

*Photo by Misti Blu

Crush Eleven, in Cocoa Village, is the sister restaurant of The Fat Snook in Cocoa Beach. This rustic restaurant offers a very urban and modern vibe with fresh, local food and creative handcrafted cocktails. Nathan is our favorite bartender, who takes his passion home with him and is constantly crafting new spirits. They have taken bartending to a whole new level by creating artisan cocktails with a mix of prohibition and farmers market flare. My favorite was the Scotch with the chamomile tea ice ball.

*Photo by Misti Blu

Next, we tried a fresh cucumber and aloe martini that was surprisingly delicious. It was fresh and crisp and went down very smooth. There were so many jars with fresh herbs and fruit for their many mixology needs.

*Photo by Misti Blu

*Photo by 360 Enable

We had an amazing platter featuring their Smoked Pork Terrine with a deconstructed pickle slaw and cheddar drop biscuit. The Fried Marcona Almonds are warm and coated in rosemary and sea salt. The platter also featured the Kale Chips with a sambal aoili. I love the fact that I can come here and switch up the normal burger and pizza routine with foodie options. If you have not been yet, they also have an amazing brunch! You can get banana pancakes with maple bacon brittle ice cream and salted caramel with a Patron XO Latte with a candied orange zest. Foodgasms!

*Photo by 360 Enable

*Photo by 360 Enable

Foodie Friday-Danni’s Easy 4 Ingredient Pignoli Cookies

July 10, 2015July 20, 2015 / Blu Owl Gypsy / Leave a comment

One of my earliest memories growing up on Long Island is going to the local bakery with my Pop and our weekly order of Sunday morning pastries and hard seeded rolls. Back then bakeries were the only place where you could get your baked goods. In fact, I remember when supermarkets started adding bakeries to their stores and turning my nose to it. Baking is an art form. At the time, I couldn’t imagine people wanting to skip the experience of entering a wonderland of beautiful baked creations and the aroma of fresh bread. My siblings and I would fight over who got to go with Pop because we all knew the girl behind the counter would sometimes sneak a cookie to small children. Normally it was plain butter cookies but one time I managed to score a Pignoli Cookie.

Pignoli (pine nut) cookies have a perfect balance of a crispy outside and a softer, chewy interior that I’ve long tried to replicate. One of my favorite recipes was from Martha Stewart’s Baking Handbook which involves A LOT of sugar. Not going to lie, it’s divine but hey, it’s Martha Friggin Stewart! Of course it’s perfection.

Though that recipe is wonderful and worth attempting, I wanted to share a simple 4 ingredient recipe that was quick and equally delicious. It presents as “special” and I often make it as a dessert for a dinner party because it goes so well with coffee or tea. This recipe only yields about a dozen cookies but you can double it with good results. The egg whites are what makes the cookies spread a little so if you enjoy a crispy thinner cookie go ahead an add the full 2 egg whites. Still delicious!

Preheat oven to 325
Place 2 oven racks in center and towards the top.

Almond paste 8oz carton
1 1/2 egg whites
2/3 cup sugar
1/4 c pignoli nuts

Cut the almond paste into smaller pieces, add sugar and blend well with a hand mixer or food processor. Add egg whites and blend. On a lightly greased or parchment lined baking sheet place a heaping tablespoon. You can use a bakery bag and star tip but It does not have to look perfect. Carefully cover each mound with pignoli nuts.

I was gathering ingredients for a more complicated recipe. Then thought why not just 4 ingredients!

Bake on the center rack for 10 then move to upper shelf for 7 minutes or when tops look golden brown. Allow to thoroughly cool.
Easy enough?
Tell us what you think!

Foodie Friday-Mug Cake

July 3, 2015July 20, 2015 / Blu Owl Gypsy / Leave a comment

My family has a wicked sweet tooth. Oh, and they are indiscriminate. If it’s sugary, they’ll eat it. I, however, am a little more discerning. I try to limit myself to once a week and small portions.
This is how I became obsessed with Microwavable Mug Cakes. Admittedly, it took a little while to find the right balance of ingredients, timing and containers that would create a moist, fluffy cake.
I usally use my Godiva superwide mug and cook for 2 minutes but I wanted to create something fun for the holiday.

For this, I needed an extra 15 seconds but set your timer for 2 minutes (since power varies) and take a look.

Chocolate Microwavable Mug Cake

1/4 cup Flour
5 tablespoons Sugar
2 tablespoons cocoa powder
1 egg
3 tablespoons milk
3 tablespoons oil
dash of Vanilla extract and salt

Stir ingredients in a LARGE mug. Microwave for about 2 minutes until puffed and done.

Allow to cool (or not!) add ice cream, whipped cream, and berries.

Enjoy!!!!

Foodie Friday-Grilling Tips from Murdocks Bistro

July 3, 2015July 20, 2015 / Blu Owl Gypsy / 2 Comments

It has been a busy work week! We finished the week off with a few cocktails and appetizers at Murdocks. They are pretty famous for their fried pickles and fried jalapeños. Great burgers too! With tomorrow being 4th of July, I snuck around back and asked the guys in the kitchen for some grilling tips:

Preheat your grill. Just like throwing a cake in the oven, you want to make sure it is hot and ready. Make sure you have your grill going for a good 15-20 minutes before you start grilling.
After the grill is preheated, grab your wire brush and scrape up any debris. This is the best time to clean your grill.
Coat your veggies in olive oil or coconut oil to prevent sticking or drying out.
Make sure you soak your skewer sticks in water for an hour prior to throwing kebobs on the grill.
When glazing or saucing your protein, wait until the last few minutes to avoid burning the glaze.
Let your steak rest for a few minutes after pulling it off the grill to allow the juices to absorb back into the meat.

I am going to test these tips out tonight! Chimichurri steak garnished with pierogis sautéed in bacon, onion and garlic with an avocado, cherry tomato and black bean salad. Wish me luck!

Foodie Friday-Fourth of July Sangria

July 3, 2015July 20, 2015 / Blu Owl Gypsy / Leave a comment

Fireworks, BBQs, and drinks with friends and family are our favorite ways to celebrate independence! It is hot out there and the best way to cool off is with a refreshing holiday inspired sangria. Ginger Beer has been very popular this year in Moscow Mules but why not find more uses for it? For my sangria, I used Pinot Grigio but of you prefer sweeter wines then I suggest a Moscato or Reisling. I noticed the Simply Juices were on sale and was inspired to use the Simply Blueberry Lemonade. For each glasss, fill with ice and fill halfway with wine and top it off with equal parts of the blueberry lemonade and ginger beer. I could not find any starfruit so I got crafty and cut out a star using honeydew melon. I garnished the cocktail with the melon, raspberry and a blueberry. So easy and refreshing!