stripmallgourmets

Barefoot Potato Salad

stripmallgourmets — Thu, 14 Jun 2012 13:39:31 +0000

This is the absolute best cook-out potato salad. (A 1/2 recipe feeds about 4.)

Ingredients -

3 pounds small white potatoes,
kosher salt,
1 cup mayonnaise,
1/4 cup buttermilk,
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard,
2 tablespoons whole-grain mustard,
1/2 cup chopped fresh dill,
freshly ground black pepper,
1/2 cup chopped celery,
1/2 cup chopped red onion

Place the potatoes and 2 tablespoons of salt in a large pot of water. Bring the water to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes, until the potatoes are barely tender when pierced with a knife. Drain the potatoes in a colander, then place the colander with the potatoes over the empty pot and cover with a clean, dry kitchen towel. Allow the potatoes to steam for 15 to 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a small bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, buttermilk, Dijon mustard, whole grain mustard, dill, 1 teaspoon of salt, and 1 teaspoon of pepper. Set aside.

When the potatoes are cool enough to handle, cut them in quarters or in half, depending on their size. Place the cut potatoes in a large bowl. While the potatoes are still warm, pour enough dressing over them to moisten. Add the celery and red onion, 2 teaspoons of salt and 1 teaspoon of pepper. Toss well, cover, and refrigerate for a few hours to allow the flavors to blend. Serve cold or at room temperature.

Recipe by: Ina Garten – Food Network

4 Rivers Smokehouse – Longwood

stripmallgourmets — Wed, 04 Apr 2012 02:05:03 +0000

We recently traveled over to Longwood to check out the newest 4 Rivers Smokehouse. We’re so grateful they built one in a strip mall for us. Since we live down the road from the tiny Winter Park branch we’re familiar with the long line of BBQ lovers that spills out into the street. Still, we were a bit surprised to find a similar crowd of patient patrons at the spacious Longwood location. Luckily the weather was great and the line moved surprisingly fast.

It was a challenge not to order the brisket and pulled pork sandwiches we know and love, but it was a new place that called for a new dish. We decided on the Six Shooter ($6.99) – aptly named for its six ingredients. The sight of this tower of cheese grits, pulled pork and coleslaw is a little shocking and you can’t help but feel a little embarrassed walking through the dining room with this heaping tray of food. But after the first bite, you forget all that. Who would have thought that piling up BBQ favorites one on top of the other and topping it all off with jalapeños would result in a fantastic dish?? It’s described on the menu as “the perfect blend of sweet and savory” and they nailed it: that’s exactly what it is.

We sampled a few other items for comparative purposes, of course. The brisket and turkey were smokey and terrific as always, and the chocolate cupcake from the Sweet Shop was quite literally perfect. Extremely moist and not nearly as sweet as it appeared; we may never eat cupcakes from a truck again. Our only complaint that day was that a couple of the sides we sampled were served cold, and a stone cold biscuit just won’t do.

In addition to the delectable items 4R offers in the restaurants, they offer some specialty items that can be ordered ahead of time. We highly recommend the Smoked Salmon. We’ve ordered it a number of times and enjoy it on salads and in quiche. It’s reasonably priced and consistently moist and flavorful.

#forkandtell

La Fuente – Havana, Cuba

stripmallgourmets — Fri, 23 Mar 2012 19:44:08 +0000

Lunch at La Fuente.

Tamarind Indian Cuisine – Winter Park

stripmallgourmets — Wed, 14 Mar 2012 23:24:21 +0000

Lunch, dinner, take-out… we’ve tried them all and each time Tamarind Indian Cuisine has offered up dishes packed with flavor.

The smaller lunch menu offers complete meals at great prices. The Thalis (plates…think Indian bento box) consist of a curry dish, rice, daal, chapati, and a simple salad. There are over a dozen options of these filling combinations. The spice and yogurt marinated chicken in the Tikka Masala was incredibly moist and the Navratan Korma was a rich assortment of vegetables served in a mild, creamy tomato based sauce.

During dinner, patrons are offered paper thin papadum served with the usual trio of chutneys: onion, mint, and tamarind. We chose the Hariyalo Tikka appetizer, and while these small potato patties were not visually impressive they were beautifully seasoned. For a dish that truly demonstrates Tamarind’s deft use of spices, the Mysore Masala Dosa is a good choice. This moderately spicy dosa is served with curry potatoes, a fragrant sambhar with large pieces of potatoes and eggplant, and a coconut cilantro chutney whose freshness rounded out the dish nicely. The Lamb Vindaloo also proved a terrific choice. Prepared a true medium, as requested, the tender chunks of lamb were served in a wonderfully deep red, vinegary sauce. Tamarind’s garlic naan was a treat, but we found the Kheer (rice pudding) a bit bland.

If you’re unfamiliar with Indian food, fear not, the Tamarind team is friendly and willing to answer any menu question.

#ForkandTell