Roasted Red Pepper, Goat Cheese, and Mushroom Pasta

Nothing like a 100 degree day to fill your belly with a heap of comfort food. This pasta dish was inspired by two different recipes discovered on Pinterest then combined and tweaked. (Ignore the squash.... that was going to be a side, but we opted for salad). This cheese sauce is very rich, and easy to make. You can use whatever pasta you want (we chose linguinette) and add the veggies or meat that makes you happy. I was content to go meatless tonight, as we had a pile of mushrooms, cheese, and garlic pulled straight from our yard last week. Tacked on a crispy side salad, topped with croutons made from last weekend's purchase of rustic Italian Bread from Enrico's Biscotti in Pittsburgh-- and bon apetit. This is going into high rotation for dinner.


Roasted Red Pepper, Mushroom & Goat Cheese Pasta

Yield: 2 large servings

Ingredients: 

2 Whole Red Bell Peppers- if you plan to roast your own red bell peppers
SHORTCUT: Use a 1/2 cup of jarred, roasted red peppers (or grab some from the closest grocery salad bar), coursely chopped, which is what I did tonight.

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 small shallot, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup (fat free) half & half- brought to room temperature
4 oz. goat cheese (plain or herbed is good too)
2/3 cup grated parigiano reggiano cheese
1/2 cup sliced mushrooms-- or artichoke hearts (optional)
1/2 lb. linguine, cooked to al dente
sprinkle of red pepper flakes or ground red pepper for kick
salt & pepper, to taste

Directions:
If roasting your red peppers: Preheat oven to 500 degrees. Place red peppers on baking sheet and bake 20-30 minutes until peppers are charred. Remove from oven and cover with foil 10 minutes. Uncover peppers, peel off skin and remove stem and seeds. Chop into large pieces. 

In a sauce pan, saute shallots in olive oil over medium heat for 3 minutes then add garlic, sauteing over for another 3 minutes. 

Stir in half & half, add goat cheese in bits. Stir until melted, add salt to taste, and keep warm over low heat.


In a separate frying pan, cook the mushrooms (or whatever additional veggies and meat you plan to include) in olive oil-- Mushrooms cook for about 5 minutes. 



Next, add the roasted red peppers (or take the shortcut and go for the jarred peppers. Mine contained caramelized onion, which lent a bit of sweetness to the to the sauce.)


Stir in Parmesan and salt to taste. When melted, puree sauce in a food processor, or with an immersion blender. 


Once fully blended, toss with cooked pasta and mushrooms. I used linguinette-- a skinnier version of linguine. 

Taste and adjust seasonings. Top with more Parmesan cheese (or not), pepper, and parsley (also from my garden)...

Happy Hens = Delicious Eggs

Having been chosen to participate in a crepe recipe challenge, we were given a month supply of AH.MA.ZING heirloom eggs from  Pete and Gerry's's organic egg farm in New Hampshire. When the gorgeous Marans and Ameraucana hen eggs showed up on my doorstep, I felt the need to actually taste them individually to see what the yolks look like and to determine if there is a flavor difference... 


Marans hens hail from the central-western coast of France near La Rochelle in the Poitou region and the pure breeds aren't the easiest to come by here in the States. Interestingly, during my travels around France, I have ventured very close to Marans, but wasn't aware the region is well-known for it's medium-sized, hearty chickens, popular for their show-bird qualities, chocolate brown eggs (reportedly the darkest in the world), and delicious meat.


Ameraucana hens originate in America, but are related to the South American Araucana (easter eggers). The breed is recognized as having eight different color birds and the hens lay a lovely shade of pale tinted green-blue eggs. They are a large breed chicken and therefore lay larger eggs. (Note: slight size difference in my pictures).

Pete and Gerry's organic farm birds are raised from one-day old chicks in cage free pullet barns. Adults are moved to cage-free barns, allowed to scratch around outdoors, and have fine egg-laying facilities (replete with curtains to cover the windows. Mama hen needs her privacy.). They roam and roost freely, while feeding on natural grains and pasturing on the grass. The farm is certified Humane by the Humane Farm Animal Care Program,who maintain rigorous standards and conduct annual inspections to ensure the welfare and humane treatment of the animals.


I decided to sacrifice one egg from each batch in order to see and taste any differences. The brown egg (on the right) had a darker yolk and slightly darker white, while the yolk from the green egg (left) was larger and lighter. Both eggs stayed firm and held their shape while frying, and the yolks were hearty. I fried them in light olive oil, then taste tested the yolks (which were bright and flavorful). The visual differences were obvious even when cooked, but my taste buds couldn't discriminate a difference in flavor. I can, however, say they taste definitively better than most commercial eggs out there (don't get me started on that!)-- which is, of course, due to the organic diet Pete and Gerry's chickens are fed, combined with their healthy living conditions. 

Happy hens = delicious eggs. 
And proof was in the pudding-- or should I say, on a lovely bit of baguette. 
This made for an eggcellent prelude to the impending crepe competition. 

A Most Egg-cellent Opportunity

I was selected by the Association of Food Bloggers for a crepe competition. We are provided a month worth of eggs by New Hampshire-based Pete and Gerry's organic egg farm and have to come up with an original crepe recipe by August 31. 

Today, a dozen of the most beautiful eggs showed up on my doorstep... six chocolatey brown Marans hen eggs and six pale, mint green Ameraucana eggs. The photo (taken with my phone) doesn't do justice to the pastel color of the eggs. These are fresh, organic, cage-free, Omega-3 eggs from hens that are Certified Humane.

I guess it's time to get cracking!

A Snapshot of Pittsburgh's Culinary Scene

I, along with five other members of media and tourism, was invited by the ever-gracious Kristin Mitchell of Visit Pittsburgh to attend a three day culinary and cultural tour of the city. Despite having family around the area, it's been more than 15 years since I have spent any time at all in Pittsburgh-proper. My partner in culinary curiosity, Genevieve Reiner, (I refrain from using the word crime, since she is a lawyer by day) was also invited to cover the food scene for her blog, Ham Sandwich Indicted. We took a "divide and conquer" approach. She is focusing on food and I on the cultural aspects. With that said, I still feel the need to share some of the foodie highlights from this media tour.  

Unfortunately, we did not eat at Conflict Kitchen at 124 S. Highland in East Liberty (a developing neighborhood just outside of downtown). It is open for lunch from 11:30-2:30-- and we rolled by at 10 AM. The current incarnation features a Cuban kitchen but has, in the past, served Iranian, Afghan, and Venezuelan cuisine. Their website explains it best: "Conflict Kitchen is a take-out restaurant that only serves cuisine from countries with which the United States is in conflict. The food is served out of a take-out style storefront that rotates identities every six months to highlight another country. Each iteration of the project is augmented by events, performances, and discussions that seek to expand the engagement the public has with the culture, politics, and issues at stake within the focus country." 

COOLEST CULINARY CONCEPT: Conflict Kitchen, East Liberty
Changing food window serving cuisine from countries with whom the US has conflict or embargoes.

COOLEST CULINARY CONCEPT: Conflict Kitchen, East Liberty
Changing food window serving cuisine from countries with whom the US has conflict or embargoes.

We spent most of the first day eating our way around the Strip District-- a one mile "strip of land" running east along the Allegheny River, encompassing a good ten blocks along Penn Avenue and Smallman Street. Historically speaking, the riverfront location made this prime property for early industrial development and it also is the site of our country's first steel mills. With the railroads came wholesale produce merchants, as products could be unloaded directly from the train into the warehouses. Today, the Strip remains a hub of wholesalers, markets, ethnic eateries, and independent restaurants. In my opinion, it is one the Pittsburgh's most interesting and eclectic neighborhoods. You will find a nice overview of the Strip's history and a self-guided walking tour on Neighbors In the Strip's website.

We took a walking tour of the neighborhood with a local foodie tour company, 'Burgh Bits and Bites. Corinne, our guide explained there are so many interesting places in the Strip, the guides usually have to pick and choose based on the time and day... but Wholey's Seafood Market is always in the mix (pronounced "wooly"). The city's premiere purveyor of seafood has been around since 1912... basically, if it's fish and you can't find it here, you can't find it anywhere. 

Wholey's Fish Market, Strip District

This place is a sensory overload: sights, sounds, smells (yes, some are a little fishy). Not only does the market offer fresh and frozen fish, live lobsters, and you-pick tilapia tanks, it carries the gamut of meat, fresh produce, pasta, and plenty of local products. The sushi doesn't get any fresher and the lobster rolls are loaded with meat and the perfect (minimal) amount of mayo. Locals claim the fish sandwich here is the best in town, but we didn't have one--- I guess that's one good reason to come back. Also, we learned Wholey is opening a sit-down restaurant a few blocks away... reason number two to return. In fact, I think I spied "R.L.W." at the restaurant site as we were passing by... his lovely monogrammed RLW shirt cuffs caught my eye.

Wholey's Fish Market, Strip District

Wholey's Fish Market, Strip District

Lobstah! Wholey's Fish Market, Strip District

Fish out your own tilapia- Wholey's Fish Market, Strip District

As a side note: I've heard Pittsburgh's oldest seafood shop Benkovitz Seafood Market, just a few blocks away, gives Wholey's a run for their money in the fish sandwich department. We did not make it to the store during our tour, but I'm going back another time for a throw-down.  

Street side produce stall, Strip District

Mancini's Bakery was started in 1926 as the McKees Rocks Bread Company. It is the "twist" bread that put Mancini's on the map, but the pepperoni rolls have quite the following in their Strip District shop. One of the most staggering facts about this company, is they operate 24 hours a day making 10,000 loaves of bread daily. This is to supply many of the local markets that carry their products, but also to stock their two other stores in McKees Rocks and Market Square in downtown Pittsburgh. The samples we were offered were fantastic. The gooey cheesy pepperoni roll was my favorite, with the multi-grain coming in a very close second.

Mancini's Italian Bread Co., Strip District

Mancini's Italian Bread Co.

Parma Sausage is the most unassuming of all storefronts in the Strip. Blink and you might miss the sign and entrance. Don't let the small storefront space fool you. This almost-fifth generation family-operated business has been around since 1954 and has approximately 3,000 hams drying in the aging room at any given time. Everything is hand made onsite, while all of their prosciutto is made using Berkshire pork primarily from Iowa farms. We sampled a most beautiful Lonzetta Cotta, a rosemary-seasoned, slow cooked ham along with a spicy, hot sopressata salami. Good thing we had a cooler in tow... we returned home with a haul of porcine products.

Parma Sausage, Strip District

Parma sausage case, Strip District

And then there's the Pennsylvania Macaroni Company established in 1902, making this the oldest operating shop in the Strip. You can find anything your Italian heart desires here, including 450+ types of world cheese-- and sometimes close to 500 when you count seasonal flavors.

Pa. Macaroni Co. Cheese Shop, Strip District  c. 1902

We wandered around gawking at the shelves of pasta, sauces, olive oils, spices, and Italian desserts, but there's nothing like a wall full of cheese to make a girl stop and catch her breath. (And I thought I wanted to kid-nap the cheese monger from La Laiterie in Providence, RI!!)

More than 450 Cheeses at the Pa. Macaroni Co., Strip District  

More than 450 Cheeses at the Pa. Macaroni Co., Strip District

Penn Mac's Carol Pascuzzi makes you feel right at home when she calls you "dear heart" and hands over a generous sample of whatever deliciousness she happens to be slicing... let's just say, she knows her cheese. We sampled a super milky, Greek graviere cheese followed by an unusual, firm cow milk cheese with an espresso-lavender rind-- appropriately named "Barely Buzzed." 

Pa. Macaroni Co. Cheese Shop, Strip District 

Espresso/lavender Cheese! Pa. Macaroni Co. Cheese Shop, Strip District

We did not have time to go into DeLuca's, but I have eaten here before. I agree with the sign this is the Best Breakfast in Town... not so much for the food, but definitely for the hustle and bustle of the atmosphere. It's a greasy spoon for sure, so don't expect healthy options-- unless you count dry, wheat toast. The more popular menu items are the breakfast burrito, blintzes, and hotcake sundaes (Yes, the pancakes come piled with ice cream and whipped cream). It's not unusual to see a line forming down the sidewalk on weekend mornings, but it is worth the wait. Sit in a booth, sit at the counter--- either way, you will have to be rolled out of here where you are finished.

De Luca's famous diner, Strip District

Enrico Biscotti is a small (and I mean teeny-tiny) store front shop that is piled to the ceiling with their famous biscotti and the pantry shelves stocked with loaves of bread. I imagine they hear this from time to time: "I am not a huge fan of biscotti, but these are exceptional!" which are my sentiments exactly. This is my vision of what biscotti should be.

Enrico's, Strip District

Enrico's Biscotti Shop, Strip District

These Italian cookies are huge, somewhat soft (albeit a bit crumbly, as they should be), and very, very, very good tasting. I had an apricot hazelnut biscotti, while Genevieve ordered the ginger. We shared, of course, and each were wonderful... but the biscotti got upstaged when we moved to the outdoor cafe portion of the bakery for a wine and macaroon tasting.  

Enrico's Biscotti Shop, Strip District

Enrico's Biscotti Shop, Strip District

After having been on a macaron pilgrimage in Paris last month, I had the traditional French-style macarons in mind when they told us were getting coconut, chocolate and almond flavors--- but the "other" type of macaroons arrived on a platter alongside a few bottles of wine which were made in house (as this is also Pittsburgh's first urban winery). The almond macaroon rocked my pastry world. Genevieve and I went to great pains not to miss a crumb... and returned to buy more before we headed out of town. They host bread making classes too, so expect to see Enrico's worked into my Wanderlust Tours culinary collection.

Macarons from Enrico's Biscotti Shop, Strip District

We popped briefly into Colangelo's, one of the Strip's newer cafe style bakeries for their signature mele-- a fruit filled, puffed pastry turnover. We didn't spend much time here, but the pasta, pizza, and salad driven cafe menu looks appealing enough to plan a future lunch--- and partake of another mele. I had the good fortune of coming home with my apricot mele and Genevieve's raspberry, so I happily ate them both. I believe these would have been stellar had we eaten them fresh the same day, but they held up very well for a few days in the refrigerator, so I wasn't disappointed. I'll be back...

Colangelo's Bakery, Strip District

Colangelo's signature Mele, Strip District

Working our way east through the Strip, we ended up at S&D Polish Deli for a pierogi break. In comparison to many of the other shops, this too is a newer storefront in the Strip- but apparently they are doing something right as they are regularly voted best Polish Deli in Pittsburgh-- and there are no shortage of those! These T-shirts made me giggle (and think of Marta). The store carries a whole spectrum of imported Polish products and serves pre-made homestyle Polish delicacies like stuffed cabbage and the pierogies we sampled. There are a few tables at which to enjoy your comfort food, while studying the deli case chock full of eastern European style meats, terrines, and cheese.

S&D Polish Deli, Strip District

A few doors over from the Polish Deli is Bar Marco, a historic fire station-turn-bar/restaurant/gallery. One of the owners, Bobby, served up a generous sampling of cava along with deep fried risotto balls and his signature cocktail-- a reposado tequila-based gimlet with muddled red bell pepper and lime cordial. Unexpectedly delicious. Just like their story... a few guys want to own a bar, so they fanangle loans and completely overhaul a beautiful building on their own. You should see the man cave in the basement.

Bobby pouring cava at Bar Marco, Strip District

Who wouldn't love to have a wood working shop downstairs, a bar and lounge on the ground floor, and an art gallery and bar on the upper levels?? In one word, their vision is "handcrafted"... in two words, it's "handcrafted" and "progressive."

Bar Marco, Strip District 

Everything here seems to be lovingly handcrafted: from the tables being made in house, to the farm-to-fork menu offerings and thoughtful cocktails. The fruits, vegetables, and herbs are locally grown and hand-muddled to order; even the sous chef undertakes urban foraging and makes his own knives, which he uses in the kitchen. Bar Marco is located next door to a farmer's market and the owners have grand plans of creating a community brick oven, and hosting a regular pop-up beer garden.

Hand crafted mixers at Bar Marco, Strip District

BEST COCKTAIL AWARD: Bar Marco, Strip District
Tequila Gimlet-- Reposado/ muddled red pepper/ lime cordial 

This was by far my favorite restaurant on our tour, and I look forward to visiting again soon to see how their venture is shaping up. Next time, I'll focus more on their menu, drinks, and art gallery, which features local artists, but overall Bar Marco is still a work in progress.

Bar Marco, Strip District 

Finally, there's "Our Lady of Hops", The Church Brew Works. This church-turn-micro-brewery restaurant is not located in the Strip District, but a few miles east on Penn Avenue in another gentrifying neighborhood, Lawrenceville. This is one of those destination restaurants that have been featured on television shows and everyone seems to know of it. In 1996, this 1878 church was rescued from demolition by a few entrepreneurial beer makers who lovingly restored the church and stained glass windows to its former glory.

Church Brew Works, Lawrenceville

You can smell the hops a'brewin' from the parking lot, which only reinforces the fact that beer is actually brewed right at the alter. Pews have been rearranged into booths, and the bar sprawls along one of the side aisles. The menu is approachable and while the food is good (rather basic offerings) the pierogies and pizzas take center stage. One usually has the choice of regular pierogies and a daily special pierogie and pizza, but why not just try the pierogie pizza and kill two birds with one stone.

Church Brew Works, Lawrenceville

Frankly, one comes here for the beer, which is quite memorable. We ordered a flight of 8 beers, which included the six regular and two seasonal flavors. My husband enjoys the award-winning, Celestial Gold German-Style Pilsner, so I picked up a six pack to take away. I prefer the Monk Dunkel Ale, but since I wasn't yet in beer mode (we came for lunch), I had an usually good bloody Mary. It had a deep, smokey, spicy flavor that hit the spot with the Greek salad. Overall, The Church Brew Works is certainly worth a visit for the enormous effort put into creating a unique dining experience-- and for their bloody good beer.

A flight of brews from The Church Brew Works, Lawrenceville

Church Brew Works, Lawrenceville

** All photos are by Shawnie Kelley Foy and remain the property of Wanderlust Tours. Please contact info@wanderlust-tours.com for permission to reprint. **

Vive La France!

Photo: Shawnie Kelley Foy

What better week than of the Tour de France to announce this blog will be taking a specifically "Frenchie" turn. While writing my forthcoming travel guide, 100 Places in France Every Woman Should Go, I have decided it best to stream line all of my efforts into Frenchifying my travel blog (A Serious Case of Wanderlust) and this food blog. From here out, expect a distinctly French undertone to all of my posts-- unless I am covering a food challenge, cookbook review, or recipe testing. 

We are very excited for the magnifique things to come...

Lemon-thyme Cupcakes with Blackberry Honey Glaze

I have been wanting to use the Vintage Bee Blackberry HoneyGenevieve and Todd brought back for us from NC and thought two-bite cupcakes would be a good way to showcase the honey both in the batter and glaze.  Not to mention, the beautiful blackberries picked straight from the bush...

For the Cupcakes:

1/4 cup (1/2 stick) softened unsalted butter

1 cup all-purpose flour

3/4 cup granulated sugar

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

pinch of salt

3 tablespoons dried thyme (or 1 teaspoon of fresh thyme leaves)

1/2 cup milk 

1 large egg

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1/2 tablespoon honey

For the Glaze:

1 1/2 cups powdered sugar

1 tablespoon Vintage Bee Blackberry Honey (or any flavor, really)

5 tablespoons heavy cream

dash of salt

Place a rack in the upper third of the oven and preheat oven to 325 degrees F.  Line a cupcake pan with paper or foil liners and set aside. I used minis.

Make the batter:  in the bowl of an electric stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream together butter, flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, pinch of salt, and chamomile leaves.  Mix on medium speed until the mixture is slightly coarse and sandy.  This takes about 5 minutes.

While the mixture beats, in a small bowl, whisk together milk, egg, and vanilla extract.

Pour half of the milk mixture into the flour mixture.  Beat until barely incorporated.  Pour in the remaining milk mixture, turn the mixer up to medium-high speed and beat for 1 minutes, until well blended.

Divide the batter between the 12 large prepared cupcake cups.  Fill half way.    

Bake the cupcakes for 17 to 20 minutes (or 12-14 mins for mini-cupcakes), or until a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean.  Remove from oven and let cool in the pan for 10 minutes.  Remove the cupcakes from the pan to cool completely before frosting.

Make the glaze: in a medium bowl, whisk together powdered sugar, honey, cream, and salt.  Whisk until smooth.  Use a butter knife (or my favorite--- a mini spatula) to spread the frosting on cooled cupcakes. 

Top with a blackberry. And devour.

Cakes last (wrapped) at room temperature for up to three days. Frozen un-frosted for 2 months.