Sunday, February 15, 2009
Little Tuna is one of my favorite BYOB’s in South Jersey. It is a seafood and steakhouse located in Haddonfield, N.J. Try and get a seat at the front of the restaurant overlooking Kings Highway to enjoy a great people watching view or take a seat outside on a nice day.
I would highly recommend the Blue Steak and Bacon Bite appetizer (filet tips stuffed with bleu cheese and wrapped in bacon, then broiled and served with a creamy horseradish sauce) or you can indulge in the Lobster Bisque. For your entree, if you are a seafood lover, try the Pan Seared Wasabi Tuna (served with a sesame ginger soy broth) or the Almond and Panko Encrusted Mahi (over sweet mashed potato and fruit salsa). Steak lovers have plenty of options to choose from. You can pick your filet and additions which include sauteed mushrooms, garlic butter shrimp, grilled chicken breast, broiled scallops and crab cake or have your filet blackened and stuffed with crabmeat.
The menu does not list their dessert items. I don’t think they make them in-house. They usually have a warm brownie and ice cream dessert that is every chocolate lover’s dream. I think they also offer some type of apple cobbler but I’m not positive because I have already tuned out after they mention the brownie dessert.
Service is always dependable. Dress is casual. Menu is moderately priced.
Sunday, February 15, 2009
I have tried many recipes for brownies. This is the best recipe by far. The funny thing is, it is not my favorite but everyone I have made it for raves about them. I prefer a brownie with a consistency more like cake and not fudge. If you love fudge you will love these brownies!
INGREDIENTS:
1 cup butter
2 1/4 cups sugar
1 1/4 cups Dutch-processed cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon salt (1 tsp if using unsalted butter)
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
4 large eggs
1 1/2 cups King Arthur unbleached all purpose flour
2 cups chocolate chips
1 teaspoon espresso powder
DIRECTIONS:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a 9×13 pan.
In a medium sized microwave-safe bowl or in a saucepan, melt the butter on low heat, then add the sugar and stir to combine. Return the mixture to the heat or microwave briefly, just until it’s hot but not bubbling. It will become shiny looking as you stir it. Heating the butter and sugar a second time will dissolve more of the sugar, which will yield a shiny top crust on your brownies.
Transfer the sugar mix to a mixing bowl. Stir in the cocoa, salt, baking powder, espresso powder and vanilla. Whisk the eggs, stirring until smooth; then add the flour and chips. Stir until well combined.
Spoon the batter into the prepared pan. Bake the brownies for 28-30 minutes, until a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean or with just a few crumbs clinging to it. The brownies should feel set both around the edges and in the center.
Remove from the oven, and after 5 minutes loosen the edges with a table knife, this will help prevent the brownies from sinking in the center as they cool.
Cool completely before cutting and serving.
Yields two dozen 2″ brownies.
Recipe from http://www.kingarthurflour.com
Saturday, February 14, 2009
My favorite chef has opened another fabulous restaurant. Chifa, located in Philly at 707 Chestnut, opened a few days ago. The menu is a hybrid of Peruvian and Cantonese cuisine. The layout is similar to Tinto with an upstairs dining area and lower level lounge.
As I would recommend with any Garces’ restaurant, order the chef’s tasting menu. Based on the meal I received, this place is perfect for the seafood lover. Unfortunately, my seafood palate is limited to a select few items that were not on the menu tonight.
For those like me, there were plenty of other options to chew on. By far my favorite item on the menu was the Pork Belly Buns. The menu lists it as grilled pork belly, hoisin glaze, pickled daikon (whatever that is) and carrot, and togarashi mayo – I just call it super-delicious.
Finish it off with the Banana Picarones and call it a great meal.
The service was attentive and fast, though I would have enjoyed more time between courses. That said, we never wanted for anything and never felt smothered.
The cost of the meal, plus a bottle of wine, can be expensive – the most expensive of the Garces’ restaurants. As they say, “you get what you pay for” and Jose Garces has yet to disappoint.
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