Journey Thru Lancaster - Part 2

I woke up at 6am the next morning to make sure I got to the Achenbach bakery before 8am. The bakery itself opened at 5:30am but I figured it must be for the early morning trucker crowd and then the rest of locales would get there before 9:30: making 8am the perfect time for Vicky. I had wanted to try Achenbachs famous “long john” donut  due to their fanatical devout fan base. What was the difference between a “long john” and a regular donut? Was it like a cruller with frosting on top of it? I was hoping it wasn’t, but didn’t expect too much.

I left the hotel around 7am, got there at 730 and grabbed one of the LAST peanut butter long johns left (they also had it in chocolate, vanilla, and vanilla coconut long johns but I just love peanut butter). That’s right, the bakery looked like it had already gone through their big rush by 7:30am. Apparently, in Lancaster, PA opening up at 5:30am is like opening up at 8:30am anywhere else in the country. This took some getting use to during our entire trip and I’m not entirely sure we did it successfully. I also grabbed a glazed pretzel since I was all too curious as to what that would taste like.  Before I go  into the cute little eatery next to Achenbachs bakery, let me tell you my thoughts on their “long john”. It didn’t taste anything like I thought it would - the dough was very yeasty and chewy and the frosting was more creamy and smooth than anything else. It was beyond delicious. I could have eat 12 of them in one sitting had I the desire to gain 15 lbs. The glazed pretzel however was a letdown. It just tasted like a regular glazed donut - nothing special or “pretzely”. If you go down to Lancaster, please indulge in a peanut butter long john. You wont regret it.

Now to the cute little eatery next door - the Home Place Family Restaurant. This is solely a breakfast/lunch spot (closes at 3pm) with great small town feel that I stumbled upon due to my constant need to pee. I sat and watched the servers as I waited for my breakfast and they knew EVERY customers name! The breakfast  - egg white omelet with broccoli and home fries - was of course delicious. I’m almost positive its the only place in the area where you can get a healthy breakfast too, so after you get your long john walk a few more steps and make a stop here too.

After breakfast, we made our way to the Nissley Vineyards and Winery in Bainbridge (about 30 minutes from our hotel). We went early to do their self-guided vineyard tour, the grounds were just lovely - although it was still a bit too early to see the vines in bloom. The tour was brief but fun - I enjoy being able to walk around the grounds without anyone bothering me. After the tour, we made our way to the tasting room to sample some of the wines and I have to say - if you love dessert wines, they make lovely ones. The Spicy Red is like a cold Glühwein, rich with spices(cloves, cinnamon & orange) and fragrance. Their Grapeful White (which won Silver at the 2010 PA Wine Awards) is a delightfully sweet, light bodied wine and intensely grapey. Although I found this wine delightful, my husband claimed it was “cloying” so make sure to steer clear if you aren’t a sweet wine person. I did not try their 2008 Chambourcin (which was suppose to be their best red) but bought a bottle of it for the husband. When we crack it open, I’ll let you know how it is.

We left the vineyards early due to a pending thunderstorm and drove over to Porkys Place (after a stop at the Biggest Shoe House in the world - not my choice). Typical hole-in-the-wall BBQ eatery that served only pulled pork and smoked chicken wings. I was really excited about trying the pulled pork sandwich but since we left in a hurry, I forgot to use any of the sauces they had on the countertop. But I brushed it off thinking I wouldn’t need it - WRONG. It was only after we got back to the hotel we realized the sauces left on the counter were the ONLY sauces for the pulled pork. So basically I was left with a dry, unseasoned pork sandwich. Terrific. Why wouldn’t you at least season the pork?? It was greatly disappointing to say the least. The smoked wings weren’t bad though, a little too smokey for my taste and a tad dry but still - much better than the pork.

My BBQ disappointment left me craving fresh produce, so we made our way to the Bird-In-Hand Farmers Market. I was hoping to grab a few pieces of fruit and maybe some cheese - a lighter dinner than the night before. Walking in was a bit of an overload, fresh produce stands, pretzel booths, bakery stands, meats, cheeses, jams and jellies everywhere, etc. We stopped at the Hummers Smoked Meat and Cheese booth and lo and behold: TURKEY JERKY! Jenny immediately ordered 1/4 lb. of  jerky and while we were walking around the market - ate the entire thing. It wasn’t more than 20 minutes until we were back ordering the jerky again - this time 1/2 lb. Upon leaving we looked at our bags and noticed we had purchased nearly a pound of turkey jerky, a pint of strawberries, several apples, some horseradish cheddar, a whoopie pie, and some small jars of Aunt Ruthies Amish mustard. Sadly, the 4 different varieties of mustard all tasted the same to me: like honey mustard. Why would all of them be so sweet? Disappointing.

Check back here tomorrow to read Journey Thru Lancaster - Part 3, where we’ll visit Downtown Lancaster, the 200 year old Central Market, and organic restaurant Carr’s.

The Eyeful

London is just one of those cities where a great dining experience can be just around the corner. Unfortunately, it is also like every major western city where around the corner you will find a fried chicken shack or a cup of really watered down Ethiopian coffee. In order to avoid such pitfalls of horrifying consumption you really have to keep your eyes and ears on the prowl for new and interesting places. While riding the No. 14 bus up Piccadilly Road, my eyes caught sight of one such place called Napket. After quickly googling their menu and noting their by line of ‘Snob Food’ I instantly Facebooked my friend with an invitation to join me for dinner.

The following week I met my friend on Piccadilly road for our arranged date at Napket. Alas our meeting point was the granddaddy of the macaron, Laduree, and given that I recently classified the macaron as the synthetic cousin of the cupcake my spirits were crackling like the fine underbelly fat of a roasting piglet. Luckily in entering Napket my spirits were lifted by the cool interior contrast of the black panelling and furnishing with the hanging silver chandeliers and exposed brick walls. In researching online I discovered that this eating area is referred to as the ‘living room’ with the ‘library’ room placed further inside the establishment for those intending to only consume beverages.

Having dotted on the unmistakably ‘wow factor’ ambiance I can get to the bread and meat of the matter. The ‘living room’ and the ‘library’ were both being attended to by the same two person waiting staff. Thus it was no surprise to us that we had quite a wait to place our order as well as to actually lay our taste buds upon it. However, the Eastern European staff was pleasant and a bit quirky. When we inquired about their bread (something the pantry by the entrance of Napket makes look very tempting) we were told ‘I’m sorry but the bread is still in the oven, would you mind waiting for when it is out?’ I believe the grimace on my face may have confused the waiter…

Eventually I was served my order of a French Onion soup with a gruyere crouton. It is debatable if this was a soup or rather a dish with an enormous piece of toasted brown bread with cheese submerged in a bit of broth. This visual technicality turned out to be only a nomenclatural technicality as this dish was indeed French Onion soup. It had that unmistakable caramelised onion flavour while the ‘crouton’ had the rich and heavy cream taste that is typical of a gruyere topping. I must admit, this rustic (check out the cast iron dish it was served in) interpretation of one of my all time favourite soups was mentally refreshing but physically far too satisfying. I believe the soup could have done with more broth and a smaller portion of ‘crouton’ as the overall package was a bit heavy. Having said that, if I was Bobby Brown and the soup was Whitney Houston, I would totally hit that bitch again and again.

Helena Maratheftis, my dining companion and photographer (she took the accompanying photos) had placed a far superior order to mine. Whilst I forgot the formal menu name it was a chicken casserole dish which I sampled and subsequently proclaimed divine. The chicken was absolutely perfectly, it was soft and tender with a light meaty after taste that indicated it was cooked lovingly in the ‘just right’ amount of herbs and spices. Having said that, I would like to caution the reader that I do not know the extent to which this review of the chicken dish was biased by the ‘BUT MOMMY I want what she has!’ syndrome.

Napket, it is a place to feast your eyes and share some intimate moments with your plus one or plus more. If you so should choose to go beyond the many cafe-esque beverages on offer in order to dine then be prepared to be spoiled. With home comfort foods gone professional, Napket more than satisfies the stringent demands of proper food snobs like us here at Love Food Love Me and does so at reasonable prices. If you are in London you are always welcome to treat me to a meal here.

Napket (Piccadilly), SnobFood Ltd
www.napket.com
5 Vigo Street, London
(44) 20 7734 4387

Love Food, Love Lipstick

 Remember those delicious Bonne Bell Lip Smackers you had as a kid? They came in scrumptious flavors like Dr. Pepper, Pink Lemonade, Strawberry, and were SO HARD to keep on your lips because they smelled so good! I’ve been feverishly looking for a grown-up equivalent for quite some time now and I think I’ve found it: Purple Labs Huge Lips, Skinny Hips.  

What’s the difference between a mind-blowing dish of pasta and an ordinary, run of the mill pasta plate? That’s right, it’s the ingredients. Besides the super-awesome-amazing scent and taste, Purple Lab puts some of the best ingredients around in their Huge Lips, Skinny Hips gloss. Here are a few of my favorites:

Meadowfoam oil: has a great ability to bind moisture to the skin -this helps to keep your lips soft and smooth

Lemon Peel Oil: every lip gloss/lip plumper has a bit of a sting to it but, the lemon oil gives an immediate cooling effect counteracting the sting - brillant!

Vitamin B3: stimulates blood flow to the lips, creating a super sexy pout. Its also been known to help treat migraines - who knew?

Orange Peel Extract: a natural metabolism booster AND may provide relief for occasional heartburn/acid indigestion

Hoodia: an extract from a cactus-ish plant (known as ‘cactiform’ since they are like but not related to cacti) that is indigenous to South Africa and Namibia. Studies have shown that Hoodia may be a natural appetite suppressant since it mimics the effects of sugar in your body to make you feel ‘full’.

If you read any of my blogs you know I tend to always be right smack in the middle of a battle with weight loss. A delicious lip gloss with a hint of Hoodia might be JUST what the doctor ordered for me. In fact, I KNOW it is.

Huge Lips Skinny Hips comes in four great shades: Clear as Crystal (No Panty Lines), Mauve Shimmer (Worship Kate), Pink Sheer (Kitty Pole Dance) and Sheer Red (Red Sole). Pick one and rock it - mines Worship Kate, what’s yours?

 

 

Diet Desserts I Love

I have always had weight issues  - ever since I was a pudgy 10 year old girl eating almost an entire bucket of KFC in the backseat of my parents car before we got it home for dinner (true story). I love food too much - flavors both sweet and savory. Here a few treats that help me get through the day when I am in serious snack mode.

1 - Weight Watcher’s Smart Ones Chocolate Eclair Frozen Food

These are amazing snacks. 3 points each and they are so tasty. If you love eclairs get these. The only problem is that I STILL haven’t figured out the right microwave temperature. At 25 seconds (recommended on the box) there are cold spots and at 30 seconds you burn your mouth on lava creme. I wish you better luck!

 

 

2 - No Pudge Brownies

Another chocolate item but a huge winner. Even my husband likes these moist brownies (and he is NOT a chocolate fan). The batter is super thick so don’t be alarmed if it seems WAY TOO THICK. I simply puree a pint or less of raspberries/strawberries and mix them into the wet brownie mix. It gives it a delicious berry kick and adds no fat. Want to add a scrumptious antioxidant kick? Mix in a tbs of powdered acai or 1/3 cup of acai juice

Not looking to reduce ALL the fat - add cream cheese instead of yogurt with a little bit of vanilla and soymilk.

3 - Weight Watchers Peanut Butter Cookies

These are a real cookie treat to munch on with a nice cup of lemon tea. I can’t normally stop at just 1 - but at least I feel better about having 2 of them. I also dont follow their expiration dates: there I said it! Only with this product though. I’ve eaten them even 3-4 weeks after the expiration date…don’t judge me!

4 - Orville Redenbacher’s 100 Calorie Smart Pop Mini Bags

These are great salty snack thats not going to break your diet. They aren’t really what I would call ‘jazzy’ but you can make them zippy with a handful of stuff in the house. Wanna make an Italian style popcorn? Mix together some pecorino/parmesean/locatelli (whatever you have in the house), oregano, and garlic powder and add  onto the popcorn. SINFUL!

5 - Frozen Bananas

So simple but this is a great summer treat. Freeze bananas in plastic bags wrapped in parchment (so they dont stick together). If you want to make them extra yummy - dip the bananas in sugar free chocolate sauce and then freeze flat on a parchment covered flat board/pan.

6 - South Beach Living Snack Bar Delights: Whipped BerryI don’t know how ‘New’ these are (at least the box tells me they’re new) but they are delicious!!! As a child I loved the

Dark Chocolate Roman Nougat in the Russell Stovers box (you know, that yummy cherry flavored nougat one with chopped nuts inside??) and this tastes exactly like it! Except this one is 100 calories and has 5 grams of protein. Hooray!

The Best of the Coffee Drink World

Coffee and I have always had a rocky relationship. We hang out everyday for months, spend way too much time together, then I get physically sick and we go our separate ways for a short period of time…but I cant stay away too long. Seriously, if I make a 6 cup pot of coffee – I’ll drink all 6 cups of it. The aftermath is disgusting but I just can’t help myself! This is why I’ve recently turned to coffee drinks – if I buy one, I drink one and have a much harder time overdosing. Here’s my review on the drinks I’ve tasted so far.

The Stars

The Chocolately One:
Nescafe Mocha – this is serious mocha ladies and gentlemen. It’s brew is strong, the liquid itself is thicker than most (but not unpleasant at all), and the chocolate taste is delightful. It’s not sugary chocolate mind you - this is semi-sweet cocoa. Mmmmmmm….

 I really like this drink but I’ve only seen it in Eastern European markets around my neighborhood. Am I wrong? Does anyone else see this in their local supermarket?

 
The Creamy One:
Starbucks Double Shot – this is cream central. It’s also one of the most caloric given the small dosage. However, if I want something small and super creamy I reach for one of these.

Another plus? It’s in just about EVERY supermarket and bodega. Thats what you get when Starbucks and Pepsi work on a joint venture.

 

 
The Perfect Combo:
Café Bustelo Café Con Leche – this is my favorite coffee drink by far. It’s not as watery as the Starbucks Iced Americano but its not heavy either. Known as the ‘poor mans gourmet coffee’, its’ creamy without being too milky and has a hint of sweetness. Who doesn’t love a nice café con leche??

 I find these in local bodegas in my neighborhood but that might be becuase Cafe Bustelo was started in NYC in the 20s.

 
The No-Frills One:
UCC Coffee - this one is light, sweet, and delicious. It’s a fantastic alternative to regular coffee because it doesn’t have any extras. No mocha, no heavy cream, no super sugary aftertaste: just a delicious iced coffee.

The only problem is this isn’t as easy to find - unless you’ve got a large Japanese population in your area. If you do - these will be everywhere!

 

 
The Organic One:
Adina Coffee Drinks – these are the organic green version of Starbucks Frappucinos – except without the cloying sugary aftertaste StarB tends to give you. They are all pretty delicious but the caramel is too sweet for my tastebuds…in fact, it doesn’t even taste like caramel. I suggest a do-over on that flavor Adina, think about it.

These are very popular in the organic market. Go to your local health food store

 

The Rest…

Dydo’s Demitasse: this drink has a pretty dark brew but it’s not half as pleasing as the Nescafe Mocha. In fact, one could say its super watery. Watery, dark, not milky, and not too sweet. Blech.

Then there’s the Starbucks Frappucino line, a total miss in my opinion. They dont even remotely resemble coffee.  Am I alone on this? Does anyone actually like these?

Coca -Cola is doing their best to compete with Pepsi’s Starbucks in 2 ventures: Caribou Coffee and Illy. Caribou’s iced drinks have been out for a while and are ok…but I rarely pick them up when I’m out buying. They are too dark for me with a real bitter aftertaste.

The latest partnership with Illy had better results - but then again they were working with Illy. The Illy Issimo coffee drinks have a much smooter aftertaste. The cappucino one has a delightful hint of chocolate but I have to admit I wanted more from an Illy canned coffee line which is why I cant put these in my ’stars’ category. Its like they arent even really trying here. C’mon Illy!

I love Moscato d’Asti

This is just about the best brunch wine you could ever have. Its light, its sparkling, its sweet (without being too sweet), and its not too expensive. Sometimes it can bee tricky to find a good one so here are a few of my favorites.

1 - La Spinetta, 2008, Moscato D’Asti Vigneto Biancospino

This is a Piedmont sparkling wine that has yellow/light green reflections. Its sweet without being ’sticky’ and contains grapefruit/peach undertones. It also has a very low alcohol content (5.5%) so you can literally drink the entire bottle without getting a headache.

 Average Price: $19.99

 

2 - Bricco del Sole, 2008 Moscato d’Asti

Another Piedmont, the Morando family has been making wine since the beginning of the 19th century. Since 70% of their production is Moscato you KNOW it’s gonna be good. I find this to be slightly sweeter than the La Spinetta but its not hheavy at all. Still really light. Also they are ORGANIC!! Honest  - its the truth. One of the best organic wines out there.

Average Price: $15.99

 

3 - Saracco, 2008 Moscato d’Asti

Golden in color, this wine’s flavor has been compared more to pears instead of the typical ‘peach’ taste. It also can have a jasmine fragrance and a little after tingle of candied fruits.

Average Price: $ 16.99

 

Whats the difference between Asti Spumante and Moscato d’Asti??

Asti Spumante is a straightforward  fully sparkling wine with sweet/fruity flavors. Its usually just enjoyable as a dessert wine.

Moscato d’Asti is a low-alohol, semi-sparkling wine with about half the carbonation of a typical sparkling wine, and is released very soon after the vintage to preserve its uniquely fresh character. It’s not as sweet, has a very complex perfume, and a vibrant acidity. Its low alcohol level and fresh/sweetness makes it perfect as a brunch wine or simply a ’sitting-by-the-pool’ wine.

NOTE: Moscato d’Asti’s are best within 2 years of the vintage in order to keep the ‘freshness’ alive.