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Devour Downtown – Winterfest 2012

Richard — Sun, 08 Jan 2012 23:40:08 +0000

A heads-up on a really great event here in Indianapolis that begins tomorrow. Devour Downtown’s Winterfest 2012 runs from January 9th through the 22nd. It’s an opportunity to try one or several of the participating 56 downtown area restaurants that you have always wanted to go to…offering some of their favorite menu items at special reduced pricing. Here’s the list of restaurants with links to their menu offerings.

It’s the perfect antidote for cold weather cabin fever and the short winter days and long nights this time of year.

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Gardening for Fun

Richard — Tue, 13 Sep 2011 15:20:43 +0000

My garden area is very small compared to what a lot of people have. Just a couple raised beds. I don’t have the time to take care of a huge garden, but it’s nice to have some homegrown things and work in the dirt…therapeutic at times. The garden is on the downside and nearing the end of it’s harvest cycle, but still is giving up some items. I picked these today and the camera just happened to be sitting nearby. Some tomatoes, a few habanero, cayenne and jalapeno peppers…and some dill, oregano, rosemary and basil. I use a few of the fresh peppers but like to string and dry most of them to use later. Same thing with herbs. I use what I can when fresh, but end up drying most of them. The cost and quality are better than the grocery, but mainly it’s fun having the garden.

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Tomato Tsunami

Richard — Tue, 16 Aug 2011 21:34:45 +0000

The tomatoes are coming in. Big time. There are so many it’s impossible to keep up with the harvest lately. Besides the typical uses in salads or on sandwiches, I have even been having tomatoes for breakfast… well, brunch actually. Open face on a section of baguette sliced-lengthwise, skillet-toasted lightly with olive oil, and with slices of tomatoes and a little homemade dressing of the day. Sounds elaborate but it only takes a minute. And for dinners, often lately there’s a plate of sliced tomatoes with basil and fresh mozzarella with olive oil and balsamic vinegar. I made about 2 quarts of some incredibly spicy salsa the other day which is hard to stop dipping into. But there are more tomatoes now than when I started. I’ve been looking seriously at homemade ketchup recipes lately in order to use a bunch of them up. I’m running out of ideas.

I suppose it’s a good problem to have though. I’ll look back longingly at this in mid-January as I slice into a pale red, grainy store-bought tomato.

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Basilicious

Richard — Tue, 19 Jul 2011 01:39:10 +0000

The basil plants are thriving again this year in the garden. They don’t need that much care and hold up well even in hot weather and sun as long as they get some water now and then.

I remember when I didn’t care that much for it especially, but my tastes have evolved. Now I’m using it wherever I can while it’s in season. Like last night… Some fresh basil with slices of tomatoes and fresh mozzarella cheese, a little red onion and garlic, splashed with some extra virgin olive oil. It’s been warm so I’ve been trying to think of things that keeps the heat out of the kitchen inside. And something really heavy doesn’t sound very appealing. So a light, cool summer salad with crispy baguette…it’s a meal.

I smile every time I pass the fresh herb section at the grocery and look at the prices.

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Buca di Beppo Indianapolis

Richard — Thu, 14 Jul 2011 11:09:23 +0000

Buca di Beppo lets you feel like you are experiencing the warm hospitality of a local family run restaurant even though it is a franchised operation. This location at 35 N. Illinois St. is one of three here in the Indy and a wonderful fit in this section of downtown where quite few colorful restaurants have located.

Their name itself is distinctive and kind of fun just to say. Probably like a lot of people I was curious about it and so I asked once where it originated. As explained to me, Beppo is a shortened nickname for Giuseppe, and the name translated means Giuseppe’s Basement.

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What’s for Dessert?

Richard — Tue, 07 Jun 2011 23:49:33 +0000

I thought I better get a picture quick while its still in one piece. This won’t stay intact for much longer before large chunks start mysteriously disappearing one by one. It’s the latest creation at home. It’s sort of like a thin-crust apple pizza if you had to describe. Several layers of sweet pastry dough baked crispy on the bottom and around the edge. The apples are sweetened to medium-sweet, but tangy. Granny Smiths. I know this because I sampled some just after I took the photo. This obviously has nothing to do with Indy or real estate, but I haven’t done any posts in the cuisine category for a long time. And I thought “why not”.

Devour Downtown

Richard — Mon, 24 Jan 2011 01:41:49 +0000

For the next couple weeks, a number of really great downtown area restaurants will be offering special pricing and menu selections in this winters edition of Devour Downtown. The timing is perfect. Everyone’s got a touch of cabin fever from staying inside more than usual lately, right? There are definitely one or more of these restaurants that we’ve been wanting to try, and now is our chance. (all the details) Devour Downtown runs from Jan 24th – Feb 5th.

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Holding your breath

Richard — Sat, 15 Jan 2011 17:50:41 +0000

As a native Indianapolis and lifetime Indiana resident, I’m accustomed to and enjoy our climate cycles. Our weather is almost perfectly balanced. We get a bit of everything here. Winter is as long as the Summer, with Fall equal to Spring. Summer is moderately warm usually, but sometimes gets a little too hot. Temps in Winter are moderate usually, but sometimes it does get a little too cold. There’s enough of everything to appreciate the changes when they happen. January and February are the only two really consistently cold months. You just have to hold your breath for a couple months. Over before you know it. When the calendar flips over to March, then we made it…out the other side.

Backyard grilling is on hold now, and the Weber is hibernating as winter settles in. I have grilling capabilities inside but it doesn’t have quite the same taste and a lot harder to clean up afterwards, so I haven’t used that so far this Winter. Instead it’s time to get creative with the oven more than in warmer months. My favorite lately…a batch of chipotle chicken enchiladas. Pretty soon though, smoke will be rising again from ‘ol Blackie in the backyard.

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Receding Glacier

Summer Weekend Classic

Richard — Sat, 04 Sep 2010 19:47:58 +0000

The annual Ribfest is running this Labor Day weekend at Military Park. So as someone who spends a lot of time around the grill and a maker of BBQ sauces, I was driven at a primal level to go there. As I stepped away from the parking spot I found a few blocks away, I noticed the air was already scented with the smell of wood smoke and food, and the sound of rock music wafting in and echoing around the buildings. It just kept getting more intense the closer I got to the venue.

This is one of those gatherings of essential all-American components…Grills, Ribs and Rock’nRoll.

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Grilling Saga

Richard — Fri, 04 Jun 2010 15:44:21 +0000

As a long-time user and current owner of a Weber grill, I was more than interested in it’s namesake restaurant when it opened here a few years ago. I bought my first Weber about 35 years ago, and finally, after years of faithful service, rolled it out to the street on trash day last year. Sadly it had been on it’s last legs for the last 2 years…but I couldn’t part with ‘Ol Blackie. It had helped me prepare thousands of meals over the years and was like part of the family. But it was finally time.

My neighbor had a Weber that was 7-8 years old that they literally never used. It was an exact clone of mine in design. They kept it stored inside the garage and it still looked like it had just come new out of the box. Having witnessed the final demise of Blackie, they gave theirs to me, knowing that it would be well-utilized and cared for. So…Blackie lives on, in spirit. The universe is still in alignment.

I’ve heard good reviews about the Weber Grill restaurant. But I smile every time I go by there. I’m thinking…it seems like it’s totally backwards to go inside to eat something grilled. Isn’t that the whole point of having a grill?…cooking outside…on your own. It’s the connection with our ancestors, our heritage, who for hundreds of years, while this country of ours was being shaped, cooked over an open campfire. Grilling outside…one of the last bastions of true Americana.

My favorite thing from the grill? I can’t decide between these two. Grilled Salmon fillets…and grilled Quesadillas.