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Bohemian Spa Wafers

February 22, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Pictured: Bohemian Spa Wafers Vanilla Flavor

It’s no secret that I do not like sweets.  The only exceptions to the rule are when they are absolutely decadent and/or they fall into childhood obsessions.  As a kid, I was the unusual one who would give away all of my Halloween candy, never wanted the cotton candy at the fair and frowned at the thought of eating one of my aunts famous candy apples.  Now some odd years later, I received a package that made me revisit my childhood.  Bohemian Spa Wafers arrived in the hazelnut, coconut, cinnamon and vanilla wafer flavors.

It’s funny because though I received the package and even further information on the company, it still did not click to me that these were like the wafers I had grown to love as a child until I opened the box and took my first bite.  Bohemian Spa Wafers are a long trek away from the Stauffer’s Strawberry Crème Wafers I had grown up on.  Light and flavorful without the grainy sugar rubbing against your molars which was typical of my old childhood treat, Bohemian Spa Wafers has given the wafer a drastic face lift.  I began munching on the Coconut flavor and a light bulb went off: these would make great snacks for my next get together.  Though they have that same sugar wafer flavor, they are the adult version of the old Stauffer’s suited for road trips with the family versus dinner parties with crab stuffed mushrooms.

Nostalgic and in a bit of a sugar haze, I began thinking of other ways to use these wafers.  Dessert toppers or beds for an added effect and a light snack alongside my morning coffee immediately came to mind.  For now, I’ll simply stick to the old school way: watching my favorite show while munching on my favorite snack.

Filed Under: Announcements, Food.Fun.Stuff., Product Review, sweets Tagged With: ,

Sweet Tea…Honest Tea

February 21, 2012 By 2 Comments

After living in North Carolina, it’s kind of hard not to like sweet tea.  It is everywhere.  The thing about my lifestyle in D.C., however, is that sweet tea is almost non-existent.  Try visiting a restaurant and saying you want some sweet tea, the waiter will promptly bring over the tea and the mini packets of Equal.  The challenge is not only finding it in restaurants but finding it in the grocery stores and markets around the area.  Now I’m talking about GOOD sweet tea…not that stuff that tastes like over processed powdered sugar.  When Honest Tea decided to liven up my Valentine’s Day with a bouquet of Sweet Tea, I was intrigued to see if it could muster the challenge of winning my sweet tea affection.

It did the trick.  The brewed tea flavor with a hint of sugar makes this tea a better candidate for my health concerns than other sweet teas I have had in the past.  Honest Tea’s brand is all about that: healthy, organic teas with plenty of flavor.  The tea does lack in some of the major characteristics of authentic Southern sweet tea with the recipe needing a tad more lemon and maybe tagging on some minty flavor to give it a more fresh appeal.  The key to good sweet tea is not simply pouring in tons of sugar, it is an art, if I do say so myself, that includes a nice balance of tea, sugar, lemon and mint.

Honest Tea does an excellent job at keeping buyers in the healthy zone and I am certainly glad they decided to play with sweet tea.  Really it’s not them who needs to change the recipe…I could simply fill my pitcher with their sweet tea, some ice cubes, a few slices of lemon and mint leaves and serve it up! Like the old saying says “fake it ‘til you make it”…Sweet tea anyone??

Filed Under: Announcements, Food.Fun.Stuff., non-alcoholic beverages, Product Review Tagged With: , , ,

World Tour: Taiwan

February 17, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Chef Hou's Beef Noodle Soup

Last night I had the honor of dining with Ambassador Jason C. Yuan over Spring Rolls, Seasoned Pickles, Sauteed Minced Beef and Caramel & Strawberry Mousse Cake.  The real reason we were all gathered at the Twin Oaks Estate on this Thursday night was to taste Chef Hou Chun-sheng’s winning recipe which was featured at the 2011 Taipei International Beef Noodle Soup Festival.  Chef Hou’s Beef Noodle Soup was created in Taiwan and is a popular street food on the island.  Tender slices of beef, green onions, homemade noodles, tomatoes and cilantro were some of the signature ingredients.

The thing about me and food is that I will cross the globe to try something that I simply saw on T.V. (*that’s how I ended up in China in 2008…).  After seeing the process first hand courtesy The Asia Society Washington and the Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office (TECRO) in the United States, I am convinced I need to make a trip to Taiwan.  That trip will have to wait, however, until I get another cheap flight from American Airlines to visit the foreign land.  Chef Hou may have come to the Nation’s Capitol to share his award winning recipe, but he made it clear that the way he makes the recipe in Taiwan was actually different.  Trip booked.  I need to know how!

Filed Under: Announcements, Food.Fun.Stuff., Travels, Various Cooking Styles, World Tour Tagged With: , ,

Brownie Confessions

February 16, 2012 By Leave a Comment

After taking in about a pound of lamb during one sitting, I surprised myself when I pulled out Naughty Bits Brownies and a tall glass of milk for dessert.  With names like “The Shiksa Brownie”, the “Cabana Banana Boy Brownie” and the “Living in Sin Brownie”, my temptation would not let me pass on dessert.   Out of the six flavors sitting on my counter, my taste tester and I chose the “Man Catcher” and the “Barista Bar”.  Alongside Moorenko’s Vanilla Ice Cream, I proceeded to my evening in a food coma.

The gourmet brownies are 2.75” x 2.75” with a consistent mix of cocoa, sugar, eggs, butter, flour, vanilla and salt.  Some are topped with dried bananas (“Cabana Banana Boy”), miniature peanut butter cups (“Living in Sin”) and wasabi (“The Geisha Girl”).  A skeptic to prepackaged baked sweet goods, I was delighted by the moisture and balance of sugar in these brownies.  They did not over compensate with tons of sugar and tacked on ingredients that can maintain a lengthy shelf life.

Since I voiced my opinion on being over the cupcake craze, Naughty Bits could have something here.  Imagine DC full of brownie shops with decadent ice cream toppers??  This would work.

Dibs on Naughty Bits Brownies:

*Gift box of 6 for $21, 12 for $41

*Order here (*they ship nationwide)

*Shelf Life: Kept at room temperature for one week, refrigerated for three weeks and frozen for three months.

Filed Under: Announcements, baked, finger-foods, Food.Fun.Stuff., Product Review, sweets, Washington D.C. Tagged With: , ,

Guest Review: Rogue 24 vs. Minibar

February 13, 2012 By 2 Comments

Rogue 24 Menu/Minibar's "Bloody Mary"

My readers are the best.  They come to me, ask me for suggestions and give me the feedback I need to stay abreast of what is loved and what needs a facelift.  One of my loyal readers recently visited Rogue 24 and shared with me their experience taking the opportunity to juxtapose it beside the comparable Minibar restaurant.  I had to share. Check it:

I LOVED Rogue 24—Even though it is about 35 more people than Minibar, it is a much better experience.

Why I like Rogue 24 over Minibar:

-Though Rogue has fewer courses than Minibar, Rogue still has more food

-Minibar seatings are 2 ½ hours, whereas Rogue is 3 ½ hours (more time to eat, digest and enjoy the company of the person you are with)

-Pairings were included in price and included two cocktails, beer, wine and champagne

-You could eat at your own pace. No one comes to your table with a plate unless your previous plate has been cleared.

-The seating arrangement is much more comfortable than Minibar—no putting my feet up on chair rungs or having my feet dangle.  The table (*for two) was about a ½ size larger than a café table which gave us plenty of room for all of our glasses (*and elbows ;-) )

-I could actually hear the description of what was being served to me. At my last visit to the Minibar, the restaurant was so noisy that half the time I could not hear what the chefs were describing to us and it was frustrating to continually ask them to repeat themselves.

-Getting the reservation:  Though Rogue currently has a two-part process for its reservation process, e.g. you have to pay through Gilt City and then take your Gilt City confirmation and make a reservation through City Eats, it really beats having to call at 10:00 a.m. every morning to get a reservation for 1-2 months out for the Minibar.

The only things I did not like:

-The music was too loud at certain points. If it were some type of Jazz—maybe that would have been OK, but this was some type of techno music that made me feel like I was in nightclub.  I think somebody may have complained because it seemed to only last for 30 minutes.

-It was drafty in the restaurant. Even after having several drinks, I was still a little chilly and had to keep my jacket on most of the night.  The wait staff, however, immediately offered me a pashmina which I declined. I am not the cold type and had on a long-sleeved thin knit shirt. Perhaps if I had worn a cashmere or wool sweater, I would have been fine.

*Prices $185 per person which includes pairings. (*Around $490 for two including tax and tip)

Officially *excited* for my visit to Rogue 24.

Rogue 24 on Urbanspoon

Filed Under: Food.Fun.Stuff., restaurant reviews, Washington D.C. Tagged With: , , , , ,
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