World Tour: American Classic

Warmer weather always reminds me of spending hot summer days in New York with my aunts and experiencing the simple joys of street vendor food, and it also makes me think of my summer favorites – most notably, hot dogs! Whether you’ll be boarding a flight to New York or cashing in your United Airlines points to go to Chicago, headed out west to L.A. or even if you head down my way to North Carolina, you find a different, mouth-watering version of the American Classic – hot dogs.

As a true Carolina girl, my order for a hot dog usually goes a little something like “all the way, no onion” which in North Carolina, means a dog served up with chili, slaw, mustard [without the usual addition of onions].

©JohnnaKnowsGoodFood

What place serves up your favorite hot dog?

 

World Tour: The Road to New Orleans Pt. II

The NCAA Division-I Men’s Basketball Final Four is now underway (and to my great disappointment, without the presence of the North Carolina Tar Heels), and everyone is preparing for the big showdown in New Orleans. I thought that I would have the opportunity to attend the big dance, but plans fell through and I’ll be watching the big screen instead with good friends. So, since I won’t be cashing in my American Airlines points to be book a flight to NOLA, I’ll be getting my game-day recipes ready instead. I thought I’d share a recipe for a great dip that I made after a late-night craving.

Monterey Beef* Dip

Monterey Beef Dip Ingredients ©JohnnaKnowsGoodFood

Ground Beef
Monterey Jack Queso (I used Medium)
Hot Sauce
Adobo Seasoning
Garlic
Seasoning Salt
Shredded cheddar cheese

Directions

Brown ground beef. Season with hot sauce, Adobo seasoning, garlic and seasoning salt (Seasoning amounts will be based on personal preference – I tend to go a little heavier on the hot sauce). Drain. Mix seasoned ground beef and queso until ground beef is covered throughout. Sprinkle shredded cheddar cheese on top and let melt.

Enjoy!

 

*Archele’s Tip: Feel free to substitute beef for ground turkey.

 

World Tour: March Madness & Game Day Eats!

Johnna's Heirloom Tomato Bruschetta ©JohnnaKnowsGoodFood

It’s that time of year again. People are gearing up in their team colors and making their bracket selections for the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament. While everyone would love to purchase airline tickets to attend the  games up-close-and-personal, the majority of us enjoy March Madness sitting in front of a TV with friends, family and most importantly game-day food. From wings and subs to homemade dips and chips, the finger foods at game-watching parties always makes March Madness all the more better and makes missing out on a cheap flight to see the action live a little more bearable. For good game-day eats, you should definitely revisit Johnna’s finger-foods, appetizers and dips!

World Tour: Preparing for St. Patrick’s Day

Irish Stew via Fuller's Corner Store & Deli

St. Patrick’s day is right around the corner, and for those of us who aren’t heading out on flights to Ireland to take part in festivities for this widely-celebrated holiday, there many recipes that you can prepare in effort to bring a little Irish flare into your home. I decided to do a little research so that I could get a better understanding of Irish tradition and found the following dishes to be quite common:

Irish Stew
Consists of lamb, potatoes, carrots, onions & parsley

Irish Bacon & Cabbage
Consists of boiled back bacon, cabbage & potatoes

Corned Beef & Cabbage

Shepherd’s Pie

I haven’t quite decided which dish I’m going to try my hand at. I just might consider Johnna’s own corned beef hash recipe. I may just find my experience with Irish cuisine so rewarding that I decide to allot some of my future United Airlines points to a trip to get authentic Irish cuisine from a pub right in Ireland. We’ll see!

World Tour: Puerto Rican Rum

With spring right around the corner and with my friends who are still afforded the luxury of having a spring break traveling here and there, I am on the hunt for a cheap flight to a place where I can sink my feet into beautiful white sands and where I can sink my teeth into bold, exotic flavors. My trip to Miami and my first experience with the wonders of the mojito has me thinking about cashing in my United Airlines points to head over to Puerto Rico to get more acquainted with Puerto Rican rum. I was amazed at the grande list of mojito flavors and was especially pleased with the mango version. Since I’m already familiar with Puerto Rican cuisine, I know that a refreshing mojito would only sweeten the deal.

 

Mango Mojito ©JohnnaKnowsGoodFood