Peanut-Butter-and-Jelly Cookies
Makes 2 dozen
Wheatless Flatbreads
Makes 8 flatbreads
Quinoa Vegetable “Lasagna”
INGREDIENTS 1 cup pre-washed quinoa2 cups water or vegetable broth2 large eggs, beaten, divided2 Tbsp. olive oil1 cup onion, chopped1 cup fresh wild mushrooms4 cloves garlic, minced¼ cup white wineKosher salt, to taste4 cups quality prepared pasta sauce2 cups ricotta cheese (or cottage cheese for a lower-fat version)2/3 cup grated Parmesan or Asiago cheese, divided¼…
Honey Sriracha Wings
2 to 4
Just Five: Honey Sriracha Wings
I’m not a big tailgater. I don’t care about football, and since I have two daughters, my favorite team will continue to play on Friday Night Lights reruns. However, I am a fan of tailgate food. Sausages with onions and peppers, charred burgers, hot cheese dips, nachos and wings … oh, wings. I…
This week, Ligaya Figueras is obsessed with…
{The pasta du jour at Demun Oyster Bar is bistro comfort in a bowl. The last time I ordered it, hot pasta noodles and fresh vegetables shared space with hunks of meaty, fresh-off-the-boat seafood. And when nothing remained but an aromatic, fishy broth, hunks of crusty bread made quick work of things.} {Yes,…
Cheesy Grits with Wilted Greens and Poached Egg
4 to 6 servings
Poached Eggs
4 to 6
The Scoop: Dave Bailey shares a big batch of what’s in store at Small Batch
Last week, restaurateur Dave Bailey made waves when he announced the addition of a second Rooster location, bringing the breakfast and brunch concept to South Grand. That news comes just weeks before busy Bailey opens another restaurant, Small Batch, in Midtown Alley. Bailey revealed plans for Small Batch in May, and with the doors…
Wheatless Wednesdays: Simple, Versatile Flatbreads
Today, 17 years after I was diagnosed with celiac disease, I now feel privileged to follow this dietary lifestyle. The days of feeling deprived or that I’m missing out are long gone. I have tapped into a whole new world of food I did not know existed prior to being diagnosed with this autoimmune…
The Scoop: Global Foods Market in The Loop to be more than a grocery store
{Shayn Prapaisilp} News came this summer that The Loop was going to get a full-service grocery store and a 24-hour diner. As development continues at the corner of Eastgate Avenue and Delmar Boulevard, the future home to both Peacock Loop Diner and Global Foods Market, The Scoop has a cart full of information about…
Budget Crunch: Delicious dishes and sweet deals right now
{The Wow Board at Annie Gunn’s} Welcome to Budget Crunch, wherein intrepid reporter Byron Kerman offers 10 tips on delicious menu items and sweet deals happening now. Got $10? Grab a friend and sample, split and stuff yourselves with these steals. 1. Fozzie’s Sandwich Emporium has World Series fever. The restaurant with the…
By the Book: Suzanne Husseini’s Herb- and Pistachio-Crusted Rack of Lamb and Arugula and Tomato Salad
Suzanne Husseini’s cookbook Modern Flavors of Arabia: Recipes and Memories From My Middle Eastern Kitchen is so fun to page through. From the cover to the photos of the dishes to even the distinct plates and glassware, each page is exotic and beautiful. Unfortunately, the recipes I chose did not turn out so pretty.…
The Art Institute of St. Louis to open Creative Eats, a student-run restaurant
Students enrolled in The International Culinary School at The Art Institute of St. Louis will soon have the opportunity to operate their own restaurant. Creative Eats, located at 1520 S. Fifth St., in St. Charles, will serve up bistro-style meals with an international flair to the public beginning Oct. 31. The students will take active…
Meatless Monday: Dressel’s Roasted Pumpkin Arancini
Here’s a dish at Dressel’s guaranteed to make your meat-eating friends jealous. The vibrant risotto inside these three crisp arancini gets its orange hue from rich pumpkin instead of seasonal staple butternut squash. The result rings savory, not sweet, and cloying pumpkin pie is the furthest thing from your mind. The crispy balls arrive…
Drink This Weekend Edition: Red-hot drinking during the World Series
Having friends over to watch this weekend’s games? Although beer and baseball go together like milk and cookies, serving a signature cocktail is a surefire way to make your get-together a full-on party. Here’s a recipe for what was formerly known as Vampire’s Punch. In honor of the Cardinals, we have renamed it Bloodied Red…
The Scoop: La Tropicana Market in south St. Louis closes
{La Tropicana’s Cuban sandwich} La Tropicana Market, a Cuban and Mexican market and cafe located at 5001 Lindenwood Ave., has closed its doors. Luis Trabanco, whose family has owned and operated the market since 1975, stated that La Tropicana temporarily closed in August for personal reasons. “We decided this past week not to reopen,”…
The Scoop: Ben Poremba reveals plans to open a chicken shack
As if Elaia, Olio, Salume Beddu and La Patisserie Chouquette weren’t enough to keep restaurateur Ben Poremba busy, the chef-proprietor of the first two establishments and co-owner of the latter two is adding more to his plate. Poremba revealed his plans for another restaurant with an anticipated April 2014 opening. Poremba is currently finalizing…
Einat Admony’s World’s Best Harissa
Makes about 2 ½ cups
Einat Admony’s Harissa and Honey Hot Wings
INGREDIENTS ½ cup honey1/3 cup olive oil3 Tbsp. World’s Best Harissa (Recipe here. You can also used your favorite store-bought harissa.)2 Tbsp. lime juice1 Tbsp. kosher salt3 lbs. chicken wings PREPARATION • Whisk together all the ingredients except the chicken wings. Taste the marinade, and if you can handle a little more kick, add another…
Apple Cider Éclairs
8 to 12
Chocolate-Coffee Ice Cream Cake
Makes 1 8-inch round cake
Einat Admony’s Tangy Tabbouleh
INGREDIENTS 1 cup medium bulgur1 cup fresh parsley, finely chopped1 cup cilantro, finely chopped4 scallions, finely chopped¼ cup fresh mint, finely chopped1 cup diced tomatoesZest of 2 lemons¼ cup lemon juice3 Tbsp. olive oil2 tsp. kosher saltPinch of freshly ground black pepper PREPARATION • Pour enough hot water over the bulgur just to cover it…
Curried Lentils and Sweet Potatoes
4 as a main, 6 to 8 as a side
This week, Meera Nagarajan is obsessed with…
{My friend put me onto this easy recipe, and now whenever I crave a brownie, I make it in a mug for one. Combine 1 tablespoon each all-purpose flour, cocoa powder, brown sugar, water and vegetable oil in a mug. Add a small pinch of salt and a tiny splash of vanilla and whisk…
Baked: Apple Cider Éclairs
It’s officially fall, which means lots of apple-flavored desserts, including these éclairs. If you’ve never made éclairs, this is a good place to start. They have three components, but each is relatively simple to put together. The shells are light with a slight chew, and the cream filling is soft, fluffy and melts in…
The Scoop: Dave Bailey to open second Rooster location on South Grand
Restaurateur Dave Bailey announced today, Oct. 23, that he plans to open a second location for his breakfast and brunch spot, Rooster. Rooster No. 2 will be located at 3150 S. Grand Blvd., in the former Hamiltonian Bank & Trust building at the intersection of Grand Boulevard and Juniata Street. Extensive rehab construction is…
By the Book: Salma Hage’s Butternut Squash Stew
The Lebanese Kitchen is the authority on Lebanese food, and it’s got the heft to prove it. This weighty tome is one part cookbook and one part Lebanese culinary encyclopedia. The book’s brief introduction shares the story of home cook Salma Hage’s childhood spent on a farm in Lebanon and details about her time…
Meatless Monday: Sunflower Seed ‘Fried Rice’
The Libertine’s Sunflower Seed Fried Rice is a warm, slightly nutty protein blast that turns preconceived notions of fluffy fried rice on its head. Raw sunflower seeds get an intense bath in a pressure cooker, then stir-fried like rice. To make this dish vegetarian, we omitted the lop yuk, a house-made Chinese bacon, and…
The Scoop: More trucks rolling out morning meals on wheels
{Lemon iced buttermilk cake doughnut with crushed pistachio from Vincent Van Doughnut} Lunch is usually the time when area food truck windows open, but a trio of trucks – one established, the other two coming soon – have us thinking about meals on wheels a lot earlier than noon. For almost a year, husband-and-wife…
Ford Hotel Supply open house, tent sale is culinary playground
An open house and tent sale taking place today and tomorrow at Ford Hotel Supply promises to be an amusement park for every culinarian – from the professional to the student to the die-hard home cook. {The Ovention Matchbox} The open house is a showcase of the latest products in commercial kitchen…
Companion to celebrate 20 years with open house
Since 1993, Companion has provided St. Louis residents, groceries and restaurants with artisan breads and pastries. Owner Josh Allen started out in a small, 1,800-square-foot kitchen and with only one oven, began producing high-end European bread. At first, Allen offered six different breads to choose from. Local restaurants and specialty stores recognized quality of…
The Scoop: Two CWE restaurants debut, plus new noshes at MX Movies
Fall is in the air. That means lots of new restaurants opening doors and loads of menu changes. The Central West End is seeing the debut of two restaurants, while this weekend moviegoers at MX Movies downtown can watch a flick with some new eat-in-the-dark foods. {Juniper chef-owner John Perkins} For Entre chef-owner John…
Drink This Weekend Edition: Perennial’s Hereafter
Since their arrival on the St. Louis craft beer scene, the brewers at Perennial Artisan Ales have become known for their unique takes on Belgian styles. Their latest beer, Hereafter, continues down this path. A collaboration with their friends at Penrose Brewing in Geneva, Ill., Hereafter is a unique twist on the Belgian strong…
This week, Catherine Klene is obsessed with…
{Forget the pumpkin spice latte. Yeah, I said it. When the temperatures drop, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram explode with #pumpkinspice lattes, cookies, cupcakes, ice cream…. I’m burnt out on pumpkin-flavored anything after Oct. 5. Jump off the bandwagon and get your fix for fall flavors from a Maple Walnut Cannoli at Piccione Pastry instead. Light,…
The Scoop: Family community center, restaurant The Nest to open in Frontenac
While most restaurant or event spaces cater to children or adults, Christina McHugh is hoping to break the mold with a new approach to family time: a modern community center, restaurant and membership club for families. Her space, aptly named The Nest, is set to open Dec. 2 at 10440 German Blvd., in Frontenac.…
Just Five: Curried Lentils and Sweet Potatoes
Teenage girl + vegetarianism = a lot of pasta and salads. I worry my kid is not eating a balanced diet, but the rest of the family is happy to gnaw on any animal-based protein that doesn’t move, and as Momma always said, “I’m not running a cafe here!” Also, because she is a…
The Scoop: Tony’s loosens jacket and tie policy
Tony’s has loosened its dress policy. Beginning this weekend, male guests only have to don a jacket and tie on Saturdays; business casual dress will get guys through the door on weekdays. Changes to the Tony’s dress code were made to keep up with the changing times. “As a culture, Americans have gotten more…
Thursday Giveaway: The clock is ticking!
Today, we’re giving away two tickets (each worth $165) to a one-night-only wine dinner hosted by Cielo on Thursday, Oct. 24. This five-course dinner prepared by chef Fabrizio Schenardi will also include pairings of Darioush signature wines. Guests will dine on pan-seared scallops in sea urchin sauce paired with Darioush 2011 chardonnay, filet of…
Wheatless Wednesdays: Quinoa Vegetable ‘Lasagna’
Summer turns to fall, turns back to summer, then reappears as fall. You get the gist; the body is often confused during these seasonal transitions. Today I crave salads; tomorrow I slurp soup. Attempts to listen to my body and use up the last of the summer squash resulted in this one-dish wonder, light…
The Scoop: Layla reopens under new ownership, offers new fusion cuisine
Layla reopened earlier this month under the direction of new chef-owner Jason Sparks. Located in The Grove at 4317 Manchester Ave., the restaurant is moving in a new direction. When Sauce reviewed Layla in December 2012, the restaurant focused on Lebanese cuisine. Sparks, formerly of the now-defunct Wapango, has broadened the concept to Middle Eastern…
The Scoop: Edwardsville restaurant Craft Chophouse changes name to 1818 Chophouse
Craft Chophouse, located at 210 S. Buchanan St., in Edwardsville, Ill., changed its name to 1818 Chophouse Oct. 1, as first reported by the Post-Dispatch’s Ian Froeb. Co-owner Megan Pashea stated that she could not discuss the reason for the name change by phone, but did say she and co-owners John Pashea and Adam…
By the Book: Greg and Lucy Malouf’s Feta-Creamed Spinach
Malouf: New Middle Eastern Food is the sixth cookbook from Greg and Lucy Malouf, former spouses who still work together, drawing from their experiences and travels to create cookbooks that combine classic and contemporary recipes. Raised in a Lebanese-Australian family, Greg Malouf grew up around the exciting flavors of the Middle East. His goal…
Meatless Monday: The Block’s Open-Faced Farm Egg Sandwich
On The Block Restaurant’s menu, bacon is ubiquitous. However, if you’re going meatless the Open-Faced Farm Egg sandwich at the butcher and bar’s Central West End location is for you. For just $9, this knife-and-fork sandwich is stacked with melting cheddar cheese, dressed greens and a fried local egg with quivering yolk. (A miniature…
Drink This Weekend Edition: The high of the Vallée d’Aosta
Lauren never knew she was a mountain girl until she made the trek from New York City to Colorado. Standing atop the Continental Divide at 12,000 feet and flanked by 25-foot walls of snow, the altitude, the crisp air – the fact that it was June – all combined to create an unparalleled natural…
Two St. Louisans to compete in 2013 Pillsbury Bake-Off finals
{Kellie White’s Honey Sesame Bagels} Before the rise of today’s celebrity chef, the unsung heroes of the homecooking world battled it out every year for a chance at super-stardom at The Pillsbury Bake-Off. Now in its 46th year, the national competition grants homecooks from across the country the opportunity to gain national recognition and…
This week, Julie Cohen is obsessed with…
{NPR calls them Driveway Moments: When you find yourself still sitting in your car outside your house, unable to go inside because you have to hear a story to its end. At Guero’s Taco Bar in Austin, Texas, forget your car. Just go to the bathroom, where NPR is always playing. Bad blind date?…
Baked: Chocolate-Coffee Ice Cream Cake
Sometimes, I think my boyfriend and I are the only people in the world who don’t drink coffee. We don’t enjoy the taste of it, but we love the smell of it. And although we are predominantly tea-drinkers, we do enjoy tiramisu and other coffee-flavored desserts. This came about as a gift for a…
By the Book: Einat Admony’s Harissa and Honey Hot Wings and Tangy Tabbouleh
Balaboosta: Bold Mediterranean Recipes to Feed the People You Love from Einat Admony is the first book by the Israeli chef. She’s worked in the kitchen for many fine-dining restaurants, including Bolo (which I loved), Danube and Tabla, but her first restaurant, Taïm, is anything but fine dining. It’s a hole in the wall…
The Scoop: Jim Edmonds’ 15 becomes The Precinct on Oct. 14
Doors will reopen next week at 1900 Locust St. Jim Edmonds’ 15, which closed at the end of August, has been re-concepted as The Precinct, a police-themed bar and grill that hopes to cater to cops’ taste buds once the Metropolitan Police Department headquarters is relocated to nearby 1915 Olive St. The Precinct’s menu,…
The Scoop: Fields Foods to offer new grocery store experience in Lafayette Square
A unique, full-service grocery store is coming to Lafayette Square. Fields Foods is currently under construction at 1500 Lafayette Ave., next to Walgreens at the intersection of Lafayette Avenue and Truman Parkway, and is slated to open January 2014. Part of a $120 million redevelopment of the former City Hospital site, Fields Foods will…
Meatless Monday: Cheesy Grits with Wilted Greens and Poached Egg
Grits and eggs is a classic southern breakfast. To amp up the savory components in this dish, we added Parmesan to the grits and poached the egg in sesame oil. We had Swiss chard in our garden, so we used that for our greens, but feel free to use spinach or another green. Cheesy…
Still Can’t Quit the Fish?
After reading about the allure of fly-fishing in Julie Cohen’s “Rite of the River”, wow your friends by preparing trout recipes from The Tavern Kitchen & Bar and Panorama. Still can’t quit the fish? Try these three fish finishing techniques inspired by some favorite trout dishes around town. And after that? Well, it’s time…
New fall dishes at Scape celebrate St. Louis at STLFW dinner
{From left, Jennifer Chun, Samantha Pleet, Emily Koplar, Michael Drummond, Fern Mallis} This past week, several fashion industry notables flew in for St. Louis Fashion Week. On Wednesday evening, Fern Mallis, founder of New York Fashion Week, and NYC-based designers Jennifer Chun, Samantha Pleet and Casanova joined St. Louis fashion experts for a private…
Drink This Weekend Edition: Show Me Some of that Spanish Dancing (and Drinking)
This Monday and Tuesday, Oct. 7 and 8, Modesto Tapas Bar & Restaurant is hosting Los Flamencos, featuring Beth Steinbrenner and Lliam Christy. For the dinner performances at 7 and 8:30 p.m. each night, Modesto will stir up some spiced apple sangria in honor of the fall season and, of course, Spain. Sipping sangria…
This week, Michelle Volansky is obsessed with…
{No trip to Blues City Deli is complete unless I leave with 10 sticky, orange fingers, thanks to a bag of Kitchen Cooked Kettle Kurls. Each bag is packed with cheesy flavor and produced fresh daily in Bushnell, Ill. These melt-in-your-mouth curls put those hard, bland Cheetos from the corner gas station to shame.}…
Just Five: Peanut-Butter-and-Jelly Cookies
I bake in waves. Sometimes, I’ll bake twice a week – bread, cookies, cakes or rolls, just because I have the time and inclination. Then I might go four months neglecting my sad, lonely flour canister. But my canister and I recently rekindled our relationship. With school in full swing and random kids spending…
Hit List: Three new restaurants to try this month
The Docket: 100 N. Tucker Blvd., St. Louis, 314.977.4615, thedocket.cafebonappetit.com You don’t have to be a law student or white-wig wearer to visit Saint Louis University’s School of Law’s new restaurant, The Docket. With a grab-and-go counter for breakfast, a lunch buffet, an a la carte menu for lunch and dinner, and a fully stocked…
Wheatless Wednesdays: Gluten-Free Naan
I’ve been asked over and over: “What do you miss since you don’t eat gluten?” Fifteen years ago, the list seemed lofty: cookies, breads, pizza, cake, crackers, etc. But as gluten-free ingredients and products have evolved, most of the forbidden treats are now readily accessible – except naan! Fifteen years of languishing after the…
How To: Scale, Clean and Fillet a Trout
Required tools: Extremely sharp fillet knife Cutting board Scaling (Optional: Many people eat the skin without scaling.) • Hold the whole trout by the tail and using the back of a fillet knife, scrape firmly from tail to head on both sides until all scales are removed. • Rinse with cold water. Cleaning and…
The Scoop: The Ritz Carlton, St. Louis’ Nathaniel Reid featured in The New Pâtissiers
{A cake created by Nathaniel Reid} While more area chefs and restaurants are landing on the national culinary radar, one St. Louis chef has received aplomb on a global scale. Nathaniel Reid, executive pastry chef at The Ritz-Carlton, St. Louis, is among 38 pastry chefs from around the world included in The New Pâtissiers,…
Review: Prasino in St. Charles
PRASINO1520 S. Fifth St., St. Charles, 636.277.0202, prasino.com At Prasino, the new mini-chain restaurant in St. Charles, the employees say PRÄH-suh-no. The translation app on my phone says PRÄH-see-no. Tomato or tomahto, prasino is Greek for “green,” as in “environmentally sound.” The St. Charles spot is one of four locations for the 4-year-old family of…
Companion’s Granola Bars
COMPANION8143 Maryland Ave., Clayton, 314.721.5454; 9781 Clayton Road, Ladue, 314.218.2280; companionstl.com The granola bars at Companion are so good. Can you get the recipe? I am not sure if they are a dessert or a healthy alternative to dessert, but they are so good. [I] may not want to know how many calories, [but] the…
Review: Hiro Asian Kitchen in St. Louis
Editor’s Note: Hiro Asian Kitchen has closed HIRO ASIAN KITCHEN 1405 Washington Ave., St. Louis, 314.241.4476, hiroasiankitchen.com In a time when simplicity, local sourcing and a “less is more” philosophy hold sway over so many bar owners and restaurateurs, it’s hard not to grin at a new establishment bucking all trends and, if anything, erring…
Roasted Local Trout Fillet Sandwich
4 servings
Onion Strings
4 to 6
Budweiser Milkshake
2 to 4
Companion’s Granola Bars
2 dozen servings
Vegan Paella
6 to 8
Trout Amandine
2 servings
Lager Love
With Oktoberfest season in full swing, there’s no better time to grab a crisp, frosty lager. Right here in town, Old World ingredients and traditional brewing techniques are being embraced by innovative craft brewers who are producing unique contemporary lagers that prove as complex as they are drinkable. Taste your way down this short list…
Rite of the River: When fly-fishing calls
It was late spring. The days were lengthening, the flowers were blooming, and, most important, the bluegill were spawning. A man in his early 40s and his 6-year-old daughter stood side by side on the edge of a lake. Helping her wield a fly rod more than twice her height, he taught her to flick…
Short List: Jelly Doughnuts
A jelly doughnut: the red-headed, red goop-filled stepchild of the doughnut shop. Does anyone still eat it? Or, more important, should we? In an era of avant-garde bacon-maple, Fruit Loop, bubble gum gonzo deviations, the humble jelly may seem as outmoded as the eight-track tape. And yet, after crisscrossing the metro area and sampling every…
The Scoop: Former Frontenac Grill space to reopen as Salted Pig
When Frontenac Grill closed this summer, restaurateur Michael Del Pietro (Tavolo V, Sugo’s Spaghetteria, Babbo’s Spaghetteria, Via Vino Enoteca) took over the space at 731 S. Lindbergh Road. According to Ryan French, a partner with the Del Pietro restaurant group, this location will reopen as a restaurant named Salted Pig. Salted Pig will feature…
No Problema Paella
The signs were there. Zucchini piled up like unpaid bills. Twenty-minute recipes that felt 18 minutes too long. An empty sea salt container I couldn’t be bothered to recycle or replace. When I served scrambled eggs for the third dinner in a row, this home cook had to admit she was burned out. The obvious…
By the Book: Yotam Ottolenghi and Sami Tamimi’s Couscous with Dried Apricots and Butternut Squash
I’m a fan of Yotam Ottolenghi’s cookbooks Jerusalem and Plenty, so I was eager to get my hands on his latest, Ottolenghi: The Cookbook. This one contains recipes culled from Ottolenghi’s four London restaurants, with dishes that reflect his upbringing in Jerusalem and incorporate culinary traditions from the Mediterranean and Middle East. Ottolenghi: The…
Worth the Tears
Onions get a bum rap for making you cry and for fouling your breath. Prepare a sharp, peppery salad with a raw onion as the base and, yes, you may seek some mouthwash. But introduce heat, and the intensity tones down. The flavor becomes mellow and sweet. When grilled, roasted, fried or stewed, this kitchen…
