Devour Dayton September October 2011

Devour Dayton Serving up the best food and drink from the Miami Valley September/October 2011

Heather’s Coffee and Café 505 South Main Street Springboro, OH 45066 www.heatherscoffeeandcafe.com

www.AConfections.com Aimee Plesa owner/operator Serving up homemade and to die for Chocolates, baked goods, candies and confections.

Find Us Online www.facebook.com/83sweets and www.etsy.com/shop/83sweets

We offer a variety of services, including dine-in, carryout, delivery, and catering. Stop in for breakfast, lunch or an early dinner. Stop by to try our made to order sandwiches, homemade soups, salads and sides, and daily lunch specials.

Visit our full-service meat and deli counter for all of your family's needs. We carry Boar's Head deli meats, as well as traditional favorites. We also have a great selection of beef, pork, chicken and seafood cut to your specifications right at our meat counter. Pick up a bottle of wine while you are here!

Open Tuesday through Saturday 8-6, closed Sunday and Monday

www.seegersdeli.com/home www.facebook.com/pages/Seegers/10150102228350387

Your ad could be in next month’s issue!

For details, please email Aimee at aimee@devourdayton.com or visit our advertising page http://devourdayton.blogspot.com/p/advertise.html

Features: Dayton Food Wars, City Secrets, Food Challenges, Food News, Events, Hot Trends

Dayton Food Wars: Thin Crust Pizza

By Aimee Plesa Welcome to this issue’s installment of Dayton Food Wars, where I pit two local favorites against each other in a head to head food showdown. For this war, I chose something everyone has a strong opinion about-pizza.

More specifically, thin crust pizza. In the back of my head, I had planned on pitting Pizza Hut against Cassano's, but researching this article took me in a slightly different direction. Instead of big time franchise versus small town favorite, the battle of the thin crust has been transformed into a battle for home grown supremacy. Welcome to Dayton Food Wars-Ron's vs Cassano's!

Both Ron's and Cassano's offer St.Louis style pizza. What is a St. Louis Style pizza, you ask? Read on...

Characteristics of a St. Louis style pizza include: • thin, crunchy crust • salty crust • cut in squares • provolone cheese or a provolone blend • oregano seasoning Cassano's Pizza King first opened June 4th, 1953 in a 20X15 foot room located next to a grocery store on Schantz Avenue in Kettering. Vic Cassano and his mother-in-law, "Mom" Donisi, sold 400 pizzas on their opening day. Today, Cassano's is operated by 2nd and 3rd generation members of the Cassano family and boasts 34 locations. During the mid 1970's, Cassano's was voted one of the top 4 pizza chains in America by the National Restaurant Association.

St. Patrick's Day 1964 saw the grand opening of another local pizza favoriteRon's Pizza. Ron Holp, a former franchise operator for Cassano's, and his wife Abbie opened their first location on North 12th Street in Miamisburg.

At one time, Ron's had locations scattered throughout the south Dayton suburbs. Now, it just operates two Miamisburg locations-One South Main Street and 219 South Second Street and a West Carrollton location at 5562 Springboro Pike.

It was difficult to decide which type of pizza to taste test for this war, so I decided to judge two perennial favorites-pepperoni and deluxe. Judging will be broken down into 4 categories: crust, sauce, cheese and toppings.

Pepperoni Pizza • CRUST Both pizzas offered a crunchy crust, the Ron's crust was a touch crispier but Cassano's had a more burnt outer edge, giving it a slightly richer flavor. Both offered a nice salty flavor. Based on the burned out ring, I am declaring Cassano's the winner in this category.

• SAUCE Both offer a rich, thick tomato sauce, but Ron's has a special herby flavor to it that lifted it above Cassano's.

• CHEESE Both restaurants use provolone cheese in fairly equal amounts, so I am declaring a tie in this category.

• PEPPERONI Not all pepperoni are created equal, and the added little spiciness of the Cassano's pepperoni wins them this category.

Winner by a 2-1-1 margin, Cassano’s Deluxe Pizza • CRUST Again, the Cassano's crust had a burnt outer ring that really added to the crunchiness and flavor of the crust.

• SAUCE The herbal flavor of the Ron's wins the category for them again.

• CHEESE I found that Ron's deluxe was a little lighter on the cheese than the Cassano's, which really allowed for the flavor of the toppings to come through.

• TOPPINGS Both restaurants top their deluxe with pepperoni, sausage, mushroom, onion and a mix of red and green peppers. I typically don't eat sausage on my pizzas, preferring to pick it off and go without, but there is something about the sausage Ron's uses that actually makes me add more to my deluxe when ordering. Ron's also uses more finely chopped onions on their deluxe, which I find appealing. Ron's takes this category.

Winner by a 3-1 margin, Ron's When comparing pizza menus, both restaurants have nearly identical toppings: provolone cheese, pepperoni, sausage, Italian sausage, ham, bacon, anchovies, onion, tomatoes, red and green pepper mix, black and green olives, jalapeno and banana peppers, mushrooms and pineapple. Cassano's also offers beef and chicken. Ron's offers taco seasoned beef, Canadian bacon, cheddar cheese, sauerkraut and green onions. Both offer a deluxe and veggie specialty pizza. Cassano's also offers the "Big Cheese", "Hog Wild" and "BLT" pizzas while Ron's has the "Santa Fe" and "Reuben". Based on the additional pizza toppings and unique specialty pizzas offered

by Ron's, I declare Ron's Pizza to be the winner of this Dayton Food War. You can experience Ron's Pizza for yourself either with pick-up or delivery Monday through Thursday 11-12, Friday and Saturday 11-1 and Sunday 4-12; dine in Monday through Thursday 11-10, Friday and Saturday 1111 and Sunday 4-10; and at the tavern Monday through Thursday 11-12, Friday and Saturday 11-1 and Sunday 4-12. Visit them on the web at: • their website www.ronspizza.com/welcome-to-rons-pizza/ • on Facebook www.facebook.com/pages/Rons-Pizza-Delivery/123217191086885?sk=info (West Carrollton location) • and Twitter www.twitter.com/Rons_Pizza (Miamisburg location).

You can visit Cassano's at a variety of local stores, ranging from Monroe to Urbana, Eaton to Xenia. Hours of operation are Monday through Thursday 10-12, Friday and Saturday 10-1 and Sunday 10:30-12. Hours may vary slightly by location. You can enjoy dine in, carryout or delivery. Visit them on the web at: • their website www.cassanos.com/index.cfm • on Facebook www.facebook.com/CassanosPizza • and Twitter www.twitter.com/cassanospizza

Food News

By Aimee Plesa Tabasco Introduces Buffalo Flavor Sauce For those of you who like it bold and enjoy it hot, Tabasco has introduced a new sauce flavor, Buffalo style. This thick sauce is perfect for those who like making their own Buffalo Wings, but it is also versatile enough to use in every day cooking. It can be added to every foods such as macaroni and cheese, burgers and scrambled eggs. The new sauce weighs in between 300 and 900 Scovilles, so it isn’t too hot. At the moment, the Tabasco product locator is not showing that any local stores are carrying this new sauce, but it sometimes takes a few weeks for results to be updated. If you absolutely, positively have to try this now, it can be purchased directly through the Tabasco website http://countrystore.tabasco.com/prodinfo.asp?number=03356 A 5 ounce bottle retails online for $3.99, making this an affordable indulgence for those who enjoy hot sauces.

Curious to see how Tabasco brand Buffalo Sauce compares to your favorite Tabasco sauce? This easy to read chart compares them all www.tabasco.com/info_booth/faq/scoville_range.cfm Curious about what recipes you can use the sauce in? Tabasco has a vast library of recipes to choose from. This list is specifically calls for Buffalo sauce www.tabasco.com/taste_tent/recipes/recipe_results.cfm?query=brand+buffalo&exact=1 To save 50 cents on your favorite Tabasco sauce, including the new Buffalo style, sign up for the Tabasco email newsletter and you will be given access to print a coupon out www.tabasco.com/specialoffers/?utm_source=buffalo&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=2011.email For more updates, follow Tabasco on Facebook www.facebook.com/tabasco or Twitter www.twitter.com/tabasco

Hibachi Grill and Supreme Buffet Opens Doors August 8, 2011 marked the grand opening of Hibachi Grill and Supreme Buffet in Kettering. The restaurant, which opened in the former Ryan’s Steakhouse, is located at 1760 East Stroop Road. Hibachi Grill seats over 300 diners and currently employs 20. Hours of operation are Monday through Thursday 11-10, Friday and Saturday 10-11 and Sunday 10-11. They can be reached at (937)643-3333.

Hickory River Smokehouse Claims Three Grand Champions at State Fair Hickory River Smokehouse, located at 135 South Garber Road in Tipp City, was named the Best Pulled Pork in Ohio for the fourth year in a row at the Ohio State Fair. They also won the Best BBQ Sauce and Best Ribs title in the contest sponsored by the Ohio Pork Producers Association. The restaurant offers dine in, carry out, drive through and catering services. They can be reached at (937)669-2271. They are open Sunday and Monday 11–8 and Tuesday through Saturday 11-9. For more information, visit their website www.hickoryriver.com/tipp-city/index.html or Facebook page www.facebook.com/HickoryRiverTippCity.

Mr. Hyman’s Fine Dining To Open August 19 Mr. Hyman’s Fine Dining is scheduled to open its doors for business on August 19th. The restaurant, which will is located at 40 North Main Street in Suite 110, will initially be open for lunch customers and special events only, until a liquor license for the location is secured. After that, it will be open through the evening hours and on Saturdays. Until then, hours of operation will be: Sunday 11-4, Monday through Friday 11-2 and Saturdays are closed for special events. The restaurant will seat approximately 200 and employ 20. For more information, call (937)275-9505.

Food News Devour Dayton Bake Sale October 1 The staff of Devour Dayton is hosting a bake sale on October 1 as a part of Share Our Strength’s Great American Bake Sale. The event will be held from 12-4 on Saturday, October 1st at Heather’s Coffee & Café in Springboro. Items being sold include baked goods, desserts (whole and by the slice) candy and confections of all kinds and will feature a limited selection of diabetic friendly, gluten free and vegan goodies. The event will also feature a 50-50 raffle (purchase tickets in advance here www.devourdayton.blogspot.com/2011/08/5050-raffle-tickets-now-availablefor.html), temporary tattoos for the kids, a meet and greet with members of TRI -OPS Paranormal (www.triopsparanormal.com), and a raffle of gift baskets. A special thanks to the following businesses for their support: Dayton Dragons, Cincinnati Cyclones, Heather’s Coffee & Café, A Confections, Treasured Star Artistry, Tumbleweed’s, UDF, JD Custard’s, Mikey’s DJ & Karaoke and The Last Drop Café.

Devour Dayton Fantasy Football League If you love football and food, you will want to join in the Devour Dayton Fantasy Football League. A donation of $10.00 will buy you into this league and all proceeds will be donated to The Foodbank. Food and restaurant related prizes will be handed out to the top 3 finishers of the season. Those wish to participate can read the full details on our blog www.devourdayton.blogspot.com/2011/07/devour-dayton-fantasy-football-fund.html Deadline is Thursday, September 1st with our draft being conducted on Sunday, September 4th.

Arby’s Introduces New Sandwich Cincinnati area Arby’s restaurants are testing out the new Smokin’ Chipotle Chicken sandwich. This sandwich features a crispy chicken breast fillet, spicy chipotle bbq sauce, sharp cheddar cheese, peppered bacon and jalapeno peppers. This sandwich can be tasted at locations throughout Cincinnati, including the Mason location near Kings Island.

Local Baker Auditioning For Cupcake Wars Alyssa Logan, owner of 83 Sweets, has thrown down the gauntlet and entered into the fray known as Cupcake Wars. For those of you who don’t know, Cupcake Wars is a wildly popular reality series on Food Network that features the talents of cupcake bakers from across the country. The top prize is $10,000 and the opportunity for the winning baker to showcase their wares at special event. Oh yeah, the bragging rights are nice, too! Alyssa has made it through the preliminary rounds of competition and has recently submitted her official audition tape (you can view it on youtube www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rp7ifweg6s4&feature=related). We at Devour Dayton wish Alyssa the best of luck! You can view her website at www.83sweets.com 83 Sweets currently features 70 cupcake flavors, each featuring a rad 80’s theme.

September/October Events

By Sarah Marquis and Aimee Plesa September 1 from 5-9, The Taste, Lincoln Park Commons in Kettering. Enjoy sampling foods from a variety of local restaurants.

Tickets are $20 in advance and $25 the day of. Children under 10 are $10. www.fraze.com/the-taste/ September 3 from 5-11, German Club Edelweiss Oktoberfest, German Club Edelweiss in Englewood, OH. Kommen Sie eat some authentic Schnitzel, brats, metts, and sauerkraut. Music from the Detroit band, Die Sorgenbrecher, begins at 6pm. There will be games for children and a sheltered outdoor dance floor for all to enjoy.

September 3-5 from 11-6, Grape Escape, Hidden Valley Fruit Farm, 5474 North State Route 48 in Lebanon. Visit Hidden Valley Fruit Farm and enjoy all things grape! Event includes live music, local vendors, food, a hayride and demonstrations.

September 7, 14, 21 and 28 from 6-8, Beer tasting, Rumbleseat Wine 5853 Far Hills Avenue Kettering. Stop by and sample 4 to 5 at each tasting. (937)938-9801 www.rumbleseatwine.com/events.html September 9-11 Clinton County Corn Festival at the Clinton County Fairgrounds in Wilmington. This event features the “Corn Olympics”, antique farm machinery and of course corn inspired foods! www.clintoncountyohio.com/cgi-bin/calendar.pl?month=9&view=Event&event_id=1377 September 10 from 4-8, Cruise In, George’s Family Restaurant 5216 North Dixie Drive Dayton. Dash plaques to all entrants, trophies to the winners. Event includes a DJ, raffles and meal specials. (937) 275-0705.

September 10 at 10am, Opening Day at Kleather’s Pumpkin Patch, Central Avenue in Springboro. Enjoy a glass of apple cider or a caramel apple as you shop for Autumn decorations and visit the petting zoo.

September 10 and 11 Beavercreek Popcorn Festival in Beavercreek. Stop by for over 200 booths selling popcorn, crafts and more. This event includes a 5K and car show. www.beavercreekpopcornfestival.org/home.html September 11, Grandparents Day, JD’s Old Fashioned Custard in Englewood, OH. Give Gram & Gramps a gift for their greatness… oh yeah, by the way, it’s FREE! Grandparents get a free single cone. Time to be the spoiler instead of the spoilee! www.jdcustard.com/events.php September 11 from 2-4, Harvest Tea, Patterson Homestead 1815 Brown St Dayton. Enjoy an afternoon tea 1860’s style and learn about the preservation techniques used during the era. For more details call (937)222-9274 www.daytonhistory.org/calendar/70/2399-Victorian-Afternoon-Tea.htm

September/October Events September 16 from 5-11, Taste of Miami Valley, Riverscape MetroPark in Dayton, OH. Sample food from all over the Miami Valley in one convenient location. YAY for saving gas and trying out tasty food and drink!

You purchase food tickets for $2.50 a piece and then you go to a restaurant’s booth and “purchase” samples from them with the tickets. Every booth has at least one item that costs only one ticket, but some cost more.

You then get to vote for your favorites. There is also live music. www.dineoutdayton.org/taste.php September 17, 10-6, Taste of Troy. Details to be announced. www.troymainstreet.org/events September 17 and 18 Oktoberfest Zinzinnati in Cincinnati. Come visit the USA’s largest Octoberfest celebration! Event features German food, entertainment and the world’s largest chicken dance. www.oktoberfestzinzinnati.com/okthome.aspx?menu_id=256&id=13801 September 18-19 from 11-6, Apple Daze, Hidden Valley Fruit Farm, 5474 North State Route 48 in Lebanon. Visit Hidden Valley Fruit Farm and enjoy all things apple! Event includes live music, local vendors, food, a hayride and demonstrations.

September 23-25 from 12-11, 40th Annual Oktoberfest at the Dayton Art Institute, Dayton Art Institute in Dayton, OH. Oktoberfest Admission for those buying Advance tickets are: $5 adults and seniors; $3 students (ages 7-18); FREE for children 6 and under. Those who procrastinate and theirs at the gate are going to pay: $7 adults, $5 for seniors (60+), $4 for students (ages 7-18), and FREE for children 6 and under. The hours are Saturday, September 24, 12pm-11pm and Sunday, September 25, 12pm-7pm. There are tents packed with art, music performances (on 2 stages), food, wine, and tons and tons of beer! All beer lovers can find something they love there. www.daytonartinstitute.org/events/oktoberfest.html September 24 from 12-12, Heart of the Panthers Reunion Fund Raiser, VFW Picnic Grounds, Claude Thomas Road, Franklin (behind the Frisch's). Fund raising event for Panthers Helping Panthers, a group of Springboro alumni working to help other Boro alums. Event includes food for sale by Heather's Coffee and Cafe and A Confections, both of Springboro, live music and DJ, 50/50 raffle, food drive, prizes and more. Funds raised will benefit Panthers Helping Panthers and Springboro Community Assistance Center. $10.00 admission. www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=129133310469198 September 24 and 25, Germantown Pretzel Fest, Veteran’s Memorial Park. Spend the weekend enjoying pretzels and entertainment. www.pretzelfestival.com/ September 24 from 6am-9pm, Brookville, BBQ Cook-off to benefit Juvenile Diabetes. Open competition with all food being made on site. Judging times: Chicken 2:30, Pork ribs 3:30, Pork loin 4:30 and Beef brisket 5:15. Event includes cake walk and cornhole.

September 24 from 1-5, Breakfast at Tiffany’s Bridal Brunch, Bella Vino Wine Merchant and Bar in Springboro.

Event features a bridal brunch buffet, raffles, goody bags and a mini photo session.

September 24 from 10-7, Country Applefest, Lebanon. Visit downtown Lebanon for delicious food, entertainment and crafts. www.countryapplefest.com/

September/October Events September is...

• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

1st Cherry Popover Day 2nd Blueberry Popsicle Day 3rd Welsh Rarebit Day 3rd Birthday of Anna, Duchess of Bedford, Creator Of Afternoon Tea 4th Macadamia Nut Day 5th Cheese Pizza Day 6th Coffee Ice Cream Day 7th Acorn Squash Day 8th Date Nut Bread Day 9th Wienerschnitzel Day 10th TV Dinner Day 11th Hot Cross Bun Day 12th Chocolate Milkshake Day 13th Peanut Day 13th Snack A Pickle Time 14th Cream Filled Donut Day 14th Eat a Hoagie Day 15th Linguine Day 16th Guacamole Day 17th Apple Dumpling Day 18th Cheeseburger Day 19th Butterscotch Pudding Day • 20th Rum Punch Day • 21st International Banana Festival • 21st Pecan Cookie Day • 22nd Ice Cream Cone Day • 23rd White Chocolate Day • 24th Cherries Jubilee Day • 25th Crab Meat Newburg Day • 26th Pancake Day • 27th Chocolate Milk Day • 27th Corned Beef Hash Day • 28th Strawberry Cream Pie Day • 28th Drink Beer Day • 29th Coffee Day • 30th Hot Mulled Cider Day October 4-8 Bradford Pumpkin Show. Events include parades, car show, tricycle race, pie and bread contests and more. www.bradfordpumpkinshow.org/ index.shtml

October 5, 12, 19 and 26 from 6-8, Beer tasting, Rumbleseat Wine 5853 Far Hills Avenue Kettering. Stop by and sample 4 to 5 at each tasting. (937)938-9801 www.rumbleseatwine.com/events.html

September/October Events October 8 from 2-6, Miami Valley Beer Fest, Montgomery County Fairgrounds. Come out and sample a wide variety of beers and barley wines from some of the country’s best breweries. Tickets are $35.00 in advance, $40.00 day of. www.mvbeerfest.org/ October 8 and 9, Ohio Sauerkraut Festival, Waynesville. Visit to enjoy the works of over 400 vendors while sampling a variety of kraut inspired foods, including pizza and fudge. www.sauerkrautfestival.com/ October 15, 2011 from 10am-2pm, Fall Family Fun Day, PNC 2nd Street Market in Dayton, OH. Sample seasonal fruits and veggies, enjoy some music, and decorate a pumpkin … sounds like family fun for everyone! If you need more info, please call (937) 228-2088. www.metroparks.org/Parks/ViewEvents.aspx?

Park=PNC October 15 , 2011 from 12-5. Vintage and Vine, Fort Ancient Oregonia, OH. Enjoy the fall foliage while taking in a vintage baseball game and wine tasting. Admission to the wine tasting is $40.00, admission to the game is included in the price of park admission. www.fortancient.org/index.php?view=article&id=102% 3Avintage-and-vine&option=com_content&Itemid=8

October 30-31 from 11-6, Halloween Fun, Hidden Valley Fruit Farm, 5474 North State Route 48 in Lebanon. Visit Hidden Valley Fruit Farm and enjoy all things Halloween! Event includes live music, local vendors, food, a hayride and demonstrations.

October is…

• • • • • • • • • •

1st World Vegetarian Day 1st Pudding Season Begins 1st Homemade Cookies Day 2nd Fried Scallops Day 3rd Caramel Custard Day 4th Taco Day 4th Vodka Day 5th Apple Betty Day 6th Noodle Day 7th Frappe Day

September/October Events • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

9th Moldy Cheese Day 9th Submarine-Hoagy-Hero-Grinder Day 10th Angel Food Cake Day 11th Sausage Pizza Day 12th Gumbo Day 13th Yorkshire Pudding Day 14th Chocolate-Covered Insects Day 15th Chicken Cacciatore Day 15th Roast Pheasant Day 16th World Food Day 16th Liqueur Day 17th Pasta Day 17th Four Prunes Day 18th Chocolate Cupcake Day 19th Seafood Bisque Day 20th Brandied Fruit Day 21st Pumpkin Cheesecake Day 21st Caramel Apple Day 22nd Nut Day 23rd Boston Cream Pie Day 23rd Canning Day 24th Bologna Day 24th Good and Plenty Day 25th Greasy Foods Day 26th Pumpkin Day 26th Pretzel Day 26th Mince Meat Pie Day 27th Potato Day 27th American Beer Day 28th Chocolate Day 28th Wild Foods Day 29th Oatmeal Day 30th Candy Corn Day 30th Buy a Doughnut Day 31st Candy Apple Day

The Devour Dayton Bake Sale A Great American Bake Sale Event Saturday, October 1st 12PM-4PM Heather’s Coffee & Café 505 South Main Street, Springboro

•

Join us for a wide assortment of baked goods, candies and confections provided by the Devour Dayton staff, local volunteers and restaurateurs. Event includes: • 50-50 Raffle • Temporary Tattoos for the kids • Door Prizes of all sorts Food Drive to benefit Springboro Community Assistance Center A Special Thanks to the following donors: The Dayton Dragons, The Cincinnati Cyclones, JD Custard’s, Roosters, UDF, The Last Drop Café, Heather’s Coffee & Café, A Confections, Treasured Star Artistry, TRI-OPS, Tina’s Sweet Treats All money raised by this event will be donated to Share Our Strength which will then disburse the funds to LOCAL food pantries and programs that have applied for grants.

To join our team or to donate, please visit the following link http://join.strength.org/site/TR/CEM/GABS?team_id=106096&pg=team&fr_id=1120

Devour This! Food Challenge

By Dawn Bowes, featuring Bobby Bowes Welcome to Devour This! This new feature of Devour Dayton will be focusing on food challenges in the Dayton and surrounding areas. I asked to create this series because I have a husband, Bobby, who eats a ton of food, or at least is seems he does. I thought since he likes to eat, I might as well put his mouth and stomach to good use. Please read on to hear about his first two challenges and to find out if you are brave enough to Devour This!

Fat-n-Skinny—KJ’s Restaurant Bobby’s first adventure into the food challenge arena began at KJ’s Restaurant in Germantown. One morning we had stopped in for a bite to eat. We quickly found out that it was the grand re-opening of the restaurant.

They had a variety of fun events planned for the day and one of them was the Fat-n-Skinny eating contest.

Bobby wanted to give it a go. Unfortunately, the contest wasn’t until later in the day but Bobby was determined to try this mega breakfast sandwich. Kevin, the owner, told us the following information: the meal had to be eaten in 25 minutes or less, It weighed in at four pounds, and he would let Bobby set the bar to eat it in for the contest later that day The sandwiched arrived and I was astounded at how huge it was. I had never seen a sandwich this big. The Fat -n-Skinny contains • two Belgian waffles • two waffle size sausage patties • four slices of cheese • an order of home fries, onions and green peppers • topped with sausage gravy • four fried eggs • a serving of maple syrup.

The timer was set and off Bobby went. Within minutes he had the first half of the sandwich down. By the ten minute mark, Bobby had less than a quarter left of the sandwich. At the 13 minute mark he downed the syrup like he was drinking a cup of juice. The total time for the first Fat-nSkinny eaten was 13 minutes and 58 seconds. Bobby had succeeded in taking down the Fat-n-Skinny and setting the bar for KJ’s food challenge. Since, then over 50 people have tried the Fat-n-Skinny, only a handful has conquered this massive sandwich and Bobby’s time has been beaten to less than 10 minutes. The ones that are able to conquer the Fat-nSkinny receive a t-shirt announcing, “I ate the whole Fat-nSkinny” and do not have to pay the $15 for the sandwich.

The ones that do not conquer the Fat-n-Skinny receive a t -shirt stating “I tried to eat the Fat-n-Skinny and woke up at KJ’s” and a bill for $15.

This challenge has many positives to it, one it is fun! Other positives include that the KJ’s staff want you to succeed and even cheer you on. The sandwich is made to order and a person gets fresh and quality food. The negative is you need a nap after eating it. Talk about Carb Overload!

Bobby 1 Food Challenges 0

E-I-E-I-O Challenge—Oinkadoodle Moo Bobby’s second food challenge took place at the Oinkadoodle Moo in Englewood, Ohio. The E-I-E-I-O challenge has been attempted by 57 people. Only 5 have succeeded. The challenge consists of : • 2lb sammich of chicken, pork, and beef on a huge bun with a heaping serving of cole slaw • full slab of Saint Louis style ribs • a quarter chicken • two ladles of barbeque sauce • three sides of your choice.

Bobby chose potatoes, green beans and corn pudding as his sides. The rules are you cannot stand up and you have one hour to finish. This massive amount of food weighs in at five pounds. Bobby was very confident that he could take on this challenge and win it. The timer started and Bobby took down the 2lb sammich in 7 minutes. He appeared to be off to a good start. He then dove into the chicken and potatoes-both were gone within 20 minutes. The ribs were next. He needed a knife to cut the meat off the ribs, which slowed down his momentum. As the 40 minute mark arrived, he was not able to eat any more food. He said it felt like the chicken and ribs are stuck in his throat. He hoped drinking some sweet tea would help, but there was no relief.

Bobby tried tackling another rib, but by the 50 minute mark, he put down his ribs and surrendered. He couldn’t eat anymore. The E-I-E-I-O conquered yet another challenger.

This challenge has been taken on by many, but so few have succeeded. Fortunately, I have a friend that witnessed another attempt at the challenge a few days later. Upon comparing notes, some observations were made about the E-I-E-I-O, some positive some not. The positives of the challenges are you get to eat good barbeque. If you happen to win, you get a plaque on the wall with your picture, a T-shirt saying Man vs. Farm and a free meal. Not a bad haul for eating 5 pounds of good food. If you lose, you pay $29.95. On the negative side, both challengers complained of dry food that was difficult to eat. Bobby had a problem with dry ribs while the other challenger stumbled over dry chicken. A suggestion to future challengers may be to ask for extra sauce or broth with your food and allow it to soak before eating it if it appears dry.

Bobby is now 1 win and 1 lose in his food challenges. He will be taking on other challenges in the area and we look forward to checking out new places to eat as well as conquer. I would like to thank fellow staff member Sarah Marquis for her input, she was a great help in this article. Please check out KJ’s Restaurant and Oinkadoodle Moo on Facebook. A good quote by Adam Richman of Man vs. Food is “He looked his destiny in the face and he ate it,” Until next time, enjoy your friends and your family and enjoy your food.

Bobby 1 Food Challenges 1 A Special Devour Dayton Thanks To: KJ’s Restaurant 35 West Center Street Germantown, OH (937) 855-7150 Facebook: www.facebook.com/#!/pages/KJs/296733771800?sk=info.

Oinkadoodlemoo Locations: Englewood, Kettering, Wright Patt Air Force Base Website: www.oinkadoodlemoo.com/index.html Facebook: www.facebook.com/#!/oinkadoodlemoo?sk=info Twitter: www.twitter.com/#!/oinkadoodlemoo

What’s HotHot-Breakfast CREPES Ingredients • 1 1/2 cup milks, 2% works best • 4 large eggs • 1 cup flour • 1 1/2 teaspoon sugar • 1/8 teaspoon salt • 8 teaspoons butter Directions Whisk together milk and eggs. In a separate bowl, combine flour, sugar and salt. Combine wet and dry mixtures and mix well. Refrigerate for 1 hour. When ready to prepare crepes, melt 1 teaspoon butter in an 8 inch pan. Add 2 tablespoons of batter to the center of the pan. Tilt pan to evenly coat the entire bottom of the pan.

Allow to cook until the top of the crepe looks dry, then flip. Allow to cook for an additional 20-30 seconds. Melt more butter as needed to keep crepes from sticking as they cook. Allow to cool on a wire rack before stacking. Be sure to place a paper towel between each crepe when stacking.

(Aimee Plesa)

Directions Using an electric mixer, beat together strawberry jam and cream cheese. Top each crepe with 1/4 of the mixture and top with sliced strawberries. Roll up and serve immediately. (Aimee Plesa) MAPLE PECAN SYRUP Ingredients • 2 tablespoons butter • 1/2 cup chopped pecans • 2 heaping tablespoons of brown sugar • 1/8 teaspoon cinnamon • dash nutmeg • dash ginger • dash clove • 1 cup real maple syrup Directions In a small saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Add nuts, brown sugar and seasonings and stir well. Add maple syrup and brown to a low boil. Remove from heat and serve over immediately while still hot.

(Aimee Plesa)

BERRY AND YOGURT FILLED CREPES Ingredients • 16 6 inch crepes (see above recipe) • 2 small cartons yogurt • 2 cups sliced fruit Directions Lay a crepe out on a plate and top with the desired amount of yogurt. Add a layer of sliced fruit and roll up. Serve immediately.

(Aimee Plesa) STRAWBERRY CREAM CHEESE CREPES Ingredients • 4 6 inch crepes (see above recipe) • 1/4 cup strawberry jam • 8 ounces cream cheese, softened • 1 cup sliced strawberries

BLUEBERRY AND LEMON SYRUP Ingredients • 1 pint fresh blueberries, washed and stems removed • 1/4 cup water • 1/2 cup sugar • zest and juice from 1 lemon • 1/2 stick butter • splash of vanilla Directions Combine all ingredients except vanilla in a

What’s HotHot-Breakfast saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until the blueberries begin to break open and syrup thickens. Add vanilla and serve immediately. (Aimee Plesa) STRAWBERRY RHUBARB SYRUP Ingredients • 1 1/2 cups chopped rhubarb • 2 cups frozen strawberries • 3/4 cup agave syrup • 1/4 cup fresh orange juice • 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon Directions Combine all ingredients in a small sauce pan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 10 minutes. Pour into a blender and puree. Return to low heat to keep warm until time to serve. (Aimee Plesa) CHEESY HASHBROWN CASSEROLE Ingredients • 1 bag shredded, frozen hashbrowns • 1 can cream of chicken soup • 2 cups sour cream • 1 1/2 teaspoon seasoned salt • 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese • 1 small onion, diced • 1/4 cup melted butter • 2 cups crushed corn flakes Directions Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 13X9 pan with non-stick spray and set aside. Combine soup, sour cream, seasoned salt, onion and cheese in a large bowl. Add hashbrowns and stir until well combined.

Spread into prepared pan. Combine butter and corn flakes and sprinkle on top of the potato mixture. Bake until golden and bubbly, about 45 minutes. (Aimee Plesa) DONUT HOLES Ingredients • 4 cups Jiffy mix • 1/2 cup sugar • 1 teaspoon cinnamon

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1/2 teaspoon nutmeg 1 teaspoon vanilla 1 1/3 cups cold water

Directions Preheat oil in deep fryer to 400 degrees F. Combine together all dry ingredients then slowly add water to make a stiff dough (start with 1 cup and add the additional only if needed). Roll into 1-1 1/2 inch size balls. Drop, 4 at a time-into hot oil and cook until golden brown. Be sure to turn once while cooking to ensure even browning. Remove from oil and drain well on a paper towel lined plate. Serve plain, rolled in powdered sugar or dipped in cinnamon and sugar. (Aimee Plesa) Cook's Notes • Use a small spring release scoop to shape your donut holes and save your hands from getting gooey • Make a simple powdered sugar glaze and drizzle over the holes if desired.

• Substitute different types of extracts in place of the vanilla for various flavors.

JELLY DONUTS Ingredients • 1/2 ounce active dry yeast • 2 cups warm milk (around 100 degrees F) • 2 cups all purpose flour • 4 egg yolks • 1 egg • 1/2 cup sugar • 1 teaspoon salt • 2 teaspoons grated lemon peel

What’s HotHot-Breakfast • • • • •

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract sprinkle of cinnamon 5 cups flour 1 stick butter, melted jar of red jelly

Directions In a large bowl, add yeast, milk and 2 cups flour. Stir to combine and allow to sit for 30 minutes in a warm place. Add egg yolks, egg, sugar, salt, lemon peel, vanilla and cinnamon and mix well. With a spoon, beat in remaining flour and butter. Cover and allow to rise for 45 minutes. Punch dough down and turn out onto a floured surface. Dust hands and rolling pin with flour and roll dough out 1/2 inch thick. Cut out circles using a biscuit or cookie cutter, place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Cover and allow to rise an additional 30 minutes. Preheat oil to 350 -375 degrees F. When donuts are ready and oil is up to temperature, add the donuts gently to the oil, 4 or 5 at a time and cook until golden on each side (1 1/2-2 minutes per side). Allow donuts to cool for 2-3 minutes, then cut a small slit in one side.

Squeeze in approximately 1 teaspoon jelly using a pastry bag and a small round icing tip. Roll or sprinkle warm donuts with sugar.

Cook's Tips While red jelly is the typical filling for jelly donuts, feel free to experiment with different flavors and fillings.

• When making donuts, I prefer to make mine in an electric skillet. You can fry more donuts at one time since there is more surface area.

• Use clean oil every time you make donuts. If you use the same oil you use for your fries, onion rings, chicken, etc, your donuts will absorb those flavors.

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ITALIAN SAUSAGE & VEGETABLE FRITTATA Ingredients 2 sweet Italian sausages (about 1/3 to 1/2 pound) 2 hot Italian sausages (about 1/3 to 1/2 pound) 2 Tbsp. unsalted butter 1 Tbsp. olive oil 2 medium shallots, finely chopped 1/2 pound white mushrooms, thinly sliced 2 small zucchini, thinly sliced 1 medium clove garlic, minced salt and pepper, to taste 12 eggs 1-1/2 cups shredded sharp Cheddar cheese, divided 4 medium plum tomatoes, sliced (about 1 pound) 1/4 cup sour cream, for optional garnish 2 Tbsp. finely chopped fresh basil, for optional garnish Directions Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Cook sausages in a medium skillet over medium heat. Drain on paper towels; let cool. Slice into 1/4-inch pieces and set aside. Heat butter and olive oil over medium-high heat in a 12-inch nonstick skillet with an ovenproof handle. Add shallots; sauté until soft but not brown, about 3 minutes. Add mushrooms; sauté for 1 to 2 minutes. Add zucchini; sauté for 2 minutes. Add garlic; cook for 1 minute. Arrange sausage slices around vegetables and season with 1/4 teaspoon salt and a pinch of pepper. In a medium bowl, whisk eggs with a pinch of salt and some pepper, until well blended.

Stir in 1-1/4 cups shredded cheese. Pour egg mixture over sausages and vegetables in skillet and cook over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until bottom of mixture is lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Arrange sliced tomatoes around edge of skillet. Sprinkle with remaining 1/4 cup cheese. Transfer skillet to oven; bake until frittata is puffed and brown, 10 to 15

What’s HotHot-Breakfast minutes. Remove from oven, using an oven mitt, and invert onto a plate. Invert again onto a serving platter so that the tomato border faces up. (Or serve the frittata right out of the pan.) Place a large dollop of sour cream in the center; garnish with chopped basil.

Rachael's Recipe Notes: Frittata may be prepared up to 2 hours in advance and kept at room temperature.

Garnish just before serving. Although it will be completely different in texture and flavor, the frittata may be made 1 day ahead, refrigerated and served at room temperature. You can also make this in a 13x9-inch baking dish. Spray with nonstick cooking spray, layer sausage and vegetables in pan. Pour whisked eggs over sausage and vegetables. Bake 35 to 45 minutes, until eggs are almost completely set. Top with cheese and bake another 10 to 15 minutes, until eggs are set and cheese is hot and bubbly and a lightly golden brown. Cut into squares to serve. Yield: 8 to 10 servings. (Rachael Monaco) STUFFED FRENCH TOAST WITH APRICOT GLAZE Ingredients 8 ounces cream cheese, softened 1 tsp. pure almond extract 1/2 cup slivered almonds 1 loaf (16+ ounces) unsliced sourdough bread or Italian bread 4 large eggs 1/2 cup half and half 1/2 cup milk 3/4 tsp. pure vanilla extract 3/4 tsp. ground cinnamon 1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg 1 jar (12 ounces) apricot jam 1 can (16 ounces) apricot halves, drained Directions In a small bowl, combine the cream cheese and the almond extract until fluffy. Stir in the nuts. Cut the bread into 16 slices,

approximately 3/4-inches thick each. Beat together the eggs, half and half, milk, vanilla, and cinnamon. Dip one slice of bread into mixture. Place on lightly greased griddle. Top with 2 to 3 Tbsp. cream cheese mixture. Dip second slice of bread into egg mixture and place on top of other slice of bread with cream cheese mixture.

Each dipped slice should be moist, but not completely soaked through. Cook the stuffed French toast on lightly greased griddle until golden brown on both sides.

Heat the apricot jam, slice the apricots into thirds and add to the preserves with the nutmeg. Drizzle over each stuffed French toast. Yield: 8 servings Rachael's Recipe Notes Strawberry jam (www.examiner.com/ cooking-in-buffalo/strawberry-freezer-jam) and frozen or fresh strawberries, blueberry jam (www.examiner.com/cooking-inbuffalo/lemon-blueberry-jam-recipe) and frozen or fresh blueberries, or peach jam (www.examiner.com/cooking-in-buffalo/ back-to-school-peach-freezer-jam-recipehomemade-peanut-butter-recipe) and canned or fresh peaches can be substituted for the apricots. (RachaelMonaco) CANDIED BACON Ingredients • 1 pound bacon • brown sugar to taste Directions Place bacon on a foil lined baking sheet, making sure that pieces do not overlap.

Sprinkle with the desired amount of brown sugar. Place pan in oven and turn on to 400 degrees F. Bake for 15-20 minutes, until bacon reaches desired crispness. Place on paper towels to whisk away extra fat and serve. (Aimee Plesa)

What’s HotHot-Breakfast PUMPKIN CUSTARD FRENCH TOAST Ingredients • 1 cup whole milk • 1 cup heavy cream • 1 (14.5 ounce) can solid-pack pumpkin • 1/2 cup sugar • 2 eggs • 2 egg yolks • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon • 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger • 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice • 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves • 2 tablespoons Zaya Gran Reserve rum • 1 loaf day old French baguette or crusty Italian bread, sliced 1 inch thick Directions In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment combine the milk, cream, pumpkin, sugar, eggs and yolks, spices and Zaya rum. Whisk on low speed until mixture comes together. Whisk on medium speed until fully combined. Place the sliced bread into the pumpkin mixture and let soak for 3-5 minutes. Meanwhile, place a non-stick skillet over medium heat. Add 1 tablespoon of butter. Carefully remove the bread from the soaking mixture and place it on the warm skillet. Repeat with remaining bread. Cook about 2-3 minutes until the underside of the bread is golden and firm.

Carefully flip the bread over and continue cooking until the bread is cooked through, about 3 or 4 minutes more. Remove to a warm platter and continue with the rest of the bread, soaking and cooking until the bread is used up. Serve on a warmed plate or platter. Garnish with baked apples or a sprinkle of confectioner's sugar and cinnamon.

(Chef Donna Desfor, Recipe and image used with permission)

Great Breakfast Eats in the Miami Valley

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Central Pastry-Middletown Jumpstart Java-Springboro Heather’s Coffee & CaféSpringboro Donut Haus-Springboro The Breakfast Club-Lebanon Scrambler Marie’s-Miami Twsp Golden Nugget-Kettering Dunkin Donuts-Miami Twsp Butter Café-Dayton First Watch-Kettering and Fairborn Hasty Tasty Pancake HouseDayton Waffle House-locations throughout the area Tank’s Bar & Grill-Dayton Pancake House-Washington Twsp Bob Evans-locations throughout the area Denny’s-Dayton Central Perc-Dayton The Last Drop Café-New Lebanon Boston Stoker-Dayton, Troy, Oakwood, Centerville, Springboro Big Sky Bread Co-Kettering

What’s HotHot-Pizza KID FRIENDLY FRUIT PIZZA Ingredients • 1/2 cup butter, softened • 3/4 cup sugar • 1 egg • 1 1/4 cups flour • 1 teaspoon cream of tartar • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda • 1/4 teaspoon salt • 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese • 1/2 cup sugar • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract Directions Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Cream together butter and 3/4 cup sugar until smooth. Add egg. In another bowl, combine the flour, cream of tartar, baking soda and salt. Add the dry ingredients to the creamed mixture until just blended.

Press dough into an ungreased pizza pan.

Bake for 8-10 minutes, until crust is lightly browned. Allow to cool completely. While crust is cooling, beat together cream cheese, remaining sugar and vanilla.

Spread evenly on cooled crust and top with fruit. Chill until time to serve.

Cook's Notes-If you don't have the time to make the crust from scratch, you can use refrigerated sugar cookie dough in its place. For added flavor, you can drizzle this fruit pizza with melted chocolate, ice cream topping or sprinkle with granola.

(Aimee Plesa) APPLE PIZZA Crust Ingredients • 2 1/2-3 cups all purpose flour • 3 tablespoons sugar • 1 package (1/4 oz) active dry yeast • 1/2 teaspoon salt • 1/2 cup water • 1/4 cup milk • 1/4 cup butter, cubed Apple Topping Ingredients • 4 cups peeled and sliced Granny Smith Apples

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2 tablespoons butter 1/2 cup sugar 2 tablespoons all purpose flour 1 teaspoon cinnamon Cheese Topping Ingredients 4 ounces softened cream cheese 1/4 cup packed brown sugar 2 tablespoons caramel ice cream topping

Streusel Ingredients • 2/3 cup all purpose flour • 1/3 cup sugar • 1/4 cup cold butter, cubed Directions In a large bowl, combine 1 1/2 cups flour, sugar, yeast and salt. In a saucepan, heat water, milk and butter to 120 degrees F. Add to dry ingredients and mix for 2 minutes. Stir in enough remaining flour to form a firm dough. Turn onto floured surface, cover and let rest for 15 minutes.

In a large skillet, cook and stir apples in butter for 2 minutes. Combine the sugar, flour and cinnamon and add to skillet with apples. Cook 3 minutes longer. Reduce heat and cook 5 minutes longer, or until apples are tender. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Combine cheese topping ingredients in a bowl, set aside. To make streusel, mix sugar and flour. Cut in butter until crumbly. Pat dough onto a greased pizza pan. Pinch edges up to create a lip.

Spread with cheese topping, then add apple topping. Sprinkle with streusel. Bake 20-25 minutes. Can be served warm or cold.

Makes 10-12 servings. (Aimee Plesa)

What’s HotHot-Pizza LEMON BLUEBERRY PIZZA Ingredients • 1 package refrigerated sugar cookie dough • 8 ounces cream cheese, softened • 2 tablespoons sugar • 1 small container lemon yogurt • 2 cups fresh blueberries • zest of 1 lemon, mixed with 1 teaspoon sugar

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6 leaves fresh basil, chopped 1 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped 2 tablespoons olive oil 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano salt and fresh black pepper to taste

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1 premade pizza crust, such as Boboli 1 tablespoon olive oil 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder to taste salt to taste

Directions Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Evenly press cookie dough into the bottom of a pizza pan and bake until golden brown, approximately 12-14 minutes. Allow cookie to cool completely. Mix together cream cheese and sugar until smooth. Add yogurt then spread on top of the cookie.

Sprinkle “crust” with blueberries and top with the desired amount of lemon zest.

Refrigerate leftovers. (Aimee Plesa)

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2 ounces shredded mozzarella cheese 2 ounces shredded provolone cheese 2 ounces grated Parmesan cheese 2 ounces thinly sliced hard salami, cut into strips 4 ounces thinly sliced prosciutto, cut into strips

REUBEN PIZZA Ingredients • 1 premade pizza crust, such as Boboli • 1 14 ounce can sauerkraut, drained and squeezed dry • 6 ounces sliced corned beef, cut into bite size pieces • 1/2 cup Russian dressing • 4 ounces shredded Swiss cheese Directions Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Spread Dressing evenly across crust. Top with sauerkraut and corned beef. Sprinkle with shredded cheese and bake 12-14 minutes, until crust is browned and cheese is bubbly.

(Aimee Plesa) MUFFALETTA PIZZA Ingredients • 10 black olives, chopped • 10 green olives, chopped • 2 tablespoons celery, chopped • 2 tablespoons red onion, chopped • 2 cloves garlic, chopped

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Directions In a medium bowl, mix together the first set of ingredients. Cover and chill in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour prior to assembling pizza. Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Drizzle olive oil on the crust then sprinkle with garlic powder. Bake the crust for 5 minutes directly on the oven rack. Remove from oven and cool. In another bowl, mix together all remaining ingredients. Add in the olive relish. Preheat broiler. Top pizza crust with the topping mixture and broil for 5-6 minutes. Pizza is done when the cheeses are melted and the meats are lightly browning. (Aimee Plesa) WHITE PIZZA Ingredients 1 recipe pizza dough (see link for recipe at the end of the directions) 2 to 4 Tbsp. olive oil 2 to 3 cloves fresh garlic, finely minced 1/2 cup fresh flat leaf Italian parsley, coarsely chopped 1 cup fresh or canned tomatoes, coarsely chopped 1 cup fresh spinach, coarsely chopped 1/2 cup black olives, coarsely chopped 2 cups shredded Mozzarella cheese

What’s HotHot-Pizza 1/2 cup grated fresh Parmesan or Romano cheese Directions Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Use a pizza stone if available. I like to spray my pizza stone with nonstick cooking spray and sprinkle with a small amount of finely ground yellow cornmeal. This will ensure a crispy crust. Stretch dough out to fit pizza stone or pan. Drizzle olive oil onto pizza dough, approximately 2 to 4 Tbsp. Top with minced garlic and grated Parmesan or Romano cheese. Continue to add ingredients to your pizza, topping with tomatoes, black olives and spinach. Top entire pizza with Mozzarella cheese and more fresh minced garlic, if desired. Bake at 425 degrees F for 15 to 20 minutes, until edges of pizza are golden brown and pizza is cooked through. The last 5 minutes of cooking, top with chopped fresh flat leaf Italian parsley. Remove from oven and allow to cool slightly before cutting.

Yield: 8 slices or 12 squares.

Pizza crust recipe: www.examiner.com/ frugal-living-in-buffalo/making-pizzadough (Rachael Monaco) WOLFGANG PUCK’S SMOKED SALMON PIZZA WITH CAVIAR Ingredients 6 ounces Wolfgang Puck's perfect pizza dough (recipe follows) 1 Tbsp. Wolfgang Puck's chili and garlic oil (recipe follows) 1/4 cup very thinly sliced red onion 2 Tbsp. Wolfgang Puck's Dill Cream (recipe follows) 2-1/2 ounces thinly sliced smoked salmon 1 tsp. chopped fresh chives 1 Tbsp. Sevruga caviar, optional Directions Place a pizza stone on the middle rack of the oven and preheat the oven to 500°F. On a lightly floured surface, stretch or roll out the dough into an 8-inch circle, with the outer edge a little thicker than the inner

arrange the onions over the pizza. Slide a pizza paddle or rimless baking sheet under the pizza and then slide the pizza onto the pizza stone. Bake until the crust is golden brown, 6 to 8 minutes. With the pizza paddle or a large spatula, carefully remove the pizza from the oven and set it on a cutting board. Use a knife, an icing spatula, or the back of a spoon to spread the Dill Cream over the inner circle. Arrange the slices of salmon so that they cover the entire pizza, slightly overlapping the raised rim. Sprinkle the chopped chives over the salmon. Using a pizza cutter or a large sharp knife, cut the pizza into 4 or 6 slices.

If you like, spoon a little caviar in the center of each slice. Serve immediately.

Pizza dough recipe: www.examiner.com/ frugal-living-in-buffalo/wolfgang-puck-sperfect-all-purpose-pizza-dough-recipe Chili and garlic oil recipe: www.examiner.com/frugal-living-inbuffalo/garlic-chili-oil-recipe-fromwolfgang-puck Dill cream recipe: www.examiner.com/ frugal-living-in-buffalo/make-your-owndill-cream-recipe-from-wolfgang-puck (Rachael Monaco

HAWAIIAN PIZZA Ingredients 1 recipe pizza dough (recipe follows) 4 Tbsp. vegetable or canola oil 1 cup Queso fresco, shredded 1/2 cup cup green bell pepper, diced or julienned 1/2 cup red bell pepper, diced or julienned

8 ounce can pineapple chunks, drained 12 ounces very thinly sliced or shaved cooked ham 1/2 cup very thinly sliced red onion 6 ounces very thinly sliced provolone cheese nonstick cooking spray

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Directions Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Spray cooking spray over a 12-inch pizza stone or pan. Press the pizza dough onto the stone or into the pan, and then drizzle oil over the dough, keeping away from the outer half inch of the edge. Top with shredded Queso fresco (a fresh white mild Mexican cheese) and provolone cheese, and then arrange the bell peppers, pineapple, ham and onion on top. Bake the Hawaiian pizza recipe for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the crust is golden brown. Yield: 8 slices Pizza crust recipe: www.examiner.com/ frugal-living-in-buffalo/making-pizzadough (Rachael Monaco)

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Great Pizza in the Miami Valley • • • • •

Pizza Factory-Dayton Campioni’s-Springboro and Mason Ron’s-West Carrollton and Miamisburg Marion’s-various locations Milano’s-Miami Twsp, UD and Beavercreek

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LaRosa’s-Centerville Godfather’s-Sugarcreek Twsp B&B Carryout-Waynesville Bentino’s-Waynesville Papa Murphy’s– various locations Cassano’s-various locations Flying Pizza-Dayton The Oregon Express-Oregon District

Heather’s Coffee and CaféSpringboro Bella Vino Wine MerchantSpringboro Dewey’s Pizza-UD Pizza Express-Kettering Ording’sDomino’s Pizza-various locations Marco’s Pizza-various locations Papa John’s-various locations Uno Chicago Bar & GrillDayton Romeo’s Pizza-Dayton Perky’s Pizza-Dayton Sarpino’s-Dayton Giovanni’s Pizzeria-Fairborn Harrigan’s Tavern-Kettering Palermo’s-Kettering Ha Ha Pizza-Yellow Springs Giovanni’s Pizza-Fairborn Archer’s Tavern-Centerville

IN THE KITCHEN Kollege Kitchen, Product Reviews, Fun with Food, Kooking with Kaden, Cooking with a Tween, Frugal Feasts

Sweet Facts About Sugar

By Aimee Plesa Originally, people would chew on a raw stalk of sugar cane to extract the sweet juice from the plant solids. Lucky for us, Indians discovered how to crystallize sugar and the culinary world was forever changed. What was once a luxury item has become a staple in nearly every home in America. We use sugar as a sweetener, a preservative, a food agent, a texturizer and a decoration, but how many of us have ever stopped to consider how sugar has evolved over the years?

The origins of sugarcane is somewhat sketchy and open to interpretation. Some say it originated in the tropical regions of South Asia. Others say it was first grown in Polynesia. Still, others say it came from New Guinea. While we may never know exactly where sugarcane first grew, we do know that the Indians were the first civilization to learn how to crystallize sugar. During the 7th century, China became the first country to grow and cultivate sugarcane. It quickly became a staple for cooking. Their early refining efforts consisted of grinding or pounding on the cane to extract the juice. The juice was then boiled down until solids remained.

During the Muslim Agricultural Revolution, Arab entrepreneurs adopted techniques from India and transformed them to suit a large scale operation. They set up sugar mills, refineries, factories and plantations.

By the late 1300's, better presses were developed which led to a doubling of juice extraction and more sugar being refined.

In 1492, Christopher Columbus stopped in the Canary Islands and received a gift of sugarcane cuttings. These cuttings were to become the first sugarcane plants in the New World. Portuguese travelers introduced sugarcane to Brazil while the Dutch shared it with the Caribbean Islands. During this time of great expansion, changing culinary tastes caused sugar to become worth its weight in gold. As production became multisourced and more common, prices fell.

During the European colonization of the America's, the Caribbean became the world's largest supplier of sugar. Unfortunately, the sugar industry grew on the backs of the 1 million slaves sold in Jamaica and Barbados. Currently sugar is produced in approximately 120+ countries across the world. Over 130 million tons of sugar are processed every year. To put this into perspective, that is equal to 286,520,000,000 pounds!

Interesting Sugar Facts 30% of the world's current sugar production comes from sugar beets, the other 70% is from sugarcane.

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The average American consumes 43 pounds of sugar a year.

A teaspoon of sugar contains only 15 calories.

Sugar contains no preservatives.

Four states produce sugar cane: Florida, Hawaii, Louisiana and Texas. Sugar beets are grown in California, Colorado, Idaho, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, Oregon, and Wyoming.

To soften brown sugar that has hardened, place it in a sealed container with a slice of bread overnight.

Scientists have used sugar to treat wounds with great success. It is believed that when sugar melts into a wound, it creates an environment where bacteria cannot grow. It may also provide damaged tissue with nourishment for regrowth.

Navigating your way around the sweet world of sugar can get confusing. There are nearly as many types of sugar as there are uses for it. If you have no idea what raw sugar is or what is the difference between 12X and 6X powdered sugar, this guide is for you.

Raw Sugar is cane sugar that has been minimally processed. It is the first product manufactured through sugar refining. Raw sugar still contains molasses, which lends this large grained sugar a tan color and rich flavor. It is often used as a topping for desserts and pastries.

Brown Sugar is sugar that is coated in molasses. It comes in both light and dark forms, the only difference is the amount of molasses contained in the finished product. It is most often used in baked goods that require a higher moisture content or richer flavor than granulated sugar offers.

Granulated Sugar is the form of sugar we are all familiar with-white sugar. It is bright white crystals. When a recipe calls for "sugar" you should use granulated.

Coarse Sugar is also known as decorating or sanding sugar. It is used for decorating as it will not melt under the heat of baking. It adds a nice sparkle to desserts and baked goods.

Superfine Sugar is also know as castor sugar. It is very fine grained sugar that dissolves almost instantly when added to liquids. It is preferred in desserts and baked goods where a finer texture is desired, such as angel food cakes or meringues.

Powdered Sugar is also know as confectioner's sugar or icing sugar. It is granulated sugar that has been ground, sifted and has a small amount of cornstarch added to prevent caking. The finer the sugar is ground, the higher the "X" factor. It is a popular ingredients in frostings, glazes and decorations.

When cooking, it is recommended that you stick with what your recipe calls for when using sugars. Each type of sugar has its own distinct characteristics and substituting one for another can ruin a recipe. However, there are a few occasions when you can make your own type of sugar.

• How to make powdered sugar www.wikihow.com/Make-Powdered-Sugar • How to make brown sugar www.ehow.com/how_2210561_make-brown-sugar.html • How to make superfine sugar www.chowhound.chow.com/topics/278313 Here are some delicious recipes that utilize sugar as a main ingredient, remember to enjoy them in moderation: Sugar cream pie www.devourdayton.blogspot.com/2011/07/sugar-cream-pie-recipe.html Microwave hard candy www.devourdayton.blogspot.com/2011/06/microwave-hard-candy-recipe.html Sugar cookies www.devourdayton.blogspot.com/2011/05/sugar-cookie-recipe.html Lavender sugar www.devourdayton.blogspot.com/2011/07/lavender-sugar-recipe.html Cookie glaze www.devourdayton.blogspot.com/2011/05/cooke-glaze-recipe.html Brown sugar lemonade www.devourdayton.blogspot.com/2011/06/brown-sugar-lemonade-recipe.html Cinnamon crème syrup www.devourdayton.blogspot.com/2011/05/cinnamon-creme-syrup-recipe.html

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A Guide To Natural Sweeteners

By Aimee Plesa There are groups who would have you believe that processed sugar is the work of the Devil. In some cases, this may be true. In others, the argument against sugar is circumstantial, at best. No matter what your personal opinion of sugar may be, there are times when using a natural sweetener is simply the best choice you can make. If you need help choosing the correct sweetener for your recipe, please check out the guide below.

A Guide Natural Sweeteners •

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Sucanat is non refined cane sugar. It is made by beating the juice from sugar cane then cooking it down to a dark brown syrup. This syrup is hand paddled until dry porous crystals are formed. Sucanat is a product of Ragus Holdings, Inc. Sucanat can be used in place of brown sugar.

Honey is a sweetener that is produced by bees. It is made up of fructose, glucose and water.

Exact contents, as well as color and flavor, vary on the bees' nectar source (flowers). As a general rule, lighter honeys are milder in flavor while darker honeys have a more robust flavor.

Honey is widely used in baking and in beverage making.

Corn Syrup is made from the starches found in corn. It is used for more than just its sweetening properties-it is also used to soften texture, add volume, prevent crystallization of sugar and enhance flavor.

Frozen Fruit Juice is a healthy alternative for sweetening sauces, salad dressings and baking. Pineapple, orange and apple are popular choices.

Dates and Raisins make a wonderful dressings for fruit salads, desserts and baked goods. Take a handful of dates or raisins and mix with a half cup of water. Add to blender and blend for approximately 10 minutes (until a pudding like texture and consistency).

Fructose looks identical to white sugar but tastes sweeter. It breaks down slower than white sugar and does not use insulin. It is an excellent choice for diabetics, hyperglycemics and hypoglycemics.

• Maple Syrup is made from the sap of maple trees. Pure maple syrup is popular in baked goods, where 3/4 cup of syrup can be substituted for 1 cup white sugar.

• Blackstrap Molasses is a dark, thick syrup that is a byproduct of sugar cane refining.

It lends a robust, somewhat bittersweet flavor to baked goods. It is popular in gingerbread, baked beans and quick breads. Has the added bonus of containing iron.

• Agave Nectar is extracted from the agave plant and comes in 3 grades-light, medium and amber. Light agave nectar is sweet and flavor neutral, making it a great sugar substitute. The darker the grade, the richer and more earthy its flavor becomes.

• Stevia is derived from a family of herbs commonly called sweetleaf or sugarleaf. Up to 300 times more sweet than sugar, a little goes a long way. The FDA has not approved this as a sweetener, it is classified as a dietary supplement.

Brown Rice Syrup made from brown rice and enzymes. It is amber colored and has a faint butterscotch flavor. It is about half as sweet as white sugar. A good choice for crispy baked goods but avoid using it for cakes.

Barley Malt Syrup A dark brown, thick and sticky liquid made from sprouted barley. It has a strong distinctive flavor, similar to molasses and is half as sweet as sugar.

Most all of these natural sweeteners can be found at area grocery stores including Kroger, Meijer, Wal Mart, Marsh, Target, Aldi and GFS. Specialty items may be found at local health food and specialty stores including Whole Foods, Trader Joe's, Health Foods Unlimited and Dorothy Lane Market.

Frugal FeastsFeasts-Breakfast Basics

By Rachael Monaco Taming your breakfast budget (www.examiner.com/frugal-living-in-buffalo/tame-the-breakfast-budget) can be a challenge, but making your own pancake/waffle mix can help you. This mix is easy and inexpensive to make, and tastes better than the mass produced commercial mixes. You can put a hearty breakfast of pancakes (or waffles), breakfast sausage, (www.examiner.com/frugal-living-in-buffalo/breakfast-sausagepatties-recipe) and seasonal fruit or juice on the table for four to six people for under $10.

This recipe makes 13 cups of mix, enough for about 10 batches of pancakes and/or waffles and costs less than a box of pancake or baking mix. You can half this recipe if you don't want a lot of mix sitting around.

Pancake and waffle mix Ingredients: 10 cups all-purpose flour (this is one 5 pound bag of flour + 2.5 cups) 2-1/2 cups instant nonfat dry milk 3/4 cup granulated white sugar 1/4 cup baking powder 2 Tbsp. salt (reduce this to 1 Tbsp. if you are following a sodium restricted diet) Directions: Combine all the ingredients in a bowl, blending well. Store in a large airtight container and label it. Store in a pantry for 6 to 8 months, or a freezer for up to 18 months.

To make a batch of pancakes: 1-3/4 cups mix 1 large egg, slightly beaten 1 cup water (or milk, if you prefer) 3 Tbsp. vegetable or canola oil 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract Directions: Combine all in a bowl, adding a bit more water if you like thinner pancakes.

Let the mix stand for 5 minutes before using. Using 1/4 cup measure, pour each pancake evenly out onto a hot griddle or non-stick fry pan (you may want to use some non-stick cooking spray), cooking about 2 minutes per side (you'll see bubbles start to form on the uncooked side. When there are lots and lots of bubbles, flip it).

Yield: about 8 to 10 pancakes.

For a lighter, fluffy pancake, substitute club soda (sodium-free if you can find it) for the water and/or milk in this recipe. Using milk will give you a denser pancake. Serve with fruit or butter and pancake syrup (www.examiner.com/frugal-living-in-buffalo/ pancake-syrup-myo).

Rachael's Recipe Notes: You can use the above batter to coat onion rings or chicken nuggets, just don't add the vanilla and add 1/2 tsp. onion powder and 1/2 tsp. salt, and use ice water when you make the batter. Preheat a deep fryer and you'll have a nice, incredibly delicious made at home treat.

To make a batch of waffles: Ingredients: 2 large eggs 1-1/4 cup milk 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract 2 Tbsp. melted butter 1-3/4 cups mix Directions: Preheat waffle iron (I like to spray mine with cooking spray). Separate the egg whites and yolks into separate bowls. Beat egg whites until they form firm peaks.

Beat egg yolks, milk and melted butter. Combine the egg yolk mixture with the pancake mix. Fold in the beaten egg whites. Spoon evenly on the waffle iron (about 1/3 to 1/2 cup per waffle) and cook according to manufacturers' instructions. Yield: 4 waffles.

Top with berries or caramel apple sauce (ww.examiner.com/frugal-living-in-buffalo/caramel-apple-sauce) and whipped cream, if desired. Also delicious with butter and maple syrup.

You don’t have to live in Dayton to enjoy good food!

For more of Rachael’s delicious recipes, Please visit her on Examiner: Buffalo Cooking Examiner www.examiner.com/cooking-in-buffalo/rachael-monaco • Buffalo Frugal Living Examiner www.examiner.com/frugal-living-in-buffalo/rachael-monaco • Buffalo Family Holidays Examiner www.examiner.com/family-holidays-in-buffalo/rachaelmonaco •

Frugal FeastsFeasts-Slow Cooker Secrets

By Rachael Monaco Your crock pot or slow cooker can help you create delicious and inexpensive meals for your family without a lot of muss or fuss. All you need to do is pop this in the crock pot and it will be waiting for you when you get home from work, errands and school.

Serve with hot buttered egg noodles or mashed potatoes and gravy, steamed broccoli or green beans and a leafy green salad with oil and vinegar dressing. Just a little (www.examiner.com/cooking-in-buffalo/darky-leafy-greens-make-a-delicious-salad-with-basic-oiland-vinegar-dressing) planning and you'll have dinner for four to six people on the table for less than $10.

Three cheese meatloaf in the crock pot Ingredients:

2 pounds lean ground beef (80% to 85% lean preferred) 1 large onion (about 3/4 to 1 cup, finely chopped 1/2 green bell pepper (about 1/2 to 3/4 cup), finely chopped 1/2 cup Italian seasoned breadcrumbs (www.examiner.com/frugal-living-in-buffalo/breadcrumbs-italianseasoned-unseasoned-myo) 1 tsp. salt 1/2 tsp. pepper 1/2 tsp. paprika 2 large eggs, beaten 1/4 cup milk 1 tsp. Italian seasoning (1/4 tsp. dried oregano, 1/2 tsp. dried parsley flakes, 1/4 tsp. dried crushed basil) 1/3 cup Mozzarella cheese, shredded 1/3 cup Swiss cheese, shredded 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, grated Directions: Fold a 2-foot piece of aluminum foil length wise in half twice. Place on bottom and up sides of crock pot. In large bowl combine beef, onion, green bell pepper, breadcrumbs, green bell pepper and paprika mixing well. In small bowl combine eggs and milk stir into meat mixture. Add Italian seasoning, Mozzarella, Swiss and Parmesan cheeses. Using your hand, mix meat mixture well and press into foil lined slow cooker. Tuck ends of foil under lid. Cover and cook on LOW 8 to 10 hours until juices run clear and cheese is bubbling. Yield: 6 to 8 servings Rachael's Recipe Notes: Ground turkey or chicken can be substituted for ground beef in this recipe. We've used a 33/33/33 blend of ground beef, ground turkey and ground pork, which makes this even more delicious. If desired, substitute grated Romano or Romano/Parmesan blend for the Parmesan cheese.

When you have a free Saturday, make up 4 or 5 of these meatloaves, wrap in heavy duty foil, place in a heavy duty ziplocking bag, label and date. On a busy day you can take one out of the freezer, pop it in the crock pot (wrapped in foil), cover and cook on LOW for a couple of extra hours (will take 10 to 12 hours if cooking from frozen).

Whenever you find pork chops on sale, buy a few extra for the freezer and you'll have them to whip up this meal for the family any night of the week. I like to brown the pork chops on both sides before adding to the crock pot, but it's not necessary. Serve with baby bok choy and cashews (niagarabuzz.biz/businesspeople/ announcements/baby-bok-choy-with-cashews/), Jasmine or steamed white rice and crunchy Chinese noodles, and you'll have a delicious, nutritious, inexpensive dinner for four to six people.

Other side dishes: crab rangoon (www.examiner.com/cooking-in-buffalo/crab-rangoon-recipe), wonton soup or fried wontons (www.examiner.com/cooking-in-buffalo/how-to-make-wontons). The wontons can also be steamed, if desired.

Peking pork chops in the crock pot Ingredients: 6 pork chops, about 1-inch thick each (when on sale, I buy boneless chops; those pork riblets or country ribs work pretty good too. I use about 3 pounds) 1/4 cup packed brown sugar, firmly packed 1 tsp. ground ginger 1/2 cup soy sauce 1/4 cup ketchup 1-2 cloves garlic, mashed salt and pepper, to taste Directions: Trim excess fat from pork chops and place in crock pot. Mix remaining ingredients in small bowl and pour over meat. Cover and set on LOW and cook 4 to 6 hours, or until tender. Season with salt and pepper, if needed. Yield: 6 servings

Frugal FeastsFeasts-Family Pizza Night

By Rachael Monaco Pizza is a family favorite, especially for a Friday or Saturday family game or movie night. Papa John's, Pizza Hut and Domino's have a variety of ads for discounted pizza. We've tried them, and frankly none of them comes close to the taste we get with homemade pizza. In addition, one pizza for four adults doesn't cut it in my house. And on Pizza Night they always want wings, and wings are ridiculously expensive, whether you order them out or buy them at the meat counter and prepare them at home. I substitute chicken drumsticks for the wings and "invented" Buffalo hot legs.

Plan ahead and you can manage pizza and "wing" night for your family without breaking the bank. If you have a couple of hours on a Saturday or Sunday afternoon and about $20 you can create two large pizzas, Buffalo hot legs and dessert. When I made the steak & cheddar pizza, my younger son who is quite the foodie proclaimed it "the best steak & cheese pizza" he had ever eaten. Mind you, he doesn't like onions and he loved them on this pizza. He also declared the hot legs "better than chicken wings", and this is a young man who loves his chicken wings.

Menu: Cheese & pepperoni pizza Steak & Cheddar pizza Buffalo hot legs Carrot-pumpkin cake with cream cheese frosting

• • • •

Shopping list: • red bell pepper • red onion • 1/4 to 1/2 pound beef stew meat or stir fry meat (any lean meat that can be thinly sliced will do) • 15 ounce can 100% pure pumpkin puree • 1 box (18.25 to 18.75 ounces) carrot cake mix • cream cheese frosting (or cream cheese and make your own frosting; recipe follows) • chicken drumsticks (unless you keep them on hand in the freezer) • buttermilk • pepperoni • fresh mushrooms • Mozzarella cheese • Cheddar cheese • Parmesan cheese Pantry staples: • tomato paste • garlic powder • dried parsley flakes • dried oregano • dried basil

• • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

chili powder granulated white sugar powdered sugar (if you're going to make our own cream cheese frosting) pure vanilla extract walnuts white vinegar hot sauce flour yeast oil (vegetable or olive) salt pepper cornmeal paper towels nonstick cooking spray

Fresh/Frozen staples: • carrots • garlic • butter or margarine • eggs • chicken drumsticks (unless you need to add them to the shopping list) CHEESE AND PEPPERONI PIZZA Ingredients • 1 batch basic pizza dough recipe (about 1-1/2 pounds) www.examiner.com/frugal-living-in-buffalo/making -pizza-dough • 1 cup basic pizza sauce recipe (depends on how much sauce you like, use more or less to your taste) www.examiner.com/frugal-living-in-buffalo/make-your-own-pizza-sauce • 1/2 pound thinly sliced Magherita or Battistoni pepperoni (about 1 cup sliced pepperoni) • 1-1/2 cups shredded Mozzarella cheese • 1/4 cup grated Romano or Parmesan cheese Directions Stretch out dough to fit pizza stone or pan (for a crunchier crust, sprinkle your pan or pizza stone with ground cornmeal). Top with pizza sauce, the grated cheese, 1/2 the shredded Mozzarella and the pepperoni, then the rest of the shredded Mozzarella. Bake at 375*F for 20 to 25 minutes until crust is golden brown and cheese is melted. Cool slightly before slicing. Should yield 8 slices or if making in rectangular pan, about 12 to15 squares.

STEAK AND CHEDDAR PIZZA Ingredients • 1 batch basic pizza dough recipe (about 1-1/2 pounds) www.examiner.com/frugal-living-in-buffalo/making -pizza-dough • 1/4 to 1/2 pound stew meat or stir fry, sliced very thinly (1/4 pound thinly sliced is a lot of meat on this pizza) • 2 large red onions, thinly sliced • 1 pound white mushrooms, thinly sliced • 1-1/2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese • about 6 Tbsp. vegetable oil

• •

2 cloves garlic, finely minced 1 small red bell pepper, thinly julienned (about 1/2 to 3/4 cup)

Directions Sauté the meat with a little pinch of salt and garlic powder until cooked through. I cook on low heat to make sure meat is tender. Set aside in bowl. In the same pan, melt 2 tsp. butter and sauté the onions until the get a nice brown caramelized color. Set aside in small bowl. In the same pan, melt another 1 tsp. butter and sauté mushrooms until they are softened. Set aside in small bowl.

To assemble Stretch out dough to fit pizza stone or pan (sprinkle pan or pizza stone with ground cornmeal for a crunchier crust). Brush crust with vegetable oil and sprinkle finely minced garlic over oiled crust. Brush with more oil.

Sprinkle a little shredded Cheddar around crust. Top with cooked meat, onions, julienned red bell peppers, mushrooms and more shredded Cheddar. Bake at 375*F for about 20 to 25 minutes, until crust is golden brown and cheese is melted. Cool slightly before slicing. Should yield 8 slices or if making in rectangular pan, 12 to 15 squares.

Rachael's Recipe Notes To get crust even crunchier, heat your pizza stone before placing dough on it. This will start the cooking process before the pizza even hits the oven.

• I prefer a pizza stone to a pizza pan, as I seem to get a better pizza that way. Pizza stones are not expensive, and you can find a good quality 12 or 16-inch round for about $10. If you want to spend a little more money and get a high quality pizza stone, check out Pampered Chef, the stones are fantastic and last a lifetime. I highly recommend them. They cost a bit more, but they are worth it. I have found that cheaper stones (in the $5 to $7 category) break easily after several uses. I had one that broke right in the oven.

•

BUFFALO HOT LEGS Ingredients • 12 to 16 chicken drumsticks • buttermilk (or make our own by adding 1 Tbsp. + 1 tsp. white vinegar to 1-1/2 cups buttermilk; let stand at room temperature for 5 minutes) • flour • salt • pepper • garlic powder • chili powder • 1 recipe Buffalo Hot Sauce (recipe follows) • Oil Directions Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Use an ovenproof casserole dish or jelly roll pan for this, a pan at least 1-inch deep with a lip. If you have a cookie sheet with an edge around it, that will work. Spray the jelly roll pan with non-stick cooking spray. Coat pan with oil (several tablespoons full). In large deep dish, add 2 cups flour and season with salt, pepper, garlic powder and chili powder (to taste). In another large deep dish, add 1-1/2 cups buttermilk. Roll each chicken drumstick first in flour, then in buttermilk, then in flour again. Place on sprayed and oiled jelly roll pan, rotating the direction (bottom, top, bottom, top) of chicken leg. Once all chicken drumsticks are on the jelly roll pan, you may find you need to add more oil. I use about 1/4 to 1/2 cup to make these "oven fried" legs. Place pan in oven, bake at 375*F for 20 minutes on one side, until nicely medium golden brown. Flip each chicken leg over and bake another 15 to 20 minutes on the other side, until very nicely medium-dark golden brown. Remove from oven, allow sitting about 5 minutes, then removing to a large plate with paper towels to drain.

BUFFALO HOT SAUCE Ingredients • 1 stick (4 ounces) butter or margarine • 3/4 cup to 1 cup Frank's hot sauce (or whatever hot sauce you prefer) • 2 Tbsp. white vinegar Directions In large saucepan, melt butter. Remove from heat and stir in hot sauce and vinegar to combine. Let stand at least 5 minutes. Add chicken legs to large bowl. Pour almost all the hot sauce over the legs (reserve a little on the side for dipping). Cover bowl with foil and give it a few good shakes (not too hard) to coat legs. Pour out onto serving platter. Yield 12 to 16 hot legs (3 to 4 per person, depending on appetites).

CARROT-PUMPKIN CAKE WITH CREAM CHEESE FROSTING Ingredients • 1 box (18.25 to 18.75 ounces) carrot cake mix • 1 can (15 ounces) 100% pure pumpkin puree • 3 large eggs • 1 cup water • 1 Tbsp. vegetable or canola oil • 1 small carrot, grated (about 1/2 to 3/4 cup) • 1/4 cup chopped walnuts • 1 recipe cream cheese frosting (recipe follows) or store bought cream cheese frosting Directions Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. With mixer, mix together cake mix, pumpkin puree, eggs, water and oil until completely blended. Fold in grated carrot and walnuts (use a wooden spoon or rubber spatula, not the mixer). Pour into 13x9-inch cake pan that has been sprayed with non-stick cooking spray. Bake at 325 degrees F for 30 to 40 minutes, until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean and cake starts to pull away from the edges of the pan. Remove from oven and cool completely before removing from pan. Or, just leave in pan and frost. Top with additional chopped walnuts and shredded carrots if desired.

CREAM CHEESE FROSTING Ingredients • 8 ounces cream cheese, softened • 2 cups powdered (confectioners) sugar • 1/4 tsp. vanilla extract Directions Beat cream cheese and vanilla extract with mixer until it becomes smooth. Add in powdered sugar one cup at a time on slow speed until all incorporated, then mix 1 minute on high speed. Refrigerate until 1 hour before ready to frost cake. Let stand at room temperature 1 hour to make it easier to spread.

These recipes were originally published on Examiner.com in Rachael Monaco's Buffalo Frugal Living column.

Waring Pro Belgian Waffle Maker

By Heather Bryant My son, Britton, absolutely loves waffles. Every trip we took to the grocery he would ask for me to get him his favorite brand. It was getting expensive and our very tight budget was straining. I decided to look for a solution. I purchased my Waring Pro Belgian Waffle Maker from QVC and it was a wise investment. I can now make a variety of waffles for my son using different types of fruit, flavorings, mixes or types of flour.

Here is what I found out about the Waring Pro Belgian Waffle Maker after purchasing it: • It comes in silver, red and black • Its 1400 watts of power means it heats up quickly • Even baking is ensured by rotating the irons • When the waffles are done, it is announced by 3 beeps (each side) as well as large green LED lights • Each iron grid is 1 inch thick with a non stick surface • The manufacturer recommends that the thermostat/browning knob be at 4 however you can adjust it up or down for more or less browning • Comes with a measuring cup so guessing about amount to put on grill. It hangs on the side of the bowl so no cleaning up drips!

• This appliance takes up room of a single maker • An internal thermal overload device shuts the appliance off if it gets too hot • You will need to season your iron before using it the first time to ensure your breakfast goods do not stick.

Waring first introduced the blender in 1937 and has been making high quality kitchen products ever since. It is no surprise that home cooks as well as restaurateurs choose the Waring brand. Since purchasing my waffle maker, breakfast in my home has become more economical and delicious. No longer are we eating pre-made waffles filled with hard to pronounce ingredients. I would highly recommend this product to anyone looking for a waffle maker for their home.

Where to purchase: • • • • • • •

QVC www.qvc.com Waring's website www.waringproducts.com Target www.target.com Bed Bath and Beyond www.bedbathandbeyond.com Chefs Catalog www.chefscatalog.com Amazon.com www.amazon.com Zappos.com www.zappos.com

My Safe Cutter from Pampered Chef By: Dawn Bowes Teaching a child how to use utensils in the kitchen is essential to them learning how to eat and then proceeding to learning how to cook. I have always let my son, Kaden, be in the kitchen with me while I cook. In the beginning he had rules to follow: • you need to stay in the other room while I fry things • stay on the carpet while I open the oven door • don’t touch those knives they are too sharp.

Now, he is learning basic kitchen skills such as how to stir, whisk, measure and cut. I recently have bought him his first knife, that isn’t a butter knife, to use in the kitchen and he loves it!

The My Safe Cutter knife from Pampered Chef is the perfect first knife for a growing inspired little chef. It fits perfectly in the hands of my six year old. The knife is 6 ½ inches long, has a round tip, and segregated edges so it isn’t too sharp! The knife is perfect for cutting biscuits, cheese, lunch meat, turkey bacon, strawberries and grapes; this is what Kaden has used it for so far. According to the Pampered Chef website it will cut pancakes, apples, molding clay and much more. The knife cleans up easily and is dishwasher safe.

I highly recommend this product for the parent that is ready to start teaching their child to use a knife. I feel it is a very safe product and it is not too sharp. To me it is the perfect beginner knife for a child to learn how to properly use a knife. The cost of My Safe Cutter is $4.00 on the Pampered Chef website or a home party that you may attend.

Quick Facts: My Safe Cutter from Pampered Chef Item # 2904 Retails: $4.00 Website: www.pamperedchef.com

Kollege KitchenKitchen-Quesadilla Pizzas

By Sarah Black We all know that being a college student has its great rewards as well as its failures. College comes at a high price from everything to books, tuition, not to mention having money for food, clothes, etc… This month we are featuring pizza, which we all know is a huge favorite amongst us broke students!!! In honor of our pizza feature, I created a way to save money and make a yummy and unique pizza. All you need is a few ingredients and a microwave.

QUESADILLA PIZZA Ingredients • Tortilla Shells • Can of Pizza Sauce • Pizza Cheese • Pepperoni • Veggies of your choice Directions Take two tortilla shells, top one shell with desired amount of pizza sauce. Add pepperonis and add your veggies... and yes I insist on veggies simply because they are so important in proper health! Place the second tortilla shell on top of your pizza. Wrap your creation in a damp paper towel to prevent burning. Microwave on high for two minutes. Let cool and then slice like you would a pizza. You can use the left over pizza sauce and dip your quesadilla.

Enjoy!!!!!!!

Cook’s Notes to cut extra fat and calories you can use turkey pepperoni • to help cut the cost, use veggies that are in season-they will be less expensive than off season •

Please feel free to email me and let me know what you think!!!!!!! Sarah.cope82@gmail.com

Did You Know???

Quesadillas originated in Mexico The word quesadilla comes from the Spanish word “queso”, which means cheese The Guatemalan version of the quesadilla is made with sugar, cream, rice flour and is more dessert-like than its Mexican counterpart • Quesadillas are traditionally made from corn tortillas • One popular variation of the quesadilla is deep fried and is similar to a pastry • Quesadillas are typically filled with cheese, beans and shredded meat • Dessert quesadillas may feature chocolate, caramel and fresh fruit •

• •

Kooking With Kaden

By Dawn Bowes and Kaden Vinson Summer is coming to an end and fall is set to begin, which means it is time to send the kids back to school.

This year will be Kaden’s first year of school, he will be a as he says a “big boy kindergartener.” As I start to prepare for him to start his academic career, I start to wonder about the first meal of the day: BREAKFAST. Kaden and I sat down, made a list of all his favorite things to eat for breakfast and then I went through the list and thought about what would be quick and easy for us to cook in the mornings and pizza was on the list. One of Kaden’s favorite breakfast meals is breakfast pizza. Now some of you may be thinking, “What in the world?

She is going to feed him pizza for breakfast?!” The answer to this is, “Yes, I am.” Kaden likes pizza and a few years ago he went to visit my brother and his family in Arizona, where his aunt made him a breakfast pizza.

So, when he came home he asked for it again and I got the recipe. It is quite simple and any kid can help with this recipe, even if it is just putting the cheese on top. So read on to find out how to make a breakfast pizza as well as a memory.

BREAKFAST PIZZA Ingredients • 1 prepared pizza crust or one homemade pizza crust that has been baked • 10 slices of turkey bacon, chopped • 6 eggs, scrambles • 2 cups of shredded cheddar cheese Utensils needed: Pizza Stone or cookie sheet Pan for scrambling eggs Knife Spatula Spoon Bowl Whisk Measuring Cups Pizza Cutter

• • • • • • • • •

Directions Preheat oven to 350°. Heat bacon in pan until done, set aside to cool. Once cooled have your little one use a safety knife to cut bacon into smaller pieces. Taking eggs, break them into a bowl and whisk. Pour egg mixture in pan and scramble eggs. Take pizza crust out and place on pizza stone. Helping your little cook, spoon the scramble eggs onto the pizza crust. Take the bacon and sprinkle over top of the eggs. Now for the best part, the cheese. Take the cheese and spread over top the eggs and bacon. This part is best for our budding cooks to step back and allow an adult to put the pizza in the over for eight to ten minutes or until the cheese is melted. Once the pizza is done, take out of the oven and cut into 8-10 slices of pizza, add some fruit and a glass of milk and you have one balanced meal for your child.

This recipe can be changed up many ways to fit your family’s needs. Some put sausage gravy on the bottom, top with scrambled eggs and cheese. Another version is hash browns, eggs, sausage and cheese. It really is a versatile recipe and a good learning one for your child. Kaden learned several new techniques with this recipe, he learned to whisk eggs to be scrambled, he learned to scramble eggs under adult supervision and he used his new safety knife to cut the bacon. The best past was getting to spend time with Kaden in the kitchen and making some memories as well as giving him some cooking skills he can use later in life. Remember all it takes is some creativity and lots of laughter for you to make some good memories with your child

Cooking With A ‘Tween (Times Two!) Blueberry Waffles

By Heather and Britton Bryant and guest ‘tween Michael Plesa I recently had the pleasure of having two ‘tweens in the kitchen with me. Our editor’s son, Michael, is another ‘tween who enjoys cooking so I had both boys helping me make breakfast. The two of them worked well together and all I had to do was supervise. The boys were very precise in their measurements and took turns using the waffle iron. They made great waffles that everyone loved and made their mamas proud!

BLUEBERRY WAFFLES Ingredients • • • • • • •

4 eggs 1 cup buttermilk 1 tablespoon baking powder 2 cups flour ½ cup butter, melted 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract or lemon emulsion 2 cups blueberries

Directions Plug in waffle maker to preheat then combine all ingredients in a large bowl and mix well. Batter will be lumpy due to blueberries. Pour batter onto heated waffle maker. Bake for 3-5 minutes depending on waffle maker, they should be a golden brown in color. Serve warm with butter, syrup, jam, cream cheese, or plain and enjoy!

Finicky FindsFinds-Chicken Nuggets

By Heather Bryant Here at Devour Dayton, we have two finicky eaters. As parents we want to expand their food repertoire in a non-confrontational way. Finicky Finds is all about exploring new food with your children in a way that they are comfortable with. For our first recipe, I am revisiting a childhood classic: chicken nuggets.

CHICKEN NUGGETS Ingredients 1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breast 2 cups crushed cornflakes 1 1/ 2cups bread crumbs (directions below) 1 egg Non stick cooking spray Herbs and/or seasonings to taste Directions Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Spray baking sheet with non stick spray and set aside. Combine crushed cornflakes and bread crumbs (and seasonings, if desired) in a blender and pulse a few times. Place in a bowl. In another bowl slightly beat egg with a fork and set aside. Cut chicken into bite sized chunks. Dip into beaten egg then into coating mixture to coat. Place breaded chicken onto baking sheet, making sure that pieces do not touch. Continue above steps with chicken until all pieces are coated and on tray. Bake for approximately 20 minutes or until golden brown and done in the center. Serve with your favorite dipping sauce and enjoy!

How to make your own bread crumbs: Place 5-10 pieces of bread out to dry, over night is best but at least a few hours. Crumble dry pieces into a blender and pulsate so that the pieces become crumbs and viola! You have homemade bread crumbs. You can add dry seasonings to the bread when adding it to the blender if you prefer flavored crumbs. Ours were plain.

Dad’s Zesty Surprise Meatloaf

By Heather Bryant Kids going back to school and leaves changing colors signal my favorite time of year--fall. With these changes come the hearty meals that have a stick to your ribs quality. Since I was a little girl, my dad has played with meatloaf, trying to change it up so that it was not the same old boring dish. I have to give dad credit where credit is due. I probably would not be willing to experiment with recipes if he had not shown me that change can be a good thing.

Dad and I have always loved spicy dishes, so I was not surprised when he tinkered with a meatloaf recipe and came up with his own version. It has so many of the ingredients that we love, plus some unexpected ones as well.

DAD’S ZESTY SURPRISE MEATLOAF Ingredients • 1 pound ground chuck • 1 pound zesty sausage • 1/2 cup sour cream • 1 cup mashed potatoes • 1/2 cup chopped onions • 2 eggs • 3/4 teaspoons salt • 1/4 teaspoon pepper • 1/2 cup Monterey Jack cheese • 1 tablespoon chili powder Directions Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a large bowl, mix all ingredients but the cheese. In the bottom of a 9x5 pan place half of the meat mixture, spread cheese on top then top with the remaining meat mixture. Bake loaf between 1 and 1 1/2 hours, depending on your oven’s temperature.

Many of the ingredients can be switched in and out so experiment with your meatloaf recipe and see how you can take something boring into something wow!

Specialty Foods Healthy Living, Gluten Free, Diabetic Friendly, Vegetarian and Vegan

Gluten Free Living

By Heather Bryant Living gluten free does not mean that you cannot enjoy foods that are yummy to the tummy! I have been experimenting with various recipes and found this one to be the best to work with. It is a simple recipe plus it is easy to personalize by using fruit and other gluten free flavorings. This recipe makes approximately 8 waffles. Results will vary depending on your waffle maker.

GLUTEN FREE WAFFLES Ingredients • 3 cups gluten free all purpose flour • 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon baking powder • 1 teaspoon baking soda • 3/4 teaspoon salt • 3 eggs • 1 ½ cups milk • 1-1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract or other gluten free flavoring • 2 tablespoons cooking oil • Fresh or frozen fruit, if desired Directions Spray waffle maker with the non stick spray and preheat. Combine all ingredients in a large bowl. Mix well and add fruit, if desired. Allow batter to rest 5 minutes and Pour approximately ¼ cup of batter onto grid bake 4-6 minutes. When done, the waffles should be golden brown. If waffles are not the desired doneness, adjust settings until satisfied. Enjoy warm, with or without toppings. These are also great for freezing for a quick breakfast during the busy week! If freezing, separate individual waffles with a paper towel or piece of waxed paper. Wrap tightly with plastic wrap before storing in an airtight container.

SHOPPING TIP As gluten free cooking continues to grow in popularity, it is becoming easier to find gluten free flours and baking mixes. Many products can be found at your local Kroger, Meijer, and WalMart stores. Specialty stores such as Whole Foods, Trader Joe’s, Health Foods Unlimited, Dorothy Lane Market and Healthy Alternative tend to offer a greater variety as they cater to more specialized diets.

Products to try include: • King Arthur • Tom Sawyer • Bob’s Red Mill • Jules Gluten Free

Diabetic Delights

By Aimee Plesa Just because you have to follow a sugar restricted diet it doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy delicious and delightful desserts. This strawberry trifle contains a delicious mix of vanilla pudding, berries and angel food cake. YUM! MIXED BERRY TRIFLE Ingredients • 1 box sugar free, fat free instant vanilla pudding • 2 cups skim milk • 1/2 pound fresh strawberries, stems removed and sliced • 1/2 pound fresh blueberries • Half of an angel food cake, torn into bite size pieces • 1 cup lite or sugar free non-dairy whipped topping Directions Mix pudding and milk using a handheld mixer until thickened. In a trifle dish, or other nice glass serving dish, place half of the berries in the bottom. Next, add a layer of torn cake. Spoon pudding over the cake later and top with remaining cake. Top with remaining berries. Spoon the whipped topping on top of the layers. If desired, garnish with additional whole berries or a few mint leaves. If not serving right away, refrigerate until time to serve.

Healthy LivingLiving-Calcium

By Aimee Plesa When found in nature, calcium is a soft grey alkaline earth metal. It is the fifth most common element found in the earth’s crust, behind sodium, chloride, magnesium, and sulfate. In the human body, calcium is needed for the mineralization of bones and teeth. Ninety nine percent of the calcium in the body can be found in our teeth and bones. Not surprisingly, it is also the fifth most common element in our bodies. A long term deficiency of this essential element can lead to rickets (softening of the bones), poor blood clotting and osteoporosis (porous bones). Over retention of calcium can lead to hypercalcemia (elevated calcium levels in the blood), impaired kidney function and the decreased absorption of other minerals. Some studies have shown an increased risk of kidney stones with increased calcium intake while others show the exact opposite. Calcium has a low level of toxicity for humans, but poisoning is possible.

The most common source of calcium in the average person’s diet is dairy products. Milk, cheese and yogurt are all excellent sources, however they are not practical choices for everyone. Some people are lactose intolerant and cannot eat dairy while others follow a vegan diet and willfully choose not to consume it. In cases such as these, there are high calcium alternatives that can be eaten. The following foods are calcium rich and can easily be added to most diets: • Seaweed • Nuts and seeds • Blackstrap molasses • Beans • Figs • Quinoa • Amaranth • Collard greens • Okra • Rutabaga • Broccoli • Dandelion greens Eggshells that have been ground to a fine powder can be added to a glass of water, or other drink, to help boost calcium levels as can many antacids. Be sure to include plenty of vitamin D in your diet, as it helps the body absorb the calcium it needs. If you use antacids to boost your levels, remember this tip-the amount of calcium absorbed from supplements decreases as the amount of calcium actually contained in the supplement increases.

Don’t take more than 600 mgs at any given time.

HAPPY HOUR Bottoms Up, By the Glass, Cocktails Hour

Heather’s Coffee and CafÊ 505 South Main Street Springboro, OH 45066 www.heatherscoffeeandcafe.com Specialty wine and beer available for consumption on site or carryout Wine and beer events scheduled monthly.

Please check our website for a complete schedule of events.

Monday through Wednesday 7-4 Thursday and Friday 7-10 Saturday and Sunday Reserved for private events Heather Leuzinger Sukola, owner

Devour Dayton Happy Hour Presents: College Classic Cocktails

By Sarah Marquis It’s back to school for all the kiddos, but also for all those who attend college. My contribution to the back-toschool theme of this issue is a review of a couple of classic cocktails that I imagine the students of Wright State, UD, and colleges around the country are going to be sipping on in their non-studying hours. I will be! I took the pictures seen here at Boston’s Bistro & Pub (see my review of their pizza in this issue) and they are as yummy as they look!

The Amaretto Sour Some would argue that this is not one of the top classics, I must admit, I write on this one because it is dear to my heart. I fell in love with the Amaretto flavor initially from coffee creamer. As teens, my friend and I would stay up all night watching horror films and drinking Amaretto coffee. Then, to further endear the flavor, the first time I drank alcohol with my parents (before you ask, yes , I was of legal age) my mom made an enormous pitcher of Amaretto Sour and it was a special bonding experience.

A common misconception is that Amaretto is a cherry liquor, but actually, despite the usual Amaretto Sour decoration being cherries, it is actually an sweet almond liquor. According to most allergist, almonds are in the dreaded “tree nut” category, however, they are actually in the plum family with relatives such as nectarines, peaches, apricots, and cherries (go figure!). For safety’s sake though, please make sure that you are not allergic to nuts before consuming this liquor. Err on the side of caution. I like my readers alive. Thank you! That is my PSA for the day.

I am a lover of all cocktails in the sour family honestly. There is a debate between which tastes better though, between using lemon juice and Sour Mix. Of course fresh is always nice and tastes clean, but I also like the little extra flavor you get from the Sour Mix, which is basically made of lemon and lime juices and simple syrup. Keeping it on the cheap is what is best for us poor college students though. I suggest putting the money into getting a quality Amaretto and for your sour, a 99 cent bottle of “Real Lemon” will do the trick. On to the mixology!

AMARETTO SOUR Ingredients • 2 Parts Amaretto • 1 Part lemon juice or a couple dashes sweet/sour mix Directions Shake the Amaretto and your choice of sour additive with ice and sift into a glass with a sugared rim. The classic decoration is an orange twist and maraschino cherries.

The Long Island Iced Tea The first time I heard of a Long Island Iced Tea, I was told it was some crazy concoction of every liquor

imaginable, but, for some reason it tastes awesome. Now, mind you, this is from one 11 year old to another, but this was my first impression of the infamous beverage. While it sounds silly, it’s not far off! When you’re11, a list of vodka, gin, rum, tequila, and Triple Sec does sound like just about everything. Then, of course, I must agree that the taste is awesome! But only if you get the recipe just right and I must say that it is an individual preference. The Long Island I had at Boston’s was in perfect balance for me. Also, it is cheaper to go out to Boston’s and grab a couple of Teas, than to buy all the ingredients involved. However, if your stipend check came in, this is my favorite recipe right now. I got it from Food Network: www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/long-island-iced-tea-recipe/index.html The recipe says it yields 2 drinks, but it’s so yummy, you won’t be sharing!

LONG ISLAND ICED TEA Ingredients • 2 cups ice cubes • 1 ounce vodka • 1 ounce gin • 1 ounce white rum • 1 ounce white tequila • 1/2 ounce Triple Sec • 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice • Cola to taste Directions Pour the quint-fecta of liquor and the lemon juice into a shaker of ice and … you guessed it, shake it up! Dump the shaker into a couple frosty mugs and add cola as desired.

Then add your lemon wedges for décor if you like.

The Margarita I saved the most popular classic for last. The mother of a million fruity ‘ritas, the archetypical lime flavor is my focus. As you can see in the fabulous picture I’ve provided, my companions give Boston’s Margarita 3 thumbs way up. I agree a thousand percent! In case you can’t get to Boston’s, here is a basic classic recipe.

If you’ve got enough cash in our car’s cupholder or found enough change couch-diving, I suggest getting Cointreau. However, if you are one of the lucky college students that has been privileged enough to steal ketchup, salt, & pepper packets (lemon juice packets too if you’re fancy) from the cafeteria and made Poor Man’s Tomato Soup (you’ve likely not been reading Sarah Cope’s College Kitchen articles for one thing… for shame!!) you are likely grabbing the $8 bottle of Triple Sec over the $22 bottle of Cointreau. Besides, you’ve got the Triple Sec from making the Long Islands!

If limes are out of season-or just way overpriced-a great replacement for the fresh lime juice is frozen concentrated limeade. Thaw it and measure out an ounce just like you would if you had the fresh lime juice.

The truly lazy, which can occur in college students (say what?!), will go to grab the limeade and see the can of Bacardi Mixers Margarita and run to the check out with it. It is really just a more expensive limeade. You still have to add everything, except maybe the sugar. Don’t be a dunce! Get the limeade.

MARGARITA Ingredients • 2 oz Tequila • 1 oz Triple Sec/Cointreau • 1 oz Lime Juice • 1½ tsp Sugar Directions Shake up your ingredients in ice and pour in a coarse salt rimmed glass.

Devour Dayton Happy Hour Presents… Zwack Attack!!

By Sarah Marquis Brief History Zwack, the National Shot of Hungary, is an herbal liqueur that was concocted in 1790 by Dr. József Zwack, the Royal Physician of Habsburg. It is credited with being the first shot in the world. I’d say that’s a pretty safe bet with a born-on date like that! In 1840, Dr. Zwack’s son founded J. Zwack & Company and began exporting over 200 liquors and spirits around the globe. It is still made in Budapest, Hungary. It is made by Unicum Zwack, plc, and imported to the US of A by Diageo, plc.

The Review According to the Zwack website, Zwack is made with a combination of over 40 secret herbs & spices, some distilled and some macerated that age 6 months in oak casks. Sounds pretty good right? It is!

My first instinct is to sniff when I try something new, so I gave the glass a couple passes in front of my nose.

Now don’t laugh at this, I had 2 other people verify my reaction as well: it smells like Pepsi. I kid you not!

Something about the herbs mixed with that hint of citrus makes it smell like Pepsi. Some of the patrons did say that it may not be Pepsi specifically, but definitely some kind of cola. To that I say: same difference… moving on!

Then, I took a small sip, held it, and swished it to get the full effect of the flavor. The initial flavor that you get is like a licorice with a hint of lemon. It also needs to be noted that the burn of the alcohol is light. It’s not an over powering burn that will sterilize your insides but, a wave from your friend across the room to say “hello, I’m here”. It’s a cheesy metaphor, but paints a lovely picture! Anyways, fellow first-time Zwack-ers, said that they detected possible chamomile and I agree that there may be a hint of it. I also heard Zwack compared to an after-dinner drink that had been given after an enormous seafood dinner in Spain. The light after taste was… you guessed it… cola-like!

Finally, to assess the smoothness, I shot the rest of my glass. The Zwack went down very easily. The burn, of course, was slightly more pronounced, but still very easily bearable. Despite the quick pass you get across you tongue from a shot, you still got almost the full effect of the flavor. You don’t get all the slight under tones like the chamomile, but you can get the licorice and light lemon effect.

Conclusion and Other Notes Zwack is a great shot. I can’t wait to try it in some cocktails! The Zwack site says that, besides a chilled shot, the best way to enjoy Zwack is in a “Mad Hungarian”, which is described as a shot of Zwack and your favorite energy drink.

Could it out bomb Jager? I will be investigating this intriguing question so keep an eye out for my answer. There are also many other cocktail suggestions on the “Zwacktails” page of the site.

Here’s the link: http://www.zwack.com/index.php/ZwackZwacktails Also to be noted, Boston’s Bistro and Pub (http:// www.bostonsbistro.com/) who I reviewed for the North section of this issue uses Zwack in a super yummy aeoli. It’s definitely food for thought. O the possibilities! I will be experimenting with this versatile all-purpose alcohol.

Official Zwack Website: http://www.zwack.com/ Zwack on Facebook: Zwack (Company) http:// www.facebook.com/ZwackUS

Bottoms Up by Aimee Plesa Hop Bomber Pale Ale Hop Bomber Pale Ale, from Rivertown Brewing Company, is described as "an American pale ale named after the famous B-24 Liberator bomber. This beer has a wonderful malt backbone from the use of dark English crystal malt and spicy fresh rye malt. It is dry hopped with two varieties of American hops for a crisp, refreshing flavor". Here are my interpretations of this beer.

Appearance-Hop Bomber from Rivertown Brewing pours a dark golden honey hue with a very thin head and almost no lacing.

Smell-The smell of this brew is sweet and perfumey with a hint of spice.

Taste-An interesting blend of hoppy bitterness paired with malty sweetness and a touch of spice. Each flavor is distinct but no one flavor overpowers this brew. There is a definite touch of fruitiness, but it enhances the flavor instead of detracting from it. Not as hoppy as I expected it to be.

Mouthfeel-Medium body and carbonation make this beer a quick drink. It is a little dry.

Overall Impression-This is a good all around beer. I was expecting the hops to be a little more assertive, but it is a very easy drinking beer. Pair this beer with tangy cheese, such as feta, asiago or parmesan, steak, prime rib, roast beef or lamb dishes. If you are a fan if IPA’s, these brew may disappoint you.

Hop Bomber is brewed locally by the Rivertown Brewing Company from Lockland (Cincinnati), Ohio. It is available for sale in 12 ounce bottles or on draft. Bottles may be purchased as a six pack or as a part of a variety sampler. It can be purchased in bottles at Heather's Coffee and Cafe, located in Springboro. For more information, please visit the Rivertown Brewing on the internet: • Website www.rivertownbrewery.com/ • Facebook www.facebook.com/pages/Rivertown-Brewing-Company/123441707702768?ref=ts&sk=wall • Twitter www.twitter.com/RivertownBrew

Bottoms Up by Aimee Plesa Oatmeal Stout Rivertown Brewing Company describes their Oatmeal Stout as "Our Oatmeal Stout first hits your nose with an aromatic blend of raw oats, chocolate, and roasted malts. A black ruby hue and thick creamy off white head make this stout one you will never forget". While I am not a big fan of stouts in general, this brew provided me with enough reason to rethink my original opinion of stout beers.

Appearance-This beer pours a deep, rich chocolate brown-almost black in color. The light head faded to some decent lacing.

Smell-This brew smells sweet with a strong presence of malt. I detected the aroma of coffee and dark chocolate.

Taste-I thought this beer tasted quite similar to the way it smelled-quite malty and roasted with a hint of bitterness.

Mouthfeel-While I enjoyed this beer quite a bit, I felt it was a little watery and overly carbonated. The taste and feel didn't quite match up.

Overall Impression-I found the taste of Oatmeal Stout to be very enjoyable but the carbonation kept me from completely enjoying this beer. If it was a bit heftier, I would have enjoyed it much more. This beer should pair well with mild, earthy flavored cheeses, smoked meats and seafood.

Oatmeal Stout is brewed locally by the Rivertown Brewing Company from Lockland (Cincinnati), Ohio. It is available for sale in 12 ounce bottles or on draft. Bottles may be purchased as a six pack or as a part of a variety sampler. It can be purchased in bottles at Heather's Coffee and Cafe, located in Springboro. For more information, please visit the Rivertown Brewing on the internet: • Website www.rivertownbrewery.com/ • Facebook www.facebook.com/pages/Rivertown-Brewing-Company/123441707702768?ref=ts&sk=wall • Twitter www.twitter.com/RivertownBrew

Wine 101101-What is Riesling?

By Aimee Plesa I freely admit that I am a relative newcomer to the wonderful world of wine. I have more experience with beer, but am not afraid to venture outside of my comfort zone. My adventures have led me in many directions, to sample a wide assortment of varietals, but I seem to keep coming back to one varietal in particular-Riesling.

What is it about Riesling that keeps beckoning to me? In short, the flavor. Riesling offers a light, crisp, fruity flavor that appeals to my palate. If you would like to know more, keep reading!

Riesling is a white wine made from grapes traditionally grown in the Rhine region of Germany. The grapes are aromatic and feature a flowery, perfume-like scent. Riesling grapes are the 20th more grown grape variety and the resulting wine is considered by many to be one of the top three white wine varieties. This type of wine is greatly influenced by the ground in which the grapes are grown.

While this type of wine originated in Germany, it can be found all across the globe. Riesling grapes are currently grown in Austria, the Czech Republic, Italy, Australia, New Zealand, the United States, South Africa and China.

Rieslings are rarely blended with other wine varietals, they are not typically exposed to commercial yeast and are almost never exposed to oak flavors, like other varietals may be subjected to.

Riesling wines are considered young wines and undergo little aging. This results in a wine that features the delicious flavors and scents of green apples, grapefruit, green grass, honey, rose and peach. The wine features a high acid content which gives it a sweet, clean, crisp taste. Some Rieslings develop a petrol note when left to age for extended periods of time. Because Riesling grapes are greatly influenced by the soil they are grown in, some bottles may feature a mineral or stone like scent and taste.

When pairing Riesling with foods, consider serving it with white fish, pork (including ham), barbecue, and stronger flavored ethnic foods such as Thai or Chinese. Dry Rieslings should be served around 50 degrees F while sweeter Rieslings can be served at warmer temperatures.

If you are new to wine, like I am, I recommend visiting one of the many specialty shops in the Miami Valley and speaking with the staff to get their opinions of which bottles of Riesling to try. Some great places to try include: • • • • • • • •

Heather’s Coffee and Café in Springboro Bella Vino Wine Merchants, also in Springboro Rumbleseat Wine in Kettering Seeger’s Deli in Lebanon The Wine Loft in Dayton Ele Cake Company in West Carrollton Arrow Wine and Spirits in Kettering and Washington Twsp The Wine Gallery in Dayton

Celebrations Holidays, Special Occasions, Party Planning

Devour Dayton Happy Hour Presents…

Creepy Cocktails for Halloween

By Sarah Marquis My adoring Twitter followers (www.twitter.com/sarahn1183) have helped me compile a list of creepy cocktails that absolutely scream “IT’S HALLOWEEN!!” Thank you one and all for your input. Enjoy responsibly and have a freakin’ freaky awesome Halloween!

SATAN’S WHISKERS This is an oldie but a goodie from the 1920s. I agree with my Twitter friends that it is so good it should not be banished to just Halloween use! I am not a gin lover, but this cocktail is quite good. I love the orange and the balance of sweet and bitter.

Ingredients • 1 Part dry vermouth • 1 Part sweet vermouth • 1 Part gin • 1 Part orange brandy* (use Curacao for “straight” whiskers or Grand Marnier for “curled” ones) • 1 Part orange juice • 1 splash orange bitters Directions Mix together all ingredients and shake with a little ice. Strain into a cocktail glass. Of course it is best with fresh squeezed OJ, but I’ve been known to use Simply Orange.. gasp! It’s just as good I swear. The standard decoration is … you guessed it – an orange twist!

BLACK CAT This is a great drink to get your buddy who only drinks rum & coke out of there box, or coffin (muahahaha!), and live a little! If you like cherry cola, this drink is for you. I am personally obsessed with cherry cola so I very much love this mix, not to mention my love of all cats… especially black ones. The black cat picture is my kitty Luna on her first Halloween with me… yes she is wearing bat wings. I am one of THOSE people.

Don’t look at me like that! Her and her sister Nova were my kids before my son was born.

Ingredients • 1 Part vodka • 1 Part cherry brandy • 3 Parts cranberry juice • Cola Directions Shake the vodka. brandy, and cranberry and add it to your favorite cola and ice. I highly suggest using Buckeye Vodka**, not just because it is made by a Dayton family, but it’s perfect for cocktails because it doesn’t have an overpowering burn. A total Buckeye Vodka review and company profile is in the works so check it out in the next issue of Devour Dayton. **Buckeye Vodka Website www.buckeyevodka.com/home Buckeye Vodka Facebook www.facebook.com/BuckeyeVodka Buckeye Vodka Twitter www.twitter.com/buckeyevodka

RED RUM MARTINI I know this concoction is named for the 3 time Grand National winning horse and not the famous scene in Stephen King’s “The Shining”. However, it’s still fun and delicious, so I’m pretending that it is so it can be included in this Halloween collection. The recipe calls for currants, but I’ll give you a raspberry if you complain about the relevance!

Ingredients • 2 Shots rum • 1/2 Shot sloe gin • 1/2 Shot lemon juice • 1/2 Shot simple syrup • 12 red currants Directions Mash up your berries in the bottom of an ice shaker then add the rest of the lot, plus ice, and shake. Strain into your fave ‘tini glass and enjoy.

DEAD MAN’S MULE I must confess that I have not tried this one, but intrigues me. Contact me if you do sarahn1183@hotmail.com Ingredients • 1 Part Absinthe • 1 Part cinnamon schnapps • 1 Part almond syrup • A couple splashes lime juice • Ginger beer Directions Toss the Absinthe, Schnapps, Syrup, and lime juice in a shaker with ice. Strain into glass of ginger beer.

GHOSTLY FLOAT More of a dessert than a cocktail, but spookily fun and delicious nonetheless. The Ghostly Float is similar to a Black Russian with a scoop of ice cream bobbing in a sea of dark liqueur.

Ingredients • 2 ounces black vodka • 2 ounces Kahlua • 1 scoop vanilla ice cream • Pinch instant coffee granules for garnish Directions Place the ice cream in a glass. Mix vodka and Kahlua in a small glass and pour over top of the ice cream.

Sprinkle with coffee granules and serve immediately.

CORPSE REVIVER Now the last two cocktails are of a special breed and require a small description. These are the infamous Corpse Revivers, some refer to them as “Hair of the Dog” cocktails. They are ever-so creatively named “Corpse Reviver No. 1” and “Corpse Reviver No. 2”. I chose to use the recipes that I found in the cocktail lover’s classic handbook of the 1930s called “The Savoy Cocktail Book” by Harry Craddock.

CORPSE REVIVER #1 Ingredients • 2 Parts cognac • 1 Part Calvados* (French apple brandy, but any apple brandy will do) • 1 Part sweet vermouth Directions Caution! This one calls for stirred, not shaken. James Bond doesn’t approve, but he’s too cool to need a corpse reviver… just sayin’. Anyway, stir with ice and strain it into a glass.

This Reviver is supposed to be used throughout your drinking adventure if you feel tired to restore energy. I’ve actually not tried it in that capacity but it is tasty!

CORPSE REVIVER #2 Reviver No. 2 is fantastically refreshing and, despite its original purpose and true to its sister, you are not required to save it for energy or hangover purposes. It is light and citrusy with a very pleasant taste.

Ingredients • 1 part gin • 1 part triple sec • 1 shot Lillet Blanc (a brand of French aperitif wine that is 85% wine and 15% citrus liqueurs) • 1 shot fresh lemon juice • Splash of absinthe or substitute Directions Shake the whole mess with ice and strain into a glass.

From all of us at Devour Dayton, Happy Halloween and be sure to drink responsibly!

Monster’s Ball A Spectacularly Spooky Evening Of Food & Fun For Adults

By Aimee Plesa Halloween is hands down my favorite holiday-always has been, always will be. I am hoping maybe one day to meet Mr. Right and even have a Halloween inspired wedding. Until then, I will keep creating insanely fun Halloween inspired dinner parties for my readers to enjoy. When I began to research ideas for this article, I asked many of you which creepy creature you would like to see featured, and the responses ran the gamut.

Instead of choosing one, I decided to create a menu based on many of the monsters that haunt the deepest recesses of our minds: aliens, zombies, witches, werewolves, vampires and more. Enter, if you dare, Devour Dayton’s Monster Ball.

When it comes to hosting a Halloween inspired dinner party, the more creative you get, the better. Some people may be turned off by your creativity, but many more will appreciate the effort you have put forth in creating the perfect evening and enjoy the fruits (and vegetables, meats and desserts) of your labors. For those few stubborn holdouts, I recommend having your favorite pizza place on speed dial.

APPETIZERS Appetizers set the stage for the rest of the meal, so you want to make sure you capture the attention of your guests without revealing too much. These recipes are a great place to start.

MUMMY TOES (Mummies) Ingredients • 24 cocktail size hot dogs or smoked sausages • 1 can refrigerated bread sticks • 2 tablespoons ketchup • 24 sliced almonds Directions Heat oven to 375 degrees F. Cut a wedge at the end of each hot dog to resemble a toe nail.. Unroll dough and separate bread sticks and cut into thirds (making 24 pieces). Wrap one piece of dough around each hot dog to

edge of "nail" so it resembles mummy wrappings. Place seam side down and bake for 10-14 minutes. Allow to cool slightly then spoon 1/4 teaspoon ketchup on each nail and place an almond slice on top.

To serve Line a tray with black paper and unrolled gauze.

CHILLED BRAINS (Zombies) Ingredients • 1/2 pound bacon, chopped • 1 teaspoon minced garlic • 3 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened • 4 ounces bleu cheese • 1/4 cup chopped walnuts or pecans Directions Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Fry bacon until almost cooked. Add garlic, stir a few times and drain on paper towels. Place bacon and cheeses in a bowl and mix well. Transfer to a baking dish and sprinkle nuts on top.

Bake 30-40 minutes.

To serve Place baked spread in a skull shaped bowl, which has been placed on a tray lined with various crackers and vegetables.

ENTREES Tread lightly when making gruesome entrees. You want to pique your guests’ curiosity, but make it too believable and you will be ordering carryout for the entire party. Save the best for last and go all out on your desserts.

BEWITCHINGLY GOOD BEEF STEW (Witches) Ingredients • 3 pounds cubed beef stew meat • 1/4 cup all-purpose flour • 1/2 teaspoon seasoned salt • 3 tablespoons olive oil • 3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce • 1 pound carrots, cleaned and cut into bite size chunks • 4 large potatoes, cleaned and cut into bite size chunks • 2 cups boiling water • 2 packages onion soup mix • 3 tablespoons butter • 3 large onions, quartered • 2 tablespoons minced garlic • 1/2 cup red wine (burgundy or merlot works well) • 2 small or 1 large packages fresh button mushrooms, halved • 1/4 cup cold water • 3 tablespoons cornstarch Directions Mix flour and seasoned salt in a large plastic storage bag and shake a few times to blend together. Add stew meat and shake to coat all pieces. Heat olive oil in a skillet. When hot, add the meat and Worcestershire sauce.

Cook until meat is browned. Move meat to your slow cooker and add carrots and potatoes. Do not wash the skillet! Mix together the hot water and soup mix and pour into the slow cooker. Add butter, onions and garlic to the skillet and cook until clear, loosening the cooked bits of beef as the butter melts. When done, add to the slow cooker with the other ingredients. Add wine and mushrooms to the skillet, cook until the mushrooms are

soft then transfer to the slow cooker. Place lid on cooker and allow to cook for 6-8 hours. Stew is ready when meat is tender. Twenty minutes prior to serving, whisk together cold water and corn starch then add to the stew. Stir well and allow to thicken for 15-20 minutes.

To serve Place the stew in a cast iron pot so it resembles a witch’s cauldron.

OVEN BAKED BBQ RIBS (Werewolves or Cannibals) Ingredients • 4 cups sliced onions • 4 cups ketchup • 4 cups water • 2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons salt • 1/2 cup Worcestershire sauce • 1 cup white vinegar • 1cup packed dark brown sugar • 2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons dry mustard • 8 pounds pork spareribs Directions Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease a large skillet and set aside. In a large bowl, combine onions, ketchup, water, salt, Worcestershire sauce, vinegar and mustard. Split ribs down the center, between all of the bones. Add a small batch of ribs to oiled skillet and sear over medium high heat until browned. Repeat until all ribs have been browned. Place ribs in a single layer in 2 large baking dishes (or 4 smaller ones) and coat with half of sauce. Turn and baste ribs with remaining sauce every 20 minutes as they bake for 3 hours. Once all sauce has been used, use sauce in pan to baste.

To serve Place ribs on a large tray that has been adorned with plastic or rubber bones (be sure to wash and rinse bones well before placing them with food).

SIDES Sides are a little trickier to apply a theme to, so presentation is very important for this part of your meal. It easy to dress up a side with sauces or accessories.

MASHED POTATO BRAINS (Zombies) Ingredients • 7 medium size potatoes, peeled and cut into cubes • 1/2 cup warm milk • 1/4 cup butter or margarine • 3/4 teaspoon sea salt • dash pepper freshly ground pepper Directions Add potatoes to a large pot and cover with water. Cover and bring to a rolling boil. Cook 20-30 minutes, until potatoes are tender. Drain then add remaining ingredients. Using a mixer, beat until light and fluffy.

To serve Lightly spray a brain shaped mold with non-stick spray and pack mold with potatoes. Refrigerate until well chilled. Invert mold on serving plate and allow potatoes to unstick and slide out. Smooth any obvious damage. Microwave on medium until just warm to serve. If you desire gravy with your potatoes, use a dark red gel coloring to tint it a reddish hue.

Where to buy-you should be able to get a brain mold at most Halloween stores once they open for the season.

If not, visit Shin Digz online www.shindigz.com/party/Gory-Brain-Mold.cfm

DESSERTS Go all out and have fun with your desserts, that is what they are there for! Dress up a simple dessert, such as cupcakes, with gummi worms or candy eyeballs for a ghoulish effect. If you have the time, a haunted gingerbread house will make a unique centerpiece.

SPICED CARAMEL APPLE CUPCAKES Ingredients • spice cake mix • ingredients to complete cake as directed (water, oil, eggs-measurements will vary based on the cake mix brand you buy) • 2 Granny Smith apples, peeled and chopped • 50 caramels, unwrapped • 5 tablespoons milk • 1 small package chopped pecans Directions Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line cupcake pans with liners and set aside. Mix cake batter according to the directions on the box, folding in chopped apples. Fill cupcake pans 3/4 full and bake as directed. Allow cupcakes to cool on a wire rack. While cupcakes are cooling, add caramels and milk to a small saucepan and cook over medium heat until caramels are melted. Stir until well blended then "ice" cupcakes with caramel topping. While caramel is still soft, sprinkle with chopped pecans. For added effect, insert a popsicle stick in each cupcake to emulate a true caramel apple.

GINGERBREAD HOUSE Ingredients 1 cup butter, softened 1 cup brown sugar 1 1/3 cups molasses 4 eggs 8 cups flour, divided 1 teaspoon baking soda 1 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon ground allspice 1 teaspoon ground cloves 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1 teaspoon ground ginger 2 pounds powdered sugar 1 teaspoon cream of tartar 6 egg whites Directions Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a large bowl, cream together the butter and brown sugar until smooth. Stir in the molasses and eggs. Combine 1 1/2 cups of the flour, baking soda, salt, allspice, cloves, cinnamon, and ginger; beat into the molasses mixture. Gradually stir in the remaining flour by hand to form a stiff dough.

Divide dough into 2 pieces. Lightly flour your countertop and roll out each dough section to 1/8 inch thick. Cut into desired shapes and gently place on baking sheets lined with parchment paper. Refrigerate for 10-15 minutes then bake for 8-10. Cool for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack. While pieces are cooling, sift together powdered sugar and cream of tartar. Add egg whites and blend. On high speed, beat until mixture is thick and stiff, around 5 minutes. Keep covered with a moist towel AND plastic wrap while not using. When you are ready to build your haunted house, take your time and work carefully. To keep your house steady as the icing sets, you can use canned goods to keep the walls in place. Decorate your creation with ghoulish Halloween candy and enjoy your unique creation!

The Eyes Have It

By Rachael Monaco Enjoy Halloween 2011 without having to fight your little monsters, goblins, ghouls and ghosts at dinner time.

This recipe for sloppy goblins is kid friendly, fun and fast. Even the most excited trick-or-treater will sit still for 10 minutes to gobble up these Sloppy Goblins.

SLOPPY GOBLINS Ingredients • 1 pound lean ground beef (or ground turkey, chicken, soy crumbles or reconstituted TVP) • 1/2 cup onion, finely diced • 5 hot dogs, cut into 1/2 inch pieces • 1/2 cup ketchup • 1/4 cup dill pickle, chopped • 1/4 cup honey • 1 can (6 ounces) tomato paste • 1/4 cup prepared yellow mustard • 2 tsp. cider vinegar • 1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce • 8 hamburger buns Decorations • green olives • black olives • banana pepper slices • carrot curls and crinkles • red bell pepper slices • parsley springs • pretzel sticks Directions Cook beef and onion in large skillet over medium heat until beef is brown and onion is tender; drain. Stir in remaining ingredients except buns and decorations. Cook covered for 5 minutes, or until heated through.

Spoon meat mixture onto bottoms of buns Serve with decorations and let each person create a goblin face, if desired. Yield: 8 servings Looking for more kid-friendly recipes for the little monsters, ghouls and goblins? It won't be too difficult to keep them sitting still long enough to eat dinner on Halloween in 2011 if you serve up this fun and tasty eyeball taco salad.

EYEBALL TACO SALAD Ingredients • 2-1/2 pounds lean ground beef, turkey, chicken soy crumbles or reconstituted TVP • 3/4 cup water • 1 can (8 ounces) tomato sauce • 1 envelope taco seasoning or make your own taco seasoning (www.examiner.com/frugal-living-in-buffalo/taco-seasoning-make-yourown-myo) • 1 package (12-1/2 ounces) nacho tortilla chips, crushed • 2 cups (8 ounces) shredded Monterey Jack cheese • 2 cups (8 ounces) shredded cheddar cheese

10 slices tomato, halved 1 cup (8 ounces) sour cream 10 whole pitted ripe olives, halved Directions In a Dutch oven, cook beef over medium heat until no longer pink; drain. Stir in the water, tomato sauce and taco seasoning. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 15 minutes. Place tortilla chips in a greased 15x10x1-inch or 13x9x2-inch baking pan; sprinkle with Monterey Jack cheese. Spread meat mixture over top; sprinkle with cheddar cheese. Bake at 325°F for 25 to 30 minutes or until bubbly. Top with lettuce and onion. Cut into ten 5x3-inch pieces. On each piece, arrange two tomato slices for eyes; top each with a dollop of sour cream and an olive half. Yield: 10 servings • • •

EYEBALL COSTUME What you'll need: • White cotton fabric (1 yard x 54-inch wide remnant; if your child is larger you may need a bigger piece; if you have an old white cotton sheet, that will work perfectly) • 2 heavy-duty paper plates (Chinet works well) • Black sticky-back glitter foam • Red puffy fabric marker • 4 to 6 plastic grocery bags • Re-sealable plastic storage baggies & a straw or other light-weight filler • Needle and thread • 1 yard yarn, ribbon, or other cord • Markers • Hot glue gun How to make it: Cut a hole in the first paper plate large enough for your child's head to fit through. Test to be sure it fits before continuing. Use the straw to inflate the re-sealable baggies. Fill the plastic bags up with the baggies. Measure the distance from your child's shoulder to their crotch. Holding the paper plate upside down, hot glue the handles of the grocery bags around the perimeter so that they hang no lower than your measurement. Do this all the way around the paper plate. Create 5-inch long darts along the long edge of your white fabric by folding over the fabric and hot gluing them in place. Keep doing this until you have gathered the fabric enough to circle the head hole in the paper plate. NOTE:You may want to pin and iron the pleats before gluing them down so they are nice and sharp. Hot glue the gathered fabric onto the plate; leave a little extra to wrap down through the hole and glue to the other side of the plate so cut edge won't scratch your child's neck. Hot glue the selvages together to form the seam down the costume back. Have your child try on the costume so you can mark where the arm holes should be. Cut the arm holes and hot glue the fabric to the inside of the costume to keep the opening neat. At the bottom of the costume, fold the fabric under and stitch in place a 1" hem, leaving a gap at the beginning and end of your stitch line to thread a cord through. No-sew option: Instead of stitching a hem, hot glue the hem in place. Guide cord, ribbon or yarn through the pocket of the hem. Once the costume is on your child, pull both ends of the cord to gather the fabric and tie it in a double bow knot. Excess cord can be tucked up into the inside of the gathered edge. On the back of the second paper plate, use several shades of marker to create the iris of the eye. Start with the lightest color toward the pupil

Have a child try on the costume so that you can "eyeball" the placement of the iris before securing it, in order to avoid placing it too high or too low. When the iris is complete, trim off about ½" of the plate and use the darkest marker to color in cut edge. Cut a 4" circle of black glitter foam for the pupil and glue it in the center of the iris. Find the center of the costume and glue the paper plate iris to the front. Use the red puffy paint to draw squiggly "veins" around the iris. Allow plenty of time for the paint to dry before wearing the costume. Tips: To add a finishing touch, spike your child's hair up and create little ponytails to re-create the look of an eye lash. You can also buy a cheap headband and glue some chenille stems on the top of the headband if your child's hair is too short/ long.

Where To Shop: JoAnn’s www.joann.com/ joann/home/home.jsp • Michael’s www.michaels.com/ • Hobby Lobby www.hobbylobby.com/ • Flower Factory www.flowerfactory.com/ • WalMart www.walmart.com/ •

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THE GREAT OUTDOORS Green Thumb Gardeners, Grilling Out, To Market To Market

Harvest Time

By Chris Wittmann & Dave Wittmann The age old gardening question... When to pick the luscious veggies we planted in the spring? Most gardening books have the answers, but, we think that harvesting is really a matter of choice.

Do you want beets the size of baseballs or the size of golf balls? We prefer smaller beets for canning and pickling. Should beans be large and bursting with beans? Or long and skinny with small or undeveloped beans? We prefer the long and skinny. OK, let's talk zucchini! How many times have we found an over looked squash the size of a ball bat? Not to worry, a Louisville Slugger may not taste too good, but, a big fat zucchini can be salvaged. I shred it on a mandolin grater, freeze some, and the rest goes into fritters, breads and yes, even chocolate cake!

Here are some of Chris's favorite zucchini recipes: La Grande’s Farmers Market @ Flickr

YELLOW & GREEN SQUASH STIR FRY Ingredients • 2 medium sized zucchini - unpeeled • 2 yellow squash – unpeeled • Parsley & Lemon Balm to taste (use a bit more if using fresh herbs) Directions Wash and slice all 4 squash to medium thickness. Stir fry over medium heat in a equal amounts of butter and olive oil until tender, but still a bit crisp. Add a few tablespoons of parsley and lemon balm to taste and serve immediately. This will serve 4 to 6 and makes very refreshing summer dish.

Dave's note: I like to make a bit extra and use it in pasta salad.

ZUCCHINI CHOCOLATE CAKE Ingredients • 2 1/2 cups flour • 1/2 cup cocoa • 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder • 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda • 1 teaspoon salt • 1 teaspoon cinnamon (optional) • 3/4 cup margarine • 2 cups sugar • 2 eggs • 2 teaspoons vanilla • 2 cups zucchini, grated Directions Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Sift together the first 6 ingredients. Cream margarine and add in sugar. Cream together until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, and beat until mixed. Stir in vanilla then add zucchini.

Stir in milk and dry ingredients, alternating between the two until well mixed. Grease and flour a bread pan and pour in batter. Bake for 1 hour. Allow to cool completely before frosting or glazing, as desired.

Dave's note: I got this recipe from a friend many years ago. The kids will never know there is squash in it.

I like the glaze, frosting makes it very rich. Sometimes, we just serve it plain. This is a very moist, very delicious cake.

Tomatoes can present a problem just in sheer numbers (not this year though). Here are a couple of quick and easy recipes that Dave likes for garden fresh tomatoes.

SLICED TOMATO SALAD Ingredients • 4 slices fresh, ripe tomato • 8 slices Monterrey Jack cheese • Fresh Basil to taste.

Directions Place tomato slices on individual plates, top each tomato with two slices cheese, sprinkle with basil to taste. Serve cold. Serves 4 (or one if you are Dave) Dave's note: I like to add a touch of salt and pepper but it is great without, as well.

EASY FRIED GREEN TOMATOES Ingredients • 3 green tomatoes, sliced • 2 eggs • 1/4 cup milk • 1 teaspoon garlic powder • 1 teaspoon onion powder • 1 1/2 – 2 cups cracker crumbs (Dave likes to use equal amounts of saltine and club crackers) • About a 1/4 cup olive oil – divided Directions Prepare egg wash with eggs, milk, garlic powder and onion powder. Preheat medium frying pan then add 2 tablespoons olive oil. Coat tomato slice with flour then with egg wash then with cracker crumbs. Place in oil and fry both sides until golden brown. Serves 6 to 8.

Dave's note: I like to make extra and keep them in the fridge. They are a great addition to grilled burgers. If you want to heat them up a bit, just place them on a piece of foil on the grill.

Recipes For Your Garden’s Bounty

By Rachael Monaco We recently decided to give an old family recipe for garlic dill pickles a try. With cucumbers from the garden, and fresh dill and garlic from a local Co-op market, we found that these pickles are easy to make. They do not require any fancy ingredients, and as an added bonus, you get some delicious pickled garlic in the bargain.

Feel free to cut each clove in half if you like, we just prefer them whole. If you're not into so much garlic flavor, cut down on the amount of garlic used.

This is a basic Amish Chow-chow recipe (www.examiner.com/frugal-living-inbuffalo/amish-chow-chow-recipe) , handed down from my great-grandmother to my grandmother to me. Because this is an "end of season" recipe, you should use what you have, but follow the basic recipe for the liquid. Use cauliflower, yellow wax beans, zucchini, yellow squash. You may not want to use beets, as the red color will bleed and turn the whole thing red. Same thing for red cabbage. But, you can make a beet and red cabbage version of this same recipe, substitute red onion for the yellow or white onion. This version is good with red or pink kidney beans.

ConstructionDealMktng @ Flickr

These pickles are similar to the expensive brands such as Bubbie's (www.bubbies.com/bubbies_products.shtml) or Claussen (www.kraftbrands.com/ claussen), sold in the refrigerator section. In comparison to those brands, these are much less expensive. Rachael's Garlic Dill Pickle Recipe (www.examiner.com/ frugal-living-in-buffalo/garlic-dill-pickle-recipe). Prefer sweet pickles to dill? Try Rachael's Seven-Day Sweet Pickle Recipe (www.examiner.com/cooking-inbuffalo/seven-day-sweet-pickle-recipe). Both recipes have been handed down through generations of my father's family.

Is your garden producing tomatoes at an alarming rate? Don't let them rot on the vine and go to waste. You can make up large batches of cowboy caviar (www.examiner.com/frugal-living-in-buffalo/cowboy-caviar-recipe) and salsa (www.examiner.com/frugal-living-in-buffalo/salsa-make-your-own-myo). If you're a preserver, you will be able to can these items for use throughout the year. Not sure how to can? Check out Ball online (www.freshpreserving.com/home.aspx) for tips, information and help getting started. If you don't want to can your salsa and cowboy caviar, package them up in 4 ounce airtight freezer containers. They will keep well in the freezer for up to 9 months. The texture may change a little bit, but they will still be delicious. I make spicy baked tortilla chips (www.examiner.com/frugal-living-in-buffalo/spicy-baked-tortilla-chips) to serve with both the cowboy caviar and the salsa. Don't like a lot of spice? Omit the spices and just sprinkle with a bit of salt before baking the tortilla chips.

Lots of zucchini coming out of your garden? Like tomatoes, don't let them go to waste or rot on the vine. You can make up batches of zucchini relish (http://www.examiner.com/frugal-living-in-buffalo/zucchini-relishrecipe) and zucchini pickles (http://www.examiner.com/cooking-in-buffalo/zucchini-pickles-recipe). All of these items make great gifts for Christmas. Add to a nice basket you pick up on sale at the craft store or at the dollar store, add a pretty ribbon and share your garden's bounty with someone during the holiday season or as a housewarming gift.

All of these recipes were previously published on Examiner.com (www.examiner.com) in my Buffalo Cooking (www.examiner.com/cooking-in-buffalo/rachael-monaco) or Buffalo Frugal Living (www.examiner.com/frugal-living-in-buffalo/rachael-monaco) column.

Home Canning

By Heather Bryant One of the things that I miss most about my grandpa is the time that we spent canning each year. Growing up, I helped pick and break beans, clean and prepare fruits and vegetables and ready the jars, lids and rings for canning. I stood on the sidelines watching until I was tall enough to see into the canning cooker and remove jars when they were finished. There were so many lessons I learned while doing these little jobs that helped make me the foodie I am today. I want to share some hints, tips and tricks that I learned along the way so you, too, might enjoy canning!

Why can you ask? Well, besides to sustain a family, canned goods do not go bad in power outages and can be eaten while power is off since the food inside is already cooked and tender. Canned foods also last for a year, so long as seal remains unbroken. It easy for beginners to learn. Last, but certainly not least, most items you find on your local grocery shelves can be canned! While pressure canners can cost between $80.00-300.00, they pay for themselves over several canning seasons. If that exceeds your current budget, a water bath canner can purchased for approximately $20.00 at Walmart.com or Amazon.com. Besides price, the main difference between a pressure canner and a water bath Jennifer Worthen @Flickr canner is that pressure canners work for canning most everything while water bath canners only work with highacid foods such as fruits, pickles, relishes, acidified tomatoes, fruit jellies, jams, butters, marmalades, fish and preserves.

Canning supplies are easy to find and may be bought inexpensively at your local Save-A-Lot, Hometown Marketplace, Kroger, WalMart and other area grocery stores and big box retailers. The jars and rings can be reused, so getting them from friends, family, used sales is perfectly fine. The lids MUST be new, however, because that is what creates the seal. You will also either want to buy, go to the library or borrow from a friend a newer canning book. I say newer because canning times will need to be up to date and recipes change over time.

So what foods are good for canning? Corn, beans, all fruit/fruit products, anything with tomatoes in it, most types of pickles, relish and so much more! If what you want to can has a low acid content, the minimum acidic balance is 4.6, you should be able to achieve this by adding 2 tablespoons of lemon juice to the item. Note: The acidic properties are what keep the food from spoiling in water bath canning, when using a pressure canner no added acid is needed.

In order to achieve good results for either canning method, you will need to do the following (recipes vary, so ingredients and methods used my be somewhat different from these basics) • Boil jars and rings to sanitize • Only add hot food to a hot jar and cool food to warm jar so not to crack or break the jar • Use a spatula push the food down into the jar • Get all the bubbles out while making sure to leave room for food to expand at the top • Place a new lid then ring only after the rim has been cleaned from filling • Only tighten rim finger tight! This allows the bubbles to escape during processing

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When using the water bath method, place jars into the wire rack then into the boiling water. The rack allows enough room in the pot and between the jars for the water to “bathe” each jar properly The water level, after the jars and rack have been added, should be 2 inches above the tallest jar. If more water is needed, it must be boiling When placing the cover on the pot, the processing of your food begins as does timing for the recipe. Times are included in recipes. If you live in a high altitude area, don’t forget to adjust for altitude difference (add a minute per every 1,000 feet) When the processing time is up, turn the range top off and allow the jars to rest for at least 5 minutes.

Then gently remove jars with tongs from the wire rack to a flat surface that is covered by a double layer of towels. Jars must cool away from breezes and cool drafts so that the jars do not crack The jars seal during the cool down process, so do NOT move the jars at all because any movement may cause them to not seal properly Leave the jars alone at least 24 hours-the pinging and popping is the music you want to hear. This symphony means that your jars are sealing are properly. After 24 hours, you can tell if the jar sealed by pressing in the middle of the lid. If there is ANY give, either reprocess or place in refrigerator to be eaten right away For the jars that have sealed, you can remove the ring (on most foods) if you wish. Be sure to clean the jar and label (with contents and expiration date) Dating ensures that the cans are rotated; the oldest ones should be in front so they can be used before they expire Store in a cool dry place to ensure freshness

For those of you wanting to learn more about canning your own foods, Ball (www.homecanning.com) has a number of printable guides to choose from. Topics include: getting started, more on water bath canning, problem solving and more. You can also find a wide variety of recipes, a canning community and supplies for purchase. For those of you living south of Dayton, I recommend visiting the Jam and Jelly Lady who is based out of Lebanon. Sonya has cultivated an entire business based on canning and even teaches classes! You can find her on the internet at her website (www.jamandjellylady.com/) and on Facebook (www.facebook.com/ thejamandjellylady) STRAWBERRY JALAPENO JAM Ingredients • 4 cups strawberries, crushed • 1 cup jalapeno peppers, chopped • 1/4 cup lemon juice • 2 ounces powdered fruit pectin • 7 cups sugar • 8 sterilized half pint canning jars (with needed accessories) Directions Combine the first 4 ingredients in a large saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat. Stir in sugar and return to a boil. Cook for 1 minute. Pack the jam into the hot jars and fill to within a quarter inch from the top of the jar. Using a spatula, remove air bubbles by running it around the inside of the jar. Wipe rims with a clean towel to remove residue. Place on lids and screw on rings. Fill a large stockpot with water and place a rack in the bottom. Bring water to a full, rolling boil then carefully lower each jar into the water bath. Top with more boiling water so there is at least 2 inches of water above the jars. Once the water begins boiling again, cover the stockpot and process the jars for 10 minutes. Lay down a double layer of towels and remove the jars from the pot., placing several inches apart on the towels. Allow to cool overnight. Make sure to check each jar the following day to ensure they sealed properly. Store in a cool, dark place until ready to use.

Grilling Gurus GLUTEN FREE GRILLED PORK TENDERLOIN Ingredients • 1/3 cup GF soy sauce • 1/3 cup orange marmalade • 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon rice wine vinegar • Pinch of favorite herbs or spices • 1 pound pork tenderloin Directions In a zippered top plastic bag mix first five ingredients in bag, zip close then shake vigorously for two minutes.

Place tenderloin in bag along with mix. Allow to marinate in refrigerator for two hours. Preheat grill to medium heat. Place tenderloin on grill grate and baste with mix. Check tenderloin after six minutes. Rotate tenderloin after nine minutes. Baste again. Check after six minutes. Place meat thermometer in thickest part, temperature needs to be at least 140 degrees F. If hotter than that quickly slice so that the cooking will not continue wile tenderloin is resting. Allow to rest for ten minutes, serve over rice, with a side dish or alone.

PEACH PINEAPPLE RUM SKEWERS Ingredients • 1 pineapple cut into eight slices then into quarters • 2 medium peaches sliced then halved • 1 cup dark rum or tequila • 1 cup packed dark brown sugar • ½ cup honey • ½ cup orange juice • Skewers Directions Pre heat grill to medium low. In a bowl mix rum, brown sugar, honey, orange juice, and honey until all sugar is dissolved. Place alternating slices of peaches and pineapple on skewers. Place on heated grill and baste with rum mixture. Cook approximately ten minutes turning and basting occasionally. Allow to rest after removing from grill for five minutes, then serve.

BROWN SUGAR BANANAS Ingredients • 6 bananas • 1 ½ cup light brown sugar • 2 tablespoon lemon juice • 2 ½ teaspoon cinnamon Directions Oil grill grate and preheat grill to medium low. Cut bananas into half lengthwise, leaving peel on. Sprinkle bananas with lemon juice. In a bowl combine cinnamon and brown sugar. Dip exposed banana in mix, then place on grill peel side up. Grill two to four minutes per side.

For more Dayton area food, please visit Examiner.com

Middletown Food Examiner • Dayton Raw Food Examiner • Dayton Farmers Market Examiner Dayton Urban Homesteading Examiner •

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Driscoll’s Berries can be purchased locally at: • Kroger • Marsh • Cub • Costco • Dorothy Lane Market • Sam’s Club • Super Target

Around Town Downtown, North, West South, East, Dayton Day Trips

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DOWNTOWN Downtown Dayton, University of Dayton, Oakwood, Kettering, Moraine, West Carrollton, Santa Clara, Northridge, Riverside, Belmont

Butter Café

By Sarah Marquis On Facebook: Butter Cafe www.facebook.com/buttercafedayton?sk=info On Twitter: @butter_cafe (amy beaver) www.twitter.com/butter_cafe Address: 1106 Brown St, Dayton, OH 45409 Phone: 937-985-9917 Hours of Operation Mon: 8:00am - 2:00pm Tues - Sun: 7:00am - 3:00pm Note: Breakfast All Day (item exceptions on menu) and Lunch starts at 10:30 Butter Café is located at 1106 Brown Street, Dayton which is in the block between Wyoming and Stewart. Streets. For those of you that prefer landmarks, the Café is located between Miami Valley Hospital and the UD campus. With a quick internet search, you can see that within 1 mile of the Café, there are just shy of 50 different eateries of all types and sizes to fit any culinary craving you may have. In order to keep up with competitors you have to have food so craveable that your customers rave to every one they know about it.

I came across Butter Café in my search for good pancake reviews. Butter has a good amount of positive reviews from multiple websites so they got put on the “Piqued My Interest” list. I’m not being metaphorical or cute. I am a legit list freak! I make lists of everything. But I digress... Let’s return to the research. I checked out their website and their Facebook page and was very excited by the concept of the Café. Their Facebook Info page states that they use only organic dairy, free-range local eggs & meat, and the veg is local and organic. The top of the menu does amend that last part to be that the veggies are “fresh, local, and homegrown when in season”. Of course, with the completely certifiably insane weather we have in the Miami Valley, this is completely understandable. Next on the “Research This” list, I had to check out the menu (www.buttercafedayton.com/menu.html) that had received kudos from many patrons. The variety of griddle fare was quite nice and the flavor combinations all over the menu got my mouth watering. My fellow DD writer, Dawn Bowes, and I started asking around about people’s experiences at Butter Café. We came across tons of positive reviews, but also a not-so-negligible amount of less than stellar reviews. We concluded that we had to check it out for ourselves.

Drinks and Pre-Order Notes We were greeted and told to sit wherever we’d like. The décor is bright and modern but also casual, so it was comfortable. We were given mason jars of water, which I greatly appreciate as I feel it is one of the cheap and easy ways to make a patron feel welcome. It is a custom that has gone to the way-side in recent years (not to mention I would have asked for one anyway as it was freaking hot out!). We were immediately told that they were “out of regular French Toast” and they only had Chai French Toast available. This doesn’t make sense to me. I do hope that this was due to being out of an ingredient and not because the French Toast is not made to order, but the lack of an explanation allowed my mind to assume the worst. I didn’t probe further. Dawn and I are both huge coffee lovers, so we both ordered the coffee. I’m more of a black coffee drinker and she likes to add sweetener and cream and we both agreed that the coffee was quite good. It was strong, but not overpowering or too bitter. The coffee came in mugs covered in ads, which I thought was fiscally smart and kind of added to the quirky casual theme of the place.

Ordering & Food Review When we were ready to order, Dawn inquired about the quiche, which from the reviews I had read, is highly esteemed. The waiter returned to tell us that there was no more quiche. This didn’t worry me as quiche is more of an item that would take more time and would be made ahead of time. I can’t say we were not very disappointed as they do serve breakfast all day and their quiche calculations were quite off. These things happen though.

I ordered the “Spring Omelet”, which is filled with chèvre (a fancy word for goat cheese), tomatoes, turkey and topped with lemon crème fraiche, and sprouts. It comes with the seasoned house potatoes.

Dawn ordered the “Italian Omelet”, which is filled with sun-dried tomatoes, fresh tomatoes, basil, and fresh mozzarella. It also came with the seasoned house potatoes. Dawn and I agreed that it would have been nice to round out the plate with one more item, such as toast or a muffin, especially for the price. The prices aren’t horrible when you factor in that the ingredients are more expensive because they are organic and healthy, but it would have been nice to get a third item. When you study marketing, one of the first things you learn is to do everything in 3’s. It’s been proven to look and feel more appealing. But I digress again!

Back to the ordering, we also decided to split the “Jelly Donut Pancakes”, as I had heard they were a musthave menu item. We got our omelets, potatoes and the acclaimed pancakes with a little more of a wait than was expected. I decided to try the potatoes first. I popped one in my mouth. I was disappointed with the level of seasoning immediately. Advertised as "seasoned" potatoes I was hoping for more kick but they were downright bland with an occasional hint of herb every few bites. I added salt and Tabasco, but that wasn't the only issue with the potatoes. The texture was off. They were dry and almost mealy in texture. Dawn had the same issues with hers. It was the texture you get when you re-heat French fries or from a frozen dinner.

On to the omelettes! We each tried a bite of each other’s and ate half of our own and paused to converse. Dawn and I both agreed on our omelet experiences. The inner ingredients and the toppings were great quality and tasted wonderful in the given configurations. The egg, we agreed, was not good at all. Though it had looked good the texture was off. They had been overcooked and were dry.

We cleansed our pallets with the excellent coffee and complimentary water and decided to move on to the “Jelly Donut Pancakes”. We tried each component by itself and then in combination. They jelly filling was good. We concurred we would have preferred a more fruity flavor, but when you get a jelly donut you usually get it for the sugary goodness and just like the thought of fruit being there to make it semi-healthy. Don’t scoff! You know I’m right! Anyways, the filling was good. The melty vanilla icing was good as well. The pancakes had an excellent texture and were made just right. They were cakey with a slight crunch. All in all, the “Jelly Donut Pancakes” were quite good.

Conclusions The final conclusion is this: fantastic ideas with poor execution. This sentiment is not just coming from Dawn and I but I have heard it from others. That being said, it also needs to be stated that Dawn and I both want to see Butter Café succeed. They have the right idea with the creative offerings and their support of sustainable food. We need more of that in Dayton! Butter Café has all the potential to be amazing. Dawn and I fully intend on returning to try other things and watch them improve. Hopefully they won’t run us out when they see us coming! I wish them the best from the bottom of my heart. I’m sending people in their direction because I want to hear their feedback too. If you’d like to share your experience at Butter Café, or any restaurant you’d like to see reviewed please con tact me at: sarahn1183@hotmail.com

WEST Englewood, Farmersville, Gratis, Eaton, West Alexandria, New Lebanon, Brookville

Pizza Express

By Dawn Bowes Pizza night was always a tradition in our family. Growing up, it was normally on a Friday after my dad got paid. There were some Fridays where we would go out for pizza, but there were times when he would bring pizza home from a little establishment in Moraine named Pizza Express. I have fond memories of the pizza from them and was quite happy when they finally expanded into the Brookville area.

The Pizza Express in Brookville is located at 302 Market Street. It is a quaint setting that has tables for two all the way up to six but can be pushed together if there is a larger group. The restaurant offers a variety of appetizers such as breadsticks, French fries done in a variety of ways, mozzarella sticks and my favorite-the Pizza Rail. The Pizza Rail is a breadstick cut down the middle length wise, smothered in pizza sauce, topped your favorite topping and then loaded with cheese. They are quite yummy! If your group wants more than one, you can order a Box Car. The Box Car consists of three times the deliciousness. Pizza at Pizza Express falls into the delicious category. They offer traditional one topping pizzas and a deluxe. There are also several very unique pizzas such as the Super Potato Pizza, Big Bubba Pizza and the Firehouse Pizza. Other menu items include salads, a wide variety of sandwiches, spaghetti dinners, calzones and desserts. The dessert pizzas are a good ending to a night out. They are made up of a small pizza crust, a layer of cream cheese and topped with either an apple or cherry topping sprinkled with streusel crumbs. It is very good and sweet!

I have found Pizza Express to be a good family restaurant. I have enjoyed going there with my family many times and plan on doing so again. And again. And again. The best part of dining at Pizza Express is getting a consistently hot pizza with plenty of toppings that is always cooked perfectly. And it doesn’t hurt that they have a buy any large 14 inch pizza at regular price and get the second 14 inch half off, a special that always offered. So, the next time you find yourself in Brookville, head downtown and try a delicious pizza. If you are in the Moraine area stop in at the very first Pizza Express. You are sure to be treated well!

SOUTH Trenton, Middletown, Franklin, Carlisle, Springboro, Waynesville, Lebanon

The Corwin Peddler

By Heather Bryant The Corwin Peddler is a quaint family restaurant, tea room and ice cream parlor. They also feature event catering as well as a bike and equipment sales and rentals. Located in a house at 69 Maple Street in Corwin.

Ann and Simon Copple offer both English favorites and a more typical American menu in their restaurant.

Upon entering The Corwin Peddler, I fell in love with the coziness and felt like I was a welcomed part of the Copple family. I ordered the Coronation Chicken Sandwich, which is priced at $6.00. This chicken salad recipe was served to the Queen’s guests at her coronation. The sandwich was really nice and light, a pleasant change from your typical chicken salad sandwich. The sides I had were salad garnish, chips and a pickle spear that is included with all the sandwiches from the typical menu. For $3.75 I had their apple crumble for dessert.

It was a warm rich mixture of apples, crumble and cinnamon. Yum! Sitting near me were some ladies having afternoon tea. They were nibbling on little finger sandwiches, scones, jam, jelly and fancy cakes. The tea was a fine English tea that enhanced the delicate flavors of their food.

Though I did not partake, I found out that the afternoon tea is priced at $14.99 a person. The wonderfully sweet smell from the tea was very comforting, as well as relaxing. I would highly recommend having tea as a Girls’ Day Out type of event or as a unique bridal shower.

The ice cream parlor specializes in Young’s Dairy Farm ice cream. They also serve other ice cream shop finds such as smoothies, milkshakes, sundaes, espresso, cappuccino and banana splits. They also offer food such as nachos, pizza, burgers, sandwiches and pretzels for those not wanting something more formal.

If you are planning a trip to The Corwin Peddler, I recommend you call (513)897-3536 before you go. Their hours of operation change frequently due to the ever changing Ohio weather and seasons. You can find The Corwin Peddler at www.TheCorwinPeddler.com or email them at info@TheCorwinPeddler.com.

Angilo’s Pizza

By Heather Bryant Here in Waynesville, our newest eatery is Angilo’s Pizza. It is located at 141 North Street close to Ellis’s Super Market. I had this franchise before in Mason, so I already knew about the quality food they serve. Since it had been several years since I had eaten at Angilo’s, I had forgotten how recession friendly their prices were for the food you get. When I looked at the menu to order I was excited to see that eating here would not put a too big of a hurt on my budget.

In 1958, Al Jones founded Angilo’s Pizza with a secret sauce, fresh baked hoagie buns and pizza crusts. What I did not know is that each store is individually owned and operated. This allows each location to plan and price their menus accordingly. The common thread, besides the franchise name, is that each has to serve the trademarks Angilo’s was founded on—the sauce, the buns and the dough.

For my first order from Angilo’s, I decided on a Philly steak and cheese, fries and a small Dad’s Favorite pizza. The Philly steak comes with cheese, onions, peppers and mayo in whole size only for $6.25, fries were a budget friendly $1.25. The Dad’s Favorite Pizza comes topped with pepperoni, sausage, ham, bacon and extra cheese. A small size set me back $7.25. The hoagie bun was nice and flakey, the meat and cheese melted well together and the toppings added a flavorful kick. My pizza’s crust was flavorful and kind of sweet. The sauce was a nice addition to the toppings and added a delicious tomato tanginess. Frugal diners will be happy to hear that my total before tax, came to $14.75 I ate 3 meals at $4.92 each, cheaper than a value meal at most fast food restaurants!

If you would like to try Waynesville’s newest pizza sensation, their number is (513) 897-0458. Their hours of operation are as follows: open Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday 11 am to 9 pm, Friday and Saturday 11 am to 10:30 pm, Sunday noon to 9:30 pm and closed Mondays. Deliveries are made Sunday through Thursday from 4pm to 9 pm, Friday and Saturday 4 pm to 10 pm. Dining room seating is available for those who want to eat in. To view the Waynesville Angilo’s menu, please visit www.angilospizza.com/images/ menus/79xWaynesville001.pdf

42nd Annual Ohio Sauerkraut Festival

By Heather Bryant Mark your calendars and save these dates-October 8th and 9th, 2011 Did you know that Waynesville annually holds one of the nation’s largest craft festivals? What started out with the local merchants wanting to hold a sidewalk sale has grown exponentially each year.

When it all started in 1970, sauerkraut was what was offered for dinner. In October of that same year, the first Sauerkraut Festival was held and had over 1500 visitors. Five hundred and twenty eight pounds of sauerkraut were served. Entertainment was provided

by German bands, an antique car parade, a spelling bee, checkers, folk dancing and prizes for the biggest head of cabbage, as well as the best homemade sauerkraut. There was even a Sauerkraut Queen crowned!

The festival had booths that showcased and sold the fall harvest, arts and crafts, antiques and, of course, food with sauerkraut as an ingredient. This collection of booths and vendors were all set up in the middle of our fair town, on Main Street. Now, annually, the festival is held the second full weekend each October (hours are Saturday from 9am to 8 pm and Sunday from 9 am to 6 pm) and the Waynesville Area Chamber of Commerce oversees the festivities. A special group goes to each booth to ensure that what is sold is absolutely hand crafted, is of quality and has variety of product available.

Food booths are reserved for local non-profit groups that in turn help the community. Sauerkraut takes many forms at the festival. It can range from pork and sauerkraut items to kraut in brownies, pizza, nachos, donuts, fudge and ice cream, as well as bread. Wheat, rye and white breads are all available for purchase. All of this is just a short list! There are also foods without the kraut in them, like hotdogs, brats, funnel cakes, fries and deep fried candy bars. Pepsi is a main sponsor of the event, so their products are sold from many of the food booths to quench your thirst. Another food related sponsor is SnowFloss Kraut made by the Fremont Kraut Company. Waynesville also has a cookbook- Sauerkraut & More. What else would it be called?! It is available anytime from the Chamber of Commerce or at any of the official information booths during the festival.

Eleven years after the first festival the crowd grew to 100,000 and today 42 years later Waynesville hosts over 350,000! It just goes to show how wonderful food and crafts can spread quickly by word of mouth! For parking there are plenty of shuttle signs to follow as you come into town.

Parking at the schools on Dayton Road is hosted by

Waynesville Athletic Boosters and overseen by the Chamber of Commerce. You and your party will be shuttled by bus down to Third Street and dropped off at the Methodist Church. It is just a walk down the hill to the center of town and the middle of the festival. There is other parking throughout town, however they are at your own risk and do not provide shuttle service. Come and see what my hometown can tempt your taste buds and craft needs with. Hope to see you there!

Got questions? You can reach the Waynesville Area Chamber of Commerce by phone at (513) 897-8855 fax (513) 897-9833 or Email at waynsville@aol.com (please note the 1st “e� in Waynesville is missing) and the website is http://www.waynesvilleohio.com.

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EAST Spring Valley, Bellbrook, Centerville, Beavercreek, Xenia, Yellow Springs, WPAFB, Huber Heights, Fairborn, Wright State University

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NORTH Troy, Tipp City, Springfield, Enon, West Milton, Vandalia, New Carlisle, Dayton International Airport

Boston’s Bistro & Pub

By Sarah Marquis Web: www.bostonsbistro.com/ On Facebook: “Boston's Bistro and Pub” On Twitter: @BostonsPub Address: 7500 N Main Street, Dayton, OH 45415 Phone #: 937-461-1002 Hours: Mon – Sat 3:00 pm - 2:30 am Boston’s Bistro & Pub Review I heard about Boston’s from one of my best friends, Ashley. She would tell me about their amazing selection of beers and the fantastic food, but for some reason, I just never went. One day we stopped in before we were to head someplace else and we just wound up staying. I will admit, on this first trip, I didn’t try the foods but Ashley and the friends that we had popped in to visit with all said it was very good. I also went there on a once date after that, but still just for drinks. Then, one day, my mom and dad had both had a rough day at work and I suggested we go to Boston’s for dinner & drinks, with my camera and iRecord android app of course!

Boston’s is very easy to locate as it is right on the corner of Westbrook Rd and Main Street and also I had been there a couple of times making it a snap. The only thing that can be confusing is that when you get there you should park in the back. You will see the patio, which is very pleasant on a nice night by the way, and then straight ahead you will see the dark green door just up a set of steps. That is the door you need to go in to get to Boston’s Bistro & Pub to sample the European, primarily Hungarian, cuisine.

Bar Offerings Review Right off hand when you go to Boston’s you will notice that the staff is amazing and very friendly. On this day we had Lindsey as our server and bartender. She was top notch at both from beginning to end. My parents and I sampled some classic cocktails (classic margarita, amaretto sour, and the long island) and a shot of Zwack, a Hungarian herbal & citrus liquor shot, all of which you can see more detailed info about in the Happy Hour section of this very issue. They were spot on cocktails that were made just as we would have ever hoped with a hospitable smile. See the full flavor profile in the Cocktail Hour College Classics article.

Food Review If I could have by means of money, and a large enough stomach, I would have purchased the entire menu. You can check it out by going to www.bostonsbistro.com/ and clicking the “Bistro Menu” link at the top of the screen. We had the Soft Pretzel Bostyán Style, which are provided by Rinaldo’s Italian Kosher Bakery, with the Queso White Cheddar Cheese for dipping as an appetizer. The pretzel has a great light crunch to the outside and a nice warm and soft inside. The best part was the small surprise in the dough. It was a garlic pretzel.

The extra compliment of the salt on top of the pretzel and the garlic in the dough was a match made in heaven.

Then you get the added pleasure of dipping is in a lightly spicy white cheddar. When it’s gone you’re sad, but then you realize that there is more delicious things coming.

We wanted to try two pizzas so we went with a half Premium Pesto and half Greek Gyro. The Premium Pesto is Italian basil pesto, mushrooms, tomatoes, onions, marinated green olives and Greek Feta Cheese. It is a classic combination of flavors you would normally see with pasta but it makes an amazing pizza. The tang of the pesto with the saltiness of the feta and olives is a thing of beauty. I have suggested that the pizza be called “The Quad P” for Premium Pesto Perfection Pizza. The crust is a blissful balance of crunch and chewiness. The other half of the pizza, the Greek Gyro, is topped with Greek Lamb, Tzatziki Sauce (the traditional tasty cucumber yogurt sauce you find on Gyros), Greek olives, onions, tomatoes and Greek Feta. As a side note, I was taught the correct pronunciation of Gyro by the super nice Greek man that used to sell them in the Salem Mall. I have always been annoyed by the incorrect way that most people pronounce it. It is (yee-roh). I digress! Back to the yummy stuff! The lamb is melt-in-your-mouth quality. Though they are not on the traditional Gyro pita, the olives are a great compliment to the overall combination of Greek-tastic goodness.

Conclusions Every time I go to Boston’s, the service is superb and their food is phenomenal. I highly recommend them for dinner and drinks. They have deals and fun events all the time to check out. They are on the website, just click the “Brew News” link. Here are some of their upcoming events & deals: Aug 13th - Greek Night 7pm-12am- Delicous Greek food including Baklava that is only available twice a year! There will be live entertainment with George Karras, Themi Kakias, and Caravan Workshop Dancers.

Aug 18th - Cabbage Roll Dinner/Bier Tasting- Dinners include: 2 Cabbage Rolls, Magyar Spuds, Zwack Slaw, Bread and Sour Cream, $9.00 ea Eat-in or $11.00 ea. Take-Away one Cabbage Roll for only $2 eachand sour cream for $0.50 and the Cabbage Roll proceeds go to the Hungarian Ancestry Scholarship Fund at Wright State University.

Aug 27th Bell’s Hopslam 3 Year Vertical http://beeradvocate.com/events/info/45654 Until August August 27th Hungarian Nut Rolls are $1 off.

Also Boston’s offers a Dragon’s Tickets Special-2 tickets and a 9” for $30

Ordings Party Time

By Sarah Marquis Address: 810 S Market St, Troy, OH 45373 Phone: 937-335-8368 Website: http://www.ordingspartytimepizza.com/ (No FB or Twitter) Ordings Party Time Review My ex-husband grew up in the Troy area and he introduced me to Ordings. However, I just knew them as “the place I can get a Texas tenderloin outside of the fair/festival setting”. As a side note, I love Bowman’s Texas Tenderloins at every fair/festival! Anyways, I had no idea Ordings even made pizza until about a month ago. Apparently, they are kind of known for it. I was totally oblivious for a decade! Shaun and his family always got sandwiches and I just always got the same thing to be easy. The sandwiches are super by the way, but this is the pizza issue so that’s not my focus today. After my discovery, I started contacting everyone I know from the Troy area and they all said that Ordings’ pizza is awesome and I had to try it. Ordings is very easy to find. From Dayton, just hop on 75 North until exit 69 for Co Rd 25A (also known by locals as “the first 25A exit”). Turn right off the exit and Ordings will show up on the left in just shy of a mile.

The Order My friend Ashley and I arrived at Ordings Party Time and scoped out the menu. We decided to order so that the food could be ready by the time Dawn Bowes, my friend and fellow Devour Dayton writer, and her son and (Devour Dayton superstar), Kaden, arrived. We selected a half Pepperoni and half Deluxe pizza. I threw in an order of fried mushrooms as an appetizer and Ash got a cup of potato salad. While we waited we roamed the store and picked drinks (Vitamin Water) and chips (Baked! Cheddar & Sour Cream Ruffles) to go with the meal. The variety of drinks (beer, wine, soda, etc), chips, and other snacks is wide. The food was ready before we were, but they offered to keep the food warm in the oven until we were.

Every employee we dealt with at Ordings was very nice and very helpful. After a couple of minutes we were ready and we took the pizza party outside to the picnic tables and dug in The Review: The Appetizers The mushrooms had the perfect thickness of breading and the right amount of crunch. I’ve had too many mushy over oily fried veggies from many different venues so I did think twice before ordering them, but these were just right. I also loved that the employees anticipated my needs by putting ketchup and salt packets in the bag for me without me requesting them. It’s the little things that mean the most in customer service. When Dawn had arrived, they also ordered Breadsticks and fried Cheese Sticks. The cheese sticks, just like the mushrooms, had perfect breading and crunch.

The potato salad was everything I had hoped it would be and more. Not only was it excellent, but it tasted just

like my mom’s. I am huge on having the correct balance of mustard. I am a mustard lover, but there is such a thing as too much mustard … well in potato salad anyway. This potato salad not only had that, but it had just a slight sweetness. The sweetness and mustard married beautifully as it always does when my mom makes it. Everyone in our group absolutely loved the potato salad. Kaden asked Dawn if they could purchase some when they got there and he insisted on her getting a whole pound. She got it thinking there would be leftovers. Dawn got only handful of bites and Kaden polished off the rest of the container!

The Review: The Pizza & Breadsticks We ripped the pizza from its bag and attacked it. Ordings pizza is on a chewy thin crust. The deluxe is topped with pepperoni, sausage, mushrooms, green peppers, onions, and banana peppers. I like that the sausage was very fine but full of favor. It is crumbled tiny sausage pieces, but pack full flavor. I am not that big of a fan of sausage on a pizza unless it is very finely chopped. The large chunks just appear unappetizing to me. I also like that they put banana peppers on there and the peppers they use are not too over powering. The green pepper had a really fresh taste to it as well. Both the pepperoni and Deluxe sides were good.

The bread sticks were good and chewy. I must rant and rave about the garlic butter sauce. Now I am a lover of garlic butter in general and haven’t met one I truly didn’t like. However, this sauce was exceptional. You can probably tell one of the big reasons why from the picture. It is not the average garlic butter sauce as it doesn’t look like the standard cup of oil. It is full on buttery goodness in all its glory! It is creamy and not see through. I mistook it for cheese quite honestly! It was downright delightful.

The Review: The Dessert We were so happy with what we got, we went back in and got desert. We got the Jelly-Filled Sugar Cookies, Brownie with Fudge Icing, and the Brownie with Peanut Butter Icing. I really enjoyed that the jelly didn’t just taste like sugar. The cookie filling had an excellent flavor of red raspberry. The brownies were both chewy and moist and both icings were very good. Of the two brownies, I liked the fudgy icing one best. You will learn quickly as you get to know me through my reviews that I would gladly drown myself in chocolate, preferably dark chocolate, but any good quality chocolate will do. I do love the chocolate and peanut butter combination (as you will see at the Devour Dayton Share Our Strength Bake Sale www.facebook.com/event.php? eid=113519802070796] , when I make my Killer Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Cake) but there was something extra wonderful about the fudgy one. I will also state that, I haven’t tried it yet, but I have heard great things about their pie as well. I’ll check that out on the next trip.

Conclusion The pizza was great and I loved the seeing my old friend the banana pepper on the Deluxe. All of the food was great and the staff was wonderful. I definitely recommend ordering from Ordings Party Time. I feel the need to close with the fact that they cater so think of them for your next event.

DAYTON DAY TRIPS Columbus, Eastern Indiana Cincinnati, Northern Kentucky

Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky Day Trip: Riverfont, Newport Pizza Company, and Eden Park

By Sarah Marquis My 3-year-old son, Nolan, and I had a little adventure I’d like to tell you all about. Right off the bat, I have a confession. Originally the plan involved going to the Cincinnati Art Museum, which was voted 'Top Art Museum for Families' by Parenting Magazine and has free admission (just pay $4 for parking), but my son and I didn’t make it there in time as they close at 5. I do have a lovely picture of the outside to prove we made and attempt though. Next time we go south, Nolan and I will check it out and report back I promise!

We were in the area on official Devour Dayton business. We were picking up the donation provided by the Cincinnati Cyclones hockey team for our Share Our Strength Bake Sale (October 1st at Heather’s Café in Springboro). It’s a book on their triumphant 2008 Kelly Cup winning season autographed by the coach. We went to US Bank Arena and picked up the raffle prize and we decided to explore the Riverfront area.

Riverfront US Bank Arena is right next door to the Great American Ball Field.

The picture of the Riverboat artwork, the red riverboat wheel, is actually taken from the steps of the Ball Field. Nol and I went across the street to the art to find that the sliver cylinders below the wheel are actually speakers that play on loop the sounds of a busy ship yard making it an extra fun experience. We hung out there enjoying the day and taking lots of pictures of the river and the boat and enjoying the sounds from the speakers.

I asked Nolan if he wanted to go to the museum first or go to get lunch. At first, he said the museum and we would have made it in time if we would have gone then, but then I let it slip that we were going to get pizza. Nolan said, “Actually mom, I’m real hungry.” I can’t deny that sweet little face especially if it’s for food.

Newport Pizza Company We crossed the bridge into Newport and easily found the Newport Pizza Company. I was so happy that they do pepperoni by-the-slice so that I could get something even better for me. I couldn’t try just on pizza as it was an amazing menu so I did a half and half. I chose “The Zeus” and the “Highlands Country Club Pizza”. These were similar enough to make things cohesive both being non-marinara pizzas, but was different enough to be a good variety. “The Zeus” is topped with fresh spinach, feta cheese, Roma tomatoes, roasted garlic, olive oil, and asiago cheese. The “Highlands Country Club” is a smoked turkey, crumbled bacon, sharp cheddar cheese pizza that is topped with fresh Romaine lettuce, Roma tomatoes, and homemade ranch dressing. The freshness of the ingredients really came through. The crust was good and chewy. The conclusion being, it’s a must-stop. The food was fantastic and the service equaled it.

Eden Park We then attempted to go to the museum and failed. However, we stumbled upon Eden Park which is just down the street from the museum. Eden Park is a beautiful park with an enormous fountain and paved running trails. I could go on describing it, but check out the pictures and see for yourself.

Conclusion Nolan and I had a great time and it was on the cheap. It was about $20 in gas and $20 for lunch. You have to love that.

Devour Dayton is still looking for a staff member to cover our Dayton Day Trips.

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