BIG news & foodie cravings

I have a BIG announcement! ...

Dan and I are expecting our first baby! Arriving in November!

I told you it was big news!

This experience has been wonderful and adventure-filled already. I am learning all sorts of things in terms of how the body prepares for baby - of particular note, the desires of my belly!

As you know, I've always been a foodie. Now, I am a foodie with a purpose! I am one hungry girl. And believe it or not, even that has been a learning process.

In the first couple months, it took me some time to figure out just how many snacks I needed to pack each morning to get through the workday. I must admit that on more than one occasion, I had a hunger freak-out as I found myself ravenous during my commute home. Eventually, I found a balance for fueling my body. And packing extra snacks just in case is always a good idea.

And then there are CRAVINGS. A commonly asked question and topic of preggo discussion.

Crepes and Soufflés Galore!

I took a hands-on Crepes and Soufflés class at Stir Cooking School last weekend. It was the perfect way to spend a Saturday morning.

The school is so cute and colorful! I had a great time. And seriously indulged!

As you know, I cook healthy versions of recipes in my home kitchen. Wow, was this a change. I left the class feeling energized with ideas yet lethargic with a very fully belly. I had to take an afternoon nap to sleep it off! Ha!

In the coming weeks, I hope to re-create the crepe into a healthier version of itself. While it will still be a special treat, at least it will be a bit healthier.

5280's Best New Restaurants and Q&A with Food Editor

"Our food scene has never been more vibrant..." reads the first line of 5280's article on Best New Restaurants. I couldn't agree more with this sentiment.

We had nearly 300 restaurants open in 2011 and while several have vanished as quickly as they appeared on the Denver dining scene, the good ones have only gotten better.

I recently had the opportunity to talk with 5280 magazine's food editor, Amanda Faison, who shared with me all that goes into narrowing down restaurants to the small list of 8 best.

Foodie Event: The Big Eat

Tickets are on sale now for The Big Eat, a Denver foodie event featuring signaure fare from 50 local restaurants.

While this is the 6th year of The Big Eat, it will be my first time!

Join me! Tickets are $25.

Get your tickets here: The Big Eat tickets.

Restaurant Week update

2 dinners scheduled ... hoping for 2 more!

So far, I will be dining with my foodie family - The Hubs, Momma, Sister, Bro-in-law and of course, Baby Josie.

Reservations at ChoLon Bistro & Euclid Hall Bar & Kitchen

Restaurant week countdown ... 17 days!!

Denver friends - where will you be eating during Restaurant Week?

Restaurant Week!

My favorite time of the year is nearly here! In the life of a foodie, Denver Restaurant Week is big!

It's bigger than the excitement the Superbowl creates amongst a group of football fanatics. Why? Because it lasts for 2 weeks! The opportunities to try new restaurants are plentiful.

I am selecting my Restaurant Week eatlist now. It's hard to choose!

I can't wait!!

Denver friends - Where are you making reservations?

Long-distance friends - Many cities offer something similar to Restaurant Week. What exciting foodie events does your city offer?

Need a bigger helping?:
Restaurant Week Menus

Playoff Pizza Party

Every year - 22 and counting - my mom throws a Superbowl pizza party featuring 8-10 gourmet pizzas emerging from the oven every 20 minutes or so as we watch the game. Pizzas are sliced in small pieces so we can try all the varieties.

This year, our team - the Broncos, of course - are in the playoffs after unlikely odds. Naturally, this called for a shifting of the party to a Broncos playoff party!

It's here ... welcome to my NEW blog!

Happy New Year, friends!

2012 is going to be a great year, I can feel it. And to kick the year off in foodie style, I welcome you to The Salted Spoon!

I've been dying to share the new face of my blog with you. What do you think? I think my html-tinkering hubby did a darn good job!

As promised, you will continue to see many similar things from Apron Strings & Foodie Things. There will also be many new things along the way! I'd love to hear what you like and what you'd like more of as we share this virtual meal together.

Thank you for your readership and friendship!

Your readership flatters me. Your comments make me happy. And a forum to express my food obsessions thrills me!

Cheers to you, my foodie friends!

Bottoms up, Kelly

{Extra Special} Chefs Brunch

Last weekend, I was in foodie heaven with 4 Chefs cooking a special brunch for my friends and me.

For those who missed it, let me recap how this came to be ... In June, Dan and I attended Taste of the Nation – a foodie fundraiser benefiting Share Our Strength. That night, we bid on and won a brunch with local Chefs – cooked in our home!

For brunch, we feasted on the tasty dishes from:

Matt Selby, Vesta Dipping Grill & Steuben's - Pork Breakfast Sausage with Peppers. The sausage was superior to any tasted before. Being a sausage connoisseur, Dan noted just how very tender this homemade sausage was. We waited for the appropriate amount of time after Matt's departure before battling for the leftovers.

Paul C. Reilly, Encore on Colfax - Potato, Leek and Manchego Gratin. The potatoes were creamy, rich and had a nice crunch on top to finish off the bite. To think of this as merely potatoes au gratin summons up pictures of a homemade variety that falls boorishly short of the depth of flavor from this savory and delicious dish. And being one who enjoys crunchy food - you know I devoured my serving!

Beau Simmons, Jonesy's EatBar - Omelets Bar made to the likings of the eater. I ordered the special - a Lamb Shoulder, Blue Cheese and Caramelized Onion Omelet. Even though I am not normally a big lamb fan, this was a perfect time to give it a go. And it was great. The sharpness of the blue cheese combined with the sweetness of the onions and richness from the lamb came together to create one perfectly flavorful and indulgent bite.

Keegan Gerhard, Dbar Desserts - Malted Vanilla Waffle with Bananas Foster, Nutella and Cinnamon Ice Cream. This dessert was all the things you dream of from a dessert - creamy, sweet, a bit of crunch and one that made you want to lick the plate. Having learned a few table manners myself, I opted to wait until the Chefs left before doing so. And that cinnamon ice cream - oh, how I loved thee.

We enjoyed all this while sipping on Blueberry Pomegranate Mimosas and Apple Mimosas. Pure genius! Especially the Apple Mimosa. Such a simple and fresh twist to the traditional mimosa. I am not sure I will ever serve an orange juice mimosa again.

Special thanks to Mom for opening her home for our special brunch. And an even bigger thank you to the Chefs and Leigh from Jonseys who generously donated their time for a good cause. It was pure joy to chat it up with you as you shared your culinary creations with us.

Need a bigger helping?:
Vesta Dipping Grill & Steuben's
Encore on Colfax
Jonesy's EatBar
Dbar Desserts

Charleston Eats

Dan and I enjoyed a long weekend in Charleston for our anniversary. We like to go somewhere new to celebrate so when we read several articles on Charleston's appeal as a cultural destination, we were in.

As I've shared before, I travel according to food experience opportunities. Exploring regional and cultural foods is one of my main pleasures when traveling. And with a trip to the South, I was looking forward to some fresh seafood and ‘low country’ cuisine.

As we explored the markets and streets of Charleston, we ate many a meals … here are the highlights of our culinary experience:

Entrée: Amen Street wins for best entree. Best two entrees in fact. The crab cakes had a light crunch and were entirely comprised of crab meat - no filler in this dish. The shrimp and grits were also all that they should be - creamy, hearty and with just enough heat to make you return for yet another bite.

Side dish: Hominy Grill takes it for their sweet mashed potatoes. This dish was silky in texture, sweet and divinely rich. With a side dish like this, who needs dessert?

Low country eats: After waiting in the friendly line that famously wraps around the restaurant’s corner, we found the best low country eats at Jestine’s Kitchen. Jestine’s fried chicken basket with okra and coleslaw and a glass of sweet tea to wash it all down. And they had the best cornbread we ate all weekend!

A little food for thought as I reflect on the culinary adventures of Charleston, I find it amusing that listed among the vegetable offerings on several Charleston menus was Mac and Cheese. Ha. Gotta love the South for their comfort food. It was certainly fun to enjoy for a long weekend. Now back to an ever so slightly less indulgent dinner plate.

Need a bigger helping?:
Amen Street Fish and Raw Bar
Hominy Grill
Jestine's Kitchen

It's here....!

Today is the big day of my Exciting News! My camera is ready and my belly is hungry....

A Saucy Affair

Last night, I rubbed shoulders with the foodie community at A Saucy Affair – a foodie fundraiser benefiting the 9Health Fair. We circled the room, sampling bites from various restaurants to the smoky tunes of Hazel Miller singing in the background.

During this sauce battle, patrons cast votes for their favorite sauces. The overall dish certainly contributes to votes cast as well. Participants included: Cru Wine Bar, CY Steak, Gourmet Kitchen Catering, Espresso Affair, Helliemae's Salt Caramels, Loews Denver Hotel, Mezcal, Rialto Cafe, Texas de Brazil , The Avenue Grill , The Denver Cupcake Truck, The Lobby, Wynkoop Brewing Company and Zink.

The focus of this particular foodie event is perfect for me because I do love my sauces. I’m pretty into overly sauced food. Dry food is boring. And well, it’s dry. Each year, food trends seem to emerge and set the tone of the evening – last year, duck was the popular ingredient (see post) and the year before that, it was all about BBQ sandwiches.

This year seemed to have more of a range in the culinary creations – although a few restaurants featured chimichurri sauces. And while it is always a fun evening, many of sauces this year were mind in flavor compared to those of previous years. But, that is not to say I didn’t have favorites. My personal palate pleasers were Texas de Brazil, Wynkoop, Gourmet Kitchen and Helliemae’s Salt Caramels.

Speaking of Helliemae, the unnamed winner and recipient of my voting chip was Helliemae’s Salt Caramels for their Salted Caramel Banana Pudding. As for the ‘official’ winners, the Judge’s Choice pick was The Lobby for their Short Rib with Poblano Sauce. My commentary upon winner announcement: The judges panel is comprised of Denver personalities rather than foodies. The patrons did better in casting their votes as is usually the case. The People’s Choice winner went to Texas De Brazil for their Flank Steak and Garlic Mashed Potatoes with Chimichurri Sauce.

Farwell, sauce battle. See you again next year.

Exciting News!

Have you been waiting to hear about my big news from the Best night ever? Well, wait no more… I am excited to reveal that I've got a foodie’s dream coming my way!

In June, Dan and I attended Taste of the Nation – a foodie fundraiser benefiting Share Our Strength. That night, we bid on and won a brunch with local chefs – cooked in our home! Insert image of me with a huge smile on my face, buzzing excitement and the embarrassing moves from my happy food dance.

This fabulous brunch courtesy of the culinary talents of:
Matt Selby, Vesta Dipping Grill
Paul C. Reilly, Encore on Colfax
Beau Simmons, Jonesy's EatBar
Keegan Gerhard, Dbar Desserts


Yes, Keegan is going to be cooking in my home! Well, actually my mom’s home because my kitchen is far too small for the talents of these 4 chefs. I need to start practicing my pretending-not-to-be-star-struck face. Yep, that’s me.

*Thanks to my family who had “reserved” a day without any information about the festivities I had planned. And an even bigger thank you to Dan for being my biggest supporter and co-conspirator.

African food adventures, Part 2

One of my primary motivations for travel is the opportunity to explore the food fare of different cities, cultures and cuisines. During my trip, I had several occasions to sample a variety of East African eats.

Matoke or Matooke. See What is matoke? Matoke is commonly served with a ground nut sauce. This sauce is a simpler version of peanut sauce, sans the heat. And much like all my food experiences during the trip, the matoke varied depending upon where we were eating and probably to the particular liking of the cook. One of the fascinating things to me is that matoke is cooked in banana leaves for their moisture. I learned that it’s best not to rush matoke – the longer it cooks, the better.

Ugali. Sadly, I only have this one photo of ugali (see African food adventures, Part 1). But, I think you can get the picture that it has an almost rice-like appearance. Ugali, however, is made of maize flour and tastes quite unlike rice. In fact, it doesn’t have much flavor at all. It’s more of texture experience – kind of sticky and dry at the same time. Ugali is normally served with a stew or meat sauce. But I did not try it in this way and as my first sampling of the dish (also taking into account my aversion to overly dry food), a few small bites was sufficient for me.

Chapati or Chapatti. Much more palatable than ugali, I ate chapati with many meals. Chapati is unleavened bread that is similar to naan although denser. Those familiar with Indian cuisine likely recognize that chapatti is an Indian bread. But, it is also commonly served in East Africa as an accompaniment to a meal. It is eaten by tearing into pieces and used to scoop up bites of an entrée.

Matoke, ugali and chapati … of all the African eats I tasted, my favorite was the homemade, slow-cooked matoke with tasty ground nut sauce I enjoyed in the home of our generous host family.

Amuse-bouche (aka teaser update)

In June, I posted about one of the greatest nights in my foodie life - a fundraiser event for Share Our strength. In that post, I also included a little teaser promising to later reveal something else about that evening. See Best night ever, the report… and Best night ever!

Since then, I’ve heard much speculation about the happenings of said teaser. Some food related and some entirely unrelated to food. So, I thought I’d offer an update … an amuse-bouche, if you will.

It is most definitely food-related and is officially scheduled for October 15th.

I’ve returned…

Hello! It’s good to be safely home. I have lots to share with you from my trip to Africa! I’ll need a bit more time to sort through my thoughts and photos from the trip.

But, I wanted to let you know about an upcoming event…

A Saucy Affair is a foodie fundraiser and if you missed it last year, here's your chance to support a good cause AND sample small plates with inspired sauces.

Who: You and all your friends!
Where: Infinity Park Event Center, Glendale, CO
What: Good eats while helping to support an organization with the mission to "promote health awareness and encourage individuals to assume responsibility for their own health".
When: Thursday, September 22nd; 6-9 pm

Click on the links below for more information and to purchase tickets. Let me know when you get tickets - I'll look forward to seeing you there!

Need a bigger helping?:
A Saucy Affair

Get your tickets here.

What is matoke?

A staple food in the African diet, matoke is made from either steamed or boiled plantains that have been mashed and seasoned. I hear that when prepared well, they quite resemble whipped mashed potatoes. Sounds good, right? I sure hope so! I’ll give you the full African food report upon my return.

Until then … be well, eat well.

A preview of food to come …

I find myself about to embark on a 2 week trip that will be unlike anything I’ve ever experienced. I am … wait for it … Africa bound. No doubt, there will be many stories to tell upon my return. It is my hope that the trip will be an adventure in food exploration as well – Weetabix and all.

Best night ever, the report …

Taste of the Nation – fundraiser for Share Our Strength – has been rated the best food event in Denver. That’s a pretty strong statement, right? I thought so. And now that I’ve attended the event myself, I can say that I whole-heartedly agree with the boasting. In the life of a foodie, it was an amazing night.

Let me highlight a few things that made this event great …
• Inspired food from 30+ local restaurants
• A libation competition offering adult beverage creations
• An entire section devoted to tasting the products of local, small food businesses
• All this whilst supporting a good cause

It’s easy to imagine that such an event – with its overindulgence of decadent food juxtaposed against the raising of funds to support children with hungry bellies - would inspire a giving spirit.

On a personal note, the evening was “one of the best” for a couple of reasons: 1) I was recognized for the first time! Somebody recognized me from this, here, little food blog. And in my book, that's pretty exciting. 2) Something else came from the evening. But it’s too early to share. It will come, in time. Follow along this summer to find out what’s to come – all thanks to this great night.

All I have left to say is that a night like this is only made better when sharing the experience with somebody you love. I’ll raise my glass to that.

Need a bigger helping?:
Share Our Strength

Find a Share Our Strength foodie fundraiser in your town:
Share Our Strength Events

Best night ever

Spent the evening at “Taste of the Nation”. More to come soon … In the meantime, who can name this famous chef?

(Hint: You don't have to be local to know the answer, you've likely seen him on your tube.)