A spoonful of sugar

Sometimes in the middle of an ordinary day, a dessert lover comes across something that makes her giddy with childlike excitement. That giddiness was inspired by a large, sugary treat in the form of a cupcake! With a candyland of decorations, flavors and colors to choose from, it was hard for me to decide. But I eventually settled on a couple of classics: “Midnight Magic” (Devil’s food cake with cream cheese frosting) and “Peanut Butter Cup” (Chocolate cake with peanut butter frosting). Here’s to several spoonfuls...

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Gigi's Cupcakes

Dine and Dish: Park Burger

My hubby loves a burger. If he could eat only one thing for the rest of his life, it would be burgers. Hence, I have become pretty familiar with the burger joints in town. Or so I’d thought. Then I heard about Park Burger. With the words from of rave reviews swirling in my head, we sat down for dinner.

While you can create your own burger, we selected from the ‘Specialty Burger’ menu list to get an authentic first impression. The Croque Burger is the way to go for those who love a fried egg on a sandwich. It is as messy and sinfully indulgent as you can imagine. It also leaves you needing several napkins so stock up prior to first bite.

Our other selection, the BBQ Burger, was equally delish. The burger patty itself was juicy and the barbecue sauce was both sweet and tangy. These flavors married beautifully with the crunch of the haystack onions. I think I’ve found my new favorite burger topping – haystack onions! Who needs fries when haystack onions are the star attraction?

Speaking of fries … the next marker of a great burger joint is the fries. They are an important accompaniment and scoring big in this department is crucial. I am happy to report that we were not disappointed. Our basket of fries were everything I hoped they would be. They touched on the four most important aspects of killer French fries: thinly sliced, salty, crunchy, and served HOT. Final words on Park Burger: outside-the-box, delicious burgers

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Park Burger

A cereal kind of weekend …

So it seems that cereal was my favorite ingredient this cooking weekend. My menu pairing was definitely not planned and ended up being pretty amusing in its pattern. Cereal made its first appearance in the dinner menu with a healthier version of fried fish. I ‘oven fried’ cod filets for a crunchy and healthy dinner. I used my trusty food processor to blend up a batter of Corn Flakes, garlic powder, dill, lemon, cracked pepper and season salt. I especially loved the crunch!

Then, what should follow a healthy dinner? A small treat to satisfy my hubby’s insatiable sweet tooth! I whipped up a batch of Rice Krispie treats – black & white cookie style. I made one batch and lathered half of the pan with melted dark chocolate atop. I’ve now sampled both the regular and the dark chocolate krispie treats. I can’t decide which I like better. Maybe another would help me decide?

Dine and Dish: Bones

Located in Denver, Bones is a small neighborhood restaurant featuring an Asian fusion noodle menu. The food features are the creation of head chef Frank Bonanno whose nickname, I’ve heard, is ‘Bones’, hence the name of the restaurant. We arrived for our 7:30 reservation and were seated at a corner table nearby the wine rack. This cozy seating provided a welcomed sense of intimacy for our dinner.

Our meal started with an order of the Steamed Buns as recommended by our server. As anticipated, these pleasantly chewy Buns were dripping with pork belly decadence. For our entrees, we ordered the Ahi Tuna Burger with shishito peppers and the Ramen with poached lobster. The burger was wonderfully unique in that the Ahi Tuna seemed to be chopped up and grilled in a way that was reminiscent of your typical beef burger. The shishito pepper side dish was promptly placed atop the tuna burger and enjoyed as one. Next, the broth of the Ramen was described as a Lobster miso broth and was surprisingly light considering I tasted more of a butter than miso flavor. As you can imagine, the broth’s flavor paired beautifully with the poached lobster. Bottom line on Bones: yum!

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Bones Restaurant

Skinny Ritas

It’s August in Denver and HOT. At the end of a summer day, I’d like a cocktail. A margarita sounds refreshing. And to go one better, let’s make it healthy too - relatively speaking of course! The ‘skinny’ part of the margarita comes by using Fresca which is a zero calorie mixer. Cheers!

Mixology:
8 fresh squeezed limes
36 oz of chilled Fresca
6 shots of Tequila

Serve over ice with lime wedge garnish. Serves 4.

Tip: Put the limes in the micro for 15 seconds prior to squeezing as it makes juicing easier.

Eating for a cause

Mark your calendars … tickets for a great foodie-inspired fundraiser are available soon! Tickets go on sale August 23rd for A Saucey Affair. “What’s that?” You ask? A Saucey Affair features small plates and sauces from 15 of Denver’s locally owned restaurants and benefits the 9Health Fair. A few restaurants on the menu include: Snooze, Black Pearl, Root Down, Steuben’s and Table 6. You also get to cast a vote for your favorite sauce of the night. The event is a great way to support an important cause and sample some of Denver’s top dining spots. I attended this event last year and had a fantastic foodie time!

A Saucey Affair: Thursday, Oct. 21st 6-9, Infinity Park Event Center

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A Saucey Affair