Even though I haven’t been there in years, I have to admit that T.G.I. Friday holds a warm place in my heart. This might sound surprising, especially from someone who advocates for whole, seasonal, and local foods diet (none of which are usually found at a giant chain). But when Friday’s first started out, the atmosphere was lively, the fast-casual food was a fun/new concept, and even the “flair” was a bit entertaining (remember this classic Office Space clip?)

So back in the day, my mom, sister, and I would to meet-up at Friday’s for a “girls’ night out” where we would get a little bit crazy and order a mess of appetizers for dinner (I like to think that we were early pioneers of the small plates craze). It was a lot of fun and we always shared a lot of laughs. While we weren’t regulars enough to always order the same thing, I do remember that their loaded potato skins usually ended up at our table. [click to continue…]

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If you are looking squeamishly at this title and racing for the delete button, please take a moment and reconsider.

Anyone still there??

Believe me, this is good stuff. These crispy chicken livers are kind of like a more earthy and rich chicken nugget. They are perfect over polenta, served with a mixed green salad, or eaten on their own with a dipping sauce (even ketchup works).

Fried chicken livers are a long-time staple of southern cuisine, proving that southerners will fry anything and it will be delicious. I first ran across this dish at Clyde Common in Portland, OR, where they gently pan-fried the livers to achieve a nice tenderness. My second introduction to this dish was at Lolita in Cleveland, OH. Here they opted for a quick deep-fry to achieve more of a crunch. I have to say that I preferred the deep-fry, but either way, these little bites were delicious. [click to continue…]

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You might recognize these as Sloppy Joe’s, but when I ran across a wiki article that mentioned that they are also known as Yip Yips I had to go with it. Yip Yips is just way too much fun.

Turns out what I have always called Sloppy Joe’s has a bunch of aliases: Yip Yips in southeast Illinois, Wimpies in northeastern Pennsylvania, and Slushburgers in the midwest. What do they all have in common? Ground beef, ketchup, seasonings, and a big mess. [click to continue…]

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I am a bit picky about nachos. When I’m at the movie theater or ballpark concession stand, I’ll pass on the stale chips smothered in bright orange velveeta. Ditto for the pub or taqueria where they erratically pile on the ingredients so that the chips on top end up overloaded and soggy, while the chips on the bottom have nothing to offer. The best nachos, by far, are built and crafted at home.

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It’s been a great start to the football season, and even though I have been zipping back and forth between the east and west coast the last couple of weeks, I have been able to sit down and catch a couple of games. My only problem with watching football is that I have to catch it in real time. I just can’t get into games saved on the DVR (if it is recorded and the game is over, what’s the point?). This means that I have to watch commercials-and not just any commercials, but commercials of the worst kind: fast food, beer, and certain prescription drugs targeted to older men to make them “feel” better. Ugh.

Most of the time I try and zip out of the room during commercial breaks or occupy myself on the web or with a magazine. But sometimes I just sit there and try to endure, as meatball subs and hot wings dance across the screen. So that’s where I got the inspiration for this post: a Quiznos meatball sub commercial. Sad but true. [click to continue…]

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Are you ready for some football? I know I am.

I thought it would be fun to celebrate the football season with recipes for my favorite pub-style treats, the ultimate snacks for football fans (and their reluctant family members). In the feelgood eats style, these recipes will focus on seasonal/local ingredients and be quite a bit healthier than your standard pub grub.

For the opening kick-off I’ve got a killer recipe for zucchini boats, which are zucchini shells stuffed with a breadcrumb and zucchini mixture and topped with cheese. Gooey, crunchy, and delicious, they are a perfect addition to any gameday spread. [click to continue…]

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