Last fall my husband and I enjoyed a two week honeymoon on the islands of Kauai and Maui.  While on Kauai, we toured the Kauai Coffee Estate.  We enjoyed a self-narrated tour of the orchards and were able to sample many varieties of their coffee at the visitors’ center.

As both of us appreciate a good cup of coffee, we were hooked on their brew instantly!  Conveniently, Kauai Coffee has a coffee club available, which was perfect because we only could fit a few bags of their coffee into our suitcases.  Starting in November, we would receive a bag of whole bean coffee monthly.

When we registered for the coffee club in the gift shop, we were assured of the great customer service we would receive.  We were told if we needed or wanted to change or cancel our order, all we needed to do was send an email.  We had no reason not to believe this guarantee, but one never knows.

Last Tuesday I discovered exactly how prompt and gracious the customer service is at Kauai Coffee.  When our January order of coffee arrived, it was a bag of ground coffee.  This was not a problem, but I did want to let customer service know, in case somehow our account had been changed.  In my email I explained that ground coffee was fine for this month and asked if someone could check that our account was noted as whole bean for our future orders.

Imagine my delight when I received a reply from their eCommerce Coordinator, Faith Soto, within 10 minutes of my email.  Not only did she reply quickly, but she thanked me for being understanding and stated that she would ship another package right away.  True to her word, we received a bag of whole bean coffee on Saturday.

In addition to offering excellent customer service, Kauai Coffee has delicious coffee.  Each month we receive a different variety of their coffee, which is grown and roasted at their estate.  Joining this coffee club probably was the best souvenir we purchased on our honeymoon.  Not only do we have something that reminds us of our wonderful trip, but that also is tasty and replenished monthly!

Our Thanksgiving was quite enjoyable.  My husband and I spent the morning cooking and working at a leisurely pace.  Arriving at our friends’ house just before noon, we completed the cooking of appetizers immediately, as everyone was hungry.  Both the Spiced Cauliflower and Baby Pears with Goat Cheese were hits.  In fact, my husband thought the pears were the best dish of the day.

After our hors d’oeurves course, we continued work on the dinner dishes and placed the turkey in the oven for the late in the day dinner.  (Note that although we only needed turkey for sandwiches, my husband felt that a 13 pound turkey was the right size!)  The Turkey and Cranberry Ravioli and Pureed Caramelized Squash were exceptional, but I thought the Wild Mushrooms and Spinach needed a little revising.  The taste of soy sauce overpowered the red wine in that dish.

Once dishes were done, the guys headed to the living room to watch a football game (AKA take naps).  The girls decided to enjoy a little fresh air and embarked on a late afternoon walk.  Returning with chilly toes and fingers, it was time for some coffee and cocoa and a piece of Banana Cream Pie.  The pie was tasty, but I think I will work on a few improvements before sharing this recipe.

With full stomachs and warm fingers and toes, it was time for a cocktail and board games.  In a game of Apples to Apples played boys versus girls, the girls won handily.  Other games were played while the girls enjoyed Cranberry Coolers, but their victory was the news of the evening. After several rounds of games, some diners were ready for a late dinner.  The turkey was carved, and several unique sandwiches were made, though sadly I can’t report a first-hand account.  I was stuffed at that point!

As the group’s energy was renewed from the turkey sandwiches, more games were played.  Thanksgiving day was nearing its end as my husband and I finally decided it was time to head home.  Thankfully, home was only 10 minutes away.  Filled with wonderful memories and food, we put Thanksgiving ‘08 to bed.

Recipes from Thanksgiving will be shared in the near future.

This year’s Thanksgiving is much quieter than last year’s.  Last year, we had approximately 20 people at our home for a traditional dinner.  We made turkey, duck, cornbread stuffing, Parker House rolls, and much more.  It was a 2-day cooking event.

This year we won’t have any kids with us, as both sets are with their other parents.  It will be just my husband, myself, and our best friends.  As there are only adult palates to please, we have chosen a more gourmet and unique Thanksgiving menu.

Being the foodies, my husband and I have offered to cook the meal.  Both of us are excited to spend the morning cooking together.  It is a nice change of pace to focus only on food and not the other demands of the world.

Our menu consists of the following dishes:

Appetizers:

• Spiced Cauliflower
• Baby Pears with Goat Cheese

Dinner:

• Turkey and Cranberry Ravioli
• Wild Mushrooms and Spinach
• Pureed Caramelized Squash

Dessert:

• Banana Cream Pie

Late in the Day Dinner:

• Roasted Turkey Sandwiches with Homemade Cranberry Sauce

Yes, even though we are making a non-traditional dinner, there was a request for turkey for sandwiches later in the day.  So. . .we are cooking a turkey also!

I am hopeful that these recipes are a hit, as I have made only one of them previously.  If they prove to be as good as they sound, they will be posted on Tasty Thoughts in the coming weeks.

I hope all of my readers have a wonderful Thanksgiving.

Scattered throughout the United States are local restaurants that take a different tact on their menu. One of the great things for me is going to these local haunts and trying things that you don’t normally find on every menu. One such place that I went to recently with my parents was The Georgia House Restaurant in Laurel, Delaware.

The restaurant is quaintly situated on the banks of a river and has a large deck for people that choose to enjoy the outdoor feel. Considering we were visiting during the remnants of Hurricane Hanna, we decided to eat in the simple but fresh dining room.

As previously mentioned, the one characteristic that really stood out about The Georgia House was its menu. A vast menu that covered everything from sandwiches to entrees, seafood to pastas, there was an item for almost every taste. On the entrée side they had a whopping 19 sides dish choices! Things like strawberry cantaloupe salad and baked pineapple were next to favorites like french fries and coleslaw. Besides the sides another unique twist was that there were two bread basket choices to go with your meal. We went the “Augusta Bread Basket”, which was a generous portion of homemade sweet potato biscuits, corn pone, and coconut-banana muffins with the first being our favorite.

My parents and I chose Savannah Fish & Chips, Miss Vicky’s Meatloaf, and Country Fried Steak. All of the meals were well presented, and I would classify them as filling, but not exceptional. I love the fact that a small local restaurant in an out of the way place in America had such a varied and aggressive menu. But sadly, I found the execution a little lacking.

In a bright spot to end the meal, I chose a Peach Bread Pudding off of the desert menu (which also had 12 items to choose from) and thought it was wonderful.

The prices were very modest and the service was friendly, so if you are ever in rural Delaware, I think The Georgia House is worth a shot. It will not amaze you with taste, but the varied and creative meal is probably worth your time.

Everything has a history in New Orleans’ French Quarter. Every building has been around since the 1800’s, and the narrow streets that now teem with tourists allow you to be transported back to the antebellum port city. Today most of the buildings are home to restaurants, hotels, bars, and art galleries. One of these on St. Louis Street is an exceptional place to grab breakfast, Petunia’s Restaurant.

Petunias is in the former home of Barthelemy Bacas, who was a cabinet maker in New Orleans in the mid 1800’s. Mr. Bacas’s handiwork still can be found in the innate woodwork that you find in the dining room. The restaurant is cozy and has the old world charm of much of the rest of the French Quarter.

The breakfast menu at Petunia’s also has some of that southern charm. There are daily omelet specials that include red beans or andouille sausage. And they have staples like grits and café au lait. My new bride and I decided to start our meal with a Mimosa for her and Bloody Mary for me. Our main meal choices were Pain Perdu (i.e. French Toast made with French Bread) for her, and I got a very unique choice of Eggs Melenzana, which is fried eggplant rounds as a base with layers of shaved ham, tomatoes, and poached eggs with all of it smothered in Hollandaise sauce. I also ordered a side of grits.

We had a little bit of a wait for our meal, but when it arrived we saw what really sets the restaurant apart: the portions! My beautiful bride’s French toast was immense and could have fed us both easily. On top of it she had eight (8!!) links of sausages. My eggplant and eggs dish was also colossal and completely filled the platter. My grits filled a large soup bowl and could have been a breakfast in and of itself. Besides being immense, the breakfasts had great flavor. The Pain Perdu had a light and aromatic batter with tons of flavor. The only negative on the meal was that the poached egg on my dish was way over done with the yolks already hard.

We couldn’t finish the meal, and we know that next time we will order only one breakfast for us to split. The $50 bill (including tax and tip) was an excellent buy and a wonderful meal in the historic French Quarter.

Ah, summertime. The farmer’s markets are full of fresh produce, and it’s a foodie’s paradise.

Peaches are a taste of sunshine, happily plentiful and cheap during the hottest days of the year. Here are four ways to enjoy summer’s best fruit.

1. Eat out of hand. This is the most popular way to eat fresh peaches, and it’s portable, too. Wash carefully and chomp away!
2. Slap ‘em on the grill. Use freestone or cling free peaches, as the pit is easily removed. Peel, cut in half, and pit. Place on a hot, oiled grill for about three minutes, flip, and repeat. Sprinkle with cinnamon or baste with butter for extra flavor. The smoky heat really brings out the flavor, and it’s a great, healthy summertime dessert!
3. Salsa can be sweet. Salsas don’t have to burn to be good! Fruit salsas are wonderfully refreshing and add sweet flavor to an otherwise bland meal. Dice two peaches, a mango, and a jalapeno, and mix together with a squeeze of lime juice. Garnish with chopped cilantro, and serve over grilled chicken.
4. Save some for winter. If you have a freezer, you can preserve your peaches for the dark, cold days to come. Simply peel, pit, and cut 4-5 peaches into slices. In a saucepan, combine ½ cup of water and ¼ cup of sugar. Heat and stir until the sugar dissolves, but do not boil. Add 1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon. Let the mixture cool, then pour over the sliced peaches. Put it in a zipper style freezer bag, and freeze. These are great over waffles, pound cake, or ice cream.

Peaches are naturally healthy, and one cup provides 20% of the recommended daily allowance of vitamins A and C, and only 70 calories. Enjoy this decadent treat, guilt-free!

When the weather heats up, two things happen. The person normally in charge of preparing dinner declares that it is too hot to stand over a blazing oven and stove. The person not normally in charge of preparing dinner runs toward his or her grill at lightning speed and decides to see if it really is possible to grill lettuce.

Cooking tasty (but healthy) meals in the summer can prove to be quite the challenge, but it is possible! Remember, you don’t have to stand in a sweltering kitchen to make a good dinner. There are plenty of great meals that can either be cooked outdoors on a grill or require little cooking at all! Here are a few tips to keep you (and your family) fed during the hot summer months:

1. Invest in a raw foods cookbook. While these cookbooks are loved by vegans the world over, they can also be very helpful when you find that you can’t stand the idea of cooking or even eating food that is warm! The raw foods/no bake cookbooks will be full of healthy and tasty recipes that will keep your family fed and happy.

2. Let the grill do the work. Wrap your veggies in a tin foil packet and cook them over your grill! You’ll be amazed at how extraordinary the vegetables can taste when they are cooked over open (or propane) flames!

3. Sandwiches always are satisfying and often can be a meal all by themselves (depending on the sandwich toppings you like the best). Sandwiches are also a fantastic way to use leftovers from last night’s grilled dinner.

4. When all else fails and you can’t stand the idea of another night of barbecue, find an affordable restaurant and let someone else do the cooking for a night!

Last weekend I had the amazing opportunity to go to the Anheuser Busch plant in Merrimack, NH, to attend the 6th annual Rock’n Ribfest. Hosted by the Nashua West Rotary, the Ribfest has grown into a huge festival. It is also the home of the New Hampshire BBQ Competition! With tons of things to do such as eat, drink, listen to music, and more, the Ribfest is a ton of fun! Even big bounce houses were available for the children and DCU and Re/max had tethered hot air balloon rides. There was a main stage that featured a Teen Band competition and bands such as Project Mess, The Risen , Brickyard Blues, James Montgomery Band, and more.

I had ribs from Stickyfingers and T-Roy’s. I’d have to say that I liked the way Stickyfingers used the wood grill and I liked their sauce better; however, T-Roy’s meat was grilled better.

It’s so hard to put everything about the Ribfest in this short article, but if you have never been, you should really think about going next year! Everything that goes towards the Rotary West club goes to charity, so you’ll be having fun while supporting a great cause.

When we think of barbecuing, we usually imagine steaks, burgers, and hotdogs lining the barbecue grill, but what if you’re a vegetarian? Even if meat is not part of your diet, you can enjoy many tasty foods hot off the grill.

Veggie Burgers: You can find veggie burgers in the freezer section of your supermarket or health food store, but the best ones are usually the ones you make from scratch. There are many recipes for veggie burgers on the web or in vegetarian cookbooks. Experiment with different recipes until you find one that you like.

Veggie Kabobs: Kabobs are a great way to customize your meal to each person’s particular tastes. Put out a variety of ingredients in different bowls. Some good ones to try include: mushrooms, cherry tomatoes, summer squash, bell peppers, tofu, and onions. Hand out skewers, and let everyone make his or her own kabob.

Teriyaki Eggplant: Slice eggplant thinly and marinate in teriyaki sauce. Grill on each side until tender. You can add green onions and peppers and serve over a bed of rice.

Grilled Pizza: You don’t need to heat up the kitchen to get a great homemade pizza – grill it! Brush your grill with olive oil and put your dough right on the grate. Watch it carefully and when one side is brown, flip it over to brown the other side. After you turn it, brush your crust with olive oil and add pizza sauce, chopped vegetables, and cheese. Lower the barbecue lid, and cook until done.

Grilled Corn on the Cob: You don’t have to be a vegetarian to enjoy grilled corn on the cob. Take off outer husks, leaving a few inner husks. Melt butter, carefully pull back the remaining husks, and brush each cob with butter, then cover again with the husks. Wrap the corn in aluminum foil, and cook on a heated grill until tender, about 20 minutes.

If you are ever in Portland, you must visit Voodoo Doughnuts.

Located downtown just off the corner of 3^rd and Burnside (on the southwest corner of the intersection), Voodoo Doughnuts is a Portland landmark! More than that, Voodoo Doughnuts is a Portland tradition—you must stop in and have a doughnut if you are in the Portland area.

What makes Voodoo Doughnuts so special? Is it the voodoo juice the owners claim to have shipped when they began their business? Maybe. Maybe it is their in-your-face personality and refusal to conform to the likes of chains like Krispy Kreme and Dunkin’ Donuts. You’ll find more than simple glazed confections here. You can get a maple bar with bacon on it, a doughnut topped with fruit loops, a doughnut in the shape of a voodoo doll, or their infamous pastry shaped like *ahem* certain parts of the male anatomy (one of their best sellers- go figure).

Portland’s motto is “Keep Portland Weird,” and Voodoo Doughnuts takes that very seriously. Not only can you get any kind of doughnut you want (if they don’t have it, you can call ahead and request that a special doughnut be made) but you can buy a variety of apparel and take Swahili lessons! For the extremely Voodoo Doughnut enamored, the eatery offers one hundred percent legal weddings!

Pricewise, Voodoo Doughnuts is more than reasonable. Prices start at eighty five cents and go up to five dollars, depending on the doughnut you want!

Situated between the Paris Theater and Berbati’s Pan, Voodoo Doughnuts can be easy to miss if you aren’t sure what you are looking for. Look for the red door in the brick wall and the small sign that says, simply, “Voodoo Doughnuts” above the door.