Pour Me What Ya Got...

The Pour House

124 Haddon Avenue

Westmont, NJ 08108

www.pjspourhouse.com/‎ 

I went out with my friend and former coworker a while back and her boyfriend to a place in Westmont called the Pour House. I was pretty excited to go because I hadn’t ever really eaten there before, and I know how good their beer selection is. My friend and I both love food and beer, so it was the perfect place for us to catch up. 

We grabbed a few brews while we decided on what to order. I was craving a burger, but I went a little off the beaten path and ordered the lamb burger, topped with a Mediterranean tomato salad and served with French fries. I was a little disappointed that the burger wasn’t served with feta cheese on it as well or maybe some tzatziki sauce on it, but the lamb was so delicious that it almost didn’t matter. The bun was perfect for the burger as well. Light and fluffy, but still had enough strength to hold up to the juicy burger and tomatoes that topped it. As always, the beer selection at the Pour House was vast and varied. We ordered quite a few rounds and shared some good laughs. 

 

Two pints for the Pour House. The beer selection alone is enough to give them a very good rating, and a solid effort in terms of their menu and execution of the food also contribute to a pretty good rating here. There are definitely some improvements that can be made on the food, but overall it is pretty tasty. The atmosphere is great, and I really enjoy hanging out there. I will definitely be back, and you should check it out as soon as you get the chance! Cheers!

Christmas Cookin...

Making Truffles and Queso Fundido

For Christmas this year I wanted to make a few different recipes that had caught my eye over the past few months. I have come to love truffles in all shapes and flavors, so I wanted to test my hand at making some of my own this Christmas. I had some of the best truffles I have ever had, made by my cousin's friend this summer, and I had been dying to make my own ever since. I decided to make both salted caramel truffles and peanut butter truffles. Some of my favorite flavor combinations in terms of sweets are chocolate and salted caramel as well as chocolate and peanut butter. I simply can’t get enough of either.

It was very difficult making the truffles, but I am not sure if that was because I let the filling get too hard in the fridge before I dipped them in the chocolate.  The taste was fantastic, and everyone that tried them told me they loved them, so hopefully when you make them people will love them just as much! 

I had also seen a recipe for queso fundido in a magazine that I read on a monthly basis and it looked ridiculously good so I thought I would test my hand at making it. It was very easy to make, but I wish I had made it directly before serving it. I had made it two days in advance, and it just didn’t set up properly when it become solid again in the fridge after I cooked it. The taste was amazing because of the mixture of the chorizo, spicy salsa, and delicious cheese. Mixed with the whole grain scoops that I bought, it truly was an amazing snack. I have listed the recipe below for you to try yourself!

I definitely love to cook, but I know I have a long way to go when it comes to making some things. Baking and desserts are definitely a lot tougher for me than making savory food, and I just need a lot more practice in the kitchen in general. Hopefully the more I start cooking in the future; the better things will get for me. Cheers!

Peanut Butter Truffles

Ingredients

2 cups whipping cream
2 pounds white chocolate, melted
2 cups peanut butter
1 pound dark bittersweet chocolate
Crushed peanuts, for decoration

Directions

Scald cream in a small saucepan. Remove from heat and chill. Combine white chocolate and peanut butter together in a mixing bowl and blend together. Add chilled whipping cream and continue blending at high speed until a smooth consistency is achieved. Pour mixture into a suitable container and place in the refrigerator for 24 hours, to allow mixture to set.

Using a melon baller, or a number 70 scoop, form the mixture into balls. Place balls on a sheet pan and into the refrigerator to firm up.

Melt the dark chocolate over a double boiler. Gently dip each ball in the melted chocolate so that it's fully coated. Decorate with crushed peanuts. Keep truffles in the refrigerator until required.

Salted Caramel Truffles

• Ingredients

• 1/4 cup (55g) caster sugar
• 100ml thin cream
• 1 tablespoon liquid glucose
• Small pinch of sea salt flakes
• 120g good-quality milk chocolate, finely chopped
• 75g good-quality dark chocolate, finely chopped
• 20g butter, chopped
• 200g good-quality dark chocolate, extra
• Sea salt flakes, extra, to decorate

• Method

1. Step 1

Place the sugar in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat. Cook, stirring, for 5-7 minutes or until the sugar melts and turns a golden-brown color. Remove from heat. Add the cream, glucose and salt. Cook, stirring, over low heat for 1-2 minutes or until the toffee melts and the mixture is smooth.

2. Step 2

Place the combined chocolate in a medium heatproof bowl. Add the cream mixture and butter and stir with a metal spoon until the chocolate melts and the mixture is smooth. Cover with plastic wrap and place in the fridge for 2 hours or until firm.

3. Step 3

Line an oven tray with baking paper. Roll 1 teaspoon of chocolate mixture into a ball. Place on the prepared tray. Repeat with remaining chocolate mixture to make 40 truffles. Place in the fridge for 30 minutes or until the truffles are firm.

4. Step 4

Place the extra dark chocolate in a heatproof bowl over a saucepan of simmering water (make sure the bowl doesn’t touch the water). Use a metal spoon to stir for 5 minutes or until chocolate melts and is smooth.

5. Step 5

Line an oven tray with baking paper. Divide the truffles into 4 batches. Remove 1 batch from the fridge. Use a fork or truffle dipper to dip truffles, 1 at a time, in the melted chocolate to evenly coat. Gently tap the fork or dipper on the edge of the bowl to shake off any excess melted chocolate. Carefully place on the prepared tray. Repeat, in 3 more batches, with the remaining truffles and melted chocolate. Top each truffle with extra sea salt flakes to decorate. Set aside for 15 minutes to set.

Ingredients

• 1 small tomato, chopped
• 1 serrano chile, seeded, chopped
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh oregano
• Kosher salt
• 8 ounces coarsely grated mild yellow cheddar
• 8 ounces coarsely grated Monterey Jack
• 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
• 1 4-ounce link fresh chorizo or hot Italian sausage, casing removed
• 1/2 cup minced onion
• 1/2 cup lager
• Tortilla chips

Preparation

• Mix tomato, chile, and oregano in a small bowl. Season with salt; let salsa stand for 30 minutes.
• Meanwhile, toss both cheeses with flour in a medium bowl. Cook chorizo in a medium saucepan over medium heat, breaking up with a wooden spoon, until it begins to render, about 1 minute. Add onion and continue cooking until chorizo is cooked and onion is soft and translucent, about 5 minutes.
• Transfer chorizo mixture to a small bowl; return saucepan to heat. Add beer; simmer, stirring occasionally and scraping up any browned bits. Whisking constantly, add cheese mixture a 1/4-cupful at a time, allowing it to become blended and smooth between additions. Stir in chorizo mixture. DO AHEAD Queso can be made 30 minutes ahead. Let stand at room temperature.
• To reheat, warm skillet with queso fundido over medium heat; stir until melted and bubbly.
• Using a slotted spoon, spoon salsa over queso. Serve in skillet with a basket of tortilla chips on the side.

Philly Quality in the Jersey Burbs...

Zeppoli

618 Collings Avenue

Collingswood, NJ 08107

zeppolirestaurant.com/‎ 

 

I had been longing to get to this popular little place in Collingswood for quite some time. I had gotten a gift card a while ago, but had never attempted to make a reservation. I had been hearing amazing things about it, especially from one of my friends who's brother is a chef there. That place is Zeppoli. I was so excited to finally step foot in the place, that I did not even mind that the only time I could get a reservation was on Friday evening at 9:45. I took my brother and my girlfriend, and low and behold, who was sitting in the dining room when I walked in, but my friend, who’s brother is a chef at the restaurant and her boyfriend. I knew she would be there.

The dining room is very small, and there is definitely a lack of servers, I think that there was only one or two actually for the room. It was very noisy, I think because of the way that the room is decorated and set up, with a lot of wood which does not absorb the noise very well. That being said, I think the negative things I have to say about Zeppoli are now over. We started with a bread basket and a bowl of olives marinated in olive oil. Simplicity was key with both, but they were very delicious. I don’t really even like olives, but these were very delicious. The olive oil accented the earthy flavors of the olives, and the lemon slices added a nice bite of citrus.

We ordered the housemade sausage and broccoli rabe for our appetizer and we were pretty impressed with it. The sausage was very rustic in style, not as finely ground as you would find in a store bought sausage, and I kind of liked that about it. The sliced garlic cloves dispersed throughout the broccoli rabe were nice little surprises of punch. As always, the bitterness of the broccoli rabe was wonderful and paired so well with the delicious sausage.

The three of us were really looking forward to getting into the pasta course of the meal. We decided to split the pesto trapanese and the spinach and ricotta gnocchi. The spinach and ricotta gnocchi were extremely different in both form and taste from any that I had ever had. Again, the rustic nature of Joey Baldino's food was present with this dish. The gnocchi were served in small round balls instead of the small pillow shaped pasta's that they normally were served in. The spinach was very prominent, and the gnocchi were very cheesy and light, so much so that I had a hard time preventing myself from pulling the plate in front of me and not sharing with anyone. Not to be outdone, the pesto trapanese was possibly one of the best pastas I have ever had. The pasta was little spirals of freshness, doused in a magnificent pesto sauce that stuck to every noodle like they were one and the same. The pesto sauce was so rich and creamy. It had immense amounts of flavor. The vibrant flavors of the basil and olive oil were terrific. I could have eaten more and more of it, had the portion been a bit bigger.

Next up, our main courses were not quite as good as the pasta dishes, but they were still excellent. I had heard marvelous things about the fisherman's stew since Zeppoli had opened a few months before.  We had to order that, and we also decided on the coniglio pizzaiola, rabbit stewed with tomato, oregano, and rosemary roasted potatoes. The fisherman's stew was very tasty. The broth was rich in flavor… there just wasn't enough of it for me. I really enjoyed the tenderness of the seafood in the broth, and the large pearled couscous was delicious too. It was the type of dish that I would love to have on a cold winter night to help warm you up from the inside out. Clams, mussels, shrimp, calamari, and fresh fish all combined to make for a really standout dish. The rabbit dish on the other hand was very different. Unfortunately for me the rabbit was a bit tougher than I would have liked it to be. The tomato sauce was a nice addition to the dish, and it melded perfectly with the oregano to make a taste flavor profile that anyone would fall in love with. The potatoes were honestly the best part of the dish. They were crispy and warm, and they were seasoned to absolute perfection. I could have eaten platefuls of them, if only there had been  more.

I had wanted to try zeppolis since I heard of what they were, and since I knew that they would be on the menu at the restaurant named after them, I was very much looking forward to trying them. We also ordered the biancomangiare, a white chocolate panna cotta, and we split both between the three of us. I couldn’t resist the opportunity to taste their espresso either, because I knew that they must have some delicious Italian coffee. The zeppolis were accompanied by a Nutella dipping sauce, which always makes things better.  O boy were these zeppolis to die for. They were light and airy, tossed in a cinnamon sugar coating, and still piping hot when they arrived to our table. Each bite melted in my mouth. Even though they were perfect as they were, I of course had to taste them with the dipping sauce of Nutella… heaven in each and every bite. The little Italian donuts disappeared faster than I thought possible. The biancomangiare was equally as delicious as the zeppolis. It had the perfect texture, some of the best panna cotta I have ever tasted. Silky smooth and fantastically creamy; each and every bite was scrumptious.

Three and a half pints for Zeppoli. My rating for was hindered only because of its price point and portion sizes. If they were a bit more in the realm of where they should be in my opinion, the rating would have been even higher. 17 dollars for a plate of pasta is fine, when there is a lot of it, but unfortunately the prices did not correlate with the portion size. Also, I would have loved to order the swordfish, but for 34 dollars, it was just a little crazy for me. I saw the size of the piece of fish that you got for that price, and it just wasn’t up to par. That being said, this was one of the best overall meals I have had in quite some time. It is worth a splurge once in a while, and the quality is simply on another level. You have to check it out and let me know what you think because it really is a spectacular restaurant. Cheers!

Middle Eastern Failure...

Norma's Eastern Mediterranean Cuisine

145 Barclay Farms Shopping Center

Cherry Hill, NJ 08034

www.normasrestaurant.com/ 

There is a Mediterranean spot near my old office that I had been looking into for quite some time. They actually own two places right next door to each other, one being a dinner only restaurant, and the other opening for lunch and dinner. I went to the lunch place one day when I was on my own for lunch because my usual work lunch buddy was out at a client. Norma's Eastern Mediterranean Cuisine is a quaint little place with a little Arab grocery store attached to it. I grabbed one of the many open tables and perused the menu. I wound up ordering an iced mint tea and a kafta wrap, a wrap with charbroiled ground beef, parsley, onions, spices, tomatoes, and pickled turnips wrapped in pita bread.

The tea came out first, and it was slightly disappointing. The mint flavor wasn’t super strong, and I would have preferred it to be much stronger. It was kind of a bland drink, and I really just should have ordered water.

The wrap came out soon thereafter, and it was as disappointing as the tea. It was really small, and packed with way more filler than substance. The ground meat, what little there was, was overcooked and extremely dry. The spices were nonexistent. The Middle Eastern food I have come to know is packed with flavor, and this wrap was just plain as can be. I finished my meal because I was so hungry, but I left empty stomached and unsatisfied. 

One pint  for Norma's. Bland food and small portions is never a recipe for success in my book. The price point was good, and I went in to it with high hopes, but I was severely disappointed when I left. I love Middle Eastern food, but there has to be better places than this to grab some. Stay away for now. Cheers!