I found more chocolate bars I’ve never tried before at the Commissary of Peterson AFB. Had to try them…just because.

One was the Mozart Piano Bar I expected would have a bar looking somehow like a piano, but did not.  The other was a Schluckwerder Marzipan bar which turned out to look very unappetizingly-shaped.  They are both German-made.

The Mozart bar was by far the more superior of the two.  It had crunch which the marzipan did not have. And it had layers of flavor owing to the different ingredients:  almonds, hazelnuts, pistachios and brandy.

The Schluckwerder Marzipan was good too, but for me it was boring with just the almond and chocolater flavor..with no crunch and no surprises.

The Comprehensive Guide to Chocolate Molds: Objects of Art and Artists’ Tools: A Schiffer Book for Collectors with Price Guide

That’s what Pass Key Restaurant in Pueblo, Colorado says of its signature sandwich, the Pass Key Special.  It’s an Italian sausage sandwich served on a loaf with lettuce and plenty of mustard, fries and sweet peppers.

You can have it with your choice of cheese:  American, Swiss or Provolone.  I chose provolone to go with mine.  They also have the Super Pass Key Special which is basically the same sandwich with all three cheeses.

I’ve never had an Italian sausage sandwhich before.  Even Spouse who grew up in New Jersey with their big Italian population, had never heard of it before.  It was different. Lovely with the spicy mustard and nicely seasoned homemade sausage patty.

The real surprise of our visit to this restaurant were the Munchers.  You know how servers at all restaurants will try to make you order more, right?

We were asked about appetizers after we placed our order of course.  Since 30-year old Stepson was with us, Spouse ordered his favorite “Tater Tots” and commented how it was always “someone’s” favorite.  The poor Stepson…he just smiled and indulged his daddy….didn’t seem to mind that his dad was acting as if  he was still a 10-year old.  You just have to love him for that!

Ohhhh….but these Tater Tots were not your ordinary Tater Tots.  These Munchers are made for men of sterner stuff.  It’s shredded potato with cheddar cheese and diced jalapeños, breaded and deep-fried.  Luscious, tiny little jewels they were!

Pass Key Restaurant is owned by the Pagano Family who have owned the restaurant since 1952.  According to their menu, the restaurant started as a drive-in.  Eventually, they hired young people to help out, and these employees’ children later worked the same jobs their parents worked.

The Italians in Colorado have an interesting history.  In fact, during the infamous Ludlow Massacre of 1914, when the Colorado National Guardsmen attempted to break a miner’s strike by burning down their tent village, the 2 women and 11 children who died in the massacre were all Italian immigrants.

You see, as the early Italian immigrants came off Ellis Island, they were recruited to work in the mines of Colorado. They came here, with no knowledge of the language and brought with them their food, their culture, and the legacy of hard work.

You will still find a lot of Italian families and restaurants in the different parts of Colorado, most of them operated for generations by the same family.

In Colorado Springs, a local legend is The Pumpkin Man, Nick Venetucci.  He was a simple farmer who opened his pumpkin farm to school kids who would come in and pick pumpkins for their jack o’lanterns – all for free.  This became a local tradition shared by every generation of Colorado school kids since the 1950′s, including the Stepson.

At Mesa’s Edge: Cooking and Ranching in Colorado’s North Fork Valley

If you see this artificially-colored bag of young rice cereal at your local Asian store, don’t even bother to pick it up from the shelves.  Save yourself the trouble.

It’s made by a company in Vietnam called Himing Co. Ltd. and is labeled “Cereal Flakes”.  It doesn’t come with a manufacture or expiry date.

I got it at the Filipino Sari-Sari Store.  It’s what Filipinos call “pinipig”, a young immature rice that’s harvested while still green, pounded and winnowed, then turned into the most delicate of rice cakes and pastries.  I’ve had this hankering for the rice cake we call “Kalamay Pinipig” for some time now.

What a disappointment! I should have known from the bright green it was artificially colored. The rice itself had a peculiar smell – old and musty and not at all appetizing like it should be.

At that point, I should have thrown it all in the trash where it belonged.  Strangely enough, I persisted.  Hey, sometimes your imagination just gets the better of you, right?

When I started this blog I said I was going to post both sucesses and failures.  So, here’s one big blunder I hope to never make again. It’s not pretty…

Ohhh…how my sisters are going to laugh when they see this and I won’t blame them!  It’s not just a failure, it’s a lesson learned.

And the lesson I learned is, when it comes to certain recipes, you just have to start with the best ingredients or nothing at all.  For pinipig, I just have to wait until I can source the best grains…probably in the foothills of Mount Pinatubo in Zambales, and not the foothills of the Rockies in Colorado….

Fragrant Rice: A Taste of Passion, Marriage and Food

Authentic Recipes From the Philippines

It was more than 2 years ago when Spouse and I went to New Orleans on a day trip from Biloxi, Mississippi.  I fell in love with the city even before we set foot in it.

On our approach to the city, the car radio was tuned to a local station that was playing the music of the city, jazz.  Driving on Interstate 10 to cross the now world-infamous Lake Ponchartrain, I was struck by the beauty of the many bridges, the city and the beautiful waters of the lake and the mighty Mississippi beyond.

Aside from being the home of jazz and the blues, New Orleans is also famous for its cuisine.

My target on that summer’s day was the Muffuleta of Central Grocery.  I first heard of it in the PBS special, “Sandwiches You Will Like”  that Spouse and I watched just a few weeks before our trip.  Central Grocery is located in the French Quarter, on Decatur Street.  If you are not looking for it, you can easily miss it.  But I was a woman on a mission that day….my radar was up and my tummy was leading the way.

Soon as we got tothe place, Spouse and I made a beeline for the counter where we placed our order of a whole Muffuletta.  Unfortunately, I didn’t take a photo of the sandwich.  The photo I posted here is of the inside of the grocery.   I was standing in the back, where they put long shelves that served as tables where customers could stand and have their Muffuletta undisturbed – with large cans of Italian olive oil by their feet.

It’s very unassuming, just like an old grocery is supposed to look like – crammed from floor to ceiling with jars and bottles and cans of everything you can think of.  This was an Italian grocer so they had imported Italian foodstuffs as well as the local Cajun staples.

Now to the Muffuleta….the sandwich is humongously huge and it has everything.  It’s a round foccaccia-style bread with deli meats and cheeses topped by an olive salad to keep it all together.

If I remember correctly from the PBS show, the olives and veggies are marinated in a dressing for at least 24 hours.  This is what makes the sandwich stand out from any ordinary Italian deli sandwich.

I hope that wasn’t the last Muffuletta I will have in my lifetime.  If it was, I’ll never forget it.  And before I go, I’ll tell my friends and family to go to New Orleans at least once in their life, and have a Muffuletta at the Central Grocery in New Orleans in my memory….

The Encyclopedia of Cajun & Creole Cuisine

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I was looking for raspberry liqueur at the Peterson AFB Ccommissary, of all places….and didn’t find it, of course.  Just when I was planning a liqour store stop on the way home, I spied this bottle of Rose’s Blue Raspberry Mix.

It’s for making Blue Raspberry Martinis and other blue cocktails. My main thought was, with a little rhum, it’ll do for a raspeberry liqueur substitute.  I’ll also admit, on first glance at this curvy bottle, I visualized  all sorts of things I could use it for – after I used up the contents.  I am my mother’s daughter after all…

I didn’t even think of mixing it with our favorite Grey Goose Vodka but Spouse did.   Aside from the Classic Grey Goose Martini, the Blue Raspberry Martini will be a nice cocktail for when you need, or just want one.

Culver’s is a restaurant made famous by their mouth-watering ButterBurger.  I have to do another post on their burger when I have photos. Ohhh……mmm….and if I remember to take a shot before I take a bite.

They’re a 22-year old restaurant chain out of Wisconsin, the state made famous by cheese. Spouse and I like going to this restaurant because their burgers are exceptionally good and because they have a clean, well-lit place that just makes eating all the more pleasing.

My only problem with Culver’s is the burgers are so good and hefty, my tummy just cannot accomodate dessert.  This has been torture each time since they have this frozen custard I’ve been dying to try since we first discovered the place.

Fortunately, Spouse brought home a pint of their ice cream recently and we were finally able to try it.  Their ice cream is made fresh everyday and comes in vanilla and chocolate flavors only.

One pint had both flavors, vanilla on top and chocolate at the bottom. The chocolate will satisfy any chocoholic.  The smoothness of the ice cream and the mix with the vanilla ice cream may deceive you, as I was,  into thinking it isn’t as rich….but it is.   This ice cream is exceptionally smooth and not overly sweet like some ice creams -  just the way I like my ice cream.

Cheese: The Making of a Wisconsin Tradition

Well, lo and behold….the Filipino Sari-Sari Store had it right there in their shelves and I didn’t have to go around looking!

Here’s a photo of two important Indonesian ingredients. Kecap Manis and Fried Red Onions.

I also saw Kue Lapis (Indonesian Layer Cake) and different sambal sauces at the store but didn’t get any.  I use the Chinese Chili Garlic sauce for spicy Asian recipes and I think this will do for my Indonesian dishes.

Kecap Manis is the all-essential ingredient in various Indonesian recipes like the popular Sate, Bakar (grills) and Nasi Goreng.  Kecap can be sweet or salty.  The ingredient Indonesians call Kecap Asin  is actually fish sauce that is popular all over Southeast Asia.  From my past experience shopping around Indonesian wet markets, Indonesian cooking does not use it as much as kecap manis. It was always a Chinese-Indonesian vendor who kept it in stock.

Kecap is actually of Chinese origin.  The theory is the Chinese brought it over to Malaysia and Indonesia. I do find some similarities between kecap manis and the Chinese oyster sauce.  The Western “ketchup” is said to have derived from this Oriental sauce through Europe.  Interestingly, a Cantonese translation of tomato ketchup would be fan kae-jup.  For the longest time, ketchup was always associated as an all-American sauce….how amazing that it’s roots go back to China.

The Fried Red Onions is a common topping for almost every Indonesian dish.  This one I got is from Thailand.  I think it’s deep-fried cause it’s always nice and crisp.  However, I’ve never seen any Indonesian cook actually doing that.  Crisp, fried onions seemed to be commercially available anywhere and this is what Indonesians use.

It was exciting to get these ingredients so far away from exotic Indonesia, right here in the eastern plains of Colorado.  You’ll see a post on Nasi Goreng and Sate Ayam here really soon.  I can’t wait to get cooking!

These are the two best ice creams I’d recommend to go with pies and pastries – Dreyer’s Vanilla Bean and Haagen-Dazs Dulce de Leche.