Everyone really knows I love to cook and I just kind of create and plan out my ideas and menus in my head. I keep a recipe book, so that I don't forget. I also have a food journal and even a sketch book.
So when I started hearing about companies that send fresh food to your door, I was curious. What would this be like to get a box of food? Easy? Boring? Dull? Expensive?
I ordered a 3 meal, 2 person plan from Blue Apron and to say I skeptical would be an understatement!
The website was easy to use, the recipes and food looked creative.
My first impressions were very positive.
When my box arrived it was on time and perfectly packaged! The food was in great shape and it all looked really fresh.
Now I am a very adventurous kid chef so to have three new ingredients was very surprising. I had heard of these ingredients, just never cooked them, so that got me even more excited.
First, I prepared the Lamb Burgers with the harrissa spread, and wow were they good. The directions were simple and straight forward, the pictures made it easy to follow.
I don't cook from recipes but I tried my best to stay straight with these.
Had I been hacking them ,I would have added some mayo or yogurt to the harrissa and used the extra arugula in a side salad with the harrisa as a dressing.
The carrot side was so simple and good we have made them since. The carrots were seasoned with caraway seeds and cumin. The meal did require some prep work but it was definitely worth it! I really loved my lunch.
It was a thumbs up! And I was starting to get impressed
Next up the Tamarind glazed cod.
The dish has included the glazed cod some zesty rice and a jicama cucumber topping.
I could not resist pan searing one piece of fish, I just needed that extra bit of control, all in all this was a great tasty dish! The tamarind was the new item for me and I really liked it. I plan to buy a bottle for the pantry.
The simple addition of lime zest to the rice just was genius and added a bunch of brightness to the plate.
I had lots of extra jicama and cucumber so I made a salad and that was a bonus.
Another thumbs up!
Last was the baked chicken with potato latkas and celery root.
The celery root was new to me and it was fabulous definitely a buy again! What a pop of fresh flavors! Now, my mom makes the best potato pancakes, so these were just ok for me. But if your mom does not make the best potato pancakes then these would be good.
I liked the apple mustard chutney and have made it several times since.
While one piece of chicken is technically enough for a serving I could have had another.
The roasted cabbage was very unusual and it was also unusual plating.
All in all the roasted veggies, pancakes and chicken made a great meal.
So you ask would I get it again?
Heck yeah! Hot lunch or dinner, fun to cook, easy but just a touch chefie, perfect packaging and ease for a busy schedule! Also this gets you cooking and gets the creative juices flowing!
If you are going to be a loyal Blue Apron customer then I would invest in two or three refrigerator bins to keep all the food together.
I hope to get another box ASAP!
And as an added surprise here is a special link from Blue Apron just for you!
Get 2 Meals Free On Your First Order!
Happy cooking
Love the Cabbage Leaf,
Logan
Hattie B's
When you live in Memphis one of the closest places to visit in the state is Nashville. I love to go to Nashville the city is big and just a lot different than Memphis.
Nashville is known for the famous hot chicken- it is a Crispy fried chicken with a hot oil pored on top after it is cooked.
I had to try it!
I happened to be going to Nashville for fun and I talked dad into trying Hattie B's hot chicken, I could not talk dad into trying the hottest chicken though.
Hattie B's was good crispy and hot- I got mild mom got medium and dad go mild. The hot was better than mild so don't chicken out and try the heat.
I had some amazing Mac and cheese very creamy! And some slaw that was just slaw.
I also enjoyed some black eyed pea salad it was very interesting it had bits of peppers and tomatoes in it.
We shared a banana pudding and it was really pretty good. It had like a meringue in it and that made it unique.
I loved the graphics of the place and the chickens were just too cute.
Overall I liked it but you really cant beat Gus's for my favorite but it was still really good!
Love the cabbage
Logan
Vietnam Restaurant.
Vietnam Restaurant has a very straight forward name,
a Restaurant serving Vietnamese food.
It is located on the very creepy street, Cleveland a little way away from the old Sears Cross Town Center, in Memphis TN.
Now I usually don't try new pho places because I like Pho Siagon, but Vietnam Restaurant was on Jenifer Biggs list of places to eat before you die, in Memphis
The restaurant had an indoor water fall, several fish tanks,
and some plants.
On the table were the normal sauces and utensils.
I ordered the seafood Pho and it was un"PHO"getable,
it was very good a nice and light broth very tasty with, fish cake, squid, crab meat, and shrimp.
I got it with no shrimp, all of the seafood was very good.
Mama ordered the combo Vietnamese sandwich, all Vietnamese sandwiches are usually really good.
This Vietnamese sandwich was incredible it was spicy, the weird pork stuff was very tasty and tender, the carrots and cilantro were very fresh and yummy.
The sandwich was so good that we shared another.
I also got a bubble tea, I love bubble tea with the tapioca pearls. I had a green tea flavored one and it had so many bubbles that only the photo will tell you!
So if your hungry and brave and there is some daylight
than got to the Vietnam Restaurant for some delicous and un"PHO"getable Pho.
Love the puns
Logan
One of the cool things about when a new grocery store opens up it brings so many possibilities to a community.
The new Whole Foods in Germantown brings those possibilities to life.
I have never seen how a grocery store comes from the ground up and seeing some shelves stocked and the shelf right next to it empty is really neat.
I got to meet the team who helps with the opening and they gave me a wonderful tour of the new Whole Foods.
The center piece when you walk in is this fabulous dry ageing show case that easily gives you a 360 view of the dry aging process.
The Whole Foods has like every grocery store, a meat and seafood section, a dairy section, a produce section.
They also have a crepe making section, where they do a verity of sweet and savory crepes.
They also have (my personal favorite of the whole tour)
A Ramen Bar!!!
Now you may know that I love ramen and that there are only 3 or 4 places to get ramen in Memphis and so finding a place that servers it is a big treat!
They also sever some really rock'n and cool sushi burritos,
Now you may be thinking a sushi burrito? Whats a sushi burrito? I definitely was very intrigued. The burritos are kinda hard to explain, but its like a hand roll that you would find in Japan.
The sushi burritos are filled with either fish or chicken or tofu wrapped in rice and then wrapped in seaweed, they come out to be, well, the size of a burrito.
The sushi burritos were very tasty.
They had several flavors of ramen, including Kimchi, Tonkatsu, spicy Tonkatsu, and many more.
The ramen was very tasty the egg on the ramen can be hard to get the perfect texture with the jelly yoke, the broth was flavorful and delicious super tasty.
The next section is the charcuterie the meats and cheeses were very good they had some smoked goat cheese and other wonderful cheeses and also a very interesting vegan charcuterie.
The Whole Foods also has a custom made espresso machine
So go to the Whole Foods and bring your appetite and then think about something creative for dinner.
Love the cabbage Leaf,
Logan
Flipping out for your own pancakes?
The layout was a bit confusing with the door right next to the cash register.
