At work, I have the pleasure of going to lunch in Metro Birmingham. In general, we try to go to various restaurants in an effort to find unique and tasty meals. There are good meals, bad meals, and extremely memorable meals. Today brought a very memorable meal, but not for the reason I expected.

We ventured to Jinsei Sushi (http://www.jinseisushi.com/) this afternoon. Located in SoHo in downtown Homewood, Jensei is a quaint little Sushi restaurant with an excellent decor. Today’s selection: The Jinsei Special roll, the Alabama roll, and the Wagyu Baby Burgers. Being the semi-Foodie that I am, I was extremely excited, if a bit skeptical, about the Wagyu Burgers. How could I pass that up?

Let’s talk about the rolls first.

The Alabama roll is described on the lunch menu as having: “tempura shrimp. avocado. tuna tataki. spicy dressing.” This was a rather enjoyable roll with just the right amount of spice. Add some wasabi, top it with a sliver of ginger, and dip it in soy sauce… this is a tasty bite. I would definitely order it again. This was the highlight of my meal.

The Jinsei Special roll is described as having: “tuna. yellowtail. jalapeño. cilantro.” This roll was good enough, but wholly forgetable. Though the menu specificaly calls out the jalapeño, we struggled to get any hint of heat from the pepper, even when eating a piece unadulterated.

That said, the sushi was decent and worth a repeat visit.

This brings us to the Wagyu Baby Burgers; an exciting premise that just left me angry. When these slider style burgers hit the table, I could tell something was just off. I am all for simple presentations and this fit the bill: a crusty roll, the burger patty, and a simple sauce (in this case: horseradish).  There was a side of tempura vegetables served with Ponzu sauce as well, which was a bowl of tangy goodness.The vegetables were cooked perfectly and had a great crunch.

I look at the patty, a dark, dry, tough hunk of meat. If this was truly a Wagyu burger, then what I was served was criminally overcooked. My excitement turned to annoyance with the first bite. With each bite, irritation. After I finished these burgers, I just got angry. Even slathering the burger with the ponzu sauce couldn’t save this catastrophy of a dish. With a little education on Wagyu Beef, you’ll discover why my expectations were more than a little dashed. Needless to say, I will not order this entree again. One might argue that I shouldn’t have ordered a burger at a sushi restaurant. Consider this a lesson learned.

So our quest concluded with a bitter disappointment. Will we return to Jinsei? More than likely, as the sushi was quite good. Next time, we’ll take on a wider variety of rolls and sashimi.

…My Pampered Chef Consultant Gave to Me

A Sauce It Up Set for FREE!!

NEW!  #2386 Sauce It Up — $35.00
Instant flavor! Our Sweet & Sour Sauce, Spicy Pineapple Rum Sauce and Raspberry Habanero Sauce tucked in a muslin gift bag.

You know the drill. The first guest to comment that they would like to host a Pampered Chef Catalog show via Facebook, Twitter or the old-fashioned way, gets this fabulous set of sauces FREE FROM ME! You just have to ask your wonderful friends to purchase the beloved Pampered Chef products. You must submit at least $150 worth of guest orders by December 16th and you get your Sauce It Up set mailed directly to you. Don’t forget there are other amazing rewards from Pampered Chef that you just can’t pass up. Our host rewards are amazing for so many reasons the #1 is that you get so much for FREE! Check out our rewards and tell us what you think.

… My Pampered Chef Consultant gave to me…

A Great Grilling Set ABSOLUTELY FREE!

 Great Grilling! Seasoning and Recipe Collection – Give your grill master a gift that really sizzles: Chili Lime Rub, Smoky Applewood Rub, Smoky Barbecue Rub and The Pampered Chef® Grill it Quick! in a muslin gift bag.

Your FREE GIFT as well as tons of other free and discounted items are only a comment away. You can get this wonderful set by hosting a Pampered Chef Catalog Show in the month of December. You can have a Facebook or Twitter show and do everything online or you can do it the old fashioned way and pass around catalogs to your friends, family and coworkers. All you need is a qualifying show, which is just $150 in guest sales. That qualifies you for the free gift as well as many other rewards. Comment below if you are interested. (Offer expires December 16th)

Please take advantage of this great offer and help you and your family get your Christmas shopping done easily this year.  Visit www.PamperedChef.biz/CookingBrandy to learn more about what we have to offer.

This month I will be hosting a Pampered Chef 12 Days of Christmas Giveaway.  Starting December 1st I will be listing 12 different gifts you can win for hosting a Pampered Chef Facebook, Twitter or Catalog Show. Look for a photos of gifts in these location.

Facebook Catalog Shows are FREE & EASY! I will send catalogs to anyone you like or I can send you the packet in the mail and you can pass it around with your friends, coworkers, church friends etc. I will also set up a Facebook Event to invite people to shop & order online and the more your guests purchase the more REWARDS you get! FREE Shipping, FREE Products, HOST Specials, Host Discounts, Half Priced Items…..PLUS If we get your show in by Dec. 18 all orders will be delivered in time for CHRISTMAS!

Twitter Catalog shows are simple too. I will set up your show on my website www.PamperedChef.biz/CookingBrandy and you can share the link with your Twitter friends and followers to get them to purchase online. Same rules apply. You earn a qualifying show of at least $150 in guest orders and you will get the free gift as well as the other December host rewards.

So onto the rewards!

**** 12 DAYS OF CHRISTMAS SPECIAL ****

~~ ON THE 1ST DAY OF CHRISTMAS MY PAMPERED CHEF CONSULTANT GAVE TO ME…

THE HOLIDAY ENTERTAINING SET FOR FREE!

First one to comment on this special to host a Catalog party will receive this set for FREE from me! Offer good only on 12/1/11…must submit a qualifying party to receive special.

Okay, I am looking for some advice. Adam and I eat everything. As a matter of fact I don’t like to eat the same meals over and over. Which is why I have a cookbook collection of over 200 books and I get at least three new magazines a month. I try to cook something different every night. Well, I did until recently. It is also one of the many reasons I married Adam. He’ll eat anything (except mushrooms). When Zoey was born over three years ago I vowed I wouldn’t make her special meals or coddle her. I declared that she would eat when and what we eat. What the hell happened?

She won’t eat anything wet or mushy. She only wants crunchy foods. She won’t eat pizza, Mac ‘n Cheese, mashed potatoes, spaghetti or pasta, hamburgers or hot dogs. She won’t eat lunch meat and American cheese. I just don’t get it! SHE WON’T EAT ICE CREAM PEOPLE! I have offered her everything under the sun and there is very little she will eat. I can convince her to try it but that’s it. She does eat fruit and tons of them. She eats. Chicken, shrimp, fish but they are usually of the fried variety. She loves string cheese and mozzarella cheese but American cheese is “too mushy”. She loves cashews, peanuts and especially sunflower seeds. I guess that is protein. I just want her to eat more things. I give her fruitable juices and v-8 mixed with apple juice to supplement her vegetables but that’s not enough.

So as cheesy as this is, this Thanksgiving weekend (sometime) we are taking her to Golden Corral. I am hoping to offer for her to make her plate and see what she gravitates towards. Then I can encourage her to try things and track if we find any new favorites. I pray this works. This kid is lacking some nutrition it seems like.

My coworker , Dorothy, recommended this restaurant to me. Adam and I ate there for our anniversary last year and loved it. The meatball appetizer was the best part of the meal. Definitely a five star in my book.

Amore’ Restorante Italiano
Greystone Center
5510 Highway 280 S., Suite 116
Birmingham, AL 35242
(205) 437-1005

I just had my baby Samuel two weeks ago today and it has been a whirlwind for my husband and I taking care of a newborn and a 3 year old little princess.  I admit that throughout my first pregnancy I was very health conscience of what I ate and my nutritional intake. This pregnancy was the complete opposite. Whatever fast food I could get my hands on went into my mouth. Biggest addiction was Taco Bell’s chicken burritos. I could have eaten these daily if I didn’t know better. For some reason though, now that he’s here, I find myself cooking better meals and trying to get those much needed vitamins and nutrients that I miss out on during my pregnancy.  Yesterday’s breakfast was a prime example.

First I diced one slice of turkey bacon and sauteed it in a small frying pan until it was crispy. I then added one scrambled egg to the bacon and cooked it until it was no longer runny, adding salt & pepper to taste. I folded the cooked egg in 1/2 and 1/2 again and placed it on some whole wheat toast with a slice of muenster cheese to make a sandwich. The sandwich was certainly tasty but I wanted – no I needed something else to go with it other than my mango peach V-8 splash. I then thought of the perfect accompaniment. I sliced some strawberries, diced some green apples and tossed them into a bowl with some blueberries . Then I topped the fruit with 1/2 of a single serving container of  a Vanilla Creme Yopliat Whips! I needed a crunch so I sprinkled two spoonfuls of Planters NUT-rition Digestive Health Mix over the top of the fruit and yogurt. The mix has dried cranberries, whole almonds, granola clusters, whole pistachios and dried cherries. When I saw the few granola clusters I knew that was the finishing touch. I grabbed my bag of BEAR NAKED FIT® Vanilla Almond Crunch natural granola out of the pantry and sprinkled a little extra on top. And viola,  I had the tasty and nutritious compliment to my egg sandwich that I was looking for.

The taste was so delicious that I thought I could use it again that evening for dessert.  For dinner, I sliced and grilled some Hillshire Farms Beef Polska Kielbasa and cooked up some Zatarain’s red beans and rice. (I know that doesn’t sound very nutrious but I need the calories since I’m feeding a new born. Well that sounds convincing to me.)  I also baked some carrots in a sweet caramel sauce and grilled some onions to go with the sausage.  For the dessert, I made the same dish as that morning but instead of vanilla yogurt I used Chocolate Raspberry Yoplait Delights Parfait.  I added the NUT-rition Digestive Health Mix and the granola but for an added touch I used a micro-plane to grate a Hershey’s kiss over the top and added a sprig of mint for flair.  My husband and daughter dove into dessert first and you know, that’s OK because it was the most nutritious part of the meal.

 May 22nd was a beautifully sunny Saturday day and so we rose early and headed out to hit the local farmer’s markets. Though the Mt. Laurel Farmer’s Market doesn’t officially begin until June 4th, there were a few vendors out this weekend selling garden fresh vegetables, knit & crocheted items and one of my favorites, cheeses and jellies. As a matter of fact, while I was working at the CMMS event I met Dr. Robert from Southern Pines Chiropractic Center at Mt. Laurel. He mentioned his wife Sasha loved all things foodie or crafty. I found Sasha’s Simply Cheese on facebook and immediately fell in love with the business. Not only does she sell products from www.simplycheese.net but she also makes her own fruit and wine jellies. I was so happy to meet Sasha at the Mt. Laurel Farmer’s Market Saturday and try her delicious cheeses and jellies first hand. The Lavender Zinfandel jelly was sweet yet floral and would be delicious on chicken or poured over some brie, wrapped in filo pastry and baked. Yum. We also tried her cabernet sauvignon jelly paired with the pepper jack cheese and immediately picked up a jar. I intend to pour it over pork tenderloin as a marinade before grilling. I think I will also make a sauce for the pork with the jelly. It was just so good. 

After visiting with the MLFM vendors we stopped off for a quick and inexpensive bite at Jimbo’s and then headed to Pepper Place in downtown Birmingham. I love going to Pepper Place every year because there are so many local farmers, artists, crafters, musicians and all around awesome people there. We first went through the fresh produce area and let me tell you I really regret that I did my grocery shopping the day before because I wanted one of everything. I picked up some kale from Pond Creek Farm (Cullman, AL) and then a half dozen Chilton County Peaches from Burnette Farms. I want to make Spanish bean soup this week and I am going to try my hand at a peach cobbler. 

We stopped by the Pepper Place garden and then headed to the back area which I don’t remember there being vendors back there last year. I purchased some green tomatoes from A & P Farms (Gallant, AL) and the lovely woman working in the booth gave me two recipe cards with alternate recipes from fried green tomatoes. One is for grilled tomatoes with Cajun dressing and the other for un-fried tomatoes.  Zoey and I stopped to share a cup of Strawberry Italian Ice while Adam taste-tested some wines from the Winery at Pepper Place. He picked out his two favorites; the Jacquelyn which is an apple Riesling and Triptych which is a blended red wine.

We ventured to the far side of Pepper Place to walk through the artist/crafting vendors and I grabbed a loaf of French bread from the Culinard Cafe. We looked at handmade crocheted items, beautiful cutting boards and carved wood, fun kitchen wind chimes, handmade jewelry and much, much more. All-in-all the day was relaxing but adventurous.  Zoey enjoyed the music and seeing all the dogs walking with their owners. Adam loved the taste testing and the ambience and I loved spending the day in the sun with my family and some interesting and creative small town vendors. To by fresh, to buy organic and to support local small business owners makes me extremely happy.