| Beautiful Beignets from The Ugly Old Toad
"On a recent visit to Narragansett, I had the great pleasure of dining at The Ugly Old Toad. There were three of us and everything we ate was impressive. Grilled Hearts of Romaine in Red Wine Granita, Bone-in Rib Eye Steak, Shrimp Scampi, Mozzarella & Pomodoro Wood Grilled Pizza — all fabulous. And the Sweet Potato Beignets — incredible! I wonder if you could secure the recipe for the beignets for me? I come from Nantucket, gourmet restaurant haven, and am not easily impressed." Beignets (ben-YAY), New Orleans yeast pastries, are deep fried and delectable. The name comes from the French word for fritter. The Sweet Potato Beignets at The Ugly Old Toad are an appetizer served with a Cucumber-Dill Sauce. No wonder Joanne wanted to recreate them at home.
Violence flares on Pakistani frontier
On the other side of the border, however, security forces have made such gains that a top American commander said Wednesday he does not expect a Taliban offensive in eastern Afghanistan this spring. The flare-up of violence on the Pakistani side of the border, along with the commander's comments in Washington, suggest that the Taliban and its al Qaeda allies may be focusing more on western Pakistan even as violence subsides just across the border in Afghanistan. Defense Secretary Robert Gates recently noted the increase in activity in Pakistan. "Al Qaeda right now seems to have turned its face toward Pakistan and attacks on the Pakistani government and Pakistani people," he said on December 31. In the latest clashes in Pakistan, the military said it killed 40 "miscreants" and detained 30 in South Waziristan, a remote tribal region on the Afghan border that is a stronghold for militants allied to the Taliban and al Qaeda.
Toughest ‘Dinner Impossible’ yet: Gourmet chow for 850 grunts
He's whipped up gourmet fare for 40 team executives at the Philadelphia Eagles' stadium using only what he could beg, borrow or steal from pre-game tailgate partiers. He's prepared a five-course meal for 160 passengers on a speeding train, operating out of the tiniest kitchen he'd ever seen. But Chef Robert Irvine's toughest "Dinner: Impossible" assignment yet may be the one at the Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center in Twentynine Palms, Calif. His mission? To cook a pre-deployment meal for 850 tired, dirty and hungry grunts with 1st Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment, just back from the field after 30 days of desert warfare training. In "Dinner: Impossible," Irvine goes up against some of the most challenging cooking situations any chef could imagine, typically armed with little more than his wits and a whisk.
A Villa Somewhere
For the main course, I ordered the colorful Spanish Paella (LE 50). A steamed-to-perfection yellow rice with red peppers, calamari, fish, shrimp — and the odd fried chicken drumstick — the perfect dish for someone who can't make up their mind (or someone doing a restaurant review). Meanwhile, my companion savored the Piccata Mushroom (LE 46). Though unimpressed by the side of fries, (perhaps rice would have been better) he was more enthusiastic about the main attraction: “It's rare for the mushroom sauce to be enough to make it through every bite of steak, so that was a nice surprise." With little room left in our stomachs after the main course, we soldiered through dessert out of dedication to the readers (it's a tough job, but somebody has to do it). My guest asked for the rich Chocolate Brownie A La Mode (LE 21) and I went for the Tiramisu (LE 17).
Fine Living: Glitz and naturel, in harmony
A FEW YEARS AGO, I was invited to the television set of a wine-and-food show to interview a collection of talented "friends" who were sharing their Christmas-in-Napa entertaining tips for an upcoming show and I was going to share them with you. I got in my little convertible and cruised in warm sunshine all the way to a hilltop Victorian home in Napa completely decked out in a wintry holiday decor. That was just the first of many suspended realities. Television and film sets are familiar to me. I've worked on them for years, and because of their stressful atmosphere, I was looking forward to being on this side of them for a change. Naturally, when a melting hot chocolate gourmet brownie was pressed into my hand upon my arrival, I took it as a good sign. Once settled in off to the side with my laptop and brownie, I awaited my promised interviews.
Which 'Big Burger' Worth Fat Bomb?
And, surprisingly, as big burgers go, it's quite serviceable. The meat, of course, is that oddly textured, vaguely gray mess found in most McDonald's burgers, but the onions are fresh, the pickles are generous and the bun at the very least average. I gave it a solid B for appearance and a C+ for taste. Burger King Triple Whopper With Cheese: 1,230 calories, 52 grams carbs, 82 grams fat, 275 mg cholesterol, 1,590 mg sodium
The one flame-broiled entry in the big burger race did not disappoint. The patties were agreeably charred on the edges, the cheese was perfectly melted and -- wonder of wonders -- there were generous slices of fresh tomato. It was the messiest burger tested, but also the best tasting. It scored a B+ for appearance and an A for flavor.
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