The Denver Food Trucks (continued) at Civic Center Eats...

I think it's official: I LOVE food trucks. I have jumped on the bandwagon, er, truck. For a long time food trucks just weren't my thing because more often than not there were few, if any, vegetarian options on board. But things have really changed! Now I can always find something to eat-- and I'm talking about something substantial that guarantees I'll be sated after a food truck pit-stop! My quest to eat from as many of Denver's Food Trucks as I can possibly handle, continues... 

I decided to take the boys to Civic Center Eats, a food truck gathering that runs over the summer months on Tuesday and Thursday. I knew we wouldn't last long given the rising Celsius (read: 100 degrees), but I thought we could handle it for a few moments before heading over to the (air-conditioned) Denver Art Museum.
Despite the heat, the crowds were out-- but people in Denver are so freakin' nice, that waiting in the hot sun didn't seem to ruffle anyone's feathers. We waited and then we ate. 

I finally got to sample a Banh-Mi sandwich from Manna From Heaven-- voted the best food truck (2012) in the Westword Magazine. I had heard really good things, but I wasn't sure what to think of this Vietnamese food truck with a name that doesn't quite ring Southeast-Asian to me. So, the verdict? Delicious. They had a vegetarian version of Banh Mi that was packed with tofu, pickled carrots, sprouts, potatoes (which I had not seen before) and topped with a generous handful of cilantro. It was coated in a fabulous (traditional) chili-sauce that reminded me of the sauces I put on everything when I was in Vietnam. The sandwich was really good. I now get the hype. 

I quenched my thirst with a gigantic limeade because one has got to keep hydrated in this weather! I also packed up a Mile High Mocha cupcake from The Denver Cupcake Truck which had a chocolate-mocha base, toffee bits and an espresso cream frosting that I ate at home with an iced coffee. Um, heaven? Yup, I think so.

Otis cooled down by having a scoop of snickerdoodle ice cream from Coaches Scoop. He ate it so fast that I almost didn't have time to get my own spoon in there! I think the perfection of the ice cream, coupled with the near 100 degree temperatures, were to blame. It hit the spot...

Only one thing could cool this guy off...snickerdoole ice cream from Coaches Scoop.

Based on today's positive response (from all parties concerned), I think I'll be heading back next week. I'm looking forward to trying the Veg Head (falafel balls with seasonal slaw, yogurt sauce, and tahini) from Stick It To Me and maybe a little somethin'-somethin' from Little India. I'm also going to have to try the grub from Vegan Van, which is only at Civic Center on Thursdays. 

I should also mention that I was eavesdropping on a bunch of guys sitting next to me (shameful, I know!). They were raving about the food and talked about a lot of trucks I still haven't tried-- so I know that it's going to take all summer to go through the menu options. I also learned that Mo's BBQ has a spicy-tofu BBQ sandwich, so I'll report back on that after I try it.

And one more thing: please note that I do not know any of the vendors personally, nor am I compensated for reviewing any of these street eats. I write about the trucks (and local businesses) because I love food. And I'm finding lots to talk about here in Denver. That's why I do it and it just makes me happy! 

If you're in Denver, check out the scene-- and click here for a list of vendors and their days at Civic Center Eats. 

Vroom. Vroom. 

Update: I went back to Civic Center Eats today (Thursday). The Sesame Seed Truck and The Vegan Van are where I made my pit-stops. Lunch included "The Ludacris"-- a vegan-take on "chicken" and waffles, which was really tasty, and Tofu Crisp-  fried tofu with pickled cabbage, pickled daikon, cilantro, carrots, cucumbers and I opted for the peanut-sauce. Perfect and fresh- a delicious bite.

Both trucks served dishes that made me certain I would stop by again for other menu items. 

Happy Eats!

The Vegan Van's "Ludacris"-- "chicken" (seitan) and waffles.

A Father's Day Poppy Seed Cake

I'm pretty sure I love poppy seeds more than your average person. I'm border line obsessed: my bagel of choice is poppy seed, I crave beet ravioli with butter and poppy seeds (from Al di La in Brooklyn), and one of my favorite dressings (particularly delicious on grilled peaches) is, you guessed it, poppy seed. And of all the recipes I've made, I find myself making Dorie Greenspan's Lemon Poppy Muffins time and time again. Nom. Nom. Nom. Poppy seeds! I love their crunch, color and taste.

Recently Saveur Magazine had a great article on poppy seeds and the photographs were magnificent. Since I don't have a microscopic lens on hand, and there is no way I could ever capture the amazingness of these little seeds, I decided to show you this shot of magnified poppy seeds taken by Todd Coleman.

How neat is that? 

Anyway, last year I took out a whole bunch of cookbooks from my local library. I wanted to test different recipes, experiment with spices and flavors and see which dishes I liked the best before buying yet another cookbook. My favorites were: Dorie Greenspan's tome Around My French Table, Anna Thomas's Love Soup, Moro: East by Sam and Sam Clark and Deborah Madison's Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone. 

One of the recipes I really wanted to try, but never got around to making (it turns out you do have to return the library books eventually!), was from Deborah's book for Poppy Seed Cake. I was reminded of the cake when Luisa of The Wednesday Chef posted it a few weeks back. 

I finally got around to making it and it was delicious-- crunchy, spongy and moist. Can a cake be all those things at once? You bet! 

Since I'm posting this recipe on Father's Day I think it's a good time to make two personal shout-outs. First, I want to thank my husband for being a terrific father-- he takes the boys on hikes, shows them how to skip rocks on the lake, he gives them his time and he gives them his love. 

I also want to thank my own father ("Daddykins") for showing me how to make masks out of paper bags when I was little, giving me an appreciation for art, introducing me to classical music, always trying to help me with my math homework-- an undertaking that was pretty difficult when I was a teenager--and for being one of the most patient and kindest human beings I know. 

Happy Father's Day to all the fathers out there. Thank you for doing what you do...and enjoy this delicious poppy seed cake on your special day!

Poppy Seed Cake (Courtesy of Deborah Madison's Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone, by way of The Wednesday Chef) 
Makes one 9-inch round cake

Ingredients
1 cup poppy seeds
1/2 cup milk, heated, but not boiling
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
3/8 teaspoon salt
3 eggs, separated
1/2 cup (4 ounces) unsalted butter
1 cup granulated sugar
2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup buttermilk

Preparation
1. In a small mixing bowl, combine the poppy seeds and the hot milk. Set aside until needed. Heat the oven to 375ᵒF. Butter and flour a 9-inch spring form pan. Set aside.
2. In a medium-sized mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
3. Place the egg whites in the bowl of an electric stand mixer, fitted with the whisk attachment. Whisk on medium-high until firm but moist peaks form. Transfer the egg whites to a small mixing bowl. Using the same bowl as for the egg whites, but now using the paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the vanilla, then beat in the egg yolks, adding one at a time and beating well after each addition. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula, as needed.
4. Drain the milk from the poppy seeds, discarding the milk. Add the buttermilk and the drained poppy seeds to the batter. Beat until well combined, then again scrape down the sides of the bowl with the rubber spatula. Add the flour mixture to the batter, in thirds. Again scrape the bowl with the rubber spatula, making sure it’s all well mixed. Fold in about a quarter of the beaten egg whites with the spatula, then fold in the rest, mixing gently until just combined.
5. Transfer the batter into the prepared cake pan, smoothing the top with the rubber spatula. Bake until golden and firm, with the sides just beginning to pull away from the pan, about 40-50 minutes. Remove from the oven and place on a wire rack. Carefully run a sharp, thin knife along the sides of the cake, just against the pan, then gently remove the rim and allow the cake to cool to room temperature before slicing.

Springtime Walks and The Farmers Markets

Every few weekends I like to take a long walk through the Highlands-- it's a big section of the city and it's where I live and play. I usually start the walk around Potter Highlands Historic District, grab a coffee along 32nd Avenue, and then cross over the 3 pedestrian bridges that link the Lower Highlands (LoHi) with Downtown, by way of the Platte neighborhood. I like the fact that there is no car needed for this excursion. 

Each of the three foot bridges cross a thoroughfare that's impossible to traverse by foot: the I-25 highway, the Platte River and the train tracks that carry coal, freight and the light-rail commuter train. It's an incredibly smart way to connect downtown with some of the surrounding residential communities and it was all done relatively recently. Kudos to the designers behind this green, urban idea.

Since Otis seemingly has an unlimited amount of energy and can pretty much walk/run anywhere for any amount of time, and Theodore is super happy in his umbrella stroller, this (very) long walk is a really nice way to spend a couple of hours. Sometimes we sit on the grass at Commons Park, sometimes we watch kayakers at Confluence Park, and sometimes we stroll along the busy streets of the Platte. But no matter what, we always seem to wind up at Little Man Ice Cream...and usually it's when they've stocked their Salted Oreo flavor. Coincidence? Maybe. Or maybe not!  

The Highlands Farmers Market is now open on the weekend, so if I do this walk on Saturday, I stop by. I love market season! 

What flavor should I have today?

And after walking, it's time to hit the farmers market...

The Highlands Market is a block long and much smaller than the Cherry Creek market. But there is something really nice and local about it-- there's that neighborhoody-feel. There are a few stalls dedicated to produce and I picked up some scallions, baby lettuce, beets and a whole bunch of herbs including dill, thyme and basil. Many vendors sell other edibles such as fresh bread (I picked up a delicious foccacia), cheese, fresh pasta, and locally-sourced honey. And there are food trucks (big, big exclamation mark!)! So far I've tried:

Arepas de Domino (black beans and cheese) from Quiero Arepas. Yum!

Quinoa Salad from Eat Eatcletic. Perfect!

A Watermelon-Orange pop from Aikopops. Delish!

Today I also picked up a Chocolate Pecan Pie from the Denver Pie Truck and it was AMAZING! Lip-smacking good. 

Next week I'll be sure to try some latkes from Latke Love-- "Potato Latkes Piled High." I'm going to start with their traditional latkes to see if they remind me of home. (For the meat-eaters, there's also "The Confused Rabbi"-- a latke meat and dairy combination that may or may not have pig product inside, I can't remember. I dig the title though I won't be trying it for obvious reasons...and it's not because I'm kosher.) I'm also going to leave room for a(nother) pie from The Denver Pie Truck. And I'll have to try some more of Eat Eatclectic's treats. Of course it should go without saying (but I'll say it anyway) that I'm 100% certain that by the end of the summer I will have eaten at every stall/food truck at the market. I'm a big fan of street food-- it's just how I roll! I'll be sure to report back. 

Now I just couldn't wait for the next Saturday market (a painful 7 days away), so I went over to Old South Pearl Street which has a market that is open on Sunday. Flowers, produce, antiques, food trucks, and pops...the whole gang was out.

Strawberry-Rhubarb pop hit the spot!

These are the recipes that I'll be making this week, inspired by the Farmers Market:

Black Bean (Domino) Arepas, Courtesy of Hungry Sofia

Chilled Cucumber Soup, Courtesy of Ina Garten

Quinoa Salad, Courtesy of TasteSpotting

Garlic Scape Pizza, Courtesy of Three Clever Sisters

Baby Lettuce with Strawberries, Feta and Almonds, Courtesy of Food & Wine Magazine (scroll to the end of the post)

Strawberry-Rhubarb Pie with Crumb Topping, Courtesy of My Trash and Treasure

See you next weekend...and happy cooking/eating!

Ina's White Pizza with Arugula, Denver's Chalk Art Festival and Strawberry Salad with Feta and Almonds

The other day I found myself thinking about Ina Garten. I love her as much as you can love a 64-year old, former nuclear policy wonk/budget writer, author, gourmand, home entertaining super-star that you don't really know. And I totally credit Ina with inspiring me to cook-- I mean really cook, for the first time, which happened about 3 years ago. She got me to value high-quality ingredients, delve into seasonal cooking and, okay, decadent desserts too. Time is flying because it's more than a year and a half since I met her at this book signing...and it feels like yesterday. 
I have all of Ina'a cookbooks and decided to revisit Barefoot Contessa Back to Basics. That's when this recipe for White Pizza with Arugula caught my eye. Now ever since I made homemade tart dough (pâte brisée), I've become a big fan of making things from scratch...time permitting. Sure, there are some really good quality store-bought pizza doughs out there, but I decided to make my dough the night before, after the boys went to bed.
The dough was perfect but next time I think I will have to let it get a little more pliable before I start kneading it. I don't think I kept it at room temperature long enough. As for the baking time of the pizza, the recipe calls for 10-15 minutes in the oven. My pie was done in about 9 minutes-- and had I kept it in the oven for one minute longer, it would have burnt to a crisp. Maybe it's my oven or maybe it's the altitude-- just keep an eye on it.
Now I prefer making recipes that don't require me to buy a ton of ingredients, and in this case I had some goat cheese in the fridge and some leftover fontina cheese from this recipe. I also had a big bag filled with arugula, so pizza with greens it would be. 
I loved this pizza. There's creamy, cheesy goodness, tangy-lemon dressing and peppery arugula. You can see how this one might be hard to beat...

For the garlic oil I used some of my new purple garlic which I picked up at my local farmers market.

Dressed arugula.

White Pizza with Arugula (Courtesy of Ina Garten, Barefoot Contessa Back to Basics)
Makes 6 Pizzas
Ingredients:
For the Dough:1 1/4 cups warm (100 to 110) water
2 packages dry yeast
1 tablespoon honey
Good olive oil
4 cups all-purpose flour, plus extra for kneading
Kosher salt
For the Garlic Oil:
4 cloves garlic, sliced
5 sprigs fresh thyme
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
For the topping:
3 cups grated Italian fontina cheese (8 ounces)
1 1/2 cups grated fresh mozzarella cheese (7 ounces)
11 ounces creamy goat cheese, such as montrachet, crumbled
For the vinaigrette:
1/2 cup good olive oil
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
Freshly ground black pepper
8 ounces baby arugula
1 lemon, sliced

Directions:
Mix the dough:

• Combine the water, yeast, honey and 3 tablespoons of olive oil in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a dough hook. When the yeast is dissolved, add 3 cups of flour, then 2 teaspoons salt, and mix on medium-low speed. While mixing, add up to 1 more cup of flour, or just enough to make a soft dough. Knead the dough for about 10 minutes until smooth, sprinkling it with the flour as necessary to keep it from sticking to the bowl.

• Knead by hand.

• When the dough is ready, turn it out onto a floured board and knead it by hand a dozen times. It should be smooth and elastic.

• Let it rise.

• Place the dough in a well-oiled bowl and turn it to cover it lightly with oil. Cover the bowl with a kitchen towel and allow the dough to rise at room temperature for 30 minutes.

Make garlic oil:  Place 1/2 cup of olive oil, the garlic, thyme and red pepper flakes in a small saucepan and bring to a simmer over low heat. Cook for 10 minutes, making sure the garlic doesn't burn. Set aside.

Preheat the oven to 500 degrees. 

Portion the dough.

Dump the dough onto a board and divide it into 6 equal pieces. Place the doughs on sheet pans lined with parchment paper and cover them with a damp towel. Allow the dough to rest for 10 minutes. Use immediately, or refrigerate for up to 4 hours.

Stretch the dough.
Press and stretch each ball into an 8-inch circle and place 2 circles on each sheet pan lined with parchment paper. (If you've chilled the dough, take it out of the refrigerator approximately 30 minutes ahead to let it come to room temperature.)

Top the dough.
Brush the pizzas with the garlic oil, and sprinkle each one liberally with salt and pepper. Sprinkle the pizzas evenly with fontina, mozzarella and goat cheese. Drizzle each pizza with 1 tablespoon more of the garlic oil and bake for 10 to 15 minutes,* until the crusts are crisp and the cheeses begin to brown.**


Make the vinaigrette.
Meanwhile, whisk together 1/2 cup of olive oil, the lemon juice, 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper.
Add the greens.


When the pizzas are done, place the arugula in a large bowl and toss with just enough lemon vinaigrette to moisten. Place a large bunch of arugula on each pizza and a slice of lemon and serve immediately.

* Mine took 9 minutes.

** Note: I brushed some of the garlic oil on my pizza mesh (wire) and placed my pie on the mesh. I placed it on my pizza stone-- which I had preheated for 20 minutes at 500 degrees.

                        


TIP Make sure the bowl is warm before you put the water and yeast in; the water must be warm for the yeast to develop.
TIP Salt inhibits the growth of yeast; add half the flour, then the salt, and then the rest of the flour.
TIP To make sure yeast is still "alive," or active, put it in water and allow it to sit for a few minutes. If it becomes creamy or foamy, it's active.

* * *

After lunch, I took the boys down to Larimer Square for the Denver Chalk Art Festival. Now here in the house we use sidewalk chalk all the time. This festival, however, took it to a whole new level. It was so cool. And so creative. Otis really wanted to add his own unique touch to some of the murals, but I told him maybe next year. He looked excited about the prospect and when we got home he started on his sketches. Theo watched him carefully...maybe he'll be the budding artist of the family!                    

***

Today I used some leftover greens to make this salad for lunch. It was delicious! 

         

Baby Lettuces, with Feta, Strawberries and Almonds (Courtesy of Food & Wine Magazine)
Serves 8
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon honey
1 small shallot, minced
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar, preferably Banyuls
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Salt
Freshly ground pepper
12 cups packed assorted baby lettuces (about 6 ounces)
1 quart strawberries, hulled—small berries halved, large ones quartered
4 ounces feta (preferably French), crumbled (1 cup)
1 cup smoked almonds, chopped

In a small bowl, stir together the mustard, honey, shallot and vinegar. Stir in the olive oil and season with salt and pepper.
Put the lettuces in a large bowl. Add the strawberries, feta and almonds. Drizzle the dressing over the salad, toss well and serve.

Suggested Pairing:
Bright, berry-scented rosé echoes the strawberries in this summer salad. Pour a crisp, dry rosé from Provence.

Birthday Perfection: Pink Lemonade Cupcakes

There's something really summery-sounding about "Pink Lemonade Cupcakes." When I think of summer, sipping lemonade and hanging out on the beach come to mind. But since we live in land-locked  Colorado, at least for now, we'll have to settle for the lemonade-bit alone...this recipe hits the spot.

Our friend Rachel made these cupcakes for her daughter's birthday party a little while back. They were really good. They are also really sweet, so if sweet isn't your thing then this recipe isn't for you. But personally I kind of think that's the point of pink lemonade cupcakes, no? I thought they were the perfect topper to the birthday celebration. 
Happy birthday to the birthday girl! Now, can I have another one?! 

Pink Lemonade Cupcakes (Courtesy of Real Mom Kitchen)

Cake:

• 1 package white cake mix 
• 1 small package vanilla instant pudding 
• 3 Tbsp sweetened pink lemonade drink mix (like Country Time Pink Lemonade mix) 
• 1 cup sour cream 
• 2 tsp lemon zest 
• 3/4 cup water 
• 3/4 cup oil 
• 4 whites eggs 
• 6 drops of pink food coloring

Frosting:

• 1 cup butter, softened 
• 1 cup shortening 
• 1/2 cup frozen pink lemonade concentrate, thawed 
• 2 tablespoons milk 
• 2 teaspoons vanilla 
• Zest from 1 lemon 
• 2 pound package or 7 1/2 cups confectioners sugar 
• 3 drops of pink food coloring 

Decorations: (Optional)

• 24 lemon slice candies or grapefruit slice candies
• 12 colored flexible drinking straws

1. In a large bowl, whisk cake mix, pudding mix, and drink mix together.  Add sour cream, lemon zest, water, oil, and egg whites to the dry mix. Beat with electric mixer on medium speed for about two minutes. Use a strong mixer, this batter is thick.
2. Scoop batter into 24 lined muffin tins.  Bake at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes until cupcakes don’t look wet and a toothpick inserted in one comes out clean. Allow to cool completely before frosting the cupcakes.
3. Prepare the frosting by creaming butter, shortening, and lemon zest together. Then add lemonade concentrate, milk and vanilla with a mixer. Beat until smooth.  Then gradually add the sugar, mixing well until light and fluffy. Beat in the food coloring.
4. Pipe frosting onto the cupcakes.  (You will have plenty to pile it on.  I had over 1 cup leftover.  Leftover frosting is good sandwiched between two graham crackers).      Optional: Place a lemon candy wedge on top of each cupcakes.  With the straws cut the top 1/3 of the straw off just below the flexible part.  Discard the tops.  Then cut the remaining straw pieces in half.  Place one straw piece in each cupcake to resemble a drink.

Cupcake recipe is a Real Mom Kitchen Original, Frosting is adapted from A Little Loveliness
A note on the cupcakes: Rachel followed the recipe except she took another person's advice and substituted the powdered lemonade mix and the 3/4 cup water in the cake with 3/4 cup frozen pink lemonade concentrate. I recommend making the substitute.
I'm not sure how many this recipe yields, but it's a lot-- you can make small, medium and large cupcakes!