Some recent eats and treats.

Eats Romano’s Macaroni Grill. Credit C.K.

It "speaks" for itself. 😀

It’s been quite some time since I last posted an article on my frantic adventures in cooking and feasting. My responsibilities for charlieuniformtango and my relocation to Seattle among other pressing issues prevented me from doing so.

I intend to fix that immediately! Lol, I have amassed a extensive collection of foodie pix that will need to be touched up before they go live, especially since I have the most recent version of Photoshop again to bring more life and lighting to these dishes (it was either going to be Photoshop or a brand new camera).

But I won’t bore you with those minor details. When July rolls in, I hope to share with you a visual buffet of summer snacking compliments of watching episodes of Rachael Ray, Cupcake Wars, Chopped!, The Next Master Chef, Hell’s Kitchen, The Next Foodnetwork Star, Top Chef and Top Chef Masters.

Cheers,

Anthony

Food Photo of the Day: Strawberry Brownie Torte.

Strawberry Brownie Torte. Courtesy of Runs with Spatulas.

Cheddar, bacon, mozzarella toasties.

I made these this morning:

They’re really easy to make. Chop some bacon. Fry it. Set aside some sliced bread. Sprinkle the fried bacon bits on the bread. Layer cheddar cheese and mozzarella on the bacon and toss in the oven until everything’s melted and toasty.

FoodBuzz it Up!

If you aren’t already a member of the vibrant and engaging food community on FoodBuzz, I highly encourage you to take part; bragging rights aside – I discovered 500 friends on that site all within

Pork Scallopini by Ken Canterbury.

the chilly month of January. Funtastico. Who wouldn’t want a family of gluttonous, free-wheeling aspiring chefs who share palatable transcriptions for feasting and pictorial munchie bliss!

Sigh.

Mind you, I don’t mention friends with the flippancy likened to the online association of the virtual associate that so-called social media experts denounce as insular verbally awkward introverts who spend upwards to 85% (<–This number isn’t based on any quantifiable data. Just my fav number for the moment.) of their time fawning over their Photoshopped avatars and making monkey faces from the confines of a greasy computer screen.

Nope.

For the most part, the folks on FoodBuzz are real. They are passionate and honest about their love for food. Whereas music and love purport a universal connection among the world community, great food, the love of food, connects individuals, families, friends, societies, states and nations in the great united states of Foodbuzzinia.

Mmmm, I need some more chocolate.

Changes.

Aunts, uncle, cousins...

Hey, everyone. My apologies for the lack of written content these past few days. I’m in the process of changing careers, getting new glasses, having a more optimistic outlook on life, and working hard on pursuing better goals this year.

Food will always be high on my list of priorities because you all know this boy has got to eat. But most importantly, 2010 really revealed to me that the value of laughter and family, especially during these trying times, is critical in maintaining one’s sanity and composure. 😉

In a way, you could also say that cooking kind of saved me a little.

As this week draws to a close, I’m going to work on establishing another food blog that will embrace the love of cooking complete with interviews, video, and recipes, lol. Goodies from the Grenadines will return to its original purpose of focusing on Caribbean culture, cuisine, and hopefully the daily ongoings of the bakery that my hard-working cousin and her husband own and manage in Kingstown, SVG.

With that said, here’s to looking forward to the kind of change that gets us back on track to the road to success and happy stomachs.

This was yesterday’s breakfast. 🙂

Crispy Blackberry Delight.

When I was a kid living in Maine…well, it started in Maine and spread to Florida and finally to the state of Washington. Point is, my mom would make this awesome treat called “Quick Cherry Dessert” courtesy of Great American Recipes. W00t.

Life before the oven.

Quick Cherry Dessert was very simple and easy to make, although, as a child I had no freakin’ idea. I had this wonderful fantasy sequence in my mind (I also had a fairly outrageous imagination back then. If my parents weren’t as understanding and patient, I’m quite sure they would have had me see a psychiatrist.) of my mom opening the window and allowing these monstrosities of made-up animals bring her the necessary ingredients at her kitchen window like some kind of Pan’s Labyrinth-like check-out counter minus the pixie-eating dining hall scene.

Okay. I’ll stop there. I think you get it.

Anyways, I’ve taken that recipe, the Quick Cherry Dessert, and turned it into my own with a few modifications.

Obviously, instead of cherries I substituted blackberries. Using strawberries isn’t so bad either. You can also sprinkle the top with powdered sugar instead of brown sugar and Honey Bunches of Oats instead of cornflakes works just as well. Pretty much, this recipe is so easy to make, you can afford to be as creative as you want. Have fun!

Ingredients

2 sticks of butter

2 tablespoons of Baker’s Vanilla Flavor or 1 teaspoon of almond extract

4 eggs

2 cups of all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons of baking soda

1 can of blackberries (pie filling) or fresh strawberries or canned cherries

Brown sugar (you know you taste so good!) or powdered sugar

2 cups of cornflakes or whatever 😀

Whipped cream

Preparation

1. In a large mixing bowl, cream together the butter and sugar. Add the eggs and beat until the mixture is fluffy and light.

2. Add the vanilla flavor and stir in the flour and baking powder. Mix until smooth.

3. Butter a 13-by-9-inch cake pan. Turn the mixture into the pan.

4. Spoon the pie filling into the cake, in 16 spots, spacing 4 spoonfuls evenly in each direction. Or pour the pie filling in an S-shaped form over the cake or letter that you see fit.

5. Bake at 350 degrees F for 45 to 50 minutes or until golden and cake tests done. Filling will sink into the cake while baking.

6. Cut into 16 pieces…or less.

7. You can place the bottom side up on the serving plate. Dust with brown sugar if used and spoon whipped cream if desired.

Yay, for you!

Does anyone know where this is?

Caramel and chocolate covered apples.

I’m guessing it’s some where in Seattle. My sister took this pic but maybe you’ll have the answer before she gets back to me. Those apples sure look good though.

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Problem solved: It’s the Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory.

Casuelitas Caribbean Cafe in Seattle…closed?

Well, it turns out that I’ll have to wait a little bit longer before I can showcase my coverage of the cassava cake-making process. Meanwhile, I noticed this disturbing headline attached to one of my most favorite Caribbean-style food restaurants in Seattle: CLOSED.

Jamaican Beef Patties. Image courtesy of chonphansa m.

Casuelitas Caribbean Cafe is located in the heart of downtown. According to Yelp, Casuelitas shut its doors. All of the images in this post were taken by patrons and fans of the beloved venue. If Casuelitas did indeed close down, I’m guessing this must have happened somewhat recently in the past month or two.

But just to make sure, I’ll be making a phone call. I certainly hope that Casuelita’s hasn’t shuttered their doors. I’ll keep you updated on my findings.

Sweetness! Image courtesy of Lori M.