FOOD – neverbeenso

Baltimore Orioles’ Adam Jones Hits a Home Run in Local French Fry Challenge

Published on August 3, 2016August 3, 2016 by neverbeensoLeave a comment

It’s no secret Adam Jones is a stellar ball player, but did you also know he’s a huge connoisseur of food?? He has been part of the Care First Fan Challenge for years, in which Jones encourages fans to challenge him to various activities. And in recent years, the challenges have become more centered around food; in 2014, it was a Burger Competition and in 2015, it was a BBQ Battle. Not only is this year’s challenge food related, but it’s a cook-off competition with one special twist: the submission must be a ballpark-themed menu item!

The Challenge

After a week of entries, the Mid-Atlantic Sports Network (MASN) announced that Jones hand-selected the 2016 winner: husband and wife duo, Kevin and Elizabeth Irish, owners of restaurant The Local Fry. This local federal hill spot serves up sandwiches and specialty fries topped with items such as Carnitas, Southwestern BBQ, Kimchi Pork Belly, and my personal favorite, Buffalo Chicken.

The competition took place August 3, 2016 during O’s Xtra, the Orioles exclusive pre-game show, before the Birds took on the Rangers. If competing against Jones wasn’t enough to make the Irishes nervous, the competition came stocked with a panel of local celebrity judges, including Chef Chad Gauss of The Food Market, located in Hampden, 13-year old Bryce Taylor, a Food Network Teen Chef and Junior Finalist from Food Network’s show, ‘Chopped Junior’ from Mount Washington. (Watch the video here) and Zach Britton, pitcher for the Baltimore Orioles.

Chris Person, Sous Chef for Dempsey’s Brew Pub and Restaurant, where the competition took place, served as Jones’ assistant for the event.

Kevin and Elizabeth Irish prepping for the competition.

The Outcome

The Irishes came in hot with two options for the judges: fries topped with braised short rib, crema, pickled red onion and toasted sesame seeds, as well as fries topped with jerk chicken, mango salsa and cole slaw. But it wasn’t enough to beat the reigning champion. It was a sweep across the three judges, all unanimously picking Jones’ fries topped with carne asada, guacamole, sour cream, salsa, and cilantro, “a mountain of calories” as Jones referred to them.

Chef Bryce Taylor said of Jones’ fries, “they were the best thing I’ve had to eat today so far.” Chef Chad Gauss went on to say, “the ingredients were the perfect consistency to enhance the french fries and not damage the potato.” Being that he’s a “huge fan of comfort food,” these hit a home run for him.

Jones presented the Irishes with an idea to add his fries to The Local Fry’s menu. We’ll see if they make an appearance in the coming weeks. Congrats Adam!!

The Local Fry – Braised short rib, crema, pickled red onion and toasted sesame seeds.

The Local Fry – Jerk chicken, mango salsa and cole slaw.

Adam Jones – Carne asada, guacamole, sour cream, cilantro, salsa, and cheese.

Jones watching on as Chef Bryce Taylor, Chef Chad Gauss and Zach Britton make their decisions.

Adam Jones Wins with his Carne Asada fries!

Treatsie Review and 50% Off!

Published on July 15, 2016 by neverbeensoLeave a comment

Anyone who knows me knows I LOVE my sweets. Could literally live off sugar. I also really love subscription boxes (continue reading for a 50% off coupon!!). Receiving packages in the mail is my favorite, so I always find it hard to say no to getting pretty little boxes dropped off at my door step on a monthly basis.

Treatsie combines both of these loves into one little package and I have to say I’m really digging it. I tried it out for the first time this month (you can purchase various plans – monthly, quarterly, annually – you know how subscription boxes work).

Now let’s get into the goodies. Conveniently, I received my June Box on a 98 degree day with a heat advisory, so naturally I thought, everything would be melted. NOPE. Treatsie surrounds the box with ice gel packs and just incase that isn’t enough, they have a melt-free guarantee. If a product arrives melted, you contact them and they’ll replace it! #neverbeenso impressed.

June’s box came loaded with the following four products:

1. Lemon Cooler Cookies by Love, Cookie

You don’t get 1 or 2 cookies, you get a whole sleeve! And these cookies had just the right amount of lemon! Super refreshing on this HOT day!

2. The Original Brownie by Salt of the Earth Bakery

Oh.my.god. That’s literally all I kept thinking in my head after every bite. This brownie incorporates a trio of chocolate with a dash of Halen Mon sea salt. So soft and chewy. I still can’t stop thinking about this brownie. I’ll have an entire box of these, please.

3. Black Lava Sea Salt Caramels by McCrea’s Candies

These little babies are dangerous. I could just pop them in my mouth all day! Again, the pairing of chocolate and sea salt takes away all self-control.

4. Maple Almond Brittle by Sweet on Vermont

I have to say I’ve never been a fan of brittle. But this stuff is pretty amazing. The rich maple syrup flavor paired with the crushed almond is a match made in heaven!

Overall, I have to give Treatsie five stars! There wasn’t one item I didn’t like, the portions were good size (except that they had me wanting more more), and the packaging was on point. Have I convinced you to try Treatsie?! Well you’re in luck! If you use code “NEVERBEENSO50” on Treatsie.com you’ll get 50% off your first order! (That’s only $9.98 for 1 month, $28.43 for 3 months and $101.50 for the whole year)!

What are you waiting for?!

Watermelon Jello Shots

Published on June 29, 2016 by neverbeensoLeave a comment

My group of friends is famous for vodka gummy bears and I’ve even seen champagne gummy bears (#adult) popping up recently. But I’ve never been so obsessed with jello shots. Especially at parties. I’m sure you’ve seen jello (shots) in almost every mold imaginable.

Summer cookouts are my favorite type of party. And being that every minute detail of a party needs to be theme-related in my house, I decided to take on the task of making Watermelon Jello Shots for our Fourth of July Cookout coming up this weekend, but really these are perfect for any summertime party. This recipe is similar to that of a DIY-project – concentration and dedication are necessary!

I made a test batch to see if this would actually work. And it did! The most-time consuming part of these is de-pulping the limes, and that can be done a day ahead of time. Actually, you could even do up through step 5 a day ahead of time, and then the jello has longer to harden in the refrigerator. Not to mention, they’re totally adorable and worth it.

Watermelon Jello Shots

Servings: 40
Difficulty: hard
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Ingredients:
10 limes
1 box watermelon jello (or any red flavor you like)
1 cup water
1.5 cup cold vodka (use watermelon if you have it)

Directions:
1. Boil 1 cup of water.

2. Halve the limes, using a paring knife cut around the edges to loosen the pulp. Juice your limes, so that you can at least have fresh lime juice instead of wasting all of the pulp. Using your fingers try to pry out as much of the pulp as possible. I found a small spoon under warm running water helped with this. Be gentle – you don’t want to puncture the lime. Re-shape them if they lost shape during the de-pulping. Set the lime halves aside. If you have the time, pop them in the freezer so that when you pour the jello in, they hold their shape.

3. Add 1 cup of boiling water to the jello powder, and stir for 2 minutes until fully dissolved. Stir in 1.5 cups cold vodka.

4. Pour the mixture into the lime halves, filling all the way to the top.

5. Chill the jello limes for at least 2 hours, making sure they stay upright.

(Note: De-pulping the limes is the most time-consuming and you can do that part, as well as fill the lime halves with jello to chill, a day prior if you want.)

6. Once firm, use a very sharp knife to cut the lime halves in half (2 wedges per half)

*Some limes will puncture and some will not cut as planned, but I ended up making a small batch of these for aesthetics and having another batch of regular jello shots on hand. Your call.

Weekend Recap. Maxis, Tacos, Cocktails and Crabs.

Published on June 27, 2016June 27, 2016 by neverbeensoLeave a comment

There are few things better than gorgeous warm weather with a light breeze on the weekend. And this weekend was full it. I spent the weekend with good friends and family, good food and good drinks. I found one of my new favorite OPI shades – “towel me about it” (from the OPI Retro Summer Collection). And I lived in maxi dresses (check out one of my favorites below). I’ve never been so content.

Do you ever have one of those “mind blown” moments that you really just can’t comprehend? Well I also had one of those this weekend. I LOVE Jeffrey Campbell, his creativity is so unique. So, I’ve had this pair of wedged sandals for YEARS, I don’t remember buying them, I’m pretty sure I found them on serious sale and never really even knew who they were by. In preparation for this post, I checked the inside of these sandals (below) and I had to do a double take. JEFFREY CAMPBELL. I couldn’t believe it. I had been wearing them constantly every summer and had absolutely no idea that they were by one of my favorite designers…guess it makes sense that they’re my go-tos.

How was your weekend? Have you had any “mind blown” moments lately?

SHOES: Jeffrey Campbell (vintage – similar here) | DRESS: Target | SHADES: Centerpiece Boutique | NECKLACE: Bauble Bar (vintage – similar here)

“Towel Me About It” – OPI Retro Summer Collection

TACOS – Vida Taco Bar – This place specializes in fantastic tacos! And their drinks aren’t bad either………

Purple Drank – Vida Taco Bar

Almost Margarita – Barcocina

Captain James Landing.

Bacon Jams GIVEAWAY and Recipe for Bacon Jam Deviled Eggs with Pancetta

Published on June 15, 2016 by neverbeenso2 Comments

Guys this post is HUGE! Not only am I sharing a fantastic recipe for deviled eggs, but I’ve partnered with The Bacon Jams to give away a free jar to one of my lucky followers (more about that in a bit!).

As you read in 11 Baltimore Restaurants Doing Deviled Eggs Right, deviled eggs are one of my most recent obsessions and I’m not mad about it. However, I just recently made these babies for the first time! I’ve seen tons of recipes online, but had some plans of my own.

Thanks to a giveaway hosted by Official Food Group, I won a variety pack from The Bacon Jams including their original flavor, Red Chile and Garlic, and Black Pepper. I started putting the original flavor on EVERYTHING and then started experimenting with the others. I thought to myself, how good with this stuff be incorporated in deviled eggs! After a few recipe revamps, I came up with the MOST DELICIOUS combination and I can’t stop making them! And because I love all of your support so much, I decided to host a giveaway myself to pay it forward AND include this recipe!

RULES FOR GIVEAWAY:
1. Head on over to Instagram and follow @neverbeenso and @thebaconjams
2. Like the photo associated with this post/giveaway
3. Tag 2 bacon-loving friends
**Open to U.S. residents only**
Winner will be picked randomly and will receive one jar of his/her choosing (original, red chile and garlic or black pepper).

Announced Friday, June 17 on Instagram!!

Now for the recipe! First, I tried these without the pancetta to make it easier (and still totally delicious), BUT if you have the time it’s definitely a nice addition of texture!

I read about several different takes on what makes the eggs easiest to peel. I found that adding vinegar and salt to the boiling water, as well as peeling them under cool running water worked nicely. But I’m always up for new tips! Leave your suggestions in the comments below!

NOTE: The recipe below is for 12 deviled eggs (6 whole eggs), but the pictures included show only 6 deviled eggs.

I love using this handheld strainer to gently remove the eggs and place them in a cold water bath.

You will have more pancetta for the servings below.

Who doesn’t love a hot sauce surprise??

Bacon Jam Deviled Eggs with Pancetta

Servings: 12
Time: 75 mins
Difficulty: easy
Print

Ingredients
6 large eggs
1 tbsp kosher salt
1 tbsp vinegar
½ cup pancetta, cubed
¼ cup mayo
1 tsp yellow mustard
1 tbsp sweet pickle relish
2 tsp bacon jam (any flavor, I used original)
Fresh ground black pepper
Kosher salt
Hot Sauce (any brand, I used Frank’s)

Directions
1. In a saucepan, combine the eggs with cold water and cover by 1 inch. Add 1 tbsp of salt and 1 tbsp vinegar and bring to a boil over high heat. Once boiling, remove the pan from the heat and cover. Let sit for 10 minutes.
2. Fill a bowl halfway with ice and cold water. Once the 10 minutes are up, transfer the eggs to the bowl of ice water and let sit for 5 minutes.
3. While the eggs are cooking, spray a nonstick pan with cooking spray and heat over medium heat. Fry the pancetta until it starts to brown, transfer to paper-towel lined plate to cool.
4. Peel the eggs under cold running water. Halve the eggs lengthwise, then carefully pry out the yolks and transfer to a bowl.
5. Add the bacon jam, mayo, mustard, relish, salt and pepper to taste and mash or beat until smooth. (I found that using a hand mixer here makes the filling super smooth).
6. Squirt a dab of hot sauce inside the empty egg white.
7. Fill a sandwich sized plastic bag with the yolk filling (if you fold the edges of the bag down, the bag will be easier to fill). Force all of the filling to one corner of the bag, snip off the end with scissors, and pipe the filling into the egg whites.
8. Top with pancetta.

NOTE: I like to refrigerate my eggs for at least 30 minutes to get them extra cold, but up to you!

You Can Make This Blue Apron Meal All On Your Own (And You Need to ASAP!)

Published on June 8, 2016 by neverbeensoLeave a comment

We LOVE Blue Apron in our house. We like to do it once a month as a treat; it gives us a nice break from meal planning and grocery shopping. What I really love about Blue Apron is it brings new flavors into our house that we wouldn’t normally cook with and we don’t end up having to buy an entire bottle or package of a unique ingredient and watch it go to waste.

Occasionally, we come across a flavor profile that is so out of this world delicious, YET not totally off the wall and when that happens I set the recipe aside because I know this is one I’ll make again on my own. This time, it was the Seared Pork Chops and Fig Compote with Kale and Farro Salad. OH MY GOODNESS, was this delicious. and beautiful. and easy!

While I’m not new to the flavor of fig (I love it!), I am new to cooking with them and pairing them with pork. Normally I just slather fig jam all over every soft cheese I can find. However, this recipe called for dried figs and you can find them ANYWHERE!

The kale and farro salad paired so well with the lemon juice and the pork, I literally could not put my fork down. Excuse my lack of photos, I was starving, and didn’t think I’d be sharing this recipe, but I would be doing a disservice if I did not pass this along. Share your Blue Apron faves with #neverbeenso!

Golf Ball Cake Pops for Father’s Day

Published on June 7, 2016June 7, 2016 by neverbeenso4 Comments

Father’s Day is coming and you know what that means, you get to celebrate the wonderful men in your life, especially your dad (aka the hardest person to shop for)!

If your dad is an avid sportsman like mine, over the years you’ve probably exhausted him with every ounce of paraphernalia of every single one of his sports team’s and any type of sports equipment you could get your hands on. I’ve also gone the route of bringing him things to eat and drink (dad loves a cold beer). This year I took it to a new level and combined both of the ideas I’ve been using for the last 28 years!

I give you golf ball cake pops!

Really any sport will do, as long as you find the mold online and Amazon has an awesome selection. I used these molds (for the balls) and sticks (for the tees) and they worked perfectly!

I tried a couple different cake recipes. I really wanted to somehow incorporate beer, but all of the cake recipes I found that included beer were basically inedible, IMO. Including a very basic cake pop recipe below.

One Little Project has a ton of different cake pop flavor variations.

Here are some tips for coating cake pops that I’ve found helpful.

Once your cake pops are beautiful. Grab an old slab of wood, drill a few holes and you’ve got the perfect presentation of tees on a course! [I’ve also found this is a great way to dry your cake pops].

Golf Ball Cake Pops

Servings: 24
Time: 1.5 hours
Difficulty: moderate
Print

Ingredients
1 box white cake mix (and ingredients called for on the box)
1 jar white frosting
1 package Candiquik melting chocolate (or any other variation that works for you, but I swear by Candiquik) + 2 tablespoons of white chocolate
Cake pop molds and sticks

Directions
1. Prepare cake (9×13 or 2 rounds) as directed and let cool.
2. Add cake to bowl and crumble until it resembles fine crumbs.
3. Using your hands to incorporate, add frosting a little bit at a time until cake can be formed into a ball, yet slightly crumbly.
4. Freeze your balls for 20 minutes.
5. Melt the 2 TBSP of white chocolate and dip sticks into chocolate and into balls, place back in the freezer for 20 mins.
6. Melt the Candiquik according to directions and then cover each cake pop with the melted chocolate and place into the mold.
7. Let them harden for 10 minutes or so and place on your stand!

Oreo Stuffed Churro Cupcakes

Published on May 5, 2016May 5, 2016 by neverbeenso2 Comments

HAPPY CINCO DE MAYO!! This is one of my favorite holidays to celebrate. Tacos, margaritas, tequila, guac; what else do you need? As I was sitting at work today, I couldn’t help but crave churros and wanted to share that craving with my co-workers. However, I was a little late to the game in preparation and decided to think up something quick and easy in my head that I could prep tonight and bring in tomorrow (or this weekend, if I became too lazy).

For the sake of time, I decided to enhance store-bought mix and icing. I figured I could just throw some cinnamon in the batter and call it a day, UNTIL I spotted cinnamon bun oreos! So, I decided to stuff my cupcakes with the oreos and add a little crunchy layer underneath the icing to give them a churro-esque texture.

Alas, Oreo Stuffed Churro Cupcakes. Now, if you don’t have time to whip these up before tomorrow’s festivities, why not expand your Cinco Celebration throughout the weekend?? Or make them just because; they’re that good (AND EASY)!

Oreo Stuffed Churro Cupcakes

Servings: 24
Time: 1 hour
Difficulty: easy
Print

Ingredients
1 box white cake mix (and the ingredients called for on the box)
2 jars cream cheese icing
1 package cinnamon bun oreos (or golden if you can’t find these – and add ground cinnamon)
4 tablespoons of butter, melted
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 TSP ground cinnamon
Cupcake liners (since these were for Cinco De Mayo, I used red, green and white)
Decorative pieces (found these edible mustaches at Party City)

Directions
1. Mix cake batter according to box directions.
2. Line your muffin tins and pour 1 tbsp batter into each liner and then place one oreo into each liner and push down (the batter should hug the oreo, but not cover). Then place 1-2 tbsp more batter into each liner until they are 3/4 full.
3. Bake according to box directions (mine were perfect in 17 mins).
4. Move the cupcakes to a wire rack and cool completely.
5. Once cooled completely, mix granulated sugar and ground cinnamon in a bowl. Brush melted butter on the tops of each cupcake and then dip into cinnamon sugar mixture.
6. Top with cream cheese frosting and decorative pieces.
7. Refrigerate until ready to serve. Set out 20 mins prior to serving.

11 Baltimore Restaurants Doing Deviled Eggs Right

Published on May 4, 2016May 4, 2016 by neverbeenso4 Comments

For this week’s 180 Wednesday, I’m talking about DEVILED EGGS! I know I’m not the only one who despised these little suckers as a kid (or up until a month ago). Of course deviled eggs have features to dislike (i.e. smell, preparation); however, they’ve never been so on the top of my cravings list.

And because I become instantly obsessed when I stumble upon a new flavor I like (hence the creation of 180 Wednesday), I have been eating up deviled eggs at every restaurant I can get my hands on (all within the last month!). It’s quite surprising how many restaurants actually serve up these little guys, all with their own take on presentation and flavor. I missed photo ops on a few of these, never imagined I would fall in love as hard as I did

And while I’m sure our family’s recipes are on the tops of all our lists, in honor of Mother’s Day this weekend, let’s give Mom and Grandma a break, and have someone else do the work. Here are the restaurants serving up the best deviled eggs in Baltimore!

1 . Cava Mezze | 1302 Fleet Street

GREEN EGGS & HAM deviled eggs | fresh herb vinaigrette | crispy pancetta
First off, their brunch is amazing; bottomless eats and drink. So when I happened upon deviled eggs on the menu a month ago, I gave them a shot. I figured if I don’t like them, no biggie, it’s bottomless. WELL, lets just say, my mouth experienced complete confusion and satisfaction. And since, my love for deviled eggs was born – not to mention they get extra points for Dr. Seuss nostalgia.

2 . Woodberry Kitchen | 2010 Clipper Park Road

Devilled Eggs | Chipped Ham | Fish Pepper
These little guys are high up on my list. I was skeptical of the fish pepper, but it packed such a good flavor!

3 . Bond Street Social | 901 South Bond Street

“Eggs and Bacon” Deviled Eggs | bacon jam | pickled mustard seeds | pimento cheddar filling
Half-priced, daily 4pm-7pm

4 . Dinosaur BBQ | 1401 Fleet Street
Creole Deviled Eggs | Cajun spiced | Chives
Get these in portions of 3, 6 or 12 pieces

5 . Artifact Coffee | 1500 Union Avenue

Deviled Eggs
As you can imagine, these are pretty similar to the ones served at Woodberry Kitchen, but there’s nothing wrong with that!

6 . Ten Ten | 1010 Fleet Street

Deviled Eggs | Cunningham farm eggs | bacon | smoked paprika

7 . Sugarvale | 4 West Madison Street

Deviled Eggs | Duck Ham
This ham is LEGIT.

8 . Southern Provisions | 3000 O’Donnell Street
Deviled Eggs | Mustard Seed | Paprika

9 . The Nickel Taphouse | 1604 Kelley Avenue
Deviled Eggs | bacon jam

10 . Cardinal Tavern | 901 South Clinton Street
Mom’s Deviled Eggs | “classic recipe just like Mom used to make”

Who am I missing?? I’m always up for solid recommendations!

Creamy Sausage, Kale and Cauliflower Garlic Rice

Published on April 13, 2016April 13, 2016 by neverbeenso2 Comments

A few weeks ago, I wrote a post all about my love for brussels sprouts in a new series called 180 Wednesday, documenting foods or experiences I despised as a child and have neverbeenso obsessed with now. This week, it’s CAULIFLOWER.

As a child, this was the most bland (and ugly) vegetable I could think of, even buckets of ranch couldn’t get me to eat it. And now, I’m obsessed. It can be transformed to resemble so many things: rice, mashed potatoes, pizza crust, the list goes on.

I’ve posted a cauliflower fried rice recipe (SO good), but this weekend I wanted comfort food. I mean, rightfully so since it’s been so cold and dreary (who else is ready to throw blows about this snow in April?!). I adapted the Creamy Cauliflower Garlic Rice from Pinch of Yum by adding sausage and kale and it was exactly what the doctor ordered to get me through these freak cold spells. The recipe makes a decadent sauce made mostly of cauliflower, yet tastes like its full of butter and cream and melted cheese.

Stay tuned for several of my go-to cauliflower recipes!

Creamy Sausage, Kale and Cauliflower Garlic Rice

Servings: 6
Time: 75 mins
Difficulty: moderate
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Ingredients
1 head cauliflower, florets broken up
4 cups vegetable broth + 2 cups water
½ cup milk
1½ cups brown rice (I used Harris Teeter Basmati Blend)
1 teaspoon salt (plus more to taste!)
4 tablespoons butter
8 cloves garlic, minced
3 cups kale, chopped (stems removed)
16 oz sausage, cut into ½ inch slices (I used Hillshire Farms Turkey Kielbasa)

Directions
1. Start to cook the rice according to package directions.
2. While the rice is cooking, bring the vegetable broth and water to a boil in a large pot. Add the cauliflower and boil for about 10 minutes, until tender. Transfer cauliflower pieces to a blender or food processor.
3. Puree the cauliflower, adding milk or extra vegetable broth to get a smooth, creamy consistency. Season with salt. Set aside.
4. While the rice continues to cook, in a large nonstick skillet, melt 2 tbsp of butter and add the garlic, sauteing over low heat until the garlic is very fragrant, about 3-5 minutes. Add the sausage and kale and mix until sausage browns and kale begins to wilt. Note: The kale should still be bright green.
5. When the rice is done, add remaining 2 tbsp of butter to the rice and pour in the cauliflower mixture, mix until well combined.
6. Add the kale, sausage and garlic mixture into the rice and stir until well combined. Add salt and pepper to taste.
7. Let cool slightly and serve.

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Watermelon Jello Shots

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Bacon Jam Deviled Eggs with Pancetta

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Golf Ball Cake Pops

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Oreo Stuffed Churro Cupcakes

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Creamy Sausage, Kale and Cauliflower Garlic Rice

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