Restaurant Widow

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Thanks,
Lisa

Things to do in Columbus::March 12th Edition

Ah, how I love this new early Daylight Saving Time.  It is so nice to look out the window at 7pm and the sun hasn't set yet.  I don't even mind the melting snow and mud, or the fact that the blizzard and a slow week at work have made me miss an entire week's worth of income (so don't look for any restaurant reviews for awhile unless they're cheap).  Well, I do mind that, but at least it's making me get creative and start using stuff from the pantry.  Why just last night for dinner, I pulled out a frozen pack of cod from Whole Foods and dumped a strained jar of olive oil-packed giardinara on top and put it in a 400 degree oven for 25 minutes.  Served with black lentils and topped everything with crushed Marcona almonds. Yum!  See how easy cooking is? 

At any rate, it's time to stretch out those winter-atrophied legs and get moving.  Spring is coming.  Hopefully.  As always, if you have any events to add, please leave them in the comments.

• You know what?!  To prove Spring is coming - this Saturday is the beginning of Blooms & Butterflies at Franklin Park!  If you haven't been, you absolutely must go.  It's one of my favorite displays of the year.  As you walk into the exhibit, you first go through an educational display where you can see the chrysalae and the emerging butterflies; it's pretty cool.  The butterflies are released every day at 1pm, and at 1 and 3pm on the weekends.  On Saturdays, you can adopt a butterfly for $10 ($5 for members) and release the butterfly yourself - how cool is that?  Just a reminder for parents of small children - some kiddos are scared of the butterflies, so you might think twice before you take kids under 5ish. 
• The Jewish Film Festival continues this week, and will extend past the scheduled end date, on to Sunday, as some of the activities were canceled due to the weather last weekend.  Check out their website for the updated schedule of events.
• Shadowbox Caberet has just premiered their all new, original musical Tabloid.  The story follows a tabloid reporter following a tabloid goddess.  Loads of fun!
• Don't you need some culture?  And an education into the twisted lives of European aristocracy throughout the 16-19th centuries might be interesting as well.  Just be grateful you weren't betrothed to a rival family so they won't kill you when you were 5 years old.  I am of course talking about the Columbus Museum of Art's Great Expectations exhibit, which features the portraits of royal and aristocratic children.
• This week is the Columbus International Auto Show.  Just in case you haven't been coveting enough things lately.  Just kidding; I've heard it's pretty cool.  I am sure you will be able to witness the cars of the future; maybe even something which runs on a renewable energy source.
• This weekend you can celebrate St. Patrick's Day just as though you were a real Irishman sitting in a pub at the Ohio Historical Society who, by the way, have recently made their website much more navigable - kudos, guys.
• This Friday at the Southern Theatre, the Columbus Gay Men's Chorus will perform "Strings Attached," which also features the ProMusica Chamber Orchestra.  The performance will showcase "some of the most incredible choral music ever."
• This week at Sur la Table, you can learn Cooking with Beer, Irish Countryside cooking, Spring Pasta Dishes, Dinner for Two, Cooking with Wine, Shellfish Cookery, and Ravioli Workshop.  Click over to their calendar (look!  I finally learned how to spell "calendar!") for more detailed information.
• This week at Whole Foods, you can learn Irish Cooking, have Breakfast with the Easter Bunny, taste "green" wines for Fridays @ Five, taste Irish food & beer, learn to make sushi, and next Wednesday, there is even an event for home-schooled kids.  Click over to their calendar for more detailed information.

Now get out there and have some fun in our fair city!

New to Columbus? 10 Places You Must Visit

I have been getting so many emails from people who are new to Columbus lately.  Part of my goal and mission with this website is to help newcomers to Columbus see the good things the city has to offer.  We might not be the biggest or best city in the US, but we have a lot to offer (jobs and affordable housing seem to rank highly).  And so, for those of you who have recently moved to the Columbus area or you are about to, here are a few things you should see first. 

1. The Wexner Center - if you are new to Columbus, you might to be aware that the patriarch of the Limited companies (Limited, Express, Victoria's Secret, and Abercrombie, until recently) lives here in Columbus.  Aside from Easton, he's also given us the Wexner Center, one of the best art facilities in Columbus.  Dedicated to cutting edge film, theatre, and exhibits, the Wex offers great events for reasonable prices.  They frequently show films you won't see anywhere else, and they showcase student and youth films.  On top of all of this, the Wex has a great gift store full of fun and unique treats.
2. Franklin Park Conservatory - one of my favorite spots in all of Columbus, FPC is a beautiful place of peace and nature - and warmth during the winter.  In the summer, the entire grounds are beautifully tended.  It's a great place to go in the warm months to just wander the grounds, without paying to get inside.  Beginning in March and lasting through September, FPC is home to "Blooms & Butterflies," an exhibit of exotic butterflies throughout the gardens.  You can see the chrysalae hatching and the butterflies emerging to dry their wings (it's especially fun if you happen to have a husband with an Entomology degree); every day at 1pm, new butterflies are released.  In addition to the butterflies, FPC has an incredible collection of Bonsai trees, a permanent collection of Chihully glass, and is the national home to the community garden project.  They also have plant sales and many other exhibits throughout the year. 
3. Ohio Theatre - another of my favorite places in the city.  The theater was restored in 1969, when it was nearly torn down.  Concerned citizens banded together to raise $2 million to restore the theater, which reopened in 1970.  As a girl, I loved the rare times we went to see plays or movies at the Ohio Theater (I remember my parents taking me to see My Fair Lady there when I was about 9 - I'm not that old, they show old movies in the summer).  I could sit in the theater and stare at the chandelier and the decorations for hours.  I just love the place.  As I mentioned in my parenthetical statement, the Ohio shows old movies in the summer; usually about 2-3 times a summer, they also have tours of the space, which is incredible.  The Ohio is also home to the Columbus Symphony Orchestra and BalletMet Columbus. Here is an interesting link to some of the Ohio's history.
4. Zoo - I love the zoo.  When I was little, I even went to Zoo camp with one of Jack Hanna's daughters.  You might have seen Jungle Jack Hanna on Letterman or Leno with a giant cockroach or other creepy beasties.  The zoo is open almost every day of the year, regardless of weather.  In the winter time, there have light displays for "Wildlight Wonderland."  They have many other events throughout the year, and it's always a fun place to take the kids if it isn't unbearably hot.  As much as I love the zoo, I can't help spending half the time in awe of the animals and the other half worried that they are unhappy.  I love the manatees most of all.  That last sentence sounded like a 2nd grader writing a report after a field trip to the zoo.  Good thing I have that degree.
5. Various parks - North Bank, Bunny Park, Hayden Run Falls  My favorite urban park is North Bank Park, which is located on the short West side of Columbus.  There is a beautiful view of the skyline, and the park is located on the water.  You can walk or ride your bike around the water, and there is a great space for rent there at the park (and it's pretty cheap).  There are other great parks in the suburbs - although our parks are mostly flat, we do have a great park system (Parks & Recreation, and Metro Parks.  One great park for the kids is the Bunny Park in Dublin  (picture).  Another hidden gem is Hayden Run Falls (picture). 
6. The North Market - one of the best spots in the city.  When Jeffrey Steingarten visited us a few years ago, I went to hear him speak and he told us how lucky we were to have the Market here.  It is different from markets in other cities, especially those where businesses are allowed to compete against each other, but they do have a great variety of vendors.  Whether for groceries or carryout food, the market should be a weekly visit for foodies, although even I don't get there as often as I'd like in the winter time.  My favorites are Blues Creek Farms for their great meat products (locally and humanely raised beef, goat, lamb and pork) and Lac Viet for lunch (#3 is Husband's favorite, #10 is mine).  The produce spot at the Market has recently been taken over by members of Local Matters, and they will be getting more and more locally-grown produce and items as we get into the growing season.
7. The Southern Theatre - another theater saved from the wrecking ball, the Southern was a triumph in its day, and a temple to the electric light bulb.  The theater has a deeply sloping seating area, which can cause a little big of fun vertigo if you're sitting in the balcony.  The Southern is home to the Columbus Chamber Orchestra and the Columbus Jazz Orchestra.
8. Art-related event (Pecha Kucha, etc) - Many of these events are free, and they are a great place to meet people.  Last month, Husband and I had a rare night off and went to Pecha Kucha, an event were anyone has 6 minutes to present 20 slides and discuss them.  They can talk about anything - their art, business, favorite thing, whatever.  It was really cool.  We had to duck out early for dinner, but I'd really like to go again and would certainly recommend it to anyone interested in the arts and meeting cool people.  The event is BYOB, so you can probably make friends if you bring enough to share! 
9. Gallery Hop - Residents and employees of the Short North might groan when you talk about the Gallery Hop, but the truth is that the monthly (first Saturday of the month) art event draws lots of business to the area and impresses out-of-towners.  The galleries in the Short North open late, some offer wine and treats, the restaurants are hopping, the streets are crowded - it's a great time to see the city in action and maybe walk around with a camera.  Of course, it's nicer in warmer weather, but it's still fun on cold days.  Don't forget to learn about parking before you go. 
10. Main Library - Columbus has one of, if not the best, library systems in the country.  It's huge.  They have tons of great services.  You can request and hold books online and even have them delivered to your branch if you'd like.  They even offer free online classes. Husband always reminds me of the great library system we have when I come home from Barnes & Noble.

Wow!  That was fun!  And I thought of a lot of other great things to add while I was doing this list.  Anything you'd like to add?

Next up, the 10 restaurants you must visit.

More Blizzard Pictures!

update - 2:27pm  Woot!  Snow Day!!

The snow in our backyard is knee high, and it's still snowing.  We're supposed to get 4-6 more inches!!  I just spoke to my mom (who is in Florida right now, with beautiful weather); she said my aunt (who lives in Dublin OH) compared this with the blizzard of '78.  That was sort of before my powers of memory, but I'll take her word for it.  So listen up, boss: Mom says I should stay home!  Don't argue with Mom! Husband and I ventured out to take some pictures.  I dropped my camera in the snow, so some of the pictures have a hazy glow.  Don't worry, camera made it through okay after a few minutes over the heating vent.

Somewhere under the snow, there are stairs

*sigh* the grill

the grill yesterday, 4:30pm before work

wheelbarrow

mean Husband loves dropping the kitties in the snow

wheelbarrow, today

wheelbarrow at 4:30pm yesterday, before work   

Public Service Announcement, with Snowy Pictures

back fence with drifts - fence is 6 feet high

This is a friendly reminder, during this time of blizzard conditions, to call ahead before you go anywhere.  Also, if you live on or near a bus line and don't have the heart to dig out your car just yet, don't forget that COTA busses run for free all day when we are on snow emergencies. And if you do go out, don't forget that some of us have risked life, limb, and the fun of having a rare snow day to serve you, and tip accordingly.

flower box

front porch and street

Letting Go of the Fear of Tofu

top to bottom: fried bean curd, plain baked tofu, extra firm tofu, and savory baked tofu.

Poor tofu.  You've been so mishandled by well-meaning (I assume) people, you've made everyone fear you; particularly meat-eating Americans.  Asians, after all, blend you with everything, wisely using you to stretch out small amounts of meat.

Of course, we know you're good for us, and you contain lots of protein, but you're slimy.  And slippery.  And weird.

Except when you aren't.

I've had my own fearful relationship with tofu, for the same reason.  It just seemed as though it could never be drained or pressed enough to not turn into a jiggly, watery mess.  And then I started buying "fried bean curd," which is fried tofu, and it was better.  It held up to stir-frying.  Of course, it had slightly more fat, but still nothing compared to most meat (around 8 grams of fat per serving).  So I started buying all sorts of tofu, just to experiment.  Most of these types of tofu can replace meat in any quickly-cooked method, and you can use them uncooked - for instance, added to my spicy sesame noodles, or in the salad recipe I have below.

Of course, there are the silky types of tofu you know from the produce section, but these fried, dried and baked tofus are typically found at Asian groceries.  While fried tofu, sometimes called tofu cutlet, can be found at Japanese groceries such as Tensuke, baked and dried tofu are more easily discovered at Asian groceries which specialize in Chinese specialties.  Columbus Asian Market (CAM, corner of Bethel & Olentangy River Road in the Olentangy Plaza) has a huge variety of tofu, both in the produce section and in the refrigerated section back by the rice.

Fried Bean Curd (tofu) is just as it sounds.  It words very well in stir fries
Baked tofu has been baked and is dehydrated; the texture is smooth without being gritty, it is very firm, slices almost like a chicken breast, and can be used in soup, stir fries, and raw in noodles or salads.
Extra Firm tofu (vacuum packed in blocks, not in the puff pack from the produce aisle) has an almost crumbly texture, similar to a strained, hard curd cheese.  It can be sliced and used in stir fries, and will stand up well in soups because it can take in a lot of water.
Savory baked tofu is just like regular baked tofu, except it has been soaked in soy sauce, which makes it quite lovely when used raw in salads, as in the recipe below.
Dried tofu (not pictured) has an almost haloumi-like quality, and is also very good in stir fries, in miso soup, or raw in salads, as I used it in the recipe below. 

Tofu makes a very inexpensive protein source - 4 blocks (4 servings) of tofu cost about $2.  Of course, tofu by itself does not equal a complete protein; to create a complete protein, serve tofu with a scoop of rice, some nuts (as below), eggs or dairy products.

I copied this recipe after something I bought premade at CAM.  This salad is great because it can be served cold or at room temperature; that means it is great for packing in lunches.

Edamame & Tofu Salad with Almonds - serves 2-4

1 cup frozen edamame peas (green soy beans), out of shell
1 block each savory baked tofu and dried tofu (or 2 of one)
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp sesame oil
2 tsp garlic chili paste (sambal)
3 tbsp roasted & salted almonds or peanuts (I used Marcona almonds, because that's all we had in the house)

Place the edamame in a small pan and cover with water.  Bring to a boil over high heat, add a little sprinkle of salt, and boil for five minutes.  Strain, spray with cold water to chill the beans, and set aside.

Cut the tofu into 1/2" cubes and place in a bowl.

Combine the sauce mixture (olive oil through chili paste) in a bowl and pour about 1 tbsp over the tofu chunks.  Stir and allow them to marinate for about 5 minutes.  Add the peas, pour over the rest of the sauce, and add the almonds, reserving a few sprinkles for serving.  Place in a bowl and sprinkle remaining almonds over. 

In Which Husband Bakes? A Fruitcake?! And It's Delicious?!

A few weeks ago, when Husband went to wine tasting boot camp, he came home raving about the fruitcake the Master Sommelier's wife had made.  I was skeptical.  Raving about a fruitcake?  But both of us find fruitcake to be pretty horrifying, so I took his word for it.  He begged, pleaded, and fretted, and finally she sent the recipe.

Husband doesn't do a lot of baking, but the cake turned out beautifully, nonetheless (as you can see).  He did learn a few baker's secrets along the way, such as: it is much better to crack your eggs into a bowl and then add them one at a time, versus accidentally dropping the whole egg, shell and all, into the mixer with the paddle running (sorry babe, but I so rarely get to poke fun at you).

I can't say for sure, because the cake was only just baked last night, but I imagine it gets better after a day or so.  There is a lot of moisture in the cake, and it takes a long time to bake, just to let you know before you start in on the project late at night.

Vanessa's Totally Delicious, will Make You A Convert, Fruitcake - makes a Bundt Pan - about 12-15 servings

5 cups different dried fruits chopped (we used candied kumquats, cherries, cranberries, figs, and pineapple)
2 tbsp finely chopped crystallized ginger
Enough brandy (we used red wine) to cover the fruit
1 ½ c butter at room temp.
2 ½ c sugar
8 eggs at room temp.
1 tbsp pure vanilla extract
½ tsp salt
3 cups cake flour, sifted before measuring
2 cups chopped, toasted nuts (we used walnuts)

Combine the fruits (chopped if large, such as the figs) and ginger and cover with the alcohol of your choice.  Place in the fridge overnight or until the fruits are plumped.  When you are ready to make the cake, drain them and squeeze out extra moisture with paper towels.  Reserve the liquid.

Preheat oven to 325.  Brush a (10 cup) Bundt pan with melted butter, the coat with flour.  Tap the pan to remove excess flour. 

In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream the butter on medium speed for about 7 minutes, until fluffy.  Add the sugar and continue creaming until fluffy again, about 4 minutes.  add the eggs one at a time, beating after each.  Add the vanilla and salt.  Reduce the speed to low and add the flour (don't overmix!).  Using a wooden spoon, fold in the fruit and nuts until fully incorporated. Spoon the batter into the pan, making sure the top is even.  Bake about 1 hour and 50 minutes (it took over 2 hours for Husband) or until a toothpick comes out clean.  Transfer to a rack and brush about 2 tbsp. brandy (we didn't have brandy, so we used a late harvest pinot gris; any alcohol would be good) over the cake.  Cool in the pan for 5 minutes.  Invert the cake onto the rack and carefully lift off the pan. Brush the entire cake with brandy or whatever again and cool completely,  when the cake is cooled, wrap it in plastic and foil and refrigerate.  You can continue to brush it with booze every day until consumed. 

This is really tasty with coffee for breakfast, a fact to which I can personally attest.  Husband was baking into the wee hours of the morning.

Recipe courtesy of Vanessa C.  Thanks!

Things to do in Columbus::March 5th Edition

Ah.  Columbus weather.  It gets up to 67, rains enough to turn everything to a muddy flooded mess, and then snows 2 inches, all in 30 hours flat.  *sigh*

As always, leave your events in the comments.

• If the cold has got you down, might I once again recommend a trip to Franklin Park?  The orchid forest is over, but you can still go see Enchanted Express, a pretty cool exhibit which winds its way through the gardens and tiny scultpures and the like.  And it's warm and pretty there.  Unlike the outside.
• Guess what?!  This weekend is the Pet Expo Classic at the Ohio Expo Center.  There are all sorts of events, free samples, vendors, etc.  The largest sloth in the world will be there!  The event takes place Friday through Sunday and costs $8.
• And now for the culture section of the events: this weekend, pianist Michael Chertock will play Rhapsody in Blue with the Columbus Symphony Orchestra.  There is even a rare Sunday matinee.
• And BalletMet will perform Alladin.
• The Wexner Center features gay filmakers this week; Lagerfeld Confidential sounds particularly interesting, and there is also a film which stars Julianne Moore as the bizarre heriess to the Bakelite fortune.
• This week is the Columbus Jewish Film Festival at various locations around the city.
• Once upon a time, Ohio was full of prairies.  There are a few locations throughout the state where one can still see endangered species of pairie grass.  This weekend, you can take a trip to the Wilds and catch a glimpse of what the state was like once upon a time.  There are even bison herds.  Get an education!
• This week at Sur la Table, learn Shellfish Cookery, Spring pasta dishes, crepes & souffles, Southeren Cookin, and Cooking with Beer.  Click over to their calendar for more information.
• And, in looking forward news, Thursday, March 20th will be the inagural Slow Food event - dinner at Cafe del Mondo!  Tickets are $37.  Click over to the Slow Food Columbus website for more information.
• Tonight is a Columbus Underground Happy Hour at Xalisco (Chittenden & High).  Cheap beer and delicious tacos! 6-9pm

An Actual Recipe! Cold Spicy Sesame Noodles

This is a favorite in the Widow Household, especially after work, because they are great cold from the fridge.  You can moderate the spice level to suit your palate, and it's one of those recipes that you can make once and then adjust as you'd like.  I like things decently spicy; here, the peanut butter and sesame paste balance the heat with sweetness.  I like to add cubes of baked tofu to the noodles; shredded, cooked chicken breast would be good, too, and would turn the noodles into a meal.  These are also good for packed lunches and picnics, because they can get to room temperature and still be tasty.

Cold Spicy Sesame Noodles - serves 4-6

1 (13 ounce) package of Japanese noodles, or spaghetti
2 tbsp sesame seeds
1/4 cup peanut butter*
2 tbsp soy sauce (I like to use "light colored" soy sauce, or lowish sodium)
1 tbsp Vietnamese chili paste (sambal - in the chili sauce section of the Asian grocery)
2 tsp sesame oil
2 tbsp Japanese sesame paste (or tahini, but I think the Japanese version, which is much thicker, is better and has a more refined flavor)
2 tsp ginger/garlic paste, or 1 minced garlic clove and 1/2" piece of ginger, peeled and minced
2 tsp rice wine vinegar (unseasoned/without sugar)
4 scallions, green parts, cut into thin rings (I forgot to buy them today, so they aren't in the picture; they do make the noodles prettier)

Cook the noodles according to package directions, being sure not to overcook them.  Drain and rinse very well, tossing with tongs under cold running water to be sure they are thoroughly cold (otherwise they will continue cooking and turn to mush).

In a small dry pan, toast the sesame seeds over medium heat, tossing the pan, until they are shiny and fragrant.  They burn very quickly, so be careful!  Remove from heat and set aside.

In a small pan, combine the peanut butter through the rice vinegar.  Heat over medium heat, stirring to melt the peanut butter.  When everything is incorporated, pour the hot mixture over the cold noodles, tossing the noodles with tongs to be sure the noodles are evenly coated.  Let the mixture sit at room temperature or place in the fridge for half an hour to allow the flavors to mingle.  When ready to serve, top the noodles with the scallions and sesame seeds.  YUM!

I find garlic and ginger paste to be a great short cut in the kitchen, especially when making Asian food.  It is available at Indian grocery stores, such as Patel Brothers in the Kenny Centre (corner of Kenny & Old Henderson on the NW side, near Tensuke Japanese Grocery store).

*if you are using natural, non-homogenized peanut butter, add a few tbsp of the oil from the peanut butter jar to be sure everything mixes together.

To help you with your shopping, left to right, front - ginger/garlic paste; Japanese sesame paste; fresh chili paste; back, light color soy sauce: