Restaurant reviews, dishes, recipes, and more - DineNDish's Blog - Bakersfield.com

Restaurant reviews, dishes, recipes, and more - DineNDish's Blog - Bakersfield.com http://people.bakersfield.com/home/Blog/DineNDish en-us Memorial Day Weekend: four course menu http://people.bakersfield.com/home/Blog/DineNDish/9943 http://people.bakersfield.com/home/Blog/DineNDish/9943 <font color="#000000"><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Hey all, I wanted to include some recipes for this weekend's celebration! <br /> This is probably my favorite time of the year to start off the summer. </span></font><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font color="#000000">I love the warm weather, the BBQ's, and the comfort of being around family. </font><font color="#000000">I hope </font><font color="#000000">you all have a safe weekend and enjoy the time off. <br /> </font></span><strong style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font color="#000080"><br /> </font><font size="3" color="#ff0000">-Serrena <br /> </font></strong><font size="2"><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font color="#ff0000"><br /> <font size="3" color="#ff0066">Appetizer:</font><br /> <font size="3" color="#ff99cc">Tropical Fruit Salad</font><br /> <font color="#000000"><br />     * 1 medium ripe papaya, cut into 1/2-inch pieces<br />     * 1 medium ripe mango, cut into 1/2-inch pieces<br />     * 1/2 pineapple, cut into 1/2-inch pieces<br />     * 1 medium jalapeno pepper, seeded and ribs removed, minced<br />     * 1 small red onion, cut into 1/4-inch pieces<br />     * 1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro<br />     * 1 tablespoon grated lime zest<br />     * 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice<br />     * Coarse salt<br />  <font size="3">  <br /> <font color="#ff99cc">Directions</font></font><br />     * In a medium bowl, combine all of the ingredients. Serve immediately. This may be made 1 hour ahead, without adding papaya, and refrigerated. Add papaya just before serving.</font><br /> <br /> <br /> <font size="3" color="#99cc00">Side Dish:</font><br /> <font size="3" color="#99cc00">Garlicky Roasted Asparagus</font><br /> <br /> <font size="3" color="#003300">Ingredients</font><br /> <font color="#000000"><br />     * 2 pounds asparagus, trimmed<br />     * 2 tablespoons olive oil<br />     * 4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced<br />     * Coarse salt and ground pepper</font><br /> <br /> <font size="3" color="#003300">Directions </font><br /> <font color="#000000"><br /> *Preheat oven to 400 degrees. On a large rimmed baking sheet,   toss asparagus with oil and garlic; season with salt and pepper. Roast until tender and browned in spots, 15 to 18 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.</font><br /> <br /> <font size="3" color="#000080">Main Dish:</font><br /> <font size="3" color="#003366">Simple Salt and Pepper Chicken</font><br /> <br /> <font size="3" color="#000080">Ingredients</font><br /> <br /> <font color="#000000">    * 1 tablespoon coarse salt<br />     * 1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper<br />     * 1 whole chicken (3 to 4 pounds), quartered, rinsed, and patted dry</font><br /> <font size="3" color="#000080"><br /> Directions</font><br /> <font color="#000000"><br />    * Preheat grill to medium-high. (If you are using a charcoal grill, coals are ready when you can hold your hand 5 inches above grill for just 3 to 4 seconds.)<br />    * Combine salt and pepper. Rub chicken with mixture, covering all sides and shaking off excess. (You may not need all of the mixture.) Let stand at room temperature 30 minutes.<br />    * Place chicken on grill, skin side down. Close cover, and grill 8 minutes. Flip chicken, and close cover. Grill until chicken is cooked through, about 15 minutes more.<br />    * Transfer chicken to a plate, and let rest 15 minutes. Serve with bread salad</font><br /> <br /> <br /> <font color="#ff6600"><strong><font size="3">Dessert:</font></strong><br /> </font><font size="3" color="#ff6600"><strong>Apricot Dessert Quesadillas</strong></font><br /> <br /> <font size="3" color="#ffcc00">Ingredients</font><br /> <font color="#000000"><br />     * 1/2 cup light cream cheese, whipped<br />     * 1 Tbsp sugar<br />     * 1/2 tsp lemon zest<br />     * 1 tsp fresh lemon juice<br />     * 4 medium tortilla, flour, fat-free<br />     * 4 medium apricot(s), sliced into thin wedges<br />     * 1 sprays cooking spray, butter-flavored<br />     * 1 Tbsp powdered sugar<br />     * 1 serving butter-flavor cooking spray </font><br /> <font color="#ffcc00"><br /> </font><font size="3" color="#ffcc00">Directions</font><br /> <br />     <font color="#000000">* Stir cream cheese, granulated sugar, zest and lemon juice together in a medium bowl. Spread 1/4 of mixture on one half of each tortilla, layer each with 1/4 of apricot slices and fold each tortilla in half.<br /> <br />     * Coat a 12-inch nonstick skillet with cooking spray. Arrange 2 folded tortillas in skillet; cook over medium heat until golden brown, flipping once, about 4 to 5 minutes on the first side and 1 to 2 minutes on the other side. Remove from skillet, cover to keep warm and repeat with remaining 2 tortillas.<br /> <br />     * Cut each tortilla in half to form quarter wedges, place on a serving platter, dust with powdered sugar (use a sieve) and serve. Yields 2 wedges per serving.  -Flavor Booster: The hot-sweet bite of ginger adds an exciting taste dimension to the quesadillas. Halve the sugar in the cream cheese spread and mix in 1 tbsp</font> <font color="#000000">finely minced candied ginger.</font> <br /> <br /> <strong><font size="3" color="#ff0066">ENJOY!</font></strong><br /> </font></span></font><strong style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="3" color="#ff0000"><br /> </font></strong> Martha Stewart's Strawberry Margarita's http://people.bakersfield.com/home/Blog/DineNDish/8661 http://people.bakersfield.com/home/Blog/DineNDish/8661 Hey All! So are you enjoying the warmer weather? As for me, I actually grew up in Salinas and moved here to good 'ol Bakersfield when I was about 13.....well, now that it's been about 9 years since then you would think I would have been used to the weather.  I must admit I do love summer nights, but during the day.......find me hiding in a freezer! As a way to sort of kick off the summer months ahead, since mother nature decided to get us started EARLY,  I decided to give a recipe I've used many many times from Martha' website. It not only is the easiest recipe I have ever used for a really good margarita, but it is also happens to be my ultimate favorite drink. <br /> <h2>Ingredients</h2> <p>Serving: Makes 4</p> <ul> <li>1 cup frozen whole strawberries   ( already frozen strawberries can be bought at any local grocery store )<br /> </li> <li class="odd">6 tablespoons tequila</li> <li>1/4 cup frozen limeade concentrate   ( *Limeade concentrate consists of just sugar and lemon juice. )<br /> </li> <li class="odd">2 tablespoons triple sec</li> <li>2 cups crushed ice</li> </ul> <div class="ms-col2-article-body"> <div class="ms-col2-article-body-inner"> <div class="ms-col2-recipe-directions"> <h2>Directions</h2> <ol> <li> <span>Place four 8-ounce glasses in freezer. Place strawberries, tequila, limeade concentrate, and triple sec in the jar of a blender. Blend until all ingredients are thoroughly combined. Add ice and blend until liquid is smooth. Serve immediately in chilled glasses.</span> </li> </ol> </div> </div> </div> Enjoy! Hey if anyone has any summer blends or any favorite recipes, feel free to post them!

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Credit: DineNDish

Title: 2039_strawberrymargaritas_l.jpg
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Credit: DineNDish

2039_strawberrymargaritas_l.jpg DineNDish Avocado Pie http://people.bakersfield.com/home/Blog/DineNDish/7735 http://people.bakersfield.com/home/Blog/DineNDish/7735     Over the weekend I was poking around the internet and came across the website www.supertarget.com. On there I found some dessert recipes. The one that actually stood out was name Avocado pie. Being that the main ingredient is a favorite fruit of mine, I never would have thought that making a pie that included this ingredient  would actually taste good. Come to think of it, it actually tasted a lot like key lime pie!<br />     The recipe says it takes about 30-minutes to put together. When I made it, it took me just a little over 10 minutes. All in all it was a really simple recipe.  <strong><br />     Side note: </strong>When shopping for avocados make sure to get the really soft ones so they can be easily mashed. I came across another recipe that said you can also bake in the oven at 350º for 20 minutes and then chill for about 2.5 -3 hours. (Whichever works for you)<br /> <ul id="inglist"><strong><br /> <br /> What you need:</strong> <li>1 avocado, mashed</li> <li>1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk</li> <li>1/4 cup fresh lemon juice, or to taste</li> <li>1 (9 inch) pie shell, baked</li> </ul> <strong><br /> <br /> What you do:</strong> <ol id="dirlist"> <li><span>Stir milk into mashed avocado. Stir in lemon juice. Combine well, then pour into pie shell. Cover, and refrigerate at least 4 hours. Serve with cool whip.</span>                   <br /> </li> </ol> Enjoy!<br /> <font size="2" face="Verdana" color="#ff0066"><strong>-Serrena</strong></font>

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Credit: pieofthemonth.com

avocadofront.jpg pieofthemonth.com Do you like chile verde pizza? http://people.bakersfield.com/home/Blog/DineNDish/6677 http://people.bakersfield.com/home/Blog/DineNDish/6677 Is that like asking do you like Kung Pao goulash?<br /> <br /> How does chile verde, a staple at Mexican restaurants, end up on Italian pizza?<br /> <br /> I can't answer that. <a href="http://www.bakersfield.com/164/story/105189.html">Go to Tony's Pizza</a> at 4130 California Ave. near Circuit City and find out because Tony (which in Spanish is Antonio) has it.<br /> <br /> We would like to know how you like it.  <br /> <br /> Does it taste good or is this a blatant violation of the one dish, one nationality rule? Is there such a rule or did I make that up?<br /> <br /> <em>Posted by Steve E. Swenson</em><br /> Your favorite restaurant dive http://people.bakersfield.com/home/Blog/DineNDish/6467 http://people.bakersfield.com/home/Blog/DineNDish/6467 Of course, we don't mean dive in a bad way.<br /> <br /> But not every restaurant has white table cloths and cold salad forks.<br /> <br /> Some have both real people and real food, the kind you eat when you are around real people. Elegant no, but fun yes.<br /> <br /> And those are the kind of places we'd like to know where you like to go to have some good food that's served with a little attitude.<br /> <br /> My all time Kern County favorite was Green's on 178 on the road to Bodfish which back in the day served a Sonora Enchilada for $2.50 that would feed you for a week.<br /> <br /> The Burger Hut on 19th Street is a local favorite.<br /> <br /> <em>Posted by Steve E. Swenson</em> Thai Food in Bakersfield http://people.bakersfield.com/home/Blog/DineNDish/6100 http://people.bakersfield.com/home/Blog/DineNDish/6100 So I've tried Siam Dish over on Ming and Stine. And I have to say I wasn't impressed with the dish I had nor the experience of the restaurant. The only Thai food restaurant I have tried and will compare other restaurants too  is Royal Thai in San Luis Obispo. I used to live in San Luis Obispo when I was going to college and I swear nothing has ever compared to how great of a place that restaurant is. So my question is, are there any thai food places that are worth going too? If so, please explain what you've had and your experience (good or bad). I have been craving some really good thai food since I've moved back to Bakersfield and since my experience with Siam Dish I've given up hope. <br /> <br /> <br /> <font size="4"><strong><font color="#ff3399">-Serrena </font></strong></font> Submit a review http://people.bakersfield.com/home/Blog/DineNDish/5825 http://people.bakersfield.com/home/Blog/DineNDish/5825 So, being that Valentine's Day is a very hectic day for some restaurants around town, did anyone find the time to take that special someone out for a romantic Valentine's Day dinner they deserve? Or perhaps the whole family? If so, don't forget to Dine N' Dish by  submitting a review to the Inside Guide! <br /> http://people.bakersfield.com/home/Businesses<br /> <br /> valentine cupcakes http://people.bakersfield.com/home/Blog/DineNDish/5257 http://people.bakersfield.com/home/Blog/DineNDish/5257 <font face="Comic Sans MS" color="#cc0000"><strong>Happy Valentine's Day!</strong></font> <font face="Comic Sans MS"><font color="#cc3300">I thought I'd spread a little love by giving a simple recipe on how to make some lovely cupcakes. I hope everyone has a good day! Enjoy them not only with a loved one but with the people you LOVE that help bring joy to your life. <br /> <font color="#000000">http://www.marthastewart.com/page.jhtml?type=content&id=recipe5610009&layout=martha<br /> </font></font></font><font face="Comic Sans MS" color="#000000"><strong></strong></font><font face="Comic Sans MS"><br /> </font><font size="3" face="Comic Sans MS" color="#cc3333"><strong>-Serrena</strong></font>

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valentinecupcakes.jpg DineNDish Soup's on, but where http://people.bakersfield.com/home/Blog/DineNDish/5737 http://people.bakersfield.com/home/Blog/DineNDish/5737 In our series of "where can I get something," this one is where can I get great soup in town?<br /> <br /> While I love soup, I rarely order it out. The exception is Italian restaurants like Sorella's and Joseph's where I always order Minestrone soup. <br /> <br /> But other places  always have soup as a regular feature. And I like the soup at The Great Castle.<br /> <br /> Where is soup on for you?<br /> <br /> <em>Posted by Steve E. Swenson<br /> <br /> <br /> </em><br /> <br /> Best pancakes in town — where might they be? http://people.bakersfield.com/home/Blog/DineNDish/5442 http://people.bakersfield.com/home/Blog/DineNDish/5442 We are going to start asking "where can I" questions again.<br /> <br /> So today's is where can I get the best pancake in town?<br /> <br /> And do you like them fat or thin, with regular syrup or the rainbow of flavors out there?<br /> <br /> I don't eat pancakes that often, but if I deliberately go out to have some, I will go to IHOP every time. Love the choices of the syrups. <br /> <br /> <em>Posted by Steve E. Swenson</em>