Over the hill and through the woods...

So, I suppose I could very easily blame not having internet for the last two weeks on not posting...but that leaves a blank the space time continuum that I just can't explain, so I'm just going to whistle a tune you may not recognize and walk away slowly...

The good news is, I'm back and we have internet (though it is so slow, Fluffy insisted that it might be dial up). The bad news is....I have no bad news. I have to say that life is on the ups and doesn't seem to be slowing down lately. I've had my moments of homesickness (which have included driving around listening to Sarah McLaughlin and crying on the phone to Val) and I've had some rough days where I've wondered if I've done the right thing...but today is not one of those days.

Yes, I miss my family. Of course, I miss my friends. These two groups of people make up some of the most wonderful, weird, funny, crazy, unique and amazing people anyone could ever know. But then I look at the friendships I have growing here and the wonderful house I share with two pretty kick-butt roommates...yeah, I can't complain about Florida. Especially not when I come home from work and Fluff has made homemade lasagna and I eat so much I basically just pass out as soon as my plate hits the sink.

Okay, okay...I know what you're thinking. 'I thought this was a food blog, Lauren.' I got it...I'll stop gushing about how happy I am and just get to the point. Though, if truth be told...the point today is going to just be about other food things that make me happy.

If anyone from Texas reads this, and you ever want to visit me...be sure we will go to one of the restaurants listed below. If you are one of my Orlando peeps and I haven't pulled you around to my favorite spots...first you should kick me the next time you see me and then we should go eat at one of these places together. That being said...here we go.

1. My absolute, without a doubt, most favorite...est (yeah, I said it) place since moving to Orlando is downtown and it's called The Rusty Spoon. It's a gastropub and their menu changes weekly based on what produce is in season and they can get. All the produce they use is local, all the meat they use is hormone free and wonderful. I've never had a bad meal here...in fact I'd venture to say I've never even had a mediocre meal here. It just gets better every time I go.

2. VietThai is a close second, but it's also kind of tied for second with the one I'll list next. We managed to find this place our second or third night in Orlando and I've been back a lot. It's this teeny, hole in the wall place that is family owned and melt in your mouth good. Fresh, homemade Pho? Yes please. Korean BBQ? Don't mind if I do. Vietnamese iced coffee? I'll have three please and be awake for a week straight. My favorite thing about this place is they aren't afraid to suggest things for you if you can't make up your mind and it's never a disappointment. My only complaint is they're closed on Mondays and I always seem to forget.

3. The third on my list is here almost as much for the atmosphere as it is for the food. Devenney's Irish Pub is very near to my house and I really just discovered it about a week ago...but man do I love this place. The fried green beans and Scotch eggs are killer, but the Shepherd's Pie takes the cake. And to top of the wonderful, traditional food they have here (I haven't tried the Corned Beef and Cabbage yet...but it's on my to-do list) the general feel of the place is just amazing. Thanks to the fact that I talk to strangers and me and my roommates make friends everywhere we go, we've met and hung out with the owners of the place and they are wonderful and about 70 percent of the reason we'll be going back time and time again.

Okay...so there's my top three. There are many many more that I love and maybe I'll bore you with stories about other culinary adventures later on...but for now, I smell food cooking so I might venture out of my super comfortable bed and see what's going on downstairs. I want to leave you with a recipe....but for once I'm at a little bit of a loss. What would I make right now if I could....

Mmmm, yes. Here we go. I actually don't have to cook it because I have a giant Tupperware of it downstairs from last week when I got in the mood for Tex Mex. Lauren's homemade, super easy, medium salsa. If you have a blender or food processor, you're good to go. And while I type this, my tummy is already rumbling so I'm glad I've got this one memorized.

You will need:
-4-5 Tomatoes. I like to use...any tomato. *evil laugh* Honestly, when I'm making salsa, I just pick whatever is on sale. You're going to add a bit of flavor to this, so don't be a tomato snob.
-1 bunch of fresh cilantro, chopped roughly (I like big chunks of cilantro in my salsa. It's fresh and delicious and makes for a better time when you can make fun of someone for getting it stuck in their teeth.)
-4-5 limes, depending on ripeness. You want some nice juicy limes.
-1/2 red onion
-5 cloves of garlic
-1 poblano pepper (just for the record, my spell check tried to correct poblano to 'pointblank'. What the what? Anywho, moving on.)
-2 jalapeno peppers
-2 or 3 tablespoons of olive oil
-salt to taste

See? Easy breezy. First, preheat your oven to 350 and core your tomatoes. Place all the veggies on a baking sheet and drizzle with the olive oil (cilantro excluded of course, that would just be weird). Pop these suckers in the oven and go paint your toenails or something. After about 10 minutes, you'll notice the skin pulling away from the tomatoes, so pull those out and pop them in an ice water bath or stick them in the freezer to stop the cooking process.

Then...walk the dog. Do some Zumba. Get out a round brush and practice for karaoke night for about another ten minutes until your garlic and peppers are finished roasting. Wrap the peppers in clear wrap while you peel your tomatoes. The skin should come right off, but if there's a little left, it won't hurt you. Once you peel the tomatoes, get a knife and rub the back of it on the peppers (after you've unwrapped them, of course) and get a good part of the skin off. Again...if you don't get it all it won't kill you.

Here's where you can take some liberty. I get the ribs and seeds out of one jalapeno and the poblano, rough chop them and throw them in the food processor. I leave the seeds and ribs in the second jalapeno for heat. It's good. it'll put hair on your chest...but not in a creepy way. In a 'yeah, I just ate that jalapeno...be impressed' kind of way. Do whatever makes your heart and tummy happy though. Now comes the real hard part.

Throw everything in the food processor or blender. I give it all a rough chop and just toss it in. Blend away. Squeeze your limes into the mix and then taste it. Needs salt? Add some more. Needs more acidity? Do it. More cilantro? By all means, turn the darn stuff green if you want to. Then, pour it in a bowl, get some tortilla chips and go to town. And by go to town, I mean eat until you think you might be in a coma. Then call me and thank me for changing your life and making you never want to buy store made salsa again. The roasted garlic and cilantro are what makes this recipe, for sure.

Okay, now that I've rambled on for a million and a half years...I'm starving. I think I'll go eat some of said salsa and maybe some of Fluff's leftover lasagna. I hope you're all having a fabulous Saturday and are enjoying some of your own culinary adventures.

"So long as you have food in your mouth, you have solved all questions for the time being." - Franz Kafka

Happy Eating,
Lauren