D Desserts

With a name like D Desserts you wouldn't think that the entrees would also be a highlight, but they are. D Desserts is a small restaurant that specializes in wonderful desserts but has some delicious entrees. The owner is Food Network star Keegan Gerhard. He is on the show Food Network Challenge where people build enormous themed cakes and he judges them. "Well it looks like the brontosaurus tail is too heavy with rice cereal and the frosting piping on the volcano is atrocious" - This is by no means a real quote from Keegan but it about sums up his job. So before I even knew about D Desserts I was a huge fan of the Food Network Challenge show. So when Jeff and I decided to try out D Desserts I was pretty star struck to see Keegan there, working in the kitchen! We have gone to D Desserts three times for dinner and have seen him there twice. I was pretty stoked and Jeff was mostly unimpressed. On to the food. This was pre dairy allergy so WARNING - cheese in full force.

*baked mac & cheese 8

4 cheeses ∙ cheese nips & panko crumbs ∙ small spring salad

We added tempura lobster to the top!

*southernfried belgian 9.5

fried chix ∙ cheesy waffle ∙ honey mustard ∙ sweet pot. Fries

*soup & sandwich 9

tomato basil soup ∙ 3 - cheese grilled cheese panini

Wouldn't you know, after all that we didn't even get dessert this day! We were too full from the awesome food. We have gotten dessert there and let me say it is amazing! The menu is below, see if anything tickles your fancy...
 
*cake and shake 9
3-layer choc cake ∙ manjari frosting ∙ vanilla or choc milk shake or malt

*milk and cookies 8

baked to order: choc chip ∙ oatmeal ∙ choc pecan ∙ snickerdoodle ∙ ice cold milk

*d = mc² 9
milk chocolate ∙ praline ∙ salted caramel ∙ rice krispies ∙ chocolate sorbet

*crème brulee 7
vanilla bean custard ∙ strawberry ∙ almond orange caramel biscotti

*booz-flāy ! 11
grand marnier soufflé ∙ passion fruit beignets ∙ passion-mango “sherbet”

*where my PEACHES at – Machu Peachu? 9

crème brulee ∙ peach² ∙ sable breton ∙ lavender ∙ vanilla ∙ ice wine sparkle

*molten cake thingy everybody has… (steamed with a truffle inside!) 10
valrhona manjari 64% chocolate ∙ summer cherries ∙ sicilian pistachio ice cream

*ch ch ch churro! 9
made-to-order churros ∙ rum and cake ice cream ∙ chocolate dipping sauce

*s’mo waffle 9

rock graham waffle ∙ manjari cremeux ∙ toasted marshmallow ∙ malted ice cream

*its back…tropical pavlova…more aerodynamic! 9
baked meringue ∙ mango³ ∙ passionfruit ∙ louisiana lemongrass ∙ tropical granita

Valentine's Day

Ahh best laid plans...

Jeff tried very hard to make Valentine's Day (2011) (don't remark about how behind I am) as special as possible. After working a very long night work and going home to sleep, he made me think that I would not see him on Valentine's Day. I pouted...as you knew I would. Alas! He showed up in the morning to cook me breakfast. Although his intentions were wonderful...the pancakes just didn't make it.

A rose and card. Jeff says that every woman deserves a rose on Valentine's Day...what a sweetie.

Bacon! Which ended up being most of my breakfast after the pancakes failed. I am not complaining...mmm bacon.

Now this impressed me. Jeff made homemade whipped cream from scratch. He bought cream, added sugar and agave and whipped it up. It was so good and creative and so cute pink.

Fresh squeezed orange juice...by hand. We don't have a fancy juicer so Jeff was squeezing these all morning.

To beef up the breakfast a little big Jeff tried to salvage the day with a heart shaped egg. You could really use any cookie cutter to make a cute shaped egg.

Butter first! I can imagine I didn't feel great after this meal knowing now that I have a dairy allergy.

The way to a woman's heart is through an egg...yea pretty sure that's how it goes.

Heart/arrowhead egg.

Food can be art

Food can be art. I think so anyway. The beauty of a dish can be just as artistic and enjoyable as the taste of the food. There are people who use food as a medium for art and it is not necessary intended to be eaten. I found a neat website here that has hilarious and detailed food art. So, I did not create a dish or a stage a photo of bikers trailing a cinnamon role. I did, however, find myself completely awestruck and mesmerized by a half-eaten tomato on the sidewalk. I know what you are thinking, Jenna is going off the deepend and we need to have an intervention. Don't! Give the tomato a chance to change your view.

Side note - have you ever cooked with Buddha's Hand? I can see this lemon-like citrus making its way into some food art.

Poached Eggs - Sort Of

In case you didn't know, poaching eggs is hard! I love poached eggs and thought perhaps I could do it myself. I tried my darnedest to follow instructions on the Internet. My eggs were swirling all over the pot in a white cloud of failure. Below is the result...I am not sure we can call it a poached egg but it wasn't terrible.

Do you have any tips for poaching eggs?