50 Things to Eat and Drink in Cleveland - Spicy Bloody Mary @ Gasoline Alley

So the Plain Dealer, yes the Cleveland Newspaper, did a great story a few weeks back on the top 50

 things to eat and drink in Cleveland.  I know I know, some of you may be thinking, what is there to eat and drink in Cleveland, but Cleveland really is becoming a city full of great restaurants, opened by great chefs. We have our own Michael Symon, Iron Chef and host of the Chew who owns Lola, Lolita and my personal favorite, the B Spot. There is the Greenhouse Tavern and Noodlecat, owned by Jonathan Sawyer a competitor on Iron Chef.  There are great restaurants that focus on locally sourced ingredients like Crop which has re-opened in Ohio City, and we have great Gastro pubs like Deagons in Lakewook and Tremont Tap House. Then of course there are the great bars, Prosperity Social Club and Velvet Tango Room, but I digress because this could go on for a while. But back to the original reason for writing this, the article got me thinking... in all of my spare time I should go around and try all of these great things in Cleveland. I am going to frank, it is not going to happen, I won’t try them all, but I will do my best. I am also hoping to share of my favorites that did not make the list and hopefully get you to explore all the great food that Cleveland has to offer.

Spicy Bloody Mary – Gasoline Alley

So Gasoline Alley is a bit of a hidden gem, ok dive, in Bath Ohio, yes home of Lebron James, but please don’t hold that against this great joint. They have great Reuben sandwiches that stand a good 8 inches tall, full of house made corned beef and of course, the pizzas, full of fresh ingredients and layers of perfectly melted mozzarella cheese. Now this is a place we go to a couple times a month, you know a staple, but I never had one of their, now famous, spicy bloody mary’s, and after having one, I have no clue why it took me so long. There is the perfect amount of spice, horseradish and pepper, maybe a splash of Tobasco, but what makes it really special is the amount of “stuff” they put in it… Celery, olives, pickle, cucumber, tomatoes, and yes, a piece of shrimp cocktail;, it is practically a salad in a glass, a delicious salad in a glass. If you don’t believe me, check it out for yourself, you won’t be upset, and while you are there make sure to try one of their gigantic sandwiches, and just so you don’t forget, the Reuben is the best!

Risotto Balls

In an effort to do a better job of not wasting food, since I always find myself cooking for an army, even when it is just for two, I needed to use some leftover risotto from dinner the other night. The first thing to come to mind, of course, were balls!! This is a bit different from the balls I usually make, no crescent rolls here, and well it may just be fried. I know I know, it is probably a surprise to all of you that I would make something fried, but now that I am running 40 plus miles a week, I feel that I can indulge, but just a bit. I used risotto that had asparagus, peas and goat cheese, but any kind would work great. The outside has a perfect crunch when you bite into it, and the middle, it’s creamy, gooey and melts in your mouth. Serve hot with warm marinara sauce, and you’ll have yourself a great indulgent ball!

Goat Cheese and Asparagus Risotto1 Teaspoon Butter

2 Leaks Sliced (white parts only)

1 Shallot (sliced)

1 Cup Arborio Rice

½ Cup White Wine (I used Sauvignon Blanc)

5-6 Cups Chicken or Vegetable Stock

1/3 Cup Grated Parmesan Cheese

2 ounces Goat Cheese

3 Teaspoons Fresh Rosemary

1 Bunch Asparagus (cut in thirds and blanched)

1 Cup Frozen Peas

Salt and Pepper to Taste

Sautee leek and shallot in butter until soft, about 3minutes, add rice and cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly so the rice does not burn. Add white wine, stirring constantly until dissolved. Add two ladles of stock, stirring often until liquid is dissolved. At this point add one ladle stock at a time stirring often until most of the liquid is dissolved and repeat until rice is tender, this will take about 35-40 minutes. Once rice is tender, add parmesan and goat cheese, blanched asparagus, peas, and rosemary, stir until cheese is melted. Check for seasoning and salt and pepper to taste.

Risotto Balls

Leftover Risotto (I used about 1 Cup and it made 6 balls)

½ Cup Flour (Seasoned with Salt and Pepper)

1 Cup Panko Bread Crumbs (Seasoned with Salt, Pepper, and 2 tsp. Italian Seasoning)

2 Eggs

Canola Oil for frying

Marinara Sauce for Serving

 

  

Take cold leftover risotto and form into balls, it will be slightly runny, but it will still form a good ball. Place on a cookie sheet and place in freezer for at least 30 minutes to firm up. Set up breading station and place flour, eggs, and bread crumbs in three separate shallow dishes. Roll balls in flour, egg, then seasoned bread crumbs until completely coated. Fry each ball for 4-5 minutes until browned on the outside. Just make sure the oil is not too hot as you want the inside to be warm and gooey. Serve with warm marinara sauce.

Not So Southern Shrimp and Grits

We all know Southern cooking is delicious and I mean how could it not be, there is butter, butter and more butter, nice and healthy, right. I was in the mood for a good Southern meal, Shrimp and Grits, but wanted to try to make it a bit healthier. And hey, since I am no expert at Southern cooking, I figured I had an excuse to butcher the recipe and make it my way, a little less Southern, and a bit healthier.  I used polenta instead of grits, and substituted fat free half and half for heavy cream. It is by no means traditional Southern fare, but it is full of flavor and a great meal for a cold Sunday evening at home.

¼ Pound Andouille Sausage (Chopped into bite size pieces)

2 Shallots (halved and sliced)

3 Cloves Garlic (Chopped)

½ Yellow Onion (Chopped)

1 Small Bunch Green Onion, white parts (Sliced)

1 Medium Tomato (Chopped)

1 Teaspoon Butter

¾ Pound Peeled and De-veined Uncooked Shrimp

¾ Cup White Wine or chicken stock plus more for deglazing

5 Tablespoons Fat Free Half and Half

2 Teaspoons Paprika

Pinch of Cayenne Pepper

Salt & Pepper

Polenta

3 Cups Chicken Stock

1 Cup Uncooked Polenta

1 Cup Shredded Asiago Cheese

Salt to taste

Place a sprinkling of raw polenta on a plate with a sprinkle of Cayenne, Paprika and Salt, coat shrimp and let sit

Spray pan with cooking spray and render sausage for 3 minutes then remove from pan. Deglaze pan with a little white wine and add shrimp, cook for about two minutes and remove (they will not be completely cooked at this point). Add butter, white onion and shallot, cook for three minutes, add chopped garlic and cook until soft, about 5 minutes (at any point if the pan starts to get too dry add a little white wine or chicken stock).  Add ¾ cup wine (or chicken stock), sausage, green onion, and tomato and bring to a simmer, about 5 minutes. Add 2 tsp. Paprika, a dash of cayenne to give it a bit of a kick and salt and pepper to taste. Place shrimp back in pan and cook until cooked through, an additional 3-4 minutes.

Polenta

Follow instructions on package, but use stock instead of water. When polenta is finished, stir in grated cheese and salt if needed

Serve shrimp and sauce over polenta

The Ball That Started It All

I am sure you are all wondering how I came up with the fantastic idea of putting anything and everything into ball form, cooking it up, and enjoying the most amazing bite of food ever…. Well here is the moment you have been waiting for. Unfortunately I cannot take full credit, in fact, I don’t even know who came up with these, but I happened upon the delicious little ball at a Browns Football party, and we all know they were not going to win so this day was all about the food. Whoever the genius was, I just have to thank. I will say though, my version is a bit different than the original; they had taken a round piece of salami and placed a small scoop of cream cheese in the middle, then placed it in the crescent roll. Now don’t get me wrong, it was really good, but I just knew it could be even better. After a few weeks of longingly thinking about this cheesy little ball, I experimented a bit and came up with this recipe. I hope you enjoy it as much as my friends and I do!

1lb sliced salami (chopped) (pepperoni also works)

2 pkgs cream cheese (softened)

2-3 pkgs crescent rolls or crescent sheets

Chop salami and mix with softened cream cheese

Cut crescent sheets into 16 squares and place a tablespoon of filling in the middle of each (if using crescent rolls, form two triangles into a square, then cut into three rectangles)

Fold corners over and roll into a ball

Place on baking sheet and cook at 350 degrees, until brown about 25-30 minutes