Eat Palm Beach County

Little Moir's Leftovers Cafe, Jupiter

Everyone has been enthusiastic about this place in the newly hot little dining strip in Bermudiana but like all popular joints, you have to wait.... a LONG time.  As we were looking to eat at an off hour we took the opportunity to enter the lineless cafe on a Friday afternoon.

The hit of the visit... BBQ Chicken Sandwich

Buttermilk Cupcakes...

Ballerinas need to keep their strength up.  All those pirouettes, plies & grand jetes take a toll on a chick. (Ok so she was just galloping about but in my dreams, she's Darcey Bussell already)

Cecile                               Darcey

I wanted to make a special girlie treat and after watching a Doris Day marathon on HDnet  'Buttermilk Cupcakes' sprang to mind. Rich and sinful sounding yet surprisingly light and innocent tasting. Frost with vanilla buttercream.

 

The delightfully domestic Doris Day....

Magnificent Martha has a recipe for 'yellow buttermilk cupcakes' which will give you a very similar result to my Truly Scrumptious originals.  Don't overmix would be my only advice. Its easily done and you'll get mini volcano cakes in return.

Capital Grille, Palm Beach Gardens....

I'm not generally a fan of the 'Steakhouse'.  These red velvet draped, leather boothed old boy's clubs always seem to be trying soooo hard to please. Between the decor, service & price you feel duty bound to enjoy.  Conversely, if I'm going to go on a date night I like to go to little known places, off the beaten track gems or somewhere with a sentimental value.  However, when there's talk of the 'best pineapple martini you ever tasted' all bets are off... Capital Grille, here we come.

Momofuku Compost Cookies....

I gotta get out more.  9.30am on a 'sick' day at my house and I find myself clicking over to Live with Regis & Kelly only to see that pocket sized pixie Ripa in the kitchen of the Momofuku Milk Bar.  Usually the sight of a ripped, skinny bird in a kitchen (its even worse when they claim to eat junkfood) has me reaching for the remote in disgust but this particular cookie she was making was intriguing! Fritos? Potato Chips? Pretzels? Goldfish? Candy? Chocolate Chips?  I'm interested.....

 

Cookie ingredients or a bulimic's afternoon snack?!

Buongiorno's Pizza & Pasta Palm Beach Gardens....

Six o clock on a Saturday, the regular crowd shuffles in... (this is South Florida after all...)  Brio was heaving, Nick's Tomato Pie, best forget that option unless you've got the odd hour to kill, even that old reliable standby Uncle Joe's saw them spilling out the door onto the pavement YET there was one last bastion of hope.  A few doors along from Uncle Joe's on Northlake shone a name I'd seen in various flyers & ads but never visited: Buongiorno's.  'How bad could it be, its nearly full'? I said.  'It looks just like Sal's' came the reply.  We ventured inside....

Pick of Valentines Weekend....

Any hot Valentines plans in the works?!  Do you have a wonderful date planned at one of our county's finer dining establishments? Is your LBD picked out, great accessories, killer heels and a pair of your nicer knickers on standby? OR do you happen to fall into the married category?! Dining out criteria for me generally involves crayons, loud music, pizza & highchairs.  I can't tell you the last time I saw a tablecloth outside of my own dining room (unless you count the paper ones at Nick's Tomato Pie).  ANYHOOO, poor me, poor me, pour me a little Sauvignon Blanc and lets talk about the best way to do a Family Valentine's Day.

How to get your kids to eat what You want.....

If there's one thing my girls enjoy its a challenge and a little friendly competition. Who can finish the green things, how many chicken pieces do you have, who uses the sticks the best?! You get the picture. One of my favorite tricks to include all the food groups AND ensure empty-ish plates is a) to stir fry and b) to bust out the cute little chopsticks.  This easy cooking method is quick, simple and even the busiest and laziest of us can chuck something together and produce a kid friendly, edible result.

 

Game Day Guacamole

If you'll do anything to stay away from the big screen this Sunday (there's some kind of American Football match happening apparently) then use the opportunity to make some guacamole from scratch.  Its very satisfying to actually know what you're putting into it rather than purchasing one of these Exorcist style green slime concoctions from the market.

Carnie Wilson - Unstapled

Why do I do it to myself? I Tivo these reality shows to watch mindlessly whilst I have my 4pm tea break and before you know it I get sucked in to the tawdry tales and celebrity circus.  The latest desperado to air her grubby laundry in public is that famous pie fan, Carnie Wilson.  This barrel scraping half hour slot features her latest battle to shed the 'baby weight', launch a 'baking business' and plug her presenting skills on the 'Newlywed Game'.  The cast of characters are suitably predictable.  Her very sweet husband Rob, her children, her 'wacky' aunt / assistant (for wacky read 'wears her hat backwards') and assorted other stereotypes.

  Carnie, running all the way to the bank!

Home Baked for Haiti - Cookies & Cream Cupcakes

If you're a busy, frequently shopping Mum like I am, you'll be absolutely sick to the back teeth of being asked the following question, "would you care to donate to ......".  Guess what, I did already, I don't want to, I can't... blah blah blah.  Long and short of it is we are SICK and TIRED of being asked for CASH!!!!  I'm not talking post Haiti, I'm going way way back.  Every time you check out at a store the script is the same....  You squirm, you fidget, you reluctantly give a dollar or two that you worked hard for an really can't afford to hand over or you just say NO and feel like an arse for the rest of the day.